#6. He says I can give myself one; if I choose from one of my grandparents’ names

[penkura]

last forever [7/13]

Summary: Zoro only offered to marry you to keep you out of an arranged marriage with a man much older than you. You agreed with the caveat of ending it via annulment once you received word from your parents regarding the original engagement, despite your growing feelings for your close friend.

Pairing: Zoro x Fem!reader, mentioned Sanami later (like epilogue later so chill)

Warnings: Marriage of Convenience, Fake Marriage, referenced sex (waaaaaay later on), mutual pining, Zoro is bad at feelings but what's new there, eventual romance I promise, mention of past attempted assault (I'll warn in that chapter), creepy older dude later on

Note: I apologize for glossing over and skipping fights and so much of this arc. Writing violence is not my forte, and I'd rather focus on the main relationship. We all know how One Piece goes anyway. I had to go back and refresh myself on some of the details, it's been a while since I read/watched Water Seven and Enies Lobby.

But also, I was SO NERVOUS writing a certain part of this, its NOT my usual style omg. But I needed to write what I did when it popped into my head. Just wait until a bit later, though omg. This stays SFW, I swear.

Taglist:

@misfits1a

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2] ● [Ch. 3] ● [Ch. 4] ● [Ch. 5] ● [Ch. 6]

When you finally make it to Water Seven, after your run in with the Foxy Pirates and Admiral Aokiji, it’s nice to be somewhere you recognize. Having only been here a few times when your dad had business and he chose to bring you and Elias, it was always your favorite trip to take when your mother would let you tag along.

The only person who knows this at first, apart from Zoro, is Sanji, when you choose to go into the city with him as Zoro watches the ship; Luffy, Nami, and Usopp go to exchange the gold for actually money, and Chopper goes with Robin to find a bookstore. Sanji laughs a bit when you tell him you’ve been here a few times, give or take.

“You may have been a bit sheltered, but you were well traveled!”

Laughing in return, you tighten your arms around Sanji, laying your head on his back as your Yagara ride continues down the water street, watching all the people. It’s been so long, you forgot how lively this city was.

“Mom would always try to make me stay home with her, but I’d cry and throw a tantrum until she let me go, normally because my brother asked for me to. I was a little spoiled back then by Elias.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Sanji looks over his shoulder to give you a smile, “You were the baby, that’s expected.”

“Tch, yeah,” scoffing, you don’t look up at him, “The baby no one but my brother really wanted.”

He doesn’t say anything, instead just patting one of your hands, which makes you fist his shirt in your grip for a moment before relaxing again. Sanji knows more about your life growing up than most of your crew, only Zoro really having the nearly full story. Even then, you’ve kept somethings to yourself, not because they were painful memories, but because they were some of the few good times you remember, they were more precious to you than any other memories.

The two of you quickly find the shopping district and purchase copious amount of local foods, Sanji reeling off different ideas for dishes as he catches sight of Robin, grabbing your hand to drag you along and around a corner he swears to you he saw her go down, but she’s nowhere to be seen and neither is Chopper.

Your doctor does find you both a few moments later, apologizing on your way back to Merry for losing Robin, but you tell him not to worry, she can take care of herself, she’ll come back later.

When you get back to Merry, the update Zoro gives you feels like a knife in all your hearts. 

“What do you mean Merry is unfixable?!”

“Just what I said,” Zoro doesn’t fully look at Sanji, instead making sure you’re all right with the news, though the frown and starting of tears tell him you aren’t, “A shipwright came to check and said so.”

You hate the idea of having to give up Merry, whether that’s what Luffy’s decided yet or not, you aren’t sure, even as Nami returns and the situation gets worse with Usopp having been beaten by the Franky family and the two hundred million beri being stolen from him. The money didn’t matter, what mattered was Usopp, the rest of your crew going to find him and Luffy but Nami clinging onto you to stay with her, which you do to keep your friend safe.

The rest of the day is a blur, after Usopp is brought back, his fight with Luffy over Merry, and how quickly the rest of you leave to a hotel in the city. Some would probably think it’s strange that you’re holding so tightly to Zoro the whole time, rarely letting go of his arm, but you feel like you need some stability with how things have changed so much in just a day. You all still don’t know where Robin’s gone, you plan to go with Sanji and Chopper later the next day to try and find her.

For now, Zoro doesn’t mind you holding onto and staying by him. He tries to understand, it’s likely you’re thinking back to your parents, having told him of how they’d argue regarding you mostly, Elias being your safe haven who would remove you from the situation for safety.

Part of you doesn’t want to sleep that night, but Zoro makes you, forcing you to lay down. Really you’re worried you’re going to wake up and everything’s been a dream, none of your friends will be there, but Zoro, who you fully are coming to believe can read your mind, pokes you in the forehead before sitting by your bed with his back to you.

“Just sleep. I’ll be here in the morning.”

Every part of you believes him, you’ve got nothing but trust in Zoro.

+!+

With everything that’s happened involving Robin, your crew, Galley-La, and the Franky family, you’re surprised you’re even still on your feet as you follow everyone into Enies Lobby. You’d barely slept the night before and have been awake since early the previous morning, ending up following Sanji to the sea train that was taking Robin from you all. You fight alongside him, Franky, and Usopp, er, Sniper King, to try and reach Robin, only to lose her again in exchange for your own lives.

After the Rocketman train catches up to you and the four of you board it, Nami throws a towel over you since you’re sopping wet from the rain, and you start to draw yourself back from everyone for a few moments. You just need a bit to catch your breath, to keep yourself from crying due to how tired and upset you are. It’s going to be another sleepless night as you listen to everyone try and plan how you’re all going to attack the government island, you want to rescue Robin as soon as possible, even for the selfish reason of being able to sleep properly. Zoro tries to keep you out of the plan discussion, making you sit down and rest as much as you can, giving you water and sending you the slightest of glares if you try to get up too soon.

“Stay there, wife,” he’s quiet while he tells you to stay where you are, trying to keep his slip up of calling you his wife from those who don’t and shouldn’t know, “Rest until we get there. We’ll get Robin back.”

A slight smirk hits your face as you look up at him. “Trust her now?”

Zoro shrugs a bit, leaning on the wall beside you. “I guess. I trust you and Luffy more. But if you don’t rest, it doesn’t matter who I trust.”

Ah, that makes sense, why he’s trying so hard to make you take a break, other than you’re being up for so long now.

You’ll be useless in the fighting if you aren’t as prepared as you can be, if you haven’t had any kind of rest and keep worrying over Robin and everyone else. Even when you get there, convince Robin to let you all rescue her, most of your body wants to give up and stop, but you keep going, keep running to save her with everyone else.

You don’t really mean to get separated from everyone when you go to find the CP9 members who have keys that could open Robin’s sea prism stone cuffs, but it happens and you’re left defending yourself.

A few Marines get a little too close for comfort, but you cut them down fairly quickly, before going the other way from where you came and laughing to yourself at the same time.

I’m starting to take after my husband after all.

+!+

You’ve all returned to Water Seven after rescuing Robin from the government, you’ve maybe given her numerous hugs since even though its only been a couple of hours, and your unfortunate burial of Merry that’d left most of you in tears but all of you heartbroken. So much had happened that you had to step away from everyone for a bit, while there were discussions of what to do next although Luffy had once again fallen asleep from overuse of his powers.

Truthfully you wish you could go to sleep, you’ve been awake for well over twenty-four hours at this point, it would be nice to curl up in a bed and sleep the next several days. Its times like this that make you really wonder if you’re meant to be a pirate, maybe you should just go home and do what your parents want.

“Hey, you okay?”

Then Zoro finds you like always, quietly speaking to keep the others from eavesdropping, though Nami tries, a hand on your shoulder, this time he seems to grip a little tighter than before. You know him well enough at this point, there’s just the slightest hint of worry on his face as he looks at you, brows furrowed just a bit. Zoro knows you just as well, you step away like this when things start to get to be too much, you just need a few moments to clear your head and breathe, and since you’ve had that, you give him a real smile.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you really?”

You nod, Zoro doing the same in return as he knows to believe you, before surprising you by gently taking you face in his hands, as if he’s making absolutely sure that you’re telling the truth.

Having lost track of you while he’d gone on to fight the CP9 members to get Robin’s key, his mind kept wandering to where you’d gotten off to, if you were safe, if you were fighting someone or multiple marines, he really hoped you weren’t against a CP9 member. You had to stay safe, no matter what, you and Robin were his biggest concerns at the time. When you randomly ran into him, Sanji, and Usopp, he was surprised by the relief he felt to see you were a little banged up but otherwise perfectly fine. He’d made you let him carry you on his back the rest of the way, until you got to the ship and were able to safely be on the ground again. He’d barely let you out of his sight since then.

Zoro doesn’t make whatever worry he had about you obvious, only looking like he’s fighting to find something to say while he holds your face and you continue to smile, tilting your head.

“Zoro?”

“Glad you’re okay.”

Giggling a bit, you nod before wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug, your exhaustion and the fears and worries you’ve had the last few hours finally coming to surface while you hug Zoro, making him do the same lightly, to keep you from embarrassing yourself in front of the others while you cry quietly, though you know they wouldn’t care or judge you.

You’re glad Robin is back, everyone is safe and alive, you all may have lost Merry but you’re coming to terms with it.

But most importantly to you, Zoro is safe, and to him, you’re safety is just as important, even if he barely voices it. The last thing he wants is for you to be harmed, in anyway by anyone.

He'll be especially damned if it’s by his hand so he comforts you the best he can, until you’re calmed down enough to rejoin your crew, staying beside him.

He doesn’t make you release his hand as you grip onto it, instead squeezing it back whenever you do so. When you lean into his arm later on, he lays his head against your own, telling you to go ahead and sleep, he’ll get you to a bed. You make him promise to stay with you that night, and he does once everyone goes to turn in, not leaving your side for even a second.

He’ll make sure you stay safe.

+!+

Zoro isn't sure how you two ended up away from the rest of the party. Too much alcohol, yes, but his tolerance is higher than a normal person's. He knows better than to wander off like this, but you took him by the wrist and walked away with a new bottle of sake in your hand, convincing him that it would be good to get away from the noise and everyone else.

You don't normally drink as much as he's seen you do today, he wonders if it's the alcohol that's causing you to giggle incessantly and steal glances at him every bit. Not like you had to steal glances, if you two had been talking you'd be looking at him.

But you'd barely said a word apart from when he asked why you were dragging him away from everyone else.

“Just want some quiet time, husband.”

Zoro never stops you from calling him husband, he's not sure why. Your marriage wasn't real, he should stop you from calling him that.

He should, but he never does.

He doesn't now, even as you lean against him and say “my husband” over and over again. It's only the moment you crawl yourself into his lap that he feels the need to stop you, despite knowing you're drunk or at the very least tipsy enough to not know what you're doing.

“Get off.”

He still doesn't push you off, he's not that heartless.

“Nooooo…” You whine and start to nuzzle your face in his neck, sighing happily after a moment. “My husband~”

“Ain't actually your husband, you know that.”

“But you're my husband still.”

“Stop it before someone sees.”

You pout, but lift your head up to look at him. Zoro can tell more so now that you're definitely drunk, you're more emotional than he thought you'd be. He always expected you to be a giggly or chatty drunk, not emotional to the point you're pouting but also looking like you might cry.

“You should...kiss me.”

“What.”

You nod, leaning closer and touching your nose to Zoro's, making him glance away from you just the slightest bit from the proximity despite the bit of pink across his cheeks that you can see. This is the closest you've let yourself get to him ever, even the nights you sneak into his bed from nightmares, you've never placed your face so close to his.

“You didn't kiss me…when we got married.”

“We're not actu–”

“I'll kiss you then.”

You close the gap for the quickest of seconds, kissing Zoro so fast it's like it didn't happen. Despite your drunk state your face burns with a blush and you apologize, you're not sure why you did that. Must've been the alcohol controlling you or something, that's your excuse. You're both quiet but neither of you moves for a moment, before you decide to get up only to have Zoro hold you in place by your shoulders. His brows are furrowed and you're not sure what's going on in his mind, before he pulls you back into a proper kiss, none of this tiny peck of the lips thing you'd just done. He kisses you fully and for more than a brief second, it's several seconds before he pulls away, leaving you both breathless and you personally shocked.

Shocked for just a moment before you take his face in your hands and kiss Zoro a third time, which he returns, surprising you when he wraps his arms around your waist and brings you closer to him (how you could even get closer when you’re already on his lap, you don’t know). You refuse to let him be the one to end this. You don't want this to end, it needs to continue, even if just for you. Even if all it does is make your feelings for him stronger, even if Zoro later tells you it was a mistake and he still held no romantic feelings for you, despite that fact he's so willingly returning such affection.

Even though, a moment later, Zoro pushes you away gently by your shoulders, neither of you able to breathe properly for a moment, catching your breath as your slowly sobering mind tries to play catch up with what the hell just happened.

You kissed Zoro, and he actually kissed you back. He didn't shove you off or yell at you or anything like that. He accepted it and reciprocated without a single word. You figured he would fight you about this, that he wouldn't accept it so easily.

Is this the progress you've been hoping for?

Once you've both caught your breath, Zoro doesn't even look at you, instead moves just enough that you get the hint and get off his lap finally. It's a few minutes of complete silence between the two of you, that has you confused. You thought things were changing, that you two were getting closer than you had been even before Luffy brought you along.

The fact he'd just kissed you back for several minutes it felt like, you thought maybe Zoro was going to confess to you, but when he still doesn't look at you, you attempt to bring him back by taking his hand, which he lets you for a moment before gently pulling his arm back to himself.

“Zoro…I…I'm sor–”

“I think…you should go to bed, [Y/N].”

“Do you,” you gulp a bit, looking away before you finish, “do you want to come with me?”

“No. That's not a good idea.”

You know this, who knows what trouble you'd bring to yourselves or the crew if you two went to your room together? Whose heart would be broken the next morning if you took things too far when you weren't fully sober? You didn't know, the thought of either of you being hurt made your heart ache and you couldn't bear the thought.

So, instead of trying to convince him things would be fine, you really just wanted to sleep with him next to you, you nod, standing up and dusting yourself off, grabbing the bottle you'd brought with you and looking at Zoro again.

“Are you–”

“Gonna stay here for a bit.”

It's all you can do to nod again, apologizing for pushing things too far before you turn and leave, doing your absolute best to keep your tears to yourself as you return to the party, giving Nami a small smile when she asks where you've been, promising her you'd just gone off to spend some time alone.

She doesn't believe you and intends to get all the information she can later, but she does give you a hug that nearly pushes you over, and says she'll beat up whoever made you sad, especially if it's Zoro, earning her a laugh before you return to your room at the hotel.

I wish he had come with me…

Truthfully you don't regret kissing Zoro, not even a bit. Despite his rejection of your feelings, the fact he so willingly kissed you back made you believe that maybe things were changing in your favor.

Perhaps it was because he was drunk, or maybe he was sober enough that he knew exactly what he was doing, especially when he denied returning to your room with you.

Either way, even with your heart aching from another rejection, it feels like you're making progress with Zoro and your relationship with him, little by little.

For his part of it all, Zoro stays in the same place you'd left him for nearly an hour, trying to calm his own racing heart after that exchange with you.

How he never thought of kissing you before, but now he didn't want to do anything but kiss you (it's the alcohol talking, he swears it is). You tasted like the sake you'd shared and whatever sweet wine Nami had convinced you to take several drinks of. A combination he never expected to be so nice, something he didn't think he'd want to taste again. The moment he thinks about it again his heart skips a beat, and Zoro puts head in his hands in an attempt to stop such feelings.

No, no, shit I gotta stop this.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair, pulling it slightly to get those thoughts out of his head. Any focus on romance, on you he wanted out of his head. There's been too much of it lately, the want to stay close to you, to pull you away from everyone else, to give in and indulge himself in you alone. He'd told you nothing was going to happen and he had meant it.

But then you had to go and kiss him. The most innocent of kisses, a quick peck on the lips but he'd gone and pulled you back for more almost instantly. Then you made it worse by returning it again and holding his face this time, he didn't know why he enjoyed that so much. This whole thing was ridiculous, there's no reason for these feelings!

The only thing he could do to get some time to think was to push you away, refuse to join you when you went to bed. Who knows what would've happened if he had gone with you? Of course, he knew your thoughts were innocent, you'd shared a bed multiple times when you turned to him after nightmares, it was highly unlikely you were expecting anything more than to just go to sleep and wake up with a hangover, Zoro by your side in case of alcohol induced nightmares.

And he had made you go to bed alone.

That realization, for some reason, causes his heart to ache and Zoro has to finally admit what he's been trying not to, over the last several months, even with the more domestic thoughts he's allowed himself to entertain at times. Something he was hoping would fade away, would disappear over time like it always did for others, the feelings he's finally realized were going to be more long term than he expected.

Damn it all…I'm falling for my wife.

+!+

Contrary to what many may think, Sanji doesn’t particularly like being privy to romance gossip, not the kind involving his crewmates especially. He thinks that such things should be kept between a couple, so when he accidentally hears you telling Nami and Robin how you and Zoro finally kissed the other night, he’s less than pleased to hear it ended with your swordsman pushing you back, not taking you back to your room, or even staying with you for the night.

How unbelievably rude of him! To steal your first kiss, and not even walk you back to your room!

That’s what Sanji would’ve done. If any woman kissed him, he’d walk her back to her room or home, at the very least, to ensure she was safe and nothing happened. Zoro not doing that, when you were inebriated, when you could’ve been hurt or worse, it angers Sanji more than anything Zoro has or hasn’t done thus far. He views you as his best friend, he hates the way you and Zoro seem to get closer to a real relationship, only for something to happen or someone to intervene and ruin your progress. He’s been cheering for you from the start, ever since you confirmed your feelings for the swordsman, only to now wonder if it’s worth it for you.

If Zoro really is what you want and makes you happy, why does it seem like all you do lately is suffer?

Sanji doesn’t fully mean to give Zoro the cold shoulder this time, or even the suspicious looks he throws at him, but Zoro noticed quickly, before anyone else, and confronts him.

“What the hell is your problem, cook?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit, you’ve been giving me worse looks than normal.”

Sanji bites down on his cigarette, finally dropping the knife he’d been holding to face Zoro with a scowl.

“I heard you and [Y/N] kissed the other night—”

“Damn it.”

“—and you didn’t bother to take her back to her room?”

“What, is that my job now?”

“As her husband it should be!”

“I’m not really her husband! Damn it, this is stupid.”

Zoro goes to leave, but Sanji stops him by grabbing his sleeve, holding on and telling him to stop.

“Look, asshole. I could care less that you two are married, real or not, or that you kissed her,” Sanji grits his teeth, finally letting go of Zoro’s sleeve, “But if you break her heart, I’ll never forgive you, mosshead.”

While Sanji turns back to continue prepping for dinner, Zoro stops for just a moment. The two have had fights before, that’s obvious to anyone with a brain, but they’ve yet to fight about you. And he wonders why it's only now, after you kissed him, that Sanji seems so hell bent on protecting you, or maybe he's always been like this, it's just more on display as you and Zoro start to get closer.

“What’s your deal with her?”

“She’s my best friend, mosshead. I just want her safe and happy, even if it’s with you.”

He doesn’t say anything in response, leaving the kitchen to find you lounging with Nami and Robin, the three of you in some conversation when you look up and see him, giving a slight smile that Zoro returns with a nod, before heading off to the crow’s nest. What Sanji last said is stuck in his head, partially wondering if you told your cook what happened that night in Water Seven or if he was good at guessing, but that’s not the biggest thing he wonders about.

Would you really be happy with me, of all people, [Y/N]?

+!+

“All right, wait, so, you honestly kissed him?”

“Nami don't make me repeat myself.”

Nami laughs while Robin smiles, both amazed you got up the courage to kiss Zoro of all people. Yeah, you were tipsy at the time, even though Zoro still believes you were fully intoxicated, but you couldn't help feeling bad about it afterwards, just for a bit.

“I didn't fully think it through. I just…I don't know, I wanted to kiss him so I did.”

“I don't think he's too upset about it then,” Robin nods a bit, taking a sip of her wine, “You said he kissed you back, if he didn't push you away right off the bat, it sounds like he was positively receptive to it.”

“Yeah,” Nami quickly agrees, giving you a grin, “Sounds like you're getting yourself a boyfriend.”

“I don't think he wants that.”

“Well, what do you want? Maybe you guys could talk it through.”

What did you want? You thought you knew, to be a world renowned swordswoman, to help Luffy become King of the Pirates.

But what did you want from Zoro? Just to be with him, to stay married to him? Do you want to maybe have a family of your own with him one day? You'd had those thoughts when your feelings first started surfacing, after your impromptu wedding at that backwater courthouse. You'd stopped entertaining  thoughts for quite a while, but now, they're coming back more often.

More importantly, does Zoro want any of that with you?

“I…think… I want to be with him forever…”

Hearing Nami choke on her own drink, you give her a concerned look before she looks at you with wide eyes.

“You sound like you're in love with Zoro!”

You don't say anything for a bit, even with Nami and Robin looking at you like they're expecting you to deny such a thing. There was no way you were in love with Zoro, not at all. You two hadn't dated, your marriage was only temporary, it was meant to end as soon as you had something from your parents. You two weren't going to last forever, you weren't going to have kids together, live out your lives as a married couple. It wasn't happening.

No matter how much you may want it to. That's what Nami and Robin have come to think over time, from the things you've said to them.

“I am, Nami.”

Despite Nami's new outburst and saying she knew it with Robin laughing, you don't feel any kind of worry or fear about admitting your real feelings for Zoro. Neither of them would tell, your secret was safe as could be.

But for you, all you do is smile to yourself.

You love Zoro, more than anything. You've thought so for a while now, but finally voicing it aloud gives you a sense of peace and happiness. Whether Zoro ever returns your feelings or not, whether you two come to act as a married couple or not, you're more than happy to even stay by his side as his crewmate and friend. Even if you have to love him silently, you'd do so.

You'll hope he comes to love you back one day, but you won't force anything on him.

“I'm in love with Zoro.”

~~

Note 2: Me writing this: now KISS.

After writing: omg they kissed

#zoro x reader #roranoa zoro x reader #one piece x reader #reader insert #last forever #fem!reader

[mssainz]

PART 6 | AFTER FIVE YEARS

Pairing: Carlos Sainz x Reader

Summary: Carlos Sainz finally met his son he had with her ex-wife, Y/N.

Warning: Typos

AN: Please don't mind the time stamps

You choose a casual and comfortable outfit for the day: a white tee, beige trousers, and a white cardigan, and finish it off by spraying Chanel Paris Deauville on your neck and wrist.

“Mama, where are you going?” Asks Cael, who is lying on your bed, watching you get ready.

You sit on the edge of the bed and stroke your son's hair. “Remember what you told Mama yesterday when we were having pancakes? You said you wanted to see Papa and watch his race. So, Mama is going to see Papa today and ask if you can watch his race,” you gently explain.

“Really Mama? You'll meet Papa?” Cael sits up, flashing a vibrant smile.

“Yes, my love. I can't bring you because Papa and I need to talk first. But someone who misses you is coming to take care of you,” you say, placing Cael on your lap and planting a kiss on his plump cheeks. He gives you a confused face, wondering who's been missing him.

“You wanna take a guess?” you ask, smiling at your son who is trying to figure it out.

“Is it Uncle Charles, Mama?” Cael guesses.

“Oh, how did you know?” you ask, surprised that he got it right.

“He always misses me. He says so even though we often meet, Mama,” Cael says, causing you to laugh.

As you two are playing in your bedroom, the doorbell rings. It's Charles.

“Hey buddy!” Charles immediately lifts Cael, ignoring you who opened the door for him.

“Hello to you too Charles,” you said sarcastically.

“Hello, Y/N” he said, greeting you too late.

“Thanks for coming, Charles,” you say, while he's busy kissing your son.

“But stop smooshing your face on my son's face. It’s a bit too much,” you add.

“Can't help it, he is so cute,” Charles replies.

“I'll go now, please take care of him,” you say, kissing your son goodbye. And before you can even open the door, Charles yells something.

“Don't forget to bring a condom!”

“Shut up, Charles” you said while flashing your middle finger to him.

“Uncle Charles, what's a condom?” Cael asked him.

“Uhm, it's a balloon bud. So you won't have another sibling when they get back.” Charles grins at Cael who is confused about how a balloon prevents him from having a baby brother or sister.

When you arrive at the restaurant, Carlos is already there waiting for you. He greets you with a smile as you approach his table. The atmosphere feels lighter than the last time you two met.

Maybe it's just the sunlight that makes everything seem brighter.

“Did you already order?” you immediately ask as you sit down.

“Uhm, not yet,” Carlos replies. You call out for the waiter to order.

As you scan the menu, Carlos interjects, “You want your usual?” Surprised, you nod and let him order for you.

“One creamy mushroom pesto for her, please, and one tomato pasta for me,” he orders.

So he still remembers what I like. Interesting.

“Thank you for coming, Y/N. I'm sorry about..” Carlos starts.

“Let's not talk about it Carlos. I'm good, we're good. Things like that happen,” you interrupt. Carlos can tell that you're still upset about what he said but you want to move past it.

“We came here to Madrid because Cael has been asking for you. He badly wants to meet you.”

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner about our son because, well, things happened between us,” you say, lowering your gaze to the table.

“I understand, Y/N. Like you said, things happen,” Carlos replies.

“He knows you, Carlos. He knows what you do. He knows that you're his father. You just have to meet him,” you say, meeting his gaze and offering a small smile.

“Thank you, Y/N.”

The pastas arrive and you both start to eat.

“I'm so excited to finally introduce myself to him. But I'm also kinda nervous,” Carlos admits.

“You don't have to worry about it, Carlos. Your son really loves you,” you reassure him.

“Can you tell me about Cael? Like when he was born? What does he like? How is he?” Carlos asks shyly. He wants to get to know his son and catch up on the four years he's missed.

“Well, Cael was born on March 15. He's really cute, looks just like you,” you begin.

“So you're telling me I'm cute?” Carlos teases, interrupting you. You give him a stern look before continuing.

“Ugh, I hate your smile,” you say, rolling your eyes at him.

The audacity of this man, really.

“He loves cars, I think more than you do. He's also very smart and observant. Our son is very empathetic,” you continue.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you'll be amazed when you finally get to know him,” you assure him.

“How about you? How are you?” he asks.

“You have nothing to do with me, let's keep it that way,” you say, putting up an immediate barrier. You can only allow Carlos to be part of your son's life, but not yours. He caused too much damage in the past, and you won't allow further heartbreak.

I've had enough, Carlos.

After an hour or two, you and Carlos drive to your place. You're silent the whole time, thinking about how happy Cael will be to finally meet his father.

Before you can even get out of the car, Carlos takes a deep breath.

“Hey, look at me, Carlos. Don't worry, okay? Everything will be fine,” you say, absentmindedly cupping his face.

“Sorry,” you apologize, removing your hands from his face.

“It's okay,” Carlos says, amidst the awkwardness.

Once inside, you find Charles playing with Cael in the living room. Cael immediately runs to you when he sees you.

You enter first while Carlos waits outside for your signal.

“Hey, how was it?” Charles asks, referring to your meeting with Carlos.

“He's outside,” you mouth, while holding your son.

“Okay, my job is done. I'll go now, Y/n. You two take care.” Charles fist bumps with Cael before leaving. He sees Carlos standing at the door and wishes him luck.

“Cael, honey. Do you remember Uncle Chili?” Cael nods at you.

“You mentioned that he looks like Papa, right? Actually, he doesn't just look like Papa. He is Papa,” you explain.

“Really Mama? So Uncle Chili is my Papa?” Cael's face lights up. You nod and open the door.

“Hey bud,” Carlos greets Cael.

“PAPA!” Cael immediately runs to Carlos. Their embrace is warm and heartfelt, much like the first time they met.

“Thank you,” Carlos mouths to you in between their hugs and tears of joy begin to fall from his eyes.

AN: Here's the next part guys. Carlos finally met Cael, for real this time. Let me know your reactions hehe. Comment down if you want to be added to the taglist. I hope you like it. Thank youuu!

TAGLIST:

@seasonswinter @charizznorizz @itsjustkhaos @celesteablack @timmychalametsstuff @viennakarma @i-love-ptv @evie-119 @somepeoplemaybe @amberpanda99 @gotthatname @karlossainz @khaylin27 @hc-dutch @avengers-assemble123456 @likedbygaslyy @xoscar03 @yukiotadako @barcelonaloverf1life @heyheyheyggg @sunny44 @mxdi0 @casperlikej @ironmaiden1313 @biitch-with-wifi @elia-the-bibliophile @nataliazzzz @bernelflo @lillunna @loloekie @jinimon-tr @glai1023-blog @not-nyasa @jolixtreesunn @changetyre @thatsusbitch @distancedss @miarabanana @voidsfics @jasminesacademia @glow-ish @ccallistata @carpediem241108 @thearchieves @kenzeyeballs @formula1simp @dessxoxsworld @hoeforsirius @norwayxo

next part

#f1 x reader #f1 x you #formula 1 x reader #formula one x you #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz x y/n #carlos sainz x you #carlos sainz #afterfiveyears #f1 imagines

[folskydope]

there ain’t no way bro. i think moon knight inadvertently caused me to uncover my family history

#the order of events that led up to this was: #1. I google Oscar Issac’s full name because I saw he signed something as Oscar Hernandez. #2. I wonder why a lot of hispanic people have several names. #3. I do some research #4. I fall down a hole reading about middle names #5. I ask my dad why I don’t have a middle name #6. He says I can give myself one; if I choose from one of my grandparents’ names #7. Until this point I only knew them as grandpa and grandma; I embarrassingly did not know any of their names #8. I look up their records in our icloud library #9. I notice they both have 5 names each and all of them are distinctly spanish #pedro. jovito. jose. rita. maria. #10. I am incredibly confused because we’re INDIAN #and I’ve never considered myself in any proximinity to spanish-ness #11. I find out my dad’s middle name is Manuel. #12. my bitch ass didn’t realise my own last name was also hispanic #13. apparently they were conversos #so. in short. #me watching moon knight: this is cool! hispanic and jewish rep. I can’t relate but it’s nice to see it :) #[ends up discovering something about my heritage and realising my paternal relatives are literally that] #this was really interesting to me but I just find it funny how marvel of all things led to this #edit: my dad’s first name is cesar I am so fucking dumb #how did I never question that

[permanentswaps]

Grindr Swap With A Twink

Read Part 1 from @ghostinthedude here.

Lets just say that college was a LOT of fun. Sure, on the outside I looked like an immature pretty boy with nothing going through his head. But on the inside, I was a self-possessed adult, who knew exactly what he wanted.

From them moment I set foot on campus, I was inundated with attention from upperclassmen guys – and even some of the younger professors – who were eager to get to get me into their beds. I won’t go too much into the details, but I definitely got around that year.

Eventually, I hit my growth spurt. Better late than never I guess. And over the course of sophomore year I had packed on about 20 lbs of muscle, grew a solid 6 inches, and got a haircut. By junior year, I was no longer a slutty bottom twink being plowed by every closeted senior on the football team, I was a sexy vers twunk making my way through the swim roster.  

All the while, I was acing all my classes, leading me to graduate Summa Cum Laude and get a job in investment banking for next year. I knew its going to be a hard path, but it made my parents so proud and it will set me up financially for the rest of my career. This week, I just moved into a brand new apartment by myself in Boston’s Back Bay. I’m due to start work in a few weeks, but I wanted to get settled in, explore the city, make some friends, and maybe even build up a roster (I’m not gonna have a ton of time to meet guys once work starts up).

---

That’s why tonight, I found myself scrolling through Grindr. Here's my profile pics btw:

There’s quite a selection to choose from. Hmmm, the international guys from Harvard seem kinda hot, but I bet they’re super full of themselves. What about a true Boston native, there’s something weirdly sexy about their accents.

I kept scrolling until one guy caught my eye, making my stomach flip. It was my old body, he had tapped my profile. That's weird, I thought he would still be in Cincinnati. But anyway, his profile is kinda super hot:

"Hey, what's up," I messaged.

"Hey cutie, how's it going?" he replied.

"Alright alright, just moved to town, looking for some fun," I joked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Hahaha, I love some fun," he replied, his enthusiasm evident even through text. "Top or bttm?"

"Vers ;)" I replied.

"I can work with that," he replied eagerly. "So, what's your name?"

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "You really don't know?"

"No, why would I, cutie?" he responded.

"I just figured you'd remember your own face after all these years," I teased, adding, "Although I guess it's not your face anymore."

"OMG.”

I quickly sent him my location, to which he responded almost immediately, “Be there in 20.”

---

"Shit," he said as he walked through the door, looking around wide eyed. "This place is super nice."

"Yeah, I mean, it's not totally furnished yet, but it's pretty nice," I replied, trying to downplay it a bit.

"How did you afford it? I know my parents don’t exactly have deep pockets," he asked, genuine curiosity in his tone.

"Yeah, actually," I began, feeling a pang of sympathy for my former self, "I got such good grades freshman year that I actually got a scholarship for the rest of college. And now..."

My old body's expression shifted, a hint of sadness creeping in.

“And now, I’ll be making 110k starting with no loans. So yeah mom and dad didn’t really need to give me anything.” I said, feeling a bit odd that he still referred to them as his parents. “And how about you," I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. "Where are you living these days?"

"Oh, I have a shared flat in Dorchester," he replied. "It's nothing special, but it's all I can afford on a bartender's salary."

"You moved all the way out here for a bartending gig?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said with a shrug. "I didn't really have a choice. I got fired from my last job for showing up late too many times and kinda got blacklisted from all the good bars in Cincinnati. But a buddy who had moved out here set me up with a new gig. It's okay, I guess."

"But anyway," he said, changing the subject, "look at you, you've done really well for yourself."

I couldn't help but smirk as I ran my hand down my toned abs. He wasn't wrong.

"And you," I said, diverting the attention away from myself, "you must still be pulling in all the hot twinks with that bod."

"Hahaha, yeah," he replied, his confidence shining through. "Although none of them are as sexy as you are."

His compliment caught me off guard, but I couldn't help but be drawn in as he pulled me in for a kiss. The chemistry between us was undeniable as we quickly made our way to the bedroom, shedding our clothes with eager anticipation.

He climbed on top of me, his lips finding their way to my eager member. I couldn't help but marvel at how he still remembered all the right moves. Within minutes, he had me on the edge, his skilled hands finding their way to my sensitive nipples, pushing me to climax.

With a satisfied grin, he eagerly swallowed every last drop of my load. Luckily for him, I had a rapid recharge time, and I was ready to go for round two within minutes.

As he whipped out his beer can thick cock, memories flooded back. I remembered that thing—it was definitely fun to top twinks, or twunks like myself, back in the day.

In doggy, he hugged my body tightly, in a way that felt almost nostalgic. It was almost like he was reminiscing about living in this body, even though it didn’t look anything like this when he last had it.

Then, with surprising finesse, he flipped me over into missionary, his eyes locking with mine as our bodies moved in sync.

In a half-whisper, he asked me a question that caught me off guard: "Can we swap back?"

Just then, it dawned on me. To swap back, we both needed to swallow each other’s cum. Panic surged through me. He had already swallowed mine. Shit.

Still thrusting into me, he paused, his eyes searching mine with a mix of desperation and longing. "No, you don’t understand," he pleaded. "This could’ve been my life."

Struggling to fight him through the ecstasy I was feeling from his cock plunging into me, I shook my head. "No, it wouldn’t be," I gasped out between breaths. "You'd never work hard enough for this."

I looked up and saw a look come across his face that I’d know anywhere. He was about to cum. I couldn't let him pull out and risk the chance of him trying to shoot his load all over my face.

Quickly, I pushed him backwards and positioned myself on top of him, impaling myself on his throbbing cock in cowboy. He looked up at me, a mixture of bliss and regret evident in his expression as his load erupted.

Relieved but seething with anger, I stepped off the bed and quickly grabbed his pants, tossing them at him with a firm command. "Get out," I said, my voice carrying an edge of finality. "And don't contact me again."

He silently complied, skulking towards the door where he saw himself out. Locking it behind him, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Returning to the bedroom mirror, I faced my reflection with a newfound clarity. Taking a good, hard look at myself, I uttered the words that had been swirling in my mind.

"I am Devin Connors," I declared, the weight of the statement settling over me. "And I deserve everything that I’ve worked for."

Really happy with how this one turned out. Let me know if you have any suggestions for which story I should finish next.

[restinslices]

Ahhhh after some thought I’ll choose the earthrealm men with a lovey dovey s/o 👉🏻👈🏻

back to requests a mere 6 days after saying I was gonna take a break. Was that post a little unnecessary? Yes, but I didn’t want anyone to get mad at me for not posting everyday and not getting to requests immediately. ANYWAY, back like the flu.

Johnny Cage

Johnny “Loves Attention” Cage is having the best time 

Do y'all remember how much of a cornball this man was in the game? He has no shame 

So a significant other who also has no shame? He's getting on one knee as soon as possible 

He tries to out cornball you 

He loves it all. The stupid nicknames, the cuddling, the gifts, the giggling, all the adoration, he's just in love

Definitely returns the favor. If you buy him smth, he's buying you smth (let's ignore that debt), you give him a nickname so he gives you one. It goes on and on

All this lovey dovey shit might exhaust some people. Johnny is not some people. 

The nicknames are probably his favorite part. He makes the most atrocious nicknames up because you won't be upset 

Some real dumb shit like Oogy Boogy Sweetie Weetie Cutie Patootie Kissy Face- yeah all that shit is one nickname. Why? Because it's funny to him and you'll laugh 

The type to get y'all dumbass matching shirts 

“If found return to stupid” “I'm stupid” 

Those type of shirts 

Everyone hates you because it becomes a competition of who can be the most corny. It's tortuous for anyone near you 

Cannot express enough how much this man enjoys the attention you give him. If one day you decided to ignore him as a joke, he'd actually be so sad and notice immediately 

He just adores having a corny lovey dovey partner. The best thing to happen to him. 

Kenshi Takahashi 

He doesn't hate it but he definitely needs a breather sometimes 

Having a lovey dovey partner isn't terrible to him. All the touching and nicknames and being spoiled is definitely cute to him, but being lovey dovey also means you're on him a lot. Kenshi doesn't give me huge extrovert vibes so I think because you're so extreme(?) that there's times when he needs a break 

He thinks it's adorable though. He likes feeling wanted so he likes how outwardly you are with your love 

Idk if he likes all the nicknames though. I can see him easily cringing if you go overboard 

Idk how he'd feel about you spoiling him. He doesn't hate it but he feels like everytime you give him a gift, he has to give you one and he ain't got that shit on him. His own thoughts are running him dry 

When his social battery is recharged I think he'd like how physical and sweet you are

He enjoys how loved you make him feel. He's just not sure how to respond sometimes. I can see you saying something really corny and although he thinks it's cute, his brain doesn't move fast enough and he ends up just staring at you 

He rolls his eyes a lot too so it can give the appearance that he's annoyed by you but it's definitely not that 

You want some corny shit he'll definitely like? Matching jewelry. He'll eat it up like it's a cookie 

Also draw over his tattoos. He loves it 

Loves the corny shit his brain just legit shuts off sometimes 

Kung Lao

Like Johnny, he enjoys the attention 

Idk if he necessarily enjoys all the corny things. I don't get a strong feeling from him. Maybe it depends on the day 

Likes the attention and spoiling but all the corny nicknames and shirts and just being a total sap makes him a little uncomfortable at times 

Once again, it depends on the day. Sometimes he's all for it and sometimes he's like “let's calm down for today”

Gets you a matching hat but without all the sharp shit because he doesn't trust you with sharp objects 

He's a mix of Johnny and Kenshi tbh

He refuses to wear those corny matching shirts. You'll have to kill him 

That applies to other things too

Those corny nicknames Johnny would make up? He'd prefer a beating from a serious Spiderman 

“Aw my Snookie Wookie-” “I'm gonna shoot myself right here right now. Please stop”

It's cute and he acknowledges that it's how you show love but certain things just ain't gonna work with him

Especially in public certain things just won't work with him because he has an ego and thinks certain things will make him look weird. It's giving insecure teen 

Don't doubt his love for you though. He loves his little sap. Just take it a bit slow 

At some point a switch would flip and he'd go from being embarrassed to thinking “wow, I'm so great my partner is willing to look silly in front of others!”

Now he feeds into your corny bullshit

A win is a win

Raiden

I fully believe him and Liu Kang are romantics, therefore he loves it 

He gets flustered easily so tons of affection makes his face go red and all that cute shit 

His brain also short circuits like Kenshi's. He's so bad at pretending he's not flustered 

“Are you blushing?” “...” “...” “...” “Raiden?” “Of course not”

Likes the consistent physical contact 

Spoiling him also makes him short circuit. He's trying to think of how to thank you but all that comes out is “oh!”

Adores you just as much as you adore him 

He likes gift giving. And idk mean just jewelry, I mean “you got me all these gifts so I'm gonna bring you a bunch of produce and hey, maybe we can cook later”

We saw him collecting cabbages like Cabbage Man from ATLA in the beginning of the game, he gotta still have the hook up

Loves receiving cheek kisses 

Man is so weak in the knees. Kung Lao can yell “STAND UP!” all he wants. That shit is not happening 

Play with his hair. Once again, weak in the knees 

He's having a great time. Sure he's easily embarrassed but it's not like “omg, you're being weird. Stop”. It's more of a “I love this but I feel like everyone's looking”

You two are super lovey dovey but not as obnoxious as you and Johnny. Johnny is like “you can't out corny me” and Raiden is just tryna vibe and love on you since you love on him 

All the embarrassment he feels is so worth it to him 

Liu Kang

A romantic so all that lovey dovey shit? Heaven to him 

Liu Kang has so much love to give and he's never allowed to share it because his life is ass in every timeline 

So a partner that adores him and shows him how much they adore him? Did the Elder Gods hand craft you for him?

He's honestly a mix of everyone. He wants to love you all the time like Johnny, he loves how much you love him like Kenshi, he loves how much you outwardly adore him like Kung Lao and he's a huge romantic that loves how much time you spend together like Raiden

He's so love deprived so he loves everything you wanna do 

Matching shirts, jewelry, socks, whatever the fuck? Absolutely. 

Spoiling him with random shit? He'll take it all

Telling him how much you love him all the time? Yes. 

Giving him the dumbest and corniest nicknames? He'll take that too 

He's also lovey dovey so the feeling is very much mutual 

Enjoys quality time so you wanting to be on his hip is very much welcomed 

You're a breath of fresh air since you're so kind and loving to him. Remember he has all the memories of the past timeline, then this timeline gets fucked up. He's used to constant smoke and destruction so someone being so nice and sweet to him and relaxing with him is heavenly to him

Doesn't matter how corny it is. It's all he wants 

Real quick, two things. Firstly I wanna make more MK1 intros so y’all should give me ideas. Secondly I think it would be fun if we as a unit made an MK1 oc. I’d make polls, you’d vote on certain things and then we use the same results but tinker it to our individual liking. For example maybe we know they’re Edenian but their gender is up to you. It’d be like a bunch of variants. A Multiverse of Madness if you will.

#mk1 #mk1 2023 #mortal kombat 1 #johnny cage #johnny cage mk1 #johnny cage x reader #johnny cage headcanons #kenshi takahashi #kenshi takashi x reader #kenshi takahashi mk1 #kung lao #kung lao x reader #kung lao headcanons #kung lao mk1 #raiden mk1 #raiden x reader #raiden headcanon #liu kang x reader #liu kang mk1 #liu kang #liu kang headcanon

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Protagonists Who Would Support the Villain...of Other Cosmere Planets

As requested by @asteroidfieldgame :)

Sure, in their own stories the villains are not well-liked by the majority of the cast. But if we took those villains and had them meet protagonists of other Cosmere novels...well, then it might be different, mightn't it?

[Here there be spoilers! I would skip any entry if you're not caught up on all the books for both characters involved!]

1. Moash: Supported by Kelsier

Kelsier: [holding Moash protectively ala that one meme with Kevin Hart] Kelsier: My boy Moash has LITERALLY never done anything wrong ever! Kelsier: Ooooh, did he kill his oppressors? Is he mean to poor helpless nobility? Did someone Rich experience a Consequence? Moash: (mumbling) I did try to drive my friend to suicide. Kelsier: Shh...baby boy, it's okay! Kelsier: I made my disciple advocate for old people to kill themselves with spikes to preserve their power! Kelsier: You're literally fine.

2. Odium: Supported by Harmony

Harmony: Listen, I'm not saying I agree with everything Odium does. Harmony: But making it so that you have a planet of mighty, battle-hardened residents to prepare for the coming Cosmere-wide conflict? Harmony: Sometimes I wonder if I should have done something more like that. Harmony: Instead of giving everyone an easy life and making giraffes because giraffes are neat. Odium: Have you considered...battle giraffes? Harmony: Please don't patronize me.

3. Hrathen: Supported by Ellista (that one Ardent who was really into romance novels)

Ellista: I am not immune to a handsome man in bloodred armor with a troubled past whose hard, mean exterior is slowly worn away through love. Ellista: A man who chooses love--unrequited love!--over his own god! Ellista: Problematic for an Ardent like me, but so, so compelling. Ellista: (sighs dreamily) Hrathen: ... Hrathen: Could I have someone else's support please?

4. Riina [from Tress]: Supported by Wayne

Wayne (counting off reasons on his fingers): One, if you're gonna be the sort to be giving out curses, giving out breakable curses makes you less of an unforgivable villain and more of a garden-variety dick. Wayne: Two, rats are cute. Makin' someone a rat is better 'n' making them a grub or something. Wayne: Three, and most importantly, her penis spaceship is hilarious. Riina: IT WAS NOT A PENIS SPACESHIP

5. The Lord Ruler: Supported by Dalinar

Dalinar: I suppose I am simply more aware than most that being a king is hard and can involve less-than-ideal-choices. Dalinar: And didn't he essentially become immortal while trying to cage an evil god and save his planet? I am literally setting myself up to maybe experience that as we speak. Dalinar: I know he took an entire population and made them slaves, but I did tell Jasnah not to free our slaves so, like... Dalinar: ... Dalinar: Maybe Wit was right. Maybe I AM a tyrant. Wit: You've never done an enforced breeding program with humans, though. That I know of. The Lord Ruler did that! Like, a lot! Dalinar: ... Dalinar: Wait I want to mitigate my support a little.

6. Taravangian: Supported by Shai

Shai: That Diagram of his...well, it's pure art, isn't it? Shai: I'm not immune to the appeal of incredibly complex and well-researched plans turned into an artistic representation so beautiful that it attracts worshippers. Taravangian: It's really more science than it is art, I'd say. Shai: Hilarious that you think those things are different.

7. Nale: Supported by Marasi

Marasi: He knows the law and follows the law. Marasi: Don't think it would ever occur to him that someone could be quote unquote "above" the law. Marasi: That makes him better than, like, quite a lot of my coworkers.

8. The Machine [from Yumi and the Nightmare Painter]: Supported by Vasher

Vasher: Obviously a soul-eating machine that nearly destroys a planet and turns people into nightmares is not ideal. Vasher: But it's not the machine's fault it was given an ill-considered Command. Vasher: Hey! Bald guy! Wanna gentle-parent the machine too? Szeth: Uh

9. Raboniel: Supported by Elend

Elend: Not for nothing am I chair of the Support Women's Wrongs fanclub. Elend: Nor can I fail to support a Woman in Science. Basic feminism. Elend: And although I know my bar is on floor, a parent who will do anything to save their child from eternal suffering gets me right here. (points to his heart)

10. Straff: Supported by...no one

Straff: ... Straff: ... Straff: OH COME ON

#cosmere #cosmerelists #Nale; Taravangian; and Straff entries suggested by requester! #Moash #Kelsier #Taravangian #Shai #Straff #elend #Raboniel #Nale #Marasi #Lord Ruler #Dalinar #Wayne #Riina #Ellista #Hrathen #Harmony #Odium

[just-aake]

Boundless Devotion - Part XII

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: MedievalAU. Natasha is the eldest princess of the Romanov Kingdom. As the time of her coronation approaches, she is suddenly forced to make a decision – either find herself a partner or her parents will choose one for her.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Warnings: slight fluff, angst, violence, blood, panic attack, death

Words: 6103

The prison looms ahead, enclosed by its imposing stone walls and large wooden gate at the front. The mid-afternoon sky has also darkened with the coming weather, and an unsettling tension fills the air as a light drizzle begins to fall. 

As the three of you approach the prison’s entrance, Natasha stops, hands on her hips, and surveys the area with a frown.

“Clint,” she addresses him calmly, but there’s a hint of exasperation in her tone. “Where are the kingdom’s guards?”

The retired knight, who was also searching for any familiar faces, shrugs when he finds no signs of activity on the outer walls either. 

“Maybe they’re taking shelter from the rain,” he suggests, though his tone didn’t sound convincing.

At that, Natasha rubs her head exasperatedly in an attempt to alleviate the small headache forming and the unease surrounding the situation.

She then turns to you with a resigned look, already knowing your response before she even asks.

“Any chance you changed your mind about going to the castle?” 

You raise your brow at her in disbelief and cross your arms, silently answering her question.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Natasha says with a small sigh, looking back at the entrance. “Stay close to me, then.”

Natasha leads the way through the gates into the outer courtyard, followed by you and then Clint guarding the rear.

Like the entrance, the usual patrol of guards in the courtyard is noticeably absent, creating an eerie silence and a still atmosphere.

Turning back to Clint with a raised brow, Natasha remarks pointedly, “Still think they’re hiding from the rain?”

“I didn’t believe myself either when I said it,” Clint admits with a sigh, preparing his bow for the obviously troubling situation.

Natasha rolls her eyes and shakes her head slightly in disbelief before turning to you in concern. 

“Maybe you should take my sword again, just in case,” she says, reaching for the weapon at her side.

You place your hand atop hers, stopping her and shaking your head as you decline. 

“We would probably be safer with it in your hands than mine,” you remark confidently and then give her a slight shrug. “Besides, I think I still need some more practice before I’ll be of any good.”

Natasha chuckles lightly at your words before giving you a teasing smile and nudging your shoulder playfully.

“Well, I’d say you fought pretty well in that last fight…the fierce look you had on your face was especially cute.”

Your face warms at the unexpected compliment, causing Natasha’s smile to widen at the sight of your reaction.

Before you could respond, a light awkward cough gets your attention as you turn to the other member of your group.

Clint holds out a dagger in offer to you.

“Here, Lady Y/n, you can have this.”

You pause in surprise at the gesture, hesitating, before Clint gives you a reassuring nod.

“I’m more of a bow and arrow guy,” he says, raising the weapon in his hand confidently.

“Thank you,” you say appreciatively, accepting the knife and securing it at your side. 

He gives you an acknowledging nod before continuing.

“Once this situation is settled, I can make you a sword of your own if you’d like,” Clint offers. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” you begin to say, but he waves away your refusal. 

“It’s no bother. Besides, you can consider it an early wedding gift, you know, whenever the princess here decides to find the courage to propose,” he teases, giving Natasha a pointed look, gesturing with his head meaningfully towards you.

“Clint,” Natasha says in a warning tone. 

She may be used to Clint's usual teasing about marriage, but she doesn’t want you to feel pressured or embarrassed by the sudden topic.

Laughing lightly at her reaction, you place a reassuring touch on her shoulder and give Clint a firm nod, answering. 

“In that case, I’d love that.”

At your response, Natasha snaps her attention to you in question, taking your hand gently from her shoulder into hers and tilting her head curiously. 

“Wait, which part are you referring to? The sword or…,” she pauses at the thought of the other option, her thumb unconsciously tracing the empty space on your hand.

“…me proposing?” 

In response, you hum as if in contemplation for a brief moment before leaning in slightly closer to her.

“I guess we’ll find out whenever you decide to take the next step,” you challenge with a small teasing smirk.

Natasha huffs lightly in disbelief and amusement at the reminder that you are still waiting for her to give in first.

The thing is she would readily give in right now and tell you how much you mean to her, but with you so close, she can’t seem to concentrate enough to find the right words.

Instead, she feels herself getting lost in the moment with you, caught in your expectant gaze and the thought of you being by her side, not just as her friend but also as her partner. 

When your lips part slightly with a small exhale against hers, Natasha’s eyes dart down at the movement, wanting nothing more than to save the words for another time and just pull you in close so that she can finally lean in to kis—

An awkward low whistle breaks Natasha’s train of thought and the intense stare between the two of you, also causing you to pull away, much to her displeasure.

“Now I understand what Kate meant about being the third wheel around the two of you,” Clint remarks playfully.

Remembering that you two are not alone, Natasha clears her throat and refocuses on the current situation at hand, deciding the sooner this is resolved the sooner the two of you can have a chance to talk about your future. 

Hopefully without any more interruptions.

“So, what do you think happened to all of the guards?” she asks for your thoughts.

You think about possible reasons for their absence before recalling Natasha’s schedule for the day.

“The security meeting for your coronation is starting soon,” you remind her. “What if they went to the castle for that?”

“Maybe, but there should still be at least a couple of them left behind…And there’s another pressing issue,” Natasha states with a deepening frown.

Clint nods in agreement to her concern, also frowning with caution, before stating aloud.

“If the guards are gone, what about the prisoners?”

Leading the way to the cell blocks, Natasha and your group enter through the doorway into the dimly lit corridor. She gets the answer soon enough as her eyes dart from one empty cell to another.

As you all continue to descend the steps deeper into the prison’s depths, leading to the dungeons reserved for the most dangerous of criminals, she eventually reaches a cell that isn’t empty.

The dim light from the torches on the stone walls flickers, casting dancing shadows on the ground, and in the far corner of the cell sits a lone figure who slowly looks up as your group approaches.

“It’s you,” Barnes’ gravely voice breaks the eerie silence of the prison.

His focus is solely on you, ignoring the other two in your company.

Noticing his gaze, Natasha moves slightly in front of you, her arm outstretched protectively as she watches the old captain cautiously. 

He shifts his attention to her at the action.

The slight widening of his eyes is the only indication that he recognizes who she is. He then observes her alert stance and looks between the two of you curiously before an understanding crosses his expression.

“Relax, Your Highness,” Barnes addresses Natasha, raising his hand to show the metal cuffs and chains on his wrist.

“I'm not going to do anything to you…”

He then looks at you solemnly, continuing, “…or her.”

To her slight surprise, Natasha finds that she believes him, sensing the sincerity in his words, though she still doesn’t move from her position as she recalls your words of your earlier encounter with him.

Deciding to confront him about it, Natasha begins to ask, “If that’s true, then why did you attempt to take Y/n—”

The sudden touch of your hand on her arm stops her, and she turns to cast a questioning glance at you before noticing your eyes glance over hesitantly at the other member of your group, who has been silently observing the interaction.

Understanding your apprehensive expression, Natasha addresses him with a meaningful tone.

“Clint, could you check the guard’s quarters for any clues of where they might’ve gone?”

After a firm look from Natasha, Clint casts one last curious glance at the man in the cell before he eventually nods in acknowledgment of her words and heads back up the steps. 

“Y/n…,” Barnes repeats to himself and then focuses on you again with an almost sad expression. “So, that’s your name.”

Natasha turns her attention back to him, but before she can respond, you give her arm a small squeeze in appreciation before stepping forward yourself.

You give him a single nod in acknowledgment, replying. 

“It is, and you’re Captain—um—Sir Barnes…?” you end unsurely at the correct way to address him.

He chuckles half-heartedly under his breath, commenting.

“You can just call me Bucky. It’s not like I have any title or status anymore after all.”

You pause as you take in his appearance, now noticing newly formed bruises and dried blood on his face. He looked worse than when you saw him earlier, causing you to frown at the idea that he was beaten after his encounter with you.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them from taking you away,” you apologize for your inaction at that time.

“No, you did the right thing,” Bucky says firmly before giving you a serious expression. “Dreykov is not someone you should cross.” 

You remember their interaction with each other earlier, especially Bucky’s intense hatred and anger at the appearance of your father.

“Is that what happened between the two of you in the past?” you ask curiously, “You crossed my father—?”

“He’s not your father!” he shouts angrily, his fist slamming against the metal bars of the cell. The rattle of the chains and the impact echo in the corridor before fading back to a tense quiet.

Natasha had immediately pulled you back to her side at his action, but as she processed his words, her eyes widened in confusion, turning to look at you.

Your expression is not as surprised at his outburst as she is, your brows just pinched in thought as if trying to solve a mystery.

After a moment of silence, you finally continue.

“You said the same thing earlier. Back at the manor,” you pause, your hand clench and unclench nervously, unsure if you want to pursue the answer to the question that’s been on your mind since the first time he said those words to you. 

A warmth envelopes your hand as Natasha intertwine hers with yours gently. You turn to see her giving you a reassuring expression.

Taking a deep breath and tightening your grip on her hand for support, you ask the question.

“What do you mean, Dreykov is not my father?”

“He’s not,” he asserts firmly.

“But how do you know?” you argue, “We’ve never met before until just recently. And the only thing you’ve told me is that I resemble some woman who you say is my actual mother.”

Natasha raises her brow at that information and gives Bucky an incredulous look before speaking up.

“You’re basing this on the fact that she looks similar to someone else that you knew. That’s not exactly proof of anything,” she points out.

Bucky lets out a rueful chuckle, before replying confidently, “I trained and served in the Stark Guard for almost all of my life. I’m sure I can recognize a member of their family.”

There’s a tense silence at his implication.

“Y-you can’t possibly be suggesting—,” you scoff in disbelief.

“You are not Dreykov’s daughter,” he interrupts firmly, looking at you with a serious expression before continuing without a single doubt.

“Lady Y/n, you belong to King Howard and Queen Maria — the princess of the Stark kingdom.”

Your hand falls limp in hers, almost slipping away from her grasp, as many conflicting emotions cross your face.

Natasha tightens her grip in an attempt to get your attention, but you remain unresponsive and silent, lost to your thoughts.

Natasha gives one more concerned glance at you before confronting the old captain.

“The Stark princess was killed after the war ended, along with the king and queen.”

Bucky lets out a wry chuckle, turning his attention to her, “And between you and me, who was actually there at the incident, Your Highness?”

Natasha frowns at his point.

Seeing her doubtful expression, he continues.

“If you don’t want to believe my word that the princess was still alive at that time, you can go ask your captain, seeing how he was the one to stop me before I could harm her.”

“Steve was there?” Natasha asks in surprise.

Bucky nods firmly before continuing, “And some people from the shadows appeared shortly after too. They took the baby princess and set fire to the carriage as Steve was fighting with me. When I finally did regain my senses, I was never able to track her down.”

He slams his fist against the ground in anger at the memory.

“It was just supposed to be a simple trip back to our kingdom. I didn’t expect—” he hung his head regretfully, “I couldn’t do anything to stop myself.”

You recognize the feeling of guilt, his words and expression snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Because you were controlled, right?” you finally find your voice, deciding to focus on your other suspicion that you had wanted to ask him.

His eyes widen slightly in surprise at you. 

Meanwhile, next to you, Natasha tries to catch your gaze to check on you, but you avoid her eyes.

You don’t want to think about the topic of your possible identity any further. You’d rather focus on something familiar—something you know is true—the subject you’ve been researching these past months. 

“Back at the manor, you blamed my fa—” you pause, closing your eyes briefly to push away the thought before continuing, “You said it was his fault for what happened to you...” 

You look at him with a sure expression. “...which means you know about the Black Widow operations too, don’t you?”

He examines you with an impressed look, nodding his head in confirmation.

“Not many people are supposed to know about that,” he says, giving you an appraising look. “You’re resourceful, reminds me a little bit like your older brother.”

Feeling frustrated at the repeated reminder that your entire life may have been a lie, you step forward in anger, your hand slipping from Natasha’s grip.

“Stop saying that! I’m…I’m not—” 

A manic laughter from a cell at the far end of the dungeon’s corridor interrupts your denial. 

Turning to the source of the sound, you see a figure emerge from the shadows, approaching the door of his cell.

Gripping the bars tightly, he presses his face against them to look over at you. 

You recognize him as the man from the cemetery who attacked you and Natasha. He is still cackling maniacally as he observes you.

“Ha…I knew I didn’t fail! I made sure that bastard’s wife and child burned to death,” the man exclaims gleefully, his eyes seeming more crazed than before as he focuses on you.

“Now I understand why that woman was so intent to get you.”

His last words catch your attention, and you furrow your brow in confusion, moving to step closer to him to question him further about who he is referring to, but Natasha’s hand on your shoulder stops you.

Standing behind you, she leans in close to whisper urgently into your ear.

“Don’t listen to him, Y/n. Let’s just go. We can investigate all this further another time.”

You turn your head slightly toward the sound of her voice, comforting and warm—real.

As you go to agree with her, the man calls out to you again tauntingly.

“You’re like me. Just another one of Dreykov's tools, princess.” 

“Don’t call me that!” you exclaim, your mind reeling in sudden anger at the title.

You quickly make your way to the front of his cell, Natasha’s hand falling from your shoulder at your unexpected and swift movement.

“Wait, Y/n, stay back! Don’t get close to him,” Natasha calls out as she goes to follow you.

“We’ve got company!” Clint's alarmed voice sounds immediately afterward from above, causing Natasha to pause and look back.

With her momentarily distracted, the man pushes his cell door open violently, knocking into you and Natasha, causing her to stumble back away from you while he slams you against the wall nearby. 

Your head pounds at the impact, but through the pain, you hear a distinct click, and the wall behind you begins to turn as the man roughly pushes you through the opening.

You faintly hear Natasha’s voice calling your name in panic before the trap door closes shut. 

Reacting blindly, you quickly shove the man away, the force causing you to also fall to the ground as you try to regain your senses.

Pulling yourself to your knees, you cough at the kicked-up dust around you, and your vision clears slightly, though the torches on the walls don’t provide much light in the strange new area.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise. It's been a while, hasn’t it, my dear?”

Your body freezes at the voice, eyes widening as you swallow nervously. You keep your gaze on the ground, as a familiar shadow appears in front of you.

“Now, don’t tell me you forgot all of my lessons already,” the voice chastises.

When you don’t move, the person makes a sound of disapproval before firmly ordering, “Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Y/n.”

You flinch at the harsh tone, and slowly, you raise your head to look at the figure standing before you.

“There, that’s better,” Madam B says with a satisfied expression on her face before continuing. “What’s the matter, no greeting for your dear governess?”

“You shouldn’t be here,” you manage to mutter.

She makes a show of looking at the surroundings before tilting her head mockingly at you. 

“No? Well, I did help your father create this place during the war, so there’s that.” 

She claps her hand once, the harsh sound causing you to flinch unconsciously. 

“Oh! Or did you mean how I’m supposed to be in exile for taking responsibility for the actions you committed?”

Widening your eyes at her words, you begin to defend yourself, “I—I didn’t—” 

“You poisoned the princess, didn’t you?” she cuts you off with an accusing glint in her eyes, daring you to deny the claim.

You look away at the familiar feeling of guilt forming in you, and you see your hand trembling slightly.

You clench your hands in an attempt to stop the movement, trying to remember Natasha’s comforting words from before, though it is difficult to think of anything comforting with the presence of the person in front of you. 

Wanting to change the subject, you decide to ask instead, “Where am I?”

“I’m sure you can figure it out. After all, you’ve put so much effort into learning about it,” Madam B says mockingly.

Her hand harshly grabs your face to bring your eyes back up to her as she gives you a sinister smirk.

“Welcome to the Red Room, Y/n.” 

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

You are in a state of shock as you survey the area you’ve been researching for the past months.

Stone walls enclose the room on all sides, revealing no windows or exits. Shackles and chains adorn one wall with dark stains of dried blood coating the stones and ground.

In the corner, a small desk displays meticulously organized tools and papers.

A sudden movement behind you catches your attention, resembling someone stumbling upright.

“There! I did what you asked. I bought you the girl. Now it’s your turn to fulfill your part of the deal,” the man exclaims.

Madam B’s expression turns downward at the reminder of his presence, her eyes rolling as she lets go of your face and stands up to face him.

“You think you still deserve anything from me after how you failed the first time?”

“That wasn’t my fault!”

He clutches his head with a frantic expression.

“When I heard that she was Dreykov’s daughter, my mind just went crazy. The voices, the commands, past, present, everything kept mixing together.” 

He points at her accusingly, shouting in a desperate plea, “You said you would fix me if I got her to you!”

Your eyes widen in realization that he was also trying to find a cure like you, and you turn your attention to the person who he believes has it.

Madam B stares at him with a bored expression for a moment, before straightening with a sudden thought. Her expression shifts into a familiar neutral look that makes you feel uneasy.

“You’re right. A deal’s a deal,” she says in a seemingly genuine tone.

From one of her pockets, she retrieves a small vial and offers it to him.

“This should make those voices stop and clear out any commands stuck in your mind.”

He takes it from her quickly, and suddenly, you recognize the vial in his hands.

“Wait, don’t!” you exclaim, but it is too late.

He has already downed the entire contents of the vial. 

You slump defeatedly and watch with wide eyes as he begins to cough uncontrollably, falling to his knees as blood pours from his mouth. 

Madam B moves to stand over him with an indifferent expression as he coughs and groans.

“You really should’ve just left with the others when that lord came for them,” she chastises, shaking her head.

You furrow your brows in suspicion at her words, trying to figure out what she meant.

Someone else came by earlier? 

You are brought out from your thoughts when the man cries out painfully.

Looking back toward him, you see that Madam B is now pressing the heel of her shoe against his body. She tilts her head casually, observing his reactions before commenting.

“The pain is mostly in the beginning,” she states casually as if she was just reading from one of her lecture notes. “In a few minutes, you should feel your body weaken as your organs slow, one by one, until eventually…everything stops.”

He groans and glares at her, "Lying, vile wench..."

She sneers at him, pressing down harder, “You wanted those voices to disappear? Then this is the cure that I can give to you.”

Once he begins to convulse, she removes herself from him with a satisfied expression, deciding to leave him to his impending end, and turns her attention back to you, giving you a pointed look.

“Take note, Y/n. That is the proper way to administer the full dosage of a poison,” she lectures.

Stunned, you are unable to respond.

She observes the horror on your face and then comes closer, bending down to eye level with you.

“Don’t feel bad for him, dear. He was a failure from the start, one of the first few subjects of the Black Widow operations,” she clicks her tongue in disappointment.

“Not surprising — failures are to be expected when one experiments on the complex minds of people.” 

Madam B continues, her hand reaching out to touch your face.

“No, unlike him and those other disappointments, you are my perfect subject.” 

Pulling yourself together, you smack her hand away and scramble back to your feet before pulling out the dagger at your side and pointing it at her in a warning.

“Don’t call me that! I’m not yours,” you exclaim.

“Oh, Y/n,” she says sympathetically, but you can detect the insincerity in her tone. “You've always been mine — mine to raise, to teach, to experiment...to control.”

As she straightens, she casually waves her hand in the air as she explains.

“You see, we couldn't use the original method on you since the scars and wounds from the torture would raise suspicion, especially after you befriended the ever-observant princess.”

You glance at the man curled up on the ground, still trembling in pain, and see the multiple faded scars on his exposed skin as she described.

“Then there’s that disgraceful conditioning method that I had to create for that arrogant lord,” she scoffs derisively, shaking her head. "Of course, I wasn't going to give him complete control, just something temporary. A quick shortcut method for larger batches of subjects to be controlled in a short period of time."

Your brows furrow at the mention of this other lord again, but then you realize what she means by temporary control.

"Oksana's attack in the tournament," you say, "...that was you."

Madam B tuts in denial at you, waving her finger in reprimand.

"I just provided the resources, my dear. Whatever happens afterward is not my concern.”

She waves her hand dismissively.

“No, none of that compares to the years I dedicated to you — molding you into my perfect little spy.”

Her words cause you to deepen your frown and swallow nervously as you argue, “I haven’t done anything like that for you.”

"Oh?” Madam B says, raising an amused brow.

“Then explain how I knew about you researching the Black Widow operations and the Red Room despite not being near you this past year,” she challenges.

You hesitate, your confidence wavering as you try to come up with an explanation. 

Madam B seems to notice your uncertainty, a knowing smirk appearing on her face. 

Her hands cross behind her back, in the same manner that she always does before beginning any of her lessons with you. She begins to walk towards you slowly, unbothered by the weapon you have pointed at her, as she continues. 

“That’s right, Y/n. Whether you remember or not, you’ve always given me any information that I requested and then some.”

As she moves closer to you with each step, you find yourself also stepping back to maintain your distance while she continues to speak.

“I know all about your search for a cure. Your interactions with the royal family. Your little charade with the princess. Oh, and my favorite…” 

She stops and gives you a menacing grin.

“...how is that magical servant of yours faring these days?”

Your eyes widen in shock at her question, and you stumble, your back hitting the cold stone wall.

The hand holding the dagger lowers slightly in disbelief. 

Taking a moment to take in the fear on your face, Madam B grins with satisfaction before waving her hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry. Her true nature and your correspondence with me with me are my secrets alone. Your father is not aware of anything I don’t want him to know.”

Her words provide a slight relief, knowing that Dreykov does not know about Wanda.

However, the mention of him leaves an uncomfortable feeling in your chest, reminding you of the unsettling revelation from earlier.

“He’s not my father,” you find yourself muttering unconsciously under your breath.

At that, her eyes glint in interest, and she gives you a slow and deliberate clap.

“Clever girl, now when did you learn about that?” she asks with intrigue. 

Her nonchalant response to your revelation fills you with dread about the validity of the information when you realize she is not fazed or surprised at all. 

The uncomfortable feeling in your chest intensifies, and you've never wished for Natasha's comforting presence more than now.

Unconsciously, your eyes glance at the opposite wall where Natasha and the others are located.

Madam B follows your gaze and then makes a sound of understanding, assuming you were answering her previous question.

“I see…that old captain is resilient; I give him that. I was sure he would be unconscious for much longer after I had finished with him.”

Horrified by her words, you recall the new injuries on Bucky. 

“You’re the one who did that to him?” you ask.

Madam B makes a bored sound, rolling her eyes, “Don't concern yourself over him. He's just another brute soldier in Dreykov’s collection. You, however, are much more interesting — my proudest creation.”

Disgust crosses your face at the possessiveness of her words, but then again, you would rather have her focus remain on you than harm anyone else in your life.

If she truly knows every secret of yours, then you and the twins are not as safe as you previously thought.

“If you’re just interested in me, then leave the twins out of it. They are not a part of any of this,” you reason, raising the dagger threateningly at her.

Madam B scoffs, letting out a mocking laugh. 

“Please, the most that the boy is useful for is running simple errands.” 

Your glare intensifies at her dismissal of Pietro, but she brushes it off. 

“As for the actual special one, as much as I would love to pick apart that girl’s mind, she can’t be a part of the operations,” she reveals.

Furrowing your brows at the information, Madam B sees your questioning expression and continues lecturing haughtily while she returns to making her way closer to your position.

“People with innate magical abilities tend to be…” she pauses and frowns as if remembering an unpleasant thought. “...stubborn. Some sort of strong mental barrier that protects their mind. There are even a rare few stronger ones who can affect the minds of others.”

You adjust your grip on the handle of the dagger nervously, recalling Wanda using her powers against the guard’s mind earlier.

But that was the first time you ever witnessed her use her powers in such a way, which means Madam B doesn’t know the extent of her abilities yet. 

Distracted by your thoughts, you're surprised to find Madam B now standing in front of you, the weapon in your hand still positioned between the two of you.

“Nevertheless, weak or strong, having a sorcerer by your side is always useful. And if I can’t control her,” she reaches out toward your face possessively, “then I might as well control the person who she will follow.” 

You take in a shaky breath through your clenched teeth.

For some reason, the air in the room seems to be getting heavier, and your body and mind slowly feel more sluggish.

“It’s not going to work,” you manage to mutter out, each word taking much of your strength to say.

“You failed the last time you tried to control my actions.”

“Did I?” she asks mockingly.

You don't respond, finding it difficult to open your mouth against the heavy air.

Madam B raises her finger to her chin as if in thought at the memory.

“That was the first time I attempted to extend my control beyond having you collect information. Dreykov didn’t believe that aspect of control would work for you, but I knew you would follow my command.”

She gives a nonchalant shrug, “And you did, albeit half-heartedly. Unfortunately, that cunning action of yours that saved the princess led Dreykov to force me to take the fall as punishment for attempting it without his permission.”

She then focuses on you with a thought, examining you with interest.

“Perhaps, telling you to poison the princess was not specific enough. I wonder…if I tell you to stab her in the heart, would she survive then?”

Her words send a jolt of fear through your body.

Glancing down at the dagger in your hand, you see that the tip of the blade is positioned at her heart.

If you just force your hand forward, you can stop this—stop her—from making you do such a thing to Natasha.

“You’re not going to do it,” Madam B states confidently, easily reading your thoughts.

“Despite all my attempts, you don’t have it in you to kill anyone. That’s why you need me. To help you do the things you can never bring yourself to do.”

You shake your head slightly, but you know she’s right. Whether from your own hesitance or the heavy air, you can’t seem to move your hand at all. 

“Now, shall we try to kill the princess properly this time?” she asked with a menacing smirk, placing her hands on your shoulders tightly.

“Kill her and become my perfect subject, Y/n.”

“Don’t,” the pleading whisper falls out of your lips, even as you begin to feel a fogginess and harsh ringing begin to pierce your mind. 

“Remember what I’ve taught you, Y/n. About loyalty, compliance, and devo—”

A sharp gasp escapes from Madam B's lips, interrupting her.

Your eyes had shut closed from the pain in your mind, but slowly, it began to fade.

You shake your head, attempting to clear your senses, but Madam B's voice seems to echo in your clouded mind, even though you don't actually hear her anymore.

When you finally open your eyes again, the first thing you notice is something wet and red on your hands.

Is that…

You turn your hand slowly as you examine them.

…Blood?

You recoil back against the wall in shock and realization. Panicked, you look up from your hands and take in your surroundings.

You are still in the Red Room. 

Looking around, a silent gasp escapes your lips when you spot Madam B’s body lying on the ground in front of you, a small pool of blood forming under her, and the bloodied dagger at your feet.

You try to remember if your hand had reacted and moved during the process, but the only thing that fills your mind is the feeling of being frozen and the fogginess as whisperings of Madam B's voice linger repeatedly in the back of your mind. 

A painful cough catches your attention, and you look toward the sound, only now noticing the man from before lying a short distance from Madam B’s body.

From his position, you realize he must have gathered enough remaining strength to sneak behind Madam B and push her into the dagger.

His eyes are half-lidded and tired as he stares at you, a small smirk on his bloody lips. 

“There…now the voice will stop…for both of us…” he ends with a soft exhale as his eyes finally close shut.  

The quiet and stillness of the air in the room is suddenly disrupted by the sound of labored breathing.

Your still-cloudy mind searches your surroundings for the source when you realize that it is coming from you.

Each breath you take feels more suffocating than the last. 

Realizing you are in a state of panic, you instinctively bring your hand to your chest in an attempt to soothe your rapid heartbeat, but the sight of the blood on your hand causes you to freeze instead. 

I did this

As you look at the bodies at your feet, the terrifying thought and guilty feelings returns to your mind, repeating as if in reprimand.

The sound of a click interrupts your spiral, causing you to look up as the trap door opens again.

In the next moment, Natasha comes rushing in, calling your name.

Her voice is muffled against your ears, but the sight of her brings you a tiny feeling of relief in your mind. 

You open your mouth to call for her when Madam B’s voice suddenly appears in your mind.

If I tell you to stab her in the heart, would she survive then?

You freeze in fear, and her name gets stuck in your throat.

Natasha spots you near the far wall and begins to swiftly make her way over to you, causing your eyes to widen in panic. 

You quickly raise your hand out in a stopping gesture at her, panicked words falling from your lips.

“Stay away from me!” 

Natasha stops in her tracks, halfway across the room from you, and a flash of hurt crosses her face at your words.

Through the slight pounding in your head, you feel your heart break at her expression, but still, you make yourself take a step back away from her, pressing further against the wall behind you to increase the distance between the two of you.

Your voice shakes fearfully as you repeat your words to her. 

“Just…stay away…”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Series Masterlist : Boundless Devotion

a/n: Thank you for reading! Sorry about the long break, but hopefully, the next one should not take too long to complete.

Taglist: @lightwhoranoutoflight, @taliiiaasteria, @romanoffprentiss, @canvascoloredin,  @silentwolfsstuff, @blacklightsposts, @arcturusseer, @presser24, @dvrkhcld, @jujuu23, @screechcat, @vivs46, @cd-4848, @youneversawmehereooooooo, @pancakefan7529, @confusedspaceotter, @natbelovasblog, @izzy-b09, @iamheartless, @mrsrushman, @fxckmiup, @natty-taffy, @2silverchain, @traveler-at-heart, @autorasexy, @natsxwife, @mviswidow, @slut4johansson, @automaticdinosaurtaco 

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha romanoff x you #black widow x reader #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff

[sunlit-haruka]

Ranking all of the Milgram Birthday Outfits on a scale of 1/10 because it's 3AM over here and I have to do school things at 6 (Inspired by this video) ↓

Already off to an incredibly strong start, because as we know, Haruka is perfect and can do no wrong. Dog? Little sister? Who's that? Sounds like a myth honesty. Alright, jokes and Haruka bias aside, very nice ! Relatively plain all things considered, but that's quite fitting for Haruka (I mean, have you seen how this kid dresses normally? I'm somewhat surprised that he didn't go for a full white look. Wonder if Muu helped him out when choosing his pieces) I also love the color blue, so bonus points for that. (shut up I know I just said I would ignore biases) Overall, I give Haruka Sakurai a 8/10 !! Lookin' good, buddy ! ↓

Yuno looks so pretty and the outfit is SO cute !! I love the frilliness of the shirt, the pleated skirt is really cute and in general I love the shades of pink chosen for this outfit, and those SHOEEEES girl where did you get those give me name and address. I honestly have no complaints at all I give Yuno Kashiki a 10/10 !! Absolutely gorgeous girl !! (Also it's unfortunate we're only ranking the outfits and not the cakes, because the decision to give Yuno a fucking staircase cake was genius) ↓

...Mannn, I wish I could say I liked this outfit so badly. The outfit itself is alright, if a bit basic, and Fuuta looks very handsome ! But I can't help but feel like black would've been a better choice for him than dark brown. And Fuuta...my guy...WHY those shoes? I could've maybe forgiven the outfit colors if you didn't decide to pair them with shiny gold...sneakers? What the hell even are those? Get better shoes, man. Overall, I'm giving Fuuta Kajiyama a 4/10. I like the outfit it'self (minus the shoes), but the coloring brings it down a lot for me. ↓

Christ, no wonder Muu got model deals ! Look at this queen right here !! She looks absolutely gorgeous, the dress is beautiful and I love the Beauty And The Beast inspiration. The earrings being inspired by an hourglass is a very cool detail, and the heels look great as well ! I genuinely don't think I have any faults with this one Muu Kusunoki gets a 10/10 ! Nice job dressing to impress ! ↓

One chance Mr. Kirisaki, one cha-- Ahem. As I was saying, Shidou looks amazing in this outfit !! I'm usually not a fan of there being so much white on it's own (I sound like a certain horror fanatic, sheesh.) But Shidou reallly rocks it, and the purple accents are very nice in comparison !! I also really like the shoes for some reason. Shidou is being added to the list also consisting of Muu and Yuno where I need to see who their shoemaker is For Shidou Kirisaki, I give a 9/10 !! Very pretty man. ↓

Mahiru looks very pretty here ! I love the poofy hair accessory, and the birdcage earrings are a very nice touch. That being said however...the dress is a bit too plain for me. I cannot help but feel like something is missing here that would make the overall outfit look way better. A sash maybe? Despite that though, Mahiru Shiina gets a 6/10 !! Looking ready for a date !  ↓

Ooooh...Kazui stans forgive me, but I'm pretty indifferent to this outfit. It's not bad mind you ! Kazui looks very handsome in it, and I like the blue chosen for his tie. But it's the same problem with Mahiru where I feel like it's a bit too plain and could've used something more, like a pattern on his vest or pants. Also though his shoes aren't the atrocity that is Fuuta's, I feel like a black or even a dark blue akin to Haruka would've looked a lot better in comparison to the rest of his outfit. Kazui Mukuhara is granted a 5/10. Not the best, not the worst. Sorry old man. ↓

AHHH SHE LOOKS SO CUTE !! It's like if the frilliness from Yuno's outfit was upped to twenty ! Amane's dress is adorable and looks very comfortable as well, I want a bigger sized version for myself. I also really like her big bow, as well as the blue shoes. But most importantly, Amane seems to be genuinely happy wearing it, and as a fandom, Amane's happienss takes priority. Amane Momose, you'll be getting a 9/10 from me ! Good on ya, kid ! ↓

Ahhh, he's so cute ! Look at how polite he looks ! The blazer is nice, and also blue. Blue bias. And the boots absolutely fucking SLAY. The way his hair is styled looks very nice as well ! I also think this is the closest we have gotten to official art of Mikoto smiling genuinely, and I personally think we need more. And more. And more. Mikoto Kayano gets a 10/10 !! Very cute boy ! ↓

Ma'am, I politely and respectfully ask you to break my neck mercilessly-- Ahem. As I was saying. KOTOKO LOOKS FUCKING AMAZING !! The undershirt oh my god the FUCKING UNDERSHIRT !! Absolutely adore it so much. The colors are all very pleasing to the eye, the skirt is very cute, and the heels look cool as hell !! But Kotoko also looks cool as hell in anything, so is this really fair? Kotoko Yuzuriha has obtained a 10/10 ! Absolutely gorgeous.

#haru chats about milgram #milgram #milgram project #haruka sakurai #sakurai haruka #milgram haruka #yuno kashiki #kashiki yuno #milgram yuno #fuuta kajiyama #kajiyama fuuta #milgram fuuta #muu kusunoki #kusunoki muu #milgram muu #shidou kirisaki #kirisaki shidou #milgram shidou #mahiru shiina #shiina mahiru #milgram mahiru #kazui mukuhara #mukuhara kazui #milgram kazui #amane momose #momose amane #milgram amane #mikoto kayano #kayano mikoto #milgram mikoto

[coffeeghoulie]

If it’s possible would you be able to mix 20 and 6 together with Swiss and Phantom? If not you can choose which one you want

Thanks in advance if you come up with anything

I did my best to combine these, though I feel like you had a certain scenario in mind and I tried to follow that but my brain went "oops, Swiss angst" instead. This technically follows both my Swiss and Aeon lore from Eternal Heatstroke, but you don't need to have read that for this. Hope you enjoy!

#20: on a scar and #6: on a falling tear from this prompt list

Aeon hates when Swiss goes still. The multi-ghoul is almost constantly in a state of motion, shifting his weight, tail swaying behind him, tapping his toes or drumming his fingers. Normally, the only time he stops moving is when he's asleep, and even then he doesn't quite lay still. He's only still if he's hurting, upset and lost in thought.

The door to their room creaks, and Aeon knocks on the frame before they enter. The room is dark and they can just barely see his silhouette where he sits on the edge of the bed. "'S just me," they say as their good eye adjusts to the darkness. "Missed you today."

Swiss makes a non-committal noise, a flat hum, to acknowledge they've been heard, but he doesn't move. If it weren't for the shallow rise and fall of his breathing, Aeon could be convinced he's been traded out for one of the statues in the chapel.

Aeon chews nervously at their bottom lip, hand trembling as they start to reach out. "Swiss, can you talk to me?" they ask, voice wavering.

He still doesn't move, head in his hands. Aeon bites their lip harder, carefully making their way to his side. "Sorry bug, thought I'd've pulled myself together by now."

He'd woken up like this, quiet and withdrawn, and Aeon had done their best to cheer him up before they had to rush off to their chores. But it hadn't worked.

Aeon shakes their head, sitting down next to him; close enough that they can feel his body heat against their thigh, but far enough away that they can give him an out if he wants to take it. "If I were feeling bad," they begin softly, each word careful, "Would you want to let me sit there and pull myself together?"

Swiss looks up at that, and Aeon tries to hide their wince at just how puffy his eyes are, the pretty gold of his irises wet with unshed tears. "No, I wouldn't," he says.

"Could you just talk to me?" Aeon asks. "I- I don't like not being able to help, Swiss."

Swiss laughs wetly. "I know, buggy," he says, voice still a little distant. "I know."

Aeon doesn't say anything, just stubbornly holds Swiss's gaze, waiting for one of them to speak.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually Swiss heaves a sigh, drifting just close enough that their thighs are pressed together knee to hip. Aeon leans in, still hesitant, waiting for an adverse reaction, and rests their temple on his shoulder. "Had a weird dream, bug," he says, staring at the wall. Aeon is reminded painfully of that first heart-to-heart, all those months ago. "Pit dream."

"Oh," Aeon breathes, chuffing and trying to comfort him. They know all about Pit dreams; having been plagued with them the first few months they'd been Up Top. "Alone?"

Swiss takes a deep breath, leaning over, carefully avoiding the points of their horns as he rests his head on top of theirs. "Nah, from before I left. Birth pack shit."

Aeon hums, pressing themself closer to him comfortingly.

"It's funny, missing people who hurt you," Swiss says, his words hanging heavy in the air. "Dreamt about my mother, and my sisters, and things were good. Things were really good, and I didn't know it was a dream until I woke up this morning."

His voice cracks, and Aeon looks up, eyes wide, just as a tear races down his cheek, disappearing into his stubble.

"I really miss them," he says, voice small. Aeon shifts, grabbing his waist and turning him so he can embrace their multighoul tight, fingers carding through his braids as they guide his head down. They kiss his cheek, just over that shiny teartrack, the exact spot where, before they had gotten along, Aeon had clawed. It had been healed, leaving no trace except for both of them knowing what had happened. They kiss his cheek again, the corner of his lips, before bringing his head down to the crook of their neck.

"I know," Aeon whispers, because they do know, has been held through this exact same dilemma. Swiss greedily accepts the embrace, holding them tight around their ribs as he cries against theit neck.

"Thank you, bug," Swiss whispers, once he's cried himself out. Aeon chuffs, blunt claws scratching his scalp.

"Any time," Aeon says simply. "You did the same for me."

#dot's writing #swiss ghoul #aeon ghoul #technically not but i'm gonna tag it bc of the Lore #eternal heatstroke #(also i will not shut up about them debuting that song the night before i'm gonna be there. rude lmao) #the band ghost #the band ghost fanfiction #kiss prompts

[samaraannhan20]

Austin Butler Imagine: College AU! Yes to the Dress

Warnings: College! reader, Agegap! (About 10 years)

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“What time are your friends arriving tomorrow?” Austin asks me as we lay down in bed for the night. I curl myself up into his side before I respond. 

“Well Kyra is driving in and will get here around 6 pm. I have a girls day with the whole group on Saturday. Tara and Alice are flying in and we need to go pick them up at noon. Oh and my mom and sister will be here by 6 as well.”

“What are you doing for your girls day on Saturday?” he asks as he reaches over and turns off our lamp which in turns places us in the dark, with only the glow of the background movie still giving us light. 

“We’re going to brunch, and then going dress shopping. I’m going to ask everyone to be my bridesmaid after they all get here tomorrow night, so we’ll also look for bridesmaid dresses while we’re dress shopping probably,” I say as I turn the tv off. 

“Are you excited?” he asks me as we turn and face each other in the bed. 

“I am. I am so excited to have a wedding and end the day married to you. Although, as much as I love weddings I could probably just go to the courthouse and marry you right now.”

“I would do the same. But there is no reason to rush it. It won’t be a huge wedding anyway. Family and friends,” he says with a small smile. 

“Yes. Family and friends. I hope Baz and Catherine can come. I miss getting to see them,” I say as I close my eyes. “And Miss Priscilla. I’m already trying to figure out a way to wear the bracelet she gave me at the premiere on our wedding day.”

“No one will even notice if it doesn’t match. If you want to wear it and it's important to you, wear it,” he says, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Now turn around so we can cuddle and go to sleep. We can keep wedding planning tomorrow,” he says, and moves away so I have room to turn over. 

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“Hey Aus?”

“Yeah darlin?” he asks as he rounds the corner to the living room where I am seated. 

“Mom said she should be here in like an hour and a half. Is that guest room ready?”

“You mean the one on the exact opposite side of the house than our room? Also known as the room we only use when your family is in town?” he says with a small laugh, pressing a kiss to my forehead as he comes up behind me. “Yeah, it’s ready.”

“And what about Ella’s room? Right next to it?” 

“Yep. Both rooms that are the farthest away from us are ready, in order to stop family members from being scarred by the fact that we have sex,” he says with a laugh and then starts massaging my shoulders. “Baby you need to loosen up. It’s not the wedding weekend yet. We’re ten months away from that.”

“Yeah I know, but I’m asking the girls to be my bridesmaids this weekend, and asking Kyra to be my maid of honor, and not all of the parts of the gifts are here yet and I need them to be here before Kyra, Tara, and Alice get here because I don’t want them to see it before I give it to them later tonight.”

“You could always give it to them tomorrow night,” he says as he continues massaging my shoulders. 

“No, because I want to look at a few bridesmaid dresses while we’re dress shopping tomorrow,” I tell him, bending my head back to look at him. 

“Oh right,” he says, and lets go of my shoulders, choosing instead to walk around the couch and sit down, grabbing my arm and pulling me into him. “Speaking of dress shopping, there’s a credit card on the counter for you.”

“What? Why?” I ask him, pulling a little away so I can look into his eyes. 

“Because you’re still paying student loans, you shouldn’t be worrying about how you’re going to pay for a wedding dress. It's as much for me as it is for you, so I want to pay for it. And for the bridesmaid dresses so that no one has to worry about how they’re going to pay for it.” 

“Austin, no. If the tabloids learn about that they’ll call me a gold digger. Again,” I say, enunciating the ‘again’ because I have been accused of that at least three times in the past.

“So what if they do? You and I both know that is not why you’re with me. Along with our entire group of family and friends. I want to take care of it, please let me,” he says, whispering on the last part. I launch myself into his lap, and pepper kisses all over his face and neck.

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“Hey everyone! Dinner is ready!” I holler from the kitchen where I stand with Austin. He drops a kiss on my forehead as he walks out of the room, heading to the living room to avoid the chaos that is about to ensue. I wait silently as my closest friends and mom and sister walk into the kitchen. They all start to reach for plates, but I stop them. 

“Actually, there is one thing I would like to do before eating. If you would follow me,” I say with a smirk and then walk into the dining room. I walk to stand next to Austin as they all walk in the room, and notice the different boxes with each of their names on it. “Please find your name and then sit down at that spot. Do not open your box until I say to open it,” I tell them, and they all follow and sit down in their seats. When they are all sitting and settled down I speak up again. 

“You all already know what this is,” I start with a small laugh, and they all laugh and cheer in agreement. “However, there is an order I would like to do this in. Starting with Kyra, you can go ahead and open yours,” I say, and she immediately opens her box. She tears up when she realizes what it is. 

“You want me to be your maid of honor?” she says with tears in her eyes, looking at me. I nod, also tearing up. She stands up and walks over to me, giving me a hug. When she pulls away she looks from me to Ella and then back again. “What about Ella? She’s your sister,” she says, concern washing over her face. 

“We talked. We both agreed it was more of a job for someone who was old enough to drink legally when I turn into bridezilla,” I say with a laugh, wiping my eyes. Everyone in the room laughs, and I give Kyra one last hug before shooing her back to her seat. “Okay, everyone else you can open your boxes now,” I say to them, and they all rip open their boxes. “Mom there is also one for you, but just a gift. Not asking you to be a bridesmaid,” I say with a laugh, and watch as she rips into her box as well. 

As they get into their boxes they jump up and down and start crying, before swarming me into a group hug. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Austin standing in the corner taking a picture of us, and I start to cry even more. 

“Okay wait though, do you guys wanna see what I got Ashley’s daughter to ask her to be my flower girl?” I say after a few minutes when we all pull away and are wiping our eyes. They all cheer yes, so I go over to the hall closet and pull out the box that I got her. I bring it over to the table and open the box, causing a loud chorus of ‘aww’.

“That is the cutest thing I have ever seen,” Tara says, and we all just laugh. As I close the box up and go put it back in the closet I shout over my shoulder “there’s pizza in the kitchen!” I laugh as I hear everyone stampede into the kitchen. While they’re all distracted I walk to Austin and wrap my arms around him. 

“I love you,” he says as I lay my head on his chest. 

“I love you. And I can’t wait to be Mrs. Austin Butler,” I say, pulling my head back to look up at him. He leans down and kisses me, and as he does we hear another chorus of awws and pull away with a laugh, turning to look at the doorway to the kitchen where all of the bridesmaids stand. I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head as he pulls out of my arms, and takes my hand to lead me into the kitchen for food. 

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“You know, you never told me how you and Austin met,” Alice says in the middle of brunch on Saturday. 

“Really?” I say around the mouthful of food I just shoved in my mouth. Kyra laughs with my little sister as little bits of food fly out of my mouth. 

“Graceful,” my mother mutters with a small smile coming across her face. 

“Yes, really. You just called one day and told me that I would never believe who you were dating before blurting out that you were dating Austin. And then you said you had to go call some other important family members because an article would probably drop before you had the chance to tell them if you didn’t tell them right then. And we never discussed it again,” Alice says, looking at me expectantly. 

“I know the story,” Kyra and Tara say at the same time, before looking at each other and laughing. 

“So do we,” my sister says, pointing at herself and my mother. 

“Oh. Well I guess you only got to know the full story if I lived with you,” I say, looking at Tara with a laugh. “Well mom, Ella, and Kira also knew because they have known everything since the start. Kira knows more than anyone else, because I had many anxious discussions with her leading up to us officially getting together three years ago,” I say, taking one last bite of food and then pushing my plate away, before diving into the story. 

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Flashback to May 2021

“Okay. You guys have two hours of studio time to get this take today,” the executive says to the choir as we all stand in the recording studio. Our director nods and then gets our attention to start the singing. 

It takes probably an hour and a half before we have a couple of solid takes, and then the executive walks back in. 

“I think we got it guys! Now, can the soloist stick around? Everyone else can head home, and I’ll let you know if we need to find another day to try again, but I’m pretty sure we got a good take today” he says, and my choir director looks at me, before turning to everyone else and telling them it was time to go home. I shuffle forward as everyone else leaves the room, and then shoot a shy smile towards the executive. “If you will follow me I have a couple of people who want to meet you,” the executive says, and I nod with a smile, and clasp my hands together to hide the shaking. I follow him down a different hallway where no one is around, and then enter a room. I look up from my feet when I hear people stand up and see people who I never expected standing in front of me. 

“Hi, Y/N?” Baz says as he steps up to me and holds out his hand to shake. I reach out and shake his hand, hoping that my shaking isn’t too obvious, and mutter a small hello. “I’m Baz,” he says, and I shoot him a small smile. “Of course, you probably already knew that,” he says with a laugh, and I laugh along with him. “And this is Austin,” he says, motioning towards the person standing next to him. I mutter hello to him, blushing as he takes my hands in his and clasps them together. 

“You sounded amazing,” he tells me, and I blush even more. 

“Oh I’m not even the best singer in the choir. This just happened to be the solo I was assigned for the semester. I don’t even think I should have been the one it was given to,” I say, looking away. 

“Oh nonsense,” Priscilla Presley says as she steps forward, immediately pulling me into a hug. “You were amazing. I am so glad that you were chosen for it,” she says, and then presses a kiss on my cheek. 

“I had a question I wanted to ask you,” Baz says, and then motions towards a chair and asks me to take a seat. I sit down and Priscilla sits next to me, with Austin and Baz sitting across from me. “There is one song that we were wanting to put on the soundtrack that we hadn’t quite found the right voice for,” Baz starts, and I get a questioning look across my face. “After listening to you sing the solo with your choir we wanted to ask you if you could do it,” he says with a small smile. “Of course, you can say no. I know that not everyone would be comfortable with something like that, especially if they didn’t want to be thrust into the fame spotlight,” he says, and I shrink down in my chair. 

“I’m really sorry,” I start. “I am so thankful for the opportunity, but I have to say no. I really didn’t even want the small solo on the song we just recorded, but since I’m a music major my director told me I couldn’t say no. I don’t want to be famous, I just want to teach music to little kids,” I say, and everyone around smiles. 

“That is completely okay,” Priscilla says, and takes my hands in hers. “I think you should do what you want to do, and if this isn't it that is okay. The world needs good teachers. And I can tell that you are going to be one,” she says, and I flush. Austin mutters something in agreement, and I flush even more. 

“I do know someone that could do it,” I say, and when Baz asks me who it is, I give them the name of someone else in my choir whose voice is like mine. They tell me thank you, and that they will get in contact with her. We all talk for a little bit longer and then Baz stands up as his phone rings. 

“I need to get this, but it was so nice to meet you, Y/N,” he says and holds out his hand for me to take. I take it, thinking that this would just be a hand shake, but he pulls me up from my seat and into a hug. I hear small chuckles come from the others in the room and laugh myself as I hug Baz. “You will make an amazing teacher,” he says as he pulls back, and then answers the phone waving goodbye as he steps out of the room. The executive that had been sitting in the room with us the entire time stands up saying he will lead me out, and I nod, and turn to Priscilla and Austin. 

“Thank you for asking me. It means a lot,” I say, and Priscilla stands up and pulls me into a hug. 

“While I wish you had said yes, I fully understand why you did not. I hope you succeed in everything that you want to. And I hope we see you at the premiere,” she says, and I nod.

“If I get an invite I will be there,” I say as I pull away, and then turn and hold out my hand for Austin. “It was nice to meet you,” I say quietly, and he takes my hand in his.

“It was nice to meet you. I can walk you out,” he says, turning to the executive looking for a nod of approval, and then dropping my hand and walking towards the door. I follow behind him, not sure what to say or what exactly is happening. We walk down the hallway making a bit of small talk as we walk down the hall. When we get to the door that leads out to the parking lot. 

“Well this is my stop,”  I say with a small laugh, and he laughs as well. 

“I guess it is. Can I get your number?” he asks, and I freeze. “I mean, just to make sure you do get an invite to the premiere,” he says quickly, trying to calm me down in some way. 

“Oh yeah, that makes sense,” I say as he pulls out his phone and hands it to me after opening the contact app and starting a new number. I place my number in his phone and then hand it back.

“It was nice to meet you,” I say and then wave goodbye before pushing the door open. I walk out into the parking lot to my car, and get in and start it. I pull my phone out to start music and notice I have a text from an unknown number. 

Unknown number

I hope you gave me your real number because I would love to get to know you more.

Austin 

I drop my phone in the seat next to me, and then quickly grab it, shooting a text back. 

I never give out fake numbers, there’s no telling who’s phone number they are. I would also love to get to know you more.

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“And the rest is history,” I say as I finish my story, smiling absently as I reminisce on how Austin and I met.

“I totally forgot that your choir sang for the Elvis movie,” Alice says. 

“Yeah. I think if I wasn’t with Austin because of it I probably would have forgotten too. Other than meeting him and Miss Pricilla it was almost just a normal recording experience, and we do that every year,” I say with a shrug.  

“You guys literally had a real-life meet-cute,” Ella says, and we all laugh. 

“You’re not wrong. Some days I wake up having a hard time believing that this is my real life,” I quietly say. “I mean, I love Austin with everything that I am, sometimes it’s hard with his fame though.”

“Yeah I don’t think I could ever get used to that,” Alice says, Tara and Ella nod in agreement. 

“I wouldn’t change it for the world though. This is how it was meant to be. And I’m so excited to spend the rest of my life with him,” I tell them, a blush coming across my face.

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“Going to the chapel and I’m gonna get married,” the three of us sing off key as we walk to the bridal shop, my arms interlinked with Kyra and Tara’s arms. We all laugh as we hear the laughs of the rest of our group behind us. 

I remove my arms from Kyra and Tara and open the door of the shop, holding it open for everyone. My mom is the last person to walk in, and she holds her hand out for me to take as we enter the shop. 

“Hello, welcome!” the owner exclaims as she walks up to our group. “Do you guys have an appointment?” 

“Yes,” I say. “It’s under Y/N,” I tell her, and she unlocks the ipad she had been holding and looks at her calendar.

“Oh, yes! It’s so good to see you! I’m Sarah and I’ll be helping you today! Do you know what you were wanting to start with today?” she asks, and I look at the girls. They all shrug in response, so I turn back to Sarah.

“The main goal for today is to hopefully find my wedding dress, but I was also wanting to look at a few bridesmaid dresses, just to get an idea,” I say to her, and she nods in understanding. 

“Okay! Do you want to start with the bridesmaid dresses?” 

“Yes please!” I say, and she guides us over to a section of the store that has bridesmaid dresses. 

“Do you know what your colors for the wedding are?” she asks as the girls split up to thumb through dresses. 

“Darker pastel colors, kind of dusty colors. Leaning towards dusty purple and colors like that. The wedding is October 28th, and I thought that dusty colors went best with that.”

“Is the wedding indoors or outdoors?” she asks. “So I know if we should be looking for things with sleeves or the option to add sleeves.”

“Indoors. I didn’t want to have to worry about weather conditions or the paparazzi’s ability to hide in a bush and take pictures.”

“Paparazzi?” she questions, and I can see in her eyes that she is trying to figure out if she knows who I am, or if she has seen me somewhere before. 

“Um, yeah. My fiance is Austin Butler,” I say quietly, and I see the recognition in her eyes the moment she connects the dots. 

“Oh! Well we run a shop that focuses on the privacy of our customers, so you won’t have to worry about anyone finding out. We were actually the shop that Ashley Tisdale found her wedding dress in,” she tells me and I quietly laugh.

“Yeah, she recommended it to me. She would have been here today, but she had some meetings happening,” I tell her. She nods and then turns to a section of the shop. 

“Okay, well, we are so glad that you chose our shop. These dresses over here come in whatever color you want, and you should be able to get sleeves added onto most of them if you want. Were you wanting your bridesmaids to all wear one color?”

“No. They can all wear whatever color they want as long as they all look good together. I think I just want them to try on one each while we’re here, just to start getting some ideas,” I explain and she nods. 

“While they look at these, why don’t you and your mother go and start choosing some dresses you might want to try on today,” she says, and motions to where the wedding gowns are. I nod and take my mom’s hand and walk over to that side of the store. My mom and I shop side by side, pulling things that I would like to try on for about twenty minutes.

After that time, Sarah comes over to us. 

“Your bridesmaids are ready to show you what they found, and then we can start trying on the dresses you chose. I also pulled some that I thought you might like based on what you had told me when you scheduled your appointment and what you had been pulling today,” she tells us, as she points us in the direction of where the girls are trying on dresses. 

“We all originally had different ones,” Kyra calls out from the dressing room. 

“But then we saw this one and thought it looked better than all the others,” Alice shouts from her dressing room. “Let's go girls!” she continues, and they all three step out of their dressing rooms in the same dress. My eyes well up as I take them in. 

“Guys. This is perfect. How did you find it?” I ask them as I wipe tears off my face. 

“Kyra found it,” Tara says, and I turn to Kyra. 

“Yeah. We’ve been discussing your wedding for years, and when I saw this I knew it was what you would want. And it looks good on all of us,” she says, and I run to her and pull her into a hug. 

“Already going above and beyond in your maid of honor duties,” I whisper, and she laughs. 

“What can I say? I’m good at my job,” she says, and I laugh before pulling away. 

“Well,” I start, turning to Sarah. “We found our bridesmaid dresses.” 

“Amazing. I will get Rosie,” she says, and then motions to another worker standing a few feet away. “To write down the style and everyone’s sizes while you and I head into that dressing room and get into your first gown,” she says, and then turns towards everyone else. “I will make sure you are all back out here and comfortable before I bring her out in her first dress.” They all smile and nod, before the four girls head back into their own dressing rooms. My mom sits down on the big couch as I head into my huge dressing room with Sarah. 

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

“How do you feel?” she asks as we slip the eighth dress onto my body. 

“Honestly, starting to feel a little discouraged. I really wanted to find my dress today and be able to go home and tell Austin that I found it,” I tell her as she clamps the back up. 

“Well, don’t get too discouraged because this one looks amazing,” she says, and then taps my shoulder, which I have discovered throughout the last hour  means to turn around and look in the mirror that is taking up the entirety of the wall behind me. 

“Oh…” I gasp as I turn around. Tears well up in my eyes as I look at myself in the mirror. “Sarah, did I grab this?” I ask her as I stare at myself in the gown that was meant to be mine. 

“No, I think your mother did, or maybe one of your bridesmaids,” she tells me, resting a hand on my shoulder and handing me a tissue with the other one. 

“I think… I think this might be the one,” I tell her as I continue to stare at myself, taking the tissue from her hand in order to wipe the tears off my face and running my other hand across the fabric. 

“Hurry up!” we hear come from the waiting area, and I chuckle, wiping a spare tear that is falling down my face.

“Are you ready to go show them?” Sarah asks me, and I nod, allowing her to walk out of the room before me. “Ladies, I think this might be the one,” she says as she walks out before me, and I hear them all gasp as I turn the corner and walk into the room, looking at my feet as I walk. 

“Oh, Y/N,” I hear my mother mutter as I stop in front of the mirror that surrounds almost the entire area. I look up from my feet and out at my family and friends, and tear up when I see tears in their eyes as well. 

“Y/N, please tell me that’s the one,” Kyra says, and I smile. “Please say that’s the one, because you look amazing in it. And you look so so happy.”

“It’s the one,” I say, with another tear falling down my face. “This is the one. Mom,” I say, looking at her, “did you pull this one from the rack?”

“I did. You brushed past it, but I saw it and knew you should at least try it on. It looks so much better than I could have ever imagined. You look radiant in it,” she says, trying to hold her sobs in as she takes me in. 

“Thank you Mama,” I respond, tears streaming down my face, as well as all my friends' faces and my sister's face. Everyone jumps up and gives me a hug, resulting in a huge group hug. “I love all of you. I can’t wait to be able to celebrate this big day with you,” I say and then squeeze my arms a little tighter around everyone. “Okay, you’re all suffocating me now. And we’re going to mess up the dress,” I say after another minute or two, with a slight laugh. They all laugh and pull away and I turn and look at myself again. 

“Were you wanting to try a veil on with it?” Sarah asks as I stare at myself in the mirror. 

“Oh! I hadn’t even thought about that. Yes I would love to,” I respond, and everyone chuckles as she heads off to grab one that will look good with it. She comes back with a few, and I try a few on before deciding on one. I stare at myself in the mirror a little longer, and notice my friends taking pictures of me in the background. 

“Okay. I think it’s time to get out of this dress until the next time,” I say, turning to Sarah. She nods and we go back into the dressing room.

“Okay, before we get you out of this dress I need to take some measurements so we can make sure to get it altered correctly,” she says, and I nod in understanding. For the next fifteen minutes she takes some measurements and then pulls back after the last one. “Okay, now we can get you out of it,” she says, and I laugh. She helps me out by unclamping the dress and helping slip it down over my hips. I step out of it and over to my clothes, slipping the dress I had worn back on quickly. 

“Is there a certain place for me to pay for everything?” I ask, and she laughs. 

“Actually, your fiance called about an hour ago and gave us his information to have us charge your dress, anything else you may want, and the bridesmaid dresses to his credit card. He asked me to tell you he found the conveniently forgotten credit card you had left behind.”

“Dang it. I was hoping he wouldn’t find that until after I got back,” I say with a small laugh. She also laughs in response, and then we are back in front of my friends and family. 

“Do you want to take an ‘I said Yes to the Dress’ picture?” Sarah asks as we all gather our things. Everyone cheers yes, and she ushers us together before grabbing the sign from somewhere nearby. I hand her my phone, and she takes multiple pictures of us before handing it back. “Okay, Y/N, I will see you back here in about a month to try on the dress after alterations.”

“Awesome! Thank you so much for all of your help Sarah,” I tell her, and then pull her in for a hug. 

“You’re welcome! I’m so glad you were able to find your dress today,” she says as I pull away from the hug. We all say our goodbyes and head out the door. We laugh and talk as we make our way down the sidewalk to my car. 

“I’m so excited!” Alice says, and I laugh. 

“Believe me, no one is more excited than I am.” 

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

“Honey I’m home,” I call out as I walk in the door. Everyone had taken my car and gone out to see a movie in order to give me some time alone with Austin after finding the dress.

“I’m in here,” he calls from the office, and I toe my shoes off by the door before walking over to it. 

“Hey sweet boy,” I say as I walk in the door and see him looking over a script at his desk. 

“Hi darlin’,” he says, pushing back from the desk and opening up his arms for me to walk into. I sit down on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck, giving him a small kiss. “Where is everyone?”

“They wanted to give us some time alone so they went out to see a movie. They’ll be back for dinner later. I think their movie started like five minutes ago,” I tell him, laying my head on his chest. “You’re sneaky, you know that?” 

“Hey you’re sneaky too, trying to hide that credit card so I wouldn’t find it,” he responds, pressing a kiss to my forehead. 

“Yeah I guess so. And I mean, how would anyone even know that you paid for it, not me?” I say, and he smiles.

“Exactly my point. Now, how was dress shopping?” he asks. A huge smile breaks out on my face and I lift up and kiss him again. “That good huh?” he says as I pull away again, and I laugh.

“Not only did we find bridesmaid dresses, but I also found my wedding dress!” I exclaim, and he squeezes my sides where his arms are wrapped around me. 

“That’s amazing darlin’,” he says, and then pulls me in for a kiss. When he pulls away he asks, “I know I don’t get to see the winning wedding dress, but can I see some of the other ones you tried on and the bridesmaid dresses?” I laugh and nod, pulling out my phone and plugging it into his computer so he can see the pictures I had been sent. No one had sent me pictures of the winning dress, because they knew Austin could get onto my phone at any minute and they didn’t want him to find the picture. 

“Okay, so these are the bridesmaid dresses,” I say as I pull up a picture of all of them in their dresses. 

“Those look great!” 

“That’s what I said! And they perfectly fit the theme I was going for,” I tell him, placing a kiss on his cheek before turning back to the computer. “Okay, so this is the first dress I tried on. Everyone cried simply because it was my first time in a wedding dress, but we all agreed it wasn’t the one,” I tell him, and he laughs. “This one we thought looked good, but there wasn’t an immediate connection. If I hadn’t found another one I would have tried that one on again, but probably would have left empty handed. This next one I hated but I tried it on to appease my mother,” I tell him, and he laughs. We sit like that going through all the dresses until I get to the last one. “This is the one where I was starting to lose hope, because I felt like I wasn���t going to find one today. If you look at my eyes you can see how tired I am and how much I was hoping we could just call it quits soon. But then, they convinced me to try on one more dress, and sure enough the next dress was the one that was it.”

“Do you have any pictures anywhere of that one?” he asks with a sly smile on his face. 

“They do. I don’t. They wouldn’t send me any because they knew you would know the password to my phone and would try to find it. I think I’ll have someone post it early on the wedding day as a throwback of sorts, to show when I got the dress,” I tell him, and he nods. 

“And that will work because neither of us will be on our phones that day. We'll be so busy,” he says, and I laugh. 

“Yep. With a 2 o’clock wedding we’ll be busy all morning. And then all evening. Honestly I probably won’t be on my phone or checking social media until we’re on the plane on Sunday morning. And even then I might not. I will have to be texting my parents though when we leave here and arrive in Paris.” 

“Speaking of, I finalized those flights earlier. And booked the hotel rooms.”

“Yay! I go back in a month for a fitting to make sure the dress fits correctly, and if it does I can bring it home that day. Except I might take it over to Ashley’s because I love you, but you are a snoop. And I don’t want you to see it before the day of,” I say with a small smile, and he laughs. 

“You know me too well. Oh! Ashley called earlier and asked what night you were wanting to have dinner this week?”

“Oh right! Gotta ask Jupiter to be my flower girl,” I say, laying my head on his shoulder. “Whatever day works best for you honey. I’m taking Mom and Ella to the airport really early in the morning, and when I leave to take them Kyra, Tara, and Alice are going home. So even tomorrow night would work, but only if I get a nap. If I don’t get a nap I will be going to bed at like eight.” 

“I know. I know how you function sweets,” he says. 

“Speaking of, can we go lay on the couch for a bit? I want to change first, but then I want to cuddle with you before my family comes back. I’m exhausted,” I say, sitting up and looking at him. 

“Of course,” he says, and then pats my leg to get me to stand up, before heading to the couch as I head to our room to change. 

“One last thing,” I say when I get into the living room after changing. “Was that script you were reading any good?” 

“Maybe. I need to finish it in the morning while you nap, but it seemed promising.”

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

“Jupiter,” I call out as I sit down in the living room at Ashley’s house. I laugh as I hear her little feet come running from the room she was in. 

“Aunty Y/N!” she exclaims as she jumps into my lap. 

“I have a present for you Jup,” I say as I give her a hug, smiling over her head at Ashley, Christopher, and then next to me at Austin. She wiggles out of my arms and slides down to the floor to stand in front of me. 

“Give it,” she states in her little toddler voice, and I laugh. 

“Jupiter! Ask nicely!” Ashley exclaims with a small laugh. I wave her off and grab the box from the table behind where Jupiter is standing. 

“Jupiter Iris, will you be my flower girl in Uncle Austin and I’s wedding?” I ask her as I open the box for her. She immediately takes the sunglasses out of the box and puts them on her face. 

“Can I wear these sunglasses?” she asks and I laugh. 

“Yes Jupes, you can. But you have to take a picture with me tonight before you run off again.” 

“Yes Aunty Y/N,” she says with a small nod. I laugh and gather her into my arms holding the box as best I can as Ashley grabs her phone and takes a picture of the two of us. I place a big wet kiss on her cheek as everyone laughs, including her. “Gross Auntie,” she says as she giggles and tries to wiggle out of my arms. I loosen and let her go, and she bolts out of the room. 

“Well,” I say as I slide over on the couch into Austin’s arms. “I guess we have a flower girl.”

#austin butler x fem!reader #austin butler fluff #austin butler x reader #austin butler fanfiction #austin butler imagine #austin butler

[teejaystumbles]

Against all odds (part 7)

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6

This is all I've got so far but I figured I'd let you have it and hopefully I'll have more soon :3

**

Hob works at a news agency. As someone with hundreds of years of experiencing political and societal change he has a keen eye for news-worthy happenings. Often he can predict very well which events are important, which will have historical influence or be the talk of the nation for a long time. Hob edits his colleague’s articles and reports, chooses which ones are worthy of printing and which aren’t, tries to remove or at least mitigate the xenophobia and fearmongering in what he hopes are the last days of the Cold War. People don’t need fear to grow, they need hope. He thinks he’ll stop doing this soon, though. His name - Robert Goulding at the moment - pops up in too many places and he doesn’t like being recognizable for more than a few decades. He takes care to not become chief editor and stay out of the limelight but he thinks he’ll move on soon. Maybe he’ll take a break and live off his stock profits. Find a quiet place for him and his stranger, somewhere in the countryside, with a garden…

Hob shakes himself out of his fantasy and laughs at himself. Wishful thinking will hardly be of any use. He’s been wishing and hoping for more time with his stranger for so many centuries. Now it finally seems like he might get lucky enough to have regular contact, via journal entries, and maybe even visits. That is enough. He shouldn’t be greedy.

With a sigh and a silent curse that he stopped smoking he goes to finish his work so he can get home and write an answer to his friend.

In the evening Hob pours himself a whiskey and sits down at his desk, open journal before him. He looks over to his bed. His stranger had sat here last night, watching him. Hob swallows reflexively and takes another sip of his drink, trying to not let his thoughts go down a slippery, horny slope before he starts writing.

June 15th, 1989

Dear friend,

I am glad you felt you could come and visit me and that you feel safe in my presence. I consider it an honour and I want to assure you that I do not mind in the least if you stop by whenever you feel like it. I trust you. Feel free to come here anytime, no matter if I'm awake or not, or if I’m even here. If my place can be a retreat for you from your everyday worries or workplace (as I assume you are busy doing something somewhere), I would be very happy. Leave your shoes off the sofa, that’s all I ask. ;-)

But seriously, my home is your home. I mean it. I look forward to seeing you again as well.

Reading about your ordeal was horrible. I am so sorry this happened to you and that I didn’t hear anything about it. I would have moved everything between Heaven and Earth to free you, my friend, please believe me. You say the ones responsible have been punished but I cannot stop myself from imagining visiting vengeance upon them for your sake. To imprison you someone, anyone, for such a long period of time, in the conditions that you described, is barbaric and the rage I feel at the mere thought is nearly blinding.

I am deeply sorry for your loss and for all you had to endure. I would give you anything in my power to make you feel safe, dear stranger. If you ever need my help, please call me. I don’t know if you had any means to call for help, you probably didn’t, but please - should you ever be in any trouble or danger or in need of help, I urge you to call on me! I will come and help you the best I can, I will not allow you to be trapped ever again. After all, what are friends for, if not for helping one another?

Your problems with closed spaces and strangers are completely understandable and I would never hold it against you if you never want to meet inside a building again. I hope we’ll be able to find a suitable replacement for the old haunt, at least until you feel more at ease again. These things take time, at least for humans, and although I would not dare to insinuate that you are not more robust than the average human and probably not subject to the same physical and mental limits I’d wager a guess that you will need time to heal, my friend. I sincerely ask you to take that time. You strike me as the type to jump headfirst back into work and duty after getting free and that is not recommended, no matter what or how powerful you are. You were imprisoned for 80 years and subjected to torture, you cannot expect to be the same after that. No one should expect you to be the same, to not be changed by it or in need of healing and time to recuperate. 

I am only human but in my long life I have met a few other immortal beings, not all of them human but all of them with very similar needs and wants. I know you’re probably bristling right now because I dare to suggest you might be unfit for whatever it is you do but I hope you believe me when I tell you this only because I care for you - you need a break. Please, stranger, promise me you’ll take care of yourself, if you cannot let others do that for you. I would be happy to help in any way I can. Visit me at your leisure, I promise I will never turn you away, or look down on you for showing weakness. You have seen me at my lowest and I have always trusted you to still respect me after that. Just like that, I would never think any less of you for any of this.

I’ll be happy to help you learn more about humanity, get to know humans again. I am honoured that you have elevated me in your mind to something else but I am as human as they come. So if you like me, you can like other humans as well, right?

I will think of a nice place to meet and let you know as soon as I’ve decided. Remember, in the meantime this place is always open to you. Even including watching me sleep. ;-P

Stay safe,

Your friend Hob

Hob puts down the pen and skims over his lines. Yes, that’s not too forward but inviting enough to let his stranger feel safe and welcome. It’s a bit daring, calling his stranger in need of a break, but it’s the right thing to say and offer.

He nods, downs his whiskey and gets ready for bed.

Part 8

#stay tuned for another dream😘 #dreamling #the sandman fanfiction #1989 au #teejay writes

[kiwikiwiandkiwi]

All Along

We stayed up till 6

Just watching shit TV in bed

Late night drive to Tesco

To buy cigarettes and bread

I remember clearly how I turned to you and said

I wish I met you later

I wish I met you later

We were young and I was so naive

But in my head

That’s how it had to be

And now I’m HOME

I’ve been all over the world

And I was wrong

And I’m smoking in my bed

All on my own

And I can’t wait till you’re awake

So I can call

And tell you it was you all along

And tell you it was you all along

We saw Ed in Manchester

I held you while he played

Every time I hear his songs

It takes me to that place

Even after all we’ve done

I had the nerve to say

I wish I met you later

I wish I met you later

We were young and I was so naive

But in my head

That’s how it had to be

And now I’m HOME

I’ve been all over the world

And I was wrong

And I’m smoking in my bed

All on my own

And I can’t wait till you’re awake

So I can call

And tell you it was you all along (x3)

Lucky (Again)

You give and give

Until it’s gone away

Just tell yourself

You got another day

You’ve lived that life

You just don't see it yet

I see how hard you’ve worked

To be yourself

If you believe that guy is Superman

They’re selling tickets at the cinema

Whatever gets you through the darkest night

Just find the light

Out in the madness, hold tight

‘Cause I’m a hard man to lose

But I figured it out

Then made my way back

To a life I would choose

We were lucky once

Could be lucky again

I’m a hard man to find

But you figured it out

And I love you for that

Look back on a time

I was lucky once

I could be lucky again

Before the world had got too serious

Before the time it got away from us

I meet you at the favorite subway stop

We grab some food

Then meet the lads for one

If you believe that guy is Superman

They’re selling tickets at the cinema

Whatever gets you through the darkest night

Just find the light

Out in the madness, hold tight

‘Cause I’m a hard man to lose

But I figured it out

Then made my way back

To a life I would choose

We were lucky once

Could be lucky again

I’m a hard man to find

But you figured it out

And I love you for that

Look back on a time

I was lucky once

I could be lucky again

(I’m in love/luck ?[x9]

I could be lucky again

I’m in love/luck ? [x9]

I could be lucky again)

The Way I Do

If I go out, or I stay in

It’s all I’ll ever do

All night long

On the drive HOME

Every mile is deja vu

More than a habit

More than just once in a while

I gotta have it

Nothing can get me this high

There’s something ‘bout it

Didn’t know I was the type

But in the silence

Girl, you got me like

OOOOOOOOHHH

I’M NEVER NOT THINKING ‘BOUT

YOUUUUOOUUUU

It’s all I ever do

Don’t I know that I can get us back

But I want to

Yes I do

Can’t stop myself from relapse

Just want amnesia

So I won't need ya

The way I do (x2)

It’s not one thing

It’s everything

A million memories

Can’t fight this

Or deny it

I want you next to me

We’re more than habits

More than just once in a while

I gotta have it

Nothing can get me this high

There’s something ‘bout it

Didn’t know I was the type

But in the quiet

Girl, you got me like

OOOOOOOOHHH

I’M NEVER NOT THINKING ‘BOUT

YOUUUUOOUUUU

It’s all I ever do

Don’t I know that I can get us back

But I want to

Yes I do

Can’t stop myself from relapse

Just want amnesia

So I won't need ya

The way I do (x2)

OOOOOOOOHHH

I’M NEVER NOT THINKING ‘BOUT

YOUUUUOOUUUU

It’s all I ever do

Don’t I know that I can get us back

But I want to

Yes I do

Can’t stop myself from relapse

Just want amnesia

So I won't need ya

The way I do (x6)

#here are all of the lyrics #lyrics #lt2 leak #louis leak #all along #lucky again #the way i do

[ahgasegotarmy116]

The Art of Etiquette Part 6 | Jeon Jungkook

Summary: Your parents invite Mr. Jeon over to dinner without your knowledge and spring a proposal on you that you're not given a chance to refuse Pairing: f!reader x Etiquette instructor Jungkook Word Count: 4.1k~ Warnings: Explicit Language and a lot of teasing a/n: A longer chapter as promised 😅 Hope you guys are looking forward to the next one 🤭 p.s. barely edited so have mercy on me lmao Start from the beginning

"Hey" my mom says, popping her head in my room. "Yeah?" I respond, thumbing through the most recent book Jungkook gave me. "Dinner is almost ready so can you come downstairs in a bit?" she questions and I look up at her as if she's grown two heads. 

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I question, extremely suspicious of her motives. "What do you mean? I'm your mother" she chuckles, walking towards where I'm laying on my bed, brushing back the hair that had fallen in my face. 

"Usually you use that as an excuse to discipline me or whatever so what's really going on?" I question, sitting up from my reclined position and straightening out my clothes. 

"I was going to wait for James to tell you but there's a charity ball next weekend and we wanted you to attend it with us" she says, smiling at the idea of having a united front with all three of us together. 

"A charity ball? What charity?" I prod further while cocking a brow at her. Wanting to figure out exactly why there needs to be an event when they can just not have an event and give all the money to the charity. 

I swear, I'll never understand rich people. 

"I don't know honey that's something for your father to worry about" she says not giving a care in the world to what I thought was a very valid question. "Step father" I correct her. 

No matter how hard she tries, no one is going to take my father's place.

"Step father" she echos as if she's tired of me already "Either way, it'll be good to get your face out in public with us. Who knows, you might be able to make some good connections along the way" she finishes as she walks out the door, paying no mind to if I would like to continue the conversation or not.

"Oh and we've invited Mr. Jeon to dinner tonight so he'll be arriving shortly" she calls out over her shoulder. 

'Mr. Jeon is coming okay whatever' I think to myself before blinking a few times and finally processing what she said. "Mr. Jeon is having dinner with us? Why?" I say rushing out of my room to catch her before she's gotten too far. 

"Well after he dropped you off the other night I realized that James and I haven't really had a chance to speak to him yet so a family dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. Is there a problem with that?" she questions, noticing my body language. 

"Nope. No problem at all" I choke out, mad that she didn't give me any sort of warning or better yet, asked if I was comfortable with it. "Great, we told him to come around 6:30 so try to be down before he gets here" she says and continues on her descent down the stairs and out of my sight.

"Shit" I say to myself and run back into my room and check my phone where it reads six o'clock on the dot. 

Looking down at the clothes I'm wearing I realize I'm donning an oversized sweatshirt and some baggy sweats with my hair in a sad excuse for a ponytail and run into my bathroom to do something with my hair as quickly as I can.

After doing that and throwing on some mascara and chapstick I dig through my closet and find a nice off the shoulder sweater and some jeans and throw them on as quickly as I can and pair it with a set of converse hoping that it'll suffice. 

I know for a fact that he's gonna show up in something ridiculous like a suit of some sort but I can't be bothered to do much more than this. Thanks to my mother I wasn't even given the opportunity to choose otherwise. 

"Y/n Mr. Jeon's pulling up right now" I hear my mom call out for me. I roll my eyes before responding. "Be right there" I yell out, checking myself out one last time before heading down where I see my mom is already greeting him in the doorway. 

As I observe their exchange I watch as Jungkook's eyes flicker over in my direction but once he actually sees me he makes eye contact after dragging his eyes up and down my figure, making me lose my footing for a second but not enough for him to notice. Or so I thought as he meets me with a knowing smile while my mother has her head turned the other way. 

I roll my eyes at him and finish my path down the steps without falter and end up a few feet in front of him where my mom still spouts off a ridiculous excuse for small talk all while Jungkook has barely taken his eyes off me.

"Thank you for inviting me Mrs. Hart" Jungkook says and she quickly dismisses the formalities requesting he call her Lily instead before she excuses herself so she can grab a vase for the flowers I'm just now noticing he had given her. 

"Y/n would you mind taking him to the sitting room? Dinner should be ready soon" she finishes and leaves Jungkook and I still standing by the front door. 

"For you" he says pulling out a single white rose from behind his back. "Oh, it's beautiful" I say, reaching out to take it from him, accidentally grabbing his hand instead of the flower and look up at him with the intension to apologize but my words are caught in my throat when I meet his eyes. 

His damn eyes that see right though me yet beg to learn more. His eyes that leave my skin crawling but craves his touch no matter how light it might be. His eyes that tell me everything and nothing all at once. 

"You're welcome Pretty" he whispers as though it was a secret never to be told to any soul other than our own.

"I- what?" I stammer, caught off guard by his compliment, eyes wide in shock which only earns me a slight upturn of his lips before he turns to face towards the direction my mother had disappeared to.  

"Shouldn't we be heading to the sitting room like your mother requested?" he says slipping his hand out of my grasp. 

I clear my throat before wordlessly walking towards said room, worried that I might betray myself otherwise. 

"You have a lovely home" he says once I motion towards a place for him to sit once we arrive in said room. "Thank you. James and my mother bought it soon after they got married so we've lived here ever since" I respond, making an effort to keep the conversation going. 

"Would you mind if I asked how long ago that was?" he questions, opting to do the same. "It was about four years ago, around the time I was graduating. They had been dating for a few years and I guess they decided that they were serious enough about each other to get married" I say just scratching the surface as to how everything went down between them. 

"Are you fond of your step father?" he asks, apparently interested in getting to know more about me. "I like him more than I like my own mother most days if I'm being honest. He's a really great guy and my mom seems happy so that's all I could really ask for" I say shrugging my shoulders, not really having too strong of an opinion on it. 

He nods his head, almost reflecting on the answer and I fear that I've made him feel awkward by my response so I nervously slip in a question of my own. "Do you have family close by?" I question since now that I think about it we really haven't had too much time to get to know the most basic things about each other. 

"Unfortunately no. My parents and brother live in Korea still and so it's just Bam and I" he says with a sad smile. "Bam?" I question, "Yeah my dog. He's a Doberman that thinks he's a lap dog at times and at other's he's ready to defend me against the smallest of things" he says with a soft smile reminiscing about the fond memories they've made together. 

"How old is he?" I question, seeing that he clearly loves talking about him. "He'll be turning two in December" he says scrunching his brows together for a second as he tries to get it right. "Aw he's still just a baby. Why haven't I seen him before?" I question since I feel like I would've noticed a big puppy like him wandering around the place. 

"I take him to his trainers while I'm working and then pick him up once we've concluded our lessons" he replies. "So that's the business meeting you spoke about when my mother tried to invite you to dinner the other night then" I say clearly catching him in a lie from seeing his reaction. 

"Yes, it was" he says, deciding to admit it to set a good example for me instead of breaking the promise we made. "Is that why you force me into letting you give me a ride home most days?" I prod further, wanting to get answers out of him while I still can. 

"That, amongst other things..." he trails off with a smile and before I'm even able to think about what the fuck he means by that my mother comes in letting us know that dinner is ready. 

"Thank you so much for joining us on such late notice Mr. Jeon" James says, reaching out to shake Jungkook's hand before we all sit down. Jungkook sitting across from me with my mother and James on either end of the table. 

"Thank you for your generous invitation. You have a very lovely home" he compliments while turning his attention back to my mother for a second, inferring that she was probably the designer from the feminine touches throughout it all. 

"Lily really prides herself in creating a soft and peaceful atmosphere and I can't help but adore everything she's done to the place" James says while gazing over at my mother with a soft smile. Anyone can see that he really loves her and although her and I butt heads I'm happy she ended up with someone like him. 

"I feel as though you've definitely achieved your goal then, wouldn't you say y/n?" Jungkook says, catching me off guard by bringing me into the conversation.

"Oh, um yes I think you've done a wonderful job mother" I say smiling at her momentarily before looking back over at Jungkook, giving him a look as a way to question his motives but he only gives me a pleasant smile in return. 

The night goes on almost painlessly with each of us engaging in what Jungkook would phrase it as 'Stimulating Conversations' and even gets a few smiles and laughs out of me. It feels as if I'm seeing him in a new light tonight. 

Not merely as teacher and student, but as some what of a friend. One that I'm starting to realize has had nothing but my best interest at heart. Sure some of his methods might seem unorthodox but I know now that he means well, he just has an interesting way of showing it. 

"Would that be alright with you y/n?" I hear James call out, making me realize I had not only been thinking about Jungkook but also staring right at him and losing track of the conversation. 

"I'm sorry what was that?" I say quickly, tearing my eyes off of Jungkook and over at James, hoping to hide that I was staring at Jungkook but also avoiding his ever knowing gaze. 

"I just asked Jungkook if he would escort you to the charity ball we had mentioned earlier. That way you have a familiar face around" he says, widening my eyes at the suggestion and flitter them between Jungkook and James for a moment before trying to deny the offer. 

"I couldn't possibly ask him to do that. I'm sure he has other matters to attend to or someone else he might have in mind to go with" I babble, trying to offer him a way out of this but my mother clears her throat as a warning to not try to push it anymore and to just accept what James thinks would be best for me. 

"It's fine y/n, I assure you. I would be more than happy to help guide you. It's important for you to make a good impression no?" he says, nudging his foot against mine. Leaving me jolting at the sudden contact. "R-right" I stutter, taking a sip of water to cover up my reaction. 

He just loves getting his way doesn't he? I swear, if we weren't being watched I would've stomped on his foot but instead I pull my feet back towards myself, leaving them out of reach and luckily they take our exchange as an agreement to the posed idea.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? You just seem so mature but look so young that I just can't seem to pinpoint what your age might be" my mother asks him while taking a sip of her wine. I swear if she's tipsy and about to start flirting with him right in front of James I'm gonna puke. 

"I turned 27 last September, I do tend to get that a lot. I guess it's just one of the many blessings my parents have bestowed on me" he says lightheartedly but I can tell he's clearly eating up the compliments as a way to tease me. 

"Do your parents live close by? I feel like I would've seen them by now at one of the events over the years but I can't seem to recall a Mr. or Mrs. Jeon" James ponders, turning Jungkook's attention back over to him. 

"Oh they're back in Busan, my home town in South Korea. I figured it would be too big of an adjustment for them to move here so I make sure to go visit them when my schedule allows it" he says giving a concise answer. 

"Oh I've heard that Busan is a beautiful place to live. It's by the coast if memory serves me right" my mother jumps in, making me take interest in the conversation, still wanting to know more about him. 

"Yes that's correct, although I only lived there until I was about eighteen when I got accepted into Seoul National University and in turn moved to Seoul" he informs and James asks more and more questions, fascinated in what the upperclass might call a "self made man journey". 

~~~~~~

As the night wraps up and the dessert is long gone I can see that my mother is ready to head to bed, hopefully before making an absolute fool of herself after all the wine she's consumed. 

"It was lovely meeting you Jungkook" my mother lightly slurs and James soon comes to her aid to say goodbye as well and I take that as an opportunity to slip out to get some air.

Making my way to the courtyard at the back of the house I take in the sight of the few stars that I can manage to make out, all these city lights stopping them from shining as bight.

"It's a shame isn't it?" I hear Jungkook's voice say from behind me, making me jolt in surprise. "You scared me" I say after glancing back at him. "I apologize, I didn't mean to" he say while taking a few strides towards me. 

"Likely story" I mumble under my breath and he chuckles at my reaction. "Okay maybe I did a little bit, but it's only because I enjoy watching your reactions" he says smugly once he's standing next to me. 

"Where's James?" I question, glancing over at him before turning my attention back to the sky. "Taking your mother to bed. Seems like she's had one too many" I nod my head in acknowledgment and he surprisingly takes it as an answer, refraining from asking questions, seeing my slight discomfort on the topic. 

"What's a shame?" I question, making him tilt his head in confusion. "You said earlier 'It's a shame'. What were you referring to?" I remind him. "It's a shame you can't see many stars from here. The city lights tend to shine so bright that you can never truly see how brilliant they are" he smiles before answering. 

"I don't think I've ever actually seen that many stars. I think the closest thing was when I was on a road trip with my mom and dad. I was too young though so I hardly remember it. I miss it though" I end, clearing my throat and pushing away any emotions that had stirred up from that last statement. 

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that" I say rubbing one of my bicep and shrinking back into myself so to say. 

"You have nothing you need to apologize for y/n" he responds, leaving a beat of silence before filling it up again. 

"I used to go stargazing with my father too" he starts, making me make eye contact with him for a second. "We used to drive all the way out to the edge of town where it was away from all the big buildings and bring a big blanket to lay on and we would just look up at the stars for what felt like hours" he smiles fondly, turning his focus back towards the heavens. 

"I remember my mother scolding my father once for keeping me out too late, worried that I might've caught a cold. My father swore up and down that we both had dressed warm enough but by morning we both woke up sick as dogs" he chuckles, making me smile. 

"She continued to scold him all day and all night but even through all of that, she was still there, nursing us back to health" he finishes. 

"She sounds lovely" respond truthfully "She is" he whispers with a sad smile, and from that alone I can tell how much he misses home. "She can be quite intimidating when she wants to be though" he laughs. 

"Oh really? Is that who you get it from?" I say, poking fun at him. "Get what?" he asks turning to face me and I mirror him, meeting his mischievous gaze. 

"Your intimidation tactics you try to use on me" I say and he cocks an eyebrow at me. 

"Try? I'm pretty sure I'm rather successful most days don't you think?" he questions taking a few steps towards me, leaving me taking a few steps back. 

"Key word is most though, they don't always work" I say, walking backwards not paying mind to anything but keeping a distance between us. 

"Really?" he says with a knowing smile, glancing behind me. As I open my mouth to respond I lose my footing and step off the patio flooring and onto the grass but before I fall Jungkook grabs my wrist and pulls me flush against his chest. 

"Because they seem to be working right now. Seeing as you're trying to run away from me" he teases, tilting his head at me. 

I push against his chest lightly and he loosens his grasp on me to barely give me room to breathe. "I wasn't running" I say, placing my hands on top of his and prying them off of me. With him letting go with little to no resistance, allowing me to step aside and walk past him. 

"Then what were you doing?" he says grabbing my wrist before I get to far. As I try to respond I see a light turn on in my parents bedroom and pull Jungkook over to hide behind one of the pillars, hiding incase one of them were to look outside. 

I watch for a few moments, holding my breath as I see shadows form in the light cast across the lawn, feeling my heart race until the light turns off, signaling that they've hopefully turned in for the night. 

I let out that breath and jump at the sound of an amused scoff, having forgotten that he was still with me. 

"What was it you were doing Miss y/n" he says in a hushed tone and when I turn to face him I realize I have my back against the pillar with a strong grip on his wrist, in turn having pulled him closer in an effort to hide. 

I take in the distance between us which at this point is mere centimeters and lose my words watching as the city lights reflect in his eyes. 

"I was maintaining personal space" I say after having regained the slightest bit of clarity which dissipates when he leans his forearm against the pillar above my head and leans in closer. 

"And what pray tell are you doing now?" he asks in my ear and I can almost feel how much he's enjoying this, leaving me without the strength to come up with a reply. 

"Hmm? Cat got you tongue?" he says, placing his hand on my waist and barely ghosting his lips against my skin. 

He waits there for a beat, giving me a chance to respond but when I don't he decides to fill up that space. "I had fun tonight. Invite me over again sometime?" he questions, squeezing my waist a bit making me let out a quite okay and he smiles against my skin before pushing himself off of me and turning to walk back inside. 

I stammer trying to say something but decide to just follow behind him.

"Let me get your coat and I'll walk you out" I say, knowing where we keep them when guest come and quickly catch up to where he stands at the front door and handing it to him. He decides to drape it over his arm in place of putting it on since his car is parked right out front. 

He opens the door and lets me out first before following after and closing it behind us to keep the crisp night air from getting into the warm house.

"Thank you, um thank you for coming tonight. I wasn't really in on this plan so I'm sorry if the invitation inconvenienced you at all" I explain while following him to the drivers side of the car. 

"I had a free spot open tonight so I was more than happy to accept" he says, opening the door and leaning in to place his things on the passenger side seat and straightening back up to face me again, not making moves to sit inside yet. 

"I'm sorry they basically volunteered you to be my date to this stupid ball thing" I apologize further, looking down and kicking the rocks under my shoes in embarrassment. 

"You know," he start, tilting my chin up to make eye contact, "You say sorry quite a lot for someone who doesn't need to apologize" he finishes, rubbing corner on my lips with his thumb before leaning in. 

I shut my eyes tight, scared that this might be the time he actually kisses me and hold my breath. 

I hear him chuckle to himself and places a kiss on the corner of my mouth, close enough to keep me wanting more and no where near far enough to maintain that professionalism he tries but fails to maintain around me. 

"Goodnight y/n" he whispers before sinking down into the drivers seat making me open my eyes fast enough to see the satisfied smirk on his face. 

He closes his door and starts the car, rolling down his window before he puts it in drive. 

"We're going to the modiste in the morning to pick out your dress for the event so be ready at seven" he says, turning his face towards me. 

"But it's Sunday" I protest and he nods in acknowledgment. "I'm aware but time is of the essence love. I'll come pick you up so please be ready on time" he says, waiting for an answer to solidify the plan. 

"Yes Mr. Jeon" I mumble looking down at my shoes again, falling into routine of agreeing when I wish I didn't have to. "Good girl" he finishes, leaving me snapping my vision back up at him with shock and he grants me a smile in return. 

"Goodnight Mr. Jeon" I say and at that he chuckles and faces straight ahead, rolling up his window before pulling out of the driveway and onto the street. Leaving me with my thoughts and emotions in a turmoil like he always does. 

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[sixhours]

One Day at a Time - Chapter 6 - Transition

Author's note: Good news! The rest of this will probably be posted today, with the exception of an epilogue I haven't had the guts to write. When I do, it will be posted as a separate work, and it's not necessary to wrap up this story. Thank you for reading! Your comments and reblogs are feeding me. <3

Series Chapter Index | Read on AO3 | Complete

Rating: Explicit, 18+, here be smut Series tags: The Last of Us, The Last of Us (HBO), Joel Miller x f!OFC, Joel & Ellie, mostly follows canon, SMUT, gratuitous smut, dubious consent (drunk sex), unplanned pregnancy, fluff, references to past miscarriages, angst, hurt/comfort, romance, age gap (~21 years), childbirth, fluffy baby stuff, I've probably forgotten some so please let me know <3

~*~

After weeks of sleeping on the narrow, lumpy mattress in Ellie’s old room, his back finally gives out.

He’s reaching for the coffee pot and something about how he moves his shoulder causes a domino effect of rippling pain that starts at the nape of his neck and ends by setting his sciatic nerve on fire, every muscle along his spine locking up tighter than a fist.

He barely makes it to the couch, easing himself down to a prone position with a groan that he hopes Charlie can’t hear from the bedroom.

Her footsteps echo on the stairs.

No such luck.

“Did someone just die down here?”

“M’fine,” he mutters through gritted teeth. “Just my back.”

“What happened?“

Ellie chooses that moment to come through the front door. “Joel? I need a–”

“He’s on the couch. Think his back gave out,” Charlie says, now standing over him, looking concerned.

Ellie’s face pokes over the back of the couch. “Again, old man?”

“M’fine,” he repeats, trying to roll to his side to try to stand, but that only aggravates the nerve and sends a ripple of spasms up his traitorous spine. “Fuck!”

“Should I go find Maria?” Ellie asks. “Those pills she had worked last time–”

“No, I just…need to rest for a minute,” he grumbles, knowing full well he’s out of commission until someone finds him a muscle relaxant.

“Is he always like this?” Charlie asks.

“Pretty much,” Ellie says, too quickly for Joel’s liking.

“I’ll go find Maria,” Charlie says, surprising them both when she takes Joel’s hand and gives it a tender squeeze. Ellie’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself again. I’ll be back,” she addresses Ellie before heading out the door.

When Charlie is gone, Ellie plops into the armchair and leans forward, an almost predatory smirk on her face.

“So…is she your girlfriend yet?”

“S’not like–”

“If you say ‘it’s not like that’ one more time, I’ll take the damn pills myself,” she says.

Joel groans. “Do we have to do this now?”

“Got ya right where I want ya,” she says. “Spill it, dude.”

“No, we’re not…I don’t…I dunno,” he grumbles.

“You ‘don’t know?’”

“S’what I said,” he grits his teeth against another wave of pain, forcing himself to lie absolutely still. “It’s complicated.”

Ellie rolls her eyes. “That’s just what grown-ups say when they don’t want to tell you the truth.”

He winces. “Yeah. Well, the truth is…it’s complicated.”

She sighs. “Are you sleeping together?”

“That’s none of your–”

“Just saying, if you’re fucking her, she’s probably your girlfriend. So it’s not that complicated.”

“Ellie, I’m not havin’ this conversation,” he growls, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Well, you should probably figure it out before the baby gets here.”

He can’t argue with that, so he doesn’t.

“It’s gonna be weird…having a baby around,” she says thoughtfully. “Remember how bad Tommy was after Izzy was born? When he kept putting Maria’s breastmilk in his coffee by accident?”

Joel snorts. “Yeah. I remember.”

“You’re gonna be busy,” she says. “Babies are a lot of work.”

Even in his pain, he picks up on the unspoken question in her voice. He softens. He wants to sit up so he can look at her, but his back protests. Instead, he reaches blindly for her hand.

“C’mere.”

There’s a reluctant pause, and then she’s standing beside him, slipping her fingers into his.

“I know I haven’t been, uh…great…lately. M’sorry.”

She shrugs, biting at her lower lip.

“Truth is…I was just gettin’ used to the idea of bein’ your dad, and now with the baby…”

He takes a deep, shaky breath.

“It’s a lot. An’ I know it’s prob’ly a lot for you, too.”

Her voice is too light, like she’s trying to cover something up. “You’ll have a real kid soon.”

He frowns and gives her an experimental pinch between her thumb and index finger. “Dunno. You feel pretty real to me.”

“You know what I mean,” she says softly, and he feels it in his heart, a twinge more powerful than any back spasm. He grips her fingers tighter.

“It’ll be different for a while…and yeah, I’m not gonna get much sleep. Prob’ly be…distracted. But it’s still you and me, kid,” he says. “An’ I’m always gonna be here.”

His back takes that moment to seize up again and he hisses. “Shit, sorry.”

She sighs, but there’s a smile in it. “At this rate, you’re always gonna be here on the couch .”

“What’d you need, anyway?” he groans, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, a hammer.”

“What for?”

“Cat found me this new poster, was gonna hang it in my room.”

“There’s one in my toolbox; s’by the door,” he says. “Just put it back when you’re done.”

She narrows her eyes. “You’re not gonna hurt yourself again, are you? Your girlfriend’ll have my ass.”

His answering glare has no effect and she leaves him, laughing.

Charlie returns with the pills a few minutes later, and he swallows two of them eagerly before she can fetch a glass of water. Then he hears her rummaging around up in the bedroom. She comes back with a heating pad.

“Found it at the post,” she explains. “Your kid is killing my hips. Lift up.”

Your kid.

He frowns. “I don’t need—“

“Spare me,” she sighs. “Lift up.”

So he does, still grumbling, and she slides the pad under his lower back and plugs the cord into the wall. It’s instantly warm, oozing heat up his spine, and the muscles slowly start to unwind. He can’t hold back a groan of relief.

“It’s the bed, isn’t it?” she sighs, easing herself into the armchair.

“No,” he says too quickly. “Strained it at work. Tommy’s got us workin’ doubles to get the new barns up.”

“Uh-huh. Maybe you should consider moving back into your room.”

“Not kickin’ you out,” he scoffs.

“I’d stay there, too.”

He side-eyes her. “No playin’ house, remember?”

“I think we might have crossed that line already,” she murmurs, quirking her lips.

Then she’s up and doing something in the kitchen, and Joel tries to focus on letting the heat work its magic. He knows the muscle relaxant has kicked in when he can roll over slightly and it doesn’t make his back seize. He tries to sit up, but Charlie is instantly at his side, holding him down by the shoulders.

“Gotta work,” he mutters weakly.

“Nuh-uh. I already told Tommy you’re out of commission,” she says.

“The hell’d you do–”

“You’re not good at letting people take care of you, are you?”

He grunts. “Says you .”

“Yeah, we have that in common. Not so much fun on the other side, huh?” she murmurs.

She plunks down a mug of coffee, a glass of juice, and a plate of eggs and toast on the table next to him, then puts a DVD in the player and hands him the remote.

“Stay,” she commands. “I’m at the post all day, but I’ll bring you lunch on my break. You’d better be horizontal when I get back.”

He wants to complain, but the pills have made him slow, and she’s out the door before he can think of a response.

The coffee is black and strong, just the way he likes it. The juice is awful–it’s green, some combination of things from the garden–but he chokes it down anyway, thinking of Sarah and her vitamins.

And then he passes out because he forgot that taking muscle relaxants on an empty stomach will do that. He wakes a few hours later, mouth dry and tasting of that awful juice, to find a paper bag and a note from Charlie have replaced the food and drinks on the table.

It’s a sandwich. Take another dose if you need it. I’ll be home by 6.

He’s pleasantly surprised to find he can sit up. Sure, the noise he makes in the process is unflattering, and he’s not going to be doing cartwheels anytime soon, but it’s an improvement.

This time, he eats the sandwich before he takes the second dose and manages to stay awake until Charlie gets home, but his head swims and he barely makes it halfway through their nightly movie. He wakes to her tugging gently on his hand.

“Come to bed.”

He’s too tired to protest. He lets her lead him to his bedroom, lets her pull back the covers and tuck him into bed, lets her wrap her body around his.

“You just wanna take advantage of me,” he slurs lightly into her hair.

She snorts a laugh. “Yes, Joel. This was my grand plan. For you to knock me up and throw your back out so I could keep you as my sex slave.”

“Mmmff. Knew it.”

“Go to sleep, old man,” she murmurs, nuzzling into his chest until he can feel her smile against his skin.

~*~

Sometimes Charlie is so distant, it’s like she isn’t there at all. She stares into space and he has to say her name four or five times before she hears him. Sometimes he has to physically touch her to bring her back, and then she looks at him as though he’s a stranger.

After the second or third time, he recognizes it as the disassociation of grief. He lost days of his life after Sarah was taken from him, days where he existed in body only, when Tess or Tommy would have to pull him back from the edge of a deep, dark pit. He’d wake up unable to remember how he’d gotten to bed or find himself in the middle of a fight with no idea how he’d gotten there. It might have scared him if he thought he had something to lose.

Those are the nights she needs him.

He knows he should turn her away. He knows he’s using her as much as she’s using him. But she comes alive when they’re together, and he tells himself it helps, and maybe it does.

He takes half as many showers.

Tonight, she arches back into him as he thrusts into her on her side from behind, curled around her body, heady with the feeling of being surrounded by her, all soft skin and warmth. She’s murmuring into his palm, slicking her tongue around his fingers, sucking them into her wet mouth and humming. His other hand rubs flutter-like circles against her clit the way he knows she likes.

She’s three orgasms deep and still hungry, panting and pleading, more, there, so close, please .

And then she comes hard, clenching around him and wrenching a hoarse name from her throat.

Not his name.

It barely registers until she’s scrambling away to sit at the edge of the bed, still trembling from the aftershocks, pulling the sheet across her naked chest.

“Shit, shit, shit, I’m sorry,” she gasps.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothes, reaching out to pull her back against him, but she jerks away from his touch.

“Fuck,” she grits out, followed by a low, keening sob. “Shit. Fuck.”

Some part of him has always known; the way her eyes clamp shut at the critical moment, the way she positions him and guides him and takes and takes and takes, the way she asks to forget, to pretend. Joel knows it’s foolish to think she needed him and not just the idea of him: a warm body, a working cock and fingers and tongue.

“Charlie, it’s–”

Her muffled sob cracks something in his heart. Then she’s locking herself in the bathroom before he can find his feet.

Shit.

He gets out of bed and pulls on his boxers, goes to the closed door. “Charlie?”

“Go away.”

He rolls his eyes. “Dammit, I’m not…mad.”

Silence.

“I don’t care if you…if you need…if you…fuck,” he hisses. “Just talk t’me.”

Her voice is so faint it barely registers. “I can’t.”

“Okay, you don’t have to, but…can you at least open the door?”

“No.”

He makes a fist against the wall, gritting his teeth. Without a better idea, he turns and slides down the wall, pressing his back to the door.

I’m here , he thinks helplessly. Just tell me what to do.

Silence. And then…rustling, a soft grunt, until they’re back-to-back with the door between them. He hears the hitch of another muffled sob.

“I always…thought it would be him,” she whispers finally, voice thick. “That we’d do this together.”

He feels a familiar shameful flush. What can he say?

I’m sorry it happened the wrong way, at the wrong time, with the wrong person.

I’m sorry I’m not him.

But he’s not sorry at all. He’s a selfish asshole, so he doesn’t say anything.

“We wanted this so much. And sometimes it feels like a…a betrayal. Like I’m moving on…forgetting him.”

He swallows hard, thinking of Sarah, wondering if he might hold this child in his arms and feel that same gnawing guilt, like he doesn’t deserve to be whole again.

“I think he’d want you to be happy,” Joel says softly.

“I tell myself that, I do…but I don’t think I believe it. I don’t–”

More silence. He shifts his weight. The floor is cold and hard, digging into his ass. It can’t be good for her back.

“When we…started…you said…you needed to pretend,” he tries, tipping his head back against the door and closing his eyes. “I knew that goin’ into this. Knew I wasn’t, uh…I’m not–”

“I thought…I wanted…I don’t know,” she hiccups. “I don’t know anymore.”

“We…you don’t need to—”

“It hurts,” she grates out. “It h-hurts and I miss him and it’s not f-f-fucking fair.”

It’s not fucking fair .

What else is there to say?

“I know,” he whispers roughly. “I know.”

They sit like that until his ass is numb and her silence is too unnerving to bear.

“Come back to bed,” he says, defeated and not expecting her to answer. “Please.”

There’s a watery sigh on the other side of the door. Then he hears her moving, the slightest groan as she gets to her feet, and he eases himself off the floor. The door opens. She’s wrapped in a robe, one hand cradling her belly under the terrycloth, the bedsheet pooled at her feet.

Her eyes meet his, red-rimmed and hollow. He cups the back of her neck and pulls her into an embrace.

“S’alright,” he whispers when her tears wet his chest and she shudders against him. He sways like he used to when Sarah was little, rocking her back and forth until she quiets.

“Oh!”

She jumps suddenly, startling in his arms, a soft gasp escaping her lips. Swiping at her eyes, she grabs his hand, guiding it down her body until it’s resting just below her belly button. Her skin is warm and taut and smooth.

“What—“

Then he feels it, the tapping against his fingers, some tiny arm or elbow or foot poking at him from under her skin. She laughs through tears as the insistent little being seems to dance under their hands.

“Never been this strong before,” she whispers thickly.

Joel doesn’t trust himself to speak, pride warring with sadness in his chest. They stay like that for a long time, his hand on her stomach, new life roiling beneath his palm.

~*~

The baby should be able to hear them now, so at night, he reads out loud from a tattered copy of The Fellowship of the Ring , sitting up in their shared bed with a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. The reading was his idea, the choice of material was hers.

One hand holds the book, the other rests on Charlie’s stomach. She says she likes the sound of his voice, but most of the time, she’s asleep before he gets to the third page. At this rate, the kid will be twenty before they finish the first book in the trilogy.

Tonight, the baby–Coconut, he thinks–is particularly active, rolling and kicking against his hand. A particularly hard jab causes Charlie to jump, hissing a soft ouch under her breath, and he puts the book aside.

“Hey, kid, settle down,” he says, rubbing at the squirming lump. “Let your mama sleep.”

This earns him another pointed jab; the kid is all attitude.

“Mmm,” Charlie mutters. “I know what’d help me sleep.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmmhmm,” she stretches, arching her back, and he can see the outline of one dark nipple through her bra.

“Again?” he murmurs, sliding a hand up to cup her breast and rolling it gently through the fabric. “Already?”

She sighs at the contact. “Mmm. Please?”

He tosses his glasses on the nightstand, more than happy to abandon the book, and curls around her, nuzzling her neck. “‘Fraid I’m not going to be much help with, uh…y’know.”

Not for the first time, he wishes he was about fifteen years younger. Even then, he’s not sure he could keep up with her. He wonders if she was always like this, or if it’s the pregnancy. He wonders if he’ll get to find out.

They don’t talk about this, or what will happen after the baby comes. They go to her midwife appointments together and Joel grinds his teeth through every second, but he stays by her side. Sometimes she holds his hand, and when she kisses him, she does so with the full force of her being. But just like the baby, their relationship doesn’t have a name.

She guides his hand between her legs, under her panties, finding her slick and swollen. She gives a contented little hum of pleasure when his finger traces her seam. “I’m sure you can figure something out.”

He huffs a breath into her nape, kisses the spot where the soft, downy hairs tickle against his nose, and strokes her the way she likes, circling and tapping until she’s arching against him. She comes almost immediately, fluttering and pulsing against his fingertips. A little one.

“More?” he murmurs, gentling his touch as her breathing calms.

“Mmhm, please.”

Her clit is a hard, slick little pebble under his fingers. He draws her orgasm from her more slowly this time, teasing, building her up until her climax is a growl sprung from the depths of her throat and her thighs clench his hand in a vise. He cups her sex gently and trails kisses along her neck, her throat, her shoulder as she rides it out, whispers into the shell of her ear, “More?”

Charlie reaches back and threads her fingers into his hair in answer, pulling him tighter against her, and he breathes her in, sweat and soap and something uniquely her. It drives him crazy, makes him feel feral and protective and alive. She turns her head, seeking his mouth, and he obliges, tongue parting her lips and tasting her as she hums and shivers and writhes against his hand, don’t stop please don’t please don’t stop . 

“I got you,” he murmurs against her lips in between kisses, fingers circling and circling until his wrist aches. He can feel the baby roll and kick under his forearm, feels her fingers gripping him there. He loves watching her like this, loves the way her back arches and jaw goes slack with pleasure, the sounds she makes when she comes.

And then she does, coming undone in his arms with a throaty moan, shuddering and keening in a way that makes his cock twitch.

“Better?” he murmurs, finally pulling his hand away and groping for the blanket they’d tossed aside.

“Much,” she sighs, relinquishing herself to his warmth. “You sure you don’t want me to…”

“M’fine,” he says, wrapping an arm around her belly, which has gone mostly still. “Kid calmed down.”

“Yeah. S’the hormones,” she murmurs drowsily. “Oxytocin.”

“They can feel that, huh?”

“Mmhm,” she says. “They can feel everything.”

“...everything?”

“Don’t make it weird,” she murmurs, and he can feel her smirking against his arm. “Read to us?”

Us . They’re slowly bending all the rules, he thinks.

He groans. “Thought you were goin’ to sleep.”

“I am, but I like your voice.”

“Uh huh. Damnit, lost my place,” he grumbles, grabbing for the hefty paperback. “Never find it again, damn book is six-thousand pages long. Thought this’d have dragons, so far they’re just describing’ stuff and yackin’.”

“It’s Tolkien,” she yawns. “It’s a classic.”

“Buncha elves and gnomes and shit,” he mutters. “This Dildo Baggins character sounds like a porn star.”

“They’re hobbits,” Charlie laughs and pokes him in the thigh. “And it’s ‘Bilbo’, you grouch.”

He squints. “Right, need my glasses. Tiny print.”

Charlie snickers, something about old eyes , and burrows deeper into the covers as he finally finds his reading glasses and his place.

He doesn’t make it two pages before he hears her snore.

~*~

They’ve kept up the movie night routine even though there’s no good reason for Charlie to stay off her feet. They’ve rented the last of the action flicks from the library, so now they’re working through television shows and sitcoms. Some unlucky soul from the time before left behind a sizeable collection of M*A*S*H episodes on tape, so Charlie often falls asleep to the sounds of Hawkeye’s sarcastic drawl.

They’re on the couch in their usual spots, her with a bowl of homemade strawberry ice cream perched on her belly, him with a beer. The ice cream is the only thing she craves–strawberry preserves mixed with cream and sugar, then frozen and scooped into a bowl. Joel makes a new batch every other night before they go to bed. They’re going through Maria’s summer preserves like crazy, and he’ll be doing work on the community greenhouses for the rest of his fucking life at this rate.

But it’s worth it, he thinks, as she takes another bite of the rich, creamy concoction, licking the spoon clean with her strawberry-pink tongue. She’s a fucking distraction. The laugh track is going off in the background, but with every bite, her eyes roll back and her lashes flutter, and he wants to take that spoon out of her mouth and–

He adjusts himself, forces his eyes back to the screen, takes another sip of his beer. Jesus .

A few minutes later the bowl is licked clean, and a well-placed kick from the baby sends it rocking, tumbling into her lap.

“Apparently we demand more,” Charlie laughs.

“Kid’s gonna come out lookin’ like a strawberry,” Joel mutters.

She smiles. “Baby wants what it wants.”

The phrase triggers a memory, and he chuckles. “With Sarah, it was mangoes.”

Sarah’s mom, sitting at the kitchen table in their tiny one-bedroom, devouring the fruit straight from the rind, sticky juice coating her fingers, running down her chin.

Baby wants what it wants , she’d said, and then he’d kissed her, lips syrupy sweet.

He doesn’t remember if he loved her–there was no room for love to grow, really. Not enough time, not enough money, not enough maturity between the two of them. But they’d made Sarah, and he’d loved his baby girl enough to make up for the rest.

“Who’s Sarah?”

Charlie snaps him out of his reverie. She’s looking at him curiously.

Oh.

He reaches for the remote, pausing the show, and the silence around them has weight, he can feel it pressing against his chest. He coughs, clears his throat, tries to figure out how to start.

“She was, uh…my daughter. Before.”

She blinks at him, wide-eyed, her question a small, breathless whisper. “You had a daughter?”

He ducks his head. “Yeah. She, uh…was killed on Outbreak Day. She’d be about your age now. Little younger, I guess.”

Her eyes are so bright, they almost glow.

“Her mom…my ex…liked mangoes,” he explains. “When she was pregnant. Couldn’t keep enough of ‘em in the house.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Didn’t know you liked mangoes,” he says weakly, trying for a joke. She doesn’t smile.

He takes a deep breath, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t tryin’ to hide it. It never felt like a good time, and it’s…I didn’t want you to feel like I was…replacin’ something.”

She looks around then as if seeking some kind of clue, something obvious she might have missed. There are no photos of Sarah on the mantle, no drawings or keepsakes to indicate he’d been a father before Ellie–only the broken watch on his wrist. He holds it out to her, the shattered glass face shimmering in the light of the TV screen.

“She gave me this for my birthday,” he says, and the words stick in his throat. “It’s…all I have.”

“And her name was Sarah?” she says in a small, tight voice.

His smile is sad. “Go figure, huh?”

Her lip quivers. “Joel…”

She sets the bowl aside and starts to get up, the bulk of her belly and gravity working against her.

“Don’t–” he starts, but she makes it to her feet before he can protest.

Then she’s standing between his knees and cradling his face in her hands. There are tears in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She cries at everything now, but that doesn’t explain why he wants to cry, too.

He wants to say something reassuring, to set her at ease, but his tongue is thick in his mouth and it hurts like it does sometimes, like the wound is fresh and raw and new all over again.

“I can’t,” he says thickly, pleading. “Not…right now. Not yet.”

She nods slowly, kisses his forehead with something like love, and cradles him against her. Her warm, full belly presses against his chest, against his heart, and he hates that it soothes the ache. It’s too much like forgetting.

Her whisper at his temple is a balm.

“One day at a time.”

#fanfic #fic recs #joel miller #the last of us hbo #the last of us #pregnancy #babyfic

[delusinalandpassionate]

Okay I kinda decided to write a list of "shaddy" things around Don to keep it in order.

So there are two parts "Things that definitely were intentional and will reappear later" and "Maybe that's product of my imagination, maybe not, who know" to not mix important parts with questionable

Things that definitely were intentional and will reappear later

1. [REDACTED]

That thing appears in her character description, in list of particulars , and none of other characters has anything like this. Not even Outis whose records about past are not permitted for us. Which makes me question what the fuck is that???

2. Spoiler CG

That's all we have from TGS teaser for her. All other CGs with her presence already were shown in the plot, and only this one left. And it frankly gives us nothing. It seems that Don in battle, but they have battle every chapter and we have no fucking hint who she against there.

3. Background and Ferris wheel/windmill

We can see a wind mill behind her back on her promo art. Or technically a ferris wheel in shape of wind mill with merry-go-round. And that's somehow connected to her, but in which way? Is it about her past? Or is something metaphorical as Yi San? Is there any amusement parks in the City???

4. Her eyes

We have this moment in Canto II Episode: 8

And in the City where you can literally change your eye color to any color you want that kinda means at least something

5. Dance

Canto II Episode: 15 and that sceen

It's creepy how her voice lowers down and how this gang implies that she's insincere. It is the first when we understand that there is something fucked up with her

6. Don, Vergilius and The Deal

Canto III Episode: 10

Vergilius punishes Don for her reckless behavior and it seems cruel, but expected until-

There is the deal between Don and Verg, and a mere mentioning of it is enough to shut Don up for the rest of the chapter. It seems like this deal was made on the day when she joined Limbus company... but isn't Faust the one who found and hired sinners? We know for sure she was the one to hire Yi San and Vergilius himself. And as far as we can see, Vergilius doesn't seem to want Don in his crew. So why make a deal with her???

7. Old Friends

Canto III Episode: 19

Sinclair has an episode, and Don volunteers to help him which leads to

And explains her action "Pardon my rash action. Oft I would find myself overcome by fervor, rampaging much the same as a riderless horse. At such moments, mine old friends helped me to come to myself—by beating me senseless. ‘Twas, at times, the only remedy to the fever that had overtaken me."

And that's like the only thing we get to know about her past. Her friends used to beat her regularly because of her episodes. And sinners are surprised with this, which means it's not a common way in The City(I wouldn't be surprised if it was). But it works on Sinclair, bringing him to his senses and leaving us with questions such as "Who was Don's friends?" and "How exactly Don's rampage would look?"

8. ...

Canto IV Episode: 28

Sinners discuss the deal they made with Limbus company and reason why they joined it and

Don has this "...." for some fucking reason.

And the thing is that other Sinners were quiet too. Meursault, Hong Lu, Rodya- didn't say a thing during this talk, but only Don's silence was highlighted. Which makes us wonder how her deal differs from others?

(and if she made a deal at all)

9. Role

Canto IV last chapters

Sinners are given roles from Yi San's past according to their personalities, and Don gets the role of Gubo, second shaddiest parson in League, and the man who kept Yi San locked and drugged.

Kinda kinda surprising, isn't it?! I mean we met Gubo a few times and Don seemed to be the least matching person to him, but Yi San's mind still chooses her to play him. Which again raises a lot of questions.

10. Familiar sight

Canto IV Episode: 53

Sinners see Dongrang and how he speaks with someone whom they don't see. That's sight is surprising for all of them, but

Don quixote and Faust

And if for Faust it was expected to know about Distortions, how exactly did Don find out these symptoms? Was she distorted? Or was someone close to her?

WE DON’T FUCKING KNOW

11. La Sangre de Sancho

Why is her personal EGO named "Blood of Sancho"?! It's the only EGO that includes someone name. Is it her name? Is it the name of her friend? Why she wields his blood. Is he dead? How did he die?

12. Moon

That's technically a question to Shi IDs together, because they live to mention Red Moon, but no one explain what the fuck it suppose to mean? And there is no explanation in Ruina or Lobotomy?

Okay, we finished with good stuff, and there starts part where my delusions lie. Their credibility differs from "maybe" to "very low", and I understand that, but I can't ignore it, so there is it

1. MURDER

Don commit the third murder on the bus, killing Ryoshu, and it doesn't seem surprising, but in Canto IV we learn that it's extremely difficult to sneak on Ryoshu and only professional killers of higher rank managed to do it. But Don managed to kill her, without any resistance.

Of course it can be said that Ryoshu wasn't on guard at that moment, or it was made for comedic effect, but there is a chance it could mean something.

2. Star

“¡Por alcanzar la estrella inalcanzable!”

"To reach the unreachable star!"

I could ignore this just as cool quote, but in Ruina there was so many talks about stars, and in Limbus it continues making it's an important metaphor (or sometimes a real thing). It makes me think how much my understanding of those words will change after her Canto?

3. Lack of Pride

Sinclair and Don are the only sinners who can't use their personal EGO by themselves and that's already must to mean something, but then Sinclair gets ID with sin he needs, but Don doesn't have. She has four IDs and none of them have Pride. Is this just a coincidence or Pmoon tries to tell us something? I guess we will see with next ID

Okay, that's it. At least, that's all I remember. If you have anything else which I missed (for both part, I would like to hear your delusion about any weird phrase or sprite or anything else)

I guess I will update this list with time, when Pmoon answer my question or give more of them.

Hope it was fun to read

#limbus company #don quixote #project moon #the list #feel like I forgot a lot of things

[777-maple]

How I manifest everything

From someone who has been doing this for 3 years.

Table of context

1. EXCESS POTENTIAL

2. DO NOT GIVE A FUCK

3. FIND THE METHOD THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU

4. DISCIPLINE

5. YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO MORE

6. 4V1

7. HOW NEGATIVES ARE ACTUALLY HUGE SIGNS

8. AFFIRMATION TAPES

EXCESS POTENTIAL:

Every time I've been overly fixated on manifesting something, it never quite works out. I've come to realize that relying solely on a manifestation for happiness creates a sense of lack. So, when the manifestation seems elusive, and I start feeling hopeless, I remind myself that I can find happiness independent of that specific outcome. I can be content right now and for the rest of my life, even if this thing never materializes.

Take the scenario of people manifesting their significant others. Relying entirely on that person for happiness isn't healthy. Even outside the realm of manifestation, your partner shouldn't be your sole source of joy. If the idea of not having them makes you believe you'll never be happy again, it's time to shift focus. Instead of obsessing over manifesting them back, it's about working on your self-concept and having a healthier perspective on relationships. I love my boyfriend, but if he left suddenly, I'd be sad, not thinking my life is over. It's about having a mindset that even if this particular thing doesn't work out, I'm still deserving of happiness and that happiness will come to me one way or another. And this may seem counterintuitive, however this is not me saying that you won’t manifest your desire and that you should be okay with that. I am saying that you need to be happy with or without because the 3d should never dictate your happiness.

DO NOT GIVE A FUCK:

Mastering manifesting requires not caring about the drama in the 3D world. Imagine unwanted things happening, and you just shrug it off, saying, "I don’t give a fuck." Add a bonus of "This will work out anyway." If your specific person hasn't replied, don't panic. Embrace the "IDGAF" mindset. "I don't give a fuck that they haven't texted back; they love me, and they'll reach out any minute now." After dropping this wisdom, distract yourself from the negativity. Watch a show, dance, listen to music—anything to divert attention. It's about cutting the drama and letting the universe do its thing. Repeat this as many times as necessary.

I applied this recently when two friends were dating, and I believed they weren't right for each other and I hated the way she treated him. Despite seeing them be all couplely in the 3d, I persisted in imagining their breakup. I would affirm occasionally “They are in the process of breaking up, I know that they’re about to break up”. After a week, they stopped hanging out, and eventually, they unfollowed each other. It took about two weeks.

FIND THE METHOD THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU:

Honestly, none of the typical manifestation methods clicked with me. Affirmations gave me a headache, visualization overwhelmed me, meditation wasn't my go-to, and scripting bored me. So why don’t I like the holy grail of robotic affirmations? I appreciate affirmations, but I can't do them robotically 24/7; it's too stressful. I tried robotic affirming for two years without success. The key is finding a method you enjoy, not just focusing on its efficiency. If you don't enjoy your chosen method, find one that brings you joy. I have seen probably hundreds of robotic affirmation success stories, but since I never enjoyed affirming 24/7 it never worked for me. Ill get into my preferred method in a bit. But find one you enjoy.

DISCIPLINE:

Discipline used to be a challenge, but I realized it's crucial for manifesting. I stay disciplined by choosing a method, setting a 90-day goal, and eliminating distractions. I unsubscribed from manifestation coaches, delete twitter, tumblr, fb, and block tarot readers. Manifestation shouldn't become a distraction. Don’t let manifestation become your new Netflix. I no longer follow my favorite manifestation coaches, not because I dislike them, but because they served their purpose. I honestly do believe this step is crucial but a lot of people may not want to do it.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO MORE:

One day, it hit me that I rarely entertain opposing thoughts like “This won't work.” Instead, I find myself thinking, “I need to do more for this to work.” Identifying your specific limiting belief is crucial. In my case, I fell into a cycle of trying new methods because I believed I needed to do more. The pattern went like this: new method -> progress -> less progress/opposite results -> need to add a new method -> progress -> burnout -> giving up. Manifesting operates effortlessly 24/7, so consciously manifesting should be the same. Pick one method, stick to it, and trust it.

1v4:

Here's the affirming method I swear by (shoutout to GOATEDMANIFESTING on YouTube and TikTok– the only coach I actually care about and relate to 100%). I maintain a mental diet by monitoring my thoughts throughout the day. If a negative thought contradicts what I'm manifesting, I stop myself and affirm the positive opposite four times. For instance, if I think "He's getting bored of me," I counter it with affirmations like "No, he loves spending time with me; he's always excited to be around me." Repeat that four times, let go, and continue with what you were doing, all while keeping an eye on your thoughts. It's like facing four opponents in a fight – depending on the strength of the limiting belief, it might take some hits. If four people keep beating you up, even if you survive the first round, you would eventually give up.

HOW NEGATIVES ARE ACTUALLY HUGE SIGNS:

Everything only has meaning if you give it meaning. After observing the process of manifesting something new multiple times, I've noticed I often hit a sort of rock bottom. In the beginning, it involved a few days of confidence followed by uncertainty and worry. But persisting through it always led to improvement and successful manifestation. I've learned to assign a new meaning to these tough days – they're a massive sign that what I'm doing is imprinting on my subconscious. It's like my subconscious is "fighting back" against this foreign idea, but if I persist, it'll absorb and manifest. The resistance might show up as opposing dreams, intrusive thoughts, or even the opposite appearing in the 3D. Take it as a sign that after persisting, your subconscious will be impressed and manifest. Just stand firm during this time. Stand on business.

AFFIRMATION TAPES

This is my preferred method but imma just link a video that explains it better than I ever could plus I am tired of writing.

CONCLUSION

There is so so much more I have learned like how I don’t listen to depressing music anymore just shit that makes me feel confident, motivated or happy.

I have been obsessed with law of assumption for 3 whole years now and I know I still got a lot more to learn however this shit got me movement with my sp in 9 days after 2 years of hot and cold. It got me an A in my college algebra class even though it should be a B. It got my friend to end it with his toxic girlfriend. It got my other friend to end shit with her toxic best friend. I change my appearance and my confidence is through the roof and this is the first time in a while where I am completely content with my life.

There is a lot more I could talk about but thats for another day, these are just the main 7 points.

#law of assumption #manifestation #manifesting #affirmations #manifesation #loassumption