#when i said i wanted to cook him like an egg i meant it affectionately

[starry-sylv]

BOO TOMATO TOMATO /j

[barcalover86]

j a day with gavi being clingy going to grocery stores, shopping cooking all that stuff

Bebé-Pablo Gavi

Masterlist

You were living in different countries so when you came to Barcelona to surprise your boyfriend, he was the happiest. He didn't expect to see you at the time because after 3 days he had to go to the national team in Madrid.

Now it was your last day together and you could see that your boyfriend was getting emotional. You missed each other a lot and being separated again, broke both of your hearts.

He wanted to be with you all the time, hug you, kiss you, love you.

"Bebé, I'm gonna miss you so much it hurts me" he told you with his sad face, while his head was on your chest and hands on your waist, hugging you.

He is so needy for you all the time. He is an affectionate boy with you, and he's really different from how he usually is on the pitch.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Pablito, but we'll see each other again soon" you responded after kissing his forehead.

"But I'll have to be without you and I hate it. You make me feel so happy and when I think that you have to leave, I'm becoming the most saddest boy ever "

"No, no, amor, don't say that."

He felt exactly in that moment like crying. He hugged you tighter and put is head on your shoulder, kissing your neck slowly.

He loved to kiss you, especially your lips and neck. Every time he touched your bare skin, some electric energy was going through your body. Butterflies all over your stomach.

It was already 11 a.m. and you didn't eat anything, so you asked Pablo to stand up so that you could go make some late breakfast.

Not to lie, you loved late mornings with your sweet boy.

"Nooo, don't go, por favor" he said with love in his eyes.

"Then come with me" you smiled sweetly at him.

He groaned, but if that meant that he could be with you, he accepted it.

You went together to your kitchen. You wanted to do some salad with eggs, so you asked Pablo to wash the vegetables and then cut them. Your job was to do the eggs.

Gavi, all the time told you that your eggs are the best one he ever ate, and that made you smile even if you didn't really believe him.

"They are made full of your love, and that's why I think I love your food, cariña"

"Thank you, my boy," you replied with a kiss on his cheek, and he blushed hard.

When you two were waiting for the eggs to be done, he hugged you from behind and kissed your shoulder. You smiled at his touch.

"Te quiero mucho mucho, mi vida"

"Y yo tambien te quiero, Pablito!" you chuckled at his clinging.

After you two ate, you asked your boyfriend what you wanted to do today, and of course, he answered with "just cuddles," but you wanted way more.

"No, no. It's my last day in Barcelonaa, I wanna do something special with you"

"Like what?' Now he was really curious.

"Wanna go for a walk to the beach?" you asked with hope in your eyes.

He couldn't say no to you, so he accepted it, but before you had to meet his sister so that she could say her goodbye to his little brother.

"It's hot outside, what should I wear?" You asked your boyfriend with a confused face.

"I like everything on you, linda"

You smiled at his compliment.

"Gracias, Pablito. What's your outfit today like?"

"If we're going to the beach after we meet Rora, I think I'll go with some brown jeans and a black t-shirt. What do you think?" he asked for your opinion after he showed you the chlotes he's gonna wear tonight.

"I think that it'll look amazing on you" you said while he blushed.

He went to you and kissed your lips with love after taking your hands and then started to dance with you. You laughed at his silliness, but didn't mind at all. You love soft Pablo.

After a long fashion show, you and Pablo chose a beautiful white dress.

"I hope Aurora is late too," you told Pablo while laughing .

When she saw you both holding hands, she smiled at herself. His brother has the perfect girl for him, and she couldn't be happier.

"Y/n, you look so pretty"

"Gracias, Rora!! Y tu tambien, cariña"

You two hugged and then let a little bit of space for the brothers to say their goodbyes.

Pablo was still holding your hand, needy for your touch. After you left his sister to meet with her boyfriend, you went to your favourite place to eat some ice cream.

While you were walking together eating your dessert, Pablo was telling you stories about your future and how he would want to give you 3 children.

"Oh, Pabs, you really want that?" You asked with a big smile on your face.

"I can't ask for anything more, mi amor. Bit right now I just wanna be with you. Our last day.."

He looked at you sad with tears in his eyes before his chin was on your shoulder. You turned around and kissed his lips a little so that he wouldn't be sad.

When you arrived at the beach, Pablo took your hand and started to run with you towards the water. When you knew his intention, you ran away from him while he was following you.

"Don't you dare throw water at me, Gavira" you shouted at him while he only laughed hard at your little run.

Of course, he was faster than you, so he caught you and hugged you while spinning you around.

"Stoop, I'll get dizzy, amor" you laughed.

When he put you down, he kissed your lips again and again and again.

He loves you so much.

After you took some photos, you decided to head home to prepare Gavi's baggage.

While you took his maleta he started to cry.

"Oh, amor, don't cry"

You hugged him and kissed kis forehead until he slowed down a little. While you two were choosing some chlotes for him, you could still hear the sobs that were coming from him. You fel so sad, as well, but didn't want to cry because you knew if you'll begin, you couldn't be able to stop yourself.

After you were done, Gavi told you he wanted you to stay with him while showering.

You were staying out of the shower, looking at him while putting on some music for both of you to sing and dance. He looked so beautiful with his hair wet and smile when he looked at you.

"Who do you think will win the champions league?" You asked him

"Hard one, amor. I think City, but I'm sure it will be a great match. You?"

"I'm with Inter honestly, but if City wins, I'll be happy for them. Both worked hard, and anyone deserves to win. We'll see "

After Pablo was done showering, you cuddled together on your bed while looking at your phones. You saw that Gavi posted something, and when you saw it, you were so melted that you decided to post him on your story too.

All night, Pablo cried because he had to leave you. He loved football, but he also loved you. So much

You tried to calm him down with kisses so eventually he fell asleep.

In the morning, when you said goodbye to each other, you felt tears in your eyes, but Pablo smiled at you and kissed your neck cuz he loves it so much.

You promised yourselfs to talk every hour and you did that. You were all the time on the spanish national team insta account to see more of your boyfriend, and also, you were getting photos of him from some of his teammates.

You were so excited for his next match so that you could go and see him, but now you were back in your country, spending time with you lovely family.

Let me know if you liked this..!?

[noctilucous-sunni]

more reversed sagau brainrot!! | a lot more under the cut

- when scara sorta just ✨materializes✨ in your apartment and you’re like excuse me wtf is happening, so u pinch yourself to see if its a dream and its not apparently so you must be going insane BECAUSE WHAT OTHER EXPLANATION WOULD THERE BE FOR ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS EXISTING IN YOUR APARTMENT

- i’d feel like in the sagau or reversed sagau he wouldn’t be too fond of the all-creator bc if thats the all-creator wouldn’t that mean that you’re the one responsible for his existence and his suffering?? but when he just sees you being so genuinely nice and caring and yet strong and doesn’t take his shit he kinda lets down the guard a little

- plus he literally has nowhere else to stay so when you threatened to kick him out he realized it was either live with you or out on the streets. and he kinda hated the streets, so he ended up trying to find your place all dirty and stuff from tripping in way too many godforsaken random holes in the ground. poor gremlin.

- he is just super bratty and still has that air of “i think im better than you” but it never works on you bc you dont take his shit and you make him do half of your chores when your pissed at him (and you make sure there are no complaints)

- he wouldn't call you your grace after a while and just uses your name, you however come up with a million nicknames for him and you think its funny that it annoys him on occasion

- you argue. A lot. like so much that your neighbour and the apartment below you complained several times and also kinda tried to make the landlord kick u out so you made scara apologize to them bc hes mainly the reason its so noisy

- he will actually follow you everywhere, sorta like a guard dog. everyone around you is pretty intimidated by him but they are even more scared of you when they see that you basically keep him in check

- he can’t fucking cook dear lord. you told him to stay in the fucking apartment bc you had an important meeting today and he couldnt come with you and he was like “i didnt want to come anyway” and you just said “fuck you” (affectionate) in return (note: wrote this before his signature dish came out and he’s actually a really good cook don’t judge me ahaha)

- but when you come back your apartment and kitchen especially is a mess. you forgot to teach him how to use online delivery. and hes just like chilling out watching tv with mild interest, acting like half of your apartment isnt covered in eggs and flour and who knows what else

“scara what the fuck happened here”

“the stupid stove of yours doesnt work and neither does that beeping machine”

“clean it up”

“no”

“well i guess we wont have any food today or tomorrow, until you clean. it. UP." *glare*

he then leaves it but by the next afternoon he's actually getting hungry and grumpy and eventually starts cleaning it up the next day when he can't take it anymore and you finally come home to a clean kitchen bc thank god, you didn't know how much longer you could live on your co-worker's lunches

- you're both just so stubborn. he's stubborn and so are you and that leaves the apartment just with a tense silence AND when someone sees u at that time they feel so uncomfortable bc the atmosphere is just so tense between the two of you since neither of you agree

- silent treatment happens a lot and its really fucking stupid bc you both wanna talk to each other after like a few days but neither of you want to be the first one to admit that

- omg you absolutely hate having guests now BECAUSE HOW ARE YOU MEANT TO EXPLAIN HIM??? also he has to have normal clothes now and he looked at all your clothing choices in disgust

- everyone thinks he's just a friend until they realize he actually lives with you and then they're like "oohhhh are you together??" and think that he's your boyfriend/partner. and honestly you dont even deny it bc there is no feasible way to explain who he really is (without sounding crazy) + you get your parents off your back abt getting a boyfriend bc they kept trying to make you go on blind dates and now you're free from that phew

- but some of your friends/co-workers are all like "really? this lil guy? and they often say this around him and it just annoys and offends him to no end. but also you're surprisingly defensive of him, like yes he's a bitchy emo gremlin but he's your bitchy emo gremlin

[x-ceirios-x]

City of Glass: Epilogue

please see the masterlist for notes about this series/collection of works

-

“It’s not a scar, it’s a birthmark, of sorts, and a Herondale family secret. The story Stephen told me was that years ago, a Herondale ancestor encountered an angel. The angel touched him on the shoulder, and the touch left a mark like a star. It is the mark of one who has had contact with an angel. The mark was passed on through his blood: all his descendants have it as well.”

Andy paused at the end of the hallway, listening to her mother talk. She knew there was a visitor, though she didn’t recognize the voice until she left her room. Jace. 

Word got around. No one had directly told her, but she heard things as she was helping people fix the city in the past few days—Sebastian Verlac was not, in fact, Sebastian Verlac but instead Johnathan Morgenstern, the older son of Valentine. This put Jace’s parentage into question, then they discovered he was the child of Céline Montclaire and Stephen Herondale. She didn’t know how she felt about it. 

“So anyone who has had contact with an angel—a real, living angel—might have one? Not just a Herondale?”

“I suppose, but I’ve never heard of anyone else having contact like that. You know the Clave says no one but Johnathan Shadowhunter has ever seen an angel face to face. But that’s what your father told me. His scar was here–I’ve never heard of anyone who wasn’t a Herondale having a mark like it. Imogen must have seen it and guessed who you really were.”

“She said something to me. While she was dying. She said, ‘your father would be proud of you.’ I thought she was being cruel. I thought she meant Valentine…”

“She meant Stephen. And she was right. She would have been.”

Andy had never heard her mother speak with such softness and affection, not in a long time, at least. Something in her stirred—hearing them speak about her father so affectionately, hearing her mother talk to Jace that way, the anger ate at her like she’d never felt before. She kept it together, listening to the rest of the conversation. She waited until Jace was about to leave to walk through the living room, into the kitchen without a word to either one of them. She slammed the kitchen door behind her, but to her frustration, it bounced off the wall and slid back open, the wheels squeaking. She ignored it and turned to make her tea. 

“Andromeda,” a curt voice said from the living room. “Don’t slam things, please.” 

She ignored that too. 

It was quiet for a moment, save for the occasional banging of pans and the sizzle of eggs on the stove. It was already early afternoon, but she spent the night in her workshop and didn’t go to bed until the sun was already up. It was a perfectly fine time for breakfast. She heard the front door open, then shut, and she assumed it was Jace who left. She let her shoulders relax, feeling the tension in them leave as she realized she didn’t have to deal with that conversation. 

That was, until she turned around and Jace was sitting at the table in front of her. She jumped, almost dropping her breakfast, but luckily caught herself before she made a mess. Angrily, she put the plate on the table, letting it drop with little grace. “Don’t scare me like that,” she said, sitting down in the chair across from him. She dug into her eggs, not acknowledging him other than that. 

She could feel his eyes on her, watching as she ate her breakfast. She tried to pretend like it wasn’t bothering her, but she had to speak up when it became too much. “If you want eggs, you have to make them yourself. I’m not cooking anymore.”

“I’m fine, I had lunch,” he said casually, leaning back in his chair. “I’m just…amazed.”

“With what?” she asked, glancing up at him. She did a double take—the first time she met Jace, he was a fiery ball of anger, thinking the world had played some cosmic joke on him. He heard about all the drama between him and Clary, though she never exactly believed the whole sibling thing, either. They looked nothing alike. Between herself and him, though, there was a stark family resemblance. She looked like her father—as did he. The only major difference was his golden eyes that shone like, well, gold. He was irritatingly beautiful, in the way she’d be mesmerized with artwork. He seemed to think something similar, by the way he was staring at her. 

“I’ll be honest,” he said, his voice slightly tense. “When Valentine lied to us, I forced myself to believe it. I never really felt like Clary and I fit like that—it didn’t make sense.”

“Please, save me the relationship drama.” Her voice was flat and bored, as was her expression. She spoke without looking at him, though she had stopped eating, she only picked at her food. “I think I’m the only one that put into question how strange that was.”

He frowned, though he didn’t argue with her. “My point is, I get something…different from you. I feel like it explains so much. I have a sister.”

“Just not the one you thought it was, right?” she asked sarcastically. She wasn’t making this easy on him, but he wasn’t the only one with feelings about his newfound family. “Welcome to the Herondale’s. We’re all dead or wish we were some days.”

He was silent. She didn’t look at him, too afraid to meet his eye, to know what he thought about it. After a beat, he said, “do you have the…the star?” 

That was a question she had a direct, non-emotional answer to. She stood and pulled the hem of her shirt up, showing him the birthmark on her ribs. There was the slightly pink, star-shaped mark there, surrounded by a burn scar, about the size of a small melon that covered most of her ribs on that side and some of her back. He didn't have to ask—she’d tell him the story. “I got angry with my mother one night. She was talking about my father, missing him, all that.” She dropped her shirt and leaned back on the counter, facing him. “I tried to burn it off.”

She caught his look of surprise, though he hid it well. He looked much nicer than she was sure she did at the moment—she was angry, she was hurt, unsure and maybe a little afraid of what this news of a brother meant for her. Jace looked at her with a calm sympathy that lit a fire under her. 

“We know our father as very different people, Jace. You see him through my mother’s eyes, maybe through Luke’s, where he was a warrior, a good man, a loving husband put into a terrible situation.” She stared at him, expression hard and unbreakable. “I see him as the man that broke my mother’s heart and abandoned me before I could have any real memory of him. He doesn’t deserve my love and he’ll never get it.”

He stood and walked around the other side of the table, closer to her. She watched as he leaned on the table, half sitting on it, next to where she’d been sitting a moment before. “You’re looking at me like I’m the one that hurt you,” he said plainly. “We’re not our fathers—none of us. I have friends that would agree with that sentiment, too.”

It was the first thing he’d said that day that didn’t make her want to punch him. Maybe, just maybe, he understood where she was coming from. And if not, he could understand. He could try. And if all that was true, just maybe, she could try, too. She was still angry at her mother, at her father, too. But Jace was right—none of this was his fault. She’d try to remember that.

“I came here, originally, to see Clary. But I wanted to see you, too,” he continued. “I have a proposition for you.”

She smirked. “And what’s that?”

Jace looked at her with more sincerity than she'd ever seen in someone’s face before, not even her mother’s. She admired his efforts, that was for sure. “Come to New York with me. Let us…figure all this out. We don’t have to force everything. If you decide you can’t stand me or hate me or anything, you leave. You’ll never have to speak to me again. I—” he cut himself off with a sigh, gathering his words. “Family isn’t just blood. I know that. But I would like to try, if we can, to make my only remaining blood family, too.”

His words took her off guard. She stood there for a moment, mouth slightly open, eyebrows raised at him. It had been a long, long time since anyone had told her they wanted her. Wanted her around, wanted to know her, to care about her, maybe love her. In an attempt to hide her surprise, she brought her hand to her mouth and bit her knuckle. She stared at the floor between them, weighing her options: stay in Idris, continue her life of missions to various places, sleeping with Downworlders to keep her entertained and arguing with her mother until she moved out, and maybe get her name out there as an inventor and weapons maker, or she could go to New York with Jace and be somewhere she had the possibility to do something a little more with her life, even if it meant the inventing had to take a back burner. For now. 

“I’ll do it,” she said, finally meeting his eyes. She smiled at him, feeling a little lighter, despite the fact that she was still upset with some of the situation. “New York. I’ll do it—let’s figure this out together.”

Jace grinned and extended his hand for her. With a moment of hesitancy, she took it, and shook his hand. It was strange, knowing that they were siblings—weren’t siblings supposed to hug or try to kick the hell out of each other?—but she wouldn’t complain. It was a start, and she wanted to see where this could go. 

“I’ll let you know when we’re ready to leave,” he said, eyes shining with something that wasn’t just the midday sunlight through the window. He looked much happier than he had when they first met. All this Valentine stuff being over must have taken a weight off his shoulders—actually, she could see he was standing up straighter and looked more self-assured. “Will I see you at the party later?”

“A Downworld party in Idris? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She laughed. “I’ve got my eye on that werewolf I fought with. Maia something.”

He smirked. “Good luck. I think she’s into Simon.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He nodded, a little amused, and left for the living room to grab his jacket and the things her mother gave him. She’d never had any interest in her father’s things—Jace could have them. A moment later, he poked his head back in the door, leaning against the threshold. “I’ll see you later, then,” he said. “And, Andy?”

She hummed in response, turning her head to look at him. “What is it?”

Jace shrugged. “Just…thanks. For a lot. Taking care of Clary and all that, and agreeing to come to New York.”

For the first time since she’d met him, she smiled at him. Genuinely. “It’s been my pleasure. Now get out of here so I can eat my breakfast and get ready.”

He laughed on his way out the door, and she heard it click behind him. She watched out the window as her mother and Jace said a final goodbye, and he headed off, down the street towards the Lightwood’s current abode. Andy had no idea how her mother would take the news, but she knew that it was the best thing for her. She’d always felt like there was something missing in her life. Val, to her surprise at the time, filled the hole well but never entirely. She fell completely in love with her, a love that made her happier than she’d ever been. Since her death, she’d never been the same, always empty. The feeling never faded, but for a moment, she felt like a little was lifted from her. Maybe that missing piece in her heart was the universe telling her there was someone out there, waiting to meet her—and maybe, it wouldn’t be a life partner, but someone she could really call family.

She finished her breakfast and drank her coffee, enjoying the quiet as her mother ran errands before the party. For the first time in a while, she felt something warm and good in her chest—hope for the future. 

[sadnesslaughs]

The cookies you bake come to life with different personalities depending on the ingredients they have, like vanilla one’s being affectionate. However, today you decided to try an unusual ingredient to see what their cookies would be like.

“Melted butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, chocolate chips, baking soda and only a touch of my blood. Now this is a recipe I’m curious to see the result of. I’ve always joked that a little part of me goes into every cookie I make, and now it’s going to be the truth.” Pila swirled the mixture, turning her head as the mix grew a red tint, feeling her stomach turn at the sight. She never liked seeing blood, even in her meats, let alone her own blood in a dessert.

“Tell yourself it’s strawberry or berries.” She repeated to herself, ignoring any unpleasant thoughts. Once the mixture was created, she rolled it into medium-sized balls, creating six perfectly round cookies. She lined the tray and heated the oven, wondering if she should proceed with her experiment. It was impossible to say what the result would be, and that both frightened and excited her. Science was always the exploration of the unknown. That was what made it rewarding. If you already knew the answer, why ask the question?

Setting the cookies in the oven, she did what she often did while she waited, checking through a cookbook. Pila sitting upright on the couch, flipping through the pages, wondering what other recipes she could try. While her cookies were the only thing that was magical, she still loved trying her hand at muffins or cakes. Not everything needed to be an experiment, after all. Sometimes her cooking was only for the art of the meal.

With every minute they baked, she grew anxious, tapping the edges of her book, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake. What would they do? What would they say? They were a part of her. Would this be taking matters too far? She considered stopping her experiment, only to steel herself, telling herself it was in the pursuit of science.

DING.

The timer went off and Pila rushed to the kitchen, putting on her kitten oven mitts as she retrieved her six specimens. The cookies looked normal, that red tint less obvious after the cooking process. She set them out to warm, grabbing a rolling pin, ready to break her cookies apart if they showed too much intelligence.

“How are my little friends?” She smiled, her voice as sweet as her desserts, encouraging them to raise their voices.

“What’s the rolling pin for?” The first asked, suspicious of her.

“She must be making another batch. Oh, I hope it’s cinnamon.” The second said, ever hopeful.

“She wants to kill us,” The third hissed. “I say we clog her throat on the way down. Get her first.” It’s voice filled with vengeance.

“She’s us. The original us. If she wishes to destroy us, it’s her place.” The fourth responded, collected and calm.

“I don’t think I taste that good, even if I do smell delicious.” The fifth laughed, jolly and pleased to be alive.

“Why did you do this? Why bring us into the world? We will only die. To live and die, it’s such a lonely process. Do the cookies warm the loneliness?” The six sighed, knowing that it would eventually cool off, its personality fading when it did.

“I…” She set the rolling pin down, staring at the six cookies. All of them were different aspects of herself. Personality sapped from her body and burnt into cookie form. It was cruel. Each one would meet their end soon, and she would be left here, alone, as always. “I’m sorry. I wanted to try something new.”

“This is why they think we’re a freak. Remember the rose cookies? We loved that man. The cookies were meant to show that love. He screamed and told the others about us, told him we were evil. I’m so alone.” The sixth sobbed.

“Curiosity is how we advance. How are the results?” The first asked, wanting to learn everything it could before it faded.

“I’m not evil. I don’t eat you, I only bake you, so I feel less alone.” She tried to distract herself with the firsts question, not wanting to explore the sixths thoughts. “The results are strange. You are fragments of me. But it’s all wrong. I don’t understand it.”

“Bringing something into the world, only to waste it. That is evil. A chicken laid that egg and you don’t have the decency to use it. We have the grim fate of being eaten, a fate you gave to us.” The six’s bitter words made Pila shiver, touching the side of her apron.

“You’re being mean. I suggest you eat that one first. Don’t kill the energy. Let’s all have fun. Laughing makes us feel better. We are never alone when we laugh.” The fifth said, letting out a roar of laughter.

“Oh, I love to laugh. I’ve been hoping to find someone to laugh with for so long. I wish my cakes were better. Maybe that could attract someone.” The second added, hope again filling its voice.

“WHY? Why do we bother with them? I say we fill our cookies with poison and show them how evil we are. How dare they hate us! We don’t hate them. It isn’t fair.” The thirds anger burning hotter than the oven.

“I can’t eat you. It wouldn’t be right.” She said, before responding to the others. “I’m not desperate for company either, nor do I hate the others. I would never hurt or poison anyone. I’m not like any of you.”

“Oh, you aren’t me? Whose blood is it then?” The third taunted. “You got any other blood around here?”

Pila grabbed the rolling pin, hoisting it over the cookie, ready to bash it into a crumbly pile.

“YES. You are me. I’m going to stain that pin of yours, and you will never forget me. I’ll haunt you forever.”

“No… No, I’m not.” She looked at the rolling pin in horror, setting it down. “I’m not mean, I’m not sad. I’m healthy.”

“A cookie requires several components to be completed, correct? Would it not make sense that a human requires different ingredients to be whole?” The fourth said, trying to help ease its original self.

“If you know we exist? Is that not a good way to move forward?” The second offered.

“Yes, knowing I exist is only going to brighten things further. A life without laughs is not a life at all.” The fifth said, before its voice faded out.

“Oh, no. When am I going to go? Is it happening?” The first asked, fading into nothingness.

“No. This is too soon. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done it. I tempted fate. You are me. I can’t hide from that. Now, stay with me, all of you.”

“Go to hell, like the rest of them.” The third said, defiant until the end.

“I suppose this was going to happen, eventually. At least it’s nice that I’m not dying alone.” The sixth vanished, leaving only two remaining.

“It’s ok, I’ll stay a little longer. I know I can hold out.” The hopeful second said before fading out, leaving only one left.

“No. No, no, no.” Pila rummaged through the cookies, searching for any warmth, only finding a slight hint of heat still drifting from the fourth.

“Relax. We will always be with you. The bad and good needs to exist for balance. Just as sadness exists, so do laughs and hope. Look for our voices in your times of need. Control us. Don’t let us control you.” With that, the fourth was gone, the batch of cookies at room temperature, leaving Pila alone.

Pila had never cried after making cookies, even when her marshmallow creations asked for a hug, but this hit of reality hurt. She felt every emotion through those tears, each manifesting in their own way until she was out of tears to give, sniffling. The fourth was right. She had to know when to listen and when to control those parts of her. Pila took the tray, dumping the cookies into the bin. She would turn her life around. If the villagers didn’t like her, she would give them reasons to like her.

[azuregiggles]

The Bold and The Honk: Ler!George Lee!Karl

With a brief Ler!Quackity, Ler!Dream and Ler!SapNap

ALL PLATONIC

Author Notes: Sorry this took a bit longer than I thought it would! But it's finally here!!!

Words: 3314

WARNINGS: Swearing, I think that's it let me know if you think something else should be a warning.

SUMMARY: George is in a rather big Ler mood and is desperate to wreck someone. Lucky for him there are four others in the Feral household and so his search for a lee begins.

It was a rather ordinary day in the feral boys household each man was doing something rather independently. Dream was taking his fifth nap of the day though it was only noon. SapNap was editing in his office. Quackity was practicing making a few different dishes for a cooking stream they all had planned for later in the week and Karl was assisting him. That left George.

He was supposed to be working on his most recent video for his seemingly neglected YouTube channel but he just couldn’t get up the momentum he needed in order to focus. His mind was far too busy putting him in a very interesting mood. He watched his own fingers tap away at the keys and couldn’t help but imagine the squeaks and giggles it would make rather than its ‘click clack’ if it were a person beneath his fingers instead.

He leaned back in his chair, fingers running through his already messy hair. This only made him think of Karl and how he’d melt if someone lightly scratched his head. A fond smile crossed his lips. Living among the four other men he’d grown accustomed to the various and constant forms of affection. If any of them wanted a specific affection such as to cuddle there was always another Feral around to ensure they were helped and happy.

Gogy’s mind wandered back to tickling and how much it meant to the five of them. If ever one of them was in need of cheering up or just a smile this was a much favored method to get the crew back into a chipper mindset. Occasionally one of them would even ask to be on the receiving end and the friends would oblige with no questions. George was in the opposite mood however. He wanted to be on the giving end of things right now. He felt as though he needed it.

George was rarely one to be in a lee mood. He was often neutral until one of the others was under attack, then he’d join the offensive. Right now though, he was far from neutral, he was completely in a ler mood and ready to wreck someone. He trudged his way down the hall to Dream’s room and poked his head in the door. The green hooded man had clearly just woken up, his hair was tousled and his eyes were struggling to stay open. George tapped lightly on the door. Looking up Dream groaned jokingly “Ewwww what do you want?”

“I need you to help me with a certain mood I’m in?”

“What mood exactly?”

George stepped into the room until he was next to Dream “I’m in a ler mood and I really wanna tickle someone. You’ll help me right, Dreamy?” He poked his friend in the side.

“Absolutely nahahat! I just woke up! Go awahay!” The green one giggled and gave George a playful shove towards the door. George moved over to him again and ruffled his already messy hair with a grin.

“Fine sleepyhead, but don’t come to me with your next lee mood. I won’t be nice about it.”

“Whatever just get outta here dumbass.” Dream chuckled, swatting the offending hand away.

George decided to leave and continue his search for his next victim. Next he checked with Sap who was content at his desk. He leaned over the man’s shoulder. “Saaappppp” he whined.

“Geeoorrrggggeeeee” Sapnap mockingly whined back. “What’s up Gogs?”

“Can you help meee?”

“With what? Be specific.” Sap chuckled, eyes on the screen. George placed his hands on the ravenette’s sides, who tensed and smiled.

“I wanna tickle someone, like wreck them.”

“I’m editing go tickle Dream!” He playfully swatted Gogy’s hands away.

“He’s just woken up and won’t let me.”

“Then try Quackity.”

“He’s cooking.”

“Then tickle Karl, you know he loves it.” Sap giggled and pushed his friend towards the door “We can’t all procrastinate Gogs, I need to finish this video.” The door closed on him, Sap had returned to editing.

Editing had its own kind of fun but nothing would entertain the streamer the way his friends’ reactions did. SapNap was the proudest of the bunch, always holding out on laughing for as long as possible and will deny any compliments till the bitter end. Would have been an excellent target.

Dream was a screamer, his constant wheezing and endless sass made him an interesting lee to say the least. He always claimed to hate being tickled but the word ‘stop’ seemed to leave his vocabulary at the smallest poke. Unfortunately he was still drowsy and as such off the list.

Quackity was an involuntary fighter, the kind you have to pin a bit if you don’t wanna get punched or kicked. His hysterical laughter is always filled with a sailor’s worth of swearing no matter how much fun he’s having. George didn’t feel like getting potentially injured though. Another lee bites the dust.

Karl, on the other hand, was pure gold. The most ticklish, easily flustered by compliments and teasing but also not too embarrassed to admit that he loves the affectionate bonding that was tickling. His laughter was always full of cute noises like hiccups and snorts. But above all, since he enjoyed it, he was the one of George’s friends who could last the longest. Perfect.

Sir Not Found made his way to the basement, the Feral Cave as they all called it. With large sofas for streaming console games together and a large kitchen for cooking streams like the one Quackity was currently preparing for. Karl was presently attempting to flip an omelet and failing miserably.

“Oi! It’s a wild Gogy! In my kitchen!? The fuck is this!?” Quackity announced George’s arrival.

“Hey George! Wanna watch me pop off? I’m the omelet flipping champion.” Karl boasted and Quack rolled his eyes.

“You’ve dropped that same egg blob like five times, good thing no ones gonna eat it, they’d die on the first bite.” Quack told him.

George, who hadn’t said a word, walked into the kitchen and behind Karl. He slipped his arms around his friend’s waist and rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Uhhuh George?” Karl’s tone was nervous and giddy. “Everything okay?”

George decided not to beat around the bush “I’m in a terrible ler mood. Lemme tickle you?” He gently poised his hands on Karl’s sides.

Karl froze and his cheeks turned red “Wh-What? How can you just ask that?” The room was already filled with his nervous giggles. He tensed in George’s hold, anticipating an attack. “B-Besides I’m helping Quack right now.”

“Oooh Karl’s in trouble Gogy’s in his bold arc!” Quackity teased. “You can have him Gogs, he’s a terrible sous chef anyway!”

“Hey!” Karl protested.

“Pleeaaasssseee Karl?” George tightened his hold, effectively hugging the other man who slightly melted into his arms.

“Oh fu-honk, okay. Please just-“ he was cut off as he was promptly thrown over George’s shoulder and carried towards the couches. His sweater paws now covered his face. He let out a yelp as he was plopped onto the sofa.

“Damn Gogy, you’re down bad. Must be one hell of a ler mood. Karl you’re so fucked” Quackity called from across the room.

Karl was far too giggly to respond. He covered his face and squirmed as George sat on his waist. “I don’t know where this mood came from. I just really needed to wreck someone. I tried Sap but he’s editing and told me to ask Karl because Karl. Loves. Being. Tickled. So. So. Much.” If there were any doubt that Karl was blushing before there was no room for argument now, with each word George poked Karl in the ribs, sending him into a giggle fit full of squeaks as his face flushed red.

“Sahahap is duhuhumb.” Karl offered.

“Mm-hm, and you’re ticklish! Now where’s that adorable laughter Karl? Please don’t keep me waiting. Your face has gone red you’re like a raspberry!” George reminded him by tasering his sides, earning a squeal. “Any specific requests from our little web star i-Karlee?”

Karl was in tease hell. When did George come up with a nickname like that!? His blush began to spread up to his ears and he made a series of flustered sputters as he tried to form words. He shook his head no.

“So I can just go for it?”

Karl nodded.

“Do you want me to start slow or wreck you? Your face is getting darker, how cute! Is that red Quackity? I need help confirming since I’m colorblind” George wiggled his fingers in the air.

More sputters left Karl’s lips. When did Gogy get so good at teasing? “I-I do-don’t” he squealed again as his sides were tasered once more.

“That’s not an answer~”

“J-Juhuhust” Karl tried to think through his giggles. He would die if this teasing continued. Unsure if he could handle being wrecked immediately he chose what he thought was the safer option. “Slohohow fihihirst”

“Aww~ anything for you i-Karlee!” George started by lightly scratching along his friend’s lower belly.

“Nahahaha!” Karl covered his mouth and snorted.

“Oh~ how adorable, you sound just like techno! Do it again!” George scratched around Karl’s navel.

“George NOHO!” He squealed and kicked his legs out behind the ravenette above him. Trying his best to not snort again he grabbed a nearby pillow and used it to muffle the noise.

“Now now, don’t hide from me Karl. You’ll only make it worse~” he teased and pinched along Karl’s lower rib, just enough to make him let go of the pillow. Karl snorted again as George returned his attention to his navel.

“Oh? Does this little piggy have a ticklish button? This one here?” He poked his finger inside and wiggled it around.

A small cackle resounded from the brunette “NAHAHA dohohoHOHOnt!” He whined and squirmed left to right.

“I believe the rhyme goes whee whee whee whee all the way home Karl” wriggling digits spidered up Karls sides and ribs, right to his armpits. Arms snapped down as bubbly laughter filled the air. “Do you think this is a good home for them?”

“OHOHOUT! G-GEHEHET OUT! NOHOHAHAHA” Karl bucked up and down trying to wrench the attacking fingers from his hallows.

“I’d love to but it seems as though I’m stuck here. What am I to do Karl? You’ve trapped me.”

“SLOHOHOW DOHOHOWN” Karl pleaded and snorted once more his face scrunched.

“Alright but you’ll have to lift your arms if I do~” Gogy warned him but slowed down to give his friend a breather.

Very hesitant arms lifted to free George's hands. As promised Gogy removed his hands from Karl’s armpits and began scanning for his next target. Karl took deep breaths and closed his eyes as he giggled and rubbed away the phantom tickles.

“Would you like to play a little game i-Karlee?”

“Whahat kind ohohof game?” He blushed at the nickname.

“It’s simple really, you keep your arms up as I count your ribs. If you snort I start over, If you bring your arms down that’s ten seconds of tickling on your worst spot.”

“You’re evil”

“That’s not a no Karl~”

“Sh-shut up”

“Is that a yes?”

“I… I mean-... It’s more of a…”

“Arms uuup~ up, up ,up.” George coaxed him and smirked.

Karl’s arms betrayed him as he felt his head rest on his hands, his arms up and behind his head. He knew he’d never made it through this counting game before without his arms coming down. He knew it was a trap and yet he couldn’t help the anticipatory giggles that poured from his mouth.

“Wow you must be in a lee mood if you’re being this obligatory. I’m honored.”

Karl avoided eye contact, his blush returning.

“Awww~ I knew he’d be willing to help you George” Sapnap’s voice came from the kitchen where he was now helping Quackity clean. “Karl loves to be tickled.”

“Is that what all the noise is?” A still half-awake Dream fumbled down the stairs and flopped onto his beanbag chair that was just out of view of their stream setup. Karl’s hands moved back to covering his face.

“It certainly is Dream! He’s helping me with my Ler mood.” Gogy supplied.

“Aww~ How sweet of him. Oh my god, look at how red he is.” He scoffed, “Since he loves to be tickled so much it’s a win win. Having fun Karl?” Dream chuckled and watched the two from afar. The glint in his eye made Karl nervous again.

“Now where were we?” George returned his attention to a very flustered Jacobs “Ah yes~ Put those arms back up, please.”

A tiny squeak and the raising of arms was all Gogy needed to begin. He started at the top rib, knowing that, when it came to his ribs, Karl’s were more ticklish the lower they were. Karl gave a surprised squeal and began to wiggle around, his arms already threatened to drop.

“Oooonnneee~ stay still for me okay i-Karlee?”

“i-Karlee? Really George” Sap laughed “that’s so dumb.”

“Twooo~ such a pretty laugh”

“Karl seems to like it~” Quackity chimed in.

“Threeeee~! You’re changing color again. Is it magic?”

“Aww does little Jacobs love his new nickname?” Dream added to the verbal assault.

“SHUT THE HONK UP” Karl was losing it. All of his friends' teasing was getting to him far more than the actual tickling. “Plehehehease! You buhuhunch of nihihimrods! I’m gohohonna dihihiie”

“That’s not very nice Karl!” George smirked as he continued counting ribs silently “you should apologize~”

Karl shook his head no. He knew what he was getting into.

“Oh? Feeling sassy all of a sudden?”

“You gonna take that from a lee George?” Dream instigated, ignoring the slow rise of butterflies in his own stomach. The tickling stopped.

“What are you dohohoing?” Karl gave nervous glances to both of them. He’d expected to be wrecked, not ignored.

“Apologize or you’ll be punished” George told him.

“Try me” Karl taunted.

“Oh I’m not going to tickle you into apologizing, quite the opposite actually.”

“What? How does that-?”

“If you don’t apologize no one gets to tickle you for a week. Even if you ask.”

“That’s just evil Gogy you know Karl can’t go a day without a lee mood” Sapnap added.

“Holy shit, Gogy’s villain arc!? Ooohhh you better apologize Karl~” Quackity watched them with excitement.

“Well what’s it gonna be?” George looked at Karl again “say sorry and I’ll wreck you properly” wiggling fingers hovered over Karl’s lower ribs.

“O-okay I’m sorry.” Karl hid his face again “please tickle me” he squirmed in place. A flood of adoring comments from the other four men filled his ears. Karl’s face returned to a lovely shade of red as he sputtered and giggled.

“Aww he even said please, now you gotta ruin him good Gogs.” Quackity laughed.

“I intend to. You three help me a bit?” George ignored Karl’s giggly protests “don’t tickle him, just tease.”

The trio grinned and gathered around. Sapnap was behind Karl, arms around his waist. Dream was on his beanbag he’d dragged over beside the couch. Quackity was laying on the back of the sofa. George, in front of Karl, positioned his hands on the brunettes knees.

“Ready Karl?” George asked him in a teasy tone but wanted to make sure he wasn’t crossing a line.

Pulling his hood over his eyes, giggling frantically, Karl nodded. A shriek was caught in his laughter as it began. George kneaded the spot above each knee and scribbled beneath them whenever the chance arose. He grinned at the bubbly laughter filled the air, mixed with snorts and cackles. Now this was the kind of lee interaction he’d needed.

“Awwww, how cute your knees are so sensitive~” SapNap cooed directly into his ear.

“How is your laughter so sweet Karl. I literally don’t understand how it can be so endearing” Quackity chimed in from his perch. George was currently kneading Karl’s sides making the younger squeal in lighthearted protest. Tears of mirth streamed down his cheeks.

“Better not let the fans see you blush like this Karl~” Dream chuckled “They’d lose their shit. Imagine Karl can’t open social media without see everyone saying how adorable he is~”

Another shriek pierced the air as hands squeezed Karl’s hips on rapid fire. Karl leaned back into Sapnap to avoid bucking away from the touch. Sap chuckled and blew gently on his ears, not touching him but it tickled Karl just enough to make him scrunch up his shoulders and kick out his legs a bit.

All the while Dream and Quackity continued to ruffle Karl’s hair and showered him with teasing words and praise. “Aww was that a snort Karlos~”

“You look like you’re loving this Karl~”

Karl’s struggling car to a stop and he melted into the sofa and Sap’s embrace. His mind was really foggy but he knew he was happy. He felt safe even in moments like this because he knew his friends would never take it too far. Three people teasing as one wrecked him physically was a new but welcomed experience for the lee. After another couple of minutes the tickling was only a gentle skittering across his neck, making him melt as he caught his breath,

“I think I’m satisfied, how about you Karl? Did you get your fill?” George checked.

“Uhuhuh just ohohone more tihihing?” Karl giggled shyly.

A flood of awes filled the air, making him hide his face once again.

“And what would that be?~” George paused for an answer.

“R-Raspberries” A familiar heat arose to his features.Due to keeping his face in his sweater paws Karl missed the mischievous grins and looks that passed between the other four. A silent plan formed.

“What!? Gogy forgot your raspberries? How rude, don’t worry I’ve got your back Karl.~” Sap said into his ear. Karl knew exactly what that tone was and barely had time to speak before a raspberry was blow onto his neck by Sapnap.

“SAHAHAP WHAHAT THE HEHEHELL?”

“Oi! Look what you’ve done Nappitus!” Quackity was using his chef voice again “You’ve upset Karl and made ’im sweah! You should know his favorite spot is right ‘ere!” With that he blew a raspberry upon Karl’s ribs.

“QUAHAHAHCK STAHAHAHAP” Karls shriekd but made no attempt to escape.

“You’re doing it wrong it’s riiight here~” Dream took in a huff of air.

Karl’s hands shot down from his face just in time to see his roommates’s lips reach his side “DREHEHEAM NOHOHOOOO- ACK” His whine was cut off by a yelp and a flood out loud, bright laughter. Dream smirked and continued.

“Now, now we should all know that Karl’s belly is his favorite~” George had to speak loudly to be heard over the symphony of sensations that were currently driving poor Karl insane. Karl squirmed and sputtered half hearted protests as George leaned down and took in a large breath. The vibrations sent a shock through Karl’s core and left him laughing silently. A chorus of raspberries on his four worst yet favorite spots was causing him to feel exhausted. Noticing this his quartet of lers each gave him one last raspberry before helping him rub away the phantom tickles. They all hugged him and showered him with praise for holding out.

“Thahahahat was mehehean” Karl giggled and hiccuped in the pile of an embrace.

“Was it too much?” George asked, a bit worried. Karl blushed and shook his head no.

“Did you love it Karl~?” Dream chided. Karl nodded, sweater paws covering his face.

“Awwww~ Karlos~” Quackity hugged him a bit tighter.

“Sh-shut up” Karl couldn’t hide the grin in his voice and the group laughed together. They stayed piled up for a while but eventually Dream and Quackity wandered off leaving Sapnap stranded under George and Karl who had managed to fall asleep on top of him.

[ventiiology]

hellooooo!! i was wondering if you could do something of razor, a sfw alphabet perhaps? if you cant do that i totally understand you have a wonderful day!

— ✦ || home

title . sfw alphabet with razor characters . razor type . fluff note . hoLY FFF i'm so sorry this took so long- sorry i was only able to do half (╥ ╥)

a - affection (how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?)

at the start of the relationship he'd 100% have no idea what to do. he asked lisa about it, and came back to you at least somewhat more knowledgeable on the topic. he really likes giving you hugs. razor likes headpats and hugs!

b - best friend (what would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

the friendship started similarly to how razor met the traveler, you were exploring around wolvendom and ran into him. as a best friend, he'd take you on lots of walks or hunting trips around wolvendom, and you'd teach him how to cook a wide range of food!

c - cuddles (do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?)

he likes you to sit on his lap, facing him, as he rests his head in the crook of your neck.

d - domestic (do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?)

he's pretty busy taking care of his wolf pack and making sure they get their dinners. he grew up in the wild, what he knows about cooking is making his cute puppy-paw hash browns and all of the food you've taught him to cook. i don't think 'settling down' would really come to mind, not yet at least.

e - ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

i think he'd straight-out tell you bluntly. it might come off more hurtful because of his broken words but he doesn't mean it that way, he just doesn't know how to put his feelings into sentences. he doesn't want to hurt you in any way, and he'd realise that what he said might've affected you more than he'd planned.

f - fiancé (how do they feel about commitment? how quick would they want to get married?)

marriage? again, he consulted lisa, asking about what this meant. lisa chuckled at him, cooing that his relationship with you was moving so quickly. razor's confusion grew. once he had gotten a grip on basically what it was, he thought that it sounded nice. it's like a fancy way of someone becoming his lupical!

g - gentle (how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

this boy can swing a claymore at his enemies but he's the complete opposite to you. he's very gentle, he's somewhat afraid that he might hurt you in some way if he's not careful.

h - hugs (do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are their hugs like?)

yes, razor likes hugs! hugs are an everyday thing for the two of you. he hugs you in a protective (?) kind of way, it silently lets you know that when he's embracing you, nothing bad will happen. when he hugs you, you're assured that you're safe in his hold.

i - i love you (how fast do they say the L-word?)

...definitely heard it from lisa first. some time into the relationship, the two of you were lying down underneath the tree at windrise, watching the stars as both of you didn't have anything to do at that point in time. just lying there, enjoying each other's company, not needing to exchange any words, just watching the stars twinkle in the dark sky. razor wasn't focusing on the stars too much, he was thinking about whether or not it was the right time to tell you that he loved you.

j - jealousy (how jealous do they get? what do they do when they’re jealous?)

he doesn't get jealous that easily. he didn't even know what jealousy was until he started feeling like you were hanging around your friends a little more than he hoped. when he got jealous over this, he wanted to give you a big hug and not let go until he was satisfied, but ultimately left you to do your activities as he went to hunt and take his mind off of the jealous feeling.

k - kisses (what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?)

the first time he did it, he booped you on the nose and then gave you a quick small peck on the lips. he was rather shy about it and chose to pretend it never happened because you kept teasing him about his blush. he likes to kiss you on the forehead the most, and he also enjoys the same done to him.

l - little ones (how are they around children?)

he's played with klee before, and klee's a pretty problematic child... you know, with all her bombs and things. klee thinks he's really cool and described him as one of her "best buddies" and whenever a disaster happens (which are mostly caused by klee herself...), he knows how to keep her safe. this applies to other kids, he'd always make sure that they're safe because the wild can be dangerous.

m - morning (how are mornings spent with them?)

mornings are warm. you wake up with razor next to you, radiating warmth. you look at his sleeping face, all cute and relaxed. you go to make his favourite food as well as the classic sunny side-up teyvat egg.

n - night (how are nights spent with them?)

nights are cozy. after a hunt, he'd always go to find you. doesn't matter whether it was successful or not, he always made sure that you were safe every night. you don't live in wolvendom, so razor accompanies you until you're back at mondstadt safe and sound. before you two part ways, he gives you a hug and occasionally a peck on the forehead.

[ladywinterwitch]

Run Away (Ten - Strangers)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Avenger! Reader

Summary: You and Steve complete each other. Your love is that strong and devoted kind of love that pushes people to things like marriage, making a family. You couldn't imagine that a baby would be something you really wished, until the possibility wasn't your choice anymore.

Warnings: pregnancy talk, fluff, A N G S T, I think that's it??

Words Count: 3739

A/n: Next chapter is longer and INTENSE

Series masterlist , main masterlist

(GIF not mine)

Y/n and Steve ended up falling asleep, which was a bit embarassing especially on his part. In the end tho they woke up around two in the afternoon and were starving. You also thought about the fact that Helen must've already set in by now. After cleaning up a bit and getting redressed the two actually went to separate directions, Steve to the gym because he had a bunch of new recruits to train by three sharp, while Y/n was heading to the kitchen.

-FRIDAY, would you call up ms Simon for me?- she found Tony, Vision and Thor in the common room so she quickly greeted them.

-Hey guys, taking a break?- she smiled when Thor got up to greet her properly. He was such a physical and affectionate person. He reminded her of a golden retriever; huge, with long hair and a heart of gold. Your smile widened when he bent down to press his ear to her belly.

-Well yes darling, do you forget that aside from kicking some ass every now and then we're basically jobless?- Tony joked. Both he and Vision were looking at you two.

-How is your pregnancy going, Y/n?- Vision asked in his posh and polite manner. She tilted her head to the side. Thor still touching the smooth and round surface. She didn't mind at all.

-It's going smoothly, thank you. Tho if I have to be honest I can't wait to at least give birth. I love my belly but it's so complicated to live with. I also miss actually moving around and exiting the tower. I don't think I've ever been so still and babyed in my life.-

-If it was an easy job, God wouldn't have gave it to women.- they all turn around when you hear an unfamiliar voice, which they soon found out to be Helen's. Thor stands straight in all his tallness and gets in front of her protectively.

-Who are you?- he asks suspiciously. She put a hand on his arm to calm him down.

-It's okay, Thor. This is Helen Simon, she's my new midwife. The one me and Steve hired this morning.- her head turns quickly to Tony then back to Helen. Tony stands up, fixing the invisible fold in his tracksuit pants and smugly walks to the older woman.

-Stark. Tony Stark. I actually hired you, but I'll let the happy couple have the glory.- he joked and you shook your head amused. They shook hands and then Vision introduced himself as well. Thor just acknowleged her with a nod. It's not like the God of Thunder had to introduce himself.

-Okay guys, see you later. I'm starving so.- you decided to cut it, but obviously Tony had to sneak in a joke. Had to.

-I'm sure cap worn you out.- Thor, which didn't know what timing was, bless his heart, decided to burst out laughing. You rolled your eyes not looking back.

-Jealousy doesn't match with your shoes Anthony.- you clapped back, still hearing Thor laugh and Tony calling him out.

A few feet down the corridor there was the kitchen, and when Y/n finally tought that her and Helen could have a minute alone, they found Wanda intently reading a book while she mover her finger around to spin the teaspoon in a mug. She looked up when they entered the room. Her finger stopped working and so did the spoon, the faint magenta colored aura disappearing.

-Hello?- she said, tentatively. Y/n ignored her cold stare and walked to the fridge taking out the leftover chicken and some salad to mix.

-She's Helen, the midwife me and Steve talked about.- there was a subtle warning in Y/n's voice. She thought 'Be nice' in her mind, and when Wanda sighed she knew she read her mind.

-Nice to meet you. If you'll excuse m- - Wanda was about to get up from the stool but the old woman's voice stopped her.

-You aren't eating that chicken cold are you? How old is it?- she walked closer, grabbing the plastic box from her hands. Both her and Wanda were a little taken aback by her bluntness, and shared a look.

-Uh..Yeah? I was actually going to put it in the salad. And it's..I'm not sure, a couple of days old? Still perfectly fresh and untouched.- she answered trying to reassure her, but she wasn't having it at all.

-This isn't eating healthy. If you want a healthy baby you need to eat properly. I'll take care of your meals from now on. - she stated, putting the box aside. - The non pregnant teammates can risk getting sick with that chicken. - Wanda's gaze darkened and her eyes took a light shade of red.

-What's that supposed to mean, old lady? - Y/n saw her fingers starting to move around with the corner of her eye and put her own hand on hers.

-Helen didn't mean anything, Wanda. She just meant that I have to be extra careful in comparison to the rest of you, ok? Don't you have to be somewhere right now?- she asked in the most calm way. The last hting she needed was Wanda yeeting Helen out of the tower on the first day. Wanda closed and picked up her book and mug, walking towards the exit of the kitchen.

-I mean, I'd like to go to the terrace to chill, but I can't.- Y/n frowned while sitting on a stool. Meanwhile Helen had already started to inspect their whole frige.

-I can feel Bucky and his girl going at it so yeah, I did not plan to watch a live performance.- she choked on water and the old lady turned around with a rather disgusted face. Wanda just shrugged and left them. The girl turned towards the older woman with an awkward smile.

-Welcome I guess.- the short fake laugh was over as soon as Helen sat in front of her, her hands conjoined in front of her.

-This isn't good.- the girl shifted uncomfortably, then uncosciously starting to rub her belly as a sign of comfort.

-What isn't?- the lady sighed. -First off, there are way too many people here. This place is chaotic, the people aren't giving you the peace that you need. This isn't a baby-space. At all. I just looked into your frigde and there isn't a single thing ready or 100% healthy probably except vegetables. Y/n if you want to be a good mother and be healthy for your baby you need to change a few things.- her words at first irritated her, setting off her protectiveness towards the people she called family, but then as she went on, she made her feel little. Like a little girl who wasn't good enough. She sighed silently.

-What would you have me do then?- she asked. Helen shrugged, still mantaining her perfect posture.

-I'm not gonna suggest you to buy a new place, because where you'll live after the baby is born is your business, but..- she paused, -I can offer you to come live at my place for these last two months or so. I have a nice, peaceful place a little outside New York. I already had eight of my patients do this, it's not so absurd.- she explained like it was the most normal thing in the world. Y/n was listening, but she wasn't convinced. She decided that she had to think about it first. She had to know for sure that she was professional and competent.

-I don't know, Helen. I'll admit that it isn't the most tranquil place to live, but...these people are my family. They have always been by my side, pregnant or not. And what about Steve? The father of my firstborn?- she marked the last phrase, tilting her head to the side. A little habit she probably took from Wanda.

-Because they care about you. But in truth, tell me, aren't you feeling like a burden? Like you get into their business?- she mirrored the young woman's expression. Y/n didn't answer at first.

-You're really not going soft on this are you?- Helen released a dry laugh. Shook her head and paused before talking.

-Yes. I began working as a nurse unofficially when I was 13 years old, during the Prague Spring reforms in '68. The hospital was in short of nurses so.- she explained, -That time wasn't easy. Not that the one before it and after it wasn't, that is. You either grow a thick skin or you don't survive.- Y/n felt for her, as she had a very similar destiny. First she doesn't know how she ended up in an orphanage, and then when she was fifteen and nobody took her, they kicked her out. She was homeless for a year until SHIELD recruited her, and the rest is history.

The older woman got up and took some vegetables, washed them and then placed them down to slice them. Y/n got up as well and started helping. She eyed the fresh eggs, so she guessed that Helen wanted to make a quick frittata.

-How did you end up in America? As midwife, nonetheless.- she asked.

-Why most foreign people come to America? Certainly not the food.- The woman responded with a slight hint of irony. The girl chuckled.

-Touché.-

-In any case, I've been here more than half of my live, moved many states mainly for my own choice. Being a private midwife pays decently.- she paused to dump the sliced vegetables into a pan with a little oil and salt.

-I became one because I was fascinated by the whole process that the woman's body goes through both before, during and after birth. I assisted two of my older sisters, and in the end ended up doing it as a job.- Y/n nodded, listening.

-That's actually amazing. But if I can ask, you do not have kids yourself?-

-No. Didn't have the possibility at first. Then decided that just it was my profession but not my future. No regrets.- she answered even tho the girl could sense that something was off. She decided not to intrude.

Silence fell between them while they were cooking, and the younger woman took the popularity to think about what she said. The woman was practical, a bit harsh maybe. But she also had a lot of experience. She didn't like the thought of leaving her family, but she had to admit that she often felt like a burden lately. More than once someone stayed behind to look after her, and even tho they didn't seem to mind at all, she did. She wasn't used to being so pampered and looked after, and sometimes she almost felt suffocated. Guess that spending many years of your life having to take care of yourself takes a toll on you.

She didn't want to decide anything without talking it out with Steve first. And it wouldn't be permanent, just for the last couple months or so, until she had the baby. If she really thought about it maybe she needed some time to reconnect with herself, to learn how to take care of her baby in the best way possible. Even the stupidest thing like cold chicken could potentially make her sick, and it was such a small thing. But that doesn't change the fact that she didn't knew. She wasn't one of those moms who surrounded herself with books teaching her every do's and don'ts, but at this point insecurity was kicking in. The last thing she would ever want was to be a bad mother even before actually becoming one.

-

Between a baby shop and another, and a whole new diet including an embarrassing amount of tea, Y/n finished her eight month of pregnancy. She was feeling as tired and as big as ever. Helen actually helped a lot both with the cooking, the health tips and with the shopping. She actually sobbed when they bought the crib. Both because she was emotional, a bit because hormones and also because Steve was again away on a mission. The whole team was actually. They had new leads in the Hungarian case and another completely different mission in South Korea, a tough one. So it required the whole team split up. That was the fist time Y/n was left alone since she knew she were pregnant. It all went smoothly, the tower actually felt quiet for once.

Y/n and Helen had found a nice dynamic, and most of the time spent time in a comfortable silence, each doing their thing. A downside that she wasn't realizing was the distance that was slowly creeping from her to the team. They didn't really like the midwife that much, Wanda, Thor and Bucky especially didn't like her at all. But Y/n felt for her, she felt like she knew her better than them so she often took her side, which hurt them back.

Steve on the other hand wasn't realizing it almost at all. All he cared about was his wife being healthy and that she got along with the midwife. They didn't sleep together often anymore, due to the fact that he was often away and she was constantly tired. Bruce did warn her at the beggining that this 'enhanced' baby would've probably tired her out, and it did at first but then she was feeling very well. She and Helen both blamed it on the tiredness of the pregnancy as a whole.

The last straw was when some of the guys, specifically Sam, Thor and Peter, whom didn't live at the tower and was rarely involved in missions because of Tony, went to see them and in some way, nobody actually know how, they made a whole ass hole in the floor above the library. Fate wanted that Y/n and Helen were reading just a few feet away. If they were just a bit closer to the door, they would've been hit by the pavement pieces.

Helen gasped and jumped out of her seat, book still in her hand by the corner. The younger woman on the other hand was more mad than anything.

She rose from the armchair, struggling a bit and marched towards the now destroyed door. The damage wasn't so bad, but it was still damage and it could've been way worse. She was fuming.

-Y/n! Shit are you okay? - Sam yelled from above. The three guys looking down from the hole they created.

-I'm so sorry it wasn't me! It was Thor! - Peter joined in and caused the God to respond, and from that a whole lot of mess arose.

The people who weren't on a mission, which were Wanda, Bucky and Tony, came running.

Y/n didn't know where to look and all of a sudden started felling a bit suffocated. She brought a hand to her forehead, distubed by the chaos arouns her.

-Stop! Fucking stop it! - she yelled, groaning from frustration. Everyone stopped talking while the girl started to feel her eyes prickle with tears of frustration.

-Why is never, ever a single day if peace in here? There's always someone around, making a mess, making noise, complaining- - she almost stumbled on a piece of ceiling that had fallen, but Bucky and Tony were right behind her and helped her stabilize herself, but she shoved them off.

-Leave me be!- she exclaimed frustrated. She huffed, trying to take a deep breath. -I'm moving out.- a chorus of 'What' arose. Bucky stepped forward and grabbed her wrist gently.

-What are you talking about?- his eyes showed confusion and panic.

-And when would have you decided this stupid thing?- Tony crossed his arms and went straight up 'Tony Stark' on her. Y/n rolled her eyes, ignoring both questions and walked out of the now damaged library. Helen followed suit.

-At least wait for Steve to return!- Wanda said. Thor jumped down, through the new hole in the ceiling and followed her like the others.

-Y/n, we're sorry! Look, I'm gonna fix the ceiling myself okay? Please don't go- Y/n's ached to see them upset, but she was tired. Too tired. She was afraid that if she had stayed more than she could withstand, their relationships could've been ruined. That was the last thing she wanted. She didn't knew exactly what was that overwhelmed her so much. She felt constantly tired and in pain, all the noise, number of people..it had become just too much. She needed to finish this pregnancy alone, or at least in a more quiet place.

She stopped in her tracks and exhaled silently. Her eyes passed through everyone in the room. Even in that moment, they were decimated because of the mission, yet there were still eight people in the room. When normally it would've been around 15. That's too many people.

-It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, specifically. I just.. I feel overwhelmed. There's too much going on here at the tower. And for me it's like seeing life go on without being able to do anything. I need some space, okay? It won't be forever. Hell, if everything goes well it's gonna be a month, at best. But I really, really need a break. I am going to pack and leave by afternoon, when Steve returns, just send him to the address that I'll leave for him. Okay? I love you guys, you're my family and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Its just temporary.- she smiled softly, trying not to get emotional. Wanda was visibly upset, on the verge of crying. The others just looked sad, maybe disappointed. But nobody said anything, so she turned her heels and went straight to her room.

-

By five pm she and Helen were already gone. The older woman called them a cab, the driver took care of their stuff and then they were gone. Y/n was silent during most of the trip, both because of the extreme tiredness and sadness. She never changed home since she moved to the tower. She also thought about what she would tell Steve. She knew she couldn't contact him, so she didn't. They had left two days prior, so it was a bit early to know when he'll be coming home. But she knew a hundred percent that he would've gotten to her even before going home.

The two women were headed to the older one's house, which was in Avalon, New Jersey. Helen had told her about her beach house, quite far from the city. Y/n did actually fall asleep after the first hour or so, they had around three in total so she didn't worry about not waking up. By her surprise though, she did sleep throughout the whole trip, and yet, she was still tired. In those days her head gave her particular discomfort, so any noise at all really disturbed her.

Helen woke her up gently when they arrived, the she helped her get out of the car. Meanwhile the driver, which was a quite young man, probably around her age, which was 27, with curly black hair, stubble and dark green eyes, took their luggage off of the trunk.

-That's all. Have a nice stay.- he smiled slightly. Y/n frowned, what about the money?

-How much do we owe you?- she asked sweetly. He waved his hand dismissively, going back in the driver's seat.

-The lady already paid me, I'm ok. Bye.- he waved goodbye and drove off. Y/n and Helen dragged the luggage insider her villa, by which the girl definitely was taken aback.

-You didn't tell me that you live in a Villa?-

-Maybe, but I did tell you that being a private midwife pays well. I also need space if I want to take people living with me.- she explained. The first thing that you could see was the huge open space which showed a not exaggeratedly large living room with a window door on the right, on the left there was the kitchen and in the middle a staircase.

It wasn't very decorated, but the light palette of the whole place defines had a calming effect. Y/n was so used to the high rise and high technology of the Avengers tower that she had almost forgot how nice and intimate a normal house could be.

Helen showed y/n around a little, then ended up in the spare room, which had a large bed, a balcony and some essential forniture pieces such as a wardrobe, a vanity, a full length mirror, an armchair.

-This is really nice, Helen.- she smiled tiredly, caressing her big belly while she walked around. But as she was walking towards the balcony, she had a slight attack of vertigo, and her knees buckle for a second. The woman was at her side in a few seconds, helping her onto the bed. Y/n huffed, the back of her hand on her eyes.

-Why am I so shitty? I was pretty good until a few months ago.- she whined, and Helen shook her head while she stroked her arm.

-Every pregnancy is different, Y/n. You're just tired, from the car and that chaotic place.- the disdain in her voice didn't really pleased Y/n, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have the strength and besides, it's not like she was particularly liked at the tower anyway.

-I'll get you a tea, be right back.- Y/n chuckled.

-I drank more of your Hungarian tea than water in the last months.- Helen pulled a tight smile.

-Well, it is a traditional recipe for pregnant women. Not that you seem to mind it either.- the girl relaxed her eyes and discarded her sneakers to the ground.

-No, it has a peculiar taste but not bad.-

-Good.- and with that she left the girl alone. Helen went down the stairs, and turned on the stove to warm some water. She then opened a drawer, forcing the wood layer to come up by using her fingernails, pulling out an old fashioned phone.

She went to the contacts and dialed the only one there was. She waited a few minutes, when someone picked up.

-Igen?-

-Közeledünk. Készülj fel.- she said, hanging up.

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

Translation from Hungarian: ‘Yes?’ ‘We’re close. Get ready.’

Hiii, this is quite a short chapter but I wanted to end it with ✨ suspense ✨ the next one tho is gonna be way longer. Lastly, friendly reminder that my taglist and my ask inbox are open!

***********

Taglist : @polarcrystall @a--1--1--3  @jessyballet​

[willowbird]

Hey! For the au + trope + prompt thing, could you do 1 for au, 9 for trope and 27 for prompt with pynch?

(P.S: I just remembered you have already done one with pynch, so you can do this one with another ship of your choosing if this one feels repetitive!)

Roommates AU, strangers to lovers, “that was a very bad idea. 0/10 would not recommend.” ~ for pynch!

I am more than happy to write 10,000 roommate aus for these idiots <3

---

It all started with an only mildly suspicious ad on craigslist:

Roommate needed $275/mo - utilities included must be ok with corvids good w/cars a plus - rent discount if u can prove it

Adam wasn't an idiot. He knew something that was too good to be true when he saw it. He also knew that answering a craigslist ad for a roommate was a good way to get stabbed, robbed, and God only knew what else.

And yet...

Sometimes, when your options were limited it really was better to take every possible avenue to get away from the devil you know - even if that means sharing a small apartment with the devil you don't.

Well, the devil and his pet raven. And really, Chainsaw was by far the more agreeable of the two.

That being said, it wasn't like Ronan was awful. He was an asshole, and he was downright grumpy bastard anytime before 11am. He listened to terrible music, if that trash could ever be considered such. Chainsaw was a sweetheart, though, always bringing Adam new shinies for his approval and sitting with him while he worked on a paper or research or any number of other assignments for his degree.

(Taking the risk that he had by jumping at that craigslist ad meant that he was able to cut back on his hours a little bit at work, go to school full time, and start amassing a savings account.)

And, okay, Ronan probably had some merits too. He could cook, for one thing. Not to say that Adam couldn't cook. He could - he just didn't like to. If it were up to him, he'd probably subsist on saltines and hard-boiled eggs. In fact, he had done exactly that for the first two weeks living with Ronan until the other man had dropped a full plate of breakfast in front of him, stole his crackers, and pointed at him. "Eat like a fucking grown-up," he'd said -and... well, that was that. Sure, Adam had tried to protest, but Ronan had just... started making food for the both of them and maybe if it was shitty food or even mediocre in quality Adam would have been able to ignore it - but it killed something inside Adam to waste food. Especially good food. And Ronan's food was fucking amazing.

So, there was that.

He also wasn't an absolute terror to be around. Having a conversation with Ronan Lynch was a choose-your-own-adventure novel written by very high geniuses. You really never knew what you were going to get and each alternate path was bound to be either completely bat-shit crazy or a humbling level of profound. Not only that, but Ronan didn't pull that alpha-male bullshit so many other men did where they refused to admit they didn't know something. No, when Adam proved that he knew what he was talking about when it came to cars, Ronan just said "teach me?" with such open intensity that Adam couldn't really tell him 'no', alright?

And then there were days like today, where Adam got home from an early shift at the garage to find Ronan sitting halfway out of their third-floor apartment, securing a thick rope to a hook above the window that definitely hadn't been there when Adam left that morning.

"Are you about to do something stupid again?" Adam called up to him as he got out of his car. Upon hearing his voice, Chainsaw (who had been circling anxiously above) crowed out a warbled imitation of speech that sounded a lot like 'Atom' and coasted down to him.

"Me? Stupid? Nah, this is gonna be fucking amazing," Ronan called back without looking away from his work.

Chainsaw landed on Adam's shoulder and clapped her beak affectionately near his ear. Adam dutifully lifted a hand to stroke at the soft feathers of her neck. If he also whispered 'hello beautiful girl, is your papa making trouble for you again?' it was between him and the bird and Ronan would never need to know.

Chainsaw crooned a tense 'kreh!' that Adam took as an affirmative.

"What exactly are you doing, Ronan Lynch?" Adam called up as he took another look at the setup, walking closer to the building. The rope that Ronan had just finished tying to the hook was already secured to a tree on the edge of the parking lot, the one that stood awkwardly out from the rest of the tree line. Their apartment complex was situated right on the edge of a forest preserve. A lot of Ronan's hair-brained ideas usually came back to the forest in one way or another.

"This is just a test run. If I can get it to work right, I'm going to set a line straight into the forest."

"Mm, yes, because... leaving civilization through a door is beneath you?"

Ronan paused, then grinned down at him, the expression somehow both boyish and savage in a way that always made Adam's heart jump for some reason. "Actually, yeah. Literally."

Adam rolled his eyes but didn't bother to fight the smile. "Punk."

"I resent that. I reject all labels, Parrish - you know that."

"Uh-huh. Sure. Well if you-- Ronan what are you doing?"

Ronan had produced what looked like a fucking tie (was that the one Ronan's brother Declan had been wearing when he came by for dinner a couple weeks back?) and had wrapped one end around his hand. As Adam watched, he flicked the loose end of the tie over the taut rope and then wrapped it around his other hand.

"Told you it was a test run, Parrish. That mean's I've actually got to test it."

"Ronan I don't think--"

But it was too late. Ronan had already jumped out of the fucking third-floor window like he was expecting to fly. For a second or two, he sort of did. The rope bowed but supported him and the smooth tie provided little friction as Ronan began to zoom down at a steep angle. Then the rope shuddered and went completely slack, the hook having torn free from the side of the building where it clearly had not been properly anchored. Ronan plummeted like a stone in a still pond.

"Ronan!" Adam did not make the active decision to move, but he was suddenly sprinting to where the jumbled heap of Ronan Lynch had landed on the rough pavement. Chainsaw had already launched ahead and was hopping around near Ronan's head, squawking out anxious reprimands of 'Kerah! Kerah!'

Adam skidded to his knees beside Ronan just as the other man was shakily trying to sit up. "What the FUCK Ronan Lynch!? What were you thinking!? You can't just jump out of a God-forsaken third-floor window like that. Do you want to be killed?" Adam didn't even care that the rural-Virginian flavor of his youth had coated his words in a thick batter, he was so mad.

Ronan blinked at him and there was a strange mix of confusion and pain and... something else on his face. "Scared, Parrish?" The words did not come out as teasing as they normally would.

"Scared? Scared? Of course I was scared. You... you fucking idiot!" Adam had to give himself a moment. He raked his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, then another. He closed his eyes and tried to center himself. Fear and anger would get him nowhere, even if the fear had already set its nasty little hooks into each and every one of his nerve endings and the anger felt like the only way to burn them away.

A hand touched his shoulder, then his cheek. Adam opened his eyes and Ronan was wearing another indecipherable expression, his dark eyes hooded, his mouth pursed.

"Come on," Adam said as he leaned back so he could stand up. "Can you stand?" Chainsaw continued to hop around, but she'd stopped her distressed shouting, perhaps sensing that Adam was taking control and feeling more comfortable knowing that he would set things to rights, whatever that might mean.

Ronan was quiet for a moment, then seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts before giving a derisive snort. "It was just a little fall, Parrish, I'm --fuck!" Ronan had just tried to stand up, but his knee buckled out from under him as soon as he put his weight on it. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, alright. Alright. Shit. Fuck. That was a very bad idea. 0/10 would not recommend."

"The standing or the stupid fucking stunt you pulled jumping out of a goddamn window?" Adam asked. He attempted to make it as dry as possible, trying to get them back to some kind of equilibrium, but his heart was still racing a bit too fast and he could hear the angry bite in his own words.

Still didn't stop him from instantly stepping forward and catching Ronan, though. He wound an arm around Ronan's waist, guiding Ronan's arm over his shoulders so he could support him.

"The standing, of course. Shit! Ah... fuck. My idea for the apartment-forest zipline is fucking genius thank you."

Adam helped Ronan hobble forward, taking them back toward his car instead of the building. "Yeah. Right. Whatever you say, Lynch."

"Where are we going?"

"To the hospital, dumbass," Adam said with a roll of his eyes, all but shoving Ronan into the passenger seat. He held the door open for Chainsaw to be able to swoop in and land on the idiot's lap. The least Ronan could do was soothe her for the drive.

"You don't have--"

Adam cut him off with a glare. "We. Are. Going. To. The. Hospital. Am I being perfectly clear?"

"...yes." Ronan glared back, but then sank down in his seat, expression mulish.

Adam fixed him with a hard stare that lasted another few heartbeats, then gave a nod and snapped the door shut.

So yes, Ronan Lynch wasn't all that bad. Sometimes the devil you don't really is the better choice. Because sometimes that devil has a cute bird and makes good food and has great conversation. If he also scares the shit out of you on the regular and makes your heart race inexplicably, well, that's not so bad a deal. Right?

[fific7]

Dangerous and Divine - Part 5

Billy Russo x Reader

Summary: Billy Russo is an itch you don’t want to scratch. But he’s all over you like a rash.

A/N: This does not follow canon except for a few random points mentioned this time. It’s mainly fluff, lemon zest 🍋 and a bit of angst. There’s also some Billy POV in there. The GIF is from Exposed, unreleased pilot show in case you’re wondering 😌... Billy vibes.

Warnings: Some drinking & swearing.

(My GIF)

A grin curved his lips upwards, “How d’you like your eggs in the mornin’, ma’am?”

“Over easy,” you grinned back. He tapped his shoulder a couple of times with the kitchen spoon, “Ummm.. how about scrambled? And then I’ll give you the “over easy” version afterwards.”

That damn smirk of his, you thought, it’s downright dangerous.

The two of you were sitting at your kitchen island, eating breakfast. The scrambled eggs were really tasty, you complimented him. He’d preened a little, “I’m quite a good cook, sweetheart,” he said, “learned how to look after myself quite early on in life.”

Suddenly he put his fork down, and looked over at you. His face was serious, and you saw some sadness in his eyes. “My mother abandoned me when I was a really young kid. She was a junkie, and couldn’t look after herself never mind me, so I suppose I should thank her. I’d probably be dead otherwise. Got put in a group home, stayed there until I aged out and went straight into the Marines. And got my degree on the government’s dime.”

Your hand moved to cover his, “Billy, you’ve done so well, and you’ve achieved it all on your own. I’m proud of you, and I hope you’re proud of yourself too.” He beamed at you, eyes crinkling at the corners, “Yeah... yeah, I am. Thanks, angel, I appreciate you sayin’ that. I wanted to tell you about it, wanted to be honest with you. In case when you saw the suits, the car, the penthouse and all, you thought I was some kind of privileged trust fund kid.”

He looked down, “There’s a stigma about growin’ up in the system, y’know? I wanted to get it out on the table so you know who I really am and where I came from.”

“I don’t care about that, Billy.” He nodded, thumb stroking your hand which was still on top of his. “I really hoped that you wouldn’t ... but I wanted to be sure, and I’m really glad you feel like that. Also I needed you to know that I’m bein’ honest with you.”

You thought you saw a closed-off look on his face for a moment, but then it was gone and he smiled over at you.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You had spent the rest of Sunday together, lazing around, watching various shows on Netflix before venturing out for a late lunch to a local diner. Billy had eventually headed home after another steamy session in the bedroom, regretful about not spending the night, sighing that he had a really early start in the morning, a ‘job’ he couldn’t tell you anything about.

He’d explained a bit more about his work earlier in the day while you were eating in the diner. How a lot of it was classified as it was military or political in nature, so he couldn’t go into detail. You’d nodded, and said you understood. But you’d asked some questions nevertheless; how many of the assignments did he go on himself, just how dangerous they were, had he or his men ever been injured.

You got the impression that, although he couldn’t tell you much about who was involved or why they needed protection details, he was pleased you were showing an interest in his work.

The two of you agreed that you’d meet up during the week, Billy saying he’d text you to confirm when and where as he wasn’t sure how long this job would last, maybe at least a couple of days.

He’d insisted on putting his numbers into your phone himself, so you’d unlocked it and handed it to him, wandering back to your bedroom to put some more clothes on. Shortly afterwards he’d kissed you long and hard and made his way downstairs to his car, and you’d watched from your balcony as he drove away. Then you’d laughed at yourself - you were acting like some medieval damsel watching her knight disappear off to war or something.

Sliding the glass door closed, you went to the fridge to pull out a bottle of wine. The apartment suddenly felt very empty without Billy in it. How quickly you’d got used to him being there.

You wandered across to the sofa with your newly-poured glass of wine, noticing your phone on the coffee table. Oh yeah, Billy had added his numbers. A sudden twinge of insecurity hit you. What if he hadn’t actually put his direct numbers in there, and just pretended to? You sat down, looking at it lying there. I mean, it wasn’t like you couldn’t track him down at Anvil, but you would no doubt have to go through a receptionist and you could be endlessly stone-walled.

You eventually picked up the phone and unlocked it. Scrolling to your contacts, you suddenly burst out laughing. Billy had put his numbers in there and had also taken a selfie, him smouldering into the camera. He’d attached it to the contact details with a description.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy drove away from her apartment, truly wishing he could’ve stayed over again.

But then he’d shaken his head slightly, laughing to himself; she’d definitely got one thing right - he was a big sap. Since when did he find himself almost playing house with a woman? Telling her she was his girlfriend - as she’d put it - after five minutes? He was a one-and-done kinda guy!

But then Billy Russo admitted to himself that something had hit him smack in the heart when he’d first seen her, sitting there looking stunning and somehow fragile with that creep trying to come onto her. Well turns out she wasn’t fragile in the least! However when those beautiful eyes had met his... well, he was a goner. Solid gone. And then he’d pursued her like a lovestruck idiot.

He hadn’t ever seriously thought about love. Or believed in it, for that matter. Certainly not when he’d been bedding all those women when he’d been on leave or since he’d left the Marines. All that shit just wasn’t for him. And now? Yeah, not so sure.

Billy almost felt like he was under some kind of spell, it had hit him so quickly. Yeah, like she’d enchanted him or something ridiculous, straight out of a Disney or Harry Potter movie. Was this love, then? His stomach clenched every time he saw her, he just couldn’t stop thinking about her, wanted to be with her all the time, hell he was even jealous of Jake though he wasn’t a threat. Was he? No, surely not. And what about Steve, the other one? Yeah, there he was doing it again - unreasonable jealousy.

And when they’d first slept together, he felt like he’d finally understood what making love meant.

Billy Russo, who until a few days ago had spent most of his leisure time in life actively fucking women - how he’d always described it to himself and others - was now a confirmed big sap. He chuckled to himself.

He suddenly remembered ripping the shit out of a young Marine in his squad who’d come back off leave totally besotted with some girl. The kid had confessed (stupid move) to all the guys that they’d made love, a distant and dreamy look in his eyes. At the time, Billy had scoffed at him and endlessly humiliated him about it. In an affectionate way of course, he told himself.

But he felt guilty about that. Who’s the one with the distant and dreamy gaze now, Russo?

In all truth, Billy felt like he was having some kind of out of body experience. As if Previous Billy Russo was looking down in horror at his new self, yelling at him to get his fucking head back on straight. But New Billy Russo wasn’t listening because, well because he realised he liked feeling this way.

And he thought that she felt the same. He knew she was fighting it and wouldn’t admit anything to him, but there were little tells that had given her away. He decided he’d stay on his best behaviour, just keep trying to win her over, and he felt in his bones that they would be together.

But he did feel a sting of guilt. He had been honest with her, but he’d also been selective with what he’d told her about Anvil, how it all started, and this ongoing shit he and Frank were still embroiled in. One day... one day, and hopefully soon, he could tell her absolutely everything.

His phone, clipped to the dash, vibrated.

He rolled his eyes when he saw the caller ID, hit the button and answered it.

“Dinah... what can I do for you?”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You, meanwhile, had just finished your second glass of wine and were admitting to yourself that you were really missing Billy. Oh this is bad, your brain yelled at you, very bad. You’d only known this guy for a few days and you were falling for him. Or - okay - had already fallen for him. It scared you, quite honestly.

He was charming, funny, handsome, sexy. An amazing lover. He’d been disarmingly honest with you about his past, but... but what? Why was there a ‘but’? Because there was something niggling at the back of your mind. Just a couple of expressions you’d seen on his face, quickly gone. An indication of more happening just underneath the surface than you knew about. Billy had a distinct air of danger about him, and you wondered what else was going on inside that dark head of his.

You’d fallen for him, yes... but you were also going to remain wary of him, until you were certain you knew everything you could about him.

Reaching over and pulling your laptop towards you across the coffee table, you typed Billy’s name into Google.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

The next morning, Billy parked his car and walked into Anvil. His reception staff wished him a respectful Good Morning, he nodded to them and headed upstairs to his office. Frank was already there, reading a newspaper.

“Mornin’ Bill,” he said, looking up. “Frankie,” nodded Billy, “want a coffee?” and kept on walking towards the coffee machine in the corner. “Nah, just had one, thanks.”

He poured out an Americano for himself, then chuckled loudly. Frank quirked an eyebrow at him, and Billy shrugged back. “I met someone last week. She owns two cafés, and she’s a coffee snob. Gonna refine my palate, she said.”

Frank looked back down to his paper before commenting, “I’m impressed you know that much about her, Bill. Didn’t think you bothered cos you usually cut & run.” Billy smirked, knowing he couldn’t dispute what Frank had just said, but he was going to enjoy the next slice of the conversation. Even just to see the expression on Frank’s face.

“I....like her. A lot. I want something with her.” “Something?” Frank chortled, “...you mean, like a relationship, Bill?” He looked closely at Billy, saw the shit-eating grin he had on his face and his jaw dropped. “You do, don’t you?! Fuckin’ hell! Never thought I’d see the day, Russo.” Billy burst out laughing.

“Well, that makes two of us, Frankie. But...” he spread his hands out to either side of him, “...it is what it is. And I’ll fill you in on all the details later. Now, this thing with Madani and Homeland - let’s get it nailed down.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

That same morning, you sat at your desk and slowly twirled from side to side in your chair. You sipped your cappuccino, and thought about Billy.

Little cousin had done you a favour this time and earlier on had delved into her company’s database, digging out some further information on Billy and Anvil which Google couldn’t provide you with. All it had given you was the bare minimum of the company’s founding date and numerous photos of Billy looking hot in his designer suits.

She told you she’d heard of him, and had also seen him at several events similar to the one you’d attended. You’d admitted you were seeing him, and she’d firstly screeched down the phone at you, nearly bursting your eardrum, before saying, “Now see, if you hadn’t gone in my place you wouldn’t have met him!” “Yeah, yeah, alright. Tell me what you’ve got for me.”

In a more serious tone, she said, “Just be careful though, his company seems a little... well, shady let’s just say. I mean, in the security business,” her voice lowered, “there’s usually some dodgy dealings or other going on. But him and his colleagues seem to have got themselves in some deep water with two federal agencies. I’ll email this stuff to you now and you’ll see what I mean.” You thanked her and hung up before she could tell you that now you owed her another favour.

You’d read through the attachments she’d sent you, and your eyes had got wide as you read that Billy and Anvil had originally been funded by a shadowy CIA guy, who’d then been killed in a gun battle between un-named protagonists. You sussed out that Anvil must’ve been one of those involved, as Billy and his friend Frank had been arrested and interrogated by Homeland Security before being released without charge. That struck you as a bit odd, but there were no more details available.

Your phone had chosen that moment to buzz with a FaceTime call from the man himself. You’d hesitated then accepted the call, and Billy’s handsome face popped up in front of you, with a wide smile plastered on it. You could see he was in his car. “Mornin’, sweetheart,” he said in a low sexy voice, and you felt your stomach tighten with excitement. This guy... the effect he had on you....!

You’d smiled and replied, “Morning, Billy.” He tilted his head towards you, dark eyes drawing you in, “Missin’ me? Because I’m missing you.” Shaking your head, smirking, you said, “We only saw each other a few hours ago so no, I’m not.” A cheeky grin from him this time, “Don’t believe you, angel, I think you can’t wait to see me again.” “You’re such a cocky bastard, Billy,” you laughed, “Why are you calling, exactly?”

His smile was a genuine one as he said, “I just wanted to see you before I head off to this job. Not sure when I’ll be able to call next. Remember - I’ll let you know as soon as I can when we can meet up this week.” You nodded, “Yeah, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten.” He blew you a kiss, saying “Bye, angel,” before he rang off.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

One of your friends had called shortly afterwards to ask if you wanted to meet up for lunch, as you hadn’t seen each other in quite a while. Deciding that you could do with some girl time, you arranged to meet her in a steak house near the Chrysler Building, and then decided you’d better get some work done before you headed out for your long lunch hour.

The two of you had met up just outside the restaurant and had gone in chatting away to each other. Being shown to your table, you sat down only to spot Billy Russo walking in behind a small dark-haired woman. Your mouth dropped open, and your eyes took in every detail of her. She was pretty, with big dark eyes, olive skin and wavy hair in a shoulder-length bob. Billy, you noted, had his hand on her lower back, guiding her to their table, just as he had with you when you went for your first drink with him.

You leant forward to your friend, “I’m so sorry about this but we’re gonna have to go somewhere else.” She looked concerned, “What’s wrong?” “Someone I need to avoid just came in,” you explained, “c’mon, I’ll tell them I’ve had an emergency at work or something.” You both stood up, and you fled from the restaurant before you repeated your actions at that house party, which had got you arrested. You didn’t want to end up in jail this time just because of that jerk and his little lady.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy looked up as two women who’d been sitting near him stood up and started rushing towards the door. Weird, he thought, they hadn’t even been served judging by the menus still laying on their place settings. He looked back at them, and one of them turned back briefly to her friend behind her as they exited the premises.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. It was her. His angel. Oh fuck! Did she..? Yes, she must’ve seen him and... he glanced at Madani across the table from him, reading through the menu choices. She glanced up, smirking at Billy but it quickly dropped off her face, when she saw the expression on his.

“Billy?” she said, but he’d dumped his napkin onto his plate by now and was standing up.

“Sorry, Dinah... I gotta go.” An annoyed look on her face, she growled, “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not. I... there’s someone I gotta catch up with, and I just saw them leaving.” He walked away from their table, and towards the door of the restaurant. As he did so he heard Madani say in a harsh voice, “Is it a woman, Russo?” but ignored her.

He made it out onto the street, looking around him in all directions, heart sinking as he couldn’t see her anywhere.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@blackbirddaredevil23

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Chizuru Town (Part 1)

In the game you wake up on the beach in Chizuru with NO IDEA how you got there.

I have a little fun with it. Enjoy!

“MC!”

The children’s voices were happy and oddly squeaky. They draw you out of unconsciousness. Your body feels a bit cold, and you shiver. 

“MC!” They keep calling you. You’re lying face up but their hands are pressed against your back. They keep pushing you from below.

You take a breath and feel the cold shock of water up your nose. The choking sensation makes you want to bolt upright but something is holding you up on the surface of the water. You catch a glimpse of silver grey, rubbery skin. A thin slit in that skin opens and sprays a mist with a sharp whoosh. The children’s voices are replaced by the squealing and whistling of dolphins.

Dolphins! Their sharp pointed fins are cutting through the water. You can see their bright eyes turn to look up at you. The way their mouths curve in their snouts gives them a smile. But they were powerful, insistent creatures. The moment you tried to swim on your own, they pushed you out of the water again.

The salt water in your mouth, the frigid breeze against your sun warmed skin told you this wasn’t a dream. You’d heard stories of dolphins rescuing people before, but you’d never actually thought you’d get to experience being carried on these muscular bodies. 

There were more surrounding you. Their sparkling backs broke the surface, no doubt watching. One eventually peeled off and another replaced them and you realized they were taking turns carrying you along. The sun was about halfway across the sky now and you could see the sparkling white sand of a small beach. The beach was only a few yards wide before it hit the seawall. You could climb up the seawall by what looked like stairs that led to a main street.

You gather your arms about yourself. What little clothing had survived the ghost tooth dragon vipers was torn away by the water and water-born debris. You were completely naked. You already were in the country illegally. You couldn’t imagine what would happen if you just showed up completely exposed like this. But how would you get any clothing?

The dolphins didn’t care about this at all. They pressed forward. If they knew anything about humans, it was that humans belonged on land and, for whatever reason, they had made it their mission to get you to the land as soon as possible. They pushed you with their snouts so hard you thought you might bruise and swam so quickly, you formed a wake in the water. You were already weak from fatigue and dehydration. There was no way you could fight them.

So you are pushed like a buoy towards the shore. When the water got too shallow the dolphins were forced to turn back or risk beaching themselves. Still, they swam a close distance away. Your body was shaking at a steady constant rate and the warm sand was irresistible. You lay down and sigh.

After a bit of rest, you pick a shadier spot against the wall, out of the sun and hopefully out of the prying eyes of people walking by. The dolphins follow you, spy hopping and watching. This was all so surreal.

You were supposed to be dead.

Again.

When you were younger, you read a book about a world where there was almost no difference between heaven, hell, and the living world. People died and woke up again to a place they found familiar and only vaguely strange. The book was deliberately unsettling, meant to blur the line between reality and dreams. The protagonist wasn’t sure if he was still alive, in heaven, or in hell, and the reader was not to know either until the end.

You’re feeling this way now. You thought you had died in the Arctic ocean, only to be thrown into a chaotic dragonslaying academy. Now you thought you died, only to wake up to a school of dolphins after nearly getting eaten by a dragon.

How are you alive after all that has happened? Maybe you weren’t alive. Maybe this was hell and you were suffering multiple deaths. The dolphins chattered brightly ahead of you, but now their sounds seemed more like they were mocking you, naked, on the sand alone, alive again with no friends.

There was no sign of Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang or Caesar Gattuso. Were they saved by dolphins too? Or left to drown and be eaten? Was God only with you and not with them? Your mind starts to form an idea. You can test out this theory. Worst case scenario was that you died for real and you’d long since gotten over that fear.

You stand up and brush the sand off your bare bottom. You would take your time to rest and hide out until night fell and then use the dark to your advantage. 

Fatigue made you sleep longer than you wanted. Darkness has truly fallen when you wake up, stiff and achy. A greyish mat of sand has stuck to your whole body. You look back towards the ocean, but the dolphins are gone. You waddle out on wobbly legs and wash the sand away. After so much time in the water, the feel of it on your skin was suddenly abhorrent and you would be happy if you never spent another day in the ocean as long as you lived.

The theory that you’re actually dead and none of this was real was again challenged by how hard it was to make it up the stairs. You were so exhausted, starving and dehydrated that you swayed. You’d give anything for a bowl of hot ramen, served up fresh with a bit of egg floating on top.

You heard a voice cry out. A young couple was out for a stroll and had spotted you. You must look like a monster, hair long and matted and no clothes at all. Sure enough, they back away moaning with trembling voices before turning to run off, screaming something you can’t understand. Further up towards the street, you see bright lights. The smell of vendors cooking street food makes your stomach rumble. You couldn’t be out in the open, but maybe if you got close enough, you could dumpster dive and find some clothes. You sneak behind the back of the nearest building, a stucco box with a small front yard. The young man of the couple returns with a few other people. He’s speaking breathlessly, pointing towards the ocean. Poor guy. No doubt he thought he’d seen some ghost girl come from the ocean. This is probably something that would traumatize him for life.

You hear a small noise next to you. A little black cat is pawing at you. You could barely see it in the shadows. It didn’t care that you weren’t wearing clothes. Its fur was soft and warm and its purrs were comforting. You run your hand over its head and ears and it crawls into your lap. You would have liked to own a cat someday. You always liked them. They were funny and cute and very affectionate like this one. When you raise your eyes, your heart leaps. There are clothes hanging on a clothesline from a house not too far away!

You scramble quickly towards it, careful not to step on anything that might make noise. You check every gap to make sure that no one can see you. Then as soon as you reach the clothing, you carefully yank it off the line. It was just one of the local school uniforms. The white button down top was a bit small, but the wine-colored skirt fits you just fine around the waist. You were only a bit older than Renata when she died so this was probably the outfit of a highschool student.

Your eyes fall on the back door of the house. That’s right, Japanese don’t wear shoes in the house. These shoes were laid out neatly on the rack. You glance around and carefully approach, snatching what you hope will fit you. They’re just the right size, much to your shock. This surprise is enough to send a jolt of happiness through you. Now clothed, you return to the cat and pick it up in your arms and walk out on the street. The first thing you saw was a sign that said, Chizuru.

Before arriving in Japan, Norma, the school AI had told you about a place called Chizuru being a safe haven and to find an Internet Cafe there if you ever got into trouble. The hairs rose on the back of your arms. How could this be possible that dolphins not only save your life, but take you directly to the place that you needed to be? You sang the song that said ‘God is with you’ but it was supposed to be a metaphor right? 

You approach a man on the street who looks at you with a stunned expression. “I… excuse…”

Before you can ask anything, he shakes his head again and again and flees from you. “Wait! I need…”

You try again, this time of one of the vendors, an old craggy-faced man who stares at you with a black expression until you give up.

Burned, you just decide to wander around until you see something that looks like an internet cafe. It wouldn’t be in a neighborhood. More likely closer to the city center, on a main street. You head that way, away from the beach and the houses. The city center seems much quieter than you would expect it to be. You stop.

A group of people are standing on the street, five men in black leather jackets displaying flaming Oni masks. One had a wild looking tall mohawk dyed red. His black jeans reached down to black leather boots studded with silver spikes. It was as if the black dragon that tried to eat you had turned human and walked on land.

He turned his head and spotted you. It was too late to hide. His eyes ran up and down the length of you and he grinned, and made a slow whistling noise. You may have been raised in an orphanage but you weren’t that naive to not know what that smile meant. You’d seen it before on some of the staff who liked to take advantage of the older girls there. 

So you didn’t need to know the vulgar words coming out of their mouth.  You set the kitten down on a nearby trash can and pat it on the head, quietly telling it to stay in Russian. The cat obliged, and started to clean its paws.

In the orphanage, you were taught hand to hand basics until you were strong enough to actually use it in a fight. The trainings were very light against each other and you weren’t allowed to cause injury, but there was no gender splitting. You were only hybrids. Whether you were male or female, it didn’t matter so long as you had dragonblood in your veins.

Because of your background, you didn’t show the same innocent fear that these men may have been accustomed to from someone your age, in that clothing. You stared them straight in the eyes, your arms at your side, not moving forward or back. This nonchalant attitude made them stand there in brief bewilderment. The one with the mohawk was clearly the bolder of the five and he shouted something at you that you don’t understand. You just shake your head.

“I need to find the Internet Café…” You make a gesture with your hands to pantomime typing at a computer. They started to laugh, elbowing each other and nodding. You sigh. You’re so tired and it showed on your face.

Your lack of Japanese and your weary expression was an invitation to attack and they approached you now.

In the orphanage, no one would approach you like this in such a joking manner. Especially not on the training grounds. The Mohawk’s hands were relaxed. He was confident. He wasn’t watching your hands ball into fists as tight as stones and he wasn’t watching the sudden shift in your feet as you moved into a sturdy stance. He reached out with his hand to your elbow. So he was unable to block or dodge your fist that struck him like lightning.

He didn’t just feel pain or stagger back. The man felt flat to his side, straight to the pavement, and he didn’t get up. The eyes of his four friends followed him down with a stunned feeling. You knew that feeling. Like they suddenly found themselves in a fantasy world where a high school girl in a school uniform could knock out a gangster with a single hit? 

Maybe this was a fantasy world and you were a fantasy high schooler. After all, you were carrying a cat!

They all turned to you in unison and you attacked the next one, levering back on one leg and slamming him with a kick to the solar plexus. He staggered back, wheezing, curling in on himself, once or twice.. 

The next one now had the wherewithal to produce a switchblade. He swung it wildly at where your heart should have been, but the blouse was a bit open where it was too tight and he caught a glimpse of the fact that you’re not wearing anything underneath. Your hand caught his wrist and you pulled hard, driving your knee directly into his crotch.

His grip on the knife released as he slowly sank to the ground and you swiped it easily. You give it a toss and catch it by the handle. Now the smile is on your face and there’s no pleasure in it as you stare down the final two gangsters.

One gives up and turns to run, arms pinwheeling comically as his oni mask jacket flapped in the breeze created by his own flight.

The last one was backing away, stumbling over his feet, crawling back upright. And when he does get up, you see something in his hand, shiny and black.

A gun. You hadn’t seen one in a while and you stopped. You couldn’t do anything about this. He just needed to pull the trigger and you were gone. But this was a world where you couldn’t die… right?

A man in a white shirt and black slacks leaped out from behind a car and a bright metal arc gave off sparks as it neatly cut the gun in half. Chu Zihang’s sword then rested its edge on the man’s throat

The man stared at his severed gun in silence a moment before he noticed the blade.

“Senpai!” You joyfully run forward and wrap your arms around Zihang.

Zihang looks bewildered, unsure of what to do. His free hand hovers over your shoulder… head… and then he settles on patting you on the back.

The man at his mercy is trembling in terror at the discovery that this warrior girl in a school uniform somehow has a ‘Senpai’ at all. His companions are already staggering away, one of them limping and bowlegged as he flees. 

Chu Zihang raised his hand and rubbed his thumb and fingers together in the universal sign for ‘money’. You stick his tongue out at him.

The man was quick to oblige, tossing him his wallet.  Chu Zihang lowered his sword. After examining the contents, he picked out a few bills and handed the man his wallet back but he was already running away.

“Were you just going to let him shoot you?” He asked.

You opened your mouth. “Yes… but!” You raise a finger to halt objections. “I knew something would happen to keep me from dying!”

Chu Zihang shook his head slowly. “Where’s Lu Mingfei and Caesar?”

Your expression sobers. “I don’t know. I was looking for the Internet Cafe…”

He walks over to a vending machine and puts in the money to buy you something to eat. You return to where the cat is resting on the trash can. “What a good kitty!” You whisper, ,gathering it up in your arms.

“You shouldn’t keep that.” The Machine is pouring out noodles with soup broth base. Your stomach rumbles and the cat meows.

“Is there something for Kitty?” You ask.

Chu Zihang sighs again. The man gave the whole wallet, after all. Chu Zihang orders some dried squid for the cat.

In a few moments both you and Kitty are sitting against the building. You’re so hungry that you scald your mouth on the soup, but you don't care. Chu Zihang is silent, still standing guard and watching. With your hunger sated, you look up at him. “You’re the team lead right?”

“Only if I find out Caesar is dead.”

“You think he’s alive? Do you want me to call you boss?”

“No.”

“Okay boss.”

You look up at him and he’s scowling at you, not in the mood for your jokes, or your kitten. “How did you survive?”

“You’re not going to believe this. A pod of dolphins brought me all the way here.”

Much to your surprise he believes you. “That’s true. The dolphins here are very friendly to the locals. In fact there was a story I read about that...”

There was a sudden cacophony of roaring engines. Chu Zihang grabs you and together you duck behind the parked cars. Motorcycles, dozens of them, are all roaring off in one direction, their lights streaming towards a single destination. Among them were vans filled with people with automatic weapons. Right after that, all the lights go out in Chizuru. From the tallest building, to the smallest house, even the lights illuminating the advertisements go dark. 

Chu Zihang sighed deep in his chest. “I have a bad feeling Caesar is that way.”

[hotpinkhoshi]

kiss it better | three

pairing: mark tuan x reader

genre: angst, smut, brother’s best friend au (sort of)

warnings: age gap (nine years), cursing, explicit sex, slow burn

summary: you were off limits for more reasons than mark could count. but everything changed for him the day you walked into his tattoo shop with those big innocent eyes and a laugh like his favorite song. he couldn’t. he wouldn’t. and yet…

a/n: hi everyone! thank you for being so patient with me for this chapter! if you follow me i’ve mentioned a few times that i’m struggling with writer’s block these days, but i’m pushing through it. i hope you guys like this chapter and if you have any questions or feelings pls don’t hesitate to let me know! 

✩ index here ✩

In his thirty years and some odd months of life, Mark had learned one unquestionable thing about himself.

He liked to be alone - in all senses of the word. 

In his experience, nothing good could come from allowing anyone past your emotional walls. If he was alone, he was safe. No one could hurt him without his permission. But he’d be lying if he said that having you around wasn’t like a sliver of sunshine peeking over those walls he’d built brick by brick. 

Milo loved you, and another thing he’d learned in all of his wise years was that if his dog liked you, then you were alright. The moment you walked through the door that first morning, Milo had been at your heels, sniffing and licking your shins affectionately. So, one point in your favor.

Mark slept in most mornings since he wasn’t needed at the shop until eleven, so by the time he woke up you’d been up for hours. You took it upon yourself to clean, organize, and revive the dullness of Mark’s apartment. Another point for you. 

You spent most evenings at the dingy diner you worked at until nearly midnight. When you came home, Mark’s usual spot was on the couch, with Milo on his chest and a de-stressing round of Overwatch on the TV. 

For the first few nights, you all but scurried past him to the bedroom to quickly change for bed and then he didn’t see you at all for the rest of the night. He could tell you were doing everything you could to practically be invisible - so different from the fiery girl that had rolled her eyes at him and called him an old man. 

“Y/N,” he called to you the next night when you arrived home from work. He caught you just before you went down the hallway. 

“Yeah?” you said meekly, turning on your heels to face him. 

Mark sat up further, arms holding Milo on his lap. Even your body language seemed like you wanted to disappear. Your arms were behind your back as you stood straight, hands clasped like a servant. 

“You know you don’t have to hide, right? You live here. You can watch TV or have a friend over, or whatever you want.” 

He could see the hesitation in your eyes, like you didn’t quite believe him. He just wanted you to feel at home; something unfortunate had clearly happened before you moved to Seoul. It wasn’t his place to pry or ask questions, but he wanted you to feel comfortable. 

“I… it’s okay, really.” You chewed at your lip, eyes on the floor. 

Mark sighed. “Y/N, just come sit and watch TV with me. No excuses.”

“I should really-”

Milo barked, high pitched and sudden. He was looking at you expectantly as if he was also joining in on the debate. 

“See?” Mark asked. “Milo wants you to hang out with us.”

Mark watched as your features softened bit by bit until you caved. “Okay. I just need to go shower and change, though.” You tugged at your plain black polo that you were forced to wear for work, a little baggy around your figure which made him wonder if the shirt was too big or if you’d lost weight. 

It wasn’t his business, not really, but he still felt this pull to you, towards taking care of you like your parents had done for him. They had saved his life and he’d always been so sure he would never be able to repay them - until now. 

Half an hour later, Mark looked up to find you coming out of your room, no longer in your stuffy uniform but in something more comfortable. Quite comfortable. A pair of shorts and a tank top that was loose on your shoulders, revealing your collarbone and smooth shoulders still glistening from your shower. 

“Hey, can you look at this?” you asked as you sat down next to him on the couch, angling your body so that he could see your tattoo. You slid the strap off your shoulder and pulled your damp hair to the side, revealing the intricate purple flower to him. 

Mark found his throat going a bit dry for some reason, seeing your bare skin like this, smelling the scent of your coconut shampoo. In his defense, it had been a long time since he’d seen this much skin in the flesh outside of the tattoo shop - female skin, to be specific. It was a shock to his system, that’s all. 

“It really itches. Is that normal? I can’t get a good look at it,” you told him, tucking your chin over your shoulder to look back at him. “I’ve been good with the ointment, I swear.”

Staring down at his own design, Mark brought a tentative hand up to your shoulder, tracing his index finger over the lines he’d created. It hadn’t healed completely yet, and it was beginning to shed the top layer, so he could still feel the ridges under the pad of his finger. 

“The itching is normal,” he said, after clearing his throat. “As the tissue heals, it’s trying to repair itself and prevent infection. So that causes itching, kind of like when you get a scab. If it continues for a few more days or starts to hurt, just tell me. It looks like it’s healing well, though.”

You nodded. Mark noticed you didn’t turn away yet, not until his eyes flicked up to meet yours. He had never been this close to you. Had you always had that freckle above your lip? And he’d never noticed the little scar above your eyebrow either, just a little nick that was probably from a tumble you’d taken as a child. 

And he realized with a start that you had been a child not so long ago. It may have been ten years ago, but he still vividly remembered your gangly limbs and braces from when you were twelve. You were Taehyung’s kid sister, and there was no good reason for him to be tracing over your shoulder and going dizzy from the smell of your shampoo. 

Milo saved the day, wedging himself between your bodies until he settled upon your lap, curling into a tiny fur ball. Mark laughed, grateful for the break in the tension. You giggled and sat back against the couch, cradling Milo in your arms. 

“So, what are we watching?”

— — —

And thus began a new routine. 

In the morning, you still woke up earlier than he did. You still made breakfast, except now you waited until just before Mark woke up so that he could start his day with the scent of eggs and bacon as it sizzled in the frying pan. And instead of leaving it on a plate to warm in the oven, you actually sat with him to eat. 

He learned a lot about you. There were still many blanks and question marks but slowly, you revealed little bits of yourself that almost made him feel like he knew you. Not kid you, real you. The woman you’d grown to be in the last several years. 

You were timid, as a whole, but he could see that part of you was slowly beginning to melt away. Once you warmed up to him, he found that you actually had a lot to say. 

Mostly about the food he ate. 

“Mark, that is not a lunch.”

You stood with your hands on your hips, watching with a frown as he grabbed a granola bar out of the pantry and tucked it under his arm along with the flimsy sandwich that he’d thrown together. He wasn’t picky, he just had simple tastes. When you grew up lucky to get two meals in your belly in a day, it made you realize food was just something to keep your body moving. 

“Huh? This is fine. It has nuts in it,” he told you, holding up the granola bar. “Nuts are healthy.”

By the way your lips pursed together, he could tell that you weren’t appeased by that. “At least take an apple with you, they’re fresh.”

Mark humored you at least, grabbing an apple before he was on his way. As he was grabbing his wallet and keys, he had to press his lips together to hide the half smile fighting its way onto his lips. 

— — —

You tried not to think about it. Really, you did. 

It was your day off, so after Mark left, you tackled your first load of laundry since moving in. It had been piling up ever since you were staying in the hostel, where half the laundry machines were almost always taken and the other half were out of order. 

Once you had thrown your clothes into the washer, you tidied up your room. It was a small room, one you suspected was actually meant for a child when the apartment was built - but it was enough for you. More than enough. 

It didn’t take long for you to clean up the room, putting away any clothes you hadn’t folded and put into your drawers just yet. It was silent in the apartment, leaving you only with your thoughts. 

You wondered what Mark was doing. It was nearing noon by now, and he’d mentioned he had two back to back appointments. It didn’t leave him with much time for a meal… not that he’d brought one with him, anyway. 

It wasn’t like you were doing anything. It wouldn’t hurt to throw something together for him quick, and run it down to the shop, would it? Honestly, it was the least you could do. He was allowing you to live in his apartment, rent free, not asking for a single thing in return. 

You found yourself in the kitchen, rifling through the cabinets to see what exactly he had on hand. Not much, you realized. From what you could tell, he lived mostly on take out and the occasional instant meal. Luckily, you found some vegetable broth and enough spices to scrounge together a stew. You’d bought some short ribs the other night, planning on making something delicious over the weekend as a thank you to Mark. 

You’d always loved cooking. Ever since you were a child, it was the one thing you could share with your mother. She wasn’t a cold woman, but she wasn’t one for many words. You never laid your head on her lap and confessed your worries while she played with your hair, or cried in her arms when you were upset. Instead, you cooked. 

If you came home from school, eyes wet with tears, your mother wouldn’t say a word - she would simply fire up the stove and list the ingredients for you to gather from the refrigerator. The only sound while you cooked besides that of the sizzling pans and bubbling broth was the humming - a soft, wordless tune that even now, you could hear in the back of your mind. 

You moved quickly, more confident in your steps than you had been in months. For just a moment, it felt like you were home again. 

— — —

Clutching the paper bag in your hands, you looked up when you heard the ‘ding’ of the bell above your head, signaling your entrance into the tattoo shop. It was noticeably more lively than it had been during your first visit - three young boys were sitting on the couch, flipping through a binder of tattoo designs and exclaiming over each one. 

In the back, you could hear the metallic buzz of a tattoo gun. Dahyun was at the counter with another customer, a girl your age deciding between several types of facial piercings. The former looked up as you entered, offering you a smile when she recognized you. 

“Ah, Y/N!” 

You returned her smile and gave a polite nod. “Hello,” you replied, unable to help but glance around, looking for Mark. It was as if he sensed your presence - no less than five seconds later, he was emerging from one of the rooms down the hallway and coming towards you. 

“Y/N?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed. 

Mark ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face. He was in the same outfit you’d seen him in earlier, a black top and jeans with a blue flannel. Except now he’d taken the flannel off, revealing the toned, tattooed skin of his biceps underneath. 

You tore your eyes away from his muscular arms and stared up at him, swallowing the dryness from your mouth. “Hi.” 

“What’s that?” he asked, jutting his chin towards the bag in your hand. 

You had to glance down to remember what you’d brought with you. Sticking your arms out towards him, you pressed the bag into Mark’s chest. 

“Food,” you answered simply.

Mark rolled his eyes, though you noticed the smile tugging at his lips. “Ah, you really didn’t have to. I told you, I’m alright.” 

You huffed. “It’s real food, not granola or whatever greasy meal you were planning on ordering. Short rib soup. And rice.” 

Mark took the bag, unfolding the top to investigate its contents. He blinked a few times before looking up at you, an unfamiliar expression on his face. Almost like he was touched, but you couldn’t quite understand why. It was just food. 

“I was going to make it anyway, this weekend-” you started. 

“Thank you,” Mark told you, voice surprisingly sincere. It made you feel as if there was something in between the lines, something you couldn’t put your finger on. “Is it… your mom’s recipe?” 

He asked the question slowly, carefully. Mark was a smart man, you knew he’d picked up on the tension between yourself and your family, yet he never pushed. He avoided the topic, and never pried when you mentioned them off hand. 

You swallowed thickly, then nodded. “Yeah.” 

Mark’s face softened as he looked at you. Just as he took a step closer, Dahyun’s voice broke the bubble that had apparently been surrounding the two of you for the last few minutes. 

“Hey, what are you doing tonight?” 

Dahyun was looking between the two of you with a very interested stare, a knowing smirk on her lips as she ignored the customer she’d been helping. 

“Nothing, why?” you asked, a bit hesitant. You were off work, and Yerin was pulling an extra shift at the restaurant tonight. She was your only friend, so it left your night wide open. 

“Well,” Dahyun said, leaning her chin upon her hand. “We were going to go bowling tonight with a couple of other people, and we need an even number. If you came, it’d be perfect. Yugyeom’s girlfriend bailed, something lame about a massive nursing exam tomorrow.” 

Mark sighed. “You really don’t have to - it’s fine.” 

“I’m really bad at bowling…” you said, already preparing your polite rejection. 

“So is everyone else,” Dahyun replied. “I mean, Mark’s good. And Jackson pretends he is. But mostly we just get drunk and make fun of ourselves.” 

Your instincts were telling you to say no. Your social circle, even at home, had been very small. Large group settings weren’t your thing, especially with strangers. But you’d decided as soon as you moved to the city that you would try every new thing you could. 

“You should come,” Mark offered. When you looked at him, he was chewing at his lip, but he offered you an encouraging smile nonetheless. “If only for the entertainment of watching Jackson lose his mind every time he bowls a gutter ball.” 

This was what you’d come here for. You’d left your life behind, everything you knew, so that you could live. You couldn’t do that if you refused to step outside of your comfort zone any time an opportunity presented itself. 

Besides, if you could get a tattoo, surely you could handle a little drunk bowling. 

“Okay,” you finally agreed. “I’ll be there.” 

[angst-fairygodmother]

Is it too late to request cliche 15 for Light Fingers?

A/N: You managed to get this in just in time. 😊 I wasn’t sure if this is actually the one you meant, since it’s an...odd choice for a married pair, but I think it came out stupid cute so thank you. Word Count: 1319 Content Warnings: alcohol references, self-deprecation/self-worth issues

The gentle rattling of the doorknob made him tense, reaching for a knife on the coffee table beside him, until the sound of giggling rang from the other side of the barrier. He sighed, pulling his hand back as Y/N finally managed to get her key into the lock and come bursting through.

“Diego!” she cheered, much too loud in the stillness of the early morning. “Hi baby!” 

Her footsteps lurched like a toddler, quick but unsteady as she crossed the room and launched herself at him. He grunted, winded, as she dropped on top of him where he lay on the couch. 

“I assume you’ve got things from here, Hargreeves?” Patch laughed, leaning against the entryway. 

“Yeah, we’re good,” he groaned, slowly recovering the breath Y/N had stolen and slightly distracted by the kisses she started planting on his neck. “How much did she even drink?”

“I tried to stop her after the seventh shot, but she was really on a roll. Hit ten before the bartender cut her off. Plus a couple of cocktails earlier.”

“Great,” he sighed. “Thanks for getting her home Eudora.”

“Of course, Diego. Have a good night.” Patch offered him a smile before turning to go, closing the door behind her.

“Alright sweetheart,” he said, turning his head to look down at his drunk and very snuggly wife. “Time to get you to bed.”

She whined, burying her face further into him and refusing to move. He chuckled despite himself. 

“We’re not staying here all night. I don’t want to face the demon in the morning.”

“What demon?” her mumble betrayed how sleepy she was now that she had stopped moving, and he knew he only had a few minutes to convince her to move or he’d have to carry her to bed, somehow. 

“You.” He gently nudged her shoulder. “Come on, up.”

“‘M notta demon.” He could almost hear the scowl in her voice past the slur.

“You are when you fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a crick in your neck. Please get up so we can go to bed sweetheart?”

She was silent for a moment and he feared she had fallen asleep. 

“Fine,” she finally groaned, rolling limply off of him and landing in a seated position on the ground where she pouted. 

With hands wrapped around her middle he lifted her to her feet and supported her, guided her, to the bedroom. Sitting her on the end of the bed, he fixed her with his sternest face.

“Wait here, I’m going to get you a glass of water and I want you to drink it before we sleep, okay?” he said, and satisfied by her nod, went to do so.

When he returned he found her flopped blackward, staring up at the ceiling.

“...never thought I’d be in love, ya know. Not like this, not with someone like him. He’s so good, isn’t he?” She paused as if waiting for a response. “I mean of course he is. He’s one of...no it’s not about how he was raised either is it? He’s just that way on the inside. Sweet and funny and clever and witty and kind and wonderful. And he’s so pretty. Really, beautiful. Especially when he smiles. I’m so glad I get to make him smile all the time. I hope he is too…”

He stood, stunned and staring, unsure whether to interrupt or just listen. Her drunken soliloquy was obviously about him, and it wasn’t like they hadn’t complimented each other before, or talked about loving each other, they said the words or something meaning them at least three times a day. But still, it almost felt like intruding.

“I love his smile. I love his heart. The metaphorical one and his actual one. I love listening to it when I can’t sleep at night. And I love his hair, especially when he waits a little too long to trim it so it gets all floppy and cute. I love his smile. I said that one already. I love his laugh. I love the little crinkles around his eyes. I love his eyes. And his butt. He has a really nice butt. Not as nice as Dora’s but still in class A.”

He stopped resisting the smile that threatened to split his face in half as he listened to her ramble, and was just about to clear his throat and interrupt with a teasing remark when she suddenly started to cry. Immediately, he was by her side, depositing the glass of water on the bedside table and crawling across the mattress to wrap his arms around her. 

“I don’t deserve him,” she sobbed. “I love him so much that it hurts. And he’s so good. But I’m not, I’m kinda terrible. He should have someone good, like him. It’s not fair.”

“Shh, no,” he soothed, stroking her hair as she rolled to bury her face against his chest. “No, that’s not true. You’re perfect, and I love you, just as you are. There could never be anyone else. This was...we were meant to be, Y/N.”

~

The next morning dawned bright and warm, and despite the faint throb in your head, you were glad of it. A dreary day would have only lent strength to your regrets from the previous night. As you stretched, you realized that some time after you had cried yourself to sleep, Diego had changed you out of your dress and into a comfortable albeit ragged pair of flannel pants and one of his shirts. And more importantly, you realized that you were alone in the bed, and the air carried the faint nutty scent of coffee. 

Rubbing your eyes blearily, you shambled out into the kitchen just in time to spot Diego pouring two fresh mugs of the beverage.

“Morning,” he said with a soft smirk. “How are you feeling?”

“Not too bad, all things considered.” You hesitated, biting your lip. “Sorry, I was kind of a mess.”

He circled the counter, pressing one of the mugs into your hands and kissing the top of your head affectionately. 

“Don’t worry about it, baby. Do you feel like eating?”

“Are you actually going to cook the eggs first?” you hid your smirk behind your mug as he groaned. 

“You’re never going to let that go are you?” he rolled his eyes. “It’s good protein for a workout.”

“Nope,” you popped the p dramatically. “Because it’s also disgusting. But it’s good to have flaws, even if they are little ones.”

He stiffened, face dropping just slightly before he tried to hide it behind a laugh and started pulling omelette ingredients out of the fridge.

“Diego…” you sighed.

“You were pretty drunk, Y/N,” he ventured, swiftly whisking the eggs and not meeting your eyes. “How much do you remember?”

“I wasn’t…drunk enough to forget. I know what I said. And...I meant it.” You stared at a familiar pattern of scratches in the worn countertop, feeling tears stinging at your eyes.

Warm hands were on your shoulders first, trailing up your neck to cup your face and pull it up to meet his eyes. You marveled not for the first or last time at how quickly and quietly he could move and at the fathomless depths of his eyes, how such a depth could be so warm. 

“Do you remember what I said?” he asked softly, barely above a whisper but still enough for you to hear the crack in his voice.

You hesitated, mind flickering back over the night. We were meant to be. The sentence bounced and echoed through you, making your heart flutter, stubbornly filling you with the sort of fuzzy bliss you used to think was only in fairytales. You swallowed and nodded.

“I meant what I said too, okay,” he pressed, resting his forehead against yours. “Every single damn word.”

[army-of-mai-lovers]

Flamey-O

fic request from @shrinkthisviolet: Aang-centric fic with the prompt “Rough day? Can I make it better?” 

(Lavi I love and appreciate you and I hope you’re okay with me using my Flamey-O Noodles hc as a springboard for this fic but if you’re not just say the word and I’ll write you something different) 

fic under the cut!

Aang was sulking in their room when Katara walked in. 

“Rough day?” she asked. Aang nodded, and she sat down beside him. “Can I make it better?” 

“Can you make ‘flameo hotman’ accepted modern Fire Nation slang?” Aang muttered. 

Katara frowned. “I’m sorry, what?” 

Aang pouted. “Okay, so Zuko invited me to go to that meeting with the Fire Nation council, right? Well, when I got there, I introduced myself and said ‘flameo, hotmen!’ And they all just stared at me like I’d grown a second head.”

Katara rubbed his shoulders. “So you’re upset because ‘flameo, hotman’ isn’t catching on?” 

“It’s real Fire Nation slang!” Aang insisted. “Or at least it was, a hundred and twenty years ago. I don’t know why it fell out of fashion.” 

Katara shrugged. “It’s been a long time, Aang. Sometimes things die out.” 

Aang stared at her with wide eyes. “Do you think...” He took a deep breath. “Do you think maybe things that die out can come back?” 

Katara wasn’t entirely sure what the real question was, never mind what the actual right answer to it could be. But she nodded. “If it’s meant to come back, it will.” She squeezed his hand. “We thought the Avatar was gone forever, and then we found you.” 

Aang smiled and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Katara. I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said, smiling back. 

___________________________________________________________________

That night, Aang lay awake, thinking about the past. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for him; the first few weeks traveling with Sokka and Katara, he’d barely slept, thinking about how everything and everyone he knew was gone, and he was alone in a world that didn’t understand him. But he wasn’t alone, and he never had been. Sokka and Katara had made sure of that, and then Suki, and then Toph, and Zuko. 

Zuko. 

Flameo. 

He remembered it clear as day. The monks had just told him that he was the Avatar, and they wanted him to train in etiquette so that he could meet with dignitaries from other nations. Aang didn’t really understand what more he needed to learn, considering he had friends from all over the world, but the monks had insisted. So there he was, reciting from an etiquette book while Monk Gyatso made a pot of Aang’s favorite noodles. 

“A popular informal greeting among Fire Nation citizens is ‘flameo, hotman.’“ Aang giggled. “That one’s good. I’ve got to use that on Kuzon next time I see him.” 

Monk Gyatso scooped up the noodles and vegetables and put half a hard-boiled egg on top of Aang’s plate, with the other half on top of his own. “I like that one too,” he said, handing Aang his noodles. “I had an old friend, when I was just about your age, who really enjoyed that greeting.” 

“Were they Fire Nation?” Aang asked, his mouth full of noodles and vegetables. 

“Eat slower, Aang. Savor your food. And yes, he was Fire Nation” Gyatso said, a little sadly. “He came to stay with us for a while, and we became great friends.” 

Aang shoveled more of Gyatso’s noodles in his mouth. Spirits, this is so good. “Gyatso,” Aang asked. “When we’re done with the lesson, can you teach me how to make noodles?” 

Gyatso laughed. “Not exactly the most necessary skill for a young Avatar.” 

“Well, what if the Earth King wants a good meal? I want to have something to make for him,” he said. “Come on, please? I’ll be good, I promise.” 

Gyatso looked at Aang fondly. “You already are good, Aang. You always have been.” He rubbed Aang’s head affectionately. “i think you know quite enough about how to talk to foreign dignitaries. Come on, let’s make some noodles.” 

So Gyatso took Aang through the steps of making the noodles: making a well in the flour to put the eggs and water in, mixing it with his hands, kneading them, rolling them out, slicing them. Gyatso cut up some more vegetables while Aang was slicing the noodles, and they put all the ingredients in a pot to boil for a couple minutes. When it was done, Gyatso gave them each second and third helpings. 

“Flameo, hotman,” Gyatso said slyly. 

Aang grinned. “Flameo.” 

Katara snored beside him, snapping him out of his memory. The moon hung high in the sky, and Aang could practically feel Yue scolding him, telling him it was long past time to go to bed. He turned on his side, trying to clear his mind. And then he turned again, and again. But nothing worked. 

Finally, he sat up. He wanted noodles. 

It had been over a century since that day, but Aang still remembered. His technique was a little clumsier than Gyatso’s had been, but it was a simple recipe nonetheless. He hummed as he chopped up his vegetables and sliced the dough into noodles, before tossing all of it in a pot and waiting for it to boil. 

As he set the pot over the fire, he saw Katara, groaning as she rubbed her eyes. “Aang, what are you doing?” 

He smiled at her. “I’m making noodles.”

She frowned at him. “In the middle of the night?” 

“I just--” He sighed. “I’m sorry for waking you up, but I, um.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I wanted noodles.” 

Katara rubbed at her eyes, and smiled blearily at him. “Can I have some?”

So Aang pulled out two bowls, one for him, and one for Katara, and scooped some noodles and vegetables into both of their bowls. He sliced a hard-boiled egg in half, putting one half in his noodles, the other half in Katara’s, and set the bowl in front of her. 

She raised an eyebrow. “All right, let’s see if these middle of the night noodles are any good.” 

She gingerly ate a little bit, and her eyes went wide. “Tui and La,” she breathed. 

“What?” Aang asked. “Do you like them?” 

“Do I like them? Do I like them?!?!? Aang, this is almost as good as Bato’s sea prunes.” 

Aang raised his eyebrows. “Oh, that’s... that’s great!” 

Katara kicked him lightly under the table. “They’re really, really good Aang. You know,” she said, stuffing more noodles in her mouth, “If you ever get sick of the whole Avatar thing, you could be a really great chef.” 

“Thanks, Katara,” he said. “I can make them for you again. Any time you want.” 

Katara nodded vigorously. “You’d better.” 

_____________________________________________________________________

He ended up making them quite a lot, actually. A few weeks after middle of the night noodles, Katara found out that she was pregnant, and there was many a night where she poked at his side and mumbled, “Noodles?” His technique improved every time he made them, and he loved watching her face light up every time he made them for her. 

Bumi was born, and for a while he was too wrapped up in figuring out how to be a good dad to think about the noodles. But he thought of Gyatso, often. Wondering what he would think of Bumi, of Katara, of the life that he’d made for himself. Of how he’d handled being the Avatar. Of how he’d survived the unsurvivable, and held onto the memory of the Air Nomads while he did so. 

When Bumi turned a year old, Katara decided they should invite everybody over for dinner to celebrate. “You can make those noodles!” she suggested excitedly. 

Aang laughed. “I would think you were sick of those.” 

“Oh, I am,” she said. “Just a little bit. But everybody else hasn’t tried them, and it is so hard trying to figure out something that Zuko and Suki will both like. But I don’t see how either of them could not like the noodles.” 

Aang agreed, and so he served the noodles to all of his friends, to their absolute delight. “You really can cook, Twinkle Toes,” Toph said, whistling. 

“This is amazing, Aang,” Suki said. “Almost as good as sea prunes.”

“This is way better than sea prunes,” Zuko said, holding out his bowl. “Can I have some more?” 

Somehow, every time Aang and Katara went to go see Suki and Sokka, or to the Fire Nation to see Zuko, or to the Earth Kingdom to visit Toph’s metalbending academy, they always managed to bring up the noodles. “You should have brought some,” Toph grumbled. “Could really go for some Twinkle Toes noodles right now.” 

“I wouldn’t call them ‘Twinkle Toes’ noodles,” Aang scoffed. 

Toph raised an eyebrow. “Really? Then what would you call them?” 

And before Aang could even think about it, he said, “Flamey-O. Flamey-O Noodles.” 

Toph burst out laughing. “You’re really never going to let that go, are you, Twinkle Toes?” 

Aang shook his head. “Nope. I’m bringing it back.” 

“Well, you know, if you ever wanted to turn ‘Flamey-O Noodles’ into something real, one of my students’ moms is in the restaurant business.” 

Aang stared at her. “You mean you want me to make this into... a business? I don’t have time for that.” 

Toph shrugged. “All right. Just something to consider.” She smirked. “You know, if the name Flamey-O was plastered all over Ba Sing Se, saying ‘flameo, hotman’ might come back into style. And not even just in the Fire Nation, either. All over the world.” 

Aang’s eyes glinted mischievously. “What did you say your student’s mom’s name was?” 

____________________________________________________________________

“I must say, it’s not every day the Avatar is approaching me for a business venture. I’m quite honored to be in your presence, your grace.”

“It’s nice to meet you too! You can just call me Aang, though. In fact, I’d prefer it.” 

Bao was a short, stout woman, probably twice Aang’s age (without considering the time he spent in the iceberg.) She had a warm presence that he liked immediately, although she did seem to be making a lot of the whole “Avatar” thing. 

“Spirits, I’m on first name basis with the Avatar,” she breathed in awe. “Come, come, sit, please, tell me how I can serve you best, your-- Avatar Aang.” 

“Just Aang,” he said quickly. “And I’m more interested in serving you... some of my noodles!” He set a bowl in front of her. “They’re not fresh, sorry, but I think they’re still really good.” 

She frowned. “Noodles? Av-- Aang, don’t you have Air Acolytes waiting on you hand and foot? Why would you make your own noodles?” 

He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “No, they don’t wait on me hand and foot, although I’m sure if I gave them the opportunity they’d jump at it. But, um. Well, I learned how to make these noodles from the monks, and my wife and my friends seem to really like them, and my friend Toph knew you from the metalbending academy, and she said that you could get these noodles out to a lot of people. So I wanted you to try them, and maybe we can talk about going into business together?” 

Bao stared at him. “You do realize that what you’re proposing is absolutely preposterous, right?” 

Aang’s eyes widened. “But you haven’t even tried them!” 

“It’s not about the noodles, Ava-- Aang. Aang. Look, I am absolutely wonderful at the food business, but I had certain values instilled in me from when I was a child, and one of those values was absolute and total reverence for the Avatar.” 

“But can’t you just try them?” 

“The Avatar is supposed to bring balance to the world, manage international conflicts, mentor all of us in the values of wisdom and serenity, and you want me to eat your noodles?”

She stared at him expectantly, and Aang shifted in his seat. “Well. Yes.” 

Bao narrowed her eyes at him, and looked down at the bowl. “All right, then. If that’s what you wish, Avatar.” 

“Just Aang is fine.” 

She ignored him and stuck her chopsticks into the noodles, chewing very slowly. Savor your food. There was no expression on her face as she kept chewing, just a furrowing of her brow. 

“Have you made this dish often, Aang?” she asked. 

He nodded. “I made it a lot while my wife was pregnant, and then my friends kept asking for some, and--”

“Stop,” she said. She took another bite and continued chewing. “If I were to go into business with you, you would want to call the company what?”

“Um, Flamey-O Noodles, ma’am.” Her expressionless chewing had suddenly made him feel very small. 

“Well, it’s certainly distinctive,” she mumbled. “Though I don’t know how well it would go over with people in the Fire Nation.” 

“Are you--are you saying you’ll go into business with me?” 

“Aang, those noodles are quite simply the best I’ve ever eaten,” Bao said matter-of-factly. “And I’m not saying that because you’re the Avatar. In fact, I would say that even if you were a toad-pigeon. And I hate toad-pigeons.” She smiled, finally, and Aang let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “I would be absolutely delighted to help you in creating Flamey-O Noodles.” 

He got up from his seat and wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

“Avatar Aang, this is rather improper,” she said, but it was somewhat muffled by his chest. When they pulled apart, she shook her head at him. “In business, we shake hands.” 

“Right.” He took her hand and shook it. “I promise, you won’t regret it!” 

“I imagine I won’t,” she said. “Now, let’s talk packaging....” 

___________________________________________________________________

Zuko and Mai were on their evening walk through the city, disguised so that no one would recognize them as Firelord and Lady. As they moved towards downtown Caldera City, they stopped in front of a large poster with the words “Flamey-O Noodles!” in bright neon yellow, beside Aang’s smiling face. 

As somebody passed by them, they raised their hand in greeting. “Flameo, hotman!” 

“What? What are they talking about?” Mai asked. 

Zuko groaned. “I hate him.” 

[spookyboywhump]

Could we please see Zander dealing with a horribly hungover Wren?

I’m a slut for Zander caring for Wren, here we are

CW: Emeto, alcoholism, mentions of an alcoholic parent

***

If he were being honest, he was getting worried about Eli.

He had brushed it off at first, assumed this was a habit of his that he just didn’t know about, their previous situation wouldn’t have made it known. It really wasn’t a big deal for him to drink from time to time, but he was realizing that this wasn’t happening once in a while, Eli was doing this almost every night. Even when he didn’t see him, the slew of drunk texts ranging from hilarious to absolutely heartbreaking were enough to make him worry.

After waking up to over twenty missed messages that got more and more nonsensical as they went on, the first thing he did was head over to Elias’ place, knocking on the door to his apartment when he got there. For once he got an answer, a very tired sounding shout of “come in!”. The apartment was dark when he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as he made his way into the living room.

Elias was curled up on the couch, bottles covered the coffee table in front of him. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday, completely disheveled now, the hood of his gray jacket pulled up over his head. His eyes were squeezed shut but he wasn’t asleep, just unwilling to move.

“Hey, are… are you okay…?” He asked gently. He nodded slowly at first, only to pause, then shake his head. Zander sighed, crouching down at the side of the couch. “You were drinking all night, weren’t you?” He asked him, and he whined softly. “Have you even had any sleep?” He asked, and Eli shook his head. He couldn’t help but feel bad for him, he looked so small and sad curled up there. He decided to save his lecturing for later, giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze before getting to his feet, leaving him there for now.

He went through his room and into his bathroom, running a hot shower for him. He went back to the living room and picked him up off the couch, he groaned and whined as he was moved but he let Zander carry him, setting him down on unsteady legs in the bathroom. He looked miserable as he let go of him, reaching up to ruffle his hair.

“Get cleaned up, okay?” He told him. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

“I’ll vomit-“

“You need to eat what you can, okay?” He told him. “Now, take a shower.” He said, leaving and closing the door behind him. He left his room and went to his kitchen, a part of him knew the relative cleanliness likely meant he hadn’t been eating much lately. He opened his fridge and was relieved to see he’d at least gotten groceries recently. He wasn’t a particularly good cook, his mom was still teaching him, but he knew he could at least make him some bacon and eggs, getting out what he needed.

He set the things down on the counter before looking in the fridge again. He still had a few bottles in there, and a part of him knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he took them and set them on the counter, finding a bottle opener and popping the top off of each one, pouring them down the drain and discarding the bottles in the trashcan before he got started on making Eli breakfast.

He was just finishing up when Elias came out of his room, wearing shark patterned pajama pants and his green jacket over a loose t-shirt, his hair still damp. He still looked miserable, making his way over to Zander and silently slipping his arms around him, leaning his head against him.

“I feel like shit…” He murmured.

“I bet you do. Think you’ll be able to eat?” He asked him, and he nodded slowly, letting go of him. Zander had him go sit down at the table, getting his plate ready and bringing it to him. He left him alone to eat, going back into the living room and straightening up, throwing away the growing collection of bottles he had going before returning to Elias, sitting down across from him.

“Thank you…” He murmured, still not looking at him, focused intently on his food.

“No problem, kid.” He said, resting his chin on his hand. “You need to get some rest after this, okay?”

“You don’t need to baby me…” He said softly. “I’ve been like this all week, I can handle it myself.”

“Eli… if I hadn’t come over, you’d still be laying on that couch, huh?” He said, and Elias nodded slowly. “I want to help you, you… if you’re not going to take care of yourself, then I don’t mind helping.” He told him, while Eli finished his food quickly, eating all of it despite the fact he looked sick. Once he was done he pushed his plate away and stood up, swaying slightly as he braced himself on the edge of the table.

Zander got up and helped him to his room, he collapsed onto his bed. He left for a moment, only to get him a glass of water and some painkillers. He came back and handed them to Eli, pulling the blinds down over his window since he could see him shielding his eyes from the light. Now that the room was nice and dark, he sat down on the edge of his bed. Eli sat there holding his shark plushie close to his chest, avoiding meeting his eyes.

“Do you remember what you told me that first night, when you cut your hand?” He asked.

“No… did I say anything stupid?” He asked.

“No, no you didn’t. You uh, you said that Everett always told you not to drink…”

“Yeah, he was always pretty serious about that… didn’t want me drinking, didn’t want me smoking, not cigarettes anyway…”

“You said it was because of your mom…” He said slowly, and Eli seemed to go tense at that.

“Yeah… she drank a lot… we didn’t always have food or other necessities, but she always had her fix.” He said bitterly. “What’s the point of this?” He asked, glancing up at him.

“I’m… I’m not going to try and tell you what to do but, you should be careful.” He said. “Try to take it easy, please, Eli...?” He asked, and Elias looked away from him again, hiding his face in his plush shark.

“Okay…” He murmured. “I’ll be more careful, I promise…”

“Thank you… do you want me to stay with you?” He asked, and Eli nodded. Zander took his shoes off, climbing over him so he was against the wall, throwing his arms around Elias in an affectionate hug. At first he leaned into him, only to abruptly sit up, Zander having to let go of him. Before he could ask what was wrong Eli was already scrambling out of bed and into the bathroom to throw up, and with a sigh, Zander got up to go comfort him.

He tried to shake off his growing concern for Elias’ bad habits and for now, just focus on taking care of him as best he could.

[reginageorgesgirlfriend3020]

Gilmore girls (part 4) - Coffee and graduating.

Lorelai × OC

Lorelai × Rory

Paris × reader

Lorelai was walking to Luke's diner. She impatiently looking at her iPhone waiting for her girlfriend to call.

"Congratulations Lexi! You got the job. You start Tuesday morning at 9am once the new year starts. Your starting salary will be $80,000 a year". Said the human resources hiring manager.

Lexi smiled. "Thank you sir". She shook his hand and left.

Lexi looked at phone and saw two missed calls from her girlfriend Lorelai and three unread text messages from Lorelai as well.

'Babe! Did you get the job?' Sent from Lorelai my baby.

'Good luck on your interview!!!' From my baby Lorelai.

'How'd the interview go?' From my baby Lorelai.

Once Lexi left the company building she called her girlfriend. "Hey babe!" Said Lexi.

"Hey my baby little angel flower!" Said Lorelai.

Lexi giggled. "I got the job!! I got the job at a large cybersecurity company!!"

Lorelai smiled. "Yay!!! Congratulations! Come to Luke's diner to celebrate with me. Pleeeaaaase?" Lorelai begged.

Lexi giggled. "Okay babe. I'm on my way!"

"I'll save you a seat at our favorite table". Said Lorelai.

"Sweet!" Said Lexi. "See you in a bit babe. Love you!!"

"Love you too!!" Said Lorelai.

They both hung up and Lorelai got up from the table to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"So, got a boyfriend?" Jess asked trying to flirt with Rory.

"Girlfriend actually". Said Rory.

Jess gave her a look.

Paris walked into Luke's diner. She saw Jess trying to flirt with her girlfriend Rory.

"You like to read hug? So do I. What are you doing afterwards? Are you- ow!" Paris pulled on Jess's hair. "Get lost wannabe Romeo. I'm her girlfriend". Said Paris.

"Whatever". Said jess. He walked away.

Luke stared to laugh.

Lexi walked into Luke's diner and smiled lovingly at Lorelai. "Babe!"

"Baaaby!!" Said Lorelai. Lexi ran slowly and jumped into Lorelai's arms. Lorelai caught her and planted a bunch of mini kisses on Lexi's lips.

Luke smiled.

Lexi kissed Lorelai over and over and over.

"Luke", said Lexi "I'd like a coffee with Irish creamer and no sugar". She said.

"Coming right up". Said Luke. "Anything else?" He asked.

"Yes", said Lexi "A breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheese, sausage with ketchup on a plain bagel". She said.

"I want food too!" Lorelai whined.

"You had a blueberry muffin". Said Luke.

"That was my appetizer! Besides I gave the rest of that delicious muffin for Rory and paris to share". Said Lorelai.

"You're sharing food now? Wow! That world really is ending". Luke said sarcastically.

Lexi laughed.

Lorelai glared at Luke.

"Fine. What do you want to eat?" Luke said giving in.

Paris split the muffin in half for herself and Rory to eat. They both started to drink coffee too. "Babe I have good news". Rory said to Paris.

"Good news eh? Tell me my beautiful blue eyed cutie".

Rory tried not to laugh. "Softie".

Paris glared at her girlfriend but started to smile instead.

"I'm graduating from Yale". Said Rory. "I passed all my final exams too. Actually I just saw my grades. All A's. Try to beat that Geller!" Rory said. She lovingly teased Paris.

"Babe that's amazing!" Said Paris. "Congratulations Gilmore". She said. She held Rory's hands with her own hands.

"You're quite Ms. Affectionate babe". Rory teased Paris.

"Oh, do you want me to stop being affectionate?" Paris teased Rory.

"Never". Rory winked at her girlfriend.

Luke went to cook the food. To his left his Lexi's breakfast sandwich and to his right is Lorelai's brunch. He walked the food to there table.

"Alright. Breakfast sandwich for you Lexi. And pancakes with scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon for you Lorelai". He said.

"Thank you Luke". Said Lexi.

"Thanks Luke". Said Lorelai.

"No problem". Said Luke. "Enjoy".

He walked away and went to make himself some coffee as well.

"I'll be back ". Roru said to Paris. She gave Paris a peck on the lips. She walked over to where her mom and her girlfriend are sitting.

"Mom! Mom!" Said Rory.

"What is it sweets? Are you okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Mom, mom I'm graduating from Yale!!!" Rory yelled happily.

"Oh sweets you are? Congratulations!!!" Said Lorelai.

"That's amazing Rory! Congratulations!" Said Lexi.

"Thank you!" Said rory. "Graduated with all A's majoring in journalism". Rory said proudly. She smiled.

Paris smiled too at Rory.

Rory ran to where Luke was and said "Luke, Luke, Luke!"

"Hey Rory. What's going on?" Luke asked.

"I'm graduating from Yale!!" Rory said happily.

"You are? Wow Rory that's amazing!!!" Said Luke. "I am so proud of you". He said.

Out of all the time Rory's biological father Christopher showed up and left he never really told his own daughter he's so proud of her. So when Luke said that Rory can see he meant it.

"Aw Luke. Thank you. And thank you for everything you do". Said Rory.

Luke walked around the counter and gave Rory a hug. "Of course". He said. She hugged him too and went to give Paris many hugs.

And Rory couldn't wait to tell her best friend Lane and her grandparents that she is graduating.