#this fic is so self indulgent

[penelopepine]

New Prosthetic Eye

141 reacts to you showing them your new prosthetic eye.

Note: Anyone else in the COD fandom have a prosthetic eye or just me?

CW: Slight angst

Price: 

This was the first time Price was coming with you to the ocularist. You two had planned an entire weekend trip based around this appointment, but he had to admit that he was most excited about seeing the process of you getting your new eyes; the fun eye and the normal eye.

You had warned him though that this was going to be two days of going to the doctor’s office, putting the eye in, taking it out, and then leaving every few hours for the regular prosthetic. The visit only being a few minutes long every few hours, and that you would have understood if he didn’t want to come. He does want to come though; this is a major part of you. Nothing was going to stop him from being here with you no matter how mundane it is. 

“Honey, are you ready to tell me what design you're doing? I don’t think you can keep it a secret for much longer now that we’re here.” Price says to you while you both are sitting in the waiting room. 

You give him a devilish smile, “No, you’ll see it in just a few minutes! I’m not ruining the surprise while we’re this close to the finish line!” 

Price chuckled and squeezed your hand. You had told him a while ago that the fun eye was going to be a surprise for him. He had no idea how this was going to shock, but he was excited to see what you had done nonetheless. 

It was only a few minutes after that when your name was called by the doctor. You and her first talked about the regular eye, and her taking all the photos she first needed to get started. Next it was the fun eye. You had been talking with the ocularist for the past few weeks before your appointment talking about it. The fun eye didn’t need the whole back and forth like the regular eye did so when the doctor brought out a little box Price knew that the eye was in there. 

Excitedly so you remove the eye you already had in, and place it on the table beside you. Price stood right next to you as the doctor opened the box for you both to see. What he saw only reminded him of how much he loved you. 

The eye was covered in a honeycomb pattern and bee right in the corner. It was an obvious connection to the nickname “Honey” that he always called you. 

“That’s not even the best part,” you take the eye in your hand, and turn it around to show the back of it. Right where you would normally have a star symbol, a marker to let you know where the top was, instead was his and your initials. A heart drawn in between them. 

Price doesn’t think that he could have stopped the smile that graced his face even if he tried. Grabbing one of your hands he gives your knuckles a kiss. “Put it in, Honey. Let’s see it in action.” 

Gaz:

Gaz doesn't think he'll ever be able to forget the moment you first showed him your new eye. Your smile was bright, but uncertain as you looked at him. This was your first fun eye as you had called it.

You had come to him months ago talking about how you had made an appointment for a new eye, and that you were getting a fun eye as well despite being so nervous about it. When he had asked what you had to be nervous about you talked about it would then be obvious that you were different. That was why you had always only ever gotten the normal eyes because you didn't want to stand out any more than you already do.

It was a long conversation about your feelings surrounding your missing eye, but in the end he felt that he understood you so much more. Gaz honestly found the fact that you had a prosthetic eye pretty cool. He's so happy that you're now embracing it fully. 

"You look amazing, love." Gaz leaned forward giving you a quick kiss, "That eye truly looks like it was meant to be worn by you." It really did too. The design on the eye resembled a disco ball. Your eye flashed with every move you made. 

“Well it was made specifically for me.” You say with a small chuckle. 

Gaz chuckles along with you before remembering a conversation the two of you had a while ago, “Does this mean I can have one of your old eyes?” 

“You seriously want one?” 

“Of course! You said that people often made jewelry out of them, and I want to make a keychain with one of yours. That way I’ll always have a piece of you with me.” 

“We'll go down to the craft store tomorrow then, and get that made!” 

He gives you another kiss, “Perfect!” 

Gaz loved watching you the following days as you lit up every time you looked in the mirror. Moving your head around, and watching as the light bounced off your eye. He promised himself right there that if anyone said anything cruel about your new eye he would make sure that poor soul never looked in your direction again. 

Soap:

Soap couldn't believe that he was finally getting married to you today. It had been so stressful yet so fun planning for this day. He couldn't wait to see you walk down the aisle to him.

You didn’t let him see the wedding dress or your wedding eye, and he knew you were excited for him to see as well. Soap hadn't thought about a wedding eye when you two were talking about making appointments for everything, but when you had hesitantly brought up the idea of getting a new eye specially for the wedding he was all for it.

He had begged you to let him see it, but you had said that, just like the dress, him seeing it would cause bad luck. It was hard though not knowing what it looked like. Soap had been at every appointment since you two had gotten together; even helped you with a few designs as well. 

It wasn’t until the doors opened and the music started did Soap snap out of his thoughts. You, his soon to be wife, stood at the entrance looking ethereal. It truly took his breath away looking at you. He didn’t think this day could get any better. 

With you now standing right in front him he was finally able to clearly see your eyes. Your beautiful seeing eye and your wedding eye. Which somehow made his smile even wider looking at it. The design on it was his family’s tartan; it perfectly matched his kilt. 

“You have no idea what you do to me, lass.” Soap whispered to you as he took your hands in his. 

“I have an idea on exactly what I can do.” 

And that is exactly why he loves you so much. He doesn’t think anyone else could ever know him like you do. The only left to do know was to say “I do” and walk out of here as Mr. and Mrs. MacTavish. 

Ghost:

Walking into the front door of your shared apartment after being deployed was always something he looked forward to. As soon as the door shut behind you were already jumping into his arms, and he welcomed it every time.

He held you tight for several seconds before pulling away. Looking into your eyes he sees something that he’s never seen before; you got a new eye while he was away. Ghost couldn’t get enough of your eyes; both of them.

Your new eye’s design was a glittery skull. A skull that held a lot of resemblance to his own mask. Very gently he grabs your face, making you hold your gaze with his. “What’s this love?” Ghost makes sure to tap your cheek on the same side as your prosthetic just to make sure you know what he’s talking about.

"Do you like it?" You grin up at him, "We match!” 

“Hmm looks great, love,” Ghost loved all your eyes. He especially loved when you had given him a random gift one day that was one of your older normal eyes made into a bracelet. He wore it all the time. The reaction he got from Soap seeing it for the first time was something he would always remember. 

Getting a closer look at the eye, Ghost noticed that the accuracy of his mask was almost scary. Your ocularist was truly an artist and it showed with every single eye you had made. The new eye wasn’t his favorite, but it was a close second. His absolute favorite was when you got an eye designed after his own eyes. You had gotten it some time after you gave him the bracelet. 

Ghost didn’t understand why, when you first started dating, hid the fact that you wore a prosthetic eye. Only ever wearing a normal eye around him for the longest time. It wasn’t until you wore a fun eye with him, and you ended up getting harassed by an old woman about how terrible it was that you didn’t try and hide it. “You’re going to scare the children, “ she had said. 

It was a step back in your confidence of wearing them, but with time and reassurance it seems like you don’t ever wear your normal eye nowadays. He wouldn’t have it any other way; all he wanted was for you to feel comfortable expressing yourself. 

[xxxpresso]

Does anybody wanna see Kremy doing the nasty in a wedding dress ?

If so, Here's some smut 🥰

[daniwib]

I wrote a five & a half thousand word fic and didn’t mention Buck’s name once.

I’m so amused at my amusement of that. I’ve written nearly 65 9-1-1 fics and I think he’s the main character in maybe 95% of them if not more. I really like him and here I am writing… this.

The fic is bombing of course because a fandom of mostly young(er) and childless people don’t want to read a Helena Diaz redemption fic. But I DGAF because I wrote that one for me and I am damned proud of it.

[literallyjusthereforlucemond]

I can't even express my love for modern lucemond au. Istg it just gives thousands of scenarios to wright about. IM GNNA TWIST SHIT AND MAKE LUKE A BALLET DANCER. For example, 2nd year Aemond who majors in art and is just an all-around creative person. He's not cheery or friendly ofc but his limitless capabilities make him so fucking hot to his peers. His concepts are deep, it's the kind of art that makes people wonder, it's unique and terrifying but it captures everyone's attention because of its peculiarities. Like the motherfucker is just amazing at what he does and literally everyone is mesmerized with his pieces and his art concepts (although it's bit strange that his most prized piece is a boy with wild hair and dark eyes winkwink).

Then we have lucerys who's a 1st year and a fumbling ballet dancer. Not exactly fumbling cus he's literally a swan whenever he dances, he just lets himself exist and move to the music, though ofc some people are still self-appointed dickbags and try to tell him how " you're too stiff luke " and like no bitch you're stiff 🙄🙄. Anwys Rhaenyra is so proud of her sweet boy and attends almost every event that Lucerys dances in.

Now, imagine there's this old ballet room idk what to call it, that almost nobody uses cus ofc it's old and there's a new one in campus 🙄🙄. It's Aemond's secret little painting zone he has canvases and paint scattered all around the place. He likes how the lighting in the room and is perfect and how no one can ask him to paint them or some other dumb bullshit. Now ofc since Lucerys is a freshman and doesn't know this shit he stumbles upon it and is just fucking mesmerized with how detailed the artworks are.

Lucerys then leaves a little note there praising the pieces and commenting about the uniqueness of the brush strokes and ends it with his cute little L heart signature. Aemond comes back to his safe heaven and sees the note and is just "I will fucking kill the person who dared to intrude my space, but then again this note is so cute and this person is actually giving notice to the details so I'll let this one go". This goes on for weeks because their schedule just never seem to meet so luke just leaves little notes praising his work and commenting on some details and trying to decipher the meaning behind each painting. Aemond is wholly smitten with this person cause they're not basic af and doesn't ask him stupid shit, this person is actually trying to understand the meaning behind his art and he's just fucking inlove.

Then one day their university decides to hold an all talent kind of show for fundraising and Lucerys is asked to perform a dance of his own concept, ofc our nervous but brave little baby agrees. Ofc he's panicking because thinking of a concept is easy, it's making it an interpretative dance that's hard. And suddenly he thinks of the paintings that he saw in the old ballet room and is like " Jesus fucking christ that's it ". He then designs a costume and choreographs his own moves. But now that he's busy he didn't have much time to actually visit his secret painter. Aemond is just gloomy as all fuck cus his little note giver is gone and his day is never gnna be complete without those cute little L hearts.

Now imagine his fucking surprise when the even is finally held in their big ass stadium ( ofc the uni that they're attending is huge as fuck 🙄🙄 fucking rich people 🙄🙄 ). He sees everyone performing with their songs and their dances but what catches his eye (👁) the most is Lucerys. Truthfully he didn't even know that they're in the same uni, he was gonna leave cause ofc he still has resentment for Luke a(and he's not that interested in ballet) but stopped at the last minute when he saw what Luke was wearing. It's almost a perfect replica of the scenery in his painting he has no idea how Luke even made a scenery into a garment, Lucerys' movements were fluid and precise, the way he dances resembled the emotion that Aemond's painting was trying to express.

Aemond is just fucking flabbergasted, his little note giver is the object of his ire and the bastard who tore his eye out. All the rage and horniness*cough cough* is just pulsing inside him as he sees his pretty nephew twirl around in stage completely in his element. Suddenly the eyes met and he sees Lucerys' eyes widen a little before immediately regaining his composure and continuing his dance. Aemond swears to the seven that he's never seen anything more beautiful than this and his brain is just screenshotting the shit outta this performance. He sticks around until Luke stops performing and disappears into the crowd with the most beautiful art concept in his mind.

Lucerys had been fucking proud of his performance, he's content with how everything went except for the fact that a. his uncle, the one who's eye he tore out is literally there and b. they just locked gazes. Ofcourse since Lucerys is a bomb ass professional he didn't let that mess with his graceful movements. After this event ofc the awards were given and he won ( as he should ). Now because he won he obviously got more popular and he suddenly got busier with all that shit. Due to the distractions he was unable to visit his secret painter.

Few weeks passed and he finally had time to visit the old ballet room, at first he was expecting the usual cryptic but ethereal paintings. Then he sees a huge ass canvas in the middle of the room, what's shocking to him is that the painting was him, the brush strokes looked elegant and extravagantly precise, he looked almost godly in this, his face was perfectly framed and he was in a mid twirl position, there were small swans framing the edges of the canvas, and every single detail was just sublime. To put it simply, it's fucking beautiful, he felt himself flush at the idea that his secret painter thinks of him as this beautiful. He was still admiring the painting when he heard the door click open behind him.

"So, care to tell me what you think of this painting, nephew?"

Anyways that's im literally in a zoom meeting rn HAHAHAHAHHA I FUCKING HATE THISSZS. FEU is so excessive sometimes fr 🙄🙄🙄. Tell me if u like this shit pls.

[silverstarfics]

I'm losing my mind. I put a semicolon and spellchecker doesn't like it.

So I put a comma instead and...

IT STILL DOESN'T LIKE IT!! WHAT DOES IT WANT FROM ME??

[zephyrchama]

"Welcome back, it's been a while."

After a long time has passed, how might the Obey Me! demons welcome you home with a hug?

---

Lucifer tries to approach you in a calm and collected manner, but that facade easily crumbles as he gets closer. His pace quickens and his expression melts into an inscrutable blend of emotion. The man is fighting to stay composed.

He pulls you towards him, unwilling to wait a moment longer to have you in his arms. His gloved hands wrap around your back and waist with a secure grip. Your toes brush the ground as his hug lifts you to eye level, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "Welcome back, I've missed you."

---

Mammon sprints up with the goofiest grin imaginable plastered on his face. He catches himself at the last moment though, grinding to a halt as a blush creeps over his ears. He wants to be cool. "You sure are a piece a work to keep The Great Mammon waiting."

His arrogant act is betrayed by the many glances in your direction. By the way he's clenching his fist so hard his knuckles are white, and by the way he immediately crumbles into your open arms the second you reach out. He throws his arms around your shoulders and digs his face into your neck. He grips the back of your top a little too hard, as if you might leave again any moment.

---

Leviathan sheds his insecurities and doubts, all negative emotions, just to be able to bask in your presence again. It's a moment he's looked forward to for weeks. He puts trust into the belief that you've also been looking forward to seeing him.

He wraps his arms and legs around you, unconsciously aiming to get as much skin contact as possible. "I've really missed you, you know!?" he half-shouts before burying his face in your shoulder. You fight to stay standing upright. Every little movement, every minor adjustment in posture you make causes Leviathan to snuggle closer until you can't tell where your limbs end and his begin.

---

Satan can't control all of the overwhelming emotions that hit him at once. He grabs hold of your hand, and with a palm on your back he pulls you close until your entire weight leans against him. At your touch, all he can do is smile.

"Glad to see you again." The two of you sway back and forth, turning your hug into a psuedo-Waltz. When you look into his eyes, Satan gives your hand a kiss and presses your intertwined fingers against his face.

---

Asmodeus laughs as he barrels into you. "Did you miss me? Of course you did!"

You stumble back several steps yet he catches you before you fall, latching onto your side like a matching puzzle piece. He rubs his cheek over your head, pausing every few seconds to give you a kiss as his free hand enthusiastically traces its way up your back.

Asmodeus is the most reluctant to let go. Making a mess of your hair and clothes only gives him a calculated opportunity to touch you more as he tidies up your appearance. His caress lingers over your collarbone and around your ear. His fingers brush against your mouth, which he then brings to his own lips.

---

Beelzebub falls to his knees, relieved to see you return safe and sound and glad to be by your side once more. His arms curl around your hips. He noses his face into your chest and looks up with a content smile as he greets you, "welcome back."

You lean over to return the hug, running your hands through his hair. You don't expect Beelzebub to stand, picking you up in the process. You steady yourself on his shoulders as he rises, his violet eyes not wavering from you for a second, tempting him to steal a kiss.

---

Belphegor wraps his arms around your shoulders and practically falls on you. He doesn't seem concerned that you're sinking to the ground. In fact, he's so preoccupied with cuddling up to you that there's no way to avoid sitting on the ground with this demon on top of you.

He curls his body around your legs. You feel his warm breath on your neck as he slowly exhales, "welcome back." He's awake, but nothing will stop him from pretending to be asleep as his grip strength loosens and his face trails down your body.

---

Diavolo laughs amicably as you approach. He wants you to come to him, and is so thrilled to have you back. He bends down to latch his arms under yours and swings you around, sweeping you off your feet as you twirl two, three times, then slow to a stop.

"How have you been?" In due time he wants to know everything, and hear all the stories of your time away in detail. For now, he's got you locked in a bear hug. You feel his lips brush over your hair as he lightly swings you back and forth.

---

Barbatos' hug is the most restrained. It's simple and polite. At first he was content to just greet you with a gentle handshake and loving gaze. Though, when you request a hug, there is no way he can say no.

He extends his arms around your back, gives you two soft pats, and hesitates for just a moment before letting you go.

At night that evening as you prepare for bed, you find a note in your pocket that Barbatos must have cunningly slipped in without anyone noticing. It's a detailed letter with everything he didn't get to tell you in person.

[ping-ski]

shrödinger's plex fic (they are real to me)

EBY eclipse and y/n ref here!! :3

[rafey-baby]

cw: bf!rafe being very persuasive, heavily suggestive, fluff

wc: 710

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

Thinking about bf!Rafe lying on top of reader on their bed, his body pressing her into the soft mattress like a weighted blanket; warm and heavy, making her feel so safe.  

“Don’t know what I’d do without you,” he mumbles next to her ear with his head tucked into the crook of her neck, soothing breaths and pillowy lips tickling the sensitive skin there.  His fingers mindlessly play with her hair, tangling into the strands and twirling one around his index finger.  

“I love you,” he hums contently before he’s pasting sloppy kisses all over her face, forcing her to let out a squeaky giggle along with a breathy ‘I love you’ when he begins to trail lower, smearing his mouth on the expanse of her neck; the flat of his tongue laving over her throat.   

“Rafe…” she whimpers when she can feel him poking against her lower belly.  

“Missed you,” he groans when her nails scratch over his buzzed head as he gives a lazy rut of his hips against her.  

“Missed you more,” she murmurs back.  

“I don’t think that’s true,” he scrunches his nose, feigning offense.  

“Yes, it is!” She huffs playfully, fingers slipping under his shirt, the thermal skin of his abdomen greeting her.  

“Yeah? How much?” He lifts his head up slightly, blue moonstones locking with her eyes in a challenge.  

“This much,” she gives him a giddy smile, hands leaving their home from resting on his stomach and drawing apart as far as they go.  

“Uh huh? Well, I missed you this much,” he momentarily gets up to sit back and widen his own arms; much bigger than hers, therefore making the distance between them far longer as well.  

“That’s not fair!” Her brows crease.  

“No? Neither is you leaving me for the whole day,” he grumbles, slumping down on top of her smaller frame once more.  

“I can’t just drop out of uni for you, can I? And you have your business as well,” she tries to reason, but her arguments seem to fall on deaf ears. 

“I know, Baby. What if you stay home tomorrow, hm? I could take the day off and we could just stay home all day, yeah?” The way he’s beginning to mouth at her left nipple through the flimsy material of her (his) worn out t-shirt is making it entirely too difficult for her to deny him of anything at the moment.  

“Rafe…I have an important lecture tomorrow,” she lets out a sigh that turns into a whine when his big palm squeezes at her other tit, thumb idly rubbing against the puffy bud.   

“I don’t care, you’re already so smart, don’t even need to go,” his heady tone is muffled by the shirt-covered nipple between his lips, teeth teasingly nipping at it.  

“Rafe, you’re not making any sense,” she lets out a giggle, followed by a moan when she can now feel his cock nudging against her clit through the layers of fabric and all of a sudden, his jumbled words have turned crystal clear.   

“Need you to just say yes, Baby,” he rasps out, coaxing her to give in with another lazy thrust of his hips.  

And that’s all it takes for her resolve to crumble.  

“Okay,” she's nodding, not missing the way a smug grin hangs on his face in victory.  

It’s just one day, right? Unless he decides to keep her from leaving the house for 'just a few more days', (as he’s done in the past); coming up with excuses as to why she can’t go to class and then before she realizes it, she’s stayed home for the rest of the week.  

However, she doesn’t mind all that much. After all, she prefers to spend time with the love of her life over anything else. In some twisted way, she gets all dizzy inside whenever Rafe turns into something so clingy to this extent.

The following morning, she wakes up with his cum leaking out of her; making her sore inner thighs sticky when she shifts into a different position. And when she turns her head to the side she's met with his serene form, deep asleep; one hand holding onto her left tit possessively and his steady breaths fanning the back of her neck.

Her foggy mind thinks that this might just be heaven on earth.

[marionstjames]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Our Flag Means Death (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Israel Hands/Lucius Spriggs, Black Pete/Lucius Spriggs Characters: Black Pete (Our Flag Means Death), Lucius Spriggs, Buttons (Our Flag Means Death), Israel Hands, Blackbeard | Edward Teach, Blackbeard's Crew (Our Flag Means Death), Stede Bonnet, Frenchie (Our Flag Means Death), Wee John Feeney, The Swede (Our Flag Means Death), Jim Jimenez, Oluwande Boodhari, Fang (Our Flag Means Death), Ivan (Our Flag Means Death), Roach (Our Flag Means Death) Additional Tags: Enemies to Lovers, Established Black Pete/Lucius Spriggs, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Smut, Hate Sex, Hate to Love, no beta we die like karl the seagull, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Bets & Wagers, Lucius Spriggs-centric, But also, Israel Hands-centric Summary:

Post-reunion, life on the Revenge has taken on a familiar routine- much to the crew's dismay. Despite everyone's protests, Izzy Hands remains the First Mate, and he's making it everyone's problem. The crew decide that the solution lies with Lucius's powers of seduction, and a bet begins. With his reputation on the line as well as an increasingly insane betting pool, Lucius is determined to succeed- at an almost embarrassing cost to his dignity. Needless to say, shenanigans ensue- but what Lucius doesn't anticipate in his endeavor is just how much he and Izzy have in common.

[abbyshands]

♡ warnings; use of a strap-on (r!receiving), strap-on is referred to as cock by abby and in general, abby calls reader “baby” and “mama,” praise

PALESTINE LINKS | before engaging !!! | click before you fic ♡ | | join my tag list!

♡ imagine dom!abby, x softball!reader. you’d played a game earlier on, having just gotten back from it an hour or so beforehand. you are your team had won, barely, winning by a close score of 8-6. abby had come to it, the first game she had ever come to, as you’d always been too scared to allow her to come watch. however, no matter how nervous you’d been, abby had seen you play an excellent game at your infield spot, and seen how good of a player you really were, wondering why the hell you had been holding out on her before. it didn’t really matter: all that did, was you were now getting rewarded for it. “that’s it, baby. pretty cunt’s so tight around me, hm? yeah? you like my cock, huh?” abby coos as she moves into your pussy at a slow pace, easing her way into it. you’re sore from your game and borderline exhausted, so all that slips past your lips is a rushed, little “yes.” abby smiles down at you from where she is above you, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips. “aw, is my good girl all fucked out for me already? s’okay, mama. i’ll do all the work for my pretty girl, mhm,” abby says, and, fuck, do you like it. abby’s easy on you as she pushes her cock deeper, gradually moving her hips faster with each second that passes by. naturally, your hands find abby’s back, digging marks into it as she begins to pound into you. “my baby played so good for me, didn’t she?” abby asks you. you nod as pleasure washes over you, your eyes shutting closed. “mmm, yeah, i did, abby. i did,” you whine in response. abby’s smile widens, almost cockily so, as she pulls her cock almost fully out of you, before slamming back inside as if she never left. “yeah, you did, mama. such a good, fuck, good fucking girl. and i’m gonna reward this pretty pussy for it.”

divider creds !

𖥔 ࣪ ᥫ᭡ꗃ⋆࣪. tags: @sugarevans @spacewlf @hangeishere @elsdoll @flowersforvi @yondaimekazzy @carolb111 @marsworlddd @amourrs @smvtreader124 @viisgrave @elliesbff

[mwahmimi]

Comfort item🧸

It has been a hell of a day. Early rise and a late finish, with maybe 5 minutes worth of a lunch break in between few cigarettes stops. Getting on the jet felt like finally being able to breathe. The unsub was caught, the case cracked, justice served. That’s what you signed up for. As you open your backpack in your seat, you rummage around in the depths of your bag, a deep sense of guilt and disappointment hitting the pit of your stomach.

You pale, realising you’d left your one comfort item at home.

The whole team had one, Reid had his blanket, Morgan his headphones and JJ a book to read. Yours was rather particular and could not be replaced, your stuffed animal, but he was more than that. He is an Eeyore plushie that you’ve been inseparable with since the day you received him as a birthday gift. Over the years he’d been ripped and sewn up, every time you pretended to give him anaesthetic for his surgery. He’d been with you, through all the nights you couldn’t sleep, the nights you’d cried yourself to sleep. He’d even shared the bed with your ex boyfriends, much to their dismay.

You knew this journey home without Eeyore would be a sleepless one.

"Hi."

Hotch slips himself into the seat next to you. He notices her sitting curled up on the seat and he can't help but notice how miserable you look, curling herself into a ball to almost hide from something.

"Are you doing okay?"

He asks, keeping his voice low to not disturb the others. You whisper in response, just muttering something about being tired.

"You look it. This was a tiring case. You should get some sleep."

He looks across to the others playing cards. Reid was almost definitely cheating again he assumed, as Morgan stared across the table with eyes like daggers, Emily’s head rested on his shoulder as she laughed at the confrontation in front of her.

"They'll probably keep going for a couple more hours if you can ignore them."

You pout, Hotch would be a safe person to share this problem with. He has a child so he’s definitely seen similar conundrums, maybe Jack wasn’t as much as of a baby as you are at the grown age of 22.

“I- I can’t sleep. Not without my Eeyore.”

You mutter under your breath, praying Aaron hears it. Admitting the fact again would be too embarrassing to endure.

He chuckles lightly at her choice of sleep companion.

"And your Eeyore toy is at home?"

He looks down at you, lifting your chin up with his thumb so you look him in the eye. You nod shyly in response, slipping into a nonverbal headspace.

Aaron looks sympathetic as she nods with a frowny face, but he still can’t resist teasing you.

"Aww, you miss your stuffed animal."

He smirks, making a little teasing remark. He matches his facial expression with yours, both modelling pouty frowns. Staring into each other’s eyes, you’re not sure how you started this game of getting the other to break the act and laugh. But you were certainly losing. Your lips curl up into a smirk and you let out a soft breathy giggle, your smile growing when he smirks back.

"Lie down then, come on."

Hotchner pats his lap, offering for her to rest her head on it. He adjusts his position so he's sat more comfortably and begins to gently run his calloused fingers through her hair, gently stroking it.

“This should help you fall asleep, hm?"

You feel the breath you’ve been accidentally holding release, your shoulders fall and for the first time all day you feel calm. You practically purr under his touch, smiling up and nodding at him.

Hotch glances down fondly as his hand continues to gently run through her hair.

"Good."

He lowers his voice to a hushed whisper as to not disturb the other members of the team who are a few seats down.

"You are adorable, you know that?"

You feel your cheeks burn under your new found blush, rolling your head inwards to hide your face in his stomach. You squeal internally, realising you’re basically putty in his hands.

"Hey, what's wrong, hm?"

He questions, still keeping his voice gentle as he glances back down at her, his arms wrapped around her in a tight yet still comfortable hug.

“Nothing.. I- I miss Eeyore, but this is nice too.”

You manage to blurt out, half in nervousness and the other in honesty.

“When you get home, you can tell Eeyore all about how brave you were on your adventure without him. And you’re right, this is nice. Sweet girl, just needed to cuddle up and get a few head scratches. It’s cute you know? It’s precious. Having a comfort item, it doesn’t make you weak.”

Hotch speaks earnestly, running his fingers through your outgrown fridge and tucking the hair behind your ear.

"And I, I'll happily keep doing this as long as it keeps you sleepy. It's kind of cute how much of a baby you are and how easy it is to send you to sleep with a gentle head rub.“

Aaron’s voice sounded like silk, so soft and calming. It makes your eyelids feel heavier until they close. It can’t be that bad to take a nap on your bosses lap, can it?

[multifandom--mess]

everyone moved on but i'm still here 😔

[littlejuicebox]

The wish spell worked.

Pairing: Astarion x F!Reader/Tav

Summary/Setting: 10 years post BG3. Follows my HC for spawn Astarion arc. See my other fics for more information, but otherwise the title speaks for itself. :)

Rating/Warnings: PG / allusions to sexual behaviors / fluff / in-game spoilers / lightest bit of angst if you squint but not really / this is self-indulgent af and idc / so sweet it will rot your teeth

Word Count: 2.2 K

A/N: HAPPY 400 FOLLOWERS POST! Thank you to everyone who likes my stories and provides encouragement. I love you all! I originally wanted to post this as a New Years Eve/Day special, but I couldn't get it quite right by then. After several reiterations, this is what we finally have! Hope it was worth the wait and multiple edits for you guys! :)

-----

If anyone had told Astarion Ancunin a decade ago that he would one day hold Gale Dekarios on a pedestal nearly as high as the one on which he held his darling Tav, the immortal elf might have actually died from laughter. The strange irony and wicked life lessons of fate were not lost on the retired rogue. Unbelievably and annoyingly, Astarion eventually found himself indebted to the wizard in a way he could never repay. 

The wish spell worked.

It had taken years for Gale to feel absolutely ready to cast the spell. Astarion waited — exasperated, impatient, and impetuous — for what felt like the longest ten years of his ageless lifetime to be given the gift of mortality. 

More than once, in the pale elf’s tearful fits of frustration, he accused the wizard of intentionally stringing him along or simply not having the skills to perform such a spell and not wanting to admit it. More than once, you had to calmly remind your husband of the great lengths Gale had gone to find information regarding the act and the even greater risk to both the vampire and the wizard if the spell was not cast perfectly and mindfully. 

It had been a long decade, waiting for that impossible possibility, but the wait had been more than worth it.

Just over ten years after you met that silver-haired rake on the beach, Astarion was miraculously returned to his living, breathing, heart beating, mortal elven form. Surprisingly, not much changed about his appearance. Most notably, his eyes turned a gold-flecked green, and his complexion took on a constant soft pink undertone, permanently tinged by the circulation of his own blood by his own heart. That beautiful undertone caused a delightful blush to creep across his cheeks and ears whenever you teased or aroused him, and you took an even more significant liking to both these behaviors, just to watch that gorgeous rosiness creep across his skin. 

And while you dearly loved that blush, your favorite part of the change had certainly been the steady beating of his heart. You would rest your head on your lover’s chest for hours to savor the sound if he let you, wrapped tightly in the new found warmth of his long limbs.

While you became obsessed with Astarion’s steadily thrumming heart, he’d become obsessed with his reflection. As soon as he’d been able to see himself, your husband had taken to having you sit on his lap while you primped and preened. He would stare into the looking glass with you for long lengths of time, his limbs coiled around your waist and chin often resting on your shoulder as he studied the mirror with a besotted, hazy smile on his face. 

After a few weeks of this, you finally asked your silver-haired husband why he seemed positively obsessed with this new behavior. Astarion’s response had floored you.

“Darling, in my over 200 years, I never imagined I would have a love of my own, nor did I ever imagine what we would look like together. I couldn’t have envisioned such a thing even if I thought it a possibility or wanted to. I simply couldn’t envision myself at all. But now seeing it? I want to commit everything to memory exactly as it is… because it’s the most precious vision in the world to me.”

And really how else could you respond to that apart from kissing your sappy, bleeding heart of a husband and allowing him to continue the practice?

Of course, the two of you behaving as innocent love birds hadn’t been the only thing Astarion wanted to see in the mirror. On more than one occasion, he’d easily charmed you into the throes of passion in perfect view of a reflective surface. Your husband’s darker, more carnal half had become obsessed with watching you two in the act and it certainly thrilled you to know he was trying to commit those sensual sights to memory. You were quite happy to oblige. 

As such, you’d soon found yourself carrying the byproduct of one of your many erotic couplings.

“That was a big one.” Astarion murmurs, and you see a smile creeping across the reflection of his face in the mirror as he glances down and runs his long fingers across the swell of your abdomen. His arms are looped around you as you sit front of the vanity mirror, placing the final touches on your appearance. 

You agree with a gentle hum, moving a hand to your pregnant belly and rubbing circles on the stretch of skin, hoping to calm the young life stirring within. You coo softly to the rolling babe as you finish your primping, “Surely you aren’t thinking about breaking out of there yet, my little love. You have a few more months to go.”

Astarion’s now-warm hands cover yours as the little one seems to do somersaults in response to your voice, causing you to wince slightly as they jolt against your ribs. He presses a tender kiss into your shoulder and chuckles, “This one is strong like their mother and impatient like their father… we may be in for a spot of trouble in a few years, my love.”

You laugh in response as you stand with a pitiable amount of effort and quite a bit of assistance from the supportive arm of your husband. “I believe you’re right… but surely we’ve taken on scarier and more difficult things than a stubborn babe.”

Astarion hums in agreement before pressing a kiss to your swollen stomach, which is hovering just in front of him now, “Surely, darling. Now let us all go say hi to Uncle and Auntie Ravengard. I’m positively famished.”

-----

You are almost out of breath as you walk the final steps toward the entry of the Duke’s home. Astarion had practically begged you to take the carriage all the way through Wyll’s estate, but you waved him off, adamant that a bit light exercise would be good for the baby. The walkway was fully paved, how hard could it be?

As it turned out, you’d severely overestimated your abilities. Though it was just under a quarter mile to the front doors of the manor when you’d decided to exit the carriage, you were no longer the young, lithe woman that traversed the wilds with a petulant vampire a decade ago. The weight of your belly slowed you down more than you would admit. Astarion implored you, more than once and with growing concern and exasperation, to return to carriage. You refused each time, forcing the driver to follow behind at a snail’s pace.

“Gods, I hope this child does not take on your stubborn streak. I will be constantly overrun in my own home.” Astarion huffs, dabbing at the few beads of sweat on your brow with a silken handkerchief as he helps you climb the small flight of stairs at the entryway of Wyll’s home. He rolls his eyes as you laugh, breathlessly, and lean into him for support as he presses a kiss at the meeting point between your cheek and ear. “But, my sweet, as much as I would have preferred we stayed in the coach, you know I adore the way you look with your cheeks all flushed after a bit of… exertion.”

It’s your turn to roll your eyes at your husband as he traces his hand over your flushed cheek, his expression practically brimming with desire. The flush on the tips of his ears is a telltale sign of his salacious thoughts. If he had it his way, he’d be dragging you into the carriage right there for a quickie. But, he knew you two were nearly running late for dinner with the Duke and forced himself to push all desires aside. For now.

Wyll and his beautiful wife, Euphemia, greet you with a flurry of excitement and hugs. Their two twin toddlers run around in the entryway, a nursemaid trailing behind them.

Wyll wears a kind, soft smile as he addresses the both of you, “Dinner should be just about ready… shall we make our way there? I hope you two don’t mind. We are having work done in the dining room — my beautiful flower insisted upon remodeling — so dinner will have to be served in the Great Hall.”

As the four of you head towards the larger of the two dining areas in the Duke’s estate, Astarion wraps his arm around your waist and runs his hand along the side of your nearly bursting belly once again. There is a subtle pause at the doors of the Great Hall, and your husband’s eyebrows crinkle in a silent question before you gently press a kiss into his cheek and whisper, “Happy Rebirth Day, my love.”

Today marked one year since Gale successfully cast the Wish Spell. 

The oak doors burst open to reveal the faces of everyone you hold dear, all of them shouting, “Surprise!” in unison. Wyll and Euphemia are laughing with delight as the four of you enter the room. Astarion is obviously shocked and overwhelmed as he takes the scene in, but a toothy smile is plastered across his face nonetheless. The elf could not believe that the significance of the date had slipped his mind, nor could he believe that you all went through such great lengths to plan a spectacle on his behalf. 

Everyone showered your husband with a plethora of well-wishes and congratulations. The food was heavenly, and the silver-haired elf dined to his heart’s content. Just as Astarion loved to watch you both in the mirror, you adored seeing him eat and savor real food. You’d pursued cooking as a new hobby in the past few months, just to watch the delight on his face as he tasted any number of delectable things you placed in front of him.

“Have you thought of any names for the baby?” Karlach asks through a mouthful of food as she continues to tear into the lamb shank in front of her.

You smile knowingly. This topic has piqued everyone’s interest and they all turn their gazes in your direction, “Yes, actually… Astarion picked it out. It works well for a boy or a girl, and I think it’s an excellent choice.”

The elf smiles shyly, that subtle flush of his cheeks and ears crawling across his face as you turn your gaze to him and urge him on, “Go on, my love, and tell them the gorgeous name you picked.”

“I… I decided we should name the baby Gale.” Astarion reveals, his hand immediately moving to graze against your swollen stomach as he meets the flabbergasted expression of the wizard sitting across the table with a round-eyed, nervous gaze, “If… that’s okay by you.”

Gale coughs in surprise, nearly choking on the wine he’d just sipped from a goblet. For a moment, you watch as he blinks away tears. You are beginning to truly believe he might leap across the table and tackle your husband in a hug when he rapidly nods instead.

The wizard’s voice cracks with emotion as he speaks, “Y-yes. Thank you, Astarion. That is such an honor.”

Ten years of friendship between two men that once seemed entirely at odds with one another, honored by a namesake given to a precious babe. Fate was a truly remarkable thing.

“It’s an honor you are quite deserving of, Gale.” You respond, reaching your hand across the table to give the wizard’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “May our child have just as much heart, wit, and skill as their namesake. We will be truly blessed.”

A cake with candles is brought about at the end of the meal and placed in front of Astarion as everyone sings an off-key birthday tune. While your husband always seemed to thrive on being held at the center of attention, you noticed with a bit of amusement that his ears and cheeks were flushed pink as everyone focused their eyes upon him. 

While the others continue to sing, you lean closer to your husband and whisper, “I know we will never surpass the wish you made last time, my Star. But go on and make one anyway.”

Astarion’s gaze roams around the room, taking in all the friends he collected this past decade. Then he turns to you and grins, pausing to etch every bit of this moment into his memory before closing his eyes and blowing the candles out to a cacophony of inebriated cheers and whoops.

The elf wished for the only thing he could: a healthy child and a long life with his little love. Fate had already gifted him with more than he could have imagined for himself back in those dark, dank dungeons he once called home. Astarion found himself in want of nothing but the health and happiness of the woman beside him and the safety of their offspring. 

Though he knew it was another selfish ask, and he’d been blessed far more than he had ever expected, Astarion prayed to the gods that he once never thought would answer to grant him this last wish. And just in case they did not hear him the first time, he would be sure to make the same wish every year, until his very last. 

[tunastime]

do androids dream of electric sheep?

I am nothing if not a vessel for self-indulgent docsuma, especially @shepscapades's dbhc self-indulgent docsuma. sometimes you fall asleep in the lab, and sometimes your friend feels compelled to make sure you're okay <3

(3964 words)

Doc sometimes slips into daydream.

It’s not unlike him. He’d been doing it for some time now, some fix halfway between awake and Sleep Mode. Not quite his mind palace, but still wedged into predictive processes, still trying to work to replay memories. In quiet moments, more often than not, he finds that it’s easier to slip away, to tuck himself into his work, drafting, or building, or walking thoughtful circles and let the mechanical parts of his mind slip away into calculation.

In those same dreams, he tries to calculate the probability of events with what he has, blocking out the movements of who he knows best, who he may be able to pinpoint. He works in quiet as his mind runs in the background, wondering how conversations may go, how actions could be perceived. He maps what might happen if someone got hurt, or if someone needed help, or if someone fell asleep in the lab. Someone. Just anyone. He tells himself it could be anyone, but he would be lying if he didn’t know who.

It was hard, right—it felt wrong if he didn’t. Something he was designed to do, put to waste because it felt silly to imagine waking his lab partner, his friend, making sure he was alright, helping him. Was it wrong to want to be helpful? Was it wrong to want anything? It feels—it’s silly. Want was such a human word. He’s not sure he can really want at all. The paper in front of him is getting fuzzy around the edges, though, as he forces himself back into his true waking mode, and focuses on the task in front of him, now a line of text in his eyesight.

Doc leans hard on his hand, cupped around the side of his jaw as he studies the plans in front of him. He’s long since set them to memory, easily recalled with the summon of command, but he works out the fine details of the draft in front of him, still unsatisfied with his new creation. He works quietly, mentally mapping the lists of supplies he might need, the time it may take. If he were to concentrate the slightest bit more on the display in the corner of his vision, he might note how late it had gotten. Without any windows down here, the night sky can’t leak in, which means Doc doesn’t know it’s gotten dark until Xisuma starts to yawn or he manages to peek outside. 

He sets his pad down, eyes skimming the surface. Right, and where was X, anyway? The space, ever growing, up, down, sideways, that he used as his lab had gone still and quiet some time ago. Enough for Doc to take note of. Enough to be a little odd, he would assume, even for him, and the behaviors he knows well from Xisuma. Xisuma didn’t just wander off without a word—he was much too narrative for that. Doc sits up, hand falling to the table. 

“X?” he asks, furrowing his eyebrows. The room stays quiet, aside from the hum of recirculating air and electronics. Doc taps his hand against the table—it was some sort of tic he’d picked up from Ren, a sign of his impatience. He couldn’t shake the habit of mimicking it while he was thinking.

Okay, right. Last time he saw X. He gathers up the recall of the path Xisuma would’ve taken from his side, checking over his work at Doc’s request, and around the lab itself, looping back to a series of benches to work on. Leaning from his spot, he tries to pinpoint the peek of green helmet or shoulder piece. He finds neither in the direct line of sight, though, and slowly, bracing his prosthetic arm on the table, Doc stands. 

It’s a gentle quiet that fills the room, nice and easy and soft to step through as Doc makes his way around the space. Despite having another work bench quite close, Xisuma had a habit of leaving his stuff about, flitting between projects as he saw fit. It was interesting, sometimes, to watch him move around the room—not that Doc had done any of that. He seemed to bounce from point to point, sometimes staying still for hours, unmoving, lost in work. It was in those hours that Doc found himself watching, just for a moment, studying the shallow curve of his nose and the way his hair fell into his face from behind his helmet. 

His office is here, too. Though it’s no different than any other working space in terms of equipment, the space itself is fully outfitted, lined with tools and a large work table, his computer, a desk with a chair. Through the glass, he can see the shape of Xisuma at his desk, likely too caught up in whatever he had been working on to notice Doc’s concern. Doc pauses as he slides open the door, standing in the doorway, announcing himself to the cluttered room.

“Xisuma,” Doc starts. “I know it’s late, if you want to head home, I’m sure I can finish…”

Xisuma is slumped over on  his desk as Doc enters. There’s a brief moment, no more than a second, where Doc’s mind spins a scenario hard and fast, the crumpled shape of Xisuma over his desk. But he can see the slow rise and fall of his shoulders. He registers the slow, steady heartbeat in Xisuma’s chest, and his shoulders sag with relief. He stands in the doorway for a moment. Xisuma looks small, head pillowed on his arms. He’s still running a series of code on the console next to him, which illuminates the back of his head in pale lines of data. His hair falls half loose across his shoulder, like he’d forgotten to finish tying it away from his face, and the slow, deep breaths make it seem like he’d been sleeping here a lot longer than Doc realized. He’s without his helmet, too, which sits beside him on the desk, discarded.

Long enough to get a sore neck and complain about his upper back hurting. Long enough to worry that he might not be getting enough oxygen. Doc sets his shoulders. There’s something in his chest that feels like it skips—regulator, pump, or otherwise. They work in tandem to produce whatever fluttery feeling invades the space where his ribs should be. He presses the heel of his synthetic hand against the depression of his chest, rolling his wrist. The feeling fades for a moment, shuddering through his wrists like it might rest there. He was never going to get used to it, was he?

He steps into the lab proper, sticking his hands into his pockets. He picks his way around the room, trying to walk quietly around it. Xisuma stays asleep, shoulders rising and falling in that even tempo. Doc crouches beside him—Xisuma is properly slumped, back curved forward as he rests. What little Doc can see of his face is soft with sleep, eyelids fluttering just so. When X doesn’t move, he rests his palm over the curve of his shoulder, gentle and slow. He tries not to focus on the fact that so much of his face is exposed to him, aside from just his eyes and the bridge of his nose. He’s seen him before, briefly, every so often, but it was so different watching him now, calm and comfortable. Doc forces himself to focus.

“Xisuma,” he says, voice dipping low and quiet. He runs his hand over the part of his shoulderblade he can reach. He pats the high of his back. “Xisuma, hey…”

X takes a long breath in, making a squeaky sort of sound high in his chest. Doc feels him hum out from under his hand.

“Doc,” he says, voice rumbling in his chest. It was a tired sort of rumble, just on the edge of being rough with sleep, just enough to bring that feeling back to Doc’s internal components, like thirium was sludging too quick too warm through him. He huffs a little breath, a sound caught in his throat.

“You fell asleep at your desk, X,” Doc says, not able to weasel the amusement out of his voice. He runs his hand over his back again, just to see Xisuma’s eyes open tiredly, and shut again. It was so unlike the version of him that he knew in his mind, seeing him savor the brief contact, even from Doc. Especially from Doc. Xisuma was always the one reaching out for him, repairing or correcting or studying. All with purpose. There was no lingering touch between them. And though this had its purpose too, Doc lingered, feeling Xisuma breathe under his hand. 

“Sorry,” X mumbles, finally moving to lift his head, to open his eyes. Doc’s hand slides away as X sits up, over his back and back to Doc’s side. Xisuma blinks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the heel of his hands. A frown comes between his eyes as he tries to focus the world around him a little clearer. Like it were mimicking the score across his cheek and nose, there’s a fine indent pressed into his cheek. Doc smiles at him, scrunching his nose in a way he’s seen X do a hundred times. 

Xisuma jolts, half reaching for the helmet beside him. If Doc were to really look, he might see the pink-red flush over his cheeks and ears.

“Sorry—I didn’t…”

There he lingers, halfway to reaching. Doc looks away from him, purposefully averting his eyes.

“I don’t mind,” he says. “You have to be comfortable too.”

Xisuma hums, smiling a little, hanging his head as he leaves his hand on the table.

“Hah,” he says, ears still pink. “Right. Sorry, sorry, Doc. Didn’t mean to worry you.”

“It’s okay,” he says. “I didn’t know where you had gone off to, so I figured I would come make sure you were okay.”

X nods. Doc watches him twist around, hearing the faint give and pop as his spine adjusts to sitting upright. 

“‘M alright,” he says. Then he laughs a bit—the sound is airy and half in his chest, enough to shake his shoulders but more of a wheeze than anything else. Everything fit so well to the timbre of Xisuma’s voice, it seemed, be it the way he moved about, or the way he laughed, or the way his shoulder sloped or face was shaped. Not that Doc had been looking. Regardless, Xisuma sighs, and smiles back at him.

“Just embarrassed is all,” he manages. “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate you.”

X leans back in his chair. Doc watches him resettle and hum to himself as he gets comfortable against the plush backing. Doc makes a clipped sound, reaches out and moves away again, halfway between shaking him awake and letting him sleep.

“X,” he says. “Would it not be more comfortable if you were sleeping in your spare room?”

Xisuma frowns. 

“Would be,” he says, eyes still closed, mumbling. “It just gets awfully cold in there. ‘N if I’m perfectly comfortable in here, why not stay tha’way?”

It’s almost amusing, the trickle of stubbornness that leaks into the tired slur of Xisuma’s voice. It’s almost endearing. He watches X fold his arms over his chest, armor only partly discarded, watches his face wrinkle as he notices and tries to rearrange himself. Doc smiles, something that he simply can’t help—it feels so right, considering how ridiculous this is. He considers his options and weighs the success rates, the action taking a fraction of a second in time, though the scene plays out in his head in full.

“Because you’ll hurt your back,” Doc says plainly. X frowns, clearly mulling it over. There—that’s one that Doc knows, that face, where X slips into thought and worries the inside of his cheek and works his jaw. Doc raises his eyebrows, as if to question him without saying anything, without Xisuma even looking at him.

“Mhh,” Xisuma huffs. He pulls his knees up. Somehow, he manages to fit himself into his desk chair, curling his tall body over his knees and leaning sideways into the back. Doc hums, makes the approximation of the sound he knows.

“Xisuma,” he says. “I’m not going to let you sleep in that chair, you know. You are being stubborn.”

“M‘kay, okay…” Xisuma wheezes, finally uncurling himself.

It takes him a second. Watching Xisuma stretch and blink awake is like watching him come to life. He stretches up and around, face pulling as he likely unsuccessfully shakes the tension from the line of his spine. As he twists, he freezes, face scrunching all at once as he winces, hand shooting up to cup his neck.

“Ow. Jeez.”

He can see it tight in his shoulders and neck, even as X deflates, looking up at him blearily, still slightly slumped in his chair. His eyes shut again. 

“Xisuma…” Doc says, mouth twisting.

X sighs.

“‘M fine, Doc,” he manages to murmur out. “Just’a sore neck. Mm’exhausted.”

“Sounds like you need a real bed, mm?” Doc replies, setting his hands on his hips. Xisuma peeks at him, one eye opening, and shutting again.

He sees the fraction of a smile lift the corners of X’s mouth.

“Sure, sure…”

Doc looks over Xisuma’s face. With his eyes shut, face softening, hair tumbling over one shoulder, he looks comfortable. It’s as if someone took a brush to his features and smoothed out any hard edge—either that, or the static has leaked back into Doc’s vision. He feels a chug in his chest and his joints as he locks up.

X hasn’t moved. Doc reaches out, tapping his knee. Xisuma huffs, clearly startled from the half-sleep he’d drifted back into.

“Too tired t’stand,” he manages. Doc makes a questioning noise.

“I think you can make it,”

There’s a beat of silence. Xisuma cracks an eye open again, shuts it, furrowing his eyebrows. Doc watches him curiously, mind running through the list of possible scenarios. He’s made it part way when Xisuma says:

“‘M using you t’stand, then.”

And he makes a little, amused heh, before he says:

“That’s fine.”

There’s something he means to say alongside that, but as soon as X’s very warm, very human hand makes contact with the fabric of his lab coat and the cool synthetic of his arm, he loses focus. He should be used to this—the amount of times X has performed his routine maintenance, sweeping his hands over the replaced shoulder joint to check for seams, or made sure the regulator functioned, or backed up personal data, fingers skimming the shallow port at the back of his neck. He should be, but that contact alone sends a prickling-warm jolt up his arm. It feels foreign to let the touch linger. But Xisuma lingers regardless, hand flat against the space where Doc’s left ribs should be. He’s gone from holding, to simply sitting there, arm bent at the elbow, held weakly up. 

“Mrghh…” he complains. Doc taps his elbow, trying to jolt him back awake.

“C’mon, X, you can get up.”

X shakes his head slowly, his hand finding the inner curve of his prosthetic arm, squeezing just once, like he’s remembering it’s there. Then, X leans into him, all at once, slumping into his chest. Doc lets out a wouf in surprise. He holds still, aside from the simulated breath in his chest. After a moment, Xisuma makes a small, tired sound, almost like a laugh.

“Houfh,” he mumbles. “I, mm, don’t…don’t think ‘m gonna make it, Doc.”

“Mhm…” Doc chides. 

Xisuma laughs again, lying still for a moment, voice still heavy with sleep. There’s a moment where he shifts, and there’s a small, painful noise that he makes.

“Ow, mrrgh—ow, okay—” he gripes. Doc’s synthetic hand finds the curve of his shoulder, patting gently.

“Oh, X—just…stay still, mhm?”

“Mm,” Xisuma says tiredly, “Alright.”

As much as he wants to move him, X is still wearing that damn armor.

Doc lets him lean into his chest as he tries to weasel off the bits of armor left over. It’s a struggle, keeping X comfortable and trying not to pull him around awkwardly, while trying to remove his chestplate with one hand. Once the armor pulls away, he resettles him, slowly scoops one hand under his legs. Something about this, about the way Xisuma leaned heavy into him, felt so painfully human he feels it curl up between the wires connecting his regulator to his side fans.

“Ready?” he says, mostly to the top of Xisuma’s head.

“Mmh…” X murmurs.

He hefts him into his arms, settling him against his chest. When Xisuma sighs, it’s profound and heavy and he tucks his face into Doc’s coat. Doc can feel the remnant of heartbeat from where his arm rests behind his back, thudding away behind his ribs. His breathing stays even, though shallow. One of Xisuma’s hands clasps over the back of his neck, keeping him still.

It’s a careful walk to Xisuma’s spare room. Doc is careful not to bump anything, measuring the subtle rise and fall of his chest as he walks. He drifts back to sleep, though, through the lab, through Doc shutting the lights off. He’ll have to come back through to power down their various computers, but for now, the dull white-blue glow illuminates the room. He carries him into the halls and through and to his room. It’s smaller than the room in his base by a sizable margin—just enough for the essentials. X stirs as Doc pauses to flip on the lamp, the light warm and yellow briefly illuminating the room. This can’t be a daydream, now, with the way X sighs and wriggles himself free as Doc pulls back the quilts and lets him down. He sits down with him, and the warm shape that Xisuma makes curls toward him, just a fraction, as he pulls the blankets over him. 

Part of Doc knows that Xisuma won’t remember him carrying him to bed, or making sure he was warm, or keeping the light on so he wasn’t disoriented when he woke. Xisuma sighs, sinking into the pillows, expression relaxed and content. Doc hums.

“That’s better, yeah?” Doc says. He reaches out, instinct, want, desire, something, hammering away in his chest, as he brushes hair from X’s face, tucking it behind his ear. He brushes through the hair close to the base of his neck, across his cheek with his synthetic thumb. His dark hair is fine and soft and it must be a daydream—or it isn’t and he was right, because there have been moments like this in his head. Wondering if Xisuma would let himself succumb to soft comforts. He’s spent his own share of time lying next to him, ignoring the way Xisuma curls up next to him, pretending he himself didn’t move closer when Xisuma lies still. It was this dance that Doc didn’t understand, that he wasn’t sure if he was overthinking. Or overstepping. But Xisuma shifts, pressing his cheek to Doc’s synthetic palm, and Doc suppresses a shudder. It sparks something that could’ve been painful right up his arm and through his chest, bright and warm and staticky. 

Doc hums, smiling to himself. Something like a dull thrum knocks in that space of his pump, pushing itself a little further, a little harder. It was sweet. X trusts him, not only to see him without his armor, but to help him to bed, to help him sleep. But Doc lifts his hand away, feeling that ache, the nervous shudder through his system.

X makes a sound, then, something small, eyes fluttering as Doc pulls away. Doc pauses.

“Mhh,” X manages. Doc swallows—he shouldn’t have to. That’s not something he should have to do, or be able to do, but the action just feels appropriate. It goes right along with sighing and laughing, and as he does it, Xisuma says:

“Thanks,” in a small, soft voice, and, muffled, and slightly slurred with sleep: “Didn’t have’ta stop.”

“You’re supposed to be sleeping, Xisuma,” Doc says. He can feel his temperature tick up several notches, no doubt a blue flush coming to the high of his cheeks, the bridge of his nose. He laughs, just a bit. “Did I wake you up?”

X sighs, stretching as he does.

“No,” he manages. “No, y’didn’t…”

“Oh,” Doc says. “Were you awake this whole time?”

Xisuma nods slowly. Ah. Ah. Doc dismisses a temperature notification.

“A little.”

“Mm,” Doc hums. “Silly Xisuma.”

Xisuma laughs. The sound is high and a little fuzzy and a bit caught in his throat. His bright eyes blink up at him and shut again as a smile settles on his face. 

“Doc?” he asks. 

“Mhm?”

Xisuma yawns, smothering it with the back of his hand, just barely. He tucks that hand close to his chest, curling up further still under his thick comforter. 

“Could you…could’you do tha’again? The…” Xisuma lifts his hand, miming a brushing motion as he does. Another temperature warning, higher than the last, blips into Doc’s field of vision. It’s immediately dismissed, but he pulls in a breath, quiet, trying to turn it into a soft laugh.

“I can do that,” Doc says gently. Gingerly, he brushes his fingers through X’s hair, sliding back against his head. He combs through, lifting his hand to go back to his forehead, back to cradle his skull. X’s eyes fall closed again.

Doc can tell the moment that Xisuma truly slips into sleep. He lingers in his space, tracing out the base of his skull with his thumb, taking in the sensation of warmth and contact and stimulation, fingers flickering white up to his wrist. He wishes biting down on his tongue would do anything. He wishes that the hollow of his chest didn’t hold a weight that no diagnostic could fix. He felt too awkward and stilted and not nearly gentle enough. But as Xisuma stays asleep, he draws his hand away. He mumbles his good nights as he stands slowly, shutting out the light and wandering from the room. 

He makes his way back into the lab. He replays the memory of Xisuma’s small smile, the fine line of his scar as he’d pressed his face into the pillow, the way he’d relaxed against Doc’s touch. He replays the memory, again, and again. It has to be a daydream. Has to be. There’s no other logical explanation to all of that.

Maybe that would explain the ache in his chest, far too human to be his own.

Doc goes back to work. He sits down at the lab table, spreading his arms as he braces against the white tabletop. He furrows his eyebrows. Something doesn’t feel right, too warm or out of place. He feels gross. Not gross bad, maybe, gross different? Broken? Not broken, maybe. Weird. Wrong. Out of place. It doesn’t make any sense. Or it has, and he’s refusing the obvious answer. Xisuma didn’t ask for any reason. Xisuma asked because he was tired, and tired people do silly things, and silly people are a handful, and Xisuma is a handful—a lovely one. Doc shuts his eyes. His chest hurts. It’s an awful hurt, actually, less painful than it is just weird. He thinks for a moment he might be better off if he left, maybe the weight of whatever lingered in his memory would be better off if he were to take a break from standing in the same spaces. 

He sends Xisuma a message. From his office, he hears his com ping.

Docm77 whispered to you… Xisuma I’m stepping out, sleep well :-)

[spicyet]

What are you looking for here? Scroll back up.

Just kidding, here’s a treat:

[chazuramen]

hi sims 2 community, i bring you spooky cousins and gay people