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ssprayberrythings · 23 days

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living in oblivion | LS2

logan sargeant x female!reader, oscar piastri x platonic!reader

warnings: none just two people oblivious to their feelings for one another

note: im obviously not someone who works for a f1 team so i have no idea how reading the data actually works but this is a piece of fiction so just go with it lol

special mention to @whydowesleepeachnight for this idea! sorry it took me so long to get it out to the world, i hope it lives up to the idea you gave to me (:

word count: 4k

masterlist | taglist

You were currently at the first race of the new season, supporting Oscar. You and Oscar had been best friends since you were 7 and Oscar was 8. The two of you met at summer camp where you spent 6 weeks together, getting to know everything about each other.

When time came to say goodbye, you had promised each other you’d call and email (through your parents of course). By some miracle, you never lost touch and your friendship only got stronger the older you got.

When Oscar started his journey towards racing and he shared with you his goal was to be an F1 driver, you showed him nothing but encouragement and support. You celebrated all of his successes and achievements.

When he met Lily his girlfriend, you were beyond happy, seeing your best friend happy and in love. It also helped that you and Lily got along instantly and she became one of your closest friends.

You were brought back to reality when Lily called your name

“Sorry, what was that?” You asked the girl

She laughed “I just asked if you had seen him yet today. We could go pop in before he has to start getting ready for the race” she said again smiling at you.

“Oh yeah, let’s go!” You nodded, you enjoyed getting to see him before the race and you knew Lily did too, especially with how busy he usually was after a race.

As you and Lily walked through the paddock towards the McLaren hospitality, you passed Lando.

“Hey if you’re looking for Oscar, he’s outside of the William’s hospitality talking with Alex” Lando told you two smiling before continuing his walk wherever he was initially going.

You and Lily offered him a thanks and continued walking till you reached your destination and sure enough there was Oscar with Alex but there was another driver with them, Logan Sargeant. You felt your heart skip a beat.

Being best friends with Oscar, you obviously knew Logan and there had been plenty of times when you would hang out with Oscar that you also hung out with Logan.

As the three of you got older, you grew up and you couldn’t deny the attraction you felt towards Logan. The blue eyes and blonde hair got you.

As you approached the group, Oscar noticed you and Lily

“Hey! What are you doing here?” He asked bringing his girlfriend in for a side hug and offering you a smile

“We just wanted to see you before the race started” she told him

“And wish you luck” you added finding your voice, hoping the nerves weren’t noticeable.

Oscar just smiled “Thanks” he told you.

“Lily you know Logan and Alex. Y/N this is Alex and you know Logan” Oscar introduced you to the other William’s driver

“Nice to meet you” you told Alex who smiled at you

“Hi Logan” you said politely trying to stay as cool and calm as you could

“Hey Y/N!” Logan said, offering you a smile which you returned, doing your best not to blush.

The five of you spoke a bit longer before the three drivers had to go and get ready.

You and Lily said goodbye to the William’s boys as they walked into their hospitality, then you walked a bit away, to give the couple a moment before the two of you walked back to where you initially were.

When Lily joined you again, you started walking back

“So Logan’s pretty cute” Lily said out of the blue

“Lily! You have a boyfriend” you said looking at her to which she rolled her eyes

“Not for me you goof” she said “For you” she finished

If you had been drinking anything, you would’ve probably spit it out at her words

“What is that supposed to mean? I don’t like Logan” you said quickly which earned a look from your friend

“Judging by the blush on your face at the mention of him and how defensive you just got I’d say that’s not the total truth” she said matter of factly.

You bit the inside of your cheek, not sure what to say

“And now I know from the silence, how right I am” she said smirking which earned a groan from you. She was so observant, it was annoying at times.

“Okay yes Logan is cute and yes I may or may not be attracted to him” you told her

“But it’s not a big deal and I don’t want to make it a big deal” you told her,

She nodded appearing to be lost in thought.

“Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is no” you told her. You had been friends with the girl long enough now to know when she was planning something

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say” she said

“I don’t care, I could tell you were planning something I would’ve disagreed with” you explained as you reached your destination.

“Lils can we just drop it for now? I want to enjoy our time here and just cheer on Oscar” you asked the girl

She sighed “Fine but we aren’t done talking about this” she told you before smiling at you.

You sighed, the race had bought you a bit more time from having this conversation with the girl.

Since that moment with Lily, things only got worse and it got harder to hide your attraction towards Logan whenever you were near him.

Lily had told Oscar which you assumed she would and the two of them were relentless in “accidentally” having you and Logan be near eachother.

When Lily wasn’t around, Oscar on his own wasn’t any better.

He would playfully pick on you for your crush to the point where you were certain Logan definitely had to have known of your crush by now or atleast suspected something.

Now it was time for the Miami Grand Prix which was a big deal for Logan as it was his home race.

You weren’t going to come but Oscar had insisted you had to be there, his exact words were “to see your boy in his element” even though Logan wasn’t yours.

Fortunately you couldn’t argue with him cause deep down you wanted to be there.

You had gotten in a few hours earlier than you had told Oscar because you wanted to surprise Oscar at the track.

It was media day so you knew he’d be around somewhere and he had already given you your friends & family pass so you had a way in.

You took an Uber over and walked in no problem. As you walked to McLaren’s hospitality you passed Lando and Max,

“Hey Y/N! Oscar didn’t say you’d be here today” Lando smiled giving you a quick hug

“Yeah I thought I’d surprise him” you told him

“Oh well, have fun doing that” he chuckled before you said your goodbyes and parted ways.

You walked past William’s hospitality, not noticing Logan and Alex filming some media content.

Logan recognized you immediately but you were too far for him to call your name plus he was in the middle of something

“Bro did you hear me?” Alex asked as the camera recorded them “You just got distracted” he laughed at his teammate

“Oh sorry” Logan awkwardly laughed before turning his attention to Alex and the work they were doing.

The camera that was on them had caught the whole interaction and if someone had to describe the look on Logan’s face when he spotted you, they’d say it was someone who was in complete awe.

That’s the effect you had on him, you just didn’t know it.

You made it to McLaren just as Oscar was walking out

“Surprise” you said when your eyes met causing you to laugh, you wanted to do a bit more but the timing didn’t allow for that.

Oscar smiled widely and gave you a bear hug when he was off the steps “I’m so happy you’re here” he exclaimed, you smiled at him.

You ended up spending your day around McLaren while Oscar did his media duties. You had brought your iPad so you did some work to pass the time.

When he was done for the day, he found you in his drivers room, you had dozed off with your head leaning against the wall, your iPad discarded on the couch next to you and you were hugging your legs to your chest.

He quickly snapped a photo of you like this, remembering to use that when your birthday rolled around, then he walked over to wake you up

“Sleeping beauty, it’s time to go” he said chuckling slightly shaking you gently, you must not have been in a deep sleep cause you woke up almost right away

“Shit sorry, I think the travelling just crept up on me” you said stretching your legs and arms, rubbing your eyes to wake you up

“All good, I was coming to get you so we could head out” he told you walking over to pick up his backpack.

You got up, grabbing your iPad closing the case and putting it back in your tote bag.

“Sounds good” you said. The two of you made your way out of the building before going to the parking lot.

“You know Logan asked where you were today” Oscar told you casually “He said he saw you on your way to McLaren earlier but was too busy at the moment to say hello” he finished

“Oh I feel bad, I should’ve went and said hi” you said biting your lip out of habit.

Even if you liked Logan, you weren’t the type of person to avoid him because of it, at the end of the day you still considered him a friend.

“I think he’s still around, you could pop in, I'll wait for you in the car” he offered

“Yeah, okay, I’ll be quick, thanks Osc” you smiled at him before picking up the pace and walking to William’s.

When you got there, Alex was leaving with Lily his girlfriend

“Hey Alex, is Logan in there?” You asked him

He nodded “Yeah, he is, maybe he’ll listen to you about leaving. He keeps looking at the data from the previous races so he knows what to improve on for this race” Alex told you

You frowned,

“Oh, okay yeah I’ll see what I can do” you told him before offering him and Lily a small smile, walking around them going inside to Logan’s driver room.

You knocked on the door

“Come in” you heard Logan’s voice on the other side of the door, you opened the door

“Hey stranger” you joked offering him a smile

“Oh hey” Logan said his mood picking up from seeing you

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

You walked in “Oscar told me you were asking about me so I thought I’d come say hi incase I don’t see you before the race” you told him smiling which he returned.

It was obvious to anyone but the two of you that you had a mutual interest in each other.

“Oh, that’s nice of you” he replied

You weren’t sure what else to say but then you remembered what Alex told you,

“Alex tells me you’re refusing to leave, something about looking at data” you said casually walking over to the couch he was sitting on, sitting next to him.

Sure enough he had an iPad open on his lap with data pulled up.

“I just want to make sure I do a good job at this race, it’s a big deal, I want to make everyone proud” he shared with you

You nodded understanding where he was coming from “Logan you’re a good driver and everyone is already proud of you, regardless of how you do” you told him trying to reassure him

“Plus you can only reread the data so many times, the information is still the same” you continued

“You know what you’re doing and when the time comes to be behind the wheel, your instincts will take over” you finished, trying to make him feel better.

He looked over at you, he looked tired but he nodded his head acknowledging what you had said

“C’mon, we’ll give you a ride back to the hotel” you told him nicely, he thanked you and closed the iPad which you took from him.

“What are you doing?” He asked confused

“I don’t trust you wont secretly try and steal a couple glances in the car” you said putting the iPad in your bag. He still looked confused and a bit apprehensive

“Don’t worry I won’t go sharing secrets to your opposing teams” you joked, not earning a laugh from Logan you stopped joking,

“Okay how about you come with me back to my room, we can order some food, you can give your eyes a break from the screen and then together we can look it over some more” you offered.

You realized what this meant and what it could’ve implied but you just wanted to help out your friend.

After a moment of silence he agreed and then the two of you made your way out of the building, meeting up with Oscar in the parking lot

“That was not quick” he told you when you got in the passenger seat and Logan in the back

“What were you doing?” He asked curisouly

“Don’t worry about it, we just got caught up talking” you told him

“Now can we leave? I’m hungry” you changed the subject, knowing Oscar would keep pushing.

He sighed and started the car, driving to the hotel. When you got there, you made your way to the elevator, Logan following.

Oscar stayed in the lobby, seeing some of the other drivers and choosing to chat with them before heading up to his room

“What’s up with those two?” Lando asked seeing you and Logan together

“I don’t know, I’m hoping they finally confessed their feelings” Oscar said “Not sure how much more of this oblivion I can take” he said drastically

“Maybe they’re spending the night together” Lando said wiggling his eyebrows to indicate what he was referring to

“Oh ew, I don’t want to think of that, she’s like a sister to me” Oscar said groaning, even though in the back of his mind, he knew it could be a possibility.

Meanwhile back in your hotel room, you and Logan had ordered room service and made yourselves comfortable on the couch.

You put something on the TV to fill the silence and pass the time while you waited for your food.

You eventually pulled the iPad back out and opened it, looking at the data while Logan just sat silently next to you.

You had always enjoyed stats and reading data however this was a different kind of data you didn’t fully understand.

Eventually there was a knock on the door, your food. “I’ll get it” he told you standing up and getting the food, being sure to thank the gentleman that brought it.

Logan came and sat on the couch putting your food on the coffee table infront of him. You put the iPad down, wanting to eat instead of looking at things you didn’t understand.

“Do you think there’s anything I can improve on?” he asked after sometime passed

You looked at him, he looked so sincere right in this moment.

“The only thing I found was a lot of numbers and words that I don’t fully understand however I’m going to assume because they repeat themselves it’s an indicator you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to” you told him

“You’d think you were a good driver or something” you joked nudging his shoulder, causing a slight chuckle to leave him.

There was a comfortable silence that fell upon you as you continued to eat your food.

“Thank you” Logan spoke after some time passed. He had finished his food and was now looking at you

You turned to meet his eyes “It was nothing but you’re welcome” you smiled. Damn he loved seeing your smile

“Can I ask you something?” He asked sounding slightly nervous which caused you to swallow a lump in your thought. This could be related to anything.

“Sure” you said trying to sound as casual as you could

“Would it be okay if I kissed you” he asked softly looking in your eyes.

You thought your ears might’ve been deceiving you,

‘did he just ask if he could kiss me’, you thought to yourself.

Becoming aware of your silence, you slowly nodded “That would definitely be okay” you told him as he moved closer.

Suddenly you didn’t know what to do, it was as if you had never been kissed before. He slowly leaned in, his one hand on the side of your face.

You leaned into his embrace and before you knew it his lips were on yours, you instinctively kissed back.

The way your lips fit perfectly together, you would think they were two puzzle pieces placed together.

Eventually you both had to pull away but Logan didn’t pull away fully, he rested his forehead on yours, his eyes closed

“I’ve been wanting to do that for way too long” he confessed.

You were taken back, you never thought he felt the same “I could say the same thing” you chuckled.

He pulled away opening his eyes looking at you “We were so oblivious” he joked which brought a giggle out of you.

After that you cleaned up your food, you let Logan read over the data a bit more, this time he explained what everything meant to you then eventually you put the iPad back in your bag and went to cuddle on your bed.

“I know I should go but I don’t want to leave you” Logan told you while your head rested on his chest.

You looked up at him “You could spend the night” you suggested then realized what that may have implied

“Not like that, just so than you don’t have to leave” you added a blush coming to your face as Logan chuckled slightly.

“Don’t worry I knew what you meant” he reassured you

“But if you’re offering, I’m fine with staying” he smiled “ill leave in the morning to quickly stop at my room to clean up” you nodded then pushed yourself up to go get and get changed.

That night you and Logan fell asleep cuddled up next to each other with your head nuzzled between his shoulder and his neck meanwhile his arm was tightly around you keeping you close.

The following morning, you were awoken to knocking on your door, relatively loud knocking. You groaned and cuddled closer to Logan who was still asleep.

When the knocking didn’t stop, you begrudgingly got out of Logan’s embrace and made your way to the door, opening it and seeing Oscar standing there

“Oscar what do you want so urgently, I was sleeping” you said still half asleep

Before Oscar could answer, Logan appeared rubbing some sleep out of his eyes

“Dude you knock really loudly” he said before going into the washroom, leaving a stunned Oscar and a slightly blushing you.

“You were saying” You reminded Oscar who was still shocked at seeing Logan in your room.

“No no doesn’t matter now” he said “I believe you have something to tell me” he looked at you

You shrugged deciding to be chill about it, knowing it would drive Oscar mad

“Nope, nothing to say” you said pretending to think, while Logan exited the washroom seeming more awake this time

“Logan is there anything to tell Oscar?? He seems to think there is” you informed Logan of the topic of conversation.

Logan picking up on what you were doing, shook his head,

“No I don’t believe so” he said wrapping his arm around your shoulders as if this was a normal occurrence.

Oscar was still shook and clearly speechless from his lack of words

“You’re both going to drive me mental” he finally said “Okay well whatever this is” he said referring to you and Logan

“I wish you the best and also I was coming to ask if you wanted to join us for breakfast but I’ll think I’ll just leave you be” he finished

“Thanks Osc” you told him smiling at him, before he said goodbye and Logan shut the door.

“Back to bed” you said turning to go back to the bed but before you could do so Logan gently grabbed your wrist and turned you, bringing you closer to him

“First a kiss” he said before leaning down and kissing you.

You smiled in the kiss, kissing him back.

That race in Miami ended up being one of Logan’s best, he finished in P7 which earned the team some points and was an overall great showcase of his driving abilities.

When the race was over and he found you, he engulfed you in a massive hug

“Logan that was so good, I know you didn’t get on the podium but I am so proud of you” you told him hugging him back

“I don’t care, that was one of the best races I’ve had in awhile and I’m so glad you were here to watch it” he explained pulling away smiling proudly

“You must bring me good luck” he smirked tucking a stand of your hair behind your ear

“Guess that means you can’t miss a race” you chuckled before someone called his name telling you he had to go do his after race duties

“I’ll see you around” he told you, you nodded your head and decided to lean up and leave a kiss on his cheek

“I’ll be here” you told him as he blushed from your kiss before walking away.

You were so happy that things had worked out for you when it came to Logan. You couldn’t wait to catch Lily up with all the details even though you were sure Oscar had already done so.

You laughed to yourself thinking about his reaction before deciding to go find your best friend and congratulate him on his podium finish, he had gotten P3.

When you found him, you gave him a big hug “Osc I’m so proud of you!” You exclaimed genuinely happy for your friend.

He hugged you back “Thanks Y/N” then pulled away

“Did you see Logan? P7 is good” he asked smirking at you while you rolled your eyes playfully

“Yeah I already saw him, gave him a reward for doing so well” you raised your eyebrows at Oscar who groaned

“Oh ew I didn’t need to know that” he said making you laugh

“Slow down, I didn’t say what, get your head out of the gutter” you exclaimed pretending to act offended before laughing

“I just gave him a kiss on the cheek if you must know” you told Oscar

“So I guess this means you finally told him about your crush?” He asked already knowing the answer

You nodded smiling at your best friend who mirrored your smile

“I’m happy for you two, seriously” he told you pulling you into a side hug “Now we can go on double dates” he said excitedly which you chuckled at

“Yeah but are you sure you can handle the both of us picking on you especially when you say things like thongs instead of flip flops” you looked up at him

He rolled his eyes “I take it back, im not happy anymore” he said even though you knew he was joking “And stop hating on my choice of words, it’s what I know” he groaned which earned a chuckle from you.

“Whatever you say Osc” you patted his chest before pulling out of his embrace

“Now if you don’t mind I’m gonna go find my favourite American and give him a proper reward for doing well” you told him smirking as he acted grossed out

“Ahhh please keep those details to yourself, I don’t want to know about them” he said which you laughed at before turning away and going to find Logan so you could celebrate properly.

taglist: @namgification @itsyagirlmeee @asparklysoul @bwormie @meadhbhcavanagh @talksoprettyjjx & @ari-nicole

I've had this written in my notes for so long I just wasn't sure If I was ready to post it but I guess now is better than later!!

#ssprayberrythings x formula one #f1 #f1 x reader #logan sargeant x smau #l #logan sargeant #logan sargeant x reader #x reader #f1 imagine #imagines #ls2 x reader #ls2 #ls2 fluff #oscar piastri #oscar piastri imagine

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saltofmercury · 1 year

Note

omg yas fluffy könig can we have domestic scenes of him and reader just doing stuff around the house wearing his casual tshirt and sweatpants 🫣😍

yeah….. I went a little overboard but I love him and I love you.

Pairing: König x reader

A/N: hope you like :)

Summary: domestic scenes of your week with König.

"Life”

When König comes back home, he falls back into routine with you…

Monday:

Since it’s the start of the week that he gets back from a mission, he starts slowly going back to routine. He’s already been up since 4AM at the gym, working out and decompressing from the mission. He knows you won’t be up until 6:45, so he has plenty of time to be at the gym, come home and shower.

When he showers, he uses a citrus body wash, (because you had mentioned that orange/citrus body washes are good for waking up) and if he’s staying home, he wears a fitted white t-shirt, gray sweatpants, and black socks. He knows he’s going to be lounging around the house, so he makes sure he’s comfortable.

He always does laundry on Monday, because he’s a believer in getting boring things done before the weekend. (Same thing with dinners, he eats his ‘boring’ food first, then gets to the good stuff,)

By the time you’re awake, he’s got a lunch packed for you and your coffee in a to-go cup.

Most of Monday is laundry, and putting it away, while he naps and waits for you to come home.

When you do get home, you two order take out and have dinner together. His excuse is “because you’re being hit with the reality of the start of the week, it must be hard”, so he just wants you to feel at home.

After dinner you two get cozy in your pjs and get in bed by 8:30pm. You were NEVER one to be in bed early, you’re more of staying up late but König has dragged you into his early routine saying constantly

“You can be on your phone in bed, come on, it feels lonely without you.”

Then nagging you about

“That will ruin your circadian rhythm you know”

Even though he's always watching something on his iPad in bed.

Tuesday

Tuesdays are grocery days. You weren’t sure WHY König insisted on Tuesdays, it seemed odd enough going into the store on this day, but it wasn’t until you two both went that you realized there are less people in the store this particular day. Which could be why. You like leading the way while he reads the list and pushes the cart behind you.

Every time you pass the produce aisle, he looks at you with so much love and adoration, he gently taps you with the cart, so that you’re looking back at him as he always brings up “remember when we first met here?” and of course you do, because it was humiliating for you, but König melted knowing someone wanted to get to know him. Now look at you two, going through the aisles and practically living together?

He likes watching how you pick the fruit and then sneak bites of grapes on sale. He’s also a punk and loves to shout things like “I think she’s stealing” whenever you take another grape. You shush him, feeling your face turn red, and he lives for this because he loves seeing you blush.

Tuesdays are soup days, no matter the weather. König remembered you mentioning that your mom used to make different kinds of soups when you were younger and how it brought you so much comfort after coming home from school. SO he picks a new soup every week for you to try. He tried asking you a couple times about the kind of soup your mom made, but you always give little to no details

“It’s just veggie”

“We had garlic bread with it”

“Sometimes it was chicken”

Wednesday

Wednesdays you get the luxury of working from home. It’s your favorite day of the week.

This is also one of König's favorite days.

He's up early before you, makes you a cup of coffee as you brush your teeth, you wrap your hair up away from your face, and get into comfy sweats.

He places the coffee on your desk, and he gets to baking. König always has some sort of recipe he wants to try. Baking reminds him of home, so he’ll always bake bread for the week, and a dessert you two share at dinner.

He needs to have something to do or else he’s constantly near you and you two get distracted. One time he didn’t know what to do with himself when he got back from a mission and he just sat in your office asking you

“What's that?”

“What are you doing?”

“Was that the lady with the mass email mistake?”

He always walks into the room pretending he loses things muttering things like, “Where could I have placed it?”

Followed by,

“OH RIGHT I found it”

He sneaks up behind you, grabs a hold of your chin, and goes in for a deep kiss. You can’t help but giggle because he’s so cute and clearly soooo bored.

You guys take a break, have lunch together, and you try to sneak open the oven to see what he made for dessert for tonight. He’s so quick to pick you up and lead you to the table.

Sometimes he surprises you because he’s not a judgy person or will say mean things so when you’re talking his ear off about the first couple of hours of work, you hear the “what a fucker” or “that guy is a shithead” you’re always taken aback but ALSO you’re kind of happy he’s taken a little bit of a mean side to do that.

Dinner usually is made by both of you. He likes to watch you tell him what happened at work today apart from your lunch break. He loves seeing you animated, throwing your hands in the air, how your eyebrows almost touch your hairline, the way your mouth curves when you call someone “stupid.” He loves that you share the rest of the day with him even though he can hear most of it down the hallway.

When it comes to dessert, no matter HOW many times he’s made you something new, König gets so shy about showing you.

He looks at you and says “ok tell me if you don’t like it.” and you can see his nerves in him, how he will not make eye contact with you, but will focus on your lips instead watching you take the first bite. He chews on the left side of his tongue, and then looks up at your eyes when you moan about how good it is.

“Really?” he says, wide eyed

“Yes really!”

“You’re just saying that.”

“Babe I'm not” as you have another spoonful of it.

Thursday

Thursday is König day. Apart from your usual morning routine, he likes to get into sports on this day. He likes all kinds of sports. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, rugby, tennis, even golf.

He’s constantly watching something from any country, any sport. He also likes to have this day to play video games. He’s always playing a game online with Hornagi.

—Horangi, who he always thought was just a work friend, became his new fantasy football friend, an online game friend, and best friend.

When you come home and sneak up behind him, Horangi mutters online—

“well game over” and König is quick to turn around to hug you and welcome you home. Before you get into a heated makeout session, you break the kiss to say hi to Horangi,

“Hiiiii Horangi”

He waves at you, but he’s still talking on the headpiece to König who is relaying messages to you.

“He says, hi and if we can have 20 more minutes.” König is smiling and holding back laughter while you nod “no” towards the screen and Horangi is running his hand through his hair.

You take the headset off and grab his face, and tell König

“1 hour and we’re having dinner” you smile, wave at Horangi and leave the room.

During dinner, König gets so animated telling you about all the things he and Horangi were playing today. The line up they have in their fantasy football, the updates on whichever sport they had been watching. You love hearing the jokes Horangi tells which make König almost spill his water when he’s retelling them. You’re so happy to see that he has a friend he can talk to and is interested in his hobbies.

Friday:

After a long day of work, coming home to König dressed up in a tight knit sweater, dress pants, and dress shoes kind of makes your heart race. It’s so fun seeing him not in his usual sweatpants and t-shirt when he’s at the house, or in his work uniform covering his face. He looks so good wearing a watch, with his hair combed to the side. He always feels/seems out of place, because he’s never had to dress up for anybody, or go anywhere, but he knows dating you is important and he tries his best to take you out, spend time with you, and give his full attention to you. Plus he likes how you blush when you come home and look at him. He knows it's a rare thing to see him like this. He does like the attention from you.

König has a list of completing small things with his social anxiety. Friday is date night and you two always go out for dinner. During the car ride there, he tells you what he usually wants to accomplish. Sometimes it's small things like asking for extra condiments, ordering for himself, (which he's able to do but sometimes he just prefers you do it) ((accents)) or even just getting the attention of the waiter. So you try to help him reach his goal for the week/day. You’re really supportive of him trying to get his goal done.

After dinner you guys walk around and eat ice cream, come back home, and settle on starting a new show.

Saturday:

Farmers Market day! This happened when one day König was complaining about the honey tasting weird.

“This isn’t organic, this tastes weird”

König went online to try and find a supplier that could deliver good honey.

After constantly searching and searching, he told you that you two needed to go to the farmers market so that you could try this so-called organic and sweet honey.

Once there, you two were on the search for the honey stand, stopped by several vendors selling breads, produce, handmade candles, jewelry, soaps, and you two eagerly tried the samples people gave out.

Now that has happened, it became routine for you two to come on Saturday mornings, get a coffee from a french press stand, shop around for things for dinner, and then get breakfast at a truck.

Sunday:

Sunday you leave for cleaning. Sunday you love to put on a pot of coffee, put your earphones on, and just clean away. Sunday is when König gets to “sleep in.” He tried to help you one time but you weren’t exactly happy with his version of cleaning, so he stays out of your way, only coming out to either have lunch with you, or to throw the trash away.

It doesn’t take you long to clean, so after cleaning your house, you shower, get comfortable in his shirt, and lay down on the couch together. If you’re not watching something together, he’s laid out on the couch, you in between his legs reading a book while he plays with your hair.

By 4pm, you start to get the Sunday blues of going back to work, so König tries to distract you with lists he’s already created to help you. You two have a dinner of leftovers or take out, and spend the rest of the afternoon lazily hanging around, stealing kisses from each other, or glances toward one another.

König still can’t believe he would have ever had someone living with him, someone he looks forward to seeing every morning and afternoon, someone he shares a space with, and hes glad he’s found his person he can do all these things for, because whatever his life was before this, it wasn’t truly his life.

#könig #könig x reader #konig call of duty #ask #call of duty #konig x reader #konig x y/n #konig x you

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bluginkgo · 5 months

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Another Nuzi rant. Don't mind me

Spoilers, duh

Since I've already done a quick character study/nuzi rant from N's side. Here's one from Uzi's side!

This is probably gonna be just me repeating things people have already said... again. But I love Uzi. (Just like every other character in Murder Drones, honestly.) But Liam did a wonderful job of making an angsty, emo girl, borderline maniac that we know as Uzi. Her character, to me at least, never became the annoying overdramatized and overused stereotype that follows her style. She has real reasons for being the way she is.

A loner, whose dad loves nothing but doors. School is not different, as her classmates pretty much forget about her existence on a day to day basis. No one to talk to, no one to connect with, gives her the angsty side that I absolutely adore. Because underneath all of that toughness is just a lonely little drone who was left by herself since early age. But guess who comes in and busts down those walls (literally and figuratively)?

Our good boi N! Despite their rough start, N never really gave Uzi a reason not to trust him. Their chance encounter, and a broken sensor, allowed them to have the talk that might have never happened. Their beginning might have been a lucky accident, but for the rest of the season, we can see how both sides had to work to make well... Nuzi work!

For Uzi, asking for help is like asking for a death sentence probably. After being on her own for so long, she doesn't expect anyone to help. With that information in mind, the first time she let's that wall crumble was episode 2, Heartbeat.

"Uzi, shoot! Or give it to me!"

Granted, we all know that was not our N. But in that moment, when Uzi was in an enough distressed state, she sought help in N. We all know how that ended, though. Absolute Solver took advantage of that and almost killed her, before N once again sweeped in to save her. The one and only notorious Nuzi misunderstanding was, for better or for worse, cleared up pretty quickly. Seeing as glitchproduction only has so much money at their disposal, they can't really drag this ordeal out. Personally, I'm glad that it didn't. The long drama that is just a misunderstanding after misunderstanding gets quite tedious to follow.

So, moving forward in The Promening, Uzi once again seeks out N when she's in distress. When she sees and hears about what Doll and Lizzy were gonna do, she books it to the only person she knows can help her.

N! Now don't get me wrong. Uzi, by herself is plenty strong. She's shown off her fighting and capabilities, and would have probably been able to take V on. She's taken J down before, aaaand Uzi does technically also take V down in Cabin Fever. But she still went out of her way to go find N. So they could work together and get this mess sorted out.

And then there's this. God I love Cabin Fever, and surprisingly no, not for the Falling.... for you? scene. No, I loved the entire Uzi going on murder spree because she can! The music was such a banger too. But back to Uzi. She recognizes V and briefly snaps back to her usual self. Curious isn't it? N and Uzi both tried reaching out to V, but because V is so untrusting (and we all understand why from ep 5, Home). Here Uzi tried to ask V for help... in form of N.

I find it interesting how ever since Uzi met N and V, she's been getting better at asking for help. Sure, V shot her down because, once again, V was scared. Uzi was turning into the monster that only Cyn has been capable of creating. This soon leads to N yeeting Uzi into the f*cking stratosphere and the two have a chat.

I love how the animators included Uzi hiding behind her bat wings.

Her metaphorical walls were back up. And guess who broke them yet again.

The bestest boi N! And ever since this moment, N and Uzi are way more open.

Episode 5 was taking place in N's memories. But episode 6 is where their trust and care shines. Yeah, sure, there was the hand holding. And it was a big moment! But I enjoyed the little things more. Uzi checking in on N, nodding at his little comments and jokes.

Summary: I love Nuzi. Send help they're on my mind 24/7.

#murder drones #glitch productions #serial designation n #uzi doorman #serial designation v #nuzi #biscuitbites #murder drones nuzi #n x uzi #md nuzi #md uzi doorman #md uzi #md n #murder drones n #rant post #bluginkgo's rambles/theories

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justagalwhowrites · 7 months

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New in Town - Ch. 7: First Double Date

You and Joel go out with Tommy and Maria. A continuation of New in Town chapters 1-6 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Best Friend's Dad!Joel Miller x Female Reader

CW: Smut. No use of Y/N. Age gap (reader is 35 Joel is 47, not a focus of the fic). Minors DNI, 18+ only

Length: 5.5k

AO3 | First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

“I swear to God Joel, if you make fun of me…”

“I’m not gonna make fun of you, Beautiful.”

“Oh you say that now.”

“I’m really not,” he laughed a little.

“I did like… research and shit,” you said from the other side of your bathroom door. “I Googled, OK?”

“I’m sure you look incredible,” you could hear the smile in his voice. “Just come out here.”

You sighed.

“Fine.”

You knew you shouldn’t be nervous with Joel and, usually, you weren’t. But this felt a little different. You opened the bathroom door and came into your bedroom, doing a little spin as you did to show him both sides of the outfit. His face shifted from a smile to something almost hungry as he looked you up and down from his spot on the edge of your bed. He checked his watch.

“What?” You frowned.

“Just seein’ how much time we have until Tommy and Maria get here,” he said, looking back at you. “Think if we’re quick and leave that little skirt on…”

You laughed and all but jumped on his lap, kissing him.

You were going on your first double date with Joel, with his brother and sister-in-law of all people. You’d met Tommy and Maria at Sarah’s cookout a few weeks earlier but hadn’t seen them since. You had, however, heard plenty about them since then. Especially after Joel told you that his brother knew about the two of you.

Your eyes had gone wide when he’d told you that.

“Are you sure it was a good idea to tell him quite yet?” You asked. “We haven’t told Sarah and they’re pretty close…”

“Yeah, I didn’t… uh…” Joel awkwardly cupped the back of his neck. “Didn’t exactly… tell him.”

You frowned.

“What do you…”

“Maria… might have heard us in the bathroom at the cookout.”

“What!” You yelped, eyes wide. “Oh my GOD, Joel!”

“It’s fine…”

You groaned and collapsed all the way down onto his couch, burying your face in the arm of it.

“They must think I’m some kind of ridiculous slut!” Your voice was muffled by the cushion. “This is mortifying…”

“It’s really not that bad,” he rubbed your thigh soothingly. “Really. They like you! A lot! And they kept sayin’ they’d never seen me this happy. Honestly, Tommy was just happy to see me with someone I wanted to fuck in a bathroom.”

“Jesus Christ,” you groaned. “Well, it’s been great, Joel, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to change my name and move to Antarctica…”

He laughed and tugged you over until your head was on his shoulder instead of the couch.

“Sounds cold,” he said, kissing the crown of your head. “I’ll have to find a coat.”

If you’d been falling for Joel before, you’d fully fallen for him over the past two weeks, ever since he’d found out everything about your childhood and your dad.

You’d almost expected him to look for an out once it all settled in. That, when all the baggage had been sitting there for long enough for him to take inventory of it all, he’d run.

But he hadn’t. He’d done the opposite. He spent that weekend holed up with you. Making you dinner, holding you close while watching Sharknado, changing the locks on your front door and installing a doorbell camera so you could see if he stopped by. He dropped you off at work Monday morning and picked you up that afternoon, heading straight to a car dealership after handing you a small pile of print outs. You frowned, looking at them.

“What…”

“So I took what I was asking you about cars over the weekend and found some good options for you,” he said. “Four of ‘em are at one dealership so I figured we could start there unless these are really not what you’re lookin’ for…”

You flipped through the pages, all cars that were makes and models you were already thinking about wanting to look at, just tracked down at places around you instead of an abstract thought in your head.

You teared up, a hand covering your mouth.

Joel frowned.

“We don’t have to do this today,” he said. “I don’t mind drivin’ you for a bit, happy to do it if you need a little more time or just aren’t up for it or…”

“No one’s ever done something like this for me,” you dabbed at the corners of your eyes, trying to keep the tears from actually falling and ruining your mascara.

“Told you I’ve got you, Beautiful,” Joel said. “Meant it.”

You ended up buying a car Tuesday, Joel not a fan of how the salesman you talked to at the first dealership seemed incapable of talking directly to you and instead looked at Joel when answering all your questions.

“That’s just how it is,” you shrugged as you headed back to his truck.

“Don’t matter,” Joel said, opening your door for you. “It’s bullshit. We can always come back if we come up empty but you shouldn’t give your money to that jackass.”

The second dealership had a saleswoman who would actually talk to you and not your boyfriend - boyfriend? - and ended up getting you a car with even nicer features than the one your dad had totaled for about the same price. You dropped Joel’s truck at your place and you drove the two of you to a restaurant you’d found on a local food blog, running your hand over the dashboard when at red lights.

“Happy with the car?” Joel asked, smiling almost proudly. It was one of the cars he’d found and printed the information on.

“It’s perfect,” you beamed at him. “Thank you so much for just… everything the past few days. This is the best I’ve ever felt after a visit from my dad.”

You were feeling pretty good on Wednesday when you got a Nest alert on your phone. Your dad was standing at your front door, trying the key he still had. You took a screenshot and texted Joel.

“Guess who,” you wrote. “Glad you changed the locks.”

He replied almost immediately.

“I’m staying over,” he said. “Got his parole officer’s number?”

When your dad came by that night and actually rang the bell, you stayed just out of sight, watching the reflection of what happened in a mirror on your entry way wall as Joel answered the door.

“Oh,” he said when he saw Joel. “I’m sorry, I must have misremembered the apartment…”

“You didn’t,” Joel said, his voice cold. “Know exactly who you are. You’re not welcome here. Come by again and I’m calling the cops and you’d better hope they get their hands on you before I do. She’s blocked your number.” He handed your dad a business card. “If it’s an emergency, you can call me but you’re stayin’ the fuck away from her. You had your chance, you blew it. Now go, before I make you go.”

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are or what my daughter’s told you…”

“I’m her boyfriend,” he snapped. “And she’s told me plenty. Was probably nicer than you deserved about it, too, knowing her. Last chance to leave on your own.”

Your dad was silent for a moment.

“Take care of her?” He said quietly.

“I will,” Joel said, tone softer. “Do a better job of it than you did.”

“Good,” he said. “Tell her bye for me.”

Joel closed the door and the second you could reach him you threw your arms around his neck, pressing your whole body against him. You kissed him, hard and frantic, tugging him back toward your bedroom as you did. You all but ripped his clothes off of him as you stripped down yourself, racing to get him inside you, not really able to calm down until he was.

“Fuck, Beautiful,” he groaned, his hands on your thighs as you straddled his hips, his cock deep inside. “What’s this for?”

“Needed you,” you said, dropping your forehead to his as you panted for breath.

You were sure you loved him then. You weren’t sure how to say it yet but you were sure you felt it.

Which is part of why you were really trying for this double date. You were in love with Joel, you wanted to impress his brother and sister-in-law. The two of you hadn’t really talked about it but, ever since he called himself your boyfriend to your father, that’s what he was. And you liked it that way. You wanted him to want to bring you places.

Including University of Texas football games.

Even though you knew fuck all about college football. You’d basically spent your entire college career studying or working, going to sporting events hadn’t been too high on your to do list.

So you’d done some research, looked up what people wore to things like college football games. You decided to go all out and settled on a denim mini-skirt, a v-neck University of Texas shirt, cowboy boots and little orange longhorn temporary tattoos on your cheeks.

“Wonderin’ if we should just cancel on them,” Joel kissed down your neck to your cleavage. “Look too good, don’t want to share you.”

“Yeah, we’re not canceling on your brother so you can get me naked,” you laughed a little. “But you can get me naked later.”

“Good luck stoppin’ me,” he nipped at your chin.

Your doorbell rang and Joel groaned, dropping his head to your chest.

“Tommy has always had terrible timing,” he sighed.

You laughed and got off his lap.

“C’mon you horn dog,” you teased. “Let’s go watch the sportsball.”

“One thing first,” he reached under your bed and pulled out a straw cowboy hat. “Thought you might need one of these to complete the look.”

You squealed and grabbed the hat, popping it on your head.

“How long has this been under my bed?” You gaped at him.

He smiled a little.

“Snuck it in the other day,” he said. “You’re a Texan now so you gotta have at least one.”

“I love it!” You looked in the mirror and adjusted it a little. “Thank you!”

You tipped it at him.

“How’s it look?”

He smiled.

“Beautiful. Just… Beautiful.”

Tommy’s truck was loaded down with coolers and a grill, your eyes going a little wide at it all.

“How many people are going to be there?” You asked Joel as you got in the back seat of the truck.

“It’s a tailgate,” he shrugged. “Can never tell.”

“Give Tommy an excuse to drink while grilling for a crowd and he’ll take it,” Maria smiled, twisting around in the front seat to actually face you. “Good to see you again!”

“You too!” You smiled, trying to resist the urge to jump out of the car when you thought about the fact that she heard you going down on Joel.

“I’m excited to have another woman around for this whole thing,” she smiled as Tommy started the truck. “They do this once a year and I swear it’s like they pack a whole season’s worth of football stuff into one day.”

“I keep tellin’ ya, get me season tickets and we’ll spread it out,” Tommy teased.

“You think I want to do this every weekend?” Maria asked, incredulous.

Tommy scoffed.

“Who wouldn’t?”

Maria gave you a look as if to say “See what I deal with?” And you smiled as Joel took your hand, lacing his fingers with yours.

You helped get the tailgate set up before settling into a folding camp chair with a beer next to Maria, the two of you watching as Joel and Tommy put meat on the grill, serious looks on their faces as they worked.

“So,” Maria smiled, taking a sip of beer. “You and Joel, huh?”

“Me and Joel,” you nodded, smiling a little back. “Not too insane, is it?”

“I mean, the circumstances might be a little odd but otherwise,” she shrugged. “He likes you.”

“I sure hope so,” you laughed, taking a drink of beer yourself and looking out at the crowd that was gathering to tailgate. The truck across from you was setting up a game of cornhole. Someone a few trucks down had started playing country music at top volume. “I’m a little fucked if he doesn’t at this point.”

She laughed, too.

“Look, I’ll be honest,” she said. “I know Joel better than most sisters-in-law probably care to know their brother-in-law. Him and Tommy… You marry one and you get the other, too. Package deal and all that.”

You nodded slowly, watching the two of them work while talking conspiratorially themselves.

“I’ve never, not once, seen him show this kind of interest in anyone,” she continued. “Honestly, Tommy and I figured he’d be single forever. Maybe a date here and there but… It never really seemed like a priority for him. He’s never even mentioned a woman before let alone brought her around.

“You seem to make him happy. Really happy. And I want to support him. But… I need to know that you’re in this for the long haul. That man doesn’t get attached lightly but he’s attached to you. Hell, he had me trying to interpret your texts a few weeks back, trying to make sure he didn’t fuck up…”

You winced.

“I was dealing with some family stuff,” you said. “I should have just talked to him about it from the get go and…”

“Hey, I get it,” she cut you off. “Not like you’d been seeing each other long, I wouldn’t have told some guy I’d just met anything all that personal, either. I just want to make sure you care, that you know he’s not just screwing around with you. Not that he’s said that but I know the guy. Tommy knows the guy. This is a first and I’d rather not watch his heart get stomped on.”

You looked at Joel. He was laughing at something Tommy said, his smile wide and beautiful. You couldn’t help but smile, too. Just looking at the guy made you happy.

“I’m in it,” you said, still watching him. “Trust me, I’m very in it.”

“Good,” Maria said. You thought you could hear the smile on her voice. “Because I really do need another girl around these two, they’re insufferable.”

Once the grill was going, Joel put his arms around your shoulders and led you around the tailgate. Tommy’s set up, you soon realized, was relatively modest. A few people had come with campers and had big TVs set up outside, chairs on rugs out front watching other games from around the country. The two of you stopped and played ladder ball with someone who worked with Joel, him smiling proudly as he introduced you as “his girlfriend,” making your heart soar. You even ran into one of your copywriters as he chugged a beer shirtless with an orange X painted on his chest.

“Oh shit, hey Boss!” He laughed. “Good to see you! Who’s your friend?”

“This is my boyfriend, Joel,” you smiled. It was the first time you’d gotten to say that. Joel beamed and the two shook hands. “Joel, this is Steve, one of the copywriters at work.”

“Want a beer?” Steve asked. “I’ll give you two if you promise to forget you saw me like this.”

You laughed back.

“Don’t worry, Steve,” you said. “I’ll be doing my best to forget that, anyway.”

“So not all these people are going to the game?” You asked as you walked slowly back toward Tommy’s truck. Joel’s arm was draped over your shoulders again.

“Nope,” Joel said. “People just come out to party. There’ll be a lot of people around the TVs later.”

“Football is weird,” you scrunched your nose and Joel laughed. “But I’ll still watch it with you.”

“Oh really?” He teased.

“Yup,” you smiled up at him. “But only because you’re hot.”

He laughed.

“Better get in the game time while I can, then.”

When you made it back to the truck, food was ready (“Still got a lot to learn about grilling a great burger, Tommy,” Joel teased his brother, who just rolled his eyes) and you and Joel lost at cornhole to Tommy and Maria.

“Do people really play stuff like that all the time?” You gaped at Tommy after he sent another bag directly into the hole on the opposite board. Yours were scattered on the ground around it.

“We’ve got a set in our backyard,” Tommy said after he punched the air in victory. “You and Joel will just have to practice, don’t know if he can handle me kicking his ass.”

By the time the game started, you’d almost forgotten that you’d come there to watch a football game, having so much fun in the parking lot outside that it seemed like the main attraction.

You tried to mimic how other people reacted to the events on the field, not really understanding any of it but having fun watching Joel have fun. It was about half way through the first quarter when Joel leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“You don’t understand any of this, do you?” He asked.

You winced. You’d tried to watch some informational videos on YouTube and read some basic explainers of the game over the past week but it was like it was in a different language, you hadn’t been able to absorb any of it.

“Never had anyone to explain it to me as a kid and never hung out with anyone who was into it as an adult,” you replied. “So no, not a damn thing. But it’s still fun!”

“Here,” he put his hand on your waist and pointed toward the lineup of men on the field. “We’re on offense right now, that means we’re trying to score and we’ve got the ball. It’s second and eight…”

Joel kindly, patiently, walked you through the basics, going back over things when he could tell you were confused or had forgotten something when it happened on the field.

“It’s really OK,” you said after a few minutes. “I don’t want you to spend all the time you’re supposed to be having fun talking to me…”

“Talking to you is fun,” he replied. “I’d rather talk to you all the time than watch any game. And I want you to have fun, too. Which I know you won’t if you don’t understand what’s going on because you feel better when you know things.”

You looked up at him, at his warm smile and soft eyes and the one curl that had broken away from the rest to start curving over his forehead, and you couldn’t help it. For a moment, the feeling overwhelmed you and it just spilled out of you before you could stop it.

“I love you,” you said before you realized you said it.

Then your eyes went wide and your face fell and you scrambled to take it back. It was too soon to be saying this to him, you’d only known the man a few weeks and things were still insanely complicated, you’d barely figured out that you were in a full blown relationship let alone ready to bring something like love into the mix. It didn’t matter that you felt it and that you wanted to say it, it wasn’t the right time yet.

“Shit. Ignore that, please ignore that, pretend I didn’t say anything, I don’t want…”

“I love you, too,” he cut you off, smiling so big his whole face lit up with it.

You just blinked at him for a moment.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “Yeah, I do. I really, really do.”

He tipped your hat up and kissed you, his arm sliding around you to pull you flush against his front. You wrapped your arms around his neck, holding tight to him, never wanting to stop feeling just like this.

“Look!” Maria patted your shoulder urgently. “You’re on the kiss cam!”

You pulled away from Joel just in time to see yourselves on the giant screen and you laughed, going back to kiss him again.

***

“I’m glad you two seem to have figured your shit out,” Tommy had told him while they set up the grill. “She really does seem great.”

“She is,” Joel said, watching you talk with Maria, looking so damn pretty in your little skirt and boots. “Fuck, she’s incredible.”

“Anyone who can actually get you to feel something is a winner in my book,” Tommy replied, hooking up the propane tank. “Not sure what’s thicker, your skull or the space around your heart.”

Joel laughed but he knew his brother had a point. He hadn’t been in a relationship - a real one - in a very long time. It had been even longer since he’d felt anything close to this for anyone. He’d gone from falling in love with you to just being in love with you and it had happened so quickly it was hard for him to even see it at first.

He’d just known it when your father had shown up at your door that day. Joel knew what he was after - some other way to manipulate you, he was sure - and it made his blood boil. He had to consciously stop himself from hitting the man. The only reason he didn’t was because he knew it would hurt you if he did. But he knew he had to protect you, had to be the one standing in between you and the man who’d done nothing but neglect and harm you your entire life.

His whole body burned with it. He wished he could have gone back in time somehow and protected you then, too. Made it so you didn’t have to go through any of it and stand between you and anyone who had ever so much as looked at you wrong. None of them deserved you. Neither did he, for that matter, but he could at least protect you from the worst of them.

He knew he loved you then. He couldn’t conceive of how anyone could look at you and do anything that would willfully hurt you, how anyone could look at you and see anything but one of the greatest things the world had ever let happen.

But he didn’t want to scare you off, so he kept it to himself, instead just doing everything he could to take care of you, get you to spend some time with him.

It turned out, he didn’t need to try that hard. It seemed like you were just as eager to see him as he was to see you.

You texted him over lunch on a day you were working from home, a picture of all the makings for mac and cheese and a BluRay of Jupiter Ascending, a movie Joel had heard was laughably bad and he’d been meaning to watch at some point.

“Your place or mine?” You asked.

Joel smiled.

“Wherever you are, Beautiful, I’ll be there.”

You asked to come to his place so you could actually get out of your house for a bit and you showed up not long after Joel had gotten out of the shower, a pan of macaroni and cheese ready to go in the oven and a grocery bag over your arm with all the fixings for Bloody Marys.

“I. Found. Bacon. Vodka,” your eyes were wide and excited. “It’s going to be amazing!”

You were right, it was amazing. Everything with you was amazing.

Because he loved you.

“You told her yet?” Tommy asked as they say next to each other on the gate of his truck during lunch.

“Told who what?” Joel asked, looking down at his phone for the umpteenth time since his lunch break started. You’d texted him a picture of a rather pathetic looking sandwich.

“This food truck’s a bust,” you said. “Feeling very let down. I require real food. Dinner?”

Joel was about to type out a response when you sent a selfie from what had to be a bathroom stall at your office, your shirt unbuttoned an extra button from what it had been when you’d gone your separate ways that morning.

“In case you needed motivation,” you wrote.

“Tell your girlfriend that you’re in love with her,” Tommy said.

Joel frowned and actually looked up from his phone.

“I didn’t…”

“Don’t need to say it,” Tommy clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not blind and I might not be a genius but I ain’t that dumb. You’ve got it bad.”

Joel glared at him for a second.

“S’too early,” he muttered. “Don’t wanna scare her off.”

“You’re practically living with this woman,” he said. “She brought steak to your house the other night. Besides the blip, what’s the longest you’ve gone without seeing her since you started dating?”

Joel was happy that, after the mall incident, Tommy was understanding without Joel needing to be too specific about what happened with your father. He’d just told Tommy “It was a tough family thing, makes our shit look like child’s play.” Tommy just said “Damn, poor girl, shit’s rough” and had only ever called it “the blip” from then on.

“Just a work day, really,” Joel said.

“Don’t think it’s too early for shit, man,” Tommy said. “Just don’t fuck it up. And figure out how to tell your kid because I’m shit at keeping secrets.”

Joel sighed and nodded to his brother before texting you back.

“Never need much motivation with you,” he said. “Can’t let you starve on me. Come over, I’ll grill you a burger.”

When you fell asleep naked in his bed that night, he just watched you breathe, wondering how to tell you how he felt and how to tell his daughter that he was head over heels for her best friend.

So when you’d all but blurted it out at him at the game, it was a relief. He’d been terrified it would slip out of him for almost two weeks now. That he’d hand you something, you’d say “thank you” and, instead of “you’re welcome” he’d say “I love you.” That he’d kiss you on the way out the door in the morning and instead of “goodbye” it would be “I love you.” That he’d be looking at your perfect face as you rode him and he’d gasp “I love you” as he came deep inside.

It was a relief to know you felt it, too. It was a relief to say it out loud. It was a relief to feel the sense of security that settled into him at those words, the sense that this wasn’t something that would be easily undone. That this was something he could be safe in feeling, that he could rely on the connection he had with you that had gone from tenuous to vital so fast it made his head spin.

The rest of the game, he couldn’t keep his hands off of you. You were either perched on his leg or standing right in front of him for the rest of the game, his hands on your waist, pressing his lips into your neck and cheek, each kiss just another “I love you” in his mind. He couldn’t even tell you the score by the end of the game, only knowing that UT won because everyone else around them seemed almost as happy as he was.

Joel was eager to say his goodbyes to Tommy and Maria when they dropped the two of you off at your apartment. It’s not like he didn’t always want you - he always wanted you - but it was urgent now, a driving need more than a want.

You, it seemed, were on the same wavelength. The front door was barely closed when you took fistfuls of his shirt and pulled him against you, kissing him deeply as you walked backwards deeper into your home.

He pulled your hat off first, tossing it on your loveseat on the way back to your bedroom. You went from using his shirt to hold him close to tugging it up and over his head as he did the same with yours.

In the bedroom, you turned so he was against the bed as you deftly opened his pants and pushed them and his boxer briefs down and off. You nudged him down onto the bed and looked him in the eyes as you slipped your panties down your legs, leaving on the little miniskirt that Joel had so wanted to fuck you in before the game.

You straddled him, your arms resting on his shoulders, his hands on your back, fingers spread wide to touch as much of you as he could. He slowly, almost reverently, removed your bra, cupping your breasts for a moment before holding onto you again. You aligned your entrance with his cock, the head of him just inside of you.

He held your gaze, his nose brushing yours, breathing the same air you were. He looked deep in your eyes as you started sinking onto him, your breath hitching as you did.

“I love you,” he breathed, mouth so close to yours his lips brushed your own when he spoke.

“Joel,” you managed, your body soft and warm against him as you took him into yourself. “I love you, I…”

You gasped as he bottomed out within you and he clutched onto you, needing to be as close to you as he could possibly be.

The two of you just looked at each other for a moment, your skin on his, his cock buried deep within you.

He realized then that he’d never been inside someone he was in love with before you. He’d tried with Sarah’s mother but her resentment kept any real affection from becoming too deep. Everything before her has been for fun, he hadn’t been looking for anything permanent. No relationship had lasted long enough to actually fall for anyone since.

It was an intense thing, knowing you loved him back while being a part of you. You always felt incredible, better than anything or anyone else he’d ever felt, but it was different now and he never wanted to be anywhere but with you.

You took a deep, shaky breath before rising slowly over him. He could feel every inch of you, the tight grip of every ridge, the wet heat of you holding him perfectly inside. He kissed you as you started to ride him, moaning into your mouth, sinking his fingers into your soft skin.

Your skirt bunched around your hips and you ground your clit against him and he relished it, loving the feeling of you finding your pleasure with his body.

He met you stroke for stroke until you came over him with a whimper, kissing him deeper, pussy gushing over his cock.

Joel moved you below him, settling between your thighs, his body still tight to yours for a moment before he separated from you.

“Joel,” you whimpered, breasts heaving. He slid a hand up your stomach, drinking you in, eyes lingering on the place disappeared into you, your sex swollen and slick.

“Want to see you,” he panted, moving his hands to the inside of your knees, slipping them over your thighs until one thumb found your clit and the other slipped around your hip to your lower back, your sexy little skirt pushed up around your waist now. “Want to see you come for me.”

He started driving into you, pulling back almost reluctantly to thrust back as deep as he could reach, watching it move through your body, the ripple of your skin, the bounce of your breasts, the desperate look on your face as he worked your clit, your channel tightening around him.

“That’s it,” he panted as you ground your hips back against him when he thrust deep. “Are you close, Beautiful? That perfect little pussy about to come for me?”

You nodded and moaned, one of your hands flying to the bed and tangling in the blanket.

“Good,” he said, all but breathless. “Need you to come all over me, need to feel you come, need to watch you come. Just let go baby, just come for me.”

He watched your orgasm take hold half a second before he felt it, your face lost in pleasure, your clit throbbing as he felt you come apart around his cock.

Joel fought to hold his own orgasm off for at least moment, wanting to enjoy your pleasure for as long as he could. But he didn’t last long, thrusting deep and all but collapsing on top of you as the peak of your climax triggered his own.

Once he’d come down from his high enough to be able to think, he rolled onto his side and took you with him, still buried deep in you, kissing you gently as he held your face in his hand.

“I love you, Joel,” you said softly. “I’ve never really said that to anybody but I love you.”

“I love you,” he said, letting the feeling wash over him as he was so impossibly close to you. “I love you so much.”

As he fell asleep in your bed with you in his arms, he wasn’t sure he’d ever meant anything more.

Next Chapter

A/N: AHHHH THEY SAID IT!

I just love these two, they're so cute working through their relationship shit. They're getting there, they really are!

Thank you for being here and for following their story. It's been so fun to share with you! Love you!!

#fanfic #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x oc #smut fic #joel miller smut #new in town

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evankinard · 1 year

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Buddie Secret Relationship Conspiracy Manifesto

Hello. Welcome to possibly the most delusional buddie theory yet. This is a collaboration with @swiftiebuckleys, and as such I would like to cite our sources accordingly: dude, trust us.

Okay so I know a lot of people have talked about the theory of buddie possibly being in a secret relationship that is even a secret from the audience during season 6. For me, this started during 6A. It started because I was thinking about how 601 started with such a poignant and domestic Buckley-Diaz family scene that, as a part of a premier that was meant to establish where the characters are after four months of hiatus, told us Buck, Eddie and Christopher are living in each other's pockets as their own little family at the start of the season (I even wrote about this in this meta I posted while 6a was airing lmao).

But then for the rest of 6A there really wasn't any significant on-screen buddie or Buckley-Diaz moments, even though there was plenty that was implied at, including: Buck and Eddie planning to go to Marisol's house to help with repairs without the rest of the firefam, Buck and Chris hanging out so Chris potentially telling Buck the secret about skipping school even though he didn't tell Eddie, Buck and Eddie sitting in the back of the waiting room together separate from the rest of the firefam while they waited for news about Karen, and Eddie giving Hoover to Buck and convincing him to keep him even though his building doesn't allow dogs. What do all but one of these moments have in common? They're moments where Buck and Eddie were either alone or away from anyone who would know them from the rest of the gang and wouldn't feel the need to hide their relationship. When at work, Buck and Eddie had a reasonably normal amount of on-screen interactions, but it was only their moments happening outside of work that was pushed to the off-screen. (Bonus: one on-screen 6A moment that lives in my head rent-free and screams of secret relationship is that shot of them stepping into frame together and holding eye contact while the song lyrics in the bg go "I want your sex and your affection when I'm holding you close" in 609.)

However, while this^ is all well and good, it's 6B that really gives the secret relationship theory its wings.

Episode 10 gave us the lightning strike with a sequence that was shot almost entirely from the perspective of Eddie. While in the initial aftermath of the strike we see the shock on Hen, Chimney, and Bobby's faces, the scene is in slow-motion and muted until Eddie realizes what's going on and we watch every minute facial expression on his face as the horror dawns and he snaps into action. Eddie's reaction is what sparks everyone else's movement and then we see him completely forgo his own injuries and his own safety to save Buck. In the secret relationship trope, the near-death experience is a lot of the time what forces the couple to blow their cover and reveal their relationship. That didn't happen here as buddie were already close enough to warrant the strength of Eddie's reaction and Buck was unresponsive and there wasn't any time to lose. HOWEVER, episode 11 and the absence of a scene with Eddie alone at Buck's bedside can be explained by the fact that he couldn't be shone there or his bedside confessions would have given them away to the audience. As it is, other than Margaret and Maddie, Buck's mother and sister, he's the only one dressed in all black, his composure crumbling and unable to make eye contact with Buck's body in the hospital bed, the perfect picture of a grieving widow.

Episode 12 has the infamous couch scene which is meant to signal to the audience that Eddie is the couch Buck has been searching for, even if Buck himself doesn't know it. However, in the context of the secret relationship theory, what if the total lack of reaction from Eddie about Buck falling asleep on his couch is because they already know this?

Episode 13 has the infamous poker scene and this is where the theory actually diverges for a lot of people. Going with the original theory that buddie have been together since before 6A, this would explain Buck's lack of reaction to Eddie telling him to get dressed up and taking him out on what is essentially a date - he wasn't surprised or suspicious because it wasn't unusual. If you go back and watch the scene, you'll notice that it opens right when Buck and Eddie are approaching the door and about to be in the presence of other firefighters, but initially they're walking away from a dark alley while fixing their clothes - why would they need to fix their clothes unless they got messed up in the first place? Why wouldn't they show us the before or after of the poker scene, why only the parts where they're in the presence of other people from the department? Plus, Eddie really was looking TOO blatantly hungry in that entire scene, and he wasn't really hiding it from Buck - maybe because he's allowed, and expected, to look. This isn't even to mention the scenes of Buck, Eddie, and Christopher being a family, but I will go back to those later.

Where this episode splits this theory is the alternate potential for them to have gotten together after the poker game (my initial post after the episode first came out.) This would have been the perfect opportunity because there's really no way that if they weren't already together, the thought that this might be a date hadn't crossed Buck's mind (and, again, Eddie really did look too fucking horny in that scene it wasn't something you could ignore.) The next outside of work scene we see the Buckley-Diaz' in is the baking scene with Buck and Christopher. Eddie's location is completely unknown - he could be on shift, he could be running errands, he could be with Pepa - but the fact that Buck and Chris are together and baking for his class and planning dinner really drives home the fact that they are a family once again. However, the easy confidence of Buck parenting Christopher and the way he glowed with happiness in that moment would make even more sense if he had had his place in the Diaz family as Eddie's partner and Christopher's other parent confirmed to him.

One way to possibly combine the two theories is if we assume that Buck and Eddie were actually fwb throughout 6A (an idea given to me by @captainragtag) but actually got together after the poker scene. ANOTHER way is if we assume they've only been fwb, even after the poker scene. Them being fwb would potentially explain some holes in the theory, moments where they should have had a bigger reaction to something or known something beforehand if they were in a relationship (kind of the sperm donor arc and Eddie's reaction, but that could also be explained by Eddie's lack of reaction being because he already knew and was just pretending to be finding out for the first time with everyone else.)

Going into episode 14, all of these theories could explain the *gestures vaguely* everything about Eddie's storyline in the episode. If they're hiding a relationship, the absence of any mentions of Buck when talking about Eddie (and Christopher) being alone would make sense, especially after how pointedly the previous episode showed that Eddie is always spending his free time with Buck, with or without Christopher. It would also explain Buck's extremely unsubtle date-ruining advice - either they're together and Buck just doesn't want Eddie to go on the date because he doesn't want to share even to keep up pretenses, or they're fwb and Buck is jealous and afraid to lose Eddie and their relationship if Eddie starts actually dating. Also, considering how many pure fanfic tropes the writers have used before, it's safe to assume they have at least a baseline knowledge of how buddie are written by fans and what's the first trope every fanfic reader in this fandom learns about? Christopher's first and foremost wingman duty is to pack his stuff and go to a sleepover so his dads can do unholy things to each other. Christopher being at a sleepover when Pepa told Eddie to come over and him insisting that he was alone at home when just last episode we saw buddie spending all their time off shift together is just a little too sus if you ask me. Another secret relationship moment in the episode is Eddie going for the wrong gear shift in his own car. He initially reached for the gear shift on the center console when that's not where it is in his truck. But do you know where the gear shift is in a jeep? I'll give you one guess. Do we know anyone who owns a jeep? I'll give you another guess. This would make total sense since we know Eddie is a passenger princess and Buck would be driving them everywhere if they were in a relationship. Even when Buck isn't the one driving, Eddie would be much more likely to borrow his car more often if they were in a relationship and basically living together.

If this all doesn't convince you, I would like to leave you with the reminder of a moment that I'm sure has haunted all of us since 614 came out:

Actors are always aware when they're on camera and even if they aren't, the dozens of production people, including the director, would be. Do with that what you will.

(If anyone has anything they'd like to add to this feel free to message me or send me an ask and I'll make edits! And, I mean, this is all just for fun not to be taken seriously, but if there is a point that you think really brings the theory down also feel free to send me an ask about that lets see if I can provide a suitable explanation.)

edit: another thing to keep in mind as pointed out by the brilliant @swiftiebuckleys is the precedent set by 606 "Tomorrow" for flashbacks showing the start of a relationship.

#I said dont raise your expectations too high and I stand by that but here it is #my web of conspiracy with the help support and delusions of friends #did i promise this yesterday? yes. did I also keep getting distracted and procrastinating it? you betcha.#911 fox #911 spoilers #buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #weewoo brainrot #that last tag really fits this one i cant defend myself here

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flyonthewallmedstudent · 2 months

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The weirdness of high school.

And university too maybe.

Plus or minus med school. But not residency. Watching THis is Us and other bingeable shows recently.

There's a lot of flash backs and flash forwards in the show.

There's the high school ones, which like all TV shows is very stereotype'd. They go to an alumni event, and the nerdy girl now surgeon is estactic to hang out with the former football star/cool guy. Who is very thick.

I was a super weird, nerdy, socially awkward kid. Afraid of a lot of social things, but not afraid of science, history anything academic or what I looked like. I wore oversized sweats all day everyday. I never knew how to say the right things or act in a crowd. I hated crowds. 2 or 3 close friends was great, and the best I could muster. I was terrified of their parents.

But funnily enough, I never knew I was weird. I wasn't unhappy either.

I liked having 2-3 close friends, nothing more or less.

Then close to graduation, one of the guidance counselors (the non-crazy one) said to me, she didn't have a great high school experience either. But it gets better after high school. I'll see. It took me years as a teenager to understand what she meant.

Later on I realized that other people felt sorry for me. Thinking because I didn't have the stereotype of the great high school experience I was some how sad, ashamed, unhappy.

Ironically I never even thought about it and was actually happy in my own world and space. I had my separate universe in academics. Like it never dawned on me that I was missing out on anything.

I felt embarassed, in a strange way as an adult reflecting on those experiences. Slightly embarassed for me, but more embarrassed for the small town/city around me. I did not fit in that place, but I didn't know it either back then or didn't care to. We were very much ships passing in the night. I didn't and don't hate where I grew up, I actually loved it in my own way. I got a great education there, and it got me where I wanted to go.

Looking back, plenty of kids probably made underhanded mean comments or passive aggressive statements - but it all went over my head. I suppose I would have been unhappy, had I read between the lines back then. Someone even stole my math text the week of the math exam, but I was actually flattered. That hey, someone thought I was that smart (imposter syndrome starts when you're young). It was one of the best days of my life.

It was also hilarious to me then, that stealing the text of one of the nerds during exam week would sabotage anything - because they spend their entire free time studying the whole year. They don't cram. Cramming was a terrible habit I acquired in university/undergrad. In med school, I'd fail exams because I crammed.

Another time I had left my draft math home work in a common room table, a classmate told me (2 weeks after the fact) that 5-6 different kids grabbed it and copied it. unfortunately for them, it was a draft full of errors, so I completely disregarded as trash. the final copy I submitted with the correct formulae was substantially different. Our math teacher of course realized that everyone had the same errors, but couldn't figure out the source. No one ever said anything mean or confronting, so it wasn't hard to brush aside. they self-sabotaged themselves, nothing actually happened to me.

Again, it was like we lived on different planets. Had they asked, I probably would have helped them out, I didn't get the grades I got by myself either. My far smarter co-nerd friends taught me a lot. On the other hand, I was intensely shy, they probably interpreted it as being "aloof." Or worse, condescending.

I'd felt my entire time during school, that it was the path to something else. I wouldn't get there till about 10-15 years later. Maybe even 20. It was a means to an end. If I was going to be working, then I wanted that work to have meaning. Or what would the point of all those hours. My parents worked in jobs they grew to hate to just go home and be tired.

Med school was a bit like high school. After the first few months of first year, i spent most of it hiding from other med students. (They were fucking crazy, a good chunk of them although not all, the anxiety, stress, competitiveness, the back stabbing, entitlement and bravado --> by the way, people do mature and get better. of course not all them do. anyhoo).

It was after selecting a vocation and starting residency that I found "home." Where I suddenly was comfortable having more than 2-3 friends and happy to be in crowds. Because everyone in the crowd was pretty much like me. We wanted to talk about all the same things. Maybe I grew more comfortable in my own skin along the way too.

But you know, it wasn't me that need to grow and change. I had found the environment where I finally could be myself in.

#medblrs #medblr #med school

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scarlettriot · 1 year

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♡ COLD COFFEE ♡

Pairing: Kirishima X Reader

Warnings: Hurt//Comfort. Injuries & Hospitalizations.

Word Count: 1k ish

A//N: I’ve been in a coffee shop AU mood so I present to you, this fuckin’ thing. It’s not proofed or anything. Thanks @meggsngrits for letting me ramble this morning. Ily ♥︎

Ever since Kirishima switched agencies, started his own, he’s been going to the same little coffee shop every single morning.

The lines were usually long but he never cared. He’d wake up with plenty of time to wait his turn and order his coffee with far too much cream and just a pinch of sugar and the box of half dozen little donut holes that he savored each and every morning.

Of course, seeing your pretty face first thing bright and early was always a bonus. He might’ve even developed a little crush on you— if only he knew you’d been harboring one for him too…

You couldn’t forget the day Red Riot walked into your coffee shop. The way he stood well over a foot taller than most of your other customers. And then there was his bright red hair and his blindingly bright grin. Too bright for 7 AM.

Just because you ran a coffee shop didn’t exactly mean you were a morning person…

Kirishima made it easier though (you only called him Red Riot once since he asked you to call him Kirishima from the moment you wrote his name on that first paper cup). For almost two years now you wrote his name down 6 days a week. Sometimes 7 if he came in on his day off.

You got to know the man over 3 minute conversations. While you pour equal amounts of coffee to cream in that paper cup. You learned when he had late patrols, when he had office days. You learned to pick up on his moods, the man wore them on his sleeve. You saw him with fresh injuries and watched as they healed, adorning his hands, arms, and face with new scars, but none were ever bad enough to make him miss a morning.

The first morning he did miss, you assumed he’d finally gotten a much needed extra day off. The following day was his scheduled day off and the next he wasn’t in either. He must’ve taken a long weekend.

Good. You couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.

But then rumors started circling. You saw them on the front page of a tabloid first:

The Sturdy Hero Red Riot - - Breakable After All

Ignoring the line of people you and making them increasingly mad, you flipped to the article that you knew better than to believe. They exaggerated everything after all. 80% of what was in this was plain false but you read it anyway.

There wasn’t much to go on. Just that there was a battle and Kirishima had fallen while protecting a group of civilians as well as his own sidekicks. He was in critical condition at a local hospital.

“Yeah, it’s true, don’t know how they got the info though. We do everything we can to keep Pro’s identities hidden while they’re in our care,” you friend told you on the phone after work that night. “Your crush is stable though. But, he’s still in a coma…”

The week that followed had never been more bleak. People seemed more irritable, hardly any of them had a smile, or maybe it was just none of them compared to Kirishima’s. Either way, you had to do something.

So, you start to make his order every morning before opening. Pouring the coffee into a to-go cup and packing 6 donut holes plus one extra for good luck.

You’d walk down to the hospital and leave the order with your friend to drop off all before opening the store up for the day.

He hadn’t woken up yet. But when he did, you wanted him to have his favorite treat. The coffee would probably be cold but at least the donuts would still be tasty.

Days turned into weeks that you kept up your little ritual and you had every intention of waking up the next morning and doing it all over again but, you’d been putting up the chairs when the bell above the front door rang. “Sorry, we’re—“

It’d been almost a month since you’d seen him. The longest you’d gone since he first showed up nearly two years ago. His dark roots were poking through matching the stumble that was covering his jaw but, other than that, he looked like the same smiling Kirishima you’d been falling in love with over paper cups and donut holes.

You clutched a mug so tightly between your hands it threatened to shatter, just trying to process that he was here in front of you again with that to-go cup in his hand.

He stayed close to the door but cleared his throat. “They told me I was out for a bit.” What a fat understatement that was. “Pretty sure it was your coffee and donuts that brought me back around… I never feel fully awake until I get my cup. So, I just wanted to drop by and say thank you but I know you’re closed so, I’ll just see ya—“

“Do you want a fresh cup?” You blurted out and his hand hovered on the door handle. “I brought that this morning. It’s gotta be ice by now.”

His smile was as soft as the first day you saw him. “Only if you have a cup with me.”

#yeah #idk what this is but #it’s something #Kirishima #kirishima x reader #kirishima fanfic #mha #mha fan fic #best red rock shark ♥️🦈#scar’s writing again 📕

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scratchandplaster · 3 months

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FEBUWHUMP DAY 6 - "You lied to me"

CW: parental Whumper, hypnosis, emotional manipulation, interrogation, conditioning

Previous | [Masterlist] | Next

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

"There are still plenty of thoughts inside your head, so let's get them in order."

Shepard was intently focused on his son. Above now dried tear tracks, his unblinking attention denied Ben to be unguarded for even one second, whilst his assertive but nevertheless mellow tone carried him along a carved-out path.

Possessive strokes down his back dragged him further: "Down, just down, always deeper down. We can't choose our sorrows, but you can choose to let them go for a moment, to let me help forget them. Follow my lead."

In and out, it was impossible to resist the pace he was taught so well.

"I would count you down, but you know all my old tricks."

Shepard was not naive, he had to be extremely lucky that his charade still worked after all these months Reuben spent on his own, poisoning his mind and spirit out in the world. That he still responded obediently to the suggestions of the past was a goddamn miracle. One he would gladly use to its full potential.

"Remember all the times we did this before," Shepard repeated for good measure. So many, many times, half of which Ben couldn't even recall. Today was far from the first instance he helped to quiet his ward's nettled thoughts.

It was about time to rectify old lies.

"You always knew where Lukas was, though we both know you claimed otherwise," Shepard sighed low, "Will you tell me now?"

The soft face on his shoulder began to stir back to wakefulness, his bottom lip scrunched up in painful guilt. Rough start.

"Shh, forget that, it was a stupid question. You did nothing wrong." Comforting reassurance and soft circles drawn onto his temples helped to smooth out any risen qualm. "I know it's difficult for you to stay alert during this state, so I'm keeping this easy for us. Just Yes or No from now on, you don't even have to say a word."

Reuben showed himself more agreeable and leaned back against him.

"Is Lukas doing well?"

A small nod. Good.

"Is he eating enough? You know how he always skips breakfast."

Again, Ben nodded against the rough wool of Shepard's sweater while the same tediously tried to keep this interview on track: he could embrace his success later, when both of his sons were near him again. However, the abandoned father was ready to reap the fruits of his endeavor.

"Do you want to tell me where he is?"

Ben quickly shook his head. No, not yet.

"Mhh, I understand."

It felt horrible how easy it was to make him tell the truth, but Shepard had no interest nor intention to question his parenting methods at the moment. He knew exactly what limits confined them: he couldn't make Reuben do or forget anything he didn't want to, at least if he failed to be persuasive enough.

Shepard's boy was easy to read and just as simple as he was loyal to both his brother and father. But not in equal parts, Shepard was at a certain disadvantage he ought to correct.

Children like them were too inept for the world outside the settlement, so it was no wonder Reuben merely crumpled under the first selfless act of affection in a long time. If his forgiveness was not given freely, Shepherd could just rip it from his fragile heart. For both their peace of mind, nothing else.

"You know how much I love you, both of you."

The shake of Ben's head said it all. It hadn't even been a question, but the blunt answer pricked nonetheless.

"Oh, well, I love you more than the world. I did everything to get you back!" Shepard mused softly, "If not me, what about the rest of our family?"

Kind memories of the people who waited for him outside rinsed Ben of any stray thoughts and drifted with him into the depths. He never wanted to hurt any of them with his decisions.

"Did you miss us?"

Ben affirmed this shyly, grabbing a corner of Shepard's sweater.

"You are safe here, right?"

A nod.

"You are safe with me."

At the claim, Ben's head rolled around aimlessly, as if he was trying to stir awake again. Shepard tutted; this was a tricky one.

"You are here with me and the others, all together. We watch out for each other, we keep each other secure."

Yes, this made sense. Through the pleasant, thick fog that filled his head, Ben knew it to be sincere.

"Here, you are safe. With us, you are safe."

Safe...together. He couldn't possibly disagree with these smooth words.

"You are safe and loved by us all, we were awaiting your return. Always putting an extra plate on the dinner table for when you decide to come back."

Shepard had to endure countless days of waiting before accepting that his youngest would stay gone. He had searched for him for so long it made him sick with fear, not knowing if his sons were hurt or fraternizing with God knows what kind of people. Yet, he didn't want for Reuben to realize the damage he had caused, not when he was so calm and open for the right input.

"And today our wishes were granted!"

Warmth, safety, love. Encased by these sensations, Ben's mind caught itself slipping into easy relaxation once again.

"Can you say it for me, can you tell me that you're safe and loved?"

"'m safe and loved," he slurred quietly against the wool. It felt good to be here in his dad's arms, it felt right.

"That's my boy, I knew we could stand above the past."

Shepard's sweet promises hugged his exhausted soul, he was too tired of hiding, adapting, changing. They tried to teach Ben what to say and what to hide out there, but the only thing he understood was to never be himself; another truth nobody could ever tell his brother. He remembered exactly how angry and disappointed Luke loved to get with him.

Cupping his face carefully, Shepard pushed him to sit straight up: "Open your eyes."

With a wide, empty stare but not awake in the slightest, Ben continued to sway back and forth. He was unsure what Dad wanted from him and too dizzy to care, silently begging to be allowed back into the stream of soft, dark dreaminess. Tears collected at the corners of his eyes, but Shepard was far from done with him: "Ben, tell me what you are when you're with us."

"I'm safe and I'm loved," tumbled from his lips without thinking twice about it.

"Yes, you are." Relief washed over Ben like a tsunami: he didn't do anything wrong after all, nobody hated him here.

"Now close these heavy eyes and relax."

As he sagged back down, the inward pull doubled its force. He felt that the soap bubble his brain had become threatened to pop. Too much to focus on, nothing to think about, clutching onto the inner peace Dad had so kindly given him.

"We all love you so much. Missing is too weak a word to explain how desperately we wanted you back. You are always wanted here."

Every word was law.

Shepard should feel dirty at using Reuben's obvious weaknesses so bluntly against him, but not today. Today they would celebrate his return and plan the one they enjoyed as soon as the other prodigal son decided to come home. A selfish sting inside Shepard's heart forced the next question out: "Did you miss me?"

A final nod made tears run down Ben's face. Shepard hugged him tighter, as if he never intended to let go again:

"I missed you too, starshine, it's going to be alright. Everything falls into place when we are together."

Numb with joy, Ben felt too tired to hold on to the present any longer, a problem his father gladly helped him with: "Sleep now, sleep and let my words manifest as truth in your mind."

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Thanks for reading 🤍 [Febuwhump 2024 Masterlist]

@febuwhump

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kerakitty · 10 months

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Adam’s Creation and Appearance

So there’s a lot of nitpicking surrounding how Victor made Adam and how Adam should be portrayed as a result of that (e.g. should he have stitches, varying skin color, etc). I find this kinda weird because we don’t actually know how Adam was made. Victor intentionally omits this information when telling his story to Robert Walton for fear of someone managing to reproduce his work.(1)

We do have a few, scant details, but they’re hardly enough to draw any solid conclusions from. Here’s a list of all the facts given about his creation (relevant quotes with page numbers at bottom of post):

Making Adam big allowed Victor to work faster.(2)

It took Victor months to gather the materials he needed.(3)

Some materials were gathered from dissecting rooms, charnal houses, and slaughter-houses.(4)

Victor was able to choose Adam’s features (e.g. hair color and texture, tooth alignment).(5)

The whole process, both gathering materials and actual construction, took a little under two years.(6)

That’s it. That’s all we know. We don’t know how these “materials” were used, we don’t know what caused them to go from inanimate to living, or even what exactly they were. Yes, Victor mentions collecting his materials from the places listed above, but aside from mentioning bones(4), he doesn’t say what exactly he was taking. Were they intact organs? Pieces of tissue? Entire limbs? We don’t know. Confusing things further, Victor mentions that he “dabbled” with graves and “tortured living animals”(7), but doesn’t clarify whether these were additional sources of materials or simply research into the mechanisms of life and death.

General consensus seems to be that Victor used organs and whole body parts from cadavers to create Adam, but there's plenty of evidence that that’s not the case. Aside from the fact that it would’ve been difficult to create an 8ft tall body with proportional limbs out of pieces of humans averaging under 6ft, there are a few lines in the novel that indicate that this wasn’t Victor’s method. Victor consistently refers to the materials he used as “lifeless” and “inanimate”, but never dead. He also consistently speaks of imbuing new life into the materials rather than renewing or restoring life. In fact he outright states that reanimating the dead was, as best as he could figure, impossible.(8) Whether this only refers to raising a dead individual as they’d been in life or to any organic tissue is, like so much of Victor’s research, extremely vague.

So where does that leave us in terms of Adam’s appearance? Well, with not a whole lot to go on. Does he have stitches? Maybe. Does his skin color vary? Also maybe, though probably not given that Victor describes his skin and makes no mention of any variation in tone.(9)

The closest thing we have to a canon appearance for him is probably the illustration included in the 1831 edition of the novel.

There’s no stitches or other scars visible here, but since we have no idea how much (if any) input Shelley herself had on this design, that’s not necessarily confirmation one way or the other.

Ultimately, aside from a handful of details, we don’t really know what Adam should look like. We know he has thick black hair, watery yellowish eyes, yellower skin, straight white teeth, thin black lips, and is 8ft tall with all features proportional to that size.(9) Outside of that, and the fact that he looked ugly but not horrifying right up until he started moving(10), it’s up to the reader’s imagination. And given that the novel was intended to be a horror story, I suspect that’s intentional. In horror it’s often our imaginations that supply the most frightening imagery and any good creator of horror is aware of this fact.

So portray Adam however you want, and maybe don’t nitpick other people’s portrayals of him. So long as neither of you are going against the few explicitly described details the novel provides, they’re probably not any more off the mark than you are.

Source quotes and page numbers below the cut.

All quotes and page numbers are taken from this upload of the 1818 text.

”I see by your eagerness, and the wonder and hope which your eyes express, my friend, that you expect to be informed of the secret with which I am acquainted; that cannot be. ...I will not lead you on... to your destruction and infallible misery” pg 23

”As the minuteness of the parts formed a great hindrance to my speed, I resolved... to make the being of a gigantic stature;” pg 24

“...having spent some months in successfully collecting and arranging my materials...” pg 24

“I collected bones from charnel houses... The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials;” pg 24

“I had selected his features as beautiful.” pg 26

“I had worked hard for nearly two years...” pg 26

“...I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave, or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay[.]” pg 24

“...if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.” pg 24

“His limbs were in proportion, and... [h]is yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion, and straight black lips.” pg 26

“I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.” pg 27

Side note on that last line: I always felt Victor was rather underselling the creativity of Dante here. Dante came up with some trippy shit. I doubt the Uncanny Valley was something of which he “could not have conceived”.

#frankenstein #frankenstein or the modern prometheus #the modern prometheus #adam frankenstein #frankenstein's creature #frankenstein's creation #frankenstein's monster #victor frankenstein #mary shelley #gothic literature

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marblyso · 4 months

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All of Shepherd's diary entries

(featuring some commentary from me at the end)

#1 “The previous captain, my father, was the very definition of generous. When a rescue call came in, he'd zoom off without a moment's hesitation. Once the mission was complete, he'd refuse to accept payment from whoever he rescued. He did this one mission after another. And now, due to his generosity, the Rescue Corps is...pretty much broke.” #2 “Since I became captain, the role of Rescue Pup caretaker has sat vacant. Still, I can't part with the Rescue Pups. My family has kept this pedigreed breed for generations beyond memory. I just need to find a recruit who can bond with Oatchi like I do.” #3 “Rescue Pups love it when you play with them. In fact, the best way to make them happy and build up their Pup Drive is to put them to work. The more points in their Pup Drive, the more skills they'll learn. I always give them plenty of praise for all their hard work!”

#4 “The first time I saw my home planet from space, I thought this: the people down there...they're all part of a single living organism. No, we'll never completely eradicate conflict. Still, I hope a day will come when people understand what I understood in that moment. I hope a day will come when they look at the person beside them and see themselves.”

#5 “People who are incapable of caring about those around them or about living creatures in general...they'll never save anyone. You spend a lot of time with your companions. It's important to be thoughtful and considerate in the way you treat them."

#6 “We've picked up an SOS signal from a Captain Olimar. I never thought there might still be undiscovered planets out there. Yes, this mission is going to be a dangerous one. I can feel it. The new Rescue Officer recruited to join our team will stay behind at HQ while we investigate. [player], I think.”

#7 “Something's been on my mind lately. Do my Rescue Officers have enough responsibility and autonomy? Is there something I should be doing differently? I worry. I can't stop worrying. Am I doing everything I should be as their captain?”

#8 “Now that so many castaways have been rescued and cured, now that they shower us with words of gratitude...I finally feel like I'm starting to live up to my father's legacy...to the legacy of all my ancestors. And what a reward that is! I'm finally happy to be me! All of that worrying is in the past. As it fades away, I feel so much lighter.”

#9 “The heroic rescue of every last castaway on an unknown planet... Surely tales of this incredible undertaking will be told for all eternity! How can I possibly thank [player] and Oatchi? They should be proud of what they achieved.”

I find it very interesting how most of these are in a similar style to end-of-day diary entries from previous Pikmin games, but they never are used as such, instead being in an unrelated tab in the tablet. Which leads me to believe that they were meant to be such in an earlier point in development. This further supports my theory that Shepherd was meant to be playable… Did you process the fact she's the first captain in the entire series that you cannot play as?

That fact frustrates me to no end, it's incredibly frustrating. But if my theory is correct, even if the developers managed to rob her of who knows how much, they clearly still cared about her enough to salvage these incredibly valuable pieces of dialogue. I'm not sure if I'd be as attached to her without these, as they contain things the main game never tells you. Important things!

I have hope for her in future games, even she doesn't get a major cameo. But I shouldn't be overly optimistic, because we all know what they did to the original Koppaite trio…

#being a shepherd fan is a lonely fucking business alright?#I know you probably don’t care but I do so I’m making it your problem (silly)#erma shepherd #pikmin shepherd #pikmin #pikmin 4

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rehfan · 1 year

Text

And now the party continues… Chapter 5

The Hat Shop Girl

Inexperienced!Ralph X Fem!Reader/AFAB!Reader

Summary: You were working as a clerk in a hat shop when Ralph Penbury walked into your life. Nothing was ever the same.

Tags: meet-cute, eventual smut, slow build, angst with a happy ending, class differences, fantasizing, implied/referenced drug use, non-consensual touching, sexual inexperience, first kiss, kissing, first French kiss, neck kissing, sexual education, angst, emotional hurt, vaginal fingering, nipple play, vaginal sex, first time, blow jobs, cream pie, fluff and smut

Warnings: 18+ and over only please. Eventual smutty smut - NOT for children! Non-consensual touching, implied/referenced drug use.

PLEASE DO NOT POST MY WORK TO ANY OTHER SITE. MY WORK IS MINE. PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

If you want to read it all and my other stuff, find this work on AO3

Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Ch 6 - Ch 7 - Ch 8 - Ch 9 - Ch 10

************************

CHAPTER 5: Spoiled Sardines

You were two more flutes of champagne in and had been spun around the dance floor so many times with Ralph, you thought you were trapped on a merry-go-round. The alcohol had warmed your senses and loosened your limbs, but you knew if you stopped dancing, you might fall down and go to sleep.

Ralph, for his part, had seen the tail end of two more champagne toasts himself as well as a gin and tonic and was halfway through a horse’s neck when Victoria mounted a table and shouted: “Who’s up for a game?”

A roar went up and Ralph cried: “Hurrah! Game! Game!”

Victoria gestured to her brother: “How about…my brother, the absolute sardine wizard! Who can find Ralphie? Who’s willing to try? He’s outsmarted us for ages! Is anyone up for the challenge?”

A few hands were raised drunkenly and a general air of laughter went up all over the room.

You asked him, “Are you really so good at sardines that it takes people ages to find you?”

Someone in the crowd shouted: “Ralph’s here? I thought he was still hiding from last time!” Another roar went up from everyone present, including Victoria who thought it so funny, she almost lost her footing on her pedestal.

“He’s here and he’s willing!” shouted Victoria. “Who wants to play against him?”

“We all do!” shouted another voice and everyone clapped and laughed again.

It warmed your heart to see these folks rally around Ralph in a game, the smile that was on his face nearly cracked it in two. “I want to play too. May I?”

The look of surprise that painted Ralph’s face bordered on caricature. “Of course you may! Of course!” Turning to his sister he said: “All can play, Victoria! I will take on all challengers!”

A collective hurrah went up and soon the thing was organized. Ralph would hide and all the rest of the party would count to twenty to give him ample time to weave his magic. Ralph, giddy with the challenge, left the room immediately. The whole company of guests counted slowly under Victoria’s conducting.

“Let’s give him plenty of time, everyone. Ready? One…. Two…. Three….” and so on until after at least half a minute, everyone reached twenty and shouted hooray. Victoria signaled to the band to start up again and the party went on as normal.

You made your way to the door, expecting for quite a few people to be on your heels. You turned to see and didn’t notice anyone. There were people dancing and talking and everyone was drinking, but no one was playing the game. In fact, it seemed no one intended to find Ralph Penbury at all except you.

Then it hit you: it was a trick.

It was a nasty, horrid, terrible trick.

You went to Victoria. Enough was enough.

“Victoria,” you said. “Shouldn’t you call Ralph back? He’s missing the party.”

“Oh, don’t do that! You’ll ruin all our fun!” said Victoria. The coterie surrounding her smiled over their drinks and behind their hands, seemingly bemused at the shop girl with the big heart. “Last time - what was it? - the party was over and everyone had gone home in the wee hours. A char found him in a cupboard fast asleep still waiting for us to find him.”

“It was around seven thirty, as I recall,” said one woman in the group.

“Andrew won the bet that year. Got time of day and the right member of staff. Lucky bastard,” mumbled one of the men.

“This time, I’ve got ten in the morning by the upstairs maid,” laughed another woman.

“No chance! It’ll be the butler by six,” said the first man.

“Oh, is that your bet this year, Ambrose?” said the first woman again, “Good luck!”

Another roar of laughter went up. The difference now was that you were in on the cruelty of it all.

“How could you be so heartless to your own brother? Your twin!” You were outraged and your heart broke for Ralph.

“Yes, I’d expect you would be sympathetic to him, the way you’re acting like the proverbial clinging vine, my dear. But heartless?” said Victoria, “He thinks he’s sardines champion. Three years running! He’s proud of it. Let him have the trophy, I say.”

“Three year- THREE YEARS?” you asked. Only it wasn’t a question. You sought out anyone around that table who could show you the tiniest shred of shame for the trick they had played on him over and over. He was the kindest person and was treated so carelessly by these people, it made you physically ill.

“Listen, shop girl,” said one other man in the group, his face florid and sweating from intoxicants, “if you feel so strongly for our Ralph then go seek him out. If you find him, we’ll lay a bet where and when the both of you will be discovered.”

“And in what position!” laughed another girl and they all joined in.

“I resent that remark!” you said, your temper at its limit.

They all laughed again, one of them mocking you and repeating, “I resent that remark!” Another stating, “Poor thing’s gone off her head about Ralph Penbury. Oh shoot me if that ever happens to me!”

“No chance, dearie,” said another, “you’ve got taste!”

“And standards!” cried Ambrose.

You had to find him. You had to fix this injustice. As you left that pack of laughing hyenas behind, you heard one of the men remark: “I always thought Ralph played for my team…”

The noise from the party died down quickly once you went beyond the anteroom and toward the main hall and the staircase that dominated the space. A maid stood ready to hand people their coats or hats. You recognized her from your self-tour before and you greeted her warmly. “Can you tell me which way Lord Penbury has gone?”

She pointed you up the stairs and made mention of a disused room with an over-large armoire. “He rotates his hiding places, miss,” she added shyly. “He should be there.”

Thanking her, you poked your head into the room indicated and moved as quietly as you could. The room was lit with moonlight streaming through a bank of massive windows on the far wall arranged along a curve in the wall. There were no window treatments in this room. It was much more grand than your room in size, but from what you could tell, the wall color was much more neutral. There was no furniture here except for one tall and wide object covered with a sheet. This must be the armoire the maid referred to, but it was so large that it could have fit a small army inside its wooden walls. You quickly picked up the edge of the dust cover, slipping underneath it, and pulled the door open. Ralph screamed and then laughed. You jumped in spite of yourself.

“My you’re good! I was expecting to win again, but you’ve put an end to my streak! Clever girl! Good for you. Now come in before we’re spotted!”

“But Ralph, I-“

“Never mind! Come on!” and with that, he took you by the elbow and deposited you beside him, shutting the doors quickly.

“This is so strange! I’m not used to having company,” he whispered eagerly in the semi-darkness. Where the doors met there was a crack of moonlight streaming in. It was muted by the dust cover that was replaced behind you once you entered it, but strong enough to illuminate a sliver of Ralph’s face. The crack of light fell over one of his eyes, chocolate and umber glowing, beaming at you. “My you are a clever clever woman. I’m very proud of you.”

He really had no idea. He deserved such kindness. And yet he was the butt of a massive joke and had no clue. You wanted to tell him, but would that be the kind thing to do? After all, if you told him, you would essentially be telling him that not only for the past few years had everyone at every party had not been playing the game on purpose, that they had also been taking bets to see how long it took Ralph to finally be found and by which person on staff. Moreover, it was also true that none of them bet that Ralph would figure it out on his own and come back to the party angry enough to chew nails. That they hadn’t credited him with enough brains to suss it all out.

Could you suppress the joy in his eyes forever? Ruin what appeared to be his favorite game? He probably didn’t have a lot of true triumphs in his life. Did you want to take this one away permanently? And, by extension, were you really prepared to help him come to the realization that all those people, his sister included, for all these years of parties, had not been his actual friends?

Your silence lingered in the air too long. What you could see of Ralph’s face was painted with concern. “Are you afraid of the dark? I could sneak out and get a maid to get us a torch,” he offered. He reached out to you and brushed your arm, finally catching your elbow in his grasp. He held it gently, just his fingertips touching, but the skin to skin contact was setting a fire in your belly. You stepped closer to him.

“I’m not afraid, Ralph,” you said. Your hands came up and flattened against his chest. He was just the most innocent of men. A wave of protective love came up from nowhere and settled in your chest. “I’m not afraid. Because it’s you here with me.” You settled your head against him and felt his arms wrap around you with a tenderness that made you want to cry.

He spoke your name into the darkness like a prayer.

“Yes?” you whispered back.

“I-is this-?” He cleared his throat. “Um, should we be-? I mean- Shouldn’t we-?”

“Ralph?”

“Yes?”

“Come here,” you said, guiding his jaw downward with your fingertips. You could feel his spine straighten when your skin made contact. His breath was hot against your cheek, but barely there. He was trying to hold his breath and failing. Your mouth found his; just a brush of lips, but you guessed it was Ralph’s first - either that, or his first in a long while - because he found fire in it and chased the flame. In an instant, he pressed into you deeper, his arms bracing you from behind. Pressing so far, in fact, that your back found the side of the armoire with a thud.

The kiss broke at once. “Oh my God I- Oh my! Um… I’m so sorry! Are you hurt? I don’t uh-” he said, his voice an urgent whisper in the dark.

“It’s alright,” you laughed, thinking of all the times you and Charlie fumbled around and knocked heads and teeth and leaned on hair or when muscles cramped and joints didn’t want to bend in that direction. Love wasn’t easy, nor was it pain-free, but if it was love? It was worth everything.

You raised both hands to his face, thumbs tracing along his cheekbones. You couldn’t see him anymore, but it didn’t matter. You held him gently and leaned up and into his kiss again. He was much more careful now, the pressure from his lips much more measured. You savored the touch of faint stubble and the feel of him close around you. His palms were warm against your back. Slowly you let yourself relax in his arms, not even realizing how nervous you had been. As the kiss lingered, your fingertips traced along his jawline, down along his throat to his collar, his bow tie.

You were tempted to tug on it, loosening the knot and letting it fall open, working the buttons until, inch by inch, his skin became more and more exposed… your heart raced at the thought. The scent of his cologne would fill your senses, that same surprising spice and cedar, blooming in the air mixed with the clean scent of French soap.

But you didn’t. He wasn’t Charlie. He wasn’t yours.

His hands had fallen to your hips as you had predicted. But his mouth was on a mission of exploration and experimentation without any of his over-eagerness; he was all gentle tenderness and care as his lips touched yours, slotting with your mouth as you dared to open it to his, a small kitten lick of your tongue causing him to jolt slightly before melting into the sensation.

You broke the kiss long enough to whisper, “You can do it to me too, you know.”

“Y-you mean, I can-?”

“Please, Ralph,” you said. “I want you to.”

He didn’t need any more encouragement. His mouth found yours again and his tongue dipped inside. You pressed yours against his and moaned into his mouth when he echoed your movement. The taste of him was sweet and rich. You arched your back, pressing yourself against him firmly, willing him to touch you everywhere. The sounds of your snogging were close in the dark, each little keen, each rustle of fabric, were loud in your ears, heightening the thrill of touching him, kissing him. Your desire grew, making you wonder what the breaking point would be for both of you.

You moaned his name in between kisses and heard him whimper. One of his hands raised up to your ribs but stopped short of your breasts.

“We should be- We should-“ he panted. It was clear he didn’t know what he wanted.

You kissed his stuttering mouth and smiled. “We should really get out of this armoire or we will definitely hurt ourselves. Come on, Ralph,” you whispered, your voice husky, caught up in the feel and the taste of him, you blurted, “take me to bed.”

Blushing with embarrassment, but not retracting your words, you opened the doors and walked out into the moonlit room. You meant those words. You wanted him. And you wanted to protect him and teach him and learn about him. Turning, you caught sight of Ralph, bent slightly and staring at you out of the opening with a wondering face.

“B-bed?” he asked. “Shouldn’t we be married first?”

You blinked at him, pulling up the edge of the dust cover. “Ralph, you throw cocaine parties with insane amounts of alcohol at them but draw the line at sexual intercourse outside of marriage?”

He cleared his throat. “It’s that I thought that you, well…” It wasn’t easy in the dark of the armoire, but you could tell he was blushing. “You certainly don’t need the reputation.”

“I’m a widow, Ralph,” you said. “No need to be concerned about my maidenhood or anything. I just want you.” Your body ached for him to hold you again. The space between you seemed like a million miles away, the air surrounding you too cool for comfort. “Come to me, sweet boy.” You held a hand out to him.

“But the game?” he said weakly.

“You are still sardines champion, Ralph,” you said. “They’ve not found us yet, they won’t find us later.” You stepped to him. “Is everything alright? You look so strange. I’ve shocked you, haven’t I?”

“I never dreamed that you- I mean- You’re just so wonderful. I met you in a hat shop,” he said.

You kissed him softly. “You’re wonderful too.”

“So soft. So lovely. And you smell divine,” he said.

“I like your scent too,” you said, brushing your lips against his cheek.

“It’s just- I’ve never done… things with girls. Except the once. And all that brief experience taught me is that I’m terrible with them, actually,” he confessed. “And I’m not certain that I could touch you and remain wholly sane. You are entirely gorgeous. I saw that from the first.” He coughed nervously. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I should have said that.”

His dark eyes pleaded for forgiveness from you, but there was no need. There was no sin here, no crime. He had simply told you how he felt. His words left you breathless. His eyes drifted down to your mouth and slowly back up to your eyes as if memorizing your face for the last time. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I can be a bit…much. At least, that’s what Victoria says.”

At the mention of his sister’s name, your heart clenched and you took his face in your hands. Punctuating each of your sentences with a kiss, you told him softly, “You are not too much, Ralph Penbury. You are just enough. And you are wonderful. You are everything that is good and genuine. You feel things so thoroughly and completely that sometimes your emotions get too big for your body. That’s all. There’s nothing wrong with you. Why your sister says such things is beyond me. You’re sunshine and joy and everything that’s right with the world. Can’t you see that, pretty boy?

“And all those people at that party? All those hateful selfish people? They don’t see that in you. They can’t see past their own needs. They’re empty and thoughtless and they don’t deserve you,” you said, easing him at last out of the armoire and into the open, beyond even the dust cover and into the moonlight. You held his hands and watched his face as dozens of emotions flitted behind his eyes.

He took a ragged breath and his eyes welled with tears. “I used to think that the worst thing in the world would be to die alone and lonely. Lately, I think the worst thing is to live alone and lonely. I can be in a room full of people and no one sees me. No one but you. Why do you see me?”

“How can I not?” you asked him, the emotion of the moment making you tear up. Mitigating the situation you smiled and added: “After all, you’re the mutt’s nuts.”

Ralph let out a laugh that would have woken the house had anyone been asleep. You joined him, your shoulders shaking, eyes welling with tears. It was a relieved laugh, a happy cry. Slowly you clung to one another, holding his body close as his giggles faded. It only took him a second before he recovered himself enough to press his lips to yours.

You opened yours to his and let him explore. His hands found your hips again, but he slid one down your backside and squeezed. Humming against his mouth, you broke away and kissed along his jaw, down his throat, and tugged at his bow tie with your teeth, unraveling the material. The shocked look on Ralph’s face was totally worth it. “Take me to bed, lovely man. Please, Ralph.

“Um, well, it’s still pre-marital sex, isn’t it?” he said, his voice lowering to a harsh whisper at the shameful words. “I can run and get my grandmother’s ring! It’s in the family safe right now. It’s no trouble. I would be honored to-“

“Ralph!” you placed your fingers on his lips. “It’s not pre-marital sex if you have no intention of getting married.”

“What?” he said. “OH!” He was startled at the thought, then he saw your devilish grin. “Oh.” He smiled too. A wicked grin lit up his face and made his eyes sparkle.

*****************************

MASTERLIST LINK

Tagged readers: @h-ness1944 / @eddie-is-a-god / emma77645 / @hahahafucku / @paranoidmunson / @honey-eyed-munson / @mystars123 / @bl4ckt00thgr1n / @live-love-be-unique / @ becca-alexa / @aysheashea / @bohemianrhapsody86 / @luvrsbian / @etherealglimmer / @ladybug0095

IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED, JUST LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS! THANKS FOR READING ALONG!

#fanfic #writing #ralph penbury #ralph timewasters #ralph x reader #ao3 #ao3 writer #the hat shop girl #THSG

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thezombieprostitute · 7 months

Text

Alphas & Algorithms - Part 7 - Feelings

A/N: Continued from Part 6 . Reader is female and is described as "tall". No other descriptors.

Warnings: It is a Dystopian AU. Food scarcity, hunger, mentions of families being separated. Discussion of non-consensual relationships and unwanted pregnancy. Bullying. Please let me know if I missed any!

--Part 1-- --Part 8--

--Series Masterlist--

If there was one good thing Curtis could say about his work it’s that it gives him plenty of time and space to think. And there was much to think about. They’ve started working with the pups to get them used to the fact that he’s leaving. He knows he’s out of his depth in all of this, but he trusts his brother. His brother who still knew the hand signals from all those years ago. His brother who’s apparently been trying to hook him up with Omegas for years.

He was so lost in thought he didn’t notice Hobie until he was practically in front of him.

“Oi, Curtis! How you gettin’ on with that pet? Meetin’ some interesting people from what I’ve ‘eard.”

“What do you want, Hobie? I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Yeah, figured you would. Got until the security drone comes by. Ask me somefin’.”

“How much does she know?”

“Dunno,” Hobie shrugs his shoulders. “Jus’ know she knows more than she says.”

Curtis sighs at the unhelpful answer and decides to not waste time arguing. “What’s Stevie’s, Steve’s, role in all of this?”

“Couple o’ Betas on the inside are ‘elpin’ with access. Sometimes even sabotage of the Omegas. Dunno th’ specifics, don’t need to.”

“Access?”

Hobie grins, “that’s a bit much to explain for the time you got.”

Curtis nods in acquiescence, “is her Beta in on everything?”

“Yup. It’s how we know she’s not sayin’ everything she smells.” Hobie looks around, “one last question, bruv.”

“Are you sure this plan will work?”

Hobie looked Curtis in the eyes, “enough that I put my life on the line for it.”

“It isn’t just your life at risk, though.”

Hobie smiles, “th’ way we’ve got everythin’ set up, me an’ maybe two others take the fall. No one else. Definitely no one in your Pack.”

With that, Hobie runs off, giving Curtis a few seconds to get back to work before the security drone shows up.

“Jake,” Y/N yells from the kitchen. “How did the date with Hope go?”

“It went alright,” he shrugged. Y/N could smell disappointment, which for Jake smelled like rain on a summer day when you’re supposed to be outside. Then she picked up the other scent, curry and warm, strong beer. A distinctive combination that made her think of overly crowded, chaotic art fairs: everyone freely expressing whatever and however they wanted. It was a scent that made her uncomfortable just thinking about the overstimulation.

“Do you want some cookies or something to cheer you up?”

Jake chuckled, “can’t hide anything from you, huh?” Y/N smiled gently and shook her head. “Okay, the date didn’t go well. Turns out there were some serious differences of opinion but I’m hopeful they’re not deal-breakers, you know?”

Y/N hugs him, “I know.” The hug makes the scent of curry and warm beer stronger. It’s the same scent she’s smelled on people proven to be plotting against the AI. She worries for Jake, knows he’s lying about some things, but she trusts him. He’d never lie without reason and she’d be the last to speak up about the connecting scent. As her mother said, “just because you smell something doesn’t mean you have to say something.”

“How did your date go? Did he say “yes” yet? Do I get my death-by-chocolate cake?”

“Not yet,” she shook her head as she smiled. “Today’s date got a bit off track when I saw Mr. Castle in the gym.”

Jake’s face fell, “oh damn. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay. Steve came by and picked up her tea so I didn’t have to take Curtis on that delivery. Pretty sure his opinions on Omegas wasn’t helped by our encounter with Colin and Suzanne at the community center.” Jake gave an appreciative grimace while Y/N continued, “then again, I definitely felt Curtis’s drive to protect me through the temporary bond. It was really sweet.”

“Ooo! Intriguing! I’m definitely going to get my cake and eat it too!”

Y/N smiles, “he’s also asked to meet you.”

Jake stops and looks at her, “are you okay with that? You know both of us best. If you think it’ll be okay, I’m good to meet him.”

“He said that, since you’re the closest thing I have to a Pack, it would feel weird to not meet you. And, between the two of you, I really don’t think there’s any reason for animosity. He doesn’t seem the jealous type and you’re the supportive, not confrontational type, so I think it’ll be okay.”

“I promise to do whatever it takes to make everything super awkward!”

“You’re lucky I know you’re joking,” Y/N rolls her eyes. “I’m genuinely hoping, if you two do get along, and he does eventually agree to be my Alpha, that you’ll give him some…help? Guidance? With my in-heat care. Especially with the foods and scents.”

“Oh it’s definitely getting serious,” Jake smiles. “If you want me to share my secret family recipes, it’s gotta be a sealed deal.”

Y/N’s face heats up and she looks down, still smiling. Jake’s eyes go wide, “you really like him, don’t you?”

She nods, “he’s living up to the promise in his scent. He’s warm, smart, makes me feel safe and comfortable. I…I don’t think I’ve ever felt this kind of "want" for intimacy.”

Jake takes her hands, “I’m so happy for you! Can’t wait for you two to make it official.”

When Curtis gets home, the pups immediately rush him. Timmy and Andy grab his hands and lead him to the table while Yona gives him a serious face and says, “we need to talk.” They all sit at the table to eat but the pups are asking him questions between bites.

“Is it true that we’re moving?”

“Still ironing out the details,” Curtis says. “But I think Andrew, Tonya and I are agreed that everyone’s moving.” The adults nod.

“Why are we moving?”

Curtis sighs and thinks before answering, “because that’s how things go. Life requires us to make changes from time to time and that time for us is now.” Timmy and Yona seem okay with the answer but Andy looks to Andrew for confirmation first.

“Are you going to move with us?”

“Maybe for a little bit,” Curtis hesitates. “But, ultimately, I’ll be moving in with that Omega who’s been courting me.”

“Is it because we ate her cookies? Do we owe her for that?”

“No, not at all,” Curtis quickly asserts. “Not one bit of this is because of you. And those cookies were freely given.”

“Do you love her?”

Curtis pauses at that question. He’s been so busy thinking about his brother, his Pack, the pups, he hasn’t really thought about his actual feelings about her. The temporary bond is almost completely gone but it could still be coloring his feelings so he chooses his words carefully.

“I don’t know that it’s love, but I do know that I trust her. I feel comfortable around her. She’s honest, strong, caring, comforting, smart. She’s definitely changed my perspective on Omegas.” He stops when he hears the pups giggling and gives them a confused look.

“You were smiling,” Timmy giggled. “You do like her! You don’t smile for anyone you don’t like!”

“Thats…Okay, you’re right. I’m not much of a smiler.”

“Curtis is in love!” the kids chant for a bit while Tanya and Andrew are trying not to laugh. The teasing continues well into the night, well after they should all be asleep, but Curtis doesn’t push it. He wants to enjoy these moments while he can.

--Part 8--

Tagging @every-username-is-taken-damnit, per request.

#alpha!curtis everett #alpha!curtis everett x omega!reader #curtis everett x reader #curtis everett x tall!reader #tall reader #tall!reader #dystopia au #dystopian au

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chaosduckies · 20 days

Text

Restoration (Chapter 6)

I had no idea what to do with this chapter, but it’s going to mostly lead up to something that’s going to happen later on! So mostly a filler chapter just because why not?

Word Count: 5.1k

CW: Slight mentions of suicide, slight trigger warnings, serious overthinking

6-Nathan

A week has passed since that night. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how I just hugged him. How embarrassed I’ve felt since then. How awkward I feel when I’m near Ryker. Even though he wasn’t at all bothered by it. It hasn’t left my mind. I just feel so embarrassed by it. I mean, we barely knew each other and I just went up and gave him a makeshift hug? Not something people do on an ordinary basis. But still, I haven’t forgotten the way he gently pressed one of his fingers against my back to return the gesture. Somehow I was terrified, but also… grateful? Happy? Whatever the word for it was, it just felt nice.

I spent that entire week trying to talk to him again, but I guess the adrenaline rush was the only reason I could get those few words out to him. Of course, because I can never get anything to work out in my favor. Typical Nathan.

Well, during that week, my mom had taken off from work to be with me, since she’s apparently realized that I’ve “been in and out of it,” This entire week. Which I have, I just didn’t think she’d really notice. But of course she does, because she’s a parent and a nurse. How could she not notice?

She asked me everyday for the past five days after school how everything was going. I would always reply with a smile and say, “It’s good.” Even though in some cases I was lying. Sometimes at school I would stare off into space, not paying attention to anything anyone ever said. Or sometimes when Ryker was talking I would just cave in on myself and ask: Why am I even here? What was wrong with me? Heck, even Ryker has noticed and tried confronting me about it. He told me I didn’t have to answer, and I didn’t. Afraid that I would ruin whatever friendship we’ve made. Or if he even considers us friends. Though, I doubt that was a possibility.

I had no idea what was wrong with me. Ever since that… hug, I’ve been nothing but a mess. Was it the unbelievable act I thought I could never do again? The way I felt about it afterward? Was it the fact that I wanted to talk so bad, but I couldn’t? Mom can’t know about any of this. She’s already heartbroken enough, and I’d hate myself even more if I dropped this bombshell on her. This is why I needed my dad. Even when I was younger I was always timid and shy and I overthought plenty of things. He’d help me by saying that I should put all of those bad thoughts into a jar and throw it far, far away. But that was when I was a kid. What about now?

Mom was really worried about me. I could tell. But I was fine. I think. Probably not. Either way, she called the school counselor in hopes that whatever was going on with me would go away. I knew she hated seeing me so sad. I remember when we were still… trapped she used to try to keep my happy by playing little games, or telling me made up stories. As I grew older she tried her best to keep me from crying, trying her hardest to keep me happy. Even after dad died.

So, this was the week I had started to take counseling after school every Monday and Thursday for forty minutes a day. On top of that, she also contacted Mrs. Kay for whatever reason, and she’s told me that she wants to work with me for at least twenty minutes everyday after class. Great, right? So much for a normal life. I thought I could give it another chance and all of a sudden people are just trying to overwhelm me when I wanted to solve this mystery on my own.

It was a grueling morning. It was raining, hard. Thunder had sounded above the entire city, making me jump. Stupid right? A seventeen year old scared of thunder? I have a good reason. I think. Didn’t matter.

I groaned, forcing myself out of bed. This was going to be a long day. I already knew it. It was raining, mom was passed out on the couch, and my body felt like it was going to give up on me at any moment. And luckily that stupid little project thing was over so I could finally take my regular classes. I just hoped Mrs. Kay wouldn’t assign anything crazy again. She probably would though.

I didn’t bother eating breakfast. Just grabbing my backpack on the way out and making my way to the bus before I was late. Nothing to it. The same routine as the past month.

The school looked as gloomy as ever. Of course it did. It was Monday. The halls were filled with people talking by their class, or running down the hall like there was no tomorrow. Isn’t it too early in the morning to be doing all of that? I was barely waking up. Either way, I went by unnoticed by the crowd of people and made it to class.

I admit it felt weird not having a looming presence above me at all times. Was that a good thing? I have no idea, but it makes me kind of miss the one-sided conversations Ryker likes to start up. I miss it a lot. Even though I never talked, I loved listening. I was so weird. Before all of this mess, I wanted nothing to do with him, and here I am wishing for his company. Why couldn’t I just be normal?

The classes were the same as always. Nothing new to it. Then it was lunch. The time period in school where anything can happen. Especially with that encounter a couple weeks back… I shuddered at the thought, reaching the cafeteria. So many people. Too many people. I forgot how crowded it was being on this side.

Searching for the table I sat at before I had met anyone, I found that it was taken by a group of girls. Nope. Not getting that back. Especially since I know that no one would willingly sit in the far corner. I sighed, searching for a table that was open, and not finding any. Could I just sit with Ryker again? I asked myself. It would be nice, but I don’t think he wants to see me. At least not until last period. I wouldn’t want to be bothered by me either if I were him.

“Boo.” I jumped, catching my breath while Lucky was laughing so hard he starting coughing. I was not expecting that at all. I thought he would just forget about me. Especially since the “project” was over. I just thought I was another name to be remembered once they all graduate.

“Sorry, sorry, but you’re so easy to scare,” He chuckles, “Wanna come sit with us?”

It takes my mind a while to process what just happened, “Wh-who’s ‘us?’”

“Just Ryker and me. Dylan had a basketball game so I’m all alone.” Lucky shrugged casually. Did I want to sit with them? Yes. Of course I do. I was just afraid I might zone out like I have been for the past week. What if I get scared again? What would happen then? They would all drop me and I’d be all alone again…

I was about to shake my head before Lucky grabbed my wrist and guided us through the cafeteria to where Ryker always sits. Away from everyone else… I gulped, seeing him stare bored at whatever was playing on his phone. This was a bad idea. Who told me I could even do this? No one. Lucky just dragged me here. And there was a tiny feeling of gratefulness that he did.

Lucky guided me into the elevator with him. It was silent on the way up, and I couldn’t help but notice the way Lucky looked at me like he was worried. Was it because I kept fidgeting with my hands? Was it because I couldn't look straight ahead? Or was it because he’s noticed something was wrong with me just like everyone else has? Probably the last one.

“Why do… you look nervous?” Lucky had asked before the elevator made that same ding sound it always does. I didn’t take a step forward, and neither did Lucky. Nervous? I have no idea.

“I-um… I don’t know.” I let out a sad chuckle, trying my best to give a genuine smile. Lucky gave a skeptical look, “If I promise not to tell will you tell me?”

Do I trust that? I do. I really, really do. I had no reason not to trust Lucky. Even if I didn’t know what I was so nervous about. I don’t get why everyone was so concerned either! I was a nobody. Just another person trying his hardest to live an impossible normal life. Maybe I should have stayed at the hospital…

“I really don’t know though.” I muttered, looking down at the ground. Lucky gave another skeptical look before guiding me out of the elevator. I still almost ended up tripping over my own two feet per usual. What was going on with me lately?

“Hey Ry.” Lucky greeted, smiling and heading over to watch whatever Ryker was watching on his phone like it was nothing. What was I supposed to do now? I can’t… What? My thoughts were a jumbled up mess. I don’t even know what I was thinking at this point. Does Ryker even want me here? No, no he doesn’t. He’s tired of me. I already know it. Everyone gets tired of me eventually. I’m either “Impossible to deal with,” or, “Not worth the time.” A messed up system, right?

“Hey,” He sighed, his eyes wandering towards me and flashing a soft smile, “Hi, Nathan.”

I didn’t know what to do. Was he acting? It didn’t really seem like it. He also didn’t seem like the kind of person to act in a situation like this. Still, there was no telling. Maybe he just didn’t want to break the news to me like this? Yeah. Most likely.

I raised a shaky hand, giving a wave and a nervous smile in hopes that Ryker wouldn’t catch on. He didn’t, but that didn’t stop him from giving a confused expression as if he was trying to put together a puzzle. Hah. As if you could solve my puzzle. I’ve lost so many pieces it’s practically impossible. I’ve tried to solve it myself many times and failed miserably.

Ryker dragged his attention back to the movie on his phone, looking bored. What was I supposed to do now? We used to watch that hilarious cop show, but I think he only put it on to keep me from being bored and bothering him at this point. Was it all an act? Did he just play along with whatever happened? He didn’t hug me back because he wanted to? He forced himself to do all of those things just so he wouldn’t be bothered? Was I tricked again?

I’m overthinking.

One step at a time. I said I wanted to give life one more chance, so that’s what I’m going to do. Even if this was all some kind of sick act. Even if I get hurt. I sucked in a deep breath, and sat next to Lucky, watching the events on the theater-sized screen in front of me. Usually I sat further back, but I was afraid of being alone at the moment.

Even though I was scared out of my mind, there was also some other kind of feeling lingering in the back of my mind. I felt comfortable. Surprisingly after everything that’s been going on inside my head. I was too used to being around Ryker. That doesn’t mean I was comfortable being around any giant though. I had nearly an entire month of forced contact with him. Of course I’d be more lenient towards him. Especially after he’s made no move in those past four months to imprison me and keep me as some kind of pet or entertainment.

“Bell’s gonna ring.” Ryker grabbed his phone from in front of us, stuffing it back into his pocket and holding his hand palm-up. Why though? We can just take the elevat-

Lucky quickly pulled his backpack on and climbed on, waiting for me to follow. I guess I didn’t have any other choice. Lucky helped me on, and we both managed to fall over on top of each other somehow. Lucky laughed while I hurried to get up, muttering quiet apologies to him.

“It’s nothing. It happens with Angela all the time.” Lucky smiled. Ryker cupped his hand a bit and started walking towards the doors to get out of the cafeteria. Just in time too, because the bell rang and everyone was now rushing to get to class all of a sudden. I stopped looking back, afraid that the panic attack I’ve been fighting back for the past month would suddenly resurface. Nope. Everything will be okay. I think. Hopefully.

Ryker crouched down at the part of the hallway that leads back to the human side of the school, letting us down. He barely even talked to me. In fact, the only time he was even talking to either Lucky and I was when we arrived at the table. Was he okay? I couldn’t tell anymore. I just hope that I’m not the cause.

———Ryker———

Today was not a good day. For more than one reason. One reason being that I had work afterschool today. Another being that I woke up late today due to staying up until about two in the morning because I needed to finish cleaning. And my third reason was the fact that I’m ninety nine percent sure I messed everything up with Nathan.

In the last week of that “project” I noted that Nathan didn’t really seem to be… himself? Of course I barely knew him and he could have something going on at home, but something just felt off. Maybe it was just that one tiny moment that Friday? Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to hug him back? Did I do or say something wrong to upset him? It didn’t really make sense in my head. I thought everything was going good. So why all of a sudden did he seem timid and nervous around me?

It was that entire week. I asked him if he was okay and if he wanted to talk about it. Nathan just shook his head and gave the best makeshift smile he could manage. I knew something was wrong and that it had something to do with me. And today proved it. It seemed like we were back at step one.

Was Nathan okay? I remember asking one time and receiving a shake of his head, but I never once thought if he did it just to answer or if he really meant it. I guess I have my answer now. I don’t know why I was so worried honestly. Maybe because in my brain I pretty much consider Nathan and I friends? I have zero idea if he thinks the same, but I hoped so.

I forced myself through these next grueling classes, waiting for last period. I hadn’t talked to Nathan at lunch because it really didn’t seem like he was up for it at the time. I don’t want to overstep his boundaries either. What if he just wants to be left alone? I have no idea what was going on in his mind as I’ve said before, so that could be a possibility?

Mrs. Kay had nothing being projected on the board today, which meant it was either a free day or it was some kind of lecture on relationships between human and giants. Something that this world apparently is so focused on. I guess that’s a good thing though.

After a couple minutes of waiting, I heard the faint ding noise that comes from the elevator and watched as Nathan stumbled out, figuring out a way to trip once again. I’ve wondered for a while why he had always found a way to trip over thin air, but I could never figure it out. Maybe he was just clumsy? It would make sense, but that can’t be the only reason, right? Still, every time he fell my hand twitched to try and help, but I already knew that would tumble everything downhill. Especially now.

Mrs. Kay had announced that today was a free day since she still had to put in some grades. Would it be overstepping if I asked if Nathan was okay again? Maybe to him, but I was already feeling guilty for being the cause of why he seems so upset.

“Are you finally glad that you don’t have to be carried around by me anymore?” I nervously laughed, hoping for him to answer. Just build up. That was the way to do this.

Nathan turned around, thinking about the question before rotating his hand sideways. Kind of? Honestly, that was expected because even Lucky gets tired of being carried around everywhere. Speaking of… Lucky told me something about Nathan making brownies? I’m pretty sure that was on Friday, I just don’t know when he did. But Lucky and Angela absolutely loved them. And Angela had showed me a new stuffed animal that Nathan had bought for her too. In return, she drew a picture of Nathan with some of her crayons and my heart practically melted.

“Oh, um, Angela has a gift for you. Y’know… for the stuffed animal you bought her?” I smiled. I think it was sweet. I don’t know why he thought he needed gifts though, everyone already thought he was nice already. I guess he just wanted to make sure that no one thought bad of him?

Nathan’s eyes widened and pointed to himself with an unsure look. Was he confused why? I don’t even know why either. I shrugged my shoulders. Nathan brought his knees up to his chest and stared at the ground, deep in thought. Did I do something wrong again? I guess now would be the time to bring up the topic.

“I know you’re probably not going to answer me, and that’s okay! But, do you wanna talk about something? You just don’t… look okay.” I bit the side of my cheek in hopes that he’ll give me some kind of a response. He probably thinks I’m annoying at this point. Even I think I am at this point. This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have even asked.

Nathan shook his head, putting on a makeshift smile. He was lying. But, if he doesn’t want to talk to me then I won’t force him to. There was nothing I could do. Although, I’m sure a teacher or even his parents would have noticed this. If they haven’t already, then it would be soon. Most likely they’ll just get a therapist or he’ll eventually tell someone about whatever was going through his mind.

The rest of the time was spent asking him how his weekend was. How it felt to be back on his schedule. You know, questions to keep his mind off of things. I think it was working. At least for a little before the last bell of the day rang. I gave a two fingered wave to Nathan, receiving a shaky one back and left the room. I still felt bad.

———Nathan———

Remember when I said today was going to be a bad day? I wasn’t kidding. The one-sided conversation with Ryker helped get rid of the uneasiness of going to the counselors office. But as soon as the final bell rang it all came flooding back. Last period wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Not bad at all. Not until that loud bell rang, and the entire classroom rushed to get out.

On my way down the hallway to the counselor’s office, I couldn’t stop thinking about what could possibly go wrong. They might give up on me too. They might tell me to just go home. Or they might send me back to the mental hospital. I mean, it’s not that bad of a place when you don’t have any friends waiting for you, but there were some things that I hated. No contact with the outside world, they make you take these dumb classes to help “calm the mind.” Like yoga or where you would pass a foam ball around and tell everyone your name and what you were there for. I never, ever took part in that exercise.

Sucking in a deep breath, I knocked quietly on the door that read, “Counsellor Office. Mr. Smith” I didn’t exactly know how these kinds of things worked. All I knew is that no one liked them.

“You must be Nathan! Please take a seat. Anywhere is fine.” Mr Smith was a tall man. He look about in his late thirties early forties, but he looked so friendly and calm. His voice was trusting and soft as well. I can’t wait till he starts talking behind my back about how impossible I was.

His office was like any other office I’ve been in. Other than the two different colored bean bags that sat in the corner by a small book case that had a tiny tv above it with movies on the side. This room was nothing like any therapist room I’ve been in. Usually they’re cold and only have a singular couch with magazines about eating healthy and being mentally healthy. Not that those ever helped me.

I decided to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk, fidgeting with my hands the entire time. Mr. Smith walked over to his own chair, taking out a notebook and gave another soft smile.

“Nervous? Most students are when they walk in here,” He chuckled, grabbing a pen, “Do you mind telling me your name and how old you are?” I thought he knew that already.

I opened my mouth to speak, “N-Nathan… I’m seventeen.” Curse the stuttering. Today was already hard enough, why does everything go downhill after I feel good about something?

“Nice to meet you, Nathan. I’m Garrett Smith, thirty-seven years old, and I have a PhD in psychology.” PhD? Then why is he working as a school counsellor? He could be an actual therapist and won’t have to deal with so many kids. This guy was confusing, but I feel somewhat comfortable around him. Even though we met barely three minutes ago.

“Now, your mom was worried about you. She says that you seem to be having more nightmares lately. That you seem more tired and sad lately. Would you wan to start there or talk about something else bothering you?” He asked, waiting patiently for my answer. My heart was racing. What was I supposed to answer? I didn’t even know at this point. I haven’t taken therapy for a couple months now, and usually they started with talking about the excruciating events that had happened while we were kidnapped. Instead, Mr. Smith just wants to start with this? Why was that?

“S-sure.” I nearly squeaked. I never did good at any sort of therapy. I was always too nervous. And then they’d pressure me to answer when I couldn’t. I was afraid that he might do the same.

“Alrighty then,” He tapped his pen on the notebook, “Would you mind telling me when you started feeling this way?”

“Last weekend? I th-think.” I started silently tapping my foot on the carpeted ground. Just another thing I do when I was nervous. Mr. Smith didn’t seem to mind or notice.

“Hm. Did anything… happen around that time?” He wrote something down and I had no idea what it was. Was it bad? Was it good? Did I somehow say too much to get me placed back into the hospital? Please say no. I don’t want to go back there with a bunch of screaming kids throwing the plastic chairs while I was just trying to make some cookies.

“U-um, just this project thing for Mrs. Kay.”

“The project where you spent two weeks with a giant in school?” He asked, his face full of curiosity. I nodded my head, playing with my hands again. I’m pretty sure he wrote that down.

“May I ask who your partner was then?” Oh. Not a question I was too prepared for. I slightly turned to the door, the window peaking inside covered by a piece of cloth. Did it really matter who my partner was? I don’t think it did honestly.

“Ryker…” His eyebrows shot up in shock as he chuckled lightly, “Ryker Stone?” I nodded. I’m pretty sure that was his last name. How did he know who he was though? There was no way he could know all eight hundred people in this school. That seem a bit over-the-top.

“From my understanding, you went to his house last Friday and something happened over there?” I nodded. I shouldn’t have hugged him. I shouldn’t have hugged him. I shouldn’t have-

“Was it bad thing?” His eyebrows were scrunched up like he already knew what my answer was going to be. Nothing bad happened. It’s just that my thoughts like taking over me sometimes. A lot of times. I make a good situation and turn it into a bad one. I shook my head at his question.

Mr. Smith laughed, “That’s Ryker for you. Not a dull moment with him.” He said it like he knew him personally… maybe he did? I mean he is the counsellor. I just didn’t think he worked with giants as well. So if he knew Ryker… does that mean Ryker knew him? Of course that’s what that meant.

“Back on topic though, I did some looking around on you. I found some… interesting things, but also a record from past therapists. All different notes on you, except for one. That you’re known to overthink situations. Do you think that’s why you’ve been so upset lately? You have a thought on your head from the event that happened?” He wasn’t going to ask what happened? I mean, thank goodness because I don’t think I could answer, but he really wasn’t going to ask me? This guy has a weird way of getting people to open up, but it’s working. It’s working amazingly.

I nodded my head. Ryker doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. I couldn’t stop thinking about this. I knew it was true. I messed everything up that Friday night ruined things between us. The worst part is that I was actually warming up to him. He really did feel like friend even though I was deadly afraid.

“Do you mind telling me what’s been on your mind? It’s alright if you can’t.” He asked softly, already knowing that this might be hard for me. It is. It really, really is. I didn’t want to lose the only friend I’ll ever make in my entire life. Even before I was kidnapped, all of the other kids didn’t bother talking to the shy, timid kid who sat alone by himself at lunch and never had a friend to play with on the playground during school.

Now I was in high school where people still look at me the same way. I didn’t want to lose someone who was so nice to me. Who actually takes the time to talk and hang out with me. Is that what’s wrong with me? I didn’t want to see someone I care about leave me?

That stupid cage had ruined me.

“I-I don’t think Ryker w-w-wants to be around me,” Tears stung my eyes, and I tried my best to blink them away while sucking in a deep breath, “I-I like to think we’re f-friends… but I d-did something stupid and now that this project is over I think he’s just done with me.” A couple tears fell down my face. I wiped them with the back of my sleeve, looking down at the ground. I really didn’t want to lose the one potential friend I’ve made in my entire life.

The room was quiet except when I heard Mr. Smith pass the box of tissues my way, showing a sympathetic face, “You don’t want to lose a friend?” I shook my head, calming myself down before I make this even more embarrassing for myself. I haven’t cried for a while. It felt good for some reason. Too bad I wasn’t going to let it go any further than a couple tears.

“And what if Ryker still wants to be friends? What would you think then?”

That he’ll eventually grow tired of me like everyone else. That it’s only short lived. He’ll eventually forget about me.

“I’d be grateful… but I doubt he’d remember me after graduation.” I sadly answered. Mr. Smith wrote something down, ripping out the page he was writing on and handing me the paper. I grabbed it with shaky hands, looking over the paper. My name, age, things I’ve done while sitting in his office, and some squiggly lines. He didn’t write down questions? No notes on what he should do next?

“I don’t like writing down the questions I ask. I think people would prefer to keep them said and not on paper,” He chuckled, “And as for your tiny piece of advice, you and Ryker aren’t so different, and I doubt he thinks ill of you.” That was it? No other questions? He wasn’t going to pry me open? He wasn’t going to force me to spill my guts to people who didn’t want waste their time anyways? No words could describe how confused and happy I was at the same time.

“Th-that’s it?” I muttered, trying to figure out if he was playing a trick on me or not, but he nodded his head and opened the door for me. I grabbed my backpack, stuffing the sheet of notebook paper in it and walked out of the door.

“Thank you.” I mumbled.

Mr. Smith smiled, “Come anytime you want to talk. Just remember after school on Thursday, okay?” I nodded, thinking hard about how Mr. Smith believes, in all honesty, that Ryker won’t just leave me. He could be right. I just have to trust in his word.

—————————————————————-

Yup. Nathan’s afraid that Ryker will leave him now that their little project is over. I wonder what happens next?

I don’t know how I feel about this chapter. I like and I don’t at the same time. We’ll see. Thank you for reading! Love you guys ❤️

#G/t #g/t writing #g/t community #sfw g/t #giant/tiny #G/t angst #restoration #Oc: Nathan #oc: ryker #Nathan just wants a friend🥺#Yeah i didn’t know what to do #Next chapter will def have something tho #I kind of liked how this one came out???#nvm I don’t #Thanks for the support!

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allthewriteplaces · 6 months

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Magnolia In May - Chapter One

Hello, everyone! I have been working since May to create this fanfiction and now, I am here to share it with you all! 🤍 That being said, thank you for being so patient with me while I try and pluck up my courage and get over writer's block to post this.

My story takes place in between seasons 5 and 6, with a few changes here and there because yes.

Story summary: Jessie Bennet lives in the English countryside with her uncle, her aunt and her five cousins. But one day in May, an unexpected visitor shows up on her doorstep, one who's about to change the course of her life forever.

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 4551

Chapter One

I first met Thomas Shelby a year ago. It was a supposedly ordinary day in early May, the time of year when spring made its debut in the form of warm, flowery breezes, budding leaves on the treetops and scattered rain showers throughout. The days were getting longer, the nights were slowly shrinking back away, and the sun was starting to make more of an appearance, a rare sight in England, considering it was under a seemingly near constant cover of clouds. Even in the winter, it always seemed to be cloudy. Cold enough to snow, but I hadn’t seen snow on the ground since I was small.

Because of the sunshine streaming into our bedrooms, me and the rest of my family had risen earlier than usual to get a head start on the daily chores.

Everyone had a job to do and we ran on a tight schedule, like a crew on the Navy ships, especially on the Holy days, when the main goal was to get everyone ready and out the door in time for Sunday Service. Today was Saturday, and while I would have been more than happy to spend a few more hours in bed, there was plenty of work to be done around the cottage.

I had spent the better part of my life here. Just before my parents died, my mother took my hands in her cold, clammy ones, I looked into her greying eyes as the hazy film began to cloud over them, and she told me I was going to live with my Uncle Albert, my Aunt Elizabeth, whom everyone else called her ‘Eliza,’ and my two older cousins, Sarah and David, in Warwickshire, the heart of the English countryside.

She said the cottage was surrounded by miles and miles of tall fruit trees, rolling hills and lush green fields and a lake nearby. She promised that it would be my sanctuary, my own paradise, somewhere I can let all of my troubles go.

Of course when I got there that cool, autumn morning, I was intrigued by the beauty of it all. The main road ran through orchards, past rivers and lakes, and continued onto the next town. Now and then, there were the occasional settlements where our neighbours lived and I could see the fires at night or could hear the lively music. I automatically sensed that this was where people came to get away from the stress of city life.

Aunt Eliza, that’s what I called her, had already had her fair share of stress, her first husband died from something called consumption, leaving her with my older cousins to raise by herself on a maid’s salary. She was a pretty and sensitive woman, but though I wouldn’t call her a fighter, she was strong in her own way.

She had this natural-born ability to put anyone at ease just by being in the same room as they were. That first night at the new place, when my homesickness was at its absolute worst, she let me sleep in the big bed with her so I would feel safe, saying. “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.”

Eliza came from a big family and had been raised Protestant by her parents in Glasgow, but after she met Uncle Theo, her first husband, she had sacrificed everything they knew and loved, to give their six kids, including my mother, a better life. My best memories of them were when my mother and I drove all the way across the Highlands to visit them during summer holidays and at Christmastime.

Uncle Albert came into the picture shortly after Sarah got married and set off on her own path. The only trouble was, he was Catholic. The battle between Catholics and Protestants was rooted in history, and I wasn’t sure the reason, but it didn’t stop Eliza from falling in love with him. Like Romeo and Juliet, they went against their parent’s wishes and married in secret in a beautiful chapel. After which she eventually converted to catholicism.

Tension was high in the family once my grandparents found out about the marriage, it was common for disputes to start, sometimes from the smallest thing, and during those arguments, which seem so petty now, I would be sent to my room to play and asked that I play as loud as I could so I wouldn’t hear the fighting.

Eventually, I had enough and actually ran away from home. It was stupid, really, I shouldn’t have done it, but I just couldn’t stand it. It was Uncle Albert who found me, soaked to the skin and sick as a dog from being out in the rain for so long.

The only good thing about it, was that for once, they weren’t shouting at each other, they were all hovering over me and my grandfather was calling for a doctor. Me running away seemed to snap them out of it, if only for just a few minutes, I still remember opening my teary eyes and saying, “Why doesn’t anyone love each other anymore?”

That was when it hit them, just how much this was impacting me, a small child of ten years old, who was somehow trapped in the middle of this feud that had nothing whatsoever to do with me, and doing whatever it took in an attempt to stop it.

Tears were shed and everyone embraced each other. A truce was formed that day. No more yelling, no more shouting. And to this day, we still see each other around the holidays.

It was nearly six o’clock when I rolled over in bed, roused by the sunlight streaming in through the thin veil of curtains covering my bedroom window. The sky had taken on glorious shades of pink, orange and violet, casting shadows on the canopy and on the striped walls. I didn’t want to move from that spot, I wanted to stay in bed where it was nice and comfortable, but the second I heard three-month-old Violet, the baby of the family, babbling in her crib, I lifted the sheets back and rolled out, making sure the sheets were tucked in and there weren’t any wrinkles as I tucked the corners of them into the mattress.

Making my way out of my room, shutting the door tightly behind me, her little voice carried through the hallway. She wasn’t in distress or anything, she was only talking to herself. When I stepped into her room and peeked into her crib, she was laying flat on her back, eyes wide open and a bright smile on her face.

“Someone's wide awake, eh?” I said and her smile brightened.

Look, I know I wasn’t supposed to have a favourite cousin, but from the moment I had watched her enter the world -- it was the first time I’d seen a baby be born, ever, so it was all brand new to me, I felt this strong connection to her, and this overwhelming sense of responsibility to protect her from any sort of harm that might come to her.

Reaching down into the crib, I picked her up with both hands and held her against my chest, ensuring her head and neck were supported, seeing as how she wasn’t quite strong enough to hold her head up on her own just yet.

“Mama says we need to find your pink cardigan to wear. I believe I put it in the closet after bringing it inside, but I’m not sure.” I added in a calm, soothing voice as she yawned and nuzzled her head against my chest. I bounced her lightly on my hip and went over to the dresser, opening the middle drawer and pulling out her fuzzy pink cardigan as well as a new nappy.

“Jessie!” I turned to the doorway and saw Alice standing there with her hands on her hips. She looked so much like my aunt when she did that it wasn't funny. “Marie stole my hair ribbon again!”

“Did not!” Marie yelled, stomping her foot.

“Did, too!” Her sister yelled back. “You take them all the time!”

“Not this time!” Marie shook her head. She was on the verge of tears.

“Surrender now or suffer the consequences!!” Suddenly, the door burst open and Henry, who'd just turned six, started running around the room, followed by his twin brother, William. Both of them were still wearing their nightshirts, their hair was still spiky and stuck up in odd places, and as they chased one another around the room, they brandished wooden swords.

Like most boys their age, they were always running around the house with their toy cars, trucks and planes, or roughhousing with each other. Roughhousing wasn’t allowed indoors and there were strict rules, set by my uncle, as to how far they could go before they would be told to end the game to prevent anyone from getting hurt. Their sisters were always welcome to join in the fun, and sometimes they did if the game they were playing was interesting enough for them, but most of the time it was just the two of them, conjuring mischief.

“No! I won fair and square,” William argued, folding his arms across his chest, his voice raising in volume. He had a loud voice for a six-year-old and he knew exactly how to use it when he thought it was necessary.

“No! I won!” Henry insisted. “Admit it, you cheated!”

“I didn’t cheat, you did, you mongrel!”

“I’m not a mongrel, you are!”

“Mongel!” Marie repeated, pointing to Henry, then to William, then to Alice.

“Stop saying bad words!” Alice gasped. “I’ll tell Mama!”

“Oi! What did I say about calling your brother names?” I said.

“He started it!” said Henry, pointing a finger at William.

“And where did you hear such foul language?”

“Timmy Munson,” he replied, twirling the wooden sword in his other hand.

“Yeah,” said William. “He called his brother, Davy, that word last Sunday on the way back from Church. Then he wrestled him to the ground and got all muddy and dirty. His parents didn’t even bat an eye. They were too busy ”

That explains it.

Timmy Munson was nearly sixteen and was referred to as the ‘leader of the pack.’ or the town’s trouble maker by the adults around him. He swore, he smoked, he stole his father’s liquor and teased the girls at church something terrible, with the parents seemingly oblivious to what was going on, or decidedly ignoring his rebellious behaviour, hence why neither Henry, nor William were allowed to play with Timmy, and the girls weren’t allowed to speak to him.

My aunt and uncle thought he was a bad influence and they were right. There were rumours that he was dating Misty Bradford, Father Bradford’s daughter. At Church, we called all the leaders ‘Father.’ His daughter, Misty, was fifteen, not quite old enough to start dating yet, but Alice once told me that she heard her say that he was handsome, but also, that he was the sort of boy that would date you for five minutes and then as soon as a prettier girl would come along, he would leave you without a second thought.

On the other hand, I was glad that Misty was a sensible girl who wouldn’t fall to the temptations of the neighbourhood scoundrel, but on the other hand, I wondered if the reason why Timmy acted out was because it was the only way he got his parents’ attention. Maybe that was just my instincts kicking in, but if that was the case, I would certainly feel terrible for the poor lad. Even still, I wanted to discourage the boys from picking up such nasty habits and words.

“Right, well, just because Timmy Munson says something or does something, doesn’t mean you should, eh?” I said, gently placing my hands on William’s shoulders and looking him square in the eyes. He met my gaze unflinchingly, which told me he was really listening to what I was saying to him. “Don’t try to be someone you’re not just to fit in. You are a sweet and caring young man, and we need more caring men in this world nowadays.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Really.” I nodded my head in confirmation. “Besides, girls love boys who are sweet, kind and caring and who get along with their brothers and sisters. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

He nodded and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I say, let’s call it a tie, then.”

William shrugged his shoulders microscopically. “Sounds fair,”

“Now shake hands. Like the good sports you are.”

They shook hands, laughing to themselves, signalling a truce.

“GAAAAAAH!” Violet shrieked near my ear, kicking her feet and looking at her brothers as I delicately pulled her arms through the sleeves of her nightgown, putting it in a basket so I could take it to the laundry tub and wash it later on.

I wasn’t sure if she was telling them to stop, or if she was taking a side in the disagreement. I placed her down on the bed along with her new clothes. Hearing her little shriek, both of the boys climbed up on the bed next to her. Henry nuzzled her tummy with his nose and William tickled her with his finger, making silly faces and noises. Her eyes crinkled and I could see the giggles bubbling up inside her, like the lava bubbling up inside a volcano and after a few seconds, she exploded into shrieks of laughter.

“Anyone puts a tear in your eye,” Henry vowed, “will live to regret it.”

“Yeah,” William agreed. “We’ll protect you. Like good big brothers.”

Good, I thought, That’s one problem solved.

Small disagreements were common among the four of them, and it was nothing I couldn’t handle, but it was too early for them to start bickering, and for some reason, I could feel this tension in the house, like something was about to happen, and they must have felt it, too, because normally, they were all well-behaved.

“Right, Marie, I’m going to ask you once. Did you take Alice’s hair ribbon?”

“No,” she answered, looking me straight in the eyes, which told me she was telling me the truth and that this time she was innocent. She had a habit of taking her sister’s hair ribbons when hers got lost, it was something that started a little

“Are you sure?” She nodded affirmatively and I addressed Alice. “Alice, Marie says she didn’t take the ribbon, are you sure it’s not in your room? Perhaps it fell out while you were sleeping. See if it’s in your bed.”

“Okay,” Alice said slowly and then quickly ran back to her room with Marie running after her. Soon, both of the girls returned, both wearing relieved expressions on their faces, though Alice appeared to be a tad more embarrassed than her sister. She glanced down at the ground, a tad embarrassed and then she met Marie’s eyes. “I’m sorry I accused you. I just thought that maybe since you steal my ribbons all the time that you stole this one.”

“It’s okay,” the younger one replied, accepting her sister’s apology and embracing her. Internally, I sighed in relief. Like I said, small disagreements were common, but nonetheless, I was glad that it was over and we could all continue on with our day as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, all of you go into your rooms while I finish getting the baby ready and then I will be in shortly,” I declared and the boys slid off the bed, bringing their toy swords with them. The girls followed suit, going into their own room. I turned to Violet, who was recovering from giggling so much. “Never a dull moment, eh, sweetheart?”

Trust me, making sure all of my younger cousins were dressed in clean clothes and had their hair combed before breakfast, was a lot easier said than done.

She babbled on while I dressed her and I sang an upbeat song. It didn’t take much to keep her entertained and knowing how to keep her engaged made it easier for me to wash and dress her. After a moment, I managed to slip the cardigan on, then taking her in my arms again, I brought her down to the dining-room where Albert was reading the paper.

“Isn’t it a little early for that, Uncle?” I asked.

“It’s five o’clock somewhere, love,” he replied, setting his gin down and then taking the baby in his arms, lifting her into the air and bringing her down again, kissing her cheeks. “There’s my little princess.”

“You are not to drink that around the baby,” my aunt said, coming into the room and taking away the glass before turning to me. “Glad to see you’re wide awake, darling. How’re the children, they’re not giving you a hard time, are they?”

“Nah. We had a tiny dispute with a ribbon and swords, but it’s all sorted.”

“Jessie, what would we do without you?” she patted my cheek and then stepped back into the kitchen.

Smiling and with one child ready, I went to check on Alice and Marie. Alice was the oldest at seven years old and fancied herself to be quite grown up in comparison to her siblings. She was an exact replica of her mother -- curly red hair, green eyes and freckles dotting her cheeks and loved helping me with the chores like laundry, making the beds, and occasionally cooking.

She sat patiently on the chair in front of the mirror and her eyes met mine in the glass as the soft bristles of the brush swept across her hair. Adding a little bit of water to the brush helped to smooth out any tangles and maintain her pretty locks.

Marie handed me the red ribbons while I braided Alice's hair in two even plaits down her back. However, when it was her turn, she wasn't as eager to be in the same room as me. In seconds, she'd already darted down the hall.

“Come along, Marie.”

“No! I don’t want to!” She shouted in protest and sat down in the middle of the floor, kicking her legs as I approached her. This was typical three-year-old behaviour, according to my friends who were already married and mother's, and these days, Marie had resorted to these sorts of tactics whenever things weren't going her way.

Discipline wasn't exactly my forte. I tended to prefer negotiating or compromising rather than escalating the conflicts further by scolding. More often than not, it worked, but perhaps today the odds weren't in my favour.

Without saying a word, I sat down on the ground, not engaging in conversation or looking at her until she stopped kicking. She laid on her stomach, her whole body now limp on the hardwood floor.

“Now, Marie, is this the way young ladies behave?” I asked her, keeping my tone firm yet gentle. I was compelled to rub her back and soothe her, but coddling her and talking to her as if she were a baby would only encourage the tantrums or make them worse. “You don’t see your sister acting like that, do you?”

She didn't answer me, but not because she was ignoring my question, but because she was considering the way she'd handled the issue. A few moments later, I tried again, hoping to get to the bottom of this.

“Do you want to tell me why you don't want your hair brushed?”

“It will hurt.” I heard her sad, muffled voice reply.

“Not if I use the soft brush,” I promised, then added, “what if I let you do it yourself like a big girl?”

That seemed to draw her attention and she sat up and nodded.

“You can wear red ribbons, too!” Alice added, doing her best to be helpful.

“Yay!” She stood, taking my hand and soon enough, we were back in the girls' room, showing Marie how to brush her own hair. Then I braided it for her and put the ribbons in. At the same time, the boys came in, dressed and with their hair combed.

“Well then, now that we're all dressed, shall we go down to breakfast?”

“Yes,” they all answered unanimously and I led the procession downstairs.

This time, it was the boys' turn to go to the henhouse to collect the eggs.

They stepped into the hallway, slipping on their jackets and boots and followed Albert out the back door. The hens could sometimes be unpredictable and that would frighten the boys so he would always supervise.

In the meantime, I would go to help my aunt prepare the biscuits and wash the strawberries and the girls would be in charge of setting the table. Alice carried in the forks and knives, while Marie was entrusted to carry in the napkins.

“Well done!” I said once I stepped in to check the progress. Both girls smiled proudly at their accomplishment and they grinned at the praise. When we all worked together as a unit, things ran smoothly.

Moments later, we all sat down at the table and held hands, bowing our heads low and closing our eyes as Albert led us in prayer, as was the tradition at family mealtimes. “Bless us, Lord of all Creation, and be with us as we share this meal. We thank you for our food and ask your blessing on those who prepared it. We thank you for the gift of our family. Amen.”

Even little Violet knew what to do, well, in her own little way, of course. She sat in her chair and raised her hands up high, clapping them and uttering an exclamation of joy. For what was supposed to be a serious moment, she sure knew how to lighten things up.

Topics of conversation usually involved upcoming and current events, anything Albert could gather from the paper, and plans for the day. I knew that I needed to do a bit more washing today and we needed to check on the chickens.

“Due to a close call with a fox last night, we need to go out in the backyard to check on the coop. I suspect some of the wiring has been messed with and so we might need to replace it. That will be our task today, boys,” he said, and then glanced at William and Henry, who nodded.

“Is the fox okay?” asked Marie, whose main concern didn’t necessarily match all the others’ who were more relieved that the fox hadn’t managed to carry off one of our hens. She was a very sensitive child and loved all animals, including those that some might consider pests.

Foxes were among the ones she cared about the most.

A few months ago, she heard one crying not far from the house and found that it was caught in a trap. She was distressed, tears streaming down her cheeks and breathing so fast, I thought she might faint.

“Please,” she said, hands folded together, begging. “We have to save it!”

“It would make a lovely coat,” William joked, but Marie didn’t find his attempt to lighten the mood the least bit funny. In fact, she was this close to smacking him across the face, and the Good Lord knows that she probably would have had my aunt not been present.

“They’re God’s creatures, too,” she said passionately, appalled by the injustice she was seeing before her and by the fact that her older brother, although he meant no harm by the statement, was mocking the poor thing. “Daddy, please, we have to save it before it’s too late.”

Fortunately, using a few tools from the garden shed, Albert managed to free the fox, but its leg was badly wounded. That is where my aunt came in.

She knew exactly what to do when it came to nursing wounded and baby animals back to health. She grabbed some gauze from the First Aid kit, placed it over the wound, and wrapped a bandage around the leg.

Of course it would be too dangerous to release it until it was all better, so it was agreed that the critter would stay for a couple of weeks. It was nice having her around. We called her Pumpkin, because of the orange colour of her fur and because we’d found her in the autumn, so it made sense her namesake would match the season.

Let’s just say it was hard for us to let her go, especially for Marie.

Now we sat at the table and part of me suspected that Marie hoped we would get another chance to look after a fox. Albert set down his knife and fork and nodded. “It looked as though he’d managed to free himself just in the nick of time, so yes, I would say he is perfectly fine.”

“And he will continue to be fine. As long as the little rascal doesn’t get into the coop again,” my aunt added with a light-hearted smile. “Right then…”

Just then, the telephone in the living room rang.

“Alice, could you go get that, sweetheart?”

“Yes, Mama,” she got out of her chair, walking past Violet, who had now amused herself by looking down at her toes, and picked it up on the second ring, a second later, she called out, “It’s for you, Papa!”

“Who on Earth could be calling at this hour?” she asked, confused as he cleared his throat, setting down his napkin and then taking the phone from Alice.

He spoke in a low voice, so it was impossible for any of us to hear anything, but we all remained silent and still, that is until he came back into the dining-room, looked at my aunt and then nodded, as though conveying some sort of secret message.

“Help me clear the table, children,” was all she said and the younger ones did as they were told. There was that tension in the air again. It was even more palpable this time as she hurriedly turned on the tap and added soap to the mix. I immediately stood from the table and helped her scrub the plates and utensils clean.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. Behind me, the children continued to bring the glasses over. The only one who seemed oblivious to what was going on, was Violet, who was smashing her fists quite aggressively against the tray of her chair and shrieking loudly, in an attempt to get someone’s attention.

“I am expecting someone important,” Albert said, while my aunt immediately opened the cabinet for a bottle of gin. Before I could utter another word, he waved a hand towards the staircase in a dismissive and almost urgent sort of way. “Go upstairs and play in the Nursery. Neither of you are allowed to come downstairs until your mama and I say so. Understand?”

“Yes, Papa,” the children said softly.

“Who is coming over?” Henry inquired.

“Is it someone from work?” added Marie.

“Maybe it’s Grandpa and Granny,” said Alice excitedly.

“Off you go,” he said.

Without questioning him, I nodded and took the kids upstairs to the nursery, shutting the door tightly behind me.

~ To Be Continued ~

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x oc #cillian murphy #cillian murphy x oc

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