#this is literally how my dad would stand in front of the tv

[iracundiias]

astarion standing like dads who stand in front of the tv and watch it for 20 minutes instead of sitting down

[gh0stsp1d3r]

𝒮ℴ𝒻𝓉𝓎

Aurora: the Roman goddess of the dawn

A/n- you guys I’m having major baby fever rn, it’s not even funny. My bf literally told me he would knock me up if we weren’t broke college students 🫠.i can’t do this anymore..

Warnings- rafe calls reader mamas once as a joke, dad!rafe

Rafe pulled his dads old suit over his body. Taking a deep breath as he looked in the mirror. You came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

A smile spread across his face as he looked at you in the mirror. Your face rested against his shoulder.

“You look amazing.” You told him, your lips moving against the fabric of his suit jacket.

“As do you.”

“She’s excited.” You said, your eyes looking at his in the mirror. “Keeps telling me that she can’t wait.”

“I’m excited.” He admitted. “I went with Wheezie when she was younger… she still remembers. I’m hoping Rora does too.”

“I think she will.” You smiled at him.

“Mom!” She shouted from inside the room. Your 8 year old was standing, huffing as she struggled to get her dress zipped.

“That’s your cue, mama’s.” He teased, watching you roll your eyes and leave the room. He turned back to the mirror, fixing up his growing hair, combing it back.

“Hey, baby, what’s up?” You asked her when you entered her room.

“Could you zip up my dress?” She said with a pout and slightly frustrated face.

You nodded, she turned around and you zipped it up for her, pulling her hair to the front.

“You look beautiful.” You told her with a smile, kissing the top of her head and fixing the little bow in her hair. She smiled at you.

“Is dad ready?” She asked you eagerly. Turning to look at you now.

“I’d say I’m pretty ready.” Rafe said from behind you, in the doorway. You both looked at him now, a smile spreading across his face as she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“Always a daddy’s girl, huh?” You teased her. He tilted his head to the side.

“Your mom’s a hater.” He told her, looking down at her now.

“I am not.”

“Isn’t she?” He asked while Aurora laughed and nodded.

You rolled your eyes but had an amused smile on your face.

When they got home, she was knocked out and he was yawning. He carried her into the house, and tucked her into the bed.

You watched them with a smile from the doorway, seeing him kiss her forehead.

“What?” He furrowed his eyebrows when he turned around.

“Nothing. How was it?”

“It was good.” He left the room, you followed him into your guys shared bedroom. He peeled off his clothes.

“It was funny though. I never really thought I’d ever be going to some sappy shit like that. Not with my own daughter.” He told you, putting on a pair of sweatpants. You sat on the bed, and he went over to you.

“I’m glad I did.” He nodded to himself. You smiled at him again.

“You’re such a softy for her.”

“What? I am not-“

“You are!”

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I am not a softy for her.”

The next morning, he was sitting on the couch, she was watching tv and sat on the floor with a bowl of ice cream. He braided her hair, looking up at you when you walked out.

You gave him a knowing look, mouthing to him. “Softy.”

He rolled his eyes again at you, shaking his head and continuing to braid her hair.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Crash and Burn 3

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Tony Stark

Summary: a powerful man comes crashing into your life. Literally.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

Another thankless day of serving cold cuts and cheese to the general public as you ready to tear your hair out. You don’t see how anyone could make such a fuss about a trip to the deli but the locals have a way of exacerbating any simplicity. You’re just happy to be free. 

The bus is late. You stand at the curb and bounce on your heels. You just want to lay down. The lack of sleep is starting to split your skull. 

You yawn and watch a truck blow by. It’s a sleepy old town, nestled between farmland and stretches of dirty roads. The sort of backwoods you don’t drive through after dark. It’s so dull you could fall asleep on your feet. 

A sudden gust of air rips through the sky and the unusual whirlwind circles you. You look up through slitted eyes as dirty speckles across your face. You furrow your brow as lights and flames glow as a red figure lands in front of you.

The electric blue haze goes out and your faced with the suit of crimson and gold. You grip your purse strap and gulp. You haven’t checked your phone yet. You couldn’t have predicted this. 

“Shit.” You mutter. 

His helmet snaps back and he smirks. The silver streaks in his dark hair puff out and he smooths them down. He puts his hand on his hip and scoffs, “name’s Tony Stark, thanks.” 

You cringe and cross your arms. “We met.” 

“Yeah, I remember you. Nearly forgot before everything blew up. You know, this thing...” he pauses to take his phone out. “Hasn’t shut up all fucking day. I got lawyers down my throat--” 

“Your phone is blowing up? My house blew up.” You sneer. 

“Okay, relax. It was a trailer. I said I’d replace it--” 

“Then do it.” 

“Ooh, spicy. I didn’t guess you to be the type but after seeing your little online storytelling, I shoulda guessed.” 

“It’s the truth. That’s it.” You turn to watch for the bus. You’re aware of the few people slowing to stare at the man in his techno-suit. 

“I mean, a little gratitude here, honey. I’m more than happy to slap a new box in the lot but you don’t gotta be this way about it.” He derides. You look at him from the corner of your eyes and scowl. “At least a smile. Bet you’re gorgeous when you smile.” 

He winks and you flinch. Really? 

“Fine. Once we have a new trailer, I’ll delete the post. Sounds pretty fair to me.” 

“Now. Take it down now and then we can go shopping for a new train car,” he chirps. 

You frown and face him. “It’s just a post.” 

“I got a reputation, sweetheart. I’m important that way. I know you might not be able to fathom that but one busted up hellhole is nothing compared to what I do for this planet. Didn’t you see me on the TV, handing out lollipops to hurricane survivors? What are you doing besides whine on the internet?” He stares you down, his expression turning sinister as his grin fades. 

“If it’s not a big deal, then it shouldn’t take much, should it?” You challenge. 

“Wow, you sure are mouthy, aren’t you?” 

“I’m tired.” You peer down the street again. “I worked a full shift and my feet hurt. You wouldn’t know about that, would you? With your penthouse and your dad’s money.” 

“I earned my company.” He snarls. “You watch where you’re stepping, sweetheart. I’m being nice. I flew all the way back to this ditch, so let’s not play dirty.” 

Your heart races. You don’t know why you’ve said so much. Maybe because you’ve worn a customer service smile all day and you’re all out of fucks to give?

And what do you have left to lose? A family that treats you like a gnat flying around their heads and a musty old futon. Your life wasn’t great before but damn if he didn’t make it a whole lot worse. 

“You do whatever. You’re Tony Stark. Iron Man.” Your tone is deflated and monotone. “I can’t do anything about it, can I? Just whine on the internet?” 

You step further down the sidewalk and stare at the approaching headlights. The bus is finally there. Even if he really means to replace the dusty old shithole, you don’t need his self-aggrandized kindness. Not if this is how it’s delivered. 

You pull out your bus fare as you sway beneath the sign. A sharp noise tweaks your ear and you’re seized in a metal vice. Your arms are trapped against your sides as Tony zooms up into the sky, the air whipping around your face as you holler in horror. 

“What-- are—you—doing?” You shriek as you wriggle, kicking into the empty void around you. 

“Sweetheart,” his voice rises from behind his helmet. “You’re gonna wanna be still. If I drop you, you’re gonna hit the ground like a bug on a windshield.” 

“What the fuck?” You exclaim and squeeze your eyes shut. 

“Just givin’ you a lift home. Like a nice guy would do.” He chuckles. “Now don’t breathe too heavy up here. At this altitude... well...” 

You put your head down, shielding it against the shoulder plate of his suit, and you bend your arms to cling to him. You have no other choice but to hold on for dear life.

You get his point. Tony Stark is more than money. He can do whatever the hell he wants. 

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

I'm desperately needing some mpreg for Adam, it's been one of those days 😫

Maybe simmer!Adam and Luci have a one night stand at the hotel, Lucifer freaks slightly because how could he have sex with the guy who tried to kill Charlie (even tho Adam apologized for it already- get over it Lucifer) and he still loves Lilith.

So he just retreats to his mansion for a few weeks, making excuses to Charlie. He still comes to the hotel but it's only brief visits.

Adams putting up a good front but he'd just feeling like shit cause Lucifer just up and left him- again. After a few weeks of feeling like shit, he finds out he's pregnant. And to his surprise, he's not mad or freaking out about it, but instead he's super excited and strangely comfortable.

When Luci starts pulling himself together and spending more time at the hotel (he still doesn't interact with Adam cause he's a prideful bitch), he notices how much of a better mood Adams in, he's constantly smiling, but when he's by himself, he has a different smile, one that almost matched Lilith when she was pregnant with Charlie.

He decides to finally talk with Adam when he goes to the lobby late at night, everyone's asleep so he was surprised to see Adam sitting on one of the couches, hands on his stomach, smiling.

Lucifer wasn't going to talk to him, but he couldn't help how curious he was in what made this huge change in Adam.

Adam sours a little bit, seeing Lucifer, so he turns his focus to the tv. After an annoying amount of small talk, Adam goes off on Lucifer, telling him how much of an asshole he was for leaving him again, that he hasn't changed since Eden, and just sees Adam as some play thing.

Lucifer watches as he storms off. But he feels like there's more to this than Adam being mad at him. So while the hotel guests are doing their group exercises, Lucifer decides to snoop around Adams room. He eventually finds a bunch of positive pregnancy tests in Adams bathroom.

He sits on his bed and waits for Adam to come back. At first he was really shocked, then happy. But the more he thought about it, he got pissed off. How could Adam not tell him? How could he have a kid with Adam, literally an enemy to hell, himself and Charlie?

He's basically pissed at himself but he's too prideful for that, so he thinks he can drove Adam off by saying horrible things about how they can't have a child together, no kid deserves to have Adam as a parent, that Lucifer doesn't want him so why would their kid? He wants Adam to argue back, call him every name under the sun because he deserves it. But he's shocked that Adam just sits on his bed, and cries.

Lucifer feels like absolute shit, especially when Charlie runs in because of her dad yelling. She quickly confronts Adam, who just leans into her, trying to hide himself. Seeing the look Charlie gives him, just kills him and hearing Adams heavy crying doesn't help. He just hands Charlie one of his pregnancy tests.

Lucifer: he's pregnant- with my kid

Adams shaking in fear, and tries to pull away from Charlie, he's terrified that Lucifer just outed him to the one person trying to help him. But Charlie holds on tighter.

Charlie: maybe you should go to your room dad, just until Adam calms down and we can talk, but you being here isn't helping right now.

Lucifer: i- ...yeah, okay

Lucifer can't sleep that night because he can still hear Adams cries.

That's all I have, I just need angst goddammit

Alright, I'll leave you alone 😫

Oh god that got angsty so fast! Lucifer you asshole!

Good luck talking your way out of that one.

[gracies-baby]

Meeting the Abrams Family

(Gracie Abrams x Reader)

———————————————————

"What if they don't like me?" Y/n asks her girlfriend nervously as she gets ready to meet the brunettes family.

"They're gonna love you. I promise" Gracie replies, walking into the room.

"How do you know?" Y/n walks up to the girl and hides her face in her shoulder.

"I've known them my whole life. I just know" Gracie says as she wraps her arms around the shorter girl, holding her closer.

"You ready to go?" Gracie asks, slowly pulling away.

"Yeah" Y/n replies, voice muffled as she puts her face back in her girlfriend's shoulder before they go to the car.

When Gracie stops the car, she walks to the passenger side and opens the door.

"Aww, how cute" Y/n teases, pecking her girlfriend's cheek.

"Well, I try" Gracie replies as she takes her girlfriend's hand and guides her to the front door before knocking.

"You must be Y/n! Gracie's told us so much about you!" Gracie's mum exclaims when she opens the door, pulling the shorter girl in for a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Y/n says, hugging the older woman back.

"Yeah, I'm here too, you know" Gracie mumbles as she walks inside her house.

"You literally live here. I see you every day" Her mother replies, guiding Y/n into the house. Gracie takes her hand and brings her to the living room where Henry is playing his video game and August is watching TV.

"Are you gonna look up from the screens anytime soon?" Gracie scolds, waiting for her brothers to turn their heads.

"I can hear you just fine this way" Henry replies, not moving.

"I want you to meet someone. This is my girlfriend, Y/n" Gracie says, getting annoyed with her brothers.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you. I can't believe Gracie actually got a girlfriend. Are you with her because of her dog?" Henry teases her sister, standing up and shaking the shorter girls hand.

"Well, he's a big part of it" Y/n joins the teasing.

"Are you gonna marry my sister?" The younger boy asks, walking up to the girls.

"Uh, I dunno. It's a bit early for that" Y/n stammers as the two girls faces turn red.

"I bet Gracie would love that, right?" Henry adds with a smirk.

"Dude, literally shut the fuck up"

"Gracie Madigan! Language!" Katie yells from the kitchen.

"They're egging me on!"

"Boys come help with dinner!" The boys sigh before walking to the kitchen to help their mom.

"Your middle names Madigan? That's so cute!" Y/n exclaims, reaching up to squish her girlfriend's cheeks.

"You're cuter" Gracie replies, pulling the girl closer as she wraps her arms around her waist. The taller girl leans down to place a kiss on her girlfriend's lips only to be stopped by a voice.

"Why are there people kissing in my living room?" A man's voice teases causing the girls to look up.

"Dad! This is Y/n, my girlfriend" Gracie replies as she pulls away to speak to her father.

"Hi, Y/n. I've heard a lot about you" JJ says as he shakes the girls hand.

"You too. It's nice to finally meet you" Y/n replies with a kind smile.

"Anyway, we're gonna go to my room while dinner cooks" Gracie says as she drags her girlfriend away from her father and to her room.

"Finally alone" Gracie sighs, closing her door as Y/n sits on her bed.

"Do you think they like me?"

"Babe, they love you. A lot more than your parents like me" Gracie replies as she sits next to her girlfriend, wrapping her arm around her shoulder.

"They do like you! They just didn't like all the jokes you made about sex.. or that you're with me" Y/n replies.

"Really?" Gracie asks, giving the girl a skeptical look.

"Well, I like you" Y/n pulls the taller girl down to connect their lips as Gracie slowly pushes the girl to lay on the bed as she gets on top of her.

"Jeez! At least close the door next time!" Y/n quickly pulls her hands out of her girlfriend's hair, pushing her away to see as she sees Henry standing by the door.

"I told you not to come near my room!" Gracie exclaims as she glares at her brother for interrupting her moment with her girlfriend.

"Mom wanted me to tell you dinners ready dumbass" Henry replies, walking out of the room as he rolls his eyes at his sister.

"Sorry about him, he's an asshole" Gracie apologises to her girlfriend as she guides her to the dining room.

"Have a good make out?" Henry asks when they get to the dining room.

"At least I can get some-" Gracie counters before she is cut off.

"Stop arguing. We have a guest" JJ speaks as August sets the table, everyone sitting down as he does so.

"So, Y/n, what's your major?" Katie asks as everyone begins eating.

"Oh, I'm a drama major. I've always been pushed towards acting so I didn't really get a choice" Y/n replies as she swallows down the corn on her plate.

"Yeah, well, it suits you well" Gracie teases as she softly rubs her girlfriend's thigh.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Y/n playfully glares at the brunette.

"Nothing! Just that you're a tiny bit dramatic sometimes" The girls words only make Y/n glare harder.

"Uh oh, looks like Gracie's in the dog house tonight" Henry jokes as he watches the scene.

"Henry stop making inappropriate jokes. August is here" Katie scolds as she smiles at her daughter's silly banter.

"I'm kidding. You're not dramatic. Although before we met, Audrey did make a joke about that so you might wanna talk to her about it" Gracie says as eats her food.

The family makes small talk until Gracie has to drive Y/n back to her apartment.

"It was amazing meeting you all! Thank you so much for having me!" Y/n says as Gracie looks for her keys.

"Of course! You're welcome any time! You're part of our family now" Katie says, pulling the girl in for a hug.

"Alright, I found the keys.. aw, you're having a moment" Gracie says as she walks back into the room.

"I'll see you all next time!" They all say bye before   Y/n gets in the passenger seat of her girlfriend's car.

"You okay? You look a little pale. Babe, they definitely love you. I promise" Gracie asks as she drives.

"No, it's not that" Y/n replies, looking like she's about to puke.

"What is it? Oh, there was corn wasn't there. I'm sorry, I should've told them. Are you okay? Do I need to pull over?" Gracie apologises to her girlfriend.

"No, I'll be fine. Do you wanna stay the night? I want Gracie cuddles" Y/n asks with a grin.

"Obviously! I need morning kisses" Gracie replies as she puts her hand on Y/n's thigh, continuing the drive.

[m0nsterqzzz]

Something Small

pairing: wanda maximoff x gn!reader

summary: you and wanda celebrate your one year anniversary, and she makes you cry. Happy tears of course.

warnings: tiny mention of death of a loved one, wanda making reader happy cry? literally just fluff

a/n: so this one means a lot to me as when I was a kid, my dad always used to play the guitar for me before I'd go to bed the same way his mother did for him. When his mom died, he stopped doing it. i was a kid so i didn't understand how much it hurt for him to even hear the sound of a guitar, but now that I'm older i understand it much more. I understand it even more now that's he's been deployed for over a year and half and even the sound of guitar makes me sad. He facetimed me the other day and played for me when he learned I was having a hard time sleeping, and i instantly burst into tears. My mom hasn't always been the best, but my dad has. So this one goes out to him even though I would rather die then show him my tumbler account. also, just rewatched the nanny diaries because scarlett johansson, and i remember how much i fucking love that movie so if you havent seen it, watch it.

song used as one dad sings because its the song my dad always sung for me: "Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee

The day you told Wanda about your childhood was the day she realized she loved you. It was weird timing but it was the way your eyes shimmered as you talked about your parents and siblings that made something inside her change. It was a look of far gone happiness, one that she wanted to make come back. You’d been dating for six months at the time, and she had recently told you about her brother and parents. “They sound like amazing people.” You’d told her, and she appreciated the way you didnt add a, “they were”. It's strange, but something breaks inside her every time someone reminds her they're dead. 

You told her you felt the same way as you told her about your father, and she’d replied with, “It’s because you love him. No matter where he is, no matter what changes in your life, that’ll never change.” She understood it in a way nobody else in your life did, the same way you understand her.

She’s never really believed in soulmates, but if they did exist, she's sure your hers. When she told you that one night as you guys were getting ready for bed, you just smiled and kissed her. You’ve known she was yours since the very beginning.

She was recently sent on a week-long mission, and she’ll be back just in time for your one year anniversary. You both agreed on getting something small for each other, so you bought her a few books she's been talking about recently and some new rings. She’s not a big jewelry person, but rings are something she cannot leave the house without putting on.

The sound of the front door opening takes your eyes away from the TV screen, and you jump up from the couch to run to her. “Wanda!” “моя любовь!” She catches you as you jump into her arms, holding you up with two arms and closing the door with her foot. You move back a bit to look her in the eyes, and it’s silent as you stare at each other with admiration. She has a small cut above her eyebrow, and a bit of dirt on her. Other than that, she seems fine.

She doesn’t drop you as she leans in to give you a kiss, but she does gently set you down as she takes off her shoes and tells you, “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too witchy.” You say. You guys stand there in the entryway for what feels like forever, embracing each other in silence before she decides to go take a shower.

When she comes back, she practically forces you to sit down and relax so she can serve the food even though you tell her she should after a mission. Wanda’s always been like that. Caring, even when she really just needs to be cared for.

You guys eat dinner while you talk, the previously silent room being filled with laughs and sighs of contentment. She doesn’t talk about the mission, as she always says she doesn’t like talking about work during her moments with you. She always tells you about them as you guy’s get ready for bed, and you listen to every word no matter how tired.

You guys always split the duty of dishes. She washes, and you dry and put away. It’s a boring process, but doing it with her always makes it worth it. The redhead then leads you to the living room as she uses her powers to turn on your favorite movie. She goes to grab something from behind the couch, probably a present, and you immediately stop her, “Can I go first? Please?” She nods without hesitation, almost like she's relieved she doesn’t have to go first.

Sprinting to your guys bedroom and then back, you join her on the couch and hand her the back. It’s sparkly green- her favorite color, even though everyone thinks it’s red- with white tissue paper. She basically throws the tissue paper behind her with a smile, which turns into a full on grin when she reads the titles of the books you got her. One thing about the witch is that she's easy to shop for. When you first started dating, a list of the books she currently wanted was placed on the fridge right next to the grocery list. You had simply laughed it off, but she continues to update it over time and it's become increasingly helpful.

Then she sees the rings, ones she had pointed out in a thrift store a few weeks ago. She slips on her fingers, and it takes everything in you to not make a comment about how hot her hands are. One is made up of tiny fake pearls, and that one goes on her pointer finger. Then a skeleton bone one, which goes on her ring finger, a small gold one with a red stone on it. That one goes on her pinky. Then a white one with a gold line going through the middle, which goes on the pointer finger of her other hand. She seems happy, and that makes you happy.

She gives you a small kiss and then mumbles against your lips, “Thank you my love.” The redhead sits up straight again, giving you a nervous smile and reaching behind the couch to grab something. She brings out an acoustic guitar, one similar to the one that your dad would use every night when he would play you a lullaby. In fact, right down to the tiny spot of blue paint marker your brother put on the side of it when he was five, it's the exact replica.

“So I um…..I tracked down your aunt.” Your girlfriend begins, not quite meeting your eyes as she fiddles gently with the strings. When you were a teenager and your father first died and your aunt came to pick up his things as she said you and your brother couldn't keep any of his stuff, you wanted to scream at her and rip the instrument out of her hands when she grabbed it. You don’t feel that way about Wanda holding it.

“After a polite conversation and a little bit of threatening, she handed over the guitar.” You giggle, bringing a small smile to her face. “Then I went to Clint and Laura, who spent a very long time teaching me how to play.” Your smile grows and she begins playing a familiar tune. The one your dad played. “They got very frustrated with me very quickly but they said since it was for you, they’d help me learn the song your dad made you. So I went to your aunt again and kind of stole the sheet music. I’m not very sure if that woman likes me.” “That’s okay honey. She doesn’t like anyone.”

You both quietly laugh before she clears her throat and says, “So I’m going to play it for you. I just hope you don’t hate it.” You don’t have time to tell her that you could never hate a gift from her before she's playing the chords. She messes up a few times, but it’d really be no obvious to someone how did not grow up hearing the song. Her honey-like voice fills your ears and it's like you're right back there, laying in bed with your favorite stuffed animal and watching as your dad easily moves his fingers over the frets.

“Sweet pea, apple of my eye. 

Don't know when and I don't know why.

You're the only reason I keep on coming home.”

Her voice is different from your dads, but that only makes it ten times better. You can quickly feel tears begin to form in your eyes.

“Sweet pea, what's all of this about?

Don’t get your way, all you do is fuss and pout.

You’re the only reason I keep on coming home.

I'm like the Rock of Gibraltar, I always seem to falter

And the words just get in the way

Oh, I know I'm gonna crumble and I'm trying to stay humble

But I never think before I say”

A few weeks ago, Wanda had laid with you in the dark and quietly asked as she was falling asleep, “What the hell is the Rock of Gibraltar?” You had tiredly told her what it was even as confused as you were, and it makes a lot more sense now.

“Sweet pea, keeper of my soul

I know sometimes I'm out of control

You're the only reason I keep on coming”

She is out of control sometimes, but you know how to bring her back. Actually, you’re one of the only people in her life that can.

“You're the only reason I keep on coming, yeah

You're the only reason I keep on coming home”

She lets the tune ring out into the silence as she concludes the song, and she doesn’t meet your eyes until she hears you sniffle. You have tears streaming down your face, and she instantly panics. “Why are you crying my love? Oh god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Was it that bad?”

You send her a smile despite the tears and shake your head. “No. Happy tears Wands.” She sighs in relief, wiping your tears with her sleeves as you take a deep breath. “That was beautiful.” You lean into her touch as she caresses your cheek. “When my dad died……i hated the sound of music. I wondered how something so amazing could exist  if something as great as him couldn’t.” She nods in understanding. “My siblings would try to play for me, and I literally broke a piano once because of how much I hated the sound of instruments. As I got older, I got more used to hearing music, but I didn’t exactly enjoy it. It was mine and my dads thing. He would go to work for a long time and I’d barely see him but I knew that at the end of the day, every single day, he’d be there to sing to me. So many things changed over time but that never did. Until….well until it did.”

She listens as you talk, humming everyone in a while to show she's listening but also stays silent so you can talk. You run your fingers gently over the wood of the guitar as if it’ll break if you touch too hard. “But when I met you……you played music everywhere. In the car? Music was playing. Making dinner? Music was playing. Hell you get in trouble constantly for wearing earbuds on missions so you can listen to music. And at first, I struggled with it. I wasn’t going to admit it because I knew how much you loved it and I’m happy I did it. Because now, I don’t associate music with how mad I am at the universe for taking my dad, but with you. My favorite person.” Her eyes sparkle in a way that makes you want to wrap her in bubble wrap and protect her from anything and everything.

“You’re my favorite person too.” She says as she leans in to hug you, burying her head in your neck. “And I love you.” Your girlfriend adds as she places a gentle kiss on the side of your neck. “I love you to Wands.” You mumble.

You don’t see it, but she lets one arm release you and places it in her hoodie pocket, squeezing the black ring box tightly. If she wasn’t sure before, she is now.

[ssruis]

My personal take on the tsukasa + toya dynamic is that like. Tsukasa helped toya a lot by giving him the familial warmth & unwavering support that he was not getting from his own family & encouraged toya to do what HE wanted to do with his own life instead of following what his dad wanted when he didn’t enjoy it, as well as kinda being toya’s only source of normalcy and activities outside of the piano as a kid. It’s not a stretch to say that Tsukasa changed Toya’s life for the better (causing him to meet Akito, discover what he’s actually passionate about, meet VBS, actually communicate with and stand up to his dad) and saved him from a future he would hate, it’s literally stated by Toya. Multiple times. & tsukasa still continues to be a huge supporter of toya and does his best to care for him. This stuff is made obvious over and over again -

(Tsukasa’s Kamiyama festival card story)

(Kamiyama festival)

- but toya also helped tsukasa a lot when they were kids too, even if it’s a bit less obvious (only stated outright in one card story iirc). Toya mentions not actually seeing Saki a lot when he was younger, as she was in and out of the hospital

(NGUC)

So it was typically just him and Tsukasa. Tsukasa’s entire dream in life was sparked by seeing how happy a play made saki, and his strange (said fondly) personality in the present day is because he was constantly trying to make her happy with shows/acting when they were kids. Realized it cheered saki up when he put on the Future World Star personality -> constantly acting/emulating the actors he saw on stage or on tv to make saki (and later toya) happy at a formative age -> it gets baked into his personality -> now it’s not even an act it’s just how he is. It’s incurable. (Not a bad thing, just something that explains why he’s such a freak)

A large part of tsukasa’s identity is also being a big brother, which is made really difficult when you’re separated from your little sister constantly, she’s often suffering and miserable, and there’s nothing you can do to help her. As he mentions frequently, her happiness is a priority for him (sorry you’re gonna have to trust me on that one if you for some reason doubt that. Image limit. You understand. One example of many is in one of Saki’s birthday cards.)

And as hard as it was for Tsukasa to be powerless in that situation, it was way harder for Saki, because she was the one in pain/seriously ill/hospitalized throughout a large portion of her childhood. She mentions that she forced herself not to cry in front Tsukasa as a kid so he wouldn’t be upset (doll festival), and while it was happy tears in that situation it’s a safe bet that she tried to do it with any negative emotions too - but she was also suffering & acting happy all the time in that situation would be impossible for an adult, let alone a small child.

(Toya’s doll festival card story)

Tsukasa couldn’t help Saki, but he could help Toya, and through that he was able to help himself/feel a little better. He could cheer Saki up, but that was about the extent of what he could do - he couldn’t stay in the hospital with her or ease her pain or take away her illness. Toya needed a friend/older brother figure/escape from his dad, which Tsukasa actually could provide. I feel like there was definitely some transference there where Tsukasa (unconsciously) just took all the big brotherisms he couldn’t do with Saki and redirected them towards Toya. Which, again, isn’t a bad thing, because he *was* helping toya through this, they formed a genuine strong bond, and it helped him deal with his emotions. + saki got a bonus brother to play with when she was home.

I think people want to water their relationship down to just “haha tsukasa adopts people as his siblings” which isn’t even true* and ignores the very specific set of circumstances that led to Tsukasa considering Toya his younger brother, and the circumstances that led to Toya seeing Tsukasa as an older brother figure, as well as the fact that they’ve known each other for like a decade at this point AND the fact that their parents are close friends.

Their relationship is so strong because it is built off of them both helping each other, not because Tsukasa randomly saw a sad kid and went “you’re my brother now.” Which is also why I’m not a fan of [x random character] is a tenma.** Plus, does saki’s relationship with that character not also matter? Toya’s relationship with Saki is a pretty big part of why he’s considered a part of the family***, even if he’s not as close to her as he is to tsukasa.

*In Tsukasa’s head a star is a good big brother and given that both of those things are deeply entrenched in his personality, he mother hens his friends & does his best to act like a responsible and reliable person towards everyone. As I’ve mentioned before, Wxs KAITO is a reflection of Tsukasa’s ideal self (reliable big brother/leader figure) - nobody says KAITO is adopting siblings left and right (wrt the other vocaloids/wxs). Notably, irrc, wxs KAITO & normal KAITO both desire to be seen as a reliable big brother figure by others, but as a general thing and not a “this guy is literally my brother” thing. Tsukasa is the same situation. He likes to provide a good example for his juniors because that’s what he believes a star should do, which is also why he gets so irritated about Rui “tarnishing his reputation” whenever they get in trouble, and what prompted him to join the disciplinary committee in his third year after hearing underclassmen be like wow the 1-2 oddball finish are so wacky & crazy. Acting like a big brother =/= literally adopting people as siblings.

** you do you though if you enjoy those head canons more power to you. It’s just not my thing (known canon purist).

*** give me like 10 minutes I have stuff to say about that as well that will have to go in a reblog. Image limit strikes again.

[yorshie]

Personal Headcanon Snippet

“How To Defeat a Dragon”

Bayverse Michelangelo point of view (cw: stab wound, poison, angst)

Michelangelo woke with a start, the terrifying dream that haunted him these past few nights fading like smoke between his fingers, curling back in the recesses of his mind where he knew it would shift and bother him for the rest of the day. He gasped in a breath, becoming aware he’d been holding it instinctively, scales sweaty and head a little dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

Well, a little more than sweaty. He grimaced, pressing a careful hand to the bandage held in place underneath his arm, the wide swatches of white linen sticking uncomfortably where his wound had seeped through the layers.

“Shit.” He hissed, pulling his hand away and checking the color, anxiety deflating a little when the liquid wasn’t one of the alarming shades Donnie had told him to watch out for.

“Who knows what was on that knife, Mike, and if you’re not gonna tell me about it I have to assume the worst.”

The pills he was supposed to take upon awakening were by his bedside complete with a passive aggressive note from Leo on what kind of pain was to be expected if he didn’t take them. Mikey eyed them for a moment, before he made the conscious decision to head for the kitchen for a glass of water to swallow what he jokingly referred to as ‘horse pills’ when Donnie had slapped them in his hands.

The dry look Donnie had leveled at him over his glasses had cooled any sort of comical routine Mikey was planning to divert the questions, something sad and disappointed hidden in his brother’s eyes that even now slithered and wormed around in Mikey’s stomach just thinking about it.

The Lair was quiet this late at night, which suited Mikey fine. The stab wound was supposed to have healed a week ago, and while it certainly was getting better, Mikey was in no mood to have to dodge pointed glances or stand through another bout of Leo trying to order the answers over what happened out of him.

Breathing out roughly, Mikey moved towards the kitchen, wincing now that he knew there was no one here to see it-

“Michelangelo?” A weak voice called, a summons that Mikey could never have the heart to disobey.

He turned to the living room area without conscious thought, rounding the plush armchair that sat facing the tv and dropping in front of it with a wince so his face would be eye level with the occupant. “I’m here, Dad.”

Splinter’s milky eyes sought his own, a reflex that never failed to squeeze Mikey’s heart with a vice grip. His nose twitched, the bald spot on his muzzle where the fur had long fallen away wrinkling as the old rat tested the air.

“My son?” He asked, hand reaching, and Mikey completed the connection, gently taking his father’s hand so he knew where he was and placing it on his face so Splinter could pat his cheek. “Ah, there you are. You missed dinner earlier.”

“I fell asleep.” Mikey told him, not expounding on why he missed the family meal and hoping his sensei wouldn’t push the subject. He and his brothers had decided unanimously to not mention the wound, or how long it was taking Mikey to heal after how distraught their father had become when his youngest son had literally crashed into the Lair the night he was hurt, bleeding and O.D.ing from whatever had coated the blade. The first few nights when Mikey had been confined to the med room, not even Leo’s patient insistence had kept Splinter from sitting at Mikey’s side, even when the old rat was shaking and too distressed himself to stand.

Splinter hummed, and after a moment he patted Mikey’s cheek, his palm cool to the touch. “Ah, well, there are still leftovers in the fridge. I asked Raphael to make you a plate.”

Mikey almost grimaced before remembering Splinter would be able to pick up on the facial expression. He very much doubted Raph had made him a plate, or if he did Mikey wasn’t going to risk eating it. Raphael still hadn’t forgiven him for going out and finding trouble on his own, and Mikey wouldn’t put it past his brother to have licked his food like he did when they were younger and trying to keep the baby of the family from eating all the pizza.

“Thanks, dad,” he made himself say instead, cupping his hand along the back of Splinter’s. “I’ll get it in a little bit, promise.”

Splinter sighed, falling quiet for a moment before his eyes roved to the side. “Would you read to me, Michelangelo? I grow tired of the tv.”

“Sure,” Mikey slowly stood, setting Splinter’s hand back in his lap. “Let me go get a book, and I’ll be right back, ok?”

He left his father nodding and mumbling to himself just long enough to grab a random book from his room and dry swallow one of the pills with a gag when it lodged for a moment in his throat. It wasn’t until he was scooting to sit by the armchair again that he looked down and faltered when he realized which book he’d picked out.

The cover was still bent where he’d accidentally squashed it the first time he kissed her. The memory came out of that painful place in the back of his mind that the nightmare had carved out for itself, reared up and screamed at him.

The lights in the room had been twinkling reflections in her eyes, when she looked at him and smiled. All he could see was the curve of her lips as she whispered to him, “I think you’re the knight, Mike.”

He’d kissed her with all the inelegance of a boy that had never so much as held hands before, but she had laughed through it until he’d broke off to giggle too, had held his hand and shown him how to press chaste kisses against each other’s mouths-

Splinter shifted in the chair, and reality crashed back down on Michelangelo, leaving him blinking back tears and thankful his father was effectively blind before hating himself for that errant thought.

He cleared his throat, rising once more, “sorry, Dad, hold on, I grabbed the wrong book-”

Splinter’s hand unerringly finding his forearm and clutching it tight had Mikey stuttering to a halt, half crouched awkwardly. “I do not care what type of story it is, my son, I only wish to hear your voice.”

“Oh, right….” Mikey trailed off, returning to sit with a grunt of pain as his wound was jostled. He floundered for a moment, stuck, knowing if he pushed the issue his father would question it. With a little angry huff, he gripped the book tightly, telling himself it was just a story, that he could do this for his father.

Detached, he read it in monotone syllables, watching his father more than looking at the pictures that illustrated the well worn novel.

After a few pages, his tone loosened, and glancing more and more at his father revealed the old man was slowly falling asleep, lulled by Michelangelo’s voice.

Mikey swallowed painfully, and started reading again in a softer tone, determined to bring his father a little comfort, even if reading this particular story was like dragging nails along a chalkboard inside his mind.

When he finished, he shut the book, and stood quietly so he wouldn’t disturb his father. He made sure Splinter was covered, tucking the book carefully beneath his folded hands before sighing and straightening.

“I liked the story.” Splinter said quietly, and for once Michelangelo didn’t jump at the way that even now, blind and tired and mostly chairbound, his father could still out-ninja his sons.

“I do too, dad.” He told him, thinking it was just sleepy mumblings and not letting himself dwell on the answer.

“Though…” Splinter opened his eyes, the milky white coverings pinning Mikey in place, “I always thought a knight was a poor match against a dragon, don’t you think?”

Mikey grimaced, his hand falling to his side. The wound on the edge of his plastron gave a sharp ache all of a sudden, and it took everything Mikey had not to hiss and grab for the hurt.

“Yea?” He asked instead, hoping his father couldn’t tell anything was wrong, praying he’d fall asleep again soon so Mikey could leave.

“Hm…yes.” Splinter said, turning to look at the ceiling once more. “You boys were adamant growing up that a knight would always beat a dragon.” He smiled softly at that, lips curling up. “You four used to have fights over who had to be the dragon, do you remember?”

Mikey hummed, “yea, kinda. You made us take turns, right?”

Splinter nodded, “yes, and I recall having a whole debate over it over dinner one night. You all were heartbroken when I suggested the knight might be unmatched if the dragon melted his sword with its fiery breath.” he snuggled down in the blanket, sighing softly in comfort. “I always felt a dragon was better suited for ending another dragon, but I doubt I ever fully convinced the four of you.”

Mikey froze at that, but Splinter only shut his eyes again, heaving out a sigh. “Thank you for reading to me, my son. You may go if you wish.”

Mikey waited only long enough to make sure Splinter’s chest was rising and falling easily before he padded back to this room, his hand suddenly itching for a pencil.

Better suited for ending another dragon… The words echoed in his head as he changed his bandages slowly, an idea formulating in his head.

If I can’t be a knight, I’ll be something else.

[astrowaffles]

Here's To Never Growing Up

“My favourite story about Megumi as a kid is about when we were painting his bedroom,” Satoru began, laughing a little at his memory. “We were going with a dinosaur theme, so the walls were gonna be light green. Megumi takes one look at the colour he picked, yells ‘it looks like puke!’, throws up on the floor, and storms out. He got a pink bedroom the next week, and loved it.”

“You always tell that story,” Megumi complained. “It makes me sound like a spoiled brat.”

Gojo looked at him pointedly. “What happened when I tried to get you to bake cookies with me?”

“…..”

“You threw flour all over the kitchen, didn’t you?”

“I was five!”

“What about when I accidentally played Justin Bieber at your eighth birthday party?”

“I think crawling under the table to cry was justified. It was a horrible song.”

“And when Toge borrowed your wooden toy car?”

“…Yeah, alright, I guess I didn’t need to hit him over the head with it. Still, even if I was spoiled, isn’t that your fault?”

“Eh, I think you turned out alright in the end.”

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

OR: let's talk about Gojo & Megumi.

“So, you’ve got a TV dad in season two,” the interviewer ventured. He crossed his legs. “How does that work for you? I mean, considering your legal dad is in the same show…”

“Have you seen season one?” Megumi enquired. “Like, did you follow the plot at all?”

“Um, are you referring to anything in particular?” The interviewer uncrossed his legs.

“Yeah, I am.”

“And what would that be…?” Crossed legs again.

“How about the scene where kid-me says ‘I don’t care about my dad, he’s an asshole’?”

Gojo hid a snicker behind his hand, trying (and failing) to pass it off as a cough. He cleared his throat. “Alright, Megs, let’s not get snappy-“

“No, no, it’s alright,” the interviewer hurried to assure him. “I quite understand why it would be a sensitive subject… I do apologise.”

Megumi nodded. “Alright, then. The character of my biological dad in the show is completely irrelevant to my character, as you would know if you’d seen JJK.”

Gojo nodded in agreement. “He literally abandons him, man. And then my character swoops in! So, in a way, I’m his TV dad after all.”

“Definitely more than the biological guy,” Megumi agreed. Gojo beamed at him.

The interviewer was nodding along. “Oh, totally, I do remember that episode. I just meant, how is it to have a real dad on TV, when in real life-“

Gojo slapped him.

“Yeah, it wasn’t my finest moment,” Gojo laughed. He was sprawled across the couch, taking up as much space as possible. His arm was around Megumi, who was sat in the remaining corner, legs curled around himself like a cat. “I stand by it though.”

“What’s worse was that Satoru was trying so hard to be nice to the guy,” Megumi sighed. “He was trying to stop me from being mean to him, but the questions just kept going…”

“Pretty much. Megumi tends to get very heated very fast with interviewers who mention the dad character, because he thinks they’re always leading him down Trauma Lane. He was getting better at staying calm, and then that interview came along. We blacklisted the question after that.” Gojo pushed his sunglasses up his nose, and stretched his legs out in front of him. Megumi rolled his eyes.

“Stop stretching out like that, Toru. You’re kicking the table, look.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Gojo grinned at the camera. “See, he’s always keeping me in line. Imagine how bad things have to be before he starts being rude!”

“Haters will say it’s an overreaction,” Shoko commented, taking a sip of her coffee. “But I’m not a hater.”

“And that’s saying something, because she hates everything else Satoru does,” Geto observed. “But I agree with her. To suggest that Megumi doesn’t have a ‘real’ dad, right in front of his dad’s face … there are so many things wrong with that, on so many levels.”

“See, he’s ever the voice of reason,” Shoko shrugged, jabbing her thumb towards Geto. “I literally don’t care. I’ve known that kid since he was three. I think Satoru should’ve just killed the interviewer.”

“I don’t know Megumi very well,” Geto clarified, “but I’m all for murdering the interviewer.”

Shoko stared at him. “Like, just on principle?”

“Just on principle.”

Silence.

“Well, I never expected that from Suguru, he always seemed so nice, but I did say it first, so-“

“Not that there’s anything wrong with not having a dad,” Yuji clarified. “I don’t. I live with my grandpa. But there’s a lot wrong with telling someone sat right next to their dad that they don’t have one.”

“Like, the moment he said ‘legal dad’, I thought, someone should slap him,” Nobara confessed. “You could tell right from the start that he was going somewhere he shouldn’t, and Megumi knew it too.”

“And the thing is, Megumi and Mr. Gojo have always been so obviously family. We’ve known since day one, even though they didn’t tell us until… day three?”

“Mr. Gojo totally just blurted it out,” Nobara giggled. “Megumi would’ve kept it a secret forever, but Mr Gojo was so proud…”

Itadori smiled at the memory. “Have you guys ever heard the story of how Megumi started acting?”

“What? No! Why haven’t I heard this before?” Nobara turned towards Yuji, giving the story her full attention. Yuji laughed.

“Don’t know, but I’m sure he won’t mind me telling you. Alright, so, before Mr. Gojo adopted him, he was his babysitter, right? Like, this was before Megumi’s dad- well, anyway. Mr. Gojo took him on set with him, because he had to be there and couldn’t leave Megumi by himself… Megumi was probably, uh, two or three. Mr. Gojo would be fifteen or something. And basically, Megumi thought Mr Gojo was so cool that he insisted on becoming an actor too. Mr. Gojo thought, why not, because he could give a helping hand if Megumi needed it. So, Megumi got signed up for an agency, and he got cast in his first show when he was four. And the rest is history.”

“Wait, so, Megumi’s an actor because he wanted to be like Mr. Gojo???”

“Yeah.”

“And he was just … naturally talented? No stage school or anything?”

“Yeah. The same as Mr. Gojo.”

“Shut up, is that true??? Oh my god-“ Nobara turned to the camera. “You heard it here first, guys. Megumi’s whole life trajectory was decided because he idolised his dad-to-be as a toddler- are you crying, Yuji?”

Yuji sniffed. “No. Only a little.”

“It was your story!"

“It’s just so beautiful!! They were meant to be!! Destined family! Doesn’t that make you want to cry too?!”

Nobara paused. “Yeah, actually. It kinda does.”

“A long time ago, when I’d just been adopted, Satoru sat me down at the table and said, ‘You don’t need to call me Dad. You don’t need to see me as your father. I just want to look after you.’ And, yeah, I still don’t call him Dad. But that’s who he is. He’s my dad. He has been for … as long as I can remember.” Megumi looked across at Gojo. “I owe him everything.”

“You don’t owe me shit,” said Gojo, fiercely. “You owe me nothing. You could spend all my money and kill my cousins and you’d still not owe me anything."

Megumi smiled. “You want me to kill your cousins, though.”

“True. Please kill my cousins, Gumi, I literally can’t stand another family reunion-“

“My character’s leopard print tie is inspired by Megumi,” Nanami informed the camera, a nostalgic smile on his face. “When he was younger – maybe ten? – he was obsessed with animals. I was transitioning out of a ridiculous phase at the time, and came to visit him wearing leopard print … he demanded to know if it was made of real leopard. He was absolutely incandescent. I’ll never forget it. He wouldn’t speak to me for weeks, even when I showed him the label to prove it was nylon.”

“You’ve known him for a long time, then?” someone behind the camera asked.

“A while, yeah. Since he was seven. Satoru used to say I was the only one he trusted to make sure the kid was fed while Satoru went to work. What he meant was, he didn’t want Shoko and her twenty cigarettes a day to go near a small child. She ended up quitting just so she could keep hanging out with her nephew. Megumi’s absolutely changed lives – and he’s such a talented man now. You have to give Satoru some major credit, he raised a good kid.”

“My favourite story about Megumi as a kid is about when we were painting his bedroom,” Satoru began, laughing a little at his memory. “We were going with a dinosaur theme, so the walls were gonna be light green. Megumi takes one look at the colour he picked, yells ‘it looks like puke!’, throws up on the floor, and storms out. He got a pink bedroom the next week, and loved it.”

“You always tell that story,” Megumi complained. “It makes me sound like a spoiled brat.”

Gojo looked at him pointedly. “What happened when I tried to get you to bake cookies with me?”

“…..”

“You threw flour all over the kitchen, didn’t you?”

“I was five!”

“What about when I accidentally played Justin Bieber at your eighth birthday party?”

“I think crawling under the table to cry was justified. It was a horrible song.”

“And when Toge borrowed your wooden toy car?”

“…Yeah, alright, I guess I didn’t need to hit him over the head with it. Still, even if I was spoiled, isn’t that your fault?”

“Eh, I think you turned out alright in the end.”

“It was a total take-a-guess-and-hope-it’s-right situation,” Shoko reminisced.

“For fifteen years?”

“Well, more like thirteen, but yeah. No-one tells you how to raise a kid, especially when you’re fifteen yourself. At first, we’d be giving Megumi back to his dad at the end of the day – but then again, all he did at home was go to bed, you know? Everything he learnt, he learnt from us or school. Completely insane.”

“I do have a very vivid memory of the first day of filming,” Geto said, mentally connecting a few dots. “Satoru and Megumi walked in together. Satoru was in a feather boa and pineapple shaped sunglasses, chattering away, and Megumi looked like a glitter factory had exploded in his face. He looked like he was having the worst day of his life, and he had noise-cancelling headphones on. The moment he spotted Yuji, he made a beeline for him – but then Satoru made a super offended noise, and Megumi literally froze in place. He immediately did a complete 180, and went and hugged Satoru, who patted his head and whispered something to him. That’s when I thought, these guys are the real thing. These are the people you want to model your family on.”

“They just understand each other on a different level,” Shoko agreed. “Megumi could be completely overstimulated and about to kill Satoru, but he’ll still hug him goodbye. I don’t know how he does it. If Satoru ever tried to hug me after talking my ear off for an entire car ride, I’d flip him off and go hang out with Yuji instead.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, he went straight back to Yuji,” Geto nodded. “I just thought their connection was so lovely.”

“Once, I was idly complaining about something- oh, yeah, it was that Nobara was getting a modelling gig,” Megumi began. “It wasn’t serious, it was just along the lines of ‘I’m not earning anything out of this except my actual pay, what the heck, this is unfair’, yada yada. But then this idiot goes, ‘Do you want a modelling contract? I’ll get you a modelling contract-‘”

“Listen, you were complaining about not having one, I could get you one,” Gojo said defensively. “What do you want me to say? ‘Sucks for you, shut up’?”

“No, but you knew I wasn’t serious! He literally picked up the phone and starts calling his agent-“

“Shoutout to Agatha, you’re a star-“

“He’s just so intent on me getting everything I want-“

“What am I for, otherwise??”

“And then he has the audacity to call me spoiled-“

“I think you’d make a good model, though!”

“I did actually end up getting a contract. Not through Toru, though. Through my own hard work-“

“And your pretty eyelashes.”

“-And my pretty eyelashes.”

“Oh, man, my favourite Gojo and Megumi memory? Probably when we went out for boba,” Yuji mused.

“Oh, yeah.” Nobara started scrolling through her phone. “I have pictures, hang on.”

“I mean, I’m used to parents coming to hangouts with us. They’re useful, because they drive us places and pay for stuff and all that. So I didn’t have a problem with Mr. Gojo coming with us, although I was surprised because I thought Megumi wouldn’t like spending time with his dad."

“Oh, how wrong you were,” Nobara sighed. She held up her phone to the camera. “They get along so well it’s ridiculous. We felt like third wheels to a father-son date, rather than Mr. Gojo being a third wheel to a group hangout.”

The camera zoomed in on the photo; it showed Megumi, Gojo, Yuji, and Nobara in a restaurant. Megumi and Gojo were on one side of the booth, Gojo’s arm over Megumi’s shoulders. Yuji and Nobara were opposite them. All four were smiling at the camera, though Megumi’s small smile stood out in contrast from the others’ beams.

“They’re a lot of fun to hang out with,” Yuji said. “Like, a lot. They’re ridiculous. Megumi would trip Mr. Gojo up in the street, and just keep walking, but if he reached the next bench and Mr. Gojo still hadn’t caught up, he’d turn round and wait for him. Mr. Gojo would stop halfway through a conversation just to make sure Megumi was doing something social, and not just ignoring us-”

“Sometimes he’d purposefully walk ahead with me, to force Megumi to talk to Yuji,” Nobara snickered.

Yuji nodded in agreement, cheeks tinged with pink. “He talks plenty if you can get him started. But anyway, Mr. Gojo bought us boba and let us do our thing, because I think he was super excited that Megumi had friends. It was kinda sweet.”

“That was probably the day we realised that they were father and son,” Nobara observed. “Like, logically, we knew. Like Yuji said, we knew from day one, it’s obvious. But you just don’t get it until you watch Gojo steal Megumi’s boba, or you see Megumi pull a pen out of his pocket because Gojo is always being struck with ideas that he has to write down immediately, or you see them walk in perfect sync, even when they’re not next to each other…”

“You’d genuinely think they shared DNA,” said Yuji, seriously. “And not even halves. You’d think they were clones, sometimes.”

“Uh, I think that’s a bit far,” Nobara disagreed. “They have different personalities.”

“Just wait until you Mr. Gojo do his feral scenes this season. You’ll see what I mean.”

“We make new favourite memories every day,” Gojo said. Megumi rolled his eyes and slapped Gojo’s shoulder. “What? It’s true! Just yesterday, you used a cookie cutter to make my carrots into different shapes because I complained about eating vegetables. I love that memory, just the same as I love remembering me doing that for you ten years ago.”

“He’s a sappy little shit,” Megumi told the camera. “He can’t help it.”

“It’s true, I can’t.”

“His actual answer is that he’s indecisive.”

“It’s true, I am.”

“He also apparently can’t answer for himself.”

“It’s true, I can’t."

“Do you ever STOP BEING ANNOYING-“

“If we’re talking favourite memories of all time, it’s got to be Megumi’s adoption,” Shoko decided. “Satoru cried. Megumi didn’t. Megumi was absolutely overjoyed, you could see it on his little face. I’d never seen such a big smile. I thought his face would split in half. And he’s never done it again; he went right back to being his grumpy self the day after.”

“I genuinely can’t imagine that,” Geto confessed. “Satoru crying or Megumi smiling, I just can’t see it.”

“Neither could I, until I did. You know what people say, about such-and-such having changed their brain chemistry? For me, it wasn’t a song or a book. It was watching my little nephew be able to fling his arms around Satoru, and call him Dad. That’s another thing he never did again, but he did then. It was the best day of all of our lives.”

“I don’t believe in destiny, but I do think it was inevitable,” Nanami pondered. “I mean, if there are infinite alternate universes, like scientists say, I don’t think there’s a universe where they aren’t father and son. Maybe sometimes they swap roles. Maybe there’s a universe where it’s biological, although imagining Satoru with a girl is …. unfathomable…”

“So you think it was written in the stars?”

“In a way. I think Satoru and Megumi are two incredibly stubborn, caring people, and they wouldn’t let something as small as an alternate universe stop them. In this universe, they were born and raised in the same area by people who were friends, and they came together naturally. In the next universe, maybe they find each other through Craigslist. We’ll never know.”

“I’m glad to have met Megumi, yeah,” Gojo said, like it was obvious. “After all, with him around, I get to play with Toast and Maple- ow, Gumi!”

“He actually only looks after me for the dogs,” Megumi told the camera, hand resting on Gojo’s shoulder, where he’d hit him moments before. “It’s a sad truth.”

Gojo sighed. “Alright, I see where we’re going. What do I have to bribe you with this time?”

“Airpods.”

“You already have airpods, you donut.”

“New ones. I want blue ones.”

“What, seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“And if I don’t buy them?”

“……….”

“Oh my god, fine.”

Megumi grinned. “Thanks, Toru!” He turned to the camera. “My dad is the best dad ever. He looks after me, feeds me, combs my hair, supports me emotionally, threatens interviewers for me-“

“And buys you Airpods.”

“And buys me Airpods. Everyone needs a Satoru. Thank you, and goodnight.”

A03 | Exclusives | Tip Me | Commissions

[ladylooch]

I can just imagine a time when Mack comes home and she is very overwhelmed or upset about something and asks Nico to hold her. It's so quiet he almost misses it but immediately stops what he is doing to comfort his teen who is usually so against needing help or hugs. They are on the couch, a cried out Mack has her head on her dads lap as he plays with her hair and she sleeps when Lexi returns home.

Mack can't believe it. She actually failed. Not even a C or a D, which would have made her pass at least, she FAILED her World History exam earlier in the week. This has never happened to her before. She is so good at studying, but the details of all the moving parts in World War I were not sticking into her head, no matter how much Nico tried to help her. She didn't stand a chance and she knew it even as she turned her exam in.

This afternoon, Mack seems to be the first one home. Lucie dropped her off then went running off somewhere with Lio after school. Sophie and her parents are not home yet. Her dad is with her uncle and her mom is picking up her younger sister from a field trip.

Mack makes good use of her alone time and wails out her frustrations. Big, hiccuping sobs rattle her slim frame as she covers her face with her hands.

"Sweets, what's wrong?" Her dad asks suddenly from the stairs. Mack startles, then tries to quickly hide her tears.

"N-n-nothing." She sniffs, palms swiping across her cheeks.

"This does not look like nothing. What's going on?" Mack looks down at the bulge of her sweatshirt pocket in her lap. Her bottom lip shakes and she bites down hard on it, drawing blood from her already chapped winter lips. Nico sits down next to her, grabbing her wrist and guiding her into his chest. Mack loses it completely again.

"Whatever it is, we will fix it together. I'm here for you, baby." He strokes his hand over her hair, smoothing the fly aways down. His lips press to the left of her pony tail. "I love you."

"No matter what!?" Mack squeaks out through a sob.

"Yes, no matter what." Nico's voice is calm and quiet, a complete opposite of the wailing happening in his arms.

"I failed my exam earlier this week. I got an F! A literal F!" She confesses through hiccups. Nico sighs heavily, mostly in relief because his mind was running a million miles a minute on what could be making his daughter this upset. This he can deal with. Easily.

"That sucks. I know how hard you studied and I'm sorry you are disappointed with your grade." He rubs her back, shifting so they can lean into the pillows more. "But you are so smart and you work so hard, I know you'll do better next time, sweets." Mack nods, then nuzzles in deeper to his chest. Nico squeezes her tighter.

It takes a few more soothing sentences from dad, including some questions about what extra credit may look like, but Mack eventually stops crying so damn hard. Her pink cheeks are still tear stained when Lexi comes home.

"Hi my sweet babies." She murmurs, instantly taking note of Mack's latch on Nico's sweatshirt. "We okay?"

"Yeah." Mack sighs, not taking her eyes off the TV. "Dad made it better."

"He tends to be really good at that." Lexi smiles, then kisses Mack's head before smooching her husband. Their silent look tells Lexi he will fill her in later.

"Can I snuggle!?" Sophie asks, coming in front of their faces. Nico and Mack open their arms and pull her in too.

The three of them remain there until Lexi calls them for dinner.

[ladamedusoif]

Baking (Dieter Bravo x OFC! Andie Wallace-Bravo)

A Merry Fic-Mas - December 2

Part of A Merry Fic-Mas: A Holiday Fic Calendar (click for masterlist)

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x OFC!Andie Wallace-Bravo

Rating: Teen/Mature

Word count: ~1500 words

Warnings: Mild drug references, alcohol references, strong language, implied smut

Summary: Although he’d once been more known for getting baked, these days Dieter is more interested in baking of a different kind. 

Author's note: This entry in A Merry Fic-Mas is inspired by the very wonderful Curls series by @farawayfromwanting/@agentjackdaniels and @julesonrecord. It's an honour to have the chance to add my own tiny little scene to the Bravo-Wallace family story, and I hope their wonderful creator likes this humble little tale of Holiday Dandie.

Dieter Bravo was not what anyone would call a wholly domesticated man. Marriage and kids had encouraged him to embrace the joys of basic family cooking, but he still struggled with anything beyond the simplest of recipes. 

“I’m an actor, Mamá,” he’d protested as his mother tried to teach him a few of her staples. “It’s basically a given that we’re gonna live on takeout and on-set catering.”

But Dieter had a culinary secret. Baking. In the literal, not metaphorical, sense. Though that was a specialism, too. Less so, these days. 

Even at his hedonistic peak, he’d somehow still retained the ability to produce the best cookies - weed optional, though usually a given - anyone had ever tasted. He didn’t have an exact recipe, just went on vibes. It was soothing, all that gentle mixing and rolling and cutting and baking. He’d made full use of the in-house kitchen in rehab, churning out variations on his failsafe cookie recipe as a kind of therapeutic exercise.

Now, Dieter is swiping through holiday baking ideas on Pinterest while the kids dance energetically to the Bluey opening credits. He’s been the stay-at-home parent for the last couple of months, the strike and production delays for season two of When You’re Lost in the Darkness offering him a welcome chance to stay put and just be a dad. 

Andie walks into the family room dressed in her favourite smart casual outfit of stylish grey coat, white blouse and jeans, makeup subtle and dark curls arranged over one shoulder, her purse slung across her body. She’s in demand, these days, and with Christmas fast approaching Dieter wanted to give her a proper day to herself: get her nails done, have a facial, whatever she wanted. 

“You sure you don’t want me to stay? I feel bad heading out and not staying with you guys on my day off.”

Dieter looks up from his iPad and smiles at his wife. “When was the last time you had a day just for you, angel? We’re fine. Go! Relax! Shop! Do whatever!” He stands up from the couch and shoos her affectionately towards the door, barely letting her pause to kiss the kids goodbye.

Charlie and Ezra do not take their eyes off Bluey for a moment.

Dieter sits beside the kids on the big rug in front of the TV. “So…how’d you guys like to make a surprise for mama?”

Charlie shoots him a look so uncannily similar to her mother’s that Dieter has to pause for a moment. “We’re watching Bluey.”

Ezra nods, bright blond hair gleaming. “Boo-ee.”

“Okay, how about this: we make some cookies for mama, we have lots of fun, and then you can watch more Bluey. Hmmm?”

The children turn to each other as if conferring over their father’s offer. Charlie, as the eldest, assumes the role of spokesperson.

“Okay. But we get to eat cookies and watch Bluey.”

The Pinterest post Dieter had selected as inspiration showed a perfect, well-scrubbed family enjoying a platter of gorgeous, golden holiday cookies frosted and decorated with surgical precision. 

His kitchen, however, had disintegrated into a case of Pinterest versus reality, soundtracked by Dieter’s personal holiday playlist.

Ezra’s wails drown out the sound of Run DMC while Charlie protests that she wasn’t trying to eat Ez’s bowl of frosting. Her dark curls, meanwhile, are streaked with flour, dough, and sugary globs of red and white fondant icing.

They seem to have somehow used every single bowl in the Bravo-Wallace household, the kitchen countertops crowded with mixing bowls of various sizes and coated in flour and sugar. As Dieter turns to comfort Ezra he skids on what he rapidly realises is an errant egg white.

“Motherfuck- sorry, Charlie. And Ezra. Sorry, Charlie and Ezra!”

No sooner has he picked up his son than the oven timer pings, and Charlie is off her stool and opening the oven door - bare-handed - like a shot. Dieter throws himself across the kitchen as best he can, half-diving to get Charlie away from the hot surfaces while somehow still maintaining his balance with little Ezra in his other arm.

Now Charlie starts wailing. “I wanna take the cookies out for Mamaaaaaaaaa!”

Ezra joins in. 

José Feliciano entreats the Bravo-Wallaces to a feliz Navidad. 

Dieter takes a deep breath and tries to summon up what's left of his holiday spirit.

Andie Wallace-Bravo has had a manicure, a pedicure, a facial, and feels like a new woman. She even managed to get in some Christmas shopping at The Grove, stopping at the Farmers Market for a coffee before heading home. 

The house seems eerily quiet, though, as Andie opens the front door and steps inside. No TV. Just the faint sound of holiday music coming from the direction of the kitchen. She drops her purse on the hall table and goes in search of her little clan.

“Dieter? Kids?”

“Mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I made you cookies! Seeeeeee!” 

Charlie collides with her mother and Andie becomes conscious of something sticking to her favourite grey coat: a freshly-baked sugar cookie, shaped like what she suspects is meant to be a Chrismas tree, and dripping in frosting and sprinkles. 

“Oh! Yes, I can see - hey, where’s your brother?”

Right on cue, Ezra toddles around the corner. He is, from head to toe, almost entirely green. 

He extends his chubby arms towards Andie, who shucks off her coat and picks him up. So much for this blouse, she muses. 

“Dieter, why is our son green?”

Dieter is leaning against the kitchen island, sweatpants covered in what looks like flour and tiny white handprints all over his dark grey t-shirt. He turns to look at his wife and reveals a face covered in splodges of red and green frosting, and hair rendered white with powdered sugar and flour. 

“Hiiiii, angel. We, uh… we wanted to surprise you. With cookies.”

Andie’s heart swells so much that she’s able, somehow, to ignore the apocalyptic scene in every corner of her kitchen. “You made cookies, for me?”

Ezra claps his little hands together. “COOKEEE MAMA! COOKEEEEE MAMAAAAA!” 

Charlie joins in with the chant, beating a loud tattoo on an upturned mixing bowl, oblivious to the dough plopping onto the floor. 

“Dee, my love? How much frosting did they eat, exactly?”

Dieter had protested when Andie insisted on helping with cleanup. She silenced him with a kiss to his sugar-coated lips, tugging on a pair of rubber gloves to protect her sparkling festive manicure.

“We’re a team, baby. Anyway, if we didn’t tackle this together I think we’d still be cleaning it by New Year’s.”

With the last of the bowls finally washed and put away, Andie reaches into one of the high cupboards and retrieves a bottle of Irish cream liqueur. 

“It’s Christmas, after all, and I have been looking forward to this all day. Come join me on the couch? There should be some cocoa in the cupboard if you want.”

Dieter smiles and nods. “I’ll be there in a couple of minutes, angel. Just want to check on one final batch of dough.”

When Dieter finally emerges, still in his deconstructed cookie-coated clothes, he’s holding a plate of plain cookies and carrying a mug of hot cocoa for himself. 

“The final batch of cookies.” He places them on the coffee table and sinks into the couch beside his wife, resting his head on Andie’s shoulder. “These ones are, uh, a little different. Special.”

Andie looks at him dubiously. “Special?”

He exhales and stretches out, picking up a cookie and nibbling at it. “Weed cookies. For some much-needed relaxation.”

“Oh. Ohhhhh.” Andie giggles and puts down her glass, picking up a cookie. “Well. Holiday cheer, indeed. Thank you, baby.” She takes a bite, chews, and turns to Dieter in astonishment. 

“Holy fucking shit, Dee? These are insane?!” 

He quirks a floured eyebrow and grins. “Still got it. Still making the best cookies in Hollywood.”

Andie is two cookies in when she starts to get giggly, tucking her feet under her and whispering sweet nothings at Dieter as he munches on another of his creations. 

“Merry Christmas, Mr Bravo. You’re the best, you know?”

Dieter hums happily to himself, a soft, blissed-out smile spreading across his face. “Mmmm. No. You are. You’re the best. The best best.”

She giggles again and rests her head on his shoulder. “We’re so fucking lucky. Aren’t we?”

He grunts in assent. 

Andie kisses Dieter’s broad shoulder through his t-shirt. “Hey, Dee. Hey. Wanna make out on the couch?”

No answer. 

“Dee?”

A soft snore. Andie melts a little at the sight: her beloved, still the handsomest thing she’s ever seen even if he’s covered in half the contents of their cupboards. She studies his face, reaching out to gently trace her fingers over his gorgeous features, and leans in to kiss his forehead. 

He tastes of sugar.

Another kiss. More sweetness. Andie giggles, and proceeds to kiss and lick the rest of the frosting off her husband’s face.

Dieter opens one eye, half-awake. “Angel, are you…licking me clean?”

She giggles before standing up and helping Dieter to his feet. 

“Sure am. So let’s go to bed where I can finish the job.” She reaches down to pat her husband’s ass, flour rising in a cloud of dust as she does so. 

“Always said you tasted sweet, baby.”

Dividers by @estrelinha-s

[lionydoorin]

so talk about tara! literally anything you want!! skateboarding!tara, thoughts? what sport do you think tara would think is useless and just an utter waste of time. what's sam's favourite sport and does tara support her in that love. what's tara's most hated food enemy. does she have any skills she keeps hidden from everyone, too shy to admit to.

swinging my legs and twirling my hair thinking here . ummmmm

skateboard!tara would be SO cute!!! even cuter if it was something she got from sam. i can imagine little tara wearing a helmet and pads that are simply too big for her, balancing herself on the board while sam is in front of her, helping her by holding her hands out while tara moves (or tries to).

i don't know about one she'd dislike, but i think tara would have a certain soft spot for sports where you have to run. she can run pretty fast, but she runs out of breath just as quickly, so she'd have to sit out and watch the kids during P.E. while they ran around, laughing, with the ball.

i can also see tara trying a sport once (maybe soccer, since, well, jenna used to play soccer, or another sport which i'll get into later but it's what i think sam might've played) but maybe she had a bad asthma attack during practice or a game and had to be sent to the hospital – cut to christina prohibiting her from practicing, not for her own safety, but because she hates having to "waste her money" on hospital bills. it's not that tara's asthma was specifically bad at that point where she couldn't play, seeing she did practice for a while! but this one isolated episode was enough for her mother.

sam's a basketball girly for me. maybe i'm saying this because i'm a basketball girly (gender neutral) myself, but... sam playing basketball since she was little? it being one of her safe places, besides tara, and her dropping out as punishment for herself after her dad left (maybe because he was also a basketball player? i dunno? but i see her dropping out at 15/16 when she started to get more and more involved with drugs)? her old teammates and coach trying to reach out and help her, but she's running away from them and rejecting said help? tears.

^ more of basketball sam! i think she'd play in quick, but strong positions, maybe as a small forward or a shooting guard, where she'd be okay with an average to tall height (not being one of the tallest on the team) while also having an aggressive play style. sam was a tall kid that took a while to grow into herself, but her base was very stable, and she was quick, so she was a great and very versatile player. great shooting, amazing infiltration and layup technique. the coach loved her and saw great potential in her.

baby tara admiring how much of a good player sammy was and attending every single one of her games???? yes!!! she was too small for basketball, yeah, but sam was just so cool. sam teaching her how to shoot? sobbing sobbing sobbing

to this day, sam still watches the NBA/WNBA and knows a lot about basketball. whenever they watch together, tara loves to watch as sam gets into the game, how she's involved, standing up from her seat and watching close to the tv, hands on her hips, analyzing plays and players and all but screaming when she thinks something's wrong. it's very entertaining, and tara loves how alive her sister feels.

(not sure which teams she'd root for, though. lakers?)

tara's a very picky eater, and for a while she was super used to bland food because she cooked (or tried to cook) things for herself a lot when sam left, so i think she'd hate very strong flavours.

she loves pasta and loves noodles in general, though, so i think by the amount of instant ramen she ate when she was younger, maybe she could have a surprisingly good spice tolerance? but she only eats the same brands and doesn't explore much!

when judy and wes offered to take her out for dinner, she'd always order the most simple thing on the menu and wouldn't add much salt to it.

she eats slowly, as well, separating things on her plate and making sure what she likes is far, far away from what she absolutely would not eat.

and after scream 5, she became a vegetarian because, well, the smell of meat reminded her of some not very nice things 🫶

about secret skills!!! hmm.. i like to imagine artist tara a lot, like she draws a lot on her free time and doesn't show it to a lot of people. even sam is surprised to see how good she is when she got back, and then the guilt coming from realizing she didn't know that because as much as she was there when tara started drawing, she wasn't there, you know?

[ponyosmom35]

I remember you (Elliot x OC)

Elliot Alderson x Original Character

Synopsis: The reader was dating Elliot before he forgot who he was, she never left his side. and months later he remembers.

He clutches his head as memories flash through his eyes. 

There she was, standing in a dress, her hair was curled and she had a smile on her face as she opened the door to see who’d knocked. This woman, the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in his life. All of the air is stolen from his lungs as he meets her eyes. Her aqua-colored eyes. After seeing the note she posted in the mail room about needing help with her computer, Elliot was curious. He surprised himself by responding to the ad and emailing her. Two days later he stood in front of her door, his heart beating out of his chest. His palms sweating. He’d never felt this way before.

“Hi, Elliot I assume?” she asks  

“Uh yeah” he responds awkwardly 

“I’m Willow, and I cannot thank you enough for answering! I tried taking it to a shop but they wanted to charge me $200, this was kinda my last resort” she explains 

“I’m happy to help”

“I hope you’re good, because I don’t know the first thing about computers” she says “come on in” 

Elliot follows her into her apartment, the layout the exact same as his. She’d decorated the place well, it looked like a home. She had tons of plants brightening up the space, as well as wall art covering every inch of space. A lot of color. He noticed her large bookshelf, a gorgeous color-coded collection. Her windows had sheer multicolored curtains which kept her entire apartment incredibly visible from onlookers. She had no tv and a large cat lying in the center of her bed. Her desk sat in front of the window just like his own, giving her a view of the apartments across the street. He wondered if they could see into her space just as well. The thought made him sick to his stomach. 

“Here it is” she says leading him over to the desk, her MacBook sits in the middle of the desk, perfectly aligned with the planner next to it. As soon as he laid eyes on it, he could tell that it was a simple fix. Five minutes max. A part of him felt disappointed that it wasn’t a large project to keep him in her apartment for hours. 

“I see what’s going on, its no problem” he says as he begins typing in a code

“Oh my gosh you are literally a lifesaver, I need this for work like seriously my entire life is on this dumb computer” 

“Fuck me” he curses 

“Elliot what’s wrong?” she asks 

“No I told you, dinner is on me as a thank you” she smiles as she sits across from him in the diner. “What sounds good?” she asks 

“I’m not sure” 

“Well I can recommend their garden burger, it’s one of the best I’ve ever had” 

“Garden burger?” he asks 

“Oh I’m a vegetarian by choice. I watched an animal cruelty doc in high school and now I’m scared for life”

“Okay, I’ll try it” he nods 

“Really? Nobody has ever actually listened to my recommendations before” she laughs 

“If I hate it then that means you’ll just have to take me out again” he says, smiling at her

“Deal” she smirks 

“you’re scaring me”

“How did you get into coding? It seems like such a niche skill” she asks as they walk down the street side by side. His jacket slid over her shoulders. 

“My dad taught me my first code, I taught myself the rest” he shrugs 

“Why?”

“I always found it to be interesting, the power of hacking into something and being able to see all of the secrets someone’s hiding. You can see exactly who someone is, no sugar coating no lies. You can always trust a code” he admits, shocked that he felt comfortable enough to actually say any of this out loud. 

“Have you ever hacked me?” she asks quietly 

“No” 

“Why not?”

“You’re different, not like the rest. You don’t rely on technology to survive. I wanted to know you” he says 

“I’m glad you responded to my ad Elliot” she smiles 

“Me too”

“Do you want me to call Darlene?” she asks 

Elliot stands to his feet and scrambles to his door to see who would be knocking at 9 pm. He looks through the peephole and there she was. He rips the door open and stares at her in concern. Before he could say a word she drops her head as her lips tremble. Tears fall down her cheeks and Elliot panics. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks

“My boss, he asked me to dinner tonight to discuss our big meeting on Friday. But he never even brought it up,  he told me that If I didn’t sleep with him then I would lose my job. I can’t afford to lose my job, Elliot! I love what I do, fuck I don’t know what I’m gonna do” she responds. His body is filled with rage as he takes in her words. 

“What did you say?” he asks 

“I told him I had to go and I ran straight here” she sniffles 

Elliot pulls her into his arms, holding her body close to his as he lets her cry. He clutches onto her hair, smoothing it gently. He’d never been comfortable with touch before, yet at the moment he’d met this girl he wanted to touch her skin, feel how soft it would be. He craved her like nothing before. 

“I’m gonna fix this, don’t worry” he promises as he places a kiss on her head. 

“Please say something!” she pleads 

Elliot had just gotten off of work. He hated his new job. A simple programmer, protecting Allsafe from any potential hacks. The simplicity of it was nice, yet he craved more. He was capable of so much more. He sets his bag down and sits on his couch. He was tired, after he’d spent the night talking to Willow’s boss, he hacked him and exposed him to the police for money laundering. He’d stolen millions. He closes his eyes to attempt to get some rest when a hand slams on the door, pounding angrily. He gets up and opens it to see WIllow. 

She pushes past him and walks into the center of his apartment and crosses her arms. “Did you hack my boss?” 

“Yes” he shrugs 

“He got arrested at work today, they said he was stealing money” she snaps, he does not respond and stares at her blankly. “You can’t just do things like this Elliot!”

“I was protecting you” he says, causing her to stare at him with an unknown emotion in her eyes. 

“Its not your job to protect me, you put yourself at risk” 

“I don’t make mistakes, and I don’t leave evidence behind” he says moving closer to her

“I can take care of myself” she says in a small voice as he stands mere inches from her. 

“I know you can”

“So why do this?”

“He made you upset, he tried to hurt you. He doesn’t t get to go free after that” 

“Why does that matter to you?” she asks

“Because you - you’re everything to me Will” 

“I - what?” she asks 

“I refuse to let anyone hurt you ever again” 

Elliot places a hand on her cheek and kisses her gently. She gasps in shock and melts into his hold. The touch of her skin against his makes him feel alive. This is what he’d been searching for his entire life. Peace washes over his anxious brain. All of the loneliness that consumed his nights melted away. This was it, this was everything. 

His eyes finally focus on her own, noticing the panic in her eyes as her tears threaten to spill. Two years’ worth of memories flooded him. All of the unconditional love and support she’d given him. The hours she held him while his body fought his anxiety. The way she would curl into his chest at night, tucking herself into him. Her loud laugh bounced off the walls of the apartment as she forced him to dance. He was happy, he was loved. And he’d forgotten her. Treated her horribly. She’d never said a word about who she was to him. Despite all of his words she stayed by his side. 

“I remember” he says simply 

“What?”

“I remember us” 

“Don’t fuck with me like that Elliot” she warns, stepping back. He reaches out and grips her arm out of instinct. 

“Your real name is Margaret, after your grandmother, but you go by your middle name” he says, watching as her tears fall. “You’re a Taurus and your favorite flowers are roses even though you’re allergic. You are my girlfriend, the woman I love. You are real”

“El?” she asks  

Elliot pulls her into a hug, holding her as though she may disappear any second. Willow breaks down into tears and cries into his shoulder. Her entire body shakes as she sobs. 

“Fuck I’m so sorry - I can’t even begin to apologize for what I’ve done” 

“It’s not your fault” 

“I left you”

“I knew something was wrong, it wasn’t you. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me” she says as he wipes her tears 

“You knew?” 

“I wasn’t sure, but I knew that he wasn’t you. I’m just so glad that your back” she smiles

[lemonlover1110]

girl dad nanami coming home from work to suki balling her eyes out in the time our corner and you irritated because she accidentally deleted an important assignment from work after you told her not to go on your laptop and he has to find someway to depend her (PS: he literally can’t) -🫐anon

Girl Dad

Dad Series

Kento Nanami

Warnings: Pure Fluff

Kento works so hard the entire day, the only thing that he looks forward to every hour is seeing his family. His beautiful wife and the light of his eyes, his daughter. Any hardship or annoyance from work is immediately forgotten the moment he gets home and sees them.

Yet, today when he got home from work that relief and happiness didn’t rush over him the moment he opened the door to his home. Instead he felt agony when the first thing he heard were the horrible cries of his sweet daughter. Suki was clearly on timeout as she stood in the corner, crying, while you sat on the couch clearly irritated as you frantically typed an email in your computer.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Kento asks. You know better than to answer because the question was for your daughter, not you. But Suki is on time out so she doesn’t dare to turn and run to her father. Kento drops his briefcase before walking over to you. He furrows his eyebrows as he stares at his daughter. But Kento takes a seat next to you on the couch before he kisses your cheek. “What happened?”

“What happened was that your daughter decided to play with my computer after I told her not to.” You begin, and Kento wonders what the big problem is. Perhaps Suki saw something she wasn’t supposed to see– But no, you wouldn’t be mad about that. “And guess what she fucking did? She deleted this big project that I’ve spent weeks working on. Now I have to ask for more time because Suki can’t follow rules.”

“Oh-” Kento begins. He definitely understands your frustration. He would react the same way as you– Except maybe he wouldn’t put Suki on timeout. Perhaps the silent treatment would work (for the first five minutes before Suki wins his heart again and he melts over her once again).

“Do something about it, Kento.” You glare at him.

“What?” He slowly blinks, trying to figure out what you mean.

“Discipline your daughter. I’m tired of being the mean mom. Plus she’d actually listen to rules if you disciplined her every once in a while.” You tell him and Kento doesn’t know what to say in response. You’re right, but Suki has clearly been disciplined enough. Plus you should understand that she’s his weak spot. He can’t just- “Do it, Kento. While I clean up the mess your daughter made.”

Before he can protest, you stand up and walk away. You’re out of sight and Suki is still in the corner crying. Kento clears his throat before speaking. He has to be harsh. “Suki Nanami, come here.”

Hearing her father say her full name makes her nearly scream. But she walks over to her father, teary eyed and nose snotty. That sight makes Kento’s heart break. She stands in front of her father, crossing her arms, tears still running down her face.

“Okay, Suki, because you didn’t follow mommy’s rules you’re going to get consequences.” He responds. He’s trying to think how he can discipline her. “So–”

“I’m sorry, daddy.” She cuts him off. Now the punishment of no TV for a week is too harsh. She’s such an angel.

“You should apologize to mommy, not me.” He tells her and she nods her tiny head. “So because you still deleted mommy’s–”

“I will.” She replies. Now the punishment of not giving her a new toy for a whole week is way too harsh. God, this is harder than he thought. He’s doesn’t know how else to discipline her.

“Tell your mommy that I was very mean to you, okay?” He settles that he won’t do anything but teach his daughter how to lie.

“Okay, daddy.” She nods, wiping away her tears. He helps her wipe her face.

“I love you, Suki.”

[silentxxsoul]

I dropped this in my big reaction dump, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Idk if this is cohesive, but the thoughts are thinking a lot tonight.

The way Eddie was able to stop himself mid argument with Christopher and was able to pull the reins back to regroup was incredible. You could almost see the moment in his head when the switch flipped and he immediately took a new approach with how he was handling Chris acting out again.

I had the thought of “oh Eddie you’re doing your dad’s thing” when he first rushed in, but then he stopped and brought himself down to Christopher’s level and had an open, honest conversation. He went from standing by the tv in a defensive posture to sitting in front of his son and looked Chris in the eyes as he spoke to him. Spoke, not yelling—he was speaking and listening to what he son was actually saying. He was validating Christopher’s feelings, as hard as it was to hear his own son call him a jerk—but he was listening and he was understanding of what Chris felt in that moment.

Eddie has always shown that he tries to parent not like his dad, and having a literal FaceTime with him earlier in the show was such a great display of them repairing their relationship. His dad admitting his own faults with parenting Eddie and offering advice instead of berating Eddie or insinuating he was failing as a parent—it was just incredible to see how far they came. Like we really went from “don’t drag him down with you” to having a light hearted conversation with a bit of banter and self deprivation, to where his dad was offering parenting tips.

Then to see it transpire in how Eddie is still growing and navigating as a dad, learning to pick up on the cues from his kid as he ages into being a teenager and not repeating the same cycle of “I’m the parent I’m always right no matter how you feel” and the “because I said so”. Eddie fully explained why what Chris did was wrong, fully explained why he would always be protective of him, and still acknowledged where they could meet in the middle by giving Christopher the independence he wanted. Even when it was clear that Eddie wasn’t remotely ready for Chris to be at that stage in his life.

It goes a long way to break the mould that Eddie found himself forced into—later resenting his dad because of it. Even his own father made that connection and you could see how terrified Eddie was of him and Chris falling into that. Instead we get to see Eddie listening to his son like he always wanted when he was a kid, and it’s just…so freaking beautiful. Because at the end of the day there was a resolution that didn’t leave one resenting the other, and I think that’s so important for Eddie to have both as a parent and as someone who used to resent (and maybe still does to an extent) his own father.

It’s just so refreshing to see a positive parent-child relationship on tv, especially one of a father-son dynamic that breaks the stereotypical macho-man attitude. I love how they’re choosing to portray this for the Diaz boys, and I can’t wait to see how much more they grow!

[invisible-storyteller]

Come steady me

(Read it on AO3)

For @tw-anchor-down's Full Moon Round. Pairing: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale Rating: Teen and Up Words: 5620 Summary:  Eli has trouble with his shift, which wouldn't be so embarassing if he wasn't the only one in the family who hasn't found his anchor yet. Then his father gets kidnapped. He's a Stilinski-Hale, though. Was he really expecting to have an easy life?

"I still think you should come with us."

His dad lingered in the doorway like a bad habit he couldn't shake. His eyes were achingly hopeful - something Eli considered one of his dad's greatest weaknesses: seeing more potential in someone than truly existed.

"I made my choice, Dad," Eli stated with perhaps more edge to his voice than intended. It wasn't the effect of the full moon, just the exasperation of this short exchange between them slowly developing into a monthly routine by now. "Just go, have fun. I'll be fine."

His dad nodded with that tight-lipped smile and head duck combo that let Eli know just how reluctant his father's compliance was. It didn't matter much in the end because he was soon disappearing into the woods with two of Eli's siblings on his literal tail and one riding atop his back, while Eli was left sighing wistfully after their retreating forms and enduring the mockery of his own human-looking fingers.

"All wards are up," His tata announced cheerily once the front door's lock slid into place, and he emerged from the kitchen with two highly mounted bowls of popcorn. "So. What are we watching?"

Eli shrugged dejectedly, grabbing one consolation bowl for himself. "What about that new superhero movie with the dude who can manipulate time?"

"Now you're talking my lingo," His tata finger-gunned him as they made their way towards the living room.

"Don't say 'lingo'," Eli grimaced, then pointed to the bowls, "Only two?"

"Your sister's already called dibs on the scoop."

Sure enough, Tally was sprawled out on the couch - looking like a Greek depiction of hedonism - with a tube of ice cream mixed in with jelly beans at the ready. Apparently, four years was enough time to get accustomed to a life with siblings.

"Hey, make space, peasant," Eli ordered as he grabbed hold of his sister's ankles and tossed them off the couch.

"Na-ah, dogs aren't allowed on the couch," Tally grinned, placing her feet back up.

"A dog joke? That's very original."

"You're not my boss," Tally smiled devilishly as she popped a gummy bear into her mouth, "And you never will be because you're not the next alpha in line. Deedee will inherit the power."

"Seriously?" Eli grunted (mostly to no one) and turned to his father with open arms and a face that screamed 'Do something!'.

"You gotta fight your own battles, kiddo," Was his tata's helpful reply from the comfort of his ensured seating. The family's armchair was always reserved for him and Dad, and courageous be the person who breaks that rule.

Eli huffed indignantly, standing directly in front of his sister and blocking her view. "I'll throw popcorn in your hair."

"I'll catch it in my mouth." Tally retaliated, trying to scoot lower to better see the TV.

It was basically a challenge at that point, so Eli couldn't be blamed for throwing a handful at her and then seizing the opportunity to settle onto the couch when she flailed to catch the popcorn bouncing off her face.

"That was cheating," Tally accused petulently, "Tata, Eli cheated!"

"Tallytab, just share the couch with your brother."

Tally glared at Eli with such ferocity even a werewolf would envy, and so Eli very maturely stuck his tongue out at her while their tata searched the new movie up on MetvX.

"You know," Their tata started in that fake-nonchalant tone that set alarms off in Eli's head, "It sure would be better to run in the wild than hang out with your old man and your little sister."

Eli didn't answer at first, partially because it was true, but mostly because they both knew the exact reason why Eli wasn't joining the others on their run. This was the same old topic, and he was getting kind of tired of all the pestering.

"I don't want to ruin their night."

"You wouldn't," His tata reassured, like always.

"But I did," Eli countered, stubbornly refusing to make eye contact with his father, "Twice. First, my powers didn't even manifest and they had to jog beside me and escort me the whole time so I wouldn't twist my ankle. The second time my powers did manifest, and what would you know? I lost control! And almost ate someone's cat. Raw."

"Yucky," Tally grimaced while the movie's intro began to play.

"I am better off here within the wards," Eli mumbled with finality, and thankfully, after a few seconds, his tata conceded and turned his gaze back to the TV.

And Eli definitely didn't spend the entire movie thinking about how cool it would be to run under the moonlight.

***

His parents always insisted that Eli was a late bloomer. In all honesty, Eli wasn't sure if he wanted to believe that because 1) if it turned out he wasn't actually a werewolf (with a spark for a father that was more than likely), it would be pointless to fool himself and 2) if he was indeed a werewolf but without an anchor to stabilize him, maybe it was better for his abilities not to manifest at all. It was embarrassing enough that his three younger, non-human siblings were already masters of their powers, while he - as the oldest child - was falling behind.

His "brooding" ("He inherited this from you, Der! It's your fault!") was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice cutting through the general ruckus of a high school's lunch period.

"Oops, better watch out next time, guard dog."

Dominic's words were seeping with derision, drawing the entire student body's attention - and thus Eli's and Hikari's eyes, too - to the group of jocks parting the sea of teenagers as they made their way across the cafeteria. Although Eli was part of the same team, he was considered a "last resort" most of the time and so couldn't sit with the star players (they said so), not that he had any desire to abase himself like that. That clique was dedicated solely to competing with and bringing down anyone who posed a supposed threat to them, and that was why Dominic deliberately rammed into Mars's shoulder while passing him, almost sending the younger boy's tray clattering to the floor. It seemed that two months had brought no change on that front.

Eli and Hikari nodded to each other before quickly gathering their trays and joining Mars and his friend Rain on the other side of the room.

"Good reflexes," Hikari complimented as they settled opposite the two sophomores.

"Still not good enough to make team captain," Mars mumbled, his fingers absent-mindedly drumming atop the table.

"Don't worry, the others will eventually realize what a dick he is, and then they'll pick you as their new captain, for sure. You'll be unstoppable." Eli comforted with more hope than actual conviction.

"Not as long as he has his following," Mars shook his head, his nails turning pointy for a second before returning to their normal shape.

"How do you do it?" Hikari asked, eying the group of jocks with disdain, "I would have sliced him open with my katana by now. I might still do it. What's stopping me?"

"The law?" Eli asked, to which Hikari rolled her eyes like their statutory rules were a particular inconvenience of hers.

"I can't lose control," Mars answered the original question, "That would diminish any chance I have against that douchbag. And you know how much trouble I could get into."

Unfortunately, they all knew. Their school was extremely unsympathetic towards supernatural creatures - a result of humans trying to adapt to cohabitation with the supernatural in the past decade with more adverse success than not - meaning that the smallest slip-up could get you behind bars or sentenced to excessive community work, and that was the favourable scenario. A family of werewolves already had to leave town because of the backlash they faced from the community, and Mars clearly didn't want to bring their family to the same fate.

"But you've only been a werewolf for what? Four months?" Hikari continued, digging into her mashed potatoes with gusto, "Your control is impressive."

"He's just good at everything," Rain interjected in half-amusement half-irritation, "Lacrosse, self-control, maths. And here I am, still unable to figure out my powers."

"Yeah," Mars grinned back at his friend, "Otherwise you could tell me if I'mma ever win against that fuckin' scrub."

Rain looked ceiling-wards like this wasn't the first time this conversation happened, and Eli could seriously understand their struggle. Obviously, he didn't know the next thing about psychic powers, but he had first-hand experience with the frustration that came with not having a handle on your superhuman nature.

"How did Derek teach you control so quickly, anyway?" Hikari inquired, and Eli once again remembered why Mars refused to mingle with his friend group at school.

"He told me to find an anchor," Mars stated simply, then pointed to the wireless earbud in his right ear, "Back in my town, me and my friends would go to the basketball court after school hours. Some of them were art students from around the block so they would bring music and like, get buck wild with the moves, man. It was crazy! And the music reminds me of that time."

"Before the bite," Eli finished the other's thoughts.

"Yeah," Mars nodded dolefully, "Derek said that I could use music as my anchor. Ya know, to remind me that I'm still in control of my body and shit. Just like when I'm dancing."

"What are you listening to?" Eli asked, expecting some heavy metal to channel all that anger.

However, when Mars offered the unused earbud to him, Eli realised he shouldn't have been surprised to hear Dua Lipa's Levitating blasting at full volume from the device.

"These songs are so old school," Eli remarked as he gave the earbud back.

"Yeah, and they are still slammin'," Mars replied confidently before explaining: "Gets me into a good mood. Better than the techno shit that's so hyped right now."

"I guess," Eli shrugged.

"You'll get the hang of it," Mars said, voice much lighter, "Like Derek says: it takes persistence and belief."

"You mean stubbornness and spite," Eli corrected, prompting Mars to laugh and the conversation to drift to different topics.

In the following three days, Eli tried to rely on his own tunes to call his wolf forward without any noticeable progress. His powers seemed unwilling to show themselves after that one catastrophic full moon, and all he got from his music therapy was back pain (from trying to lift the family car) and a twisted ankle (from jumping out of his second-floor room). For a whole week, the only thing he could think about was how fast his siblings would heal from these injuries, although, finally having an excuse to warm the bench at lacrosse games was a welcomed repercussion.

***

"Bye, have fun!" Despite the cheery goodbye, his tata hadn't come back into the house yet, which could only mean one thing: Eli's parents were shamelessly making out on the front porch, which, first off, ew, and second, the movie now couldn't be started lest they risked getting grounded for a week.

This will take a while, Eli thought as he got comfortable on the couch.

"Why don't you go?" Tally asked nosily as she was prone to do when she was overcome by boredom.

"To be a burden? No thanks."

"But you have powers!"

"Do you see them anywhere? 'cause I don't."

"Three full moons ago you did that parkour from roof to roof, that was cool. And! And you slept in the lion's cage at the zoo."

"It's interesting how you remember all that but you couldn't recall this afternoon where my pop tarts disappeared to." Eli groused, hoping his parents weren't using tongue or this would be a long interrogation for Eli.

"Would it help if I punched you?" Tally suggested, making Eli wonder if his family was a bad influence on her, "Pain's s'possed to help."

"You punching me with your noodles arms? Yeah, totally gonna work."

It was Eli's fault, really, letting his guard down, because the next second, Tally reached over the couch and punched him square in the arm with all the force of a fierce primary schooler.

"Ow, what the-"

"I guess it doesn't," Tally pouted, before settling back into her corner, "Or you're just a loser."

"Thanks," Eli said while rubbing his arm, "But I'm not the adopted one."

"No, I am. Which means our parents at least wanted me."

Eli shot his sister a death glare, unsure how so much evil could fit into such a small body. "They wanted me too! I'm the oldest, which means they anticipated me the most."

"Weren't you a surprise?"

"Okay, let's just start the movie already," Eli grumbled, deciding that getting his ass whipped by his tata was still a better choice than his present torment.

"I just don't know why you're scared."

"I'm not," Eli denied rather weakly.

"You are. You're scared to go on runs."

"Finding an anchor is hard, alright?!"

"But it isn't," Tally argued, clutching her unicorn plushie tighter, "When I get mad, I just think of a nice place and the anger goes away."

"A nice place?"

"Like that," Tally pointed towards the kitchen, and Eli immediately knew she was talking about one of her drawings they had on the fridge. The one with the cove on it.

"That calms you down?"

"Yeah," Tally affirmed, "When Rony exploded my dinosaur plushie with that fireball, I was really angry at him. But then I remembered what the kid in that cartoon said about anger, and how it's normal, but sometimes you can't do anything to change what's happened so you have to focus on something else. So I did what he did and imagined a place where I was happy. Like that beach where my parents took me once. I liked it, we collected a bunch of seashells."

"The ones in your room?"

"Aham," Tally said, looking at her plushie instead, "Mom said that life is like the ocean, and we are just tiny seashells in it. And that waves come and go, like bad feelings. So when I feel something bad, I just remember the waves and I know if I don't fight it, it will pass. And I'll be happy again."

Eli didn't know what to say, he was mostly just stunned into silence. Thankfully, that was the moment their tata came back to the room, hair a tousled mess and lips slightly bloody, a pink flush colouring his cheeks that Eli wished was from embarrassment.

"I'll be, um... down... in a sec," Their tata excused himself as he ran upstairs, no doubt into the bathroom, and Eli made sure to put this memory later onto the list of 'Reasons why my future therapist will side-glance me'.

It was a small solace to know that Tally shared his misery.

***

The elevator jostled as it came to an abrupt stop, stuck between two levels, and soon descending into darkness before the backup lights flickered on.

"They shut down the power," Audie noted, pressing the emergency bell in vain.

"Really? I wouldn't have figured it out on my own," Eli sassed, carding through his hair in frustration, "Just so you know, I'm blaming you for this."

Audie glared him down in response, having already mastered her look of alpha reproval at the age of 16, and Eli was once again dreading the day she would take over the family territory. Eli was nevertheless right: his sister had been the one to insist he drove them to the hospital as soon as Melissa's call came in. Apparently, vampires had been secretly feeding on half-leg-in-the-grave patients until Melissa noticed the bite marks belonging to a person who had previously shown signs of improvement, and Eli's parents shortly arrived at the premises to confirm her theory. The vampires, for obvious reasons, weren't thrilled about the deputies now monitoring the halls, and long story short, the whole nest showed up, Eli's parents were kicking ass, but the bloodsuckers were hauling people out of the wards with inhuman speed and wiping the witnesses' memories, and so here Audie and Eli were. As reinforcement.

As if.

"Would you have let them fight alone?" Audie berated, her voice almost as threatening as the yellow glow of her eyes.

"Our parents can handle it, that's what they do."

"So you think this isn't your responsibility?"

"Since when is a vampire attack our responsibility?" Eli snarled, unable to unravel his sister's point, "The adults should handle it, with the cops! And they had it under control."

"Yeah, as much as a fucking wildfire," Audie hissed, her breaths coming quicker with every new scream her ears were able to pick up on, "Our parents are out there and who knows what is happening to them! Innocent people are getting used as some kind of all-you-can-eat buffet, we are stuck in this goddam elevator, and you say you don't care?!"

Audie's words came out as a near growl by the end, and Eli recognized the telltale indications of an impending panic attack. His sister's shift usually came along with the fear, and that was one of the reasons she had been home-schooled last year - more out of embarrassment than the possibility of hurting someone. Eli felt horrible, both because he had somewhat contributed to their messy situation and also because he was lost for what to do. Their parents knew how to deal with the panic attacks, but now Eli felt ashamed that as an older brother he never learnt how to help his sister. Audie might be the next alpha in line, but Eli was her big brother, and it was his job to look after her.

Audie growled again with fangs elongating and claws sinking into her palms painfully, and Eli contemplated getting closer to her before barely discernable words were audible around her heavy breathing.

"Alpha... beta... omega..."

It was like a chant she kept repeating despite the interruption of screams from outside. Audie clutched her triskele necklace - a smaller version of the family talisman - while attempting to regulate her breathing and not relenting until her face was devoid of wolfy features. Suddenly, all sounds ceased past the doors, and the normal lighting returned as the elevator jerked back into motion.

"We're moving."

Audie opened her eyes, tucked her necklace back into her shirt and steadied her stance against whatever was awaiting them downstairs.

"Get ready to fight," Audie commanded, her voice leaving no space for disobedience, "We are Hales. This is our legacy. We protect people."

The words appeared to calm her down, and Eli had no wish to fight her claims. He took a deep breath instead.

"I'll protect you," Audie promised out of nowhere, just as the doors opened to a crowd of disoriented and terrified people.

Alongside his sister, Eli felt unexpectedly secure.

***

"You can do this," Their father repeated but Eli wasn't even sure the message was getting across to his little brother. Rony had curled up on the floor a few minutes ago, face hidden behind his knees while he rocked rapidly back and forth, and didn't show any indication of abandoning his chosen corner in the family basement.

"Ican'tIcan'tIcan'tIcan'tIcan't..." Were the words on a loop that Rony whispered with his hands stubbornly covering his ears. Audie was kneeling in front of him, struggling not to touch Rony after that one time the boy screamed at the contact, but their sister was evidently getting more riled up by the minute.

"Yes, you can!" Audie pressed, despite the futile incentive, "Rony, you have to focus. You have to find Tata."

"You're the only one who can do this," Their dad affirmed in a softer tone, not that it mattered. He was just as, if not more, wrung out than the rest of their family, so his encouragement registered more as a desperate plea rather than a confident boost.

It all went to hell when their tata was running away from the nest of vampires. He had concealed his scent and heartbeat to hinder the nest's manhunt, but his plan had backfired when their dad failed to locate him as well. Now their tata was taken and their other father was clearly blaming himself for losing sight of his mate, and Eli's little brother who was only 13 and barely having started working on his magic was the only one with the means to salvage the situation. The problem was that location spells weren't an easy trick for beginners, especially those under immense stress of possibly losing a parent.

"I can't do this, he's gonna die," Rony muttered under his breath, further upsetting every else in the room.

Eli could feel the waves of worry wafting off Mars when he leaned closer.

"He has no confidence," Mars noted to Eli, "Like when he does math. He has to feel like he knows what he's doing to make it work."

Meanwhile, their dad was rumbling lightly and taking loud breaths in the hope that Rony would follow his example.

"You've done this once, Rony," Their dad said after a minute of useless attempts, "I saw it. You did it with Tata."

"But he was here then, and now he isn't..."

Eli felt so powerless - a state that was becoming aggravatingly regular. The only thing he could think about was the responsibility he had as the oldest sibling, how he had to do something. This was about their family, for crying out loud!

"Hey, Rony," Eli sank to the ground much to everyone's surprise, and truly, he shared the sentiment. He would have also liked to know what he was going to do next. "List me all the Star Wars movies in chronological order."

"What?" Audie whisper-shouted but Eli just pushed her face away.

“The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith, A Star Wars Story from 2018 and then the one from 2016, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and A New Order from 2026.”

“Awesome,” Eli said a bit stupefied, biting his lip as he racked his brain for another one of those rants Rony was prone to, “Oh! Who's the most commonly appearing character in the Marvel comics?”

“Wolverine.”

“What was the first PG-13 movie?”

“Red Dawn.”

“Where did they film the Lord of the Rings?”

“New Zealand.”

“How many movies are in the Fast and Furious series?”

“21.”

Throughout the impromptu quiz, Rony’s heart rate began to gradually settle, and Eli could see Audie's curious eyebrow raise from the side.

“What?” Eli cracked, turning to his sister with an irate look, “I pay attention.”

“Except in school,” Audie replied, but their bickering was short-lived when they noticed Rony's grateful eyes blinking up at them.

“How…?”

Their father was rubbing his thumb against the back of Rony's neck - a soothing gesture and subtle pain leech wrapped in one - and he gave Eli a silent nod as the ghost of a smile tentatively returned to his face.

“If you can remember all of these things,” Eli turned to Rony with a proud smile, “Then you can also remember a location spell.”

Rony stared ahead with unfocused eyes as if contemplating the truth of those words, before rising to shaky legs and addressing the room with a hesitant but determined gaze.

“We’ll need the keys from the jeep.”

***

"You know, for an ambush, it feels kinda like a trap."

"Duck!"

Eli dropped to his knees at Hikari's shrill warning, a dismembered hand quickly joining him on the ground as a vampire hissed above.

"My point still stands," Eli commented, taking a few seconds to assess his surroundings.

He saw Malia's water gun discarded on the side as she was reduced to fighting with her claws, and there was a blast of magic knocking his father somewhere into the far-end walls.

"We need a new plan," Eli grunted as he kicked a looming vampire in the groin and sprung to his feet.

"Do your thing. I'll cover you."

With Hikari's assurance, Eli tried to get a good look at the building's outlay past the nest of vampires swarming the place. There were around ten of them, but the biggest issue had to be his father's adamancy about not killing a single one, only scathing them with holy water and the first rays of sunlight. They timed their attack to the early morning for that exact purpose, not that any light could penetrate the old establishment. In its heyday, it must have been some mythical forest-themed dark ride, which was ironically on-point for their town, but half of it had collapsed into itself and now there was debris littering the base floor where Eli's pack was fending off bloodsuckers left and right. Since the supernatural became a daily addition to the local government's life, the town had to allocate large portions of its funds to defence and covering up tracks, so wastelands like these became the perfect hideouts. Eli now wished they had torn this place down decades ago.

"Let's go up!" Eli shouted, dodging to the side and aiming for a hill of rubble.

"Why did I agree to this?" Hikari muttered under her breath but kept cutting limbs off the occasional vampire as they both climbed their way up towards the roof. Eli even witnessed one grow a new arm out of the severed-off flesh and scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"I'm totally with you, Eli, but you do have a plan, right?" Hikari asked, right as they reached the building's wooden structure.

"Yeah, totally."

"Why did that sound like you don't know what you're doing?"

"Just keep them off!"

Eli continued his ascend until he was perched atop a narrow beam. He balanced against the nauseating prospect of seeing his pack fighting for their lives down below and accidentally caught sight of his father throwing fire blasts at his own family with burgundy hues colouring his eyes. His tata was still under the vampires' mind control, it seemed.

Thankfully, Eli secured his posture on the timber, the roof almost grazing his hair.

"Can you do it?" Eli wished for his friend's help, but Hikari was too busy deflecting vampires as they jumped up to the higher levels.

"You gotta do it, Eli!"

That was an absurd request, seeing how the world was spinning around Eli and he had a serious worry he might faint off the beam.

"Punch through the roof!" Hikari roused, having figured out the contingency plan Eli was going for.

"I can't! I don't know how to transform!"

His heartbeat was fast, too fast, his ears feeling like they were stuffed full of cotton. He felt useless, obsolete, like a deadweight next to Hikari's strenuous work to keep him safe. His family was counting on him, he had to bring the wolf forward, yet, he had no idea where to start.

This was Eli. This was all he ever was. A letdown.

"You did it once, Eli!" Hikari's voice broke through his self-deprecation before she kicked a vampire off the wooden frame.

"Yeah, and lost control."

"Not the full moon!" Hikari grumbled with a look over her shoulder as she reassumed a fighting stance. "It was in first grade! I got lost in the woods!"

"It's just a hunch but maybe this isn't the time to discuss your attempt to find the fairies' kingdom," Eli commented, squatting out of a vampire's swing and punching him a few feet downstairs.

"Yeah, I was dumb, not the point," Hikari hissed, hitting a vampire with the back of her katana and sending him tumbling into another beam. "You found me, Eli! You used your nose and found me! The only reason I got home was because you had your night vision!"

"I was a kid!" Eli argued, looking at his hands and remembering that one dreadful full moon. He hadn't just jumped around on houses and howled at the moon like Tally assumed, he pierced Audie with his claws. He tossed his own father into a tree. He was dangerous. "I couldn't hurt anyone!"

"Stop being afraid or we'll fuckin die!" Hikari shouted, eyes burning with the flames of irritation and fear, "Your family will die, Eli! Do you understand that?!"

Eli's gaze lowered to the ground floor where his siblings were fighting as best as they could, putting themselves in danger despite their father's order to stay behind. He noticed the sheriff shooting special bullets at the half-dead creatures, and Parrish drenching them with the last remains of his holy water beside Mason. Kira was keeping two vampires occupied, while his father was desperately working on getting through to their tata, getting tossed into a nearby wall for his efforts.

There was no telling when backup would arrive. His family could die by that point.

Eli felt a surge of something - a kind of power not unlike the pull of the Moon.

He clenched his hand into a fist and punched upwards, the roof giving way under his knuckles. It hurt, of course, but the strength cursing through his body nearly numbed out all pain and healed his bones before he could really complain about them. He repeated this action a few more times, hearing the wood crack under the pressure and then jumping from the height as the roof began to collapse. Parts of the building's structure shattered around him as he landed in the centre of a ring made by the light filtering through the hole.

Eli immediately sensed a vampire's faltering steps.

"A little light won't save you, boy," One of the vampires taunted, although he made no move to approach the cascade of sunlight.

Eli raised his head and locked eyes with his sister's shocked expression right in front of him. Then, she let her eyes flash back at him while their dad screamed at Eli to find cover.

"Just wait for it, Dad" Audie smirked, and as if on cue, Eli let out a piercing howl.

It was like a shockwave, with the others following him and making the building shake with the vibrations of their battlecry. The humans and the vampires covered their ears, except Eli's tata, who sagged back with the force of it and looked up at Eli with yet again amber eyes above slightly parted lips. He was back.

"Fuck yeah, kid! That's what I'm talking about!" His tata cheered, not wasting a second to gather their dad into the light circle just as the rest of the pack hurried under the protection of the Sun. His tata let the sunlight bounce off his skin and moved the rays around the room like bright, yellow strikes which the vampires fought to evade. It made the scene look like a cheap-quality disco club. "Let's rattle!"

Eli roared with unfamiliar confidence and with their tata on their side, the pack managed to prolong the battle at least long enough for Rain and Tally to finish the circle of mountain ash outside. Before closing the barrier, their tata formed a light shield around them so the supernatural members of their pack could escape while the vampires remained efficiently trapped inside.

As soon as they were outside the mountain ash circle, the local vampire leader appeared on the abandoned amusement park's site, quickly succeeded by Mars and the supernatural council's secretary pulling up in the jeep.

"Is my timing right?" Mars asked with an uncertain sweep of his eyes.

"Perfect, kiddo," Their tata said with a relieved sigh.

"Where are they?" The vampire leader asked, to which Eli's dad pointed to the half-collapsed building.

"They are all alive," He also emphasized which the vampire ruler acknowledged with a grateful nod.

As the leader and the mage secretary went to handle the ragtag nest, Eli pulled Hikari close to his chest and uttered litanies of gratitude to his best friend.

"You were awesome, too," She said in response, pulling away and ruffling Eli's hair in fondness.

"And now?" Eli asked, still breathless and elevated by victory, just as his dad stepped up to his side.

"Now?" His dad repeated, pulling Eli into a half-hug, "Now we go home."

***

His body cut through the current as rows of trees swam past him, leading to the denser part of the forest. The wind abated here, allowing him to hear the noises following his run and alerting him that he wasn’t alone on this special night. Between the branches, the Moon bathed the preserve in guiding light, and soon enough, he stumbled onto a wide cliffside overlooking the expanse of their dark-clad city. Above the clamour of the nightlife below, he heard six familiar heartbeats catch up to him.

Eli's eyes interlocked with his father’s red ones beside him, flashing back yellow in carefree joy. He felt his pack - his family - all around him, and like a thick blanket of fog on an autumn dawn, peace descended to surround him.

He let out an ecstatic howl, his father and siblings following suit, and even the human members' terrible imitations of a howl brought a smile to his face. His tata honked the car on top of that, and their synchronized song filled the alley before climbing high among the stars where his ancestors, undoubtedly, watched on.

The twinkling sky was disturbed by storm clouds gathering somewhere in the distance, but there was no fear in Eli's heart. As Tally had said, the waves would come and go. And Eli had his family to anchor him down.