#whats going on with her feet you say. she's wearing socks i say. shut up and go with it. it's a doodle i say.

[loverboybrightsideghost]

clois, anyone?

hhggrsfrssgvdvdbshfbsf

[sickeninglyshoujo]

a/n: i saw the renders (you know the ones) and became feral with need for dad!ghost, other cod dads coming soon, sorry to my friends for being forced to read me word vomit this in chat over four hours. ao3 link coming soon warnings: pregnancy talk word count: 1.8k

Simon doesn’t like when the baby wears the skulls but you do because it reminds you of him

When he grew up he equated the skull mask to terror, the baby only has positive thoughts about it and gets excited seeing it yelling out “daddy!” if she sees the motif in public, mortifying Simon and delighting you. Onlookers growing even more concerned when you coo back, “Yes, that is daddy!” pointing to the Halloween display of a grim reaper statue.

I can tell you that Simon is a master at baby rearing

Simon would absolutely carry the baby under his arm like a football once her neck is strong enough even if you don’t like it because it’s more comfortable like that

It’s second nature to him somehow

Even when you’re stressed about the baby and can’t get her to stop crying somehow Simon just comes over and says the one thing you haven’t tried because he can differentiate between her cries

You were afraid about introducing the baby to Riley, but Simon wasn’t. “They live in the same flipping house, he has t’ get used to her!”

“But not when she’s newborn! Let her get a little bigger first!”

“No better time than now! She’ll never be afraid of him then and he’ll protect her!”

“They call them malingators for a reason!”

“Riley is a well-trained retired soldier. He’s not going to hurt the baby.”

The first meeting had Simon holding the baby in his arms and stooping down to Riley’s level, Riley nosing at the baby’s sock-covered feet hanging from Simon’s arms, sniffing excitedly. You stood above Simon, wringing your hands together, ready to jump in between the two at a moment's notice.

“This is your baby sister, Riley,” Simon instructed the dog whose ears moved, listening to his master’s voice, “She’s your new assignment, boy.”

“Bloodthirsty, isn’ he?” Simon asked you with a grin as the dog yawned and stayed calmly seated, beginning to lick at the baby's booties.

“Shut it, Si.”

Riley is the baby’s shadow. If she so much as sniffles he’s darting across the house trying to find out what’s wrong. It’s like Simon’s watching over her even when on missions 

Simon hates that the dog is named Riley because he thinks it’s stupid and is constantly begging to rename the dog. You refuse because you like the constant reminder of your husband. It doesn't matter that he shares the family name.

When you first bring the baby home from the hospital Simon is in constant awe at how tiny she is. Like a little doll he keeps telling you to the point he sounds like a broken record

Simon constantly worried about baby being cold 2k24 and always has a blankie in the diaper bag or draped over the baby carrier.

After missions he would look for you first when he came home before stripping off the dirt and grime of missions and now it’s the baby. He used to think you were his reason to keep trying to save the world and now it’s her. It only stings a little but that is soothed when you see the awe in his face when she coos at him from her crib

It isn’t long before Simon is trying to get you to agree to try for another “Jus’ one more love,” he'll mutter into your neck after the baby is put down for the night and you two have retired to your bedroom only to be batted away weakly

“Oh no, Si! No more babies and no more sex! Not if you’re going to talk like that!”

“But yer such a good mum. We should have a houseful.”

Simon would petition you to quit your job because it’s bad enough the baby has to deal with him being gone on missions they shouldn’t have their mum gone too

“I make more ‘an enough for you to stay home with her!”

“The money isn’t the point, Si,” You coo at the baby on your lap, “I don’t need to be a housewife and I like working!”

You giggle whenever the other 141 men are over because they will carry the diaper bag slung over their shoulder and completely at odds with their uniforms.

It heats your cheeks to watch your burley husband in full military uniform when you greet him on base, bouncing your baby on his hips, playfully pulling her hands away when she gets too close to a switch or something she shouldn't touch, particularly when other women notice him too

It would swell your chest with pride when you and Si were out with the baby and he’d get longing looks from women when he was doing dadly things like pushing the stroller or rifling through the diaper bag for her bottle or burp cloth. 

“You have to have seen the way women look at you when you’re carrying the baby.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“You’re practically tormenting them, Si! And me too! You’re all big and tough! You’re in uniform or in a compression shirt and then you’re holding onto her in just your arm while she can’t even wrap a hand around one of your fingers!”

Simon doesn’t understand your point, “I’m tormenting you?”

Heat flushes your cheeks, “I like watching you be a dad to our daughter.”

The baby has essentially four dads as all of 141 takes care of the baby when they come to visit on leave

You worry about them spoiling her, “She’ll get too used to being held Si!”

“Then damn well let ‘er!”

“What about when they leave!”

“You think they’re leaving?! Soaps brought a bloody duffel!”

Because when you have the baby Captain Price, Soap, and Gaz are all going to visit. Moving into your cramped guest room for easily the first month after the baby’s born, Gaz and Soap fighting over who gets the futon and who has to share the bed with the Captain.

They need to see the baby!

They never thought Si would settle down but that was before you and your endless patience with the grumpy military man set in his ways.

You didn’t miss when Price clapped him on the shoulder after Simon showed off the baby for the first time, “You did well, Son.”

“Thank god she got the missus’ looks!” Soap crowed, “I was worried she’d get L.t.’s ugly mug!”

“I was hoping she would Johnny,” you peer down at the baby in Simon’s arms and trace a finger down her cheek, “She did get his eyes though. You know those were the first thing I noticed when we started talking, Si? How sad your eyes were.”

“Don’ have “sad eyes”.”

“I thought you did. And you were wearing that silly skull balaclava too, so I couldn’t very well fall in love with your chiseled jaw or the cute scar on your lip,” Soap and Gaz howled in laughter, missing the dirty looks from Ghost (You did too, eyes entirely on your daughter swaddled in a soft terry blanket in her father’s arms)

“Hey L.t. let me give you a few more scars for the missus to kiss!” Gaz ribbed

You never minded patching Simon up after missions. It gave you an excuse to ogle your husband in detail. Even before you were married, he’d tried to wave you off when you’d dab at the blood encrusted cuts and then flush when after taking care of the ones on his arms, much less when he stretched and took off his shirt for you to do the ones on his chest too. Thankfully he didn’t notice your brain shorting as you forgot how to breathe when you saw how heavily muscled and tattooed he was, culminating in an audible gasp as your eyes took in his happy trail and Adonis belt. 

“You ok?”

“Y-yeah just banged my foot on the tub.”

He’d later recount this to Soap who nearly banged his head on the wall at how dense Ghost was being

“An’ you wen’ home after that!”

“Yes Johnny, I had PT the next morning and had to ship out that night.”

He let out a string of curses, “The lass likes you and probably was hoping you’d stay the night wi’ her!”

“MacTavish,” Simon warned.

“She let you take off your clothes in her bathroom and then cleaned you up! Lasses don’t do that for cheeky cunts they don’ like!”

You miss him when he’s on missions of course, but it’s easier once you have Riley and then the baby. It’s like you have piece’s of him with you

Si is a beige mom but instead of beige it’s gray. You try and explain the importance of the bright colors in developing the baby’s eyesight but Si just mutters something about no baby of his is going to look like a muppet

Riley used to sleep at the foot of your bed but now he sleeps by the crib. You don’t know when he learned how to work door knobs but it happened somewhere between the third trimester and birth. Now you have to coax him into your room if you miss Si and want to cuddle Riley

You’ve given up on trying to keep Riley out of the nursery and instead just tut when you find dog hairs on the baby. 

Riley is the ever-patient soldier with the baby, letting her pull on his tail and ears, tugging on (and sometimes removing) his fur, all while happily wagging his tail at being used as a jungle gym

When the baby starts toddling and skins her knees, Si can’t help but scoop her up before the first tear leaves her eye “Si you’re spoiling her!” “She hurt herself, I can’ just let her cry” “She hadn't even cried yet!” “She was abou’ to”

Simon is an over attentive dad because he doesn’t want his baby to suffer the same way he did 

Si rolls his eyes whenever you  tell him not to throw the baby in the air because he’ll drop her but he knows his reflexes are superhuman and he’d catch her

SI doesn’t baby talk and will discuss the finer parts of gun mechanics and maintenance with your infant as she gums on a teether.

When she’s older, Si buys her a pellet gun for Christmas and hides it from you until unwrapped on Christmas morning

By the time it’s in her hands you know you’ve lost

He ignores your dirty glance that says “We’ll talk about this later”

As she grows up she starts talking about joining the SAS like her daddy and you’re filled with fear while Si encourages it. Starts taking her training with him much to your horror, first on short jogs around the neighborhood, then to the gym proper to teach her how to throw a punch. She quickly becomes the star of the base, with all the men calling her “Recruit”

“Nothing dangerous yet Si I mean it!”

“She asks for it!”

“She is a child and you are her father! You’re supposed to be the voice of reason!”

“The voice of reason says she might as well be trained right if she wants it!”

a/n: likes/reblogs/comments appreciated please talk to me about dad!ghost i cant contain myself

[ivysturnss]

Ninja Warriors- Chris Sturniolo

Summary - Where the triplets get invited to the American Ninja Warrior in LA to film a video and they bring you along!

Warnings - FLUFF!!! Ass touching, swearing , kissing ,pet names but nothing else.

A/N - I loved this video so much so I decided to make a fic abt it hope u enjoy love ivy xx

Pairing - Chris x fem!reader

Nick Matt Chris Aliyah

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"You ready to go lia?" Chris questions picking up his phone and walking over to her who's flatting her slick back with her hands one final time before standing up. "Mhm , I can't wait but do I have to be in every part of the video?" Aliyah curiously asks exiting the bedroom and walking out to the garage. "You don't have to be in it at all if you don't want." chris says getting into the passenger seat as aliyah gets into the drivers. "I'll be in it as I want to have fun with you guys but I'll stay out of some clips!" " What y'doing in the front lia?" Matt says opening the drivers side door to see her sat in his seat. " I thought I would drive for a change so get in the back so we can leave." Aliyah answers shutting the door and waiting for everyone to get in so she can drive to the mall.

They arrive at main place mall and find memo's car so they can park next to it what they could so Aliyah reverses into the parking spot and unbuckles her belt and leans her head on chris' shoulder before getting out the car and going inside.

"You must wear running shoes on trust obstical course , you must wear toe grip socks for the infla-" matt reads out before getting interrupted by nick saying hello to a staff member.

"Can we go to the little kid zone first?" Chris asks the group whilst watching the safety video. "Chris no ur 20 years old not 4!" aliyah replies from behind the camera rolling her eyes before getting the look of annoyance from Chris. "My back hurts already" "Yeah matts been bitching all day he's been like sneezing and stuff and nicks been complaining about his back but aliyahs been the only one who hasn't complained!" Chris says pointing at each person then waving his hand for lia to come stand with him.

Aliyah walks forward and stands infront of Chris before turning around to face the tv what's listing the safety precautions when she has stopped moving Chris pulls her back if she wasn't close enough already and wraps his hands around her waist. "Be respectful of the other ones around you" matt repeats pointing at the tv then slapping Chris shoulder. Chris side eyes matt then kisses under aliyahs ear what makes her blush , as the cameras on her she quickly turns around and hides her face in his chest. "Dont do that!" aliyah mumbles into his black hoodie facing away from memo!

"Don't do what baby?" Chris whispers already knowing the answer but he wanted to annoy her. "Y'know what." she grumbles starting to grow temper in his supposed cluelessness. "Y'mean this?" Chris says then lifting her head and kissing her forehead , both cheeks, her nose , jaw then finally her lips what he repeated twice before putting his hands under her armpits and lifting her up to hold her. "Get a room chris!" Nick says after watching the whole encounter then the group being taken into the actual thing.

"You did the smallest one bro!" Chris says whilst running up the inflatable wall and grabbing on to the top but he didn't make it due to his socks coming off so he had a little help from matt. "Oh my god!" "Nick just pushed me , he pushed me!" Matt utters through laughter. They spend a few more minutes running up the thing and sliding down the slide before going to this area where u can climb a wall.

Matt, nick and aliyah are stood against the inflatable wall and Chris jumps into frame and grasps onto the wall like spiderman but slid down it landing on lia's feet making her topple forward and lands on chris stomach. They all start laughing but chris is first to speak up "Sorry aliyah , did I hurt you?"Chris asks with slight worry and aliyah nods in return and chris thinks of places she could've got hurt in his head then he realises the only place where she mostly would've got hurt. "Go stand right there ma, I'll be over in a sec let me just talk to these 3!" Chris says pointing behind them in a secluded corner with a comforting smile on his face. Aliyah stands up and walks into the corner as chris tells memo and his brothers to go to something else and he will find them.

With nick and matt:

"Ooo an obstical course let's go do that and we can wait for the couple!" Nick sates running over to the course followed by memo and matt. "Talking of the couple why did Chris make aliyah stand in the corner and us leave is he having some make up sex for hurting her!" "If they wanted to fuck eachother they would atleast go to the bathroom he's probably just checking where she was hurt." nick and matt just carry on with a random conversation after speaking about the couple waiting for them to get back.

With aliyah and chris:

Chris walks over to aliyah and looks down at her thats when he noticed her eyes are glossy. "My love you can cry no one is here to stop you infact I would you rather cry in my arms then have a breakdown on your own." Chris reassures aliyah and them words alone made her start crying. "Shh Shh , I'm right hear baby I'm not going anywhere , let it all out!" He says rubbing her back as aliyah let out sniffles. After a few minutes she steps back and stuggles a smile before speaking "It hurts Chris it really hurts!" aliyah let's out in one breath followed by a few hiccups. "I can't help you if you don't tell me where it hurts , I think I have an idea but I need to make sure!" The blue eyed boy states stroking his thumb across her cheeks wiping some tears. "When I f-fell I landed on the the top of ur stomach a-and my right boob hit ur r-rib and now it really hurts" she strings out still hiccuping. "That sounds like it hurt a lot , can I see it and I'm surprised ur not hot in that jacket?" he says looking at her up and down examining the outfit what was gym shorts with a sports bra and a white gym jacket. He gets ahold of the zipper and looks at aliyah for approval so she nods , he pulls down the zipper and takes off the jacket slinging it on his shoulder. He scans over he stomach to make sure there wasnt a mark there then he looks at her boobs and notices a red mark where she said it hurt. "There is a red mark there what will turn into a bruise but other than that there's nothing else beautiful" he tells her and giving her a kiss!

They make there way over to the obstical course and nick starts to take off his shirt "No ur not, no no!" Matt pulls down nicks shirt to stop him but nick refuses "let me , let me you guys don't know what I've got!" He says through giggles pulling the shirt over his head giving it to matt. "USA" the group start laughing there heads off , Chris falls to the floor as matt climbs over him falling to the floor also as aliyah just films her boyfriends laughter and cheesy grin! "Where did you-" Chris utters out before laughing again! Memo does a close up of his shirt and nick flexes his arms saying "Lets go , I'm doing it for my country!"

"Nick busted out the USA shirt for the American ninja warrior course!" Chris comments fixing his hat as nick puts his shirt back on. They start the race as memo films them going round and Chris was in the lead as matt and aliyah waited at the finish line. "I got like 50 bucks on nick!" Matt bets waiting for the race to finish! "NOOOO!" Chris whines due to his failed attempt to winning! " Congrats nick!" Lia congratulates nick with his winning by giving him a big hug! "I would like to see u do it that shirt was hard!" Nick pants like a dog out of breath hugging his best friend back. "Babe get out of the ball pit ur not a fucking toddler!" she grumbles watching her boyfriend sit in the pit of balls.

Chris goes over to this wall where matt was standing and puts his hand on a ladder "That's not- that's not an obstical course." matt hurriedly states to Chris before he started climbing. As matt carries on speaking to the camera aliyah walks up to Chris who's drinking some water , he swallows his drink then looks down at her. "Chris , can I have some please I didn't bring any." She asks pointing at the water bottle in his hands signifying what she was talking about. He nods passing her the bottle what she holds in one hand and puts the other on her hips and begins to chug it! "Woahh easy there tiger , don't want you to choke now do we!" he says placing a hand under her chin to catch some dripping water as the other one took the bottle out of her hand. "Hey I was enjoying that!" She pouts her bottom lip and frowns at him before he pulls down her chin and opens her mouth , he placed the bottle at her mouth what she closed taking small sips as chris kept lowering the bottle.

After there little break aliyah decides to race matt as she felt bad for chris having to run again, in her head her thoughts of winning was a 50/50 chance as she was very fast but not as fast as matt but as she hadn't been here before aswell as the brothers she didn't know what the course consisted of meaning she still might have a chance. Her boyfriend was at the finish along with nick and Chris was obviously cheering for aliyah and nick was cheering for matt but deep down nick wanted lia to win. Where memo was standing as the 2 ran past him it looked very close to the camera but in real life aliyah was winning by a tiny bit! Memo ran to end to capture it it was still very close as the ran across the red dots in the ball pit aliyah ended up coming first place due to matt slipping. "Image getting beat by a girl matt" nick laughs sticking out his tongue and matt just rolled his eyes. " That shit was hard but I still won!" aliyah comments as she sat on the floor to catch her breath "I'm so proud of you ma , I was cheering for u the whole time!" Chris says as he sat down beside her. "My legs hurt so bad after that I can't walk!" aliyah growns laying her head on chris shoulder as he lays his head on top. "Well we are going to the trust obstical course now so do you want me to carry you?" he questions even if she said no he would anyway. She nods lightly so Chris stood up once he was up he pulled aliyah up with ease and crouched down infront of her. "Jump" he indicates to let her know he's ready to catch her. Aliyah puts her hands on his shoulders and jumps up , as soon as chris felt her touch his back he grabbed on to her thighs lightly walking out of the inflatables as she conjoined her hands infront of him.

After playing a game of odd one out to see who went first nick started doing the course and successfully made it to the end matt went who failed on the second obstical as he thought his foot was on it but it wasn't. "Chris be careful I don't want to be looking after you because you've broke a mother fucking bone" aliyah says watching her boyfriend swing around but he did make it to the end with no broken limbs. It then came her turn she was scared as he arms weren't as long as the triplets and if she failed she didn't want to be caller a failure but she gave it a shot and made it with a little help from Chris. They did the second part of the course but memo didn't film it other than a bit of matts and Chris saying "I can't belive I lost to the cheese doors when I was ten I would tell myself I could do these with ease" as he fixed his hat and aliyah sat between his lap.They moved onto the next thing and the first obstical on it was a red bar you had to hold on to and go across "I have an idea" he says and jumps onto one side and makes it across. "Cmon nick!" "Ooh I like it that was my technique!" Chris jumps onto the bar using a diff technique to nick and starts going across it "Lets go bacon back" nick utters watching his brother do his turn. Matt dies the same technique as nick and makes it across just like his brothers then it became aliyahs turn. This was the part she was most scared for as her boyfriend and his brothers made it look easy but there significantly taller and stronger. This time memo decided to film her what made her nerves even worse she jumped up to grab on the bar as she was going to use the same technique as chris but she couldn't reach. "Can someone help me reach up?" She asks politely and nick came to the rescue and helped her she began her turn "I'm right here if you fall , I'll catch you lia" Chris says slowly walking behind her , she was very slow but made it then it came to the one where the 3 boys failed on but she made it across easily then it came to the rock wall her hands hurt already so she was a bit nervous how that would go she made it halfway across before she stopped. The boys look at eachother confused as she was doing so well and that's when chris noticed her hands began to tremble from how tight she was gripping on so just like he did with the bar he came up behind her. "I'm right behind you you can let go my love , I've got you!" He says sticking his hands out she can feel his breath fan her back so she knew he wasn't lying , she let go and just as he promised he caught her.

They made there way to the wall and started running up it a few times off camera and when the camera starts rolling matt and Chris are sat st the top of the mini wall whilst nick and aliyah are sat on the floor looking up at them they see a fireman's pole so they ask one of the workers if they could use jt and they said yes so chris goes down first and says "if I do that with less clothes it's worth a million bucks!" Nicks jaw drops ,matts expression drops and aliyah gasps and goes "CHRISTOPHER OWEN STURNIOLO DONT EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" Chris and nick swap places as nick runs up the wall Chris sits criss-crossed and taps his legs for aliyah to sit on them so she does so. He leans forward and places his chin on her shoulder " Y'think you're going to have a turn it looks fun right?" He says watching matt and nick run up. "Mhm , it looks great fun but I don't think I would be able to do jt I don't have much upper body strength left and my legs are still a bit sore from racing matt." she murmers. "I can help you if you want I can either be up the top and pull you up or I can be behind you it up to you baby." "Can u go behind me to start and then if I can do that you go up the top!" "Whatever you want , cmon up you get" he whispers into her shoulder giving it a kiss before tapping her thighs.

Aliyah stands up and Chris stands at the bottom of the wall waiting for her. She runs up and as soon as she puts her hands at the top to push her self up Chris goes as high up as he can and places a hand on her ass and pushes her up. Once she's up Chris runs up and sits in the corner as aliyah lays infront of him placing her head on his legs as he attacks her face with kisses. "I knew you could do it aliyah , you just got to put a little bit of trust in yourself and don't be afraid to ask me or anyone for help you understand?" "I understand" she breaths out before climbing down followed by Chris. Little did they know memo was filming the entire thing from when they were sat on the floor until they climbed down.

The group move on to the big wall and matt tells nick "try the first one" as there was 2 different sizes. Nick runs but doesn't even manage to grab on so he runs back down with his shoelace untied "Tie your shoe!" Chris points out so nick does so. Matt grabs on to the top and turns himself around so he's holding on with one hand , he then slides down and stays sat down at the bottom of the ramp and the boys ask him questions. "That doesn't hurt?" nick asks getting a simple answer from matt "no." "That's totally not how ur supposed to do it." Chris mumbles and matt goes "I don't know , it felt most comfortable in my heart." with a big smile on his face.

Matt asks if they can still get slurpees and they was allowed so they go to the counter and they worker was making them for the group "They sell these at AMC and target and this is my ideal slurpee!" Nick tells the camera as he picked up the cup. "White cherry gross nick!" aliyah comments watching matts Cup get filled up."I don't know what I want , umm I just get the blue one!" Chris says as his voice starts to lower due to memo walking away to film some workers who wanted to say hello. "Aliyah do you want one?" Matt asks refering to the drinks as he took a sip of his "What flavours is there?" she asks walking over and standing in the middle of matt a chris "Theres white cherry , blue raspberry , cherry, orange cream, mango or frosted lemonade you can also get a small if you want." Chris tells her pointing out the flavours and cup size. "I'll have a mango one and can it be small please!" aliyah politely tells the worker who gives her a small nod and giving her what she wanted.

They try eachothers drinking before going home and getting ready for the night , aliyah and Chris have a shower then make there way upstairs to get some food before laying on the couch and watching some spongebob before falling asleep in eachothers comfort.

A/N PT2: I don't know if you can tell but I kinda gave up towards the end also comment on this if you want to be apart of the taglist!!!

@luvs4matt @6ix9inewiturmom @dirtylittleheart333 @evie-sturns @sturniqlo @delilahsturniolo @vanteguccir @sturnsforlife @hysteria-things @cherriesformatt @strawberrysturniolo @recklessmatt @777sturn @sturniolo-simp4life @bambi-slxt @pepsiboyy @lustfulslxt @luvsturnii

[lefaystrent]

Friendly Neighborhood Criminals

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Pairings: platonic Patton/Dark Sides

Summary: Sweet, adorable, mild-tempered Patton who's just beginning to come out of his shell and learn that the world maybe does not in fact hate him for being born... has now been taken under the wings of some well-meaning criminals.

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Patton can't quite figure out how he ended up here.

Well, he knows he's in his apartment. He had saved up for months just to afford the deposit. And the landlord had been so sweet to take a chance on him with his credit, or lack thereof. Now he has a space of his own, a one bedroom with hardwood floors he can slip and slide on socked feet. He can go to the fridge when he wants and not be yelled at for eating the food or drinking the water.

And sometimes! Sometimes a black and white kitty cat roams the front steps. Patton's fairly certain it belongs to one of the neighbors, and she wears a collar. He's not supposed to pet cats because of his allergies, but he likes to let her rub her sides against his pants leg while he talks to her. It's nice because she doesn't tell him to shut up or tell him he's stupid or call him ungrateful.

This apartment is his new chance at life. A slice of freedom. And he's proud of it.

But then one night, three men break into his apartment. They probably think he isn't there because there is no vehicle parked in his one assigned spot. Owning a car seems light-years away in terms of money. It's not like he really needs one either! He has a bus pass and two legs to walk on!

Regardless, the three men break into his apartment, picking the locked front door, and they come in uninvited to see his apartment that he is very proud of.

His apartment that has no furniture.

"What the fuck?" Patton hears one of them say. As soon as he heard them picking the lock, he panicked and cowered behind the bedroom door. He huddles now on the other side, peeking out the crack and scared that closing it will make too much noise.

"Is this one empty?" another asks. They walk into the center of the small living area. It's an open space that melds into the kitchen, separated only by a short island counter.

"No, I've seen a guy coming in and out. Someone's been living here."

"Maybe they just moved out?"

"No, I just saw him earlier today. There haven't been any moving vans."

"Uh, bedroom then?"

"Oh God," Patton shudders in fright. He knows he's not supposed to think the worst in people, but these guys came in without permission with clearly bad intentions. What if they are looking for him? What if they want to hurt him? Or kidnap him? They had obviously been watching him for some time.

"Maybe. Let's check it out."

Terror slams into him. He throws himself away from the door and spins in the middle of the bedroom, searching for any place to hide. But there isn't one. There are no curtains, no bed to crawl under. There is a blanket on the floor with a pillow. He's been saving up for an air mattress as his next goal. He's been looking forward to sleeping on something somewhat soft.

The tiny closet has no room to hold him, and the window jams up nine times out of ten. They'll hear him if he attempts pushing the pane up and–

The door creaks as it sways open. Three men stare at a scattered-brain mess.

"Oh shit, he's here!"

"I thought you said he left!"

"I thought he did!"

Patton can't take it anymore. He throws up his hands and screams, "Please don't kill me! I can give you my wallet. There's not much in there, I'm sorry. Just please don't kill me!"

"Dude, is that where you sleep?" one of them gestures to the blanket pile on the floor.

Sniffling back tears, Patton responds, "Do you want my blankets? You can have them."

"Do you seriously live here, or are you squatting?" another says. He's wearing a hat. It's a very nice hat and Patton would tell him so if he wasn't about to pee his pants.

"I live here....it's my apartment."

"There's no shame if you're squatting. We won't tell anyone. Do what you gotta do."

A hysterical giggle tumbles out his lips. Patton shakes his head hard enough to give himself whiplash. "No, it's my place, I pay for it, I swear."

"You mean you live like this?" This one wears a dark hooded jacket, hood up.

"Y-yeah?" Patton stammers. He can't understand why they're so hung up on where he lives.

"This is..." the third one strokes his mustache, "Yeah, I can't even make fun of this. This is just sad."

"Do you have food in your fridge?" the hat guy demands. "Please tell me you at least have food in your fridge."

"Uh....uh... yes? Are you hungry?"

In answer, the hat guy strides with angry purpose into the kitchen. Patton can't see him from this angle anymore, but he hears the fridge open.

"There's literally only spaghetti in here!"

"It's...it's cheap to make." Patton doesn't know why he's explaining himself. Had he known that three men were going to break into his apartment, should he have prepared better meals for them?

"Can I have some?" the guy with the mustache asks, only to be cuffed by the hoodie guy.

"Dude, not the issue here."

"Why is there only pasta?!! Why don't you have any tables or TVs or a fucking bed?!!!"

The hat guy had gone past the boiling point. He hollers and slams cabinet doors like no tomorrow. Patton flinches and remembers too vividly of the atmosphere before the apartment. Before he was safe.

"I'm sorry," Patton defaults to how he's supposed to respond. He has been bad and he has to make amends. The tears overflow now and he can't get his shaking hands to wipe the wet streaks away. "I'm so sorry!"

"Oh shit, he's breaking. Virge, do something?"

"What the hell am I supposed to do?! I am not mentally equipped for this!"

"Janny!!"

The hat guy comes whirling back with all the fury of a storm. His shoulders heave. A gloved finger points straight at Patton.

"You!" he roars. Well, it's more like a hiss, but it sounds like a roar to Patton's sensitive ears.

"I'm sorry!"

"You have nothing to apologize for! Obviously, society has let you down. This is unforgivable. Deplorable! You deserve better than this."

"I do?" Patton questions, glasses askew and eyes wide.

"Yes. Come boys, we're leaving."

"Wait, why? Where?" Virge exclaims, waving his hands back and forth at everything and nothing at all. "What are we doing? This isn't the plan."

"New plan! Operation Do-It-Ourselves commences now."

And that is how Patton finds himself standing outside his apartment the next morning watching the three theives from last night moving furniture into his apartment.

He doesn't question if the furniture is stolen. He doesn't ask why they're going through so much trouble. He doesn't ever call the police.

He watches them bicker as they wedge a sofa through the door. He mumbles an answer when they politely ask him which wall he wants it pushed against. He eats the breakfast sandwiches that they brought him, and he feels like he's having an out of body experience.

Janus, the hat guy, directs the other two with confident authority. Virgil, the hoodie-clad one, fills up the fridge with groceries. Remus, the man with the mustache, shoves a mattress into the bedroom.

"What's happening?" Patton mutters to himself later. He thinks he's being quiet enough, but Remus hears him and throws an arm over his shoulder.

"Janus has adopted you. This is how it starts. It's best to just go with it."

Sweet, adorable, mild-tempered Patton who's just beginning to come out of his shell and learn that the world maybe does not in fact hate him for being born... has now been taken under the wings of some well-meaning criminals.

[cinnaminyoons]

STAR THEORY !!

!!   jjk x m!reader

!!   wc | 6.8k

!!   tags | dilf!jk + dilf!reader (obv), non-idol au, lil age gap (jk’s 25, reader’s at least late 20s), reader lived in america for some time + reader is a chef (food comfort & domesticity i love u), reader’s children and dog are named, reader had a wife and also has a hip tattoo

[ event masterlist ]

dilf/dilf

pets are in love and so are they

“we are... incredibly close right now.”

the bedroom door bursts open.

"appa!"

it's too early for this.

"appa," she pants, little feet bouncing across the carpet until a weight begins to tug erratically at his blankets. "appa, get up, get up, there're new people!"

jungkook pulls a pillow over his head.

she puffs her cheeks out and launches herself onto his bed; she elbows him in the bony front of his leg. he groans in pain as she scrambles over his legs and grabs his pillow with both hands.

"get up, appa! i wanna go see!"

blearily, jungkook lifts his head, groping for the blinds past his bedside table. he leans uncomfortably far out into the cold of his room before he latches onto the chain and gives it a good pull.

the wooden blinds clatter up, dousing the room with pale morning light – the white bang that birthed the universe. she giggles and slides down from the bed, crawling up to the window and pressing her knuckles against the cold glass.

on the street below are a man and a little girl. another girl! she delights herself with fantasies of having a best friend – maybe they'd go play on the playground, and with their combined strength, they'll knock down the mean queen bee from the monkey bars.

they carry boxes into the neighbouring house, assisted by movers. a fridge, a mattress – they manoeuvre them through the gates leading around to the side of the house, entering through the glass sliding doors. she watches them, fascinated, as the visible kitchen begins to fill with cardboard boxes.

she cranes her neck, pressing her forehead against the glass until it stings her skin. nobody else comes through, and she knows who the hired help are because they wear bright orange shirts.

she squints at the man's left hand when he rests it against the column of the alfresco, speaking to the little girl. he's like her appa – he doesn't wear a marriage ring.

"what's so interesting?" he combs his fingers through his messy hair.

she glances over her shoulder with big brown eyes. "nobody's lived in that house for ages. d'you think they'll be nice?"

"i'm sure they are. c'mere, miri – you'll get a cold."

she skips over, lifting her arms dutifully. jungkook pulls a small pink jersey from his closet and tugs it over her head, helping her arms into the sleeves.

"where are your socks?" he asks with a groggy frown. he's always been slow to wake. "your toes will fall off."

"bam took them."

"he what?"

"bam took my socks," she says helpfully.

he sighs, rising to his feet. "okay. up we go, then."

he heaves her into his arms, settling her against his hip as he shuffles out of his bedroom and down the stairs. she's more than capable of walking on cold floors on her own – maybe it'd be a good lesson to teach about letting the dog take one's socks – but jungkook admits to himself that it's mostly for him. babies turn into children so quickly, and he finds he misses having her little warmth holding onto his shoulder.

bam meets them at the foot of the stairs, barking his good morning greeting. miri smiles and waves hello, and bam's tail wags faster as he follows them to the back door – he darts out with a bark, leaping into a run for freedom around the large yard. he shuts the door.

"right – here we are." he places her on the mat in the kitchen, in front of the sink. it protects her feet from the tiles. he feels somewhat more awake. "any requests for breakfast, miri? the fruits are still fresh – would you like some yoghurt and banana with your cereal?"

"with strawberries, too, please," she requests, watching him move towards the fruit bowl.

"how many strawberries?"

she opens her mouth. she frowns. carefully, she raises five fingers. "five."

"five? you must be hungry today," he comments, placing a banana on the chopping board next to the knife and leaning over to the fridge to fish out the tray of strawberries.  he bends over. "on three. one."

he scoops her up under his arm, holding her like rolled carpet. she hums as she chooses her strawberries, placing them on the blue chopping board. she shoves a sixth in her mouth and giggles as jungkook rolls his eyes at her with a fond smile, setting her down. "go grab your cereal, okay? i'll be done in a minute."

"okay!" her cheek leaves jungkook's palm as she whisks away to a lower cupboard, taking her pick of the different cereals in easy-pour containers.

he pushes the sleeves of his sweatshirt up to his elbows. he sets to work with the knife, chopping wedges out of the tops of the strawberries and slicing them in half. beside him, miri cautiously measures out her cereal on her own red child-sized table, tipping the container a few degrees at a time to control the flow.

a thump outside. he glances up. bam stops barking.

he sets down the knife and strides over to the door, dropping the wet handtowel on the edge of the bench. he leans out into the chilly air. "bam?"

no response. jungkook slips from his indoor slides to his outdoor ones and hurries outside, worry forming a knot in his stomach. "bam, come here!" he whistles, short and sharp.

he peeks behind the bushes, where a collection of toys have gathered as bam's treasure trove. no dog.

"shit," he mutters, eyes widening as he spots the open fence door by the side of the house. he hurries through it, grabbing the edge of the door. "bam!"

a bark by his feet. he startles ten feet into the air and a curse slips out of his mouth.

kneeling on the stone path and staring up at him is a little girl in a thick purple jacket. she looks about miri's age. bam had his head resting on her legs before they were so rudely interrupted.

he swallows another bad word and softens his voice. "hey. i don't think i've seen you around here before."

she stares up at him for a moment longer, rubbing bam's ears slowly. "me and papa came here today."

"oh! you must be our new neighbours." the moving truck is gone. he glances over the fence, before lowering himself to her level. "do you know where your papa is?"

"in there." she points at the house. she says nothing more, her eyes narrowed slightly mistrustfully.

"does he know you're here? i don't want him to be worried about you. come on – i'll bring you over."

she recoils from his offered hand, hugging bam's neck. the usually active pup seems unusually calm.

"i just want to walk you over, that's all. it's cold out here, and those pebbles can't be comfy."

she glances over him, then nods with as much dignity as she can muster and rises to her booted feet, brushing off her knees. bam stands as well, and jungkook gives him a pat.

he smiles at her, discreetly pulling his sleeves down over his sleeve tattoos. they might not make the best impression of his character. "so, you moved here today? what do you think of it?"

she shrugs, following him. "it's a lot colder. but papa says he got a good job here and can take care of me."

"really? do you know what his job is?"

"he's a chef! he makes really good food. do you like carrot cake? his carrot cake is the best. you should try some."

he smiles down at her as they approach the front door. "thank you for the offer. we'll see what happens."

he raps his knuckles against the front door firmly. he wonders if it sounds too aggressive, but there's nothing he can do about it, and there's an out-of-breath man standing in front of him. a very attractive out-of-breath man.

his eyes widen as he notices the girl beside him. "anya! what are you doing out there?"

she crosses her arms, defiant. "exploring."

"i – i told you to stay inside, didn't i? anya, neither of us knows our way around! you could've gotten lost if you hadn't—"

his eyes flicker up to jungkook's. he clears his throat and the girl shuffles over the threshold, grabbing onto his pant leg and burying her face in it. "hello. i am so sorry about my daughter – really, it feels like locks just fall apart around her. thank you so much for retrieving her. i left her in the hallway for two minutes to set up her bed, and then—"

"she escaped containment?"

the man cracks a frazzled smile. "yeah, suppose you could say that. ah—i'm ln yn. this is my daughter, anya. say hi, bub."

"hi."

"jeon jungkook," he introduces, feeling rather self-conscious about his pyjamas and socks-with-slides combination. he nods towards anya with a small smile. "how old is she?"

"five, this year." you smooth down her hair with a palm. she watches bam sniff around the perimeter of the fence. "she'll be starting school here soon and she's been really excited. she's a bit of an artist, you see, and the school's renowned for its arts program."

"oh! you mean—?" he gestures down the road. you nod. he brightens. "my kid goes there, too! she's the same age as yours, but she's more interested in trying every single extracurricular sport they offer than anything they're actually famous for. my genes at work, i guess."

you smile, leaning against the doorway. you nod at the dobermann by the succulents. "and that one's yours, too, i'm guessing?"

"oh – yeah! that's bam." he turns. "bam, come here!"

he perks up, trotting over.

"sit."

he sits.

"good boy." jungkook scratches behind his ears. "i'll keep him inside the yard, so you don't have to worry about holes in your garden or anything."

you chuckle. "thanks. so, what's to like around here? in particular, anything a five-year-old would enjoy?"

"the park's a two-minute walk that way." he points behind him. "it's not that big, but it has a swing and a slide and a rope cobweb thing. there's a fireman pole, too.” he smiles. “i know it's bad enough trying to move when you're alone, so having a kid with you must be pretty rough."

you share a laugh. the girl pouts into your leg.

he tucks his knuckles into his sleeves, trying not to show how fast his heart is beating. "i could watch her while you get settled today. i-if you want! i'd bring my daughter over and they could, uh, keep each other busy."

he knows you're wary. he can see it in your eyes and the way you pull her into your side.

good. he would be, too.

"that would be wonderful," you say eventually with a small smile. "but it's quite early – i'll be here when you're, well, ready."

he glances down at himself and bursts into embarrassed flames. "ah, r-right! yeah! sure, yeah, i'll be back in an hour. it was nice meeting you," he smiles down at her, "and you as well, anya."

"you, too," you reply, and your grin makes jungkook's heart race. he wills his blush down.

"goodbye," calls anya, watching him retreat from their door. "i like your puppy!"

bam trots at jungkook's side, tongue lolling out and collar clinking. jungkook lets him into the backyard again, this time through the side door, and latches the door shut firmly after himself. he's got no idea how it came loose the first time; it might've been the wind rattling the latch.

he shrugs to himself as he returns to his kitchen. if it happens again, he'll get a proper lock.

"appa!"

she crashes into his knees. he hums and smooths down her fringe. "hello. i'm sorry for disappearing on you like that – i got worried about bam, and then i met our neighbours."

she recoils, betrayal etched all over her face. "without me?"

"i wasn't expecting to."

"but you did! you could've come tell me!" she stomps her foot, huffing. "i hate you."

"miri..."

she ignores him, stalking off to grab her stool and dropping it firmly in front of the kitchen sink. she puts her bowl inside silently and stomps past him to play with bam outside, and jungkook doesn't bother trying to get her to change out of her pyjamas.

he sighs in his empty kitchen, thunking his head backwards on his fridge. he draws a hand down his face and his mind whirls with a thousand thoughts a second, but it only sticks firmly to one.

his neighbour. his unfortunately handsome neighbour. his unfortunately handsome neighbour with an amazing laugh and lightning-strike smile.

i'm fucked.

—

after a few days, a black labrador appears out the front of your yard, chasing a yellow rope bone that it brings back to anya. jungkook's walking bam, having just dropped miri off at school, and doesn't expect to have his arm yanked off by an overexcited pet.

"bam! what's gotten into you?" he struggles against the leash, acutely aware of the other dog on the other end of bam's attention. "calm – calm down."

bam stills, panting and alert as the black lab stares back, half-poised to drop the bone at anya's feet.

jungkook loosens the leash cutting into his hand, and it's the wrong decision. bam tears off towards the other dog.

jungkook swears as the leash slices out of his grip. he stumbles after him, dread and panic slurring together for a split second – but confusion cuts through the mess as the two dogs pause, watching each other very closely.

bam barks. the labrador glances back at the house, as if to check for permission—

and drops the toy in front of bam.

it lays down, placing its head on its paws, and gnaws at the end of the bone. every so often, it glances up at bam, blinking in that sweet puppy way.

bam lays down beside it, his flamingo-coloured leash trailing over his back. both dogs' tails wag in comfortable excitement.

"hi, miri's papa."

jungkook tears his stare off the dogs. "hey, anya. where's your dad?"

"inside."

"okay. thanks." he glances at the dogs; the toy is now in bam's jaws. "uh, are you cool with watching over him? i'll be quick."

she nods, full of purpose and determination. as he reaches for the door handle, however, she raises her voice with innocent curiosity:

"do you love papa?"

the door handle shears a layer of skin off his knuckles. he chuckles uneasily, clutching it. "what? no."

she tilts her head, playing with her laces. she did them herself this morning. "really?"

"o-of course. why would i love him? more importantly, why do you think that?"

she purses her lips as if it's obvious. "you look like you love papa."

he runs his thumb over the flap of skin. no blood, but it stings.

"you sound like you love papa."

he tilts his head. "what are you talking about?"

"you make faces and your voice gets all weird when you talk to him." she turns back to the dogs, stretching her stocking-clad legs out from her seat on the driveway. she yawns until her jaw cracks. "you're just like all the other ladies who love papa. but i don't think they like me." she glances up. "you're nicer than them."

"other ladies?" he whispers to himself with a frown. slowly, he returns to her, bobbing down to sit next to her. she stares up at him with big eyes, expectant. "anya, if i may... what happened to your mother? it's okay if you don't want to answer."

she shrugs, kicking her feet. "i don't know. i live with papa now. i like it better this way – he doesn't get angry at me like she did, and he makes better food." she rubs her nose. "they fought a lot before we moved. papa pretends like they didn't, but i know they did. i could hear them."

"yeah?" jungkook says quietly. "was that back in america?"

she nods, playing with the blades of grass. she peels them in half, drops them in a pile on the concrete, then picks another one and does the same. "mhm. they decided we'd live with papa."

"huh." he pauses and tilts his head. "wait, 'we'?"

"anya! dad's done, are you hungry?"

a girl leans out the front door. she's older, wearing braids, and her familiar eyes snap to jungkook's with abrupt alarm. she slips into the shoes by the door and hurries over, grabbing anya by the shoulder and pulling her away. "who are you?"

anya whines, wriggling out of her grip. "this is mister jungkook! he loves papa."

he stands too quickly; the older girl steps back. "no. no, i don't, anya. i'm just a friend – i live right there."

"uh-huh," says the older girl, putting anya's hand in her own. "let's go, okay? dad's waiting."

"papa made carrot cake," anya insists. "you should come!"

"you can't just invite strangers—"

"but papa knows him—"

"doesn't matter, i don't know him—"

a new voice, familiar and gentle. "girls, everything alright?"

jungkook turns with a leap of his heart. you wear jeans and a grey v-neck sweater rolled up at the sleeves to reveal the stiff cuffs of a white dress shirt. the collar pokes out over the sweater.

you're dressed like any other man on the street, some form of business casual, but jungkook's heart acts as if he's seen you naked. he'd love to. god, he'd love to. would you like him?

focus!

"good morning," he greets, dusting off his black joggers. "how goes things?"

you glance over him and he covers his bare biceps self-consciously. your lips quirk up. "hey, jungkook. things are great. i see you've met ellie."

"ellie," he repeats. he gives her a small, sheepish smile and offers a hand. "hi. i'm sorry for worrying you. maybe we can make amends?"

she glances down at his hand. her eyes flicker to you, and after receiving a certain look, she sighs and begrudgingly takes his hand, giving it a firmer-than-necessary shake. "yeah, sure. whatever."

she pulls anya into the house with her and you give her another look – this one meaning we'll talk later – before heading out to the driveway to speak with jungkook.

"i'm sorry about her," you huff. "twelve-year-olds..."

"don't worry about it. her heart's in the right place," jungkook hums, glancing up at you with a soft smile. his hands have taken much of his attention. "so, two?"

"yeah. she just arrived last night – i promise she isn't usually so grumpy." you jerk your head towards the house with a grin, hands in your pockets. "i heard them arguing about you. if you think my decision holds more weight than theirs, you're welcome to come in. i made carrot cake – my own personal recipe, tried-and-tested with the kids." you wink. "you know it's good when children willingly eat vegetables. any allergies?"

"i'd love to," he replies, his cheeks warmer than usual. "and no, i don't."

your smile widens, blindingly bright. you turn to the dogs and pat your thigh, reaching out for the labrador that trots over with an excited bounce. "you can bring bam in, too. they seem to get along – no reason to break them apart, right?"

"are you sure? bam's pretty easily excited, and he's a lot bigger than he thinks he is."

"hey." you take his hands, stopping him from picking obsessively at the cuticles. it's a bad habit he can't seem to shake. "we've had callus since he was ten weeks old. i know exactly what you're talking about, and my offer still stands."

"callus?" he asks, his brain too full of the thought of your warmth to do much else.

you roll your eyes fondly. "i hate the name, but ellie chose it and trained him to it, so it's stuck ever since. so – you coming in, or are you just gonna hold my hands for the next hour?"

"what?" he says. oh, fuck, you've loosened your grip but he hasn't. he's holding your hands. he's still holding them. he drops them. "a-ah, i'll come in!"

you laugh, and jungkook's heart squeezes tight in a red fist as he follows you to the front door. "alright, jungkook. don't tell the girls, but i'll give you a bigger piece of cake, okay? it'll be our secret."

"okay," jungkook breathes, and feels like a teenager all over again.

however, he might have forgotten to factor in the feelings of a certain five-year-old girl.

"you saw them again!"

"i know, i'm sorry," jungkook pleads, "but you were at school! hey, look, i even saved you some of yn's cake, alright? it's really good. he invited us – both of us – over to his place tomorrow. you can meet him and his daughters, and have a lunch better than i could ever make. how about it?"

miri pouts, kicking her feet on the couch. her schoolbag sits by the end of the sofa. "fine."

"oh, good," he sighs, relieved.

"but," she raises a finger, "you can't fall in love with him."

he whips around faster than light. "you, too? why am i not allowed to?"

"you're not allowed to be his wife."

"i'm a man, miri. it doesn't work like that."

"yes, it does."

"it doesn't."

"it does," she insists, "ellie said—!"

she slaps a hand over her mouth and falls backwards on the sofa.

jungkook pauses, his hands hovering over a cucumber on the chopping board. very carefully, he continues slicing long ovals out of it. he asks calmly, "have you met each other before?"

"no." she sits up, long black hair falling over her shoulders. "only to play with the dogs..."

"then you shouldn't be so upset that i did the same thing, right? does yn know you played with his daughters?"

miri, with as much gravitas as a five-year-old can muster, replies: "no."

he shakes his head with a huff of laughter, using the back of the knife to scrape the cucumber in a container. "alright. is that where you found this rumour? did they tell you?"

"appa, it's not a rumour if it's true," she argues, rising to her feet on the sofa. she leans forward against the backrest. "i've seen it with my own eyes! you talk about him like – like – not a friend! i never saw you talk about anybody else that way."

"uh-huh. and what do you know about being in love, miri? what does ellie know? she's twelve, and you've only just learnt how to tie your hair in a ponytail. very messily. no standing on the couch."

she falls back behind the edge of the backrest with a huff, vanishing from jungkook's sight. "you'd be a bad wife."

he carves the store-bought roast chicken, sawing through the thighs and shaving smaller slices off the body. he digs through the breast to stab at the herbed stuffing. a lock of hair falls loose from his low ponytail and he tosses his head to get it out of his eyes. "do i dare ask why?"

he's terribly competitive – whether it's a good or bad trait, he doesn't know. while he may never be a wife, being called bad at something – by his own blood, no less! – sets fire to something he tried to bury back in university.

"because you're mean and not funny and never wake up before twelve o'clock."

he gapes, putting down his serrated knife to scoff at the couch. "i am funny, thank you very much. why should you never eat a clock?"

"um, because it's made of metal and plastic?" miri answers.

"it's time-consuming," he snickers.

her head pops up over the backrest, pinched into a frown. "that isn't funny, appa."

"you don't appreciate my effort, miri. i'm hurt."

"you know who would, though?" her gaze intensifies. she points through the walls to the house to their left with the neat lawn. "he would. which makes it even worse, because then you'll love each other, and then i'll have to hear two bad jokes instead of one. it'll be in – in – insuff'rable. i learnt that word today, did you know?"

"it's 'insufferable', miri."

"you proved it! you're mean. anyway, ellie said she'd hate it if you and her appa got together."

out of protectiveness? or something learnt and cruel?

miri disappears behind the sofa again only to reappear beside it, moving towards the kitchen and leaning against jungkook's left leg.

"appa, it smells really good."

jungkook grabs a set of chopsticks and hooks out a chunk of meat. he crouches and offers the meat, holding a hand beneath her small chin to catch anything that doesn't make it to home base. nothing falls, and he draws away.

"here," jungkook murmurs. "can you set the table, please?"

"mhm."

she skips off with the cutlery in hand. jungkook carries the large bowl with the carcass and places it in the middle of the dining table, petting miri's hair on the way back to the kitchen.

he's always worried about how others perceive him. always. he's twenty-five with a school-aged kid and no mother in sight, and he makes fucking video games for a living – he's not even something respectable, like a doctor. at the very least, he could've been a nine-to-fiver, a suit amongst identical suits, and with that, his image would be inoffensive.

but video games? being a concept artist, an animator? for even a big triple-a kind of company, it's not a great reputation to kick off with: he draws colourful lines and makes things move. even though he earns a salary comfortable enough to keep his little family afloat, his name is one of hundreds as an optional post-credits roll, and it's not on the first page.

still, the way you beamed at his mumbled description of his job... it made things a little lighter to bear.

"come eat up, bub," he says. "maybe you'll entertain the idea of my future marriage once you realise how boring my dinners are."

—

pacific rim rumbles through the sound system. rather surprisingly, neither of the five-year-olds mind its big, scary battles. jungkook chalks up miri's fascination with the robots and monsters with a general nonchalance towards violence and gore. she watched train to busan when she was three – which was not jungkook's fault; she wasn't supposed to be awake and sitting spookily in the darkness on the stairs – and shrugged off most of the blood and guts as simply fake.

he should have been paying more attention to his surroundings than his laptop screen and the accident he'd sired in motionbuilder, he realises now, but a good consequence is that miri avoids frozen and its brethren like the plague. he doesn't think he'll be able to keep his sanity if he hears any movie three times consecutively.

ellie plays animal crossing on the switch, cross-legged between you and jungkook with her head against your shoulder. a leopard-print blanket wraps around her shoulders and pools in her lap. every time something explodes or crashes, she glances up, fixated for a moment, before returning to her village.

miri and anya are fast asleep on jungkook's thigh. another blanket, this one blue with thin pink stripes, covers them both, and jungkook's arm lays gently across their shoulders. he'd turned the volume right down for them and the two dogs cuddling in the labrador's bed, though his 5.1.4 speaker setup retains enough boom in the subwoofer to keep him immersed.

eventually, ellie's body droops, and the switch falls from her hands into her lap as her hair flops across her face. three quarters into the movie, you gently take her into your arms and tuck her into bed, and jungkook watches over the remaining two, tucking a silky lock of hair behind miri's ear. his leg is going numb and the tingling is growing uncomfortable, but he'll be damned if he wakes them.

you return. there's a pop-art picture of a sea dragon made of sushi on your shirt, and jungkook smiles at the sight. you slip your arms beneath anya's body and she shivers as the blanket slips off, curling deeper into your chest.

"today's been tiring for them all," you murmur as jungkook scoops miri up in the blanket. "they'll be knocked clear out until tomorrow."

the two will share a bed for the night, and they'd been gleefully planning their sleepover itinerary the entire day, whispering to each other about staying up past their bedtimes to chat about everything. you press a kiss to anya's forehead, brushing her hair off her cheek, and jungkook tucks miri's wrapped-up body beneath the duvet.

you shut the door with a quiet click. it feels final, as if you've signed a legal form, and when your gaze flickers over to jungkook, you find him already staring back with an unreadable expression, a mess of emotions warring over his doe-like features. it smooths over a split second after your eyes meet.

you tilt your head towards the kitchen with a smile. "still awake? i can break out some bourbon. i also have some red wine, if that's more your style."

"i'll take the wine, if it's not too much trouble," he replies softly. "i've already had a drink tonight and i have work in the morning."

"of course." with the girls asleep, you're free to do as you wish. you take his hand in your own, and his breath hitches. your thumb brushes over his jawline. "i'll steal a glass as well."

jungkook likes to pretend he has everything under control. his heart, however, is under a different jurisdiction, and you prod it with your smile and warm touch until it quivers, naked and bare.

then, you are gone. his pulse pounds hotly in his ears as he shuffles after you, almost afraid of what he might spill under the wine.

he'll only have a glass, he promises himself. nothing will come of it.

"i wanted to tell you this before, but we had company. your pyjamas are cute," you tell him as you set down his glass, holding the newly-opened wine bottle in the other hand. you gesture to his inked arms. "and those are gorgeous."

"thank you," he murmurs, taking the stem between his fingers. he rubs his thumb over the swell of the glass and tucks his feet behind the barstool's legs. "you ever looking to get something done?"

a smile tugs at your lips. "i already have."

his eyes widen behind the glass. he sets it down, trying to keep his prying gaze discreet. "really? what of?"

"it's here."

to his scandalised pleasure, you grab your shirt and the waistband of your sweatpants, pulling them apart to reveal a curved tattoo along your hipbone. his starved gaze roams the exposed skin, the sliver of stomach and the dangerously-low slant of your pants.

he burns with painful desire. it stings at the back of his eyes, and his back teeth grind down on nothing as he swallows harshly, lifting a hand casually to his face to hide it.

"'s pretty," he rasps, clearing his throat. his knuckles whiten around the wine glass. "when did you get it?"

"as soon as i was old enough. i was always a romantic, you see," you joke, letting go of your clothes. they fall back into place and he mourns the loss. at least he has a new fantasy to bookmark. "i thought it was cute, and she liked it, so i kept it."

she.

jungkook's heart tumbles to the pit of his stomach at the reminder of what he is – and what he isn't. he chugs the wine and chases the buzz of intoxication.

"you don't... really talk about before," he says quietly. "i-i mean, it's personal, why would you? we met last month—"

"it's been the best month of the last few years," you interrupt, filling his glass again. you reach up to bring down one for yourself and he leans forward, his mouth dry as he catches a slit of skin as your shirt rides up.

it's almost funny how desperate he is.

"y-yeah?"

"yeah." you set the glass on the bench, opposite jungkook. you reach for his hand and he watches with bated breath as you link your fingers lazily with his. "moving has always been a hard experience, especially with those two troublemakers to keep an eye on, and you've been amazing to me – to us – all this time. jungkook, you made it easy to fall into a routine i enjoy."

"oh." he grips your fingers. "so... her, huh? are the kids hers?"

"yep."

"were you ever married?"

"for a while."

it pops out before he can stop it. "what happened?"

"okay..." you offer him a tight smile, unlinking your fingers to fill your glass higher than it's supposed to be.

last page, the end. that part of you will not be touched again.

"i'm sorry, yn-ssi—"

"'hyung'," you interrupt. "you can call me 'hyung', jungkook. our dogs are in love – i'd like to think we're closer than those formalities."

he nods, a little uncertain. it shows in his eyes, flitting about your kitchen as if searching for the nearest door. "if you think so, hyung."

you smile, and this one is looser, easy to enjoy. "better. what about you – would you ever think of finding someone?"

he laughs breathily, briefly pressing the back of his thumb to his lower lip. "ah, well. you know how it is. i've got miri to worry about."

"and a girlfriend wouldn't adore her, too? that spells trouble."

his mouth twitches in some semblance of a smile, small and wry. "i hear that's your biggest problem. anya mentioned that you're pretty popular, but that she's a deterrent."

you sigh, rounding the bench and taking a seat near him at the dining table. you rest an arm over the back of the chair. "what can you do, right? there's nothing to be done except wait and hope that the perfect one will come along sooner or later. other friends always tell me that i don't need anyone, that i'm doing really well."

you rub the back of your neck, and jungkook follows the tendons leading down past your collar. you smile up at him, warmer than usual. "but i've always been selfish."

"it wouldn't only be a girlfriend," jungkook says suddenly. he grabs the bottle of wine and tops up his glass far more than a single standard drink. "i'm, uh, you know... kind of into everyone. but i'm loyal. if there's one thing that i am, that's it."

"would you like to go on record with that for the company's diversity initiative?"

he turns, and you grin a little dorkily back at him, a wine-touched buzz in your veins. he rolls his eyes and huffs a laugh, raising his glass. "sure, if it gets me someone nice to talk to. fuck, i can't remember the last time i just... went to a bar and didn't give a shit. let loose." he sighs. "i was terrible in university – god, it physically pains me. i've known miri since she was a baby, but sometimes i wonder if she was the only one, you know?"

you reach out and push his thigh with a chuckle. "hey, no frowning; it's bad for your skin. it's not good to dwell on possibles, jungkook. you have miri. you have me. those are certainties. agonising over what might be does nothing for anyone."

as he turns on the stool, his tongue runs over his lower lip. he grips the seat between his thighs, one knee bouncing. "but what if—"

"jungkook, the more you stress over it, the less you're present with miri. she's a sweet girl – please don't neglect her for uncertainties."

your hands cup his, reassuring and warm, as you pull your chair in. his head bobs in a small, slow nod.

"i guess you're right," he mumbles. "hey, hyung... were you always a chef?"

you laugh. "no. i had ellie when i was pretty young and i jumped from job to job for some time. i made decks for a while – carpentry. did other contract jobs. i only went to culinary school a few years ago when i had the funds for it."

"how did you know?" he asks softly. "how did you know it was all gonna be okay?"

you shrug. "i didn't. i just took it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time, and eventually, i got here." you rest your chin over his knuckles and hum, gazing up at him. "don't think. just do. you'll be alright, jungkook. my door is never closed to you, even if you just want to drink all my wine and eat all my cereal."

he laughs, barely more than a soft giggle. "thanks, hyung. that... actually made me feel better, weirdly enough."

"good. i don't like seeing you upset." you squeeze his hands. "you're looking rather pink. you should slow down with the wine."

he glances at his empty glass and the nearly-empty bottle. he can't remember drinking so much. his cheeks are hot. "yeah. yeah, i probably should." he begins to rise. "sorry for—"

your arms wrap firmly around his waist as he stumbles. he blinks harshly, his horizons tilting dangerously.

"did you spike that?" he jokes half-heartedly. "shit, i'm regressing to a lightweight..."

"you drank three-quarters of the bottle in the time it takes me to have a shower. that's called being an idiot, not a lightweight."

your palm cups his cheek. it's cool and soothing against jungkook's burning skin, and it burns hotter when he realises he can feel your heartbeat through his own ribs. his traitorous hands are already placed on your sides.

"we are... incredibly close right now," he whispers.

your eyes flicker down to his lips, pink and parted. "i don’t mind."

you take the point of his chin between your thumb and forefinger, tilting his head up from his flushed downcast gaze. his hands hover over your ribs, his own cracking with the force of his heart, and he slides them over your chest to grasp the back of your neck, his thumbs stroking the slope of your jawline.

"jungkook," you murmur against his warm lips, "we should do this tomorrow. when your mind's clearer."

"tomorrow i might not do anything. i'm a coward, hyung. please... just once? so i can remember what it's like?"

he leans in again, and you don't stop him. his lips mould with yours, the sweet, dark flavour zinged with a slight bitterness. he hums softly as your arms tighten around his slender waist.

when you finally part, you're both gasping for air, and jungkook offers a giddy smile.

"man," he pants, "that's a lot more fun than i remember."

"i think you just have to find the right person to do it with." you laugh quietly and he drops his head onto your shoulder, hiding his blush.

"would you be mine?" he asks, allowing a fleck of hope to plague his voice. "would you be my boyfriend, yn-hyung?"

you brush a lock of his hair out of his eyes. "ask me again tomorrow. i want to be sure you'll remember what you've done – it'd be pretty awkward if you forgot and i came up and kissed you."

he huffs. "i'm not that drunk – look, i'm a little tipsy. maybe a bit more than tipsy. whatever the case, i'm not gonna forget this." he runs his tongue over his lower lip slowly, as if to savour something. "i'll ask again in the morning – with one condition."

you tilt your head, eyes gentle. "and what might that be?"

"a goodnight kiss. doesn't have to be on the lips, but it would be nice—"

you shut him up. he melts into it, tilting his head to deepen it, and he presses his whole body into yours, as if he can open up your skin and step inside, as close as close allows.

here is someone who understands him – here is his heart, here are his lungs, here is the flesh and bone that forms love. he loves love, and the carrot cake that love cuts for him, and the peaceful sleeping puppies resting their heads on each others' backs in love's living room.

he kisses you again, and his touch is the blinding supernova of a promise.

[shadycrushcollector]

Desperation// Wanda Maximoff x Reader (18+)

Summary: Its been too long since Wanda's had her way with you, and your desperation is reaching an all-time high. Good thing hers is too.

Warnings: 18+, bondage, biting, hickies, nail marks, denial, submissive!Reader, dominant! Wanda, Finger Sucking, Oral, Praise, Pet Names, brief thigh fucking, Reader is very desperate.

Notes: Not Beta read and first time writing smut, go easy on me.

WC: 3.2k

Something inside of you was so desperate to make another person feel good. To pleasure them until their eyes were squeezed shut and you no longer cared to take a breath of air. You wanted to be consumed in the tastes, sounds, and smells of another person. If there's anything she did right with you Wanda had stuck to her promise of making you a desperate slut.

You went into all of this, everything with her, not expecting very much. I mean who expects a blind date to actually go well, and for the sex to be good enough that you want to devote your life to pleasing them. But Wanda, she was everything you had ever needed and more.

She had money, you never cared to ask her how, you knew she was notable somehow but you felt looking into her as you would've anyone else felt more inappropriate. You didn't want her to think you were some obsessed stalker so all you knew is she was some kind of scientist, and a damn good one at that. But otherwise all that mattered to you was how amazing she was at making you laugh, feel safe, feel loved and cum until you couldn't move anymore.

Your mind couldn't let go of the idea of cumming, and making someone else do the same, even if that someone wasn't Wanda. She's been punishing you for a week after a bout of misbehavior, and she decided this time it would be not touching you anywhere but your hands, shoulders and face. She still held you now and again but still only on your shoulders.

It was infuriating after months of having her hands make their way between your thighs practically every day. Her fingers were skilled, and she's practically conditioned you into positioning yourself just how she likes when her fingers start to brush close to your inner thighs. Your face pressed down into the surface under you, with your ass in the air exposing you to her.

You would spread your legs just a bit to expose all of you to her. Pressing your crotch back and arching your back even further. Anticipation for her fingers dragging over your skin building ever so slowly as she continues stroking your thighs, admiring how you looked spread and exposed for her eyes only. The thought of it brought a heat down and into your crotch, causing you to squirm and salivate. You had nothing you needed to do today, you were entirely free to do as you pleased. Except for touching yourself, or someone else, leaving you stuck in a cycle of desire that feeds on itself.

You stood to your feet, disorienting yourself for a moment at the sudden movement, before exiting the room you sat in to begin to find Wanda. You had been so good, surely Wanda would see that, surely she'd finally fill you with her fingers to make you cum after shoving her cock down your throat and-. You shook your head, it was all consuming, but you needed her.

You began in the first bedroom where you took off your shirt, the only layer you'd been wearing on top as you relaxed at home. In the living room you stripped your socks, the hallway you shorts and in her office you entered wearing nothing but your underwear.

Wanda sat at her desk, the one she'd fucked you over so many times before, silently working on her computer.

You didn't know what she was doing, all you remember was her saying she'd be in here. But by then you'd already been desperate and could barely process her words. Usually you wouldn't bother her if she was working on something but you'd see that her door was open and that meant you were okay to go in.

"Ma'am" you say timidly, clasping your hands behind your back, puffing out your chest ever so slightly.

Her eyes snapped up to you at the sound of your voice, quickly and noticeably double taking and looking at every bit of exposed skin. "What is it, Love? '' she says, her eyes finally moving back up to your face.

A proud smile lingers on you for a second before you contain it and nod lightly. "I was just wondering," you said as you took a slow but confident step towards her, "Would you happen to have time for a game?" One that would hopefully end with her cock shoved down one of your holes, mouth or otherwise, so long as it made her feel good.

Wanda rolled her chair back, accepting your advances and offering a place for you to sit silently. You moved quickly to be with her, before smiling slowly and continuing. "Whatever game you'd like Ma’am" you say, "I'm yours to play with however you want, remember?"

Wanda tilts her head to look at you through squinted eyes. Her hands are on yours, and you can feel your breaths getting shorter.

Your mind is flooded by thoughts of her filling you and stretching you out. You feel your hair get pushed out of your face, a small strand that escapes your lazy hairstyling. "Of course I remember love, but you've been on punishment. Games are only for sluts that can listen to instructions. You can't play a game right without instructions, Love."

You nod on your head, leaning your face into her touch. "of course, but-"

"But nothing," her hands move to your shoulders as she speaks, "only good sluts deserve to play games. Do you think you've proven you're good?"

You stare at her for a moment, at her eyes staring at you and her hands steady on your shoulders. "Let me prove I'm good" you say then.

"I promise you, I can make you feel good Ma’am." You stand slightly from her lap turning towards her more. "I can use my mouth like you taught me," you lower yourself to the ground, "I can make your cock feel so good in my mouth." You whisper before nuzzling your head against her knee.

Wanda never stopped looking at you, but the way she looked at you now on the floor between her legs you could tell she was going to give you what you needed so desperately. She tilted your face up to see her, touching your neck for the first time in a week and the excitement pressed a whine out of your throat. She smiled a smile you could feel between your thighs before her hands moved to her pants zipper.

You rose slightly from having your butt placed on your feet in excitement, before settling back into a more comfortable position as she took her cock from her pants. You press your tongue out from your mouth, spit gathering quickly dripping to the floor as your anticipation grows. . Wanda's hands found your face where she pressed her fingers into your cheeks to open your mouth.

"Prove you're a good slut and I promise we'll play a really fun game" she says, her eyes hooded and sultry. She moves one hand to press your mouth open and uses the other to shove two fingers into your mouth. She leans down to kiss you. "We have to make sure your mouth is ready for my cock right?"

You nod slightly, trying your best to latch onto her fingers somehow through her forcing your mouth to stay open, before whining for her. Her pointer and middle finger slowly begin to rub against your tongue, each movement into your mouth pressing them further down your throat. Your face is then released and your mouth shuts around her fingers as you suck hard.

She leans back from you then, only slightly so that she can see your face better. “Show me how you'd suck me off with that pretty mouth of yours.” Your eagerness motivates you to start moving your head back and forth, using your tongue to place extra pressure on her fingers exactly how she liked it. Her fingers were pulled out of your mouth just as your eyes closed in contentment, making them snap open to see her scooting forward in her chair, before beginning to slap the tip of her hard cock on your tongue.

Your disappointment quickly faded as her hips moved slowly, lightly rubbing herself against your tongue. Her hands moved to the sides of your head pulling you forward to swallow her cock down as much as you could, she held your head down for just a second before pulling your mouth off completely.

“Keep your hands to yourself and maybe you’ll be allowed to make me cum.” Just a couple months ago the way your heart speeds up at the thought of making another person cum would have seemed ridiculous. You’d always been the dominant one in relationships, the one who would never speak to a person again if they hadn't made you cum. But now, with Wanda none of that mattered.

“Yes, Ma’am” you say, nodding your head and placing your hands behind your back holding your own wrists. The second you're settled her hands, which never left your face, pull you back down onto her cock. She starts slowly, moving her hips and keeping your head stationary to use your mouth like a fleshlight. You did all the things you knew she would love and carefully kept your hands behind your back. Before long she was twitching slightly, and looking up at her you could see how laser focused she was watching herself thrust in and out of your mouth.

Her movements sped up slowly, still with long deep strokes only lightly brushing the back of your mouth, her breathing began getting just a bit heavier. She grunts before pistoning her hips even faster into you, your eyes closed in bliss and you could taste her on your tongue. You desperately tried not to move your head too much, but luckily she wants you closer and she shoves your head all the way down. Her hips don't slow, fucking into your throat with one hand pressed onto the back of your skull to keep you down and the other gripping the edge of the desk. She was too far gone at this point to think, she’d been just as desperate for release as you had been to give it to her and while she’d originally thought she’d be able to last longer than a couple of minutes your mouth was driving her crazy.

Looking down at the way you looked while your lips were flush with the base of her cock had her self control fading every second, and very quickly she threw her head back and shoved yours down one last time as she orgasmed.

She pulled your head away slowly, “Good. So good for me.” she says, sounding out of breath “God, i forgot how good your mouth feels wrapped around me.”

You shiver lightly, swallowing fully, “Thank you, I’m glad I could do that for you.”

She nods, readjusting herself in her seat before once again putting her finger under your jaw and pushing your head up. “But do you wanna know what I know would feel even better?” You pretend you don't know, tilting your head to the side, shaking it slightly. But of course you knew, you came in here to make her feel good, but also to be fucked until you can't think anymore. Letting her take control of you and fill you in all the right ways.

Wanda tilts her head to match you, her eyes looking dark and heavy with lust. “Stand up”

Her command jolts you into action, carefully still keeping your hands behind your back as you stand from the ground. She follows suit, before spinning you around and shoving you down into the desk. The impact wasn't too bad, but she kept a lot of pressure on your back all the same. Your underwear had a damp spot, with your arousal leaking out as you sucked her off. Her hand gently moves in between your legs, rubbing at where your arousal was coming from making you twitch involuntarily. You can feel her move to your side before leaning over you, keeping one hand lightly teasing while her mouth placed a kiss on your cheek.

You smiled as the pressure on your back lightened just a bit, her fingers stopped moving and she looked at your face. She nodded at you, quickly making sure you were okay, and after you nodded back her movement started again and her lips moved to your shoulder. She left kisses down your neck and shoulder, slowly moving down to your ass and finally your thighs. Her kisses get a little more sloppy and open mouthed as her fingers begin to draw you closer to an orgasm. Her kisses turn into hickies and soon your legs are shaking and covered in her lovebites.

Her mouth and hand pulls away from you as your whines begin to get louder, “You know you can't cum yet love.” she says almost mockingly. “You know you don't get to make a mess until I fill you with my own.”

Your eyes close as you bite your lips to calm yourself down, before nodding and stuttering out “o-of course Ma’am. I’d want nothing more.”

Wanda’s hands move to your sides and begin pulling your underwear off, “Let's get these off of you, you made such a big mess. You’re being so good, I know you’re ready for my cock.”

She opens a drawer to her right, pulling out rope and lube and she quickly prepares you, tying your arms behind your back to ensure you stay still. Her dick slides between your thighs, easily with the amount of lube that spilled down between them. But not for long as she angles herself, places her hands on your hips and pulls you back onto her cock. Her hands dig into your sides, with her nails leaving slight indents, as she thrusts into you quickly.

Your brain loses track of anything but the feeling of her filling you up over and over again, and even though everything feels amazing you don't make much noise. Her hips slamming into yours filling the room with noises that made your knees weak, especially those that escaped her mouth as she maintained her quick rhythm.

“You feel so good wrapped around me.” She started speaking, “Squeezing me so tight, I know you want me to cum in you. Fill you up, you'd look so pretty like that. Dripping after what i've done to you”

Your silence breaks with a whine as she keeps going, “I know you’d be so good for me, you'd take everything I give you. You’d beg for it wouldn't you?”

“mm”, you nod.

Her hands move from your sides to the rope binding your arms, stopping for a moment to pull you up into a half standing position. The angle drives her deeper into you, and yet again you feel yourself reaching the edge. “ m--, ‘m gonna” you try to speak.

“You don't get to cum until i'm finished with you.” She says gruffly. You whine but desperately hold on to the last thread keeping you from cumming. You needed to be good for her, you wanted to make her proud, and you wanted her praise. She could use you however she wanted and you would do everything in your power to make sure you didn't mess it up. Not now, not when her thrusts were starting to get sloppier, not when you knew at any moment she would finally fill you up for the first time in so long.

Very quickly you feel her hips begin to stutter and stop for a second as she lets out a low moan. “God, I've missed filling you up.” She says before pulling out and watching her cum drip out of you.

You whine, you'd just gotten used to being filled; she couldn't be done with you yet. As the thought finished Wanda helped you stand completely before picking you up and placing you on her desk with your tailbone handing off precariously. You looked at her slightly startled by the different position but you also knew she was strong enough to hold you up without problems. “I want to look at your face when I cum in you this time.” She whispers as she closes the space between you and her. Your legs are pulled up to your chest, spread so she still has access to you. Her arms wrap under your leg and behind your back to hold you up against the table before lifting you slightly to slide back onto her dick.

Looking at her while she fucked you was always intense but there was something about how long it’d been that made you feel all the more sensitive. Her eyes pierced into yours and almost dared you to close your eyes, dared you to stop looking, but you knew what would happen if you did and while it sounded fun you wanted to be on her good side tonight.

“Use me.” You beg quietly, you’d missed being like this and you needed her to take care of you. “Please.”

The way you said it struck a cord within Wanda, the ball of pleasure that she’d released was building at an exponential rate. She’d wanted this time to go slower but again she just couldnt help herself, “You want me to use you?” she asked, “Use your tight hole to make myself feel good? Make myself cum?”

Each question sent another pang through your body and you nodded desperately.

“I knew i was right about this feeling even better than your mouth. But god I didn't know how irresistible youd be like this, maybe i should leave you without my touch more often. Deny you my cum?” You want to shake your head but instead you answer, “if that's what you want, please do it. Just use me, fill me.”

She adjusts a bit, completely lifting you off the desk and bouncing you up and down on her length. She was hitting all the right spots and this time you don't think you’d be able to hold it. You wanted to be good, but it was so much and you needed a release desperately. “Please”

“Please what”

“Please can I cum, I need it, I need to cum for you.”

She stayed silent for a second and you whined yet again, feeling as though you were about to cry. The desire on her face only grew as she continued to fuck into you. “Mphm.” a pause, “Cum with me then. I want to see you cum on me Love”

You nod quickly, feeling her nails start digging into your shoulders and before long your orgasms start in tandem. “I love you” she says as she pumps into you a few more times before pulling out of you and laying her head slightly on your shoulder. “I love you too” you respond slowly as you both catch your breaths, she places you back down onto her desk and moves her arms to wrap you up in a hug.

A minute passes before either of you moves away from the other, and a wide smile stays on your face. “Thank you” you say, nudging your head against hers and her neck.

“Thank you, Love.” she says, before going to untie your hands from behind your back and placing a kiss on your forehead softly.

[deardo11]

|| 𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑶'𝑺 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲 ||

THIS IS MY FIRST POST ON HERE

Words; 1,259

Contains;

Smut | Violence | Swearing | Drugs | Addictions | Alcohol | Non-Con/SA | Adult/Mature Themes

|| 𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑬 ||

———————————————————————————-

You wake up, curtains shut and the bedroom a mess. you groan and roll over to look at your clock on your nightstand. You've slept in, and missed breakfast. So in a hurry, you get out of bed. No time to make it, your sheets and blankets are everywhere. You rush over to the corner of your room and pick up some clothes for you to wear.

Vaggie was upset you were always late for work (As in front desk at a shitty hotel no sinner in all of Hell could care for). Charlie's hotel is a place for sinners to be redeemed and have a spot in Heaven. The only person who supports and even encourages her fantasies is her girlfriend, Vaggie.

You put on a white button-up collared shirt, and some black leggings. You wiggled your feet into your socks and then popping some black heeled boots on. After dressing yourself, you made sure to brush your hair and teeth. Once done, you walked out of your room. To say it was a mess in the hotel would be an understatement, it was chaos. Angel Dust (The Porn Star) was walking around complaining about his job and how annoyed he was, or some crap like that. Charlie was having some intense thoughts about daily activities and trust exercises next to her bulletin board. Vaggie was comforting Charlie, of course.

But, there were some new guests. A winged cat with a top hat behind the bar, a small and fast girl cleaning up the hotel and killing any bugs around with red hair and a singular eyeball. The last guest that had caught your eye was an extremely tall man in all red, with a large smile plastered across his face. He was dressed way too properly for JUST a hotel in Hell, it made you suspicious. You made your way down the long and almost never ending staircase and right to where you should be, the front desk of the hotel. The man with the wide smile then came up to you.

"Hello there!" He said with a grin, tapping his cane against the floor.

You put a smile on your face as you said, "Hello, how can I help? Would you like a room here?" You asked.

With a radio-y laugh the man replied, "Haha! I suppose so. As I'm going to be managing the hotel I must have a place to stay, shouldn't I?"

That's when you frowned. You didn't like the look of this guy, something really seemed OFF. He's completely different from any other sinner in Hell, that much is obvious.

"Come now, Dear! You should be smiling! You know you're never fully dressed without one!" He sounded so cheerful, it irked you. Made your stomach feel like it was in a knot.

"Yeah." Your response wasn't formal or polite, and if Vaggie heard you, she would have been pissed. But you didn't care, this guy was bad news and you were certain that he would be the downfall of everyone in there. "Here's your key, your room number is on it." You said, rolling your eyes.

It seemed he didn't catch your eye roll or the 'tude' in your tone, "Thank you!" He cheered, grabbing the keys from you and walking off with a smile.

As soon as he walked off though, you marched right from behind the counter to where Charlie was.

"Hey, Charlie?" You asked, waiting for her to gather her thoughts as she was still at the bulletin board.

"Hey (Y/N)! What's up? And you've done a great job today, keep it up!" Charlie cheered you on, but it was funny. Charlie didn't even know you had slept in and just started your shift of the day. You had barely done any work. But she was too busy to know that.

"Who's the creeper with the large smile? He said he was gonna be managing the hotel." You questioned, hoping for her to ask who you're talking about. Of course you can only hope.

"Well... that's The Radio Demon. He would like to help us and our hotel." She sounded almost nervous saying that.

"Oh." You had nothing else to say so you just walked off.

It was hard to believe that ꓄ꃅꍟ ꋪꍏꀸꀤꂦ ꀸꍟꂵꂦꈤ was going to 'help us and our hotel'. You'd never seen what he'd look like before, you've heard that he was horrific and to be wary and careful around him. That he'd broadcast his victims screams on his radio show. But what you had seen was nothing more than a clown, a pathetic one. The place he wants to come to after 7 years of absence, is this hotel. The Radio Demon is going to fuck everyone over.

After a few boring hours of waiting at the front desk for anyone else to arrive, you decide it's time to head back to your room. As you begin to walk up the stairs, you hear static in both of you ears. To the point it's all you can hear, it's just now flooding your brain. You cover your ears in an instant and begin to rush up the stairs and down the hall to your room. You ran into your room, ripping the door open and slamming it shut. That's when the static began to die down, finally it was silent. You took a deep breath, sliding down and against the door, you just sat there.

An hour passes and you're knocked out, still propped up against the door. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door and then a long waited pause. Soon after, a black shadow comes up through your floor in front of you and stares at you with a wide smirk. It then signals someone to come in. The shadow sinks back through the floor as one of the dual doors is opened. Alastor, The Radio Demon peaks in and sees you against the opposite door. He nudges his way through, and with the snap of his finger you're in your bed and under your covers. He pauses, wondering if he should stay and wait or leave. Eventually, he turns around and leaves, making sure to be quiet when shutting the door.

You're now in a black abyss, standing in the middle of nowhere. It's empty and dark. You begin to walk until you see someone in front of you, with their hands crossed behind their back. You walk closer and closer, until you see Alastor. He turns around and grins. He stretches his arm out as a green chain appears in his hand. Chains are now wrapped around your neck as you fall to your knees and clutch at your neck. It feels bruised and tight, it's hard to breathe. Then suddenly your vision goes dark.

You wake up, gasping for air and clutching at your neck, your hands flinging to your throat as you sit up in a panic. It was just a nightmare, you hardly ever had any. When you calm yourself, your arms drop to your sides and your breathing slows. You were just sitting against your door and now you're in bed, why? Why is all of this happening to you, you think. Lifting your hand to your head as now you have a pounding headache. You wonder if somehow The Radio Demon was the cause of your nightmare, seeing as he was in it. You roll back over and lay down, curling into a ball and bringing the blankets more over yourself. Something has to be done about him.

[hippolotamus]

WIP Wednesday 💚

Tagged by the lovely and talented @spotsandsocks @lemonzestywrites @wikiangela @hoodie-buck @fortheloveofbuddie @bidisasterbuckdiaz @rmd-writes @the-likesofus @daffi-990 @diazsdimples @tizniz @loveyouanyway @underwater-ninja-13 @thekristen999 for some combination of Tuesday/Wednesday. Thank you loves!

Squeaking in just after midnight in my time zone with something new. Because, as the saying goes, there's nothing a new WIP can't fix. The best I can say about it right now is a bit of a character study, maybe 5+1 situation about Lucy Donato. Because I'm unapologetically in love with her. I want to post everything I've written so far but I'll spare your dash.

“Lucy! Come on down. You’re going to miss the bus!”  “Be right there!” Lucy yells back.  She’s not going to be late. Because it’s the first day of second grade and there’s absolutely no way that weasel, Julian, is going to beat her to the bus stop. Even if he is a grade ahead of her, she’s faster and she knows it. She can feel it down in her bones.  She finishes clipping the straps of her denim overall shorts before sitting down to put on her yellow socks and brand new shoes. Her mom and dad had let her pick them out all on her own this year. Bright white sneakers emblazoned with Buttercup, Blossom and Bubbles from her favorite cartoon. Today is the first time Lucy’s allowed to wear them due to her mom being convinced she would get them filthy otherwise. After her laces are tied, she hurriedly stands then takes the steps two at a time until she’s close enough to jump the rest of the way.  Her mom sighs from behind the freezer door where she’s grabbing an ice pack for Lucy’s lunchbox. “How many times have I told you-”  An exasperated look comes over her mom’s face when she notices Lucy standing there. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before opening them again. “I thought you were going to wear that nice green dress Aunt Cynthia bought for you? We had everything all picked out last night. What happened?” Lucy shrugs. “I can’t wear sneakers with that and I have to wear them so I can be faster than Julian.” “Unbelievable,” her mom mutters under her breath. “It’s your first day and you need to put on something nice. Go hurry and get changed so I don’t have to drive you in.” “But-” Lucy begins to protest, but is quickly dismissed. “Change clothes. Now.” “Fine!” Lucy stomps back up to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She kicks off her shoes and throws the rest of her clothes in a heap on the floor. Her body feels too gangly and uncoordinated as she slips the sleeveless, knee-length dress over her head. She adds the stupid, matching green gingham headband, letting it push back her hair that’s more white than blonde from all her time spent in the sun.  Lastly, she angrily stuffs her feet into the uncomfortable tan sandals, securing the strap over her ankles. The bottoms are hard and flat with no spring to them. How is she meant to get to the stop first in these awful things?

it's late but no pressure tagging some beloveds @bidisasterbuckdiaz @saybiwithme @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @stereopticons @jesuisici33 @honestlydarkprincess @maygrantgf @lucydonato @theotherbuckley @fortheloveofbuddie @buddierights @elvensorceress @gayedmundodiaz @giddyupbuck 😘

[daisynik7]

This is a long one, sorry babe, the socks and feet fetish just gave me such a funny idea for a gag gift for Nanami. Here where I live we have these things called "nakurnjak", it would translate to willy warmer (men wear it in winter to keep their willy's warm) 😭😭😭😭 and the idea of reader buying, even better knitting or crocheting it them self for Nanami is so funny in my head (she could make several to match with his ties!). I did bit of research and to my surprise this fits Nanami's Danish roots BECAUSE they had a tradition where a girl would present her boyfriend with a willy warmer to see how seriously he took their relationship. If the gift was rejected, this was seen as evidence that he was not yet ready for marriage. Reader may or may not be hinting something @ Kento. (References: wiki and reddit)

Pairing: boyfriend!Nanami x f!reader

cw: established relationship, language, suggestive dialogue, fluff

Author’s Notes: Hi anon! Thank you for the request, this was a fun one! I hope you like it and get a good laugh out of it like I did. 😊

With the weather getting colder lately, you decide to put your knitting skills to use. It starts with easy projects, like scarves and bonnets. One day, you go online, searching for different ideas on what to make. Several minutes of browsing, you finally find your next creation: a willy warmer. It’s the last item listed on this website, more of a throwaway as a joke. But you’re absolutely serious about making it. Just thinking about it has you giggling. Upon further research, you discover that in certain traditions, a willy warmer is gifted to a boyfriend to see if they are ready for marriage. This motivates you even further to take on this ambitious project in hopes that Nanami, your boyfriend of several years now, will finally take a hint. 

It takes a while to knit it, but eventually, your hard work pays off and the results are outstanding. You manage to recreate his signature spotted tie pattern exactly, so now he’s matching, assuming he accepts this ridiculous gift. 

After dinner, the two of you digest your meal on the couch while watching a show you’re following. At the end of the episode, you pause it, reaching into the drawer beside you to retrieve your creation. He eyes you nervously. “What’s going on?”

You grin, holding it out to him. “Surprise!”

He gives you a confused look, waiting for you to explain. When you continue to stare at him, beaming, he asks, “What is this?”

“Babe, you’re Danish, you should know what this is!” You pinch at the tip and the balls, stretching it as if that makes it any clearer. 

His brows are furrowed in uncertainty. “It looks like a penis.”

Laughing, you say, “That’s because it’s for your penis. It’s a willy warmer. I knitted it myself. And it matches your tie!”

He chuckles, his expression relaxing. “What on earth am I going to use this for?”

“It’s pretty self-explanatory, honey. You use it to warm your willy.”

“I don’t need to warm my willy.”

You frown at him. “So you don’t want it?”

“I appreciate the gesture, sweetheart, but I don’t think I’m going to use it.”

Crossing your arms, you toss the willy warmer back into the drawer, slamming it shut with a bit of aggression. “Fine. If you don’t want it, I’m sure somebody else will.” You stand up, stomping towards your bedroom, kicking it closed.

~~~

Nanami fucked up. 

He knew it as soon as the smile dropped from her face. It would have been so easy to accept the silly gift like a good boyfriend should, but, of course, he had to mess it up in a royal fashion. 

Immediately, he follows her to the bedroom, finding that it’s locked. With a small knock, he says, “Honey, I’m sorry. I’ll use it, okay? If it makes you happy.” He leans against the frame, pressing his ear to the surface to hear any response. When none comes, he sighs, returning to the couch. 

He remembers what she mentioned earlier, about him being Danish, and he wonders what that has to do with it. Phone in hand, he goes to a private browser to do a quick search. After a few minutes, he finds out that hereally fucked up. The tradition says that a man must accept the willy warmer as a gift whenever it is presented to him to indicate that he is ready for marriage. 

He buries his face in his hands, groaning at his mistake. Of course he’s ready for marriage. He’s been in love with her for years. And while they’ve discussed it in detail, imagining with fondness about their future together, he’s never actually given her a straight answer about when it will happen. She’s always been patient, never one to pressure him about timelines or threaten him with ultimatums. This is the closest she’s gotten to it, in the form of some crude penile covering. He chuckles to himself at the absurd situation they find themselves in. Still, he has to find a way to make it up to her, and fast. 

~~~

You’re actually upset Nanami didn’t accept your gift. Not only did he reject what you spent hours working on, he essentially told you he wasn’t ready for marriage. And sure, maybe he doesn’t know that hidden meaning behind it, but still! You’re annoyed with him.

There’s another gentle knock on the door. This time, you don’t ignore it, swinging it open to give him a piece of your mind. However, the sight you find instead has you speechless. 

Nanami is completely naked from head to toe, except for the willy warmer wrapped snugly around his cock. He smirks at you, holding his arms out, presenting himself. Before you can respond, he says, “I’m sorry, sweetie. I accept this gift with all my heart. And, I guess, my penis.”

You burst into laughter, stepping towards him to slide your arms around his waist, face nuzzling his chest. “So, does this mean you want to marry me then?”

He squeezes you in a loving embrace. “You know I do. I’ve been in love with you since the day I met you. And I can’t wait to officially call you my wife.”

You grin, peering up at him to give him a kiss. “So,” you tease, palming his cock through the yarned fabric, “Shall we test how warm your willy is?”

[cloginthedrain]

rooftops and vigilantes (part three) (matt murdock x reader)

summary: matt brings a coffee-deprived reader her drug of choice, and she repays the favor, twice over.

masterlist | previous

word count: 1745

notes: filled to the brim with banter, shameless flirting, and, shocker, more coffee. hope u like this one!!! theres more too come, think of the following chapter as a continuation of this one. :*) a special thanks for all of the kind comments! x

comments and reblogs and tags always appreciated <3

—

“Matty, you’re an absolute angel,” is the first thing you breathe as Matt approaches the door frame, your coffee in one hand and his white cane, folded up, in the other. 

He’s wearing his department store suit, the one that makes you antsy.

“Matty,” he chuckles. “That’s a new one.”

“Yup,” you dismiss him, “you wanna come in?”

Still clad in the same sweatpants, Hello Kitty, you thank God he can’t see them, and you move to grab his arm (and your steaming hot coffee) to guide him to your lumpy, secondhand couch, though you knew he didn’t exactly need you. Any excuse to touch him. 

Now settled into the couch, you take in the heavenly aroma, holding the warm, very full paper cup to your chest. You take a sip. 

Extra bitter, intense, doused in some combination of cream and sugar, the latter being Ellie’s doing, you’re sure of it.

“Damn, a red-eye,” you remark, hand to your heart. “You know me.”

“Well, it seemed dire.”

“It was… is!” you practically yelp in defense.

“Enough to make a blind guy fetch you coffee?”

You almost spit out your drink, finding the comment hysterical. “You keep up Matt Murdock.”

“I have to, with you,” He shrugs, tugs off his red shades. A smile threatens in the corner of his lips, you take notice. You also pay special attention to his pretty brown eyes, a rare sight, always hidden away with his shades. 

You’ll take it. 

Kicking back, your feet, warm with fuzzy, starry socks, are on the coffee table resting on your legal pad, covered in notes written in smudged, black ink. You hold your coffee even closer to your chest, to wield off some of the butterflies. 

You squeeze your eyes shut, as if that’ll do much, and make peace with the fact that you really are head over heels for a hot lawyer playing vigilante. You’re never, ever going to live this down.

Breaking the silence, you offer: “So what’s on the agenda for you today, Mr. Murdock?”

“I have the morning off, and then Foggy and I are meeting with a client,” Matt states matter-of-factly. Explains the suit.

“Good,” you say, scheming. 

“Uh oh.”

“No ‘uh oh’,” you whine. “I figure I repay your kindness and make us some French toast, I apparently make the best. I maybe have three, four eggs left, should be enough.” 

“… I could go for some French toast.” 

“Yeah?” you beam. “Alright, come on.” You love to cook, you tug him up, and practically drag him to the kitchen. This time, holding his hand. 

You were never tactful with your attempts to woo Matt, why start now. Clearly whatever you’ve been doing is working, because he doesn’t put up a fight. Once you’re in the kitchen, you raid the fridge and pantry for your ingredients.

Once that’s sorted, you resolve to retreat to the living room.

“Here, hold on.” 

“Alright.” 

Squatting in the living room, you scour your record collection for your favorite record. Folksy, easy listening, and lowered to a comfortable volume, one suitable for a lazy morning. Once that’s spinning, you return to the kitchen.

You carefully crack four eggs in your bowl, pour the rest of your milk in the mixture, cinnamon, a splash of vanilla, and an extra splash for good measure.

“Cinnamony,” Matt observes. He’s over your shoulder. The closeness is welcome. 

You imagine too vividly the ghost of his hands on your waist, his head resting on your shoulder. You close your eyes for a moment, and take a shaky breath. 

With Matt, you had to pace yourself. 

“Mhm,” you mumble lamely, preoccupied.

You whisk your mixture with a fork, all too aware of your proximity to Matt, but try to ignore it, and you move to start the stove. After soaking your brioche bread in the mixture, you flip it on the stove till browned, humming quietly to your favorite song on the record. 

Once browned, you top your French toasts with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a light layer of maple syrup, and you wonder if you should’ve also made bacon or maple sausage.

“Alrighty,” you say, setting the plates down.

“Smells great, sweetheart,” He smiles graciously, cutting into his French toast with his fork. “Thank you.”

At this point, his suit jacket is long discarded, white dress shirt sleeves rolled up onto his arms. You were antsy.

“Mhm.”

You make a point to roll your eyes at the name, but you suppose you could get used to it, especially if Matt were the one saying it. You meet his brown, unfocused gaze. Your eyes involuntarily travel along the chiseled outline of his face and are drawn to his slight stubble, perfectly maintained. 

You meet his brown, unfocused gaze.

“You’re staring.” 

Your eyes dart away, stare at the bundle of fresh baby’s-breath resting against the ridge of the dark blue glass vase, so effortlessly pretty, like Matt, you think to yourself. 

Blagh, you’re getting too sappy. 

“No, I, uh,” you start, unsure of where you’re going to end. Your mouth has had a mind of its own when it comes to Matt. You’re the furthest thing from tactful.

Matt just waits expectantly, amused. Cheesing. Bastard.

“Oops?” you offer helplessly. 

He just laughs and says, “Alright, sweetheart.” And he goes on, digging into his French toast.

—

“Ellie, it’s hopeless,” you whine, muffled, head resting on your folded arms. It’s the next day. “I’m a complete dunce when it comes to Matt Murdock.” 

The last of the afternoon’s drip coffee is steaming out of your open cup, empty sugar packets and cream cups neatly discarded on a napkin beside you. You hardly touched your muffin.

Ellie’s flipping chairs onto tables as you sulk in your usual booth, closing up for the day, when she says, “He clearly likes you.” 

“You think so?” you look up, eyes twinkling. 

“You’re not that dense, Y/N. Come on. The coffee, the incessant flirting. He’s blind, and he’s coming to your apartment, which means he memorized the route. It’s sweet. He’s clearly pursuing you.” 

You’re flushed at the thought. “It is kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?” 

“That you got a blind guy delivering your lazy ass coffee?” she quips. “You heard of delivery?” 

“Hey.” 

“I vote that you actually talk to him. He’s a sweet guy who likes you. A lot.” 

“El, I don’t know about that.”

Ellie gives you a stern look.

“Fine, I’ll try.” 

—

“I’m seeking legal representation,” you say later that day, a man of your word. You would talk to him. You make your way further into the conference room, across the big table and Matt is surrounded by stacks of documents. 

Your hair is pulled into a messy ponytail, layers now wild, wiry, and free, front pieces framing your face effortlessly. You’re wearing your dark wash overalls, with embroidered floral details, and a flimsy excuse for a tank top. Your canvas bag weighs you down, shoulders lopsided.

You’re holding two drip coffees, Ellie’s of course, and biting your lip. 

“Sure you are,” Matt says matter-of-factly. Then his head tilts. “That coffee?”

Dumb question. 

“Sure is,” you set them down, one in front of Matt, and one across the table from him. “Can I join you?” 

“I gotta get through these documents, but I’m sure you have something to do.” 

“Always,” you affirm. You drop your canvas bag to the floor, as you sink into the chair across from Matt.

“Good, you’ll keep me company.” 

He resumes tracing his documents with his finger, reading with an ease you envied. You were far too distracted, staring past the screen of your clunky, old laptop, where you had some sort of work to do—the details escape you with Matt across from you. 

His sleeves were rolled up, sleeves tight around the circumference of his arm, his tie loosened, collar in disarray. His cologne, inescapable, clouding your consciousness. 

You clear your throat, and open a blank Word document in your browser, to at least pretend like you’re doing something. You’re hoping to work up the courage to at least talk to him, like you promised. 

Once you’re finally settled into the groove of working, Matt throws it all out the window. He abruptly stands up, standing behind you, observing your movements. You tense up, and your clacking on the keys stops abruptly. 

“You’re awfully cute when you’re concentrated, sweetheart,” he comments tactfully, smirking, arms folded. 

You’re taken aback, but you don’t hesitate shooting back: “And how would you know?” 

Matt leans forward, breath just barely tickling your ears: “I’ve been told I have a knack for these sorts of things.” You want to roll your eyes so hard. Matt has you doing that a lot lately. You swat him away. 

You turn around in your seat to strain your head upward to see through his deep red shades, to search his eyes. Your gaze, accusing and scrutinizing.

“Who told you that? Foggy?” you spit back, almost outraged that someone could be so cocky. Meanwhile, Ellie and the butterflies swarming in your stomach had you believing he was sweet. You knew better now. 

You brace yourself as you stand up to face him, you’re looking up. You feel woozy, Matt’s cologne and musk overwhelming your senses. You open your mouth, a half-rehearsed confession built up on the tip of your tongue.

Cocky piece of shit just bends his head close and says, voice gruff and unwavering, “Drop the act, you want me.” You promptly shut your mouth.

Your heart is already pounding against your ribcage, and your knees begin to totter and tremble with poorly concealed anticipation. 

“Matt,” you set out to say sternly, but your voice betrays you, and Matt gets a kick out of it— you just know it.

Matt steps forward, a step closer to you, and reaches instinctively for you, grasping toward you. His hands finally fall around your waist and bring you against him.

His right hand momentarily leaves your side to tuck a rogue tuft of hair behind your ears. You almost yelp. “Tell me to stop,” he murmurs, cradling your head in his hand before closing the space between you two, pressing his overwhelmingly soft, blush-pink lips to yours hungrily, tugging at your bottom lip with a distinct cruelty. Matt's tongue is beginning to invade the space between your parted lips, and you begin to suppose the least you could do was return his eagerness.

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 6: Shift AU

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

"Watch your step. Don't want to fall." 

Marvin, Bro, and Chase show up at the end of a hallway, leading to a large room. The space through the portal is reminiscent of a laboratory of some kind, with walls and floor made of stainless steel and tubes of blue lights illuminating the area. Two circular doors--one left and one right--lead out of the room. There's a similar door behind them. In the middle of the room are tables and tables of equipment, and a large device, an upright ring with part of it broken off. But the reason for the warning is clear. There is no ceiling, as the walls end in cracks and shards. Everything above is just an empty black space. And there are holes in the ground, also leading to that same black void.

Bro looks at that space with a bit of fear in his eyes, swallowing shakily as he looks at the lab set up. So many horrible memories flash before his eyes. But he shuts them and tries to shake it off- he’s gotta focus. He almost stumbles over a hole in the ground but catches himself and floats a bit over it. But even someone who can fly doesn’t like the look of the void below. “…l-lovely place you have here, Doc…” Bro mumbles, quickly finding another solid spot.

"Oh you don't need to lie to me," Shattered says, chuckling. "It is a real hazard, I know. Doll complained so much while working here." He disappears and reappears in the center of the room. 

“You made Jackie work here?” Bro says with a growl, thinking of Mag using Alt.

"Where is she?!" Marvin demands. "Tell me, o-or I'll shoot!" 

"Marvin, careful!" Chase pulls him back from the edge of a hole. He looks down at it and holds out a hand. Yellow magic covers over some of the holes, creating a solid bridge into the solid room. 

"Over here." Shattered appears over by the right doorway. He hits a glowing blue button and it opens up. Marvin runs over in that direction, pulling ahead of Bro and Chase. As he goes through the doorway, Shattered's hand hesitates over the button again, but he doesn't push it. Bro yells a bit as he pulls ahead and quickly speeds after Marvin and through the door.

The room beyond looks like it was once a storage room of some kind, with metal shelves full of boxes and random things. But there have been some changes. Someone took plywood boards and nailed them over the holes in the floor, and a corner of the room has been made into a tiny kitchen with a mini-fridge, microwave, shoddily-made cabinet, and coffee maker. Up against the other corner is a metal bedframe, and on it-- 

"Dad?" 

"Skyler!" Marvin rushes over to her, immediately scooping her up into a hug. Skyler is small for her age, her brown hair held back by a purple headband. She's wearing a pink dress with white accents and a rounded collar, and she has white sneakers on her feet--the type with bungee cords and not laces. Her socks are fuzzy and purple.

Bro watches the reunion with a wet smile, but then he glares behind him at Shattered. “…what’s the point of all of this huh? To torture Marvin? To have some kind of control? …a little girl doesn’t deserve to get thrown into adult messes. You’re sick.”

Shattered blinks, uncomprehending. "...She is fine, though." 

"Are you fine, sweets?" Marvin asks, giving her a kiss on the forehead. 

"Mm-hmm." Skyler nods. "Dad? I want ice cream." 

Marvin laughs. "Is that what's on your mind?" 

"I haven't had any dessert for forever. And I'm bored. I wanna go to the park." 

"We'll go to the park as soon as we can, sweets, I promise you." Marvin stands up, holding her in her arms. 

Chase looks over at Shattered. "Well?" 

"Hmm?" Shattered stares at him. "What?" 

"Where's the way out?" 

"I got rid of it after you came in." Shattered grins. 

Bro’s eyes flash and he lashes out to try to grab Shattered by the collar and slam him into the wall, “Fucking bastard! This was a trap?!”

Shattered's head knocks against the wall, but he just laughs. "Of course! I was not expecting others, but it works out, ja?" 

Marvin's eyes widen. He takes Skyler and hurries out of the room, searching around the edges of the room. 

"You bastard!" Chase's eyes flare bright yellow. "You just wanted to--to kidnap Marvin?! Why?!" 

Shattered's smile fades. "yes... that is a good question," he whispers. "I... he is..." He trails off, suddenly looking lost.

Bro’s hold on him loosens a bit- confused. Then, sympathetic. What if… Shattered here is just like Glitch? Someone corrupted that can’t help but act on their impulses? Should he try to give him mercy? Should he try to appeal to who he was before..? …it’s worth a try isn't it? “…Henrik?” Bro asks quietly, “…are you still in there somewhere…?”

Shattered blinks. "Hen...rik?" he repeats. "Th-that is a... name. That is a... familiar... name." 

Chase blinks. "Is that your name?" he asks, matching Bro's softer tone. 

"I..." Shattered looks around, like he's taking in the details of this strange space for the first time. "This is... a broken place. For broken things. It... should not be here..."

“It was… did you forget, Schneep? …what happened- to put you here… that made this place?” Bro asks quietly. “Do you remember?”

"There was... an accident," Shattered says slowly. "I... I was... not..." He gasps, and suddenly grabs onto Bro’s shirt with both hands. "Wo sind sie? Wohin sind sie gegangen? Wie bekomme ich sieczurück? Wie bekomme ich sie zurück?!" And then, as sudden as the panic arrives, it disappears. He blinks at Bro slowly, like he's never seen him before. "...Ah. What... am I... supposed to do now?" It's like he's asking for the next line of a script. 

Bro can’t help but flinch back and look at Shattered with wide eyes. German- German-! He knows some from Henny? Where… he’s asking where someone is? Bro takes a deep breath and holds Shattered’s wrist gently in his hand, “…you’re missing someone, huh? Is that why you took Skyler? Why you want Marvin? …you’re trying to replace something that you’ve lost.” He says quietly, firmly, but also, with compassion.

"Replace...? Replace what?" Shattered blinks. "Who are... ah, you are a Hero, ja?" And he looks over at Chase. "And a Magician." He turns to look at Marvin and Skyler, still searching for some other way out of here. "Oh! Such a cute little one. She looks tired. She should probably lie down, maybe."

Bro gets frustrated at this and then shoves Shattered back, “Okay don’t play dumb, Schneep! I’m trying to help you! You took Skyler, remember?? You trapped us all in here- are you just losing your mind?! What that fuck happened to you?!”

Shattered stares at him, then laughs. "What did you say? Shneep? What a funny word. No, no, we are not trapped in here. You just have to concentrate! Or... is that just me?" 

“Schneep! Henrik! That’s who you used to be cuz I fucking know you dude! Or I know what you’re supposed to be! you-!” Bro starts to yell, frustrated tears brimming in his eyes. The way Shattered’s blue eyes glow and his black coat- it can only make Bro think of the Schneep he knows becoming like this… just like he saw Alt in Glitch. 

Chase walks over and puts a hand on Bro's shoulder. "Um... Bro? I don't think he's playing dumb. I think he's just... like this."

Bro flinches a bit as Chase touches his shoulder and glances at him briefly. He loosens his grip a bit more but looks at Shattered with sadness. “… how did this happen…?” He whispers before finally letting Shattered go, not expecting an answer. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath then addresses Shattered again, “… you’re right- the little girl does look tired, doesn’t she? I don’t think that bed is good for her back there- can you help us get her back to rest somewhere?” He asks.

"Hm? Oh, yes that would probably be a good idea." Shattered nods. "Where is that way out...?" He wanders over, pressing his metal hand to the nearest wall. He closes his eyes for a moment. "Where are we going?" 

"Um--we have some friends at a building on South Project Street," Chase says hurriedly. "The number is 223. Does that help?" 

"Oh yes, that place! They should be able to get her home from there." A cracking noise rings out and the section of the wall breaks, forming another portal. Shattered looks back at Bro and Chase and smiles. "Let's go, then."

Bro looks pretty weirded out and guarded but he nods and whistles to get Marvin’s attention, “Marvin!! Hurry over here!”

The whistle is not necessary. Marvin is already looking in that direction, a concerned expression on his face. He takes Skyler by the hand and the two of them hurry over. "We're leaving for real, then, Dad?" 

"Yes, Skyler, we're leaving for real," Marvin says. 

Shattered blinks as Marvin gets close. "You are her father? Do... do I know you?" 

"Uh--nope." Marvin turns his face away. 

"You seem familiar, though." 

"Just a coincidence." Marvin hurries over to the portal. "Chase, Chase--both Chases, um--you better be right behind us. C'mon, Sky, you go first." 

"Come with me!" Skyler clings to his hand. 

"At the same time!" Marvin glances back at Shattered, who is staring at him with a puzzled expression, brows furrowed in thought. "Okay, at the same time. C'mon you two." And he and Skyler hurry through the portal.

Bro looks back at Shattered, expression conflicted. But, then he nods and follows right after the other two.

As Chase follows as well, Shattered's eyes seem to snap into place. "Wait!" he shouts. "You cannot leave!" 

The portal starts to close, but Chase lunges forward, the edges scraping against his skin, and barely manages to make it out before it shuts altogether. The three of them and Skyler are standing in the lobby of the building, alone.

Bro breathes heavily as they make it to the other side, clenching a hand over his heart. “J-Jesus Christ… t-that was insane…!” He then shakes himself out then kneels down by Skyler, giving her a gentle smile. “Hi Skyler, you okay? Nothing bruised?”

Skyler stares at him with wide eyes. "Are you Uncle Chase's twin?" 

Chase laughs. "Uh--no, not exactly. But he's a friend. So, it's okay to answer his question." 

“Oh yeah uh sorry! You can call me Bro, okay?” Bro laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I-I’m a hero so I help people like your dad, you know?”

"Oh. Yeah, I'm okay." She pats her own arms, checking herself over. 

"Were you scared?" Marvin asks quietly. 

"...sometimes," Skyler says, even quieter than him. "Because, uh... I didn' know what was going on." 

Marvin leans down and gives her a tight hug. "Well, it's all over now. I promise."

Bro smiles sadly and pats Marvin’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay, Skyler… we’ll get you home real soon, okay?” He looks up at the ceiling, knitting his eyebrows in concern.

"Yeah, all your other uncles came to find you, too, but they had to stay back," Marvin says. "They're somewhere upstairs right now, with Bro's brother, too. Do you want to go find them, or do you want to stay here with me and wait for them?" 

"Um..." Skyler twists back and forth, twirling her skirt as she thinks. "I wanna go find them." 

"Alright." Marvin nods. "Let's go, then." He glances at Chase and Bro. "You two lead the way."

Bro chuckles a little, “You’re really brave, Skyler. A tough lass!” He smiles at her then heads towards the stairs. 

————- 

It’s easy enough to try to find Alt- the second he’s alone on an upper floor- he’s not even sure which one— he screams in rage and a rocket of power comes out of him, throwing anything left over around in an explosive burst. He starts to grab things and throw them, hit the walls with electric bursts, yelling until his throat starts to go raw. Then, he looks at the damage he’s done as he pants heavily, then yells out with a cracked voice before he curls up, curling his fingers in his hair. 

Why is he so angry? He doesn’t even know this kid! But… thinking about her- all alone and scared and taken from her family makes his blood boil. …Is it because no one came for him? That he wanted so badly to help save her? Is it because Shattered wears his friend’s face but has the attitude of the scientists that tortured him? The people that changed him and Chase forever? 

Maybe maybe- he’s not sure- all he knows is he’s so so angry and he can’t control it and all the others must think he’s just as bad as the other hims and-! 

He’s not even sure when the tears started to come until he felt the wet warmth on his face. 

 "...Alt, are you... okay?" Anti's voice comes from the phone. "I haven't seen this... reaction from you before. And I don't think... this is something you usually do."

Alt is quiet for a long time after hearing Anti’s voice. “…I… I don’t know…” he answers truthfully. Then he laughs bitterly, “obviously I’m not okay… I… I don’t know why I’m so angry I… s-she’s not even my kid- she’s not a kid I know- but a-all of this… I…” he lightly touches his neck and closes his eyes. “…guess it just brings up b-bad memories…” 

"Ah. So it's a trauma response," Anti says bluntly. "You don't want any other kid to go through something that reminds you of something you went through. You might have even been seeing Shattered as the people who hurt you, striking back in a way you couldn't back then." He pauses. "Well... all of that is understandable. It really is. But you have to know you were going a bit too far back there.”

Alt is quiet, gripping his arms tight as he curls up around his knees. “…yeah I… I know…” he whispers. “…I think it was more too. I saw him as… as the people in SCLERA… the Alterra people that hurt us… I-i guess it was just… not wanting to be scared. Easier to be angry than… afraid.” 

“You can't let your anger control you like that, as valid as it is. I know you're not... like that. If that makes sense." 

Alt laughs a bit bitterly at Anti’s last statement, “…you didn’t know me at my worst… there was a reason I was… targeted. I was always an angry kid… angry when Chase found me again… a-always so angry… I don’t think it… really leaves, you know?” 

Anti doesn't respond to that right away. "...maybe," he says quietly. "But—" 

And then he stops, the phone microphone detecting sounds. 

There are footsteps in the hallway outside the room Alt is in. "--just follow the loud ass noises," Dr. Anti's voice is saying. 

"D'you think he's alright?" Jackie asks, worried. "Seemed a bit rattled by the whole thing." 

"Fucking understatement." 

Alt stiffens as he hears the others’ voices and he looks at the door with wide eyes. He doesn’t think- he just glitches to hide behind something- not ready to face anyone.

The door to the room opens, and JJ walks inside, looking around. Jackie follows behind him, then Dr. Anti. 

"Well... this is definitely where he was," Dr. Anti says. 

"D'you think he left?" 

JJ shakes his head. His eyes scan the room... and then he walks directly towards Alt's hiding space behind an overturned table. He stops a few feet away, and starts typing on the brace on his wrist. "Alt?" says a robotic voice. "Do you want to talk or would you rather stay quiet?" It sounds like a computerized version of Dr. J's voice.

Alt freezes as he hears JJ start to walk towards him. He’s quiet for a few intense beats. Then, he quietly laughs, though it sounds… pained. “…forgot you said you had ESP..  c-cool communicator though.” He doesn’t move to come out of the spot though, opting to curl up more against the table.

“Thank you. My brother made it.” JJ glances back at Jackie and Dr. Anti. The two of them come over, and they all sit down on the floor. “We just wanted to check that you were okay.” 

“You, um… didn’t get hurt while throwing stuff around, did you?” Dr. Anti asks awkwardly. “I’m not that kind of doctor but I’m still a doctor. I got… bandages and stuff.” 

“I’m okay…” Alt replies quietly, “…not hurt or anything.” 

“…sorry about all that,” Jackie says quietly. “He’s… really frustrating. When he’s like that.” 

“I don’t think Alt was ‘frustrated,’ exactly,” JJ says.

Alt laughs bitterly and grips at his arms, “…not exactly no… I… I’m sorry I-it’s… complicated. …I didn’t mean to e-explode though-“

“It’s okay,” JJ says. “It’s an understandable thing to get mad at.” 

“I won’t lie, it was a tad shocking,” Jackie says. “But if I got upset with people for having a temper I’d spend half my life mad at Anti.” 

“Ha.” Dr. Anti rolls his eyes. “Look, Alt. We get it. And Shattered deserves it. And judging by your brother’s reaction, this isn’t something that happens a lot with you. So it’s fine.” 

“We just want to know what we can do to help,” JJ says.

Alt is quiet for a long time, idly touching his scar. “… just you all being here… for Skyler… that’s enough. …it’s more than I got. She’s a lucky girl… seems like she’s got a big family who loves her a lot.”

"Oh..." Jackie breathes, eyes widening. He quickly starts talking. "Oh yes, absolutely. It's a really good thing, innit? I mean, poor girl doesn't have a mom, the least we can do it give her some extra uncles. And, ah, you know what they say about kids and villages. I think. I don't know if that expression exists in your world." 

Alt laughs quietly, “Y-Yeah… I know that one.”

JJ looks in Alt's direction thoughtfully. He knows there's something bothering him. Some lingering pain. But this isn't the time to bring it up. After all, they only met about thirty minutes ago. 

"Are you, um.... going to... sit here?" Dr. Anti asks awkwardly. "Or... maybe something else will help?" 

"Absolutely," JJ says. "We can talk about something else, if you want."

Alt breathes slowly, “I’m… not sure. I-I guess I need to… go look for the TRVLR piece now but I… I t-think I just… need some… time.” He wipes at his face, “…you guys are nice for… sitting here with me…. But, you don’t have to. Kinda awkward to do that with a stranger huh?”

"Well... we're not going to just leave you," Jackie says. "You don't have to be a friend to feel for someone. Especially in JJ's case." JJ chuckles silently. "And you do remind me of Anti, in a way." 

"Well yeah, he looks like me," Dr. Anti says. "Cept for the eyes." 

"I mean in the way you get angry when you're scared." "I--I don't--!" Dr. Anti stammers. "You can't just--!" 

"My point being, you don't feel like a stranger, even if you are," JJ continues.

Alt’s eyes widen and he glitches a bit in place. Then he throws a hand over his eyes and laughs, teetering on the edge of sounding pained. “…I’m that obvious now, huh?”

"To a fucking empath, maybe," Dr. Anti mutters. "You can't hide this shit from Jackson." 

"Sorry. I can't turn it off." JJ looks apologetic as he types.

“…Oh you’re … you can actually feel that-“ Alt chuckles, “that explains a lot…” 

"You don't have to talk about it," Jackie says hurriedly. "But, uh, if you want to... I, um... went through some stuff... with Shattered. It might... be, um... Sorry, I don't know what I'm saying."

Alt glances back and then grips at his arm, looking at the purple rings on his wrist. “… I noticed… he called you Doll.” He feels that burst of anger that has him gripping nails into his skin and magic sparking in his eyes. “… does Shattered make… puppets?” He asks quietly.

"Not... how you're... thinking, probably," Jackie says slowly. "But... he does have this... hypnotizing effect, if he wants to use it. He rarely does, but when it... happens, it's like... You're just... confused all the time. In this weird daze that leaves you wanting to listen to suggestions from anyone." Dr. Anti shudders slightly. Alt shudders at the mention of hypnosis too."But I mean... I was taken from my time," Jackie continues. "I left behind a lot. I don't think Shattered meant to do it, but still."

“…I’m sorry Jackie… that must be really hard.” Alt says quietly. He waits a few more beats before he asks, “…did any of you know Shattered…? Before he became… this? Or …how it happened?”

"Not at all," JJ says. "Jackie would know the most," Dr. Anti says, glancing at him. 

"He was like this when I showed up," Jackie shrugs. "But... I know it wasn't always like this. He's not some strange creature. There are moments when... there's something else." He shakes his head. "They've never happened while he was out here, only in that pocket world." He pauses. "He didn't always call me Doll... he knew my name once. But over time, he... stopped using it. And I think it's because he forgot."

Alt sighs and then finally glitches out of his hiding space to sit in front of the others, sitting cross-legged. He doesn’t look at them at first, “…that’s another reason why this is hard… I know who’s supposed to be.” Finally he looks them in the eyes, a deep sadness behind them. “…he used to be Henrik von Schneeplestein… I know his face. And… his approach to all this… scientific and medical it- …he’s not like my Hen… but like others I know. Like a very good friend of mine…” He looks at his hands as he idly plays with them, “…recently in our travels… I… we saw what… could happen if I- became something like Shattered. And not just… another Anti… it was me. I saw Shattered and… I got so angry… seeing him like he was my friend.” He laughs bitterly, “…I think some part of me thought I could… knock some sense back into him… but he’s not my Schneep. He’s not Henny either. …it’s still tough though- to see the face of someone you care about… twisted like that.” He shudders- almost relived he can’t ever really picture Distorter’s face clearly, even if he knows the truth.

The other three jump slightly as he appears, but none of them say anything as he talks. "Oh... I'm... I'm so sorry, Alt," Jackie whispers. "I can't even imagine..." He shivers. 

So it seemed personal to you, JJ says, signing now that Alt can see him. I see. He nods slowly. I suppose that if you go through enough worlds, you'll eventually find something very disturbing. A you that went down the wrong path. Or a friend who did. But it doesn't make it easy.

Alt nods and holds his arm, looking away. “… personal for that and… o-other reasons. But yeah… seeing him and… a child being in danger. …it was a lot and… my magic reacts to my emotions. Sometimes… it’s like- the anger becomes its own uncontrollable power and… takes over, I guess? …that sounds like an excuse but.. t-that’s what it feels like. I… I couldn’t think straight I… I’m sorry.”

JJ nods slowly. I understand. 

"It can be hard to control sometimes," Dr. Anti mutters. "You ever think about anger management classes?" 

Jackie shoves him. "Not the time!" 

"Well, if it becomes a problem, you know? Personally sometimes I think it helps to remove my--yourself, but... I guess that wasn't really an option back there." 

Alt’s eyes flicker angrily towards Dr. Anti and spark a bit, bits of his hair sticking up from the electricity. “…I used to be worse.” He bites out. 

Dr. Anti blinks. "...sorry," he says quietly. "I guess I don't know your life. I just..." He shakes his head. 

Ignore him, JJ says. He's not good with emotions. It's fine, Alt. Everyone is going to be okay. I'm sure of it.

Alt’s magic dies down as JJ signs and he gives him a weak smile. “…yeah, I’m sure Chase- …Bro has everything taken care of…” 

I'm sure too. JJ smiles. But I think it will be a good idea to leave as soon as possible once he and the others get back with Skyler. Are you feeling up to moving on?

Alt nods and glitches to his feet. He looks around, “Any idea what floor this is? …I kinda just- glitched to a random place.”

"It's the fourth, we saw the number next to the door while coming up the stairs," Jackie says, also getting up. 

"So if your thing is still on the fifth floor, we just have to go up one more set of stairs," Anti adds, standing. 

Let's go then. JJ gets to his feet and leads the way out of the room, glancing back to make sure Alt is following.

Alt hesitates- then follows after them. No sense in glitching ahead now. He glances at the mess he made then quickly hurries after the others.

They go down a hallway and back to the stairwell, climbing up the steps to the next floor. The whole building is still pretty dim, since the lights aren't on and the only source of illumination comes from the windows. But none of the guys dare turn on the lights. 

Though, Alt crackles out a blue-green ball of light in his hand to help light the way. 

The fifth floor has a U-shaped hallway, with lockers at one end for the employees and a breakroom at the other end. The bend of the U has a set of glass doors leading into what looks like a chemistry lab of some kind. "Do you have any idea what we're looking for?" Jackie asks Alt.

Alt blinks at Jackie then pulls out the tracker to check. “Let’s see…” The tracker tells him that the part is in a trash can in the lab area.

Alt hums and glitches forward, “…I dunno what exactly it looks like- but according to this it’s in a trash can.” He glitches over to the first one he sees and tries to search through it.

"It's in a bin? Oh boooo." Jackie frowns. 

There's only one trash can in the hallway, and it's empty. JJ goes over to the break area to check, but quickly returns. Everything in there is empty. 

"They really abandoned this place, didn't they?" Dr. Anti mutters. "Well, at least they were courteous enough to take out the garbage." He walks up to the glass doors leading into the lab. "Another card reader. Alt? D'you want to try that thing again?"

Alt stands up once he realizes this isn’t the right place. 

He hears Dr. Anti and glitches over to the door, wordlessly zapping the card reader with his magic again.

The red light flickers, but doesn't disappear. "...huh." Dr. Anti blinks. 

JJ watches this happen. You've probably spent a lot of energy, Alt. It's okay, we can find some other way in. 

Alt looks a bit unnerved but the fact that his magic wasn’t enough. But he nods to JJ’s logic. Alt

Jackie immediately walks over and punches the glass. "Ow!" 

"Jackie!" Dr. Anti stares at him in shock. "You dumb bastard!" 

"I've punched through glass before!" 

Alt jumps a bit then hides a laugh behind his hand. “J-Jackie..!” 

"Your wrist is sprained!" Dr. Anti shoves him aside. "You probably just made it worse! Go fucking--rest. Actually take care of yourself for once." 

JJ laughs silently. Do you still have that card thing, Anti? Do you think it will work? Dr. Anti hesitates. "Mmmmaybe?"

Alt touches the door- then tries to see if he can just glitch inside.

Yep. He's on the other side easily enough. 

"Oh." Dr. Anti blinks. "That works, too." He checks his pockets, pulling out a wallet. "But now I'm curious... nope, I don't even have it with me. Nevermind." 

"You dumb bastard!" Jackie says jokingly. 

"Well I'm not going to carry around some PUPIL shit after what they did to Marvin!" 

JJ rolls his eyes. Can you open it from the other side, Alt? 

Alt tries to look for a way to open the door, chuckling at the banter between Jackie and Anti.

Looks like it just opens when pushed. The others file in as soon as Alt opens the door. 

JJ looks around. So... the trash bins, then? 

"Yippeeeee," Jackie comments. 

"There's ones all along the walls, let's all get searching," Dr. Anti says.

“Oh yay, love me a bin scavenger hunt,” Alt drones with sarcasm. He glitches around, peeking inside. Most of them are empty. “…I am glad we’re not actually shifting through trash though-“

"Yeah, lucky," Jackie says. 

There are a surprising number of trash cans in the big lab, so it takes longer than expected. But eventually, Alt sees a glint in the bottom of one. A small copper ring, with other copper rings inside it, a series of concentric circles tied by a wire that sticks out on one side. The whole thing is intricate in its smallness, only as big as a fingertip. 

Alt brightens up at the glint then carefully grabs the piece- marveling at how small it is. Something this intricate must be it! “I think I found it!” He calls, putting it in the bag quickly so he doesn’t lose it. 

Then there's a knock on the glass doors leading to the lab. On the other side--Bro, Chase, Marvin, and a little girl in Marvin's arms, blinking sleepily (she got tired of climbing stairs.)

Alt glitches up in a bit of fear at the knock then sees it’s the others… and Skyler. His expression lightens up and he relaxes. “…you found her.” 

Bro smiles, “Yup! Safe and sound~! And sounds like you have the piece! Mission accomplished gentlemen!!” He beams. 

Jackie hurries over to open up the door. "Hullo, Sky!" 

"Jackie!" Skyler smiles tiredly. "Hi!" 

JJ and Dr. Anti hurries over. 

"How are you?" Dr. Anti asks in an unusually soft voice. "You're not hurt, are you?" 

"I'm tired. But no, Uncle Anti." 

"That's good." Dr. Anti nods. "If you feel anything weird, you tell us, okay?" 

"Mm-hmm." 

JJ smiles down at Skyler. We're going to get you home, okay? 

"Mmmm-hmm." 

Alt smiles warmly as the others check over Skyler. Then, he looks away, holding his arms. 

Bro sees this and comes over, pulling Alt into a side hug. “…you okay?” Bro asks. 

Alt nods, not looking at him, but not glitching away either. 

Bro looks down at him in concern but doesn’t say anything. He’s pretty sure he gets it. He felt that all too. 

"So if you guys found it, we can just leave right away, then?" Chase asks. "This place makes me nervous. And, uh... Shattered might be coming after us soon."

Once Chase asks, the Brody Brothers look up then nod to each other. “Yeah, we can head out.” Bro says. 

“…I can glitch you all to your car- but I understand if we’d rather just walk cuz uh- Skyler.” Alt says quietly. Bro can tell Alt wants so badly to go over and meet her- but he’s holding himself back.

Marvin looks over at Alt. He blinks, and smiles. "Yeah. That's probably safer, for now. Hey sweets, this is Bro's brother, Alt." 

Skyler looks over at him--and gasps. "Sparkly eyes!" 

Marvin laughs. "Yeah, he has cool eyes, doesn't he? He helped us find this place." 

"Sparrrrklyyyy," Skyler whispers in awe.

Alt blinks over at Marvin and Skyler- then his face melts into an easy warm smile. He touches over his chest. “…she likes my eyes?” He whispers. 

“They are really cool-“ Bro laughs. 

Alt walks over and bends down a bit to be more at Skyler’s level. “Hi Skyler… it’s nice to meet you! We were all really worried, I’m glad you’re okay!”

"Hi!" Skyler smiles a little. "Yeah, I'm okay. It was just uh... I dunno." 

"Confusing, right?" Marvin says. "Don't worry, we're heading home now, things will be less confusing there." 

"Okay." 

As the group heads back to the stairwell, Skyler turns around in Marvin's arms to look at Alt. "Why're your eyes sparkly? Is it like Anti's thing?"

Alt blinks then smiles, “Kinda. They didn’t always use to be like this though.” 

“Yeah when we were younger, his eyes looked just like mine!” Bro grins, pointing at his eyes. 

Alt chuckles, “but, like how your uncle Chase does magic, I do too. But I didn’t know I had magic until I was in very big trouble one day- then boom! I glitched out of the trouble and my eyes changed colors.” He smiles at her, “Pretty cool, huh?” 

"Whoaaa." Skyler's eyes go wide. "That's a lot like what happened with Uncle Chase!" 

Chase coughs. "Uh--Sky, wh-what are you talking about?" 

"Dad said that you were in trouble one day and your magic saved you!" 

Chase looks at Marvin, slightly alarmed. 

"She was asking about it," Marvin whispers. "I didn't share any details." 

"Well... that's true, Skyler," Chase says slowly. "But, uh... I'll tell you more when you're much older, okay?"

Bro looks over to Chase with concern, then nods to him with a knowing look in his eyes. He gets it. Chase nods back to Bro, relieved to not have to explain it out loud. 

Skyler nods. "D'you think that if I get in trouble I'll get magic? Or my eyes will change color?" 

"Don't go putting yourself in danger, Sky," Marvin says firmly. "It's more likely that nothing will happen, y'know? Except for you getting hurt." 

"Okay." 

The group is heading down the stairs now. 

Alt nods seriously towards Skyler, “…your dad is right. …I got in that situation because I was always putting myself in danger… I was… not a good kid. I probably could have gotten my magic in a much safer way… had I been more careful.” He then looks at her and smiles. “But hey? Who knows… magic is all around us. Maybe you’ll come across your own kind of magic some day.”

Skyler nods, taking this seriously. "Okay. Maybe I'll get powers like Uncle JJ did." 

JJ laughs, and types on his communication device. "That was also pretty dangerous, Skyler. You have to be careful, okay?" 

"Yeah, I know." Skyler nods again, then rests her head on Marvin's shoulder. 

Bro and Alt share a glance and a small laugh, smiling at Skyler. 

The group heads down the stairwell until they eventually reach the ground floor. JJ is out in front, pushing the door open and leading the group down the hallway into the lobby. And... as soon as they reach that room... there's a strange cracking sound in the air behind them.

Once in the new room, Alt’s guard is up, a shiver running down his spine. He whips around towards the noise, green magic lighting up on his fingers.

The cracking noise suddenly breaks, and the air seems to shatter. Chase whirls around, conjuring up a shield that blocks most of the shards that fly out, but gets shredded as a result. 

Shattered suddenly lunges forward, and manages to grab onto the nearest person--Bro. "You bastards!" he snarls. "You tricked me!" A loud sound comes from behind him, a sound like tinkling glass, like wind chimes. The air around him seems to fracture, kaleidoscope patterns moving in an intriguing pattern.

"No!" Jackie gasps. "Don't look!"

Bro cries out and tries to pull himself away, “H-Hey! Let go-!” He tries to say- but then his eyes widen as the air fractures into those… beautiful intricate patterns. Seemingly getting pulled into its thrall. 

“No, Chase!” Alt cries out. 

But Bro squeezes his eyes shut and easily seems to shake off the effects, grabbing Shattered’s wrist and throwing him off him. “D-Don’t try that freaky shit on me!“ 

Shattered staggers back, breaking up the pattern. 

"Go go go!" Dr. Anti shouts, pushing Marvin and Skyler towards the doorway. He staggers and then runs, clutching her to his chest. Bro staggers back then rushes after Marvin and Skyler- ready to protect them. 

"Go where?!" Shattered suddenly grabs Anti, pulling him back into the pattern. "None of you are leaving!" 

JJ rushes forward, thwacking Shattered in the face with his staff. There's a Crak! sound and Shattered stumbles back once more, letting JJ grab Dr. Anti and pull him out. 

"Anti!" he types into the brace. "Wake up!" 

Dr. Anti leans heavily against JJ. His eyes are overcome by a strange pattern, blue and black kaleidoscope shards. "I--I--" 

Shattered regains his balance. "Doctor!" he shouts. "Bring them to me!" 

Anti blinks slowly--and then shoves JJ backwards and lunges towards Alt. He latches onto him and starts pulling him back. 

Alt hesitates, horrified by watching Shattered grab Anti and affect him. So he’s not at all prepared at all for Anti to grab him. He yells out in surprise and tries to pull himself away. “h-Hey! Other me l-let go!” 

"Let go?" Dr. Anti repeats idly, his grip loosening. 

"Don't let go!" Shattered shouts, and Anti's grip tightens again. "Bring them here!" 

Dr. Anti nods and resumes dragging Alt back.

 "No!" Chase looks back and forth between Dr. Anti and Shattered. He conjures up a shield that glows bright yellow, blocking Anti's way to Shattered. "Guys! Shake him out of it!" 

JJ recovers and runs forward again, trying to push Anti away from Alt. With his help, Alt manages to pull free of Anti's grip.

Alt glitches back away from Anti with wide eyes- shaking a bit. “F-Fucking hell- t-That’s his hypnosis??” It’s so different from anything he’s ever seen- …it’s kinda pretty though- in a dangerous sort of way. He glares then glitches around the shield and tries to tackle Shattered away.

Shattered immediately vanishes, letting Alt run pass him. "No no no, that won't work again," he says. 

"Alt!" Chase gasps, unconsciously dropping the shield. "The fuck are you doing?!" He throws out a hand and grabs Alt with his magic, trying to drag him back. "Let's go! The car is right outside!" 

JJ grabs onto Dr. Anti, pulling him back. Jackie runs up to him and shakes him slightly. "Don't listen to him don't listen to him!" Jackie says. 

"No, don't listen to HIM!" Shattered shouts. 

Dr. Anti's head rolls back and forth between them, his expression conflicted. 

"God damn it!" Chase turns his attention back to Anti, throwing out a hand. Yellow magic wraps around Anti's head, covering his ears and eyes.

Alt yelps as he’s grabbed by Chase and struggles back. “I-I can distract him while you guys get everyone outside! We’re pretty well matched! Then I can glitch into the car once you all are safe!” He looks at Chase with determined eyes.

Chase hesitates... then nods. "Okay," he breathes. And he lets go, spinning around. "Go go go go go!" 

Jackie bolts for the door, and JJ follows, dragging Dr. Anti along. Chase backs up slowly, keeping a shield in front to protect the others. 

Shattered's attention immediately turns to Alt. He laughs. "How brave of you, Magician!" 

Bro looks at the others coming his way and looks back with panic towards the end of the hall, “Alt!” 

Alt grins, his eyes flashing. “I’ll give you a run for your money, bitch!” He makes a knife out of magic and glitches around to draw his eye around before trying to stab him with it in the shoulder.

Shattered's eyes dart around to keep track of him and then yelps in surprise when Alt is suddenly right in front of him, stabbing him. It doesn't feel like stabbing a person--it feels more akin to stabbing through a thin bit of wood. "Oh! Very good!" He grins. "Do you want to see mine?" His left hand draws back, and the air around it seems to break as he suddenly stabs towards Alt's stomach with a transparent shard.

Alt yells out in surprise and winces, then blinks as it just barely hurts. He laughs in Shattered’s face, “Ha! That’s nothing!” He grins and poofs away his knife then goes to try to shock Shattered. “Try this!”

Shattered snaps backwards, falling to the ground, electricity racing along his metal arm. For a moment, he looks very disoriented indeed, blinking up at Alt like he's never seen him before. But then he takes in the threatening look on his face. He disappears and reappears back in a standing position. The wall next to Alt makes another one of those cracking sounds and more glass-like shards burst outwards from it.

Alt quickly glitches back and forth to dodge the shards- all of them just hardly missing him. He pants then glares at Shattered, building up more magic in his hands. He sends out a wave of sound to try to disorient him.

The moment the soundwave hits Shattered, he cries out and claps his hands over his ears. The cracks on him seem to widen and he backs up, then falls to his knees. "Nein! Nein, bitte, nicht mehr! Bitte hör auf!" 

Alt looks down at him in surprise, momentarily caught off guard. Especially as he shouts out in such distress. “S-Schneep-“ He whispers.

Back in the lobby, Chase is pushing JJ and Dr. Anti out of the door. He spins around. "Alt!" he shouts. "Get out of there!" 

Alt’shead turns towards the others and he spares one more glance at Shattered before he glitches down the hall. 

Chase runs over and grabs Alt by the hand, pulling him out the door. Everyone else is already in the car, and Marvin has it started and running. JJ leans out the open back door and whistles for them to get in. He, Jackie, and Anti are in the back seat, while Bro is in the passenger's side and Skyler is sitting on the floor between the two middle seats.

Alt lets himself get grabbed and runs with Chase, hurrying into the car with eveyone else. “I-I think I managed to throw him off enough! Let’s get out of here!” He tells Marvin.

The moment the door closes Marvin throws the van into gear. "Hold on, Sky!" he shouts, and Skyler holds onto Alt's leg as Marvin slams on the gas and the van goes flying down the street.

Alt doesn’t get into a seat he just holds onto Skyler as the van moves, curling up around her instinctively.

Marvin doesn't slow down until Project Street is well out of sight. Only then does he relax. The van gradually slows and eventually stops as Marvin pulls to the side of the road. He looks back at the others. "Who's hurt? What's up with Anti?" 

"Chase and JJ are still bleeding from that first attack," Jackie says. "Anti's still in it." 

Dr. Anti is squished up against the window of the van, head rolled back. 

"Anti, answer me!" Jackie shakes him slightly. 

"I--I--" Anti's voice sounds choked up.

Alt blinks up and uncurls from around Skyler. He blinks in confusion at Dr. Anti and furrows his brow in concern. “…he’s supposed to listen to suggestions from anyone right?” He glitches up into a chair and looks down at Anti, “Anti! Break out of this! Come on, you gonna let that bitch win??” 

Anti blinks at Alt for a moment, looking confused... And then something about Alt gets through to him, and abruptly the fractal designs in his eyes disappear as he snaps back to reality. "Fuck!" he gasps. "H-holy shit, I forgot what that..." He shudders. "I... f-fuck." 

Jackie puts a hand on your shoulder. "You're okay," he says softly. "He can't get to you right now." 

"Y-yeah, I know." Dr. Anti squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. "God."

Alt relaxes a bit and slumps into the seat. “Whew… good-“ 

Bro goes and punches Alt on the shoulder once it feels like eveyone can breathe again. 

Alt yelps out in surprise then glares at Bro as he rubs it. “What??” 

Bro glares at Alt back, “You fucking dumbass! You could have gotten yourself caught in that shit! You know how susceptible you are!” 

“I was the only one who could have gotten away fast enough without him getting anyone else!” Alt bites back, “And it worked didn't it?!” 

Marvin sighs. "He just wants you to take care of yourself, yknow," he says, turning back to look at Alt. Then he glances at Bro. "And he just wanted to make sure everyone was alright." Then he looks back and forth between the two of them. "Good intentions all around. And it's in the past now." 

"Y-yeah..." Chase nods. "We're all safe. There's no reason to fight right now. I think. A-and I was hanging back, Bro, I could've grabbed him if something happened."

Bro pouts a bit at this as the two brothers stare each other down. Then they both seem to deflate at the same time and nod. “…right - thanks for watching out for him, other me.” 

Chase nods. "Yeah." He glances at Alt. "Though your brother is, uh, very capable--as I'm sure you know." 

Alt crosses his arms, still a bit heated but trying to calm down. Or maybe that’s just the adrenaline still pumping in his veins. “…we got the piece, so… I guess we should probably be on our way… since Skyler is safe now.” Alt says quietly.

"You're gonna go?" Skyler asks, sounding a bit disappointed. 

"Yeah, sweets, they're on an important, uh, mission," Marvin says. "They were so nice to help us find you when they had something else to do." 

"Oh." Skyler looks up at Alt with big brown eyes. "Are you gonna come back? To, um, visit?"

Alt looks down at Skyler with conflicted eyes. He looks back at the rest of them and Bro does the same. “…do you all want us to come back and visit?” Alt asks quietly, kneeling down next to Skyler but glancing at the rest. “…cuz I think Anti saved the address here… so… we could.” He smiles at her. “If you want.”

"Hell yeah, bro." Chase grins. "It's so cool to meet another version of me! And you're bada--you're really cool, Alt." 

"You correct bad-A but not hell?" Marvin mutters. 

"...oops." 

Marvin laughs. "Anyway, yeah, I think you guys are really cool too. And... anyone who's willing to drop everything to help my daughter is good in my book." 

I'd love to spend more time together in a less stressful situation, JJ says. 

Jackie whoops. "I mean--how often do you meet people from other universes?! That's fu-fricking amazing! And you guys are, too!" 

Dr. Anti nods. "...I wouldn't mind," he says quietly. 

"Oooo, that's a ringing endorsement from the doc, trust me," Jackie laughs. 

Alt blinks and then grins. Bro does too, pumping his fist into the air, “Heck yeah! New friends let’s goooo!!” 

Alt laughs and then smiles at Skyler, “Then it sounds like we’ll be back someday! Maybe soon- we just gotta finish up this important thing okay?”

Anti speaks up from Alt's phone. "Time can be inconsistent between worlds, but I doubt it will vary more than a year between worlds this similar. So... make a note of that. I probably won't be here next time." 

"Honestly, I keep forgetting about you," Jackie comments. 

"I've been busy recharging." 

"You can come too, of course," JJ says, typing into his brace. "We could meet properly." 

"I have a lot of stuff to do back home, but thanks." Anti's voice softens just a bit. 

"So, within a year, maybe," Chase nods. "I'll make a note of that!"

Alt looks a bit sad about that but he smiles and nods, “Okay- that’s at least good to keep in mind.” He leans down and pokes Skyler’s nose cheekily, “Don’t get too big before we can visit again, okay? Maybe we can even bring some of our other friends who are your age!” He grins. 

“Oh god yeah, Kelsie and Alice would love you!” Bro beams.

Skyler grabs her nose, giggling. "Really?" 

"Multi-dimensional playdate." Marvin chuckles. "That would be fun." 

Skyler smiles shyly. "O-okay! That would be fun!" 

Alt smiles warmly, “Okay- then sometime in the future, we’ll see you all again.” 

"So... when you're ready to go, I suggest getting out of the car," Anti says. "Opening a rift in a place this cramped might not be good."

Alt opens the car door then glitches out right outside. He looks at JJ, Jackie and Dr. Anti. He nods to them and smiles. “…thanks guys.” 

No, thank YOU, JJ says, smiling. But... you're welcome, too. 

Bro laughs and climbs out, ruffling up Skyler’s hair as he goes. Then he waves wildly, “Thanks for helping us guys! Get Skyler home safe, okay?” 

"We will," Marvin promises. 

Alt then takes out his phone and nods to Anti, “okay… ready.”

Anti nods back. The screen becomes colorful static, and then green lightning unzips a rift in midair next to them. 

"Whoa..." Jackie leans out to look at it. 

"That's crazy," Dr. Anti mutters. 

"Bye guys!" Chase waves. "See you again!"

Alt grins and waves. Bro waves wildly with a big smile. Then they both hop into the rift- heading off to the next world.

The whole group waves at them as they go. Skyler smiles excitedly, waving the hardest.

[countrymusiclover]

40 - Newest Dutton Baby

Country Rancher

This is the final chapter ❤️ thank you for reading

Tags @whateverthecostner @rosie-posie08 @kayceduttonn @kcloveswrestling @the-morning-star-falls @kaymudd @hcwthewestwaswcn

I gasped seeing water coming from between her legs since she was wearing just a dress and some socks after her shorts were tighter. “Oh my god. I think the babies coming.”

Kayce and I frantically turned our head towards one another sharing the same terrified look that we weren’t expecting this yet. Her due date wasn’t supposed to be until the rest of the family got back in town. “Call the helicopter!”

Kayce carried his first born daughter in his arms while we had someone else flying the helicopter for us. Carter had grabbed the baby bag. With the rest of our kids piling into the truck. “I’ll follow behind ya’ll. You stay with our baby girl.” Kayce told me when I climbed into the helicopter shutting the door behind me.

“Mommy, I’m scared.” Bree winced reaching for my hand when we rose off the ground flying as fast as we possibly could.

Grasping her hand in mine I sniffled through tears, remembering what it was like when I had her around my early 20’s. I still felt like I was a kid back then but nowhere near as young as she is. “I’m here, B. I’m always here. It’s you and me against the world.”

She sucked in a breath closing her eyes. And she remained that way for the rest of the flight. Finally we landed on the hospital building. Some medics rushed outside, rolling her into an elevator. I never let go of her hand even when her doctor came into the room. “Ms. Dutton, you are almost ready to push. But we will check up on you in a few hours.”

“Thanks doc.” I told her simply before she left the room leaving us alone.

Bree croaked through tears when she had some more contractions in her lower back. “Mommy, what if I can’t do this?”

“Don’t worry, baby girl.” Brushing hair out of her face I blinked through tears. “You are the strongest person I know. Heck when you were five years old you fell off my horse for the first time. But you wanted to get back on the second it happened.”

The door opened where I saw Carter and the others coming in. Kayce shut the door gently behind him. “How’s she doing? I called my dad and told him what’s going on. Unfortunately he can’t be home until the end of this month. So it will be a few weeks before he sees the new grandkid.”

“The doctor said she’s almost ready to deliver. But it would a few hours before she’s fully given the green light.” I shrugged my shoulders at my husband.

Carter went to her other bedside taking her other hand that I wasn’t holding. “Bree, I’m here. Uh…whatever you need from me.”

“Thanks Carter.” My daughter mumbles squeezing his hand.

Tate was helping Dallas and Elsa playing some games on the iPad we had got recently. Kayce walks over to me removing his hat where I got to my feet since he clearly needed to say something privately. “Little B, we’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Bree just nodded where we stepped out into the hallway shuttling the door behind us as we went. Wrapping my arms around myself I sighed heavily. “So what’s going on, Kayc?”

“I just needed a minute. Cause when I look at her right now I…it makes me think back to when I left you and how scared you probably were.” He ran a hand down his face.

Holding my hands I shake my head not being able to handle him crying right now. “Kayce, please don’t cry right now. Okay we’ve gone past this. Was it hard, yes. But you are here now. And I know you’re scared for our girl. But you aren’t alone. We’re in this together.”

“I just….feel like such an ass. For abandoning you for years because I chose Monica first over you. When it’s always been you who holds my heart and no one else will ever be that for me.” He sniffs through tears until I tug him against my chest. He buried his face into my neck where I ran my fingers through his hair.

“Kayce, I’ve forgiven you. Now we have to be there for Bree.” Breaking the hug we went back into the hospital room and just waited for about two more hours before the doctor came back in and said we had the green light.

Bree had asked that me and Kayce be in the room while she delivered even though we knew she loved Carter. So he stayed outside with Tate and the twins. “Alright Ms. Dutton. I need you to start pushing for me.” The doctor instructed her while she clasped our hands in hers.

She bared her teeth down while she began pushing as hard as she could until she threw her head back needing to rest. “I can’t do this, daddy…” She began panicking with her chest heaving up and down.

“Hey, hey, Little B. You are as strong as your mama. If she could get through this, so can you.” Kayce kisses her forehead holding back tears hating to see his daughter in pain and he could really do anything about this.

She gulped, gripping our hands tighter than she already had. She screamed while she was pushing with everything she had left in her. After a few more long pushes she threw her head back in relief hearing a baby’s cry filling the room. “Ohhh…” Leaning forward I kissed her forehead, smiling through tears.

The doctor handed the crying infant over to a nurse. She wrapped the baby in a soft blanket before he delivered the news. “Congratulations Ms. Dutton, you have a beautiful baby boy.”

“Have you all picked out a name yet?” The nurse asked Carter and her.

Carter chuckled nervously. “Uh no we haven’t.”

The nurse nodded gently, handing their baby boy over to them. “He’s perfect.” Bree began crying while she held her baby closer to her chest crying through happy tears.

Covering my mouth with my freehand Kayce moved around the bed. He wrapped his arms around me crying through tears. “Looks like we’re grandparents now huh Kayce. I…I can’t believe it. We’ve got a grandson.”

“Our little girl is just as strong as you are, darling.” He kisses my forehead watching the doctor and nurses leave the hospital room giving us time alone together.

Carter shifts his gaze down to the infant in his girl's arms. “He’s so tiny…”

“Can we meet the new baby now?” Dallas burst into the room.

Tate came in with Elsa dragging him behind her. “Are you going to name it after grandpa or daddy?”

“Kiddos enough with the questions. Alright your sister has been through a lot tonight. Let’s let her get some rest now.” Kayce looks down at the rest of our kids who were being impatient.

Tate dropped his smile. “Awe come on, dad.”

“Tate, don’t push it.” I warned him with a glare.

Bree cleared her throat causing all of us to turn our attention to the teenage couple. “Mommy, I think I might actually have a name for this little guy. Because I have been reading some letters from 1923. And I found a name I rather liked.”

“Honey , you don’t have to rush into this. It took me a while before I found the perfect name for you.” I reassured her by squeezing Kayce’s hand in mine.

Bree shook her head glancing over at Carter. “It’s okay, mom. The name I want is Spencer. Spencer Kayce Dutton.”

“Are you two going to get married at some point?” Kayce asked his daughter, blinking through tears while a grin was plastered on his face at hearing his name being the boy's middle name.

Carter rubbed the back of his neck avoiding his gaze before Bree sent him a grin. “Uh no sir. But I ain’t going anywhere, Mr. Dutton.” I laid my head on Kayce’s shoulder where he tugged me closer to his embrace, happy that we were all okay.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[thatcanadianfangirl]

JJ Maybank// Healing Takes Time pt.3

JJ Maybank X Jade (Booker) Routledge OC

Plot: Jade has a ✨feminine energy✨day with Sarah and Kiara.

Word count: 2.7k+

Content: brother’s best friend, slow burn, underage drinking, foul language.

Disclaimer: the 3rd and final part of healing takes time, it’s not finished but I a year and a half ago and won’t be completing. I really enjoyed writing this but it’s not something I want to continue. I didn’t edited or anything kinda just want this out of my drafts.

{Part One} {Part Two}

———-

Someone laying on the horn in the dirt drive way of the Chateau knocked the relaxation out of my bones. The water lapped at my legs hanging over the dock, my shoulder blades were resting on the rotting wood. I was soaking up the sun cascading over my body and trying to enjoy my workless weekend.

Two car doors slammed shut in the distant and I instantly knew that it wasn't the Twinkie, it had sounds that I associated with home. Soft feminine voices were mumbling and a small smile creeped onto my face.

Sitting up I gathered my worn sneakers, hooking them with one finger each on the same hand. The HMS Pogue danced with the small waves caused by other boats that have passed. Walking up the long L shaped dock water dripped down my calves and imprinted my path onto the wood for thirty minutes.

feet partially dry I managed to shout a mangled greeting as I struggled to slip on my socks. Fumbling with forcing my shoes on, a little too excited to spent the day with them. I hopped off the dock landing wrong. I grained my balance back right before I could knock my teeth out from a brutal wipe out.

"Woah take it easy, Routledge!" Sarah chuckles walking towards me with Kie at her side.

"I don't know what came over me, My body just took over." I say a little sheepish.

It was an overpowering feeling of having female friends, almost like I didn't know what to do with myself. God was it absolutely embarrassing. I always had my brother and he was, most of the time, a good fill in to indulge into girl talk. Although their were some conversations I needed to only share with female friends.

Of course I had acquaintances at Kildare high. They were fun conversations in-between classes to fill in the time, or light gossiping at the boneyard, whenever Kiara pulled me along and she was caught with the boys. they weren't ones I hangout on my own time, it felt like a lot of effort to contain any relationship outside of home and work.

The least I could say was I am starved for female companionship. When Sarah asked us a week ago to go hangout I was ecstatic. The excitement started to stack before I realized and it tipped over causing me to just about snap my ankle in two.

"Honesty. I might be a little euphoric myself." Kiara says, and it stabilized my embarrassment,

"Over here too." Sarah pipes up.

"The aura all three of them bring feels so suffocating at times. I need this day you." She says with mock desperation and lightheartedness dancing in her tone.

"Tell me about it, I have a brother who reeks of that shit," I say with a mouth full of sass, they smile wide holding back fits of laughter.

"I don't mind it." Sarah says with a shrug.

"Absolutely disgusting." I mimic throwing up my bagel and coffee from earlier. "You say that because you haven't lived with the demon for a decade and a half."

"It'll get old fast." Kie says,

"damn right!" I agree enjoying this moment I was sharing with them. Surprised by how easy I fell into conversation with them. Like this was an everyday occurrence, I never wanted this feeling to escape from my fingertips.

"Are you ready?" Sarah questions racking over my attire. I was wearing very worn in short, a blue top and one of John's loose button shirts. It's very beach casual it wasn't too fashion friendly but it wasn't the worst thing I could've worn today.

"Yeah, I'm just going to give John a heads up." I say beginning to approach the house and finding him having a massive cat nap on the porch couch.

Stepping on the porch I slammed the screen door shut, but the bang only managed to halt his loud snored for three seconds. I rolled my eyes knowing this wake up job would take a little work. His entire body stretched along the sofa, his height so tall, the toes of his shoes hung over the arm rest.

One tap against his torn sneaker, "John." My voice holding a vociferous tone in attempt to wake him. But only backfired forcing his snores to become more prominent and stir in his sleep.

what on god's deteriorating earth did this kid do last night to cause him to sleep way into the afternoon? I heard him clamber through the house at three am. very late but at least he made the effort to come home.

"John B!" I hollered right over him.

His body jerked awake and his face held alarm as he sprung to life almost knocking me on my ass in the process. John wiped at his face regaining consciousness. Soon his brown eyes fell into recognition at the sight of me crossing my arms over my chest and eyeing him down with and unamused expression.

"What the Hell is wrong with you, Jade." He said bitterly and aggressively combed his hair back.

"Good Morning to you too sleepy head." I cooed at him as if he were a small child who didn't get what they wanted.

"You're so goddamn annoying." He seethes through his teeth.

"Someone is a little cranky." I mock a pout.

"Why the fuck did you wake me?" He growled grumpily into his palms and I smirk cockily at my suffering brother.

I shrug, "Just wanted to let you know I'm leaving to hang with Kiara and Sarah." I said pointing my thumb over my shoulder. He leans over looking past me and at the two girls resting against the hood of Sarah's SUV. "Hey John B," They snicker in unison.

"Hey." He replied with a rough sleepy voice.

"You're actually hangout with them?" There was a hint of eager happiness wrapped in his tone. I brushed it off and began began battling with the smile that tried to crawl to the surface.

"Me and Kie are alright friends. Sarah just fits in perfectly. And if I'm being honest I need female friends. So I hope you don't mind me stealing yours." I say smugly knowing I'd still hangout with them even if he was fully against it.

"I don't mind one bit." Me says with an ear splitting grin.

"Also I did want to talk to you later." I say not feeling like it was the right time to be bringing it up. Was there ever a right time for it?

"Sure. Anything."

"It's nothing too tremendous." I muster up.

I hope it wasn't because I knew this treasure hunting obsession has gone a little over the edge. I need John to lift the weight off my shoulders a bit. Allow me to breathe and maybe set some money a side for a rainy day. Who Knew how he'd take it, I just have to show him just how desperate I was to have my brother back.

"Okay." he jokes as if I wasn't going to give him an ultimatum.

---

The Surf Shack is an adorable little boutique located in the middle of the island. it wasn't marked as Figure 8 and nor was it part of The Cut. It was centered ground and probably the reason why it's Kie's favourite shop in all of Kildare.

Brand new surf boards lined the back wall, bathing suits towards the left wall and summer clothing to the right. Various string and bulky beaded jewelry Koisks scattered the floor. The theme of the store held a beachy ambiance, it was very soothing and felt familiar.

"What's the colour pallet?" Sarah ask slinging her arm over my shoulder and leaning against me, I become flustered at the close proximity not expecting her to clung on to me like she did.

"Uh.." I stated not really understand the premise of the question.

"Jade it more of a teal or a purple type of person," Kie says after lightly analyzing me and I begin to feel self conscious around them.

Sarah looks at me as if waiting for me to disagree. In all honest I've never had to luxury to pick the colour of my clothing. I purchased whatever fit me and looked at least half decent. So I'm not particularly familiar with my colour pallet.

"I think Kie is right." I pretend like I knew exactly what she meant, but from the look swirling in Sarah's eyes, I knew I failed miserably. I felt absolutely pathetic and began to interrogate my decision to come here with them.

"Lets just take a look around and have a feel for it." Kie says covering up the feeling of awkwardness that started to wedge its self between us.

"Sounds like a good idea." I say relieved, taking myself out of Sarah's grasp and going towards peach-coloured pieces. It didn't take long to find out the price of a single bikini top was far out of my budget. The white tag in my hand from a lime green basic triangle top read $68.

Who in there right mind would pay that much for nipple covers? was this what is was like to not live from pay cheque to pay cheque? because please sign me the fuck up, pronto. God I wonder what it would be like to no look at the price and know I could afford a lousy bikini set.

Looking around I saw Kie and Sarah in different isles sorting through the various styles and colours. I must've been looking like a lost freaking puppy for too long because one of the employees, Henley, walks up to me with a polite smile. She's tall and has perfect blonde hair flowing down her back. Henley definitely was a freaking goddess in her past life, I could tell you that much.

"Is there anything I could help you with?" She says with a mega watt smile, and I gulp nervously hoping she didn't think I was going to tuck this top into my back pocket. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty tempting now that I think about it.

"No, I'm just looking. Thank you for the offer." I say bringing my customer service to life like I knew exactly what I was doing. Caging up the nerves in the process. I could feel the eyes of the Pogues dart to me and I wanted to melted into the floor at the questioning looks.

"Are you sure? Because it looks like you're struggling." She presses and god was it fucking embarrassing. Was it really that hard for her to leave me to my thoughts?

"Hey, Henley, could you help me find a size?" Kie calls,

"Yes of course." She replies instantly. "Will you excuse me?"

"Not a problem." I give her a tight smile. I felt every one of my muscles relax at her retreating back. I could literally kiss the girl for calling the demon off of my spine. Sometimes Kie was an expert at reading my body language and rescued me with a fucking life raft, a good percentage of the time.

I shoved the green top onto the rack again and navigated my way to the clearance section. It crumbled the little ego I had left but it was my own doing for not seeking it out in the first place. I just wanted to feel normal for once and experience something other than The Cut.

The section was more budget friendly but it was less size inclusive. being in this place was like bringing a skate board to the beach. Not the smartest idea but I could make the best of it.

I could feel Sarah come behind me and lay her chin onto my shoulder browsing my selection with me. I oddly enjoyed how touch affection she is, almost like a nice surprise after a tough day.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I could get you one you'll actually like. You've been scouring the rack for five minutes, I can see nothing is catching your eye. It's not a big deal. Think of it as a an early birthday gift."

I can't muster up the words I want to say, because how exactly do I respond to that? Sarah is one of the kindest people I know and I cant possible take advantage of her for a new swimsuit I don't need.

"I appreciate it. Sarah I really do, But I cant ask that." I say in a hushed tone knowing Henley is always keeping an eye on me at all times as she works around the store.

"You're not asking. I'm offering. There's a difference between the two. I've seen how hard you've worked to keep the Chateau alive. You deserve to enjoy something new once in awhile. You're not being selfish, Okay?"

Her tone is soft as she speaks into my ear and I couldn't help the hot tears from sliding down my cheeks. Sarah saw me and still wanted to be here, I felt every emotion I could and they hit me like a semi truck.

Kie had a sixth sense and soon was glued to my hip. Sarah filled her in, as I bite down on my bottom lip forcing the blubbering cries that wanted to escape, at bay.

'Oh Honey." Kie coos fondly and wipes a few tears away but they're soon replaced by fresh ones. "Here." Sarah hands me the keys to her SUV. "Why don't you sit in the car and we'll pick something out of you?" Her voice is sugar and I didn't want to leave her side. But if I didn't leave soon I know it wouldn't take much to have everything in me spilled out.

With a weak nod I mange to take the keys into my grasp almost dropping them at the unexpected weight. I'm a mess and everyone in this place was seeing it first hand. There was no way I would live this down. Hell would freeze over before I ever thought of returning to this shop. That pushy employee, Henley, would recognize me as the one girl from The Cut who broke down in the middle of this god forsaken place.

It felt like the walk of shame as I approached the exit and onto the side walk. With one click on the car fob Sarah's vehicle beeped and flashed as it unlocked. If I didn't have the keys in my hand someone would accuse me of stealing it.

Once I clambered into the backseat I slumped against the leather bench and sobbed into it. everything I was feeling over the last few days had finally rushed out of me in an earthshattering wailing.

---

I wake up disoriented. I'm still wearing day clothes but the moon light from my window is glowing onto my skin. I'm confused and well rested, that was the best fucking sleep I've had in ages. Everything from earlier smashes into my brain like a stone wall, the reason of the best cat nap of my life.

Pent up emotion from John B trying to keep dad alive, The feeling of having friends, and the situation I've found myself in with JJ. It was a lot and I never found the time to really come to terms with it all. I'm glad that everything had left my body. I'm so light that I feel like i'm walking on white fluffy clouds.

A small bag from the Surf Shack had caught my eye, I reach over and snatch it from my nightstand. Pawing at the contents I pull out a gorgeous pastel bikini set, It's either Purple or blue. Hard to in point the colour in the dark room.

Getting off the bed I could hear something else sliding on the paper bag. I stare at it with furrowed eyebrows for a few seconds before I fetch out a necklace. it's a smooth chuck of sea glass with a calico scallop shell thread through thick string.

my heart glows at the gifts they have given me. I swore to myself I'd eventually pay them back. I'm not entirely sure how, but I would.

Flicking the light on I pull the bikini onto my body and it fits perfectly. In the small broken and smudge mirror in the corner of my room, I noted how pretty the colour looked on my skin. I wondered how they knew my correct size.

After wrapping the necklace around my neck I pulled my day clothes back on. With one last glance in the mirror I sauntered out of room in hopes to find the girls responsible for my glow.

[crockettmarcel]

a six pack of beers and an apology

wc: 1511

sarah reese & crockett marcel

The car pulls up across the street a little after six pm, the time announced by the portable radio on the table next to Sarah. She’s not sure what the host is talking about — she stopped listening not long after the show started — so instead she focuses her attention on the car. It’s a sporty looking blue one, something she can’t identify, and for a few minutes, it just sits opposite her house. No one gets in or out. It’s too far away for her to make out who’s inside, so she takes another drag of her cigarette and waits for some movement.

Eventually, the driver’s side door opens, and a tall, dark-haired figure appears. She recognises him immediately, and she considers going back inside and pretending she’s not home. He’s seen her though, she’s certain, which means there’s no way out of whatever is about to happen. She stubs out her cigarette on the little red ashtray next to the radio.

The man gets something out of the trunk of the car, a box, then looks both ways before crossing the street. They make eye contact as he reaches the sidewalk, but Sarah can’t maintain it. She reaches for her pack of cigarettes.

Shaking hands, numb from the cold air, struggle with the lighter. She should have gone inside half an hour ago.

“I thought you quit.” He’s on the porch when the cigarette finally lights, disappointment radiating off him.

“Crockett.” She takes him in for a moment. His hair is longer now, and he’s no longer clean-shaven, but he’s got that same brown bomber jacket he used to wear when they were together. The box from his car is a six pack of beer. “I thought you quit.

“This is for you.”

He holds it out to her, and when she makes no effort to take it from him, he sets it down next to her. The swing moves a little under the sudden new weight, and she steadies it with her feet. The wood of the porch is old and rough against her socks, but she never remembers to put shoes on before coming out.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk.”

She opens the box and pulls out a bottle. “It’s been a year. What is there to talk about?”

There’s no bottle opener out here, but that has never stopped Sarah before. One of her best party tricks since her freshman year of college — aside from her ability to name the capital of any country given to her — is her ability to open bottles with her teeth, often met with gasps and winces from those who have never seen it before.

Crockett’s face stays neutral as she spits the cap into her hand and takes a swig.

“I came to apologise. If you’ll let me.”

Sarah laughs. “Can we go inside?”

Crockett clearly wasn’t expecting this. His mouth hangs open slightly, as if he was about to speak, but lost the words somewhere on the way from his brain. Still, he picks up the box of beer and lets Sarah lead him inside. The radio is still playing when he shuts the door behind him.

“You can put those down wherever,” she says, leading by example as she tosses the cigarette packet and lighter on the coffee table.

The house looks the same as he remembers it, if a little messier, and for a moment, he studies the space around him. The couches are new, but look well-worn, and he thinks back to her brief but intense thrifting phase. Perhaps it had had a round two at some point. There are new plants dotted around too, and they look better taken care of than Sarah does. From where he’s standing by the front door, he can see the kitchen, and once he’s finished taking in all the changes that have occurred in the last three years, he puts the box down on the floor and lets his eyes settle on Sarah’s face.

Out on the porch, he’d thought it was just the evening light that was making her look different. Even now though, lit up by the warm glow of various lamps, Sarah’s still pale. She looks worn out. Her cheekbones almost poke through her skin, and the dark circles under her eyes seem to weigh her down.

He wants to ask her what happened, how long things have been like this, but she rarely talked about her feelings when they were together. There’s no way she’ll tell him anything now.

He sets the box down next to the small couch.

“Can I get you something to drink? I’ve got water, coffee…” She lets her voice trail off as she makes her way into the kitchen. Crockett watches, unmoving, as she sets her beer down on the counter, then opens the fridge and peers inside. “Yeah, water and coffee.”

She used to love orange juice.

“I’m good, thanks.” He can only imagine how dire the inside of that fridge is.

“Right.”

For a moment, they pause, neither sure how to navigate this new dynamic. Crockett initiated this, so he should be the one calling the shots and showing Sarah how to behave, but when she glances over her shoulder at him, he appears more like a deer in the headlights, startled and unsure what to do next. Was it even his idea to come here?

After what feels like an eternity of standing in limbo, Sarah takes pity on him and makes the first move. She goes back to the living room, leaving her bottle of beer in the kitchen, and takes a seat on the bigger sofa. Crockett follows.

There’s easily enough space for both of them, and he can feel Sarah’s eyes on him as he tries to figure out what to do. Did she choose the bigger couch so he’d sit further away from her? But then why not take the armchair if she didn’t want to be next to him? If he sits right up close to her, it might seem weird when the couch is so big, but if he sits at the other end, what if that’s not what she wanted?

“You can sit down, you know.”

The lump in his throat is the size of a boulder. One of those beers would help it go down more easily, he’s sure.

But, unlike Sarah, when he said he was quitting, he meant it. He hasn’t had a drop of alcohol in almost a year, not even in food, and he’s not starting now, in the familiar-unfamiliar living room of his ex-girlfriend’s house. If he was going to relapse, it would be more dramatic, more climactic than this.

He sits next to Sarah on the big couch.

“You said you wanted to apologise.”

“I did. I do.”

“Why now?”

It’s a repeat of her question from outside, and he still doesn’t have an answer he can give her. How does he tell her that the guilt has been eating away at him all this time, or that he’s never stopped missing her?

“It felt right.”

She scoffs. “I’m sure it would have felt right a year ago, too.”

“It would. I don’t- I don’t know why I didn’t try back then. I should have. I’m sorry.”

“That’s it? You’re sorry for not trying?”

She’d moved closer to him when he first sat down, but now she pulls away, pressing her body into the arm of the couch. He doesn’t try to close the gap.

“I’m sorry for everything. I betrayed you and hurt you in the worst way, and there’s no excuse for it. If you can’t forgive me, I get it, but I want you to know that I’m not that guy anymore. I’m embarrassed that I ever was.”

He pauses, thoughts jumbled up and almost incomprehensible despite the hours he spent perfecting this at home, and uses the moment to study Sarah. She’s looking at him, expression softer than it has been since he arrived, and there’s something that looks like it might be understanding behind her eyes. The gap between them is smaller now, and he reaches across it to take her hand. She doesn’t pull away.

“I ruined the best thing in my life that night, Sarah. You were the best thing in my life, and I’m sorry I made you feel like anything less than that.” I love you.

“It’s okay. We’re okay.”

Crockett can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. Just like that? He eyes her for a second, waiting for the laugh, the sarcastic comment, something that says she was joking, but there’s nothing.

“Are you sure?”

“Certain.” She squeezes his hand, her grip deceptively strong, and for the first time since he pulled out of the liquor store car park, the thoughts about the beer are little more than a subtle buzzing in the back of his mind. He survived the urges, and he survived coming here. Sarah’s smiling at him.

He’ll be okay. He squeezes her hand back. They’ll be okay.

[welldonebeca]

it's a Bad Idea, right? (8)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OC!Betty WC: 1.2k words Warnings: Mafia AU. Secret identity au. Flirting. Fluff.

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Masterlist

"Give it a spin," Wanda urged, her eyes dancing with excitement. "How come I've never seen you wearing this dress?"

Betty complied, twirling in her dress, a chuckle escaping her lips as she watched her friend's enthusiasm.

It was one of the pretty dresses she had made a while ago, nothing too fancy, but certainly something she had been saving for a nice time.

“Because it was pretty buried in my project chest,” she smirked, looking over her purse and shoes. “He’s coming to pick me up with his car.”

“Car?” Pietro echoed from outside, and Betty could just hear how he was right outside her door.

She rolled her eyes.

“Just walk in already, I’m dressed,” she called out. “Anyway, he’s going to drive us there, but I don’t know if I’ll want him to bring me back home, or if he’ll want to do that.”

Wanda scoffed, the disbelief obvious in her voice.

“He walked you home from the grocery store and walked us both home from work, why wouldn’t he bring you back?”

Betty shrugged.

Steffan seemed nice, but she’d only met him… thrice?

Phone talks aside, what if he was pretending to be nice?!

A lot of men do that!

“You never know how the after of a date might go,” she answered, at last. “I’ll keep money for the cab. And to pay for my part of dinner if he decides he doesn’t want to pay because of some arbitrary reason.”

He did say he wanted to pay for it, but, again, who knew.

"Bring some socks," Pietro suggested, taking a seat on her bed. "If you end up needing a cab and your feet start hurting in those heels, it's a handy backup."

Betty looked back at Wanda.

Well... it did make sense. She couldn’t bring a whole back with flats, but socks did fit into her purse.

“I’ll do that,” she agreed. “Thanks, Piet.”

He smiled, lying down on her bed and spreading himself.

“You look gorgeous,” he complimented her. “Where are you two going?”

She finished organising her purse, adding the pair of socks with her keys and a little pepper spray can.

“Juliette,” she told her. “We took your there for your birthday.”

Wanda looked very impressed as her eyes lit up with recognition.

"Ah, is little Miss Elize making a grand entrance?"

Betty rolled her eyes at the nickname,

‘Miss Elize’ was a title Wanda had given to her whenever anything French came up.

"Oh, hush," she chided playfully. "It's a cozy spot with familiar cuisine, perfect for a first date."

Steffan didn’t know she was French and she wasn’t eager to telling.

While with Poland, she could imply she was from the side occupied by Germany, mentioning France would be like painting a target on her back. She already had one target to deal with; she didn't need another.

Her phone vibrated, and Betty eagerly snatched it up, her heart racing. A text from Steffan flashed on the screen.

"He's here," she gasped with excitement.

Pietro chuckled.

“You really do like this guy,” he teased her, raising himself on his elbows with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Betty shot him an exasperated glare, her cheeks turning ten degrees hotter.

No, she didn’t! He was just nice.

And hot.

And charming.

And she really wanted to do unspeakable things to him.

"Shut up," she snapped in response, trying to hide her embarrassment as she walked away.

"Have fun," Wanda called out cheerfully. "And don't forget to send us your location."

Pietro couldn't resist adding his own quip, his protective instincts kicking in, though there was a touch of annoyance in his tone.

“I can pick you up if he gets handsy!”

She left with her phone still in hand, tucking her charger into her purse and quickly texting Wanda her real-time location for the next 24h, and rushed down the stairs with her high heels in hand, stopping by the mirror at the entrance and fixing her hair before putting her shoes on and walking out, proper and pretty.

Steffan was waiting right there, and oh, he looked very good. He was cleanly shaved like always, and was wearing a crisp white button-up short under a navy blazer that just made his muscles pop out. It matched his jeans, too, the whole assemble.

"Good evening," he greeted her with that signature charming smile. "You're positively stunning tonight."

Betty couldn’t help the big smile on her face.

"You clean up quite nicely yourself," she remarked, playfully pointing at him with her free hand.

Steffan responded by taking her hand gently, bringing it to his lips, and planting a delicate kiss on her knuckles. It was an old-world gesture but it sent a delightful shiver down her spine.

Oh, dear.

“Let’s head off, it’s almost time for our reservation,” he suggested;

Betty nodded, and followed him to his car. Not that she was good with them – she lived in New York, having a car wasn’t too useful around there – but it looked like a nice car. Not too shabby and not too expensive, and it was tidy. She had seen the model around quite a bit in other places, so it was easy to suppose Steffan wasn’t a car-guy – he probably just wanted something to get around, and she quite liked that.

Her mid twenties had showed her that convenience was much more important than appearances when one wanted a peaceful life.

He opened the door for her, and closed it too, and she had just buckled the seatbelt when he walked in too.

Her eyes widened for a moment at the sight of him fully sat, and, good grace, that man was big. It made her feel tiny, being in that little space with him.

It made her whole face feel hot. Steffan was making her feel like a teenager who had just figured out she liked boys!

Betty observed the city passing by through the car window as he drove, the journey brief but pleasant. Her face lit up with a smile every time Steffan glanced her way, his eyes making her heart flutter with each exchange – and they hadn’t even started their date officially!

When they arrived at the restaurant, he once again showed his gentlemanly manners by opening the car door for her and later the entrance to the restaurant itself. When they were shown to their table, he pulled out her chair and pushed it into place before taking his seat.

“Do you come here often?” he asked, unbuttoning his blazer.

"Only on special occasions," Betty replied, her fingers tracing the edge of the menu. Oh, it looked new. "The staff here is exceptional, and the food, well, it speaks for itself."

Steffan’s chuckle warmed her belly.

"If a waitress is giving praise to the staff, I'm all ears," he teased, offering a playful wink. "Should I follow your recommendations for our dinner?"

Betty squinted at him.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

Steffan didn’t seem bothered.

“You are the one with experience,” he smiled charmingly, his eyes fixed on hers. “I trust your judgement.”

She couldn’t help biting her lower lip as she reached for the menu, her heart fluttering with excitement.

“If you say so...”

…

“it’s a Bad Idea, right?” was posted on my Patreon in September 2023 and is fully finished. To have early access to it (and lots of other stories), consider subscribing to my page! It’s just $2 a month, and I know you won’t regret it!

…

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Bad Idea: @peaceloveancolor

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Thirteen

My mother calls me during a late morning walk down by the beach. My ankles are submerged in the salty sea water and I’m blissfully enjoying my alone time when my phone buzzes. I know who it is before I even take it out of my pocket, because nobody calls anybody anymore, only parents. I lift it to my ear, already feeling drained by the pending conversation before she says a word. 

“Hello?”

“Hi Evie, I’m checking my emails here and I don’t see anything from your school yet.”

“School?” The word seems somehow abstract to me. It’s summer, I shouldn’t have to think about school, never mind its looming return date. There’s so much summer left to enjoy. 

“Yes, it’s the first of August, usually they’ll have sent a booklist by now, but I don’t see anything in my emails yet.”

“Maybe they’ll send it later.”

“Can you check if they’ve sent it to you?”

“I’m not near a computer right now.”

I hear her sigh. “Well did they give you a list at the end of May? Is it buried in your school bag somewhere?”

“I dunno, maybe, you can check.”

“For God’s sake.” She mutters, and I feel like rolling my eyes. This is the last thing I want to think about. 

“My bag is in my room somewhere. You can check under the desk maybe.”

“It’s like a tip in there.” She says, and I can hear her move around, opening my bedroom door and shuffling through my things. 

“Mam, do we have to talk about this now?”

“Evelyn, I wish you could clean up your clothes off the floor. The cut of this room. I hope you’re not leaving the Healys’ mobile like this.”

“I’m not.” I lie. “I’m cleaning up my clothes.” 

The beach around me is full of sunbathers and children, all merrilly enjoying their holidays, and I’m certain that none of them are thinking about school. It’s too early to be confronted with this, and I in fact haven’t even been watching TV. I’ve so far managed to avoid the cruelty of the back-to-school ads and live in blissful ignorance, pretending that the summer is endless and September does not loom ominously ahead of me.

In the distance there’s somebody running along the shore, and I absently wonder what kind of self-punishing idiot would do something like that in the heat of the day. In my ear my mother rifles through papers. “I can’t find any list.” She says. “Are you sure you got one?”

“I never said I got one.”

“Then why are you sending me on a wild goose chase?”

I sigh loudly. “You sent yourself on one. I don’t know what I need for school. I’m sure they’ll send the email with everything I’ll need soon.”

“Well, how’s your uniform?”

“There’s a hole in one of the elbows of my jumper.”

“And your skirt?”

“I think it’s fine.”

“Alright well I’m going into town later, I’m going to get a packet of white shirts and a new jumper. Anything else?”

I squeeze my eyes shut trying to think, but the prevailing thought is of how much I hate this conversation, it’s like mental exertion. “Black pens.” I manage. “And A4 notebooks.”

“What else?”

“Maybe some school socks.”

“Do you have a sharpener and eraser?”

“I think so.”

“You think?”

“Okay, will you check my pencil case and see? I can’t remember.” I hear her shuffling around some more and stare out at the sea, vacant little boats bobbing on the surface. The runner is getting closer to me, I can hear his feet distantly hitting the wet sand. 

“Your eraser looks worse for wear.”

“Because I was stabbing it with my pencil.”

“I’ll get you a new one.”

“Thanks.”

“What about a lunchbox?”

“Mam…”

“Evie! I’m trying to make sure that you’re organised this year, and not leaving everything until the last minute as usual.”

“I know, I just, I think I have everything I need. I’ll check my emails when I’m home and see if I have the booklist. I just want to think about summer, not school.”

I hear her sigh. “I know, I’m trying my best. Do you know when you’re coming home?”

“Not really, sometime at the end of the month.”

“Well your first day is the 27th, so if you could arrange to be back before then…”

“I will, Shane is driving back for his debs a few days before that anyway, so I suppose we’ll all be coming with him.”

“Oh, very good. Does he have a date to the debs?”

“I don’t know, probably though. I don’t ask him about that kind of stuff.” 

“Well do you think he’d ever ask you to go with him?” She’s insane. She’s been obsessed with this weird idea she has of me fancying Shane since I was at least twelve. I think I might have once, but only because he was the only boy I really knew. Now, I couldn’t imagine anything more mismatched, in fact, the idea of it sends a shiver down my spine.

“That’s not going to happen, I’m sure he’s going to go with someone who isn’t his little sister’s friend, mam.” I’m halfway through my sentence when I realise that I recognise the running man. He’s got dark brown hair, golden tanned skin and he’s wearing a green t-shirt that’s stuck to his body with sweat. It’s Jude. I immediately panic, believing nonsensically that him seeing me on the phone to my mother is the most embarrassing scenario imaginable and almost fling my Blackberry into the sea.

“Well, you never know.” She goes on. “Stranger things have happened.”

“Mhm, yeah absolutely” I start anxiously flailing and tucking my hair behind my ear, having no idea how good or bad I look. I’m horrified to see that Jude, even while sweaty and jogging towards me, is completely and utterly beautiful. 

“Do you think he’d ever ask you on a date?”

“Hm, what? Shane? No. Never.”

“Ah it’s a shame. And how’s Kelly getting on?”

“Okay.”

“And Claire?”

“Fine. They’re fighting.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I have to go.” I hang up the phone just as Jude reaches me and he slows down, wiping sweat from his face with his upper arm and smiling a wide, white smile. “Hey Evie!”

“Oh hey! I didn’t know it was you!” I try my best to sound breezy and unbothered, even though I can’t stop conjuring up horrible images of how I must look in my head. I imagine myself at my absolute ugliest, nose pink and shiny, hair sticking up weirdly, simultaneously greasy and frizzy. I reach up to smooth it down, and it feels fine, but I can’t be sure. 

“Just out for a walk?”

“Yeah, just enjoying the sun.”

“Same here. Hot, isn’t it? Sorry, I’m so sweaty.” He gestures to himself and I take it as permission to look at his body. I feel like I shouldn’t be allowed to look at him.

“I suppose that’s what happens when you go running in a heatwave.”

“I know, there’s no escaping it though, it’s just been hot all the time lately, even at night it’s the same so if I don’t get out and run when it’s hot I’ll never do it.” He nods towards the sea. “At least I can swim after it, and the water is so nice.”

“Yeah it’s lovely.” I agree. “I’ve been getting in three times a day.”

He nods and looks down at his shoes. A bead of sweat drips from a strand of his saturated hair down onto the sand and he shuffles side to side in a manner that seems impatient. He wipes his upper lip with the back of his wrist. “Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t… I didn’t um, text you after that night we went to the graveyard.”

I’m surprised so I laugh a little. “Oh, no, well I didn’t expect you to, like I wasn’t waiting for a message or anything, it’s fine.”

“I know, I just said that I would when I was free and I didn’t, I’ve been kind of distracted the last couple of weeks.”

“It’s okay, I understand! I get like that sometimes too.”

“I just have a bad habit of saying I’ll do something and then not doing it, like, I’m a flake. I hope you weren’t waiting to hear from me.”

“No way. I didn’t notice.” I say, even though I did. “Don’t worry, I honestly do that all the time, things just get in the way.”

“Well, if you want we can hang out now? Are you busy today?”

“No, I’m free.”

“Okay well, do you feel like a swim?”

“Right now?”

“Why not, yeah.”

I glance down at my shorts and t-shirt. “Oh, well I don’t have my togs with me at the moment.”

“Me neither I was going to go in naked.”

“Wha- oh, um, really?” 

“No.” He grins and grabs the fabric of his shorts “I’ll just wear these, they kind of double up as running shorts. Look, you don’t have to if you don’t have anything to swim in, I just thought I’d ask. Maybe we can hang out later if you don’t have-”

“No!” I say with far too much frenzy. “Just give me a sec, I’ll run up to the mobile and grab my togs, just… just wait here.” I turn and I run away from him down the beach, my feet drumming hollowly on the sand as I go. It doesn’t take me long to get back to the caravan park, just up through the dunes, over a rough-hewn fence, between two overgrown hedges and onto a gravel path that leads all the way through a muddle of holiday homes towards ours. Then I dash up the deck steps and into my bedroom at the speed of light, the PVC doors slamming into the walls, hoping the whole time that Jude hasn’t given up waiting and gone swimming without me. I snatch the slightly damp bikini I wore this morning from the window where it was drying and wriggle quickly out of my clothes. Once my underwear has been ditched among the tangled mess of my sheets I get into my togs, tie the neoprene strings behind my neck and then within thirty seconds flat I am ready to complete another five-hundred metre dash.

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