#they stuck googly eyes onto it

[creativewhizkid]

i like the headcanon that sketchbook is friends with the lil orange from episode 1

[mangowafflesss]

He comes home from a long time away, fighting for what is right. He is hurt but doesn't let it show when in front of the kids. You tell them not to be rough with him because he's tired but they know something is wrong.

One morning - he's already awake. Sitting on the couch with a mug of something hot in his hand. The warmth from the mug heats his hand and he takes that hand to the part of his body where it hurts.

You were about to enter the room but stop when you see your children march in together. Your little troupe - armed with snacks, blankets and all sorts.

You watch your youngest hand your husband a card, glitter falling into his lap and googly eyes rattling around as he opens it up. A smile graces his lips and he gathers him into a hug, planting a kiss to the crown of his head.

Your other two children wrap a blanket around his body so tight you know he's struggling to breathe but he lets them finish whatever they're doing.

A paw patrol plaster is stuck to his forehead along with a kiss from each kid before they climb onto the sofa and wrap their arms around him.

"We will look after you daddy"

[rogueshadow1124]

TROUBLE

[BATFAMILY IMAGINE SERIES]

Batfamily x Batsis!Reader

Summary: Y/N Wayne gets in trouble at school, her father Bruce Wayne is called in to see the principal...

Word count: 2477

Warnings: swearing (not proof read)

There sat a young girl, dark Y/H/C locks messily arranged upon her head. Bruce Wayne, her father, was designated in the chair beside her, hands clasped together in his lap as he held immense eye contact with the headmistress who broke out into a sudden sweat under the icy blue hues of the man, not knowing whether to break the eye contact or keep it.

"I would appreciate it if you sped this up Dianne, I've been In this hellhole for more hours than I should have been." The girl sneered at the women who was making googly eyes towards her father, seemingly glaring through her thick skull. 'Pft stupid witch!'

"Y/N what have I told you about addressing adults in a respectful manner." Bruce peered down at his youngest child, squinting down at her as she pulled the innocent card, batting her lashes at the older man as she always did in these situations, which happened to appeal quite often. The Raven haired male switched his gaze back to the women before him and his child, shooting a charming smile that was hardly noticable. "Please, continue if you may Ms. Chèrmaine."

"Aha urm- of course Mr. Wayne." She lowered her gaze to the papers that were disorganised upon her desk, moving o few pieces around before she hummed and pulled out a file on the young girl. "It appears Y/N has made an offense towards another student."

"Is that so?" The man turned his head so he could face his daughter who had switched her eyes to look around the room, avoiding his own identical hues that were latched onto her. He sighed, bringing up a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose in a form annoyance. "And what is this offense you speak of ma'am?"

"I hope you understand that violence is not tolerated here at the academy Mr. Wayne and Y/N has bypassed these rules numerous times, this time however has been proven to be out of hand." The headmistress set her eyes on Y/N who was already staring at her, more so glaring harshly with a scowl forming on her lips. "Am I right to assume you are familiar with Mr. Hayes?"

"You already know I am Chèrmane, get on with it!" Y/N snapped.

"Y/N Y/M/N Wayne! What have I said about showing respect?" Bruce stared down at her, a look of disapproval overshadowing his features.

"Right right I'm so sincerely sorry Ms. Chèrmane."

"If I may continue- your daughter Mr. Wayne is a troublesome girl. This morning, a fight broke out in the cafeteria, we are yet to get to the bottom of the cause but we have reason to believe that Y/N had started it. We have CCTV footage as evidence." Dianne Chèrmane was now on the girls most hated list, how could that women have called Y/N as such as troublesome, maybe hot-headed but not at all did she herself believe she was troublesome. People- especially people like Hayden Hayes got under her skin so easily.

"I am not troublesome Ms. Chèrmane and I demand to know why you have not been willing to hear my side of the story." Y/N rose a brow at the woman, eyeing her sitting form up and down in a judging manner. A scoff passed the girls lips as she felt a tiny nudge on her arm, coming to now side-eye her father. "At least have the decency to hear my side of the story if you will...Please."

"Go ahead Y/N..." The headmistress nodded at the girl, motioning with her hands to speak on.

"It all started when that stuck up Hayes kid came and sat at my table..."

[In the cafeteria early today...]

The young Wayne was sitting quietly at one of the tables in the cafeteria, eyes scanning over the words on the page of the textbook she was currently reading. Her fingers tapped rhythmatically against the wooden surface, the tapping came to a stop when she noticed a shadow casting over the space infront of her, hearing the sound of a chair squeaking as it was pulled out, allowing whoever had moved it to take a seat.

"Oh little Wayne." A male voice called out to the girl tauntingly, her head slowly rose so her icy gaze could be set on the sandy haired boy sat infront of her, a low grumble echoing between her lips.

"I have no time for you Hayes." She stated coldly, slamming the textbook close while coming to a stand from where she was previously sat in the chair. "You ruined the little peace I have in this wretched place."

"How come you think your so high and mighty because your daddy's rich huh?" Hayes seethed, jumping up from his chair and proceeded to slam his hands down on the table eyes trailing over the bored expression that plagued the girls face.

"Are we done here? I havent such time for inconvenience." She arched a brow, smiling fakely as she watched the boys face change into one of annoyance and frustration, his nostrils starting to flare in his moment of agitation. "I will take my leave."

"No you won't Wayne, I wanted to talk!"

"Oh yeah well I dont want to talk nor do I have time to waste on you." Y/N turned her back to the boy, setting off towards the exit of the cafeteria only to be stopped by a hand grasping onto her wrist.

"I bet you daddy's so disappointed in you, your a nobody Wayne, a nobody you hear me?! Nobody cares about you, your a mess up, somebody who is only the slightest bit lucky to exist-" Haydens speech came to an end when the girl swung around and connected her fist to his face, a cracking sound echoing through the silence.

"Dont you ever talk to me in that way Hayes."

"Huh..." He hummed, hand clutching his nose tightly, eyes glaring at the girl menacingly. He brought his bloodied hand nearer to his face, examining the amount of crimson that laced his fingers. "I admit you have quite the force for such a small thing Wayne but you've made a huge mistake."

As the male went to make a move on the girl, she caught him by the wrist just as his hand had raised at her. She huffed, rolling her eyes not at all fazed by the advance the boy had made, she twisted his arm harshly, swinging his front into a wall, pressing hardly to where he had started to whine and wince at the oncoming pain.

"Don't you ever touch me Hayden, I may be a girl but I can sure handle myself and y'know what I dont think I'm high and mighty i just like this thing called personal space, something you obviously dont know of but i would take this as a warning if i were you, i could do so much more damage." She twisted his arm more, smirking when he shouted out in pain, his arm pulsing hardly as it felt like the bone was about to pop out of its place.

Then she let go, allowing the boy to slide down the wall as she waltzed out of the cafeteria not minding the other students who were left silent and stunned from the scene.

[Back to the office in present time...]

"Technically it was his own fault." The girl declared, slouching back in the chair that she had been sat in for ages, feeling it start to become uncomfy.

"That does still not give you the right to nearly immobilize the boy Y/N." Ms. Chèrmane spoke, looking at the girl intensely, not knowing why the younger was completely unfazed and looking rather bored in the situation.

"Are you saying I should have allowed that boy to lay his hands on me?" She spat out, staring down the headmistress who seemingly shrunk back in her seat as the girls agitation rose from nothing to something in only the few moments that passed by with the conversation. "I do believe I am finished here."

Y/N pushed back in her chair, making it squeak against the wooden boards of the floor. She set off towards the office doors ignoring the calls of her name that fled from her fatyers lips, hand reaching out to the brass knob of the door only to fling it open harshly, not bothering to stop it from swinging into the wall before she stormed away and through the halls.

She was absolutely livid, how could some woman be a headmistress of a school if she didnt even take into consideration both sides of the story. Y/N does have to admit that she did indeed act out maybe a little too much on the school grounds but that doesnt mean that only she was in the wrong, Hayden Hayes had made an advance to lay his hands on her and that would not at all be an acceptable move to make by any means on not only her but any other female or student within the school.

The girl barged through the exit, hopping down the steep stairwell vastly. She set into a quick pace down the opposite way to where her fathers vehicle was parked and headed straight for the city, her mind drowned in the thoughts of what she was to do next, she didnt want to go home yet or face her father- in her mind she did believe that she was infact a disappointment, she was always the one to be in trouble, she couldnt do much right by her family- trouble always seemed to follow her and she hated it because this made her a burden.

How could she hold the name Wayne, she couldn't live up to being under such a powerful name. She wasnt at all like her brothers- Dick Grayson was so very graceful and kind, something she couldn't conquere or be. Jason Todd, she related to him the most being reckless and resentful but he had qualities that she didn't, he could control and restrain himself, he was the charmer after all. Then theres Timothy Drake, he was a technical genius, smart and generous, he was above many but he was humble. And theres Damian Wayne, her actual half-blood brother, he was an absolute prodigy, a cocky bastard and a know it all, he had not many flaws, he seemed so perfect.

A vibration from her pocket caught her attention, taking her away from the haze her mind was slowly suffocating within. She whipped out her phone from her pocket, noticing how the screen had lit up with her fathers name, she grumbled pressing decline, going to put it back in her pocket only to have it start buzzing again, only this time it was one of her brothers.

"What do you want Jason?" She hadn't meant for her voice to shake when she spoke, also currently noticing that her throat was becoming dry and her eyes burned as water had started to build and make her icy blues become glassy.

"Where you at little bird, Bruce is flipping his lid." Jason's voice echoed through the device, a slight hint of worry wavering in his tone as he waited for an answer.

"M'just catching some fresh air Jay, no biggie I'll be back later." Was her response, a heavy breath breaking through her chapped lips shortly after when she heard her older brother whisper something incoherent under his breath.

"Fresh air? This is Gotham Y/N/N, theres nothing fresh about the place." He attempted to joke, not raising any kind of applause in return, nothing but a low hum on the girls behalf. "Where are ya' I'll pick you up."

"Gotham city park." She whispered, taking a seat on one of the benches. She could hear a few ruffles through Jason's end of the phone before he grumbled a goodbye to whoever was in the room with him.

"See ya in five kid." He ended up hanging up the phone before another word could be spoken.

Y/N's eyes were lowered towards the ground, body unmoving as she breathed unrhythmatically in an attempt to calm her nerves as she was beginning to grow upset. She hadn't meant to get so out of hand, she never does but she just cant control herself at times and she absolutely despises herself for that. She could be a better person, she could try harder.

Her thoughts begin to overcrowd her mind, making her become overwhelmed and she succumbed to the words that swarm her head. A tear had finally fallen, sliding down the length of her smooth pasty cheek, trailing over the ridge of a scar she had gotten on one of her nightly patrols. She hadn't cried for over a year and now she had broken, after all this time of having her feelings build up.

"Hey baby bird." She heard the soft masculine voice of her brother, she peered up through her lashes glancing at the boy who had crouched down infront of her. "Talk to me kid."

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, watching as his face contorted into one of confusion. "I never mean to be the way I am, i cant help being a disappointment."

"Woah, let me stop you right there." A hand made it's way under her chin, tilting her head upwards so her eyes could meet a pair of candy apple greens. "You are nowhere near a disappointment Y/N, nowhere near."

"But dad was so mad, I make him mad."

"Y/N/N you don't make Bruce mad, he just doesnt want you to turn into something we all know your not. We want you to be safe and happy, we dont want you to end up hurt." His thumb reached out to swipe at the tears that had continuously started to fall, a light smile lacing his features when he saw the girl's lips lift at the ends.

"I dont want to be a bitch all the time." She concluded, leaning into the boys hand that now layed on her cheek, seeking the comfort he was providing at this time.

"I know kid, but we all have our ups and downs- take demon for example, he's an absolute cocky little shit but we still love him." Jason mused, chuckling lowly when he saw a flicker of light seep through Y/N's eyes as she started to smile a little more. "That stays between you and I."

"I dont know Jay, I might just let it slip." She taunted, smirking her brother when he rose his brows. "I'm joking."

"Those words ever get out, I'm coming for you little bird."

[that-basic-simp]

Nickname

Venture X GN! Reader (No mention of reader's pronouns) CW: N/A WC: 1.4k+

"Sloane Cameron," they stuck their hand out. "Nice to meet you!"

"N-Nice to meet you," I said and shook their hand.

What I wasn't expecting was for them to grab my hand with the other and shake it very vigorously.

"I'm so excited to have you on my team! Well, I don't really have a team. It's just me, but I think we can work things out!" they smiled widely, revealing a chipped tooth.

"I-I'm Y/N," I said, removing my hand from theirs. I felt like I was in a cartoon where someone shook my hand so hard they were shaking my entire body.

"You're going to be bunking with me! I'm sure Cap told you we are limited on space."

I nodded my head, "H-He mentioned something like that."

"It may be small, but if any of my things get in the way, please let me know. I am not really used to sharing a small space."

"Noted."

"Bit shy, aren't ya?"

"Could say that," I mumbled.

"You'll fit in nicely here," Sloane patted me on my back gently. "If you want, you can hold my ESR."

"ESR? Isn't it supposed to be ESA?"

Sloane pulled a rock from their pocket that had googly eyes and purple spikes as a mohawk.

"This is Rosetta! My pet rock! Or my ESR: emotional support rock! Here!"

They grabbed my hand and placed the small rock on the palm of my hand. I had to admit, it was cute that someone as bubbly as Sloane would have a pet rock.

"T-Thank you."

"Come on! I can show you to our bunk," they took my free hand and pulled me down the hall.

"Mind the mess," they chuckled nervously, bending down and grabbing a few things to clear a path.

"It's kind of...small," I said.

"Like a college dorm," Sloane said. "You can decide which bunk you want, top or bottom."

"I prefer the bottom, if that's alright."

"Nope! Not a problem! Let me just move some of my clothes from there," they said and they ran around the room trying to pick things up.

Once the bottom bunk was clear, I set my things down on the bed.

"I'll let you have some time to yourself," they smiled and walked out of the room.

I sat down on the bed and I couldn't help but eye at the things that were in the room. There was a small model of a dinosaur on their desk. A photo was sitting there and it was of, what I presumed, their family. I stood up to get the sheets onto my bed when I looked up and found theirs. I couldn't help but smile. Their sheets had dinosaurs on them. And there was even a little dinosaur plush sitting nicely on their pillow, that had a dinosaur skull on the cover.

Sloane was definitely an outgoing one. The door opened and I jumped, finding Sloane had walked in.

"Oh! I am so sorry," they said. "I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"N-No, y-you're fine."

"I just had to grab something real quick."

"S-Sloane?"

"Yeah?" they asked, still wandering around the room, trying to find what they were looking for.

"You seem to love dinosaurs," I said.

"Huh? Oh," they smiled, rubbing the back of their neck. "I-I do. I even have a tattoo of one."

They grabbed the end of the yellow shirt they were wearing, turning around. They raised it and I found it was like finding a skeleton in the dirt. It was the bones and its spine was making a 'C' shape.

"What dinosaur is it?"

"Velociraptor," they said. "I wanted to do a bigger one, but my back wasn't big enough for it."

"What other tattoos do you have?" I asked. "The ones that are being hidden."

"I have a geode on the left side of my stomach, a hammer and drill on my leg, and I think that's the only ones I have right now. Aside from the ones you can see," they gestured to the flame tattoo on their neck and it extending down to the middle of their biceps on both arms.

"Shit, where did I put it?"

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Rosetta. I know I had them somewhere."

I remembered I still had the rock when we walked into the bunk. I moved a few things over and found Rosetta on the bed. I grabbed it and handed the rock to them.

"Yes!" they reached out and grabbed the rock. "Thank you, Y/N," they pulled me into a hug.

"Oh!" they stepped back. "Sorry, I-I should have asked if that was ok."

"I-It's alright, Sloane."

"Cap needs you down in the main area. We're doing icebreakers tonight."

"Of course," I sighed.

"It's not that bad," they grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the main area.

The others who were there were sitting in a circle with the captain standing in the center of them. There were two empty chairs left and Sloane sat down in one and I sat beside them.

"Welcome, everyone. We're doing this tonight because we have a new recruit. Everyone knows everyone here, except for Y/N. Want to introduce yourself, Y/N?" the captain asked.

I let out a sigh. I always hated doing this. Thankfully, I didn't have to stand.

"I'm Y/N L/N. That's really all you need to know."

"What's something that you like?" Sloane asked, smiling.

"I enjoy what everyone else here enjoys: archeology."

"Do you have a favorite dinosaur? Or a favorite geode?" They were practically bouncing up and down in their chair.

I smiled, my nerves calming down as Sloane was the only one interested in getting to know me. I mean, everyone here already knew one another. I'm just a new person. The new recruit.

"Never really thought of those answers," I chuckled lightly.

"No worries," Sloane smiled.

"Hey, why don't you show Y/N what you can do, Sloane?" one of the guys asked.

"I literally have to get my drill to do that."

"You can show her when you come back," he winked.

"Oh, right, right," Sloane got up. "Hold Rosetta for me?"

"Uhm, sure," I said, taking the rock.

Sloane headed out of the room and I sat there, an awkward silence filling the room until I heard drilling noises.

"You're going to be the one to fix it, you know that?" the captain looked over at the guy who suggested this idea. Whatever this idea was.

"Yeah, yeah. Not like I have to do it almost every other month."

The drilling sounds got louder until a hole appeared, Sloane's head popping out.

"Surprise!" they smiled widely.

My smile grew bigger and I couldn't help but laugh. I stood up and admired the dig work.

"Whoa!"

Sloane crawled out of the hole and brushed the dirt off, "Sorry, captain. I'll help fix it later."

"It makes you unique, Sloane."

"You're like a mole," I chuckled.

"A mole? Huh, I never thought of that," Sloane smiled. "I like that. Mole."

"That's one is going to stick," the captain said.

"What do you mean?"

"We give each other nicknames so that if an intruder finds us, we can use our nicknames instead of our actual names. We've been trying to figure out Sloane's."

"What have you been calling them?" I asked.

"Rock eater," one said.

"Rock muncher."

"The one who eats rocks."

"I take it you like to eat rocks?" I smiled, lifting an eyebrow up.

"I can't help it when you're digging you sometimes get rocks in your mouth. Even if your mouth is closed," Sloane chuckled.

"Other than being like a mole, what else do you like to do?" I asked.

"I like to venture to the grandest of dig sites. See the world, see what artifacts there are. I want to experience it all."

"Huh, venture," I whispered.

"What?"

"Venture!" I snapped my fingers, pointing my index finger at them.

"Venture! I like the sound of that," Sloane said.

"Better than mole," the others agreed.

After we dispersed to get ready for tomorrow's dig, I walked back with Sloane to our bunk.

"You know, I really liked the mole nickname," they said.

"You do?"

"Yeah. It reminds me of like a pet name someone gives their significant other."

"I don't think a mole is a term of endearment," I chuckled.

"But people have been known to associate their partners with an animal of some sorts. I knew a couple where their animal associations were panda and bunny. And they'd go, 'I love you, panda,' or, 'What you did was cute, bunny.' You know?"

"I see where you're coming from now."

"I thought it was cute," they mumbled, some blush crawling onto their cheeks.

"Then I'll call you that when we're fooling around, alright?"

"Really?" they jumped a bit, a wide smile crawling on their face and their eyes appeared to be glowing.

I couldn't help but smile, my heart race. They were just so cute with every interaction I had with them.

"Of course, my mole."

They giggled silently, practically skipping down the hall to our shared bunk.

[crownedghostprince]

Simple Mornings

Loki x Sleepy!Reader

Fandom: Marvel

It's a quiet weekend and all you want to do is stay in bed with your boyfriend after several busy weeks of being an Avenger and fighting Hydra. Thankfully your boyfriend, Loki, knows how to keep the Avengers busy long enough for the two of you to get some rest.

Requests: Closed. Requested: no.

Warning(s): Pure fluff. A self-indulgent 'I just want cuddle right now' fic.

Note: Reader is a woman. Writing little comfort fics like this is my nightly self-care <3

Word Count: 1,008 (roughly).

[Second Person Perspective]

(This image of Loki is brought to you today by tumblr user: lokisninerealms The fic I saw was: 'Memories to Bake'.)

You were exhausted and just wanted to stay in bed all day. You wished you could trade your cat shapeshifter powers for telekinesis and magically bring yourself food and hot chocolate without leaving bed. Unfortunately, you were stuck with your powers and cat ears and had to resort to texting your boyfriend, Loki.

... Hey darling could you bring me some food and maybe a hot chocolate? if you're free. <3 ty ily

Of course. I'm on my way now, dear.

Okay, food and drinks were taken care of. You placed your phone back onto the side table to continue charging and you rolled back over and wiggled right under the warm blanket. A few minutes passed. You suddenly found yourself selling baked goods with googly eyes in a liminal space mall. Luckily your brain reminded you of how normal the situation was because your plant customers needed their googly-eyed cappuccino as soon as possible, so you had no time to think. Business was booming, plants were shaking their leaves. Life was blissfully simple and perfect. Until you woke up from your nice dream to a harsh knocking at your bedroom door.

'God, noo....my bakery business...those plants were just about to propose....' You made no effort to answer the aggressive knocking or to move from your bed. Loki's knocking was always soft and gentle at your door. A contrast to his loud and aggressive knocking when he has to wake Thor up. 'If I stay silent, they'll think I've left my room.' You finally decided.

A voice called from outside the door "Friday, is (Y/N) still in her room?" It was Steve's voice. Of course it was. Steve made sure everyone got up before midday, every. single. day. It was a nuisance. No one got to sleep in and he always woke up before midday so no one could pick on him for it either.

"Yes. (Y/N) has not left her room today." Friday informed the captain.

'Tattletail...' You huffed as Steve continued knocking at your door and calling out to you.

"(Y/N)! It's 11am, it's time to get up. Come on, I know you're in there." There was a pause in his knocking and you had hoped Loki had come to your rescue. But alas, it was just Steve taking a moment to think of something to force you out of your room. "Come on, get up. Let's go do some early morning exercise to get your day started."

"That sounds like an actual nightmare right now..." You grumbled into your soft, cushiony, fluffy pillow of divine soft feathery-ness. There was no natural disaster or villain attack that could convince you to get up from your comfortable position.

"(Y/N)!--" Steve's voice quietened and you swear you could hear whispering from outside your door. Then the whispering got slightly louder until Steve yelled out once more. "Tony!! Is this true??" Steve's footsteps pounded the floor aggressively as he stormed down the hall to presumably find Tony. A soft knocking then came from your door and Loki's voice followed.

"Darling? He's gone now. May I come in?" His voice was soft and melodic. A nice contrast to hear after Steve's wake-up call.

"Please come in." You practically begged, still not lifting your head up from your pillow. The door creaked open and softly clicked shut as Loki came over to sit on the edge of your bed. He sat down a nice plate of leftover pizza, chips and chicken nuggets, a glass of water and a cup of hot chocolate on your bedside table - moving your phone to a safer spot away from the drinks.

With a kiss on your forehead he whispered softly, "would you like to watch something together for a little while? Or perhaps I could read to you?" You slowly lifted yourself up from the pillow, fulled wrapped up in your blanket like a burrito, and gave him an awkward sort of hug by leaning against him with your head on his shoulder.

"I'd like to watch something with you...if you're happy to stay with me for a while." You hummed happily. Food, chocolate, movies and water? This man was spoiling you for sure. You couldn't fathom what you could have done in a previous life to have such a wonderful boyfriend. "We're definitely going to get interrupted at some point though." You sighed.

"Not to worry. I have everything taken care of." Loki smiled with a glint of mischief hidden in his soft, green eyes. You were suspicious now.

"What did you do..?" A smile graced your lips as he chuckled.

"Oh, I merely gave them something to distract themselves with. Nothing to worry about, my love." He reassured you. Almost as if on cue there was distance yelling and arguing heard from far down the hall...in fact it probably came straight from the common room where the kitchen and living room were setup. Loki gave you such an innocent smile as he searched for a movie for you both to enjoy, you almost didn't suspect him at all.....almost.

"Welp." You popped the 'p' as you spoke, "...They're old enough to work it out themselves." Diving into the chips and pizza with a happy sigh, you snuggled up against Loki. He wrapped his right arm around you, leaning back and pulling you against his chest whilst scrolling through various movies with the remote in his left hand until he landed on something you both liked.

...

...

...It was probably Home Alone, or a Studio Ghibli film, but that's neither here nor there...

...

In the living room Steve and Tony had turned to arm wrestling to sort their issues. Tony lost seven times before saying it was an unfair advantage for Steve unless Tony could have his Iron Man armour on. Steve agreed to these terms and they dueled it out once again with Natasha and Bucky placing bets and Bruce and Clint simply trying to find a movie to watch over the yelling. Steve won 15 - 5.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

hey 😘 do you think you could write a percy jackson x sister reader. it's totally up to you and i'm good with anything but angst/annabeth involved with percy. thank you!!

The Curse of Aphrodite

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Jackson!Reader

Warnings: implied in*est, sibling in*est, Aphrodite being petty

Words: 1866

Summary: You should have feared Aphrodite just as much as you feared Ares. She was terrifying, and her revenge might as well have just ruined your life.

(This is an older fic from my A03 but figure it was perfect for this request :>)

Another hectic day of being a demigod. Trying to keep a low profile from monsters and worst of all. . . getting through Valentine’s Day at school. All the pink hearts and cupids that littered the school’s halls was enough to make anyone grow nauseous. You and your brother Percy could only grin and bear it, for any grumpy comments might carry over to the Goddess of Love herself. She already wasn’t too pleased with Poseidon’s twins. Sure she was willing to give you and Percy advice last summer in that hellish junkyard, but it was for her own agenda and you didn’t like that one bit. And of course as all your friends were well aware of, you wore all your emotions on your sleeve. Including your distaste for the love goddess. Aphrodite saw it bright as day. Used to being adored by millions, she didn’t take too well to your disdain. For even though she let you and Percy out of her limo, you caught her once fluttery eyes ice over when she looked at you. You really should have listened to Annabeth and keep a mask on when you interacted with the gods.

Now you were going through one of the worst days of your life, and that's saying a lot. Everything that could go bad, did. And poor Percy was stuck with you for the entire ride.

“Here.” Percy handed you a slightly dampened paper towel.

Grumbling a ‘thank you’, you take it and dab the front of your shirt that was stained with spaghetti sauce. Your face was still red from the humiliation. Everyone had seen in the cafeteria how your tray of spaghetti seemed to explode onto you.

Percy had helped you clear a few noodles that had landed in your hair.

Gritting your teeth, you begin to rub furiously. “It HAS to be her. Of all freaking days!”

“You should have just been nice to her.”

“Not my fault that you were the googly-eyed one in front of her. That’s how her power works because guys don’t think with their brains!”

“Suiting since Ares doesn’t have any brains.” Snidely remarked Percy with a coy smile. Putting himself at risk just to make you smile was enough to make you dryly chuckle. Percy didn’t have it easy either. Him and Ares had been butting heads ever since your first summer at Camp Half-Blood. He should have feared the animosity that Ares possessed toward him. That was certainly one god you didn’t want to mess with.

Finally admitting defeat, you throw away your paper towel and simply sigh. “Can’t we just ditch for the rest of the day?”

As if he had been debating the same thing seconds ago, Percy easily replied “Mom would kill us. We already have a truancy record here anyway. We just have to push through it.”

That was the last thing you wanted to hear. Hearing it out loud made you want to cry out in frustration. Sitting on the dirty hallway floor next to you, Percy throws an arm over your shoulder. “We’ve been through worse days. In comparison, today is just an annoying hiccup.”

“Even fighting monsters I never had to deal with smelling like cafeteria spaghetti.”

You feel Percy begin to sniff you like a dog, prying a giggle out of you. “I don’t know. It’s not such a bad smell. I happen to like cafeteria spaghetti.”

Rolling your eyes, you offer “Want to switch shirts then?”

“No way!” Percy laughs. “I wouldn’t even be able to squeeze into it.”

Simply imagining Percy stretching out your shirt was enough to make you snort. You had always been the one with a temper and prone to dark moods. Percy, without fail, could find a way to make you laugh. He was your twin after all. No one knew you better than Percy did. He knew the inner workings of your mind and the remedies to whatever ailed you. Claiming it was his duty as the older twin to take care of his younger sibling. There was pride in his voice when he told you that.

“Thanks Perc.” you quietly whisper.

“No problem (nickname).”

That made you groan again. “I told you not to call me that in public.”

You help eachother up once the bell rings and sling your backpack over your shoulder. Of course as students swarmed the halls to get to their next class, many stared your way.

Percy squeezes your hand before leaving you for his own class. “Remember, we’ve been through worse than this.”

Nodding, you squeeze back in return. You were a daughter of Poseidon for crying out loud! Aphrodite didn’t scare you one bit. She can go ahead and make your clothes a mess as much as she wanted. You had fought deadlier monsters than the Lady of the Doves.

Glaring at a sparkly cut out of cupide, you internally challenge her.

Children of Poseidon truly did have seaweed for brains. When you thought you had made it through the school day, there was a storm waiting for you on the walk home. Not an actual storm thankfully, but one that would ruin your life regardless.

Outside of school there was hardly any reminder of the hallmark holiday except for a few flower vendors at each busy corner. Bouquets of red, white, and yellow roses were being sold by the dozen. Store window displays were decorated with multiple shades of pink. At least you were almost home where you could safely hide in your room, put the entire day behind you.

At one corner, Percy presses the crosswalk button while bouncing on his heels impatiently. You look across the street, past the zooming cars to see more street vendors selling Valentine’s Day treats and other cheap trinkets for desperate partners.

Crosswalk light alerting you that it was safe, you and Percy make your way to the other side.

Even though you hated the holiday, you enviously eyed the tasty looking treats for sale. Cookies shaped like conversation hearts caught your attention. They were well made and utterly cute.

Percy stops and looks over your shoulder. “You want one?” He picks up a cellophane package that had two of the cookies comfortably inside, tied off with a red ribbon. There’s even a blue one in here!”

Shocking, Percy liked the blue one. It made you smile how he would never change at least in that manner.

You scooch closer to your brother to read the icing on them. The blue cookie was on top, reading: Be Mine. The other one you couldn’t see as it was hiding behind the top.

“You two make such a cute couple.” An older lady with a knitted lilac beanie atop her crazy curls smiles at you and Percy.

Inwardly you vomit. “Actually-”

“We’re not-” Percy’s voice reacted at the same time with your own protest but the older lady just laughs.

“Aw to be young and shy. Because you two are so cute, I’ll give you them for free!”

Both you and Percy are quick to protest but they fall on deaf ears as she pushes the cookies further into Percy’s hands.

“I insist!”

Glancing at Percy you know he was just as exhausted with arguing with her as you were.

“Um, okay. Thank you so much.” Awkwardly, Percy unzips his backpack and places the cookies safely inside.

Grabbing his arm, you start hurrying the both of you away. “Thank you! You’re very generous!”Once you’re out of her hearing range you shudder. “Couldn’t she tell we’re related?”

“Probably not with those big, pink tinted, sunglasses.” Shrugs Percy. “At least we got free cookies out of it!”

“I’m kinda skeptical about them now.” Warily you shift your attention to his backpack. “It doesn’t make sense that she just let us have them for free.”

“Don’t knock on the first good thing that’s happened to you today!”

Exactly. It was too good to be true. If Annabeth were there, she would agree with you.

When you got home however, the smell of the cookies was simply too good for you to ignore.

Percy handed you the one that had been underneath the blue cookie. The icing was yellow, written on it simply: Love.

You inhale the sweet scent before biting into a corner. Percy hadn’t waited around to eat his cookie like you had.

“That has got to be the best cookie ever.” He comments through a semi-full mouth with cookie crumbs dusting the front of his shirt.

They were amazing. So delicious, you wished you had more to munch on.

“We should have gotten one for mom.” You mention while collapsing on the couch, remote in hand. Homework could wait. You needed to de-stress after the day you had. Your brother didn’t answer you as he had ventured to your shared bedroom. Not paying much attention, you flip through the channels. Down the hall you were able to hear Percy shuffling around the room.

And then a gagging noise.

You sit up. “You okay Perc?”

More gagging had you bolting from the couch and into your room where Percy was on his hands and knees. Back arched, his dry heaving continued.

“Per-” Oh no. A nauseous squirming sensation bubbling in your stomach. Incredibly uncomfortable, you brace yourself against the door frame. Your vision was spinning. For some reason, a memory popped into your head. You, sitting in the back of a limo, arms crossed while your brother did everything in his power to resist Aphrodite’s charm.

”Twins are so special.” She had said. “Have you heard the legend behind twins? They say lovers who commit suicide are reincarnated as twins. Isn’t that romantic?”

Just thinking of her voice made a shiver run through you.

Then it just stopped. Nausea gone and head back to normal, you open your eyes to find Percy recovering too. “Those stupid cookies. . .”

“I told you.” You remark with a small smile. Watching as your brother rolled himself into a sitting position, you run your hand over your forehead. Maybe you should call your mom so she could take you to the hospital. There was clearly something in those cookies. Perhaps you would even get sick again later. If you induced vomiting that should be enough to get it out of your system right?

“(y/n). . .” You heard Percy breathe out and you fear he’s about to feel sick again. When you look at him though, he’s staring right back at you with those gentle sea foam eyes of his. They were sparkling, a misty awe to them as your own heart fluttered in your chest. That’s when you felt like you were floating.

Percy blinked, unable to lift whatever spell the both of you were under.

You think back to your own cookie.

Love.

How stupid you had been. Aphrodite. Of course it was Aphrodite, and this was her curse. She must have been in disguise as the vendor. What a naive child you still were; you should have feared her just as you did Ares. Her vengeance was much more evil. For she could warp the sibling love you had for your twin. Warp it into another Greek Tragedy.

[iamthecomet]

a couple mushy silly crafty ghoul hcs for you <3

aether and sunny get sooo bored hanging around the abbey all day and they start getting into arts n crafts to entertain themselves

they print out a list of “fun sleepover crafts” from a website that definitely gave copia’s computer a virus and do as many as they can. they spend months making everyone personalized friendship bracelets and bedazzling everyone’s hair brushes and tie dyeing a bunch of shirts and making pendants out of air dry clay

and when everyone gets back from tour, they have piles of gifts waiting for each of them. dew tries not to cry when aether hands him one of those little plastic braided keychains. but it’s pretty hard not to when he notices how it’s made up of strands of lilac and a fiery orange. and it’s impossible not to when he looks at the little beads that dangle off the end, sporting the letters A and D. it immediately gets slipped onto his key ring. and rain tries not to collapse a lung laughing at the pet rock that sunny made him. it’s so dumb and he loves it. he leaves it out on his desk and gives its googly eyes a shake when he’s feeling down

Crrriiiimmmm CRIMMMMM. CRIM. You know Sunny and Aether look like kids fresh out of summer camp when the others get back. Friendship bracelets stacked up their arms in various styles and colors. Sunny has a badly done hair wrap (Aether tried really hard ok). There's a mysterious substance stuck on the dinner table (mod podge). They give every ghoul, and copia a little gift bag with their homemade goodies. They're all unique and special. And Rain is just standing there with his pet rock looking at them in awe. And Dew is trying not to cry, clutching that keychain in his fist. And you just KNOW the pack brought them back gifts too. A magnet from every city they went to. The weirdest food they could find in each place (courtesy of Swiss). Cumulus crocheted them each something during her down time. They all spend the whole night looking at their new ridiculous gifts and trying not to cry about them.

[hanayori89]

Let Love Be

*Ordon Village*

Link finally arrived back in Ordon after an exhausting wedding outing. He wondered where to look for Y/N. He kept his eyes peeled around Castle Town, but to no avail. Link was certain she had left. She had to be somewhere in the village.

I'll check the spring. I should stop home and grab towels in case she went swimming. There's someone I need to talk to first. Link turned in the direction of Rusl's house.

The only father he ever knew.

The faint glow of torches beckoned to Link as he approached. Rusl's house had a well lived-in feel, something Link's own house lacked. The only camaraderie to be had was between Link's two feet stomping around on his wooden floor. His thoughts constantly spoke to him, no matter what he did. When he ate. When he did chores. When he relaxed. When he tried to sleep. Which, as a result, gave Link crippling insomnia. He couldn't escape the constant chatter of his mind that bellowed throughout his empty home. Aside from Ilia, who, if she had her way, would move in with Link, Colin would visit sometimes. Of course, if there was Colin, there were also Talo, Malo, and Beth. But Link's bare house held little desire for rambunctious children. It held little desire for Link himself.

Link tapped lightly with his fist on Rusl's door. The door hovered slightly in a cracked position before slowly opening. Link was greeted by the googly blue eyes of Colin.

"Link!" He jumped up as high as he could in order to embrace him. Link knelt partially, scooping Colin in his arms. "Hey Kiddo. Is your dad here?"

"Aww, shucks, Link! We are supposed to train! What if evil comes and we aren't ready!" Colin folded his arms. "Hmph!" He lifted his chin away from Link to emphasize his displeasure. Link let out a helpless cackle. "Heh. I haven't forgotten about you, Colin. I promise. Let's just say I am working on some top-secret stuff that I can show you soon?"

"Pinky promise!" Colin stuck his pinky up. Link retrieved it with his own pinky. "I pinky promise."

"Colin! Come eat!" Uli appeared from the kitchen and called out to Link, "Hello Link!" Her face was pleasantly round and aglow from the life settled inside her womb. She held a wooden spoon and wiped a sweat bead from her forehead. "Can I offer you dinner?"

Link shook his head. "Hello Uli. No thanks. May I speak with Rusl for just a moment?" Rusl walked in from another room, greeting Link. "There's my boy. What brings you here?" He sashayed over to Uli, licking the wooden spoon in her hand and grinning. "Link, this is delicious. Are you sure you don't want to stay for some stew?" He dotted kisses across Uli's forehead as she giggled, "Rusl! Just think this will be you soon Link."

Link couldn't contain the ugly frown that appeared on his lips. Rusl caught sight of it, excusing himself from Uli and Colin. "Let's step onto the porch." Rusl offered.

Once they were away from prying eyes, Rusl inquired, "What's eating you, boy?"

Link nervously tousled his hair. "What do you mean?"

"I may not be your biological father, but I've known you long enough. That bruiser of a frown you gave us in there. That isn't the first time it's appeared. Any time we mention your engagement, it's visible like a flock of birds in the sky. "

They both watched the serenity of the breeze that passed through the trees overhead. Rusl continued, "You aren't in love with Ilia."

Link didn't deny or confirm Rusl's accusation. Rather, he conceded it with another question. The question he kept asking himself yet couldn't answer. "Do you think I'm a fool?" Link grabbed Rusl's railing, bouncing himself up into the breeze. He took a whiff of the pine and oak, which tickled his senses. Link continued, "Ilia is beautiful. She's prestigious. She's been my friend since I could walk. We can be comfortable with each other. Why do I not want to marry her? What's wrong with me?"

"It takes more than beauty and prestige to capture a heart. I do have a theory. Care to listen?" Link took one more bounce into the breeze, closing his eyes. "Tell me."

"You're attracted to that girl that appeared in our village yesterday. I may have said some things, which, again do not repeat to Uli. She's very sensitive right now. It's evident Fado also said some things. I can guarantee that out of the two of us, neither one of us looked at her the way you did. I can also guarantee she looked at you the same way."

This got Link's attention. "What are you saying, Rusl?" Is my attraction that obvious?

"I'm saying you both feel the same pull towards one another. I'm saying that pull is dangerous for an engaged man. I'm saying that I know my boy is one of valor. You would never hurt Ilia, this I know. There may come a choice though. The choice is whomever your heart chooses."

Link looked down at his feet. His bangs hid the contempt he felt toward himself. "Princess Zelda has requested that I accompany Y/N on her journey. Rusl, she is of twilight. We can never be. Wouldn't that settle the choice?"

"Link, love can always be. I love the way the sun hits the water. I am a human, and the sun, a star. Does that mean I cannot love the sun? That I cannot love the water?" Rusl rested his hand on Link's shoulder and gave him a supportive nod.

"Do right to all parties involved. Let love be."

*

You weren't sure if returning to Link's home was a smart idea. You really didn't have anywhere else to go. You secretly couldn't wait to get away from Aryn. He spoke ad nauseum about the wonders of Lake Hylia, as though he were a scholar and not an ice cream vendor. You were also starting to feel uncomfortable from the constant double takes of your body.

So, why had you agreed to go on a date with him tomorrow? Since he was friends with Ilia, you didn't want him to see you go to Link's house. You had him drop you off at Fado's ranch instead. Once Aryn departed, you couldn't help but revel in the relief.

What have I done? Did I agree to that date for the experience, or to get back at Link? What was I getting back at him for, exactly? Ilia had been in his life for a long time before I came along. Why is the light bringing out so much ugliness in me? You made your way to Epona's stall, praying she was there. She wasn't.

With Link not home yet, you weighed your options. Should you try to find lodging elsewhere? Link was already upset. You may as well compel his request to stay lodged together. You were also a bit disturbed by how he acted. You wanted to make sure he was okay, especially after he stormed off. You also wanted to assuage your own guilt. You had no right to treat him the way you did. Not for his life that existed before you came into it. Everything you felt was so bewildering. You tried to pinpoint what you were feeling.

You made a compartmentalized list of things you'd ask Midna. The first being the disgust at seeing Ilia and Link together. It bothered you that they bothered you so much. Then there was the way Link acted. Which was accompanied by a gnawing sensation to soothe things. To see him smile again. Also, what did one do on a date? You would have to ask Link to help you. Midna might not be useful on the subject.

There was something else that had been bothering you. A small betrayal of sorts. Midna had distinctly told you she had the only piece of the Mirror of Twilight that remained. If Princess Zelda obviously had one, why did Midna lie to you? What was she trying to cover up with her lie? And more importantly, were there other shards of the mirror? You weren't sure if you'd bring it up to Midna or if you'd hold off until a more appropriate time. Whenever that would be.

"Y/N?" You turned to see Fado shuffle toward you.

"You know the ranch is closed? Unless you enjoyed working here that much, I could find other things for you to do." He gave you a wiggle of his eyebrows to appear suggestive. Then he laughed off his flirtation. "Ah, Epona is not here. You are not with Link?"

"Link is not happy with me." You responded glumly.

"HA! This proves my point that Link has been intolerable since news of his engagement broke. I'm sure he is not mad at you. He's just under stress. Pre-wedding jitters and all that." Fado walked towards the barn door and began to fiddle with the lock. A cucco clucked at Fado from behind, startling him.

"HEY! If you don't get back in your coop, I'm going to make dinner out of you!" Fado threatened the clueless cucco. He gave him a surly cluck before he pranced around Fado. Fado chased him towards the coop. You felt the same bubble of laughter clog your throat. Just like the first time you met him when he fell. People in the Realm of Light were, if anything else, amusing. You felt the bubble burst as the cucco pecked at Fado's behind. You began to laugh uncontrollably.

That's when a wonderful idea settled in your mind. You thought about how Link asked what you ate in the Twili Realm. You would cook him a delicious dinner. One that was more substantial than bread and fruit. It wasn't your place to judge, but you secretly wondered why Ilia wasn't cooking him meals.

"Fado?" You called out. He walked toward you, his chest puffed out. "That little bugger! Did you need me Y/N?"

"Would you happen to have any cucco meat and potatoes?" You began to rummage through your pocket for some rupees.

"Ah, ah. None of that. I do have some cucco meat and potatoes. They're on the house, if you promise to save me a plate?"

On the house. Of course. You gave him a warm smile. "Yes. Of course."

Fado blushed at your sincerity. "Wait here for me!" He stumbled inside his house, leaving you alone for a brief moment. You were excited to try your hand in the kitchen. Twili food may not be lavish like Hylian food, but it was filling. Comforting. Link needed comfort. You should only hope you can get it done before Link arrives home, as the sun was beginning to set.

You've heard the phrase,"The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach." At least Midna had picked that up here in the light. You decided to test this theory. You were hoping that the quickest way through Link's mood would also be through his stomach. If you happened to capture his heart as well, that would be a welcome bonus.

A/N: Edited 11/13/22

Thanks to the imparted wisdom of Rusl, a determined Link makes his way back to you to make things right. Meanwhile, thanks to the generosity of Fado, you are also inspired to try your hand at a peace offering with the hero. However, unbeknownst to the hero, your peace offering comes with a price. Will the invigoration you both feel be enough to get the train back on the right track? Or will news of your upcoming date lead to its derailing?

Check out my other completed OOT Zelda work- No Woman Beyond

[coleheinous]

drew adopts that I got from @moonlit-trolls (virion) and @haphazard-trolls (cheval) in my style

still not 100% on Cheval's last name

more info about them under the cut

Virion Rabiis

mutant blood

mage of life - prospit

He's a germaphobe who keeps himself as covered as possible when he leaves his hive. His lusus looks like a giant bacteriophage, he's stuck big googly eyes onto the head.

Cheval Silvrn

indigo blood

maid of doom - derse

A pessimist with chronically bad luck. barely emotes and speaks very monotone. her lusus is a unicorn with 6 each of legs, eyes, and tails.

[apoptoses]

Also also! The Night Trinity Gate Gets a Roomba

oh my god

It would be pandemonium. Louis would politely apologize every time he got in its way and pull his feet up onto the couch like a gentleman so that it can sweep everywhere (and no, no matter what Lestat says it's not because he's afraid of it running over his toes).

Armand would be skeptical at first, he has precious antique rugs he doesn't want to see chewed up and defiled but within 24 hours he's in love with the damned thing and has given it a name (he floated the idea of naming it David, because much like David Talbot the roomba sucks, but Louis vetoed that).

By the end of the week Daniel has ordered a giant paint of googly eyes and stuck them on it.

We're not gonna talk about what happened the first time Lestat brought his new dog over, the mess that night is one everyone wishes they could spell gift from their minds.

[nothisis-ridiculous]

XIII

Set years after the end of Baldur's Gate 3, Astarion and Tav meet by chance after years apart. This story follows their meetings every year, on the anniversary of the start of their adventures.

II--- (TW: Implied Torture/Rape)

Astarion stuck the fork against the table, the sound only slightly dulled by the linen tablecloth meant to protect the table. Glancing around the familiar but vaguely changed room, he continued to bounce the utensil against the table. Eyes eagerly searching for any sign of his friend. He was on his third serving of wine and found himself growing… not angry, but worried. That gnawing worry worked itself to anger as he festered over it longer, his mind unable to grasp onto any more useful emotion. In a fit of overwhelming passion, he threw the fork across the table, clattering as it spun into the sweet white waiting opposite him- but there was no one to witness his tantrum.

His target in the room changed to a face he remembered, albeit fuzzily, to the Orc server from his last visit a year prior. Astarion caught his shoulder, "has Blaire been here?"

The Orc gulped, nearly dropping the multitude of plates balanced precariously in his large hands, "Saer?"

"Blaire," his voice caught, fighting from leaning into desperation, "Blaire Tav, the one responsible for destroying the Absolute.

"One of the many," the Orc's greenish tint darkened to what Astarion credited to a blush.

"Pedantic," the spawn growled, his grip tightening around the Orc's forearm, "you know who I mean, you spent that night all googly-eyed-"

"Oh, Tav… Blaire," the Orc stammered, letting the plates fall to the ground.

"Is. She. Here.," Astarion seethed.

The Orc tried to pull away, shaking his head, "no, Saer, though she had reserved that spot for the night."

Astarion released the man.

"As you are aware, Saer," the Orc added shakily.

He already knew the answer to his lovesick questions and wrestled with it over the last hour. Blaire wouldn't skip out on him, not like this. Not without a warning, or at least some word of how sorry she was for whatever was slowing her. Perhaps the elf had found a particularly sad-looking worg and had her arm bitten off at the elbow. Or, she heard a child down in the sewers. The insane woman was far too prone to solving the woes of anyone and everyone around her, and often without them asking. So she would never skip out on their new tradition, not when Blaire would practically beg and bray for an ounce of his attention. Not when her guilt would eat her from the inside out. She was pathetic, naive, and impractical, but she was the most genuine and kind person he had ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Or, he knew something was wrong when her message had ended abruptly. But why was he responsible for her? He wasn't the hero type; he was tragically busy and a bit miffed that she was missing their appointment. Whatever her excuse, it was uncouth. She was a foul beastie that he had not a lick of care for. He should have never sought her out in the first place. He had no more room for heartbreak where it involved Blaire.

Astarion tarried outside the overpriced tavern, pacing back and forth in front of the building. The message replayed in his mind, 'Astarion, usual time and place? I have-' He had of course, responded with confusion, but still, over a day later, no answer had come- no sign of his friend who wouldn't dare to ditch this little date. He thought over her message again and again as he had over the last few days of his life.

Where would she even be?

She was predictably sentimental, so the Elfsong Tavern was a good first bet. He found himself baffled as he questioned the head barman, who proved that this was a complete and utter waste of time. Putting on his more disinterested airs, he made for the exit, fearing less that he would be recognized this many years later. But just in case he was set on seeming as unavailable as possible, an upturned nose could keep a few bystanders out of his way. Besides, now he could have claimed to try and find Blaire; that was certainly enough.

Perhaps he shouldn't leave, salvage what time he had left in the city before he needed to return home. His hunger had been sated, but he could still manage to feel a little peckish.

So, in the fashion of a true vampire, he found the darkest corner and sulked there. He didn't want wine, which he was trying very hard not to be upset about. Along with certainly not noticing how his fingers refused to stop fidgeting with the mouth-like pommel of his knife. One a certain elf had thrown at him after ending Orin, that delightfully deranged creature. His other hand moved to his opposite blade with a similar but not matching maw, another find by his friend. It wasn't very pleasant to be reminded how many times these blades had saved his skin, and by extension his friend. He removed his hands from the blades, content to scratch at a speck of food that had dried on the table.

The seat across from him moved with a grating screech.

"I'm not in the mood for entertainment," he didn't deign to look up, "or to entertain."

The figure didn't move and slid over a glass.

Astarion looked up at the hooded figure, a sharp nose and black hair among the sparse notable features he could pick out. His face fell into a frown.

"Look here, friend," he cursed as his voice lilted, "I'm not available."

His ear perked at the tinkling of many coins crammed into a small pouch that smacked into the goblet just in reach of his arm; his tone lowered, "I could be convinced."

The chuckle emanating from the masculine voice only jerked the hook deeper into the proverbial fish, "This is a prepayment for a job."

Astartion laughed, "What makes you think I am for hire? Or that you could afford me?"

"You are the Astarion Ancunin, a friend of the Hero of Baldur's Gate," the voice said evenly, with a distinct lack of tone, "if I am not mistaken."

"The Hero of Baldur's Gate, ha," he laughed in his unbridled manner, "she always gets all the credit. The poor wretch would have died long before she saved the city without me."

"Hmmm," the man went quiet, his pale blue eyes glittering beneath the hood in a passing flicker of candlelight, "what would it take to encourage you to retrieve her again?"

Astarion leaned forward, "what do you know?" His hand jumped to his knife; he hoped to resort to unsavory methods of extracting information. This could turn into a fun night, after all.

The man smiled from behind his cup. "Tav was last seen coming out of The Blushing Mermaid; she hasn't reported to the parliament in two day's time."

That was just in time with the interrupted sending…

The pale elf grinned, pouncing from the table with a flourishing bow. One object left the dirty table. 

The hells were filled with overpriced and obnoxiously sweet whites.

--- --- ---

Once he hit the vicinity of The Blushing Mermaid, the particular odor of her blood drifted into existence for his senses to feast on. The heady mixture that was his first taste of thinking blood and the one he found his mind wandering too often over the years, only because it was his first was it at all special. It was positively wrought into the ship head that carved out the bawdy tavern's unique profile, but the newer scent pulled him along. He also retraced his steps over a decade ago through these same streets but with a group surrounding him. It was foreign to reflect on those times with a sense of loss rather than the persistent annoyance he felt for the loud and strange group that had ended up saving the city. Really, the world as far as he was concerned. Astarion glanced around, casing over the alleyway before he followed his nose into it further. It wouldn't do now to get attacked and robbed.

There it was, the recently disturbed utility hole that led into the Sewers. How fitting.

Just when he had worn his nice boots.

This little adventure started to feel like a horrible case of déjà vu when the trail led him over a large sewer pipe and brought him to a room with valves. He remembered the arguing that had ensued over how to get the valve open, as an enraged Karlach accidentally smacked the wheel that popped open the metal door. He wasn't expecting a few sandwiches short of a picnic ranger, but was it going too far to expect this to be another Zhentarim plot? It was horribly predictable of them to be using the same spot years later.

Though, several more concentrated currents of blood caught his nose as he skulked through the sewer pipe, and not a lot of noise to back up the scuttling of an active camp. Something was very amiss.

Not as much murder; he was a little put-out.

Nearing the pipe output, he slowed again and stuck his head out—nothing, well, nothing living. There were a few brutally murdered bodies; judging by the congealing of the blood, they were recent. It was almost warm enough for him to feast from, but the general odor of the sewer didn't make his stomach particularly keen on that option. Another miracle this day had provided him. He cleared the small lip the pipe provided, then stalked forward again to be met with no movement and no raven-haired body. What a -

A blur hailing from the landing above him came down upon him; something sharp took purchase in his shoulder joint. He cried out as he shoved the thing away from him, sending the blur splashing into the fetid water. The black-haired shape crawled out of the sewage and came at him again.

Astarion was ready this time and disarmed his Blaire by letting her scramble over her own feet when he was suddenly not in the way. When she found her feet and came at him again with her fists, he caught her waist and wrist. She lunged against his embrace, but somehow he held her tight.

"I'll ignore that attack, if only to save myself the apologies later," he put on his best smirk.

She had one last good lunge in her, and he was forced to let her go.

"Blaire?" he repeated as his words seemed to bounce right off of her, "Gods, is there no thanki-"

Her blue, bordering on white eyes were wide and streaked with red, much like the time she had come crawling out of Harleep's room in the House of Hope. Last time, she had not been missing one of her lapis earrings and her clothes torn to hanging limply from her body, but it was the same disheveled look and raw violation behind her eyes he knew well. So he approached with bent back, an open hand, and a lover's tone, "Blaire?"

The elf put space between them, but her spine straightened.

"Gods," he swore softly, one foot moving forward.

She took several more steps back until she crashed back into the water, scrambling back up the other side by her hands.

He went still, tone wavering on gentle, "You survived this. But you can't stay here, darling."

Finally, indignation shone through her eyes, something, anything to replace the terror. This time, she didn't move away as he came for her. Even allowing him to drop his nightshirt into her hands, he looked away as she made short work of stripping herself out of the poor excuses for rags that hung on her shivering frame. At least in his shirt, she wasn't so exposed and a degree less putrid.

His hand moved to his shoulder, finally inspecting the wound. It stung like the hells, but for now, his connected extremities were not turning numb, "I did promise to forget the accidental stabbing, but a nice cure wounds would not go amiss."

His companion was silent; the weight of her stare bore into him.

His eyes wandered over her again, taking a stock of her injuries. There was the traditional bruising and cuts accompanied by blood, but his gaze settled on her gnarled fingers. She stuck them behind her back, but they both knew what he had seen. Blaire looked away from him, her jaw flexing as she did.

"I'll take that as your spells are depleted for the day," her gaze returned to him with those words as the corner of her mouth threatened to smile.

He returned a smug smile, glad to see something of her old self returning.

With another long silence and his own sigh, he continued this very one-sided rescue, "I don't want to smell you, so would you mind terribly if I draped my cloak around you?"

Her head bobbed, so he surrendered his cloak with as minimal touching as he could muster. Swearing to catch a lightning-quick smile, "This is a dreadful place; I can get us out of these sewers. But I'm not sure how to reach your… accommodations."

Her mouth opened and closed slightly, and instead of speaking, she headed out the way they came. Unphased, Astarion tagged along beside her; being quite the gentleman, he kept this gaze pointed down as they ascended the ladder back onto the city street. He wasn't allowing her to slip down the ladder, so she had to go first. It was a slow climb, but he was a master of tact and kept any comments to himself, even if he was chaffing at the lack of accolades for his daring rescue.

Once they cleared the street proper, he could no longer hold back, "so it's just follow you, in silence? I know we're friends and all, so we shouldn't be scoring each tit for tat, but a 'thank you' or 'I'm sorry for missing our dinner' at least would be appreciated."

Her head tilted at him, and he saw the just-kicked puppy look coming before it formed. But still, nothing came out of her mouth.

"Blaire," Astarion sighed very, very heavily, "don't make me beg. Even if you must resort to calling me a prick."

Her gaze returned to the ground; the light from a nearby torch flickered across her pained face before her mouth opened. Revealing a lack of anything but pink and red flesh and the black pit of her throat.

"Blaire," but her name was uttered softly this time, "Gods. Fuck." He moved, if a little subconsciously, toward her. Following some desire that was alien to his cold heart. 

She flinched before the touch that did not reach her.

"Gods, you're-" he bit back that response, softening his expression and posture, "the sooner we get you cleaned up, the sooner we can see to getting you to a cleric."

--- --- ---

The journey to Blaire's felt like one of his most perilous adventures; on the surface, it was simple. Get his friend home, presentable, raid another one of her coin purses, then to a cleric to see if they could bring her body back to order. But as the long and narrow streets came between him and his first goal, he realized the undertaking this would be. A few rowdy patrons of the bar shouted at the scantily clad female as they passed. His fangs may have stopped one group, but it did not stop the attention of the numberless crowds they had to work through. Then Blaire began to slow, out of exhaustion at one moment, and at the next, a face in the throngs at random would send her into a complete panic. It was necessary and disgusting to pull her into him to keep them moving. After the initial recoil, she seemed to calm under the weight of his arm, tucking herself further into his side where she must have felt safe from the faces and noise of the city. It worked for them as she could guide him with gentle tugs as they sailed far past the Elfsong Tavern and into a deeper and more winding path into the Lower City.

After a good hour and a half's walk, he found himself directed before a dark blue door placed on a wall far too small to fit a home. He looked up at the figure who climbed the set of stairs, and unlocked the door with a wave of her curled hand. She stopped to look back at him as he remained frozen on her stairway.

"I hope you have a way of inviting me in," another drawback of no longer being infected by a mindflayer tadpole.

Her eyes narrowed in thought before her head directed him through the door with a smooth flick.

"This is on you if I start screaming," Astarion muttered as he crossed the threshold; interesting, implied consent was enough to let one of his kind in, "that was certainly instructive."

But Blaire had already bee-lined deeper into the house. Sure, it was cramped, but nothing like her doorstep had promised. The house let in streams of moonlight that could not have come from the outsides surrounding the house. He saw part of the Grey Harbour from one of the kitchen windows, and he would have to inspect the view further, but it seemed to rest at the height of a second-story building. In the dull light of the night, he could see the stripes and shapes of hues that promised worlds of color in the daylight, but his attention turned to the opening of a door around the corner from the kitchen. He had more important things than snooping to attend to at this moment.

She looked at the tub, grimacing. And naked.

Unbothered by her current state, she carefully drew up his hands and shaped them into a cone. Or the best she could with her gnarled fingers that trembled under her attempt to guide him. Blaire then pointed to a scorched mark beneath the spout and valves of the tub. Her head then tilted at him, waiting for something.

"Ignis," he murmured gently, jumping back as his magic was drawn into the spot.

Blaire was already in the tub, letting the near-boiling water run over whatever part of her body she could fit under it. Soon, she dumped entire buckets over her head until the water ran clear, and her hair lay flat against her face. Oblivious to the water turned her skin a deep red that grazed upon blistering. Astarion kept respectfully reapplying the spell until the now-plugged tub was filled to the brim with soapy water and floral scents. Finally, she sunk into the porcelain tub with something resembling a sigh, drawing a cloth noisily through the water.

"What is it now," he asked the pale eyes that stared at him.

His reply was the sloshing tub that accompanied Blaire with a dripping washcloth held in her hand as she leaned over the tub.

"Don't be stupid, you barely scratched me," with a dagger who had seen who knows what.

"Hells, you aren't going to let this go, are you?"

He removed his layers until the gash on his shoulder was completely free of obstruction, doing his best to look unbothered as he struggled with the movements required of that arm. Her big guilty eyes watched him bravely, putting just as much effort as he did into making her pain seem smaller. At least she flinched harder when pressing the cloth to his wound than he did. Blaire was frustratingly gentle. Especially given that her fingers struggled to follow her directions and the weakness that she refused to heed. Unable to watch her struggle any longer, his fingers tenderly moved over her fingers. Guiding them the best he could, but her face etched in pain despite his best attempts to be careful.

"Blaire," he held her hand against his shoulder, "I won't pretend to be a skilled healer, but I know a little about brittle fingers. They need to be reset before they heal crooked."

He looked at her intently, sure to capture her eyes, "do you understand what I have to do?" His fingers grazed over the back of her hand.

She looked away, but gave him a nod. His fingers made a lazy circle over the back of her hand until the extremity relaxed.

"I'd give you something to bite but," he tried humor, unable to ultimately identify if it was useful, "there's no tongue left in that annoying mouth of yours. But on the count of three. One."

He wrenched the first finger on the first count, her mouth opening to let out nothing but a sharp whistle of air. On two, with a rolling motion, he crunched the rest of her fingers a sickening set of snaps at quick intervals. On three, he was out of his body and in another time entirely, back in that awful dungeon, with only a voyeuristic skeleton that watched as he snapped his fingers with mindless determination. The order spiked through his brain with the force of nails being hammered through wood, bidding that he do it again. Again. Again. Again. Until Cazador let him bind his fingers, sometimes days or weeks later after another round of breaking his fingers all over again; after all, what was the use of his pretty pet if he left it disfigured?

The sound of her panicked sobbing woke him from the intrusion as he held her other hand far too tightly. He was doing nothing to help her fingers but squeezing them roughly for no reason other than prolonging her pain. When he released her, pity returned to her expression, those pathetic and guilty eyes that had already forgiven him. When any sane person would have left him with the first press of the dagger to their throat. Astarion was angry, angry at the woman who kept giving him a chance to ruin her life. All that anger did was encourage her to hide her face, cutting off what little communication he had left with her.

Astarion began to bind her fingers, but with a more careful hand. It was a familiar movement, but doing this for someone else was novel. He would ignore the hum that escaped his mouth and the unpleasant warmth growing in his chest. But her eyes returned to him, with her chin perched on her arms that rested on the lip of the tub once he had finished.

"I'm sorry," he finally admitted, feeling compelled into explaining himself.

The goody-two-shoes only tilted her head curiously.

In a moment filled with sheer stupidity, his finger grazed her cheek, smoothing away some of the hair that clung to her face.

She responded with utter insanity by nestling her face into the palm of his hand. Her eyes daring to flutter closed, in a sickening display of trust.

"Ah, I appear to be interrupting something," the voice drove them apart, and Astarion's hand drove for his dagger.

The water sloshed all over the tub as Blaire scrambled upright with hiss of pain, staring at the guest in shock.

Gale held his hands out, his mouth barely holding a smile, "now, no need to bow; we are still friends, even for all my glorious changes."

Astarion's face held a snarl, though he tried to sound blasé. "Interesting timing you have."

"Nice to see you still have a bite," he looked at Blaire with a warm smile, "you aren't looking quite as well as I had hoped."

The vampire's eyes rolled, "good to see that the status of Godhood does not render you from being infallible. Or is it negligent?"

Gale returned his attention to the spawn, the smile bordering on a frown, "excuse me?"

"Oh," Astarion huffed, looking at his nails, "just thought a god would keep better track of their lovers. It seems poor taste for someone of your caliber."

The god raised an eyebrow, the energy in the room ticking up a degree, "she had it handled; we all know Blaire can handle herself," Gale looked back to the frozen woman, "Can't you? You were always thinking on your feet, ambitious."

Part of this god's appearance was starting to make sense, "she is capable, yes. But not immune to trouble. So how much trouble would have to befall her before you would have interceded on her behalf?"

He found two sets of eyes glaring at him.

"You know, the time in other planes moves differently," his eyes shifted too quickly, a rare remnant of his human years that betrayed he was lying, "but she was lucky to have you on her trail. Very lucky indeed."

"Gale, you remain a terrible liar."

The deity glared but ceded this battle for the moment, turning back to Blaire, "Come on, do you believe him?" he opened his arms and took a step forward, "Anything to get the rest of us in a tizzy."

Her jaw flexed as she worked to fight the moisture budding in the corner of her eyes.

"Blaire?"

Astarion scoffed, "Gods, she is unable to speak."

With a hand-wave from Gale Blaire's body healed entirely, bruises fading and her wounds stitching closed before his eyes, her bandaged hand went first to her mouth. Her fingers awkwardly ran over her cheeks in order to feel her returned teeth before she spoke, "What do you want, Gale?"

Astarion loathed how his heart skipped at the sound of her voice.

"Can't I want to see my old friends again?"

She looked up from the bandages she was unraveling, her sharp glare replacing her words. But the former wizard matched her game with a smile. But they still battled with the flickering of their eyes before Blaire spoke again, "if we have to be difficult."

She cast a spell around them that he did not recognize, then folded her arms tightly. Sending another nonverbal message to the god with a tight frown, daring him to act. His shoulders fell as he backed down, with a grumble, "Fine, have it your way."

"What do you want?" she asked again.

Gale hesitated, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

Blaire shuddered as she stepped out of the tub, barreling directly for the god with a tenacity that was brave but more than likely suicidal, "So no hide nor hair from you in over a decade, and now that you're here… you have nothing to say? Least of all, no thanks for settling your affairs, comforting your mother, and being there for Tara in her last days?"

The last point made Gale give a slight flinch, "You have a point."

She closed her eyes for a long moment; anyone else might have expected her to shiver from the cold, "why are you here now? Since even a simple 'thank you' is hard for you to choke out."

"I was wondering if you had reconsidered the entire Ascension decision," his tone wavered, holding something back. 

She glared at him.

He cast the same spell she had earlier. The two bristled, staring at each other in a way that reminded him of two alley cats about to fight, "So, what is your answer Blaire?"

Her gaze fell on him, not in a get me out of this way, but as somewhere else to look, "I have a question for you first."

Gale gave a slight bow, "anything you require."

"When is my birthday?"

Gale looked perplexed, "I don't know."

Blaire's shoulders dropped, "forgive me for the accuracy, given my unawareness of the hour. But it was today."

"I suppose a late happy birthday is in order," he murmured.

"Can you at least tell me what year I was born?"

"Blaire I-"

"1474," she interjected, "not that any of you cared to learn much about me."

"Gods, I seduced a child!" Astarion exclaimed, for a reason he didn't fully understand.

Both of them turned to him again; Blaire looked away quickly, wrapping her arms around her breasts, while Gale's anger grew.

"You slept with him?"

"A few times," they both answered.

Gale rubbed at his nose, "I always knew there was something going on between you two. Little adventures late into the night and whispers that would stop the second I neared. I tried so hard to believe it was friendly, even after… Even after I had made you choose between us?"

"No," Blaire replied, "nothing happened after that."

"Not for lack of trying," the vampire blathered.

The God's posture relaxed, "I should have known, with your wandering heart. You never seemed content with me alone."

"You threatened to blow up on me, Gale," her tone started gently but rapidly replaced with anger, "what was I supposed to do? I cared greatly about you but feared that would push you over that edge."

His eyes narrowed, "I see. Had I been more charming, more seductive, would you have been happy?"

She faltered, "I'm not sure."

"Then why stay at my side?"

"Pity, loneliness, fear," she looked at Astarion, and he looked away from her, "guilt that I would cause your death."

"So, I was convenient then? After you learned the spawn only had pretty words to offer you," Gale's voice was a low rumble.

Blaire's jaw flexed, and her body wavered with the panic filling her eyes. She didn't answer him, but it was far too late. The deity held a slight disappointment as his shoulders still slagged, but not to the degree Astarion thought a scorned lover would possess.

He nodded, calculating his next thoughts with frightening clarity, "did I ever truly have your heart?"

"For a few moments perhaps, completely no."

"Did he," Gale's voice was calm, "at any point when we were together?"

"Completely."

He nodded again, "would you ever have ascended with me?"

Blaire grabbed her wrist, massaging it gently, "you know that answer."

"I know," he gave her a gentle smile, the smile faded as he looked at Astarion. It did not warp into anything further than a sentiment of neutrality, "it was time we had that conversation. To end things formerly, as it were."

"I am glad to see you well."

Gale smiled at Blaire again, "You too, friend, but I assumed it would be a fully dressed kind of reunion; I feel woefully overdressed," he turned his back, "but a lengthy word of advice before I leave you. If you stop looking for the complicated answers, the answers to your 'ambitions' are obvious. I'd also stick to dining in that restaurant."

She glared in his direction again, "Ao got your tongue?"

The god winked before disappearing.

"Go visit your mother before she is gone," Blaire murmured into the space he left behind.

"Is there anything else world-shattering you need to admit to?" Astarion whined, no longer feeling like he had to physically keep his jaw clamped to stop himself from divulging secrets.

"My name is actually Tav," she laughed, but in a forced way that did not belong to her, "Blaire is my last name."

"I know I've been underground for years, but people-pleasing stopped being cute years ago," he murmured, a slight snarl resting at the corner of his lips.

Tav smiled, "the moody thing you're playing at stopped being edgy decades before my time."

"You beastie," he huffed.

"I deserve that," she looked over him, "sorry for the dramatics that permeated the evening."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Darling, this evening was an absolute delight."

[atths--twice]

February Happenings

Valentine's Day and Scully's birthday all in the same month? How will they celebrate this year?

Oh, I have missed this little family. Every time I drop back into their lives, I feel so happy and fluffy. I hope you do too. 💓

(Story 53 in the Family Series)

February 2023

Card stock in shades of pink, red, white, and a beautiful teal, lay on the kitchen table along with paint and paintbrushes, a tray full of glue, glitter, sequins, googly eyes, letter beads, and a cup full of edger scissors.

Scully looked at everything as she took off her coat and laid it on the back of a chair. Mulder was creating a space for Faith to begin their activity and Scully smiled as she watched him.

“Did you buy whatever she pointed at once again, Mulder?” she teased and he grinned, not stopping in his task. “You know, a box of valentines cards cost about three dollars, tops.”

“Premade, unimaginative, mass produced valentines cards you mean,” he said, shaking his head. “Something with candy added that is probably from last year because it wasn’t sold and was stored away for next year. No thank you.” He shook his head again as he laid Faith’s painting smock on her chair. “These valentines are going to kick so much ass.”

“You are too adorable. I love that you get so excited about everything with her,” she said, stepping closer and looking up at him with a smile. He smiled back as he set the pack of stickers he was holding onto the table.

“I love that she’s so excited about everything now. I mean she has been in the past, but with school and her growing up, she’s excited on a different level.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed as she continued to smile. Grabbing the front of his shirt, she pulled him closer and kissed him. “Adorable. And so sexy all at the same time.”

“It’s a fine line, but I’m happy to walk it,” he said, kissing her again as she laughed softly against his lips.

“Okay, Daddy!” Faith said, coming out of the bathroom. “I’m ready to make valentine's cards. Mommy, me and daddy are going to make beautiful cards for all my friends at school and the teachers and also for Unco, Raycho, and the twins.”

Scully looked down at her as she stepped back from Mulder. Smiling at Faith, she placed her hand on her head and stroked her hair.

“They will be the most beautiful valentines ever, I’m sure. You have lots of supplies.”

“Uh huh,” Faith said with a nod. “Daddy said I could get whatever I wanted to make them.”

Mulder cleared his throat and Scully tilted her head as she looked at him.

“Did he?” she asked with a knowing smile.

“Yup!” Faith said, clapping her hands together. “So we got a lot of stuff. I like the sparkly glitter the best.”

“I’m sure you do, my love,” Scully said, shaking her head as her smile grew.

“Well, how about we get started?” Mulder said, looking at Faith with a smile and avoiding Scully’s gaze.

“Yeah! I’m ready!” she said, getting into her chair and sitting down.

“Sucker,” Scully whispered and she saw his eyes cut to hers with a smile as he helped Faith with her smock.

“Will you be joining us, Mommy?” he asked and she nodded happily. “Well, then please wash your hands first. Thank you.”

She chuckled softly as she picked up her coat and hung it on the new coat rack by the door. Faith’s pink coat and her small purple scarf also hung there along with Mulder’s new black peacoat. Letting out a deep breath, she left her coat and her worries about the day at the hospital behind, before walking to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Soap still clung to the sides of the sink and a large blob was stuck to the adorable fawn soap dispenser Skinner and Rachel had given Faith for Christmas. She had only relented to it being used for its actual purpose two weeks ago as she had insisted on sleeping with it at first, the pump portion left on a shelf downstairs.

Washing her hands, Scully wiped off the fawn, dried her hands, and walked back to the table and sat down.

She watched them, without helping at first, and she smiled. Faith was laughing at something Mulder said, his face contorted into a comical expression. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him and he winked at her quickly as he reached for the cup of scissors.

The best of friends, Scully thought as she picked out a piece of paper and folded it in half.

“Daddy,” Faith said, still laughing slightly. “Can you help me make a heart? Will you show me again?”

“Absolutely, my love. Like this.”

He drew a heart on a piece of paper and pushed it toward her for her to see.

“I don’t know if I can do it like that,” she said with a frown and he smiled as he held her hand and traced the heart with her own marker.

“See? Like this. Or I can do this too,” he said, beginning to make dash lines to create a heart. “Do you remember when we did this last year? Mommy made them and then you drew over them?”

“I don’t know,” Faith said, frowning in concentration as she followed the dash marks. “I did it! I made a heart!” She smiled at him and then at Scully, who smiled back.

“Good job, love,” she said and Faith nodded as she looked back at the heart.

They began to discuss the day, Faith telling them about school and Mulder asking after one of her current favorite friends. Scully nodded as she listened, but her mind was elsewhere as she stared at Faith, wishing she could stay at this perfectly wonderful age.

Four years old now, she had grown up so much since she started school. She loved every bit of it, coming home with artwork and stories of her day.

The first month had been great and then something had changed and she cried every time, not wanting to go.

“It’s common that this would happen,” Scully had assured Mulder when he had called her at the hospital, where she had been attending meetings before her upcoming first day, to tell her of Faith’s tears. “She was excited at first but now the newness has worn off a bit and she’s feeling different about it. Once she’s there, I know that she’s fine. It’s just the initial shock of it. She’ll get past it.”

“As a man with a degree in psychology, I know this, but as her dad… I don’t,” he had said with a deep sigh and she had smiled.

“I know you do.”

And she had been right, of course. It had been only a couple of weeks of tears, and then Faith had been happy and excited to go to school again.

She had made friends quickly and talked of her favorites every day, saying what they had done that she liked most.

“Sadie can run really fast,” she had said at dinner. “Liam is so funny. He makes me laugh so much.”

As a result, they had met the parents of Sadie and Liam, along with those of Tawny and Micah, all of them stating that they had heard Faith’s name spoken often in their house.

“Who would ever have guessed that a child of yours, with your antisocial behavior, would be so popular?” Scully had teased Mulder and he had laughed.

“Who wouldn’t love her?” he had stated. “She’s amazing.”

They had celebrated her birthday at school, giving out small goodie bags to her classmates, which had been assembled by all of them one evening.

Mulder had readied the multicolored bags, writing each child’s name on it before handing it to Faith to fill with stickers, animal shaped erasers, pencils, and a box of crayons. She had then passed it to Scully to tie with a rainbow ribbon and place in a cardboard box.

Faith had come home singing songs, asking them to play school with her while she acted as the teacher, and sharing everything she had learned.

The twins, one year old and her very favorite playmates, had benefited from her schooling as she “read” to them every chance she had, explaining the pictures in the book as she pointed them out. She had told them about the life cycle of bugs, how seeds grew, and what made a rainbow.

“It makes sense that she would be smarter than the average toddler, having the two of you as parents,” Skinner had said, shaking his head when he heard Faith discussing reflected light and water droplets, the twins staring at her and listening intently. Mulder had grinned and nodded, pride shining in his eyes.

Over Christmas, they had all gone to a large cabin in the mountains. Scully had been happy to get some time off from the hospital. She loved being back at work, but some days were harder than others, and she felt it keenly in a way she had not before having a small child she came home to every night.

They had gone sledding, skiing, and built snowmen, women, and children. It had been fun and relaxing with Santa coming and bringing minimal gifts that kept all the children happy and playing together.

January had then trudged through as only January can do, feeling as though it stretches on through eternity.

“Waiting till February feels like the drive to Unco and Raycho’s house,” Faith had said one night, the excitement of the celebration of Valentine’s Day front in her mind after Mulder had told her about it. “It takes a looooong time.”

She had flopped dramatically onto the beanbag chair they had bought for her art corner, sighing loudly. Bella had hurried over, whining softly as she laid her head on Faith’s stomach. Her tail had wagged gently as Faith pet her and sighed again.

Once the calendar hit February, she had been in full Valentine mode, discussing and planning for the trip to the craft store. Now with all the necessary items purchased, she was ready to create her many visions for those she loved.

“So, hon,” Mulder said and Scully hummed as she looked down at the blank paper in front of her. She picked up a pencil and began to draw a heart. “Have you thought more about what I asked you last night?”

“What did you ask me?” Scully asked him, looking up with a slight frown.

“About your upcoming birthday,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “What you wanted to do that day.”

“Oh, that,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “I don’t need anything. Dinner. Maybe a little cake. Nothing special.”

“Nothing special?” he asked, scoffing at her words. “Are you hearing this, Faithy? Mommy said she doesn’t want to do anything special for her birthday.”

“But it’s your birthday, Mommy. It’s your own special day,” Faith said, frowning at her, the paintbrush in her hand full of blue paint. “You have to do something special.”

“What would you suggest I choose, my sweet girl?” Scully asked with a smile.

“Maybe… the trampoline place?” Faith suggested, her expression hopeful.

Mulder and Scully both laughed and she shook her head, stroking Faith’s cheek and booping her on the nose.

“I don't know about that, but I’ll keep thinking, okay?”

“Okay, Mama,” Faith said, smiling as she returned to her painting.

Scully watched her for a moment and then looked at Mulder. He grinned and winked at her and she smiled.

“Not the trampoline place,” she said firmly and he put his hands up in silent agreement.

____________

Scully stretched with a moan, cuddling into the bed, the blankets warm. She sighed as she opened her eyes and then closed them again. Stretching once more, she looked over her shoulder.

No Mulder.

That meant Faith was up already though it seemed early, judging by the light filling the room.

Pushing the blankets back, she sat on the edge of the bed and yawned. Standing up, she retrieved her slippers and shuffled into the bathroom. Coming out a few minutes later, tying her bathrobe’s belt around her, she walked to the door and turned the handle.

Many things happened at once and she stepped back in surprise as they did.

An assortment of colored balloons, previously held in place by the strips of rainbow crepe paper taped zigzaggedly across the door frame, fell at her feet, bouncing and collecting around her. Loud pops sounded as paper confetti flew through the air, and landed beside the balloons. Faith squealed and then laughed as Bella barked in surprise. Mulder laughed and then called down to Bella that everything was okay.

“Surprise, Mommy! Surprise!” Faith yelled, jumping up and down excitedly. “Do you like your birthday surprise?”

“Well,” Scully chuckled, her hand on her chest, where her heart was beating rapidly. “You surprised me very much. My goodness… I think you either added years or took some off.”

“Off an immortal?” Mulder teased. “I doubt it.” He grinned at her and she shook her head.

“Me and Daddy made the surprise for you, Mommy. We had a plan. It was a secret plan,” Faith said, looking at Mulder who nodded.

“It was indeed,” Mulder said. “It was actually Faith’s idea. She wanted you to have a special birthday surprise.”

“And you succeeded brilliantly,” Scully said, beginning to take down the crepe paper so she could leave the bedroom.

“You loved it?” Faith asked and Scully grinned.

“I did love it. Very much.”

“And the fetti canyon? That too?” Faith asked, jumping up and down.

“The confetti cannon? Yes, I loved it. And it definitely surprised me.”

“Yay!” Faith shouted, spinning around with her arms above her head.

Scully smiled at Mulder as she walked through the doorway and he smiled back.

“We chose pink for the confetti cannon because it’s your favorite color,” he informed her.

“Is it?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yup. For today it is. Happy birthday, love.”

“Thank you,” she said, placing a hand on his chest and rising on tiptoes to kiss him. “I love you.”

“Hmm. I love you too,” he said, kissing her again. “Okay! We can take care of this mess later because we have so much more planned for today, don’t we, Faithy?”

“Yeah! We made you breakfast, Mommy. Special pancakes, but it’s waffles instead,” Faith said, picking up two balloons and waving them around.

“Oh,” Scully laughed softly. “So waffles then?”

“Yes. Daddy let me lick the spatch… the spatch…”

“Spatula?” Scully asked, bending down to scoop Faith up in a tight hug.

“Yeah. The black one with the brown handle.”

“Was it good?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

But breakfast had to wait… for a few minutes at least.

All the balloons were tossed down the stairs, floating gently into Faith’s waiting arms as she giggled and yelled let ‘em rip! much to Scully and Mulder’s amusement. Bella barked again, the amount of balloons seeming to make her feel anxious. Grey, running in from a morning romp, froze when she saw them, her fur rising as she hissed.

“Maybe we put the balloons in your room, sweetie,” Mulder suggested, as Bella whined and laid down on her bed, watching Faith with sad eyes. “I don’t think Grey and Bella like the balloons as much as you do.”

“It’s okay, Belly Bells. We’ll put them away now, okay?” Faith asked as she hurried over to pet Bella, leaning down to put their heads together. “Maybe if I have only two, it would be okay? I won’t scare you with them, I promise.” Bella licked her nose and Faith giggled, kissing her head before standing up.

The balloons were gathered and brought upstairs to Faith’s bedroom, the floor covered with them, except for the two left downstairs.

As they sat down to eat their breakfast of waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, and syrup along with eggs and bacon, Mulder and Faith informed her of the plans for the rest of the day.

“We have appointments for manicures and pedicures at ten-”

“Wait… all of us?”

“Yup. All of us,” he stated with a nod and she smiled. “Then lunch at that place you like by the water-”

“Zinnia’s?” she interrupted again, looking at him in surprise and he nodded. “Hmm, that sounds nice.”

“It will be,” he said, winking at her. “Then we’re going to Skinner and Rachel’s for a barbecue and some cake. Then, Miss Faith is going to stay the night and Uncle Walter will take her to school in the morning.”

“So we’ll have-”

“The night to ourselves… yes,” he said, staring at her with the look that made her stomach quiver, even after all these years.

“Imagine that,” she said, lowering her voice and watching the way it affected him, smiling when he shook his head at her.

“I’m going to sleep the night at Raycho and Unco’s?” Faith asked and Mulder’s attention turned to her.

“You are. Does that sound like fun? Was it a good surprise?”

“Yes!” Faith shouted, raising her fork in the air and Scully laughed. “I will sleep in the big bed. Can I bring my light night with me?”

“Of course you can bring your night light and whatever else you want, within reason.”

“Yay! Can I pack my backpack now?”

“Sure, if you’d like to, but we aren’t leaving for a bit yet.”

“Thank you, Daddy. I’m all finished with my breakfast.” She wiped her mouth and hurried from the table, nearly knocking over her glass of milk.

“Be careful!” Mulder called after her as he caught the glass. “Sheesh.”

“Impulsive. Quick to jump into a situation. Now where have I seen that behavior before?” Scully teased, taking a sip of her coffee and looking at him.

“Impulsive we may be, yes. But also detail oriented. And hyper focused,” he said, holding her gaze.

“Oh, I’m well aware of that quality,” she replied over the rim of her coffee cup. “But I never mind being reminded.”

“Hmm,” he hummed with a nod. “And I never tire of reminding you.”

“Daddy! Can you help me?” Faith called from upstairs and Scully grinned at him.

“You’re being summoned.”

“I noticed,” he said, continuing to sit and stare at her.

“You should go and see what she wants.”

“Hmm,” he hummed with an agreeing nod.

“Daddy!”

“Yes, Faithy. I’ll be right there.”

“Oh, bring the broom up with you,” Scully said, setting her coffee cup down and spearing a strawberry with her fork. “Or the vacuum, for that confetti mess on the floor, because I won’t be cleaning it up later. And unless you would rather do that than join me in the bedroom-”

“I’ll get the broom and the vacuum,” he said, jumping up and hurrying to grab them.

She laughed as she ate the strawberry, catching his eye as he started towards the stairs.

“Hey,” she said, jerking her head at him.

He nodded and came back to the table. She looked up and smiled as he bent closer to her. He kissed her softly, but she opened her mouth, not wanting a gentle kiss. Her tongue grazed his and the broom hit the floor with a loud clatter.

“Scully,” he said, pulling back and letting out a harsh breath as he shook his head.

He picked up the broom and stared at her as he walked to the stairs. She arched an eyebrow at him and he shook his head again.

“Make sure you get every piece of that confetti,” she told him.

“I won’t miss one,” he assured her, starting up the stairs as a purple balloon bounced softly down. They looked at each other and she laughed as he tried and failed to catch it.

“I’ll get it, you go help Faith pack,” she said as she stood up and picked up the balloon. “Oh and, Mulder?”

“Yes?” he asked, turning around to look at her.

“Thank you for making today special.”

“You’re welcome, hon.” He winked at her and turned to continue up the stairs.

She watched him, holding the balloon by its small neck, and hitting it against her hand.

“Can I help you clean up the fetti, Daddy? Can I use the broom?” Faith said and Scully waited to hear Mulder’s response.

“You can. We need to make sure we get them all off the floor.”

“Or Mommy might be mad?”

“No. She won’t be mad one bit. She just doesn’t want us to have to clean it up later tonight.”

“Because I will be at Unco’s and I won’t be here to help you?”

“Something like that, yeah,” Mulder said quietly.

Scully laughed as she went to clear the table, already thinking ahead to the evening and wondering if she should hunt up the pink and black thing that Mulder loved so much or if it would even be necessary.

Yeah, she thought with a nod, knowing how sexy it made her feel. Tonight definitely calls for the pink and black thing.

[lateraniansweets]

the savarems bake a cake

i said i won't be posting fics for two weeks but whatever this technically doesn't count since this is a crosspost so fuck it im publishing this six minutes before a math activity because im stressed weeee. anyways this can be read on ao3 too wee.

“Nai! Nai!” Vash waves from behind the kitchen island, the edges of his questionable bowl cut following his abrupt movements, “Press record already!”

“I already am!”

“No, you’re not!” he points, to the camera, “The red light isn’t on!”

“It’s not?” 

The camera is flipped over, revealing Nai. His brows furrowed in confusion, which immediately turned aggravation once he realised that it’s been recording the entire time.

“Vash!” 

His twin giggles and Nai lets out a strangled sound. The camera shakes and tilts as Nai rushes to his brother Cain instincts activated. 

The camera is dropped onto the metal floor, the only thing that can be seen is the ship’s ceiling. 

Sounds of childish roughhousing could be heard off-camera.

“YOU’RE UGLY!”

“YOU’RE UGLIER!!”

Several crashes and shouts follow. 

SHIRK!

Something—one of Nai’s knives, embeds itself on the metal floor mere centimetres from the camera.

Flour rains down in puffs, covering the camera in white specks.

HISS

The door to the kitchen opens.

“Boys!”

The twins go silent.

Rem Saverem enters the room and sets the baking materials she was carrying down on the counter before picking up the camera. She brushes the flour off the lens, smiling and holding out a quick peace sign for the camera. 

The video cuts to all three standing behind the kitchen island.

Rem is between two flour-covered twins. 

Vash looks as lively as ever looking excitedly at all the ingredients, utensils and kitchenware set on the island. Nai on the other hand is glaring at a now-sliced-open bag of flour that has a set of googly eyes stuck to it. 

“So, it’s the twins’ second birthday!” Rem says to the camera, a proud smile on her face, “And this year we’re going to make their birthday cake together!”

“YEAH!”

Rem chuckles, rubbing the top of Vash’s head. 

“Anyways, it’s a bit of a mess here right now,” Nai looks away, eyeing the knife Rem had to pull out of the floor earlier. “The boys got a little excited while I was gone.” At that, Vash sticks his tongue out at Nai. 

Nai makes a move to lunge at his brother.

Rem tries to stop him but like how Rem couldn’t stop the Big Fall in canon she wasn’t able to and she lands on Vash.

“YOU LITTLE SHIT!”, Nai.

“LANGUAGE!”, Rem.

A quick succession of crashes and the video cuts off.

Like before, the camera cuts back onto the trio standing behind the kitchen aisle.

The stuff on top of the aisle looks far less organised than it was before. 

There are eggshells on Rem’s black hair.

The Plant twins are, again, on either side of Rem. This time though, they’re facing away from each other, hair and clothes all messed up. Both have guilty looks on their faces—though, it was more obvious on Vash. 

Nai’s is more internalised just like his fear of humans disguised as hatred. 

Don’t worry he went through Tesla therapy and was kept away from the bible so he’s a happy Plant kid in this. 

“Alright,” Rem starts, tying her hair into a ponytail. “Like I said before, we’re making the twins’ birthday cake!”

She smiles at the camera, placing two bowls on either twin’s side. One for the dry ingredients and the other for the wet ingredients. 

It goes well for a bit, Nai sifting and mixing the dry ingredients and Vash mixing the softened butter and sugar with her alternating in assisting the two. 

It goes well until it doesn’t. 

Nai gets the powdery mix of dry ingredients into his nose and sneezes, blowing a cloud of white powder all over. The cloud of powder blocks Vash’s vision and accidentally sets the stand mixer setting to maximum speed. 

It sends clumps of the butter-sugar mixture all over the kitchen.

One in particular lands on the lens and slides down, leaving an oily tint that leaves the video blurry. 

The camera cuts to the blurry silhouette of the trio.

“And now we’re done!” comes Rem’s voice, “We just need to decorate the cake!”

There’s a pause.

“What were we supposed to decorate it again?”

“OOOH OOOH We’re gonna decorate it as same as last year’s!”, Vash.

“No, we aren’t!” Nai, argues back, “We’re doing cowboys this year! We agreed to that!”

“No, I said we could do that next year!”

Nai scoffs “Liar!”

“Am not!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Am not!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Am not!” Vash slams his hand down…

…right on the freshly baked sheet cake. 

“Vash!” Rem and Nai cry out in unison as Vash lets out an ear-piercing shriek. 

The camera falls from its perch on the tripod to the ground. It goes unnoticed in between the crying of the younger twin and the panicked mother and older twin rushing about to ease his pain, 

The camera beeps, indicating its battery is drained and will shut down soon. 

The video is cut abruptly as the camera’s battery dies. 

The camera is turned on once more. 

The oily tint is wiped away with a rag by Rem. She smiles tiredly at the camera, before switching it over to the twins. 

Both boys are wearing mini cowboy hats on their heads. 

Like the year before they’re sat at a circular table with food for both brothers and Rem. Though, Nai insisted no food would be prepared for him since he doesn’t eat Rem still made sure a portion was there for him.

The cake is sat at the centre, half of it is designed like the deserts in those cowboy shows Nai loves so much and the other half is designed like last year’s, white with red fondant roses. Two candles are stuck in the middle of the hand-shaped depression courtesy of Vash with a clumsily drawn ‘Happy Birthday’ in cursive courtesy of Nai. 

The twins blow out the candles together. 

“Can we eat now?” Vash asks immediately almost after.

Rem laughs and a small smile could be seen from Nai. “Of course!” she sets the camera down, turning it off. She helps cut a slice of cake for Vash and another on the cowboy side of the cake for Nai. 

Seeing the joy in their eyes makes all the chaos and clean-up from baking earlier worth it.

She watches her boys, talk and eat, telling each other their inside jokes with loving eyes. 

Her two boys, her two blessings are two now. 

They grow up so fast.

[itsohh]

"By Chance"

A/N: Female reader. Maybe went a little off request but idk I was in the mood for Elias to play matchmaker. Heres to the doc buff!

Word Count: 1467

Warnings: None

AO3

A small gasp escaped your lips when two figures popped out of nowhere. Elias on your right and Néon on your left. "Give a girl some warning." You clutched your chest which caused Elias to chuckle mischievous next to you.

"Ah come on, it's not our fault you were stuck in your own world."

"So what can I do for you two troublemakers?" You rolled your eyes before you asked.

"Halloween Ends is out at the cinema at the moment, instead of our usual movie night tomorrow, I want to go see it since it's my week to pick."

"And I presume you're going to be joining us Néon?" You turned to face them.

"Yeah, Elias enlisted me to help him notify everyone."

"What happened to the group chat?" You squinted and Elias let out a huff.

"Meghan and you, sometimes Gustave are the only ones that actually use it. Néon just finished telling Gustave and Tori while I just finished talking to Gustave."

"Gustave's coming? I thought he was busy this week." Your attempts to hide your interest failed rather miserably and a smug smile formed on Elias's face.

"Yeah, he told us he had managed to free up some time so we are going to go out later tonight. Which is a little bit of a shame since Alexsandr said he's got poker tonight. He said to go ahead without him.”

“Sounds good.” Your hands dug into your pockets and Elias made a scoff, looking right through your cool facade.

"Huh?" Your voice just managed not to stutter.

"See, this is what I was talking about. Think this is bad she's gonna spend the entire time making googly eyes at Gustave." Elias snickered to Néon, not in a harsh way. In a friendly dramatic way only meant to tease.

"W-what? No- I. I see him as a respectable teammate and think he's good at his job." You defended yourself and Néon laughed with Elias.

"I see what you mean. Don't worry your secret is safe with us." They assured you.

"There is no secret!" You hissed, face hot and flushed. The pair of them had you feeling like a teenager in high school. Yet you couldn't help the smile that crept its way onto your face.

"Well, we will let you get back to what you were doing then and leave you with your not secret."

"Elias." You whined and he started to part from you. Néon started to follow the man and you briefly overheard their conversation.

"That wasn't a little too mean was it?"

"Don't worry, she's like a little sister to me. I wouldn't actually do her any harm. Besides if she's all angry at us then she's not too nervous around Gustave." The rest of the conversation was cut off and you couldn't help the way your heart skipped a beat at Elias's words.  

Lo and behold the afternoon came and Elias's words had the opposite of the intended effect, Gustave had been stuck in your mind ever since and it left you a nervous wreck that had you internally screaming the entire time. Normally when the group of you had movie night it was fine but this time things were different. Perhaps it was Alexsandr's absence that had you worried, no longer would his booming voice be there to fill any awkward air. Or maybe it was because it was in public, off base and away from the easy comfort of the base.

In the end, you ended up carpooling with Elias and Néon while Meghan, Gustave and Tori would meet you there later. "Remind me not to give the AUX cable to Néon again." Elias shut the door behind him. A teasing smile on his face. Néon shot him an offended expression which turned into a smile when Elias grinned at them.

"Ah just kidding Néon, I don't mind the music. I like the one that went whoop whoop whoop whoop do do do do do-"

"Elias that was like half of them."

"Or perhaps the one that went duh duh duh dun dun dun dun-"

"Elias I swear to god if-"

"Hey, I'm glad I found you." Gustave's friendly voice peaked up and your voice immediately died down and offered him a smile. "Is everything alright?" He asked as he looked at the three of you. It could have just been your imagination but you could have sworn he stared at you longer than the rest. The thought had your heart racing and your mind blue-screened on any response. "Peachy. Where's Tori and Meghan?" Elias asked and gave you a knowing look.

"Up ahead, they picked up the tickets and should be waiting for us up ahead." The three of you headed inside with Gustave, Néon and Elias walking just a bit slower than the pair of you.

"I hope I didn't interrupt your conversation." Gustave eventually spoke up.

"Huh? Oh no, Elias was just joking around you know how he is." Silence filled the air between the pair of you and you could practically feel yourself sweating from his proximity. Suddenly Elias ran past the pair of you as you neared Meghan and Tori who chatted away on the seat. He ripped the tickets out of Meghan's hands and she gave him an inquisitory look but didn't question it as he started to look and then and then hand them out. "Remember to stick to your seats, don't want to have an augment with someone about them."

"Couldn't we just look at which seat range we occupy and then make sure we are in it I don't think we actually need to have-" Tori started to speak and Elias cut her off.

"No, no, no, they are very strict and you need to be able to show your ticket at any time. Trust me on this." He winked at her which caused her to narrow her eyes at the man before she shrugged him off.

Eventually, the group of you had your tickets checked and found the room. It wasn't completely packed there was a decent amount of space around where you all had been assigned and Elias seemed to keep to his stance on seating. Seating which ended up with you directly on the end with Gustave in-between you and Elias.

"I don't think I've ever asked if you like horror movies before." You managed to sound relatively normal as everyone waited for the ads to play.

"I enjoy the practice effects of them. Horror films like this are, well, typically wildly inaccurate so it's almost a break from real life, sometimes they can even be a little amusing. What about you? A fan of the Halloween series?" His eyes focused on yours.

"I actually haven't seen the previous one to this. I just like hanging out." He raised a brow.

"That's a shame, we could have made some time earlier and watched it together."

"I thought you had a pretty busy schedule." Your heart raced.

"I'm sure I can find time for you." Did he know what his words meant to you? You could feel your ears go hot and the cinema darken fully as the film started to play.

"If you need be I'm here, sometimes it's easy to get lost in the suspension." He whispered as he faced the screen. He looked down for a moment as his mind continued to tick. "Of course, I think your very cable and-"

"Thanks, Gustave." Your hand landed in his open one that lay in between you on the shared armrest. "I hope you don't mind if I take up your offer now." Blood rushed through your ears and you were lucky the film was so loud else you wouldn't been able to hear anything over your screaming heart.

Another face seemed to peer next to Gustave, leaning forward with a shit-eating grin on his face. Elias. If you hadn't been so far away you would have slapped the man. He gave you a dramatic wink and when Gustave turned to look at the man his face became normal and he smiled at Gustave. Gustave gript onto your hand a little tighter and cleared his throat with the other. You squeezed him back and his attention focused on your once again. He went to open his mouth to speak but paused, unsure.

"Is everything alright?" You asked.

"We should watch the previous one to this sometimes. Even put of order it's still worth watching." Behind him, Elias started to mime his mouth dramatically. With the light of the screen, you read his mouth miming out loud.

"It's a date." Elias gave you thumbs up and you froze as you realised what you said. Slowly a gentle calm smile smoothed onto Gustave's face.

"I would like that."

[imaginedreamwrite]

Halloween countdown day 15 — make a delicious Halloween breakfast

The sound of the door chime as the front door opened and shut had him jumping from the counter. He landed with a thud and scurried toward the door with an excited shriek then threw his arms around his neck to hug him as tightly as he could.

“Missed you, Noah.” Steve hugged his son just as tightly as Noah was hugging him, dropping everything for his boy.

“Where’s your sister?” Steve questioned, feeling Noah kick his feet back and forth.

“Sleeping upstairs. Mama made Halloween breakfast.” Noah whispered into his ear as if it was a big secret. “She made everything.”

“And you helped?” Steve carted him off toward the kitchen like he was a toddler again, stepping into the other room and physically relaxing when he saw you and Noah safe.

It was always a thought on the back of his mind now that he had so much to lose. His son, his future wife, his entire idealic life that he’s always wanted.

“Expecting someone?” Steve wondered, setting Noah down and chuckling under his breath when he ran straight to you.

“Mummy waffles, coloured black and white…ghost grapes that Noah stuck googly eyes into-“

“They’re the best, mama!” He climbed onto the cupboard and took a place next to you, crossing his legs on the granit.

“And…a surprise.” You picked up a small, tasty treat and shuffled toward Steve.

“For me?” He took the miniature pie from you and looked at the crust decorated in detailed black icing.

“Read it, daddy! Read it!” Noah chanted excitedly, bouncing where he sat.

“Rogers 4 + 1.” He grinned, wide and brightly. “Another one?”

“Hmm hmm.” You nodded your head, your stomach fluttering. “Someone’s got some potent…stuff.”

“We’re having another baby! This is the best day ever!” Noach cheered, jaunting his over abundant glee.

“Just when I think I couldn’t love you more.” Steve leaned in and kissed you breathlessly. “You surprise me every day.”

[trashyswitch]

The Invisible Sensors

Sun is getting some more sensors placed onto his body. After some testing, everything's ready to go. And then the kids come in to test out this new feature.

This fanfic is for Bread anon! I give you this gift of different breads 🍞🥯🫓, and I provide you this fic! I hope you enjoy! 💜

Sun was standing in place as someone continued to work on his bodily functions. Sun didn’t really know who this person was. There wasn’t even a nametag on the person. All he knew was that the person, who looked like a technician, was wearing the typical Pizzaplex attire. 

“So…How’s your day going?” Sun asked. 

The person looked at Sun. “It’s night time, Sun.” 

Sun blinked and looked down. “...Oh.” he replied. 

The technician continued to plug in wires and install many see-through things that looked like tape.

Wait…

Sun widened his eyes when he realized those tape pieces looked very similar to those invisible sensor strips that were installed 6 months ago.

Yes, Sun remembered that all too well. 

“Are those sensor strips?” Sun asked. 

The Technician sighed as he stuck the longer strip vertically down Sun’s right rib region. “Yes, they are.” The technician replied. 

Sun looked down in embarrassment. If he could properly blush, he probably would’ve at that moment. 

It didn’t take long for the technician to hook everything up and get to testing. The technician put on some gloves and grabbed out a few items. He pulled out a feather, a brush, and a paintbrush. 

The technician held up Sun’s arm. “Test 1 at 11:59: Feather.” The technician said as he started fluttering the feather on the vertical rib sensor. 

Sun squealed and started giggling right away. “Eheheheek! Hehehey!” 

“Test 1: Feather is a success.” The technician said. 

Sun was still slightly giggling even after the technician removed the feather. 

“Test 2 at 12:01: Paintbrush.” The technician said as he started fluttering the paintbrush on the same area. 

Sun squeaked and giggled a bit louder and higher. “EEEhehehehehehe!” Sun giggled. 

Test 2: Paintbrush is a success.” The technician said. 

Sun kept giggling for a few more seconds before looking at the Technician. 

“Test 3 at 12:03: Hairbrush.” The technician said as he started brushing the same vertical sensor strip. 

Sun threw his head back and cackled wildly. “OHOHOHO NOHOHOHO! STAHAHAHAHAP!” Sun laughed. 

The technician smiled. “Test 3: Hairbrush is a success.” 

Sun hung his head in simulated tiredness. He wasn’t breathing heavily, due to not needing to breathe. But he did look visually tired. 

“The Daycare Attendant’s sensors are ready.” The technician told the recorder. 

Sun smiled and looked at the invisible sensors that were added to his body while the technician left the daycare. He tried touching the sensors, but he noticed he wasn’t reacting like a person normally would. He remembered trying out the sensors in a very similar way the first time he received the first set of sensors. And that first time, he didn’t react to his own touch. 

A few hours later, the kids gasped as Vanessa made an announcement in the daycare. 

“Boys, girls and kids, may I have your attention?” She called.

All the kids went quiet as they looked over at Vanessa, whose mouth was close to the mic. “Sun, your daycare attendant and playmate, is now ticklish! You can tickle tickle tickle the sun! Use your fingers, your mouth, or your hair to tickle sun as much as you want.” Vanessa declared. 

The kids all laughed and cheered as they started chasing Sun, repeating the words “Tickle tickle!” and “Tickle Sunny!”. 

Sun was running around the daycare, trying to get away from all the kids. “No! Kids, please! Why don’t we finger paint? Or play with googly eyes? Or glitt-GAAAH!” Sun screamed as his leg was grabbed. 

In no time at all, Sun was tackled to the ground. With Sun down, the kids all crawled on him and immediately started playing ‘tickle monster’ with him. They started trying to tickle different spots they knew of, like the armpits and the belly. 

Sun squealed and giggled as his armpits were tickled by one person each. “Ohohoho nohohohoho! Kihihihids!” Sun reacted. 

“Tickle da sides!” another kid said. 

“Tickle tickle, Sunny sun!” A girl teased, wiggling her fingers at him. 

“Boop! Boop boop! Boop-boop boopboop, boop!” Another kid said as he poked the left side. 

Sun threw his head back and laughed in a quiet to moderate volume. The little kids’ fingers didn’t tickle as much as the hairbrush or the paintbrush did during testing. But the amount of fingers that were trying to tickle him, was making his laughter a little louder than expected! It was just ticklish enough to make him let out fits of laughter. 

A little girl suddenly gasped. “He ha’ a bewwy button!” the little tot reacted, before poking his belly button region. 

Sun squeaked and squealed as he rolled around on the blocky floor, giggling and laughing. As much as it tickled so much, he wasn’t complaining. The kids were actually showing interest in him for once! 

In fact, it looked like the kids were absolutely LOVING this new upgrade! They had never been this eager to play with sun before! Yes, the kids liked Sun. But there was always something that felt…off about this sun character. But all those worries went right out the window the moment the kids heard Sun was ticklish just like them. 

“Ohohokahahahay, ihihihi neeheheheed ahaha breheheheak!” Sun told them. 

But the kids were too hooked on their mission to even consider stopping. It was way too fun to tickle Sun! Sun was actually fun now! Why would they stop doing something so fun?! 

“Hehehehellooohohoho? Cahahahan sohohomeone hehehehelp?” Sun asked. 

“Sorry Sun…This is the excitement before the storytime. You just gotta wait out the excitement for the kids to calm down again.” Vanessa told the kids. 

“Ihihi hahahave aha behehehetteheher ihidehehea!” Sun declared. 

Vanessa smiled and crossed her arms. “What’s your idea?” 

Sun pointed at Vanessa. “Tihihickle Vahahanessa!” Sun yelled. 

Vanessa widened her eyes. “Um…No.” Vanessa replied. 

The kids all paused their hands. “Huh?” 

“Tickle who?” A kid asked. 

“Vana? Who’s Vana?” Another kid asked. 

“Tihickle her!” Sun told the kids, pointing to the blonde-haired girl behind the technician desk. 

“Tickle ME?!” Vanessa reacted, holding her own chest in surprise. 

The kids gasped and squealed in excitement. “TICKLE TICKLE VANA!” They yelled a second apart from each other as they ran towards Vanessa. 

“Tickle Vaneya!” Another kid declared, hugging Vanessa’s leg.  

“Tickle hat girl!” Another toddler yelled, hugging the other leg.

“Tickwish girl with da yellow hair!” Another taller toddler said next, grabbing Vanessa’s hand and pulling her down. 

With both her legs grabbed and gripped by children, she wasn’t able to stop herself from falling onto the blue, blocky ground. 

Sun watched as the kids started tickling Vanessa on many ticklish spots at once. 

Vanessa’s laughter soon filled the room. And it was much stronger than Sun’s laughter was. “BAHAHahahahaha! NOHOHohohoho! Kihihids, quihihit ihihihit!” Vanessa yelled. 

Sun walked up to Vanessa and grabbed her arms before raising them above her head. Vanessa squealed and cackled the moment 4 kids started tickling both her armpits at once. 

“SUHUHUN, LEHEHET GOHOHOHO!” Vanessa yelled. 

Sun laughed. “Nah…I’d rather watch you get tickled and teased by the kids all day.” Sun replied. 

Vanessa squealed when she felt 2 kids tickling her belly. “NAhahahaha! Nahahahahat thehehere! Nahahahat myhyhy behehellyhyhy!” Vanessa begged, struggling to get out of the kids’ grips. 

“Poor Vana! Poor, poor Vana…So stuck, yet so ticklish.” Sun teased. 

“Myhyhy nahahahame ihihis Vahahanehessahaha!” 

“Vahahanehessahaha?! Why, hello Vahahanehessahaha! Nice to meet you! I’m the Daycare Attendant!” Sun declared. 

The kids started laughing at his jokes. 

“So tell me, Vahahanehessahaha: How are you feeling?” Sun asked. 

“Plehehehease stahahahahap!” Vanessa begged. “Gohohoho gehehehet Suhuhuhuhun!” Vanessa told her. 

“Um…Vanessa, my name is not Suhuhuhuhun. It’s The Daycare Attendant! Or Sun, for short!” Sun told her, still doing almost identical laughter to what Vanessa was doing. 

Vanessa was a blushing mess by this point. It was growing tiring being tickled like this. The kids were not even tickling her very much now. She was just being left in fits of giggles from so many little inexperienced fingers. 

“Gehehet Suhuhun! Gehet Sun! Gohoho fohor his feeheheheet!” Vanessa told the kids. 

A few of the kids paused their tickle attack, and looked up at Vanessa with curiosity. 

“His feet?” One kid asked. 

“Tickle Sunny’s feet!” Another kid reacted. 

“Sunny’s feeties tickwish?” a third kid asked. 

Sun started to grow nervous as he heard the kids asking questions and growing curious. No…No no no, they were losing interest in Vanessa! And getting curious about Sun again! 

No! NO! NOOOO! 

Two of the kids ran up to one of Sun’s shoes each, and tried to remove the slippers. But the slippers were permanently attached. So, one of the kids tried tickling the bottom of the slipper. And to everyone’s surprise, Sun started squealing and giggling. 

He had completely forgotten about the sensors that were put on his feet the very first time he was fitted with those sensors…

Sun could hear the strong laughter leaving his mouth. Though his smile was already existent before the tickles, the wide, toothy smile he was fitted with only added to the laughter! 

“WAHAHAhahahahait! Nahahahat myhyhyhy feeeheheheheheet! Whahahat hahahappehehened to tihihicklihing Vahanehessaha?” Sun asked. 

“We got bored, Sun! We tickle you now!” One of the kids told him. 

“Ticky ticky sunny!” Another kid teased. 

“Tickwish biiiig Sunny sun sun!” Another little kid added. 

Sun ended up being tickled for roughly 15-20 minutes before the kids were picked up by their parents and families. The little daycare toddlers would spend hours talking about how ticklish Sun was. 

And Sun…Well…His tickle attacks were not finished for the day…Especially since Moon was watching Sun the whole day. 

And even when the daycare closed, Sun’s laughter didn’t stop…

Not by a long shot…