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badgirlcovenrep · 3 years

Text

The Goddess' Blessing (of a daughter)

Chapter Two

Here it is... hope you enjoy

After Tiffany is in warm pajamas and her hair is nicely brushed, they head to the living room to meet Edwin, who is sat at the couch watching some kind of civilian sport that features a stick. Scylla never took interest in televised sports - that was not really part of witch culture - but she thinks it's sweet, how enralled he is when they come out. She remembers Raelle telling her once that she used to watch games with her dad.

Scylla can almost see her sitting there beside him, in her civilian clothes, snacking on nachos and discussing what was happening on screen. It made her heart tug painfully. Once again she considered if coming here was a good idea at all. Seemed like everywhere she looked, she could just see Raelle, and even if she'd seen the other girl just a day before, here, inside her childhood home, it did nothing to how much Scylla missed her - and how she wished Raelle could be here, with them. Warm and peaceful and free.

"Hey, dinner's still in the oven." Edwin informs, once he sees the pair of witches have joined him, but still, he rises from the couch and crosses the living room towards the kitchen "I got some boxes of Rae's toys when she was a kid down from the attic earlier, and I thought you'd like to take a look, Tiffany."

The small witch was still unsure about her new surroundings, and Scylla gently directs her to join the man in the kitchen, where he had settled two sizeable cardboard boxes over the tiled floor, filled to the brim with random toys that went from surprisingly well kept barbie dolls to matchbox hotwheels and loose pieces of lego.

"Wow, Mr. Collar, you didn't have to." Scylla assures, as Tiffany puts her doubts aside for a minute to peek curiously into the box.

"Of course I did, it's not like these were going to use all the way up in the attic."

"Well, you're very kind. What do we say, Tiffany?" Scylla coaxes the younger girl, as she's started sorting curiously through the barbies. The necro is happy to see she seemed to be feeling safer.

"Thank you, Mr. Collar." Tiffany smiles up at him.

"You, little one, can call me Edwin if you like, and same goes for you, Scylla." He declares, and Scylla can't help the affection that settles inside her chest.

Jonas was right. She really *was* going soft. But the witch is not so sure she minds it that much anymore.

"Alright... Edwin." She nods.

"Good." The man smiles, leaning down to take the box Tiffany hadn't yet looked through, "let's take these to the living room so you can play near the fireplace. It's getting cold."

****

Edwin sits back down on the couch a while later, and Scylla helps Tiffany sort through Raelle's surprisingly big collection of beanie babies. The young witch is fascinated with them, and she's lining them up in a circle with plastic cuttlery for each, getting them ready for a tea party as Scylla watches sleepily from the couch, when suddenly the phone rings.

Edwin gets up to answer. They can hear from the living room when he picks up, but aside from that, the conversation is nothing but muffled sounds. Scylla could listen in if she wanted, farspeech is not that hard, and she can surely manage to hone in on a conversation that is happening just at the end of the hall.

But Edwin is kind to them, and she's trying to be a better person, even if she can't push away the curiosity - the thought - that maybe it's Raelle. And how much she wishes to hear her voice.

She knows it isn't right though, so Scylla decides not to peek. They deserve their privacy- not without some internal protesting, she turns her attention back to where Tiffany still played with her new (to her) toys.

"Oh, no! You spilled your tea, mister giraffe!" She exclaims, knocking the yellow giraffe plushie against it's pink teacup until it topples over the carpet, "I can't give you more tea right now, sir, the other babies haven't gotten any, you'll have to sit down and wait. Yes, I'll make you more tea in just a minute." Tiffany grabs the equally pink teapot and turns to the stuffed hippopotamus, tskng annoyedly with a roll of her eyes "some clients are so impatient, mrs. hippo."

Scylla smiles fondly, settling down into the soft cushions of the couch and resigning herself to watching the game absentmindedly. Just then, Edwin peeks his head from the hallway.

"It's Raelle." He says, and Scylla's heart jumps at hearing her name, "she wants to talk to you."

The necro would've been embarrassed at how fast she gets up, but her mind is one tracked at this point, and she can barely hold herself back from running down the hall to where the phone sat by the back door.

Edwin had settled it speaker up on top of the phone box as to not hang up, and when Scylla finally comes face to face with the device, she can't help but stop - just for a minute - in hesitation. What they had lived a year ago was so fiery and fast paced. Scylla felt as if it enveloped her whole before she could even see the surface. Like canon-balling into the deep ocean when you can't swim.

Now, whatever they had- it felt tentative and unsure. Like walking across tight rope blind-folded. It was new, and she didn't deal very well with change.

Even then, as the witch picked up the phone with a shaking hand and settled it into her ear, beside her shaking nerves - it became quite obvious to her. Anyway Raelle wanted to be in her life, Scylla would never be able to deny it.

"Hey." She says, finally, and from the other side, a soft sigh comes.

"Hi." Raelle sounds tired, and Scylla wants to ask why, but the fixer continues before she has the chance, "I'm glad you both made it safe. Dad seems excited that you're there."

"Yeah. Your dad's been very nice." Scylla chuckles, resting the palm of her hand against the wall to suppress the heady, dizzying feeling in her lungs. Like she's just now taken a breath for the first time since hearing her voice in the clearing.

"He even brought down some toys from the attic. I hope you don't mind" The necro chooses to say, looking for anything that could distract her from the feeling and help keep herself upright "you didn't tell me you had like, a hundred beanie babies."

"Oh, Goddess." Raelle moans in mock embarrassment, but Scylla can hear the smile in her voice, and she can't help but smile too, "I- hm- I forgot they were in there. I asked him to bring them down for her once you guys got there."

"They're cute." Scylla replies simply, "Tiffany loves them. Thank you."

"Well- she can have them. They don't really have use in the attic." Raelle says, and they stop for a second of amused silence before the blonde speaks again, "what's her favorite?"

"I don't know. Honestly all I know is that the giraffe is a really bad customer." Scylla replies, chuckling lightly at the previous interaction she'd watched.

"Oh, yeah, he has always been an asshole." Raelle laughs, and Scylla joins her, for a second they sit there in little fits of giggles. It's refreshing and so very light. The necro thinks maybe she shouldn't have been worried after all.

Whatever they had before, it was absolutely incredible - it took Scylla's breath away to even think about it - but this? This was all of that wrapped in warm, soft silk. This was different, and honest, and it filled her with butterflies that threatened to flutter out of her throat with each tug along the rope that tied them together so very tight. She wished, more than anything, that Raelle was there, in the dark hallway of her childhood home with her.

"Thank you." Scylla hears herself say before she can truly think about it, as she leans down to rest her forehead lightly against the cold wall to settle her aching heart, "for believing me. For helping me."

Raelle clears her throat on the other line and sighs before she speaks again. For a second Scylla thinks she might have burst the glass bubble that extended around them, but then-

"I never got the chance with my mom but I- I get to have that with you. I guess I can't help but want to try." Raelle decides. She sounds so soft, Scylla's heart strings tug once again, and she's left at a loss for words. Somewhere in the kitchen, the oven timer rings, but Scylla is barely aware of it.

"I guess I also did save your life. Twice now." She speaks out, after a few minutes of silence. On the other line, Raelle chuckles, and Scylla can't help the pride that settles over her for having caused that.

"Yeah. Guess you did."

"Scylla! Dinner!" Tiffany calls out from the kitchen, and it startles Scylla a little out of the stupor that settled over her body as he lifts her head towards the rest of the house.

"I should let you guys eat." Raelle decides, sighing as if she doesn't want to hang up just as much as Scylla hoped they could be physically together. For a second, she lets herself believe that to be the case.

" I- thank you, for calling."

"Yeah... thank you for- hm- being there when I did."

Scylla's heart tugs against her ribcage once again, and she can hear Raelle's soft breathing on the other side. The witch feels as if she could stay there all night, given the opportunity, but Tiffany is annoying Edwin with a thousand questions about the game he'd been watching (she finally finds out it's hockey) and Scylla figures she should go save their host from being questioned to death. Besides, she is quite hungry.

"Good night, Raelle." She says, finally. "Try to sleep, okay? You sound like you could pass out any moment."

"I will." The fixer assures, simply "G'night, Scyl."

****

The next morning, Edwin very graciously lends her his truck and offers to watch Tiffany while she goes to meet with the Dodgers. He doesn't ask many questions, but Scylla still offers quite a bit of information. She understands how frustrating it must be to be left in the dark, and for once she doesn't feel the need to be as secretive as she'd been before.

The place they send her to is out of the city, away from the bright lights and military patrols. She takes back roads that almost seem to lead to nowhere a couple of times, before they cut into the horizon to reveal more sprawling landscape. Protective magic, she realizes, and the only real reason she hadn't been led away by confusion was probably because she was expected.

Scylla remembers staying at the farms before, when she was very young.

It'd be a good place to grow up, she thinks. A place where Tiffany could be away from all those things that so very desperately wanted to trap her for her voice.

She remembers harvesting berries when she lived here, squeezing them into her mother's basket as she smiled fondly back. It was a good memory. All the ones here were.

Before her, the fields come into view, a variety of different fruits and vegetables, tended by people of all ages, in simple but well kept clothes. Beyond them, the pastures, where fat brown cows chewed lazily at the grass, and even beyond that an orchid of fragrant trees that Scylla knew bore a multitude of fruits, all spring and summer, from juicy plums to red, big apples.

She passes it all to reach the gates, wooden and simple, but still flanked by two imposing towers from where respective guards peered down, one on each tower.

"State your business." The one on the right demands, once Scylla has rolled down her windows to the frigid winter air outside.

"I'm here to see Velma." She says, pulling down her sunglasses.

They give her only a nod in response, and the gates open so that Scylla can drive down the winding road up to the main house. It's an old, opulent mansion, built somewhere along the Victorian era. Over the years, the community had surrounded it by other buildings and houses alike, some looking newer and others, older and dustier, but all sturdy and charming, with flower boxes and wood panelling over the windows.

People and children walk to and from them, carrying various objects and chatting along their companions calmly. It feels peaceful here, and Scylla can't help but observe their languid movement as she parks the truck by some other trailers. It's definitely different from what she remembers, bigger and yet eerily emptier.

Scylla shakes her head to clear away the thoughts, sure there are a million explanations as to why there wouldn't be many people out here when it's still 7A.M. and so cold her fingertips threaten to freeze under her gloves. She gets out of the car, adjusting her coat and nodding slightly to a pair of older witches walking by before starting her way up the familiar path to the main house.

Velma Bjelke had come from Sweden along with her parents years before she was born. They had fled the great European witch war in the late 80's. All three had never been in favor of conscription, but given the way things were going in the old continent, Scylla guessed it was worth the shot to move all the way here. She wonders if they ever regretted it. But it was never something she thought to ask before they died.

When she was younger, Velma used to be around all the time. She was her mom's best friend, with whom she shared the knack for necromancy. Velma taught Scylla her very first seeds, and she acted like a second mom to her throughout the years they were together.

Eventually Velma had settled herself at the farms, where they all lived for a few years, and when Scylla left along with her parents, Velma chose to stay behind. She never quite knew why they left, and it was another thing she'd probably never get the chance to ask.

It should be around ten years since they last saw each other, and Scylla couldn't say she didn't feel apprehensive as she went up the stairs. But as soon as her feet were planted on the porch, the big oak doors swung open and there stood Velma, looking older than Scylla remembered her but still just as recognizable as she'd always been with her curly red hair, big glasses and flowy dress.

"Sweet girl." She sighed out, "I have missed you so much"

"Hi, aunt Velma." Scylla smiles, just as the older witch takes a step forward and pulls the youngest witch into a long, tight hug, "I missed you too."

I gave Scylla another mother figure and this one ain't dying

This fic is mostly gonna be fluff but it's also gonna have some plot around the Camarilla and the Dodgers that's gonna be put in C3, which is coming tomorrow or the day after

Hope you enjoyed, and feedback is always appreciated 🥰

#motherland fort salem #scylla ramshorn #raelle collar #raelle x scylla #motherland: fort salem #raylla #taylor hickson

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bibybuck · 3 years

Text

in a car with a beautiful boy

fandom: 9-1-1

pairing: Buck/Eddie

rating: teen and up

word count: 4.3k words

summary: Buck crashed into his life, brighter than a meteorite, lighting up everything around Eddie. Life suddenly made sense. It made sense before, with Shannon and especially with Christopher, but it’s always been a little bit off-kilter, like someone forgot to remove the lens from the camera. Then Buck happened."

Chris has a birthday party to attend an hour and a half away. Buck volunteers to go with Eddie and by the time they get home, their life will have forever changed.

for @santiagosnart

inspired by and title from the quote below!

[read on ao3]

or under the cut!

“You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and he won’t tell you that he loves you, but he loves you. And you feel like you’ve done something terrible, like robbed a liquor store, or swallowed pills, or shoveled yourself a grave in the dirt, and you’re tired. You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and you’re trying not to tell him that you love him, and you’re trying to choke down the feeling, and you’re trembling, but he reaches over and he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist, and you feel your heart taking root in your body, like you’ve discovered something you didn’t even have a name for.”

Richard Siken

Christopher has a birthday party in San Jacinto. A fellow kid with CP, one of his best friends he made over the past couple of years. And Eddie is supposed to stay in San Jacinto for the duration of the party, but he has errands to run back home. So he drops Chris off, before heading back the same way a mere ten minutes later.

He’s used to long days, exhaustion and always being on the move. But driving an hour and a half in Los Angeles traffic, after two 12-hour shifts and a 28-hour shift covering for the B team, is just the cherry on the sundae. So while he waits at the bank, he texts Buck.

Eddie

I’m so tired… would I be a bad father if I took Chris to Abuela’s so I can have a good night’s sleep?

Buck

I think that’s what a sane father would do do you still need to head back?

Eddie

yeah in a couple of hours currently at the bank so this will take like five years

After that, Buck goes radio silent. He’s probably fallen asleep and honestly? Eddie doesn’t blame him in the slightest. If he could, Eddie would be in bed, too.

(He’d prefer to be in Buck’s bed, but those are thoughts he won’t think about while queuing at the bank.)

20 minutes later, and after he’s moved up a whole of 2 places in the line, there’s a tap on his shoulder. He thinks maybe it’s an old man wanting to jump the queue and he’s not ready for an argument. But he turns and sees none other than Buck.

“What the hell? What are you doing here?”

“Well I can’t have you drive for 3 hours on your own, can I?”

Eddie’s love for Buck grows immensely after that single sentence, something he didn’t know was possible.

He’s come to terms with the fact that he’s in love with Buck a while ago. At first, it terrified him. The world he knew, the world where he’s straight, turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Buck crashed into his life, brighter than a meteorite, lighting up everything around Eddie. Life suddenly made sense. It made sense before, with Shannon and especially with Christopher, but it’s always been a little bit off-kilter, like someone forgot to remove the lens from the camera.

Then Buck happened. The world straightened (ha!) and Eddie realised the reason it was tilted because there was a part of himself that he didn’t understand. One look at Buck and Eddie knew he was attracted to men as well, even though he didn’t understand how he could go all those years without realising.

It’s been Buck all along. When the world is crazy, when the people are losing their shit, Buck’s there. Like a tether that holds Eddie back from floating away.

So moments like this, when Buck acts kind and selfless, only make Eddie realise how much he loves him. And it doesn’t scare him anymore. It used to; he didn’t want to jeopardise the friendship he has with Buck or the relationship Buck and Chris have. He vowed to protect those, even if it gives him a broken heart. But he knows that sometimes, there’s a love so big, so overpowering that you have to gamble and risk everything, no matter the consequences. He knows that probably they could work things out. They managed to figure out a way past the lawsuit and all the other fights.

“Eddie, the line’s moving,” Buck leans in, whispering in Eddie’s ear. Eddie feels Buck’s hot breath on the side of his neck and hot damn. If they weren’t in a public place, Eddie would be turning to rip Buck’s clothes off, consequences be damned.

“Uh, thanks.”

After another 20 minutes, the bank is sorted. While Eddie talks to the teller, Buck goes to grab coffee for them. They meet back at the car.

“One latte with two pumps of mocha for Edmundo, and one Midnight Mint Mocha Frappuccino for Evan.”

Eddie makes an ‘ew’ face. “Please never call yourself Evan again.”

Buck blushes. “Yeah, it felt weird,” he says quietly, before extending his hand forward. Eddie looks at him confused. “The keys.”

“What, why?”

“Cause I’m driving?”

“Why?”

“Because you went to San Jacinto so technically you’ve been up for longer than I have. Plus, I’m younger.”

Eddie blinks at him and he has to restrain himself from lunging forward and kissing the sweet life out of Buck.

“Rude, but thanks.”

They get in, with Buck driving and pull out into the afternoon traffic. For a couple of minutes, apart from upbeat music Buck chooses, they sit in relative silence, but it’s a silence Eddie’s comfortable in.

“How’d you know where I was?” Eddie asks when they go up to the I-10.

Buck gives him a look as if he’s waiting for the punchline. “I-I-I know you. Besides, you’ve complained so much about other tellers because no one understands you like Elena or what her name does.”

Eddie nods. Yep, now that rings a bell. Still, the fact that Buck remembers something trivial warms his heart.

“Thanks for meeting me.”

“Of course.”

Buck looks at him. He has this faint smile playing on his lips, but when his eyes focus on Eddie, it grows a little wider. His face softens. Then he catches himself, clears his throat and turns his attention back to the traffic.

Eddie wishes Buck kept staring because then his own staring wouldn’t be that out of place. And he wants to keep staring at Buck because he is the most exquisite human being.

God, Eddie is really stupidly in love with this boy.

Their trip to San Jacinto is uneventful. They talk about work, about Chris, about what’s going on in their lives. (Well… Mostly. Eddie doesn’t tell Buck about the most burning thing ever. Not just yet, even though he’s made a promise to himself that one of these days, he’ll tell him.) They talk about Maddie and the baby and just how excited Buck is to be an uncle.

“Do you want kids?” Eddie asks without even thinking, which makes Buck’s ears and cheeks turn crimson red. “You don’t have to answer that, sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, uh… Yeah, I think… I mean I don’t…” Buck says, fumbling his way through an answer. “Yeah, I do. I love kids, man. I’ve always wanted to have kids but I just… I guess I haven’t found…” Buck looks at Eddie for a second. His eyes burn their way through Eddie’s soul, but then his gaze is gone. “I guess I need to grow up a bit, first.”

“I mean I’ve seen you with Chris, and man, he loves you.” Eddie needs to shut up and like right now. “You’re great with kids and you’ll be great with your own one day.”

Buck looks at him again, his cheeks still burning. “Yeah?”

“Of course.”

Eddie desperately wants to tell him that when Buck’s not around for whatever reason, Chris asks after him. Sometimes he wants Buck to tell him a bedtime story, or he wants Buck to make him breakfast. But he’s not around then. Eddie wants him to be and by the looks of it, Chris does too. Eddie wants Buck to be around 24/7, he wants him in their space, making it his as well.

They go back to discussing work and the pranks Chim’s been playing on an unsuspecting Bobby. Eddie finds out that Buck’s been helping Chim, which further confirms his Golden Retrieverness.

Buck wants to wait in the car while Eddie gets Chris.

“Don’t be stupid, he’ll be over the moon to see you,” Eddie tells Buck. Buck, still behind the wheel, runs his finger on the dashboard while chewing on his lip. “What?”

“I just…” Buck throws his hand up in the air. “I just don’t want to barge in.”

“What? Why’d you think you’d be barging in?”

“Cause it’s… It’s just…” He sighs.

“Buck, come on. You’ve never hesitated like this.”

They look at each other. Buck, his hands gripping the wheel, tightening his fist around it, knuckles going white. Eddie, outside the car, leaning against the frame, poking his head through the open door. The moment hangs in the air, as if there’s something neither of them wants to talk about or maybe they don’t even know they should be talking about.

“It’s about earlier. It made me realise that… You know what, nevermind, it's stupid. Go, get your son.”

Eddie furrows his brows. He doesn’t understand Buck’s sudden hesitation. He’s always been happy to help out with Chris. He found Carla, he picks Chris up from school when Eddie can’t, even takes him for days out.

So he gets back in the car, slamming the door behind him.

“What’s this about, Buck? Chris wants you here, you know that.”

“I know, it’s just… It’s stupid.”

Eddie turns towards him as much as the tight space lets him. “Go on, spit it out.”

“Fine.” Buck moves in his seat too. “Earlier we were talking about kids and I don’t know, it’s just got to me. You and Chris, you’re a family and… I just don’t see where I fit in the picture.”

“Buck… Come on, don’t say that.” Eddie hesitantly puts his hand on Buck’s shoulder. “Chris loves you. He misses you when you’re not there to help him with the Lego. He sometimes wanders into the garage and asks when you’ll take him skateboarding next. He wants you there. I want you there.”

“I just feel like I’m always crashing the party, like I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

“You definitely haven’t.” Eddie gives Buck’s shoulder a squeeze. “We both love it when you’re around. Chris was excited to come to this party but he’ll be happier seeing you.”

Buck looks at Eddie. Seemingly, his eyes are a bit shinier than before. He weakly nods then his usual Buck smile returns. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Inside, there are children running around. Chris is one of them, laughing, playing with the other kids. CP has taken so much away from him but also given him so much. When he sees Eddie, he grins at him, then his eyes land on Buck. He squeals and starts running toward them. He dodges Eddie’s hug and runs straight to Buck. Buck picks him up, giving him a big hug. His and Eddie’s eyes meet and Eddie gives him an ‘I told you so’ look.

“Hey, bud,” Eddie says to his son when it’s his turn to pick him up. “How was the party?”

“It was good! We had cake, we went into the ball pit and we even had cotton candy!”

“Oh wow, sounds like you had a great time!” From the corner of his eyes, he sees a woman waving him over. “I’m gonna talk to Micah’s mom, okay? Stay here with Buck and tell him about that cool dino book we’ve been reading!”

Eddie makes his way over to her, dodging several kids on the way.

“Eddie! Hi!” Lisa says, with her overly enthusiastic voice that he just can’t get used to.

“Hi Lisa, thank you for inviting Chris to the party. He’s had a wonderful time.”

“Oh, of course! Micah keeps talking about him all the time. We should do that sleepover one time like we’ve talked about.”

“Definitely! I think it’d be good for both kids.”

She nods, her eyes wandering over to Chris and Buck. “Oh, who’s he? I haven’t seen him before!”

“It’s Buck, we work together.”

“Do you know if he’s got a special lady friend?”

Eddie’s eyes go wide and he feels his cheeks heating up. Lisa’s not wasting any seconds. “Uh…”

Lisa blinks at him and then it’s her time to blush. “Oh, sorry, is he your boyfriend? I didn’t mean to overstep.”

“No, not boyfriend,” Eddie says quickly. Too quickly.

“Really? I mean I was getting… You know what nevermind.” She gives him an apologetic smile.

Eddie really shouldn’t push it. But he does. “You were getting…?”

“I got a vibe from you just now. I have been flirting with you, you know. So have other single moms. I mean… Look at you. But nothing. We thought it was because of your divorce from Shannon, but then you waltzed in here with him…”

“Oh,” is all Eddie can say. This is a very uncomfortable conversation and he’d like to leave.

“I’m just talking silly things, gosh. Look at me, I’m making a fool of myself.”

“No, that’s… I mean you weren’t 100% wrong. There is a vibe.”

“Hmm.” She narrows her eyes. “Well, alright. Glad Chris enjoyed the party! Do let me know about that sleepover.”

“Will do, thanks, Lisa.”

He slowly makes his way back to Buck and Chris. Eddie’s head is full of chaos. He really didn’t realise he was being flirted at. He wasn’t exactly paying attention — he didn’t need to. His mind has been occupied with Buck. And if his pining is so obvious to a stranger who barely saw Eddie and Buck together, how obvious can it be to Chim? To Hen? To Bobby, who seems to know about everything, but never says anything?

How obvious is Eddie’s pining to Buck?

It makes Eddie dizzy. It’s not that he wants to hide it. He doesn’t want to bury it. But Chris has lost so much: his grandparents, his home where he grew up. Then Eddie’s and Shannon’s divorce happened. He can’t even think about giving Chris more heartache. Eddie wasn’t there at first. He doesn’t want Chris to lose Buck.

“You okay?” Buck asks quietly when Eddie sits in a chair next to Chris.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He gives a faint smile to Buck. “Ready to go, bud?”

“I’m tired,” Chris whines.

“I know. Come on, I’ll carry you.” Eddie stands then leans down to pick Chris up, but Chris is not budging. “If you want your bed, you need to move.”

“I want Buck.”

Eddie and Buck share a look. Eddie silently asks him if it’s okay, but Buck is already picking Chris up. Eddie follows them, carrying Chris’s crutches.

If he could pinpoint a moment, where he knew he was so fucking desperately in love with Buck, Eddie would say that this is it. Buck, carrying Chris to the car, holding him like he is the most precious thing ever. Chris has his head on Buck’s shoulder and he’s smiling dreamily because this is just the best conclusion to the perfect day ever. And Eddie is losing his mind because this is the life he wants to have.

So he decides, he’ll tell Buck later tonight. Consequences be damned.

As soon as Buck puts Chris down in the car, Chris is out for the count. Buck puts his seatbelt on and presses a quick kiss on his forehead.

“He really is tired, then,” Buck says. There’s faint redness in his cheeks and Eddie wonders if it’s because Buck is overthinking the fact he’s crossed a line. He hasn’t. “Not even the crazy amount of sugar can keep him awake.”

“No.” Eddie stifles a yawn. “When we’re home, can I get some food into you? That’s the least I can do for coming on this trip.”

“Can we get takeout, though? No offence, but you look like you’re ready to drop dead from exhaustion.”

Eddie nods. Buck really is the most caring person ever. He’s been so good to Chris, yeah, but to Eddie as well. “Sure, let’s go.”

Buck is driving again. Eddie didn’t even have to ask, Buck was already going to sit behind the wheel. He pulls out the parking spot, before heading back towards Los Angeles.

They barely talk for the majority of the road trip. Sometimes they point out idiot drivers or talk about work or life, but there are no big discussions. Sometimes, Buck will drum on the wheel with his fingers, as if he’s trying to say something. But he doesn’t. And Eddie’s deep in thought, writing the perfect speech in his head.

He knows that it probably doesn’t exist. The best he can do is to tell the truth and speak from his heart. He hates how cliche it sounds, but they both deserve some transparency. He’s determined to make this work, no matter what the outcome will be.

“You okay?” Buck asks quietly when they’re only minutes away from home.

“Hm? Yeah, of course. Just tired.”

“Yeah. I think I’ll sleep for the next three days.”

“Mm, sounds like a plan.”

Buck drums on the wheel again. Then a minute later he says, “Sure you okay? Other than the exhaustion.”

Eddie knows that this is it. Buck is probably giving him an opening, but giving his non-existent big speech in the car just feels weird.

“Yeah, why?”

Buck shrugs. “You’re just quiet.”

“Well, you’re not exactly a chatterbox either.”

They look at each other for a second, then Buck laughs quietly. “Right, you’re right. I don’t know, I guess I’m still thinking about that conversation we had earlier.” Buck looks into the rearview mirror, right at Chris who’s still dead asleep in the backseat. “Chris is really lucky to have you. You’re raising a good kid.”

“Well, it’s not all me.”

Buck nods. “Yeah, no, of course, Shannon’s done a good job as well.”

Eddie looks at him and feels that this is it. “I meant you.” Buck turns to look at him in confusion. “Buck, you’ve helped out more times than I can count. You’re there for me and for Chris and we’re just… We’re just so grateful.”

Eddie will forever remember the moments that follow. Silence falls on the car, but it’s a different kind. It’s not one that you’re desperate to fill in with noise, but one that’s serene. There are no words needed and why would they be needed anyway? Eddie knows Buck and Buck knows Eddie, but it goes beyond that. It’s a deep connection, formed by camaraderie, saving each other many times. Formed by friendship, by trust. Formed by love. There’s a quiet understanding between them. Eddie doesn’t know what it is or how it comes to be. It’s just the way they’re looking at each other, the way the moment holds, the atmosphere in the car. But it’s there and it’s so palpable. Everything just suddenly makes sense, even more so than before. The world has not only returned to its normal axis, but it’s now locked in.

Eddie is looking at Buck. He’s never looked away and he doesn’t want to. He feels like this is the first time he sees him: strong jaw, scars that haven’t healed properly, stubble he wants to touch. As if the mist has vanished and Buck is clearly visible now. Raw and beautiful and Eddie’s heart aches.

Buck’s looking right back at him. Buck’s eyes drop for a second, then he slowly extends his hand forwards, hesitantly putting it on Eddie’s which is just resting on his thigh. The callouses on Buck’s hand help to ground Eddie.

Buck smiles shyly and whispers, as if he doesn’t want to break that precious silence, “I love you.”

Eddie’s not jumping up and down. He’s overjoyed to be hearing those words, yeah, but after that moment they just had, he knew that this is happening. He doesn’t know why he knew, but it just made sense as if finally the last puzzle piece made it into its rightful place.

“I love you too.”

There’s faint redness in Buck’s cheeks again. “No, I meant…”

“I did too,” Eddie reassures him, then he’s determined to say those few words first. “I’m in love with you. Evan Buckley. I’ve been in love with you for a very long time.”

He feels so free now, so liberated to be able to say that.

“Oh, Eddie…” Buck’s hand gives Eddie’s a small squeeze. “I love you so fucking much. God, I want to scream it.”

Eddie chuckles. “Maybe don’t, you really don’t want to deal with a grumpy Chris.”

Buck looks at him again, then at Chris, then back at Eddie. “I do. That’s all I want to do forever.”

Buck has to look back at the road if they want to survive this journey, but Eddie wants to keep Buck’s gaze just a little bit longer.

Eddie looks out the window. This isn’t their neighbour, but Buck’s. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going home? I figured you can survive a five-minute drive home.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I can survive five minutes without you. Not now that I can say ‘I love you’ to you.”

“Oh, fuck, Eddie…” Buck reaches over and laces their fingers together. “You’re killing me.”

“Not my goal, but go on, drive us home. My place, this time.”

Ten minutes later (thanks LA traffic), Buck pulls into Eddie’s driveway, just as Chris is waking up.

“Hey, bud, we’re home,” Eddie says, turning around to his son.

“Is Buck staying over?” Chris asks while rubbing his eyes.

“Uh,” Buck says, but Eddie quickly jumps in.

“We’re gonna get some food, you hungry?” To this, Chris just shakes his head. “Alright, shower, teeth, and bed.”

“But daaaad, I’m too tired!”

This time, Eddie will let it slide. “Alright, brush your teeth and bed.”

They all get out, making their way towards the house. Inside, Buck and Eddie go to the kitchen, Chris goes to the bathroom.

“I’m surprised he isn’t jumping on his bed after all that sugar,” Buck says.

“So am I. I guess he had loads of fun in the ball pit.”

Eddie goes to grab two beers. He hands one to Buck. He also doesn’t know why he’s feeling so awkward suddenly. They got over the most difficult part and it was fine. More than fine.

Eddie is about to open his mouth, when Chris yells, “Buck!”

Both Eddie and Buck run to the bathroom. Chris is not there and panic hits Eddie in the chest. But then they look across the hall and see Chris sitting on his bed, already wearing pyjamas.

“Chris, you scared us,” Buck says, dramatically putting his hand over his heart. “I don’t know if I’ll survive this.”

This sends Chris giggling. Eddie walks over to his son and presses a kiss on the top of his head. “You okay, buddy?”

“Dad, can Buck read my bedtime story?”

Eddie looks at Buck. Buck nods and goes to Chris’s bookcase. “What do you want to read?”

Eddie decides to leave Chris and Buck to their own devices. He feels like this is a time just for the two of them. “I’ll order us some food,” he says to Buck quietly.

Before he leaves, he watches Buck climb next to Chris, the book already open in his hand. Buck gives him one last look before he starts reading.

Eddie goes back to the kitchen, quickly ordering some burgers. He orders Chris some as well, knowing full well that he will wake up in about two hours saying that he’s hungry. He always does.

Once it’s done, he leans against the counters, sipping on his beer. Would it be this easy? To have this life? To have Chris and Buck? Because this is what Eddie wants. Today, tomorrow, forever.

What he and Shannon had was good — then it wasn’t. But they had Chris, and he wouldn’t change the past for anything. He doesn’t know what this is. He doesn’t know if it’ll last with Buck. He hopes that it will. He’s learnt from his past mistakes and he’ll put everything into making it work. He wants to keep this going, whatever this may be.

And he knows that if (when) they tell Christopher, that little boy will be over the moon. Chris loves his dad, but he loves Buck just as much. And lucky for Eddie and Chris, Buck loves them.

“He’s out,” Buck says quietly, as he walks into the kitchen. “Took me shorter than expected.”

Eddie doesn’t know where it comes from, but he has an urge to say something. “I know we haven’t had a discussion about us, but… I know how much you love Chris and we love you too. You’re a part of the family and I think you have been for a long time but it took me a minute to catch up. I know this is too soon and I’m not expecting an answer now. We don’t even know if we’ll work out, but if we do, I want you to know that you have the option of becoming Chris’s dad. Officially. ‘Cause, you do act like it and he looks at you as if you were his dad, too. I just want you to know that it’s there for the future.”

Buck freezes for a moment as he processes it, then he lunges forward, kissing Eddie. His hands cup Eddie’s jaw as Eddie puts his fingers in Buck’s hair.

The kiss… It’s passion. It’s anger. It’s lust. It’s desire. It’s need, want, belonging, hope, home. It’s past, present, future. It’s everything. It’s love.

#911 #buddie #911 fox #911 on fox #buck #eddie diaz #buck x eddie #eddie x buck #buddie fic #911 fic #evan buckley #911 fanfic #buddie fanfic #mine #this time for the proper link!#(i hope)

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ohgodmyeyes · 3 years

Note

Your writing kind of uh disturbs me? I know ‚don’t like don’t read‘ and normally I would do exactly that,

But

Rape? Incest?? I haven’t looked more into your writings because I was puking when I saw the luke/anakin stuff

„My new favorite ship“ no what the fuck

Who in their right mind ships that??

I was going to delete this the other night, partly because that's what I'd usually do, and partly because I'm actually not sure if you're serious— my sarcasm detector is broken, and I'm a bit incredulous to the idea that anything I've ever written is enough to shock or upset anybody in the year 2021. You didn't call me any nasty names, though (thanks!), and I don't feel like writing anything for real right now... so I'll indulge us both by answering your ask.

First of all, yes, rape is horrifying— that's the way I write it, because that's the way I see it, and I'm honestly kind of glad you see it that way, too. Some rape stories are meant to be read like porn (which is also just fine, by the way), but mine aren't: If you picked up on that, even just through skimming 'Ani', then I feel artistically validated, and owe you a big thanks.

Anidala, as presented to us in canon, says more about mental illness and domestic abuse than I think it intends. People have been using that ship to explore and depict heavy topics for well over a decade now; we wouldn't still be doing it if it weren't a worthwhile pursuit.

It's been said before, but it's always worth saying again— Star Wars is, first and foremost, a story about people who love each other. They love each other for better or for worse, taking all of their damage and trauma and weird conditioning with them. There's only so much that can be explored in canon without rendering the franchise inaccessible to its original intended audience (I get it— my own kid is in the next room watching Lego Star Wars right now), and that's where fanworks come into play. We have complete freedom to look at whatever we want, solely through our own creative power.

Which, I guess, brings me to the incest! I was, at one point, pretty nervous about sharing it; needless to say, I don't feel that way anymore. Mark Hamill and Hayden Christensen are two attractive, completely unrelated men who play two sexy, interesting characters. I like imagining Luke and Anakin together romantically because it's fascinating... and, yes, extremely aesthetically pleasing to me.

Darth Vader is a sad, angry shell of a man for years and years before Luke Skywalker comes into his life. When they 'meet' in the trench on the surface of the Death Star, he feels something he hasn't felt in a long time. He doesn't know Luke is his son at that point, or anything else— all he knows then is that the kid is absolutely bursting with Force energy. He's fascinated, confused, curious, and scared. Those feelings escalate and change enough over the time that passes between ANH and ESB that I totally believe Vader might end up finding himself helplessly infatuated (in his own weird, obsessive way) with young Luke before he knows better.

Their relationship culminates with them claiming an emotional connection which, in my eyes, is unrivalled by anything else either of them ever achieves for themselves. It's a very special bond, and because I'm a mushy horny old lady, I readily read romance into it. I can understand why some people wouldn't, but I can't help the impression I get. Human ingenuity has gifted me a perfectly safe and ethical way to revel in the warm fuzzies I have for these fictional men— and it's not just me, if the infallibly kind response of other ao3 readers is any indication.

Luke and Anakin are both such three-dimensional, relatable, interesting people. There is an endless number of scenarios I can imagine that involve them interacting romantically. Some of those situations are whimsically unrealistic and unabashedly sexy; some of them are deeply disturbing, and very sadly conceivable. Some of them are somewhere in-between, but all of them are entirely imaginary, and you can always count on me to label them accurately.

I'm not bound by real-life ethics or morals when I'm writing fanfiction for free, and neither is anyone else. There are some stories I can't bring myself to read either, and that's alright— those kinds of preferences are both unique to individual people, and endlessly variable. Something I love about stories is that they only take an author to bring them to life; that author can depict essentially whatever they want without having involved anyone but themselves in the production of their work. That's magical! Written language is a man-made miracle, and restricting its use has, historically, never really ended well.

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to talk about some of my favourite people, and why I love writing the things I write about them. I'm largely out-of-touch with what other fans like and dislike, both about my own work and in fandom more generally. I don't know what anyone thinks of anything until they tell me, so I appreciate you doing just that without getting rude about it. :)

#thanks anon #fanfiction #luke x anakin #anakin x padme #star wars fanfiction #i never claimed to be in my right mind #shipping

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florenceandthemachine · 4 years

Text

that original lifeline

chapter 2/4 - “you don’t have to be a ghost” - 2.4k

in which Buck doesn’t know how to leave Eddie alone, and Eddie doesn’t know if he wants him to.

read on AO3

“So, how do I know I’m not hallucinating?”

Half a week after being blown up in his own fire truck, nearing the end of his mandated ‘vacation’, and Eddie had just wrapped up one of the better weekends of his entire life. Yes, he was aware of the irony, but any weekend where he got to spend the entire weekend with Chris was a plus in his book. Legos, video games, breakfast food for all three meals, it was literally the kind of weekend that he had absolutely dreamed of when he became a father.

Or, at least, when he resumed being a father after running away to Afghanistan, but that was a whole other can of works that he was bottling up processing in a completely healthy way.

After, though.

After, Eddie had made it all of one day with Chris being in school before he had completely lost his mind. Something about being cooped up in home, speaking to a being that only he could see, without even a hint of human interaction, just didn’t sit right with him.

(Of course, that might have been because the most interaction he had with his team was the occasional text from Hen, but he could work through that hurt later.)

“You really think you’re hallucinating?” Buck’s smile was infectious, more teasing than Eddie would have initially liked, but it was becoming harder and harder to think of Buck as a nuisance instead of a guest. Even now, perched outside of some little pretentious health shop in the heart of LA, Eddie felt more at home with Buck than he had with a stranger before in his life.

Well... Buck wasn’t exactly a stranger, Eddie had to remind himself. After all, they had known one another for most of Eddie’s life.

“Alright, I’ll tell you what. This morning, while Chris was getting, he put two Spider-Man comics into his backpack.”

“That doesn’t prove anything. The kid loves Spider-Man.”

“And an Aquaman comic.”

“Okay, no. No son of mine would betray Marvel for DC.”

Buck smirked, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know, man. If I’m right, then not only are you stuck with a very much not hallucination, but your son is a traitor.”

Eddie laughed, readjusting the earbud in his ear, nails drumming a pattern out on the back of his phone. He had realized, quickly, that when they were out in public, all he had needed was an earbud in one ear and his phone out—that was all he needed to make the change from ‘crazy person talking to an invisible man’ to ‘another asshole in Los Angeles on his Bluetooth’.

He could deal with that—it was always better to be the asshole than to be the crazy person, even though Los Angeles was filled with both. Buck, to his credit, was being incredibly patient with Eddie’s quirks, seemingly realizing that most of them came from Buck’s presence in the first place; not to mention his inability to leave Eddie, for lack of a better term, the fuck alone.

(Seriously. Eddie had come out of the shower that morning to find Buck sitting on the bathroom counter. The noise he made was decidedly not manly.)

“Look, I’m not saying that I don’t believe you—“

“Okay, sure, lie to the angel, I’m sure that’s going to work out well for you.”

“—anyway, it’s just... why me? Out of everyone on this planet, why am I one of the lucky few that wound up with a... with a Buck?” Eddie finished, easily trampling over Buck’s objections, smiling as Buck knocked their ankles together beneath the table.

“Wish I could tell you, Eds.” Buck started, shrugging. “You’re my third or fourth human, all I know is that I get the assignment, I come, I go. I’m like a stray cat.”

Eddie actually snorted, swallowing another mouthful of lukewarm, carrot and spinach and mango concoction. “You’re a stray cat that I can only see, that literally lifted a fire truck off of the lower half of my body.”

Buck, at least, had the decency to look chagrined. “I’m... a very strong stray cat?”

Eddie would not give in and bang his head against the stupid little juice bar table. He would not.

“I’m serious, Eddie. The only information I get is that you’re my charge, and I’m your angel,” no, Eddie certainly did not enjoy the way he felt, feeling like he was someone’s anything, “and after that fire truck incident, I’m not sure if the universe is testing you, or if it’s testing me, but either way, you shouldn’t be bearing the brunt of all this.”

Eddie frowned, tapping their ankles together once again, shaking his head. “Buck, if I remember correctly, you’ve been the one saving me, so run that up the flagpole.”

Smiling again, Buck nodded, pushing a hand through his hair. “Well, I’ll just tell Athena that, I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Athena?”

“Oh yeah! She’s kind of like, my boss, you’d love her! She’s the reason I’m still hanging around here, she thinks something big is coming.” Buck said, lighting up, even as Eddie choked on his sludge.

“Your boss.”

“Yeah!”

“Heaven... has a hierarchy.”

“Oh, god no.” Buck said with a laugh, shifting in his seat, leaning closer in toward Eddie—like anyone else would hear him. “You know, I’ve never told a mortal this before. Hell, I’ve never even appeared to a mortal before.” he started, and Eddie found himself leaning in closer, mirroring Buck’s motions easily.

“Where I’m from, it’s not all fluffy clouds and harps and halos and shit like everyone thinks. Athena is like your captain—she gives us our assignments, she helps the guardians grow, she keeps us out of trouble. Us guardians, we’re… well, we’re souls that had our time on earth cut short. So, we spend our time with others, we get to see the world, we get to... well, we get to help the people who really deserve help.” Buck says with a grin, and Eddie feels his cheeks heating up as Buck’s leg rests against his, a dull, warm weight, pressed through the fabric of his jeans.

“Something big, huh? I just don’t get it, Buck. I’ve been around people that are in more dangerous situations than I am, every day. What makes me so special that I get the extraterrestrial guardian?”

Buck laughed, the sound catching Eddie off guard so badly that he didn’t even have time to hide his smile. “Well, ignoring the fact that you just called me an alien…”

“Okay, fair.”

“Eddie, you’re the first human that's ever been able to see me, ever. You may not think it’s a lot, but… well, I think you’re pretty special.”

And, well. Eddie couldn’t give a response to that if he wanted to, cheeks an embarrassing shade of pink. Thankfully, Buck seemed to take the cue to move on, knocking their ankles together easily as he stood up from his chair.

“Now, come on. Chris is off of school in about twenty minutes, what say you go surprise him?”

After being with the 118 for almost a year, taking a week off of work was straight up weird. Somehow, though, going back to work was actually weirder.

It was easy enough for Eddie to sink back into his regular habits—teasing Chim, buddying up to Hen, causing Bobby a few more grey hairs, but now it felt like everything had been moved a half an inch to the left. He teased Bosko, and he was looking over her shoulder to see if Buck got the joke. Kind asked about Chris, and he shared a fond look with Buck before he beamed at him and went on about his latest accomplishments. He spent some time in the gym, and he couldn’t help the pleased look on his face when he caught Buck staring at him.

The siren rang. Eddie geared up. They pulled out. Buck, inexplicably, rode shotgun, watching Eddie and watching anything but, and Eddie felt happy, happier than he could remember being in a long, long time.

Six hours and four calls into his first shift back with the 118, and he felt alive again.

(The last call they had received was the ever-classic cat in a tree. Eddie had drawn the short stick and got hoisted up to retrieve the tabby, and Buck had sat on the rung right below him, making kissy noises at the cat and cooing at Eddie. Eddie could still feel his cheeks burning.)

He felt alive—even if he could feel Hen staring at him once in a while, painfully perceptive as always.

“So, Eddie, you have a good week off?”

Eddie sighed, knowing full well that Hen wasn’t just asking about his week off, but he knew well enough to play along. “I did, Hen, thanks. Got to spend some time with Chris, got to spend some time around the house, got to get some sun, not that any of that is why you’re asking.”

“What? I have a vested interest in your wellbeing, Edmundo Diaz, that’s what friends are for.” She said, raising a brow as he flopped down on the couch. “So that’s all? Just you and Chris hanging out? No one else?”

Eddie actually felt his heart seize in his chest, and a quick look over to Buck showed the same level of panic on his face that Eddie was feeling in the very core of his being. “Hen, what are you getting at?”

“I’m just saying…” Hen started, sitting with him on the couch, crossing her legs. “I know that look, Eddie. You haven’t looked like that since your first date with what’s her name, Ana? Chris’ teacher?”

Eddie groaned, hiding his head in his hands. “Don’t remind me.”

“Just an observation. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you met someone with all that luxurious time off.” Hen said, nudging their shoulders together, and Eddie’s head snapped back up to full attention, face bright red as he looked to Hen, and then back to Buck, who was suspiciously silent.

And hell, Eddie was a good liar, he really was, but Hen looked so sincerely happy for him, and Buck wasn’t exactly waving his arms so Eddie decided to test the waters. “I… didn’t meet anyone. Not in the way that you think, anyway. We, um. We just kind of connected at one of those shitty juice bars.”

“Oooh, okay, what’s her name?” Hen was immediately hooked—equal parts nosy and honestly excited friend, Eddie knew, which was why it was so easy to talk to her about things like this.

Eddie swallowed, fiddling with the hem of his teeshirt. “His name is Buck. We spent some time talking, and we just… we really clicked. He’s smart, and he’s kind of protective, and he told me he loves kids, so…”

If Hen was shocked, she didn’t show it, more than her brows raising an inch or so while she nodded her head. “Alright, Buck at the shitty juice bar. Did he give you his number?”

“No, actually, I gave him mine.”

Hen may have been nosy, but the way her face lit up was pure excited best friend, and Eddie let himself smile back at her as she punched his shoulder. “That is what I’m talking about! Damn, Eddie, look at you, taking the first steps. I’m proud of you!”

Eddie groaned as Hen pulled him into a hug, but he took the moment to look at Buck again—still suspiciously silent, but the corners of his mouth were definitely upturned, and Eddie couldn’t help the relief that washed over his body.

The last thing he wanted was his big fucking mouth ruining whatever tentative relationship he and Buck had built over the past few weeks.

“You gave me your number, huh?”

Eddie wasn’t sure what he was more thankful for—the fact that he got to have an active (dare he say fun) first day back at work, or the fact that it wound down with little incident after back to back to back calls. Well, no, right now he was thankful that he was stopped at a stop light when Buck said that so he wasn’t tempted to veer into oncoming traffic out of sheer embarrassment. “Well, it seemed like an easier, less psychotic answer than telling her that you literally lifted a firetruck off of me.”

Buck laughed and Eddie felt himself warming at the sound, turning the wheel as he took off, another comfortable silence falling between them.

“Eddie, you know I won’t be hanging around forever, right? My job is to protect you, and once the universe decides to cut you a break, I’ll… I’ll have to move on.”

Eddie felt his smile fall into something softer as Buck looked out the window, humming thoughtfully, shrugging his shoulder as he pulled into the driveway. “Yeah, I’m aware. But while you are here… no reason we can’t be friendly outside a shitty juice bar, right?”

Tracking Buck’s movement as they slid out of the car, Eddie leaned back against the drivers door of his truck, once again tickled by the thought of Buck riding shotgun with him.

“Well, I… like being friendly with you too, Ed—“

“Dad!”

Eddie immediately snapped his head to the door, grinning as Chris came down the patio stairs, instantly stooping down to pull his kid into his arms, swinging Chris around in an easy hug before setting him back down on his feet. Chris started to ramble on about his day as Eddie pulled his things out from the back seat, pulling duffle bags over his shoulders and papers beneath his arms. He shared an easy smile with Buck as he straightened up, looking back down to Chris as he started to trail off.

“Dad, are you gonna introduce me to your friend?”

Eddie turned on his heel, trying to see if anyone else had come up to the front door while he was standing there, but no, it was just he and Chris, and…

…and Buck, who was now taking Chris’ hand, with a shocked smile on his face.

His son was shaking hands with his guardian angel. His guardian angel, who no one—other than Eddie—was supposed to see.

“I’m Chris. Do you work with my dad?”

What the fuck.

#eddie diaz #evan buckley #guardianangel!buck #buddie #buddiefic #911 #fluff and filler #chris diaz #Eddie doesn't know how to be alone #buck doesn't want him to be alone

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good-doctor-imagine · 5 years

Text

Sucking Faces (Stanley Uris)

Pairing: Stanley Uris x Reader

Summary: You don’t know why Stanley has been ignoring you so you decide to get some help from Richie to confront him.

Word Count: 1400+

A/N: This is the very first thing I have ever wrote for the IT fandom so I hope you guys like it!

Stanley has been your best friend for a long time, especially after the encounter that you had with IT. Something about being in a place where your lives were dangling by a thread brought you closer together.

You’ve known Stanley since you were children, playing hide and go seek in the woods and attempting to join the other kids who played freeze tag. Even though you’ve known him for years, he’s been distancing himself lately.

You don’t mind if he needs some time alone, you’ve gone through that whole faze before, but it’s been making you anxious. The more you think about it, the more you want to throw yourself out the window.

Am I not entertaining enough? Am I annoying to him?

You groan, turning over on your side with your hands covering your face. You knew the only reason for those thoughts is one thing: You’re falling hard. You knew you were crushing on Stan ever since he yelled at Richie for calling you a dumb bitch back in fourth grade. Something about the way he stood up for you made your cheeks flush and heart race. Since then, things have only gotten worse. You avoid making eye contact with him as much as you possibly can because otherwise, you’d be a breathing tomato, which is not a pretty look.

“Well maybe it’s me that’s avoiding him,” You whispered, pulling yourself to sit up on your bed. Looking to your left, you sighed. Richie was already 15 minutes late, as usual. You invited him over to your house to talk about Stan because he’s the only one out of the Losers that knows Stanley the most. Well, besides you.

You jumped when my bedroom door swung open, revealing thick-rimmed glasses and a mop of dark hair. “Sup hot stuff!”

Your shoulders immediately relaxed, your eyes rolling at Richie’s boisterousness. “How’d you get in here?”

“Your mom let me in,” Richie replied, making himself comfortable at the end of your bed.

Richie had been to your plenty of times before, from sneaking into your room to play with your new lego set to having a whole sleepover with the Losers club. To be honest, your parents really didn’t mind the guys at all, they trusted them around the house and around you. Mostly because at their young age girls still had “cooties”. They’re less lenient now about sleepovers and such, but they could come over whenever they wanted as long as there was some sort of parent in the house.

“So, why did you call me here?”

You stalled for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not to straight up tell him the truth or dance around it. You didn’t exactly want to tell Richie the truth because you knew he would have a shit-eating grin on his face, teasing you about your little crush that’s not so little anymore.

“S-Stan’s been ignoring me lately and I thought you would know why.”

Richie raised an eyebrow at you, pursing his lips before responding. “I wouldn’t say he’s ignoring you.”

You internally groaned at his short reply, finding nothing useful in it. “We haven’t been hanging out as much as we normally do. I mean, you know how close we are, we literally do everything together. It feels like he’s been distancing himself from me and it makes me nervous.”

“Nervous?” Richie questioned.

You could feel the smirk starting to form on his face before you saw it. “Richie, cut it out. I called you over for a reason, and it wasn’t to try and get into my head. I want to know why my best friend is choosing to give me the cold shoulder.”

Richie didn’t bother to hide the grin on his face, only widening it as he continued to talk to you. “If you’re so upset about it, why don’t you ask him yourself?”

You deadpanned, ready to strangle Richie. “Because he won’t talk to me smartass, that’s why you’re here.”

Richie held his hands up defensively and chuckled, “Fine, fine. Since I’m your loyal, wonderful, hot friend let’s come up with a plan.”

You ignored his self-given compliments and agreed with forming a plan. Now, looking back on it, Richie really is a wonderful friend.

You bit your lip nervously as you waited outside of the theater, where Stanley was supposed to meet you and Richie. However, as planned, Richie is going to show up pretty late, giving you and Stanley enough time to catch up on stuff.

You shook your head, remembering what Richie told you when you made the plan earlier. “I better not come back and see you two sucking each other’s faces. As much as I love matchmaking, I don’t want to see a porno between my friends.” Honestly, you weren’t very surprised by his words, you’ve been friends with him for as long as you can remember as well. As much as you liked Stanley and fantasized about kissing him, you couldn’t see him making out with someone outside of a theatre, especially making out with you of all people.

“Is Richie not here yet?”

You just about squealed when you heard Stanley’s voice suddenly appear beside you, making you stumble slightly away from him. Stanley tilted his head and offered you a small smile, both amused and confused by your reaction.

“Sorry,” you apologized, “I was spacing out and I didn’t notice you walking towards me.” Stanley, instead of responding, just nodded his head in understanding, leaving you both in silence. You cleared your throat, attempting to get rid of the awkward atmosphere. “So, what have you been up to?”

“Nothing new,” Stanley replied, turning his head to face away from you.

Annoyed by his short responses, you suddenly blurt out, “Are you ignoring me?”

“W-What?” When he turned his head back to you, you could see the pink starting to form on his cheeks. “Ignoring you? Why would I do that?”

“That’s why I’m asking you,” You said blankly, “You’ve been trying to stay as far away from me as you can for a while.”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I? I’m not ignoring you, I’m just-” He paused, mouth open but nothing coming out.

You blinked at him, not understanding why he couldn’t tell you his problem. “Stan, we’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember, and we spend all of our time together. What’s changed?”

His cheeks were full blown red now and you could feel yours heating up too. “Nothing’s changed,” He sighed, “It’s just- I don’t know. Something happened.”

“Something happened?” You inquired, furrowing your brows at his statement. “What was it? Am I not interesting anymore?”

“No! It’s not that. You’re perfect, it’s just me.” You definitely couldn’t stop your cheeks from flaring at that. “Richie has been teasing me a lot lately saying that we look like a good couple and we should just kiss already.”

You clenched your jaw at his confession, taking a mental note to chew out Richie for ruining your relationship. Now Stan probably feels awkward, noticing your jittery reactions to everything he does, one of the worst qualities that comes with having a crush.

“You can ignore Richie, he’s just trying to play matchmaker,” You bite out, forcing a smile on your face.

“But I’ve been thinking about it,” Stanley continues, completely ignoring your interjection, “A-and it made me realize how much I actually like you.” You’re both silent for a moment, just standing next to each other in complete shock.

“Wait- like me?”

“Yeah,” He replied, bringing a hand up to cover his face slightly, “Like, more than a friend.” You felt like falling to the ground and crying out of joy, your heart beating out of your chest. You couldn’t believe it: Stanley liking you? Apparently, it took you too long to respond because Stanley groaned and put his head in his hands. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have told you that. We can act like it never happened.”

Your heart stopped, your hands starting to jitter at the thought of him taking his confession back. No way! In a haste, you move the hand that's covering Stan’s face and place your lips on his.

It wasn’t one of your best moments considering that Stan stood like a rock for a while out of shock and it probably looked forced to the people that were coming out of the theatre. But eventually, Stan was able to process what was happening and kiss you back, moving his hand to your cheek.

The kiss wasn’t very long, and considering both of your inexperience, it wasn’t very coordinated, but it didn’t matter to you. You thought it was the best kiss in the world, warm, sweet, and just Stan.

Once you two parted, you smiled, locking fingers. “Does that mean we’re dating now?”

Stanley nodded, leaning in again to kiss you, but he was interrupted by someone.

“I said no sucking faces!”

#stanley uris #stanley uris x reader #stanley uris oneshot #it #it chapter one #it 2017 #it oneshot #oneshot #it chapter one oneshot #it 2017 oneshot

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

Text

Kids, Monsters, D&D, and Adults (Sriracha, Part. 18)

Description: A problematic college student gets the worst summer job of the ‘83 - Jim Hopper, the Chief of police in your hometown will have you as his secretary since his old lady Flo has two months lasting holiday. It was agreed so Hopper could let you far away from all the trouble.

Part Summary: You decided to give Hopper a short break from seeing you every day... But you didn't know how much can happen in your hometown in a week and a half you're gone.

A/N: And... Welcome Mr. Demogorgon disrupting everyone’s life on the stage, please, give it up for him! (Reader is on holiday in North Dakota during the events of the first season.)

A/N 2: I went a bit off the OG events, but here, I have drunk Hopper on the phone mumbling about being cursed for you, enjoy, please. Actually inspired by Heroes (Peter Gabriel's cover) - the song playing when they found Will's body.

Word count: 4.1 K

Tagging: @nemodoren, @creedslove

Master list: H E R E

Just as your mom asked you to, two days after the dinner at your parents’, Jim dropped you off at your house in the early morning. It was more or less safe since it was only five in the morning and Hawkins was dead asleep at the moment. You didn't want him to be alone, but he brushed you off with ’it's only twelve days, what can happen during that?’ and you reminded him of what you had done in twelve days, leaving him with a nasty grin.

You both almost fainted, because just in the middle of your heated making-out session, just as his hand palmed your thigh as you basically climbed onto his seat, your brother came out of the house along with Steve, grinning. Steve looked at both of you with confusion before turning around and disappearing.

Steve Harrington had a girlfriend now, or so you heard. Nancy Wheeler became to lucky one, at least that was what the rumors were saying. He couldn't forgive about the endless crush on you, though.¨

You told Hopper to leave for work before your mom sees him there, laughing as Aiden helped you with your stuff, greeting Hopper. He really did drive, honking at your parents, waving at them as he left for the station.

It was the third of November - you were supposed to see Hopper again on the sixteenth day of that month. And you were honestly ready to take a short break from the everlasting dishes and laundry at your house and just relax before coming back to the arms of the man you grew to adore.

To be honest, you loved your father’s parents’ house in North Dakota - it was a big house in the middle of nothing, ten minutes away from the nearest signs civilization. The sixteen-hours lasting road trip in your/Aiden's car was almost endless and it was hot like hell at whiles, but in the end, you loved the view more than anything.

You had also a lot of family members, like aunties and cousins your age there and you were excited to meet all of them after such a long time. You promised a call to Hopper as soon as you reach their house - and so you did, giving him the number as well. It was midnight, but you knew that he’s waiting for it. And of course, he picked up as soon as you started ringing, laughing like a small kid when you told him that he rather should go to sleep.

It was a quick call just to reassure you that he's fine - you asked him about food and laundry and he told you, with a chuckle, that you're worried too much and that he managed to survive forty years without you - that thirteen days is basically nothing.

Most of the days, you spent walking around in the wilderness. Your cousin Corrie showed you a pack of wild bison living near your grandparent’s house and a great overlook. Other days, you and your other cousin Jane helped your granny with baking and cooking or tiding up. Everyone was thrilled to have you there because they saw both you and Aiden once a year. They took you to the local cinema, for some shopping and even for a time at the local pool and local dance. You were enjoying yourself the most you could.

Everyone was surprised when someone asked you the typical question - ’And do you have a boyfriend already?’ - and your mom answered ’She, in fact, has. And it's a lovely lad.’, winking at you. She still wasn't okay with Hopper, it was only four days since the dinner, but she was slowly adjusting to the situation. They asked you a lot about that mysterious ’Jim’, but you never told them much about your man.

It came on the third day you were in Dakota - the sixth of November. You were just playing with your four-year-old cousin Marty, building Lego spaceships, when your grandma came into the room, holding a phone in her hand, handing you the handset.

“It’s some Mr. Hopper. He told me that he has to speak to you immediately. He told me that he knows you.” - She whispered while you put Jim on your ear, nodding. You let Marty play with the Lego and left to an empty room.

“Do you miss me that much, Mr. Hopper?” - You joked, but at the moment you heard Jim sighing, you knew that somethings extremely wrong in Hawkins. First, you thought that maybe he wants to break up with you - but then you remembered him asking about your panties yesterday when you called him around two a.m. and shook the thought off. - “What's going on, Jim? I'm here. Is it Vietnam? New York? Sara?”

“No, it's not that... I just... Jesus, I feel like I need to talk to someone and you're the only one who is goin’ to listen to me and actually understands.” - Okay, so Mr. Hopper was clearly drunk and smoking on the other end of the line, so you sat down on a sofa, exhaling slowly. - “Sometimes... I feel like shit, but you know that. But now, I feel fuckin' cursed, Y/N. And you're not here to stop me from doin’ shit.” - He giggled drunkenly and you stiffened. What was his fucking deal? Had something happened after you left Hawkins? Had Diane called? Did something happen at the station? Did Steve fucking Harrington tell someone what he saw? You swore to God...

“Jim, what you're after? I don't understand, baby, you need to tell me what's wrong.” - You mumbled back and looked at Aiden, who was just checking in on you. You mouthed ’Hopper’ and he nodded before closing up the door after him, telling everyone to keep off the line and out of the room.

“I'm a fuckin’ black hole, y’ know? All the fuckin’ shit that ever happened in Hawkins... It follows me. The last case of person goin’ missin’ happened in the summer of ’23 and the last suicide here was on the fall of ’61, y’ know?” - He asked you rhetorically and you just kept on being silent, trying to decipher the meaning of his entire speech.

“And when I find someone or somethin’ I can fight for or when I feel safe for a minute, it all goes to shit after a while, it all just fuckin' goes to shit.” - Jim said and you could hear him crying.

“Will you tell me what happened finally? You're freaking me out, Jim.” - You asked silently, playing with the hem of your sweater. Hopper was clearly angry and terrified of something - he would probably get drunk even if you were in Hawkins. His voice was emotionless, he was playing the tough guy card at the moment.

“A kid got lost today.” - He answered honestly and your breath got stuck a bit, but you kept your damn mouth shut since you could hear him taking a breath to continue. - “I thought he has just wandered off the main road or somethin’ but it really looks like that kid’s missin’. It's the Byers boy, that younger one.” - He told you and you closed your eyes. No wonder he felt like shit when a kid got lost in the woods, probably.

“Have you found something, Jim? Don't be angry or sad, there's still hope.” - You whispered, watching your cousin Diane in the same age little Will was playing outside with a ball.

You knew Joyce Byers from occasionally visiting Melvald’s in the downtown. You remember the day you walked in and while you were handing her the cash, she pointed out on a drawing of a big rainbow spaceship and proudly, she said ’My son Will drew this.’ You knew her boys from meeting them sometimes. The brothers were a bit weird, but when a kid goes missing, you don't care if they were weird or not.

You just want to find them as quickly as possible.

"A bike if that's what you wanna call 'a find'." - Hopper mouthed back and you could hear him crying, he just couldn't handle the situation anymore. It was breaking your heart to hear him being this much fucked up. You wanted to hug him, press your body onto his, hold him tight and whisper him sweet nothings. You wanted to kiss him and make things right at least for a second.

"James Hopper, you better listen to me right now. You're the best cop I've ever seen. Stop whining, go to sleep now and you're going to find this fucking kid because that kid is lost somewhere in the woods, it's freezing to death, it's terrified and alone, you hear me?" - You said aggressively, being completely done with him and his self-shaming shit at that point. - "You won't duck out and you will make me proud."

You talked to him until the moment he really fell asleep, walking out of the empty room after the phone went silent. There were emptiness and horror inside of you. Will Byers got lost and your boyfriend promised himself to find him. You were destroyed, tired and worried for Jim, but you encouraged him enough to trust in himself. Or at least you thought so.

"What happened? Is Hopper doing okay?" - Your mom asked with a furrow as soon as you entered the door and you shook your head, looking at her with terror. They were just having a huge family dinner outside your granny's house, everyone from the family came to greet you.

"A kid went missing in Hawkins. You remember that little Byers? He always rode the bike with his friends, they were inseparable." - You mumbled and your mom only let out quiet 'Oh God' to summarize the whole situation. She went on a and gave Joyce a call - to tell her not to lose hope in finding Will.

You haven't left the house for the other two days - Hopper could call literally every minute and almost everyone got invested in that kid going missing. You missed a few cool trips here and there, but Hopper hadn't disappointed; he gave you heads up every few other hours. And you even laughed at times which you definitely didn't expect - like the time when it came to talking with Will's best friends.

"You wouldn't believe how bad I am with kids, these little fuckers were just fuckin' around with me, talkin’ about Lord of the Rings and stuff... Jesus." - Hopper mumbled with a quiet chuckle, lighting up another cigarette. He was calling you from a telephone booth and left Powell with Callahan in his Blazer, and according to his words, those men watched his every move. You chuckled at that. Jim really took your words directly to his heart, doing his best to save the damn kid. He was not giving up on that boy.

To find what happened, he talked with his best friends and the way he told you the investigation was going was so hilarious it made you laugh like crazy.

"No way. Jim Hopper is good at everything." - You hummed back and crossed your legs, thinking about some really nasty things.

"Am I? At what exactly, I can't seem to remember." - He asked in his deep voice and you knew that it's about to go really nasty. You yelled at your mom to get off the phone immediately through the whole fucking house just to have some privacy. Hopper, again, chuckled at that.

"Like... I don't know, folding clothes?" - You asked innocently still worrying that your mom's listening to that conversation. But as soon as you heard her yelling something at your cousins, you knew she really got off. - "After you tear it down off of me."

"Someone's in the mood to play, I see. I would like to stay and hear you foldin' your clothes, but the boys are in a hurry." - Jim whispered, yelling something at the two cops.

"Jim?" - You asked and you got only a hum as a response. - "Be safe out there, okay?"

"I'm missin' you here. I'm lookin' forward to seeing you." - He answered and the line got quiet again. You missed him as well, but in the end, you had only eight days in front of you. What could go wrong? And that was a dumb question to ask.

Well, a lot could go wrong actually, since the other day, Hopper's calls got less and less frequent until they stopped completely. It was the ninth of November when mom woke you up really late in the night. He handed you over the handset, making you sit up

"It's Hopper and he was really... Weird. It seems urgent. He was ringing the number fifteen minutes in a row." - She whispered and sat next to you on the bed, hugging your shoulder. It didn't matter how old Hopper was or what reputation did he have. He needed just as a human being needs another one to lean into. He needed you as a partner and no matter how stressful that was, you wanted to be there for him. And your mom understood that clearly.

"Jim, Jim, it's me." - You mumbled sleepily and listened to him hyperventilating. He was crying again, but he was trying to calm down now. He sometimes woke up with these panic attacks. Something went awfully off the rails in Hawkins. This wasn't the Jim you grew to know and love. - "Baby, stay here with me, let's do this together. Breathe in and out, just like that, that's it, that's it. In and out."

"We found the boy." - He muttered out when he calmed down finally. sobbing. He may pretend to be the rough edge guy, but you knew that's the exact opposite of his character when no-one can see him. He didn't get too friendly with people in Hawkins, but he cared about each one of them. That's why he was the Chief in the end.

"And what happened? Is everyone alright? Is he safe now?" - You asked and mouthed 'They found Will' to your mom. You were about to cry as well - he was making such heart-wrenching sounds that only that alone made your eyes water.

"He drowned in the quarry." - Hopper told you, lighting up a cigarette. - "He was decomposed, but the guys from the CIA told us that it's the boy for sure. Jesus." - And that was the moment you started to cry, putting a palm in front of your mouth. It wasn't hard to make out what had happened to little Will Byers.

"How's everyone doing? What about Joyce? Do you want me to come back? Just say a word and I'm on my way back, just like that." - You asked when you finally caught your breath. Your mom was holding you tight because it really had shocked you and she was also listening to everything Hopper said. She kissed your shoulder, closing her eyes. You have never spoken to that kid, but... He was so young. And according to Joyce really bright and creative. This wasn't fair. This just wasn't fair. He had a whole life ahead and now, it was just gone. Hopes were lost just like that. You felt the cold and emptiness growing in your chest again.

"No... Just stay there until I know it's safe here again, alrite? We'll be workin' with some guys from the state for a while now, closing the case up. " - Hopper told you sincerely and you hummed, crying again. - “The boy has a funeral tomorrow. I feel like this is on me, you know? Everyone was believin' that Jim fuckin' Hopper, the New York detective, will find the Byers boy alive and well... It's my fault."

"This doesn't mean you're a bad cop, Jim, okay?" - You asked him after a while when you made yourself calm down. - "This doesn't mean you suck at your job, baby. Don't put yourself down, you're a great cop and even a better person. The boy... It isn't your fault. I swear. We'll talk about it once I get back to Hawkins, okay?" - You asked worriedly. - "Please, send Joyce my deepest condolences. I'm..."

Hopper needed to be strong and so you needed to be strong as well. For him. You'd do everything for that man. If he would want you to go back to Hawkins immediately, you would go.

"Just keep out of Hawkins until I secure it again. If somethin' would go wrong with you, I don't think... I'm just really missin' you, sunshine." - Hopper mumbled tiredly and you understood. He needed to be alone, so you put the phone off the bed, looking at your mom. Hopper didn't cause this, but you knew he's going to put himself down horrendously after that. A boy's life was lost, but Hopper wasn't the one to blame.

But the worst thing about all of that? He hadn't called after that, not even once. You tried to occupy yourself with hikes and board games with your cousins, even playing some D&D, but there weren't any calls from Hopper from that day on. No matter how hard you wished for them, he hadn't call you. You called into the trail many times, but no-one had picked up.

That was the exact moment you had enough. If he was in danger, you wouldn't leave him like that, whether something bad happened to him or if it was his mind again.

You decided to come home earlier to check on him, which your mom agreed with. The sixteen-hours long drive with your car was horrendous, to say the least, but that very night, you stopped in front of Hopper's trail, basically storming inside. It was dark and empty, but you still hoped that Hopper left you a key under the mossy rock. It really was there.

You stopped yourself for a small moment before actually opening the door up, trying to prepare yourself for what will be inside of that trail. You almost threw up next to the stairs, opening the door finally. And for the fucking love of God, there was some serious mess inside of that trail.

You walked through it and saw at least a few tubes of Tuinal, each one of them empty, remnants of various fast food, beer cans, and full ashtrays literally everywhere. The furniture was messed up, the phone ripped out of the wall, TV laying on the side. The place looked robbed and for a moment, you got really, really worried.

Hopper wasn't nowhere to be found, so the last thing you could do was to sit and wait for him. While doing so, you decided to clean it up and cook some actual food. Before moving the furniture back in place, you checked the drawers, not finding his personal gun. Where was he and why did he take the gun with him?

He drove in pretty late in the night, it was almost midnight; you took a nap on the couch in the meantime, being dead asleep by the time he turned the engine off.

Hopper was thinking that he's hallucinating when he saw your car parked directly on its spot, but then he saw the turn on the light and you passed out in front of the TV through the window.

He took a deep breath in - he just came back from the Hawkins lab, closing another deal with them including Joyce and WIll, and he needed to think about what should he tell you. He wasn't willing to try his chances with telling you the truth; as he said, he wouldn't put you in danger under any circumstances and the men from the government weren't fucking around with anyone. He needed to come up with a story that would be believable and easy to swallow, but at the moment, he was just too tired to think of one. Jim slowly entered the trail, taking the coat off, putting it on a rack, trying not to wake you up yet.

You were beautiful when you fell asleep - your cheeks got rosy, you snuggled deep into the blanket, having a dreamy emotion on your face. He kneeled behind the couch, kissing your temple and smoothing your hair, gently waking you up.

"You're here sooner." - Jim whispered with a smile when you opened up your eyes. He just needed you by his side, no matter what anyone in Hawkins is going to say. Fuck them and fuck the rumors. It was safe now, you were his girl and everyone else could go fuck themselves.

"And you stopped calling. I was worried." - You mumbled, nuzzling closer to his hand, reaching out to hold the other one. - "Where were you? It's really late."

"Was visiting Joyce's, she needed someone to talk to. I would be here sooner if you'd give me heads up." - Hopper kissed your temple again, helping you with standing up. He watched one of those lazy smiles.

"How's she? Feeling better after Will..." - You whispered in a broken voice. Oh. Hopper realized that you still thought that Will has drowned in the quarry. He hadn't got exactly the time to call you since he was held at the lab of driving around Hawkins with children in his Blazer most of the time.

"The boy was found alive, thanks to God. He's in the hospital and he's gettin' better and better with each passin' day. He's a fighter." - Jim said quietly and tried not to put too much emotion into it, but you knew that it's making him happy. He led you through the whole trail, kissing your collar bone though the fabric of the shirt once you were standing up in the bedroom. - "I've missed you so fuckin' much." - The man moaned into the fabric of his very own shirt and just when he was about to lay you down, you stopped him and palmed his jaws, making the man look at you.

"I'm proud of you, Jim Hopper." - You said quietly with an adoring look in your eyes. Hopper would swear that he hasn't seen so much awe and love in someone's eyes until you gave him this look. - "You are a great man. And I can't imagine being in Hawkins without you." - You whispered and pulled him in for a kiss.

You gave him many kisses, but this one was somehow full of feelings and Jim warmed up when he felt the love radiating out of it. For a while, the thought of him saying those three words was lingering on his mind as you took off the shirt, pressing your naked torso into the fabric of his uniform.

It would be so easy to say them. Every time he called you to Dakota, you were there and listened to every word; you laughed when you were supposed to laugh and you were sad when you were supposed to be sad. To say that he found everything he asked for was just too little to express everything about you.

You continued with kissing him, not leaving him alone in that freezing night for a single second. Nothing felt better than having you back and at that moment, he first realized that he's in love with you. It never crossed his mind so clearly. He was deeply in love. But he didn't want to ruin the moment, so he helped you with taking your pants down.

It didn't matter how smelly he was, it didn't matter that he had a huge bruise on his arm, the only thing that mattered was it was him. That it was him staying there with you.

And you realized how much you've fallen for that guy. It was the best feeling you've ever felt.

#jim hopper imagine #jim hopper #jim hopper x reader #james jim hopper #jim hopper stranger things #stranger things hopper #stranger things netflix #stranger things #sriracha

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tstarkapologist · 5 years

Text

Home Sweet Home

Peter smiled mischievously in return. “Giving me chores now, Mr. Stark?”

Tony pushed himself off the door jam and made his way over to the kid to offer him help up. “Ya know, if you keep switching between Mr. Stark and Dad you’re gonna give me emotional whiplash.”

“Just don’t want to confuse Morgan is all,” Peter said with a smirk as he grabbed the hand being extended to him.

Tony hummed knowingly as he pulled the boy to his feet. “Morgan, of course.”

---

or the fam’s first day home post-endgame. set in the same universe as Somebody you should meet

---

Peter Parker & Tony Stark & Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark

1.3k - G - No Warnings Apply

Read on AO3

Home. Tony never wanted to leave again. And honestly, after saving the universe he was pretty sure he was allowed to become a hermit without judgment.

May had let Tony bring Peter home with him for the week now that he was no longer bedridden in the hospital and the man wasn’t sure he would ever be able to thank her enough. His little family of four had pulled up the drive of the rural farmhouse about 45 minutes earlier.

As soon as she had been freed from her car seat confines, Morgan had latched on to Peter and run off with him promising a tour. The two had started at Morgan’s tent and Tony was pretty sure he’d heard them in the garage at one point but for the last 10 minutes or so they had been in Morgan’s bedroom.

Tony and Pepper were in their own room finishing up unpacking from the stint at the hospital and goddamnit, he wanted some time with his kids. Closing the drawer he had been folding clothes into, he turned to Pepper. “I’m gonna go make sure they’re not plotting world domination.” He lifted his chin in the direction of the noises coming from down the hall.

Pepper smiled knowingly but played along anyway. “That’s a good idea.”

With a quick peck on her cheek on his way out of their room, Tony made his way to where Morgan was inevitably holding Peter hostage.

As he got closer to the open door he could hear Morgan’s tiny voice as she showed Peter around her room. “...that’s where all my stuffed animals go and these are all my books.”

“Wow," Peter said, sounding genuinely interested in the book collection of a preschooler. "That’s quite a collection you have.”

Tony leaned against the door frame and watched as Peter knelt next to his little girl. He was already so good with her it made Tony wish, not for the first time, that Peter could have been around since the beginning to watch her grow up.

Morgan, in a surprisingly humble move for a 4-year-old, merely shrugged. “I just started reading by myself and Daddy got really excited and got me a bunch of new ones.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him.” The kid let out a small laugh and glanced over his shoulder to shoot Tony an amused look; who, in his own act of maturity, stuck his tongue out at the boy. He should have guessed Pete would know he was there.

“Can we go to your room now?”

Peter’s head snapped back to Morgan at the girl’s words. “My room?” His voice was breathy and his eyes were wide.

“Yeah. Daddy keeps it locked for you, but I know he goes in there a bunch.” Morgan was brushing the hair of one of her dolls, clearly unaware of the effect her words were having. “But now that you’re home can I go in?”

Peter floundered, mouth agape, and Tony figured now would be a good time to step in. “Hey Morguna, I think Mommy’s making lunch, why don’t you go help her?”

Morgan turned to him with an adorable, scrunched up expression. “Why can’t Peter go help her?”

“Wow, we haven’t even been home for a day and you’re already pushing your responsibilities off on your big brother.”

Morgan nodded adorably and with far too much enthusiasm, apparently unaware that was the wrong answer.

Tony rolled his eyes. “I need to talk to Pete for a minute, then I’ll send him down to help too, okay?”

Morgan shrugged and stood up. “Okay.”

As she walked by, Tony reached an arm out to stop her and bent to plant a kiss on her forehead. He ruffled her hair for good measure before pushing her towards the stairs. “Go find Mom.”

Looking back into the room Tony saw Peter still sitting on the floor, and raised his eyebrows in question.

Peter smiled mischievously in return. “Giving me chores now, Mr. Stark?”

Tony pushed himself off the door jam and made his way over to the kid to offer him help up. “Ya know, if you keep switching between Mr. Stark and Dad you’re gonna give me emotional whiplash.”

“Just don’t want to confuse Morgan is all,” Peter said with a smirk as he grabbed the hand being extended to him.

Tony hummed knowingly as he pulled the boy to his feet. “Morgan, of course.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither wanting to be the first to break, before Tony sighed exasperatedly and turned to leave. “Well, come on then.” He started walking down the hall, listening to make sure Peter was following. When he arrived at the last door in the hallway he reached up to the top of the door frame and retrieved a key.

“That’s not a very secure hiding spot.”

“Yeah, well, the person I’m hiding it from is like three feet tall.” Tony rolled his eyes and turned the key in the lock. It should feel strange, bringing someone else into this room, but then, the room was Peter’s. Even if when it was built there was no hope it would ever fill its intended purpose.

Peter followed in behind him and Tony stood off to the side, letting the kid take in his surroundings. Tony watched as the boy’s eyes slid from the bed with its Star Wars comforter, to the desk outfitted with holo-screens and SAT prep books, to the bookshelf pilled full of books and DVDs and unopened Lego sets. On the walls hung movie posters and a Mets banner and a corkboard full of snapshots the kid had taken. There were ones of the two of them in the lab, some of Peter with his little nerd friends, and even a couple of the New York skyline that could only have been achieved by Spider-Man.

Tony cleared his throat, “I might have gone a little overboard. I didn’t exactly have anyone to ask for design input.”

When Peter turned to him, Tony saw his overwhelmed expression and the unshed tears gathering in the boy’s eyes.

Tony’s demeanor softened at the sight. “Come here, bud.” He opened his arms to the boy and let Peter fall into them. He was happy to be able to hold his kid, to provide some level of comfort.

With his face buried in Tony’s neck, the boy’s words were muffled when he finally spoke. “You made me my own room.”

“Of course I did,” Tony swallowed thickly around the emotions in his voice. “You’re my kid.”

He heard Peter sniffle and felt the distinct wetness of tears on soaking through his shirt. Tony angled his head towards the boy’s and placed a kiss on the corner of his jaw. They had only just started the whole hugging thing and if it were anyone else or had it been a couple of years earlier, Tony probably wouldn’t have done it. But now he was a dad. Now he recognized the swell of affection in his chest as the same one that would appear whenever Morgan reached a new milestone or clung to him when she was scared. Now he knew, blood or time be damned, Peter was his kid.

“You’re my kid, okay? Just like Morgan. Don’t ever forget that.” He allowed himself one last tight squeeze before pulling back. Using his sleeve, he dried the slowing tears on Peter’s face and smiled down at the boy. “Now, I believe I promised Morgan that we’d help out with lunch and she is not above threats, blackmail, and extortion if she doesn’t get her way, so we better get down there.”

Peter let out a watery laugh, just like Tony had hoped he would. “She’s four, Mr. Stark.”

“And?” Tony started guiding them towards the door, his hand buried in Peter’s hair with the boy tucked firmly into his side. “She has Pepper’s brain and my charm, we’re defenseless against her.”

#avengers: endgame #endgame spoilers #my fic #irondad #peter parker #tony stark #pepper potts #morgan stark #iron man #Spider-Man #fix-it fic #great unfinished symphony

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me-myself-and-my-fos · 5 years

Text

Reunion

Pairing: Jeremiah Valeska x Nic Valeska

Word Count: 2442

AU: Dark

Summary: Ten years after Jeremiah is thrown into Arkham he escapes, and the first people he visits his wife and children…

A/N: This is based off an RP I did with @dancing-with-skeletons a long time ago. Basically Jeremiah never falls into the acid in this au

It was exactly 10 years to the day since Nic last saw her husband. She remembers how hard it was to adjust coming to terms with having to raise their twins by herself. Since the trial, since his incarceration, Nic had no contact with Jeremiah as per the agreement she made with the DA, a condition that let her keep custody of the twins and not send her to Blackgate. It hurt, even still. Not being able to let her husband know how the twins were doing. She wrote him letters and took pictures, none of which she ever sent. Jim had offered once to take the package to Arkham, that there was no harm in him participating as a proxy for a brief period. While she appreciated the offer, Nic couldn’t stomach the thought that all of Jeremiah’s knowledge on the development of their children would be coming from a box and not in person. He would never know that Sarah and Tiberius’s first words were “dada” or that Sarah took her first steps at 10 months, much quicker than her pediatrician had expected. He would never know that Sarah was top of her class, or that Tiberius had just recently joined the robotics team. Jeremiah would never get to see how much the twins looked like him, something Nic constantly reminded them. She’d always tell the twins how they had their father’s hair, and that Sarah had his eyes, or that Tiberius looked almost identical to Jeremiah at that age.

In the 10 years she spent without Jeremiah, Nic developed a nightly routine. Every night, after the twins were put to sleep, she would sit in her bedroom and write. She’d write to Jeremiah about what transpired that day, how much she wished he was there and how she hopes that one day she’ll see him again. After the letter was finished, stained with her tears, she’d date it and fold it up, placing it in the box with the other letters and pictures. The box was hidden in her closet, a place the twins would never find it.

It was late, close to 10pm, when she was getting ready for bed. Nic wasn’t aware that the front door to the house had been picked and was slowly opening and closing. She wasn’t aware that someone was coming up the stairs and noticed the bathroom light on. But the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as the figure stayed in the darkness, staring into the bathroom. She tried to ignore the quickness of her pulse, assuming it was due to the thoughts that filled her head all day.

“You still look beautiful, darling.” Came a voice from the darkness.

Nic froze, her brush in her hair as she paused. Her eyes widened, tears pooling in her eyes. No. Her mind was playing tricks on her. It had to be.

“You grew your hair out.” There was a soft chuckle. “I always remember you hating it long. What changed, darling?”

She finished brushing her hair, setting the brush down on the counter. “You should leave, Jeremiah.”

He stepped into the doorway, the lighting revealing him to her. It was no surprise he aged as she did, but her heart still stopped. Even after all these years, he still looked handsome. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“When did you escape Arkham?” She asked, tying her hair up with a scrunchie.

“Hours ago.” He replied, taking a step closer. She tensed slightly at his close proximity, especially when he stood behind her and she felt his hands on her waist. “I needed to see you.”

“Jeremiah… please leave.” She said meekly, not having the heart to look at his reflection in the mirror. She didn’t need to look to know he had a soft smile on his face as he looked at her.

“Are you sure you want that?” He asked. “I’ve missed you, Nic.”

She let out a shaky breath. “I missed you too, Miah.” Her knuckles gripped the sink. “But you really need to leave. The police—”

“—cannot stop me from seeing my wife and children.”

“I… I can’t lose you. Not again.” She whispered. Her knuckles had gone white from her grip. “It’s been so hard without you, Miah. Raising the twins… I needed you. And I’m so sorry I haven’t told you about them. I couldn’t. If I did… if I did, they’d take them away. I already lost you. I couldn’t lose our babies.”

Jeremiah pulled her to face him, and he cupped her face in his hands. He wiped away the tears running down her cheeks with his thumbs. “I promise you, dear, that won’t happen. I won’t let it.”

She covered his hand with hers. “I missed you so much, pumpkin.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly. She leaned into him, her free hand finding its way to his belt. She tugged on it, attempting to pull him as close to her as physically possible. “I love you, my darling.”

She smiled against his lips. “I love you too.” Then she frowned. “The kids… last time you saw them they could barely sit on their own.”

“I imagine they aren’t babies anymore.” He chuckled.

“They’ve gotten so big.” She gave him a sad smile. “Would you like to meet them?”

Jeremiah blinked, taken aback by her question. He honestly wasn’t expecting that, not so suddenly at least. He was hoping for a little more time with his wife before he got to meet his children. But he smiled, kissing her head. “I’d love to.” Nic took his hand, lacing her fingers with his and pulling him from the bathroom. They headed down the hall and stopped in front of a bedroom door that said “Twins’ Room” in bold, rainbow letters.

“They should be asleep,” she whispered to Jeremiah. Her hand reached for the knob and she slowly opened the door. The moonlight shone through the window, and there was a small night light on between the twins’ beds. They were each curled up on their separate beds opposite of each other. Nic quietly stepped into the room, careful not to walk on any of Sarah’s discarded legos or Tiberius’s drawings. She tiptoed over to Sarah’s bed, kneeling beside it. Nic gently brushed some ginger hair from her daughter’s face. “Gingerbread? Wake up, sweetheart.” Sarah slowly opened her eyes, a small whine escaping.

“Mama?” She questioned, puzzled why her mother was waking her up. Nic didn’t reply, only kissing Sarah’s head and creeping over to do the same with Tiberius. Sarah took her glasses from its place under her pillow and put them on. Nic flipped the light switch by the door and the lights came on. The twins rubbed their eyes.

“Kids, someone wants to meet you.” Nic announced, looking towards Jeremiah at his spot in the hallway. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of the reaction he’d receive from them. He wasn’t even sure they knew who he was. Nic gave him a small encouraging smile, and that was enough for him. Jeremiah walked into the doorway, and the twins’ faces lit up. They recognized him from the pictures their mother showed them.

“Daddy!” They both shouted, jumping from their separate beds and running towards him at full speed. The moment they attached themselves to either of his legs, Jeremiah had to grip the doorway to keep from being knocked over.

That was not the greeting he had expected. Yet, he felt relieved they knew him. He bent down, pulling them into his chest and he hugged them tightly. Sarah and Tiberius hugged back, neither one losing the grin on their face. Jeremiah pressed a kiss to their heads.

“You’re home!” Tiberius grinned.

“I am.” Jeremiah nodded, smiling at his son. “And I’m not leaving. I promise.”

“Daddy, where have you been?” Sarah asked. Nic chuckled lightly from her spot in the room. Sarah was always the inquisitive one.

“Away,” Jeremiah said. “But I’m here now.” He kissed each of their heads again. “I love you both so much.”

“I love you too, daddy.” Both twins replied, happily hugging him tighter. Jeremiah could have stayed like forever.

“It’s time to go back to bed.” Nic said. She didn’t want to end the moment, she truly didn’t, but she’s dealt with the twins when they’re sleep deprived and tired. She wanted them to get rest for the next day. “Don’t worry, though, your father will be here in the morning. You’ll get to spend more time with him.” She smiled.

“Can he tuck us in?” Tiberius asked, peering up at his mother. He didn’t have to give her the puppy eyes, but he did it anyway for added effect. It worked.

“Of course he can.” Nic replied.

Jeremiah tucked each of the twins in bed, kissing them goodnight and saying he’d see them in the morning. They were satisfied with that, and Sarah, as always, fell asleep as soon as her eyes were closed.

Nic shut off the light, leaving the only sources being the moon and their night light. She closed the door once she and Jeremiah were out of the room. She took his hand and led him down to her bedroom, closing the door once they were inside. It was a mostly barren room, only the bed and her closet and a single dresser. There were pictures hung on the wall, some of Jeremiah long before everything occurred, others of the twins at various ages. Jeremiah sat on the edge of the bed, taking in everything.

There was a tinge of guilt in his chest as he watched Nic rifle through her closet for something. He was the cause of all this. Had he not done what he did, he would have been able to raise the twins with Nic. They would’ve had the family they talked about so long ago. They would be much happier than they were now.

Nic sat beside him on the bed, a small box in her lap.

“What’s that?” Jeremiah asked her.

Nic scooted over, placing it between them. “Something I made for you.” Her voice was shaky as she spoke, she sniffled as she lifted the lid off the box. Inside were many letters, and pictures as well. They were mostly of the twins, a few of Nic with the twins. She picked up one of the pictures and showed it to Jeremiah. It was a more recent photo, he could tell, as the twins looked about the same age they are now. However, they were dressed as Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s monster. “This is from Halloween.” Nic gave him a small smile. “Sarah got to choose their costumes this year, and she wanted to be Frankenstein.”

Jeremiah smiles softly. “And you?”

Nic laughed. “I was Igor.” She placed the picture down and pulled out another one. It was the twins by the Gotham pier, both holding fishing rods with small fish attached to the hooks. “Every summer I’ve been taking the twins fishing. They love it so much.”

“They look so much like you.” Jeremiah commented. He remembers back in school, the first time he ever saw Nic fishing. She had a bright smile on her face, just as the twins did in the photo. “They have your smile.”

“And they have your freckles.” She replied. “And your hair, Sarah has your eyes, Tiberius has your face…”

“Sarah also has your nose,” he pointed out playfully.

Nic shook her head, smiling a little wider. “Sarah is so much like you. She’s brilliant and determined and she loves building things… She’s so much like you.”

“Tiberius seems to be a lot like you.”

Nic nodded. Her eyes fell to the box. “I wish you were here for all of it. Their first steps, their first words… Miah, their first words were ‘dada’.” She wiped away a stray tear. “Every year, I ask what they want for their birthday. Do you know what they told me every year without fail?” Jeremiah stayed silent, although he had a saddened hunch what the answer was. “All they wanted was their father. And every Christmas… I’d take them to see Santa and all they’d ask him for is for their father. It broke my heart every single time I heard that. I couldn’t tell them why you were away, just that you were and that you love them very much.”

Jeremiah pushed the box to the side, pulling Nic closer and hugging her to his chest. He rubbed her back as she let out the first of many sobs.

“And all I wanted was to have my husband home so we could be a family.” She whispered tearfully.

“I’m here now, darling, and I am never leaving you or the children.” He whispered, kissing her temple. “No one can ever force me to leave you ever again.”

“Miah, if the police find you—”

“They won’t,” he told her. “Because we’re leaving Gotham.”

She pulled away, tears still running down her cheeks, but Nic gave him a look of confusion. “We’re… what? Leaving Gotham?”

He nodded, taking her hands and squeezing them. He absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over her wedding ring. He was surprised to find that she still wore it, even after all these years. “We are leaving Gotham, somewhere the GCPD will never find us. Ecco is going to get us out of the city, and we’ll be free.”

She stared at him for a long moment. It was so sudden, Jeremiah coming back into her life and now leaving Gotham. It was almost overwhelming.

“But–but what about your work? Your–your plans for the city?” She asked. “Everything you worked for…”

“In due time, darling.” He grinned, kissing her cheek. He was thrilled to hear even after all she’s been through, Nic still supported his work. “With you back by my side, we can get back to work. And the children, well when the time comes, of course they’ll be our heirs. But we will be a family.”

A surge of excitement pulsed through her body. Nic grinned, the tears having stopped long ago. “When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow,” he told her. “Tonight, I want to be with my wife, and in the morning, spend time with my children.”

Nic leaned forward, kissing him passionately, her hands pulling at his tie. She leaned back, laying on the bed with Jeremiah on top of her. “It’s been ten years, love, I need to be with you. In every way.”

Jeremiah smirked, trailing kisses from her jaw to her neck. “As you wish, my Queen.”

#mywriting #giggly husbando #jokemancer #self ship #self shipping community #self ship community #self shipping #self insert community #self insert fic #self insert

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bazypitchandsimonsnow · 5 years

Text

What is in a Name?

Rating: T

Genre: Family Fluff/Light Angst

Word count: 6385

Summary: Simon and Baz's teen son, Ebb, is having problems. Simon helps him through it.

Read on AO3

AN: I've written lots of parent fics, but it's usually when the kids are young and/or it's focused on their fictional daughter Tasha. So I wanted to do a fic with teen kids and more focused on their fictional son Ebb. I wrote most of this in like a 3am writing frenzy so sorry for spelling mistakes, I tried to get all of them. Also disclaimer: I'm not a parent, but I tried to do my best. My own amazing parents are super open about their parenting philosophy so I tried to base a lot of this on them. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

———————————————

Simon

When the door slams hard enough to make the entire house rattle, I jump slightly. It’s just a natural reaction to loud noises, no matter how funny Baz thinks it is. I bend my head out of the kitchen just in time to get a glimpse of my son stomping past me.

“Hey, Ebb,” I say. “How was the skatepark?”

Ebb doesn’t answer, just grunts as he goes towards his room. Unfortunately that’s normal nowadays. I hear him stomp up the stairs and slam his bedroom door just as hard. I sigh and shake my head.

I thought Tasha’s teen years were tough, and they were, but Ebb’s are bad in a different way. He’s embarrassed by his cracking voice so he barely speaks, he spends most of his time in his room, and any emotions he has he seems to take out on his wall. There are dirty footprints to prove it. Baz grumbled about cutting off our son’s feet. I had to remind him that we’re not supposed to mutilate our children, no matter how much expensive paint they scuff.

As I’m chopping carrots for the stew, I hear another door opening, then the soft padding of Baz’s fuzzy socks. He wears them over his regular ones. Because of his naturally low body temperature, he still spends a good part of the summer in about three layers.

“Why is Ebb trying to break the house?” he asks bitingly, though he does sound curious too.

“I don’t know,” I sigh. “He doesn’t tell me anything anymore.”

Baz huffs and takes a seat on at the breakfast bar. “Me neither. It’s a miracle if he’ll say more than five words to me in a day.”

I chuckle, dumping carrots in the instant pot. “Lucky. I usually just get grunts.”

He sighs, shaking his head. “I wish he would just tell us why he’s upset. We’ve always told him he can talk to us.”

I shrug. “Well, we can tell him all we want but that doesn’t mean he’ll do it. You and I both know teenagers rarely do what they’re told.”

“Isn’t that the truth.” He leans over the counter. “At least Ebb and Tasha aren’t fighting super villains.”

“Or being a dick to their roommates who they’re in love with.”

He leans closer, a playful smile on his lips. A few silver strands of hair fall in his face. Baz was incredibly relieved when he first started going grey, but now the vain bastard thinks he looks old. I keep assuring him he looks distinguished.

“But it all worked out in the end, remember?”

I lean forward on my elbows. Our noses brush together. We may be in our forties but we still act like sappy teenagers in love sometimes. Old habits die hard. “That it did.”

Honestly, kissing over a counter isn’t the weirdest way of I've kissed Baz. Burning forest still takes the cake, thankfully. But it's still nice. Twenty seven years and two kids later and I haven't tired of kissing him. I don't think I ever will.

I'm so caught up in kissing my husband I guess I don't hear the front door close and footsteps approaching us.

“Gross,” a very familiar voice says. “You're going to get spit in our supper.”

We pull apart, and Baz sighs with a smile. “Hello to you too, Tasha.”

Tasha walks up to Baz hugs him around the shoulders, a big slightly shit eating grin on her face. “Hi, Papa.”

“What, I don’t get a hug?” I ask with my own grin.

Tasha rolls her eyes. (Sometimes she’s so much like Penny it scares Baz, and me too a bit.) She strolls over, black curly ponytail bouncing, and squeezes me tight. I squeeze her back just as hard. “There, that better, Dad?”

“Very much.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “Hi, darling. How was work?”

“Boring,” she sighs. “One lady spent half an hour trying on different jeans and didn’t buy any of them.

“Rude,” I say as I start the instant pot.

“Retail is truly a trail of endurance,” Baz adds all philosophical. I snort.

“You’ve never worked retail.”

Baz glares. “Neither have you, Mr. Bag of Gold.”

“I was a barista at the college coffee shop though.”

“How good was that coffee?” Tasha asks with a little smirk. Baz snickers. She’s a lot like him too.

I glare at my snarky daughter. “Shouldn’t you being doing homework or something, little miss?”

Tasha glares right back. “First of all, I’m seventeen, I’m not little anymore. Second, it’s summer, so no homework.”

“Then go make some homework, I don’t know.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that, Dad.” She starts walking away, bag slung over her shoulder. “First, I’m going to get changed. Call me down for supper?”

“We’ll use the Alexis thing,” I call to her as she goes up the stairs.

“Alexa,” Baz sighs.

I wave my hand dismissively. “Whatever. Amazon talky lady that lets you play morose violin music.”

He giggles, shaking his head. That’s still the most beautiful sound I’ve ever head. “Well, that’s at least accurate.” He looks down at our slightly scuffed instant pot. “How long on the stew?”

I look at the bright blue timer. “Um, forty five minutes.”

“Good.” He offer his hand like the proper gentleman he is. “Want to cuddle and watch Great British Bake Off?”

I grin and take his hand, the metal of his ring pressing into my skin. “Absolutely.”

And I let my husband lead me towards our couch. But just as we sit down, we hear a loud thumping from the room directly above us. Baz winces slightly. With his super hearing it’s probably way louder. He sighs, slumping against me.

“We never should’ve gotten Ebb that bluetooth speaker for Christmas,” he groans.

I shrug, rubbing my hand over his stomach. He still likes that a lot. “Too late now. Let’s just watch the telly.”

Baz curls around me like an affectionate cat. “Sounds good to me.”

I hum happily and pull him closer “Awesome.”

I turn on our next Bake Off episode. We get so involved in all the cake and pastry drama we barely hear Ebb’s extremely loud emo music. I hope he’s alright. He does this a lot, shutting himself in his room and being angsty. Usually it’s over simple stuff we can’t fix, so we’ve learned to just give him his space until he calms down. But still, he’s my kid. I’m always worried about him. So I hope he’s okay.

———————————————

“Alexis, announce supper is ready,” I say. The stupid black tube doesn’t respond. How are these things supposed to make life more convenient? It’s more useless than my magic used to be.

“Alexa,” Baz calls out from the dining room, “announce supper is ready.”

The black cylinder of frustration rings this time. I frown “Why does it only listen to you?”

“Because I call it by it’s proper name.”

I grumble as I bring in the last bowl. Stupid technology, worse than magic.

Oh Crowley, I sound so fucking old.

I hear Tasha jump down the stairs. (She’s been doing that since she was six.) She enters the dining room, dressed in her Watford Lacrosse sweater and grey trackies, curls piled up on top of her head in some sort of bun.

“Mm, smells good,” she says as she sits down. She immediately goes for her spoon.

“Manners, darling,” Baz scolds kindly. Tasha frowns and cross her arms. She keeps reminding us of how old she is, but she definitely still acts like my little girl sometimes.

“Ebb?” I call up the stairs. “You coming down for supper, love?”

Soon enough, we hear Ebb’s heavy thumps descending. He’s been thumping around a lot recently. Baz jokes that our son is turning into a numpty, and I’ve made him promise to never say that in front of him. Ebb doesn’t need any more issues from us. He stomps in, upper body almost totally hidden by an oversized black sweater. When he sits, I can see his deep scowl. Well, whatever is going on definitely hasn’t resolved. Maybe we’ll talk after supper if he wants.

I put Ebb’s stew bowl in front of him. He grunts in acknowledgement, which is pretty good nowadays. Before I sit down, I make sure to kiss the top of kids’ heads. I’ve done it every supper we’ve had together since they were born. Baz says it’s cheesy, but still thinks it’s sweet. I just want Tasha and Ebb to always know they’re loved, because I never felt that as a kid and I wish I had.

So I lean over and kiss Tasha’s head. She groans with a smile. I lean over to Ebb, but he shifts away, crossing his arms over his chest. I try to hide the way that stings. Well, when kids get older sometimes they don’t always like their dad kissing the top of their head. Tasha told me to stop embarrassing her with it when she was fifteen. She said it was okay again a few months later. Maybe that’ll happen with Ebb too. I don’t know. I hope so...

I sit down, and Baz gives me a sympathetic look from across the table. I smile back at him, trying to say, “I’m okay.” Which I am. Ebb is allowed to do what he wants with his body, that comes before my feelings.

“Let’s eat,” Baz says grandly.

We all unfold our napkins and put them in our laps. (Baz has finally taught me manners over the decades.) All of us eat in relative silence for awhile. I don’t mind, I want to enjoy the stew. Ebb is somehow able to eat while still scowling. Did he learn to do that from Baz or all on his own? Either way, it’s impressive, in a moody teenager way.

“How was work today, love?” Baz asks.

It takes me a second to realise he’s talking to me and not Tasha. I swallow my beef before speaking. “It was good. Lily is finally learning how to make crafts without eating the glue.”

Tasha’s brow furrows. “Do kids really try to eat glue?”

“Oh yeah, lots of glue. And crayons. And dirt. And those massive LEGO bricks. It’s my job to keep them from doing it.”

“Dad, remind me to never become a nursery teacher.”

I give her a “really?” look. She smirks and continues eating. How did I raise such a sarcastic daughter? I blame Baz. And Penny.

“How was your work today?” I ask Baz.

Baz shrugs. He’s picked up on a lot of my habits over the years. “It was alright. Filed some reports, did a few conference calls, had leftover pasta for lunch.”

“Working from home is going well then?” Tasha says between bites.

“Definitely. No more morning commutes on the tube is wonderful.”

I point my fork accusingly at him. “But it also means you don’t get outside enough. You’re going to get even paler, love.”

He waves dismissively with a small smile. “Not possible.”

“We’ll see,” I laugh. I look over at Ebb, who is still scowl eating. I should try to make him feel included. “How was your day, Ebb? Do any cool moves at the skatepark?”

“No,” Ebb grumbles. Well, that’s the first word he’s said to me all day. Baby steps.

“Oh, uh, well that’s a bummer. I bet you’ll do more next time.”

“How are you doing on the half pipe?” Baz asks. “You told me you were doing well last-”

Ebb slams his fork down so hard the table rattles. The crashing sound rings out through the room. Baz looks very taken aback, and slightly in pain. Loud noises up close don’t mix well with his vampire hearing. Tasha and I are just stunned with our backs perfectly straight. Ebb glares at both Baz and I with rageful fire in his eyes.

“Why the fuck did you name me after a bloody Christmas Carol character?!” he shouts.

The whole house is silent. Honestly, I’m too stunned to speak. Baz and Tasha seem to be in the same situation. Ebb glares at us for another few seconds before violently pushing his chair away and storming off. He stomps hard to his room, then slams the door even more forcefully than when he came home.

We stay in stunned silence for another few minutes. I gape at Baz, mouth opening and closing like a fish. His eyes are wider than saucer plates. Tasha is just looking at her food, pushing around hunks of carrots.

“Well,” Baz finally sighs, “that was something.”

“Understating that a bit, Papa,” Tasha says, eyes flicked up. I just nod, mouth still hanging up. I’m still processing stuff.

“Thank you for the commentary, Tasha.” His eyebrows get all scrunchy. “Hasn’t Ebb heard about Ebb Petty around school?”

Tasha shakes her head. “Probably not. I didn’t hear about her until you guys told me, then in class. And learning about The Battle of The Mage has been moved to fifth year magickal history. Headmaster decided it was too grim for the younger kids.”

Baz scoffs. “Well, she has a point. But I suppose Ebb will need at least part of that lesson early.” He looks back at me. “I think you should go talk to him, Simon.”

I shake my head out, finally breaking the shocked spell. “Uh, wait, why me? You’re better at this serious stuff.”

“Because I gave Tasha the talk on her namesake. Now it’s your turn.”

“Could we rock, paper, scissor to do it?” I say with a strained smile.

Tasha’s eyebrows shoot up. “Do you two seriously ‘rock, paper, scissor’ on parenting decisions?”

“No,” Baz says immediately. But when Tasha fixes him with an accusatory look (she’s very good at that), and he shifts uncomfortably. “Occasionally. Not on big things. Usually on who has to help you monsters with the dishes when we’re both tired.”

Tasha shakes her head and goes back to her food. I was only half kidding, really. Baz looks back at me. “Honestly, love, you’ll be better at explaining this. You’re the one who picked his name, and I think you’ll explain its significance the best.”

I chew on my lip, drumming my fingers on the table. I’m nervous. It’s not like I haven’t had hard talks with my kids before. But I still get nervous. I never had parents growing up (the Mage does not count even a bit), so I don’t have any blueprints for this. I've read books and learned from others to make up for it, but I’m always scared I’ll mess them up by accident. Baz assures me I’m not, that I'm a good dad, but that fear doesn’t go away. And from the look on his face, he knows I’m thinking about that again. We’ve gotten good at figuring each other out over the years.

Baz reaches across the table, holds my hand and squeezes. You’ll do great, he says with just his expression. I let out a breath and squeeze back. “Alright, be back in a bit.”

“Alright,” Baz says kindly. “The photo is still in the upstairs hall.”

“Okay.” I get up and start making my way down the hall. As I’m ascending the stairs. I hear Tasha say something.

“Papa, was I this bad when I was thirteen?”

“No,” Baz replies, “you were worse.”

The following snicker tells me Tasha has thrown something (probably her napkin) at Baz’s face. I stifle my loud snort. Ebb doesn’t need to think I’m laughing at him.

I walk down the upstairs hall. Ebb’s room is right at the end. Before I go in, I grab a particular photo on the wall. It’s not the original polaroid, since Fiona wanted to keep it. But it’s a good copy. I’m glad we have it. I like to look at it.

I get to Ebb’s door. It’s covered in KEEP OUT signs he printed off the internet. I knock firmly, but not too loud. “Ebb? Can I come in?”

“Go away!” he shouts. I know he’s trying to be forceful, but his voice cracks, which takes away a bit of the impact. Do not laugh, Simon, don’t you dare laugh. You’re supposed to be a good father, dammit.

“I know you want to be alone, but I really think we need to talk.”

There’s a short silence, only filed with the faint sound of creaking springs. Ebb must be rocking or shuffling on his bed.

“Are you gonna yell at me?” he asks. He sounds so small and nervous. It reminds me that no matter how moody or rude he is, he’s still my little boy, who cried because he couldn’t fit all his plush toys on his bed and he didn’t want any of them to feel left out. He’s not some monster, even if he was being a bit of a brat earlier.

“No, love,” I say kindly, “I’m not going to yell. I just want to talk.”

I wait through another short silence with mattress squeaking. “Okay,” he finally says.

I open the KEEP OUT door and enter Ebb’s room. He covered it in punk and metal band posters a few months ago. A lot of them are from Fiona. She’s very happy to “finally have someone in this family with good music taste.” (Sixty four years old and she’s still as punk as ever.) Ebb is sitting on his bed, back against the wall, oversized hoodie over his pulled up knees. The hood is up and the collar is pulled up to his freckled nose. He looks like a black blob. His curly dark hair is falling in his face. It reminds me of Baz when we were teenagers. He’s even got the same sort of haircut. Part of me wonders if he found an old picture of Baz and took it to the hairdresser.

I sit down on the end of the bed, giving Ebb space but not sitting too far away.

“Hi,” I say with a soft smile, showing him that I’m really not going to shout.

“Are you mad at me?” he asks. He’s trying to sound normal, but I hear the nervous twinge.

“No,” I sigh. “Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed, but I’m not mad. You know Papa doesn’t like loud noises, and I wish you would have talked with us calmly without making a scene.”

He burrows deeper into the hoodie, looking down at his knees. “Sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” I shift a bit closer. “You get to be a pissy teenager sometimes, it’s normal. God knows both me and Papa were.” That makes him smile a little. “But I’m the dad, so it’s my job to reign you in.”

He nods and emerges slightly from his sweater. “Okay.”

I grin, putting my hand on the bed near him. “Good, glad we’ve got that sorted. Now let’s talk about why you were upset.” Ebb frowns and goes back into his sweater. Parenting is two steps forward, one step back sometimes. “I’m guessing something happened with your name. Did someone make fun of it?”

Slowly, still beneath all that black fabric, Ebb looks up with his big brown eyes. I can’t see his mouth but I assume he’s pouting or frowning. “Yeah...”

My heart breaks a bit. I can’t help it. I know bad things will happen to him, it’s inevitable, but it still hurts me when my kid gets hurt. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I-It wasn’t that bad, really.”

“Doesn’t matter how bad it was, love, you can talk about it.”

Ebb emerges more, his arms moving more into his lap so he can fiddle with his fingers. “It was Dylan.”

“One of your Normal friends?”

“Yeah. He’s usually cool but he can be an arsehole sometimes.”

“Language, darling.”

He looks away. “Sorry, Dad.”

“It’s alright. So Dylan made from of your name?”

“Uh-huh. He asked me what ‘Ebb’ meant, and I said it was short for Ebenezer. Then he started laughing. I asked him why he was doing that, and he said he couldn’t believe my dads named me after the guy from Christmas Carol. I didn’t know what that was so I asked and he laughed at me more. Then he got everyone else to laugh with him. It was super embarrassing.”

I shift closer and put a hand on his knee. He doesn’t shove me off, so I keep it there. “I’m sorry, love, that sounds terrible. Kids can be really mean.”

Ebb blows air out his nose and nods. “Yeah, I’m starting to get that.” He shrugs slightly. “I don’t know. I just hated feeling stupid, y’know?”

I chuckle. It’s actually really good I’m doing this. Baz would do well, of course, he’s a great father, but this is definitely more my territory. “Yes, I really know that, darling. I completely understand. I felt stupid all the time as a kid.”

“Really?” he says with a surprising amount of shock. “But you’re so smart!”

“That’s very sweet, Ebb,” I say, still laughing a little. “But at your age, I didn’t think I was smart at all. I could barely speak properly, I needed Aunt Penny to tutor me in every class, and I was the worst mage ever.”

“I thought you were the Chosen One.”

“Yeah, but that was because of a prophecy and me exploding a lot. That didn’t mean I was any good at magic back then.”

He nods thoughtfully, similar to Baz when he’s reading. “Okay. That makes sense.”

“Glad to hear I make sense for once.” I move so I’m right pressed against his legs. “I really get why you were mad, Ebb. Dylan was being a jerk and that sucks. You’re allowed to be upset. Now I’m here to tell you something he doesn’t know.”

“Oh?”

I lean forward, a big grin on my face. “Dylan is a big dummy, because you’re not named after a Dickens character.”

Ebb’s eyes go wide, lips falling open. “Really?”

“Yes, really. I’m pretty sure I remember who I named you after.”

“Who was it then? Ebenezer isn’t a really common name...”

“No, it’s definitely not.” I motion at him with my hand. “C’mon, sit here. I’ve got something to show you.”

Ebb cautiously emerges from his hoodie cocoon, and sits next to me on the edge of the bed. He’s not pressed up against me but he’s very close. I flip over the picture frame. According to Fiona, she took this during summer break in a bar in Scotland. It makes sense. All three of them look properly sozzled in the photo.

“What’s this?” Ebb asks.

“Well, it’s a photo,” I say. Ebb knocks my shoulder.

“Oh for Merlin's sake,” he groans. “Just tell me, Dad.”

“Fine fine, if you insist. This is a photo from a very long time ago.” I point to seventeen year old Fiona’s smiling flushed face. “That right there is your Great Aunt Fiona when she was a teenager.”

“She doesn’t like us calling her Great Aunt. Says it makes her feel old.”

I snort, but it’s with kindness, I swear. “Yeah, that sounds like Fiona. But back to my point, that’s her when she went to Watford.” I move over to a familiar blonde man. The sight of his face doesn’t make my blood boil like it used to, but there’s a small ache. “That's her friend from school, Nicodemus Petty.”

Ebb’s face screws up. “Nicodemus? Really?”

“Yeah, and you thought your name was bad, kid.” He snorts and smiles. I feel like I’ve accomplished at least something. I bring my finger over to the last person. She’s grinning too, longish blonde hair falling in her face. Looking at her gives me a small ache too but in a different way. “And that, is Fiona’s other friend and Nicodemus’ twin sister, Ebeneza Petty. Everyone called her Ebb.”

I watch as Ebb’s eyes go incredibly wide. His fingers curl over the wooden picture frame. I let him take it from me. He holds it in his lap, staring at it. “That’s who I’m named after?”

“Mhm.”

“I’m named after a girl?”

“Yes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t let your Aunt Penny catch you talking like that.”

His mouth twists around with shame, so I think he gets it. He keeps staring at Ebb Senior’s face. “But, why did you name me after her?”

I knew that question was inevitable. I’ve been trying to figure out what to say in my head, but nothing really works perfectly. Oh well. Have to try my best.

“Well,” I sigh, “a lot of reasons. Biggest one was that Ebb was just a good person and I wanted to honour her. When I first met her, she was kind to me. She didn’t treat me like a Chosen One or a weird sort of Normal group home kid, she was just nice. I’d never had an adult simply be nice to me before her.”

“So, she was like your mum?”

I shake my head. “No, she wasn’t a mum. Ebb was just my friend, but she was a really good one. She listened to my problems and helped however she could, usually gave me advice and such. Sometimes she just let me hang out at her house. It gave me an escape from all the stuff I was going through. She let me just be a kid with her.” I sigh, mind going back to the memories of tea and little china goats. “I admired her a lot too, honestly. Ebb was super powerful like me, but she never let that define her. Y’know what she did for most of her life?”

“What?”

“Herded goats on the Watford grounds.”

Ebb starts giggling. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously. She herded goats, lived in a little cottage on the field, made tea, and that was about it. But that’s all she wanted to do. Ebb never let anyone tell her what she had to be. She was incredibly strong that way.”

Ebb looks up at me, sadness in his eyes. “You’re talking about her in the past tense. Does that mean she’s dead? Like Grandma Natasha?”

I sigh, then nod slowly. My heart is aching a bit more. “Yeah, she passed away a long time ago, love.”

“How did she die? Was she just really old or sick or something?”

I wish, I almost say. But that feels a little too sarcastic right now. “Well, the whole story is a bit too long and sad for right now. I’ll tell you all of it one day. But essentially Ebb sacrificed herself. She saved your Auntie Agatha’s life and lost her own because of it.” I stare at younger Ebb’s smiling face in the picture. I feel a few tears well up and I push them away. “Ebb didn’t want to be a hero, and she never should’ve been put in that position, yet she was one in the end, i guess. Because she was too much of a good person to let someone get hurt.”

“Do you miss her?”

I look down at him with a small smile. “Sometimes. Not as much as I used to, but the sadness comes back every once in awhile. Just like Papa and Grandma Natasha.”

I don’t tell him that I’m honestly mostly angry. Ebb never wanted to be a hero, and the magickal world just wouldn’t leave her alone. She should still be here, taking care of her goats, living in her cottage, being nice to my kids the way she was nice to me. But she’s not. And that’s so horribly wrong.

“Dad? Are you alright?”

I look at Ebb, my Ebb, again. He looks concerned. No matter how pissy he is, he’s still very empathetic and kind. He’s a good kid. Maybe I’m actually doing a good job as a parent. Maybe the older Ebb would be proud of me. At the very least, she’d be very happy for me. All she ever wanted was for me to be happy, and I am. I put an arm around my Ebb’s shoulder, and he leans into me.

“Yeah,” I say quietly. “I’m good, love.” I look him in the eye to make sure he’s listening. “Now, I’m not telling you all this to guilt you about being embarrassed over your name. You don't have to like it any more or less now. And if you want to change it, that's totally cool. Your Papa and me want you to be happy, and if that means going by a different name, okay. We’ll always love you no matter what. I’m just telling you so you understand where Ebenezer came from and why we picked it. Also so you know,” I poke his nose, making his face pinch up, “that we would never, ever name you after a Dickens character.”

Ebb laughs loudly. It snorty and raucous. My heart soars. That’s a sound I haven’t heard in awhile. How I’ve missed it.

“Okay,” he giggles, “I believe you.”

“Good, glad that’s all cleared up.

He smiles softly, leaning his head on my shoulder. He’s getting taller every day. I keep whining about how big our kids are getting and Baz just rolls his eye and tells me to not be sad over the inevitable. Tosser. I know he’s going to be a mess when they move away.

“I think I’ll stick with Ebb for now,” he says half into my shirt.

I squeeze his shoulder and kiss his head. (Well, his hoodie.) “Okay. Whatever you want.”

Suddenly, he throws both arms around me, hugging me tight. I’m shocked for a second. It’s been awhile since he’s hugged me, let alone this hard. “I love you, Dad.”

Well, my heart has melted into my shoes. I’m reminded of what Malcolm told me after Tasha was born. He only started having actual conversations with me after her. Maybe he felt we finally had something in common. He told me that being a parent is frustrating and rage inducing at times, but there will always be moments that remind you why you wanted to be one in the first place. This is probably (definitely) one of those moments.

I hug Ebb back. “I love you too, darling. Always will, no matter what.”

We hug for a little while. I savour it, a small part of me wondering when this will happen again. I like hugging my son, sue me. Eventually, Ebb pulls back slightly. He wipes his eye and nose with his hand. I grab the tissue box and hand it to him. I may have unbreakable poor hygiene habits, but I can teach my kids better ones.

“Wanna go watch Doctor Who?” I ask as he blows his nose.

“Okay,” he replies. “Are there still ice cream bars in the freezer?”

I grin and stand up, offering my hand. “Yup. We should raid them.”

Ebb smiles and takes my hand. He holds on tight. So do I. I’ll let him hold on as long as he wants.

We go back downstairs. Tasha’s upbeat pop music is playing from the kitchen. I’m not surprised to see her spinning and dancing with a dish towel in one hand and wand in the other. Little fireworks burst from the tip in time with the song. Baz is leaning over the sink, just finishing up with the last pot. He’s pointedly not acknowledging the music, save for tapping his foot. He’s still pretentious as anything, especially when it comes to music. Our eyes meet. He mouths “okay?”, and I nod.

I feel Ebb let go of my hand and watch him walk over to Baz. He throws his arms around Baz and mumbles a “sorry, Papa” into his shirt. Baz smiles, hugging Ebb back and whispering what I can safely assume is him accepting the apology and saying he loves him. Both Baz and I say “I love you” as much as we can. He didn't hear it a lot growing up and I didn't hear it at all. We want to make sure our kids will never wonder if they're loved or not.

Ebb looks up at Baz, chin digging into his chest. "Dad said we could have ice cream bars while we watch Doctor Who."

Baz raises his eyebrow at me. I smile sheepishly. "Did he?"

"Uh-huh."

"I see. Well then, someone will have to go to the basement freezer."

Ebb frowns. "I got them last time. It's Tasha's turn."

"No!" Tasha shouts. "I did it last time!"

Baz looks to me. "Do you remember who did it last time?"

I shake my head. "No clue."

Tasha and Ebb look at each other. It seems like they're communicating via telepathy. Baz says it's a sibling thing, that I wouldn't get it because I'm an only child. I don't have to have a sibling to know it's fucking weird.

"On three?" Tasha says.

"Loser cleans the stove?" Ebb replies.

"Deal." She throws her cleaning rag on the counter. "One...three!"

Tasha dashes off. Ebb pushes off Baz and runs after her. "Hey no fair!"

We listen as they run through the house. I walk forward and Baz immediately pulls me to him. I relax instantly. He’s always a solid weight I can lean against when I'm tired. His arms are steel bands across my back. I sigh against his neck.

"It went well?" he whispers.

"Yeah," I say. "Some kid made fun of his name and made him feel dumb. I told him that the kid was a jerk, that I know how he felt, and he definitely wasn't named after the guy from Christmas Carol."

Baz chuckles, running his hand up and down my back. "We may be mad but we're not cruel."

"Exactly. I told him about Ebb so he knows where his name really comes from."

"Did you tell him the whole story?"

I shake my head. "No, just that Ebb was a really nice person I loved, who sacrificed herself to save Agatha. We'll have to tell him the whole story one day though, before he learns about it in class.”

“Yes, very true. Let’s hope Ebb will understand it as well as Tasha did.”

“He will. He’s smart, he’ll be able to handle it.”

“Agreed.” He slowly runs his fingers through my hair. It’s not as thick and curly as it used to be, but Baz still loves to do that. “You did a good job, love. A+ parenting.”

My grin spreads across my face. I’m not smug, more relieved than anything. It’s nice to hear that I’m not fucking up my son. And I know Baz wouldn’t outright lie to me to make me feel better. He really means it. I’m doing alright. I’m giving my kids good childhoods, far better than anything I ever had. That’s all I want.

“Tasha! I touched them first!” I hear Ebb shout, followed by jumping steps coming up from the basement. Tasha literally slides into the kitchen on her socks. She holds up the book of fudge bars in front of us.

“Got them, I win!” she says with the biggest shit eating grin.

“Cheater!” Ebb stands at the doorway with hands on his hips. I don’t say it, but now his hood has fallen off, and with his loose curly hair and tons of freckles (he’s got more than Tasha and me combined), he looks like a pissed off fairy. He’s so adorable. “I touched the box first but she grabbed it before I could!”

Baz and I give each other with a “are we supposed to resolve this?” expression.

“Well, we don’t know the rules of this race,” I say.

“Except that the loser has to clean the stove,” Baz interjects. “So compromise, you both clean the stove.”

“Papa!” they both whine.

I flick his ear. Baz flicks my side in retaliation. This is the closest to our old brawls we get nowadays.

“Let’s have ice cream and watch telly first,” I say, taking the box from Tasha. “Then we’ll figure out what to do with the stove.”

“Fine,” Ebb sighs. “Can I pick the episode?”

“As long as it’s not the library. That one gives you nightmares.”

He frowns, though it’s closer to a pout. “Does not.”

“Does too.”

I open the box and start doling out the last four ice cream bars. Tasha snatches hers with a chirpy “thank you!” and runs to the living room. She wants to grab her favourite spot on the couch. Baz takes one and kisses my cheek. Finally, I give one to Ebb.

“Thanks,” he says with a soft smile. I’m pretty sure he’s talking about more than just the ice cream. I put my arm around his shoulders. He doesn’t flinch away at all.

“You’re very welcome, Ebb. Always.”

He leans on me again, putting an arm around my waist. “Do you think the other Ebb would’ve like me?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “She would’ve adored you.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. You’re amazing and strong and unashamed to be yourself. How could she have not loved you?”

He blushes with embarrassment, but smiles all the same. “Okay. I think...I think I would've liked her too.”

I grin, then kiss his soft, curly head. He doesn't pull away. “C’mon, let’s watch some David Tennant.”

We walk into the living room. Tasha is already in favourite corner with her feet on the ottoman. Baz is on the other side with his arm over the back of the couch. I sit next to my husband of course, and he pulls me close, rubbing my shoulder slowly. Ebb sits between Tasha and I, leaning his back on my side and putting his legs over Tasha’s lap. She tries to push him off but all that skateboarding has made his legs strong. Eventually Tasha relents with a huff. Baz gets the Amazon lady to dim the lights and start the episode Ebb picks.

We watch the show in relative quiet. Tasha makes snarky comments every once awhile, and Ebb pokes her with his toe, telling her to shut up. Baz calls them both annoying chatterboxes, but with lots of love in his voice.

It’s perfect.

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AN: Aw, what an adorable family. Tbh I just really the idea of Simon and Baz having kids. They would be good parents imo. And it's fun to explore in writing, cause I feel like both of them would have fears based off their own childhoods. I've done some stuff about that before and I like writing about it. Hope you all liked reading it. Until next time :D

#carry on #snowbaz #simon snow #baz pitch #future fic #children #family fluff #light angst #tasha snow-pitch #ebb snow-pitch #mysnowbazfic

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reid-fiction · 6 years

Text

A Little Early - Part 1

In which you are pregnant and go to a birthday party.

a/n: Okay, so I’m excited for this! This is going to be a 3-part story based on a great request I got from @reid-effect. I’ve tried to stay fairly close to her original idea, but I have changed a few tiny details. This is Part 1. The other two parts will follow in the next week, or whenever I have a moment to write them. Hope you enjoy!

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Spencer was hovering.

To be fair, Spencer had been hovering for the last 6 months or so, but in the later weeks of your pregnancy, it felt like he never left you alone. You weren’t sure if it was just the hormones that were making you more irritable than usual, but you honestly had moments where you were sure you were about to lose your mind and kick him out. If you didn’t love him so much, you probably would have already done that.

Being 32 weeks pregnant was no joke. Even though the last two trimesters had seemed to fly by, time was now dragging on and on and the circled due date on your calendar felt like it was ages away. It didn’t help that - even thought it was November - your house was unbearably hot most days. Spencer insisted that it actually wasn’t that hot at all but had told him that, until he was 32 weeks pregnant, he wasn’t allowed to argue with you about the temperature. You had just started your official maternity leave so, while Spencer was off at work, you found yourself mostly just sitting around trying to keep yourself cool.

It was boring, and you were over it.

Which is why, when JJ had called up Spencer a week or so ago and invited the two of you to Henry’s birthday party, you had immediately said that you’d go. Just the thought of being able to get out of the house and socialize for a few hours - even though it was a child’s birthday party - sounded like heaven.

Spencer, on the other hand, was a bit more wary of the idea. You still had at least a month to go before the baby was born, but your darling husband - with his encyclopedic knowledge of anything and everything - was worried. He knew the triggers of early labor and that was the last thing he wanted to have happen, even though you assured him that you felt absolutely fine. Most normal pregnant women were out and about right up until their due date and nothing went wrong.

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You could still remember the moment when Spencer had awkwardly brought up the idea of having a baby for the first time. Truthfully, you had been thinking about it since before you were even married, but your job was a lot more flexible and a lot less stressful and time-consuming than Spencer’s was. It would be a big commitment - not just for you as a couple - but also for him in his career if you brought a child into the mix.

Your second anniversary had just passed when he finally asked you if you wanted to try for a baby. You could tell that something had been on his mind for the past few days, but couldn’t put your finger on what it was. It wasn’t until the two of you were getting ready for bed one evening that he cleared his throat and bit the bullet.

“So, uh...I was thinking.”

“Mm? What about, love?”

“Well, we’ve been married for a while now and I feel like things are going pretty well, right?”

You had laughed, putting your toothbrush back in it’s resting place and reaching for a makeup remover cloth.

“I’d say so,” you replied, running the wipe over the product on your face. “This is a strange lead-in to whatever you’re thinking about, Spence.”

You were expecting him to respond with something silly like painting your bedroom or buying some new appliance, but you had nearly choked on your own tongue when he announced,

“I think we should try to have a baby.”

You had swallowed and turned slowly to look at him. The expression on your face a mixture of shock, confusion and slight amusement.

“You think we should...try for a baby?”

Spencer nodded, and you could tell that he was full of nerves.

“How long have you been sitting on this idea?”

“A while,” Spencer shrugged. “I just wasn’t sure if it was too soon?”

You smiled then, folding your arms across your chest and leaning back against the bathroom counter.

“Too soon? Baby, I’ve been thinking about having kids with you for years.”

Spencer had raised an eyebrow, and you swore you saw the beginnings of a smirk on his lips before he quickly shut it down.

“Really?”

“Yes!” you laughed.

“Why didn’t you say so before?” Spencer said, with a hint of a whine in his voice as his shoulders finally relaxed. “You would have saved me the last few months of agonizing over how to bring it up!”

You had walked over to him then, wrapping your arms around his waist, and peering up until your eyes met his.

“Let’s have a baby, Spencer.”

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It wasn’t that you were regretting your decision to have a baby - not in the slightest - in fact, you were positively giddy whenever you came home with a new item for the nursery. You couldn’t wait to be a mom, and you knew that Spencer couldn’t wait to be a dad. Even moreso, you could wait to see Spencer be a dad; the thought alone was enough to melt your heart.

But you were so totally, completely, 100% over being pregnant. You just wanted the baby out and Spencer to go back to his normal self because having him around you literally ALL the time was driving you nuts.

The morning of Henry’s birthday party, you weren’t feeling well. It wasn’t anything abnormal, there were many days when you woke up feeling like you had been hit by a truck and your baby was playing the drums on your ribs. That morning was no different. The baby had been incredibly active the night before which resulted in you not getting a lot of sleep. And, because you had been awake, Spencer had also been awake.

“Maybe we shouldn’t go,” he said at breakfast. “You look like you need to rest.”

“I’m fine,” you muttered. “The party isn’t until 1pm.”

“I just don’t want you to overexert yourself. There’s going to be a lot of people there and a lot of kids.”

“Spencer...” you sighed. “I need to get out of this house. I’m going stir-crazy. I feel like I haven’t seen anyone but you in a week. I’m hot, I’m tired, I’m bored, and I just want to have a few hours where I feel like I’m not a beached whale.”

You could see the hesitation on his face, so you slowly eased yourself up out of your chair and walked over to where he stood.

“I’m fine,” you reassured him, smiling this time as best you could and bringing his hand down to rest on your belly. “We’re fine. I promise. A few hours over at Will and JJ’s isn’t going to kill me.”

It took him a moment, but you finally saw his face relax when he felt your baby kick against the palm of his hand.

“A few hours,” he said. “But, if you start to feel too tired or overwhelmed, I want you to promise that you’ll say something so I can get you home.”

“Scout’s honor,” you answered. “Thank you.”

Spencer leaned over to place a gentle kiss on the tip of your nose, and you giggled.

Your stomach had settled down a bit by the time you and Spencer left the house, but you still weren’t feeling 100%. The two of you made a quick stop at the mall to pick up a present for Henry before making your way to Will and JJ’s place. By the time you got there, the backyard was already swarmed with kids. It was an unusually warm day for November, so all the parents had simply put their kids in warm clothing and sent them out to play. The screams and laughter weren’t exactly helping the headache that had come on a bit earlier, but you were just happy to be in proximity to other people.

JJ greeted the two of you with a hug, making a sweet comment about how amazing you looked. Truthfully, you felt like a walrus who was just trying to get yourself from Point A to Point B most days without breaking a sweat, but you appreciated the compliment. You imagined that pregnant women look amazing to everyone other than the person who is pregnant.

Michael - JJ’s youngest - ran and crashed into Spencer, giving his legs the biggest hug he could upon seeing you arrive. Spencer laughed, bending to lift the three-year-old up into his arms. You could feel your heart flutter with adoration whenever you saw Spencer interacting with a child, and your hormones threatened to bring tears to your eyes at the mere sight of him holding Michael, even though both kids clung to Spencer like a tree every time you saw them.

“When’s the baby gonna come, Uncle Spencer?” Michael asked, pointing to your belly.

“In a few more weeks, hopefully.”

“Hopefully,” you echoed, giving a very tired smile to JJ, knowing she understood exactly what you were experiencing.

The first hour of the party had gone down without a hitch. You had a few moments where you had to take a bit of a breather, but you were feeling much better than you had earlier that morning. Being able to socialize with other adults was also doing wonders for your mood.

It was just about the time where Henry was going to dig into his presents that you felt a sharp pain in your stomach. You grimaced, placing a hand on your bump and taking a slow, easy breath. You were thankful that Spencer hadn’t been paying attention in the moment, because he would have dropped everything and taken you home. The pain passed about 30 seconds later and you figured that perhaps your body had just not liked something you had eaten.

But, when the same pain came back about 10 minutes later, and then again in another 10 minutes, you started to get a little concerned. To make matters worse, the baby had decided to take up a position directly on your bladder. When you got yourself back under control, you leaned over to Spencer and squeezed his arm.

“I’ll be right back,” you said, quietly. “Just need a bathroom break.”

Spencer nodded, watching you as you waddled awkwardly into the house, before turning his attention back to Henry who was currently enthralled with a new LEGO set.

Spencer wasn’t particularly keeping track of how long you had been gone, but when the presents had finished being opened, he suddenly realized that you still weren’t back. Frowning, he turned and made his way into the house and down the hall in the direction of the bathroom. The door was still closed, so he knocked lightly, hoping he wasn’t about to disturb someone else.

“Honey? (Y/N), are you still in there?”

It took a moment, but then he heard your voice from behind the door.

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while.”

There was another pause, but then he heard the click of the lock and the door opened just slightly to reveal your face.

Spencer immediately frowned in concern. You looked incredibly pale and he could see a look of fear on your face that he didn’t like.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asked, opening the door wider and placing his hands on your cheeks. “You look like you’re about to be sick.”

“N-no,” you stammered, biting your lips. “But, Spence?”

“Yeah?”

“I think...I think my water just broke.”

To Be Continued...

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#spencer reid #criminal minds #fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #dad!spencer #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #dad!spencer fanfiction #reid x reader

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applegelstore · 5 years

Text

My sis and I are through with the actual main plot of KH3, so I can officially go back to scheduled ToZ fangirling now. …Well, I promised Cray a bit of fix-it-fanart, so after that, I guess.

Hit the cut for a resume. It got super long and has endgame story spoilers, so you might not want to stumble upon it by accident.

Another extra big shoutout (again!) to @crazayrock for bearing my liveblogging on Discord, screaming without context and occasional spoilers. And linking me fluffy Soriku doujinshi. Here, have my favourite, spoiler-heavy excerpt of our conversation:

Okay anyway, let’s get started: GAMEPLAY

Kingdom Hearts 3 is BEAUTIFUL. The gameplay is so smooth and intuitive that you can immediately get to playing like you’d never done anything else; in fact so smooth that I doubt I will ever be able to pick up the first game ever again. It’s always been fun, but the looooooong years’ gap actually did wonders to the gameplay.

The keyblade form changes are fun and keep things fresh, you can do flashy triangle button shit every other minute, and shotlock is still insanely useful without being a game-breaker.

It seems easier than the first two main games, though?

The gummi ship is still a pain in the ass to steer, but I do enjoy the open world-like travel options (even if there’s not… much to discover except heartless lasering the shit out of you). I’m also eternally grateful that they kept the gummi ship thing from KH2 where you can just use a new gummi ship once you got the blueprint and don’t buy actual fucking legos as in the first game.

Thank you, Square. Not thanking you for the dumb cherry flan game, though.

The Caribbean being basically an open world stage was delightful! Apparently what our resident island kid needs is a big ship and tropical islands to plunder.

VISUALS AND STUFF

PRETTY LIGHTS EVERYWHERE

The long gap between the games also did wonders to the visuals.

There’s finally, FINALLY a few towns with actual NPCs you can talk to. Why it took the team so many years and the Gods know how many games is beyond me. The magic effects are beautiful, the animations smooth (honestly you can hardly tell apart cutscenes and fully rendered CGI scenes in this day and age of the PS4. I’m probably the only person still amazed by this because the only games I played on PS4 before were a few hours of Child of Light and of course Tales of Zestiria and Berseria. No, I still haven’t played FFXV but that’s a topic for another day). How far videogames have come.Even space finally looks like space, lol. Not really high-end what the PS4 can do I assume but god, it’s such an amazing and much needed upgrade from the terrible textureless colourful tubes you flew through before.

No excuse for the terrible battleship thingy before the Keyblade Graveyard, though. I got lost and beaten up so many times and crashed against more walls than I can count.

Nothing beats the World that Never Was, but the Keyblade Graveyard also has creepy cool potential, as does the beautiful but ghosted City in the Sky.

Still not getting what’s with JRPGs and very Definitely Final Dungeons (TM) that are basically space. …………or heaven. Or nothing. I’m getting the bad kind of original NGE TV series ending vibes. But. Okay.

The soundtrack is splendid

.……I miss Traverse Town and Radiant Garden, however.

Which brings us to:

THE WORLDS

I guess I can live with no more Final Fantasy characters being there (although I always loved that), and the meta jokes in Toy Story world really got me. Seeing Disney characters calling the KH villains call out on their shit was delightful. …the KH characters lampshading their own games’ sloppy dialogue writing was delightful.Still, those Disney worlds are always so much more in my head than what I actually get to play. This has been bugging me ever since the first game and it still does. I do not expect or want to replay the entire movies, but would it hurt to give the cutscenes some goddamn background music? Whenever there’s cutscenes, either the world’s usual BGM keeps playing or the music stops altogether. Together with the shortened dialogues and generally drastically shortened plots with odd cuts, that leads to scenes that are awkward at best. They never even remotely have the impact the movies had. You just sit there and think “oh wow that is so silly and awkward”.

Dancing scene in Corona? My favorite scene in Tangled. Zero impact on me without the lovely BGM (at least they made it a minigame so the moment isn’t over after 3 secs). Just for example. You can ask me like, world by world, but I can think of only exception off the top of my head and it’s not helping:

Let it Go of course. Listen guys, I actually love the song. But it’s so overused (and Frozen is an overrated movie at best that doesn’t deserve its hype in the slightest) that I can’t even really enjoy it being there. Like.

 IF THAT’S OKAY WITH YOU,WHY DIDN’T YOU INCLUDE LITERALLY ANY OTHER ORIGINAL SONG FROM THE ORIGINAL MOVIES. Instead of BGM just not being there entirely, or in odd, cringey re-renderings that nobody wants to listen to (*cough* Atlantica *cough*).

Why torture me and not give me the one good scene from At World’s End (the up is down scene) when you had the chance?Kingdom Hearts is also prone to super lazy level design and wasting chances at wonderful scenery for no apparent reason other than I suppose empty cliffsides are quick to render. All games before did that, and KH3 is, sadly, no exception. We get to see a bit of Corona and Athens and they finally have NPCs, too, but you cannot even get near Arendelle. You cannot enter Elsa’s palace. You spend the entire time there climbing around in the snowy mountains of Norway, and unfortunately it looks less interesting than one would expect from the lovely concept art that the film unfortunately never used.You cannot enter Rapunzel’s tower although Sora can apparently parkour his way up even without her help.

………In short, the places you can go are, again, very limited, and a lot of interesting places and scenes you never get to see.

And to follow the plot you still only need the stuff that does NOT happen in those Disney worlds because they’re all beach filler episodes. It’s always been like that, but I keep wondering whether I’m the only one bothered by that. I’m also still salty they didn’t introduce a single new world from a 2D animated movie.

Also, as I said, I miss Traverse Town, it felt so warm and welcoming and beautiful.

And I get behind The World that Never Was missing although I loved it there, but why not give us back Radiant Garden? Destiny Islands since they’ve been restored? Disney Castle?

As much as I love the series, it never fucking lives up to its own potential. Idk whether it’s made more difficult by copyright issues or whatever, I just know that it bugs me.The first two games also had like twice as many worlds.

PLOT

I mean it’s never been deep; however, it’s complicated. No analysis or whatever from me because plot analysis and meta writing bore me like seven hells, just my emotional reaction: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  Okay, bad news. I got into it expecting nothing, and still got disappointed. I don’t actually enjoy the prospect of writing essays about it, but here’s my tea with it; in not particular order:

1) the pacing is terrible. Nothing happens for like 30 hours and then suddenly like 20 characters’ arcs are (naturally poorly) resolved within the last few hours of cutscenes. Build up anyone? At least they actually did pick up Maleficent and the box thing again. …In the epilogue.

2) Speaking of build ups, Sora’s breakdown could have been developed nicely and steadily over the game to feel natural, and instead it’s hinted at in the beginning by everyone picking on him, but then it’s never further developed and comes out of fucking nowhere. Like. For real? It felt terribly OOC.

3) Why on earth have they shown 90% of the plot in the trailers already, and why are those scenes so massively disappointing in context

4) Kairi. Oh god, Kairi. What are we gonna do with you. I want to love her, I really do, but she’s a prime example of shittily written female leads. Mostly because she’s not leading. It’s not her fault. She’s just a fictional character. But honest to God, Nomura, why. Her screen time is almost nonexistent, and she’s entirely use- and helpless whenever she’s on screen (which isn’t often). Her ONLY point in the plot is being rescued because she is fucking useless. Why. Just why. Why waste her character like that. All we know is that she’s shoehorned into being the token love interest, but she has zero plot relevance and there is even less build up of her relationship with Sora. It’s all tell and NEVER show; and not even much telling, either. She has literally zero direct interaction with in the entire game before they share their paopu. The question remains: why are straights like this

5) On a related note: look, I don’t even ask for (or expect, or even hope) my ship to be canon. Squeenix doesn’t exactly have a rich history in queer representation. I’m totally fine with Sora and Riku being best friends. BUT. Building up Sora as the most important person in Riku’s life (and arguably, vice versa) over the course of several games, just to then hardly have them interact in the finale and then SUDDENLY bring back Kairi into the equation, who hasn’t interacted with him since the ending of KH2 (except for one unsent(?) letter) is just piss poor writing, period.I actually love Cray’s suggestion she gave me over Discord: let Sora, Kairi and Riku all share a paopu together (and let them group hug, too, you cowards). It would have been the perfect message to send (Sora as truly all-loving hero, and loving all your friends equally; romantic love isn’t more important than platonic love and doesn’t need to be singled out). Really sad that this isn’t what happens. Apparently that wouldn’t have been no homo enough.

LET THE DESTINY TRIO GROUP HUG YOU COWARDS 

Do Riku and Kairi even interact once in the whole game?

 HOW IS THIS A TRIO, IT’S JUST A SHITTILY WRITTEN LOVE TRIANGLE

6) Time travelling is a bitch, Christ. It doesn’t solve plotholes or can be played for drama, it just adds MORE plotholes. It just got WORSE. The cloning blues and people not aging doesn’t help, either.

7) Just so you know, I care absolutely zero for wild fan theories. You’re not Nomura. I want a statement from the man who wrote this shit himself why on bloody earth Sora dies when he apparently successfully found and brought back Kairi (and since nobody aged a day, apparently it didn’t even take that long lol). DUDES, THIS IS KINDA PART OF THE PLOT, AND YOU DON’T BOTHER TO EXPLAIN IT INGAME???? And how was Ienzo/Zexion able to revive Naminé while Kairi was still missing/dead/whatever…?

Okay so in short the writing is worse than ever and that’s saying something.

However, let’s try to find something good in this trainwreck; it wasn’t all bad. There’s some really nice scenes which sadly are better enjoyed without any context at all.

So, guess my favourite scenes.You had time enough, here’s the solution:

1) Purifying uhm er rescuing Aqua. Poor girl. She deserves the rest. Poor, poor Aqua. The only properly wirrten female in the whole damn franchise. Also the only person other than Riku who fucking gets shit done.

2) The Gayblade (TM)

3) Happy Axel in the reunion with his kids. Oh god, the poor chap deserves it so much. Thank you, Nomura. I don’t care that it makes pretty much no sense. Make him happy. Give him his friends back. Just give Axel all his friends and let him happily set things on fire. Hi I love Axel

4) The party at the beach cutscene before the credits roll. Axel and Xion get clothes. Half the organization is on our side now. I almost teared up at the Wayfinder trio saying goodbye to Eraqus’ forceghost. Hey come on he’s the voice of Luke Skywalker

5) Sully yeeting Vanitas

6) Woody calling out Xehanort that nobody loves him

7) Jack Sparrow bad breathing Luxord

I wish we had gotten:

1) justice for Kairi

2) a happy Zexion, the poor emo kid. Well maybe now he will be, with all the orga members who changed sides now, lol.

3) I will never trust mobile games ever again so I don’t want to play KHUX but I would have loved to learn about the Keyblade Wars :;)))) 

WHAT WAS THE KEYBLADE WAR ABOUT CAN WE SPEND MORE TIME IN THAT COOL CITY IN THE SKY WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH MIKLEO I MEAN THAT EPHEMER KIDDO

 WHAT’S WITH THE MASKED DUDES AND DUDETTES FROM THE MOVIE 

WTF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AFTER THE MOVIE???? WHERE THOSE KEYBLADE USER NAMES ACTUAL MOBILE GAME PLAYER NAMES??? Next game? PLEASE?

I really, REALLY hope the epilogue means we will get Xiggy/Luxu as our new big bad and we learn more about the five dudes and dudettes from the movie. Please. PLEASE. I’m so up for it. Them finally pickung up the bit with Maleficent and the mysterious box again? Hell yeah.

The secret movie was really unexciting in comparison, although I laughed very hard at the “Verum Rex” scene in Toy Story world. Maybe that’s why it was much cheaper to unlock than in KH1 and KH2.

4) give Ven a drink

DLC ideas I would actually pay for because I’m a sad human being: 1) more Disney worlds 2) Japanese audio 3) at least one of the following as permanently playable characters: Riku, Kairi, Axel, Ven, Aqua. At least as a guest member as in KH2. THIS SUCH A BIG STEP BACKWARDS I’M FUMING

FINAL THOUGHTS

Kingdom Hearts 3 is a hella lot of fun, beautiful, and also moving when it sets its mind to it. Unfortunately it doesn’t always do so. I don’t feel like it wasn’t worth the wait; it was. However, I’m very salty how rotten the writing is. I do not mind logical fallacies, I do not mind the cheesiness and cringeyness; however, I do mind how so many interesting characters do not get the screentime they deserve, and Kairi is a very bad joke.

I’ll probably find more to nitpick about (Gods. Just. Don’t come up with dub excuses why Sora is lv 1 in each game. JUST LEAVE IT BE. You don’t explain why Donald and Goofy are lv 1 again, either. JUST. LEAVE. IT. BE. The sacrifice was dumb and not even moving, I’m just still furious that Kairi’s ONLY point in the plot is being so useless that it’s literally getting herself KILLED and she needs constant rescuing to the point that Sora has to sacrifice himself for her, effectively. Kairi deserves better, Sora deserves better, I deserve better than to think about this absurdity.…I’m just… gonna cherry-pick the good bits from the lore and try to pretend the finale didn’t exist, I guess. GODS.

#long post #random rambling tag

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hosseocc · 6 years

Text

What We Protect ~ Chapter 1 ~

Word count: 2,369

Pairing: BTS x reader

Genre: mafia, somewhat mystery, romance

Warning(s): none

(Not my gif, credits to owner!)

Prologue ~

If somebody had sat me down two years ago and told me that within the next year, I’d become a mother and move across the country to escape a crazed mafia organisation I barely knew anything about, I would simply laugh in their face. But if they also told me that my best friend would be the one to sacrifice herself to allow us to get away, I’d still laugh, only this time slightly worried.

When I think about the events that have unfolded over the past two years, I wonder how I haven’t been driven to insanity. Those moments in life that change absolutely everything you thought you knew about the world and the people around you are maybe only supposed to happen once or twice, but for me its my everyday life. Losing somebody is never easy, let alone a best friend – the person you’ve known as your other half for as long as you can remember. Whenever I think of her, I remember everything to be grateful for, all the times we spent laughing, crying and screaming together. The happy moments that are no more. But when I think of the sacrifices she made, I can only feel guilt.

Dragging myself out of bed and away from my dreary morning thoughts, I freshen up and make my bed before walking to the bedroom down the hall. Quietly opening the door and going to open the blinds, I sigh as I look around at the mess of toys, books and shoes scattered around the floor.

“Come on Jun, time to wake up.” I called out to the sleeping boy, cursing as I almost stepped on a lego piece. I pulled back the blanket from his small frame and watched as his eyelids slightly fluttered and opened.

“More sleep…” he grumbled, turning back to face the wall.

“We can’t do this everyday baby, you’re going to be late for school,” I started hoping my next attempt at getting him out of bed would work, “besides people who don’t get out of bed straight away aren’t allowed pancakes for breakfast.”

And with that, he shot up and ran straight to the bathroom.

“I want extra syrup on mine!” he shouted as his feet padded down the hall.

Our mornings usually consisted of one of us trying to wake the other up, because when there was no school or work I wanted to sleep in, but days where we both had to be up, Jun liked to make things difficult. It was almost as if he didn’t want to get up because he knew he had to. I wasn’t ready to accept the fact that I was possibly raising a smart-ass son.

Sitting down at the kitchen table eating our pancakes, my eyes wandered over to the calendar on the fridge and focused on writing in big red letters.

“Oh, shit” I mumbled as I groaned and closed my eyes. How could I forget about Jun’s birthday next week? I’ve been so caught up with work and evenings spent helping him with homework and playing games that it completely slipped my mind. Feeling like a rubbish mother, I let guilt overtake me and decided I would spoil him for my almost mistake.

I looked at him happily gobbling down his second pancake, “So…what do you want to do for your birthday baby?” I casually asked before taking a sip of my tea.

His eyes met mine and lit up as he let his fork drop to the plate, “ITS MY BIRTHDAY?!” he shouted excitedly, “I want a big party with all my friends and a big cake and lots of presents and sweets and-“

“Okay, okay! You can have whatever you want, lets get you to school first so we can tell your friends all about it.” I spoke.

I parked up near the school and we walked hand in hand to the entrance together, Jun still rambling on about how excited he was for his party. When we reached the gates, he immediately caught sight of his friends and took off running for them, forgetting about his things.

“Jun, your lunch!” I reminded him as I began to speed walk towards his friends. He turned back around and came running towards me again but went straight past my outstretched hand with his lunch in it and straight into my body. I stumbled backwards and smiled as he tightly wrapped his arms around my legs.

“You’re the best mummy in the world so you can have the biggest slice of cake at my party” he promised me, looking up and grinning from ear to ear.

I chuckled and knelt down to reach his level and enveloped him in a massive hug. “How generous of you baby. But you have to remember to be on your best behaviour until then, okay?” I reminded him.

“Does that mean I have to finish all my vegetables at dinner?” he frowned.

“Yes, it does. All your food has to be finished so you can grow big and strong like me!” I told him.

After another promise from him to be on his best behaviour, I kissed him goodbye, handed him his lunch and watched as he ran to his friends again. Staying until they had all gone inside the building with their teacher, I began to walk away when an unfamiliar voice stopped me.

“They grow up so fast don’t they?”

I turned my head to the left to see a man around my age with his hands in his pockets walking towards me. He had a smile on his face and stood next to me, watch the rest of the children go into school. As kind as he looked however, I was wary of him as I had never seen him before.

“Yeah, time flies without you even noticing,” I smiled, adjusting the bag on my shoulder, “sorry, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” I said, knowing full well I hadn’t, but trying to be nice at the same time.

“Oh, how rude of me to forget to introduce myself!” he laughed, extending his right hand out. “I’m Taehyung, I just moved to the neighbourhood with my daughter. Today’s her first day at the school.” He explained, with a wide grin.

Feeling reassured at the fact that he wasn’t some random man turning up to watch children at school, I returned his hand shake, “Hi Taehyung, I’m Y/n, lovely to meet you.” I smiled.

“You too” he reciprocated. I’ve always been a quiet person and extremely bad at keeping up conversations around people I didn’t know well, so unsurprisingly my mind went blank and there was a short pause before he continued.

“So, what’s it like around here then? I haven’t had a proper chance to look around yet.” He asked. Feeling better that he had managed to fill the silence first without me having to think of something quickly, I turned my body more towards his direction.

“Well, me and my son have only been here just over a year ourselves so we’re still getting used to it too. But it’s a nice little neighbourhood - not too quiet and not to far from the city” I explained.

“Yeah, that’s what I was hoping for, a little balance between the two. I feel like you might be my first friend here so maybe you could show me around sometime?” he asked, then quickly added, “only if you wanted to though I wouldn’t force you or anything.”

I chuckled and replied, “It’s totally fine! I could do with a friend now and then too. We could bring the kids along! What class is your daughter in?” I asked.

“That sounds great! And uhh, if I remember correctly, Yuri’s in class 3F” he answered, taking his phone out of his pocket, “how about we take each other’s numbers and we can plan when to meet up?” he suggested as he handed the phone to me.

“Sure, she has an adorable name by the way” I smiled as I began putting my number in. “Also, did you say 3F? That’s the class my sons in!” I informed him and handed back his phone before sending a text to myself to receive his number.

“Ah no way, what a coincidence” he chuckled as my phone pinged. I took it out and saw the time, realising I was running late for work.

“Crap, I’ve gotta go otherwise I’ll be late for work” I cursed, “It was really nice meeting you though, I’ll text you later!” I waved as I’d already started running towards my car.

“I’ll be waiting for your call!” his loud voice beamed from behind me. I got into the car and watched as he walked away in the opposite direction. Letting out a sigh of relief, I felt my cheeks reddening at the thought of becoming friends with somebody like him. There was no denying he was attractive, and the fact that we were both, well I assumed, single parents made the idea of becoming close more comfortable for me.

As I drove off, I thought about the last time I’d had a close friendship. After Mina’s passing, I really had nobody apart from my son. I didn’t want to take the time getting to know anyone else because I knew the bond we both shared was one in a million that I’d never be able to experience with anyone else. Sure, I was friendly with the other parents and my co-workers, but our conversations were only standard ones about the weather, any events going on or complaining about something that we both deep down, didn’t even care about.

Life has a way of taking something important away from you and giving you something even more precious back, so when I lost Mina I was convinced my life was over. That I could never be happy with because the one I shared all my hardship and happiness with was gone. But then Jun came along and I allowed myself to love and feel again. Honestly speaking, I didn’t think I’d be alive if it wasn’t for my son. Everything I do is for him, and if I don’t give him the best life I possible can, then I’ve failed as a mother.

My thoughts eventually drifted away as I turned into the work car park and dreaded the day of sorting and balancing accounts for clients.

Later that evening after I had given Jun his evening bath and he was enjoying his free time before bed, I sat down at the kitchen table to start on the invitations I had picked up from the store during my lunch break.

I began writing out the names of his classmates until I had one left over that was blank and tried to rack my brain thinking of who it could be that I missed out when I remembered that I forgot to tell Taehyung about the party.

I decided it would be best to ring him as it wasn’t too late yet and I could tell him before I forgot again.

He picked up on the third ring with a cheerful voice, “Y/n, hey! I was wondering when you would call” he admitted down the line. I felt flustered at the fact that somebody was actually waiting for me to call them as opposed to my usual state of not having anyone to call in the first place.

“Haha, it’s not even been a day! How was Yuri’s first day at school?” I asked, moving to sit on the sofa next to Jun who was watching the same episode of his favourite cartoon that he’s watched at least 20 times.

“She really enjoyed it, actually. I was expecting her to be scared about it but she was happy about all the new friends she said she’d made.”

“Aw, I’m glad to hear that. Worrying about your child fitting in at a new school can be scary but I’m sure she’ll be just fine. Jun settled in no time, you never know they could become good friends.” I joked.

“Yeah I was really worried before dropping her off but now I feel less stressed about it. She said she’s already been invited to a birthday party!” he exclaimed, sounding like a proud father.

Not feeling surprised at Jun’s tendency to let everyone know about his birthday whenever he got the chance, I rolled my eyes and laughed.

“That’s why I called actually, it was probably my son letting everyone know. He’s having a birthday party next Saturday and I thought it would be a great idea to invite Yuri to help her get to know everyone.” I explained, secretly hoping he would say yes because I knew what I really meant was it would give him and I a chance to get to know each other too.

“That’s so kind of you, Y/n. I’m sure she’d love to go, I’ve just got to prepare myself to hear her talking my ear off about it for the next week” he spoke, feigning annoyance.

“Try living with the birthday boy! I’m already ten requests down for two bouncy castles and about ten million balloons” I complained, looking down at the boy next to me who was still fixated on the tv as I ruffled his hair.

Taehyungs deep laugh vibrated through the phone and I found myself grinning like an idiot listening to it. Quickly wiping the smile off my face, I tried to focus on what he was saying.

“Well as long as they’re happy, we can’t really complain” he said, and I nodded along to the truth of his words.

“Yeah, you’re right. Well I suppose I better let you go and put the little one to bed now. I’ll give you Yuri’s invitation tomorrow when I see you.” I told him, before he said his goodbyes too and hung up.

When I put the phone down and rested back against the cushions, I saw Jun staring at me.

“What is it baby?” I quizzed, looking at his puzzled face.

“Mummy, who is Yuri and why are you inviting her to my party?”

#bts #bangtan #bts imagine #bts scenario #bts v #bts taehyung #bts imagines #bts mafia au #bts au #kpop scenario #kpop fanfic #kpop imagines #my.txt

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nerdwaifuu · 5 years

Text

A little Valentine’s Day thing with some father-son moments between the only ocs I’ve been writing about. Not my best, but hope that one person who reads this enjoys it. Also I’m sorry for not posting an oneshot the past two mondays, so I’ll probably write another oneshot (preferably a shipping oneshot. Don’t know what the shipping should be yet). Anyhoo, enjoy.

The streets of New Ninjago City, especially the parts of the city filled with shops, were painted pink and red for the up coming holiday. The sight of all the decorations was meant to spread love through the air, but did the opposite for Jasper. He never understood why such a holiday was celebrated to the point where decorations were put up like it was Christmas; he was glad that this holiday wasn’t as huge as Christmas or New Years. It was honestly sickening to him; romance was not his forte, yet signs of the approach of Valentines Day could be seen out the windows of Borg Tower, where he somehow snatched a job as part time tour guide when Pixal was busy with the Ninja.

With a sigh, Jasper checked the time in his robotic mind; he was grateful that it was time to finally go home. Down the elevator and out the door, Jasper averted his eyes straight ahead and away from the decorations and storefront windows using Valentines Day for their advertisements. Unfortunately, he had to deal with 3 more days of this. He couldn't imagine how the actual day was going to play out.

Finally, Jasper reached his home and went in. In order not to break the silence in the air, Jasper tried to close the door quietly, slipped his shoes off and tiptoed to the dining room to drop of his stuff. From the dining room, he could see his son sitting on the couch with a blank expression and earbuds in his ears. Sneaking on over to the couch, Jasper carefully sat next to him and gingerly took out one of the earbuds, which wasn't even playing any music; the music paused.

"Hey kid, I'm home," Jasper whispered. Slightly startled, Jason flinches and utters, "Sorry..."

"It's okay..." Jasper looks around the room and searches for something to talk about until his eyes fall onto the MP3 player he got Jason for Christmas. « What are you listening to? »

With a shrug, Jason quietly responded, « Don't know... I kinda zoned out... »

« That's fine. We can find out later. « Jasper gave Jason a smile, and Jason returned a small smile. Ruffling his hair, Jasper asked, « So, what's going on at school? »

« Nothin' much. Oh yeah, I kinda need to get some Valentines for Thursday... » Jasper raised an eyebrow and sighed. « Let me guess, you have a girlfriend, boyfriend, or crush that you want to show affection to by getting a gift they will get go through pretty quickly despite it representing your love for them because romance is so great and blah blah blah, » Jasper quickly claimed, resulting in a head tilt from Jason.

« Uhhh... wh-what? I don't like anybody like that... we just have a party in class where we can buy a bunch of Valentines stuff for all the students in the class. I haven't been able to do that cause you know who didn't care... » Jason trailed off and looked at the floor, but shook his head.

« Sorry, » he once again whispered, and then added, « Also, friendships and family love are important too. It's not just about romance and all that gross stuff. You don't need a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife to enjoy Valentines Day. You got me, and I have you. »

Jasper sat there impressed. Everyday he learns something new, and he was opened to a whole new perspective because of Jason. « Well, uh, you're right. Tomorrow I'll go get a bunch of Valentines for your class. » With a smile, Jason said, « Thanks, » and went to his room.

The next two days, Jasper slowly got into the spirit of Valentines Day. The idea of romance out of his mind, he lifted his head to the decorations and looked into the windows. The whole idea of Valentines Day was still weird to him, but this was only his first time actually celebrating Valentines Day. He went into a couple stores to buy Valentines gifts for Jason and for Jason to give to his classmates. He spent one night helping Jason have all the cards and candy set for his class and the little gift for his teacher.

Finally, it was the day.

After he got changed for school, Jason grabbed his gift for his father and followed the smell of pancakes into the kitchen. The sight of the gifts on the empty counter made Jason's heart leap. There was one of those large stuffed bears holding a heart, a container holding Reeses Pieces, and a small lego set.

« Oh my FSM, » was all Jason could say as he approached the gifts. He grabbed the bear and tried to hug the bear with one arm. It was one of softest things he had felt in awhile. « Thank you thank you thank you! I love it! I just... » Jason trailed off and set the bear down. He looked at Jasper and pulled out his gift for him. Looking down at the paper, he held it out for Jasper to grab.

« I made you something. Sorry that it won't be as great as this... » Jason apologized as Jasper told the piece of paper. His eyes scanned the paper, looking at the contents. It was a drawing that was drawn with crayons. There was a green ground representing grass, a yellow circle in the corner representing the sun, the top portion of the drawing was partially colored a bright blue, under that was the words « Happy Valentines Day! » written in pink, and under the words were two stick figures; one was shorter and a tiny little bandaid was drawn on the face of the stick figure, and both had black hair. Looking at the drawing brought a big smile to Jasper's face, and he could feel his eyes tear up; who knew androids like him could feel real emotions.

« What do you mean it won't be as great? I love this, » Jasper kneeled down and hugged Jason. He then stood back up and strolled over to the fridge. He grabbed out a magnet and stuck the drawing to the fridge. This action brought a small smile to Jason's face.

Turning back towards Jason, Jasper smiled and said, « Well, you better finish getting ready for school. »

« Right... » Jason was about to grab his breakfast and leave the kitchen, but before he could leave, Jasper stopped him. « Wait, » Jasper kneeled back down and hugged him again. « I love you kiddo. » Smiling, Jason wrapped his small arms around Jasper and said, « I love you too, Dad. »

Then Jason went off to finish getting ready for an exciting day at school with a bag of Valentines gifts for his class for the first time.

#oneshot monday?#ninjago oc #valentines

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smallerthanmilk · 6 years

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This one is about stuff

I don’t really know how to begin this one, I just have the urge to type; to express something that is useful for myself and nobody else. I feel many pent up thoughts and emotions growing inside my mind. I don’t know exactly what they stem from, however my guesses lie in a mix of anxiousness about my final counselling session, about needing to compose letter to my mother, and about other things in my life. (I may or may not go into detail about it later. I have yet to decide that one.) I’d like to put a thought towards loneliness. Because it got mentioned to me today, and because I feel slightly uncomfortable about the whole idea and I am slightly confused on my actual thoughts about my own personal loneliness. I know I easily am able to feel like I don’t belong, and I easily can feel unwanted. I am quick to mark down my own issues or possible input into a conversation as stupid and dumb and I will hesitate to say what I want to say. Because of that, I regularly find myself feeling oddly left out and alone. It is never due to who I am talking too. Often I will be given the space and ability to say what I could say, but I end up finding my speech too cooped up in my own head that I never can express it. It leads me to have conversations and questions that will always remain unanswered. Things I want to say, I want to get out, and the only one who ever hears it is myself because I’m the only one I feel who cares about it. Again, this isn’t because of anyone. This is just how I am. It’s something I am trying to work on, and I guess it stems from years of being called annoying every time I said or spoke anything. No-one was wrong to have said that about me, as I was indeed annoying. I see how my actions were irritating and my constant input remained unnecessary and was often just unwanted, however none the less that has effected me as I always find myself thinking through what I say when I initiate a conversation, be it text, voice, or just any add ins to any conversation that I am a part of but not currently participating in. That hesitation goes away the more I am in conversation, especially when its a quick response conversation, as I do not get given the thinking time the silence or lack of interaction allows. It also goes away with alcohol. My thoughts as a whole go away with alcohol, making me happier when I am drunk than I ever really am when I am sober. (This is one of the many reasons I refuse to drink alcohol when I am in a long low point like I currently find myself in, as I know how easily I can then continually give into the appeal of alcohol to maintain my positive, or rather, clear, mental state. Furthermore, if I do find myself spiralling when drunk I don’t know if I will have the self control to not return to my old habits of self harm - I will discuss this at another time-) I am currently typing this whilst in a play station party with my four friends. I don’t know if I would refer to them as my closest friends, it’s an odd thing friendship, especially in my mind. I don’t know. Two of them are talkative and typically online and happy to chat whenever they are free, and the other one is often quite held back, quiet and reserved. I don’t know why I am not giving them names. I really should just open up. I think I hesitate because of the possibility that they read this. I think I will opt to not tweet about this specific one, in order to hopefully not have them read this at the time of writing. I don’t know. It’s not that I don’t want them to care about the internal thoughts inside of my head but it feels odd that they could easily see exactly what I think about them. But I’ll just say. For point of reference for my future self, as well as to clear up this for later thoughts I have, because I guarantee they will come up in these posts again. ((Side note: If Ben, Tom or Toby do read this, first of all, I do apologise, I do not mean to offend you in anyway. I love you all, you are all great. )) I met these three back in the first year of college, in September 2016. They are all an awkward bunch in their own ways. Tom is very talkative, and probably the most perceptive and able to pick up on emotions. He’s the tallest of the three, and he’s moderately skinny, with grey-blue eyes and darker gold blonde hair. His face is okay, and his most noticeable facial feature is arguably his lips. He often wears pink skirts. I know. Interesting choice. He’s certainly entertaining to talk to, and probably the most interesting to talk too as he has so many diverse aspects to his personality (Basically, I haven’t gotten bored of him yet.) I’d put his main interests down as Hit-man (he’s got every single award he could for it), Star-wars, Lego, and numerous other video games. Me and Tom have regularly chatted well into the early morning until one of us passes out, and I mean chatted in a voice call of some sorts, be it Facebook messenger or a play station party. Out of all of them, he probably knows the most about me, but as a result of that, he’s the one I can find myself worrying about the most as I have reached the point that I know him too well, and my brain is easy to assume he has had enough of me and hates me. His family life is well... pretty interesting? I think that’s one of the reasons why we get on so well because he can at least have some sort of understanding to how it can effect you in so many ways. I find our friendship rather odd to be honest. I haven’t particularly ever had a friend as close as him who is male, and I he’s what I call my guinea-pig friend, where I try to just say whatever is on my mind without the complete hesitation in hopes to force myself to avoid the odd trust issues I have. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked. I really need to not let it get to me and get in the way though, and at the start my intention was to be 100% completely honest with him but I have kind of said numerous lies to him. Not because I wanted too, but rather out of necessity. Tom has REALLY hairy legs. DOn’t know why you want to know that fact but I felt like putting it down. Then there is Ben, who I often call Benno or Benji. Don’t ask me why, I just like it. Benno is really really precious. Like, adorably so. Honestly, if anyone tried to hurt him I will not hesitate to stab a bitch. Yes, he probably could defend himself, I don’t doubt that fact, but still, ain’t no body hurting my home boy Ben. (I would also protect Tom and Toby in like a heart beat but like, Ben MORE so because he’s just super precious? I can’t explain it particularly.) Ben is also pretty tall (Only slightly smaller than Tom). He’s a normal dude size, like, not particularly muscle, not particularly over or underweight, just a good in between. His best feature, for sure, is his eyebrows. Seriously, I am just jealous of his eyebrows. They are fantastic eyebrows. Ben is a white shirt and black blazer-like jacket/coat type of person. (Knowing him, if he read this he would correct that to be the specific word that i mean to say). Ben is ruggedly handsome, and probably looks the oldest of our group. He often wears glasses, and has dark, near black, hair. Ben is genuinely so great. I am not even kidding. He listens to 30′s jazz, some classical music, and he is pretty into star trek, guns, tanks, cars and that typical man stuff. If I need to talk to someone, I know I can always go to Ben, He’s good at listening to what I say and offering good ideas and advice, but often I feel like I don’t want to put it on him. I like Ben's company, and he has a very good voice to listen too, like, I like how he annunciations his words and its just got a good depth and tone. 10/10 Benno, good voice. Ben’s arms are unexpectedly hairy. I am unsure about his legs, I have not paid enough attention to them. Then finally, there is Toby. He often doesn’t talk, and doesn’t often participate in our meetups or in the conversation. He is cute though, like really cute. Toby is good at making good points and when he does input into the conversation it really adds to it. I really enjoy the times we talk though few and far between. It is due to his lack of regularity that I withhold from ever getting particularly close to him as I know I cannot depend on him to be there if I need it. It kind of sucks, and puts this unnecessary distance between us. But it’s okay. I know he’s still alive and is the same old Toby we know and love. Toby’s nickname is the Toaster. I don’t really know why, it just is. He’s the shortest of the lot, and he always somehow looks the same? Like, he does gradually look older in the images from before too present, God, I spent so much time wording that all out that it took at least 40 mins. Whoops. It was worth it though, because now at least you guys have some idea of the people that will come up in these posts. I don’t really have much else to say or add on this one, I’m kind of bored of thinking about loneliness. I’ll come back to it at a later date.

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wolf-in-the-stars · 7 years

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PROMPT: “My kid followed you out of the store because you’re wearing the same coat as me and they got confused” AU

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

I know, I know, I promised this week’s (months) ago but I’m literal trash and have so busy but I hope you guys like it!! tw: abusive past relationship.

- Remus couldn’t stop smiling all day.

- Sirius had texted him first thing that morning, then continued throughout the day.

- It started off with Sirius wishing him a good morning and talking about last night.

- Then they started flirting, talking about what their first date would be like and how Sirius would definitely woo Remus with all the chocolates.

- Then they started sending silly joking messages that made Remus let out a breathy laugh each time.

- He could feel his stomach fluttering and his cheeks heat up everytime his phone buzzed in his pocket.

- Dora kept poking fun at him, but kind heartily.

- She was over the moon that Remus finally seemed to let someone into his life.

- He had a rough past when it came to relationships.

- He’d only ever been in one real relationship, and that ended badly.

- To be honest, the whole relationship was bad.

- Dora despised that man that Remus used to be with when they were 16.

- The way he used to treat Remus disgusted her.

- Fen was older than Remus by at least 5 years.

- At the beginning, Remus felt special that an older man wanted him.

- That was until 5 months into the relationship when the abuse started.

- It was a long three years when Remus was with Fenir Greyback.

- He tried to leave, but he couldn’t.

- Fen had a hold over him that frightened everyone.

- Since the end of that relationship, he decided to never to get involved in another one.

- And that was over ten years ago.

- He had the odd fling now and then, but nothing note worthy.

- But since having Teddy, the flings had stopped.

- This Sirius person, however, seemed to be wonderful and really captured Remus’ affection.

- And for that, Dora will always be grateful to them.

- Teddy was sat on a cushion on the floor in the living room playing Batman Lego and chatting out loud to anyone that would listen.

- He couldn’t stop talking about how fantastic last night was playing with Harry and Padfoot and kept mithering about when they could go visit again.

- Sirius texted and asked Remus the exact same question.

- Remus was sat in the armchair watching Teddy play his game and holding his phone to his chest, awaiting the next reply.

- Dora walked into the room holding a brew for each of them.

- She placed Remus’ down on the table next to him and earned a “thanks love” in reply, though he didn’t look away from the TV screen.

- “Go out with them tonight, Remus.” She pushed.

- Remus looked up with a start.

- “Don’t you think it’s too soon though? I mean, we only met yesterday …” Remus fretted whilst picking at the edges of his phone case.

- “Does it feel like it’s too soon Remus? Honestly?” Dora placed her open palm on his shoulder.

- “I think they really like you, and I think you really like them. You owe it to yourself to at least try.”

- Remus was silent, but nodded slightly.

- Dora sighed heavily and dropped down into Remus lap.

- “You’re insufferable, Lupin,” she complained.

- “Yeah, whatever Tonks,” he rolled his eyes and nudged her with his shoulder.

- She chuckled lightly and ran her fingers through his hair as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

- “You’re scared it’s going to be like last time, aren’t you?” She whispered so Teddy couldn’t hear.

- He had finally stopped chatting about Harry and Padfoot and was enthralled in his game.

- Remus bit the inside of his cheek and stared down at his phone.

- “I don’t want to loose myself again, Dora.” He confessed, “I have Teddy, you and Fleur. I don’t want to loose my independence and become solely reliant on them.”

- He sighed heavily and leant around Dora to pick up his cup of tea and took a small sip.

- “Fen was nice at first, too.”

- “I know, love. But I think Sirius will be different. They already sound amazing.”

- They fell silent watching their son who was oblivious to the melancholy mood that had fallen over the room.

- The front door suddenly opened with a call of hellos.

- Teddy gasped and jumped up in cheer and ran towards the hallway.

- “It’s maman!” he chanted.

- “Salut la famille!” Fleur smiled as she walked into the living room, Teddy attached to her hand, looking up to her in awe.

- When she saw Remus and Dora cuddled up on the arm chair, she threw her hand to her mouth with a comical gasp.

- “Unhand my femme, Monsieur Lupin!” She playfully scowled and pointed at him.

- “Never!” He wrapped his arms around Dora’s waist to keep her from moving who jokingly squirmed in his grasp to reach her wife.

- “Teddy! The terrible Pirate Monsieur Lupin has taken me hostage!”

- Fleur fake gasped and bent down to Teddy’s level.

- “Theodore, whatever shall we do to recuse the fair maiden?!”

- “I’ll save her, Maman! For Mummy!” He howled his battle cry and ran towards his Daddy.

- Remus chuckled and held his hands up in mock surrender.

- Dora quickly jumped up and over to Fleur and planted a sound kiss onto her lips.

- Teddy screamed with laughter and dived onto his Daddy, tickling his small fingers under his arms.

- “Argh, ye got me, ye got me! I handed da booty!” He chuckled like a pirate, tickling Teddy’s sides in retaliation earning childish squeals in return.

- “How was your trip, love?” Remus smiled whilst manoeuvring Teddy into his side for a cuddle.

- Dora pulled Fleur over to the sofa on the wall near the chair and wrapped herself around her.

- “It went well,” she smiled, settling herself against Dora’s shoulder, “anything exciting happen whilst I was away?”

- Remus blushed slightly whilst Dora beamed.

- “I made new friends, maman!” Teddy pushed out his chest with pride.

- “And also ran away from Daddy whilst at the supermarket, didn’t you mister?” Remus furrowed his eyebrows with a mischievous smirk.

- Teddy bit his lip with a shame face.

- “Teddy.” Fleur scolded.

- “But, that’s how I met Harry and Padfoot, Maman!” He whined.

- “Ooh, Harry and Padfoot? Is that your friends dog?” She smiled with genuine interest.

- Remus barked with laughter whilst Dora giggled into Fleur’s neck.

- Fleur furrowed her perfect brows with confusion.

- “No,” Teddy said as-a-matter-of-factly, “Padfoot is Harrys God-Daddy! He’s is Daddy best friend and his Papa’s brother, Harry told me!”

- “Yeah, and Remus and Teddy went over for a play DATE yesterday, didn’t you?” She winked at Fleur, hoping she’d pick up on her meaning.

- Which of course she did if her bright smile aimed at Remus was anything to go by.

- Remus blushed even harder than before and sunk a little lower in the chair, jolting Teddy on the way.

- “Yeah, and it was soooo much fun! Daddy made hotpot!” Teddy patted Remus on the head in a loving gesture.

- “Oh, hotpot,” She groaned, “what I wouldn’t do for some of your famous hotpot, Remus. I haven’t eat properly all day!”

- “There’s some left in the fridge that I can warm up for you, Fleur,” he smiled, standing to his feet whilst picking Teddy up and putting him down in between his Mum’s.

- He quickly placed a kiss to Fleur’s cheek and walked in to the kitchen.

- “I saw Daddy and Padfoot nearly kiss yesterday, maman!” Teddy whispered when his Dad left the room.

- “Really?” She cooed, her eyes shifting to Dora’s. “Do we approve?”

- Dora shrugged, cuddling Teddy tighter to them.

- “I haven’t met them yet, but they sound lovely. Remus looks positivity smitten today, and Teddy likes them, don’t you?”

- “Yeah, they’re cool.” Which was high praise from him.

- “Their name is actually Sirius, apparently Padfoot is a nickname but, yeah. They sound like they really like Remus, keeps asking to go on a date with him.”

- She heavily sighed and picked at a pick of fluff stuck in Teddy’s hair.

- “But you know what your Daddy’s like, don’t you pal?”

- Teddy nodded.

- “But I think he should date them. I don’t like him being lonely.”

- Fleur’s face fell.

- “Your Daddy isn’t lonely, bébé. He has you! And us.” She caressed his cheek.

- Teddy sighed dramatically, leaning into her palm.

- “I knows, but what about when we go back to our house? Daddy’s on his own thens. He must get a little sad.”

- Dora lifted up her head at that. She hadn’t thought about that before.

- “Well, why don’t we go and set a little date up for Daddy with Padfoot then, hey?” She winked with mischief. “It’s got to be a secret okay? Can’t tell Daddy. It’s a surprise!”

- “Yeah!” He cheered loudly, then slapped his little hand to his mouth.

- “Yeah” he whispered again, earning a giggle from his mum’s.

- “Come on then you. Let’s go see Sirius. Fleur-”

- “I know, I know, I’m distraction.” She winked, kissing both of their cheeks and walking into the kitchen after Remus.

- Dora gave herself a second to stare lovingly after her beautiful wife, before jumping off the sofa with Teddy in hand.

- They quietly snuck out of the front door and ran over to Sirius’ house next door, both of them tripping up over the step to knock on the door.

- The door open slightly where a person with a furrow eyebrow stood.

- “Oh hello again Teddy, you must be his mum.” They said, flinging their door open wider with a larger smile.

- “Wotcher Sirius!” Dora beamed, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Tonks. Remus and Teddy haven’t stopped talking about you all day.”

- Sirius blushed prettily and ran their hand through the back of their hair.

- “O-oh, really? I hope they said only good things,” they bit their lip with a smirk. “Please, come in.“

- “Of course,” she winked and stepped over the threshold. “You’ve a lovely home.”

- “Thanks.” He smiled brightly.

- “Anyway, I’m here to ask if you have any plans for the evening? Remus would love to go on a date with you, but he’s a little shy, bless him.”

- “Oh,” Sirius sighed a little, “are you sure it’s just being shy, and not the fact he just doesn’t … you know, want to? Go out with me, I mean?” They shifted a little awkwardly.

- “Definitely not!” Dora rushed.

- With a quick look down to Teddy, she turned back to Sirius to whisper.

- “It’s not my place to say, but Remus hasn’t had good … experience when it comes to relationships or anything.”

- Sirius nodded and listened intently to her.

- “Do you think he would want to try? With me?” They seemed uncertain.

- “I think if he were ever to try, it would be with you.” She beamed. “He’s smitten for you.”

- “Yeah! His face keeps going all red when you text, like this,” Teddy rubbed his hands on his cheeks very fast so when he pulled away, they were red raw.

- Sirius chuckled.

- “Is that so? Well then, in that case.” They winked.

- “Brilliant! Say 7pm pop over to pick him up? I’ll make sure he’s ready. He likes Indian food.” Dora smiled.

- “I’ll be there. Thank you, Tonks.”

- “Just make sure you treat my baby Daddy right, okay? I know where you live” She grinned.

- “I promise.”

- Dora walked towards the front door, Teddy holding her hand again.

- She stopped with a jolt and turned back.

- “Wait a minute, Sirius … Sirius …” She mumbled to herself. “Is your last name Black?” Her eyebrows furrowed.

- “Erm … yes?”

- “Holy shit.” Her eyes widened.

- “Mummy! That’s a bad word!” Teddy scolded.

- “What?” She confusingly turned away from Sirius to her son, then back again, “Oh, yes, sorry, sorry Teddy you’re right, I meant shoot.”

- Sirius sighed heavily with a dejected look.

- “I guess you just realised who I am and want me to stay away from Remus, right?"

- "No, it's just-"

-"It's okay. I get it. Its because I’m the elusive ex-heir of the Ancient and -”

- “-Nobel house of Black.” Dora unconsciously finished. “Yeah … this is going to sound crazy but … we’re cousins.”

- “What?” Sirius and Teddy both said in unison.

- “I’m Andromeda’s daughter.”

- Sirius’ eyes grew twice their size.

- “Nymphadora?”

Tiny cliffhangerrrrrr, I hope you liked it! Sorry it took so long, don’t hate me

#wolfstar #remus lupin #fleur delacour #nymphadora tonks #teddy lupin #the marauders #part 3 #more wolfstar in the next part #sorry it took so long #hope you like it!#prompts #hc #prompts and hc #mine #these nerds #teddy is the cutest #sirius black

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