#and it's an emotional scene and i know it is cos i cried so- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

absurdthirst · 6 days

Text

Mother's Day Surprise {Joel Miller x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 11.4k

Warnings: Menstrual blood/cramping, violent attack, near death, surgery, comma, mentions of blood and disturbing scenes, recovery, assistance with basic needs, helping Joel shower, confessions of feelings, fingering, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, pull out method, mentions of family planning, breeding kink, dirty talk, cream pie, infertility, depression, feelings of worthlessness, death, harsh and cruel world, babies

Comments: Helping Joel Miller recover from a horrific attack leads to a life you never knew possible.

**🚨🚨 Contains spoilers for Season 2 of The Last of Us🚨🚨**

A/N: Happy Mother's Day to all those lovely moms out there and anyone wishing to become one in the future. Being a mom doesn't necessarily mean biologically. 💜

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

**Follow @absurdthirst-writes and turn on notifications to stay up to date on all new fics.

|| MasterList || Joel Miller MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

You grunt, squinting as you struggle to see in the dark. It's the middle of the night, the sun not yet peeking through the curtains, and you wonder why you woke up until your stomach twists and you realize you're wet between your thighs. "No. No. No. No." You cry, tears in your eyes as you scramble out of bed and rush into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. You shove your shorts down and sob at the blood that's gathered there. You got your period. Again. You sit down on the toilet and gather some paper to clean yourself up while you try to smother your cries but there's a knock at the door and Joel's voice resonates through it, "are you okay, sweetheart?" He asks and you choke out, "the bed." Joel walks over to turn the lamp on, his eyes widening at the blood on the sheets. "Oh sweetheart." He sighs, resting his forehead against the door frame. "I'm sorry, baby. I - I am useless." You sob and he rattles the door handle, "let me in." He demands and you flush the toilet, washing your hands before you open the door. Joel immediately wraps his arms around you, pulling you into his chest. "We will try again." He promises, "I didn't give up when I was recovering and we won't give up now." He assures you while you sob into his chest.

He sighs, not even going to deny his own disappointment, although people who used to know him in the Boston QZ would never believe it. Joel Miller, disappointed that you aren’t pregnant. The very obvious sign of his seed not taking root staining the sheets of the bed you share. He shouldn’t want a child. He’s closer to fucking sixty years old than not, just a few years shy and yet he finds himself wanting to see you round with his child. His second child by blood, his third in his heart. Ellie is staying with Dina tonight, so he doesn’t have to worry about waking her up as your sobs wrack your body. “You aren’t useless.” He soothes, frowning when he remembers your emotional words. Standing in the bathroom, he wishes there was something that he could do, fertility doctors from twenty plus years ago were a thing of the past. Most people do not want to bring children into this fungi infested world, but here in Jackson, he has hope for the future. Hope for a chance to pass on a legacy.

You cling to him, knowing he's disappointed. Lord knows you've been trying enough but you just can't seem to get pregnant. It's like you are cursed and you wonder if Joel's injuries hurt your chances.

****

You gasp when you look up to see a mangled man carried into the hospital. You set your cup of coffee down and stand up, the resident doctor rushing around to try and stop the bleeding. "What the hell?" You ask and a teenage girl is clinging to his hand as the team try to wheel him into the surgery room. "Joel. Joel. Don't leave me." She pleads, tears in her eyes, and you reach for her. "He's in good hands, sweetheart. Come here. Let the doctor work." You manage to drag her away and she wraps her arms around you and sobs, "I didn't know - she nearly - they nearly- it's all my fault." She chokes and you rub her back, frowning at the doors where the man disappeared.

Hours later, the door swings open and the doctor comes back through, his work scrubs stained with blood. Ellie had been impatiently sitting and leaps out of her seat. “Is he alive? Where is he? I want to see him.” She demands, making the doctor lift his hands slightly. “He’s alive.” He reassures her, making her tense shoulders slump with relief and tears prick her eyes. “There was massive trauma to the head, and-“ Ellie interrupts him. “Of course there is, that bitch tried to beat him to death with a fucking golf club.”

Your eyes widen at the news that he was nearly beaten to death. You wrap your arm around Ellie’s shoulder. She had rambled about how Joel saved her, how much she loves him, how he’s the father she never had. Her words made your heart melt and you silently prayed he pulled through. “It’s going to be a long road to recovery. For now, we will monitor him and see if he pulls through the night. It’s touch and go still.” The doctor warns Ellie who nods, “he will pull through. Joel is a stubborn fucker.” You chuckle and rub her upper arm, “let’s get you something to eat and a shower and we can come back when he’s settled in a room.” You suggest and she’s reluctant to leave but the doctor nods, “he’s unconscious. Will be for a few days at least. His body needs rest. Go get some food and he will be waiting for you.” Ellie nods and lets you guide her to your house. Her home needs to be cleaned up and you don’t want her to see the aftermath of the battle that occurred in her home.

Joel had put up a fight. Furniture is broken, the mirror in the hallway - one he had grumbled about every day when it showed him how old he is - is shattered. Shards of glass and spurts of blood splash the walls. Ellie grimaces and stops at the blood stain on the floor right by the open front door. Obviously no one had cared about closing up the house when rushing Joel off to the hospital. “Right.” She sighs, turning when she hears someone running towards her. “Ellie! Fuck, is Joel alright?” Breathless, Tommy stops in front of the teenager and his face almost begs her to tell him that his older brother is okay. “I tracked her, but she got away.” He explains; that being the reason he wasn’t at the hospital earlier. “She went to the river and I couldn’t track her from there.”

Ellie straightens her back, shaking her head, “that fucking bitch.” She growls and you answer Tommy’s question. “Joel had surgery. He’s unconscious right now. Still in the air as to him waking up without brain damage. The doctor did the best he could but it…it was bad.” You admit and Tommy closes his eyes, needing to see his brother. “I need to see him.” He says and you nod, “he’s unconscious still. I’m going to get Ellie changed and get her something to eat.” You tell Tommy who reaches out to squeeze Ellie’s shoulder. “Get something to eat, kid. I’ll let you know if anything changes.” Tommy promises and Ellie doesn’t say anything else, going quiet. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

You nod, “go clean up. I’ll get started on trying to clean this up.” You tell her and she makes her way upstairs. You sigh, looking over at the pool of blood and you feel sick. You’ve always had a crush on the older Miller brother since he arrived at Jackson, but you’re certain he doesn’t even know you exist.

****

You check Joel’s pulse, his eyes moving beneath his eyelids. He’s still unconscious, has been for a few days, and the hospital isn’t equipped with equipment to test brain function. All you can do is watch and wait to see if he will wake up.

Joel hurts, every inch of his body hurts and it feels like he’s trying to move mountains just to open his eyes. Fingers twitching and he opens his mouth, groaning quietly.

You gasp when you hear him groan, watching his eyes flutter, and you let go of his wrist, calling for the doctor. The doctor comes in and you gesture to Joel, “he is waking up.” The doctor nods, checking Joel over, his bandages wrapped around his head, and they had to shave his head to perform the surgery. You wonder if he will be angry about losing his hair. Ellie is in the waiting room so you head out to see her. “He’s awake.” You tell her and she stands up, “he is. I want to see him.” You shake your head, “the doctor is checking him over. Let’s give them some time.”

It takes a long time to understand what the doctors are telling him, frowning in confusion and wondering why his head feels like it’s been squashed like a grape. Moving is slower and he hisses in pain when he learns that his ribs have been broken and his leg is also fractured. Opening his mouth, it’s hard to get a word out. “E-E-El-Ellie.” He manages, needing to see her.

The doctor nods, “she’s okay.” You escort Ellie into the room, wanting her to see her father is awake, and she rushes over to the bed. “Joel. Joel. I’m sorry.” Ellie chokes, reaching for his hand. He groans as he squeezes her hand, silently assured that she’s okay.” You watch their reunion with tears in your eyes from the doorway.

“D-d-don’t bl-ame y-your-self.” Joel rasps out, still fuzzy on what happened. He doesn’t remember anything much before waking up in the hospital. Although he gets the sense he was angry- desperate. He groans in pain when she lunges forward to hug him, but he doesn’t push her away.

You watch Ellie hug him and you know in that moment you’ll do whatever you can do to make sure Joel gets better. Ellie pulls back after several moments and the doctor checks Joel’s vitals. “He needs some more time here so we can observe him.” Ellie nods at the doctor’s words and you walk over to rub her back.

“I’m going be honest, Mr. Miller,” the doctor tells him as he pulls back. “I am surprised that you even woke up. There was significant bleeding and swelling of the brain. Tests seem positive but there could be damage that hasn’t manifested itself yet.” He tells Joel. “It’s going to be a long road to recovery for you.”

Joel doesn’t say anything. He was nearly murdered. He knows he shouldn’t be alive right now. Ellie sniffs as she steps back and Joel attempts to squeeze her hand. The doctor grabs his clipboard and looks at Joel’s recent vitals. “Waking up was half the struggle. Let’s monitor you and go from there.” The doctor says, “and we will keep running tests.” Joel grunts out an “okay” and you offer him a smile, “you’re a fighter just like Ellie said. She’s lucky to have you.”

You’re familiar to him, he can’t place it, but his thoughts are still fuzzy and jumbled. “How- how long have I been here?” He asks after a moment. “Three days.” Ellie answers and he frowns. “Who- where have you been sleeping?”

Ellie says your name, “I have been staying in her house. She has been cleaning our house because there was too much blood and - and it was a mess.” Ellie reveals and Joel’s eyes are hazy as they meet yours, silently saying goodbye thank you and you nod in response. “Just focus on getting better, Ellie and I are enjoying some girl time.” You tease, winking at Ellie who chuckles.

****

Joel stays in hospital for two weeks and you look after Ellie, preparing his home for his return, and when the doctor declares him fit to leave, he says that he needs someone to look after him. He still can’t shower by himself, he needs help eating and he struggles to walk alone. It’s going to be a long recovery for Joel. “I can help,” Ellie says without hesitation as Joel sits on the edge of the bed.

“You can’t help me do everything.” Joel grunts, knowing that he could never allow the teenage girl to help him shower or get to fucking bathroom. “I- Tommy-“ his brother has been by to visit every day, and he’s talked to him about taking Ellie. He doesn’t know how he will manage, but he also knows he can’t burden Maria and their baby with his convalesce.

“Tommy is out of town on a scouting mission.” Ellie says, knowing Joel’s brother was set on revenge for his brother’s condition. He just had to track Abby down. “I can help.” You volunteer, feeling close to him despite not having a full conversation with him. Spending time with Ellie, hearing her stories about Joel and his bravery had made you fond of him. “I can help him at home.” You offer and the doctor looks to Joel for his answer.

His eyes slide to you, unsure why you would volunteer to help him, but the doctor immediately nods. “That would be a good idea.” He agrees. “You can check his bandages and make sure that he doesn’t get an infection.” He smiles at the three of you like it’s a done deal and Joel frowns slightly, not sure if he likes the idea of you helping him.

You nod, noticing Ellie’s grateful smile, and you look at Joel, “it’s for the best. I can monitor your health and help you. I’m a nurse. It’s a medical decision.” You tell him and he grunts, knowing he doesn’t have a choice. He’s discharged and you wheel him to the doctor’s truck, knowing Joel won’t be able to walk home. You arrive outside of the house and Joel grunts, “I can walk.” He doesn’t want a wheelchair so you let him wrap his arm around you to guide him into the house. “Take your time.” You reassure him, “no need to rush.”

The shuffle is slow and painful, making him huff in irritation that he can’t move like he would want to. Even as he’s gotten older and been slower, he’s been able to move how he wanted to. Now, in a cast and recovering from nearly dying, he needs help. Ellie jumps forward to open the door and he’s glad to see that the scene that had been left from the attack you told him about has been cleaned away. He will have to thank you for that. “Fuck.” He pants, out of breath and in pain just because of the short walk from the truck to the house. “I don’t know how the fuck I’m getting upstairs.”

“We moved a bed downstairs.” You tell him, “you won’t be going upstairs for a while.” You escort him into the living room and help him settle down on the bed. He’s only wearing socks so he groans as he sits down and you help him lay on the bed. “You need to rest as much as possible. Let me get you some water. Are you hungry?” You ask, helping him settle against the pillows.

“Can you cook better than the shit they served at the hospital?” He grumbles, having not enjoyed the food there. He’s relieved to be home and his head hurts a little bit less today than before. He’s got a plate covering the fractured portion of his skull and they actually had to remove a large chunk of the bone.

You chuckle, “I like to think so. I’m glad your appetite is back. What do you feel like? I make a mean mac and cheese.” You adjust his pillow and Ellie comes to sit down next to him. “She’s a really good cook. Like really good. I’ve been helping make cheese and we even made a cake.” She tells Joel with wide eyes, shocked at how this place is like life in books she read.

“Sure.” Joel agrees, the little fissure of pain at the mention of a cake isn’t as rough as it might once have been. The last night she had been alive, Sarah had wanted a cake desperately for Joel’s birthday. “Make something the kid likes.” He suggests. “I eat anything.”

You smile, liking how he caters to Ellie, and you know that Ellie told the truth about the man she considers a father. “What do you want, sweetheart?” You ask her and she nods, “Mac and cheese.” You ask if she wants to help you while Joel gets settled in and Ellie follows you into the kitchen so you can get started on the food and you pour Joel a glass of water. “You want to take this to Joel?” You ask Ellie who takes the glass and takes it to her father figure.

Joel listens to the sound of people talking in the kitchen and it’s so strange. He can’t make out what’s being said, but he can hear voices. It’s almost unsettling that there is someone else in the safe, cozy home that he and Ellie have managed to carve out for themselves. Tommy told him that Abby, the girl who had attacked him, was the daughter of the doctor he had killed to save Ellie. His past sins were coming back to haunt him, but he doesn’t regret not letting the teen sacrifice herself for a lost cause.

Ellie comes back out to hand Joel the glass of water and he takes it, taking a sip. “Thanks, kid.” He says and she sits down at the edge of his bed. “I- I thought I was gonna lose you.” She whispers, her brown eyes meeting his, “I was scared.” She admits and Joel feels his chest tighten, tears stinging in his eyes. “But you didn’t. I survived and I ain’t going anywhere, kid.” He promises, reaching out to squeeze her hand with his free one. “She been looking after you?” He asks her, jerking his chin towards the kitchen. “Yeah. She’s been great. She cleaned this place up. Made sure I ate and showered and slept while worrying like fuck about you. She’s a good one.” Ellie says and Joel trusts her opinion. You hear what Ellie says from around the corner, some homemade chips in a bowl in your hand and you smile, liking that she trusts you. You carry the bowl in and set it down , “hope these are good. We fried them earlier today.” You say, looking between Ellie and Joel.

Joel’s brow raises and he nods. “Thanks.” It hurts to nod so he just sends you his thanks with his eyes. “For taking care of her and me now, I guess.” He sips the water and grunts when the cool liquid slides down his throat to quench his thirst. “I’m sorry for all the cursing I will be doing.” He warns you, knowing he’s never been a good patient.

You chuckle, “curse away. You’re alive. That’s all that matters.” You promise and make your way back into the kitchen to continue making dinner. It’s going to be a long path of recovery but you’re happy to help Joel get back on his feet.

****

“Shit.” Joel hisses as you help him into the downstairs bathroom to shower. “Do you, uh, I can help take off your pants.” You offer, cheeks burning as you try and help him shower for the first time since he left the hospital.

Joel isn’t a shy man, never has been, but the idea that you have to help him bathe like he is a helpless baby makes him burn with embarrassment. There’s not a goddamn thing he can do about it though, his body is still healing and he can’t get his head wet because of the stitches and staples. “Fuck.” He grunt, hoping he doesn’t really embarrass himself. The fact that he’s not gotten an erection since he’s woken up makes him wonder if something is wrong with that function. “Fuck, what the hell else am I going to do? Shower with my fuckin’ clothes on?”

You shake your head, “no. I- I have to help. I’m a nurse. I am a professional.” You tell him even though that doesn’t hold much weight in today’s world. “Let me help you.” You reach in to turn on the water to heat it up and you reach for Joel’s shirt. “Keep still.” You murmur, working the buttons open. He probably prefers t-shirts but the button down is required so he doesn’t jostle his head. He is still weak so he lets you push the shirt off of his shoulders. “Pants next.” You declare and hook your fingers in the sweatpants, dragging them down his legs and he’s naked under them so it's easier for him to use the bathroom. He steps out of them and you try not to appraise his naked form. He’s still healing but he’s gorgeous.

“Sorry.” He huffs, knowing that the last thing you want to do is to help an old man bathe, his still bruised body on display. Luckily, there were still medical supply devices like a chair to sit in the shower to make it easier for him, although he knows you will get wet helping him. His dormant cock twitches slightly and his eyes widen at the sensation.

You focus on looking after him and not on his body, which even though bruised, is still beautiful. You know your clothes will get soaked but that’s okay, you don’t want to strip off and make him uncomfortable so you step into the shower and help him sit down on the chair. “Temperature okay?” You ask and he nods. You grab the soap you made last week and hold it out. “You want to do it or shall I?” You ask, knowing you’ll need to wash his face so he doesn’t get his head wet.

He hates to admit that he’s so damn tired after getting into the shower, he just wants you to do it. Grunting, he shakes his head slightly and winces when he feels a little pain. “Just do it.” He tells you, not wanting this to become some kind of pissing match. “Feel like a damn baby.”

You nod, “I understand but this is the best thing for you, honey. You need to focus on healing. You nearly died so being showered isn’t the worst thing in the world.” You put it in perspective for him. You lather up your hands and work on washing his back. He groans and your stomach twists with forbidden arousal. He’s injured, recovering, you shouldn’t feel attracted to him.

“Does it hurt?” Your soft question is almost arousing, murmuring in his ear but he grunts. “No.” His voice comes out raspy and raw. “Feels good.” He’s still so damn sore and your hands on his skin feels like a massage. “It’s feeling really good.”

You continue working on washing him, mindful of his bruises. “Good.” You murmur, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” You say as you massage the soap into his black and blue back. “Tommy tried to find them but they were gone.” You reveal, “they are gone.”

“It’s my fault.” Joel murmurs quietly, closing his eyes and trying to forget the moment he had killed that doctor, but it plays behind his lids. “How could you deserve something like this?” You snort, but he sighs softly. “I killed her father.” He reveals. “He was a doctor, for the Fireflies. They believed Ellie was the answer to a cure.” He opens his eyes, frowning. “They were going to remove her brain.”

You gasp, your hands freezing on his back. "They - does she know?" You whisper and Joel shakes his head. "She can't." You declare, having gotten to know Ellie enough to know that she would sacrifice herself. He nods, "I can't - I lied to her. I can't lose her." He confesses and you rub his back, "you won't. Secret's safe with me." You promise, "you didn't deserve this, Joel. No one does. This world...it's cruel but we have our little piece of paradise here. We just gotta protect it."

Even though he knows it would never absolve him of his sins, your words are a balm to his spirit. Soothing him and making him relax even more. “It’s nice here.” He murmurs softly. “Sarah would love it here.”

Ellie had briefly discussed the daughter that Joel lost on Outbreak Day and you rub his shoulders, “we are lucky. Not QZ, not the Wild West. We are safe and our commune is thriving.” You hum, “Ellie is lucky to have you.” You murmur and he hisses when you press a little too hard, “I’m sorry.” You grab the rag and lather it up, “you, uh, want to wash your -” Your cheeks heat up at the thought and he takes the rag without a word.

Joel washes his groin quickly, gritting his teeth when his long neglected cock starts to stir from the simple touch and the smell of your soap. He has noticed it every time he gets your help to use the bathroom and he is now covered in it. “Help me.” He grunts, trying to push to his feet so he can wash his ass.

You wrap your arms under his armpits, helping him stand and he grunts as he washes his ass. When he’s done, you rinse him off and shut off the water, grabbing the towel around his waist. “You good?” You ask and he nods, “yeah. Just feel like a fucking baby.” You chuckle, “at least you don’t need breastfeeding.”

“Fuck.” He huffs and blurts out, “that would be more fun,” before he even realizes how inappropriate it would be. “Shit, I’m sorry.” He grunts, blushing slightly.

You snort and smile, “I think we are beyond apologies now, huh?” You say, knowing you’ve helped him to the bathroom and now helped him shower. “Let’s get you redressed and I’ll heat up the soup I made earlier for you.” You tell him and grab the clean clothes you set aside for him.

His bedroom is what used to be the downstairs office. It’s got some doors for privacy, but more often than not, they are kept open until he needs to change. It makes it easier. “I didn’t ask, how do you like that bed?” His bedroom upstairs had become yours since they had broken down the smaller bed from the third bedroom. Joel wouldn’t let you sleep on the couch, telling you he could piss in a bottle in the middle of the night if he needed to. You deserved to sleep in a real bed for helping him.

“It’s good. Nice and comfy. I have no complaints.” You tell him, knowing your roommate, Sandra, will be enjoying the peace and quiet on her own in your house. “I hope it’s comfortable here.” You help him pull the shirt over his head and you kneel down so he can step into the sweatpants.

“It’s a bed.” He’s going to be uncomfortable regardless of where he is because of how badly he had been beaten. The only reason he’s alive is because she had started swinging on other parts of his body besides the head. “I think I’ll appreciate it more when I can move without wanting to cry.”

“Not too long now. You’ve overcome the worst. You’ll get there in the end.” You promise him, “you’ll get better. Ellie needs you.” You pull the sweatpants up and stand up, patting his chest. “All clean.” You smile and guide him to sit on the bed. You swing his legs onto the bed and stand up, “I’ll go get your soup, Miller.”

He watches you go, his eyes dropping down to your ass, not for the first time either. This time though, there is a punch of lust that his body responds to. Making him grunt and reach down to adjust himself slightly. You are beautiful and now that he has spent time with you, he can see why Tommy called him a lucky bastard.

****

You spend eight weeks looking after Joel. Helping him bathe until he can manage himself, feeding him, making sure he has water. It’s your priority and you are so happy he’s recovering well. He can walk properly now and the bruises have faded. “You want some cake?” You ask Joel as he walks into the kitchen where Ellie is trying to lick the spoon of the jam you made to go in the sponge cake.

“God, yes.” Joel groans, the irony of cake not being lost on him. You have been positively spoiling him and Ellie and he hates to think about when you will leave. He’s getting better and it’s about time you go back to your own life. “Are we doing a shower tonight?” The stitches are out, but he still has staples and needs help in the shower.

You nod, “yes, sir. Gotta make sure you avoid a nasty infection. We don’t have any oral antibiotics left.” You sigh, knowing that even if someone found some, they’d be expired. You and Ellie put the cake together and you cut out a slice for each of you. Setting the plate down in front of Joel, you love the way he smiles at you. It’s been impossible to keep your affection for him at bay. You’ve fallen for him, knowing that you will have to return home at some point but the grumpy yet funny man has gotten into your heart.

“Thanks.” He sends you a grateful look and sets his elbows on the table as he waits for you to sit down. “It smells incredible. You seem to enjoy cooking, or is it just something you do because you know Ellie can’t?” He teases, making the teenager huff and roll her eyes. “It’s not like I’ve had a chance to learn, man.”

You giggle and nudge Ellie, “you’ve been learning. You’ll get there. No, I, uh, I love cooking. Always have.” You admit, “I missed it a lot when I was on the outside. Cooking rabbit on a fire isn’t quite the same as cooking in a warm kitchen.” You sigh, forking up a bite of the cake.

“Yeah, campfires are temperamental, and cooking on them is even worse.” He snorts. Ellie chuckles. “When you would let us have them.” Joel shrugs slightly. “It’s dangerous out there.” He reminds her. “Hell, it’s dangerous in here too, but it’s better than out there.” He glances towards the entryway where he had collapsed when Abby nearly beat him to death.

You notice his glance and you realize once again how close to death he was. “You’re here now. Hopefully you don’t have to go back out there anytime soon.” You reach out to squeeze Joel’s hand and he smiles at you, his fork in his other hand, “you are safe for now.”

You have been incredible, and it’s almost amazing to see how you have slipped past the shell of his heart, something that only Ellie has managed since Tess. It’s hard to believe Tess has been gone as long as she has, but Joel has been slowly trying to heal emotionally as he heals physically. Thoughts of you have crept into his waking hours, causing some embarrassing moments in the showers when he gets hard, or you wake him up from an erotic dream that features you.

****

“So, the doctor gave you the all clear. Just to be careful and not do too much.” You smile at Joel as you enter the living room after the doctor left. He had done a full assessment of Joel and called his surgery a miracle - the fact that he survived is a gift from God. Ellie is out visiting Dina and you sit down next to Joel on the sofa, “I guess I can get out of your hair now. You can have your bed back and I’ll go back to my place.” You finish softly, sad to be leaving him.

Joel wipes his hands on his sweatpants, still wearing them out of habit over the past few months. “You’re probably happy as hell to be getting away.” He snorts as he looks over at you and wonders how you have become even prettier than before. He’s crazy about you, how kind you are, how you have taken Ellie under your wing and how you never rebuke him for when he gets sad and introspective. You have helped so much and he hates that you are leaving. “Maybe I need to get the shit beat out of me again, make you stick around.”

You chuckle, shaking your head. "No need to do that. All you have to do is ask me to stay and I would." You confess and your eyes widen at the way you blurted that out. You close your mouth, turning your head to stare across the room, avoiding those dark brown eyes. "I'm sorry. I-" You begin but he interrupts you. "Stay." You turn your head to look at him again, "what? You - you want me to stay?" You ask, feeling breathless.

He rolls his eyes at your question and huffs. “Do you think that I’m getting hard every time you help me shower because getting clean turns me on?” He asks bluntly. “I’ve been trying to think about anything else but you, but nothing works.”

You stare at him in shock, “I- I can’t believe - I just thought you were horny because you couldn’t jerk off.” You snort and close your eyes for a second. “I think about you. All the time.” You admit, reaching for his hand, “I had a crush on you before I came to help.” You tell him honestly, “always thought you were handsome, but now that I know you? You’re - fuck, I love you.” You confess just as breathless as your prior revelation.

His own breath stops, caught in his chest as you confess your feelings. A year ago, hell - a few months ago, he would have been denying that you felt that way. Ignoring it or being unable to respond in kind because his world was still ground to a halt, but that had changed. You and Ellie, that attack, it had changed things and made him realize that even though he had lost so many, he still had those to live for. He lunges forward and presses his lips to yours. “Love you too.” He murmurs as you gasp.

You can’t believe he’s kissing you but you reach up to cup his cheek, pressing your lips back to his, and your heart is pounding in your chest. You shift closer, cupping his other cheek and you rest your forehead against his when you pull back, caressing his stubbled cheeks. “I love you, Miller.” You smile, unable to fathom that the man you’ve fallen for loves you too.

He's panting and his heart is beating wildly in his chest. Already turned on again and starting to tent his sweats and all you've done is shared one kiss. Reaching up, he caresses your neck and shoulder. "Are you sure? I'm fuckin' old, baby." He jokes. "And a little decrepit."

You shake your head, "you're not decrepit. Or too old. I love you, Joel. No matter what. Hell, if I can look after you like I have and still think you are sexy, you're good to go." You promise with a giggle, sliding your hands down to his chest. "And I haven't stopped thinking about you between my thighs. Inside of me." You confess in a hushed tone.

The kid is off with her friend and Joel groans quietly, having thought of nothing else for the past few days. "I don't know if I can perform worth a shit." He admits with a shake of his head. "Haven't cum since I woke up."

"I don't care. Just want to be close to you." You murmur, "don't care if you cum right away. I can ride you." You want to be close to him, to feel all of him. "I keep thinking about how you'd feel inside of me."

He's still in his downstairs bedroom and he nudges his nose against yours. "Close the doors." He rasps out, nodding towards the French doors that close off his makeshift space. "I don't want to tire myself out trying to get upstairs."

You stand up, hands shaky as you shut the doors and turn to face him. You take in the details of his face, his head shaved from his surgery so his hair is growing back patchy but he’s still so attractive. You reach for the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head and you swiftly remove your bra. Hooking your fingers in your leggings, you push them down along with your panties to stand naked in front of him. “I’ve seen yours, figured it’s only fair if you see mine.”

"It gets bigger." He jokes, aware that you have seen and politely ignored the times he's gotten hard from you helping him in the shower. "Fuck, you are beautiful." He praises breathlessly, eyes drinking in your body as he licks his lips. It's been a long goddamn time since he's been with someone, the last person was Tess, but he feels like he's about to bust if he doesn't touch you.

“So are you.” You respond as you walk towards him. “So brave. A fucking fighter.” You murmur, shifting to straddle him as he sits back on the bed. His hands immediately find your ass and you chuckle, knowing he’s watched it enough times. You cup his cheeks and lean in to kiss him, “wanna see if it gets bigger.” You joke, grinding down onto the tent in his sweats.

Joel groans, twitching underneath you and he knows he won’t have any problem performing. The problem might be that he doesn’t please you before he cums. His hand slides around your waist to dip between your thighs. Hissing when he finds you starting to get slick as he starts to slowly rub your clit.

“Oh God.” You pant, rocking down onto his hand. It’s been far too long since anyone touched you and you are whimpering at the way his thick fingers rub your bundle of nerves. You tilt your head back and he leans in to kiss along your neck, your fingers digging into his shoulder as you absorb every touch.

He groans as he learns your body. He and Tess had been comfortable, completely familiar with each other and what the other liked. The whimpers and groans rockets his arousal higher as you grind down against his fingers and he feels like he’s going to bust in his sweats. Turning his wrist, he presses his thumb against your clit and slides his fingers through your slick folds so he can press them inside you.

“I want to touch you.” You whimper and he shakes his head, “not yet. Otherwise this will be over sooner than you thought.” He grunts and you rock onto his thick fingers, stretching you out in the most delicious way. “Fuckkkk.” You exhale as he presses his finger against that spongy spot inside of you. He’s good. He knows what he’s doing.

He loves the way you respond to him, how wet you get. Sliding his hand up and down your back as he kisses along your shoulder and down to your tit. Wrapping his lips around a stiff nipple as he continues to pump his fingers in and out of your wet heat.

“Shit.” You hiss, caressing his head as he suckles on your nipple like he’s trying to root. It has you quivering and you’re so close. So many nights of imagining how he’d touch you has led to you getting worked up faster than you have ever known. “Joel. Oh God, Joel. You’re gonna make me - I’m gonna-” You don’t finish your cry as you cut yourself off with a strangler choke and clamp down on his digits, soaking them with your cum.

“That’s it, fuck, good girl.” Joel pants against your breast as he pumps his fingers to help you ride out your orgasm. “You’re so goddamn good to me, ain’t ya? You creamin’ all over my fingers, making me harder than a fucking rock.” He coos praises into your skin, enjoying the way your nails bite into his shoulder through the shirt. Your pretty cunt soaked his fingers and he can only imagine how good you will feel around his cock.

His words make you choke on your breath as he works you through your orgasm. You never imagined he’d be so dirty but you love it. “Fuck, baby. Yes. I need - I need you inside of me but I want to suck your cock.” You whine, reaching down to tug on the hem of his shirt, wanting him naked beneath you.

“You can’t.” Joel moans, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t last a minute. And I want to feel you, fuck, imagined it so many times.” He pants, pulling away from the back of the bed so you can pull his shirt off. “Maybe- later, if I can get it up again.” He chuckles.

You pull his shirt over his head, still mindful of his injuries, and you slide your hands down his chest, admiring his broadness. “You’re so sexy.” You murmur, reaching down to pull his cock out of his sweatpants, wanting to see him in this light. You’ve seen his cock plenty of times but now you know he’s hard for you and it’s intoxicating. You pump him and he groans out a warning so you shift to lift your hips, positioning him at your entrance and you slowly sink down onto him.

“Fuuuuuuuuck.” His hands grip your hips harshly and he clenches his jaw as you take him. You are hot and tight like a glove around his cock, clenching around him as your walls flutter. Your ass presses against his thighs and he rocks his hips up. “Fuck, that’s - fuck, gimme a minute.” He begs, feeling like he’s about to cum. “Let me- calm down.”

You nod, stilling on top of him, and you caress his chest. He exhales shakily and you lean in to kiss him, “take your time, baby. I’m in no rush.” You promise and kiss along his jaw, loving how he stretches you out.

It’s been so long since he’s felt this close to anyone, your breath blows against his skin and he shivers. Closing his eyes as he holds you still. “Fuck, I love you.” He murmurs quietly, aware that this is something that he shouldn’t even have, he should have died. But he’s here and he’s going to live for the moment and bask in the forgiveness of your touch.

You close your eyes at his words, loving how he caresses you, and you tilt your head to look at him. “I love you too. You’re so much more than you think you are.” You murmur, caressing his cheek, and you experimentally rock your hips. His groan makes your stomach clench and you rock again, starting slow as he moves inside of you.

“Shit.” He hisses quietly, opening his eyes to watch as you start to move. “You’re so pretty, so fuckin’ pretty.” He promises as he starts to slide his hands up and down your back. “You feel so good, does it feel good for you?”

His words make your heart pound in your chest and you nod, “feels so good. You feel so damn big inside of me.” You confess breathlessly, “stretching me out. It’s been so long since I had sex. You need to- to pull out so tell me if you’re close.” You remind him, not wanting an accidental pregnancy right now.

Joel grunts, looking into your eyes as he nods. “I will.” He promises. Safe sex isn’t really a thing to be had but hopefully there’s not something to come of this. You are right to remind him. “I’m good baby, ride me.”

You take his word and start to move faster. Your hands gripping his shoulders as you start to move on top of him, moaning at the way he twitches inside of you. "Fuck, you feel so good." You pant, chest heaving as his cock curves just right inside of you.

Joel grunts and leans forward to press his lips to yours, biting your bottom lip after he kisses you. Your breasts brush against his chest and he pulls you closer, craving the feel of your skin against his.

You moan into his mouth, loving how strong her feels, how he’s recovered and he’s stronger for it mentally. You rock down onto his cock, loving the way he twitches inside of you, and you are getting close. Just the feel of having the man you love inside of you is pushing you higher. “Oh shit.” You whimper when you find the right spot and you reach down to rub your clit, pushing yourself closer to the edge.

“That’s it pretty girl, making yourself cum.” Joel groans, watching you touch yourself with dark eyes. It’s so sexy and he can’t get enough of it. “Make yourself cum on my cock. I want to feel it, see it. Show me what you look like.”

You nod, mouth open as you work yourself higher until you finally fall over the edge. A cry escapes your lips as you cum, moaning his name and you clamp down on his cock, soaking him while your orgasm rocks through you.

His eyes roll back in pleasure as he feels you squeezing him and he knows he will be cumming any second. “Sweethea-rt, you gotta-“ he grits his teeth as he jerks your body up off his cock so he can keep his promise to you, panting as he spurts all over his stomach and chest.

You watch him as he cums and you love it. The way he looks is intoxicating and you lean in to kiss him. “Fuck, I love you.” You murmur, leaning in to kiss him as he pants your name.

He kisses you back eagerly, reaching for his shirt to wipe away the mess so you can lean against him. “Fuck, that was- I can’t even-“ he chuckles quietly and kisses you again. “What do you think about moving in permanently?”

You smile as he looks at you, his dark eyes soft, and you cup his cheeks. “Yes. Absolutely.” Your smile turns into a grin, excited to explore this next step with Joel. “I was dreading going home and I would miss you and Ellie like crazy.” You confess, “I want to stay.”

“Good.” He pauses for a moment and then he admits, “it’s felt like a proper home with you here. Ellie, she loves you too.” He tells you softly. “I think she imagines we are a family.”

“I imagine that too. She’s like a daughter to me.” You confess, “I want to make this a home and I want to be yours. Be in your bed every night. Be by your side no matter what.” You promise and Joel smiles, cupping your cheek, “sounds amazing, baby.”

****

“Joel.” You say his name as he takes a sip of whiskey. Ellie is watching a movie with the other kids in the barn and you decided to cook a romantic dinner for Joel, wanting to ask him something. He looks at you and you tilt your head, appraising him. You pick up your glass and take a sip, your throat suddenly dry. “Everything okay, baby?” He asks and you nod, squaring your shoulders. “I want a baby.” You announce, bracing yourself for him to say no.

Joel freezes, waiting for the familiar ache to take over his chest. For this vision to blur and his breathing to turn into short bursts as thoughts of Sarah take over. As the sounds of her rapid, panicked last breaths fill his ears. It never comes.

He doesn’t panic at the thought of having a child that could remind him of Sarah. Ellie does in some ways, but she’s a completely different type of girl. One raised in the world outside the safety of the walls of Jackson. If you had a child here, they would be innocent in some ways Ellie was not, more like Sarah. “A baby, huh?” He murmurs after a moment. “With me?” He asks. “I’m nearly sixty, baby. You want that?”

You sense his hesitation and you feel like backtracking but you think about the nights you’ve spent awake pondering this, weighing the pros and cons of having his baby in this world. You reach for his hand, “I know and I still want it. Spending time with Ellie, helping with your nephew, it’s made me realize that I can do it. It’s hard, always hard being a mother, but I’m ready and I want a baby. I want a baby that will carry our legacy, a baby that will grow up safe and capable. We will make sure of it. Unless you don’t want that, which is - it’s fine. I’ll handle your decision. We both have to want this, Joel. Not just me. Don’t do it for me. I want you to want this too and if you don’t, then that’s case closed.” You promise, not wanting to pressure him.

Joel squeezes your hand gently, reminded of the nights he had woken in a cold sweat, sometimes from the broken memories of him being attacked or the memory of losing Sarah. You have been right beside him, offering him comfort and solace. He’s told you about that night, sharing with you memories that he has kept bottled for over twenty years. You had cried in his arms like you had been Sarah’s mother, assuring him that he had done everything right to try to protect his baby girl. The fact that he’s not immediately said no is very insightful and he bites his lip and watches you with a softness that even a year ago, he was unsure he was capable of. “It’s been a looooong time since 2 AM feedings and my hearing is shot.” He snorts, smiling slightly. “You’ll have to poke me to wake me up if you want me to get up with a baby.”

You smile, loving the way he has agreed to having a baby with you. “You’re forgetting the best part about deciding to have a baby….” You trail off and smirk, “the trying.” He returns your smirk and you giggle, standing up from your seat and you round the table to sit in his lap. “I love you.” You murmur when you’re settled in his lap, reaching up to caress his cheek. “I want you to fuck a baby into me, Joel.”

“Fuck, that’s hotter than I ever imagined.” Joel grunts, twitching underneath you. His sex drive isn’t completely on par with yours, but he keeps up and keeps you satisfied in other ways. You’ve told him you don’t regret being with him at all. Which is another balm on his battered soul. “You want me to cum in that pretty pussy?” He asks, squeezing your ass. “Imagined how you would look dripping me a few times.”

You moan, kissing along his jaw as his words wash over you. “I want you to cum inside of me. Put a baby in me.” You plead, wiggling on his lap. His hair has grown back now, more gray in it, but you love it, and you reach up to run your fingers through his hair.

He groans and captures your lips with his, licking into your mouth immediately as the easy passion blooms between you. His hands move to start stripping you down.

It doesn’t take long for you and Joel to be naked. You stumbled up the stairs to your bedroom, clothes scattered on the trail upstairs and when you lay down on the bed, Joel is immediately hovering over you. Your heart is pounding in your chest and his hand slides along your thigh, cupping your pussy. “I don’t want foreplay. I just want you. Want to feel all of you.” You murmur, caressing his shoulders.

There are times when you want the burn of his cock stretching you out and tonight is one of those nights it seems. That’s good because Joel is impatient to get inside you. He takes his cock in hand and pumps it a few times as he shuffles forward to press against your entrance. “I love you.” He murmurs.

He pushes inside of you, stretching you out, and you gasp out “love you too.” He pushes inside of you until he’s fully seated and you take a deep breath, enjoying the weight of his body on top of yours and the weight of the moment. Deciding to take this step together has your body primed and ready for him. He starts to move inside of you and you wrap your legs around his waist, moaning at the way he rocks into you.

Nearly dying hadn’t had the lasting effects that the doctors had feared when Joel had been brought in. His thrusts are steady, if not a little harder than normal, although he keeps the pace sedate. Not rushing, but he enjoys burying himself as deep as he can go and watching your eyes roll back in pleasure. “Gonna knock you up.” He grunts out.

His words make you clench around him, your hands sliding down his back to squeeze his ass. His recovery has been a miracle from the man who was on death's door to the man currently making love to you trying to get you pregnant. You whimper when his lips find your neck and you rock your hips up to try and meet his.

Every time the two of you come together, Joel remembers how lucky he is. His kisses trail along your throat as he groans into your skin. Both of you give and take from each other. “Fuck, baby.” Joel moans, his body tensing when you clench down around him again. “You gonna cum before I fill you up? Love it when you soak my cock.”

You nod, "yes baby. I - shit - you always feel so good." You slide one hand down between you so you can rub your clit. He immediately bats your hand away after shifting his weight onto one elbow. You moan when he rubs your clit just right, his hips pushing into your ass as you take him deep inside of you. "Shit. Joel. You - I'm - God." You cry out as you clamp down on his cock, soaking him.

“That’s it, good girl, goooooood girl.” Joel moans, clenching his teeth as you come apart around him. He feels his own body is ready to cum, excited by the situation and it only takes a few more thrusts. Instead of pulling his hips back, he plunges them forward, embedding himself deep as he paints your womb with his seed. “Fuck, fuck.” He pants, closing his eyes as he rides out his orgasm, amazed at how good it feels. “You’ll be pregnant in no time.”

You smile against his lips when he leans in to kiss you and you’re so hopeful for the future with Joel. A baby that looks like the two of you combined. You are excited and when he pulls out, you keep his cum inside of you, trying to make sure that it takes. You’ll be pregnant in no time.

****

“Sweetheart….I’m supposed to go ride the southern border and check the area.” You’ve quieted down over the past few hours, but he can still see the sadness lurking in your eyes. You’ve stopped blaming yourself but he knows those thoughts are bouncing around and he’s reluctant to leave you. “Do you want me to have Tommy go? Stay here with you?”

You shake your head, eyes sore from crying, “no baby. Just go. I’ll be fine. Ellie will be back soon.” You murmur, keeping your back turned towards him. You feel useless, you feel broken, and you feel exhausted. You’ve tried so hard to get pregnant. You even researched old wives tales about how to get pregnant. You’ve taken herbs, teas, anything you can to get pregnant and after trying for so long, you’re exhausted.

He worries about you, leaning over and pressing his lips to your forehead. “I’ll be back as quickly as possible and I’ll make dinner tonight.” He offers. It’s the historical Mother’s Day today, and he knows you will be extra glum since you are once again not pregnant. Sometimes he wonders if he should just tell you that he’s changed his mind, taking the guilt and worry about it off your shoulders. You can blame him for not having a child. “Okay?”

“Sure.” You murmur, closing your eyes as a cramp contracts in your stomach, making you curl into a ball. You really thought this was it. Your period was two weeks late and you didn’t tell Joel because you wanted to surprise him and then you got your period. You sniff and Joel sighs, shuffling out of the bed to get ready for his shift. You can’t blame him. He’s had a kid. It’s got to be you that’s the issue.

He’ll look for some wildflowers for you while he’s out. They always make you smile and tonight, he will do his best to make sure that you know that no matter what, he loves you. He thinks about all this while he puts his clothes on and brushes his teeth, coming out of the bathroom to find you still curled up. “Go soak in a hot bath, baby.” He suggests, walking over to the bed and kissing your cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

You listen to him go and you know it's technically Mother's Day today. Salt in the wound. You swallow harshly and wait until the front door closes before you allow yourself to sob again. You can't believe you aren't pregnant. You've tried so hard. Maybe you aren't meant to be a mother.

Saddling the horse and getting let out of the gates of Jackson has Joel on autopilot. Most often the scouting parties are in groups, but today had been just singles, most men in the community wanting to spend time with their wives and celebrate them. The grass is green and lush; there's a certain beauty to the mild spring transitioning into warmer weather. Urging the horse forward, he is eager to finish the patrol so he can get back to you.

You have your bath, eyes sore from sobbing, and you try to come to terms that you’re never going to be a mother. It’s just not in the cards. You love Ellie and you think of her as your daughter but you wanted a baby, a combination of you and Joel to love and care for in this new world. That isn’t going to happen and you curl around yourself in bed after you’re dry, trying to cope with that fact.

Pulling the reins, Joel listens carefully, certain that he has just heard a cry. His hand goes to his rifle to pull it off his shoulder. Wary of traps or ruses to draw unsuspecting people in, he scans the area. Silence lingers long enough until he’s almost convinced he was hearing things when there’s another, louder cry. A baby. His eyes widen and he nudges the horse forward again. “Hello?” He cups his hand and calls out, wondering if there is a group traveling nearby. There must be, if there is a baby. Mountain lions and things that can sound like a baby crying are farther up in the mountains. Instead of the sound quieting, the crying turns into screaming, giving him a direction to head towards. Joel keeps his rifle up and guides the horse with his knees when he almost stumbles upon the scene.

“Shit!” There’s a woman lying on the ground, face down with a carrier on her back, a small baby - no more than three or four months old - screaming from the restraints. He scans the areas again, looking for a trap, but there’s nothing moving. The baby's howls prompts him to dismount and move towards the woman, his rifle pointed at her until he reaches them and nudges her with his boot. Wondering if she’s been changed and cannot get to the baby, although he’s never seen one go dormant with a human around and making noise. “Hey…” prodding her doesn’t make her move and Joel scans the area again, the open range not a good spot to plan an ambush, but someone could be hiding in the tall grass. Carefully kneeling down, he grabs a bony thin shoulder and turns the woman enough to see that her gaunt face and shrunken eyes are lifeless. “Shit.” He hisses, looking back at the baby who is almost as bad as the mother. From what it looks like, this poor woman had been traveling to find shelter, food, anything for her and her baby and she collapsed less than two miles from salvation.

Joel sighs as he sets the rifle down and rolls the body on its side. “I’m sorry.” He murmurs quietly, his heart clenching at the reality of the situation, reaching out to close the woman’s eyes before unbuckling the strap for the carrier that is across her chest.

Ellie returns before Joel does and you offer her a smile as she says hello. “I, uh, I made you something.” She says, handing you a piece of paper. It’s a card. “Happy Mother’s Day” it says and your heart clenches. A genuine smile on your face as you realize she made this for you. You open it and tears sting in your eyes as you read her scrawled handwriting. “Thank you for being the mom I never had.” She wrote and you choke, reaching for her. “I love you so much sweetheart.” You pull her close, reminded that you have a beautiful daughter who loves you. “I love you too.” She murmurs, holding you just as tight. The front door opens and you pull back as you hear a baby crying. “Joel?” You gasp when your partner walks into the kitchen.

“Ellie….go to Tommy’s and get a bottle.” He orders the teenager as he starts to pull the baby carrier off his own chest to take the baby out. He had brought the body back, but this baby needed milk as soon as he could get it for her. “I found her,” he explains. “A woman collapsed two miles away from Jackson, she starved to death.” He motions you over. “At least, I think it’s a girl.”

Your eyes widen as he cradles the baby and you reach out to take them into your arms. The baby’s diaper is dirty and you shush them as you walk over to grab an old dish towel from the drawer as a makeshift diaper. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” You coo, unwrapping the baby on the kitchen table and you tell Joel to get a wet cloth. You work on cleaning up the baby, “it’s a girl.” You announce and wrap her in the dishtowel, using the pin from her old diaper. “It’s okay sweetheart. You’re okay, sweet girl. You’re safe and we are going to get you milk.” You promise, cradling her as you turn back towards Joel. “Her poor mother. So close to salvation.” You sigh, shaking your head at the tragedy.

“I brought her back.” Joel tells you quietly, watching as you bounce the baby girl in your arms and coo at her to calm her down. “Hoping something in her bag would tell us where she’s from, what the baby’s name is.” He sighs softly. “I couldn’t leave her out there.”

“Her mother deserves a service, a burial. We must give this little one a place to visit her mother.” You murmur, stroking her cheek. She’s gorgeous, her eyes watching you, and you try to not get too attached to her, knowing that Maria and Tommy will be handling the situation.

Ellie comes bursting into the house. “Got a bottle!” She yells, thundering down the hall to rush into the kitchen. “Tommy and Maria are coming too.” She pants, quickly handing the full bottle of milk to you. The baby is obviously hungry because the second that you brush the nipple against her mouth, she shakes her little head furiously as she tries to get it in her mouth, crying out before the nipple is in and immediately starting to suckle hungrily with great, greedy gulps.

“We will need more. Tommy and Maria have everything for a baby. We - they should take her.” You murmur, knowing it will be hard to hand the baby over but she isn’t yours and the leader needs to make a decision on her placement.

Joel takes one look at the way you hold this baby while she’s eating and knows that’s not what needs to happen. This baby is your chance to be a mother, to feel like a mother. It’s like it was fate for him to be out there and find her today, to bring her to you. “I think we should keep her.” Joel tells you, coming up and laying his hand on your shoulder. “Tommy and Maria have a lot on their plate with one baby already.”

Your eyes widen as you look at him then back at the baby. “We - us - are you - Joel.” You whisper, a soft smile on your face as you dare to hope that you can keep the little girl. It feels wrong. Her mother just died, but she can’t be left alone. She needs someone to look after her.

The front door opens. “Joel?” Tommy’s voice floats through the house and Joel keeps looking at you with the baby. “In the kitchen.” He calls out. The guards at the gates had kept his horse with the poor woman’s body and he had known Tommy and Maria would come to find out what the hell happened, but he wanted to get the baby here first. Footsteps quickly sound out, two sets of them like he expected and the baby is still greedily sucking away at the milk when his brother and sister in law come into the kitchen.

You look up as Maria walks in, her baby strapped to her chest, and she immediately comes over to see the baby in your arms. “Oh, she’s a sweet little thing. She needs fattening up. Poor girl, her mom was so close to our gates. She needs a mother. You should be her mother.” She says and you stare at her, “are you sure?” Maria smiles, stroking the head of her son. “She needs a mother and you are a more than capable applicant.” She gestures to the way you’re holding the baby. “I- I know this sounds insane but I feel like this is my purpose.” You murmur, looking down at her as she suckles.

Tommy smirks at Joel, who is obviously relieved by the decision. He’s talked to Tommy about the issues you’ve had trying to conceive and wished that there was some way for you to figure out what was wrong, but there just aren’t the medical resources here in Jackson. Joel had even been thinking about trying one of the universities, but couldn’t risk it again. “We both feel that way.”

You smile, cooing at the baby. “Did we find out what her name is?” You ask and Tommy nods, holding up a note that was in the mother’s satchel. “Her name is Hope.” Tommy reveals and you smile, “Hope.” You murmur, pulling the bottle away when she’s done. You shift her to your shoulder to burp her and you cradle her once she’s burped. “She’s our hope.” You declare as you look at Joel and he comes over to wrap his arm around you, looking down at the baby. “Our new daughter.” Joel murmurs, kissing your hair and he beckons Ellie over. “She’s kinda cute.” Ellie says and leans in to stare at the baby. “Hi Hope. I’m Ellie. Your big sister. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. Especially about our grumpy dad.” She jokes and Joel chuckles and rolls his eyes. “We will gather everything you’ll need and we will make sure her mother has a proper burial. For now, you guys settle in as a family.” Maria says, stepping back towards Tommy. “Oh and Happy Mother’s Day.” Maria says to you and you smile, “you too.” You may not be able to have a biological baby but you have Ellie and you have Hope. The two girls who have made you a mother.

#pedro pascal #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x you #joel miller smut #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller imagine #hbo the last of us #tlou #Happy Mother's Day

609 notes · View notes

imagines-about-celebs · 2 years

Note

Hey could you do a Joseph Quinn x reader of them doing interviews for stranger things together

Interviews [Joseph Quinn x Reader]

You had been doing interviews all day with Joseph. You both played love interests on the show. You guys were about to sit down for yet another interview, interview number 4 for the day. Before being on the show, you didn’t actually realise just how many interviews get done in one day for your cast mates. You suddenly felt a lot of gratitude towards them and how hard they all work. When you had been asked to do all your interviews with Joseph Quinn, you were over the moon. He was such a dream to work with. He was so kind and funny; you knew you would have such a good and fun time with him answering questions. You both made your way to the room and sit side by side in the chairs that were there. “Hey guys, welcome.” The interviewer asks as you both shake their hand before sitting down. “Are you guys ready to start?” the interviewer asks. You both smile back and Joe replies “Yeah, let’s do this.” The camera starts to roll, and you plaster a smile onto your face.

“Hey everyone, I’m sitting here with the lovely Joseph Quinn and lovely Y/N Y/L/N from Stranger Things 4. How are you both?” the interviewer starts off. Joseph smiles and answers first “We’re both doing good, pretty long day but I think we’re both pulling through alright.” You and Joseph share a smile. “So firstly, how was it on set for you both? Being the newcomers of the season, were there any first day nerves or did you just get straight into it?” Joe lets you answer first. “For me, there were definitely a lot of nerves, you know it is quite nerve wracking entering a show that’s in its fourth season and everyone already knows each other so well.” You look to joe. “Yeah, I was definitely nervous about that too, but it was good to meet everyone and get to know everyone.” You nod in agreement. You had both grown super close with the cast and with each other. “Do you have a favourite scene that you filmed or from the overall show?” You hadn’t really thought too much about this question and Joe could tell, so he decides to answer first. “I think my favourite scene to film was probably any with my beautiful co-star here.” You blush at his answer and smack him gently on the arm, giggling. “You know I was going to say the same thing.” You laugh. It was definitely obvious to everyone on set and even during all the interviews that you and Joe flirted with each other, but yet neither of you had actually admitted any feelings towards each other.

The interviewer laughs at your playful display and asks another question. “Were there any scenes that were hard to film or made you emotional in any way?” You thought of all the scenes that made you emotional but there was one scene in particular that made you bawl your eyes out. “There was that one scene, I wasn’t in it, but I stood behind the camera to watch the performance. The way Gaten and Joe here were during that scene, I cried my eyes out.” You look directly into the camera “If you know what scene I’m talking about then you know exactly what I mean.” You giggle. Joe looks at you knowingly and nods his head. “Yeah, that definitely was an emotional scene. Gaten, I would say, definitely deserves an award for it.” Joe smiles. You notice he starts to rub at his hands a bit. He usually does that when he starts to feel a little sad and you know it’s because he’s remembering the scene and what it took for him to be able to put that performance on. “I think you both did an amazing job.” You shoot him a soft smile.

The interviewer asked so many good questions, you loved talking about all the fun you had on set and sharing a laugh with Joe about the various funny things that went on behind camera. “So, the fans want to know, is there anything going on between you two?” you knew this question was coming. Many of the fans shipped you and Joe, mainly because your characters went so well together, and they wanted you two to get together. You giggle. “Not yet but you know, never say never.” Joe answers. You shoot him a look of surprise. He’s never answered that question like that before. Usually, you both just brush it off or say we’re just friends. It made you think maybe he had some kind of feelings towards you. You shrug with a wide smile on your face. “What he said.” You laugh. The interviewer thanks you for your time and ends the video. Then they shake both your hands again and says bye. You and Joe stand, leave the room and go back to your shared dressing room to have a small break while you wait for the next interview to get set up. Once you reach the room, Joe turns to you as he closes the door. “You want to come out for a bit while I have a cigarette?” Usually, you would decline, as you’re not really one for being around smokers but you wanted to still hang out with him and maybe ask about his answer. “Yeah sure, let me just grab a water.” He waited for you as you gathered your phone and grabbed a water to freshen up. You both made your way out to the private balcony outside. You lean over the balcony, just taking in the sites and sounds of the busy city. “So, that was a fun interview.” Joe says, blowing out a long drag from his cigarette. You nod your head, wanting to ask about the question but a little nervous about what he's going to say. “Yeah, it was.” You giggle. He comes to stand close to you, you could feel his arm brush yours. “So that answer, never say never?” he shrugs, not looking at you just yet. You bump him a little with you shoulder. Trying to lighten the mood and show him that it doesn’t bother you. He relaxes a little and looks at you. “I mean, yeah, just wanted to see if there was maybe a chance or something. It’s fine if you don’t feel that way.” He takes another puff of his cigarette. You move even closer to him, as if you weren’t already arm to arm. you decide to take a chance on yourself, something you had never done. “Well, the fans are wanting us to get together, right?” He turns to you surprised, a little taken back that you felt the same way he did. “Shall we give them what they want then?” he smiles wide at you as you nod your head. He squashes out his cigarette and engulfs you in a hug. It felt nice to be in his arms, they made you feel protected and warm. You wanted to stay like that forever, but you were interrupted, being told that you had another interview to go to. As you both pull away from each other, Joe grabs your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours as you both started to walk to your next interview.

#eddie munson fluff #eddie munson smut #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson #joseph quinn fluff #joseph quinn imagine #joesph quinn #joesph quinn smut #stranger things 4 #stranger things #eddie munson x reader #joseph quinn x reader

3K notes · View notes

darklydeliciousdesires · 3 months

Text

Little Sunshine - A John Shelby/Reader Short Story.

Something a little different to my usual offerings, besties. Enjoy :)

Words - 627

Warnings - Bittersweet story, suitable for all ages but without giving too much away, it's a sad read.

It’s the most heartwarming of sights. In fact, there isn’t much that warms those cockles like witnessing the sight of a father bonding with his newborn. You always knew he’d take to it well, despite him quietly admitting before she was born that he was terrified. Anyone viewing him now, though, they’d see he looks the furthest thing from it.

“You don’t half look like your mom, you know,” he tells her tenderly, the late afternoon sun catching the spun gold of his eyelashes, John sitting upon the windowsill of your bedroom, cradling your daughter to his chest. “Thought you was gonna come out redheaded like your old man here, but nah. Got her hair, ain’t ya?”

She gurgles, and he smiles. Smiles through the tired violet shadows creeping over his eyelids, smiles through the exhaustion, smiles through every ounce of weight he carries. Parenthood will do that to anyone, though. Luckily, there is plenty of help on hand. Looking up, he beams wearily at seeing Polly enter the room, holding a bottle in her grasp.

“Here, just tested it, it’s fine,” she proffers it forth, her hand lovingly moving to your daughter’s head, stroking her peachy skin. “Hello, my little sunshine, hello.” The bond there is strong, Polly being the woman who brought her into the world, who placed her upon your chest, who tried her absolute best all the way through and still remains the pillar of inimitable strength. “Look at her eyes, our John. She’s a beaut.”

He nods, feeling his chest swelling thickly, placing the teat to her lips, your baby latching and beginning to drink. “Ar, she ain’t half a beaut.” He shakes his head, crumbling a little with the emotion of it all, Polly quick to wrap her arm around him and kiss his head. “Dunno how any of this is real.”

“It’s life, love,” she sighs, her maternal hands stroking his hair lovingly. “And she’ll be just fine.”

“Will she?”

She nods sagely. “Of course, she bloody will. She’s a Shelby girl. God made us tough for good reason.” Polly leaves, casting a last glace at the heartwarming scene, the tension in her shoulders still meaning she’s carrying herself a little stiff, looking somehwat out of place from her usual busy bustle.

“Hear that, little’un? You’ll be just fine. If your great aunt Pol says it, then it’s gotta be true. We’re all fine ‘cos of her, and so will you be an’ all. You’ve got her, your uncles, your auntie, and most importantly, your daddy right here.” His eyes then flit across the room, finding you, a tear slipping down his cheek as he cradles your baby a little tighter. “Just wish you still had her, too.”

The image of you he found was your wedding photograph. The sepia images dotted around in frames are all that remains of your visage, because you aren’t there anymore. You exist as ethereal mist, a love lost, but by no means felt any less profoundly by those whom you sadly had to leave behind. It was the greatest joy and the biggest loss, that on the fateful night when the cries of a new baby entered the homestead, a brand-new Shelby arriving, another had to leave.

You’re still there with them all, but hidden, the veil of death swathing you in a blanket of invisible stars, watching from the other side, from a place one day all of them must go. You float through the ether, stroking his cheek, kissing your baby on the head. He pauses for a moment, looking around, and you know he felt you there, the very last glimmer of your essence.

“Wish you were still here, sweetheart.”

You smile, wishing he could see it. “I never left.”

#john shelby fanfiction #john shelby x reader #john shelby x you #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fic #john shelby #polly gray #john shelby fanfic #john shelby fic

106 notes · View notes

accio-victuuri · 2 months

Text

the hot searches related to WoF right now! you would think it’s the first episode or last with the different topics! i have to say, episode 23-24 is the best so far! it is the turning point we have been expecting to happen and it’s heartbreaking. just seeing those cracks in ruolai’s view of tunan and the reality of what is happening. especially this scene right here! they are so good! yibo and wang yang did amazing in this! i am a yibo stan but i have to give it to his co-actors, everyone— they are at their best in this project. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

#10 it made everyone really emotional. my god. especially during the press conference and how passionate ruolai was. the freakin disappointment with this person he idolized. it’s even more painful when the betrayal comes from people you know. we have seen how much they rely on each other and to see this rift?! 😭😭😭😭😭 and tunan is not the evil mastermind here, his hands are tied too!

#14 this already went on HS yesterday too. the screenwriter of this story is great!

#44 yes! the women in this drama are written very well. if you watch c-dramas, you will notice the vast difference. you don’t need a drama to have a “female-lead” to write solid female characters!

#19 AAAAHHHHHH!!!!! The first scene of episode 24, their conversation at the bar. how they sang and cried while drunk walking down the empty street. It’s so bittersweet! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

someone pointed out that they are on the opposite side of the tracks — signifying the separation. their different ideals and how ruolai has to take his own road. but, these two tracks, hopefully will somehow converge and they will see each other again. 🫶🏼

tbh, i can’t believe i’m talking about WoF like this. didn’t expect to love it this much! i was not a fan when i first read about the plot but here we are! watch it! watch it please! put it on your watch list! it’s worth it ☺️☺️☺️

#wang yibo #wei ruolai #war of faith #war of faith spoilers

42 notes · View notes

swordsmans · 1 year

Text

a lengthy breakdown of why ch. 878 is one of the best luffy moments in the entire series (to me)

question: favorite luffy moment?

oooomg it would have to be the scene in ch. 878 immediately after pedro's death--when luffy 1) snaps the crew out of their grief because they're in danger, 2) comes up with an extremely efficient escape plan for his crew 3) comes up with an extremely efficient plan to deal with katakuri 4) snaps the crew out of their grief again 5) gets the crew to execute their escape 6) executes his own plan (+ bonus moment in 880/881 because it's technically the "end" of this scene).

this whole moment on the ship is the Captain Of The Straw Hat Pirates moment for me. hang on, i'm gonna include manga caps because i dont think ive ever talked about the way the dialogue is set up in this scene before and im stealing this opportunity lmao

like, we almost never see luffy really engage with his role as captain and leader in a traditional sense--yes, he's captain, but in most arcs he fits the "The Big Guy" role more than the leader, and often the broader captain-ish duties fall to other characters (e.g. planning and executing strategy outside of battle, mostly). like, half of the entire joke in both dressrosa and wano is that luffy doesn't plan (even though we, the readers, know that he does) and yet in WCI he not only showcases his skills as a leader but does so flawlessly.

(for context, "The Big Guy" is basically the trope of like... the most powerful person, the one you know is always going to win/solve any problem by the end of it--the character who's going to fight the biggest bad in a story and who often can't deal with "little" problems within a story because it would undermine the internal logic of a story's power-scaling. i have many thoughts on The Big Guy and i think one piece is one of the few series that does it well, along with spyxfamily re: yor... but i digress.)

so here's where i think the "moment" starts in ch. 878. for a refresher, in ch. 877 luffy+co reach the sunny, fine chopper/brook encased in candy, katakuri attacks, big mom attacks, the sunny gets stuck in candy, and then pedro sacrifices himself. at this point in time, luffy+co have been on the ship for all of a few seconds--in 877, nami is trying to set up a coup de burst and explain how it works to jinbei at the same time, luffy is holding off katakuri, but nothing is really happening. when pedro sacrifices himself no one knows what his plan is so they don't have time to incorporate it into their escape strategy (which is basically nonexistent at this point). then--wham! pedro is down, the candy breaks, and there's a split-second of decision time that luffy jumps on, which brings us to 878

everyone is shocked and grieving, their tentative set-up is completely derailed, and luffy immediately takes charge--starting with "can we fly, nami?!"

he addresses nami as the navigator/in charge of the physical ship itself a this point (+ she set up the coup de burst in 877), then addresses the crew as a whole in "let's set sail, people!!"--like, the way this is phrased sets him apart slightly as someone with the authority to speak to the group as a whole; he's getting everyone's attention. then his declaration!!! "if we waste this moment... then we throw away his sacrifice!!"

he's completely taking charge of the situation and focusing on getting the rest of the crew to safety. it is his job as captain to look out for the whole, so he doesn't waste a second--which is so incredible, because we know luffy is emotional, that's his whole thing. he's incredibly emotionally-driven and emotionally-intelligent, but during this entire scene he is being emotionally driven to protect his crew, which in turn gives time for his (often-overlooked) intelligence and pragmatism to shine.

once he has everyone's attention as a group, he goes back to addressing crew members individually--which i think is really important because that's, like, literally what you do in a crisis when you're taking charge. you get everyone on the same page, then you single people out so no one feels lost or unmoored--everyone has something to do, everyone feels included in the solution in some way.

in these two pages alone, he addresses nami, chopper, and brook individually, and then jinbei responds (so he's also participating individually). i think the fact that carrot is excluded here also kind of supports this whole thing, because carrot isn't technically a straw hat--luffy isn't her captain, even though she's under his protection at this point. here, he's ordering his crew in his capacity as a leader.

and then, of course, there's the moment:

yes, he's talking to katakuri here, but he's also on the sunny's deck screaming--and his address to the crew doesn't have a distinct "end point" from a dialogue perspective, he just gets cut off when katakuri attacks carrot. here, i think he's declaring this as much to katakuri as the straw hats themselves. i think the "end" of this whole scene in 880/881 when he reassures the crew (after holding the fucking mirror shards in his mouth--god this whole scene is just so good) that everything will be fine supports this, too, because that feels like the end of the crew address to me. but i'll get there.

now that he has the crew on track to execute their own escape (by giving them step by step orders to do so, basically), he tackles the katakuri problem. at this point, he's already figured out what to do, because he's gearing up for the elephant gun grip that he uses to pull katakuri into the mirror world, and he doesn't tell anyone else his plan because it's his responsibility as captain to take care of the crew (as opposed to just his responsibility as The Big Guy to take out the strongest enemy, which--if we were just adhering to The Big Guy trope, i think he would have shouted his plan along with everything else. basically authority [no one needs to know my plan because it's my responsibility to handle it and i know i will] vs. equality [im the strongest but we're all in this together so here's what im going to do], and he's authority.)

then we get another crew address, this time starting individually then talking to the group. they see the shadow--they realize pedro has died but perospero has survived--nami is seconds from absolutely spiraling again (just look at that panel of her, oh my god). further proof that luffy is the most emotionally intelligent character in the entire series, luffy immediately redirects everyone's attention a second time, focusing them away from their grief again and onto their own escape again.

since this is, like, a second wave of grief/horror, he starts with the individual address--snapping everyone out of it directly because a whole-crew address might not cut it and he needs to include carrot, here.

then mid-address, he grabs brulee and starts executing his katakuri takedown plan. his focus here is entirely on keeping his crew safe in the most efficient way possible, and in two pages we get: assessing the situation (grief 2) -> solving the immediate problem (the escape plan starts to derail, everyone needs to snap back out of it) -> solving the next problem (katakuri) -> inspiring them to carry on because he's about to leave.

(seriously. i cannot overstate how great the brulee grab mid-dialogue is in the broader context of this scene. seriously.)

(also, the way the group -> individual -> individual -> group address works in this whole scene feels like such a beautiful closed dialogue loop... even on a structural level it's designed to have the biggest possible impact. love u oda.)

then, of course, we have the culmination of this whole thing--the mirror smash. with ruthless efficiency, he not only isolates the biggest immediate threat (katakuri) but also the character who poses the biggest danger to the crew's escape--brulee. all three of them have been completely separated from his crew, and now he can both keep an eye on brulee and the mirrors (which is most of 880/881), the "intelligence" part of the plan, and confront katakuri directly, the "battle" part of the plan.

also, the decision to isolate katakuri works both ways here--he's not only protecting the crew from katakuri as an enemy, but he's also protecting the crew from their fight. we see in subsequent chapters that the katakuri fight absolutely decimates the mirror world. if they were to face off anywhere near the sunny, people would get hurt. if katakuri were to escape, not only could he harm the crew but luffy would have to give chase and bring the fight back to katakuri, wherever he ends up (attacking the crew). i fully believe the decision to isolate brulee shows that he's aware of this--their fight has to stay in the mirror world, because the only way he'll win is by operating at full power and his full power is destructive.

also--this moment is just really cool, okay? it's so, so cool.

honorable mention to the rest of this "scene" as it's continued in the next few chapters, specifically the way this whole thing culminates--luffy holding the last mirror shards in his mouth to make sure he can communicate his final reassurances to the crew without the risk of those shards falling into enemy hands.

to me, this is as solidly and completely an "i'm the captain of this ship!" moment as the declaration itself, and every time i think about it for more than 0.2 seconds i start to go crazy. but. it it technically a different "moment" (and is also extremely self-explanatory) so i won't go into it here.

also, side note because this didn't fit anywhere--i think this scene not only stands on its own as one of luffy's most badass moments but also works as a really amazing example of his character growth--particularly compared to scenes like the usopp fight in water 7 (different scenario technically because usopp isn't an enemy, but it is one of the premier moments when he struggles with the burden of being captain).

anyway, sorry this got stupid long *jazz hands*

#one piece #luffy #op analysis #i dont know if i have any kind of tag for this stuff actually #since i almost never do anything like this outside of dms #however... this is also a perfect example of why i DONT rlly do analysis outside the dms... because it's stupid long #gyro.txt

149 notes · View notes

camryntheking · 15 days

Text

Season 4 reaction

I might just do this for every season cos i need to rant (Autism things. Iykyk).

Ok. 4x03. The whole Eddie and Hildy thing is so fucking funny. And Buck and Chris teaming up to get the coffee maker is so domestic. I love it so much lmao

And naturally i watched 9-1-1: Lone Star 2x03. Ive seen some episodes so i have some knowledge about the characters, but not much. But its so funny. TK always knew lmao

Then we have 4x05. Buck Begins. Man i almost cried so many times. I knew about the Daniel thing but i didnt know the whole story and. Whew. Its a lot. But im glad he has the 118 and Athena to help him and to be his family. Maddie to. I can see both of their sides tho. But when Buck got the clean bill of health Eddie was just like a husband waiting for him to come home lmao. I love them so much. And the ending scene with Maddie and Buck is so sweet 🥹

And i know its not my usual topic, but in 4x07, the whole plot with David, Michael, and Bobby is so funny. I dont know much about Michael’s storyline, so i am actually clueless as to how it turns out. But the three of them are so great together and i hope to see more!

4x08. I know some about Taylor. So the fact she is back is making me 😠. And she did not have to call Buck out like that. Homeboy has been through some shit and is trying to figure it out. But Buck and Chris’ friendship is so pure and i love them so much❤️❤️

4x11. Athena’s “dont even think about it Buck” has me CACKLING. She is such a mom to him and its amazing

And Jealous Eddie in 4x12 with the treasure hunt? Homeboy does NOT like Taylor (cant blame him tho). And Chim and Hen’s friendship is fucking amazing. But the whole 118 trying to find the treasure is so funny. The fact that Ravi found it first tho? I love that man

4x13. Eddie is already having doubts about Ana. Homeboy does not like women and you cannot convince me otherwise. And the scene of Eddie getting shot made me cry. I can definitely see why people think that this is where the Buddie arc was supposed to happen. Cos they held eye contact and Eddie reached out for Buck. And that could be seen as platonic but knowing everything we do, it just seems like it was a set up for a romantic arc

And 4x14 starts with Buck crawling under a fire truck to get to Eddie. Without a second thought, he rolled under a firetruck, the thing that caused so much trauma, to get to Eddie. And Eddie was so concerned that Buck was hurt even though he was the one bleeding. And i guess Taylor can have her good moments. But the scene where Buck tells Chris what happened breaks my heart. He was trying to hold it together for Chris but once he knew that Eddie made it through surgery? He couldnt hold in his emotions. And then when they are talking about the will. Its so soft between them. And Eddie just knows that Buck wouldnt say no to taking in Chris. And i think that just shows how close of a bond they have. This was totally a set up for a romantic arc, but of course F*x had to shut that down 😒

“Because, Evan” 😭😭😭

And i love that Albert is gonna be a firefighter. I love that man

22 notes · View notes

imnotasuperhero · 1 year

Text

Look into my eyes (search your soul)

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Summary: Your love for Wanda could make you go the distance and more, just to see her happy.

A/N: I know I’m a week late, BUT! March came by and I’m back to my old schedule at karate and then a friend opened her own dojo and we celebrated and if you add work to the mix.. adulting sucks, dude. I promise I’ll try to stick to weekly updates! I also have a started wip that might be posted tomorrow.

Here’s part 4. I hope you enjoy this one and it’s enough to keep your hearts hanging 🤭🤭 Enjoy!

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX

The cries could be heard through the door, so you decided to avoid the knocking and just enter Wanda’s home, feeling your heart squeeze at the scene in front of you.

Hurrying to the quietly crying woman, you took one of her babies from her hold, slowly rocking him trying to calm him down.

"Shh," you coed. "Everything is okay." Bewitching the baby in your arms, Tommy -you noticed, you looked into Wanda's green eyes, hoping she understood the hidden meaning in those words.

Sitting on the couch, you patted the place beside you, a clear indication for Wanda to follow.

The whole smoothness in which the next minutes elapsed only added to your emotional bag.

"They're asleep," Wanda sighed. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," you breathed.

You knew this silence meant some heavy chat. It wasn't usual for Wanda to be so erratic. And if it wasn't for the babies, you knew she would even be catatonic. But you also knew you couldn't force her. So you just stood there, admiring the sleeping baby in your arms, waiting for the bomb to drop.

"You were with Nat."

The spoken words froze your respiratory system for a moment too long. That was not what you expected.

"I was," you looked at Wanda, who refused to take her eyes off her son.

"You had sex with her."

"Since when you question what I do?" You raised an eyebrow, a small smirk hiding on your lips.

"You did." She whispered, making the wires in your brain short-circuit.

Sighing, you just sunk deep into the couch, letting the silence make its presence once again.

"Can you look at them while I shower?" Wanda asked with certain shyness that squeezed your heart.

"Of course," you nodded. "Take your time, there's no rush," you made sure your eyes locked with Wanda's, hoping she believed your words.

Looking at her go, you finally breathed out all the pent-up emotions you felt.

"Welcome to the world," you laughed drily at the sleeping babies, admiring the ability to ignore the problems.

If only they could talk to fill you in the blanks.

Leaving Tommy in their small crib beside his brother, you marched to the kitchen, decided to mend Wanda's heart. Or at least try.

"Wands?" You knocked on the closed door.

"Yes."

"I brought you tea," you maneuvered to open the door with your elbow, giving her one mug to take the baby monitor out of your pocket and placed it on the countertop. "They're fast asleep," you smiled, easing Wanda's worries.

After staring at you for a few seconds too long, Wanda hummed at the warm steam filling her nostrils. "Thank you," she mouthed.

"It's nothing," you sat down on the floor by the bathtub, just waiting.

It wasn't rare for you two to work in tandem without having to speak your needs. Much less considering the friendship that linked you both. So when you stood there by her side, she didn’t think about kicking you out -not even when she was naked, only covered by the foam in the water.

“I’m sorry,” Wanda felt her heart squeezing at the confusion plastered all over your face. “For always dragging you into my problems.” She changed the course of her intentions. Now was not the time.

Wanda’s breath hitched when she saw you move closer, maybe too close for two best friends. And the breath she was about to exhale delayed even more at the burning feeling of your hand against her wet arm.

“Remember all those years back after your fight with Pietro under our tree?” How could she not? It was one of her favorite moments with you.

Once she nodded, you continued. “Do you remember what did I tell you?”

“Soulmates don’t necessarily have to be lovers. I’m your soulmate and we’re linked forever, even after our deaths.” Wanda remembered every single word with a smile, the warm feeling in her chest easing the pain she was feeling moments ago.

“After all these years, I still stand by my words,” you reached for her shampoo, standing up to sit at the edge of the bathtub. “Scoot forward.”

Wanda let herself relax at the feeling of your expertised hands washing her greasy hair. God knows she had barely had time for body showers.

“You are my soulmate, Wanda.” The pause in your statement went unnoticed by Wanda for all her body felt like giving up to gravity at the massages on her scalp, drawing soft moans out of her at the feeling of floating.

“Your burdens are mine and your happiness and successes are mine, too. So don’t you ever think for one second that I won’t be by your side to help you through whatever you’re going through.”

Looking up, Wanda finally let her tears run freely at the sincerity she could see in your eyes. But before she could say anything, a cry was heard through the white small speaker by the bathroom sink.

“Think you can finish yourself?”

“It’s feeding time,” Wanda smiled. “And Y/N?” She spoke before you walked out, “Thank you.” Wanda sighed, unplucking the bathtub before opening the shower to rinse her clean hair.

Feeling the hot water washing all her worries and the sadness lingering in her heart, Wanda finished with her task, taking her time to allow herself to think about the best way to break the news to you.

She’s known you for over half her life and even though a part of her wanted to join you in whatever your plan of action could be just to make him feel a small proportion of what she was feeling, an even bigger part wanted to keep things civil for her kids’ sake.

Feeling clean, she quickly changed into her comfort clothes before joining you. No matter how bad her body ached for rest, she couldn’t leave you alone with her kids. It won’t be right.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the cracks in her heart started to repair themselves agonizingly slowly at the sight of you quietly lulling both babies, making it seem so effortlessly as you paced around the living room’s floor.

“Nice shirt,” you smirked and Wanda looked down at her body, inspecting the clothing. Oh.

“It’s comfy,” she shrugged away the feeling of her cheeks heating up. Walking towards you, she picked Tommy up as she leaned towards your shoulder to kiss Billy’s head. “I’m ready,” Wanda locked her eyes with yours, hoping you understood. After all, you couldn’t do much with the babies sleeping.

“Vision left,” Wanda sighed after making herself comfortable on her couch.

“For how long?” You asked and Wanda smiled sadly at the confusion in your voice.

“No,” Wanda paused looking for the right words, trying her best to keep it steady. “He left us.”

The confusion on your face shifted into a shocked one just to be replaced by anger.

The change in your pupils lighted up something akin to fear in Wanda. It was very rare for you to get this way, and she thanked her babies for preventing you to break hell free.

“That fucker,” you growled, fidgeting uncomfortably.

Her tongue itched to speak, but she decided to stay quiet until your breathing returned to a normal rate, all while bracing into the baby in her arms. Her hold almost unbreakable, trying to keep the small hope that had been slipping through her fingers for a while, now.

“What was his lame excuse?” You asked, breaking the pregnant silence.

“He… He said he couldn’t do this. That all this chaos was hard for him and-”

“Stop. Please, stop before I go chasing him to kill him.” Your eyes closed trying to calm your erratic breaths and Wanda could only fight harder to run from the darkness chasing her. But when you opened your eyes, all Wanda saw was hope.

Granted, it lasted just a few milliseconds for it disappeared as fast as it came, but the pang in Wanda’s chest signaled something growing inside her.

Opening your arms, Wanda choked at the silent invitation.

“I know you can’t see it right now, but you’re better off without him,” your voice came soothing, but it only served to break her. Her eyes burning with every shedded tear.

Wanda snuggled impossibly closer into your warmth, allowing her body to blend against yours as you secured your free arm around her shoulders, as if shielding her from the bad things of life.

And just like the pain in her mixed with anger, a new feeling she seemed to ignore, lighted up like a torch in a pitch-black cave, clearing away the darkness that had settled around her beating heart.

As always, coments and reblogs are highly appreciated (:

Taglist: @summergeezburr @wandabear @red1culous @inluvwithfictionalwomen @aliherreraaa @kiancorpse @whitewidowsbite @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @daenerys713 @swiftie1-0-1 @godamnityess @marvelwomen-simp @forthelesbians @when-wolves-howl @marvelogic @cowboyboots236 @iliketozoneout (If you wanna be added to the taglist, just let me know! :)

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda amximoff x fem!reder #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x Y/N #my writing #limesys

286 notes · View notes

slimthicksonnett · 2 years

Text

And They Were Co-Captains (Alana Cook)

It's me again! This is the closest thing y'all will ever get to a kidfic from me and it was also written at a crisp 4 AM so enjoy!

no edits, we die like men.

Prompt: Here! But artistic liberties took it beyond this oops.

Rated: B for Baby, C for Co-Captains and College, obviously.

Word Count: 3,604 (have i done it? does this count as short?)

---

You were done for the second they walked through the door.

If it wasn’t for the quick hands of an ever attentive Alana, the coffee you had been holding would have quickly met its end the moment you saw them.

In the entrance of the teams meeting room was Crystal Dunn. While the woman herself certainly deserved a round of applause all on her own, it was more so the four month old baby perched on her hip that really held your attention.

“Y/N, are you good?” It was Midge who asked the question, having stopped the conversation she was having with Alana when the young defender was forced into making the save of the week for your drinks sake.

She was only met with a noncommittal hum as you continued to keep your eyes on the pair who were very quickly surrounded by the others who noted their arrival and were eager to say hello. You couldn’t stop smiling as you watched the scene unfold, seeing all of the veterans meet their longtime friend's child for the first time. Pinoe was particularly emotional, tearing up as she went on some long spiel about how she always knew Crystal would make a great mother. Even Alyssa got in on the cuteness, a firm hand clasped on Crystal's shoulder as she smiled almost proudly.

It was a hand on your own shoulder that finally managed to startle you out of your trance.

“You know, you can go say hi too.” Andi said softly, her hold on you reassuring as ever as she looked at you knowingly.

“Don’t want to, this is their moment.” You answered, shaking your head dismissively at your best friend.

There was a lot of truth to that statement. As enraptured as you were by the sudden appearance of another small child at camp, you didn’t know Crystal that well. When you’d finally become a regular on the senior team, Dunn was out on injury which had further extended into maternity leave. Apart from the few national team camps you’d both attended in the past and being mutuals on social media, the two of you had never had much interaction. Because of that, you felt very compelled to hang back and let the veterans of the team and Crystal's Portland teammates dote on the pair. Besides, it wasn’t a bad view.

—

The crying had been going on for ten minutes straight. Regardless of what Crystal did, Marcel refused to settle.

She had changed him, Alex had bounced around with him, Sophia had attempted a game of peek-a-boo, and only the briefest amount of respite came when Pinoe got him to take a bottle. And then it started right back up again.

To the team's credit, everyone was carrying on with their lunch like nothing was happening. Which was either due to the fact that they were all dead tired from morning training or because a crying baby really has nothing on the chaos that already is national team camp.

However, you were only so strong. While Marcel cried, you struggled to choke down your food. Foot tapping and leg shaking wildly under the table, you chewed your kale aggressively.

“Awww Y/NN, you look like a little bunny!” Ashley Sanchez laughed, poking at your cheek while you ate and gaining some chuckles from the rest of the girls at your table. You gave her a healthy dose of side-eye before taking another bite, not having the words to refute her statement.

“An angry little bunny…” Alana muttered, taking in your clearly agitated expression. That comment really got a round of laughter from your teammates, clearly amused that Cook had been the one to point it out.

Despite the teasing words, Alana's eyes were full of concern as she peaked over at you. Having been with you since your days at Stanford, the girl knew you better than anyone. Cautiously, she snuck a hand under the table and set it on your restless leg. Any other day, your girlfriend's touch would have brought you comfort. But today, in combination with the crying that was piercing your heart, it was suffocating.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Your sudden proclamation and quick movement gained lots of curious eyes as you pushed away from the table.

Driven by something outside of your control, you crossed the meal room towards the source of your frustrations.

“I don’t know what’s up with him! He’s never gotten like this.” Crystal was saying as you approached, Alex nodding along in understanding.

“Y/N!” Sophia greeted happily, flashing one of her very familiar full face smiles at you. The sight of your friend offered a momentary distraction and you smiled back, giving a nod of your head in acknowledgement of her.

“Hey kid! What’s up?” This time it was Pinoe who greeted you, the ever endearing title of ‘kid’ earning her another eye roll instead of a smile in return.

Your focus was brought back to the matter at hand though when a particularly harsh cry came from Marcel who was trashing unhappily in his very distraught mothers arms. From this close, the scene was even harder to see. Crystal, who had just completed her first USWNT training in almost a year, was looking justifiably exhausted. Then adding the stress of her son crying on top of that? It was like the day was just kicking her while she was down.

“Crystal, can I help?” The bluntness of the question was a stark contrast to your usually tactful demeanor and clearly caught your teammates off guard.

Alex specifically went wide eyed, knowing it had taken you almost two entire camps before you’d even asked to hold Charlie. Crystal looked at you with skeptical brown eyes, not untrusting but mostly uncertain. But when Marcel thrashed hard in her arms once again, it seemed frustration won out over the uncertainty of letting a rookie she didn’t know hold her son.

“You’re welcome to try!” She laughed, moving to hold him out to you, anticipating the struggle that often came with having to pass off an infant.

But the struggle never came. Skillfully, you scooped Marcel out of her arms and cradled him into your own. With a gentle hand, you adjusted his head so it was supported carefully against your bicep. Looking down at him, you started to smile which quickly evolved into laughter as you watched him stare at you with the biggest dark brown eyes that looked at you in the way that only babies do.

“I can’t blame you for looking like that! Your mama has been introducing you to a lottttt of new people, huh jidmoonh?” You giggled, poking his cheek playfully as you started bouncing around the room with him. Between the sound of your giggle and you poking at his cheeks, Marcel let out his own bubble of laughter that got you laughing again too.

“That’s right! Jidmoonh, chipmunk! That’s what you look like with those cheeks. So huffy!” Your words were soft, gentle, made only for the little laughing baby in your arms who had so much of your attention that you hadn’t realized the entire room had gone dead silent and was hanging on your every word.

“Holy shit. Is she magic?” Crystal exclaimed, slightly stunned that something as simple as you holding him and bouncing around had gotten him to quiet down immediately.

“I should’ve thought to ask her earlier, she is literally one of Charlie's favorite people ever. I thought maybe it was just because she’ll give her shoulder rides whenever she wants but I guess she's just good with all kids!” Alex chimed in, watching as you continued your lap around the room.

“And we’re sure she doesn’t have a secret family or something? She’s seriously got the mom touch.” Many of the team muttered in agreement with Crystal while the younger members of the team all casted knowing looks at each other.

It wasn’t that you and Alana were keeping your relationship from the team. It's just, neither of you were particularly affectionate in public and no one had ever asked. Of course, all of your old Stanford teammates knew. As well as anyone who played against you in college or who just had eyes and followed college soccer. Even though you aren’t often incredibly affectionate in public, it was hard to miss hearing about the two Stanford co-captains who celebrated their goals with a kiss.

Nothing more than amused by the accusations of you having some secret child, Alana was smiling proudly from where she sat listening to you babbling away to the baby in your arms. It was mostly nonsensical things, comments about how much he reminded you of your nephew, and just little noises until a particular string of comments caught her attention.

“You hear that? They think I’ve got the mom touch! What do you say Marcel, you want another little friend? I certainly want one, so how about that? How about another little national team baby?” You cooed, wiggling your eyebrows at him as he babbled back.

Alana froze. You wanted one? A little friend? Another national team baby? Her mind was reeling as all of the information came pouring in and if it wasn’t for Naomi’s subtle nudge of her foot under the table, she’s almost certain she’d have fainted.

A series of catcalls and whoops from your teammates drew your attention, letting you know that your last few sentences had been heard throughout the room.

“Sheesh Y/N, family planning already? When are we gonna meet the baby daddy!” Lindsey hollered out, supported with various vocalizations from other teammates.

“Who says you haven’t?” You challenged, a smirk on your lips as you looked up from the baby. Your eyes flitted to Alana’s, shooting her a wink before looking over her shoulder and blowing a dramatic kiss to Lindsey.

“If you’re looking at IVF, I know a guy knows a guy!” Kristie shouted teasingly, earning a high five from Midge who was enjoying maybe a little too much the way she could see Alana squirming out of the corner of her eye.

“I’ll keep that in mind!” You quipped before turning back to the baby and your girlfriend was using every last inch of willpower she possessed to keep from exploding right there on the spot.

You’d keep that in mind?!

—-

And camp continued much in the same fashion.

At any point if you weren’t on the pitch or taking care of personal matters, you had Marcel in your arms. This was of course much to the chagrin of your poor girlfriend who watched your baby fever with growing amounts of panic.

Part of her was obsessed with the situation, the sight of you being so cute with a baby and the knowledge that you actively thought about having one with her was enough to have her falling even deeper in love with you.

The other part of her kn-

“Lany, why do you look like you’re about to explode?” Rose unknowingly interrupted, bumping her with her hip as she walked past.

Once again, Alana had gotten lost in her own thoughts while watching you with Marcel. So lost, she hadn’t even pieced together that everyone was leaving the locker room to load back onto the bus.

“She might have not exploded, but I bet her ovaries have!” Sophia teased, flicking her discarded pre-wrap at Alana who promptly swatted it away and fixed her with a glare.

“Whose ovaries are exploding?” Someone asked from behind her, startling the young defender who hadn’t realized anyone else was still here. Her face heated with embarrassment when she realized that the person who had spoken up was in fact the mother of the child her girlfriend had been carrying around all week.

“Alana’s obviously!” Naomi laughed, gathering up the last of her bags and answering the question that hadn’t been addressed to anyone in particular.

“Obviously?” Crystal raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking around at all of the younger players who were sharing knowing looks. When she caught Andi’s eye, the Spirit captain just nodded her head in the direction of the exit of the locker room where you still stood with Marcel on your hip as you chatted with one of the trainers.

“Ohhhh…” As the pieces all clicked into place, the older woman looked at Alana with amusement sparkling in her eyes and a kind smile.

“You guys are the worst.” Alana huffed, rolling her eyes as her teammates just laughed and headed for the bus.

Still needing a moment to gather all of her stuff, she trailed behind and busied herself with her equipment.

“So, sneaky, how long have you two been together?” For the second time that day, Crystal Dunn's voice started Alana nearly out of her skin. Despite the initial startling though, she smiled. After all, Crystal had asked her about one of her favorite topics.

“Six years in October.” She answered the question easily as she got her stuff together. Alana was good with dates, especially important ones like anniversaries.

“Junior year of college.” Crystal commented as she sat down on the bench, a hint of playfulness in her tone and something else. Respect, maybe?

“Halloween weekend.” Alana laughed, the memory of the mid soccer season party coming easily to the front of her mind.

“And how long has she been like…this?” The veteran defender didn’t have to elaborate any further for Alana to know exactly what she meant.

“Openly? It’s definitely new.” She admitted, stopping her packing and instead settling down on the bench beside her teammate.

“So you two haven’t been…” Crystal trailed off again as Alana's eyes went wide at what she was insinuating.

“Trying??? No! God, no. I mean, it’s a World Cup year! And we’re both here finally. Together.” The last part clearly revealed much more than she’d meant for it to as Crystal nodded in understanding, placing a supportive hand on Alana’s thigh.

“And if it wasn’t a World Cup year?”

The question hung in the air. Crystal, looking both sympathetic and expecting while Alana sat in silence.

“I don’t know.” She finally managed, looking at Crystal with big eyes as she finally realized that she really didn’t know and that that’s probably the first time in almost six years that there was something concerning you that she didn’t know about.

Humming in understanding, Crystal patted Alana’s thigh before getting to her feet.

“Well, looks like you have a conversation to have!” With a supportive smile on her face, Crystal extended a hand to help Alana up before reaching over to grab both of their bags.

“I’ll grab my little goblin from her when we get to the hotel and you two can have a chat, yeah?”

Alana simply nodded and that was enough of an answer for Crystal who led them out of the locker room and to the bus that was about to threaten to leave them behind.

—--

“Lany? Are you okay?” Your concerned voice cut through the silence of the hotel room as you entered.

You were greeted by the sight of Alana’s back as she was laying on her side and facing away from the door. Toeing off your shoes and setting your tote down on the bed that was filled with all of your other things, you slipped into your shared bed behind her.

“Lany, baby, what’s going on? Crystal told me you needed to see me.” Your voice was a gentle whisper as you snaked your arms around her waist, pulling her taller frame back against yours.

“Do you want a baby?” Alana’s question was sudden, and shocking enough that you found yourself snapping backwards and out of the embrace you’d initiated.

“Wha-” You couldn’t even formulate a question before your girlfriend was sitting up facing you, distress clear on her face.

“It’s just, the way you’ve been with Marcel! And even with Charlie and your nephew. You’re so good with them and they clearly make you so happy and I didn’t realize how I didn’t notice it sooner because everyone else obviously did and they say you’ve got the mom touch or whatever and I heard you babbling to Marcel about wanting a baby so it’s just, do you want a baby?” It wasn’t like Alana to ramble but in that moment she certainly did, not knowing exactly what to say but having so many thoughts.

“I mean, yes.” You admitted, always favoring honesty.

“Like, right now?” Alana pushed, causing you to scrunch your face up in confusion.

“Alana, it’s a World Cup year!” Your tone bordered on accusatory as you stared back at your girlfriend who knew just how much you’d been working towards this. Hell! She’d been right there with you.

“And if it wasn’t a World Cup year?” She parroted the words back to you that she’d heard from Crystal hardly an hour ago, watching as your brow furrowed.

“I don’t know, Lany! Maybe? Why are you so concerned about this all of a sudden?” It wasn’t necessarily deflecting, you really didn’t know. But what you did want to know was where this was all coming from.

“Because, Y/N! I- Because we're in our twenties! We’re in our prime or whatever. We are finally getting consistent call ups and playing time. It finally looks like we’re actually at a point where these spots will turn into starting roles and we’ll get to do everything we always talked about when we were just co-captains who were best friends that were trying to keep our teammates from falling in love with each other! Because I don’t know if I missed something because now you’re talking about babies, and having a baby with ME? And god, Y/N, I haven’t even given you the ring yet and we’re talking about babies! I just don’t know if I want that yet.” The admission surprised even Alana, who wasn’t sure exactly where she was going with that the entire time she was speaking.

Looking at you now, Alana expected to find some sort of anger or sadness but was instead met with a look of thoughtfulness.

“What do you want, Lany?” Your voice was as gentle as the look in your eyes, prompting, causing tension to slowly seep from Alana’s body.

“What do I want? The same thing as always, Y/N.” Alana answered as if it was obvious but when you raised an eyebrow, she knew she’d have to elaborate.

“You, Y/N, I always want you. I want you by my side and we have that here. I want years more of you and me on the field together, playing in World Cups and Olympics and sold out stadiums for club and for country. And we may never be co-captains again, but I still want to kiss you in celebration and this time I want to do it infront of my country. I want to watch you score and then sprint so fast across the pitch that I beat everyone to you. I want to do the things I love with the love of my life and I don’t want to stop or share it.” There were tears in both of your eyes at this point, yours flowing a bit more freely than Alana’s were.

“Your country? So you want to kiss me in front of England then?” Even with tears rolling down your cheeks, you weren’t able to stop from teasing her.

“Shut up.” Alana laughed in response, staring at you as if she hoped you’d do anything but.

“Alana Cook, I will be by your side for as long as you’ll have me.” You whispered, returning to the topic at hand and leaning forward so your forehead rested against hers.

“So forever then?” She whispered back, looking at you hopefully as a smile stretched across your face.

“Forever.” Leaning forward, you placed a gentle kiss to her lips in confirmation before pulling back so your heads just rested against each other again.

“Forever sounds like plenty of time for a baby.” Alana said after a while, causing you to lean away in laughter, swatting at her playfully.

“Look who's talking now!” You teased, continuing to poke at her, hitting each and every ticklish spot you know like the back of your hand as she jumped away from you screeching.

The tickle fight continued for some time before Alana eventually got sick of it. As usual, she proved that she only let you do stupid things as wrapped her arms around you from behind, successfully pinning your arms to your chest, and then pulling you into her. Laughing, you let yourself be pulled into the forced spooning position, never one to complain about getting to snuggle with your girlfriend.

After a while though, you decided laying like this was a little too peaceful. And with the previous conversation playing on repeat in your head, you had perfect ammunition.

“Sooooo,” You started, craning to look over your shoulder at Alana, “You have a ring for me?”

“Oh my god, can we please have that conversation later?”

—

You didn’t have that conversation later, but you did end up giving Alana what she wanted.

One month later, in the 15th minute, you scored at a sold out Wembley Stadium.

And true to her word, Alana was somehow magically the first person to reach you. Then, with every single care in the world, her lips were on yours and she was kissing you in front of both England and the United States.

And maybe you were imagining it, but it seemed like suddenly that English crowd roared a little louder.

#alana cook imagine #uswnt imagine #uswnt x reader #woso imagines #woso imagine

280 notes · View notes

horrorisunknowntoyou · 2 years

Text

BROTHERS REACTION TO VOICE ACTRESS / ACTOR MC CHARACTER'S DEATH SCENES.

_______________________________________

(Brothers x mc)

Part 1 - Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan ( SORRY IF THEIR OOC )

Genre - fluff and angst.

TW// death and description of violence and injury etc.

—---------------------------------------------------------------

I was very much inspired by clips of The Walking dead season 1 ending and other media. And i thought it'll be fun writing their reaction to seeing or hearing their mc " dying. "

Also spoilers for that as I used that as reference for Lucifer's part.

______________________________________

You told your boyfriend about your job and roles you did in the human realm. Since he was fascinated by the work you did, and having your D.D.D on you. You decided to show him some clips or videos of your characters in which they watch how your character dies in the end.

LUCIFER

What was originally supposed to be you and him quietly conversing while he was doing his work. Ended with him forgetting his paperwork and watching a playthrough of a game in which MC voice acted in. He was quietly watching the video with you leaning beside him on his desk.

He was so absorbed into the media, usually he scoffed at this stuff as this was more leviathan's thing. However since it involved you , his interest was peaked.

The game he was watching was some sort of survival game in which you voiced the mentor. And they have to survive some virus he assumes, but as times progressed he noticed how the character you voiced was getting sicker and sicker. But trying their best to keep the child character happy and healthy and learn to live in this cruel world.

Then the infamous scene where all the players cried happens. After a brutal attack and being barricaded your character finally collapsed to the horror of the child.

" Honey…I don't think I can go further on…you're gonna have to do what you have to do…" *gasping* " I know you're scared, I am too…but…I know you can live on without me…" *coughs*

" No…no! (Characters name) you can't go…please…don't leave me alone…"

"Sweet pea…listen to me, you have to shoot me or else I might hurt you…you have to keep going..I'm too weak , and they got me good back there…as long as you're safe and healthy I'll be at peace."

The child character looks at them, crying as they stand up cocking the gun, recounting happy moments together. Even when dying your character tries to comfort them.

"It's okay…it's okay…I'll be okay… stay high and look for the others. And always keep moving…I love you kiddo…"

BANG

Screen went black and all that could be heard was a child's cry.

After some silence, the old memories and nostalgia of listening to your younger voice and your co workers made you smile. However, you didn't notice but while distracted by fond old memories. Lucifer had to look away at the end, he didn't want to let you know. Especially with his pride how much he was holding back tears, he was avoiding eye contact with you. Because his eyes were getting glossy, he knows it's fictional and he knows you didn't die in real life. But god it hurted so much hearing how hurt and tired you sounded. Eventually he couldn't hold it in and cried softly. His gloved hand hid his face embarrassed that it got him this emotional.

" Aw luci, it's okay..I'm okay " you gently say, wrapping your arms around him. Kissing his cheek and comforting him until he calms down. Once calm even with his face red and tear stain he looks at you so sternly.

" Mc, please…never show me that again.."

MAMMON

You two were talking about things you have been in. Like Mammon has done modeling , perfume ads, things of that matter. And you told him that you were in a movie much to his surprise.

You played as the love interest for a film (but you didn't tell him, it ended on a dark, sad note. )

You actually had a copy of the movie on deck and played it for him in the living room since he wouldn't stop bothering you to show him it.

At first he was really grumpy and jealous over the male lead making comments throughout. But secretly he was really into the movie and curious how it ends.

Midway through the movie, it foreshadows your character's death. Mainly with the symbolism of flowers in the background of your room.

Yellow hyacinth , red roses , lilacs , forget me nots, petunias etc.

While watching he noticed another girl, slowly getting involved with the main cast. She was there from the beginning but he didn't know what was going on. That was until that girl asked your character to hang out somewhere.

He was highly suspicious of what was going to happen but he didn't expect the girl to force you into the ground and begin stabbing you to death.

"How dare you take (love interest) he was mine since middle school! And suddenly he loves you!? That's not fair! That's not fair!"

You scream in pain, crying trying to defend yourself. Injuring your hands and coughing out blood. " P-please stop! I'll s-stop dating (love interest) please! I don't wanna die…please! I thought we were friends! "

The girl kept stabbing you , her hatred and jealousy was very clear.

You begged for your life, till the end.

"I'm s-sorry…I'm…" you took your last breath as your eyes rolled back clouded.

Mammon sat there in silence…pausing the movie, he didn't want to watch it any further. He then stood up and walked over to you pulling you into a tight hug , as you felt water droplets onto your shoulder.

" Human…I love ya…but promise me…never again…"

After that, you mysteriously lost the movie and mammon haven't left your side for a week. Completely ignoring his brothers and clinging onto you.

He was completely protective of you and would hiss at any one getting close to you. Especially women who looked similar to your characters killer from the film.

LEVIATHAN

You were in Levi's room watching some obscure long tilted anime. You thought it sounded really familiar and then you remembered that you voice acted in the English dub of it.

" Levi , Levi! Wait, we should watched it in dub, I actually voiced the space prince's sibling. "

He was so shook

"Ehhhh?! Really mc?! Your the prince's sibling! I had no idea you voiced acted!"

You nodded, embarrassed by it " I totally forgot about it. It was like the first role I did. I thought I did so bad in it…like there is a whole dedicated fan group for this anime.."

" Don't tell me what happens! I wanna see it!"

So you spent the rest of the day watching the series, around season 2 the finale. The prince was trapped with thier sibling..by then it was revealed that your companions betrayed you. And Levi was practically fuming at this point. Your character sounded so sad and disappointed it broke his heart.

But then it got worse.

" Prince Saturn…it's over! The kingdom will be ours…with your death…you will be nothing more…then a memory…" The prince looked behind him noticing only one escape pod left. Looking back at the hologram " I can't give up now! The zodiacs need their prince! I can't possibly throw the towel in! "

" It's not as if you have a choice prince the space shuttle is blowing up, you know that…only one of you will survive.."

Leviathan had his face Infront of the TV. Biting hard into a pillow practically ripping it apart. " I can't believe their using the prince's good nature to pick over him or his sibling knowing he'll pick his sibling." You watch him growl at the TV , knowing what's happening next. Oh boy…

Your character look into the distance, seeing the debris and explosion coming near. You looked back at your brother deciding what you must do, for the future of kingdom and your older brother. " Saturn…look at me…I love you so much…I'm sorry what I'm about to do…" you pushed the prince into the escape pod. "(Your character name?)..."

"Forgive me brother! You always protect me from others now it's my turn to save you. Live a happy life! Save our kingdom and become king.!"

Leviathan practically scream at the revelation " MC NOOOO"

You pressed the button as your brother screamed In horror …the hologram glitching behind you…as you cried loudly " Im sorry…I failed you brother…but atleast..I was useful in the end…" You closed your eyes as explosions engulf you killing your character off.

Leviathan was so hurt, your character just died! And they were his favorite , no wonder when he search up the series there was so much fanart of the prince's sibling. He was so emotional that he was in demon form crying his eyes out.

"M-mc!" He practically sobbed into your chest clinging onto you, his tail wrapped around you protectively. " Y-you died..and you s-sounded so sad! How dare t-they kill off your character!!!"

You literally had to calm him down and give him kisses. " Levi, baby…this is season 2 you have the movies and other seasons! But if you like…we can take a break and cuddle and watch a cute shojo anime or ruri-chan to make you feel better." He nodded to the latter option as he buried his head into your chest.

" Okay baby. " You kissed ontop of his head , rubbing his back gently. "

Also he definitely bought merch of your character and make you sign in. ( And totally not brag about it in Devildom equivalent of twitch/reddit.)

( Lol, I'm sorry if this isn't good I tried my best.)

#obey me brothers react to #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me scenarios #obey me x gender neutral reader #obey me x mc #obey me

846 notes · View notes

marvelstarker-mha98 · 6 months

Text

The Runaway Distance Life Of A Little Stark chapter 26: Coping Mechanisms

Pairing: Tony Stark & daughter!Reader, Tony stark x Pepper Potts & Reader, Happy Hogan, Tony Stark & Reader, Rhodey, tony stark & Reader, Bruce banner, reader & tony stark, Dr. cho, Tony Stark & reader, Sam Wilson & Steve rogers, Clint barton x Laura Barton & his kids, Natasha romanoff, Tony x Madeline (past), Tony Stark, Obadiah Stane (past) & Reader Summary: How Tony copes with his daughter's eader's death Warning: Death, Dreams and past Co author with: callikc Tag: @venomsvl @geeksareunique The recovery room was haunting.

The ambience was uncomfortable, the lights on and yet too dark, the flatline of the machine shattering the silence. But it wasn't the only thing.

The room was filled with Tony's sobs as he cradled your lifeless body. It was the worst anyone had ever seen him, pleading for you to wake up. It wasn't fair that he had so much time with you during your childhood and yet he barely knew anything. He didn't even know your favorite color or your favorite foods, he didn't know a single thing.

People say that losing someone you love when you know everything about them is the worst thing, but really it was losing someone when you knew nothing. It filled a person with regret and guilt and left them wishing they could do anything to bring someone back.

Tony would've traded his life in a second to swap places. He'd accept his redeemer even if it meant he'd only see your face for one more second. It wasn't fair.

"Please, babygirl." He whispered, rocking back and forth. "Come on, you don't deserve this. Wake up."

Dr. Cho and the others had come in by that time, their faces racked with sorrow and sadness at the scene before them.

"You're strong. You're strong, (Y/n), you're gonna make it."

Pepper was at Tony's side in an instant, her cheeks wet with tears as she hugged him from the side, trying to offer what comfort she could.

"No." His voice was breaking as he cried harder. "No. No, come on. Come back, sweetheart."

Rhodey joined them also, his eyes shut tight so he wouldn't have to see your body.

"S-She's gone." Tony mumbled, trembling.

"I know." Pepper said, kissing the top of his head. "I know..."

He looked up at her, utterly heartbroken. "What do I do? I-I don't know what to do."

Dr. Cho came forward, her movements hesitant. "Let me take her. I'll look after her."

It took him a while to process what she was saying but with reassurance from Pepper he very reluctantly laid your body back on the bed. Dr. Cho offered a gentle and sad smile as she carefully reached for the blanket, pulling it over your face and hiding the body from view.

Even that simple action was too much for him and he turned back to Pepper and Rhodey, crying in their arms once again. Happy watched with a vexing emotion of moral culpability hanging over him as Bruce bowed his head in respect.

Clint had been watching everything from behind the room's window and turned away after finding himself saddened. Whether it was seeing his friends hurting, the loss of you, or just the general aura of the moment getting to him, he couldn't wait there much longer.

He walked to the end of the corridor and thought for a moment before taking out his phone. He sent a quick message to Fury about what had happened before going to his other contacts until he found a familiar name.

He pressed the call button and waited for a moment until the line picked up.

"Hey, babe." Laura's sweet voice answered.

Clint relaxed significantly after hearing her voice. "Hey."

"What's up? Everything okay?"

There was a slight crack in his voice as he replied. "Yeah, I'm good. How are you? How are the kids?"

"They're doing great, they miss you, though."

"I know. I'll try to visit again soon. Work's just... Busy."

There was a pause and he could practically see her frowning on the other side of the phone.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Clint looked down at his feet and wasn't really sure about how to answer. It was strange how you hadn't spent much time together and yet he felt like he'd known you for ages.

"We lost someone today." He admitted. "She was special to a friend of mine. Meant a lot to him."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." Laura said with genuine remorse. "Did you know her well?"

"A little. She was exactly like him so it was easy to just talk, you know?"

"Yeah. When did it happen?"

"Today, it... It was expected, but... But still sudden."

Just then he heard the sounds of his kids. It sounded like they were arguing over something because he heard Lila claiming that something Cooper took was hers.

"Hey, can I talk to the kids?" He asked softly. "It'll be nice to hear them."

"Of course." Laura said. "Hold on."

She called for Lila and Cooper and after a brief rustling sound, he heard their voices.

"Dad, are you there?"

"Daddy!"

Already Clint was smiling again. "Hey, trouble."

"We miss you." Lila said. "When are you coming home?"

"Soon, I promise. It's just been a rough couple of days."

"Can we make it better?"

"I'm sure you can, kiddo. Tell me what's been going on."

"You'll never guess what happened at school." Cooper said. "It started when that quiet kid at the back of French finally snapped."

Clint chuckled. "Go on. What happened?"

Two days had passed since the big fiasco in New York and DC.

Sam Wilson was sitting in Steve's hospital room, still waiting for him to wake up. He was making a good recovery thanks to the whole super soldier thing but it didn't make the days any easier.

Sam was dozing off now as the Trouble Man soundtrack played from his phone. He was exhausted and hadn't really eaten much due to the anxiety of everything.

"On your left."

He woke with a light startle, turning his head to see that Steve was finally awake.

"Sleeping Beauty rises." He teased, relieved.

Steve managed a laugh and they shared a smile.

"What happened?" He asked.

Sam shrugged lightly. "A lot."

"Got any specifics?"

"Well, you've been out two days. It's mostly just the cleanups."

The final events started coming back to Steve in flashes.

"Where's Bucky?" He asked eagerly.

Sam looked away for a moment. "He disappeared. When we found you at the Potomac there was no sign of him. He saved your life, though."

Steve nodded but he was also disappointed. To be so close to his best friend after all these years only to have him taken away was worse than any of the injuries he was currently suffering from. He was hopeful, on the other hand, because Bucky had saved his life. It meant that even though he was a slave to HYDRA, he held some semblance of the past.

"What happened to SHIELD?" He then asked. "Fury? Nat?"

"They're okay. They're hiding." Sam reassured him. "As for SHIELD? It's messy. We lost a lot of good people. Too many of them. The Triskelion is a bunch of rubble and they're still searching."

"The Triskelion." He remembered what happened after he revealed the truth. "What... What happened to Ellen? (Y/n)? Did she get the scepter out?"

"That's an even longer story." Sam joked.

Steve shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good point." He thought about how best to describe the events before continuing to explain. "I talked to her before the building collapsed, she said she was going to find Stark, and disappeared in this fancy ass car."

He trailed off and Steve noticed that he looked conflicted. "Did she do it?"

"Sort of. She got to New York, saw Stark again, but there was some kind of shooting. They haven't released much, but (Y/n) didn't make it. It was fatal. She died the same day. The scepter is missing as far as I know."

Steve didn't say anything, trying to understand in silence. He had no idea what those who knew the real you were feeling but he did know it was in no way easy to deal with these things.

"How's Tony handling it?" He asked quietly.

Sam shook his head. "It's not good."

Another two days passed.

Natasha had volunteered herself to explain the course of events that had unfolded at the Triskelion. She was doing so in front of the senate committee, their judging selves and poisoned views desperate to find a way to incriminate anyone but themselves.

"Why haven't we yet heard from Captain Rogers?" One of the committee asked.

Natasha, her arms crossed, shrugged lightly. "I don't know what there is left for him to say. I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently."

"Well, he could explain how this country is expected to maintain its national security now that he and you have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus."

"HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence."

"Many of which you seemed to have had a personal hand in telling. And there are other concerns."

"Such as?"

"The fiasco that occurred in New York City mere hours after the Triskelion fell. The shooting involving the Starks."

Her jaw clenched. "I fail to see what concern that is of yours."

"The damage was exponential, Agent Romanoff. We want to know if Tony Stark, your fellow Avenger, will be paying for it since it occurred at his tower. Furthermore, we haven't heard from him either."

"Mr. Stark is not available at this moment because he's mourning the loss of his daughter."

"I still don't-"

"He needs time." She told them defiantly. "Do you have children?"

The committee member who had done all the speaking so far finally shut up, sharing a glance with the rest of the men.

Eventually, he spoke up again. "I have a son, yes."

Natasha nodded. "Now imagine if you lost your son. Don't you think you would want some time to grieve before being forced to explain every little detail to the press despite it being no concern of theirs?" Another member of the committee leaned forward. "Agent, you should know that there are some on this committee who feel, given your service record, both for this country and against it, that you belong in a penitentiary. Not mouthing off on Capitol Hill." She remained emotionless as she replied.

"You're not going to put me in a prison." She stated. "You're not going to put any of us in a prison. You know why?"

"Do enlighten us." The first member chimed in again.

"Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we help make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it. So, if you want to arrest me, arrest me. You'll know where to find me."

After basically telling the government to kiss her ass, Natasha rose from her seat and left the room. The overlapping questions and camera flashes from the reporters followed her all the way to the exit.

Although she wasn't exactly Tony's best friend, she couldn't help but hope he was okay.

That same day, back in New York, Tony was still in the recovery room you had died in.

He hadn't moved, barely ate or drank, and hadn't been able to say a word since they took you away. His eyes were red from the tears he had spared for your loss and it was only with the help of a minor sedative that he managed to get any sleep at all.

Pepper had stayed with him every day and every night, coaxing him into eating and drinking so he wouldn't waste away into nothing. She was trying to let herself mourn you quietly so she could be there for Tony instead. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he was feeling.

Tony himself was pretty much still passed out from the effects of the sedative. He needed it after an outburst when the funeral director arrived.

The funeral director organizing your last rites was a close friend of Stark Industries.

That same day they had taken your body to clean you up and keep your body in a visibly comforting state while the funeral preparations were to be made.

Tony wasn't himself, acting out of character as the angry stage of grief took its toll on his mind.

"What if they hurt her?" He was asking, his head running wild with irrational possibilities. "What if they don't take care of her properly? What if they're the same ones who wanted her dead? What if I never see her again?"

"Tony-" Rhodey interrupted, holding him steady. "Hey, man, they're not gonna hurt her, okay?"

"But we don't know them!"

"Yes, we do. Pepper called them, remember? She knows what she's doing."

"They aren't the bad guys." Happy said. "They're just going to clean her up, alright? They're here to keep her safe while we... While we make arrangements."

"No!" Tony continued to argue, ready to march over and take you back.

Pepper stepped in front of him and took his hands in her own before he could do something he regretted.

"Tony, look at me." She begged. "Please, come on."

He stared at the small group wheeling your covered body away and closed his eyes tightly when he couldn't bear it any more.

"You're angry, I know." Pepper said softly. "But you haven't slept in days. And you're still injured. You need a break. She's gone and we need to-"

"She's not gone!" He snapped, vision slowly getting more blurry as tears built up yet again. "She's... She's not. Okay? She's just... She's okay! But we can't let them hurt her! What if I never see her again, Pep?! What if they-"

While he went on another tangent about all the negative possibilities, Rhodey looked over his shoulder and reluctantly nodded to Dr. Cho. Tony didn't know what was happening until he felt a slight prick at his neck.

Dr. Cho pulled back the needle, apologizing quietly as Tony stumbled backwards and felt a drowsiness overtake him. Happy, Rhodey, and Bruce worked together to keep him upright as he almost collapsed again.

Pepper looked at Dr. Cho, confused and surprised. "What's that?"

"Lorazepam and some others." Dr. Cho answered, placing the needle in the sink. "It's a healthy dose."

"It's not dangerous." Bruce quickly added, seeing the look of horror on Pepper's features. "It's a benzodiazepine, used most frequently for anxiety, insomnia, and severe agitation."

"It'll take effect over the next few hours, give Tony time to heal."

As Rhodey and Happy half-walked and half-carried Tony to the empty bed, Pepper watched with torn feelings. She knew it was best in the end, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

Back in the present, Tony was whimpering your name in his sleep.

Pepper held his hand and rubbed soothing shapes on the back in an attempt to keep him calm. It wasn't much, but it was the best she could do at that time.

"Oh, Tony..." She whispered, kissing the top of his head.

Happy stood in the corner of the room as his regrets kept leaving him in doubt. He was still stuck in the mindset that if he had just told someone the truth about you, he could have somehow prevented all of this and saved your life. Perhaps part of him knew that the outcome was inevitable, but he didn't want to believe it.

Rhodey walked in soon enough with a guilty look on his face. "Hey."

Pepper looked over. "Hi. Is everything okay?"

He nodded, although it seemed to pain him emotionally. "I have to go. They want me in Washington for a conference. I wish I could stay, but-"

"No, it's okay. I understand. Do what you have to."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. We'll be alright."

"Okay." He glanced at Tony for a moment. "I'll be back for the funeral. Just let me know."

Pepper nodded that time. "Of course."

"Keep me updated on him. He's not gonna be the same. He hasn't been like this since his parents' accident."

If Rhodey had the option to stay without receiving severe backlash for it, he would have done so with no hesitation. Unfortunately, his superiors weren't the most lenient kind of people. He wanted to do more.

"It's worse." Pepper admitted, looking back at Tony. "Bruce said the Lorazepam will help keep him calm but I don't know."

Tony was dreaming.

While some dream the most brilliant and confusing and random of things, he was stuck in flashbacks, reliving twisted versions of memories he had. One such dream was when he held you for the first time.

Unlike you had been led to believe, Tony's relationship with your mother wasn't just a one night stand of drunken improv. They had known each other for years, and had been friends with benefits the entire time.

Madeline was her name, and she was absolutely gorgeous in Tony's eyes. Her eyes were electric in color and her hair perfectly styled even as she lay in the hospital bed, weak and defeated. He was, however, unaware that his close friend - Obadiah Stane - vehemently opposed the relationship between him and Madeline. In fact, Stane had even gone as far as to threaten to destroy Madeline's life if she didn't give up the baby because it would simply ruin Tony's image.

But Madeline would never. She loved Tony, and she loved her baby even more. As she watched Tony stare at you in awe, she couldn't help smiling too.

She knew she didn't have long left. There was a hemorrhage after the delivery and she had lost too much blood. She didn't know how long, but she knew it wasn't enough to say all she wanted to say.

"She's beautiful." She said.

Tony couldn't look away from you, laughing to himself as you tried to grab his entire hand with your tiny little fist.

"She's perfect." He said.

Madeline struggled to raise her arm enough to brush down some of your hair which was already as messy as your dad's.

"She'll do great things." She said. "She is going to be amazing, especially with a dad as awesome as you."

Tony, who also knew that they didn't have long together, struggled to meet her eyes. "You're the awesome one, Mads."

"No... It's all you." Madeline confessed, looking down. "I want you to raise her right. Keep her safe and love her as much as you love yourself. And give her this."

She struggled to remove a necklace that hung over her chest. When she finally managed it, she placed it in the hand that wasn't holding your head.

"This has been in my family for years. Centuries, even. It's an old thing, but it's as much hers as it is mine. As soon as she's old enough, let her wear it."

"I promise." He said.

Tony was filled with regret and guilt as he watched the scene play out in his mind. He hadn't thought about Madeline in over a decade. In fact, the ever more frequent one night stands were his coping mechanism in getting over her loss. He had never fulfilled the promise he made to her that day and it haunted him now, like a swift vengeance or karma.

The next dream/memory he found himself watching all over again was about five years later.

He was discussing a new weapon with Stane when all of a sudden a tiny girl - you - had burst through the doors with a big, stupid grin on your face.

"Daddy!" You exclaimed, clutching a stuffed bear close to your chest. "Can we play?"

Stane looked less than amused and Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed.

"Happy!" He called.

He waited until his bodyguard ran into the room with a bright red face. He was breathless, scanning the room for a possible threat until suddenly his eyes landed on you. You just smiled innocently and giggled at the state of him.

"Get her out." Tony ordered.

"But Da-" You said with a frown.

"Now, Happy."

"Yes, sir." Happy nodded, scooping you up into his arms. "Come on, rascal."

"Keep her on a leash or something." Tony added. "I'll be out in five."

"I only wanted to play." You mumbled, tearing up in confusion.

"It's okay, kid." Happy said as he carried you into the hallway. "He's a little busy, but your dad can play later."

"Promise?"

"Pinky. And afterwards we can get you ice cream. How does that sound?"

Your eyes lit up again and you nodded feverishly, hugging him. "Yes!"

The modern Tony watched painfully as a few minutes later his younger self came out and started yelling at you for interrupting. He said his meetings were more important than a child's play time. He was wrong. He should've known that every second with you was the most precious of his life.

He should have known that back then he was just doing what his own father did to him. He should have known how it made a child feel, how it hurt them. He also hated how much Stane was involved in your lives. If he had known back then what the bastard would go on to do, he probably would have killed him years early.

Another dream.

A few years later.

You were about thirteen or fourteen now, and eagerly going on about your latest collection of A+ scores. Tony back then hadn't been at all interested, far more focused on working away in his lab than listening to you talk about school.

"I'm busy, (Y/n)." He stated, not even bothering to look up. "Tell me later."

Your smile had dropped. "But you always say that."

"And you always fail to listen."

"Because later never comes."

"Life is full of disappointments, kid."

And that was it on the matter.

You looked down at the brilliant test scores and noticed your hand shaking in anger and annoyance. You worked hard to try and give him something to be proud of but it was for nothing. He didn't care.

Present Tony hated himself as he watched the anger in your eyes be replaced with hurt. He was proud, he always had been, but he was too stupid to show it. Would it have killed him to just once say it aloud for you?

The next memory was even more painful.

The day he left for Afghanistan.

"Shouldn't you say goodbye to (Y/n)?" Pepper asked.

"Just tell her I'll be back eventually." He had said in response.

That hurt like a punch to the gut. Why didn't he say goodbye?

"Tony, she's your daughter."

"I'm aware."

"Don't you think-"

"Trust me, she knows how to look after herself. She'll survive a day or two alone."

Tony watched his past self leave and slam the door. The only difference to this point of view was that he could see your sixteen-year-old self hiding behind the wall upstairs.

You had heard it all.

The next moment threw Tony off completely.

It wasn't his memory, but one of your own. He watched you march into Stark Industries, the perfect embodiment of poise and determination, and threaten your way past security guards. He couldn't help laughing as you waltzed on past them and into one of the offices.

Stane's office.

The smile dropped from his face as he watched the scene unfold. He had no idea you were so worried. He didn't realize that even after years of resentment, you cared enough to try and find out if he was okay even back then. It made it all the more painful as he watched Stane snap and threaten you.

"No!" He yelled.

His voice sounded like nothing but an echo as he ran forward to intervene, only to hit an invisible wall or window that blocked him.

"And who's going to believe you?" Obadiah growled as he pinned you against the wall. "It's the word of Tony's mistake against his best friend. Who do you think the media will flock to?"

"Don't listen to him!" Tony begged, hitting the invisible window with all the strength he could muster. "(Y/n)!"

"You can't do this!" You yelled, oblivious to the shouts.

Obadiah tightened his grip. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you. If you don't do what I say, I'll sell you off. You won't be able to walk out of these doors fast enough to save your life."

"Get your damn hands off of her!" Tony warned, only for his warnings to fall on deaf ears.

"You can't do this." You gasped out when Obadiah finally let you go.

Obadiah looked down at you, not a hint of sympathy in his voice. "You won't tell anyone. You won't go to the police, or Ms. Potts. Or Rhodes. You will shut up and go home or I will find a way to get rid of you."

"No!" Tony repeated, hitting harder. "No, (Y/n)! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

He watched helplessly as you turned tail and ran through the office door in tears. He tried calling your name and then threatening Obadiah again but he was merely a spectator, his words and actions meaningless.

He slid against the invisible barrier until he was on the floor, regretting pretty much every life choice he ever made.

19 notes · View notes