#the second two are alright but the first two.. 😬

[katiecanblog]

[life-is-more-than-just-a-game]

♠️ AiB males in Mingle-Game with you ♠️

A/N: I thought about this kind of headcanons while I was trying to fall asleep. 😬

The game is part of the second season from Squid Game, so if you haven't seen it yet but want to watch it- This writing may contain slight spoilers! 😶‍🌫️

Characters: Aguni, Arisu, Chishiya, Karube, Niragi

POV: gn!neutral

Warnings: Squid Game related; may contain Spoilers for season 2!

A g u n i

That man really hates playing games with you together. He isn't showing, but he is afraid of losing you in one of those games especially when it comes to the thought of losing you 'cause he is not able to protect you ...

He has the will of a leader and he may be pretty strong, physically and psychologically, but not knowing which game you'll join together almost kills him ever and ever again.

That's why Aguni always tries his best to convince you to play different games but this time he lost the discussion.

Thanks god it's not heart game the two of you joined, but clubs.

Bro, that man breathes a sigh of relief, you wouldn't believe it.

No chances he will leave your side, he stands by you and follows you everywhere you go, no matter what.

And he is watching you the. whole. damn. time.

Standing on the circling plate, he will touch you with his elbow when you start moving your body because of the playing song.

"Don't forget, it's all or nothing. Stay focused and stop dancing, you need to concentrate."

... He is finding it pretty cute actually but who is he to confess?

Ah, the plate stops moving and the song stops playing. A voice tells the number of people each group needs before running in one of the rooms you need to hide to win this game.

Good for you, nearly everybody knows Aguni.

And nearly everybody is fine with whoever wants to build a group with them, I mean everyone is just trying to survive ...

"A group of 3 people?" "Can't be this hard to find one more- no time to lose!"

Be prepared, he will carry you over his shoulder without hesitation ... He just grabs you and flicks you over ...

"Wow, alright, calm down Aguni, I have legs myself, you know?!" "Daily dose of training."

A r i s u

Same as Aguni, Arisu wouldn't step away from your side, leaving you alone in the crowd of people you may or may not know by even their names.

He's a cutie pie. While standing on the moving plate, he would stand by you as near as possible, just to make sure he isn't losing you.

Plus he wants to make sure you know he will always be there for you and no matter what happens, he isn't going anywhere without you.

He lost the most meaningful people in his life already. It broke him. Losing you- it's hard to say if he would make it another time.

Still, different from Aguni , he wouldn't mind moving with you to the song a little.

Actually it would be pretty fun to him, dancing to the rhythm with you.

For a second he would forget why you guys are even here ...

Lord have mercy, he loves you for that.

If he is able to, he would even sing along, sadly korean doesn't belong to his strength ...

Freestyle!

"Love, did you even know what the children are singing about?" "Actually no, but this song is both a curse and a blessing."

People will look at you as if you are a couple that is losing their minds- how can you have fun with the knowing this could be your last minute on earth?

Seriously, how?

"Oh, the song ends ..." "And we aren't moving anymore ..." "2!", the unknown voice tells the players.

Arisu grabs your wrist, not thinking about it twice, and drags you behind him, towards the door closest to you.

"Oi, don't be so rough on me!" "Sorry, gamer reflexes!"

C h i s h i y a

The strategist of this game.

Nobody would find a sample in this game as fast as he does.

Play with him the first and second round, and he will be able to guess the number of group members for every following turn.

"They will do everything to kill as many people as possible." "You don't say." "It's important to know. Based on that, the numbers are chosen." "Are you really trying to find a ... system behind this game?" "I'm not trying, I already found it. Just stand near me and everything will be okay."

Remembering the last games you played with him, you know he is right.

At first it was hard for you to trust him. He was always a mysterious person to you- calm, smart, ambitious. That makes him ... kind of a dangerous person.

But since you started "dating" him, it gets easier for you letting him take control in games you play both together.

"Promise you bring us out here alive ...?" "Not a big fan of promises, but this ... this is easy to handle."

He takes your hand you held out to him when you asked him that question. But not just to give you his word- he interlaces his fingers with yours instead, pulling you a little closer to him and making sure you stand by him.

Your face gets red like a tomato ...

"You know, you make the games a little more important to me, Y/N." "Huh? What do you mean?" "Your life matters more to me than my own life- so I'm willing to protect you. Even though it's just with my high level of intelligence." "... Well, who are you and what have you done to Chishiya?", you laugh while he is just giggling a little.

K a r u b e

Fun is important to him, he doesn't want to think about dying the whole time.

So he doesn't want YOU to think of dying the whole time, too.

I guess Karube could be the one dancing with like crazy to the song. Not just moving his body back and forth.

More like Thanos and Nam-gyu did in the series ... I was laughing so hard when I saw them dancing on the plate. 😭

Back to topic; he just wants you to feel comfortable and, above all, safe around him.

He loves having you close to him. As long as you are with him, he is sure that he can do anything.

He is also willing to achieve everything he has set himself as a goal.

Accordingly, if he has made it his goal to leave the game with you ...

... then he WILL leave this game WITH you!

Means, without ifs and buts, he stays with you. From start to finish.

We know how impulsive Karube can be.

Anyone who stands in the way of him and his plans will never be happy again.

For example, the player who tried to push in front of him when you two were running in a room together.

Then he is simply grabbing the clothes and pulls the foreign person out of the room again- with force and full physical strength.

If the stranger is lucky, he gets away with a broken nose.

If not, he will die- Karube has no mercy for people blocking his way.

"Well, you know, it's not necessary always punching people in the face when they are just panicking and fighting for their lives, Babe ..." "I know, but I was panicking, too. And I want to live. And I want you to live, too, y/n. I want a future with you, not with a-" “Unknown human being!", you say, stopping him from uttering an insult. "You are too good for this world, love."

N i r a g i

Bro's kinda rough to everyone, not just you. We all know what a beast he can be, so when it comes to finding group members, he will use every method that comes to his mind to make people join both of you.

Niragi isn't good with words. He would provoke the other players or manipulate them making sure you and himself can leave this game alive.

Yeah ... he has a soft spot for you.

Can you imagine him having a heart!? 😭

Anyways, his life isn't as important as yours, for him at least.

That's doesn't mean he wants to die in here!

You are just his priority, so when the voice is telling a number and other players don't want him to join their group, he would do ANYTHING that you are able to join a group.

Yep, he would grab people by their collar.

And he would punch and kick them if necessary.

... His firearm could also be used.

"Listen here, you litte fuck. You will make sure that you team up with her and you will make sure that you end up properly in one of these ugly rooms, that she gets out of here alive. Otherwise-" Niragi points his gun at the unknown player, ignoring your "No, stop! Put that down, are you crazy?!"

Damn, he would kill everyone in here to make sure you will survive, it's insane ...

Funny to say, his method is working very well ...

[spidercatweb]

Your Embrace and My Collapse ★ Spencer Reid x reader

Warnings: fem!bau!reader, migraine!reid, angst, hurt/comfort, tiny bit of fluff at the end, established relationship, Spencer is snippy and a little mean but it's because of migraine, Spencer yells at reader, reader is sad for a bit, non-specific case details, mentions of women being murdered, a hint of misogyny from a suspect, one single swear word, umm nothing else I don't think? lmk if so. this is set in s6 :)

Description: Spencer has a migraine, he yells at r when it gets too overwhelming, he regrets this later, calling to apologize.

Word Count: 3.1k

Request: Hi! First off I loveee your blog!! Second off could I get a spencer reid x fem!reader where they r having an argument about literally anything and then a lot of spencer groveling? thanks for considering

A/n: thank you sm for the request, anon!! I am just now realizing that what happens in this isnt much of an argument 😬, but i quite like how it turned out. I hope you enjoy!! <3 Is it obvious i got carried away w this one?

After four years of working with Spencer, and nearly two years of dating him, it wasn't surprising that you were the first to notice that something was wrong. 

The past few days, Spencer hadn't gone on as many long rambles as usual. Maybe he was just tired this week, cases have been very time consuming lately. Not that they usually aren't.

You figured out what was wrong when you saw him squeeze his eyes shut and rub them with the base of his palms. Three times in an hour. Unusual. 

After the team finished delivering the profile for the current case, you took a moment to pull him aside. 

"Are you feeling okay?" Concern in your voice, you reached gently for his hand. 

He pulled away. "Yeah, I'm fine." His face scrunched up, he shut his eyes tightly and his nose crinkled up. You'd find it cute if it wasn't obvious he was in pain. He pressed into the bridge of his nose with two fingers,clearly trying to ease a headache.

"Okay," you gave him a small smile and nod, "let me know if you need anything, I've got Advil in my bag." 

"I know, thank you." He made an effort to return your smile.

"Reid, Y/l/n, we've got a lead. Garcia's about to fill everyone in." Hotch's commanding voice cut through the calm, quiet bubble around the two of you. 

The team filed into the briefing room of the BAU. Thankfully, the case was local. You were glad to be in a familiar place. 

Garcia was already seated at the small round table, tapping away on her laptop. You sat down next to Spencer, Prentiss sat on your other side.

"Lovelies, we have a small problem. I've found two men who almost exactly fit our profile."

"We'll bring both of them in for questioning, then. What do we know about them, Garcia?" Hotch directs the attention back to her.

"I was just about to tell you that, sir. First up, we've got Landon Adams, 27 years old. His childhood was... less than nice. Plenty of trips to the hospital, poor thing. Lots of injuries consistent with abuse. And I'm assuming everything going on at home was related to the multiple reports of violence towards his fellow students at school. Multiple suspensions, and he was expelled from his highschool." She takes a quick moment to switch the information on her screen.

"Second guy, Cole Parker, 29 years old. Similar childhood to Adams. Frequent hospital trips for supposed accidents, bad behaviour at school, suspensions, an expulsion. Oh and get this! They both work in construction! Different companies, though."

"Do we have home addresses and places of work?" Rossi chimes in.

"We do, sir, I've already sent them to you all." Garcia smiles proudly, always one step ahead.

"Thank you, Garcia. Alright, Prentiss, Morgan. You two go to Adams' home. Rossi and JJ, you go to his workplace. Seaver and I will go to Parker’s home. Y/l/n and Reid, you two go to his workplace." 

Everyone nods at Hotch as they receive their placements. The team splits up accordingly, each pair heading to a different SUV. Exiting the Quantico building, you see Spencer wince at the brightness of the sun. You sigh quietly. You don't like seeing him in pain, but you have a job to do. You'll talk more later.

The car ride is quiet. You drive, Spencer sits in the passenger seat. The silence isn't exactly comfortable, but it isn't awkward. You roll down his window just a little, to give him the fresh air he so obviously needs. You take the time to theorize about the suspect. Will he even be at work? Will he run? Put up a fight? You hope not.

As you pull into the small, gravel parking lot of the construction company, you sit for a moment to prepare yourself to talk to whoever is managing the place. In your experience, people in this line of work aren't often eager to talk to FBI agents. You look over at Spencer, he must have put on his sunglasses when you weren't paying attention. He now looks a little less irritated without the sun in his eyes. Good. 

You gently place a hand on Spencer’s knee, catching his attention. “You ready to go?” 

He brushes his hand over yours, giving it a light squeeze. “Yep.”

You both step out of the car into the bright sun. The sunlight reflects off of tiny, glistening specks in the gravel, and right into your eyes. You squint as you head to the front entrance of the building alongside Spencer, now wishing you’d also brought your sunglasses.

The inside of the building is similar to the outside. Concrete, dusty, smelling strongly of diesel. You noticed how Spencer scrunched up his nose at the pungent scent. 

The only other person inside is an older man who introduces himself as Mark, the manager of the building. 

“You two are FBI? Really? Well what are you two doin’ out here?”

You ignore the man’s questioning of your authority. “We’re here to ask you a few questions about one of your employees, Cole Parker?”

“Ah. Well, he called in sick today, and I’m not one to judge, but he didn’t sound very sick on the phone. If you ask me, he’s ditching work to be with that new girlfriend of his.”

“Girlfriend?” Spencer asks. He glances over to you, the unsub had been killing young women. If Cole Parker was your guy, this new girlfriend of his could be in danger.

“Yeah. He’s been yammerin’ on about her for the past week. Her name is Carol… or Christine? Somethin’ like that. Hard to keep up. He gets tired of em’ fast.”

Interesting.

“Have you noticed any shifts in his behavior lately? Short temper, violent outbursts, things like that?”

“Hm. Y’know I’m really not sure, I’m not around him long enough to notice. Might be better to ask some of the guys. I can give you the address of the site they’re workin’ if you’d like.” He offers.

Spencer pinches the bridge of his nose again, his vision beginning to blur. “We’ve already got two other agents headed there right now, but thank you.” 

The man notices Spencer’s clear discomfort, “You alright?”

“Yeah. Fine, thanks.” He runs his hands through his hair anxiously, further tousling his already messy curls.

“Thank you for your cooperation, sir.” You hand him a card with your work phone number, “Please call me if you remember any important details about Cole.”

He puts the card into his shirt pocket. “Of course. Have a nice day, you two.” 

As you both exit the building, Spencer stops right outside the door, running his hands over his face with a sigh.

You turn to look at him with concern. “Spence-”

“I just need a minute. I’m fine. I’ll meet you in the car.” His eyes are squeezed shut as he faces the ground, rubbing his temples.

You respond with a quiet “okay”, and silently head back to the car, where you wait for him. You put the air conditioning on blast as you pull out your phone to call Hotch.

“Hotchner.” He answers quickly.

“Did you and Seaver find Cole?”

“Yes, we’re just about to bring him in for questioning. How’s it going over there?”

“His boss told us that he can’t keep a girlfriend for too long, always switching between girls. He didn’t notice any other odd behaviors though. We’re just about to leave.” You spot Spencer walking over to the car.

“Alright, thanks. See you at the precinct.” He hangs up the call.

Spencer slides into the passenger’s seat, looking slightly calmer than before. “Who was that?” 

“Hotch. Him and Seaver are bringing Cole Parker in for questioning.” You turn the air conditioning down a little, so it’s still cool but not as loud, not as irritating for Spencer.

“Good.” 

***

Spencer leans his head back on his seat and closes his eyes. The drive back is just as silent as the drive there. By the time you get to the police precinct, Spencer is half asleep. He opens his eyes slowly. Squinting at the light coming through the windshield, he turns his head towards you.

“Hi.” You huff out a small laugh, earning a small quirk of his lips. “Feeling a little better?”

“Mm.” He sighs with a nod, “a little, I’ll be fine.”

You reach over and comb your fingers through his hair, he leans into your touch. You fix a few stray hairs that stick out, then give him a peck on his cheek. “Let’s go.”

***

The lights in the precinct are bright, filled with the chatter of nosy police officers. They flock around the team as you all enter with both suspects. Hotch and Rossi take on the task of interrogating, with the rest of the team on standby if needed. You stand behind the two-way mirror with Seaver and Reid. You listen intently to every word, you note mannerisms, you profile. That is your job after all.

Cole is becoming frustrated after only thirty minutes of interrogation. Hotch stays calm and collected as Cole’s volume rises. 

“I’m telling you! I was nowhere near there! I was out with some guys from work. Ask ‘em, they’ll tell you.”

“We did. They all had pretty different stories. We also got security camera feeds from the alley that night. Are you telling me that isn’t you?” Hotch slides a grainy photo across the table. The lighting is dark and the quality is less than ideal, but it’s clearly Cole in the photo.

He groans and mumbles something under his breath, “those bitches deserved it.”

“Pardon me?” Hotch prompts him to repeat himself.

“I said they deserved it! Every last one!” He yanks hard at the cuffs grounding him to the table, lunging at Hotch.

Hotch doesn’t move a muscle. “Alright, that’s enough.” He nods to the two officers standing at the back of the room. They move to restrain the man and bring him to a holding cell.

You look up at Spencer, who at first glance, seems fine, like he’s just thinking. But you notice his glassy eyes and flushed face. He tries to inconspicuously shield his eyes from the flickering fluorescent light above his head. Seaver notices this too, she gives you an “is he okay?” look, you give her a shrug and a worried look that says “I have no idea.” She exits the room to go check on Rossi and the others, leaving you and Reid alone.

You hover beside him, not wanting to worsen his pain any more. After a few moments of watching him silently suffer, you hear a sniffle. He’s crying. You get a sinking feeling in your chest, all you want is for him to be okay. 

“Spence,” you whisper. No response. “Do you want to sit down? I can get you some water,” you offer kindly. 

He shakes his head, massaging his temples again.

“Are you sure? The case is pretty much wrapped up. I’m sure Hotch wouldn’t mind.” Your voice stays soft, gentle.

He raises his voice “God, I’m fine! It’s fine! Nothing will help, just… Just stop trying to help me. I don’t need help.” You spot him wiping a tear from his face as he storms out of the room.

You don’t follow. Maybe he needs some time alone. You respect his wishes. You don’t help. Though you’d really, really like to. Instead, you follow Seaver’s trail to the second interrogation room where Rossi is still digging deep into the other suspect’s mind. You watch through the two-way mirror.

“Really, Landon? Were you really stopped on the side of that road for a nap? You were on your way home, weren’t you? Why not wait until you got back?”

“I was tired. I didn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel.”

“Alright. You’re sure you didn’t see anything suspicious? No … man lugging around a woman’s corpse? Burying her?”

“No, man! I was sleeping!” He throws his hands up in the air, as much as one can while cuffed to a table. He sighs defeatedly.

Hotch slides past you and into the interrogation room. He lets Rossi know that while he’d been interrogating, Cole Parker had fully confessed to the murders. He spared no detail, including  ones the police and FBI hadn’t yet shared with the public.

Rossi gives Landon a half-hearted apology and a pat on the back as the officers uncuff him.

***

You help Hotch to get a written confession from Cole, which takes longer than usual, because his handwriting skills aren’t exactly the best. But you sit in the room with him, waiting, as he drops the occasional rude comment directed towards you, his victims, or the police.

While sitting silently, you think about Spencer. You wonder if he’s okay. You think about what he said. He doesn’t need help from you. He doesn't want help from you. Leave him alone for once.

You shake the thought out of your head. He’s in pain. He didn’t mean it. This does little to ease the anxiety spinning in your mind.

“Hey, lady. I’m done writing.” He drops the pen down onto the metal table with just enough force to express his annoyance.

“Good. Did you sign it?” 

“Of course I did. What? Do you think I’m stupid or something?” He’s clearly looking for a fight.

Unamused, you respond. “No. I think you’re a serial killer with a severe lack of respect for women. I was just checking. A lot of people forget.” You slide the paper towards yourself and look it over before placing it into a file folder. You give a nod to the officers in the room and they take him away. You leave the room after them, meeting up with the rest of the team except Spencer, who’d reluctantly gone home per Hotch’s instruction. Thank goodness someone else noticed.

Hotch pulls you aside for a moment. “I wouldn’t mind if you left to help Reid. There’s not much left for us to do today anyway. You’re free to go.”

You hesitate. He doesn’t want help. He doesn’t need you. 

“Okay. Thanks Hotch.” You give him a faint smile as you go to grab your things.

***

Instead of heading to Spencer’s apartment, you go to yours. You want to check up on him, but don’t want to pain him with a blaring ringtone, and he was most likely staying away from screens, so he wouldn’t see a text. You keep him in your thoughts as you change out of your work clothes and settle down for the night. 

***

Spencer lies on his bed in complete darkness. At this point, the pain had brought him to tears. He hadn’t eaten anything due to the nausea looming in his stomach, which only made the headache worse.

He needed something. A distraction. Nothing loud. Nothing bright. Nothing that would irritate him further. He wanted you. He needed you.

He thinks back to what he said to you earlier. Why would I say that? Well, he knew why he said it. Scientifically. Higher sensitivity, more pain, more irritability, this leads to outbursts. He just wanted it to stop. He didn’t mean to yell at you.

He sighs, shifting to be face-down in his pillow. He just wants to feel okay. Why won’t it stop? What’s wrong with me? A pained whine escapes him as he decides to try to get some rest. 

***

Your phone’s ringtone pulls you out of your sleep. You grab it from your nightstand, checking the time first. Who’s calling me at 12:30am? Spencer. You answer with some hesitation, anxiety still whirrs in your mind, residue from hours ago. 

“Spence?”

“I really- I’m really sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it. And I know that’s not a good excuse but-” His voice is quieter than usual, strained.

“I know you didn’t mean it. You weren’t acting like… you. I was worried.”

“I said I didn’t need help but I’m um- really rethinking that right now. And I’d completely understand if you didn’t want to but um- could you maybe come over? I just really want someone here with me. I want you here with me.” 

You could tell from his voice that he was still hurting, he was scared. You get up without a second thought. 

“Of course, Spence. I’ll be right over.”

He sighs with relief. “Thank you.” 

***

Spencer hears the lock on his door click as you enter. He stays right where he is, in bed. 

You walk in as quietly as you can, leaving your shoes at the door and trying your best to navigate around in the dark. You nudge his bedroom door open and whisper a quiet “I’m here” as you spot the outline of him in his bed.

He sits up slowly with a small hum of acknowledgement. “Hi.” He reaches to turn on the lamp beside his bed.

“No, don’t, you don’t need to turn it on. It’s fine.” You reassure him. “Do you want me to get you anything? Water? Meds?”

“Both, please. Meds are on the kitchen counter.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in two seconds.” You head to the kitchen, spotting the meds once you turn on the lights. You fill a glass with ice, then water, grab the box of meds, then rush right back to Spencer’s room, turning off the kitchen lights as you leave.

You carefully hand him the glass of water, he thanks you, then takes a long sip. You hand him two tablets of his meds, and he swallows them with the water.

“You want to try to get some sleep?”

He nods, “Yeah, but these usually take about half an hour to kick in, hopefully they do kick in. I’ll probably be able to sleep then.” Your eyes have now adjusted to the dark, you can see him give you a small smile.

“You want me to stay?”

“I’d really like it if you did.”

“Alright, move over then.” You don’t wait to slide into bed next to him. It warms your heart to hear him giggle slightly from this.

***

Your next hour is spent with Spencer curled up to your chest, with your fingers carding through his hair. The room is silent, save for your breathing and the sighs he lets out every so often. You stay awake until you’re sure he’s asleep, then for a little while longer, just to make sure. Finally, you can’t keep your eyes open any longer, and you’re pulled into a calm sleep. You hope that when you wake up, everything will be okay. And it will be. Because it always is with Spencer.

Thank you for reading! <3

Feedback is very much appreciated!

My requests are open!

🪻

[the0doreslover]

Stuck forever by the... glue? | t.n x fem!reader

summary: you and theodore are quite literally “stuck together”

warnings: a few innuendos

a/n: so i’ve been MIA for a little while but i hope this 4k piece makes up for it 😬😬😬

‘just make it to friday’

‘just make it to friday’

‘just make it to friday’

These were the five simple words that played in your mind since the beginning of the week.

Maybe it was because your mother had been sending you a letter every day, reinforcing the importance of your success in any exam you are to partake in, or because your professors had seemed to be putting extra pressure on you at the moment, or maybe… just maybe it was because you were simply tired, that every day seemed to be getting harder.

Your friends weren’t much help, it wasn’t their fault, they just couldn’t understand the pressure you had been going through over the past few weeks. You had unintentionally pushed them away.

Friday morning at last.

You had a little while to kill before your first lesson of the day and had decided on sitting in the courtyard.

You were walking towards your usual seat behind the large oak tree when you noticed

a rather peculiar looking sketchbook in its place

You picked it up, and opened the first page, and there in the neatest writing was the words; Property Of Theodore Nott

Great.

You were just admiring the pattern on the front of the book when a hand on your wrist startled you.

Looking up, in all his glory was Theodore Nott.

You didn’t have a chance to fully clock him, when he snatched the book from your hands.

“Did you open the book?” he asked, seeming to be catching his breath

“What?”

“i said did you open the book?” he urged, louder this time.

“No… Nott i didn’t” you answered

“right… well your blouse is undone” he nodded towards your chest.

You gasped slightly pulling your fingers towards the buttons, you felt around for a second until he started laughing “i lied”

“why do you have to be such a dick” you groaned noticing he tried to change the subject away from his sketchbook

“i guess i was born that way” he shrugged, with a slight grin on his face “why do you have to be such a prat?”

“i guess i was born that way” you huffed before walking away from him

Seeing as you had only a few minutes before your lesson, you had decided on going a bit earlier.

Professor Flitwick's classroom was already half-full, the usual chatter filling the air as students settled into their seats.

After what felt like an eternity, Flitwick clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, today we're going to practice some partner work. Pair up and choose the most interesting charm you can think of, the winning pair will be free from the assignment i am giving out later”

You groaned inwardly. Partner work meant having to socialize, something you didn't feel up to after the morning's events. You stayed seated, hoping someone would approach you. Instead, you felt a presence next to your desk. Looking up, you saw Theodore standing there,

"I’ll partner with you” he said taking the seat next to you

You blinked in surprise. Maybe he was trying to sabotage you in revenge of the morning…. but seeing some of the other options for partners, he didn’t seem so bad

"fine"

The two of you moved to an empty corner of the classroom, while you grabbed a study guide to charms.

“We’re not using that” theodore laughed

“well unless you’re secretly a charms dictionary i’m not sure what you think we should use”

He reached into his bag and pulled out a thick grey book, labelled “A masters guide to charms”

“Sorry Nott i didn’t know you were a master” you mocked him bowing your head down

“yeah yeah funny” he rolled his eyes opening the first page to its contents

“how about this one?” you asked pointing to a picture of a beautiful ocean

“no way i don’t really want to drown today”

you glared at his reply

“let’s do this” he hummed

“no way, i’m not turning everything edible”

“boring” he sighed

“lets do this” “we’ll do this”

you both said at the same time pointing to a photo of a man appearing to be stuck to a tree.

After agreeing on the spell and practising it without wands for a little while, You decided you should try it out.

“i have a pencil and a sharpener. Try on them” you said pulling both out your pocket and placing them infront of him

Stepping back you watched theodore perform the spell.

one

two

three

“nothing happened?” you sighed

“i think i can see that myself” he grabbed the pencil and placed it closer to the sharpener

“let’s do it at the same time. That way it might be stronger” you suggested and picked your wand up.

“one” you looked at him to ensure he was doing it correctly

“two” he watched your hands to ensure you had placed your wand at the right point”

“Three!” Just as you both cast your charm, a sudden jolt sent your wands askew. You glanced up in surprise to see Fred and George Weasley barreling past.

"Watch it!" Theodore snapped, but it was too late.

The spell went haywire. You felt a strange pull on your hand and looked down to see your fingers stuck to Theodore's. His eyes widened as he tried to pull away, but your hands were firmly glued together.

"Fred! George!" you called after the twins, who had stopped and were now doubled over with laughter. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, love, it seems we just gave your charm a little nudge," Fred grinned, winking at you.

"we are very familiar with this charm" George added, chuckling.

"So you can fix this?" Theodore demanded, his usual cool demeanor slipping into frustration.

"Afraid not, mate. You'll have to wait it out," Fred said, still laughing. "The charm wears off in a 24 hours."

“Even if we performed it at the same time?” you asked

This seemed to make the twins laugh even harder

“let’s say an estimate of 48 hours then”

As the twins walked away, still laughing, you turned to Theodore. "This is your fault," you accused, trying to free your hand but only managing to make the bond tighter.

"My fault? You're the one who suggested we practice that spell," he shot back, though there was a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“You said it too!” you argued

“Okay stop pulling! it’s my hand too!” he said

"Well, now what?" you sighed, looking at your joined hands.

“we need to find Hermione"

Theodore sighed "why?"

“because she is literally smarter than you”

Navigating the crowded corridors of Hogwarts with your hand stuck to Theodore's was an exercise in patience.

Students cast curious glances your way, and whispers followed you down the halls. You kept your head down, focusing on getting to the Gryffindor common room as quickly as possible.

As you entered the common room, heads turned, and the chatter died down. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting by the fireplace, deep in conversation. They looked up simultaneously, eyes widening at the sight of you and Theodore hand-in-hand.

"What in Merlin's name?" Ron blurted out, almost dropping the chess piece he was holding.

Hermione stood up, her brows knitting in confusion. "What’s happening?"

You cleared your throat. "We had a bit of a mishap in Charms. Fred and George decided to 'assist' our spell, and now we're stuck like this."

Harry snorted, trying to hide his laughter. "Of course it was Fred and George."

You felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment as Hermione approached, examining your joined hands. "Hmm, let me see," she muttered, pulling out her wand and waving it gently over your hands. "It's a strong charm. They must have amplified it somehow."

"Can you fix it?" you asked, desperation creeping into your voice.

Hermione bit her lip. "It might take a bit of time. This isn't a simple charm to reverse, especially if they boosted its strength. Let's sit down, and I'll see what I can do."

You and Theodore awkwardly made your way to a nearby table, still joined at the hand. Hermione began leafing through her Charms textbook, occasionally glancing up at your hands.

"Are you sure it wasn't intentional?" Harry teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Shut up, Potter," Theodore shot back, but there was no real malice in his voice.

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the heat rising in your face. "Can you please just help us, Hermione?"

"Alright, alright," she said, waving her hand to shush the boys. "I think I found something. It says here that a reversal spell should work, but it needs to be performed perfectly, or it could make things worse."

"Perfectly?" you echoed, feeling a pang of anxiety. "And if it goes wrong?"

"Well, we might end up with more than just your hands stuck together," Hermione admitted. "But don't worry, I've got this."

“Okay i’m ready… let’s do it” you breathed in

“Wait… i can’t do it now, i need some time to practise it. As i said, it could go very wrong of not performed perfectly”

you groaned and fell backwards onto the sofa.

Theodore glanced at the clock on the wall, then at you, his expression shifting to one of mild panic. "I have to cut our despair short. I have Quidditch practice now."

You blinked at him, still processing the absurdity of the situation. "Okay, go then."

He raised your joined hands, giving you a pointed look.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst into laughter. Ron clutched his side, gasping for breath. "Good luck at practice, mate!"

Harry smirked. "Maybe you can use the bonding time to strategize."

Theodore rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "Yeah it’s all fun and jokes now potter, but we have a match against you tomorrow."

Hermione cleared her throat, trying to stifle her giggles. "Alright, you two. I’ll need some time to figure this out. Why don’t you… well, make the best of it?"

You groaned again, feeling the weight of the situation. "Great. Just fantastic."

Theodore tugged gently at your joined hands, pulling you toward the door. "Come on, i don’t have all day."

As you approached the Slytherin locker room, you felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Theodore seemed to sense your apprehension.

"I need to get changed," he said leading you into the locker room. The room was empty, the rest of the team already on the pitch.

You looked around, feeling incredibly awkward. "Um, how are we going to do this?"

Theodore glanced at his Quidditch uniform hanging on a nearby hook, then back at you. "We'll have to cut the sleeve of my uniform."

You stared at him, unsure if he was serious. "Cut the sleeve? Are you sure?"

He nodded, his expression resigned. "It's the only way. Unless you have a better idea?"

You shook your head, feeling a bit guilty. "No, I guess not. Do you have scissors?"

Theodore rummaged through his locker, producing a pair of small, sharp scissors. He handed them to you, and you took a deep breath, trying to steady your hands.

"Alright, hold still," you instructed, carefully cutting through the fabric of his shirt sleeve. The sound of the scissors slicing through the material was oddly loud in the quiet locker room.

Theodore watched you, his expression unreadable, but you could feel his gaze burning into you. His breath hitched slightly as you drew closer to his skin, "You're surprisingly good at this," he said

You glanced up at him, surprised. "Really? I feel like I'm ruining your shirt."

He shrugged, "It's just a shirt. Besides, you can sew it back together later, right?"

You smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah, I can do that. Don't worry, I'll fix it."

With the sleeve cut, Theodore carefully slid his arm out of the shirt, keeping your joined hands steady. He then reached for his Quidditch uniform

"Now for the hard part," he said, looking at the uniform's sleeve.

You repeated the process, cutting the sleeve of the uniform with as much precision as you could muster. The fabric was tougher, but you managed to make a clean cut. Theodore slipped into the uniform, and you couldn't help but admire how the green and silver suited him. His muscles flexed under the tight fabric, and for a moment, you found it hard to look away.

He smirked teasingly "stop checking me out."

You rolled your eyes, your face flushing. "you’re insufferable… i’m trying to make sure the sleeve fits right," you retorted.

The reality of your situation hit you again as you exited the locker room, your hands still firmly stuck together. Navigating the hallways and the field together was awkward, to say the least.

As you approached the Quidditch pitch, the rest of the Slytherin team was already in mid-practice, flying through the air, tossing Quaffles, and practicing their Beater drills.

The sight of you and Theodore hand-in-hand drew immediate attention.

Draco was the first to approach, a sly grin on his face. "whats happening here?" he laughed, "Nott, I didn't know you needed a babysitter for practice."

Theodore shot his friend a warning look. "Shut up, Draco."

Draco chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “i thought you guys hated each other? when did you make it official?” he laughed louder this time

"You are the only one laughing" theodore said chuckling at him

“i feel sorry for you” draco said towards you “anyway, let’s continue with practise”

You did your best to stay out of the way,

draco had allowed you and theo to simply sit in the stands while someone threw a bludger at him to try and hit.

he clearly didn’t try hard enough as you got hit in your head twice.

A few of the players couldn't resist taking jabs at you and Theodore as they ran past.

"Hey, Nott, maybe she can be our good luck charm!" one of them called out, laughing.

"Or a distraction for the other team!" another added, snickering.

You clenched your jaw, trying to ignore the comments.

“they’re all stupid” theodore would say

Finally, one player took it too far.

"Hey, Nott, why don't you just sleep with her already? Maybe that'll break the spell!"

Theodore stopped dead in his tracks, his face flushing with anger. "That's enough!"

a few members of the team fell silent, taken aback by his outburst. The player who made the remark, Marcus Flint, sneered. "What's the matter, Nott? Can't take a joke?"

Theodore scoffed. "Shut up you tosser, yes, she is a girl, but she didn’t ask to be surrounded by you idiots, so the least you can do is respect her"

You could feel the tension radiating off him, and it was clear that his patience had reached its limit. Flint opened his mouth to retort, but before he could say anything, you stepped forward.

"It’s okay," you said, "We didn't ask for this to happen, but we're dealing with it. So if you're done acting like children, maybe you can focus on your practise."

"Alright, enough," Draco said, his tone firm. "let’s end here today yeah, let’s just hope today was enough to get us our win tomorrow”

As the Quidditch practice ended, the players dispersed, heading towards the locker room.

"I can't go in there," you said, tugging on Theodore's hand to stop him from entering. "I don't want to see anyone...you know, changing."

Theodore paused "Fine, we'll wait out here until they're done."

You both sat on the bench outside the locker room, Silence hung heavily between you, neither of you wanting to break it. Finally, Theodore spoke.

“you should of punched flint, no one would’ve of said anything”

“well, i’m not one to start fights, that would make me reckless” you sighed

Theodore’s smirk widened. “well you did suggest we do this spell” he lifted up your hands “together, that’s pretty reckless.”

“Oh, please,” you retorted, turning to face him. “Like you didn’t push for it too. That ‘I’m a master of charms’ act? Such a joke.”

Theodore’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned in slightly. “well you’re always whining about how hard life is. If you’re so tired, maybe you should’ve stayed in bed instead of trying to impress everyone.”

“Impress everyone?” you shot back, your faces inches apart. “Nice try, but your house is all about being superior, right?”

“Well, if we’re talking about superiority,” Theodore said, his breath warm against your face, “maybe you should look at your own house, the loudest bunch of show-offs.”

“Loud?” you challenged, your fingers brushing against his arm. “At least we’re not sneaky and backstabbing. I’d rather be loud than be a two-faced snake.”

Theodore’s eyes flashed. “Better sneaky than a blabbering idiot. At least I don’t go around pretending to be perfect.”

“Perfect?” you scoffed, leaning in so close that your lips nearly brushed his. “You think you’re so high and mighty. Well, you’re not.”

“Yeah?” Theodore’s voice dropped to a low murmur as he leaned even closer. “Maybe I’m just tired of you acting like you’ve got it all together.”

“You mean like you’re tired of being a pompous jerk?” you spat, “I’m tired of your attitude.”

Your faces were so close now. Just as it seemed like something might actually happen, Theodore suddenly pulled back.

“Honestly, can’t we just have one conversation without it turning into a drama?” Theodore said, crossing his arms and turning slightly away from you.

“Oh, so now you’re the expert on handling disagreements?” you retorted,

“Well, you’re not exactly making it easy to like you,” Theodore snapped, turning towards you for the tenth time. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re a complete—” you began, but your words were cut off as Theodore’s lips almost touched yours again.

you both sat back

“Let’s just get this charm sorted and go our separate ways.”

You nodded, your jaw clenched.

“your blouse is open” he said staring at the pitch

“yeah nice try”

“i’m not joking” he urged

you discreetly looked down to see that your two buttons were, in fact undone.

you slowly dragged your hand towards your top, pulling theodore’s hand with it.

Your fingers failed to do the button with his hand in the way.

“Nott, please flatten your hand” you said lowly

he cleared his throat “if i flatten it… it would be on your chest”

you breathed out and closed your eyes slowly, before flattening his hand yourself.

Theodore shifted, his hand still pressed awkwardly against your chest. His eyes met yours, and for a brief, unsettling moment, the anger seemed to dissolve into something else.

“You’re such a...” Theodore started

“Don’t start,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

“You make me feel... things I don’t want to deal with.”

After visiting Hermione, who delivered the disappointing news that you and Theodore might be stuck like this for another day, the reality of the situation set in. The idea of spending an entire night with your hands stuck to Theodore's was less than appealing.

After agreeing on it, you both reluctantly made your way to the Astronomy tower. The tension was high, and you could feel every small touch between you—whether it was Theodore adjusting his position or the slight bump of your hands against each other.

“I guess we should figure out where we’re going to sleep,” Theodore said

“Right,” you replied, trying to sound collected despite the discomfort. “Do you have any suggestions?”

Theodore shrugged, glancing around the tower as if searching for an escape route. “We could just sit here until morning?”

You sighed, feeling the exhaustion of the day catch up with you. “Fine. Just... let’s try to make this as bearable as possible.”

You both found a quiet corner of the tower and made yourselves as comfortable as you could, given the circumstances.

“So,” Theodore began after a moment of silence, “since we’re stuck together, we might as well talk.”

“Talk?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “What could we possibly have to talk about?”

“Plenty,” Theodore said with a shrug. “We’ve been arguing nonstop. Maybe it’s time we actually had a proper conversation.”

You considered this for a moment. “Alright, fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s start with why you always act like the world is out to get you,” Theodore said, leaning back against the wall.

You stared at him, taken aback by the question. “What makes you think I act that way?”

“You always seem so stressed and ready to snap,” Theodore explained. “It’s like you’ve got this cloud hanging over you.”

“maybe i do”

A brief silence followed, during which you both seemed to be lost in thought.

“So,” Theodore said, breaking the silence, “what annoys you the most about me”

You laughed slightly. “Your carelessness.”

Theodore chuckled softly. “i care about a lot of things actually”

“yeah? like what”

he stared at you in a comfortable silence, leaving that question unanswered

You smiled faintly

As the evening wore on, you both found it increasingly difficult to ignore the closeness of your situation. The moonlight made even the smallest touches feel more significant.

Eventually, you both fell asleep, leaning against each other for support.

You rubbed your eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. “Oh, this is just perfect,” you groaned, pushing yourself up and realizing just how tangled up you were. “We need to get to our dormitories and change. It’s almost time for the Quidditch match.”

You glanced around the tower, feeling the urgency of the situation. Theodore sat up, still a bit dazed, and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Then we need to find hermione”

You both maneuvered to stand up, your hands still firmly attached. It was a delicate balance, trying not to trip over each other as you made your way out of the Astronomy Tower.

The corridors of Hogwarts were quieter at this hour, but you still drew curious glances from early-rising students who whispered and pointed as you and Theodore hurried by.

Once you got to your dorm you instructed theo to turn around while you changed.

after you had gotten ready you both sprinted to the locker room and sighed in relief at hermione waiting there you.

You both lifted your hands infront of her ready to be freed

“i can’t perform the spell”

“what?”

“it’s too dangerous, i even consulted with mcgonagall, she said that we will just have to wait it out”

You sighed, feeling frustration “It’s okay, Hermione. Thank you for trying.”

Hermione gave you both a sympathetic smile. “I’ll head to the stands and watch the match. Good luck”

As Hermione walked away, you turned to Theodore, “I’m really sorry about this, Theo. I know how much this match means to you.”

He looked at you, his eyes softening. “It’s okay. We’ll have to try and manage.”

The tension between you seemed to dissolve slightly as you both stood there

The Quidditch match was about to start, and with the stands starting to fill up, you found yourselves standing closer than you had all day. The space between you seemed to shrink and In a moment of impulsive decision, Theodore leaned in, and before either of you could second-guess, your lips met his.

When the kiss ended, you pulled back slightly, feeling a rush of warmth spread through you. You noticed, with a jolt, that Theodore’s hands were now resting comfortably on your waist. The realization hit you, and you looked at him in surprise. “Theo… your hands are on my waist.”

Theodore blinked, confusion crossing his face, before it dawned on him. “Wait—” he started, looking at your hands which were now free.

You both stared at each other, “I guess we really did have to kiss to break the spell,” you joked with a light laugh.

Theodore chuckled and a genuine smile lit up his face. “I suppose so.”

“Well,” Theodore said, “I’d better get changed before the match starts. I’m sure the team’s been waiting for me.”

“yeah” you said, smiling slightly. “good luck.”

he quickly leaned forward to kiss you one last time before fake saluting you with a smile on his face and turning towards the locker room.

“wait theodore”

he turned around

“your buttons undone” you pointed to his trousers

[hereforuconnwbb]

Unexpected Halt - CHAPTER 2

paige x azzi (pazzi)

au fic!

~paige plays for uconn and azzi plays for stanford~

word count: 4.5k

so yep as u guys can see less words this time 🤓 but this chapter is mainly just dialogue and messages but im just tryna lay a platform and just build it up from here so hopefully it gives me more of an idea of what to do for future chapters ! hope you guys enjoy !

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

Paige stirred awake to the soft buzz of her phone on the nightstand. She blinked against the early morning light, groaning as she reached for it, her mind still sluggish from sleep.

6:32 AM.

She frowned. Who the hell was texting her this early?

Then she saw the name on her screen—

Azzi Fudd.

Her heart kicked up a little, and suddenly, she wasn’t so groggy anymore.

Azzi: Morning… I hope I didn’t wake you.

Paige rubbed at her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips as she typed back.

Paige: You totally did.

She barely had time to set her phone back down before it buzzed again.

Azzi: Oh… sorry 😬

Paige huffed out a quiet laugh, rolling onto her side as she responded.

Paige: I’m kidding. Kinda. But since I’m awake now… hey you 😊

A pause. Then—

Azzi: Hey you ☺️

Paige bit her lip, warmth blooming in her chest.

Paige: So… last night was fun.

Azzi took a little longer to respond this time.

Azzi: Yeah. It was really nice.

Paige hesitated for a second, then took a small risk.

Paige: Was it the cuddling that was nice? Or… something else?

She barely had time to overthink her boldness before Azzi’s response came in.

Azzi: Maybe both…

Paige exhaled through her nose, her cheeks heating up.

Azzi: I mean, I wouldn’t mind playing Fortnite again like the first night. Just, you know… minus KK interrupting.

Paige grinned.

Paige: So you liked hanging out with me?

Azzi’s response came quicker this time.

Azzi: Yeah. I really did.

Paige ran a hand through her hair, staring at the message a second longer than necessary.

Paige: Good. Because I really liked hanging out with you too.

She barely hit send before a groggy voice cut through the quiet—

"Duuuuude."

Paige jumped, twisting around to see KK sitting up in bed, hair a mess, eyes barely open but very awake now.

KK squinted at her, then at her phone, then back at her. "Is that her?"

Paige scrambled to lock her phone, pressing it to her chest. "Mind your business."

KK smirked, stretching her arms over her head. "Ohhh, it is her."

Paige groaned. "KK, please."

KK grinned, flopping back onto her pillow. "You’ve so got it bad."

Paige rolled onto her side, ignoring the way her face burned as she unlocked her phone again.

Azzi: I should probably finish packing… but I’ll text you later?

Paige smiled softly.

Paige: Yeah. I’d like that.

She stared at the message for a second before locking her phone again, pressing it against her chest as she sighed.

KK, eyes still half-closed, spoke up again. "So gone for her."

Paige threw a pillow at her.

—------

Azzi zipped up her duffel bag, double-checking the room one last time. Everything was packed, but her mind wasn’t on basketball, or the long travel day ahead. It was stuck on the soft glow of her phone screen, on the last message Paige had sent her.

Yeah. I’d like that.

Azzi exhaled, staring at her phone a second longer before shaking her head at herself.

She needed to get it together.

“Alright,” Caroline’s voice broke through her thoughts. “You’re being weird.”

Azzi blinked, whipping her head around. Caroline stood near the bathroom door, arms crossed, watching her like she was studying film.

Azzi frowned. “I’m not being weird.”

Caroline arched a perfect eyebrow. “You’ve been standing in the same spot for, like, two minutes. Staring at your phone. Smiling.”

Azzi immediately schooled her face into something neutral. “No, I wasn’t.”

Caroline let out a slow, knowing smirk. “Mhm. Sooo… let me guess.” She tapped a finger to her chin. “A certain blonde?”

Azzi grabbed her duffel bag and threw it over her shoulder. “We should head down to the lobby.”

Caroline gasped, eyes lighting up. “Oh my God, it is her.”

Azzi groaned, adjusting her strap as she made a beeline for the door. “I’m not doing this with you right now.”

Caroline was right behind her, arms crossed with a knowing smirk. “So that’s why you were up so late.” She raised an eyebrow. “And here I thought you were just getting some extra rest like a responsible student-athlete.”

Azzi tried really hard not to let her face betray her. “We were just hanging out.”

Caroline hummed, pushing the elevator button. “Hanging out, huh? That's what we’re calling it?”

Azzi shot her a glare.

Caroline just grinned. “Sooo, was it fun?”

Azzi hesitated for half a second too long.

Caroline’s eyes widened. “Ohhhh.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “How fun are we talking?”

Azzi shoved her into the elevator the second the doors opened.

As the elevator descended, Azzi tapped her fingers against her duffel strap, debating. She shouldn’t. They were leaving soon, and she had already seen Paige last night—

But she still wanted to.

Before she could overthink it, she pulled out her phone and typed quickly.

Azzi: Are you busy?

The response came fast.

Paige: Depends. Why? 👀

Azzi exhaled.

Azzi: Bathroom by the lobby? Just for a second.

Paige took a few seconds longer to reply this time.

Paige: On my way.

Azzi locked her phone just as the elevator doors slid open.

Caroline was still watching her.

Azzi didn’t acknowledge it as she stepped out.

“Did you just—”

“Don’t.”

Caroline smirked. “I knew it.”

Azzi ignored her, walking toward the team’s meeting area, slipping into the bathroom just before she got there.

Now, she just had to wait.

—----------- 

Upstairs, Paige grabbed her hoodie off the chair, tugging it on as casually as possible—

Not that it mattered, because KK was already onto her.

“Oooo, where you sneaking off to?”

Paige froze mid-step. “I’m not.”

KK raised an eyebrow. “Right. That’s why you’re acting mad suspicious.”

“I’m just—” Paige searched for an excuse. “I’m gonna—”

KK’s grin stretched. “You suck at lying.”

Paige groaned, shoving her phone into her pocket. “I’ll be back.”

She barely made it to the door before KK called out—

“Tell Azzi I said hey!”

Paige slammed the door shut behind her.

—------------

Azzi had no idea why her heart was beating so fast.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t just spent hours with Paige last night, hadn’t already kissed her, hadn’t already gotten dangerously close to something she wasn’t even sure how to define yet.

But something about this—standing in a quiet bathroom, waiting for her to show up one last time—felt different.

The door creaked open, and then Paige was slipping inside, hoodie pulled over her head, checking both ways before closing the door behind her.

Azzi raised an eyebrow. “You look guilty.”

Paige huffed out a laugh, tugging her hood down. “That’s because I had to sneak past KK, and she definitely knows what’s up.”

Azzi smirked. “Caroline’s the same way.”

Paige took a step closer, tilting her head. “So, what’s up?”

Azzi exhaled, suddenly feeling ridiculous for making a big deal out of this. “I just…” She hesitated, fingers brushing against the strap of her bag. “Didn’t want to leave without seeing you.”

Something shifted in Paige’s expression, her usual teasing replaced with something softer. “Yeah?”

Azzi nodded. “Yeah.”

Paige didn’t say anything at first—she just looked at her, something warm in her eyes before she stepped forward and wrapped Azzi in a tight hug.

Azzi exhaled against her shoulder, her arms curling around Paige’s waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Paige’s hands rubbed slow circles against Azzi’s back. “You sure you have to leave?”

Azzi smiled, her chin resting on Paige’s shoulder. “Unfortunately.”

Paige groaned dramatically. “This sucks.”

Azzi chuckled, pulling back slightly, but their arms stayed wrapped around each other. Paige’s hands slid down to her waist, their faces only inches apart now.

For a second, they just stared at each other.

Paige’s gaze flickered down to Azzi’s lips, and Azzi felt her breath hitch.

She wasn’t sure who moved first—maybe they both did—but the space between them was disappearing fast, Paige leaning in, Azzi tilting her chin—

And then—

The door swung open.

“Azzi, we gotta—”

Azzi jumped back, practically ripping herself out of Paige’s arms as Caroline stepped into the doorway, eyes wide.

Paige took a full step away, shoving her hands in her hoodie pocket like that would somehow erase what almost just happened.

Caroline blinked, looking between them, her mouth slowly curling into a knowing smirk.

“Ohhh.” She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. “So that’s why you had to sneak off.”

Azzi’s face burned. “Caroline—”

Caroline ignored her completely. “Y’know, the bus is leaving in, like, five minutes.” She tilted her head. “Unless you wanna stay here?”

Azzi shot her a glare before turning back to Paige, reluctant. “I should go.”

Paige’s lips quirked. “Yeah.”

But neither of them moved.

Azzi’s fingers twitched at her sides before she gave in, reaching for Paige’s hand and squeezing it quickly. Paige squeezed back, just for a second.

Azzi let out a slow breath, then turned for the door.

As she brushed past Caroline, her teammate leaned in. “So… should I say goodbye for you or…?”

Azzi shoved her out of the doorway.

Paige just laughed.

—-------

Paige was still grinning to herself as she made her way back to her room. The warmth of Azzi’s touch still lingered on her hands, and she swore she could still feel the ghost of her arms around her waist.

She had almost kissed her again.

And the fact that she wanted to—no, the fact that she was about to—meant something. Something big.

She barely had time to process it before she was slipping her keycard into the door and stepping inside.

KK was sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone. She looked up immediately, eyes narrowing as she took in Paige’s slightly flustered state.

“Where’d you sneak off to?” KK asked, sitting up.

Paige rolled her eyes, dropping onto her own bed. “Nowhere.”

KK scoffed. “Uh-huh. Right.”

Paige tried to ignore her, reaching for her phone, but KK was already smirking. “Let me guess. You totally just went on some top-secret mission to get ice, and it had nothing to do with a certain Stanford player?”

Paige shot her a look. “KK.”

KK gasped, dramatic as ever. “Oh my god, you did go see her!”

Paige groaned, rubbing her face. “Would you shut up?”

KK grinned, leaning forward. “Nope. Not when you’re literally sneaking around before we have to leave.”

Paige huffed, shaking her head. “It wasn’t like that.”

KK raised an eyebrow. “Mmm. Sure.” Then, after a second, she added, “Did you at least get another kiss in before Caroline cockblocked you?”

Paige threw a pillow at her.

KK dodged it easily, cackling. “That’s what I thought.”

Paige flopped onto her back, groaning into her mattress.

Her phone vibrated in her hand.

She lifted her head just enough to glance at the screen.

Azzi: Wish we had more time. I liked seeing you before we left.

Paige’s heart flipped.

She hesitated only a second before typing back.

Paige: Me too. I kinda like sneaking around with you.

Azzi’s reply came almost instantly.

Azzi: Kinda?

Paige bit her lip, staring at the screen for a second before responding.

Paige: Okay, maybe I like it a little too much.

She barely had time to process the butterflies in her stomach before KK snatched the phone out of her hand.

Paige yelled, scrambling up, but it was too late. KK was already reading the messages, grinning like a damn menace.

“Oh, this is cute,” KK said, scrolling. “Ohhh, she’s got you down bad.”

“KK, I swear to God—”

KK gasped again. “WAIT. Is THE Paige Bueckers actually blushing right now?!”

“I hate you.”

KK just grinned. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re too busy being in your sneaky little love story.”

Paige lunged for her phone.

KK dodged, cackling.

—---------------

Azzi sat stiffly in her seat on the bus, her phone warm in her hands.

She’d barely been paying attention when Caroline had dragged her down from the hotel, her mind still replaying the way Paige had looked at her, the way she’d leaned in, the way her arms had felt around her.

And now Paige was texting her, being all flirty and effortless, making it even harder to focus.

Azzi exhaled, staring at the screen.

Paige: Okay, maybe I like it a little too much.

She bit her lip.

God, why was this making her nervous?

She hesitated for a second before replying.

Azzi: I like it too… but you already knew that.

The second she sent it, she locked her phone, staring out the window like that would somehow slow down her heartbeat.

“Damn, you’re tense.”

Azzi jumped, turning to see Caroline watching her with a smirk.

She swallowed. “I’m fine.”

Caroline raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And that definitely wasn’t a flirty text you were just sending, right?”

Azzi pressed her lips together, knowing there was no point in lying.

Caroline’s smirk widened. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Azzi groaned, leaning back against her seat.

Caroline nudged her. “So? Are we talking about it, or are you just gonna sit there looking all lovestruck?”

Azzi covered her face with her hands. “I hate you.”

Caroline laughed. “Nah, you’re just mad that I know everything.”

Azzi sighed, dropping her hands. “It’s not a big deal.”

Caroline gave her a look. “Azzi. You snuck off before we left just to see her one last time. That’s definitely a big deal.”

Azzi hesitated, looking down at her phone. Paige still hadn’t responded yet.

“…I don’t know what we are,” Azzi admitted quietly.

Caroline softened slightly. “You don’t have to know right now.”

Azzi glanced at her.

Caroline shrugged. “Just… let yourself like her. See where it goes.”

Azzi thought about the way Paige had held onto her, the way she’d lingered at the end, like she didn’t want to let go either.

She already liked her.

That wasn’t the problem. The problem was how badly she did.

Her phone vibrated.

She jumped slightly before unlocking it.

Paige: This is gonna be the longest season ever, huh?

Azzi felt her chest tighten.

Azzi: Yeah… but I think it’ll be worth it.

She didn’t have to look at Caroline to know she was watching.

Azzi could feel the smug energy radiating off of her.

“…You’re grinning,” Caroline said.

Azzi rolled her eyes, locking her phone. “No, I’m not.”

Caroline scoffed. “Oh, you so are.”

Azzi sighed, shaking her head. But she didn’t deny it

—-------------

Paige had been staring at her phone the entire ride to the airport, replaying every message, every little moment with Azzi, like she was trying to memorize it all before they went their separate ways.

She hadn’t even realized she was zoning out until KK snapped her fingers in front of her face.

“Earth to Bueckers.”

Paige blinked, snapping her head up. “…What?”

KK smirked. “Still thinking about your girl?”

Paige groaned. “She’s not my girl.”

KK hummed. “Sure, tell yourself that.” Then, grinning, she leaned in. “So, when’s the next secret meetup?”

Paige scoffed. “Do you want me to hit you?”

KK laughed, leaning back. “Chill, I’m just sayin’. Long-distance situationships are hard.”

Paige rolled her eyes, looking down at her phone.

Azzi hadn’t texted again since her last message.

Not that Paige was worried.

(Okay, maybe she was a little.)

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “We’re just… figuring things out.”

KK smirked. “Right. While sneaking around hotels and almost kissing in bathrooms.”

Paige kicked her under the seat.

KK yelped, but she was still grinning.

Paige just shook her head, locking her phone.

She’d see Azzi again soon. She just had to be patient.

—--------------- 

Azzi had been restless the entire flight back.

She kept staring at her phone, waiting for a message from Paige, but neither of them had texted since that last exchange.

It was stupid. It wasn’t like Paige had forgotten about her in the span of a few hours.

But still, she felt antsy.

And Caroline noticed.

“So, when are you texting her?” Caroline asked as they landed.

Azzi sighed. “I don’t know.”

Caroline gave her a look. “Azzi.”

Azzi groaned, covering her face. “I hate this.”

Caroline laughed. “You like this.”

Azzi groaned again.

Caroline nudged her. “C’mon. Just text her. I know you want to.”

Azzi hesitated, staring at her phone.

Then, before she could overthink it, she unlocked it and typed.

Azzi: I miss you already. That’s dumb, right?

The second she sent it, she locked her phone, heart pounding.

Caroline smirked. “There you go.”

Azzi exhaled, staring out the window.

A few minutes passed. Then her phone buzzed.

She unlocked it immediately.

Paige: Not dumb at all. I miss you too.

Azzi smiled. Caroline saw it. And, of course, she had to comment.

“You’re grinning again.”

Azzi rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”

Caroline just laughed

—--------

Paige had barely stepped off the team bus when her phone buzzed again.

She didn’t even have to check to know who it was.

Still, she pulled it out quickly, her heartbeat picking up.

Azzi: Long-distance is already awful.

Paige smirked, slowing her pace as she typed back.

Paige: You literally just got home.

Azzi: Exactly.

Paige bit her lip, shaking her head.

She barely noticed KK sidling up beside her until she snatched a glance at her phone screen.

“Ohhh, she’s texting you already?”

Paige groaned, tucking her phone against her chest. “Personal space, ever heard of it?”

KK just laughed, completely unbothered. “Damn, y’all are really in it now, huh?”

Paige rolled her eyes. “It’s not—”

KK shot her a look. Paige sighed. “Okay, maybe it is.”

KK grinned. “I knew it.”

Paige shook her head, but she was smiling. Her phone buzzed again.

Azzi: Are you back yet?

Paige exhaled, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Paige: Yeah, just got to campus. You?

A second later—

Azzi: Same. Wish I was still there though.

Paige felt her chest tighten. She hesitated, then typed—

Paige: Yeah… me too.

Another buzz.

Azzi: Caroline is making fun of me.

Paige chuckled.

Paige: KK is doing the same.

Azzi: This is our life now, huh?

Paige smirked.

Paige: Guess so. But I think I can handle it if you can.

A pause. Then—

Azzi: I think we can handle it together.

Paige froze.

She reread the message.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then, slowly, a grin spread across her face.

KK, still watching her, groaned. “God, you’re so down bad.”

Paige ignored her, thumbs flying across the screen.

Paige: Yeah. I like the sound of that.

And she did.

More than she could admit.

—----

Later during the night, Paige was lying in bed, tossing a basketball up and catching it absentmindedly with one hand while her phone sat open on her chest. She was waiting for a message—Azzi’s message, to be exact—but it had been a few minutes since Azzi last responded.

Finally, her phone buzzed.

Azzi: I hate this.

Paige grinned immediately, quickly typing back.

Paige: Hate what?

Azzi: Not seeing you. Long-distance sucks.

Paige chuckled to herself. She set the ball down and stretched out, fully prepared to start messing with Azzi now.

Paige: Damn, you miss me that bad?

It took a second before Azzi responded.

Azzi: No.

Paige smirked.

Paige: Lying isn’t a good look on you, Fudd.

Azzi didn’t respond right away. Paige could picture her on the other side of the screen, staring at her phone, debating whether or not to admit it.

Then, her phone buzzed.

Azzi: Shut up.

Paige grinned.

Paige: Nahhh, this is kinda cute. Should I send you a selfie to help you cope?

Azzi: Don’t.

Paige was already flipping her camera open. She took a picture—smirking, of course—and sent it before Azzi could protest again.

Seconds later—

Azzi: You’re so annoying.

Paige: And you’re obsessed with me.

Azzi took longer to respond this time. Paige wondered if she was actually getting flustered.

Then, finally—

Azzi: What if I am?

Paige froze.

Her smirk slipped just slightly as she reread the words.

Her chest tightened.

She swallowed, debating how to respond, before shaking it off and deciding to keep up the teasing—at least for now.

Paige: Then I guess you should go watch some TikTok edits of me to hold you over.

Azzi’s response came almost instantly.

Azzi: You’re the worst.

Paige laughed.

Paige: But you love me.

A beat passed.

Then—

Azzi: Goodnight, Paige.

Paige stared at the message.

Her grin softened.

She could push. Tease a little more. Try to get Azzi to slip up again.

But instead, she just typed—

Paige: Goodnight, Azzi.

And, somehow, that felt even better.

Paige set her phone down, but she didn’t move to sleep just yet.

She stared at the ceiling, her mind still very much on Azzi.

She could feel the stupid grin on her face, but she didn’t care.

—-----------

After a few moments, her phone buzzed again.

She sat up immediately, grabbing it.

Azzi: You’re still awake, aren’t you?

Paige smirked.

Paige: And what if I am?

Azzi: Go to sleep, Bueckers.

Paige: You first.

There was a pause before—

Azzi: You’re exhausting.

Paige chuckled, stretching out under the covers.

Paige: And yet, you’re still texting me.

She waited.

Then—

Azzi: …Maybe I don’t want to stop talking to you yet.

Paige’s breath hitched.

For a moment, she just stared at the message, heart skipping a beat. Then she swallowed and typed—

Paige: Who’s the annoying one now?

Azzi didn’t answer right away.

Paige knew she had her flustered.

She grinned. Then, finally—

Azzi: I hate you.

Paige laughed, shaking her head.

Paige: That’s crazy, ‘cause I kinda like you.

A long pause.

Paige could feel the tension, even through the screen. Then, at last—

Azzi: Go to sleep, Paige.

Paige smiled, rolling onto her side.

Paige: Sweet dreams, Azzi.

And for some reason, that made it a lot harder to fall asleep.

Paige had just settled into her pillow, still grinning at her phone, when the screen suddenly lit up—

Incoming FaceTime call: Azzi.

Her heart jumped.

She stared at the screen for half a second before quickly sitting up and answering.

Azzi’s face appeared on the screen, the dim lighting of her room making her look even softer than usual. She was curled up under her blankets, hair a little messy, eyes slightly sleepy.

Paige had to remind herself to breathe.

“I thought you were going to sleep,” Paige teased, voice softer than she intended.

Azzi huffed, adjusting her phone against her pillow. “You kept texting me.”

Paige smirked. “So this is my fault?”

Azzi didn’t answer.

She just stared at Paige for a second—a long second—before shaking her head. “You’re so annoying.”

Paige chuckled. “You keep saying that, but here you are.”

Azzi rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched, like she was trying not to smile. “I don’t know why I even called.”

Paige tilted her head, letting the silence stretch before murmuring, “Maybe you just wanted to see me.”

Azzi blinked.

Paige watched as she shifted slightly, fingers curling into her blanket. Then, quietly—

“Maybe.”

Paige felt her stomach flip.

She swallowed, adjusting the phone against her own pillow. “You’re so bad at this whole playing-it-cool thing.”

Azzi groaned, covering her face with one hand. “I hate you.”

Paige grinned. “Yeah, yeah. You said that already.”

Azzi peeked at her through her fingers, and Paige could see the tiny smile playing at her lips.

“Shut up,” Azzi muttered.

Paige hummed. “Make me.”

Azzi froze. 

Paige raised an eyebrow.

Then, to her absolute delight, Azzi went red.

“Oh my God, I’m hanging up,” Azzi stammered, reaching for the end button.

“No, wait—” Paige laughed, grabbing her own phone like she could somehow stop her.

Azzi glared at her, but her face was still very flustered.

Paige was still grinning as she said, “Okay, okay, I’ll be nice. Just… stay.”

Azzi hesitated. Then, slowly, she settled back down, letting out a small sigh.

“Fine,” she mumbled.

Paige smiled, softer this time. “Good.”

For a while, they just stayed like that. Neither of them said much, but neither of them hung up either. Just the sound of each other’s breathing, the occasional shifting of blankets, the quiet comfort of being on the same call.

Paige exhaled, her eyelids growing heavy.

Azzi’s voice came through, soft and sleepy—

“…You’re gonna fall asleep, aren’t you?”

Paige hummed, barely opening her eyes. “Mmm… maybe.”

Azzi chuckled under her breath.

Paige smiled. And just before she fully drifted off, she swore she heard Azzi whisper—

“Goodnight, Paige.”

Paige blinked sleepily at her screen with the soft smile still lingering on her face, her vision going a little hazy with exhaustion.

Azzi hadn’t hung up.

Instead, she had shifted further into her pillow, her face relaxed, breaths slow and steady. The soft glow from her phone screen cast a warm light over her, highlighting the gentle curve of her cheek, the way her lashes rested against her skin. 

Paige swallowed. 

She wasn’t sure why, but something about seeing Azzi like this—unguarded, peaceful—made her chest feel tight.

She’s beautiful.

The thought came unfiltered, unprompted.

Paige exhaled, her lips twitching into a small, almost helpless smile.

Azzi shifted slightly, her brow furrowing for a moment before settling again. Paige caught herself wanting to reach through the screen, to smooth out the crease between her eyebrows, to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

But all she could do was watch.

She didn’t want to hang up.

Didn’t want this moment to end.

She stared for a few more seconds, then finally, finally, let her heavy eyes close.

With one last drowsy murmur—

“Goodnight, Azzi.”

—she let sleep pull her under.

—-----------

Azzi woke up to the soft glow of her phone screen.

For a moment, she just blinked at it, her brain still groggy with sleep.

Then she registered the call was still connected.

Her heart stuttered.

She slowly brought the phone closer, squinting at the screen.

Paige was still there. Fast asleep.

Azzi swallowed, her fingers tightening around her blanket.

Paige’s face was relaxed, her breathing slow and steady. Her hair was slightly messy, falling over her cheek, and her lips were parted just slightly. Every now and then, she would shift a little, mumbling something incoherent before settling again.

Azzi couldn’t look away.

She knew she should end the call—Paige would probably wake up soon, and this would get really embarrassing if she got caught staring—but she… didn’t. 

Instead, she just watched.

Something warm curled in her chest, soft and undeniably fond.

She hadn’t meant to stay up so late. She hadn’t meant to FaceTime Paige in the first place, but somehow, she had. And somehow, it had felt so natural.

She bit her lip, hesitating before—very carefully—taking a screenshot.

She told herself it was just because she wanted to tease Paige later.

(But the little flutter in her stomach told her otherwise.)

Finally, she sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. She knew they both had to be up soon—she had barely gotten enough sleep as it was—but for just another second, she let herself stay like this.

Then, finally, she whispered, “Good morning, Paige.”

And with that, she ended the call.

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

[winniefrezcomics]

So i have 2 questions

Why do iris and perry have godparents?

Does Dale still suck as a father in your human au?

(Will get to second question in a separate post 🧡)

The short answer for the first one is that , despite being best friends in preschool, when Perry and Iris reconnected in elementary school, it literally went SO BAD that they made each OTHER mutually miserable enough that they both got assigned godparents 😬😬

Perry IMMEDIATELY recognizes his childhood friend, but B-lining to HUG the school bully on his first day went just about as well as you’d expect ☠️☠️

This hug actually freaked Iris out SO much that is took him DAYS to finally get a good look at Perry, and when he did, well…. 😬

As much as I hate to torment my bby boys, Its still Peri and Irep- The two of them having ZERO communication skills is intrinsic to my characterization of them tbfh snsndndndndjdj ☠️☠️

LONG ANSWER:

I actually wrote some drabbles about these events! (mostly so that I wouldn’t forget them if I get questions that allow me to illustrate parts of them for the blog)

I’ll put the link below! 🥰💜💙

As for why they STILL have fairy god parents even after clearing up their hurt feelings and becoming friends again-

💜Perrys mom is often out traveling for movie shoots, and Perry’s Dad is very busy with his accounting job, especially at the end of every month- tho they used to spend every waking moment with thier little man, Perrys terrible habit of people-pleasing has led to him majorly downplaying how lonely he feels, especially now that his big brother and best friend Timmy has left for college, and took thier dog Sparky with them (something that Perry INSISTED he was fine with, despite being very much not fine with it at all)

💙On Iris’ side, if you directly ASKED him why he was deemed miserable enough to get a godparent (despite coming from money and having attentive, adoring parents) I’m not sure he’d actually be able to tell you himself! Between mod and readers tho, the reason Iris is miserable is that deep, deep down, he secretly RESENTS the role of “the scary kid” that his natural fangs and unorthodox upbringing have forced upon him, but because he’s always been SO SMALL for his age (my poor evil son was a preme, and spent much of his first few months in the hospital) he committed to the bit so hard he doesn’t even know HOW to be nice anymore, instead pushing ALL his peers away so none of them ever get close enough to see his flaws and weaknesses, because being “the scary kid that no one would dare mess with” is the only thing that makes him feel safe- despite how desperately he wants to be loved and praised by his peers 🥺😭

Here’s the Doc detailing Perry and Iris’ first meeting, godparent assignments, AND eventual reconciliation! 🥺💕(Hoping to get questions that I can finagle into excuses to eventually draw the vast majority of these events tbh 😂)

(Cw for UNINTENTIONAL misgendering and mild- mostly just implied- child violence ☠️)

Aaas for your second question: he’s even WORSE! 😃

Just a second, I’ll answer that one in a reblog so I can tw for Dale Dinmadome lmao (Only Half joking. Fairy Dev’s backstory is NOT going to be a pleasant read 🙃 you have been warned dbdbdjdjdjddjej ☠️)

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

dude you should totally write something for Lar (singular)

I heard somewhere he was a virgin when he first started Metallica and all I can think about rn is being his first. Like him (poorly) fucking a more experienced reader who’s just coaching him. (Like that freaky two James stuff but with just one Lar.)

I NEED TO DEGRADE AND PRAISE THAT STUPID LITTLE MAN

A/n: speaking of Somewhere Lost in Time I need to write more of those 😬

Also, love that Lars was a virgin there’s so much you can do with that in fics 🤤

Warnings: smut, oral (m receiving), loss of virginity, sub!Lars, slight degradation and praise, if you think I missed anything let me know otherwise enjoy!

I cannot stress enough how much I love this picture of Lar (singular)

Drummers were always your thing, cute, quiet, short. Lars. You'd been going to every one of Metallica's shows since you found them. They were just an L.A. band and you had to the chance to flock to them, so you took it.

Lars saw you on multiple occasions and you got to talking, it wasn't much but it eventually led to you taking him home -after many shows and many failed attempts at flirting because he didn't catch your hints.

Just from making out with him you knew he was less experienced than he led you to believe, but you figured you could push past it. You were in your bed, hands roaming over each others bodies, even then you had to hold his hands on your chest.

That's exactly where he wanted them, he just didn't want you to think he was a creep or something, so he pulled them away every few seconds. Until you held his hands in place.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" You eventually asked, eyes flickering over his face. He had pretty, long hair a round face and bright blue eyes. He was such a pretty boy.

Lars swallowed thickly and shook his head. "No, I don't." He said simply, drawing a chuckle from you. At least he was honest. "But you're really hot and I didn't think it would be this hard." You laughed harder at that.

"Just do as I say, alright?" You instructed. Lars nodded and watched as you moved down on the bed, between his legs.

You looked right back up at him, his rosy cheeks and little pout. You unbuttoned just jeans and pulled them down along with his boxers. Lars couldn’t watch anymore as you ran a finger up his length, or lack thereof.

“This is it?” You asked, smiling softly at him. “Tiny little dick~” You teased.

“Stop it.” Lars whined, hiding his face in his arms. You chuckled at his embarrassment and licked his tip before taking the rest of him into your mouth. A high moan left him, his arms tightened around him and he pulled his legs up.

You pulled his pants off completely, tossing them and his boxers to the floor. You hollowed your cheeks around him, his leg straightened, he was such a sissy and it was turning you on. You reached down and slipped your hand into your pants, rubbing yourself as you sucked him off.

You moaned around him and he squeaked, a hand flying from his face to your hair, tugging on it harshly. You couldn’t quite move your head on him so your tongue just swirled around it, licking over his tip, your face shoved into his bush. Coarse as it was he didn’t smell half bad.

You pulled off of him with a pop after a few minutes of feeling him twitching on your tongue, a string of saliva connecting you to him. His hips jerked and cum shot into your face, making you flinch. “You’re kidding.” You muttered. Lars looked down at you, face beat red and eyes wide.

“M’sorry, m’so sorry, I-I didn’t mean to, it just- it felt so good!” He babbled, whipping his head around to look for wipes or Kleenex, anything to clean you up.

You shook your head and wiped his cum off your face on your fingers, licking it off your hand afterwards. “It’s fine, Lars, just tell me you can get hard again.” His lips tugged into a pout again. “Oh, Lars.” You purred moving back up at bed and sitting next to him. “I am going to have so much fun with you~”

Lars looked up at you with a curious expression. “There’s more?” He asked.

You leaned down and pecked his lips. “There is so much more.”

[n0t-evenhere]

Hallo! Again... ✂ also going for 6-7 questions sorry take time pls 🙏

SEX SMUT WHATEVA Y'ALL CALL IT

So if MC was the type of person to sleep naked would Ray participate in sleeping naked?

If MC was a person to do anal sex and angry sex would Ray help them?

If MC was to get irritated easily and Ray was teasing them and they gave up on having sex how would Ray react?

If MC had canine teeth and loves giving teeth during head how would Ray act?

What if MC smokes weed during sex would Ray be pissed (me personally we gotta fight (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง)

What if MC likes it hard and I'm talking about screaming every thrust

(Some mean shi)

What if MC tries to fight Ray I'm talking about actually cat fights just to bead for a week 👹

BYE BYE AND I WAS THE FIRST LIKE ALWAYS TO MY FAV MOOTTIE -✂ take time love 😘ฅ

Hallo my dear, welcome back. Also, as as many questions as you like, if you ask again, or if anyone can explain to me what a “moot” is, like, I can guess and assume but I just need someone to tell em directly cause I second guess myself and I look it up and then it could mean something totally different than what the dictionary says. 😭 I’m just old enough to miss some of the slang.

Sleeping naked, honestly I wouldn’t put it past Ray to join in. Warmth is amazing to sleep next to. I wouldn’t be surprised if he sometimes sleep naked anyway, then again, he’s insecure of his scars and what not so maybe sometimes he sleeps with clothing on or half naked. Just depends on what he feels like and how he views himself that day. Some days he doesn’t even want to look himself in the mirror. Once’s he comfortable he’ll join in on the naked sleeping.

Honestly, Ray doesn’t strike me as the harsh type in intimacy. Like, he doesn’t seem the type to angry sex you because he doesn’t want to hurt you and he fears that he might if he loses control. Boy is pretty vanilla in my opinion and doesn’t really experience much. He’s open to things but it would be difficult for him to get on the angry sec train in fear that he might break you in half. He wants to love you, not hurt you and answering question 4, nah. Biting isn’t a problem, bro might even like it a little but do NOT bite him while going down. Man will definitely freak out. Might even hurt you on accident out of panic. Grip your hair and yank you back so fast like. “The fuck is wrong with you?!” That is like trusting you to care for him and you just squander that trust. 😬 yea don’t do that. Nibble/ bite his neck or chest, no teeth when going down.

The third question would go like this.

MC: *ticked off arms crossed.* “I’m so done with this. I’m sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“Wait, Star, comeback!” *laughing.*

MC: “NO! I done! I am so done! I’m sick of this! I’m not playing your games!”

“Come back! (You)! I love you!” *still cracking up at you being to ticked off.*

Weed during sex? Nah, I’m with you, we gonna have ta fight. Man doesn’t want there to be any chance that you aren’t lucid. Man wants your complete and utter attention! Weed? That’s a distraction. That’s you not being present. Man just want you holistically with nothing else taking you away. 🥺

Question six, going of what I said earlier, he’s afraid to hurt you, now he doesn’t mind a little extra pressure but he’s not unleashing the kracken on you. 😂 he’s not going beast mode, the crocs will NOT be in sports mode.

Fighting Ray. That’s honestly such a funny thought to me because Ray will react in Ken of two way. We can hurt him, we know that, so he’ll just take the hit, the fingernails, the slaps. Hell take it. Sometime though, sometimes he feels the need to remind who you are dealing with. He’ll straight up out you in a full Nelson, lifting your feet of the ground. Leaving you flailing and trying to fight back.*

“Say you’re sorry.”

MC: *out of breath and livid.* “NO! I’m not apologizing to you, you Rat!” (This is funny because sometimes Ray auto corrects to rat in my phone.😂)

“Oh, did I hear a no? Aw, well alright.” *put them into a different hold that’s uncomfortable.* “you can either say you’re sorry or Uncle. I’ll take either.”

MC: “Uncle? Nobody says that anymore old man.” *feeling like they did something with that comment.*

*tightens the hold.*

MC: *a little panicked.* “OKAY OKAY! IM SORRY!”

“Atta girl. Just what I wanted to hear.” *lets go.*

MC: *eyeing him down.*

*reads their mind.* “don’t you dare try again or your ass will be right back where we started. On the ground.”

[roseyreveries]

Not me bothering you again 😬

I just had another idea if you’re interested?

I was thinking a muggle!Christmas season with Draco Malfoy and his reader!girlfriend. Such as his reaction to matching Christmas pajamas and Christmas sweaters, teaching him to wrap presents (he fails ofc but tries anyway) and driving around looking at lights, listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies?

If you’re not feeling it that’s totally fine!

Thank you for reading darling x

A Muggle Christmas

Summary: in the request <3

CW: flufffffffff

Directory <- click!

Snowflakes swirled lazily outside, dusting the windowsills and turning the world into a picture-perfect winter wonderland. Inside, the room was warm and cozy, the crackling fire casting a golden glow over the Christmas tree you had painstakingly decorated earlier. You emerged from your room triumphantly, holding the pièce de résistance: a matching set of bright red and green plaid Christmas pajamas. The grin on your face was impossible to hide.

“Alright, Draco,” you declared, brandishing his set like a prized trophy. “It’s time.”

Draco, lounging on the couch with his legs crossed and a book in hand, didn’t even glance up at first. His elegant fingers traced the edge of a page, but his tone was laced with suspicion. “Time for what, exactly?”

“For you to embrace the Christmas spirit,” you replied with glee, striding over and tossing the pajamas onto his lap. His brow furrowed as he closed his book with deliberate care, setting it on the side table before unfolding the fabric with an air of caution.

The second he saw what lay before him, his face twisted into a look of pure horror. “You can’t be serious,” he said flatly, holding the button-up top between his thumb and forefinger like it was cursed. “You expect me to wear… this?”

“Oh, absolutely,” you teased, plopping down beside him and leaning in to nudge his shoulder. “It’s a Christmas tradition. Couples match pajamas—it’s cute.”

Draco scoffed, tossing the top back onto the couch. “Cute?” he repeated, incredulous. “I thought couples exchanged gifts, drank champagne, and snogged under mistletoe. No one said anything about… plaid.”

“We do all those things, too,” you countered with a smirk, patting his arm. “But first, pajamas. It’s non-negotiable.”

Draco stared at you, his lips pressed into a thin line, clearly weighing his options. After a long pause, he sighed dramatically, lifting the offending garment with a look of pure martyrdom. “Fine,” he relented, rising from the couch with all the grace of someone heading to an execution. “But if anyone—anyone—ever finds out about this—”

“They won’t,” you assured him, biting back laughter as he retreated toward the bedroom. “Your secret is safe with me.”

.It didn’t take long before he returned, and when he did, the sight of Draco Malfoy—tall, composed, and perpetually aristocratic—dressed in bright red and green plaid was almost too much for you to handle. The festive pants hung low on his hips, and the matching top was unbuttoned at the collar, as if he was trying to salvage some dignity.

He stopped in the doorway, hands on his hips, fixing you with a sharp glare. “Well?” he drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. “Say something. I dare you.”

You clapped a hand over your mouth, your shoulders shaking as you tried—and failed—not to laugh. Finally, you managed to choke out, “You look adorable.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed, though the faintest flush crept into his cheeks. “Adorable?” he repeated, his tone icy. “You mean ridiculous.”

“No,” you insisted, grabbing your phone and snapping a quick picture before he could protest. “The most adorable Grinch ever.”

At that, his expression darkened. “Delete that.”

“Not a chance,” you replied, grinning wickedly as you held the phone out of reach. “This is going straight to the photo album.”

Draco crossed the room in two long strides, snatching the phone from your hands with an annoyed huff. “If this gets out, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Relax,” you said, leaning back against the arm of the couch with a smirk. “No one will see it… unless you keep complaining. Then maybe I’ll use it as my Christmas card next year.”

He shook his head, muttering something about your terrible influence, but as he handed the phone back, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You’re lucky I love you,” he said, sitting down beside you and pulling you close.

“You’re lucky you love me,” you shot back, resting your head on his shoulder. “Because now we match. Isn’t that sweet?”

Draco groaned, but the way his arm tightened around you said he didn’t hate it nearly as much as he pretended.

Later, you sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a chaotic sea of wrapping paper, ribbons, and tape. The warm glow of fairy lights wrapped around the tree illuminated the scene, making it feel even more festive. Draco, however, looked less than thrilled. He sat on the rug beside you, staring at the mess with an expression of pure disdain, as though it were a particularly vexing potions assignment.

“So, let me get this straight,” he began, holding up an oddly-shaped gift you’d handed him to wrap. “You just… fold the paper over and tape it?”

“Exactly,” you said with a grin, effortlessly wrapping one of your own presents to demonstrate. “It’s easy.”

Draco watched you intently, his brows furrowed in concentration, before turning his attention back to the roll of wrapping paper in front of him. With the precision of someone performing a delicate spell, he lined up the gift and began to fold the paper. At first, it looked promising—but then the paper tore. He muttered a low curse under his breath and reached for the tape, only for it to stick to itself before he could use it.

You bit your lip to keep from laughing as he tried again, his frustration growing with each failed attempt. By the time he was done, the gift was a lumpy, crinkled mess, barely held together by what seemed like half a roll of tape.

“This,” he declared, holding up the mangled package, “is barbaric. Why don’t muggles just use magic for this?”

“Because it’s fun,” you said, leaning over to inspect his handiwork. “It’s about the effort.”

Draco arched a skeptical brow, gesturing to the mess around him. “This doesn’t look like fun. It looks like chaos.”

You giggled, nudging his shoulder playfully. “Maybe if you didn’t treat the paper like an enemy, it’d cooperate.”

He rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips twitched upward. “Effort is overrated,” he grumbled, tossing the crumpled remains of the paper to the side. “And this is a waste of perfectly good parchment.”

Shaking your head, you scooted closer, grabbing the gift and gently unwrapping it to start fresh. “Here,” you said, tearing a new sheet of paper and spreading it out on the floor. “Let’s do it together. I’ll fold, you tape.”

Draco sighed but complied, holding the tape dispenser like it might bite him. As you folded the edges neatly, he leaned in to place a strip of tape where you pointed. His concentration was almost adorable, his tongue peeking out slightly as he worked.

“There,” you said proudly, holding up the finished product. “See? Not so bad when you have a good partner.”

Draco smirked, leaning back on his hands. “Oh, is that what this is? A partnership? Because it feels like you’re doing all the work.”

“And you’re the one keeping me entertained,” you teased, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “So, we’re even.”

His expression softened at the kiss, though his tone remained dry. “Remind me why I agreed to this madness?”

“Because you love me,” you said simply, handing him another gift. “Now, come on. Next one. Practice makes perfect.”

He groaned but reached for the wrapping paper again, this time making a more valiant effort. You couldn’t help but smile as he frowned in concentration, muttering under his breath every time the paper refused to cooperate. By the end of the evening, the gifts were wrapped—or, in Draco’s case, creatively disguised—and the floor was littered with scraps of paper and discarded ribbons.

“You know,” you said as you admired the pile of gifts under the tree, “for someone who claims to hate this, you didn’t do half bad.”

Draco smirked, draping an arm around your shoulders. “Of course not. I’m Draco Malfoy. I don’t fail.”

You rolled your eyes, leaning into his warmth. “Except at wrapping paper.”

“Except at wrapping paper,” he conceded, his voice tinged with amusement. “But don’t get used to it. Next year, we’re using magic.”

That evening, you bundled up in your coziest scarf and coat before heading out to your car, Draco trailing behind you with a reluctant air. Snow crunched beneath your boots as you climbed in, the heater already humming to life. The second you started the car, a cheery Christmas song burst from the speakers, filling the space with festive energy.

Draco groaned, slumping into the passenger seat. “Is this really necessary?” he asked, casting a dubious glance at the radio. “Muggle music is… questionable.”

“Don’t be such a Scrooge,” you teased, turning the volume up a notch. “You might actually enjoy yourself if you give it a chance.”

He muttered something under his breath about “ridiculous jingles,” but the corner of his mouth twitched as you pulled out of the driveway. The snow-covered streets sparkled under the glow of Christmas lights strung across houses and trees, creating a magical scene that even Draco couldn’t fully resist.

As you turned into a neighborhood famous for its elaborate displays, you stole a glance at him. He sat with his arms crossed, his usual air of disdain firmly in place. But his silver eyes betrayed him, widening slightly with every dazzling display you passed.

“You don’t have to pretend you’re not impressed,” you said with a smirk, slowing down to admire a particularly extravagant house. Lights outlined every window and rooftop, while an inflatable Santa waved from the yard.

Draco sniffed, trying to maintain his composure. “It’s… excessive.”

“Admit it,” you pressed, grinning as you leaned closer. “It’s magical, even without wands.”

He huffed, but his gaze lingered on the house longer than he intended. “I suppose it has a certain… charm.”

You laughed, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “See? I knew you’d come around.”

As you continued driving, the displays grew even more extravagant. Some houses had lights synchronized to music, while others featured glowing reindeer and life-sized nativity scenes. You pointed out your favorites, and though Draco initially responded with dry comments, you caught him leaning closer to the window more than once, his expression softening with genuine curiosity.

“This one’s my favorite,” you said eventually, pulling to a stop in front of a house that looked like it had been plucked straight out of a Christmas storybook. Every inch of it was draped in twinkling lights, from the roofline to the towering fir tree in the front yard. The lights danced in perfect harmony to a festive tune, casting the snow in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Draco tilted his head, his usual sharpness replaced by a rare gentleness as he took it all in. The glow of the lights reflected in his eyes, giving him an almost ethereal look. “It’s… enchanting,” he admitted after a pause, his voice quieter than usual.

You turned to him, surprised by the sincerity in his tone. “Yeah?”

“Though,” he added, glancing at you with a faint smirk, “it’s not as beautiful as you.”

Your cheeks burned at the unexpected compliment, and you quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the lights. “Cheesy, Malfoy.”

“True,” he said, leaning back in his seat with a self-satisfied expression. “But accurate.”

You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at your lips. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the car filled only with the soft hum of Christmas music and the occasional honk of another car passing by. Draco’s hand slipped over yours where it rested on the gearshift, his thumb brushing lightly against your skin.

“Thank you for this,” he said suddenly, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

You glanced at him, surprised. “For what?”

“For sharing this,” he said, nodding toward the lights. “It’s… different. But not in a bad way.”

Your heart swelled at his honesty, and you gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here.”

He didn’t reply, but the way his fingers intertwined with yours said enough. You stayed like that for a while longer, watching the lights flicker and dance, before finally starting the car again.

“Alright,” you said, your voice light as you shifted gears. “One more stop.”

“And what does this stop entail?” he asked, a trace of amusement creeping back into his tone.

“You’ll see,” you replied with a grin, your heart lighter than the snowflakes falling outside.

Back home, the scent of pine and cinnamon filled the air, mingling with the faint crackle of the fireplace. You padded into the living room, clutching two steaming mugs of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Draco was already sprawled on the couch, his long legs taking up far more space than necessary. His pajama-clad form looked almost out of place against the festive backdrop, but the soft glow of the Christmas tree lights softened his usual sharp edges.

“Here,” you said, handing him one of the mugs before curling up beside him under a thick, fuzzy blanket. “Now, no complaining.”

Draco glanced down at the cocoa with mild suspicion before taking a sip. “Too sweet,” he muttered, though the way his lips lingered on the rim of the mug suggested otherwise.

“Oh, hush,” you said, grabbing the remote and pulling up Home Alone on the TV. “It’s a classic. You’ll love it.”

“Doubtful,” he replied dryly, settling back against the couch cushions. “Muggle entertainment is hardly… sophisticated.”

“You’ll love it,” you repeated with a grin, nudging his side. “Or at least pretend to, for my sake.”

The movie began, and as expected, Draco’s commentary started almost immediately.

“Why is this child so reckless?” he demanded as Kevin ran rampant through the empty house. “Where are the parents? Why didn’t they check twice before leaving?”

“They forgot him,” you explained patiently, sipping your cocoa. “It’s the whole premise.”

Draco shook his head, incredulous. “Muggles and their irresponsibility. It’s a miracle any of them survive.”

You stifled a laugh, hiding it behind your mug. “Just watch, Draco. You’ll see.”

As the movie progressed, his complaints turned into sharp observations about Kevin’s ingenuity and strategic brilliance. By the time the burglars were slipping on ice and getting pelted with paint cans, Draco’s stoic façade cracked. He chuckled softly—at first—and then louder when Harry screamed after stepping on the nail. You watched him out of the corner of your eye, heart warming at the way his silver eyes sparkled with amusement.

When the credits rolled, Draco set his mug down on the coffee table and stretched, his arm draping casually around your shoulders. “I suppose muggles aren’t completely hopeless,” he admitted, his voice laced with reluctant approval. “Their holidays are… tolerable.”

“Tolerable?” you teased, snuggling closer into his side. “That’s the highest praise I’ve ever heard from you.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he replied with a smirk, resting his chin lightly against the top of your head. “But I’ll admit, the child has potential. If he were a wizard, he’d probably be a Slytherin.”

You burst into laughter, tilting your head to look up at him. “Of course, you’d think that.”

Draco shrugged, his smirk deepening. “He’s resourceful, clever, and not above bending the rules to get what he wants. He’d fit right in.”

“Alright, fine,” you said, still giggling. “But don’t go recruiting him.”

“No promises,” he said, though his tone was teasing. He glanced down at you, the sharpness in his gaze softening as the glow of the tree lights reflected in his eyes. “Merry Christmas, love,” he said quietly, the words surprisingly tender.

Your heart fluttered, and you tilted up to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Draco.”

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a while, the warmth of the fire and the soft glow of the room wrapping you both in a cocoon of holiday magic. Draco reached for the blanket, tugging it higher over your shoulders as he pulled you closer, his fingers brushing lightly against your arm.

“You know,” he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful, “I might not hate this… Christmas thing as much as I thought.”

You smiled, resting your head against his chest. “You’ll be a Christmas lover by next year. Just wait.”

“Don’t push it,” he replied, though the hint of amusement in his tone betrayed him. “But… if it means more nights like this, I suppose I could tolerate it.”

“You mean enjoy it,” you teased, glancing up at him.

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t push your luck, darling.”

You laughed softly, letting your eyes drift to the twinkling lights of the tree. The night was quiet, the snow still falling gently outside, and with Draco’s arm around you, the world felt utterly perfect.

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[patchofgrey]

NejiTen headcannons pt 2; because yes

Yes, welcome to part 2 of my delulu, please enjoy my head cannons for my OTP. If you need part 1 here it be. part 3 is spicey.

Here are my Tenten Head Cannons and some Neji Head Cannons that don't completely go against cannon (more like add ons to the cannon to add some spice) that I use for my fanfics. They remain pretty consistent throughout (give or take a few characters).

1. Their first kiss was an impulsive mistake 😬. I could see Tenten being overly excited about an achievement, or Neji does a huge favor for her (his love language is acts of service and gift giving) and impulsively kisses him due to be wrapped up in the moment. Especially when they’re like just turned sixteen, so think right before Shippuuden. Neji is surprised, but doesn’t push her away or offers any kind of repulsive reaction. In fact, it didn’t register in Tenten’s mind that she had potentially taken Neji’s first kiss at all (oblivious but hey, still love her). When Neji asked her about it, she had apologized for the sudden action. They both learned it was each other’s first kiss. Because he’s awkward, he keeps to himself that he likes it. Naturally, this happens around Gai, Lee, and maybe even Shikamaru to which they’re all looking at him with a shit eating grin.

2. Tenten’s love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch. Words of affirmation we can see in the anime; Neji is the one usually praising her for her abilities (in his own way). She also likes to boast about Neji and his abilities to others since she is…always with him (side note: Even though Rock Lee and Pals/Naruto SD is not really cannon, it more of just a gag show to highlight Team Gai in a comedic light and separate the seriousness of the main story; Neji and Lee both praise Tenten quite a lot in this show. They boost her up so much where she’s like “omg me? Really??”.) Kay, back to how they’re always together; Like, c’mon. You mean to tell me that these two aren’t always together just for training? They definitely spend a lot of their days off together. Whenever something pops up they just so happen to appear together? They could be at a tea shop, a hot spring, lying in the grass at the training fields as Neji meditates or Tenten sharpens her kunai. Hell, Tenten’s hobby is fortune telling, she probably reads Neji’s fortune when she’s bored or if he feels like indulging her. If Neji is running errands, or training with Hinata and Hanabi, he will make time to check in on Tenten afterwards and surprise her with her favorite dumplings or sweets. For physical touch, I can see Tenten hanging off of Neji’s shoulders or holding onto his arm when they are together. She also plays with his hair. Neji being awkward, will do no more than hold her hand in public (but even then he didn’t get comfortable with that until after the war). But also, for me, I think about the dream she had and the final scene with Neji:

It took his touch and his words to get her completely engulfed within the genjutsu. This is the only scene in that whole episode that her eyes are completely dark. She IMMEDIATELY FOLDS TO HIM after all that (granted the build up what her proving and wanting to save everyone with her dream teammates believing her when she claims she’s in a genjutsu but also Neji is alive and I think that’s the first falling point for her, not the saving them part). But thus also tells me that she is completely comfortable with Neji’s touches, probably because when they are alone, he’s casually physically interacting with her and because he’s fucking dead in the main cannon she will miss his touch. shhh let me have this please.

3. They started secretly dating after the second Chunnin exams. I will leave you with this for the explanation:

The way I fucking SQUEALED at my screen when I played this game and saw this. You can’t tell me SHIT at this point. Let me sink with my ship alright? Neji didn’t deny it either. I think neither of them denied it. I will replay the game just because lol. Nothing gets past Itachi Uchiha, we know this.

3. Shikamaru figured out they were secretly dating right away and he hold a great friendship with Neji to a point. I could see him asking Neji outright if his speculations were true; to which the Hyuga would brush him off until he got tired of the Nara teasing him. When he asked Neji why they were keeping it a secret I could see Neji saying he didn’t want anyone butting into their business. But also, in his shinobi mind, if they made it obvious, it could be dangerous for them if they went on missions; but then, Neji slipped up:

He didn’t have to, but he did. And continued to hold her until he was certain she was alright. I also have it written in my fan fictions that Shikamaru and Neji share that genius book smart friendship where they can read each other very easily. It’s cannon that Neji is shit at card games and strategy games, which I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hyuga sought advice from Shikamaru for certain things pertaining to his work and Tenten. Shikamaru also is very good at keeping secrets, so Neji and Tenten didn’t have to worry about him blabbing like Gai and Lee. I also think after this scene, Lee and Gai had confronted Neji about him doting on her after she almost drowned in the water prison. BUT ALSO, this is a parallel to the first rounds of chunnin exams! When Temari threw Tenten across the room, Lee caught her. This time, Neji acknowledges that Tenten is at her limit, saves al of them, and goes out of his way to catch her and again continues o hold onto her to make sure she's okay. And it's expensive as hell to animate scenes that drag on like this, and they chose this panel to drag the animation out for. This slow burn was killing me when I saw this episode.

4. Neji is book smart and Tenten is street smart to balance the partnership. Personally, I love that Shikamaru and Tenten share that “street smart” mentality; in the data books Tenten has a higher IQ than both Neji and Lee. She’s very intelligent but would rather have others do the thinking for her “point and I’ll shoot” type of thinking. BUT 👏🏼IN 👏🏼THEM 👏🏼STREETS she is a menace, which is also probably why Neji is always with her to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble while she’s running the block. I could see Shikamaru and Tenten understanding that which leads to a friendship; so to recap, Shikamaru knows, but understands why they’re keeping it under wraps. He’s like the reminder of when the sent of their relationship is in the air/obvious when they are on missions or in public.

5. Neji felt threatened by Sasuke as gennin when Tenten found him cute. She didn’t verbalize it out loud, but he probably knew she would find the Uchiha cute. Since they were young teens when they first took the chunnin exams, it wouldn’t surprise me that Neji was a bit annoyed that Tenten was looking at him, almost as if “how dare he”. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team had spoken about it; Lee probably complaint about how Sakura liked Sasuke and Tenten probably said she though Sasuke was pretty cool, which irritated the fuck out of Neji. The first sign of jealousy, especially if Tenten was bragging about how cool Neji was for the past year when they first became gennin.

6. There was no way Hiashi didn’t pick up on his nephew having a crush. There is also no way Neji did not bring Tenten around his family. There had to have been some interaction with Hiashi where Neji had brought her to the Hyuga compound as gennin, and again as chunnin. I wouldn't be surprised if Tenten watched as Neji trained with Hinata at times and had conversations with Hiashi. For shippuuden purposes, I wouldn't be surprised if Hiashi had brought up Tenten as a potential marriage partner to Neji and his awkward ass was avoiding the topic completely. In Frequency, I have Hiashi bring it up (implying that he has already spoken to his hard-headed awkward ass nephew about it) but in a way where he is directly talking to Tenten, who is there. I believe Hiashi is a character who follows tradition for tradition sake; he is conditioned to do so as head of the clan, but that doesn't mean he agrees with certain things about Hyuga tradition. The fact that he apologized to Neji after seeing his power and understanding why his nephew was angry at the world, he made it a priority to salvage some kind of relationship with his nephew for the sake of his twin brother. When Neji brought Tenten around, he would see that Tenten was some kind of comfort/light for him and decided that Neji should have a choice of who he chose to have in his life and how close; There's a lot of head cannons/assumptions that in order to preserve the Byakugan, they need to inter marry with other clan members, but for me, it's a dominate gene where the eyes change permanently when activated at a young age (low key, fuck how they brought it up in Baruto, Himawari should've had Hinata's eyes and Baruto should've just had the recessive gene). This was another plot hole I wanted to fill and it made sense to me since people were so hell bent on stealing the Hyuga eyes; the clan is very selective of partners but perhaps that is because it is a dominate gene. Sure, they can marry cousins if they want, but I don't see it as a forced marriage situation unless the arrangement is requested for. Hiashi saw Tenten as a great match for Neji, is all I'm saying. Hiashi knew they were secretly dating, in fact he was the on who told them to keep it a secret.

7. Neji's promise to Tenten during the war was of romantic and platonic intentions. He gave her that un-Neji like smile and thumbs up which means he had to had promised her something big in order for him to do that. AND ALSO they had to had been alone when he made her that promise, right? She was the only character who showed that interaction with him. It probably went something like this; Neji and Tenten had a deep conversation about possible out comes of the war, his death, her death, unheal-able damage...etc. I actually see this being a conversation about their feelings and how if one of them kicks the bucket, they would celebrate their life instead of mourning their death (which is hard) but Neji would prefer Tenten to keep his memory alive, not fixate on his demise. Neji probably also promised Tenten to be by her side always and maybe even promised her his heart (idk on the fence on this one but it would go with them secretly dating headcannon). In the video game, you will run into Tenten still in her feelings about Neji's death after the war. She was probably processing that conversation all over again and now that he was physically gone, she had to come to terms with the fact that she was now alone and had to force herself to move forward. I absolutely loathed how Lee was written to have the most emotional reaction and Tenten and Gai just brushed it off a bit. To make myself feel better, Tenten was probably in Neji's arms, crying her eyes out denying that anything would happen to them and then he made his promise to her that after the war, they would be together as fate willed it to; they've been together all this time. I can see Tenten releasing all of her feeling with Neji himself and him trying to comfort her of any overthinking she was experiencing. He also remined her that she is a very capable ninja and can hold her own without him. WHICH SHE DID IN THE WAR. (I'm still salty about Hinata's meat-bag no jutsu and how Kishi was like MMMMMM Neji can go. But then, proceed to make Tenten single and have promotions where Neji and Tenten were displayed as a matching couple with SasuSaku and NaruHina. Then have the audacity to state that he regretted killing off Neji? Fucking tear my heart out, how could he do my girl dirty.)

In my own au, Neji does go through with his promise of remaining by her side. Between my fics Radio (Trigger warning on this one it's a heavy and unfortunate situation of them as ANBU) and Frequency (The sequel of them picking up the pieces).

Part 3 will be the spicey headcannons; please stay tuned for my continuous delulu train. Also, message me about your thoughts, I'm open to a lot of other ideas even if they disagree with mine. That's the whole point of a fandom to be honest; everyone if free to have their opinions, this is just mine based on the cannon we are given.

[h3110-dar1in9]

Hi, hello, I'm back <3

Okokok so since you write for Brahms I have a request 👉👈

So when I first watched the movie(s but the second one was meh) I thought Gretta (I think that's her name ??) Was kind of a b^tch like ?? She was so mean to our sweet baby wall boy

So....Brahms with a reader who's like sweet n motherly even before they knew he was living in the walls because our baby needs some love..

Make sure you drink some water and have a wonderful day/night

Mwah <3

Ooo I love this! I do agree that the second movie was bleh but Brahms deserves love! He has so much messed up trauma he just needs love!!

Brahms x Motherly Reader

Word count: 😬

An: I may have went a bit overboard on this.

I had always loved children from a young age. I was used to raising my siblings and cousins alike, so babysitting was no problem for me at all. I had just recently moved to rural England, and sadly as it may seem finding work was a tad bit… complicated. Through it was my luck that I miraculously found an ad in the paper for a lovely couple needing someone to babysit their young son. Now I expected many things a quaint little cottage with an old frame maybe, but what I didn’t expect was a two story building that looked like it was from the Victorian era. The couple were very sweet. Although, I did find it albeit strange that the child I was supposed to babysit was a doll. I didn’t voice these thoughts, as it was quite obvious some sort of trauma coping mechanism was in the background with this ‘family’. All I did was simply smile and say hello to the young boy.

“Hello Brahms. I think we are going to be good friends!”

The parents paid me well, and to keep myself occupied they had a large and vast library with an astonishing assortment of books and novels. I had a very set schedule that I was to follow as I cared for Brahms. I was to get up and wake him gently and then get him ready for the day. I then had to prepare him breakfast. Alongside caring for Brahms I had to tend to the garden slightly as well as resetting the mouse traps in the basement. I continued this routine for what seemed like months before the sounds started. I first noticed it as I was reading to Brahms one day in the library. I had picked a simple book of fables and I was giving voices to the characters within it. I would show Brahms the pictures that were in the book and every so often I absentmindedly caressed the boys head. The strange thing was that when I did this I would hear a bang within the wall closest to me. Now it was merely me being curious after it had happened a couple of times. I had just thought that the home was old and it creaked and cracked every so often. I started to notice however that the thud would purposefully happen on the dot every time I caressed Brahms’s head. I paused in my reading momentarily and stroked the dolls head again.

THUD!

This one was louder than the others.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

I heard movement within the walls.

“It’s alright.”

I assumed the sounds that I was hearing was simply just a woodland creature that had slipped into the walls to avoid the cold.

“You can come out I won’t hurt you I promise.”

Now I expected a possum or even a raccoon to come out, but I wasn’t ready for a fully grown man to step out of the walls to stand in front of me.

I tried my best to remain calm so that I could think of a way to call the cops.

“Oh um hello there! Was it you making the noises?”

I heard a faint noise come from the man in front of me.

“Pretty.”

I flushed slightly. Well I wasn’t expecting that. Maybe violence or anger, but certainly not him calling me pretty!

“W-would you like to read with me?”

I panicked. I didn’t know what else I was supposed to do!

These events have now led me to having a grown man with a mask listen to me read as I stroked his head.

Well… at least the pay is good.

[cookiesandbiscuits]

Now Playing: Falling in Love

[Mammon - Paper Rings]

Pairing: Mammon x GN!Reader Genre: Comfort/Fluff Summary: His partner in crime. His confidant. His best friend. His human. Even if he likes shiny things, you are the one thing he'll never trade for the world and he'll prove it. Even if it means he'll marry you with paper rings. A/N: The second installment of Now Playing: Falling in Love is here!! Took a while but it's here nonetheless. I'm finally finished with my school work so I can do all the things I've been planning to do (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) This time, I chose the song "Paper Rings" by Taylor Swift! The song's just screaming Mammon's name, don't you agree? And I also get the feeling Mammon will like listening to Taylor's songs ^^ Warning: Reader's family is pressuring reader and Mammon to get married (get slapped with toxic family culture 😬); not proofread, maybe a bit OOC but I kinda liked how this turned out so ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ Now Playing: Falling in Love playlist MASTERLIST

"I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings

Uh huh, that's right

Darling, you're the one I want

In paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Oh, you're the one I want"

"So, when are you two getting married?"

That question almost made Mammon spit out the water from his mouth.

"Oh, uh..."

"Aunty!!" You gave your aunt an incredulous look. However the older woman only ignored you, too focused on squeezing the answer from Mammon.

"What's wrong with asking? There's nothing wrong in asking about your future plans. You both are in your prime years. If you don't get married, you'll lose the chance to build your own family! Look at your cousin Daniel–"

"Aunty!" You cut her off before she makes things more awkward. "Look, I know you're worried for us, but marriage... it's just not in our priority list yet. We will get married in the future but not right now."

Your last statement made Mammon blush a little. You want to get married to him in the future?

Suddenly, you stand up from your chair and grabbed his arm. "C'mon, Mammon. I think we're done here for the day."

Before he can speak, you started dragging him from his chair and out of your family house.

.

.

.

"Hey, you alright?" Mammon asked.

It's been a while since the two of you returned to your shared hotel room, but you haven't said a single word since then.

"I'm sorry."

The demon raised an eyebrow on your sudden words of apology. "What're you apologizin' for?"

"For my aunt's behavior earlier. She put you on the spot. That must've been uncomfortable for you."

Sighing, you continued.

"I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce you to my family during the reunion. I forgot why I stopped attending them in the first place."

Seeing you curl in on yourself made Mammon's heart ache.

"Hey... Why should you be the one apologizing on her behalf? Your aunt's the one who's in the wrong, not you."

It was your turn to be confused by his words. "...What?"

"I'm just sayin'. You shouldn't be the one who's sorry whenever your family made a mistake," Mammon says as he took your left hand comfortingly.

You blinked, left speechless by what he said.

Suddenly, he slipped a paper ring on your ring finger.

"Mammon??" You gaped when he did that.

"Don't tell me you forgot what you said earlier."

What you said...?

...

"We will get married in the future but not right now."

...

You blushed when you remembered what you said before storming out of your family house. You just promised you will marry Mammon in the future.

The demon chuckled as he kissed your finger where the paper ring is.

"You said you'll marry me when the time comes. So I hope you'll say yes when I manage to make this paper ring a real ring."

[jujubeanie]

Ddlc Monika ramble bc my hyperfixation is coming back and somehow settling alongside my Omori one

Alright so like. I hate how many people treat Monika like she’s pure jealousy and obsession :/ especially given everything she’s gone through. I’d like to make a couple of points here, and analyze some of the lines from her poems (not all) to give more insight into what was going on in her mind. All the poem screenshotted are from FandomWiki, I believe.

The first part of this poem is a direct reference to when Monika gains ‘kernal access’ to her game- or more simply, self awareness. The hole appears a metaphor for a screen- She wasn’t looking into the screen, she was looking out. And the player is looking in. The second part realizing that her friends aren’t even real. She’s starting to see herself as something else than the others. And I don’t think it’s in a narcissistic way- In this case, she IS different now, because she doesn’t have a script that all her actions follow, unlike her friends. The people she cares deeply about aren’t even people; just lines in a script. The part at the end, about her brandishing her pen, is when she starts to edit the script, desperate for a way out.

I’d like to point out first that red, green, and blue are the primary colors when it comes to light- AND the colors of pixels on a screen. I can’t tell what the ‘noise’ she’s referring to exactly is; possibly a reference to anxiety, or existentialism? Most likely, in my opinion, is that it’s the game’s music. See how she compares the noise to a turntable, and a vinyl? That’s a direct connection to the music. And considering that the game’s music plays on loop… That wouldn’t exactly be fun to hear on loop for god knows how long 😬

The version of this poem from Act 2, I can’t see any meaning to the vowels missing, though perhaps someone else has. Generally, this poem just shows Monika’s mental health deteriorating further. Combined with the fully capitalized words, along with “Like playing a vinyl on a pizza crust” suddenly turning into “Like playing a KNIFE on a BREATHING RIBCAGE”- It really does mostly seem like we’re watching Monika go a bit insane. The words “KNIFE” and “BREATHING RIBCAGE” really exaggerate how much the noise really hurts her. (Also, personal comment is that this sounds a lot like overstimulation TvT)

This poem seems to be more metaphorical than the other two. ‘The Lady’ seems to refer to the game’s script- she’s a being who knows everything, knows Monika’s own thoughts and feelings, and she knows everything that can and will happen. Just like the game’s script. The imagery of Monika being a feather on the wind very much gives off the feeling of being helpless, unable to fight against the game’s script. The Lady tells her that there is no meaning, and no purpose- Likely how Monika really does feel. Nothing she does has any impact in the real world. The Lady telling Monika that “We seek only the impossible”- It’s directly telling us what it felt like when Monika learned she was the only character without a route for the player to take. There is no scripted world where Monika finds a happy ending with the player, the person she loves, the only thing she knows is real.

This last poem shows that she really doesn’t mean to hurt anyone. She doesn’t have any real malicious intent towards the other characters. She just wants to be happy.

Those are some thoughts I have on her poems. Something else I’d like to be considered is the fact that Monika knew everything her friends were going to say- including some of the harsher words her friends have used, or even thought about her. Along with the fact that her own friends were seemingly the only thing standing in the way of the player, and she’d just learned her friends weren’t even real.

Generally, I feel like people don’t empathize enough with Monika T^T this was a really long rant and idk what it accomplished but yeah-

[ittovera]

… loading 「 internet romance 」

「 lucifer 」 -> vox akuma

偉いね偉いねご苦労様 ( well done, thank you for your hard work ) -> lucifer。¿? shimon

characters: vox akuma

summary: falling in love with vox akuma over discord.

word count: 1.0k words

content: fluff

a/n: part of my 「 internet romance 」 collection (*´∇｀*) sorry it took so long for release !!!

it wasn’t like you were nervous or anything, but it was always a little nerve-wracking to experience something new for the first time. it’d been a while since you were introduced to the wonderful world of nijisanji, and it was about goddamn time you joined a fan server to meet other fans like yourself.

a spur of fans welcomed you with the discord welcome function. you grinned to yourself, replying back with semi-enthusiastic “hello!”s as not to seem too overexcited.

server daddy: welcome to the server~ we’re elated to have you here 🫶

millayyyy: stop being cringe 😬

server daddy: you’re just jealous you have negative rizz

ennaurrrr: the only person with negative rizz is mfing reimu endou

petra’s wife: stfu fucking enna alouette you literally hate me im not even part of this conversation

ennaurrr: yet you’re here ???

petra’s wife: 🫵 you're 😩 literally 🤢 horrible

server mom: calm down honeys you’re going to scare the new member 🫠

server daddy: okay calm the fuck down, let me talk to the newbie

you: 😃

you laughed to yourself as the group kept bickering in main-chat. it seemed slightly strange, but hilarious nonetheless.

were people in the nijisanji community this wild?

as the person supposedly ‘enna’ bickered with someone called ‘reimu’, server daddy himself, albeit his server nickname, sent you a dm.

his username was actually vox akuma, so vox was probably his name.

vox: sorry about them, they’re always unhinged.

you: it’s nothing !!! they’re super funny, and it just means they really cherish each other.

vox: wow, i don’t know if you’re seeing things or just really optimistic

you: it’s how i roll ✌️ no way you’re one of those gloomy types tho ???

vox: there’s a difference between gloomy and sexy/angsty.

you: is that what you’re going for 😃

vox: :)

you: okay, sexy/angsty, teach me how to have w rizz, if you have it (supposedly)

vox: are you doubting my rizz right now?

you: 🤡 maybe

vox: alright, i’ll give a rizz demonstration. hop on vc with me right now.

albeit a little skeptical at what was about to happen, the adrenaline and excitement from your hilarious conversation with vox fueled your urge to accept his call.

the first thing you heard when you got on the call was the smoothest voice you’d heard in your lifetime.

“well, hello there, darling.”

you were definitely, totally, only slightly taken aback. blushing from your head to your toes, at least that’s how it felt, you muttered a small “hello”, to which you received a hearty laugh as a response.

“told you my rizz was phenomenal.”

“your rizz is literally lowering by the second i don’t even know what you’re talking about.” you laughed, the self-confidence in his statement throwing you off.

“sure darling, sure. and where’s your rizz?”

“me?” you questioned, and he “mhm”ed for you to continue.

“well, babe,” you dropped your voice by an octave, attempting to sound swag, before bursting into a fit of giggles after vox snorted when hearing your voice.

“you are hilarious, i mean it. and adorable, at that.” he said, and the words came out of his mouth with such warmth you could imagine the smile on his face.

as the conversation continued throughout the night, you found out that somehow, you and vox had a lot of the same interests, talking for hours on end, and it happened the next day, and the next, and the next.

vox could feel himself sinking into what seemed like honey, sweet and sucking him in, keeping his heart fluttering in his chest incessantly. he knew it was stupid, to fall in so deeply with someone he’d just met, on discord, too. but it was the way you two clicked, the same conversations on the tips of your tongues and the sound of your laugh.

he was utterly enamoured with you. he groaned as he leaned back in his chair, always confused as to what to label your relationship. he’d done his best to try to push your relationship forward, but he was still unclear on what you thought due to the flirty nature of your relationship. were you serious? were you not? it flustered him.

he couldn’t take it anymore. you’d usually be on call with him already at this time, but something was probably holding you up. he pulled out his phone to send you a message.

vox: darling, are you home yet?

you: you make us sound like we’re married 😭

vox: do you not want to be married to me? 👁️

you: that’s not what i mean !!!

vox: then what do you mean

you: i’m getting home soon, i’ll call you to talk about it 🫶

the last heart at the end of ur message sent his mind into a flurry. what did you even mean by that? you were truly adorable, and there was nothing he could do to suppress the feelings that bubbled up in his chest.

about half an hour later, your call arrived, and he promptly accepted.

“vox?”

“hello. the trip home was nice?”

“yeah! but… i wanted to just talk about us.” you said.

your unsure tone frightened him just a little bit. and with his heart beating wildly out of his chest, he gathered the courage to open his mouth and speak.

“you know, y/n, really, i—”

“i like you.”

and with that, vox stood still for a moment, processing your words in his head. you just said that you liked him. his heart pounded even more erratically, but somehow he regained his calm.

“gosh, darling, you beat me to the punch. i wanted to say that first.” vox mused.

your flustered laugh resonating from the other end of the call only made him fall for you more.

[yarrystyleeza]

Fixing Ties

Chapter Two snippet under the cut!!! 💕✨

In the other room, the heat was rising up his neck, he was nervous, his hands are shaking. The sound of her heels softly clicking on the wooden floor is making his heart tick faster with each step she takes. She takes a sip of her coffee, her heart beats faster and she's smiling. He's jittering with each breath she takes, she's looking outside the window and tucking her stray bangs behind her ear, her earring swings to the movement of her hand, and his heart sways with it.

He regrets not answering the phone, he wouldn't have to shake like a broken blender despite her standing in a completely different room—yet he couldn't leave her waiting downstairs.

He couldn't tie his necktie, no matter how hard he tried, his hands kept trembling and his mind kept straying. "Damn it..." he cursed under his breath, but it was loud enough for her to hear it.

"Are you okay, Matt?" she asked, still giving him privacy. He walked out of his room, tie in his hand and face is flustered.

"Couldn't tie it," he sighed. She approaches, his heart is burning and the blood is pumping wild in his ears.

"Can I help you with it?" she asks, her fingertips are softly touching his. He nods. She feels his hands shaking beneath her touch. "Are you alright?" she asks with a smile, her voice is warm with worry, "you're shaking..."

He knows, oh Hell—he knows. "I... I don't-- I don't know..." he blurts, "maybe I'm just... Tired... Yeah."

She takes the black tie and starts wrapping it around her arm. "Learned this trick a while ago," she says, "you spread the thick part along your arm and wrap the thin part three times around your wrist," she explains, "then you pull the second loop through the first loop... And we're done. You're just gonna have to put it on."

She smiled proudly at herself. "I'm just gonna adjust it a bit..." she fixes the length of each end and widens the loop. "Can I help you put it on-- unless you want to--do it yourself--"

He shook his head, "of course—you can... Thank you." he smiles with his red face as she passes his head through the noose.

"You're welcome," she responded with a grin, fixing his collar around the noose before fitting it around his neck. "It looks good," she addressed, smiling.

"I've been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night

But now I see daylight, I only see daylight" 💕✨

Close-ups:

I can't emphasize how much I love this piece, I'm really proud of myself 🥺🥺🥺 I tried new things like working on lighting and shadow 😋 I need to study for my next exam on Tuesday tho 😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

[horseshoegirl]

Damn Those Dog Tags: Part 19 - An Evening I Will Not Forget

📜So... remember when I said things were getting better with the sad parts? I lied... Oh boy, did I ever lie... 😬

Fair warning: this one is grief-heavy... but it's been a long time coming for Liz.

(I also want to say, next to Sapling, this is the other song I hope you listen to. These last two parts have been at the centre of why this story means so much to me. I hope you do 💛)

❗+18, strong language, godmother reader/original female character, original child character, Emotional & Protective Sadie (She needs her own warning), Liz finally caves, conversations about grief, Sadie caves too, and strikes again, Crying, Angst, Thunderstorms, Smutty themes (with a Camera 👀), and Just in Case letters.

#6.6k words

Part 18 | Masterlist | Part 20

They say grief comes in five stages.

Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance.

Ridley always talked to you about it. All the vicarious trauma sessions she had to attend as a nurse. 'It's just something you have to deal with when you are a nurse. Or even in life," she'd say.

The thing about these stages is that everyone assumed they were something you would experience in order, each stage just as intense as the last. Or that you would feel all of them. It was just a matter of time.

You always thought it was a bald-faced lie.

You didn't know what was worse, the fact you spent the better half of an almost year shoving that grief down into the deepest parts of your soul or that it only took one week after Jake left and a freaking thunderstorm, to finally make you surrender.

It was the first rumble of thunder you heard, standing alone in your kitchen, that started eating away at your stomach. It planted a seed, which grew like vines wrapping around your heart. And whatever the feeling was suddenly flooding your entire body like water, you could only describe it as a sudden white pain.

You tried to bury it again, grabbing another plate leftover from dinner and letting water run over it as you shuttered out another breath. But the next rumble of thunder was accompanied by pelting rain on your windows, and you let the plate slip from your fingers under the water, only to grip the edges of your sink hard.

The white pain you felt only a few seconds earlier had intensified. A sharp inhale, and your chest tightened.

Not now. Why now.

You didn't realize tears had started to stream down your face. As if your body had a mind of its own and proclaimed the most recent danger had passed, so enough was enough - time to deal with what you've been putting off; it's as good of a time as any.

The flash of lightning should have been your warning for what was to follow. Because the second the bolt of lightning disappeared outside your window, the power flickered, and the entire house plunged into darkness.

It was the permission your body needed for your knees to give out. For you to crumple to the floor hard. You wanted to cry at the impact, yet only an aching sob escaped your lips; you curling your fingers into the groves along the tile of your kitchen floor, pulling yourself closer and closer to the handle of your fridge. You grabbed it, using what strength you had to pull yourself up to sit against the cool metal.

You had sung as a blue healer for feelings of deep blue when Sadie was in the hospital, Jake assuring you there was no deadline, no time frame of when you could finally accept she was gone. But the problem was, you didn't want to accept she was. Because wishing, thinking she was still there, was holding on to some semblance of her memory.

If thinking she was still here, still a phone call away, it wouldn't make it real. That you wouldn't have to let Sadie down. That Ridley still could be your armour, then.

You wanted her here. You wanted her to talk to you, to hug you and let you know things would be alright. That Jake and Bradley, would come home, despite everything they had to do in order to keep the world safe.

But she wasn't here. And then Jake apologized. Not with flowers but with something corporeal. Something real. And they had remained on your neck since he had placed them there.

They were a saving grace for the first few days, for you could grab them whenever things got too hard to handle. Yet, now, as you went for them hanging around your neck, buried under your shirt, the chain and tags were a suppressing weight, even a vice, tightening around your neck.

Because Damn Those Dog Tags he had left behind - they signified that the man you loved might also become a memory too. Just like your sister in everything she had left behind.

You yanked them from your neck with a harsh cry, flinging them hard. They flew across the room, metal shining against another flash of lightning, hitting the wall with a clatter. The metallic sound echoes the hollowness in your heart, and you bowed your head between your legs, hands hugging your legs tight.

Anger.

It had only shown itself once before. Yet, yelling at George and being crass towards Jake, you knew it wouldn't solve anything, except for the fact something deep inside was waiting for the chance it could pounce on the next best thing. It wasn't what you were truly angry at.

Because you had spent the better part of now and between then repressing what you didn't want to face. Ridley's absence was something you couldn't focus on; Sadie needed the strength to believe everything would be okay.

Ridley had done the same for you. When you had left, when you had run away from home. The days and months you spent shoving every dark thought or memory of her... you should have been calling it for what it was.

 Depression and Denial went hand in hand.

And yet, still, the angel of death was ruthless.

It had taken Ridley from you. It tried to take Sadie. Jake and Bradley could be next.

What more could it possibly want to take from you next?

Sadie poked her head out from behind the wall to the hallway, finding you huddled up against the fridge in the kitchen, your head in your hands. She watched from her hiding place how your body shook with each sob, how you tried to make your body smaller than it was.

She had been on her way to you, flashlight in hand and scared of the storm when she heard you scream. It had made her quicken her pace, only to stop when her flashlight caught something shiny in its beam flying across the hallway, hitting the wall in a dull metallic sound.

She widened her eyes. This was the moment she had been waiting for. The one she had been expecting, yet never came.

She knew what she had to do.

Turning on her heel, she made her way into your bedroom, immediately going for your closet. She tore the door open, a flash of lightning illuminating the room from the window behind her. She shuttered, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

Everything was screaming at her that something was staring at her from your bedroom window, the trees casting dark shadows onto your wall as they swayed in the wind and rain.

She closed her eyes, allowing a fresh wave of tears to fall down her cheeks.

She knew she had to preserve. Dropping her flashlight to the ground as she kneeled, Sadie flung your sweaters and cardigans over her shoulder before finally finding the box she wanted, shoved into the bottom corner. She picked it up, not bothering to close your closet door shut as she placed the flashlight on top and rushed out into the hallway. She stopped momentarily to find the object you had thrown across the room.

She knew what they were the second she found them, picking them up and cradling the metal pieces close to her chest. She didn't want to admit she regretted her last words to him, even if he needed to hear them. She regretted them herself, knowing she should have taken her own advice.

She approached you quietly, you not lifting your head once. She kneeled in front of you, placing the box behind her so you wouldn't see it immediately. Biting her lip, she wiped at either side of her face before placing her hand upon your knee.

"You caved."

Your eyes shot up, Sadie's face littered with silent tears. She had been crying, too. And outstretched in her hand, Jake's dog tags in the palm of her small hand, ball chain wrapped around her tiny fingers.

You swallowed, finally croaking out, "I should have when I brought you home."

She let them drop by the chain, grabbing it with both hands to place them back around your neck, biting her lip harder in concentration. There was only one place these belonged.

"We made a promise, Aunt Liz. We just forgot to see it through."

You sobbed at her words, hugging yourself tight when she leaned back, your nails biting into your skin through your shirt.

You were the furthest thing from perfect, the words so perfectly said first by Jake standing on your front porch. Yet, you wondered if you were letting her down by allowing yourself to voice the words you'd never wanted her to hear.

"I miss her, Bug," you cried out, wiping your cheek. "I miss her so much."

Every instance of trying to gather your resolve not to break in front of Sadie fails you. Not the pain of your fingernails gripping your forearm or shielding your face with the sides of your hair, knowing it was a miserable, shameful last attempt to hide yourself from her.

Each gasping breath you pull from your chest is accompanied by a sob and another wave of fresh tears. Yet, Sadie tucks those strains of hair behind your ears and wipes your face with her tiny thumbs, titling your head up so she can surge forward and burying herself in your neck, hoping her hug showed how much she loved you. How much she appreciated you letting her know you weren't okay and that you were no longer afraid of hiding it.

That it was okay to be vulnerable, even now, in front of her.

When Sadie finally let you go, leaning back to sit down between your legs, she stretched her hand behind her to grab something. The red tape was a giveaway, and you pressed Jake's tags to your forehead in protest for the things you didn't want to discover in the shoebox.

You knew exactly what was in there. You couldn't stand looking at pictures of her, talking about her, or looking at the things that reminded you of her. Books were meant to be read cover to cover, but you couldn't finish fucking Pride and Prejudice for the life of you, stuck forever reading the last page twice.

And as if Ridley naming you after her favourite character in her favourite book would somehow empower you. Elizabeth Bennett got through all that life had to offer - so would you. You didn't even realize, at some point after you started seeing Jake, you had stopped listening to music, too.

Ridley used music to help you get through the bad parts. When she would cover your ears to hide shouts in an empty home like everything was okay. She'd tell you music soothes the soul, but as you did to Sadie, you soon discovered it was for the moments where your parents thought swear words were better to express the thoughts and feelings ordinary words couldn't.

In the aftermath, she'd tell you late at night, huddled in your bed, to look out the window and fixate on the brightest star. To wish upon it and ask for a time when music wasn't needed to fill what silence should. But each time she asked you to, she'd say people also wish upon that star too, and it was doing what it could, but so many other people needed its help along with you.

The two of you needed to help it where you could.

Bad parts had to be a part of your story, too.

Then she was gone.

It's why you hid the box in your closet for so long, shoved up on the top shelf, never to see the light of day.

You were there for some of it when Ridley came up with the idea. She was a brilliant mom but also the type to prepare for anything and everything. The night Sadie turned five, she found the damn thing and spent hours stretching that stupid red tape across the beaten material, hoping it would be enough to withstand time.

You just never knew what she had added to it over time.

Sadie was asking, forcing you to confront what you couldn't do yourself. Because in that shoebox, labelled across the top...

Everything I never want you to forget

"We need to open it, Aunt Liz," she said softly with a sniffle, looking down at the box between her hands.

You didn't want to.

Sliding her knees out from under her, Sadie sat on the floor, still holding onto the shoebox. She turned her back to face you, wiggling herself in between your open legs to sit up against your front, pinning you against the fridge. She placed the box in her lap, tilting her head back against your shoulder to peer at your face.

"I'm not getting up until we go through this box."

"Sadie.."

"Mum would want me to do this with you."

Which roughly translated to, because you won't do it otherwise. Not unless I make you.

Ridley's last words, contained in an ordinary shoebox, as if that's all her life amounted to because an idiotic man with an ego complex proclaimed to love her when he didn't. One man who couldn't care less than the ego he carried around his back gave you one of the greatest loves of your life.

And the only regret.

Bargaining.

Then again, Sadie ever would have come to live with you. The Daggers might not have been your friends. Jake would have never been invited to a Saturday night. You would never have fallen in love with him.

Those were the what-ifs you had to contend with. Maybe you silently did believe in regrets after all.

Sadie grabbed your wrist, wrapping your arm around her stomach so you'd hold her. She grabbed your other, placing your hand down upon the top of the box. You let your fingers rest on the lid, drawing out a shakey breath.

Once Sadie was sure you weren't going to lift your hand off the box, she let it go, moving to grab the other side of it. She took a deep breath, squeezing your wrist once before tucking her fingers under the lid to open it. You'd be lying if you didn't say you held her a little closer as you caught the lid, as its contents came into view.

You didn't know where to look first; your hand in no rush to move from where you had left it on the floor. There were a lot of polaroids, knick-knacks from adventures, and jean jacket patches you had never seen before. There was even a Bowie CD, and despite your weariness, you couldn’t find the will to stop the corners of your mouth from curling upwards.

Sadie, however, picked up the first item she set her eyes on.

"What's this from?" She asked, holding up a key. You placed your hand behind hers, using your thumb to stroke the metal base.

"Ah," you sniffed. "That was the key to our first apartment. Remember how we told you your mom and I ran away from home?"

Sadie nodded, still looking down at the piece of metal. "You guys weren't safe."

"No," you replied, shaking your head. "We weren't. Your mom had been saving up money, and I was trying to save up for school. And we had some money saved from your grandmother. It was a tiny place, but that was the first time we finally felt like we could breathe. She went to nursing school soon after that."

You failed to mention you put your dreams on hold so your sister could have hers, especially after what she did to get the two of you out of there. You would do it all over again if you could.

Sadie carefully placed the key back into the box, unphased by the crack of thunder over the house, deciding to grab at the handful of Polaroids next, scattering them in her lap.

While she started looking through the pictures, you fixed your eyes on the white envelopes shoved tight in the back of the box, their colour the only thing standing out with the next flash of lightning. You knew they were letters, with different things written across the front. You reached for them, hands fumbling with the thickness as you took in the names and titles written across each one.

Two caught your attention, making you whimper as the realization of their significance came twofold.

They read...

(My darling Lizzie) - To him.

And...

(My Sadie Bug) - To your Uncle

You slid them under your leg, knowing that there might be a day when Jake would sit down in private, with or without you or Sadie, to read the words and introduction your sister wrote him if he so chose.

If he made it back, the thought forbidden in your head.

There was also another pair - one for you and one for Sadie.

Hers had been first when you picked them up, and she reached out with her hand, dropping the photo she had been holding in her lap when she noticed the writing. Her small fingers trailed over the words "My Bug" written across the front. You pressed a kiss to the back of her head, letting her take it from you.

"If you want to read it alone or with me, that's up to you."

Sadie didn't do anything else but nod, pulling the thick piece of paper close to her chest and dropping her chin to hug it tight.

The power had long since returned after the storm had passed, but neither you nor Sadie could pick yourselves up off the kitchen floor. Not until the last photo, item, object, or memory Ridley had left in that shoe box had been touched. Not until Sadie asked all her questions about what each meant or where some of the photographs had been taken... till you explained memories associated with them.

Even then, when Sadie returned the last Polaroid and placed the lid back on top, she remained curled up in your arms, head against your chest, with her fingers caught in the ball chain of Jake's dog tags around your neck.

You had finally opened the box. Went through its contents. And yet...

"I don't know what we should do now," you told her, rubbing at your face, your head throbbing.

Sadie shifted slightly in your hold, hands holding one of Jake's tags.

"Maybe we could watch a movie?" she suggested quietly. The next words out of your mouth surprised you slightly.

"Maybe Pride and Prejudice... if that is okay?"

---

You had no idea where the sudden urge to go on this trip came from. But waking up with Sadie in your arms on the couch the morning after the two of you went through Ridley's box, you couldn't fight it.

Nat was more than ready the second you called her up, asking if she wanted to accompany you and Sadie on a road trip for the long weekend. She originally thought it was a girl's weekend, which you wouldn't have minded had it not been for your destination.

"I'll pack my bag," she said, no questions asked.

Sadie and Nat were still asleep when you left the hotel room, leaving a note on your bed you'd be back soon. It was still dark out, the sun just barely on the cusp of threatening to show itself when you climbed into your car and drove off.

Sadie had made you promise the both of you would visit Ridley. It was the whole purpose of your trip. To bring flowers, say hi, and so Sadie and you could tell her how much you both loved her. You were going too - there was no question.

But you needed to do this for yourself first.

You pulled off the main road onto the familiar dirt one, driving down the path until you reached the makeshift parking lot, all stone and roughed-up dirt. You were completely alone, save for two cars parked on either end.

You still had ways to go to reach your destination.

Before climbing out of your car, you reached into the back seat and pulled out Ridley's Jean Jacket. You put it on, bundling the lapels tight together across your chest in some blind attempt to shield yourself from the morning chill before you start your hike.

She preferred it this way, anyway.

You spent a good twenty minutes walking over muddy patches and rocky terrain, battling rogue tree roots in the lack of sunlight. There was another route you could have taken, perhaps the easier one, but you had trekked this trail with Ridley so many times before. It was only fair you kept up the tradition.

But then the trees began to thin out, the sound of chirping birds grew louder, and you could smell just a hint of wildflowers with each intake of breath.

You emerged from the woods, looking up from the ground to take in the sight before you. The meadow had remained untouched since you were here last. The grass was overgrown, each dew-kissed blade a product of the low-hanging mist just above the ground. There were flowers in full bloom, and even this early in the morning, with the morning sky painting shades of purple twilight, you could still make out dragonflies passing by.

And there, right in the middle of it all, the perfectly sculpted piece of grey marble. The only human-made thing that seemed to grace this meadow.

As you stepped forward, the grass caressed your legs and dampened your jeans. The closer you got, the more the engraving stood out, the letters making your heartache.

In loving Memory

Trailing your fingers across the headstone, you wiped away the dust that had gathered there since you buried her here last year. The dew from the early morning fog stained your fingers brown as you did so, but you couldn't care less. She was alone out here, peacefully at rest in this meadow.

You could handle a little dirt on your fingers.

You cleared away the dried leaves and twigs, smoothing the grass down before settling yourself onto the damp earth, your back meeting the hard stone. You listened to the birds, the crickets and the wind, taking in the utter silence before you finally spoke out loud.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, Rids."

You tilted your head back until it came to rest against the stone, closing your eyes. "I miss you. So much. Every day, every moment, every breath. Because it feels like everything I do reminds me I'm living without you."

Now that you were here, the words were coming easy. Easier than any conversation you have ever had in your life.

"I can't even admit I cannot remember the last thing we spoke about over the phone," You sniffed. "I've gone almost a whole year trying to forget you had died, and I cannot remember the last fucking thing I said to you."

With your eyes still closed, you felt the first breath of warmth touch your cheek, and a soft orange appeared behind your eyelids.

"I guess I should start with the most important thing." You said, finally opening your eyes. "The bug is... Better than me."

It was so true. Sadie had done so much better than you could have ever hoped when you brought her home.

"Everyone says she is so wise for her age," you huffed out a sad laugh. "But we would see it differently, wouldn't we? After everything we endured, after everything she has had to endure... she didn't have a choice but to grow up and handle the things being thrown at her."

You brought your knees up to your chest, hugging them tight.

"Oh, I met someone," you laughed sadly, knowing she'd want to know, just like she always did when you called. "He's an aviator. He walked right up to me at the bar and tried to get me into his bed."

Despite your sadness, you managed a small smile at the memory.

"I Bowied him," you chuckled. "The good old wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, you told me to do. I always thought it was a cheesy thing to do when you came up with it, but it's never once failed me. We always loved listening to Suffragette City."

You picked a strain of grass out of the ground, wrapping it between your fingers as you continued.

"The squad told me so much about him before I met him. He was the one responsible for all of Penny's bartenders quitting. I mean, his call sign is Hangman, for god's sake. And Bradley hounded me, thinking I would fall for his trap."

But you did.

You wondered how the two of them were managing wherever they were.

"Then Sadie saw him. Oh god. He helped her with her math homework, and she invited him over, and he brought flowers as an apology. Yellow fucking tulips."

You could almost hear her shout Score for Jake in the back of your mind.

"I gave him a clean slate. Because you always taught me everyone deserves a chance. Because Sadie reminded me of that. And then things just fell into place."

Reaching beneath your shirt, you grasped for the chain, pulling out the dog tags to look at them as you spoke.

"You'd absolutely hate him," you laughed, playing with the rubber casing around one of them, Jake's name always in sight. "He's.. He's so stubborn. Arrogant. Cocky. You would go so far as to say he is a downright asshole who doesn't deserve me."

Jake was all of those things. But he was more, too.

"But he makes me smile, Rids. And Sadie. Oh god, she adores him to no end. I wouldn't have taken a chance on him hadn't it been for her. Our little matchmaker, as if she didn't think I caught on to what she was doing. I think the feeling is mutual, though. He puts her first in so many ways."

You weren't going to utter that asshole's name over her grave by explaining Jake's heroics. This was her peace, and he didn't need to taint it any more than he already had.

"He's a... a Mr. Darcy," you struggled to say, knowing that's exactly what she would have called him.

Reaching into the chest pocket of her jean jacket, you pulled out the envelope with your name on it, bringing it down to hold it in your lap. Both of your hands frame the words written across the front.

Just in case

Your fingers shook as you flipped it over and broke the seal, breath leaving your lips in short bursts. Something possessed you, making you reach in and tug on the pieces of paper folded up inside. Unlike her box, there were no polaroids inside, just the pages with her fancy cursive writing neatly penned to the page.

Once you hesitantly unfolded the pages and read those first words, you couldn't find the will to stop.

Lizzie, you absolute fucking wreck.

How long did it take you to get the courage to read this goddamn letter?

Stop looking so miserable. I swear if I'm looking down on you and you're doing that thing with your face where you're about to cry but won't let yourself, I'll haunt you forever.

That's a lie. I probably already am if I could. If you see sunlight blinding you in the face, say hi. That's probably me.

I know, with 100 percent certainty, it's been a while since I've been gone. How long? I have no idea, but you better not be old and grey, sitting on my grave, finally abandoning your belief about regrets - mostly because this letter wouldn't make one lick of sense.

Besides your inability to grieve properly, I know how hard it's been for you to work up the courage to read this letter. I'm proud of you for taking that leap. You don't need to hear this because there is nothing for you to apologize for, but I forgive you. I know, deep down, the reason you didn't.

It's the thought and facing the reality that you won't see me again, right? Not in this life, maybe not ever, I don't know. And these are supposed to be my 'last words' to you. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes. I might have talked a big game about facing your feelings and trying to be calm when trouble comes around, but let's face it: I've been a mother twice over. I think I'm better at hiding the fact that I'm scared, too.

I wish I would have told you that more. I wish I would have let my walls down enough so that you could have helped me too.

But you need to know that as I'm sitting here at my desk, writing this thing, I'm safe in the knowledge that our bug is with the best person I could have ever hoped for as her guardian. And no words could describe just how much that means to me.

Teach her all the good stuff. Not how to mix a cocktail, I swear to god, we don't need Sadie Sass 2.0 in College or University - I doubt you want to live that experience, and I surely didn't. But how you verbally smack every cocky-ass male that tries to take his shot with her, and how you care for everyone, stand up for everyone. Though chances are, we all probably got that particular talent from her, not the other way around. Who knows... You might be reading this, having had one of those cocksure pilots breaking through your brick wall.

... did one of them manage to break through? You better be sitting on my grave telling me all the details. I don't care if I'm dead (I'm morbid... and practical about death, dealt with it).

And even if you haven't, that's okay too. One day, you'll discover someone better than the heroes you read in books, the ones who seem perfect, without a single flaw. They'll be better because this person will have flaws - Love despite, remember?

Also, whoever they are, kick their ass for me a few times for good measure.

I know that right now, you're feeling lost and wondering how you'll ever get through this, how you've managed to get through all this so far.

But you did. You have so far. And you still will.

You have to accept that things do eventually end, despite not wanting them to. And we have to go on without them. A memory is no longer beautiful just because it suddenly has an end.

You need to accept that sometimes you need to cave and break down to break through. You need to heal.

And to understand grief is the price we pay for those we love. I know you're hurting and refusing to acknowledge that you may never hear my voice again or know what I'd have to say or what advice I'd have to give.

The truth is, you do.

You can still hear my words in your head. You always knew what I was going to say before I said it; I doubt death would change any of that. And you still get to see my face. Nobody can take that from you, especially in all the photographs I've left behind.

Please tell me you went through the box. Or Sadie at least made you go through it. Not just grab all the letters. That wasn't the point of me making it.

I want you to remember those memories so you know I am there when you are sad or miss me. And for Sadie, when she feels like she can't remember what I looked like or what was.

Promise me you will add to it. Take photographs with my Polaroid camera and make scrapbooks and memory boxes. Create memories with Sadie so she can look back and say, "I know she would be proud of me too."

And I am. So much so.

You also need to understand you're not alone.

You have a found family in those stupid pilots you call friends (They're not stupid; they're just a group of idiots). They can help you. Please let them. Please let them in, whether it's helping Sadie with her homework or spending time together. Let them remind you it's okay to live for yourself, too.

Yes, take care of our Bug; that trumps everything else. And never forget how much I love you. Always.

But, remember, even above all that, everyone deserves a chance.

Even you.

My darling, beautiful sister.

The sob that broke free as you read her final words was gut-wrenching. It was also cathartic, laced with relief and heartbreak.

In your time reading her letter, you failed to notice the meadow come to life around you. The shift had been gradual. With each word you had read, the sun had peaked just that much more over the horizon, changing the sky from a darkened purple hue to a much lighter one, with light orange-red undertones in a mist that just rested above the grass.

You had seen none of it.

Because your knees had been a poor excuse for support, and you dropped your forehead down to them to curl inward on yourself. You toppled to your side amongst the short grass, the strands barely fitting in your grasp as your tears fell down your face and into the dirt.

By opening that letter and reading what was meant to be her last words to you, you eventually came to the realization there was no way you could have ever protected yourself from all the painful experiences you've been through.

Maybe this feeling was supposed to be forgiving yourself for the blame you've sheltered for so long. To you, it was something different.

Maybe, just maybe, this was something very close to being acceptance.

---

You felt guilty thinking on the drive home. You had felt better than the last time you drove home from Sacramento. The feeling had lasted, even for days after you dropped Nat back home and tried to go on with your life, trying not to worry about what Jake and Bradley were doing.

Or if you'd ever seen them again. You counted down each day as a blessing and a curse. You knew what you were getting yourself into the moment you decided to befriend the entire squad or when you agreed to date Jake.

It still hurt each time they were called up.

But the grief wasn't as much of a burden now as it was a silent companion. You knew it would always be there when you saw her face in the pictures she left or when Sadie would smile. Or when something new would remind you of her.

You had accepted living with it, dealing with it. And knowing it would eventually come back for something else multiple times later on in your life.

It's probably why this morning you felt slightly different. The sense of relief had not waivered, but you couldn't deny something had shifted. Maybe it was the fact you left the window open last night to listen to a far-off storm, the smell of petrichor filling your room as you woke up in the early hours of the morning.

Or maybe it was the way you stretched amongst your covers, relishing in the coolness of your sheets and the softness of your pillow. Or how you sat up, pausing for a second to watch the specks of dust float through the early morning sunbeams slipping through your curtains. You lifted your hand, inspecting how your fingers cut through the warm rays and cast shadows onto your floor.

You smiled in contentment.

Making your way to your bathroom, the hot water was welcoming as you stepped into your shower. You spent a few minutes there, waking up under the pressure on your skin, before stepping out and drying off, reaching for your silk robe from off the back of the door.

But walking back to your room, you caught your reflection in your mirror from the doorway, suddenly entranced. You found yourself gravitating towards it, slowly stepping forward until you stood right in front of it.

Smoothing down the slides of the fabric of your robe, you played with the lacey hem. Till you reached up to tuck a few wet strands of hair behind your ear, and found your fingers hooking underneath the chain around your neck, sliding down until Jake's tags slid out from their hiding place.

You bit your lip, rocking back and forth while contemplating, when Sadie's Polaroid camera stood out in the background of your reflection. She had placed it in your bag for the trip home, and you had yet to return it to her after you unpacked, leaving it atop your dresser.

You turned slowly, eyeing the camera for a few seconds before walking over to your dresser. You picked it up, holding it in your hands for a few seconds before looking over to your bed and then back to your dresser.

Why you suddenly felt possessed to do this, you had no idea.

Inspecting the dial on the top, you weren't in control as you watched your hand reach out to turn it clockwise, one click at a time. You were surprisingly calm as you placed it back down on your dresser, parallel to your bed, and pressed the button on the other side, starting a quiet, ticking countdown from the tiny camera.

Climbing back into your bed, you faced the camera, undoing the small strings on your robe, letting the sides fall just enough to reveal the inside curves of your breasts and the top half of your stomach. And there, right in the middle, Jake's dog tags hanging between.

It felt awkward, forbidden even, to lean back so exposed, so open. With the old-fashioned lens sitting on your dresser, the dial clicking down as you positioned yourself on your mattress, tilting your head back and closing your eyes.

It was Sadie's Camera, for god's sake.

You heard the shutter go off, the mechanical whirling of the piece of photo paper running through the tiny printer, and fluttering as it landed on your bedroom floor.

You opened your eyes, jolting up like you had been splashed with cold water, shocked you had even done such a thing.

Yet, you still slid out from the covers, eyeing the photo from where it landed, slowly walking over. You carefully picked it up, watching as the image faded into view.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

You pressed the printout to your chest, staring up at your open door, wondering if Sadie had woken up yet. With the printout in hand, you practically ran into your office, shutting the door behind you and throwing yourself into your chair. Reaching for your bottom drawer, you pulled out a thick envelope and lined pieces of paper, scrambling for one of the pens on your desk.

You hadn't written a letter since the last time Jake had been on a deployment. Back then, you had struggled to find the words to say to him. You didn't have a problem this time. As soon as black ink hit the page, you couldn't stop writing down every thought and feeling as fast as you could.

When you were finally finished, you threw yourself back into the chair, sighing once before looking down at the pieces of paper. You grabbed them, folding the pieces in half and shoving them into the envelope, sliding the single polaroid behind them. You hadn't sealed it yet, but you did close it, writing along the back, hoping Jake would appreciate and understand the message.

Sadie's bedroom door opening and closing could be heard through the wall, and a smile stretched across your face as an idea popped into your head.

"Hey, Bug! I'm sending Uncle Jake a letter. Got any polaroids you want to send?!"

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-Wickett ;)

Part 20 - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Coming Soon