#while he only came back to Lucy for necessity

[headroom-moods]

When you realize it, Tim was never the other woman— it always has been Lucy.

[lmelodie]

The Four Seasons

Aka: Things About Jack and Mother Nature That I Totally Made Up But Drive Me Absolutely CRAZY BATSHIT INSANE. For Mother's Day!

Jack learned how to avalanche surf from her. He saw her surf down a massive rockslide once and went I WANNA DO THAT! SHOW ME NOW!!

The one and only ability that they share in its entirety is Wind Shifting (turning one's form into wind/air fronts). Mother Nature has a lot of variations of this ability, with leaves and petals and clouds and such, while Jack just has the snowy version.

And this is the first ability she ever taught him, out of necessity for fast travel when taking over seasonal duties.

They used to go for casual flights like this, and the whispering winds myth came about from these two talking while flying.

The other very small thing that they share is that Jack can actually hear Evergreens! In the same way that MN can hear all plants/flora, Jack has the same thing but only with evergreens, and very very faintly with mountains. But only if he sits up at a certain altitude where it snows, and only then it's more like a murmur.

Using the wind power thing, Jack has actually broken MN's wind speed record ONCE (1). He got real buck wild during the Blizzard of 1934 in Washington that year and capped out at 231 mph.

But he was such an ANNOYING SORE WINNER about it for actual DECADES that Mother Nature shut him right the hell up and beat THAT record with her own 253 mph winds in Australia and 1996. She still reigns supreme to this day.

Father Time sees a lot of similarities between the two and often regards both their intelligence and ambition as the most obvious to him.

Mother Nature got Jack into music/singing. There's a whole passage about how this came about reserved for the CC finale but it's my favorite thing.

They both cannot STAND the groundhog. He's a magical enigma and buts in with his own weather advice and annoy the both of them to no end.

When Jack was created Mother Nature's temperature regulation went kinda out of whack, so without any winter magic in her system she tends to run warm and is prone to heat flashes and overheats easier than before (Exacerbated by global warming).

She's the one that got him into music/singing when he was still very young, before he could permafrost. He got hooked on it as an art form/hobby from the beginning and I have a little passage about it right here! It's meant to show up somewhere in the CC finale but it's actually my favorite thing.

She doesn't sing very much at all in public, not for an audience at any rate. It’s mostly reserved as a self-soothing habit she indulges in when alone. But the crowd tonight is amped, and they haven't heard her sing in centuries, in this instance it would be impossible to say no. The soft piano and building orchestrals cue her intro and the collective skins of all who were present ignited with goosebumps. Shivers up spines and a pang in their chests. The heavens open. The instrumental in the background gives way and makes room for her voice. Confidently ringing out to all corners of the tower with a powerful vibrato. But it also carries a sad current of sentimentality that softens the edge just a bit. Lucy and Charlie were just as enthralled as the rest of the public, not even daring to utter a noise during any of this. But Jack standing next to them was frozen in place, haunted looking.  A deep and ancient recognition lighting his eyes, a voice from his “youth” he never truly forgot but hasn't heard in a long time. Too long. Hearing every word as if it was the only noise in the room, forgetting where he actually was for just a moment. An instant, catapulted back in time. Shaking him to his severed core. He went looking for Mother Nature for a reason that has been lost to him for millennia, went searching for her in the meadows she frequents but he found Father Time instead. He was sitting on the ground with his back against a large birch tucked in the tree line, his eyes peacefully closed.  Jack was not afraid about ruining his moment and was going to ask where the council head had gone to but was promptly shushed by Father Time’s staff waving at him. He didn't say anything but put a single finger to his lips and mimed for him to listen. It took him a few attempts at starting a sentence before he finally kept quiet. And when he stopped, and strained, this was the voice he heard. Dulled by some innocuous distance away, but a voice like liquid gold that resonated with something intrinsic in his being that he could not explain. With only the birds and the breeze as her accompaniment.  A voice, a song that he couldn't forget if he tried. He remembers sitting with Father Time and just, listening to her sing. A habit that Mother Nature couldn't ever shake and a guilty pleasure that Father Time had developed. To sit and listen to her when she was harmlessly unaware.  Jack remembers that moment, that single instance of secretly listening to the woman sing, clear as still water. One never really forgets a moment such as that when their mother is the central pillar of their whole world. The awe of the moment crashes into him again in the present, causing his heart to skip a beat when the instruments fade back in. But the scariest thing was how unchanged she sounds. His memory of a time he used to wish long forgotten was still perfectly correct. She sounds incredible.

[teleiapotami]

Excerpt from "A Lion's Love"

Ship: Loke/Lucy Heartfilia

When Fairy Tail disbands, Lucy is left alone with her grief. Without anyone to help her, she sinks into a depression. Loke is asked to bring her back to herself, and he vows to do anything he can to help his wizard heal.

Inspired by Text Prompt: What part of "we can't be doing these things together" do you not understand?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

When Lucy came back out of her closet in a clean set of pajamas, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her feet. She was ashamed. I never should have let things get this bad….she thought to herself. Loke came out of the kitchen and leaned against the door frame. “There’s no food really, so I am going to go pick up something for you. Will you be all right until I get back?” She nodded and he vanished in a flash of light.

While he was gone, Lucy stared out the window blankly. She couldn’t remember how long it had been now. She hadn’t been eating well, and her sleep was haunted by nightmares of battles, death, and loss. All this added up, creating a weakness in her that scared her. Her muscles were atrophied, and when she reached for her magic she was startled to find that it felt weaker than she had ever felt it.  A thump against the door startled her and she struggled out of the bed to open it. She found Loke standing with an armload of bags. He had changed out of his suit and wore a plain black shirt and jeans. His lion’s mane was gone, replaced with the shaggy look he maintained when he was exiled.

“Sorry that I took so long. I had to stop in on a friend who owed me a favor. But I got you some groceries to tide you over until you can manage on your own.” He stepped into the apartment and unloaded the bags. Lucy stared after him, her eyes welling up with tears. I’ve been so selfish…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Once they had eaten and cleaned up the mess, Loke sat beside Lucy on her bed. “Well, now that the necessities are handled, would you like to talk about it?” Lucy could only shake her head, looking down at her lap. Loke nodded, leaning back on his hands. “Well, I won’t force you. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but even so. It’s not an excuse to give up Lucy.” He cut his eyes to the side to study her and was distressed to find that her shoulders were shaking.

“Aww man, I didn’t mean to make you cry! Please don’t! What can I do?!” He waved his hands in front of himself, panicking. Lucy sniffled and a choked sound came out of her that was not quite a laugh.

“Just stay. Please? I don’t think I can stand to be alone for one more second without going completely insane.” He swallowed and nodded, rubbing her back and shoulder.

“Of course I will. I’ll stay until you tell me to go.”

The first few nights, he watched over her from the couch. Several times in the night he had to wake her from a nightmare, and each time she was more reluctant to let him go, even after she fell asleep. By the third night, she asked him to just stay, so he sat against her headboard and watched her sleep against his side. At some point during the fifth night, he slid down the bed to lay beside her and closed his own eyes. He woke the next morning before she did, and found her curled against him, with her head on his chest and her leg draped across his hip.

That day, she finally opened up to him, breaking down on the couch. She told him how empty she felt after losing the seven years on Tenrou, and then coming home to find that she had only missed her father by one stupid month. She told him about her childhood with Aquarius and sobbed openly against his chest as he held her when she tried to express the pain of breaking the key.  That night she asked him to hold her. “Just until I fall asleep…please?” she had pleaded with him. He had agreed, of course. How could he not? She was getting better, and he would do anything to make sure she continued to improve.

Even so, he was acutely aware of the way their relationship was shifting. Some lines had always been thickly drawn by his wizard, and they were blurring, slowly but surely. On the seventh day, she finished her story, unloading all of her grief over the guild’s disbanding, and then revealing the deepest hurt was the betrayal and hurt she felt over Natsu leaving without a word. She felt like his abandonment was a sign that he didn’t respect her or that she meant nothing to him. No matter how much Loke tried to console her and convince her that that could never be what Natsu meant by it, this was one wound Natsu would need to heal on his own.

-Find this complete story and more of my works on AO3!

[aidenoconnell]

the last piece.

Aiden knows how to work a loophole when it’s a necessity to him. Not to mention, his parole officer Karl is as dumb as bricks. It’s actually kind of painful because Aiden was looking forward to what kind of disciplinary actions were going to be taken and so far it’s been: stay out of trouble and find a job… both are happening but not in the eyes of the law. So getting a hall pass to go to New York comes way easier than he expected and god, he could probably make it to Morocco and live free without extradition. The point is, Aiden gets to New York City without much of a hassle and he takes in every single building taller than the Salesforce Tower back home. And there’s plenty of them here. He gets it, why Ryan came back here, it feels like a completely different world and she can blend in without issue. 

He weighs the pros and cons that Ryan might not like that he’s come here but he’s got to try his luck and see if he can sway her. Worth a shot. The nice thing is that Ryan is a touch predictable if you know her, she has her own things that make her tick just like everyone else. So when he finds her on Madison looking at shoes, it’s almost thrilling to see her addiction hasn’t lifted. He pulls open the door and walks into the store, glancing around and there’s a few people in there with one of the employees greeting him and he nods in a hello. Aiden adjusts his jacket, glancing at the wall of shoes as he hears Ryan talk to the girl helping her.

“Don’t you have four pairs of those?” He comments.

“Five, actually,” she says but her tone fluctuates at the end as he can sense her freeze for a moment and slowly turns herself to look at him. Confusion, it’s the main expression everyone has given him and he expects nothing less at this point. “Aiden?”

He smiles, taking the shoe from her hand to look at while Ryan continues to stare at him. There’s not even a price on the shoe, so Ryan must be doing well for herself. It’s only a second later Ryan is hugging him and he returns the embrace, the sales woman a little perplexed but she takes the shoe and mentions something about going to find a size seven in the back. 

“How are you out?” Ryan pulls back and looks at him like it’s unbelievable. “Did you bribe someone?”

Aiden chuckles and rolls his eyes, “No. I didn’t bribe anyway. I behaved.”

“Didn’t think that was in the O’Connell blood.” She hums and he laughs again, then her face changes like she realizes where they are for a moment. “How are you here?” Ryan whispers and maybe they shouldn’t be discussing this here. So Ryan tells him to wait as she goes to the girl and puts her shoes (that she does not need) on hold and tugs on Aiden’s jacket to go outside.

“Long story short, I have a hall pass and I need to talk to you. Rob told me where you were,” Aiden explains. Ryan hums but possibly sounds like a groan, sticking her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. They walk for a moment and Aiden decides to clarify. “It’s not about August and whatever the fuck he did or didn’t do, I don’t think I could attempt to get some reconciliation even if you wanted to.”

Ryan rolls her eyes. “At least you know I’m not interested.” She replies but Aiden thinks her voice sounds a little different. He won’t push it. “So what is it?”

They get steered into the park, a little more private and less noise for them to talk. “We need to get that money back, so I need some help. Need your help.”

“Who is we?”

“Me, Rob, Kian, Daisy, August… Vic.” He replies and yes, he is definitely still pissed at Vic. “You.”

Ryan stops and Aiden does too, turning to look at her. She processes for a minute, firstly about how Aiden is here and out of jail and the fact it’s been five damn years. The second being she was texting a bit with Luci today and there was no mention of him. Which means… she doesn’t know? He hasn’t gone to see her? That feels like something big to unpack there. And third, he needs her help for some kind of revenge scheme which she completely understands. 

And while it seems like a group project, August is there.

“Equal cuts, no strings attached. We get what we’re owed and a little more, then you can do whatever you want with that.” Aiden continues on, trying to sell her a deal and there’s some hint of desperation there that she’s only seen once before and it was about Luci. Ryan begins to walk again, he follows. She is quiet. “What are you worried about?”

“You were in jail for five years, that’s what I’m worried about. I probably should have been there too,” Ryan tells him. “And now you’re here again, open to living a normal life and you want to pull a job? A big job, Aiden?”

“Saying no would be easier, Claremont.”

Ryan shakes her head, “I’m not saying no. I’m stating facts because I know Rob gives you unconditional support, so does Vic. And you know I’m not one to back down from something, but have you thought it through? I mean fucking sat down and went through it and what it could cost again?”

Aiden looks at her and he knows what she’s motioning towards. And while it’s harsh, it’s the first time he doesn’t feel irritated by it. “I’m going to talk to her when I get back,” he tells her. “Something came up. I had a setback.”

“A setback?” She’s confused.

Aiden sticks his hands in his pockets too, looking down at the walking path. “Vic and Luci… guess that was a thing.” Ryan stops him and it’s enough indication to know she didn’t know. That clears a few things up. “It’s fine. So what do you think?” 

There’s another round of silence, a few cyclists zooming by and some walking groups moving pass them. Ryan rolls her head, reacclimating herself as she’s had to process a lot in a short amount of time. “If I come back it’s for you, not him.” She says and Aiden bites his tongue about it. Safe to say August and Ryan have their own tornado to manage. 

“Come back for yourself.”

[obeymeoasis]

The First Time They Say “I Love You”

Lucifer

At first you just did small things, like cleaning up the used coffee cups on his desk. Things that you wanted to do for him because he was so tired all the time. But after you pointed out a calculation error in a R.A.D organization’s monthly expense sheet, Lucifer started relying on you more. He often asked you to do a final scan over documents before he submitted them to Diavolo just in case he missed anything.

You found that your work styles were very similar: extremely organized, detail-oriented, and meticulous. You enjoyed spending time in Lucifer’s office. And helping him with his work meant that he got done more quickly and had more time to spend with you. 

Right now he was at his desk, furiously scanning through a stack of papers. You could tell he hadn’t slept in a while. The buttons at his throat were undone and he had dark smudges underneath his eyes. Somebody had apparently mixed up the schedule for an upcoming series of lectures and Lucifer was left to solve the problem.

You shut the door behind you slowly and carefully made your way over, trying your best to balance the tea tray and multiple folders you were holding. "Here, Luci. I brought you peppermint tea and shortbread. You should have some while you work, you look absolutely exhausted.” He looked up at you and smiled gratefully, a private smile that only you got to see. “Thank you MC, I appreciate it.”

You then handed him the thick folders. “Also, these are all of the invoices from last week’s alumni dinner party. I thought they were a bit messy to look at so I organized them into different categories based on the business and then sorted the purchases sequentially. Also, I calculated the total expenses and thankfully we were able to stay under budget.”

Lucifer's mouth was slightly ajar and his eyes widened, looking at you as if you'd done something incredibly strange. You asked self-consciously, "Is... is something on my face?"

With the same bewildered expression on his face he said "MC... I love you."

You laughed, a little startled. "Why, because I organized some files for you?"

"Well, yes. No. I mean yes and no. It's not just the files, it's everything. The way you're always thinking of me and taking care of me. The way we work well together. The way I can trust you with anything. I love you, MC. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say so."

You felt your cheeks flush with happiness. "Well... I love you too, you know. A lot. Now hurry up and finish your work so that we can spend some actual time together."

Lucifer laughed gently and then reached to take your hand in his, pressing a delicate kiss against your fingers. "Anything for you."

Mammon

You were at the casino with Mammon on a Wednesday night. On school nights he usually went alone because you were busy with homework. But tonight he looked so lonely as he headed for the door that something spurred you to put on a jacket and run after him.

When you took his hand in yours, he turned to look at you in surprise and the most radiant smile lit his face. “You’re coming with me, baby?”

The first couple of hours weren’t bad. Mammon brought you small plates of food and you were content to just watch as he flourished in his natural environment. You smiled amusedly at his antics, the way he bantered with the dealer, how he yelled in delight when he won and how pouty he became when he lost.

But pretty soon the long day of classes caught up to you and you could feel your eyelids growing heavy. You were tucked into a small table in the corner, away from the other guests but still visible to Mammon out of the corner of his eye. You figured no one would mind so you laid your arm on the table and rested your head in the crook of your arm. Within a couple of seconds, you were deep asleep.

Meanwhile, Mammon was having some of the best luck he’d had recently at the blackjack table. He turned to where you were sitting to give you a smile and boast about his winnings a little, only to have his heart clench tightly at the sight of you. 

You looked absolutely adorable, sleeping with a little smile on your face. It must have been a little cold for you in the casino because you were curled up tightly against yourself. Mammon flushed at how cute you looked and then felt a sudden rush of emotion. 

Even though you were tired, you still took the time to come out with him tonight. He knew these places weren’t really your thing but you never complained, you genuinely just wanted to be with him. And that was something Mammon wasn’t really used to.

You stirred at the sensation of Mammon draping his jacket across your shoulders. Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you looked up to ask: “Hey Mams, how’s your luck been tonight?”

He stood silently for a moment before enveloping you into a sudden, crushing hug. “I-I love you, MC. I really love you.” You were startled and tried to move back to get a look at his face but Mammon wouldn’t budge. “No, don’t look at me. I’m probably super red. But I need to tell you how much I love you. I kinda realized it just now that there’s no one like you. No one who cares for me, who accepts all of me like you do. Thank you for always being here.”

You could feel tears forming in your eyes and buried your face against Mammon’s chest. “Oh, Mams. I love you too. I can’t imagine how alone you must have felt, especially the way your brothers treat you sometimes. But I’m here now, okay? I’ll always be on your side.”

You heard Mammon’s breath hitch a little before he leaned down to kiss your forehead.

Leviathan

You came to discover that there were a lot of little holidays in the Devildom, an occasional day or two when you didn’t have to go to classes. Sometimes you took the opportunity to travel to the human world, often to pick up small necessities or bring back foods you missed.

Today you were here to pick up something specific: strawberry preserves. You had brought back a jar from the human world recently and after having a bite, Levi had practically eaten the whole jar by himself. The preserves were the specialty of a local farm close to your house and Levi absolutely loved them.

Since you were there, you decided to pick up some different jars as well. An employee carefully packaged the jars of strawberry, peach, blueberry, and cherry preserves so that they wouldn't accidentally break on the journey. What he didn't know was that you would actually be travelling between completely different worlds.

As soon as you were back in the Devildom, you quickly made your way to Levi's room with your purchases. He was in the middle of playing a game but when he heard you come in, he turned around to welcome you back. "Hey, MC. How was your trip? What are all those boxes for?"

You opened the topmost one and showed him the little glass jar with the floral pattern on the lid. "I picked more of these up for you today, along with some other flavors I thought it would be nice to try."

Upon recognizing what it was, Levi immediately set down his controller. "MC, this is awesome! I love you!" You froze in shock at his words and it took Levi a couple of seconds before he realized what he had said. He too froze so that the two of you stood there, Levi bright red, neither moving or speaking.

Levi was the one to eventually break the silence. "I-I didn't mean that! Ignore me just now! I don't know what I'm saying." Your heart sank in disappointment. You had merely been shocked that Levi felt the same way about you as you did him. But now he was saying he didn't mean it?

Your disappointment must have been evident on your face because Levi stammered out, "I-I mean, I do mean it! It's just- aargh, this isn't how I wanted to say- Ugh, I don't know what to-" You decided it was best to just be upfront with him. "Listen Levi, I love you a lot. Have for a while now. Can I ask you how you feel about me?"

If he was bright red before, Levi's face looked almost neon red now. He stared at you open mouthed, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You- You love me? Really? You aren't making fun of me or something?" You couldn't help but huff in response. "Levi, am I seriously the type of person who would make fun of you about this?"

It seemed to finally sink in for him then. "No, no you're not. MC, I- I love you too. Ah, I can't believe I said it out loud!" He clapped his hands over his mouth and you giggled at how adorably flustered he looked.

"Hey Levi, now that we know how we feel about each other, is it okay if I give you a kiss?" Levi practically fainted then, and you had to run down to the kitchens to get him a glass of water.

Satan

Satan was used to being alone. None of his brothers or classmates really shared any of his interests and he found that he much preferred being by himself. He was always too engrossed with his books and research that he never considered himself to be lonely.

That is, until he met you. You were somehow able to slowly inch yourself into his heart and without realizing it had become the most important person to him.

The other day, he found a funny quote in one of the novels he was reading and made a note of it to show you later. Then he started thinking about how much his daily routine included you in some way. You had classes together, ate meals together, talked and laughed together, and read late into the night together, enjoying each other’s company.

He realized that he was a lot happier now. Not that he was exactly unhappy before, but it was different with you. He was a lot more relaxed, more prone to smile and laugh. And a lot of it had to do with your influence and the time you spent together.

You were both reading in his room. There was a comfortable, relaxing silence and the atmosphere was especially cozy because of all the lit candles. You had prepared a tray for Satan: a plate of rosemary biscuits and a pot of black tea to wash them down with. This was another thing he appreciated about you; you were always taking care of him.

Both of you were engrossed in your books for a while, until suddenly you could feel Satan staring at you. You marked the page you were on and turned to him, a smile playing on your lips. “Is there something I can help you with?”

He looked at you for a few moments, unsmiling. You frowned, thinking there was something wrong, but before you could say anything Satan said “I just wanted to let you know that I love you dearly.”

You were surprised to say the least. Satan wasn’t really the type to talk about his feelings this explicitly. But after the initial shock, you realized how happy you were that the person you loved felt the same way about you. Satan didn’t let people into his life and into his heart that easily.

It was only when you heard Satan say “Oh love, I didn’t mean to make you cry” that you realized tears were streaming down your cheeks. You put down your book and practically flung yourself into his arms. He hugged you back tightly and waited until you were calm enough to speak. “I love you too Satan, so much. You mean the absolute world to me.”

You laughed wetly, thinking it funny that you were crying during one of the happiest moments of your life. Satan smiled at you fondly before handing you a handkerchief so that you could dry your eyes. 

You spent the rest of the night in his lap, smiling and giggling as he attempted to read you a story out loud.

Asmodeus

These kinds of days rarely happened, but they happened nonetheless. Mean, ugly days when no matter what outfit he tried on, it didn’t look right. No matter how much time he put into styling his hair, it just looked flat and dull. And his makeup seemed to refuse to cooperate with what he had in mind.

On these kinds of days Asmo locked himself in his room under the pretense of “needing self-care”. He hated having to speak with others because their usual compliments just sounded mocking and fake to his ears.

Asmo remembered an incident when one of his admirers had complimented his hairstyle and he had snapped at her furiously: “Shut up! Don’t make fun of me!” before storming away. He was incredibly embarrassed about it and apologized profusely to her. Since then, he figured it was safer to just hide out in his room.

But it was hard to be alone in his room when you were already there. You knew something was up with Asmo when you texted him saying "Hey, could you help me pick out a new coat?" and he replied with "Maybe another time, sorry darling!" He would have never refused an opportunity to go shopping with you.

So you raced to his room after classes and thankfully managed to slip in while Asmo was in the kitchen gathering some snacks. When he saw you standing in his room you could see he struggled to act nonchalant. "Darling! I didn't know you'd be here. I'm sorry, but I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. I wouldn't want you to catch anything so it'd probably be best if you went to your room."

Your heart clenched at the blatant lie. "Oh Asmo, I'll leave if you really want to be alone. But just know that I'm here for you. Whatever it is, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I want to be your strength."

You could see the conflict in Asmo's eyes as he stood quietly for a couple of minutes. You were about to turn around and leave, giving him some alone time, but he suddenly blurted out "I feel ugly today. I feel disgusting and horrible and hideous."

Asmo closed his eyes, embarrassed at his outburst and also dreading what inevitably came next: empty compliments and false flattery. He didn't want to be told he was beautiful when he didn't believe it.

But instead, you surprised him by enveloping him in a strong embrace. You alternated between gently patting his back and smoothing his hair and were rewarded with feeling the tension leave his body. You didn’t say anything, just continued to hold Asmo and wipe away the few stray tears on his cheeks.

Eventually you moved him to his bed, Asmo’s head lying on your chest and his arms wrapped around your waist. You weren’t sure how much time had passed but he seemed to be much calmer. He tilted his head up to look at you, his eyes searching your face, before almost whispering “I love you”. Your eyes widened in surprise. “You seem to always know what to do, MC, how to put me back together again. You’re honest with me and you actually listen to what I’m saying. I love you. Please stay with me forever.”

The two of you fell asleep like that, Asmo’s head on your chest and your hands intertwined. 

Beelzebub

Beel was a bit nervous, considering this was one of the most important Fangol games he had ever played in. Not only was it against their rival school, but also Beel’s coach had let him know that there would be scouters from the professional league coming to watch for potential talent.

It was too bad that you wouldn’t be able to watch him play. He considered you a very important part of his game-day routine. In the morning, you always made him a hearty breakfast and at the pre-game warmup, he frequently went to you for kisses and headpats. He considered you to be his good luck charm.

Unfortunately, you weren’t feeling well. You kept having bad stomach pain and the doctor had said it was probably your body reacting to some unfamiliar Devildom food. You were currently lying down in your room with a heating pad on and some warm green tea.

Beel missed you terribly. It had only been a few hours since he had last seen you but he couldn’t help but feel lonely. You were always there shouting and cheering for him on game days which made your absence feel that much larger.

His teammates and coaches could tell that something was off with him. They kept coming by to ruffle his hair or pat him on the shoulder and ask, “Is everything okay?” and “Don’t worry, you’ll do great!” 

Beel knew he was being silly. He would go see you right after the game! And yet his heart wasn’t in it during the pre-game stretches. He kept spacing out and staring at the wall instead of actually getting ready.

Suddenly, one of the assistant coaches came into the room. “Beel! MC is here! Now hurry up and stop moping around!” He saw you behind the coach looking a bit uncomfortable, your stomach must have still been bothering you. But you were also smiling at your little surprise.

Beel ran up to you and hugged you gently. “MC! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in bed? Are you okay? Are you feeling better?” You laughed at his barrage of questions before reaching up on your tip-toes to give him a pat on his head. “I’m still in a bit of pain but I wanted to be here. I couldn’t miss such an important game! Now what’s this about you moping around?”

Beel blushed and ducked his head before mumbling, “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” You laughed again and Beel’s heart soared at the sound. He was suddenly struck with the realization of how much he loved you. You, who always had his back, who was always there to support him and motivate him. 

He wrapped his arms around you and whispered in your ear, “Thanks for being here, MC. I love you so much, you know. Sometimes it feels like my heart is going to burst.” Your arms tightened around him in response. “I feel the same way Beel, I love you so much. Now go and win this game, okay? Show them how amazing you are.”

After the game, Beel was surrounded by his coaches excitedly telling him about how many scouters were interested in seeing him play again. But all Beel could think about was having you in his arms again.

Belphegor

It occurred to Belphie one day after class as he was walking down the hallway. There was a couple leaning against the locker, engaged in a full display of public affection. They kept giggling and yelling “I love you!” at each other. Belphie fake gagged a little before moving past them.

But then it occurred to him. Is that kind of thing something... you wanted? Your relationship was relatively new both in terms of time and in that this was something Belphie wasn’t really experienced with. You were one of the people that knew him best though, apart from his brothers, and Belphie had just assumed that it would be okay to continue acting as he had always had around you.

What if secretly this was something you wanted as well? All of the endearments and displays of affection. Belphie hadn’t even- hadn’t even said the “L” word to you yet. This continued to trouble him even as he lied down for his afternoon nap. In his dreams he kept seeing visions of you crying while looking on enviously at other couples and asking, “Why can’t we be like that?”

By the time he sat down at dinner, Belphie was exhausted. And you of course noticed, especially since he was eating a lot less than he normally did. After dinner the two of you made your way to his room, where you were getting out some textbooks to study and he lied back down on his bed. “Hey Belphie, is everything okay? You seem a lot more listless than usual.

Belphie stared at you, contemplating whether to tell you what was going on. But in the end he decided against it. “It’s nothing, MC. Don’t worry about it.” His voice definitely didn’t sound like it was nothing. “Okay, Belphie. But let me know if you want to talk about anything, okay? I’m always here.”

For the next hour or so, you studied for your classes while Belphie tormented himself. He did love you. But he wasn’t good at expressing his feelings, especially in the way the couple in the hall had. What if that now you were dating, you expected him to change? Would he even be able to? Frustrated at the swirling questions in his mind, Belphie ended up blurting out “I love you!” to your back.

You turned around in your chair slowly, surprised at his sudden intensity. “I... love you too. Belphie, is everything okay? You’ve been acting strange all day.” He sighed. “MC, you know what kind of demon I am. I’m not good at all the... lovey-dovey stuff that other couples do. But if that’s what you want, I can at least try to be different.”

You shook your head. “I... honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. I know how you feel about me, Belphie. I don’t need you to be like “the other couples” because I fell in love with you and who you are. I don’t expect you to be someone you’re not. Where are you even getting the idea that I want something other than what we have?”

Ah, Belphie really did love you. There was no one else in the world that knew him so completely and still loved and accepted all parts of him. And... he just realized that he had said “I love you” for the first time by practically shouting it while your back was turned.

He got up and stood next to his desk. You were sitting and looking up at him, concern evident on your face. He smiled and leaned down to kiss you gently before mouthing against your lips, “I love you, MC.”

You could feel how hot your cheeks were as he moved away and went to lie back down on his bed. You pretended to be unbothered, flipping randomly through your textbook, but none of the words made any sense. You mumbled under your breath, “”You’re pretty good at lovey-dovey stuff.”

[wanna-be-bold]

Chenford + I'm tired of pretending

Because you can't send me this as a prompt and not expect me to be inspired by Tiva.

(First portion of dialogue borrowed from NCIS season 6 episode Cloak)

"We were given a direct order not to engage!" Tim was staring at her, arms crossed over his chest and eyes dark. 

"Oh really? As I recall that you were the

first one to throw a punch." She matched his stance, staring up him and ready to defend her actions. 

"It was a reflex." She rolled her eyes at his weak excuse. 

"Then what the hell happened after? Last thing I remember before the lights went out

was you kimbo-slicing through a room full of guards. Was that a reflex?" 

"Yes, it was." She could see the clench of his jaw and the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. " A Gunshot went off. I saw you…" It felt like something had smacked into her chest and suddenly it was hard for her to breath at the realization that he broke protocol because he thought she had been shot. 

"I'm tired of pretending." The words she said were quiet as the came out of her mouth but by the look on Tim's face he heard them loud and clear. Worried she had said too much she started to walk away but stopped in her tracks when she heard him whisper.

"So am I." His loud exhale broke through the quiet of the room and she turned around slowly.

"Wh- what?" He ran a hand over his face as his shoulders slumped and she could tell he was tired fighting it. 

"I'm tired of pretending too Lucy." She felt hope swell in her chest but tried not to let it show as she stepped closer to him. 

"Tim?" His name from her lips gave him courage and she could see the moment he decided to lay it all on the line. 

"I'm so damn tired of pretending I don't have feelings for you because I do. And I have for a while now but I knew that I could never do anything about it and hell, you probably don't even feel the same way about m-" 

Suddenly he was being pushed against the wall and Lucy was cupping his cheeks in her hands as she pressed her lips to his. 

He kissed her back with a fierceness he doesn't think he's kissed anyone with before, the weight of what was finally happening sinking in as he wrapped his arms around her and held her flush against him.

When air became a necessity they pulled back slowly, pressing a light kiss to each others lips before resting their foreheads together, neither wanting to move away. 

"I'm so tired of pretending I don't have feelings for you too Tim. And I have for a while." A smile lit up his face as he leaned back in, feeling her smile against his lips. 

This was the only good thing to ever come of not following a direct order. 

[nyctophicbtch]

HELLO DEAR! I wanted to request a headcanon from the Chronicles of Narnia, may I? In what uh, Edmundo had a twin sister? She would be the opposite of Edmundo, but they would get along well. THANK YOU 💖😩.

Author's note: i haven't done any narnia related posts and this seemed like a good headcanon idea, so thanks for requesting this!

I haven't actually read the books so i'm gonna write from what i remember from the films (totally didn't skim through the films for this cause i forgot everything👀)

Being Edmund's twin sister would include:

Being Edmund's twin sister was often a pain to deal with.

Sharing things were not on your list.

But you'd rarely want the others' things except for necessities like pillows or food.

While Edmund was mischievous, witty and rather sarcastic, you were courageous, understanding and gentle.

Though you do have his witts as well.

You'd sometimes fight, but in the end, Peter would break the two of you up and help resolve the disagreement.

When you first discovered and entered Narnia and found that Edmund was under the influence of the White Witch, you felt betrayed and heartbroken.

Though when Edmund was back, your bond only grew stronger.

When you returned to Narnia for the second time, you were stuck with Edmund.

You'd look out for each other and get along so well, to the point where Peter and Susan couldn't believe how close you were.

Though you both still hated sharing your things most of the time.

If you're gone for too long, Edmund would go looking for you.

Only to find you in the forest with Caspian or Reepicheep.

"What are you doing? It's late."

"I'm older than you by a few minutes, you know."

"It's still late."

You'd always end up complying to his bosiness and return back.

Helping Edmund rid the influence of the white witch whenever he was wary.

You were sad when you had to leave narnia for the second time.

Edmund wrapping an arm around your shoulder as you leave through the portal.

Getting along with Lucy better as time passes and she grows up.

Edmund absolutely losing his mind whenever you were close with someone romantically.

He gets over it though.

When you had to stay at your cousin's, you weren't too upset about it. That is, before you met Eustace.

He was purely annoying.

Your twin was kind enough to share rooms with Eustace, and you stayed with Lucy, although you knew he hated it.

He would avoid the room at all costs whenever Eustace was there.

He'd go to the kitchen in the mornings before Eustace could bother him and meet you and Lucy there.

It's already becoming a routine at this point.

The three of you enjoying your morning peace before having to hear the annoyingly loud footsteps coming down the stairs.

You not really being bothered by Eustace as much except for how loud he is.

When you somehow ended up in narnia again, you were thrilled since you didn't think it was possible to come back.

While Edmund stood silently annoyed and observed Eustace's nonstop complaints, you were the entertainer of the group, always adding comments here and there.

Much to say, the rest of the adventure had just been filled with Eustace's nagging.

Unfortunately or fortunately, your cousin turned into a dragon and spared you all from his loudness.

You felt bad seeing him miserable though.

Shaking his shoulders and pulling Edmund out of his trance when he started hearing the white witch.

You almost died for that as he accidentaly pushed you to the edge of the ship.

That immediately got him out of his trance.

Luckily, you made it out alive and Lucy was first to hug you.

Then came Edmund scolding you for your near death experience.

And you mentioned how it was his fault.

[petri808]

Quarantine memories fic hoarding craze for @thenaluarchive

— thank you to @phoenix-before-the-flame for helping jump start this fic 💜

It was Natsu Dragneel’s absolute favorite time of the day. 1 pm for him, and 8 am for Lucy, his… well, right now they were just online friends separated by distance and priorities. But judging by how he talked about her to friends, you’d never know it. They’d met three years ago on Twitch through a random chat stream about an anime series, and he continued following Lucy on her writing streams. Three years ago, she was a sophomore in college while he was in his senior year. Lucy later moved on to a graduate program, but they stayed in touch, growing close. To Natsu, she wasn’t just some girl online but a real friend he cared very much about. His friends called Lucy his online girlfriend. Pfft. He wished he could call her that.

Roughly two thousand miles away, Lucy Heartfilia was hating life. Her curtains were drawn, and a blanket was pulled over her head to drown out the light. The air conditioner was down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, working against the low-grade fever and pounding migraine born yesterday. Migraines… the bane of her otherwise healthy existence. It was her fault after all, the temptation of a chocolate dessert knowing full well it was one of her triggers brought on said migraine and all she could do was bear it.

Why?

“Stupid hoarders!” Lucy groaned to herself.

As if dealing with a pandemic wasn’t bad enough, people’s selfish reactions to it were worse. A government agency had claimed that acetaminophen products could help with the virus’s symptoms, so what did people do? Panic buying anything and everything they could find containing that drug! The problem for people like Lucy, is the one over the counter medication that helped with her migraines was Excedrine… an acetaminophen product! And she’d just. run. out.

Lucy’s phone rang and she knew exactly who it could be based on the time. So, she clicked the answer button without opening her eyes.

“Hey, Natsu,” she groaned out.

“Morning Lucy! Oh geez, you sound like a frog.”

“Thanks,” she retorted sarcastically. “I’ve got a migraine.”

“Ouch.” Natsu genuinely flinched. He rarely got headaches, but this wasn’t the first time he’d talked to Lucy when she was going through one, so he knew what she was going through. “The meds aren’t helping?”

Lucy sighed. “I ran out. And did you see the news about all the hoarding? Every store here is bought out. It… sucks.”

“I could check around here and send you any I find,” he offered.

“Aww, that’s sweet of you Natsu, but I don’t wanna trouble you.”

“Pfft. Nonsense. I’m sure you’d do the same for me.”

“Thanks, Natsu. I appreciate it.” Lucy smiled through the pain. There’s a good reason her feelings for the man had grown over the years. His sweet and caring, yet fun and goofy, positive personality was an easy drug to get hooked to.

“Anyway, I gotta get back to work.” Natsu whined. “Good morning again, stay hydrated, and I’ll check on you again when I’m finished for the day, okay Lucy? Get some rest.”

“Have a good day at work Natsu.”

“Will now, after hearing your voice. Talk to you later Luce.”

She giggled softly. “Bye, Natsu.”

Lucy shifted under her blanket as she clicked off the phone to lie on her back. His sexy voice did wonders for her mood despite the pain still ravaging it. Now all she had to do was drag herself out of bed to eat something and drink water. She never had an appetite when she got these migraines, but it was a necessary fuel to fight it. All Lucy had left were extra strength Tylenol, so she could only hope it would at least take the edge off until the migraine ran its course.

Like so many others, this pandemic had really taken a toll on Lucy’s psyche. It’s not as if she went out a lot before it took hold, but just the fact it made going out dangerous brought different emotions to the situation. School had moved online which sucked all its own, she missed casually hanging out with friends on campus, and simply longed for the freedom of leaving her apartment as she pleased. But she understood the precautions of a quarantine. Frankly, she agreed with the city’s efforts to keep them as safe as possible no matter how many grumbled about it. Did it make it easier? No. But it was a necessary evil.

They weren’t completely trapped, could shop for necessities, visit family or friends, just encouraged to limit such gatherings as a safety precaution. If you went out, wear a mask, and just don’t stand too close to other people. Well, unless Lucy knew the person, why would she want strangers in her personal bubble anyway? And the mask thing? Have you ever been out shopping, and someone just sneezes without covering their mouth? Yeah— seriously, would it kill people to use one?! Why were people so selfish during times like this? Not everyone, but too many. Just like with all the hoarding frenzies that swept through cities, it was frustrating and— “Ugh…” being in a pain-driven bad mood was sure bringing her down today.

But despite all the external frustrations, the feelings of isolation from being in a quarantine for months were probably the most mentally exhausting part. It was lonely being so far away from home during a pandemic. Lucy’s been in college for five years and while she’s made friends in the new city, she was starting to crave comfort instead of an empty apartment. Her life online was one of the few things that made her happy, like Natsu’s daily calls, and kept her sane.

Natsu… her face heated up every time she thought about the man. They didn’t have a lot of hobbies in common, but he was always so supportive and made her laugh like no other could. Where they lacked in commonality, was made up in ease of conversation. It hadn’t taken very long for their online chats to feel more like an old friend and less like a faceless stranger. Over the years they’d talked about meeting in person one day after she finished school. It also helped that he was from a city not too far from where she came from, so if she chose to move back it would be convenient. But she also loved the new city she called home. Oh well, Lucy sighed. It was a decision still a couple of years away to make.

The next morning, Lucy woke up to find her migraine had finally given up. She could still feel the little bastard hiding, simmering somewhere ready to strike, but if it stayed mellow, it was something she could tolerate. Throughout the day, Lucy wasted no time in catching up on the homework she couldn’t finish the day before and making sure to stay hydrated with food in her stomach.

Lucy’s phone rang around 2pm.

“Hi Natsu, how was work?”

“Same ole, same ole,” he chuckled. “And how are you? Still feeling, okay?”

“Yeah, it hasn’t come back.”

“That’s great!”

Lucy could hear a lot of background noise, so she asked about it. “Oh, you’re not home yet?”

“Nah, and the commuters are being extra noisy today,” he responded benignly. “Anyway, tonight I won’t have time to talk cause I got a project due for work I need to finish.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Yeah, I’m still catching up from yesterday too and Levy’s dropping by for dinner.”

They chat for a few minutes about their day as Natsu waited for transportation. Lucy knew he used the subway to and from work, but today it sounded a little different, noisier and she swore there were engines instead of the normal train sounds. Maybe it was static. Finally, Lucy caught the muffled words now boarding.

“Shucks, time for me to go,” Natsu cut through. “Sweet dreams Lucy! I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Natsu!”

Lucy spent the afternoon relaxing online, chatting with friends and gaming. Her friend Levy McGarden later dropped by with take-out food for dinner and the two women caught up on random topics while movies droned on the television. They were both in grad school, so during the semester there wasn’t a lot of time to hang out, but they made do. Lucy was also doing a paid internship at a local magazine 4 days out of the week as part of her master’s program. She really enjoyed working there under one of the senior editors. He made it a fun learning experience.

Life was almost perfect except for the background isolation of the pandemic. Lucy was glad she wasn’t one of the individuals affected by jobs cuts, but it still got under her skin to feel trapped in a way. It was nice with her friend over... ‘Maybe I should see if Levy wants to become roommates?’ She wondered as she drifted off to sleep. The apartment would sure feel a lot less empty.

A knock at the door roused Lucy from her sleep. She blinked and yawned, looking at the alarm clock and that said 9 am the next morning. ‘Natsu didn’t call,’ she thought how odd. Maybe he slept in after working late.

Lucy dragged herself out of bed, throwing on a robe to answer the front door. “Gimme a sec,” she called out as she neared it.

“UPS delivery, ma’am.” The male voice responded.

‘UPS?’ Lucy grew confused. She didn’t remember ordering anything through them, but maybe she’d forgotten?

She peaked out of the peep hole, but all she could see was the box being held up. Okay a little weird, but some of the delivery people did that to show they were legitimate service people. Lucy slowly opened the door but kept the chain lock on while peering through the gap. But what she saw next brought on instant tears.

“H-How?” Her voice stammered out as her fingers quickly undid the lock and opened the door wide.

There Natsu stood holding a small brown box, dressed in a uniform of sorts, with a mask hanging under his chin, and wearing a goofy grin.

Lucy snorted a laugh as her eyes crinkled in happiness. “Is that a Halloween costume?”

“Yeah,” his smile widened, and hand scratched his head. “Surprise delivery,” Natsu held out the box, “for Lucy Heartfilia.”

“What is it?” She asked as she took it from him.

“Oh, I um found you Excedrine.”

Lucy opened the box to find 4 bottles. “You certainly did,” she laughed. “But why’d you bring it yourself?”

“It was quicker than the mail and… I hoped…” Natsu’s mannerism grew sheepish and tentative, “it was about time we finally met in person?”

Her face softened with a smile. “It truly is.” Lucy gestured into the apartment. “Please, make yourself at home.”

[theyreonlynoodlesmike]

Can you write Poly!Lost Boys x s/o x Michael? The lost boys let s/o seduce Michael into the dark side?

Oh hO HO- Okay, here you go. Making this an everyone loves Michael fic, and not including Star/Laddie.

Good Job, Michael (Poly!Lost Boys x S/O x Michael)

Word Count: 1725

Warnings: cursing, descriptions of blood/violence/gore

David's hand itched for a cigarette while he and his boys sat on their bikes. His mind was a swirl of thoughts, all of them complicated and muddled by the blondes own emotions. He knew what he had to do. Max wanted Lucy, and he thought her sons were the best way to get her. They turn Michael and Sam, and then Lucy turns. Ta-da, happy ending. But things weren't always that easy.

They sat on their bikes, knowing that somewhere, probably right at this moment, you were getting hit on. And that you were entertaining it. The thought didn't settle easy among the group, and instead it held over them like a persistent fog. Some members were more outspoken than others with their disapproval of the tactic, with Marko having been bitching about it since they woke up. He'd hesitated when letting you go, his gloved hand resting on your hip for a just a moment too long. All it did was pause you from saying goodbye to the others and you gave him a look, but he settled to just huff and wait to truly start complaining for when you left.

Paul was usually a chatterbox, but one of the least confrontational of all the boys. He preferred "peace and love, man", even if he tore into surf-nazis each night. But the way he was tapping on his bike handle and looking around gave him away. He didn't like this either, and finally he uttered out a whine of,

"Where are they?" They weren't used to letting you stray far. They rarely left eachothers sides, and their instincts were practically begging them to find you. Surprisingly, it was Dwayne that answered.

"Be patient." He said, his voice deep and bristly. He didn't like this as much as the others, that was clear by the permanent scowl on his face. His hands were gripping his handlebars, his knuckles tightening and threatening to snap the metal underneath his fingers. So much for patience.

While they all agreed that none of them liked this, David couldn't deny that another wave of emotion was clouding his mind. One that he'd carefully avoided, but resurfaced the second they saw you emerge from the crowd. Blue eyed, curly haired brunette in tow. The same feeling, the edging, burning interest of a new crush, edged his mind. One that he'd decided to keep to himself, even if the way he chose to stare at the brunette betrayed him to the others. The second the boys caught the way he was looking at the brunette, there was a sigh, small tittering, and a roll of hazel-green eyes. It didn't help that you were giving Michael the same exact goo-goo eyes.

---

You hadn't expected to actually like the brunette. You knew what David wanted, what Max planned. This was supposed to just be a simple trick, something to keep Max happy and off your back. A simple necessity, like drinking blood each night. Sure, having another boy around wasn't completely unwelcome, but, again, you hadn't expected to like him.

You found him after he donned a new, obviously new, leather jacket. He had seen the boardwalk, and the teens that owned it, and was trying desperately to fit in. It made you smile, a small feeling of pity flitting through you. The poor boy was even considering getting his ear pierced. You stepped forward, offering a quick,

"It's a rip-off." To catch his attention. He turned, and his eyes found you. He was quick to follow, asking,

"What?" And you smiled. A real smile. He was clueless. It was almost cute.

"It's a rip-off. Get a sewing needle and some ice, it'll do the job." You said, and he smiled for a moment, doing his best to follow you through the crowd.

"What's your name?" He asked, and you offered it freely. He repeated it, and was quick to chirp back. "I'm Michael." He said, and you nodded. You knew. You repeated his name back, catching his eye as you did so.

You looked him over now that you were closer, and, for the shadow of a moment, you saw exactly what he could become. The faint image of a Lost Boy was hidden behind his face, and you didn't doubt that in a few weeks, if not a few nights, he would grow into that image nicely. You couldn't help but say,

"You new to Santa Carla?" You asked, and he rubbed the back of his neck before he replied,

"That obvious, huh?" He asked, and you chuckled. He was oddly charming. He was like a puppy, filled with naivety and the need to be accepted. Liked.

"Just a little bit." You said, making a pinching gesture with your fingers. "But I like the jacket." You said, and you saw how that brought a smile to his face. He touched it, like he'd almost forgot that he was wearing it. You had to stifle a laugh when he said,

"This old thing?" And you reached out. He watched your hand come towards his, and he seemed excited for a moment. Excited from the idea that you were going to take his hand. You did, but only to pull a price tag from his wrist. You held it up, and, in a moment, he flushed. You couldn't stop your laugh then, and you had to tease him.

"Old thing, huh?" You said, but you were quick to wave your own comment away. "It's nice, though. It suits you." You said, and you watched him rub his neck again. You couldn't tell if his embarrassment was from having been caught in his lie or from being complimented by you. Still, he had enough confidence to ask,

"Wanna get something to eat?" As his bike came nearer. You nodded, and you could practically feel the stare from your boys on your back.

---

That was exactly what you asked him as you lead him into the dunes, the rest of your boys hooting and hollering behind you. Dwayne had thrown his arm around Marko, with Paul raising his hands teasingly at David. When you stopped near a tree, just above a partying group of teens, the laughter died. The tension had become suddenly thick, and Michael uncomfortably asked,

"I thought you said we were getting food?" He asked, and the boys snickered as they climbed into the tree. They'd been hazing him for days, even as their own feelings grew. But none of them were willing to do anything that would halt his progress, even if the tension was growing thicker between him and David. He would turn, and then they could pursue him.

You and Michael hung back for a moment, and you gave his arm a gentle squeeze. You looked at him. He had grown exactly into the image you had pictured. His cheeks were dusted with stubble, his sunglasses hanging from his white shirt. An earring hanging from his left ear. He was staring at you the same way he always did. So full of trust, naivety, and a willingness to please. Again, you found that you nearly pitied him. It's why you couldn't let him go into this completely blind, even if that had been David's plan.

"You've been having a weird pain lately, right?" You asked him, and his brows furrowed with confusion. You knew the thirst had hit him already, even if he hadn't acted on it. "And your hand." You reached for it. He'd told you about how Nanook had bitten him, but he'd skipped the detail about the mirror. His hand was now healed, as if he hadn't been bitten at all. While he wasn't the brightest, he was smart enough to realize that wasn't normal. You and the boys had succeeded in distracting him the night before, but now he had to know. "These are bad people, Michael. You don't need to feel guilty." You whispered, but he looked more confused than anything. He held your hand, giving it a squeeze. Before he could ask, you interruped, "Here, I'll show you." You said, guiding him towards the tree and then leaving him there while the boys watched you. While you'd given him just the slightest of hints, now it was time to set the plan into motion. Michael nearly followed you, only to be caught by Paul and Marko after a quick look from David. David trusted you, as did the others, as you stepped down towards the firelight.

Michael watched how the boys jeered at you, how one quickly took to your side. He was drunk, and it looked as if he planned on messing with you. The others quickly noticed you, and they circled you like a pack of wolves. The boys watched as Michael's- well, they couldn't tell if it was jealousy or protectiveness- flared, his eyes turning yellow. David smirked, and he leaned towards the brunette. Setting a hand on his shoulder, he said,

"You gonna let them do that, Michael?" And he nodded at the two blondes. They let him go, and just then one of the boys gave you a nudge. One that seemingly nearly knocked you to the ground. It was a bit of pretending on your part, but that was all it took.

His face had shifted completely, becoming almost lionesque as his fangs descended. Without the boys to grab him, he flew. You watched as they ripped and tore into the man's shoulder, knocking him flat onto his face. You watched as your boys laughed, joining him and pouncing as the surf-nazis began to try to run away. You snatched one for yourself, the blood hitting the back of your throat in a hot gush. The six of you were having a frenzy, and you tossed the limp body into the fire as the adrenaline filled your veins. You looked over at the curly haired brunette, his eyes still shining yellow instead of blue. He was panting, with blood drenched down his chin, neck, and the front of his shirt. He looked beautiful, not just to you but to the boys you had been with for- well, you couldn't remember exactly how long. He was truly one of you now, and you didn't hesitate to pull him in for a kiss. He moaned and licked at your mouth, whether to deepen it or catch the blood decorating it you couldn't tell.

When you pulled away, you caressed his stubbly cheek. His eyes had faded back to blue, but the completion of the transformation numbed any expected remorse. He simply ducked down again, capturing your lips once more, before the both of you giggled and you said,

"Good job, Michael."

[eryiss]

Ship: Freed x Laxus

Rating: Teen

Summary: Laxus has returned to the guild, but is still scared of not being accepted. Freed does what he can to help, and insists that Laxus attend some of the events held in the guildhall. Over the course of a year, and four different parties, the guild starts feeling like home again. And Freed, well... Freed has something to confess.

Notes: Hi. This was a little thing I wrote becuase I haven't done enough canon-verse writing; that and I want to procrastonate from uni work. I hope you all enjoy it, and sorry for any mistakes.

Links: FFN, Ao3

Part of the Party

The Summer Solstice

Freed was, despite what some might claim, rather fond of parties. Not so much in the way a typical Fairy Tail mage might do; he didn't find pleasure in getting as drunk as his body would allow, starting a fight, and collapsing in the mountain of rubble they'd created. Rather, he went to the guild parties to nurse a glass of wine, watch the inevitable decline in both intelligence and balance of his friends, and watch from the side-lines. It was his own form of enjoyment, and yet it had somehow given him the reputation as, as one of his guildmates had so eloquently put it, a boring stick-in-the-mud bastard.

That had been Natsu, who at that moment was wobbling haphazardly towards the bar, hugging Pantherlilly as if he were his own cat, singing at the top of his lungs with neither pitch nor tone. Hardly a reputable source of judgment, Freed concluded.

Still, that was the reputation he had gained, and he wasn't helping that tonight.

Rather, he was making it worse. From the moment he had arrived he had refused any drinks, had perched himself at a table on the second floor as to overlook the party but not be a part of it, and hardly spoken to anybody; not the most convivial actions for celebrating the summer solstice. It hadn't been for lack of wanting to be involved, but rather out of necessity. This was Laxus' first guild event since he had returned, and he hadn't been entirely enthusiastic to go.

It was a problem that had Freed worried. Laxus had been accepted back with open arms, and yet he was still skittish around anyone other than the Raijinshuu. He had been forgiven, but didn't seem to believe it, and avoided everyone as much as he could. Freed knew that, had he not been forceful with his friend, Laxus would have spent the night alone.

So they'd made a deal. Laxus would attend the party, but he was allowed to leave at any moment.

Freed felt that this was maybe too big a step taken too quickly, and he'd only realised that as they approached the guildhall. Laxus was… off-kilter, and this might push him over the edge. So, he had decided that if the worse did happen, Freed would be sober and waiting to help Laxus with it. But it didn't look like he needed it.

"You can't just watch him all night, you know," Mirajane commented as she walked up the stairs, holding a glass of chocolate milkshake; if he couldn't have alcohol, Freed would indulge in other ways. "You might enjoy yourself more. He's doing okay."

"I know," Freed agreed, taking the drink and placing the used glass from earlier on Mirajane's tray. "But I think, the longer he's down there alone, the better. He needs to be fully submerged without his crutch."

"His crutch being you, Ever and Bicks?" Mirajane asked, and Freed nodded. "That's why they're avoiding him, then."

"Indeed, although I suspect Ever would gravitate towards your brother no matter what," Freed chuckled a little, and Mirajane preened a little at the reminder. "Though I must admit, Bickslow, Loke and Natsu being so close does concern me. They're chaotic enough as is, I'd rather not deal with them all together."

"I think they're playing tic-tac-toe," Mirajane frowned a little. "I think it's only a matter of time before Loke suggests making it strip tic-tac-toe, but it's innocent enough right now."

"Perhaps bring me a bucket of water, I could probably pour it over them all from here should they get too involved in their game," Freed mused aloud, and Mirajane laughed a little at the thought.

They both remained in silence for a while, Freed watching as Laxus had a somewhat awkward looking conversation with Reedus, who seemed to be requesting Laxus model for a painting sometimes in the future. Freed smiled a little, hearing Laxus say that he'd consider it; a step in the right direction already. Before his excommunication, Laxus wouldn't have given a second before denying the request, it was nice for him to be making the effort.

Too engrossed in his pride for his friend, Freed missed the slightly sad look on Mirajane's face as she looked down at him. Because of this, when she spoke again, Freed found himself on the back foot and ill-prepared.

"Have you told him yet?" She asked, voice soft but words making Freed freeze. She continued. "It's just that you said that you would, and I really do think he'd-"

"It's not the time," Freed spoke softly, but with firmness.

"When will the time be, Freed?"

"He's," Freed began, but stopped and sighed. "His life is a mess right now. He has nowhere to live other than my sofa, feels like the place he's called home for most of his life doesn't want him there, and doesn't know what to do. It would be cruel to add something else onto that."

"I understand that, but it might be nice for him," Mirajane shrugged. "He likes you back, he always has. He's just not been ready for you until now."

"Well, if that's the case, then we can both wait until things are a little less precarious," Freed stated, putting an end to the conversation.

Mirajane didn't seem to want to push, so Freed looked over the banister to the lower floor to see that Laxus' conversation with Reedus had ended. He looked a little lost for a moment, and Freed let a smile flicker onto his face before it immediately died. Laxus couldn't see it yet, but Lucy was approaching him. She, more than anyone else in the guild, was the person Laxus was most scared of speaking with. He had been avoiding her like the plague, and by the expression of determination on her face, she had noticed.

Freed wanted to intercept, or at least break his own rule and be there beside Laxus. Many times, Laxus had expressed regret for how he had treated his guildmates, and more than anyone else he believed Lucy could not forgive him. Many of the others had known Laxus before his shift in character, but Lucy had only seen him at his worth. He couldn't believe that she would give him any benefit of the doubt.

He clearly didn't know her. Freed had thought that way, until he'd been forced to speak with her about fixing his issue with his hair – something that should have been humiliating, but had instead been easy, and without complication. The woman was kind, nothing less.

"He'll be fine," Mirajane assured Freed. "She just wants to get to know him, and he's been okay with everyone else. It'll be fine."

"I know," Freed said, not believing his own words.

They watched from afar as Lucy finally came face to face with Laxus. He was clearly tense, face unmoving and words stilted. Lucy seemed unaffected, chatting away as she so often didn't with enthusiasm and with cheerfulness. Freed had often wondered how so much optimism could be contained in a single person, but he was glad for it now. This was good, it was going fine.

Until it wasn't.

Freed couldn't hear what had been said, but without warning, Laxus erupted into lightning. He was consumed by it within a moment, and bolts of flickering magic shot out of the door, breaking it open and lighting up the city as it darted through the streets. Laxus was gone, and Lucy was left with her mouth agape, silent in her shock. Freed hissed, placing his milkshake on the table and storming towards the staircase. Teleportation runes had consumed him before he had reached the top step, and he found himself in his sitting room, with Laxus on the sofa, hunched over, crying weakly and trying to stop.

With a small breath, Freed stepped forward and placed a hand on Laxus' shoulder. Laxus tensed, but leaned into it.

"I am so proud of you," Freed whispered. "You were spectacular, and did so well."

Laxus didn't respond. That was how the rest of the night went, until Laxus' tears subsided, and he slept curled up, head resting on Freed's lap. All in all, despite how it had ended, Freed knew that this had been good for Laxus, and was something of a breakthrough for him. As the man gently snored, and Freed ran his hands through his hair, Freed repeated himself in a quiet whisper.

"I am so damn proud of you, Laxus."

---

Freed's Birthday

The singing was a little too much, Freed found.

Discordant, with its volume inversely proportionate to its talent, it sounded somewhat like a bag of cats trying to fight with a set of bagpipes in the middle of a tornado. Well, perhaps that was slightly hyperbolic and fanciful, but he'd had his fair share of champagne throughout the day and as such was allowed to enjoy his creative side.

He'd awoken to his team making him breakfast – pancakes, pain au chocolates, and cinnamon rolls – before he had been taken to the guild. As normal, it was a loud and rowdy affair. The peculiar tradition of his yearly fight with Natsu took place, a grand meal had been prepared, and he'd been sung to. Very very loudly.

Still, it was a nice day. A tradition.

It was good to have Laxus there, too. The blonde had been present for the breakfast, and Freed had expected that would be it for his inclusion of the day. A month had passed since the summer solstice party, and Laxus' time spent in the guildhall was still minimal. Other steps had been made – he'd modelled for Reedus, set up a weekly training session with Gajeel, and went on an incredibly unexpected mission with Happy – but he still struggled with the guild as a whole. He confessed that their team spirit was too much, and it felt like he was intruding.

Freed didn't want to push him. The first party had kicked him into action, and now Laxus was getting to know his guildmembers both old and new, and if doing so one-by-one was what it took then so be it.

But, Laxus had come. He'd eaten, drunk, and Freed had caught sight of him and Gajeel laughing together while the rest of the guild sang at him. It was nice to see, and it had made the signing more bearable. Slightly more bearable, anyway.

Then, the presents came.

As always, they were an onslaught of gifts, some personalised, others more general. Levy had gotten him a first edition copy of 'The Mechanics of Magic', Erza a grindstone to polish his sword on, Reedus a painting containing all of his team and Laxus in the heat of battle, and Lucy a set of quills and ink. He thanked them all graciously, touched by the effort that had been spent on them. His guildmates really were too kind.

The thought made him look up, glancing towards where Laxus had been. Freed hoped that, upon seeing the forgiveness and open kindness he was receiving, Laxus might feel more involved himself. When he looked up, he saw that Laxus had left the guildhall.

Dammit.

He sat through the rest of the gifts, trying to remain focused but unable to feel bad. Eventually they ended, and the party moved onto the next stage: Gajeel and his guitar. If Laxus' departure wasn't excuse enough for Freed to leave the guildhall and go into the courtyard, then the music certainly was.

Once outside, it didn't take him long to find where Laxus had ended up. Freed had hoped that his friend hadn't left altogether, and was gratified when he saw him sitting on the edge of the pool, his boots bedside him and his trousers rolled up. Freed smiled as he walked forward, kicking off his own shoes and folding his own trousers to his knees. He sat beside Laxus, letting his calves rest limply in the cold water in the pool. Laxus shifted a little, clearly in his own head and not having noticed Freed's approach.

"Hey," He murmured quietly. "Sorry I didn't… I couldn't… just got a bit much, y'know."

"I understand," Freed said immediately. "I'm impressed that you managed to-"

"You don't need to do that. I appreciate it, but I don't need you telling me that I'm making steps," Laxus argued, smiling a little. He bumped his shoulder into Freed's, as if to make sure Freed knew he'd taken no offence.

"Very well," Freed nodded. "I'm glad you're here though, it wouldn't have felt right without you."

"I can't let my right-hand man celebrate his birthday without me," Laxus grinned, and Freed chuckled quietly, lifting his foot and watching the ripples that the action caused. "Speaking of which, I should give you this," Laxus leant away from Freed for a moment, reached for something, and handed Freed a hastily wrapped box. He didn't meet Freed's eye when he handed it to him. "I was gonna give it to you in the morning, but wanted to force myself to come here so held off. So, erm, happy birthday."

"Thank you, Laxus," Freed smiled, taking the box with a smile.

"You don't know what it is yet," Laxus grinned a little. "Bicks didn't get you a speedo this year, maybe I wanted to keep up the tradition."

"If you did, then there would be a sense of irony because you'd be the one ended up in the pool," Freed chuckled. "And he did, actually. Somehow, and I can only blame Mirajane for this, he had it baked into my slice of the cake," Laxus barked out a laugh. "It was lime green. In a few years' time I'll have a whole rainbow of them."

"Wonder what he'll do when he runs outta colours," Laxus grinned, before nudging Freed again. "Open it."

Freed did as instructed, and halted a little when he realised what it was. It was an Armillary Sphere. It seemed to be made from solid gold, shining under the lamps strewn across the courtyard. He gently ran his hands over the incremental engravings, adjusting the device slowly with a look of wonderment on his face.

"It's beautiful," He whispered. "How did you…"

"I don't know if you remember, but we did a mission together a couple years back and finished it early. We got pretty pissed after, since neither of us had had a break for a while," Laxus was a little red in the face. "We were lying in a clearing somewhere, looking at the stars. And you suddenly started naming them all, telling me all the stories associated with the consolations. You kept going, you could even figure out our coordinates based on what we could see. You just kept talking about stars, and astronomy and I never forgot it. You mentioned that you used to have one of these in yer old house, and I saw it in an antique store before I came back to the guild and thought you might have liked it."

"It's incredible," Freed was a little breath taken. The fact Laxus had brought it before returning to the guild was just… "Thank you, Laxus. It's… perhaps one of the nicest things someone has done for me."

"Aw don't say that," Laxus laughed a little, but there was a quaver in his words. "Not when I've got the heights of the speedo collection to contend with. And what did Gray get ya? A monocle? Who the hell put him up to that?"

"In fairness, I did gift him a scarf for his last birthday. Which, with him is the equivalent of throwing a pebble into an active volcano with how long it'll stay on his body," Freed chuckled. "I did tell him that, so I suspect the monocle is his act of revenge."

Laxus made a little laugh, leaning back on his hands and watching the ripples across the water. Freed did the same, shifting slightly and allowing his side to press gently against Laxus'. Laxus didn't move, and Freed had a soft smile across his features as he allowed a yawn to split his lips. A party was nice and all, but this was better.

---

Halloween

"Fuck," Laxus gaped as he looked at Freed. "You take this seriously, huh?"

Freed chuckled a little at Laxus' reaction. As demanded by Bickslow, Freed had kept his costume a secret from everyone, including Laxus. That had been a difficult feat, given that Freed had removed his desk and books from his office, turned it back into a bedroom and they had become official roommates. The costume had been tucked away in the back of his closet for a month, and this was the first time anyone other than Freed himself had seen it.

As always, the Raijinshuu went in a themed costume. This year, fighters throughout history. Evergreen had insisted on being a Viking, Bickslow had chosen an old Rune Amry uniform, and Freed had decided on a gladiator.

The costume was hardly the most accurate, historically speaking, but Freed liked it. His torso was covered by a leather chest plate, complete with straps to hold it in place, a single metal shoulder guard, and a red cape that hung to his lower back. His modesty was protected by a tunic which ended above his knees. He had also adorned sandals that wrapped around his legs, and he'd forgone the helmet as it seemed unnecessary in the end. The look was completed with his sword that was attached to his hip, as normal.

"I forgot, you haven't seen any of our costumes, have you," Freed chuckled. "What do you think."

"It's…" Laxus seemed to pause for a moment. "Good. Really good- creative, I mean. You put a lot of effort into it."

"Thank you for noticing," Freed smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

"Give me a couple minutes to change," Laxus dismissed, and Freed frowned as Laxus retreated into his bedroom.

Laxus had been adamant that he wouldn't wear any costumes at all, because he wasn't into that kind of thing. It was what Freed had expected, and honestly he was happy that Laxus was willing to come at all. Laxus had been at the guild more often lately, and Freed felt that maybe his birthday party had helped with that. Perhaps it was nice to know that Laxus could get some time alone, gather his thoughts, but still be a part of the guild's events.

Freed sat on the sofa for a moment, having to adjust his position when he realised that his tunic had a tendency to ride up and show… everything. Better to know now than to make the mistake in the guild where his friends would be delighted to mock him for it.

Maybe he should allow for another anachronism and wear some boxers…

The door to Laxus' room opened, and Freed looked towards him immediately. A spluttering of laughter slipped out before Freed could stop it, and Laxus raised an eyebrow at him, amusement obvious in his face. He stepped forward, spread his arms to better reveal himself, and grinned.

"Just as good as yours, right?" He joked.

It wasn't as good as Freed's. Laxus' costume consisted of a fairly cheap red suit, a white shirt with ruffles of all things, and a pair of red devil horns. It was put together in a rush, had no detail given to it, and was perhaps to most delightful thing Freed had ever seen. One year ago, when Freed had been celebrating the holiday without Laxus, he wondered if the blonde might have scoffed at the Raijinshuu's new found fondness for Halloween. Now, Laxus had a smile that was almost goofy on his face, wearing a costume that he'd made for himself. Freed couldn't ask for more.

"It's certainly a costume," Freed smirked, and Laxus laughed.

"You know, I'm dressed as the devil," Laxus all but sauntered forward, a good look on the man. "And if you're a demon, that kind of makes me your king, right? And, as your king, surely you should show me some respect and kneel for me."

Rather than allow that comment to affect him – boxers really would have been a good idea – he immediately spoke again. "Say that to Mirajane and I'll pay your tab for a month."

"Nah, I like my organs on the inside," Laxus grinned, walking towards the front door.

"You know that the moment Bickslow and Ever seen that you're willing to wear a costume of any kind, they're going to drag you into our tradition whether you like it or not," Freed taunted as he closed the door and locked it behind him. "I'm afraid to say, Laxus, that this," He gestures to himself. "Is your future."

Laxus paused for a moment, then smiled a private smile.

"I can think of a lot of things worse than that, Freed."

---

New Year's Eve

Laxus Dreyar and Lucy Heartfilia were having a drinking contest.

It was perhaps the only thing that Freed had seen that might convince him that miracles were real. But there they were, two pints of beer in front of them both, drinking as if their lives depended on it. Even more ridiculous, Laxus had been the one instigate it. He'd brought the tray of drinks over, looked Lucy dead in the eye and claimed that, if she drank hers before he did his, then he'd pay for every drink she got for all of January.

Freed watched from above, smiling a little as he leant on the banister. As normal, he had spent the party with a glass of red, watching as his guildmates got drunker and drunker, making asses out of themselves for his amusement. It had been perfect, and he was delighted that Laxus seemed to be getting involved.

"Shit," Laxus cussed loudly when he placed his glass down. "Where the hell did you learn to drink like that?"

Lucy said something in return, but it was too quiet for Freed to hear. She had clearly won their wager, and Laxus seemed to be in good spirits despite the financial loss. They spoke for a little while longer before breaking apart, Lucy walking towards her team, Laxus looking around before spotting where Freed had decided to stay.

He took the stairs to the second floor two by two, grinning at Freed widely when he was face to face with him. He wasn't drunk – Freed had seen Laxus drunk before many times – but he was in high spirits. It was nice to see.

"Hey," Laxus greeted. "You still sticking up here, huh?"

"Best place to be," Freed shrugged, leaning on the banister when Laxus was beside him. "You can see everyone stumbling and falling, and there's no chance of one of them vomiting on you."

"You really know how to party, huh?" Laxus teased, and Freed chuckled.

For a moment, they watched over the guild. Their arms lightly grazed one another, and Freed found himself smiling a little. These moments hadn't happened before. Laxus hadn't ever allowed himself to slow down, to enjoy himself. Ever since Laxus had come back, he'd been more… contemplative. He allowed himself moments of calm and time to think, and Freed enjoyed sharing those times with him. Over the last year, he'd spent many hours in silent company with Laxus by his side, and those moments had become very dear to Freed.

"Was talking to Mira," Laxus spoke up again. "Said you made a promise to her, that you'd tell me something before the year ended."

"Did she?" Freed mumbled slightly. He would be having words with the interfering woman.

"She did," Laxus agreed, looking towards Freed with a soft expression. Freed kept his gaze on the guildhall below. "But, between the two of us, I don't think you should."

Freed froze. "You don't."

"Nah, I don't," Laxus agreed. "Because everything you wanna say to me I already know. Have for a while, but I've been too shit scared to deal with it. Not anymore, though."

"Is that so?" Freed asked, not conveying tone. Where was Laxus going with this?

"Yeah. Pushing away my feelings nearly fucking killed me, and it ain't gonna happen again. And the thing is, everything you were gonna say to me, I know I wanna say to you. But I don't think I've gotten to that point yet, so instead I'm gonna ask something of ya."

"Ask what of me?"

"I'm gonna ask you make a promise to me," Laxus stated. "I'm gonna ask that you promise that," he looked to the countdown clock above the door, "in forty nine seconds, you kiss me. I'm gonna ask that you promise to go to dinner with me tomorrow night as my date. I'm gonna ask you promise me you'll let me show you how much I fucking care about you, and how much I know I'm gonna love you the second I can," His voice wavered slightly. "Because I really-"

Freed cut him off, leaning up and cupping Laxus' cheek with his right hand. He leant forward, pressed their lips together and kissed Laxus for the very first time. Bells rang and fireworks exploded around them, but neither man cared. Freed melted into the kiss, and Laxus wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer.

"I promise," Freed whispered, before starting another incredible, explosive kiss.

[barbasbodaciousbeard]

Bring your Daughter to Court Day and Dad Friends

Summary: Rafael tries to multitask, miscommunicating the date he direly needs a sitter to Lucia, which means Catalina has to accompany him to court last minute. He manages to maintain his serious demeanor as well as he can, rewarding the well behaved little one with ice cream and a trip to the park. Suddenly, Rafael realizes he doesn’t have dad friends, and the opportunity arises to gain one. 

Pairings: Rafael Barba x OC

First Part - Second Part -Third Part - Fourth Part - Fifth Part - Sixth Part

A/N: This installation also partially based off of @teamsladsandgents​ ask a couple weeks ago that Down A Sitter was based on.

How had his mother forgotten she was supposed to babysit? Apparently, it was because Rafael Barba sent March 18 instead of 8, probably while he was making Catalina’s lunch and thinking that was the time for an email. Now, his mother was in Florida with Enrique, and he was without a sitter because Rebecca, Al, and Rodney were on the trip together. He could probably take her to Olivia’s, have Lucy watch her, but there wasn’t time to do that and make it to the courthouse. Lucia lived too far away. That left him with one option, and it was one he wasn’t sure he liked.

It was another defense case, a pillar of the community who killed his daughter’s abuser. It was all heat of the moment; the bastard had shown up on his step looking for Brendon’s daughter, the one he’d raped and left nearly dead. The other women? The ones he hadn’t dated? They hadn’t been lucky enough for the nearly. In minutes, he’d shot him, calling the police on himself. Olivia had convinced him to take it. And now it looked like he’d have company.

“Mija, how good can you be if papi brings you to work?” Her eyes lit up as she looked up at him.

“I can be so good, papi! I’ll help.”

“I’d just need you to be very, very quiet. That’ll be the best.”

“But I want to help.”

“You have to protect papi’s briefcase,” he fibbed, thankful selective defense work meant he just needed the file within it.

“I can,” she nodded seriously. He fastened her into her car seat, kissing her forehead and getting to the courthouse. He was grateful he could transition the necessities to a less full suitcase, leaving behind spare pens and pads of paper and only taking the file, a couple of pens, snacks, a bottle, the ipad, and her coloring book and box of crayons. Consolidating made him feel less messy. Most people at the courthouse didn’t know the dad side of him, and even as he relaxed, he hadn’t quite shaken the reputation he earned as a prosecutor. Now, he was clad in one of his dark three piece suits with a bright tie and suspenders, just like everyone was used to, the same briefcase in his hand. What they weren’t used to was the little girl with his eyes settled on his hip, clad in bright pink leggings and a white sweater with her arms wrapped tight around her father’s shoulders.

“Can I help you with something?” he asked, brow raised as he shifted Catalina to walk through the metal detector. Her blanket was clutched in her hand from the car still, and she held it from the floor, carefully walking through.

“Cute kid,” the guard asked. This was one who’d been here forever, and he seemed surprised. 

“Thank you.” He picked Catalina up again, briefcase by his side. He’d developed more muscle definition in his arms than he’d ever had since Rebecca went back to work. Catalina refused to walk, and he enjoyed fatherhood too much to make her. 

“If you’re good until we leave, we’ll get the biggest sundae you’ve ever had, mija,” he reminded her during an empty stretch of hallway. Catalina nodded seriously up at him, and he smiled more fondly than he intended, nodding to his client. He’d sent a text of warning, but the older man just gave him a grin.

“Taylor was a daddy’s girl too. Thank you, Mr. Barba. I know you could have tried to continue this.”

“I don’t want to draw this out for you anymore, I assure you. If it means unorthodox company, so be it. We may be waiting for a while.” 

He settled the coloring book on his briefcase, and Catalina sat on the bench beside it, using it like a makeshift desk. He entrusted Brandon to watch her while he stepped to the clerk.

“How long is the wait running for The People vs Aerie?” he asked, and he remembered why he didn’t like this one.

“Who’s the cutie?” she asked, popping her gum as she slowly looked at the docket.

“I asked a question,” he said impatiently. He didn’t want this day to be about his child. He wasn’t even sure he liked sharing her with work. The divide, save the friendships he’d made, was too deep. Fin, Amanda, Liv, and Carisi were one thing. Everyone else? He was fine without them. 

“Geeze, I’m just wondering if she’s your niece or somethin’. It’s hot seeing a man with a kid.”

“She’s my daughter. Her mother is out of town and there was miscommunication with the sitter.”

“I didn’t know you were married, counsellor.”

“Please just give me an estimate.”

“Couple hours. I’ll bump you as far up as I can.”

“Thank you.”

He turned to see Catalina chatting happily to Brandon, and he thought it might be a blessing she was here. Brandon hadn’t been handling things well. Sure, he was handling things better than Rafael had; he let his wife and daughter be there for him. But he was also treating himself as less worthy now, grappling with the reality that he’d ended a life even if he didn’t regret doing it. He’d confided in Rafael as they prepped that he worried he was never going to be good again. That’s when Rafael did something that confirmed the change in him: he was vulnerable with him. They talked about something not many people had in common. Ending a life changes you, and though they did it for different reasons, both felt they’d done what they needed. 

“She’s smart as hell,” Brandon chuckled, watching Catalina color. “And looks exactly like you.”

“I’m very fortunate. Her, not so much,” he joked, hand resting on her back as he sat back down so she was between the pair of them. 

“Cute co-counsel,” Carisi said, stopping by. 

“Mr. Sonny!” Catalina grinned, and Rafael almost grinned. Carisi, while Rafael would always give him hell, attended their church, was overall a good guy and attorney, and had become one of Catalina’s chosen few during playdates with Jessie and Billie Rollins. He’d even been babysitter one Saturday night to give Rebecca and Rafael a night off, so he was developing soft spot for the young ADA. 

“Cat!” he grinned, leaning down and hugging her. Catalina didn’t let go, and Sonny put his briefcase down to hold her for a minute. “What are you doing here?”

“Protecting papi’s briefcase!” Catalina spoke well for her age, but he was going to miss the staccato of her toddler chatter. Carisi and the abuelitas and the squad could all understand her easily. They all had enough experience with kids. There had always been a delay between her words and his replies at first. Words would break up or run together, and he’d have to process things. Now it didn’t matter how she strung the noises together; he got it as easily as Rebecca.

“Wow, big responsibilities, kiddo. I gotta go to court. I’ll see you soon, okay?” he grinned, ruffling Catalina’s hair before she climbed back to the bench and leaned against Rafael. He was proud that his daughter hurried to his side when she wanted protection from the strange place and people around them. It made him feel like he was doing something right. The clerk, as annoying as she was, did get them moved up, and Rafael carried Catalina in, setting her on the bench directly behind his seat. After a few moments, she got nervous, standing and leaning against the bannister as everyone got settled. Rafael quietly urged her to sit as everyone settled in, looking over the file before him. She didn’t, looking around at the busy courtroom, and he set his mouth in a line, picking her up and fighting the urge to smile as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head came to rest on his shoulder.

“Do you need a continuance, Mr. Barba?” the judge asked. He’d been in front of this judge before. Last time, it was as a prosecutor in the Martha Hobbs case. He supposed that was why there was a tone of amusement in his voice. There goes whatever reputation he had left, but it didn’t bother him like he expected. 

“Not at all,” he said breezily. Suddenly, he realized he’d perfected that parental stance. The one where fingers laced around the toddler on his hip, but he could still take back a hand to turn pages and write notes. He’d always thought it was some kind of magic when Liv did it with Noah. “Shall we move ahead with Mr. Aerie’s arraignment?”

“Of course. Nothing unusual here.” Rafael fought the urge to roll his eyes, cutting his eyes to the ADA for this case covering a laugh. He was just glad it wasn’t Carisi this time.

“He’s weird,” Catalina whispered, well aware of how to keep her voice quiet enough only her father could hear her. He squeezed her gently, the corner of his mouth tugging up. Soon enough, Brandon was being escorted to pay bail, and Catalina had commented on the whole affair. She’d done much better than he’d expected, so he knew he’d be taking her for ice cream. His biggest worry had been the courtroom with it’s crowded benches, but she’d settled in just fine on his hip. 

It was still strange to him the way he could be a source of comfort for her, and he felt the weight of responsibility in the best way. She trusted him implicitly, looked for him when she needed comfort. Sure, she’d leave his side for a friend, but she’d always want to come back and climb onto his lap. It struck him again how unimaginable his father’s behavior was. In fact, he’d thought about it a lot as he took care of Catalina, especially the past few days with Rebecca gone. His first instinct with her was never anger. Occasional frustration with a tantrum, but she was learning to understand the world and needed him to make some part of it safe and consistent, not scary and volatile.

“Bye Mr. Aerie,” she said softly as they parted ways, Brandon’s wife ecstatic to get him home. Taylor was still in the hospital, and they’d be spending the night by her side. This case made him wish he could keep Catalina with him forever, safe from the kind of people he’d seen in his tenure at SVU. She wrapped around his knees on the steps of the courthouse as he answered questions. Media moved on, and they didn’t want to examine him anymore. They just wanted the statement and to follow Brandon into the waiting car. He would’ve held his daughter close, but he didn’t want her face plastered on the news. Rafael didn’t leave the Aeries until the SUV’s door closed, Catalina’s hand held in his. Once they were gone, he scooped her up and started towards the ice cream parlor he knew was only a couple of blocks away.

“You were very good today, mija,” he smiled gently, kissing the top of her head. “I think we ought to go for a walk and get you some ice cream.”

“Really?” she asked, and her smile was wide enough he could not say no if he wanted.

“Really,” he nodded, laughing as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Gracias, papi!”

A long time ago, he would have tried to maintain the composure and seriousness from inside the courthouse until he was far from where anyone could see him this relaxed. Now he was adjusting his briefcase, as his daughter told him all about what she wanted on her ice cream. She wouldn’t take a nap that afternoon after the amount of sugar he was about to give her, but he had a feeling the grin he’d get, her face covered in melted chocolate and ice cream, would be worth it.

“Ms. Olivia!” Catalina’s voice made him follow her gaze, seeing Liv making her way to the courthouse. 

“So that’s how you got Brandon moved up the docket.”

“I added a one to the date when I texted mami to babysit while Becs is gone,” he said, mouth set in a line again. He didn’t like the fact this story was both unavoidable and going to be told forever.

“So Cat got to come to court?”

“Al and Rodney are with Becs. Mami is in Florida.”

“I was so good,” Catalina said proudly. “And Mr. Brandon got bailed.”

“Recognizance didn’t work?” she asked.

“He has the means to flee. But the bail is minimal. We’re going to get ice cream.”

“Because I was so good,” Catalina added, face serious as she nodded.

“You were, mija. Say bye to Oliva.” 

Soon, they were sitting at a table in the ice cream shop, and there was far more ice cream in front of Catalina than Rebecca would ever approve of. He’d originally said one scoop, any toppings, but then she asked with wide eyes if she could get three flavors. Normally, he’d try to say no, but not today. She’d been good at the courthouse, plus he was the one she inherited her sweet tooth from. They’d gotten four scoops and every topping she wanted with an agreement she’d share with papi. He’d almost teared up when she said I always share with papi. Almost. But now he was taking a picture of them together, trying to decide how much he hated that he took selfies now. But, he only took selfies like this, of him sitting in a low booth with Catalina beside him and the massive sundae between them. Surely, that didn’t count? He sent it to Rebecca anyway.

Guess who was an angel in court. We miss you, mami.

Certainly not the hot one. Proud of her. I miss you both terribly.

What time do you get home tonight?

Eleven. The boys are dropping me off. And I’m guessing that sugar means you’ll both be up.

I’ll be up either way. Te amo, hermosa. I hope the trip has been good to you.

I love you, handsome. It has been, but I miss my family.

“Should we video call mami when we get home?” he asked when sticky hands had been cleaned as they walked back to the car. He saw familiar faces passing them by, giving nods as they approached the courthouse they’d parked near. 

“Yeah!” she nodded eagerly, and Rafael could see the energy hitting her. 

“Or maybe we call her from the park? Then you can play! Run around and swing and slide.” He was humming each activity, pressing kisses to the top of her head. He hadn’t taken her to Central Park yet, and he’d been to the Billy Johnson Playground on the east side with Olivia and Noah when she’d needed a friend. It looked like an old part of the nature around it, making him think of the stories Catalina was so fond of. She liked gnomes and cottages in the woods lately, and the little park fit right in. Plus, the focus was more on what she could run on and climb, but still with the swing he could push her on when she got tired. When she did get tired, he could rest with her at the little gazebo and feel secluded and out of the city.

Maybe they needed a vacation.

“Yes!” she giggled, hugging his neck. He smiled, stopping at the car to order an Uber. To and from court was all the driving he intended to do. He traded his briefcase for the diaper bag, leaving his vest and blazer now that the day had warmed up and tucked one of the blankets Rebecca insisted was in case of emergency in the diaper bag. 

“We’re going to a really special park.”

“Why’s it special?”

“You know the pretty one the zoo is at?”

“Yeah?”

“Papi knows a cool playground there. It looks like gnomes live there.”

“That is cool,” she said, her excitement apparent. He loaded them into the car, ever grateful to not have to drive, and tipped generously when the driver was kind enough to drop them off away from the zoo. As soon as they were in the park, Catalina wanted down, her hand in his as they walked along the path.  When they got to the little gazebo, he stopped, and Catalina looked up at him quizzically.

“Want to call mami from here?” She lit up, pulling herself to stand on the bench he sat on. Rebecca was packing up, he knew, so he wasn’t surprised when she answered quickly, blowing her hair from her face. When she fully registered it was them, she grinned. 

“Mama!” 

“Catalina!”

“Becs!”

“Raf!”

Rebecca was relieved to see the day really must be going well. Catalina was giddy, blue from what Rebecca guessed was cotton candy ice cream staining the cuff of her sweater as she pushed her hair back. Rafael was smiling, the one that showed his teeth and crinkled his eyes. They still hadn’t been home, but the image of Rafael in the dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his tie and suspenders featuring the same shade of pink as their daughters pants was perfection. She wasn’t sure he realized how often he did it, but she didn’t want him to stop matching their daughter so she’d never tell. 

“You guys seem like you’re having fun! Maybe it’s good papi can’t type.” This time Rafael laughed because he was kind of thankful for his snafu. This weekend was only his third or fourth time out and about with Catalina for more than a trip to the park or run to the grocery store. This weekend, they’d gone to a museum and church on their own, and now they were having another daddy daughter day. He liked it. 

“Papi and I had...lunch....that wasn’t ice cream. And now we’re at a special playground!”

“The Billy Johnson Playground at Central Park. I’ll take pictures for you, mami.”

“You two will have fun. You’ll have to show it to me one day.”

“Secret park!” Catalina said seriously and his smile grew broader, arm around her middle. 

“Maybe we can show mami this part before?”

“Deal.” They said their goodbyes soon enough, Rebecca heading to the airport. He watched as Catalina walked just a couple of steps ahead, looking back over her shoulder to be sure he was there. Her eyes lit up when she saw the park, and Rafael was glad to see there were other kids her age there. They hadn’t quite found her a group of friends her own age; Fin’s grandson, Jaden, was one of only a couple, and Rafael didn’t know the other two well. He stayed close to her as she hurried to the climbing set, taking pictures and sending them on to Rebecca. Mostly, moms and nannies were there, and he felt slightly out of place. When he was in groups of parents, he always found himself wondering who knew. Shifting awkwardly, he nodded towards them and went back to watching his daughter with a fond smile.

She’d found two sisters, one her age and one who looked to be about five. The older girl was helping the younger two navigate the playset, leading them to slides and climbing nets easily. Each time Catalina looked unsteady on her feet, which was often given her age, he wanted to scoop her up, but apparently it was important to let her take a tumble or two. Rafael didn’t like that idea or the fact that they had to keep bandages in the diaper bag. Luckily, the time she did fall, landing on her rear with her legs out, the older of her new friends laughed and helped her up. 

“I’m guessing white sweater is yours?” a man asked, and he chuckled. 

“Yeah.”

“Her new friends are mine. Flower pants and leopard dress.”

“They made friends fast.”

“Is she into princesses and fairy tales?”

“Yeah. Especially gnomes right now?”

“Sarah is my eldest. She’s obsessed with Fairies.”

“Makes sense. Catalina like fairies too.”

“She and Megan look the same age?”

“Two and a half?”

“Right on,” he chuckled. “I’m Hank.”

“Rafael. I think we’re the only dads here today.”

“Yeah. It’s normally just me during the day when we’re here. I’m a writer, so I can stay home while my wife’s at work. You’re all dressed up though. I’m guessing this isn’t your normal day?”

“I’m an attorney, but I work from home.”

“How does that work?” 

“I work with the Innocence Project. Meetings with defendants are Mondays. I can do the paperwork and brief writing from home. Then court when needed. I take defense work on occasion, like today. Sitter fell through so Cat had to come. My girlfriend is a teacher, and she snuck off with her friends for a long weekend.”

“My wife’s a school librarian. We picked those educators, huh?”

“Apparently.” It felt so normal to be talking to him, and Rafael thought to himself maybe he could have a dad friend now. His friends from Harvard and the DA’s office and SVU had kids, but they’d always have been work colleagues first. There was no erasing what they’d seen together, the tension over cases, the Householder case. Hank seemed nice enough, and they had similar lives. At least they could team up on park trips since it turned out their usual stomping grounds overlapped. 

God, Hank looked like a writer though. He had on a thick flannel over a t-shirt, and tattoos peaked out of the rolled up sleeves. Slim fit jeans and black sneakers, the cool kind not the functional kind, just rounded it out. He was tall and lanky and younger than him, and Rafael suddenly felt he could be Catalina, Megan and Sarah’s grandfather. Hell, he technically could. Still, he was new to this, and he supposed most men in their fifties weren’t settling down with a partner for the first time and raising their first child. Besides, Hank was probably still a little older than Rebecca.

“Megan scraped her knee,” Sarah said, running over to the two men, followed by Catalina holding the hand of teary Megan. 

“Shit-”

“Dad, that’s a bad word.”

“Shoot,” Hank corrected. “I forgot the bag.”

“I’ve got bandages. Princess ones,” Rafael said, digging the box from the diaper bag. “There’s neosporin in there too.”

“Thanks.” 

Catalina climbed on Rafael’s lap, and he could tell by how she laid back against him that he had succeeded; she was tired out. Rafael didn’t want to go yet, able to hear Hank saying they’d head home once Megan was patched up. Was making friends as an adult always so much like asking for a girl’s number was when he was younger? He hadn’t been a dad for long, only a few months. Maybe having someone other than Rebecca he could call during tantrums and long days would be good?

“Hey, before everyone heads out, maybe we can all meet at the park again sometime? The girls seemed to really get along.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Hank said, digging out his phone and handing it to Rafael. “Put your number in. I haven’t made many dad friends who aren’t also writers or don’t have traditional office jobs. We’re both basically house husbands.”

“Yeah. And it’s hard.”

“Easier than it was two years ago though, right? Five’s even easier.”

“I actually only found out I was a dad in December. It’s a long story. But it’s easier now than in January.”

“We’ll delve into that at the park later this week?”

“Perfect. Do you take insurance?”

“As long as you’ve hit your deductible. Send me the pictures of the girls, okay?”

“Will do,” he nodded as they walked towards the sidewalk. He’d ordered an Uber to take he and Catalina back to his car. Soon enough, he was cooking her dinner, watching her dance around the kitchen to the soft jazz he was playing, and Rafael was grateful for the break from Disney. Not having Rebecca’s return each evening made him appreciate even more how much she’d had to do to keep their daughter happy and healthy and safe for the last two years. He needed the time he’d had to heal, but he often wished he could go back and be here to help sooner. It was his own fault. Instead of pressing the guilt down like he used to, he let himself acknowledge it, tucking it to the side instead as he settled a bowl of macaroni in front of Catalina. Once she was tucked in, he put his feet on the coffee table, working on his laptop and only pausing to send Hank the pictures he’d snapped of the girls playing. He heard Rebecca at the door at eleven, just like she’d estimated, and he hurried to meet her. 

“Heya, handsome,” she grinned, and Rafael could feel the stupid grin split his face.

“Welcome home, hermosa,” he beamed, pulling her in and kissing her deeply. 

“Missed me?” she teased as she smoothed his hair.

“Terribly,” he nodded. “I’ve been spoiled to see you every day.”

“It seems like you and Cat had a good time though?”

“Yeah. We went to the Children’s Museum Saturday. Then Sunday was mass and lazy movies. Today was hectic, but good.”

“Yeah? You two seemed happy at the park. And ice cream for lunch.”

“We had a lot of fun at the park. She made friends with two girls, Sarah and Megan. They have a playdate Thursday.”

“Oh yeah?” she chuckled. “You finally click with the playground moms?”

“Hank. He’s a writer, and his wife is a school librarian. His girls are two and five. He’s home with them most of the time.” Rebecca couldn’t help but grin at how he tried to pretend it was just convenient. 

“That’s cool. I bet it could be nice talking to non-police or court affiliated people, hm? Maybe you two could grab a beer sometime.”

“We’ll see. He’s surprisingly nice to talk to. Sarah and Megan have the same tantrums.”

[bansheeoftheforest]

Syndicate + gang leader au where Henry kills his brothers

Jacob x Henry because it’s healthier than Lanyon x Henry

-🦎

OK THIS ONE IM ACTUALLY GOING TO TRY TO STAY ON TOPIC TO AND JUST RAMBLE IDEAS AND HCS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE A GODDAMN MASTER LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE AU JFC HOW DOES THAT KEEP HAPPENING SDJFHSJDF

Anyways <3

Gang leader / Syndicate crossover au:

Henry is the youngest of the three brothers, Raphael and Kent are nonidentical twins. Henry is two years younger than them and has always been the baby of the group. Raphael and Kent have always been protective of him and also love to mess with him.

Their parents were abusive, Raphael and Kent decided to take the opportunity to leave Glasgow the first moment they got and they took Henry with them. They moved to London and one of their uncles-- who owned and inherited quite a successful shipping company by the London docks-- gave Kent and Raphael jobs as Henry went to university. The uncle died before Henry graduated, and left the business to Raphael and Kent.

Henry did not talk a lot to his brothers while in University. He tried to reach out to them but suddenly Raphael and Kent were "incredibly busy", Henry assumed they were busy trying to keep the family business going well.

He went to visit them on their dock after he graduated and got his doctorate. He had learned a lot about the London "culture" and gangs from Robert (and Rachel) telling him everything there is about the London underground and the aristocracy. Much to his horror, he arrived at the docks to find his brothers dressed as Templars.

Henry was quickly forced into the Templar order against his will. His brothers gaslight and manipulated him into joining, other members threatened to hurt him or his friends if he didn't join, and it ended up being Henry's biggest regret.

Henry spent about 13 years in the Templar order working in secret for it. He was allowed to do as he pleased as long as he made poisons for them. In the meantime, Henry tried to make up for the guilt he had from the suffering he had caused by helping people on the street. Hungry, dirty, sick people who quickly becoming loyal to the doctor who always feeds them and gives them what they need to survive.

In this part of the au, Henry more directly creates the gang. He realizes that these people are willing to fight for him and they have placed him on a pedestal. He can't get himself down from it so he takes advantage of it. He makes sure that the Society is under constant protection and that the gang brings in money that can be spent on taking care of the members and keep the Society afloat. No Lodger cares enough for the finances to notice the sudden influx of money, and Henry merely tells Rachel and Robert that it’s “sponsors”.

It was only when the Frye Twins entered and began to liberate London that he decided that it was the perfect time to finally break free from the Templar order. He had long since lost any love he still had for his brothers and he would do anything to be free again. He ended up cornering and murdering his brothers in cold blood while his gang distracted the Blighters, and he blamed the murders on the Frye Twins afterwards, the very same Frye Twins that quickly would... Well... Realize that they did not kill these Templars and instead try to track down the murderer that blamed it on them.

In the end, they find their way to Dr. Henry Jekyll's office. Henry had done a good job and working behind the scenes and no one had really suspected him of working for the Templars, so the twins-- while hearing from Greenie that it was rumored that the Jekyll Brothers and Dr. Henry Jekyll were related-- did not know that Henry himself used to be a Templar.

Henry, however, assumed they had broken into his office to kill him. He had already resigned himself to his own death, he was not going to fight it. He had burnt every photograph and document he had that connected him to his brothers and he had merely been waiting for the twins to come and kill him. He was, honest to god, quite disappointed when the Twins seemed confused and instead asked him if he knew anything about the murder of the Jekyll brothers.

"...The murder of my brothers, the Templars? The murder committed by someone close and well trusted by them, the murder that went undetected, and that was later blamed on you? The murder that had slank past the eyes of public after a convenient gang fight right that moment?"

It does not take long for the twins to realize what he is hinting to. His voice his bitter and his body language is cold, yet it doesn't sound like he regrets it.

ahaha anyways i ended up accidentally just retelling the entire thing well time for some actual hcs about this au branch.

Henry gets extreme paranoia after having murdered his brothers. He swears he can still see their faces of terror or hear their screams of pain and agony when he closes his eyes and try to go to sleep. He constantly feels followed by them, but he is too used with Hyde, so he doesn't pay attention to "them". When he doesn’t sleep, they silently follow him with whatever other hallucinations he have at the moment, like Moreau.

He wanted to be the one to murder his brothers himself, he didn't find it dignified to have someone else do the murdering for him. He generally does not want his gang to murder people, only hurt those of necessity, and he still wanted to give his brothers the dignity of not having to be killed by a random gang member.

Something in him kinda... Died that day. His friends, the Lodgers, and his very on gang could all notice how Henry seemed... Colder, more tired, constantly exhausted. He refused to tell anyone why, though, and he still did everything he needed to do so no one could force an explanation out of him. It was not until the newspapers reported on the murder that people realized that he was acting weirdly because his brothers had been murdered. Henry debated snapping his own neck once the Lodgers began to flock to him with words of sympathy, unaware that he was the murderer.

He is extremely benevolent to his gang, something many feared he wouldn’t be at first. He has always been a kind person and that’s why people began to flock to him as it was, but some feared that he would... Ah, turn crueler after a while like most gang leaders. That never happened, though. He saw each and every one of his gang members as his family, and took care of them as such.

He and his gang began teaming up with Lucy many years before either met the twins. It was always fun when Rachel tried to introduce the two of them without telling Henry that Lucy is... Well, Queen Lucy, and it was always fun to act as if they had never met before and as if Henry hadn’t just been invited to dinner the night before. Henry is really good friends with Patrin and Elise.

Henry’s gang wear blue. The Blighters wear red and before the twins and the Rook started, Henry didn’t want his own gang associated or reminding him of Hyde. Blue it was, and it easily made his gang slip into crowds and disguise themselves to be the Scotland Yard.

Neither Brokenshire nor Abberline knew about Henry’s gang until Abberline started working with the twins and until after Henry was “recruited” by them. Depending on if Henry murdered his brothers before or after he joined the twins, Abberline and Brokenshire helped him cover up the murder. 

Ahaha wow Uhm. I keep forgetting how I format and classify these as rambles but anyways time for some Jekyll x Jacob <3 This is just going to be in general btw so <3<3

Henry was incredibly endeared by Jacob from the moment he heard about him. Something about a tall, strong ruffian bringing justice to the streets of London (and fighting Templars) was just incredibly... Ah, attractive in Henry’s eyes. He actually allowed himself to feel that because hell, he works for the Templars and Jacob is supposed to be the enemy, Henry hates the Templars, why not be incredibly gay for the assassin?

Jacob shamelessly flirted with Henry from the first moment the met. Breaking into his office to figure out who murdered his brothers and Jacob could certainly not read the room. Henry was far too gone that he merely huffed and flirted back... Well, until they came to the topic at hand. Even in other branches were Henry was recruited by them to make poisons, or where they met in a gang fight, and Jacob still shamelessly flirts with Henry.

Jacob tries so hard to be romantic. Henry is incredibly amused by it. He will be working in his office late at night and Jacob will pop by his open window to demand attention. He will come back to his office after having ran son errands and there will be bouquets of fresh lavenders, lilacs, and tulips. Jacob will constantly “force” him (or, well, bribe him to leave his work) to go on dates with him, dates that consists of wandering the rooftops of London and watch the stars at night or have a nice dinner together. He loves to spoil Henry rotten <3

Jacob loves cuddles. Henry was not very physically affectionate at first. He was afraid that Jacob would end up doing the same thing Robert did to him and while he couldn’t keep away from him, Jacob made sure to take it slow for him. Their favorite pastime is to cuddle on one of the couches in the train after exhausting missions, and Henry finds that he can’t keep away from Jacob’s touch for too long.

Rachel and Robert began to introduce Henry into the more... Ah, illegal luxuries of the London life. They take him to a fight club and are highly confused when Henry suddenly gets incredibly excited as he watches his boyfriend kick the shit out of people. He completely abandons them and practically fall into Jacob’s (sweaty and slightly bloody) arms the moment the fighting is done. Both he and Hyde love to check out Jacob fighting in fight clubs.

(Jacob post-fight is probably the hottest sight Henry has ever seen and Jacob knows that fully well. Jacob often uses the money he wins from the fights buying gifts for his lil boyfriend <3). 

Another ideal date in the eyes of Jacob is highjacking Henry’s carriage and abducting him. It’s all fun and games until he accidentally does that when Jasper, Rachel, or Robert are in the carriage too. That was not fun for Henry to explain.

After Jacob and Evie have liberated all child factories, Henry makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to adopt Clara (the child who wanted the twins to free the children in the factories). Clara ends up getting raised by two very protective and very lovely-dovely dads. She spends most of her time in the Society (while still helping the kids on the street) but Jacob visits her and Henry a lot.

Look I just want Henry and Jacob to raise a kid that won’t come back and try to murder them later on ok.

Anyways on to some other hcs. Jacob loves to make sexual jokes to Henry. Henry either acts dumb and as if he doesn’t understand them, or he will shot them right back until Jacob is the one blushing (or highly embarrassed).

Jacob loves to break into the Society and follow Henry around but make sure he doesn’t see him. He will be parkour over the ceiling beams and all the Lodgers will notice and get extremely paranoid, trying to get Henry to notice it too because clearly something is up, Henry will completely ignore him most of the time.

Jacob rarely sleeps because his work as an assassin rarely allows him to, but once he and Henry starts dating he always makes sure to visit Henry during the night (or have Henry come to the train) so that they can cuddle and sleep together, knowing Henry won’t sleep by himself.

Henry is always the tiny spoon. Always. Jacob loves to hold him. Henry is always cold and Jacob is always warm so for Henry it’s like being wrapped in a blanket and for Jacob it’s like having an ice cube chilling down his overheated body.

Henry gets overwhelmed quite easily, both in general and with their actual relationship. As dramatic and clingy Jacob can be at times, he always gives Henry the space he needs and especially in the beginning, when everything was so new and Henry had to take his time to process everything. Jacob is always patient with him.

Henry likes to create stuff for Jacob. It can be everything from new poisons to new gadgets, to something as simple as a painting or a hand-made sweater he did himself. When the gifts became more... Simple, so to speak, he worried that Jacob wouldn’t like them, but Jacob absolutely loves and treasures anything Henry does for him, although he routinely gives the sweaters and clothing back so Henry can wear them, and so Jacob can get them back and it smells like his boyfriend <3

(Evie always finds Jacob cuddled up with the sweater in the mornings when they can’t be together. She thinks that it’s stupidly adorable).

Jacob stays in London after Evie and Green get married and move to India. He would originally have thought of leaving London to return to the Assassin Order in Crawley, but ultimately decided to stay with his lover in London. After the end events of TGS, the two of them buy a horse ranch out in the countryside where they retire. Jacob occasionally returns to London as the leader of the Rooks, and soon they begin on working to expand the gang to other cities. Henry doesn’t normally return to London, but always eagerly awaits his husbands return. By the time they have retired and moved, Clara goes to University in London, but she always makes sure to visit her dads inbetween her semesters.

They get to die a peaceful death after having lived a long and fulfilling life. Henry died first, his body having gotten weaker after many years of HJ7, and Jacob died only a few days afterward. Clara made sure they got buried in the same grave, and their little farmhouse and their belongings (and their story) has been passed down from generations ever since. 

Lydia, Jacob’s canonical granddaughter that lives through ww1, is instead Greenie’s and Evie’s grandchild for this au/ship.

[utterlyinevitable]

Rafael x MC During the Time Jump

Here’s the last installment to that Time Jump HC request I received a few weeks ago. You can find Ethan x MC here. and Bryce x MC here. 

After the gala, they didn’t see much of each other outside of the hospital. Since MC was busy with the expanded clinic and Raf was fully focused on his recovery. 

They’d meet up briefly to catch up on her forced time off, and vovo was always happy to have her over. Though she respected Raf’s grandparents too much to sleep over. There are somethings you don’t want your partners family explicitly knowing. 

For Thanksgiving, he joined her friends at their apartment the weekend before the holiday to celebrate. As it was the only time off they all had together.

Vovo dropped him off with a pack of many, many desserts that certainly rivaled Sienna’s.

Everyone started talking about next steps once the hospital closed down and Raf stayed pretty quiet. He was supportive of his friends, and just a tad worried because MC and he never talked about what it all means. What they mean to one another. He’s still trying to figure out what having his life spared actually means, and he’s pretty sure MC is avoiding the same.

Christmas came with its own kind of miracle.

Rafael was not fully recovered, but in the clear to resume daily life. That’s when he started to really consider next steps. He wanted a big new adventure, and what says adventure like living on your own?

The studio wasn’t much but it was in a wonderful new neighborhood.

He took MC to see the area one evening and she gave her stamp of approval along with a celebratory gelato and a kiss.

New Years, he moved into his new apartment. The whole group came out to help in shifts, making an assembly line with moving the boxes so he didn’t have to do the walk up too many times.

That evening after she helped him unpack the necessities, MC hung around awkwardly. She was torn with wanting to spend time with him, and wanting to give him time to adjust. 

His hunched body on the sofa made the decision for her. She led him across the room to the bed, pulled back the covers and tucked his exhausted form in. She left with a kiss to his lips and a promise to explore with him next time she’s off. 

Raf sleepily smiled and let her go.  

Things were going rather well when Valentine’s Day. Rafael was settled in nicely to his apartment and has been volunteering as his new local community center. The pair have been busier than ever, yet neither regret it. 

He picked her up at her place after his temping shift - he’s been working desk duty as an admin for the fire department whilst he’s in between things. He walked in to all his friends sitting around their kitchen table, computers out and looking forlorn. 

They were working on their applications to new residencies. It was easy to see none of them wanted to leave Edenbrook. 

MC got dressed and the pair went out to the small restaurant Rafael booked for them near his place. 

And... conversation was like pulling teeth. 

But eventually, with an insistent and reassuring look from Raf, MC finally told him what’s been up. 

She’s confused and her roommates had her thinking of things in different ways.

She was staring at her napkin when she said, “I... don’t know what to do.”

“If you could choose, out of all the options, what would it be?”

“It’s not that easy.” 

“So let’s talk it out,” Raf suggested. 

And they did. They followed every train of thought and it helped immensely. 

The decision was bittersweet. 

They agreed that she’ll apply to all of the best residencies, no matter where they are. She has one year left and she owes it to herself not to limit her dreams. Once she passes the boards there will be jobs a plenty - people will be bidding for her (Raf’s comment put a small smile to her lips). And he’ll be here. In Boston. He just signed an 18 month lease and has no plans to go anywhere any time soon. 

They went back to his place and spent the night making up for the lost time to come.  

When Edenbrook’s last day came around, Rafael had some exciting news to share with MC. Nothing was finalized, he was still waiting for his financial aid package to be approved, but he was excited nonetheless. 

After their gathering with the roomies, Raf an MC settled into her room with Netflix and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. And once they were in their comfy clothes and settled in the sheets he said, 

“There’s something I want to share with you.” 

MC’s heart was beating quickly. All the fears that maybe he’s decided that long distance won’t be for him, or if he’s just not in a place to be in a relationship with all these life changes. 

“mm” she hums, biting the inside of her lip. 

Raf turns his body towards her and says, “I’m going back to school.” The light in his eyes has hers widening as well. “I’ve applied to an accelerated PT course.” 

Her mouth hung open. She did not think expect this. 

“It’s not finalized... I just wanted you to know.” 

“Raf, that’s amazing!” she abandoned the ice cream and threw her arms around his neck. 

They spoke about what led him to this decision and he explained that it was the PT he was doing in recovery - it’s become a passion of his to help others like him. 

MC hasn’t seen this drive in him in a long while. 

He started talking about his back up plans if the financial aid doesn’t come through. School is expensive and he wouldn’t be able to do this without help. 

“You’re going to get it. And you’re going to be the best PT Boston has ever seen.” She kissed him and Rafael felt like he really could accomplish anything.

__________________

Perma:

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[rosesvioletshardy]

tummy love - b.h.

i stayed up all night finishing this so i’m not sure if it’s good or not 

also the reason why it took me a while to finish it was because of the pixie trailer and i spent all night thinking about it

masterlist

warnings: a little angst

# of words: 2,157

---

Everyone knew that women always felt uncomfortable with their bodies and never took it on as a men’s issue as well. People have been either losing weight or gaining weight since the start of the year and it’s different for everyone. Ben has always cared for his body and if they asked him to lose weight and have a six pack for film he would do it. Always staying in shape and eating healthy until filming was over. Even after, he would try and stay in shape by going to the gym every other day or so. 

He didn’t have any projects where they required him to be shirtless since bohemian rhapsody with a couple of his outfits he wore as Roger but other than that nothing. Now he was back in his apartment with his girlfriend about to leave for vacation with their friends. He wasn’t sure exactly what they were going to be doing the entire time they were there or what the weather was going to be like so he packed extra just in case. He saw her pack up all her necessities and wondered how he managed to get someone so beautiful that no one else could compare.

“You’re staring again.” she told him not even looking up but still feeling his eyes on her

“Well i can’t help that there is someone so beautiful and gorgeous standing near me.” he told her as he walked over to give her a kiss on her neck

“Stop, if anyone’s gorgeous it’s you.” she said turning around to kiss his lips causing him to turn red after her comment

“What time did they say to be there by?”

“Rami said that he and lucy will come here around noon and we’ll drive to the airport together. We deserve this. We’ve all been working so hard and you finally get to relax after working so hard.”

The next couple of hours were spent finishing packing while they hung around and waiting for the taxi to arrive. Throughout those hours Ben couldn’t help but wonder if she was only with him for his body and money. He knew that it was wrong of him to think that way but sometimes he lets his mind wander as he looked over at her chatting with their two friends. It went on like that for a few more hours until they finally landed at their destination in croatia. The warm weather hit their skin as they landed and met up with Gwilym and Joe seeing that they had been there a day before the rest of them. When they got to the house, they saw how beautiful it was from the outside and how it was even more on the inside. Rami and Lucy went to their room, while Ben and Y/N went to another and began unpacking. Everyone had decided to go to dinner seeing that it was the evening time and they won’t be able to go to the beach until the next day. That’s something they were both worried about. Both Y/N and Ben haven’t been themselves with and liking their bodies recently but they didn’t want to tell each other and ruin the vacation even though they had told each other they would be honest with each other.

The next morning, they had felt so much better and relaxed for a bit since they had got to sleep in for a bit after a night of dinner and some drinking. When they had gone downstairs, they had realized they were the only awake at the moment and decided to make breakfast for everyone before they decided to go to the beach. The beach. That meant it would require the both of them to be in their suits with everyone to sleep. Ben didn’t feel comfortable without his shirt and was the reason why he had been sleeping with one rather than being shirtless like he was before.

“Morning everyone.” he said pouring the coffee as they all came down to the kitchen as Y/N set the last of the food down onto the table 

“This looks so good, you really shouldn’t have.” Lucy said as she sat down

“Seriously. I feel so lucky to be friends with you both. No one could ever compare to what you guys make.” joe said taking a seat and pouring some eggs onto his place

“So what are we doing today, what’s on the agenda?” ben asked 

“Well after breakfast, Y/N and I were thinking about going to go shop around a bit, you guys can come with or hang around, then we all could go to the beach?” lucy asked grabbing some toast

“Yeah, I like that. It sounds like a good plan.” gwilym said as everyone agreed and continued to eat

Lucy and Y/N took in the sun as they walked around the city before walking into another store. It was their fifth store already and the guys were back at the house waiting for them to come back before the sun set. As they bought the last few items, they talked and laughed before entering the house to see the guys all laying around waiting for the girls as they heard their laughter

“Finally you’re here. How was shopping?” Ben asked as they all got up to help them bring in the bags they had

“It was great. I told myself I was going to spend much but I couldn’t help myself. Oh and Ben I got you some stuff as well that I think you’re going to like” Y/N told him excitedly as they went to go drop their stuff off in their room. Ben couldn’t help but smile and worry  at the same time about what she got him because he wasn’t if it were going to fit him or look good on him like everything else he had but he tried to ignore the feeling.

“Really? What’d you get?”

“That’s a surprise for later. Come on, let’s go have a fun day at the beach.” she said kissing on the cheek smiling and taking his hand and pulling him to the others

“Okay are we all ready to go?” rami said clapping his hands together

Everyone nodded and grabbed all the supplies that they had gathered and left the door. They decided to walk to the beach rather than drive because the weather was nice and they wanted to take in everything that they were seeing. Ben’s hand never left hers and she began to notice that his finger was starting to tap against her fist. Y/N immediately knew that something was wrong and looked over to him and gave him a look. He brushed it off and said that he was fine, when she knew he wasn’t and something was bothering him.

It felt like they were having the time of their lives and it was exactly what they needed. After tanning for a bit, Y/N had brushed off any excess said that got stuck to her and went towards the water.

“Babe, you want to come in the water with me?”

“No, I'm fine here, you go ahead. I might join later.” Ben told her while putting his book down to focus his attention on her while he sat under the umbrella. She looked at him for a bit before walking towards him and crouched down and took his hands

“You okay? You’ve been a bit on edge since we’ve came here and for the past couple months as well”

“Yeah i think it’s just that I get to relax for a long time before going back since it’s never happened before.” he told her shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal. Y/N just stared at him for a bit trying to see if he was hiding something but she couldn’t tell exactly what it was

“Okay, I just want you to have some fun. You deserve it. I love you.” she finished while giving him a small peck

“I love you.”

He watched as she walked towards the ocean and took in the way she looked when she walked and started to think about how much he loved her. At first she freaked out about how cold the water was causing him to giggle and shake his head as they looked at each other. She started to talk to Gwilym and began to think about whether she would leave him for Gwilym and saw how they got along. Shaking the thoughts away from his head, he went back to reading his book 

After a while she went back to her spot next to Lucy and sat down to dry off a bit, while Ben, Rami, Joe, and Gwilym tried to play soccer in the sand

“Has Ben seemed a little off to you?” she asked lucy putting her sunglasses on

“A little, like he seems more self aware and a little jumpy. Is something wrong with the two of you?”

“No, but he does seem more a bit secretive and I can tell he’s keeping something from me.” 

“Maybe he’s going to propose?” 

“Maybe” Y/N said looking back at him and seeing him laughing with his friends

Nighttime came around and they all went back to the house and got ready for a night out in the town. They felt a sense of deja vu as they were in the same positions before they went to the beach. As she finished putting on her shoes, she took a deep breath and walked over to ben and stood behind him as he looked at himself in the mirror

“Ben, i want you to be honest with me. You have been secretive for the longest time and I don’t want to sound like a really clingy, jealous, overprotective girlfriend and-” she started by saying before he kissed her 

“Y/N, I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry like you are now, but I’m not hiding anything. It’s just since--for the past few months, I haven’t felt like myself physically and mentally. It felt weird to not be able to go to the gym every week and i’ve felt like I've gained a tummy from the weight gain and because of it you were going to leave me. I mean I saw you talking to Gwil earlier when you were in the ocean and he looked really fit and in shape and I just felt like shit. And you. You look so beautiful naturally and I have to stay in shape just to make sure that I look good enough to get roles. That’s why I stopped sleeping shirtless, why I wouldn’t take my shirt off at the beach and why my clothes have been a little baggier.” he confessed looking at his hands. 

Y/N looked at him in silence before she took his hand and lifted his head so they were looking at each other.

“Listen, i love you ben. I don’t care whether you have a 6 pack or if you have a tummy. It’s completely normal. I don’t like Gwil and I only think of him as a brother. We were actually talking about The Great because I had a few questions that I was a little confused about and I finally got the time to ask him. I love you for you. Yes, you may have a great body, but I fell in love with the person who has it. I love all the little things you do like the way you stand when you’re trying to look for something to wear or the way you can immediately light up a room when you walk into it. If you want, you can start working out again when we get home or you can’t. The bottom line is, I still love you for you, and I just want you to be healthy and full of love. I have no eyes on any other man besides you benjamin jones.” she told him caressing the side of his face

“Now, our friends are waiting for us downstairs. So let’s go get shitfaced and immediately regret the next day.” Y/N finished taking his hand as they both got up and walked out of their bedroom.

“Took you guys long enough, we were about to leave without you.”

“Yeah we were just talking about everything that’s happened and got distracted” ben said as he smiled at his girlfriend. Lucy looked over to her and smiled seeing that they finally got to talk it out.

“Okay if anyone else has anything to say, say it now or forever hold your piece because the night is still young and I have a lot of energy to burn on the dance floor.” Joe said 

“Okay, okay let’s go then” rami said opening the door for them to all pile out

[elisaphoenix13]

Never Too Old (Or Young)

It was a rare morning that Tony got up before Stephen or the girls, so he took the opportunity to get up and go downstairs to make himself a cup of coffee. He may have been awake, but he wasn't quite aware, which was something the coffee would help with. Tony yawns and pours the coffee into a mug when it finishes brewing and he walks over to one of the windows to blearily look out as he drinks his...what did Harley call it? His anti-murder juice.

Each sip he took woke him little by little until he noticed a white smudge on the window in front of him. What the hell? Tony tries to rub it away with his finger, and that's when he realizes that the smudge was on the outside. It looked nothing like bird poop, in fact, it was a solid white. It had a specific curve to it…

The engineer takes a step back when he notices another white smudge out of the corner of his eye, and he sighs heavily when he sees the smudges all over the windows. They were everywhere. It took a couple more thoughtful sips of his morning coffee for things to finally click and Tony realized they were stickers.

"These damn kids," Tony huffs as he walks into the living room.

The likely suspects were Peter and Diana. He considered Harley for a brief moment, but not only would it be hard to place so many stickers on the outside of the tower windows in the Rescue suit...but he was also passed out on the couch. Textbooks were all over the coffee table, the floor, and even a couple were on the teen himself which was a dead giveaway that he had been studying all night. Why he was in the living room instead of up in his room was beyond Tony, but he shrugged it off before carefully taking off the boy's glasses and setting them aside.

Stephen was the one to suspect Harley's far-sightedness a couple of years ago, and the boy had been so relieved that there wasn't something seriously wrong with him. The sorcerer had kept a close eye on Harley after almost a week of complaining of headaches, and the boy would squint while doing homework or reading, pull the book farther away, and even rub his eyes.

Maybe in the hopes of fixing his vision.

So Stephen took him to a specialist since he and Bruce didn't exactly specialize in optometry. The doctor confirmed Stephen's suspicion and they got Harley some prescription glasses which clearly made a difference when he started wearing them. No more furrowing brows, no more headaches, and he got his homework done faster since he wasn't using most of the time to try and see it in the first place.

Tony had a suspicion that William liked them too.

Just as Tony was about to throw a blanket on his oldest son, Levi beat him to it and draped itself across the teen. "Why didn't you do that before?"

"It can only do so much without me." Stephen says as he descends the stairs holding Lucy and with Athena trailing behind him.

"One of our kids decorated the windows." Tony tells him as he puts his coffee down on a book free surface to take their youngest. "And the tree is miraculously still standing."

"That's because Tibbs is in Peter's room. We have a whole day of prying him away from it ahead of us." Stephen rolls his eyes and heads into the kitchen to make himself some tea and a bottle for Lucy.

That was made and handed to Tony before breakfast was started. Thomas and William join a few minutes later and the younger of the twins joins Stephen in the kitchen to help as Thomas retreats into the living room. It turned into a typical morning after that. The rest of the kids woke up, some of the Avengers came up to join the family for breakfast, and sometime in the middle of that chaos, Harley woke up and cleaned up his study mess. Breakfast was eaten and Harley and William made plans to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.

It definitely wasn't a date.

Peter and Cassie had their own plans and Peter was currently showering while his girlfriend went back downstairs and got ready. It was relatively calm then...at least as calm as it could be with as many people as there were. Stephen was reading on the couch with Athena next to him with her head in his lap, and he periodically pet her head as he read. Tony had disappeared down to the lab with Lucy to undoubtedly turn her into a grease monkey, and Valerie was coloring on the floor with Diana. Thomas...was somewhere not dying or getting into trouble so that was enough for them. Harley disappeared as well which was weird since William was still in the living room with the girls.

Stephen nonchalantly turned a page in his book when Peter screeched. The wolf lifted her head at the same time Stephen, Valerie, Diana, and William looked up toward the bedrooms, and Peter soon came out of his room with only a towel around his waist with blue splotches all over his skin.

"HARLEY!" Peter shouts and Stephen sighs.

A prank. Specifically the one where a showerhead was filled with dissolvable dye capsules or Kool-aid powder. Harley was nowhere to be seen and to Stephen's surprise, William burst into hysterical laughter. Peter gave the younger teen a look that was a mix between annoyance, bewilderment, and what looked like glee. Probably because William was actually laughing about something.

"I-I'm sorry!" William sputters through bouts of laughter.

Peter huffs. "Mom, have you seen Harley?"

"Nope." Stephen says as he flips a page in his book and Athena lays her head back down.

Peter looks at William. "Tell your boyfriend it's on!" He disappears back into his room to scrub the blotches off his skin, leaving William to sputter.

Stephen chuckles and returns part of his attention to his book when William ends up blushing bright red.

"You should kiss him." Diana finally says and William's eyes widen.

"Wh-what?!"

"You should kiss Harley. You both like each other." She repeats. "You're worse than Uncle Quill and Uncle Scott."

"He doesn't-"

"He does." Stephen says and turns another page.

"Hey, Will! Come on!" Harley says from the elevator.

William turns a deeper shade of red as he gets up to join Harley, and Stephen hears the older one ask him if he's okay as the elevator doors close. Maybe his and Diana's little confession would be just the push William and Harley needed but then again…

"Boys are stupid."

"Diana." Stephen scolds lightly.

"They are." She mumbles.

"Who's responsible for the stickers?" The sorcerer asks.

"Petey. He crawled on the windows outside and put them on."

"I suppose you supplied them?"

"Nuh-uh. Valerie."

Stephen looks back up from his book and raises an eyebrow at Valerie who definitely looks a little guilty. She pouts up at him with her big blue eyes, and he sighs in defeat. One would think that with seven kids he would be immune to the puppy eyes but he fell for them every time. He was pretty sure the kids knew it too.

No. He was positive.

"Bye Mom! Be back later!" Peter calls out as he races down the stairs and through the door to the stairwell.

"Have fun." Stephen manages to say before the door shuts.

"Mama, look." Valerie holds up the paper she was coloring on and reveals endless scribbles that covered the whole of it.

"It's very beautiful. Do you want to hang it up?" He smiles when her eyes widen in excitement and she nods.

The two year old gets up and walks over to the cloak floating nearby and holds it up to Levi. The cloak happily takes it, and with a cartoonish flourish that briefly made Stephen feel like he was in one, Levi tacks it to the wall with the other drawings. When it claps the folds of its collar together, Stephen knew they were in far too deep. Even his cloak was domesticated.

"My children have turned an ancient relic into a nanny." Stephen bemoans.

"Daddy said you started it." Diana says and Stephen huffs.

"It was one time and that was when Peter was turned into a baby. The cloak was the only one that could reach Peter when he was climbing the walls and the ceiling." Stephen closes his book. "Speaking of your daddy, since he smuggled your sister into the lab, why don't we go to the store?"

"Can I come?" Thomas suddenly says from next to him.

"Get your coat."

In the meantime, Stephen takes the girls upstairs to get them dressed and once they all have their coats on, he opens a portal to the store. Thomas of course returned while the girls were getting ready, and went through the portal after picking up Diana. Stephen huffs fondly when Diana giggles loudly and picks up Valerie to follow them. It took a couple of years, but the twins were finally comfortable asking for things but it was usually still necessities. It was still kind of rare for them to ask for things they wanted.

"'tena?" Valerie asks and waves at the wolf behind Stephen. "'Tena, here!"

Athena comes through the portal and Stephen rolls his eyes as he waves his hand to get her service vest on. It would at least lessen the looks, which only left the 'is that a wolf' whispers. Yes. Yes she is.

"If you weren't so shy of strangers, I'd say you would grow up to be a politician or a world leader."

"Nah, Val?" Thomas cackles. "She's too nice."

"Also a good point. Push the cart please?"

Thomas nods and puts Diana down so he can grab a cart and they walk through the aisles of Target. Diana was happy to 'ooh' and 'aah' at every piece of clothing she saw and Valerie soon ended up in the seat of the cart when Stephen's hands began to tremble a little too much. He then had to attempt to redirect Diana's attention away from the clothes because he was pretty sure she had twenty versions of the sundress she was looking at. Cassie was the one that took her shopping for clothes anyway. It was their thing.

"Aww…" Diana pouts but goes without a fuss to the bedding aisle.

"Why don't you help me pick out some sheets for your sister?"

"There's one with stars on it." Thomas points out and grabs the set to hand to the seven year old.

Diana rolls the set around in her hands with a scrutinizing gaze and then shakes her head. "No. She needs animals."

She looks up at the selection of bedding and finally points up at a set with little brown rabbits. Thomas grabs it for her and after she scrutinizes it like the one before, she smiles and nods and holds it up for Valerie to see.

"Do you like it Valerie?" She asks and the two year old grabs it and scrunches her brows at it before smiling.

"Bunny!"

Stephen chuckles. "I'll take that as a yes." His phone then rings and he takes it out of his pocket to answer it. "Yes love?"

"Heyyyyy Honey…" Tony starts and the sorcerer instantly narrows his brows in suspicion even though his husband can't see.

"What did you do Tony?"

"What? Nothing! Everything's fine! FRIDAY just told me you were at the store and thought I'd tell you that we're low on diaper wipes." Tony answers casually.

"Lucy is covered in grease again isn't she?" Stephen asks flatly.

"It suits her."

"She is two weeks old! Give her a bath. A proper one."

"Yes Duchess." The mechanic chuckles. "We do need more wipes though."

"Noted."

Stephen hangs up and rolls his eyes as he directs the kids to the baby section. Wordlessly, he grabs at least three packs of wipes before grabbing a fourth just in case. Tony had a habit of wiping down Lucy with diaper wipes whenever she was down in the lab with him and she got dirty, but Stephen didn't even know how he managed that. Her motor skills were still nearly non-existent and he wondered if maybe his husband used her as a rag.

He wouldn't put it past Tony. He got tunnel vision whenever he got invested in a project. Stephen couldn't complain though. Lucy loved being in the lab with her father and Tibbs, and whoever else happened to be in there with them. Granted, she slept through most of the chaos, and when she didn't, she was very helpful to Tony.

Baby noises were apparently helpful.

"We better hurry and finish up so we can go save your sister." Stephen says.

"It might be too late." Thomas jokes.

They finish their shopping and Stephen opens a portal back to the penthouse where they find Tony giving Lucy her bath. Before Stephen can even open his mouth, he sees the baby tub in the sink and makes a strangled noise when he finds the water in it nearly pitch black.

"I'm afraid to ask...but what happened?" He asks through clenched teeth.

Tony looks up and actually looks a little sheepish. "Domino effect I think? Something backfired, Tibbs was startled...and I think he knocked over a box of dust."

"I wouldn't be surprised. You barely clean the lab." Stephen sighs. "I hope you found a baby underneath all that filth."

"I did. She's very cute too. Can we keep her?" Tony holds up their naked baby daughter and grins.

Stephen can't help but chuckle.

"You get to change the diapers."

"Always stuck with the dirty work." Tony grumbles.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Smalltown Bringdown 4

Warnings: blood, violence, noncon (fingering).

This is dark!biker!Bucky and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Bucky takes you for a ride.

Note: Okay so it took me a while to finish this one in terms of organizing my ideas and maybe I just think about this stuff too much lol. But it is a little longer than the last two chapters. Now I’m thinking part 5 will be the last but as it happens so often, this story might be slipping beyond by restraints lol. But anyway, enjoy. To those who take the time to read, thank you. Love you guys!

Please, leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

Five days in and you couldn’t say you were adjusting, merely closer to acceptance of your hopeless circumstance. That was always easy. In Birch, it was an inevitability that one would settle. There were no grand dreams to be achieved, no underdog story or redemption; there was only monotony and routine. As it was oft said, you were born and then you died. 

You were surprised to have the weekend off. Working in a bar, it was expected to work Friday to Saturday; those were the busy days. Your schedule didn’t seem to fit to the necessity of the business though, more its owner. Whenever you were there, he made sure to be there too. He was always there to see you off at the end of the night, though his farewells were briefer than his first.

That night was different. Slightly. He didn’t stick around to watch you from his table. His blue eyes didn’t follow you, his ears didn’t prick up whenever you spoke with a particular customer for too long. He had a single beer then retreated to the back with Steve. Lifelong friends, it was easily assumed that Steve was a natural confidante and a useful intimidator. He’d kept his hands to himself since that first shift, but he was none the subtler.

He emerged only as you were helping wipe down the bar. A ripple of deja vu blurred your vision as he neared the other side. Lucy rubbed her back as she peeked in the kitchen to check on Bobby. You tossed the cloth in the basket under the bar and looked up at your boss. Bucky rested a foot on the bottom rung of a stool as he hooked a thumb in his pocket.

“I’ll give you a ride home,” He said. 

“It’s a ten minute walk.” You replied. 

Lucy let the door swing behind her and you caught it as you held it open with your foot and opened the closet just inside. You pulled your jacket off the hanger and slung your bag over your shoulder. You turned back and Bucky met you at the end of the bar.

“So it’ll be a quick ride,” He blocked you in. “Or… you can hang around for a little… we can… talk.”

“Fine,” You zipped your jacket up halfway.

He smiled and backed up enough for you to brush past him. He turned and his hand rested on your lower back as he led you to the door. He held it open for you and his hand was quick to dance along your hip. He stopped you before his bike and you watched him approach it.

You stepped away as he straddled it and kicked up the stand. He peeked over his shoulder as he turned the bars and steered it backward out of the spot. He stopped before you and slid the helmet from the handle. He held it out to you.

“Don’t wanna hurt that pretty head of yours,” He winked and you huffed as you accepted the helmet.

You climbed up behind him, careful to touch him as little as possible as you slid the strap through the metal loop. He reached back and squeezed your leg.

“Don’t be shy,” He said. “Or you’ll find yourself in the road.”

You slipped forward on the seat until he was between your thighs and he pulled your arms around him. You let him and stiffened against him. The bike roared as he turned the key and you couldn’t help but hold him tightly. He pulled out of the lot and onto the road, the wind formed a soft tunnel around you.

You were dizzy as he pulled up to your mother’s house, your cheeks raw from cool night air. 

“Thanks,” You climbed down and quickly undid the helmet. You held it out to him before he could kill the engine. When he didn’t take it, you hung it on the handle bar. He angled the bars and turned the bike off. He flipped the stand down and dismounted.

You spun away and hurried up your mother’s walk. He followed as you fumbled with your keys. The front door stuck and you rarely went in that way. He came up behind you as you found the right key but he caught your hand before you could reach to the handle. He pressed himself to your back and crushed you against the door.

“What’s the rush?” He purred in your ear. “I don’t even get a good night?”

“Bucky,” You breathed as he pulled on your wrist and turned you around. He wrestled the keys from you and tucked them in his pocket. He set your hand on his shoulder as he kept close.

“You think I do favours for nothing,” His hand went to your waist and slowly crawled along your side. 

“You insisted. I would’ve walked.” You argued as you wriggled against him.

“Honey, you know I’m not gonna wait forever,” His finger crept along the front of your jeans. “I’ve waited long enough as it is.”

“Why?” You hissed. “Why are you doing this?”

“Why did you have to be the hero?” He leaned in and nuzzled your hair. “You should’ve kept your mouth shut like you did in school. I never would’ve known you were there but… even with a gun to your face, you had fire in your eyes.” He loosed the button of your fly. “Do you know how fucking hot that is?”

“I… no.” You grabbed his hand and he waved you off as he pushed your zipper down. “No, I was afraid.”

“Maybe,” He said. “But I think you still regretted dropping that knife.”

“Stop,” You fought his hand with yours. “Stop.”

“Don’t make this hard,” His other hand shot to your throat. “I’m hard enough as it is.”

“You’re disgusting,” You snarled.

“You like it,” He laughed under his breath as his finger tugged at the thin elastic of your panties. “A girl like you… such a boring life… you want the excitement, you just don’t know it.”

He shoved his hand in your panties and you pressed yourself to the door. You turned your face from him to hide your shame and he dragged his nose along your temple. His hot breath embraced you as he caressed your vee.

“My mom’s asleep,” You grabbed his wrist. “Please…”

“So we’ll have to be quiet.” His fingers pushed between your folds and your hand dropped to the handle. You tried to turn it helplessly as he held you to the door. “Shhhh.” He hushed you as he began to play with your clit. 

You gasped as he sent a chill through you. You hadn’t been touched since that regrettable fling with Alex, the younger mechanic at the local shop. He had been clumsy and selfish. That was a year ago; maybe more. You squeezed the handle and closed your eyes.

“You’re already wet for me,” He whispered. “Honey,” He rubbed his crotch against you, “You got me hard as hell.”

You bit your lip as his fingers sent waves through you. It was hard to resist the peculiar and long-sought sensation. He was right, you were wet and getting wetter by the second. He slid his fingers further back and forced his hand between your legs. He dragged his fingertips back and forth and used your juices to ease his way.

He pushed a finger inside you a felt around. He rocked his hips as he dipped another finger in. He pressed the heel of his hand to your clit and curled his fingers inside of you. You shook your head as your core pulsed. Your thighs quivered and your nails dug into the wood of the door.

“You’re gonna cum for me,” He growled. “Not just now, but tomorrow.” He pressed his cheek to yours as his voice gristled in your ear. “I’m gonna take you for a ride.” His hand moved faster and you gritted your teeth. “Take you somewhere you don’t have to be quiet.”

Your entire body shook as the waves crashed into each other and you pushed your chin up as you came. You stuck your tongue out and you held it between your teeth to keep from crying out. He didn’t stop until you stilled. Until you were panting and weak against the door.

“And if you’re not waiting for me in a nice little dress,” He pulled his hand from your panties. “Then I’ll just have to come in and drag you out.” 

He ran his wet fingers along his bottom lip before he slipped them in his mouth and licked them clean. He wiped them on his jeans and reached in his pocket. He took out your keys and held them out.

“You got it, honey?” He shoved the keys into your shaky hand.

“Yes,” You said quietly. “Yes, I understand.”

“Finally,” He smirked as he slowly back away. “I’ll be by at noon.”

💀

Noon, sharp. Bucky rode up as the clock tower chimed a dozen times. You were on the curb waiting for him since quarter to and your mother was conspicuously watching from behind the blinds. She had checked your purse for the mace and made sure it worked. Her eyes were still red from the test.

You wore a pale blue dress beneath a beige jacket, a pair of brown suede boots and a matching purse. You didn’t care if you looked good for Bucky but you also didn’t need him reproaching you for disobeying. You were tiring of that.

The thought of him was infuriating. And something else. The memory of what happened the night before. You refused to look at the front door. 

“Hey,” You neared his bike as he waited for you and avoided his gaze. He had two helmets today. You took the one in his hand and he watched you secure it.

“No time to waste, honey,” He revved the bike. “Careful. The exhaust is hot. You don’t wanna burn yourself.”

“Where are we going?” You raised your voice over the loud engine.

“Now what would be the fun in telling you?” He chuckled. 

You crossed your arms and made no move to get on. You glared at his taunting smirk.

“Now, I can help you up, honey, but I’m already running late,” His leather glove audibly strained as he gripped his handlebar. “So come on.”

You bit down and rolled your eyes. You reluctantly grabbed his shoulder and swung your leg over. As you sat, you tried to pulled your skirt down to cover your knees on either side of him. It was a fruitless effort.

“Oh,” He turned his head and leaned back against you, “I didn’t mention how sexy you look…” He reached back and touched your leg. “I like the innocent look.”

You scrunched your nose and resisted ripping his hand away from you. You slipped your arms under his and hovered your lips close to him, “Aren’t you running late?” You asked.

He shook his head as he turned forward and growled. You clung to him as he revved the engine again. You almost yelped as he pulled away from your house, the bike ripped through the rush of wind around you. The streets of Birch rushed past you in a blur and soon faded to the metal rails of the highway. You shivered as your bare legs were lashed in the open air. You were thankful to have Bucky’s broad shoulders as shelter.

He slowed as he came to the end of a ramp. He stopped and looked both ways as he awaited his turn. You read the green signs and sighed. You hadn’t been to the city since your failed stint in community college. Well, you hadn’t so much flunked out as busted. You couldn’t afford to live and study at the same time and only one of those was possible without the other.

When he drove up to his destination and the monstrous rumble of the engine subsided, you were greeted by a familiar but unwelcome figure. You got off the bike as you worked at unbuckling your helmet and Steve approached. You peeked over at the hotel doors as Bucky climbed off behind you. You turned and looked between them in confusion.

“Russ isn’t gonna wait forever,” Steve said. 

“Only for me,” Bucky smiled as he removed his helmet. He turned and took yours in kind. He slung them over his handlebar carelessly. “I told you I’d be late.”

“She really need to be here?” Steve asked.

“Oh, suck it up,” Bucky warned. “Keep your hands to yourself and she’ll do the same.”

“I’m not afraid of her,” Steve scowled.

“Sure,” Bucky chuckled. “I know.”

“Can I interrupt for one second and ask what the hell is going on?” You said.

“You can and you have,” Bucky looked to you. “But keep that tongue to yourself once we’re in there. Not many of my ilk are so tolerant.”

“Clearly,” You squinted at Steve as he rolled his eyes.

“Just a meeting.” Bucky assured as he pulled his gloves off. “Got some business out east and a lot of hands on the wheel.” He tucked the leather in his pocket. “Look, you don’t gotta worry about specifics. You’ll be with the other gals. They’re friendly but a bit rough around the edges… you’ll fit right in.”

“Like a lamb among wolves,” Steve shook his head.

“I’m starting to think you might be more fit to sit with the ladies as well,” Bucky turned on Steve as he swept his arm around your waist. “Out here telling me I’m late only to waste my time arguing.”

Steve looked away repentantly and waited for Bucky to urge you past him before he followed. He led you through the hotel doors and across the lobby. The hostess at the front desk recognized him and gave a meek smile as she nodded and directed him to the conference room on the sixth floor. The place was nice; upscale even. You’d never suspect a small-time criminal to be strolling across its polished marble. Or yourself, really.

The elevator was silent; tense. You were still trying to figure it out. You’d seen this hotel before, marveled at it on the way to classes you couldn’t afford. You glanced out the corner of your eye at the man who held you close with one arm. At his other shoulder was the dour sidekick who spent his time threatening simpletons in a one-horse town. 

What business could they possibly have here?

The doors chimed and opened before you. As you stepped out, Bucky’s arm fell away and he tapped your ass. 

“Behave,” He warned. You didn’t miss the gloating grin on Steve’s lips. “You too.” Bucky added sharply and Steve grimaced.

Bucky led you to a set of double doors, a rise of voices on the other side. He opened them and revealed a room of leather-clad goons. They all looked out of place in this room fit for a gala. His hand was on your arm as he was greeted by each man he passed with a nod or a grumble of his name. 

Steve followed at his shoulder as he cut through the crowd to the man at the back of the room. The man sat at the head of the gathering as he overlooked them as a king would his subjects. He stood as Bucky approached the other side of his table. There was no deference between them, merely recognition. 

“Russ,” Bucky greeted and held out his hand. The man with the greying red beard stood and took it. They shook firmly.

“Buck,” Russ returned. “Not often you’re late but…” He glanced at you, “Think I understand now.”

“Well, we shouldn’t waste any more time, should we?” Bucky straightened up. “We got a bit of shit show up east, don’t we?”

“That we do,” Russ nodded and sat back down. The man to his right rose and offered his seat to Bucky. “I got Oslo on his way already. He’s scoutin’ the scene.”

“Mmm,” Bucky squeezed your arm and excused himself with a finger. “Honey, why don’t you go say hi to Chyka?” He pointed over your shoulder. 

You blinked at him and looked between him and Russ. It dawned on you what this was. He was showing you his power; his pull. That he wasn’t just the man in Birch, he was the man all over. You nodded and slowly pulled away. As you turned, his hand lingered on yours as if to draw you back but he let you go.

Your nostrils flared as you crossed to the group of women. They were just as fond of leather as the men; vests, skirts, boots. You neared and tried to shrug away your nerves. You tucked your hands in your jacket pockets and planted your feet.

“Chyka?” You asked. 

The woman quieted as they looked over at you. The last to turn her head had black hair and a large crooked nose. She had a unique beauty to her, a rough type of elegance. She leaned back on the long sofa and crossed her legs. She looked you up and down.

“Ah, and who are you?” She asked with a sneer.

You gave her your name and peeked over your shoulder. Bucky was sat beside Russ and already in deep conversation. You couldn’t expect him to hold your hand. Perhaps if you blew it, he’d leave you be.

“And what brings you round here?” She raised an arched brow. “Girl like you doesn’t seem the type.”

“I came from Birch,” You said indifferently. “To see the city.”

She scoffed and tilted her head. “To see the city? You with Steve then? He does have peculiar tastes.”

“No,” You answered and kept from fidgeting.

“Bucky?” A woman with stringy blonde hair perked up.

You nodded. “Sure. Guess you could say I’m with him.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Chyka smiled. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

Your brow wrinkled at her reaction and you looked around the half circle of women. “This seat taken?” You pointed to a velvet chair.

“Girl, you come in here on his arm, no chair in here is taken,” Chyka mused. “Come on,” She waved away the stringy blonde beside her, “Sit. Next to me.”

“It’s fine, I don’t wanna--”

“Danielle’s fine,” She insisted. “She was just gonna grab us some drinks, weren’t you?”

“Sure,” Danielle stood and sidestepped you. “Beer or--”

“What’ll you have?” Chyka asked you pointedly.

“Water,” You replied.

“We don’t got water,” Chyka pointed to the cushion next to her.

“Whatever you’re having then,” You sat and shrugged.

“Beer’s fine, Dani,” Chyka dismissed the other woman and those around her looked to each other and whispered in their own conversations. You could sense their lingering attention. “Course he would bring a girl with an attitude and a half.”

You narrowed your eyes at her. “You know my name. It’s not girl.” You retorted.

“Oh,” She smiled. “Well, then…” She swayed her legs and peered over at the men. “Well, I’m Russ’ woman so we’ll be getting to know each other well. If you last long at all.”

“If ,indeed,” You grumbled and checked the time on your phone. “Suppose I’ll have to put up with you.”

“I like you, g--” She stopped herself and used your name instead. 

“Hmm,” You leaned on the arm and looked around. You never thought you’d miss Birch.

“Do you know who Russ is?” She nudged you. “Who your man is?”

“My man?” You turned to her.

“This…” She spun her finger around, “Is a club meeting and our men run these things. You understand?”

“Sure,” You replied dully. “Place like Birch is small, easy--”

“Birch is nothing compared to the rest of it,” She interjected. “He don’t just run Birch.”

You blinked at her.

“He could have this entire city in his pocket.” She continued. “You see, when Russ made his grab, it was Bucky who helped him close his fist.” Danielle returned and offered you a bottle. You accepted it but did not drink. “The boys from Birch aren’t to be challenged; not here, not anywhere. Excuse the pun, but Birch is a twig among branches in the scheme of things.”

“Oh yeah?” You rubbed your thumb over the label. “Should I be impressed then? By you? Him?”

She laughed again and drank from her beer. “You should be aware…” She intoned. “I never seen a woman walk in here with that man,” She gestured with the neck of her bottle towards the head table. “And you always see that man when he walks in a room.”

You followed her gaze to Bucky and your thoughts began to storm. You sat back and lowered your eyes as you slowly turned the bottle in your hand. This wasn’t just a show of power, this was a very clear message; he wasn’t going to just go away.