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#then of course we have 7 more tracks after that
sswiftiestars · 21 hours
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Black swan (part one)
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tws: mentions of sex? anakin is a little shithead, some misogynistic undertones from anakin cuz yk he’s a man after all, this is probably badly written cuz I haven’t wrote in a while :( use of y/n and pet names, anakin is a virgin are we suprised no
A/n: this has been a idea sitting in my drafts for MONTHS and I finally got the motivation to finish it.
Summary: You’re assigned a mission on Naboo to protect the senator, and so is your old friend you haven’t spoken to in four years.
Anakin is the black swan to your white swan. not in a bad way. Well, that’s what you think. ever since you were younglings in the temple, he always got you in trouble. Your master, Master windu, or master window as anakin calls him, never liked anakin. Anakin always got you into rather difficult situations to get out of. But the two of you were inseparable. Up until the age of 15.
Anakin couldn’t control himself, you’re innocent, and anakin couldn’t keep up with his teenage hormones. the only time you two ever talked in the span of ages 15-18 were when absolutely necessary. Even in the most dangerous situations, whenever he looked at you, he got hard as a damn rock. He avoided you at all costs. Any time you came up to him to try and start a conversation, he would pretend he didn’t hear you and walk away.
it’s been four years now since anakin stopped talking to you, and obviously you moved on, but you always wonder what made him stop talking to you. Maybe your master told anakin to leave you alone, I mean, he did always get you into trouble.
“Y/n” master windus voice comes from your com link. “yes, master?” You reply. “You’ve been assigned a mission. come to the council chambers.” He says in a uninterested and monotone voice, as usual. “Yes, master. I’ll be there.” You say, he hangs up and you groan. Seriously, a mission? you know you’re a padawan now, but it seems like the council has been putting you on missions 24/7 now. You put your light brown robes, grabbing your lightsaber before leaving your quarters.
You head to the council chamber and bow your head. “Greetings, Young Y/L/N” Master Windu says. “You have been assigned a mission on Naboo to protect senator Amidala, and—“
“Im sorry, im late—“ someone says, entering the chambers. you turn around to see a familiar face. Anakin Skywalker. he looks so much older now, so much more— you stop your thoughts. You’re a Jedi, you can’t think of such things! Anakin lays his eyes on you and blushes, smirking slightly. Obi wan notices this and glares at him.
“I apologize for our tardiness.” Master kenobi says, looking away from anakin. “I had to search around the entire temple to find my padawan dozing off in the training room.” anakin narrows his eyes at his master, a frown on his tan and now flushed face, “excuse me—“
“As I was saying.” Master windu interrupts him, “Y/L/N, skywalker will be accompanying you on a mission to track down a assassin on Naboo that has been threatening Senetor amidalas life. You’ll be staying at a lakehouse to watch over the senetor”
“yes, master windu .” you and anakin say at the same time.
“You two will be alone on this mission, not accompanied by me or Master windu. Don’t be foolish. Stay on Naboo. I’m taking to you, anakin.” Master kenobi says, targeted at his misbehaving padawan. Anakin rolls his eyes and the meeting concludes.
Seriously, im stuck on a mission with him? You think to yourself as you and anakin leave the chambers to leave for the mission.
Anakin finally breaks the silence when you make it to the small ship. “Have you been on a mission without your master before?” He asks nervously, trying to make small talk. You shake your head. Anakin nods, “well, at least you have me.” he smiles. You both laugh and get into the ship. “You know how to fly, right?” You ask. Anakin smirks and sits in the piolets seat. Anakin chuckles, “Of course I do, i can do anything.”
you shake your head, “you’re arrogant, you know that ani?”
“Is that really a bad thing, angel?” He says as you take off.
this is gonna be a long trip, isn’t it?
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actually it was extremely baller of hozier to put an all strings/wordless vocal track right in the middle of an album which already pretty much flays you alive for how good it is. like yes girl, haunt the fuck out of me lure me to that twilight grave from whence you came.
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prickly-paprikash · 12 days
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Pushing aside the fact that I am, quite possibly, a Kendrick fan—disregarding my biases, I think Drake needs to stop. Push Ups was a good diss. Surface level, vapid, but it possessed that mean, petty spirit that carries a diss track all the way. Even bringing up accusations that are, realistically speaking, unlikely still works because a diss is supposed to show just how much you hate a person and how cleverly you can bring it.
Taylor Made was weird. I get that it was a strategy. Drop the main diss first and then drop this one to really prod at Kendrick. Using Pac and Snoop AI voices sucks though. Distilling Kendrick as Taylor's underling also doesn't work because Kendrick only collaborated with her once (twice when they remade Bad Blood) and that's it. Meanwhile Drake is out here always looking for new, up and coming artists to pounce on their trends or cling to established artists. Then it got taken down, because of course it would have been. You used 2Pac's voice. Did you really think his estate, his family, wouldn't do anything?
So he bought Pac's ring and used his voice without permission. More and more we see just how much of a vulture Drake is.
And then Euphoria drops.
Your first diss was met with solid reactions. Your second got taken down. Kendrick drops on a random hot Tuesday, and in a matter of hours surpasses your numbers that took weeks to accumulate. Kendrick did that. Euphoria was also harsh, clever, and sounded so good that people kept replaying it over and over again. Once more, Kendrick schools you.
A few insiders then say that Drake will drop that night. Right after. But he then allegedly gets cold feet. A few hours later from when Drake was supposedly ready to drop but backs out, Kendrick drops 6:16 in LA.
In your previous disses, you begged Kendrick to drop something with quintuple entendres. Euphoria did that. But he took it a step further by naming his second diss 6:16 in LA.
June 16: Father's day. Referencing the fact that Drake has been proven to be a deadbeat father.
June 16, 1971: Tupac's Birthday. Kendrick idolizes him. Drake steals from him.
June 16, 2019: First episode of Euphoria drops. A show Drake is listed as a producer on. A show about underage girls entering a life of sex, substance abuse, and more. Things that Drake has been accused of repeatedly in the past.
June 16, 2011: in June 2, 2011, Kendrick posted on his twitter that there will be a concert at Toronto on 6/16. Allegedly this is where Drake and Kendrick first met.
6:16 AM: The time of release for this track.
6:16: Multiple possible Bible verses, given Kendrick's Christian background.
Other claims felt like reaches though, so I'll stick to that.
The final two lines of 6:16 also reference the Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, and their song "You Are Not Alone". Drake, who has always claimed he is Michael Jackson or at the very least his equal/successor, is now tied to him in a way he does not want. Because we know all of the dirt that came out after MJ's death. We all know what R. Kelly was sent to prison for. And we all know what Drake has been accused of multiple times.
Kendrick also alludes to the fact that you have a leak in your circle, Drake.
So Drake drops Family Matters. A scathing 7 minute song that makes fun of the GKMC van. Saying that Kendrick's daughter isn't his. Saying that his wife cheats on him with security. Saying that he beats his wife.
Now, these are enormous accusations levied. But Kendrick has responded before, years ago, that the DV accusations were false. He has also always been open about his faults. Adultery. Sex addiction. Insecurity. God complex. Kendrick, for better or worse, has always laid out nearly every aspect of his younger life on his songs. This also helped by the fact that in both Euphoria and 6:16, Kendrick says that Drake has spent millions on finding dirt on him but came up with nothing. Again, these accusations can still be proven true and if so, Kendrick needs to be held accountable for them.
But if not? Then Drake just adds another to the pile of "He's a liar and a master manipulator."
Drake also posts a Parody on his Insta that gains little to no attention because 30 minutes after dropping Family Matters and supposedly going on his victory lap, Kendrick drops meet the grahams.
Another thing. 6:16's cover was a glove. That meant nothing to us, the audience. meet the grahams makes it make sense by zooming out of the glove and showing off a shirt and drugs that Drake supposedly uses. Drake has not had any receipts with his accusations against Kendrick. Kendrick puts Drake's supposed prescription, his full name, on a bottle of Ozempic. Kendrick, for now, seems to make good on his threat. OvO, Drake's company, is full of leaks. And they're leaking it straight to Kendrick Lamar.
Nearly 24 hours later, Kendrick drops Not Like Us.
Euphoria was a general character dissection and assassination of Drake: Insecure about his identity as a biracial man. Culture Vulture. Blaccent user. Code switcher. Fake abs. Womanizer. Misogynist. Using black features just to feel black enough. A deadbeat dad that knows nothing of raising a child. And even revokes Drake's ability to use the N-Word (I have no stake in that I am Asian so I will keep my brown mouth shut for that).
6:16 in LA was an ominous threat that slowly reveals that Kendrick has insider information on Drake. That he is ready to leak so much more should Drake continue.
meet the grahams is a brutal open letter to Drake, his parents, and even to Adonis, Drake's son. Saying that Kendrick could be a better mentor to Adonis. Saying that Drake abandoned you and that's not your fault. Don't be like your father—whatever anyone says, for better or worse, you are a black man and don't code switch just to make yourself feel better. He says that Drake failed his mother for what he did to women. Saying that Drake's father is the cause of his gambling issues. Drake is a body shamer. Leaving the mother of his children to rot. And of course, the reveal that Drake has a secret daughter, the same way Pusha T revealed Drake has a son. Adonis.
And of course, now. Not Like Us. Where Kendrick goes all in on one topic that he has alluded to in every diss track before. Drake is a groomer. A pedophile.
I am sick. I should not be tuning into this beef. But my fever can go ahead and end me, I need to know how this ends.
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badgertracksart · 10 months
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Portfolio advice, from a lead who hires Concept Artists
(This was originally a twitter thread I wrote before the site self imolated, hense it's strange structure.) I wrote this after a weekend of portfolio reviews - 1. Like a maths exam, please please show your working. I want to see thumbs options, mid options and of course a final design.
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2. Arrange your portfolio, I don't want to bounce about between subject matter and pipeline. Your portfolio's narrative should be as strong as your work... 3. Please make worlds that excite the viewer, make them want to go in and explore them, explain to them the interesting parts of the town, or the way the character's hat unfolds. How will this draw the viewer in? 4. As I've said before the majority of your project work is explanatory not mood, make sure your portfolio contains explanatory work. Explained here -
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5. A lot of beautiful post apocolyptic paintings, , but 80% of realistic games and film, we just give the environment artists photo ref, they are capable artists in their own right. Different work in stylised where you do need to create rules for how things can be translated. 6. Production art contains call out sheets, material references and flat graphics. This doesn't have to be your final image, but it should support it.
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7. Design characters on a swatch(es) of the environment they will be viewed in. Not on white. I make swatch backgrounds from screenshots, it avoids assumptions that damage readability. 8. Reverse of this, put people in your environments, show me the scale.
9. It's not a deal breaker for a review, but if you intend to get a job, please show me your work on a screen larger than a smartphone (print outs probably the cheapest option with the best battery life). 10. Please have your contact details clearly visible, and by that I mean email address, I will not pass your social media contact on, I cannot input your form into my tracking system. EMAIL ADDRESS emblazoned and bake it in, sometimes recruiters do funky stuff to pdfs
11. Your portfolio will never feel done, not to you anyway. You will have learnt from your latest pieces and want to apply it to older work. But we know art is a journey. Send your portfolio anyway. I've been in the industry 10+ years and my portfolio is still not 'finished'. 12. If you are applying to an environment centric Concept Art position then please vary your times of day! Golden hour is cool but show me some happy sunny days, looming overcast days, what about at night? Vary your weather too! Sunny snowy day? Rainy Spring day? Stormy night?
13. If you are applying for a character centric Concept Art role then please ensure your portfolio shows a variety of body types and ethnicities. 14. Designing characters for games? Please show back views and feet (!) Many potfolios contain only front views. This is a problem because:
You haven't shown you are considering the design from all angles.
In many games rear view is the main view.
Stop cropping feet.
15. If you are entry / graduating and looking at Portfolios to compare content and standard of yr own work too, look at hired grad/junior artists as opposed to seniors Seniors and leads often have old or personal work in their portfolio which isnt representative of the day job. 16a. Show clearly the intended use case for your Concept Art. Mention the game type in the description. Are these player character designs for a 3rd person adventure game? Then more back views please. Bonus points for diagetic ways of showing health / equipment / role etc.
16b. Are these designs for an FPS? Then really the player view of the gun needs to sell the player style/ choices, in an FPS your weapons are almost your character. Are these world designs? What's the view distance? For an RTS your shapes need to read from above & a distance. 16c. The lack of clarification means I am judging the design in isolation, which both harms the design (you might be considering the backview of a char as the main adventure character.) Or an NPC, their waist up expressions may be important for conveying exposition and mechanics.
16d. Concept art is not separate from gameplay, great concept art serves the game team before it is a good illustration.
17. Play games. A variety of games. Think about them. IMO to be a good concept artist you need to understand the common language & references used by your peers. Also understand the principles and common language your audience are used to. FPS design rules are v.diff from RTS.
18. There are many skills that are needed in concept art, please show them. For example: Graphic design - logos, liveries, typographic use etc. VFX concepts - Abilities, Ambience, motion concepts. Architectural knowledge - How buildings are built! & more but I'm out of space :O
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A part of you, a part of me
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Summary: Joel’s been down this road before, he’s seen all the signs, and he knows before you ever do that you’re pregnant.
Warning: 18+ Minors DNI. Smut, unplanned pregnancy, crying, fluff, pre-outbreak Joel. Established relationship, cream pie, pet names, cussing, pregnancy tests, just a bunch of happiness because that’s all Joel deserves in this world. 💜😭
A/n: I can’t say Joel has a breeding kink… but I can certainly say he makes me have one 😌
Joel Miller Master List
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Joel remembers everything from Sarah’s mother’s pregnancy, all of the signs that lead up to them finding out. And surely enough it was beginning to show in you.
It started one autumn morning, when he woke up to find you nestled in beside him, face pressed into his chest, snoring slightly, hair in disarray. You were the picture perfect definition of someone getting the best sleep of their lives.
The only reason it concerned his was the fact that you never slept in past 6. You were always up before Joel, making breakfast for him and Sarah and more often than not Tommy, taking Sarah to school with a sweet kiss to his lips before you’d dash off to work yourself.
Brushing the hair from your face he whispers softly, “Honey?” You grumble something unintelligible, pulling a smile from him. “Honey it’s 7:20.” You’re slow to open your eyes, hazy and still leaded with sleep as they focus in on him, his dark hair sticking up around his head like every morning, “You okay?”
“M’ just really tired… think you can take over this morning?” You whisper, reaching up and cupping his cheek, the stubble of his beard scratching your palm.
“Of course baby. You need me to call work? Want a day to relax?” You smile at his concern, knowing he’s already gearing himself to go the extra mile to make sure you start to feel better.
“That would be really nice.” He kisses your lips gently before leaving you to sleep in, and you end up sleeping most of the day away.
Joel’s quick to notice that you start to get more tired as the days progress, usually a morning person you were now sluggish and downing two cups of coffee just to stay alert, you’d stay in bed a little longer and go to sleep a little earlier.
Initially he’d chalked it up to being stress at work, you were an associate for a designer company, making all the hotels and houses around here ‘fancy looking’ as he would say. It was a big, busy job that you were very passionate about.
But then came the emotions and cravings, not anger or frustration like Sarah’s mother, but you cried, and you cried a lot. The alarm bells should of gone off when he found you one night in the kitchen after everyone had gone to bed. You were sitting at the counter crying, no you had been sobbing, and Joel feared the worst until you blubbered out that you just really, really wanted ice cream.
Him finding you like that only embarrassed you more, adding to the water works as he dragged you in for a tight hug, smoothing his hands up and down your back.
“I-I think I’m just PMSing.” You hiccuped bashfully, hiding your face against his chest as he kissed the brown of your head.
“It’s okay, we will go get some tomorrow, it’s Saturday and we can take Sarah with us to the little parlor in town.”
Two months in to your sudden changes is when it all came to a head, he wasn’t being nosy, had actually just walked into the house about to announce himself when he heard you on the phone.
“I don’t know Jenny, works been stressful, I definitely haven’t been eating right and I just don’t have the energy to go to the gym like I use to. Hell even my periods plying hide and seek with me. I thought about making a doctors appointment-“
Whatever else you say is lost on him as he stops dead in his tracks, his muscles tensing and mouth drying up. He makes his legs move, taking him around the corner and into the kitchen. You don’t notice him at first, giving him the perfect opportunity to just look at you, to really look at you.
At the sake of sounding corny… You really were glowing, face a little rounder, body filling out in different ways, curves softening under your clothing. The changes were slight, not so prominent yet, but he can see it.
His heart speeds up, emotions rolling through him like the ocean in a storm.
You are pregnant.
Walking closer he catches your attention, making you crack a wide smile that has his knees going weak. “Hey, Jenny, Joel just got home I’ll talk to you later… love you too, bye.”
Setting the phone down, you go to stand but Joel’s in front of you, dropping to his knees and capturing your hips in his hands. You let out a startled yelp, hands coming to rest on his arms squeezing gently.
“As adventurous as I am, I don’t think the kitchen is t-.”
“We need to talk.” His serious expression extinguishes your excitement, panic flashing through you instantly.
“What’s wrong? Is Sarah okay? Tommy?”
“Yes, they are fine, we need… we need to talk about you.”
“Me? Honey I’m fine, what do you mean?” Nervous laughter bubbles up in your throat, mind racing in every possible direction this conversation could go.
Joel rolls his lips together, glancing to your stomach then back to you. Your face is contorted with confusion, your grip tightening on his arms. “When… how long has it been since you’re last period?”
You scoff at his question, eyes rolling slightly as your posture relaxes. “Baby I don’t know, I haven’t been tracking it like I usually do. Between Carol and Tray calling out of work I’ve been given both of their projects to present, that’s two on top of my other two. And -.” You roll your eyes, temper rising, “and get this, two of them are so within three hours of each other, now how in the world am I supposed to-.”
“Darlin’.” Joel cuts off your rambling, one large hand shifting to your softer stomach, rubbing slow circles as he watches the confusion melt into realization and then back to panic as your eyes drop to your stomach.
“N-no… no Joel we.. we always use condoms.”
He gives you a look that says you’re lying through your teeth, which you are, there has been a few times over the past couple of months, after you’ve both had one to many drinks where you’ll wake up in the morning, slick between your thighs.
Joel watches your face pale, body shaking in his grasp and he pulls you a little closer with the hand on your hip. “How long?”
Swallowing you finally look at his face, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, expression pinched with… worry? Upset? Is he scared? Your own fears rise eyes flicking between his and something in his chest cracks open at the look on your face.
“M-maybe two months… I-I really don’t k-know.”
He nods, rubbing slow circles into your stomach, already knowing but needing to be sure. “Let’s take a trip to the store okay?”
*~*~*~*~*~*
You’re both quiet sitting on Joel’s bed, two positive pregnancy tests laying in between you. You are fighting back tears, stiff and trembling, waiting on Joel to blow up.
You’ve only been dating for three years, kids have never been a topic of discussion seeing as Joel already has Sarah, he’s been through the baby phase. Then there’s the fact you don’t officially live with him, though you’re apartment in the city is only visited when you need to do laundry. Almost every moment of the day is in this house or at work… does that me this will change everything?
“I’m… I’m so sorry Joel.” You finally whisper, fat tears rolling down your cheeks.”
“What?”
“I should… I should of been on the pill, I should of been more careful… I didn’t mean to do this to you.” The absolute devastation in your voice makes Joel move, kneeling down in front of you like earlier, this time his hands are on your waist, thumbs stroking the sides of your changing belly.
“Don’t you dare talk like that, you didn’t do anything to me. Yes I’m scared, I’m scared shitless but fuck baby… I’m over the moon.” Your watery eyes dart to his and he’s smiling, joy shining in his soft drown eyes making something inside your body relax for the first time in hours. “Now… I know-I know we didn’t plan this but I mean… This is us. This right here.” He leans forward, pressing his lips to your stomach making you giggle breathlessly. “This is a part of me and a part of you that… God it’s so wonderful and you’re so wonderful and I love you so much, I love this so much.”
Tears brim his own beautiful eyes, hands gently squeezing your sides, curling into the fabric of your tank top as he searches your tear streaked face. “You my sweet girl, are going to be the most amazing mother.”
Whatever reservations, whatever doubts you were holding onto flood from your body with the shaky breath that escapes through your trembling lips, and without thought you lean down, capturing his lips in a kiss, one that pours every little emotion you don’t know how to communicate into him.
Joel stands, lips never leaving yours and pushes you back gently onto the bed, fitting himself between your legs as the kiss slowly turns hungry. You’re burning from the inside out, tears still escaping down your cheeks, as Joel settles himself over you, mindful of his weight.
“Shhh don’t cry honey.” He breaths, lips moving down to your jaw, working the skin with sloppy kisses.
You tilt your head back, body thrumming with sudden need. “H-happy tears.” You manage to squeak out, hands tugging at his t-shirt wantonly. “Joel… I want you, please I want you.” You beg, arching your back pressing your hips up against him searching for some form of friction.
“I know baby, just relax. I’ll take good care of you.” He mumbles against your throat, a hand finding your pajama shorts and tugging them down, exposing your bare cunt to the cold air. He sits back, pulling your shorts over your ankles with a low growl. “Fuck baby, you’re so wet for me already.” Joel swipes a fingers through your folds, gathering your juices and circling your clit.
You whine into the air, closing your eyes as another pulse of arousal shoots through you, heart hammering against your ribs. “Please… Don’t tease me please.” The tears now streaming down your cheeks are out of desperation, your hands finding his belt and yanking at the worn leather.
Joel only chuckles with a shake his head, helping you unbuckle the belt and open his jeans, shoving them down far enough for his cock to spring free. You groan at the sight, letting your legs fall further open as you grab a fist full of his t-shirt pulling him to you.
“Need my cock that bad baby? Can’t wait any longer?” He groans as he runs the tip along your soaked folds, bumping your swollen bud making your hips jerk.
You shake your head, watching his cock as he slowly presses the head into your opening, your lip caught between your teeth.
“Hey,” Joel’s fingers find your chin, lifting your gaze to his and he feels like he might blow his load then and there. Your eyes simmer with pure lust… pure list and want and love and your looking up at his through your long lashes making his breath hitch in his chest. “Eyes on me when I fuck you, wanna see that pretty face when I make you cum.”
“Y-Yes sir.” You nod weakly, head resting back on the pillows as you hook your ankles around his waist.
“What a good girl you are.” He slowly thrusts in, savoring how you stretch around him, always so tight and warm. A low moan falls from your lips, legs tightening around him encouraging him to go deeper and he obeys, sinking into you completely.
You both stay still for a moment, breaths labored and hearts pounding. Joel keeps himself propped up with one hand, the other pushing your shirt up just under your breasts, finding its place on your small bump.
Joel pulls out half way before sinking back in, moaning and closing his eyes briefly as he finds his pace, deep and slow making your eyes roll and body languid below his. You can feel each bump and ridge of his cock, rubbing your walls in just the right way that your orgasm builds quickly. “So pretty, always wanted to put a baby in you, never thought I’d get the chance.” Your pussy squeezes around him your soft whimpers follow. “Yeah? You like that?”
“F-fuck… yes Joel… yes.” Your grip tightens on his shirt, anchoring yourself to him as pressure begins to build in the base of your spine.
His voice drops, the timbre in his drawl making your blood thick in your veins, head heavy and empty. “Just gonna have ta’ keep you pregnant then, barefoot in ma kitchen, swollen with all my babies.” Joel’s thrusts speed up, his mental image of you driving him closer and closer to his own orgasm. “I need to feel you cum for me, cum on my cock baby.”
His fingers find your swollen clit, rubbing tight circles and you nearly scream, the pressure radiating out into your abdomen pulling your muscles tight. You nod feverishly, panting out some form of yess and please, teetering on the cusp of oblivion, just for him.
Joel groans, eyebrows drawn together and thrusts turning sloppy, he can feel your pussy spasming around him and he knows he won’t last much longer.
“Let it go baby, let it happen, cum on my dick like the good girl you are.”
And it snaps, the tension flooding from your body as your orgasm erupts, a silent scream forming your lips into that perfect O shape that Joel loves so much, and as your cunt clenches down on him he stills, rope after rope of thick cum painting your quivering walls. He moans loud and deep, a shudder raking through his body as his eyes close and he basks in the euphoria washing through him.
Your legs shake around his twitching hips, whining pitchy and out of breath and Joel finally moves his fingers from your sensitive clit, splaying his hand across your stomach.
“You’re gonna be such a good mama.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
You both wait until after your first doctors appointment to tell Sarah and Tommy, over a lovely family meal.
“This is so good.” Sarah mumbles out around a mouth full of homemade lasagna making everyone laugh.
“Thank you, it’s my mamas recipe.” Joel’s eyes lock with yours, a smile tugging at his lips as your heart pounds in your ears, ready to spill the beans like you’ve planted. “I hope one day I can pass it on to you and your little sibling.”
It takes Sarah a minute, but Tommy stops eating immediately, his eyes growing wide, head wiping up to look between you and his brother, the smile that spreads across his face makes your heart warm.
“Ooo I’d love to try and cook it with you some time, I like learning new…” The realization dawns on her then, her jaw dropping open, shock taking over her expression and Joel can’t help but laugh.
“Really?” Sarah turns to you, and you’re already nodding, tears filling your eyes at the same time hers do. “I’m going to be a sister?”
“Oh honey…” She’s out of her chair and crashing into your open arms in an instant, crying against your chest as you bury your face into her curls, holding on tightly.
Tommy embraces Joel, patting his back roughly as Joel beams, watching his two girls over Tommy’s shoulder. This moment, this instances is all he’s ever dreamt of.
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0cta9on · 4 months
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Beach Day
length: +3k words
Genre: smut
Nmixx Haewon x Male Reader
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【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★
The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Your teacher dismissed the class as the sound of shuffling bags and miscellaneous chatter filled the room.
“Yo, Minhyuk!”
You turn to your best friend, Junseo, who was sat next to you.
“Did you invite anyone to our beach party yet? Jaewon and I already got Lily and Yoona to tag along,” he asks. Your stomach dropped at the question.
“U-uh, no, sorry. I think I’ll just sit this one out, you guys go and have fun without me,” you say.
Junseo sighs, annoyed at your lame excuse. “Dude, quit being a bitch and ask Haewon already. The worst thing she’ll say is no.”
You and your friends had planned on going to the beach this weekend, and Jaewon suggested that all three of you would invite a girl to make things more “interesting”. It’s not that you didn’t have any girl to invite; it’s quite the opposite. You had your eyes dead set on one girl: Oh Haewon. You’ve had a crush on her since you first laid eyes on her and you would gladly sell your limbs if it meant getting to spend one second alone with her. There’s only one problem - She’s the most popular girl in school, and you were just… You.
“That’s the thing, Junseo. She’s obviously gonna say no,” you reason as you grab your things and exit the classroom, Junseo following closely behind you. 
“Why do you think we invited Lily and Yoona? Those three are close, of course Haewon is gonna say yes.” Junseo suddenly grabs your shoulders, stopping you in your tracks. “Speak of the devil, they’re right there.” He points towards the end of the hallway where, lo and behold, Haewon, Lily, and Yoona were talking.
You gulp as your throat suddenly becomes dry. Even in a simple school uniform, she was the most beautiful girl you have ever seen. The overwhelming feeling of attraction towards her makes your heart race, which has the unfortunate side effect of turning you into a blubbering nervous wreck.
Junseo starts pushing you towards her. “C’mon dude, just go and ask her.” You try to stop him, but your legs are practically wet spaghetti noodles at this point. Before you know it, you find yourself right in front of the three girls, their eyes staring back at you.
“H-Hae… H-hhhhh… Hi…” you stutter breathlessly. Junseo smacks the back of your head, bringing you back to your senses.
“Hello ladies, my friend Minhyuk here has something to ask Haewon,” he says, patting your shoulder reassuringly.
You awkwardly clear your throat, staring at the ground as you’re too intimidated to look her in the eye. “U-uh, do you wanna… go to the beach with us tomorrow?” You brace yourself, expecting rejection.
“Yeah, sure, sounds like fun!” she says in a bright, cheery tone. You couldn’t believe your ears at first. Your lips curved onto a goofy smile as Junseo held you up from fainting, your legs reduced to jelly.
“Cool, we’ll see you girls tomorrow then,” Junseo says as he drags you away. Right as you round the corner, you see Haewon and the other two giggling amongst themselves.
______________________________________________________________
*Beep beep beep*
You groan as you shut off the alarm on your phone. 7:00 am. You had a couple hours before Jaewon would pick you up for your beach trip. The excitement from being able to spend alone time with Haewon made you restless, so you decided to put in a quick workout to make sure you looked your best for the beach. While you weren’t an athlete like Junseo and Jaewon were, they always forced you to go to the gym with them, resulting in you having a pretty solid physique that you hoped Haewon would notice.
Time flies by, and after a shower and getting your stuff ready, you hear a honk from outside, signaling Jaewon’s arrival. You head outside and see Junseo hanging his head out of the passenger side window.
“Yo Minhyuk! Hurry up and get your ass in the car!” he yells, a mischievous smirk adorned on his face. You give him a weird look before opening the door to the back, only to be faced with Lily and Yoona.
“Hey, Minhyuk.”
“Hiiiii.”
You give them an awkward nod, feeling a little confused. You assumed the girls would be going in a different car and the three of you would meet them at the beach.
“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I went ahead and picked up the girls since they live close,” Jaewon says, looking at you through the rear view mirror with a smirk on his face. Jaewon was the most soft spoken out of the three of you, but he always had some kind of trick up his sleeve. You scoot next to Lily, oblivious to whatever he was planning.
“Alright, we just gotta pick up Haewon and then we’ll be good to go. The back is only meant to seat three, but I’m sure you guys don’t mind squeezing her in there, right?” Jaewon says, his smirk growing into a full on toothy smile. Your eyes go wide with shock as the realization hits you - he was planning on smushing you in the back with Haewon. While you weren’t completely opposed to the idea, you can only imagine how much of an awkward mess you’re going to be with her practically breathing down your neck. After a short drive, Jaewon stops in front of what you assume is Haewon’s house.
“I’ll tell her that we’re here,” Lily says, typing on her phone. You gulp, suddenly feeling very anxious. The girl of your dreams was about to be squished next to you and you were almost 100% sure that you would find a way to fumble this. While lost in thought, the car door opens, revealing a smiling Haewon wearing baggy sweatpants and a white, tight fitting tank top that accentuated her breasts.
“Hey guys!” she greets. Lily and Yoona greet her back, while all you can muster is an awkward hand wave.
“Yo Haewon, are you alright with squeezing in the back next to Minhyuk?” Junseo asks, a sly twinkle in his eyes. Your only wish right now is to strangle his neck with the seatbelt.
“Yeah, that should be fine,” Haewon replies as she scoots next to you. You give Lily and Yoona an apologetic look as you push them to make room for Haewon. Miraculously, the four of you are able to successfully pack together like a can of sardines. The soft skin of Haewon’s arm brushes against you, causing your cock to spring to life from the sudden contact. You mentally facepalm as you try to focus on something else, hoping none of the girls notice your bulge.
“Yoona, you can come sit on my lap if it’s too cramped back there,” Junseo says.
“In your dreams, pervert,” Yoona says, grimacing. The rest of the car erupts into laughter while Junseo sulks in his seat.
______________________________________________________________
Junseo and the girls fell asleep on the drive to the beach, while you were way too excited to even think about sleep. 
“Wake up y’all. We’re here,” Jaewon says, shaking Junseo awake. All of you step out of the car, taking in the warm sun and the salty scent of the ocean. You, Jaewon, and Junseo grab your stuff from the trunk while the girls excitedly run towards the sea, kicking up sand behind them.
“Yo Minhyuk, did you have fun back there?” Jaewon teases. You punch his arm in rage while he chuckles at you.
“I fucking hate you, man.”
Junseo wraps his arm around your shoulder. “Chill out dude, we’re just trying to help you out. Remember, you would have bailed on us if I didn’t shove you towards Haewon.” He slaps your back before heading in the direction of the girls.
“He’s right. You're basically a mess without us,” Jaewon says, snickering to himself. A feeling of determination suddenly fills you up. You were dead set on having a good time with Haewon and, if things went well, you would confess your feelings to her by the end of the night. With a huff, you march through the sand, following behind your friends.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to the beach,” Haewon remarks. “Thanks for inviting me, Minhyuk.” She turns to you, flashing a bright smile.
At that moment, all your confidence immediately leaves your body. “Y-yeah, n-no problem, hehe…” you stutter awkwardly. To make things worse, you catch Haewon covering her mouth in an attempt to hide her laughter.
Jaewon places a large picnic blanket on the sand while you set up the umbrella. Junseo sets down a bag of snacks and a cooler full of drinks, completing the preparations. 
“Thank you boyssss,” Yoona says. “Alright, let’s hurry up and get in the water!”
The three of you can’t help but stare in awe as the girls start stripping, revealing their bikini clad bodies underneath. While Lily and Yoona had nice bodies, all of your focus was on Haewon. Her bright yellow bikini top revealed a generous amount of cleavage, while her matching bottoms left practically nothing to the imagination. You felt yourself drool as you imagined getting to explore her smooth curves with your hands.
“Hey perverts, are you gonna join us or not?” Yoona yells, snapping the three of you back to your senses. Jaewon and Junseo quickly discard their shirts before running into the ocean, joining Lily and Yoona. You start to do the same before noticing Haewon, who was sitting underneath the shade of the umbrella.
“Aren’t you gonna go in the water?” you ask her.
“I want to, but I completely forgot my sunscreen at home like an idiot,’ she says, sighing disappointedly. “I’d rather not risk getting sunburnt, y’know?”
You rummage through your bag and pull out a small bottle of sunscreen. “Here, you can use some of mine.” 
She flashes you a bright smile as she takes the bottle from your hand. “Thank you, Minhyuk! You’re a lifesaver!” 
“”Y-yeah, no problem.” Your cock begins to stir in your swimming trunks as you watch her rub the white cream into her smooth skin, your mind filling with sinful thoughts. Then, the unthinkable happens.
“Hey Minhyuk, do you think you could put some sunscreen on my back?” Words you’ve only ever heard in the beginnings of cheap porn films have now come out of Haewon’s mouth. You try to keep a calm expression as she hands you the bottle of sunscreen. 
“Y-y-yeah, I c-can do that,” you stutter, trying and failing to maintain your composure. Thankfully, Haewon doesn’t notice as she lies on her stomach, giving you the perfect chance to ogle her cute ass, barely covered by her bikini bottoms. With trembling hands, you squirt some sunscreen on your fingers and begin gently massaging into her back. 
“Mmmmm, you have such strong hands,” she says, moaning from your touch. You felt your heart pound in your chest with excitement as your hands caressed her lower back. Her skin was as smooth as you had imagined, your fingers easily gliding over her curves. This intimate situation felt like a dream come true that you never wanted to wake up from.
“Oh Minhyuk, that feels so good.” You felt your ears burn bright red as your cock stood at full attention. Everything else faded away as you focused on giving Haewon the best massage you could muster. The sunscreen acted as lube as you gently pushed your digits into her back, eliciting more moans. It became a game to you as you figured out which spots she liked most. Your breathing became heavy with arousal as the chorus of Haewon’s moans filled your ears.
Suddenly, Haewon sits up and grabs your wrists, glaring at you. You gulp, worried that you may have taken things too far. Without a word, she pulls you up and drags you away from the picnic blanket.
“U-uh, Haewon? Where are we going?”
She ignores you as she drags you behind a large boulder, away from everyone else. Her demeanor suddenly turns timid as a pink blush appears on her cheeks and her shaky eyes are unable to meet yours.
“Haewon? What’s wrong?” you ask, becoming increasingly bewildered by her behavior. Despite the circumstances, you couldn’t help but find her cute as she nervously twiddled with her fingers, her impressive cleavage on full display.
“U-um, I’m sorry if this is weird, but that massage got me all h-hot and…” Her words trailed off as the pink on her cheeks evolved into tomato red.  You couldn’t believe her words at first. Did Haewon want you to…? Without hesitation, you pulled her closer and smashed your lips against hers. Your gamble pays off as she wraps her arms around your neck, moaning into your mouth. With newfound confidence, your hands explore more of her body, tracing her every curve. Your right hand cups her plump ass cheek while your other hand gently squeezes her breast, giving you the perfect chance to shove your tongue inside of her mouth as she opens it to moan. The sweet taste of strawberry lip gloss covers your taste buds as your tongues squirm in an erotic dance.
You eventually break the kiss as the need for oxygen manages to trump your carnal desires. Haewon stares deep into your eyes as she catches her breath, her hand snaking down your torso before stopping on your erect bulge. A low groan escapes your lips from the contact, sending a wave of pleasure through your body.
“C-can I touch your cock?” she asks, her voice trembling. You always saw Haewon as an outgoing bundle of energy, so seeing her this timid and horny made you go feral. With a nod, you lower your swimming trunks, revealing your rock hard cock to her in all its glory. Haewon gasps as she kneels in front of you, inspecting your full length with wide eyes. The sight of her innocent face next to your cock would be forever etched into your mind. 
“Oh my god, you’re so big, Minhyuk,” she whispers in awe, gently wrapping her fingers around your member. Her hands felt like Heaven against your cock as they clumsily stroked it. “U-um, I’ve never done this before. Can you help me?”
“Y-yeah, sure. Uh, why don’t you try kissing it first?” you suggest. Haewon obediently complies as she places gentle kisses on your shaft, staining it with her lip gloss. Each kiss sends a shockwave of dopamine throughout your entire body.
“Is that okay?” Haewon’s large eyes look up at you, searching for approval.
A smile grows on your face as you pat her head. “Yes, that’s great, Haewon. You should try sucking it now.”
Haewon giggles excitedly before taking the tip of your cock into her mouth, running her tongue against your slit. A moan escapes your mouth as your hands instinctively reach for the back of her head, encouraging her to take in more of you. You would’ve never guessed that she was inexperienced with how easily your cock slides down her throat. The sensation was unlike anything you had ever felt before - pure ecstasy.
“F-fuck, Haewon. You’re so g-good, holy shit..”
Lust takes control of your body, your fingers interlocking with her hair as you roughly fuck her face. Haewon’s eyes well up with tears, but she makes no move to pull away, happily accepting your whole length. Saliva dripped from her mouth, the dirty image only fueling your arousal. Without warning, you shot your load down Haewon’s throat, the heavenly feeling of her mouth becoming too much for you to handle. After what feels like an eternity of cumming, you release her from your grasp. Haewon collapses backwards onto the sand, drool and cum staining her perfect face.
“S-Shit, are you okay?!” you ask, worried you may have been too rough on her. 
Haewon props herself up and smiles at you. “Th-that was… i-incredible…” she stammered, catching her breath. “C-can you put it inside me? P-please?”
Her words reinvigorate you causing your cock to become hard once again. You quickly pull Haewon to her feet and untie her top, tossing it aside to reveal her ample breasts. Your mouth latches onto her tits while you shove your free hand inside of her bottoms, rubbing her moist slit.
“Oh fuck! That feels so good, Minhyuk…” Haewon whimpers as she plays with your hair. Any ounce of common sense left in your mind was thrown out the window as your only goal right now was to pleasure the girl of your dreams in every way possible. Your heart chugged like the engine of a steam train as you worshiped Haewon’s body with every flick of your tongue and every swipe of your finger against her heat. Eventually, you detach your mouth from her breasts, staring into her eyes while you finger her pussy.
You lean into her ear and whisper, “I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I-I like you, Haewon.” You curl your fingers inside of her, coercing a high-pitched moan out of her as her body is reduced to putty in your hands.
“I-I l-like you too, Min- Ah, fuck! P-please fuck me!” she exclaims. Haewon holds onto your shoulders for balance, nibbling on your neck to muffle her erotic noises. Her confession only increased your skyhigh libido, ripping her bottoms away and lining up your cock with her dripping pussy. Slowly, you thrust forward, impaling her with your erection.
“H-holy shit…” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
“A-are you okay, Haewon?” you asked, pausing your motions to check up on her.
“Y-yes, k-keep going please. Fuck, y-you’re so big…” Haewon looked up at you with pleading eyes. You could’ve sworn her irises turned into hearts for a second.
You continue thrusting forward, catching her lips in a kiss that was much gentler than the one before, eventually bottoming out inside of her. Gripping her supple thighs, you mentally thank Jaewon and Junseo for dragging you to the gym as you lift Haewon’s body with ease. You increase your pace, each thrust punctuated by Haewon’s cute whimpers and the occasional “fuck”, “ah”, and “yes”. Her ample breasts bounced in front of your eyes as Haewon threw her head back with pleasure. You still couldn’t believe that you were fucking your crush on the beach.
The pressure built up inside of you as you savored the feeling of her warm, tight cunt around your penis. You did your best to hold on for as long as possible, but the sensation was becoming overwhelming. “H-Haewon… I-I’m gonna… c-cum…” you groaned.
“F-fuck… C-cum in me, M-Minhyuk… I-I wanna feel you fill me up…” The vulgar words coming out of her mouth were enough to send you over the edge as you shot your second load deep inside of her womb. Haewon continued to bounce on your cock, her own orgasm taking over. Your legs eventually give out as both of your naked bodies collapse onto the sand, your cock never leaving the warmth of her pussy. Haewon laid on top of you, planting kisses on your neck and chin as you caught your breath.
“That… was fucking amazing, Minhyuk,” she giggled, tracing random patterns on your chest with her index finger. You wrapped your arms around her, the warm rays of sunshine beating down on the two of you.
Eventually, the two of you get up and put on your discarded bathing suits. “We should do this again sometime,” you quipped. Haewon laughs and grabs your face, planting a gentle peck on your lips.
“I would like that a lot.” Hand in hand, you return to your friend group, ready to enjoy the rest of your day at the beach with your new girlfriend.
853 notes · View notes
etoiile · 9 months
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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
starring itoshi sae!
synopsis: sae really likes having you in his lap, but doesnt know how to ask.
notes: ugh hes so smush
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for whatever reason, sae loved having you in his lap.
he couldn't really figure out what was just so wonderful about it. maybe it was that he could bury his face into your back or neck, maybe it was that he could hug you closer while also being on his phone, maybe it was that you were so so close and he could smell your perfume, maybe it was that he liked how all of your weight was on him for whatever reason, maybe it was that you were just so warm and cozy that he could fall asleep on the spot, maybe it was that he felt that he could protect you with you on him like this easier, but regardless of why, he just loved it.
it only took him one time of doing it to fall in love with it. sae was just sitting on the couch, scrolling on his phone, when suddenly, you just plopped down onto his legs. you didnt say anything, you just... did it. it was small, but sae fell for you again that day, and he would continue to do so over and over again, everyday of the week, 24/7.
but back to the subject! you did it a couple times after that. one of the times, when he was gaming on his pc with a few friends, you simply crawled onto his lap all sleepy, straddled him, cuddled into his shoulder, and just... fell asleep? his heart was pounding so fast and he could feel his face burning up, but there was also something really relaxing about it. the way you just zonked out as soon as you got onto him was just so cute. he loved you. he really, really did. he gamed for another hour or so after that, before turning off his pc (carefully, as to not wake you) and falling asleep himself.
you'd only done it a very small handful of times, but it was easily one of his favorite positions with you. he wanted you to sit on his lap every single day, but as we all know, sae is not the best at expressing his feelings. so, he tried other, more subtle ways that would hopefully prompt you to do it yourself.
he would sit criss-cross applesauce or manspread in hopes that you'd just hop right on, but you never did. he would game with his chair a little further from the desk to make it easier for you to crawl on, but you never did. he'd sit down instead of lying down when he was on his phone in hopes that you'd come to sit on his lap, but you never did. it had been around a month since the last time you sat on his lap, (yes, of course he'd been keeping track. who do you think he is?) and he was growing desperate. what was this, mission impossible? he really, really wanted to hold you on his lap and just let time stand still, but alas, it didnt seem as though you were going to do it yourself. it would seem as though he would have to... ask for it himself. (he gulps at the thought) it really would be mission impossible now.
taking a deep breath, sae walked into the kitchen where you were sitting. you were lounging around in biker shorts and one of his hoodies, and you looked... so freaking cute. he just wanted to squish your cheeks and run his hands through your hair and - no! stay focused! just gotta ask. wait... how was he going to ask? was he just gonna ask for you to do it more? but what if you forgot? was he gonna ask for you to do it at that moment? but wait... you were sitting down and he wasn't. that wouldnt work! wait a minute... what if you didnt even like sitting on his lap and that was why you hadn't done it? he didnt want to make you uncomfortable! what was he gonna do?!
he pushed his thoughts out and left. he couldn't do it. he really couldn't. there was just too much at stake. and then what was he supposed to say, that he oddly really, really liked it when you sat on his lap? that sounded so weird! he couldn't do it. he collapsed on the couch, exhausted. at that moment, though, you walked in.
"hi, babe!" you said. "you wanna watch something?"
he smiled. "yeah."
you picked up the remote and stood in front of him, beginning to put on your favorite show. however, suddenly, you were pulled backwards.
"WAH! ...sae?"
sae had pulled you from the waist onto his lap and shyly nuzzled your neck. you were a bit confused, but didnt really mind.
hesitantly, he mumbled, "i really like having you on my lap like this. its nice."
you smiled. "alright. i'll keep it in mind."
you turned on the show that you two always watch together, and sighed contentedly as you leaned back into him, his arms around you tightening.
"i love you." you beamed happily.
"i love you too." he muttered back, snuggling into your shoulder. "i really, really, do."
he supposed it was mission possible, after all.
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𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐈𝐈𝐋𝐄 ©𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 please do not copy or repost my work on any other site. interactions appreciated! 🤍
2K notes · View notes
neptuneiris · 5 months
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Behind the Scenes (04/05)
Behind the Acceptance
pairing: actor!aemond × fem!reader
summary: there are new changes for you and Aemond, he wants to rectify himself for past mistakes and you get used to your new life with the father of your son present.
word counter: 10.2K (consider it as a christmas gift, love you all❤)
previous part • next part • series masterlist
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I'M SO SORRY!
i know the wait has been too much and you don't know how sorry i am. i experienced stress during my last week of uni before leaving for vacation and i got a new job, which consumes my time and i couldn't edit or do any writing, but i managed to find small times to write and that's why it's taken me so long. i appreciate your understanding, really🥺
I would like to wish you all merry christmas and a happy new year, my best wishes to all of you and also to your families, have a great time and God bless you all beautiful people, you are amazing and truly thank you for so much🥰
now yes, enjoy!
warnings: aemond dad melting our hearts and that's it:)
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When Aemond told you to please go back to work and stop running away so that the two of you could face all this together, you didn't quite understand what he meant by 'go back to work'.
However, the next morning after waking up and starting to prepare breakfast for Aenar, you received an unexpected call that answered your question.
It's an unknown number so you accept the call with some caution.
"Y/N speaking? This is Michelle Watson, from the Warner Bros studio production department," she says and your heart jumps.
"Hello?"
You speak on the other end of the line, holding your phone to your ear.
It's HBO, who Aemond is working with right now and where you left your job thrown after unexpectedly meeting him again.
Nerves soon set in and you hold your breath, already feeling ashamed for leaving the shooting set like that without saying anything to anyone and creating a complete circus the moment Aemond called your name in the trailer in front of everyone.
"Yes, she speaks," you reply nervously.
"We want to inform you that despite what has happened, we understand it and the circumstances that led you to leave unexpectedly during your working hours," she tells you in a soft and formal voice, "And we will expect you tomorrow without any problem to resume work."
You frown completely, hesitate a little and blink several times in disbelief, not quite understanding.
"I'm sorry… what do you mean by resuming work?" you ask, barely able to contain your own surprise and disbelief.
"Some conversations took place," she explains, "Mr. Targaryen was quite insistent on convincing the production team to reconsider your situation. He advocated on your behalf, explained the circumstances and your entire track record as an excellent professional makeup artist so that you could continue to work with us."
With your lips parted and your eyes wide open, you are speechless for a moment, staring at a spot in your living room with your heart pounding, definitely not expecting to hear any of this after everything that has happened on this day.
You didn't even expect Aemond to decide to do this for you after everything that happened with him and Criston.
And just when you were starting to worry about how you were going to pay the rent for this apartment and even started to make a schedule in your mind to go get a job somewhere else tomorrow or even today.
"So if there's no problem and everything is fine with you, we'll expect you tomorrow at 7:00 A.M."
Completely speechless.
You can't even control your own heart rate.
But in spite of that, you can't help but feel a huge relief run through your entire body, where you still feel overwhelmed by the generosity and gesture of trust they are offering you, but you definitely feel completely relieved and grateful.
"Yes, yes, of course," you hasten to say, trying to control your emotions, "I'll be there. Thank you so much."
They give you a few more details, you ask few more questions and finally end the call, which leaves you with mixed emotions as you silently contemplate that you still have this new possibility of a better life for you and Aenar.
But you also think about Aemond.
And you will also wait to see how Aemond's integration into your son's little life will be now.
You really appreciate this gesture, you know that only he can do something like this with his influence and connections.
And in fact it gives you the confidence that he will keep his word that no one else will interfere in your and Aenar's life, only the two of you will make the decisions.
Arriving at the recording set, you leave Aenar in the nursery and then you enter the corridors of the whole big production, which is buzzing with its usual atmosphere with its twinkling lights, technical equipment with the huge cameras, microphones and all the sets ready.
You honestly feel nervous knowing that tomorrow you and Aemond will be working in the same place again, like in the old days.
But that's why you try to be as prepared as possible and you won't let all kinds of personal matters interfere with your work.
And once you arrive, you take a moment, take a deep breath and push open the door, where that familiar atmosphere once again envelops you.
You don't even know why but your heart is pounding as you walk down the halls and every step leads you to your area, the makeup and wardrobe trailer.
You assume it's out of shame after what happened yesterday.
Unfortunately your entrance doesn't go unnoticed and as you close the door behind you as you walk just a little into the trailer, some curious faces turn to see you, including Jess, who stops her usual routine and rushes over to you, her eyes wide with surprise.
You hug her back gently, feeling relieved and less tense by the warm welcome from Jess who, even though the two of you don't know each other very well, she actually seems like a very nice person and her personality shows you that.
"Ah Y/N, what a relief to see you again!"
She exclaims with her tone full of joy.
"God, I thought you wouldn't come back," she says as she hugs you excitedly, providing you with some comfort.
"I'm so sorry about yesterday," you say with a regretful gesture and you both break the hug, "I shouldn't have left like that and you don't know how embarrassed I feel. I'm really sorry."
"Oh no, don't worry about it," she assures you instantly, making a nonchalant gesture, "That's all in the past. The important thing is that you're back and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it," she comforts you with a small smile, "We have a lot of work to do today and we need to get you up to speed right away."
Jess, full of energy, ushers you further into the trailer while you greet your other co-workers. Then she explains the day's itinerary precisely, pointing out schedules, wardrobe changes and other important details.
All the while you nod, thanking her for her guidance and trying to keep up. In the midst of all the preparations, the huge door opens again and Aemond is now the one who makes his presence known.
Your gaze meets his and you see the obvious and unexpected surprise in his eyes at seeing you again, but there's not much reaction from either of you as instantly the makeup artists call him over and guide him to start prepping him for today's filming scenes.
And Jess also takes your arm, guiding you to the back of the trailer where the dressing rooms are located explaining what you will be doing, forcing you to look away from him.
And you can only feel Aemond's gaze on you until he loses sight of you.
Jess continues to explain to you, but you can't help but think and wonder certain things, like if everyone here, even Jess, knows about you and Aemond... what you once were and that you have a child together.
The behavior of both of you yesterday was very obvious, that's what you would think if you were an expectant one, so surely there must be some speculation.
And at that moment you remind yourself that your priority right now is your work and that the personal should be kept out of your work environment, so you shouldn't even think about it.
Finally you focus on following Jess's directions, putting aside distractions and preparing for the day.
Jess leaves you alone to take care of her own work and you start with yours, where you spend about an hour still in the back of the trailer, where you check and prepare the costumes that already have to be ready for the scenes that will be filmed soon.
When in the middle of everything, you hear some footsteps approaching behind you and thinking it must be one of the other actors or one of your co-workers, you turn around and the first thing you notice is that silver hair.
Aemond enters this section of the trailer a little unsure, without saying anything, while you also watch him without saying anything.
He is ready to record his scenes with that scar on the left side of his face that his character has and he only lacks the costume.
Until finally he speaks first.
You knew that having a conversation with him again would happen soon, so you're not surprised.
But for a moment there is a tense silence and a slight nervousness and insecurity on the part of both of them, where a clash of emotions is reflected in each other's gazes.
"Hey," he says in a soft, low voice, taking a couple of steps towards you.
You try to smile a little in his direction, not knowing exactly what to say or what to do.
"Hey," you wave back.
There is an awkward pause before Aemond again takes the initiative, taking a few cautious and slow steps towards you.
You bite your lips and lower your gaze for a moment, as he puts a hand to the back of his neck and looks so insecure and nervous standing there, surprising you a bit, as that behavior in him is unusual.
He usually always has that confident attitude in everything he says and does.
"I'm glad you're back," he admits to you, his low tone full of sincerity, "It's good to see you around again."
His words and that friendly gesture take you a bit by surprise, and although you still feel overwhelmed by the unexpected situation, you appreciate the way he is leading in handling all of this to start working together for Aenar's well-being, leaving past tensions behind.
"Thank you," you reply, feeling that sense of relief in your chest again, "Oh, hum… and thank you for talking to production so I could come back," you say a little shyly but gratefully, "You didn't have to."
He lets out a scoff in a nonchalant and also absurd gesture, frowning slightly his nose and forehead.
"Please, it was the least I could do," he tells you softly and with a warm tone, "Besides, it was nothing. I was just afraid you'd decide not to come back."
You hum in understanding.
"I thought about that," you confess to him, lowering your gaze for a moment, "But things were going to be easier for both of us with Aenar if I came back here," you explain, "Still, it was a very kind gesture of you."
Aemond nods, his gaze conveying a mixture of emotions that reflect both relief to see you back here, understanding, and also regret for the past that still haunts him. But he doesn't let those thoughts invade him too much at that moment.
Again there is silence in between for a few seconds, when he speaks again.
"How is Aenar?" he asks in a voice charged with a mixture of happiness, nostalgia and longing for his son.
"He's fine," you say in a soft voice, "He's in the studio nursery. Mary takes very good care of him," you add, wanting to reassure him that his son is being properly cared for.
He nods slowly, humming in response, trying to hide the intensity of his emotions in his gaze.
"That's good, I'm glad to hear that," he replies, vulnerability in his tone and gaze.
The air between the two of you still lingers, charged with emotions that neither of you dares to express openly. However, taking advantage of the conversation, Aemond decides to propose something.
He just met him yesterday and can't wait to see him again, to be in his company.
Yesterday's hours were simply not enough. And knowing that his son is well brings him relief and a feeling he hasn't experienced before since he found out he is a father.
"If you want, I can pay for a trusted babysitter for him," he offers and this gets your full attention, "I'm just saying… so you don't always have to bring him with you to work," he says with a hesitation, his tone betraying his insecurity about his proposal.
You remain silent for a moment, not knowing what exactly to say, in fact processing the unexpected offer. And Aemond can't help but feel even more unnerved by your silence.
"I-I… I don't know," you murmur, hesitant.
This nursery in the set is at least in the same place as you and that gives you relief that whatever happens, you can rush to him right away.
The idea of a babysitter strikes you as a mixture of relief and concern.
In the morning you'd have more time getting ready to come to work and it wouldn't be as much of a burden on you, yet you've never left someone to take care of Aenar while you're away.
But leaving him at home and coming all the way here to work, that causes you hesitation, besides the fact that you have to know the person who will take care of your child perfectly, as well as have confidence in her, above all.
"Only if that makes you feel more comfortable," Aemond adds softly, "But if that's not what you want, that's fine."
You bite your lips, feeling uneasy at the thought of someone else caring for your son and having him away when you're working.
"And you know someone who might be trustworthy?" you ask attentively and still with hesitation in your gaze.
"Yes," he tells you immediately, softly, "Rhaenyra has an army of babysitters to take care of my younger nephews. I can ask her for help with that and I know she'll say yes," he assures you.
"And they are professional babysitters?"
"Yeah, yeah, Nyra is also very careful with the selection and the babysitters she has hired have years of experience and so far several of them have worked with her for a few years now."
And after a moment's reflection, you agree.
And as convincing as the information is, still a mixture of worry and resignation envelopes your body.
But you knew that sooner or later you would have to face the situation of balancing your job with the responsibility of caring for your little one, accepting the idea that you won't always be able to have him with you.
"All right," you nod to him, "But I'd like to do some interviews first."
"Yeah, of course. I'll take care of that, don't worry," he says softly, nodding to you and you nod back.
"Thank you, Aemond."
"You don't have to thank me, Y/N, it's for our son. And if he or you need anything, please just let me know."
Seeing Aemond so willing to be a present father and his desire to be involved in his son's life, to some extent relieves you and surprises you a little, clearly because of what happened at first when you found out you were pregnant.
But so far… he has really shown you that he wants to be present and without having Criston and all his team around anymore.
The slight tension in the air is felt again as you and he continue to navigate the terrain of this new dynamic, which feels a little weird and you feel very nervous, though you don't even know why, while he at all times seems unsure.
And in an attempt to diffuse the tension, now you're the one who speaks first.
"Okay," you nod, "And if you…" you try to say a little nervously and with some caution and insecurity, "If you want to go see Aenar at the nursery or even at the apartment, you can," you assure him with a soft tone, "I never said you couldn't visit him and I don't plan to take that right away from you."
Vulnerability is reflected both in your words and in Aemond's expression, who with his soft face and with his gaze full of various emotions, places a small gentle smile on his lips.
"I'd love that."
Your words mean more to him than you probably realize. That sincere gesture of openness on your part, Aemond deeply appreciates.
Just as he appreciates that the conversation has reached a level of understanding and cooperation that neither of you had anticipated, but that you definitely appreciate. It doesn't end there yet, though.
"Can I ask you something?"
You nod, with no problem.
"Sure."
"What will you be leaving work on when your shift is over with Aenar?" he tells you interested and attentive.
"Um… well, yesterday I took the bus," you explain, considering that just yesterday was supposedly your first day, "And I had already planned that if I finished late, I'd take an Uber. Like now in the morning I was running a little late and took an Uber," you reply, trying to explain your transportation routine.
In fact there is nothing wrong with moving this way, many people do it, besides you don't have many options.
But that's what Aemond doesn't want, he wants to make your life a little easier, especially since Aenar lives with you and he doesn't want to risk something bad happening to both of you one day with public transport.
"Well, if you want, I can take the two of you," he also offers without hesitation, "Or if it seems too much, I can ask my driver to pick you up and take you wherever you need to go, without problem," he assures you, "I just don't want you to move that way with Aenar or by yourself."
This new unexpected offer from Aemond also surprises you, that you even think about turning him down, telling him it's not necessary.
Mostly you see it from Aenar's safety side.
But his concern is genuine and also you know that then moving you will start to be a problem.
You know you can't afford Uber every day, the fares aren't exactly cheap and there are other needs you have to take care of, besides taking the bus late could be dangerous.
"Well…" you look at him hesitantly and a little embarrassed, "You won't have a problem with that?"
"No, of course not," he answers you instantly.
You nod in his direction, grateful for his consideration.
"Yes, it's fine and seriously thank you for this too," you can't help but say, "Sometimes transport is complicated."
"Don't worry, it's fine."
He is about to say something else when a third voice interrupts him, entering the same space as you.
"Yeah, I know, sorry, I'm already on it," he assures her instantly.
"Aemond, are you ready now?"
Enters one of your co-workers, watching him intently and instantly with concern at the sight of him still in his civilian clothes.
"For God's sake, why aren't you dressed yet? Your scene is going to shoot in less than fifteen minutes!"
"I'll be back in ten minutes. Hurry up, please," the worried girl says and hurries away.
You instantly at that moment decide that the two of you can talk later and hand him his clothes from the scene he'll be shooting soon and he thanks you, heading for one of the small dressing rooms quickly.
When he finishes putting on his clothes, you quickly help him look perfect for filming the scene.
"I'll be seeing you," he tells you before leaving and you nod.
"Sure."
And from that moment on, over the next few days, everything changes as much for Aemond as it does for you.
He kept his word to drive you and Aenar back home every time your shift ended. And if he was still filming scenes, he would send his driver to take you instead of him, also to bring you in the mornings.
The relationship is cordial and collaborative and while there is no romantic reconciliation involved, there is a determination to build a more stable and secure future for Aenar, as well as prioritizing his well-being above all else.
At work, too, the dynamic between the two of you changes completely. Communication is professional, as it should be, but in every interaction there is a complicity that seems to have evolved.
There is a quiet understanding, a new focus on cooperation and mutual respect that is taking shape.
Also Aemond kept his word to hire a fully trusted babysitter and while he took care of that, sometimes you found him in the nursery with Aenar, keeping him company and playing with him.
At first this caused you some noise and also confusion, since Aemond is under the public eye spending quality time with his son and doesn't bother to hide it, so you wondered if already everyone working here, also Aemond's co-workers, knows that he has a son with you.
Again that sight couldn't help but make you smile with a certain nostalgic look, watching the interaction of those two silver-haired heads in their own world.
But it made you feel happy to see your little boy laughing and playing with his father.
And if so, you doubt that it will come out soon, because working in this production of whatever position, there is a confidentiality contract for everything, even for the personal life of the actors.
But when the shooting of this show is over, everyone is probably going to know about it. Although it seems that Aemond doesn't even think about it and doesn't really care.
So you decide not to ask him anything about it and how Criston and his whole team is going to take it.
You honestly don't know what Aemond has done with him, what they have talked about and what exactly happened for him to leave you and Aenar alone.
And you don't want to know. You've had enough of him and everything he did to you. And fortunately you live in peace and feel safe to have Aemond on your side this time.
And before you can say anything, Aemond steps forward with a soft little smile.
When one day on your day off you find yourself making dinner while Aenar watches his favorite cartoon in the living room and you supervise him occasionally from where you are, there's a knock at the door.
You're traumatized with the thought that maybe it's Criston and something bad is going to happen, but when you open the door you find Aemond with a woman by his side.
"Hey."
"Hi," you try to smile, a little confused.
"Are you busy? I-I didn't know and thought I'd just come over," he says, "And I'd let you know but I don't have your number or-or something."
"No, no, it's fine, I'm just making dinner," you hasten to say.
"I came because I wanted to introduce you to Elinda Massey," he tells you, pointing to the woman next to him and she looks at you with a warm smile, "One of the babysitters Rhaenyra recommended to me to take care of Aenar."
"Oh," you nod, now understanding.
You watch Elinda and she radiates warmth and assurance in her gaze, instantly feeling comfortable with her presence.
"It's nice to meet you, Elinda," you say with a small smile, extending your hand to her.
"Same to you, Y/N," she replies, shaking his hand with yours, "Aemond has told me so much about you and Aenar. I'm very excited to meet him as well."
Aemond beside her nods, his expression calm.
"Elinda is professional and very experienced. I wanted to introduce you to her and thought maybe we could do a little interview together, just to get to know her and see how she gets along with Aenar."
You instantly nod again.
"Oh yeah, yeah, sure, come on in," you step aside, allowing them to pass, "Aenar is watching his favorite cartoon," you say as you close the door behind you.
Aemond instantly walks towards him, making a sound of surprise, catching his attention and Aenar instantly notices him, smiling big at the sight of him, his huge blue eyes lighting up and reaching out his little arms towards him.
Both you and Aemond know Elinda better and you realize that she is a woman who has all the necessary experience and training. Besides the fact that when she approaches Aenar, he instantly laughs and plays with her.
Aemond laughs and takes him in his arms, starting to leave a bunch of kisses on his huge chubby cheeks, making him laugh as he holds him against his chest and speaks to him in a honeyed tone.
And you again can't help but smile as you watch the scene.
There is still that feeling of worry in you knowing that you will have to leave Aenar in someone else's care.
But Elinda shows you so much in so few hours, she tells you about her experience, shows you letters of recommendation, first aid certificates, as well as other care and Aenar has fun with her.
Aemond stays a few more moments in Aenar's company, playing games and watching the cartoons he likes, while you finish dinner and cleaning the kitchen.
The three of you establish a work schedule for her, as well as you tell her some recommendations and observations regarding Aenar.
And once everything is ready and clarified, she leaves and Aemond tells you that he has already taken care of all the payment details with her.
Every now and then you hear how Aemond asks him questions in a honeyed tone and repeats the same expressions he does when he sees his favorite character on TV, and then both start laughing.
Those sounds, the sound of your son's laughter and also Aemond's expressions, unconsciously make you smile and you watch from the kitchen as Aemond makes funny gestures or faces to make him laugh and attacks him with a lot of kisses all over his face or tickles.
Then you walk him to the door once he is ready to leave.
And there the two of them make themselves comfortable on the couch, eventually Aenar falls asleep on Aemond's lap, his back and head against his chest. He cautiously gets up holding him gently and puts him to sleep, while you thank him.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot," he says stopping in front of the door and turns to you, "This is for you."
You see him take his wallet from his back pocket and inside it, he pulls out what appears to be a black card and holds it out to you. This catches your attention and also confuses you, taking the card with that confusion, not understanding.
And only when you take a good look at it in your hands do you realize that it is a bank card.
"It's yours."
He says and you frown more, then raise your gaze to him asking for an explanation.
"I can only send money to it, I don't have direct access. You'll get the PIN from the bank, tomorrow after the shoot, I'll take you to activate it," he tells you, "You know, it's in case you need money to buy something for Aenar or for you, whatever you need."
Then when you fully understand the explanation and the purpose of this, you start to panic.
"Aemond—
You try to say feeling the lump in your throat and your heart starting to pound.
"I know I didn't tell you about this, but please, I want to do it," he interrupts you with a pleading tone so you won't reject him or reproach him about it, "Besides, this is necessary. Sometimes I will have to travel to other cities for shootings or events and I won't be able to see you or him and I want to make sure you don't lack anything. So just accept it, please."
"But—
"Please," he insists.
This really seems too much to you and you have an idea of the amount of money the card must already have. And no… in spite of everything, you don't want to accept this and feel that you are taking advantage of him.
You watch him still with hesitation and worry on your face, tension hanging in the air as you and he stand in complete silence, saying nothing for a few seconds.
You look back down at the card in your hands and Aemond follows your gaze, both of you standing face to face.
And it just seems that Aemond reads your thoughts by the hesitation and insecurity on your face.
"If you don't want to use it to also buy things for yourself, use it just to buy Aenar whatever he needs," he tells you softly, "After all, I was going to do this sooner or later, wasn't I? It's my responsibility to make sure he doesn't lack anything and that's what I'm going to do."
You let out a long breath, beginning to feel less of the weight of the luxurious and clearly exclusive black card in your hands, with his words beginning to soften your chest at the mention of Aenar.
"Fine," you mutter finally, letting out a sigh and raising your gaze to him, "B-but I'll only use it for things that Ae-
This gesture from Aemond is a clear sign of concern and responsibility he feels towards you and his son. And you truly feel that genuine desire that he wants to contribute for the welfare of both of you.
You try to clarify but he quickly speaks up.
"Yeah, okay," he nods at you, "Don't worry. Just… use it."
You nod again.
"Thank you, Aemond."
A slight flicker of concern appears in his gaze and he quickly tries to be able to struggle to find the right words to be able to explain himself so you don't misunderstand him.
"I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to—
"No, no, I don't think so," you tell him softly, with understanding, "This…" you look back down at the card in your hands and let out a sigh, "This is actually necessary and very helpful…. you really don't know how much I appreciated it."
He nods, his expression relieving a bit as he sees your behavior and also as you accept his support.
"Easy, it's okay," he assures you in a soft murmur.
"Also…" he starts to say with some nervousness but definitely more confident, "I wanted to ask you if you have social security for Aenar and you," he says with a serene expression, looking directly at you.
Again silence settles between the two of you but the air is different, calmer and less tense, feeling the mutual understanding.
And Aemond, after the two of you say nothing for another long few seconds, thinks it best to talk at this point about another plan he has in mind.
This also immediately catches your attention and you watch him warily, tilting your head to one side and starting to get an incredulous look on your face.
"You're not seriously thinking that—
"Y/N, please," he interrupts you, "This is no problem for me, really," he insists, "I just need to know."
"But—
"This is also important and I can pay for it."
"But it's a lot of money and I don't think—
"Do you really think I'll let you and Aenar go through life without being covered?" he asks you incredulously, "I can handle this. I really can."
His words continue to reflect that genuine commitment and you, despite your concern, feel something warm invade your chest, especially the gentle and willing way he is looking at you.
After all that has happened, seeing Aemond so determined to contribute to your son's well-being gives you a new hope and opportunity for Aenar's future.
The costs are too much, nothing you could really afford, not even for Aenar, since your salary was not much and had to cover other needs. You couldn't even afford it on your current salary.
You have always worked very hard to try to give Aenar everything he needs. Among them, paying for a social insurance for him, in case of anything.
But you could never afford it.
And that suddenly Aemond is offering it to you so easily, clearly because he can afford it, you feel somewhat overwhelmed and also feel that it is too much.
"And you're completely—
"Yes, I am," he interrupts you again, being very clear and honest with you, "This won't be any trouble, really," he assures you.
You want to tell him thank you, but the words get stuck in your throat. However, Aemond sees the gratitude is visible in your gaze, along with your concern and how you find yourself overthinking it.
So he just gives you a look of understanding and total reassurance.
"I'll be leaving. You need to rest. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
You let out a long breath, bite your lips and nod in his direction.
"Okay."
"Good night," he says softly as he opens the apartment door again.
"Good night. Drive safe."
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Lately the days have been more… peaceful.
But as the days progressed, you realized that it was useless to feel that way because when you returned to the apartment, everything was absolutely fine. And also everything is easier when you transport yourself with Aemond's help or with the help of his driver.
Having Elinda as a babysitter, your mornings are easier and she does an excellent job with Aenar, so you have nothing to worry about.
At first you would leave home feeling horrible and your whole body tense, always alert to your phone and exaggeratedly paranoid.
Aemond also one day told you the same thing, that lately things have been quiet, even the recordings have not been heavy for him compared to other days or other jobs.
And for the same reason that he is busy filming, he hasn't attended any events or interviews, that happens rather after he finishes filming a new show or movie and there is still time left for that.
Aemond drives in silence and the soft background music on low volume fills the entire interior of the car while you watch the city through the windows and Aenar sleeps secured in one of the back seats.
So on this one day and for one occasion only, Elinda had an important commitment that she couldn't postpone, so she didn't show up for work and you didn't have any problem, since you can bring Aenar to the nursery on the set.
And now it is Aemond who is driving them home after your shift ended almost at the same time he finished filming his scenes.
He and you haven't talked much during the whole drive, only about work, but even so the silence is comfortable and you can't wait to get home to cook a nice dinner.
The cityscape soon transforms into familiar and somewhat… careless streets, as you approach to your apartment.
He parks in front of your building and watches you.
You know this isn't a luxurious area and there's a lot of detail to look at, but it's what you can afford right now.
And that's just what Aemond thinks as he looks around the neighborhood, hating to leave you and Aenar here when he can get you a much better place. But he knows you'll say no.
"Will you stay here any longer?" he asks you softly, "I mean, will you continue to pay rent?"
"For now yes," you nod to him, "I'm saving up to move to a better place, to an apartment in a different area and that's close to work," you let him know, "It's just taking time because of my paycheck."
Aemond stares at you intently for a moment, thinking and pondering your words, with a thoughtful look on his face, while you make sure you have all your belongings with you before getting out of the car and carrying Aenar.
And just as he is about to speak, a familiar sound interrupts him and his son's crying is heard throughout the car.
You follow him too with all your things in hand, walking over to both of them.
You quickly turn to him to attend to him, trying to calm him down, while Aemond reacts and quickly gets out of the car to open the door to the back seats.
It takes him a little while to unfasten the seat belts, but once he's finished he takes him in his arms and whispers comforting words in his ear to make him stop crying.
"Shh, my little one," Aemond whispers, holding him against his chest and stroking his silver hair, "Hey, it's okay, it's okay," he murmurs, leaving a soft kiss on his forehead.
You move to his side and run one of your hands over his wet cheeks, watching you for a moment with teary blue eyes only to close them tightly and continue crying.
"Either he wants to sleep in his room or he's hungry," you say, stroking his face to try to calm him as well.
"He didn't eat?" he asks you attentively.
"Yes, Mary said yes."
"Then he wants to sleep," he says, trying to wipe the dried tears from his cheeks, "Come on upstairs, I'll take him," he tells you and you nod.
All the while Aemond tries to comfort him until they reach the door of your apartment, but when he lays him down in his crib, Aenar cries more and he carefully holds him in his arms again, trying to soothe him while you quickly stop in the kitchen and prepare a baby bottle, hoping it will help.
And when you hand it to Aemond, he stands gently pacing around the room holding Aenar with one arm while the other hand holds the baby ottle for him against his mouth, hoping it will soothe him and he will fall asleep.
You take the bottle and Aemond carefully lays him down to sleep in his crib, leaving a soft kiss on his forehead to finally let him rest.
Aenar eventually calms down as he drinks from the baby bottle and watches with his blue eyes Aemond above him, who is still gently walking him around the room.
And little by little, wrapped in the safety of Aemond's arms, he falls asleep.
He sits up and turns to you, where you both look at each other without saying anything for a moment, sharing a silent connection.
"Thank you," you whisper to him.
"Don't worry," he says back to you in the same way.
Together you leave Aenar's room without a sound and gently close the door.
That night Aemond drives to his apartment with a new thought in mind, one of which is to always provide a better life for you and Aenar.
That's why, without telling you anything and taking advantage of the fact that it's your day off, he manages to leave the recording set early, he tells you to accompany him to the mall to buy new clothes for Aenar and you accept without thinking about anything else.
During the ride, so far you haven't questioned him about anything and that relieves him, but when you finally pay attention to the streets he is driving through, that's when your confusion appears and Aemond is thankful that you are about to arrive at the real place he wants to take you.
"I don't think there's a shopping mall around here, Aemond," you tell him confused, watching the streets carefully.
You realize that he is actually driving through a private residential neighborhood, with the streets lined with luxurious homes or rather mansions that would catch anyone's attention and you are clearly no exception.
And remembering your locations, you can tell that this neighborhood belongs to the Visenya Hill area, the most exclusive and prestigious area of King's Landing.
"Aemond, where are we going?" you look at him completely confused and questioning.
"I want to show you something," he tells you without giving you any more detail, generating more confusion and despair in you.
"But you said we were going to the mall."
"I know, but I lied to you," he says with some regret and you frown, "If I told you I wanted to show you a house where you can live with Aenar, you wouldn't have come."
"What?"
You inquire in your completely incredulous, serious and questioning voice, watching him with your eyes wide open.
"Surely you're joking," you tell him absurdly, shaking in his direction and watching him completely intently and seriously, really wanting to believe this is a joke.
"No, I'm not," he says letting out a small laugh, watching you for a moment to turn his gaze back to the road.
"Aemond," you start trying to warn him, serious.
"We're here," he announces out of nowhere, alerting you more fully.
You watch with your lips parted and completely attentive at all the windows, as the car comes to a stop in front of an impressive house, whose high ceilings and elegant white columns stand out in the neighborhood.
The front garden with the green lawn, a beautiful fountain and flowering bushes only make it stand out more, besides the elegant entrance, its huge windows and the dimension of the whole house that makes you continue to stare at everything with your mouth open.
In comparison, Aemond looks at the house with a hopeful expression and feeling genuinely happy and excited. But at the same time, he is worried about your attitude and what you will tell him about all this.
At first you refuse to get out of the car, still incredulous and surprised, telling him this is crazy, but Aemond makes you get out and also gets Aenar down from the back seats, instantly on this rare occasion preferring your arms instead of his father's.
"Aemond," you try to say, worried and still unable to believe it.
"Easy. Come," he tells you completely unconcerned, leading you to the entrance of the house.
You observe everything, unable to help yourself, as there is even furniture and everything looks too expensive but too beautiful at the same time.
You watch as he holds the fucking key in his hand and opens the beautiful, gigantic door for you, without giving you a chance to say anything else.
And as you enter, the entire interior of the house spreads out in front of you, illuminated by the daylight filtering through the windows and highlighting every majestic detail of the property.
The simple entrance is large with a crystal chandelier above you hanging from the high ceiling, the living room is spacious and there is also a small decorative fountain. Further on there is another living room that you can observe from the spacious and eye-catching kitchen.
And the entire upstairs also completely grabs your attention, having three huge bedrooms, the master bedroom being the largest of them all, each with its own bathroom and closet.
The bathroom down here is ridiculously large for a bathroom. The pantry is also a ridiculously large room for a pantry.
The garden is lovely and has a swimming pool which, according to Aemond, can be automatically closed off for Aenar's security. There is a laundry and drying room as well.
"It's perfect, don't you think?"
Aemond tells you slightly excited as you walk down the stairs behind him, with Aenar in your arms and who also looks at everything around him with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Work is nearby, my apartment is nearby and Elinda has come to this area to work before, so it won't be a problem," he tells you with that little smile, turning to you, looking with that gleam of hope compared to you.
He clearly expects the same reaction from you and even having already seen the house, you let out a sigh and look at him with a serious and confused expression.
"Aemond, what do you think you're doing?"
"Well, it's for you," he tells you, pointing to everything around him, still not seeing how much this is costing you, "It's perfect for you and Aenar. And a chance for him to live and grow up in a nice, spacious, safe place."
You are speechless for a moment, feeling that heaviness in your chest and your heart pounding as you press your lips together and briefly observe everything around you again.
"Everything will be taken care of by me, you won't have to worry about anything," he assures you softly, "Aenar's room is big, the kitchen is big, there are two living rooms and..." he shrugs, "Like I told you, everything is close by."
"Tell me you haven't already bought all this," you say slightly concerned.
And then all emotion from Aemond slowly fades.
"But why? What is it that—
"Aemond, this is too much," you interrupt him incredulously, shock in your eyes, "How do you think I'm just going to accept this just like that?"
He steps closer, with the slight concern in his gaze, trying to convey calm, but his eye reflects the urgency of his purpose.
"Y/N, please. I only want what's best for you and Aenar. Besides, you said you're moving soon and—
"Yes but to an apartment, not a house that costs millions of dollars," you tell him absurdly.
"Yes, I know, but—" he bites his lips, nervous, "I wanted to do this. I wanted to give this to you and Aenar," he says insistent, "A safe place in a quiet neighborhood, where you can also have your space without having to worry anymore."
You shake your head.
"But—
"Look, just..." he tries to find the right words, trying to work on your willing attitude for not accepting this, "Consider it, yes?" he insist, "You don't have to make a decision right now, for now I just wanted to show you around, nothing more," he says calmly, though you know that behind that calmness is an obvious longing.
"But it's just that this is too much and... no," you look at him with slight concern, "I don't need to consider it because no matter how much I think about it, my answer is no."
"Aemond, this..." you begin to say with restrained sadness, hesitating, "This won't change the past. This won't make it so I can forgive you," you tell him resignedly, "This isn't about me and Aenar, it's about Aenar nothing else and her well being," you tell him in a broken voice, "But this... this house... it's too much."
"Y/N..." he says, taking a couple more steps towards you, wary, "Two years ago, I was the worst shitty boyfriend," he says with sadness and regret, "I had to support you, be there for you completely, I shouldn't have let Criston talk me into his plans, accept in the beginning to hide you and hide my responsibility."
He says as he looks nostalgic at Aenar in your arms.
"And now that you've given me this second chance, I just want to make things right....I want to do what I should have done in the beginning."
Aemond's expression, although he himself tries to remain expressionless, still feels as if he has been hit hard in the stomach when he hears your words.
And all illusion disappears, as well as his enthusiasm.
He resignedly steps back, leaving a space between you and him, not wanting to overwhelm you any more than he already has.
He thought this would be a good idea, that by the time the three of you were here, looking forward to the idea of a new home, you would understand and accept.
But there are still many open wounds from the past and he knows they cannot be healed with these sudden gestures.
"I know, it's just that I-I..." he tries to say with his voice laden with regret and deep remorse," I didn't expect this... a house or an apology to just fix things," he says sincerely and with disappointment, "I just wanted to give Aenar stability and offer you a safe place for the both of you, give you a better life."
Silence envelops you both, dense and charged with mixed emotions.
Aemond tries to find some sign on your face, wanting you to see his true intention, longing for some small indication of hope or acceptance.
And you feel the overwhelming weight of responsibility and emotions inside you. All of this is tempting, though your heart is still scarred by past pain and also distrust. And you are torn between caution and the opportunity to give Aenar the stability he deserves.
Aemond remains silent, respecting your space and your time to process the situation. But the indecision in you is all too obvious.
"Y/N, I promise you that all this is for Aenar and nothing else," he tells you seriously and sincerely, "I promise I won't try anything, except to take care of him and make sure he lacks nothing," he insists, "At least stay in this house until he grows up a little more and if you still think it's too much, we can find a smaller place," he proposes.
His words are left floating in the air, while you continue to think too hard. His proposal echoing in your mind, plunging you into a sea of thoughts, with indecision.
Aemond seems to have put his heart on the table, but your emotions continue to struggle between caution and hope, as you cannot ignore the possibility of offering Aenar a more secure and stable life, which is all you wish for him since you could not give him that at the beginning.
And it is also what Aemond desires, that is why he is so insistent and you see his true intention to give this to Aenar, without any other intentions in between.
But is it right to trust him again? What if Criston and his team try to intervene again? This time they would do it more easily.
Maybe it can be different this time.
You honestly feel like you're taking a big risk by agreeing. It's a big bet to open your life and Aenar's to this new opportunity, but you also see how he's striving to give you something better.
And that's exactly what has you questioning and wondering: should I give this a chance?
"All right," you finally say in a soft voice with a mixture of nervousness, "But only for Aenar."
Aemond looks at you with surprise and hope.
"Really?"
You nod, swallowing hard and Aemond lets out a long breath, visibly relieved and then, avoiding smiling big, takes the house key from his front pocket and holds it out to you, to which you take it a little confused.
"Don't you have to give it to the real estate agent?"
"Actually, I already bought it," he says with a nervous but innocent gesture at the same time, scratching the back of his neck, "Well, I haven't paid the whole amount, but I've paid most of it. So it's yours."
Seven fucking Hells.
You can't help but think as you close your eyes for a moment and let out a sigh, unable to believe it.
The new house soon began to have that warmth the moment you started settling in with Aenar. Every room radiates a sense of peace and comfort that you haven't experienced in a long time.
The move wasn't difficult at all, the only thing you had to transport from the old apartment with the help of Aemond and his driver was your clothes, Aenar's clothes, her toys and her crib, nothing else.
The house already had furniture, beds, decorations and even televisions already installed.
The high ceilings allow natural light to flood in, while the white walls set off the black and gray furniture and Aenar toys, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Aemond builds Lego block forts together with him, buys him toy dragons, cars, stuffed animals and they both watch Aenar's favorite cartoon or movies, getting cozy on the shag carpet or on the couch.
Because Aemond's apartment is close by, his commitment is more accessible, so there is never a day that goes by that he doesn't visit Aenar.
Special moments between father and son are spent in the living room, where toys scattered on the floor become Aenar's playroom area.
Also some evenings the three of you have dinner together, where Aemond offers to feed Aenar and eventually the dining room fills with laughter and smiles as you focus on him.
The backyard also becomes a realm of adventure, where they both even plan picnics and invite you over.
They also both sometimes spend afternoons exploring with laughter and playing with the plastic cars on the lawn where Aenar imitates the sounds Aemond makes from a car.
The new house is filled with happy and warm moments, forming the perfect setting for Aenar to begin to grow up, having both of his parents looking after him.
The proximity of work and Aemond's apartment made the daily routine easier. The routes are short and convenient, allowing more time to enjoy time together.
And above all you definitely feel more at ease having Elinda taking care of Aenar while you are considerably closer to home from the set.
When one day at night, you had already received a message from Aemond telling you that he would be a little late to visit Aenar, as usual, and you replied that it was fine, even though tomorrow is your day off and you have no problem with sleeping late.
But the clock is almost half past eleven at night and you think he is not going to arrive, when just at that moment you hear the doorbell ring and you go to the door, checking from the IPad the cameras of a program that Aemond installed to record Aenar while he sleeps and also monitors in case of anything and so you can make sure he is okay.
And finally you open the door, watching Aemond carefully.
"I thought you weren't coming anymore," you tell him in a low, warm tone, but also worried.
Aemond nods, letting out a sigh.
"I finished later than I thought. It was a hard day," he tells you heavily.
You nod softly and understandingly, stepping aside to let him pass.
"Aenar is already asleep."
"Yes, that's what i thought," he says calmly, "But it doesn't matter, I won't wake him up, I just want to see him," he watches you with tired eye, "You should go to sleep too," he says as he places one of his hands gently on your shoulder, "I'll lock up and set the alarm when I leave."
Hesitation shows on your face for a moment, watching him intently and with a flash of concern.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, don't worry," he nods at you with a small soft smile, "Go get some rest, I'll take care of it."
"Fine, but anything tell me, no matter what it is, okay?"
"Okay."
With a soft nod, you both head up the stairs and down the hallway to the rooms, you wave goodbye to him before entering your room and he enters Aenar's room.
And once in your room, you cover yourself with your sheets and thinking that you would fall asleep the moment you were in the comfort of your bed, you suddenly stare at the ceiling for a long time unable to close your eyes and clearly unable to sleep.
He hasn't left yet, as you haven't heard that soft 'click' of the door or his footsteps in the hallway walking away.
You try to find sleep any way you can, but the thought that Aemond is still in the house is what keeps you awake.
And it's not because you don't trust him, on the contrary, you look at the time and feel remorseful and worried that he has to drive back to his apartment so late.
Minutes pass and suddenly you find yourself restless, sleep refusing to invade you. So with quiet steps, you approach Aenar's room, where the dim light of a night lamp reflects through the frame below the door.
Carefully and determined, you gently open the door, first peeking your head and then your body, catching the attention of Aemond who turns his head towards you, sitting near Aenar's crib and gently and very lightly stroking his hair so as not to wake him with a look of affection that does not leave his face despite the interruption.
"Can't you sleep?" he whispers to you, watching you with a soft gaze.
You nod softly, folding your arms as you look down at sleeping Aenar with palpable tenderness.
"It's late and I thought maybe... if you want, you can sleep here," you say with a warm tone but your hint of shyness in your voice is noticeable, as well as your hesitation to suggest such a thing.
It's no problem for you, it's just that he's never slept over before and you don't know what his reaction will really be to you proposing that, whether he'll say yes or no.
"And you're okay with that?" he observes you thoughtfully and softly.
"Yes, of course I am," you assure him completely nonchalantly, "It's totally fine with me."
He nods at you with a gesture, without wiping away his soft little smile.
"Thank you."
And then both his gaze and yours return to watching Aenar asleep in his crib. And Aemond resumes the smile of tenderness on his lips, again sliding his hand over his hair.
"He's beautiful, isn't he?" he whispers with a flash of pride in his gaze.
You hum in assent, slowly moving closer toward them both.
"Yes, he is," you reply, gazing at your little one with indescribable love.
A brief silence envelops you for a moment, only hearing the soft hum of the spinning lamp projecting images on the ceiling, creating a peaceful low-light scene of animals and stars for Aenar.
This usually helps him sleep and also calms him down a bit if he wakes up crying in the middle of the night while you wake up and rush over here.
"For a while I imagined how he would looked like, whether boy or girl..." he murmurs in a soft, warm, low, wistful tone, "No matter what you decided to do when you left, I always thought about it," he gives you a meaningful look, guilt on his features and you nod, watching him with understanding.
Aemond clenches his jaw and looks at Aenar again, while you remember those days, where fear and uncertainty lived inside you every day.
You wish you had them, those happy moments that a new mom should experience, but that was not the case for you and yet... you cannot imagine a life without your little boy, it is impossible.
What is supposed to be happy news, was not happy for you and Aemond.
There was no single moment of joy at the beginning, when you learned of your pregnancy. Nor did you experience that feeling the first few months, when you ran away and went back to building a new life.
And Aemond feels the remorse most in these kinds of moments, when Aenar is asleep and he looks at him, not being able to believe and wondering over and over again how it is that from the beginning, he supported the idea of just getting rid of him.
And now he sees only him and cannot imagine a world without him.
Shame overcomes him, guilt also and he even wants to cry with anger as he thinks of all that you must have gone through, without his support, trying to make a living for you and his son, all alone in a new and unknown place.
And he knows that this, allowing you to be in Aenar's life, is a great opportunity that he doesn't deserve and yet you have given it to him.
"I know you said you can't forgive me but... someday can you? For how I reacted and for the decision I supported in the beginning?" he asks you, unable to help himself and needing to know.
His tone is charged with a mixture of regret and longing as you feel a pressure and a slight sharp pain in your chest at his words.
Silence stretches for a moment throughout the room, Aemond respects your silence and though there are many reasons why you should never forgive him for what happened, you still decide to be honest.
"I don't know," you whisper in a low, sad and vulnerable tone.
The words echo through the room, enveloping the space with palpable tension.
Aemond feels his heart pounding, filled with overwhelming regret. He lowers his gaze, unable to bear the weight of his mistakes and your words are like a dagger in his heart, but still, he understands you completely.
He nods with compression, letting out a regret-laden sigh, still gently stroking Aenar's hair.
"I understand," he murmurs with a tone of melancholy and fragility, as well as in his gaze full of pleading and remorse.
"Does your family know about him?"
And you with your sad eyes full of regret, you watch him out of the corner of your eye.
And you see all those emotions in him, all his thoughts reflected in his gaze, trying to stand firm and on the sidelines as he continues to watch Aenar.
You can't help but ask, trying to calm the atmosphere a little, though it's useless, as that slight tension is felt and also that physical and emotional distance from both your side and him.
"I've wanted to tell them, only Nyra knows but I asked her not to say anything," he confesses to you in a low voice, trying to speak firmly but the nostalgia is clear, "Even though I know my mother and siblings will be disappointed in me when I explained what happened two years ago, yes I have wanted to tell them," he nods, "But first I wanted to discuss it with you," he says looking briefly at you over his shoulder.
And now it is remorse that comes to you.
"Tell them, Aemond," you tell him firmly with a soft tone, "They deserve to know."
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licorice-tea · 3 months
Text
The Bane of My Existence
Pairing:Trafalgar Law x reader
Content: some spoilers for Sabaody arc (nothing major), enemies to lovers! strawhat reader, reader and law are both stubborn and argumentative smh, reader is more optimistic though, law is awkward and not great at understanding his own feelings <3
Word Count: 1.6k
A/N: part 1/2 for a little enemies to lovers fic! one of my favorite tropes but I almost never write about it... also I've been rewatching bridgerton and was very inspired by the relationship between Kate and Anthony, which is where the title comes from too! (can you guess what part 2 will be called?) anyway, enjoy and lmk your thoughts! :)
Part 2
Sabaody Archipelago is easily one of the coolest places you’ve visited so far. Not that Alabasta, Skypiea, Water 7, Thriller Bark weren’t cool too… but you’re a people person! And to get to see such a diverse mix of groups from all over the world converging here, on one island Archipelago, brings a genuine smile to your face. It truly does remind you of a theme park: from the attractions to the oversized trees and bubbles.
In fact, you’re so caught up in all the splendors of the carnival-esque grove that you don’t realize you’re being watched. Or, followed, rather.
The Heart Pirates, yet another crew from some vague corner of the world, have been tracking you for the better part of an hour now. Except, they’re only following their captain, who happens to be following you.
Hes not entirely discreet about it though, because at one point Bepo asks, “Um… Captain, why are we following them?”
Shachi responds unprompted, “Yeah, I’ve never seen their bounty poster so… what’s up?”
Law scowls, “I’m not following anyone.”
Though he is low-key following you, Law couldn’t give a good reason as to why. You walked past him and his crew on your way to meet up with the rest of your crew- the Strawhat Pirates- and he’d just sort of trailed after you once you’d gotten a safe distance ahead.
“Really? Because every time they stop for directions, we slow down. And we’ve turned at all the same spots, too… So it really does seem like we’re follo-“
“I am NOT following them.” He lies through (literally) gritted teeth.
Now, Trafalgar Law is in now way shape or form a believer in love at first sight. He’s never been in love period… but the feeling he gets from seeing you is something new and foreign. Like, he really wants to talk to you… he just doesn’t know what for. Law is still trying his best to come up with reasons to stop you and ask for your name when you overhear the brief argument between him and his friends.
With a quick glance over your shoulder, you spot a group of at least 10 on your trail. They’re in the middle of conversation, so they don’t notice you taking notice of them.
Your first instinct is to look around for your crew; but of course, they’re scattered across the groves of Sabaody Archipelago by now - as are you. “Sigh. I might just have to handle this in my own.” But, wait- who said they wanted to fight you? Maybe you should just approach them first, wouldn’t that give you the upper hand in some way? (It wouldn’t, but you can’t think of anything better than to try and charm your way out of a possible jumping with your friendliness and perfect smile.) So, you roll back your shoulders and take a breath before strolling back over the grass to your pursuers.
“Why would I be following some rand-“
“Because you have a crush on them!”
“Oh they’re cute, Captain, you should ask them to join!”
“Gasp! Yeah, then you can get to know-“
They all go silent (save for some quiet gasps) as you step toward the semi circle they’ve formed around one man- the only one not wearing a white uniform, who they call “Captain.” You tap him on the shoulder and he whips his head around.
“Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help me?”
The man just stares at you for a moment with a frown. You fear that you might’ve been wrong about his intentions, until he blinks and mumbles, “Uh… Sure.”
Your smile returns- of course you weren’t wrong! Plus, he’s kind of hot, but you’d catalog that thought and come back to it on some lonely night in the future. “Great! I’m looking for grove 41, it’s where some of my friends are.”
You’d learned back in Water 7 that sometimes, it was best not to disclose who exactly you’re traveling with, nor the location of your ship. (At least, not when you’re infamous pirates.)
“Grove 41? I’m headed there too.”
The polar bear wearing who is also wearing a white uniform clears his throat.
“I thought we were heading to Grove 1, Captain?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to get in y’all’s way then-“
“Nah, I think Captain would love to show you the way.”
“Shachi!” The captain sneers. “We’ll meet back up at Grove 1 after I show them the way." Then, he looks you up and down. It's quick and analytical rather than flirtatious or intimidating. "Don’t cause me any trouble.”
You smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I’m y/n, by the way.”
“Trafalgar Law, and this is my crew, the Heart Pirates.” He gestures around the semi circle, then turns to face them, “You guys go take a break or something. I’ll be back shortly.”
“But Captain, we want to go with you!”
One of the men with red hair- Shachi, you’re pretty sure, elbows the polar bear.
“Hey!…” He looks down at Shachi then gasps like he suddenly had a revelation; “Ohhh. Sorry Captain, we’ll see you later!”
Law rolls his eyes. “See you soon.”
There's something about his dark hair and grey eyes that charms you, right off the bat. Or maybe it's his relaxed, confident demeanor. Possibly even his idiosyncratic style of clothing, and how he (and all of his crew) wore the same logo; so very organized and professional. But no matter the exact reason as to why, you find yourself quite happy to be in his company.
Alas, he’s not a very talkative man, so you make up most of the conversation with questions and your own introductory information. “-and that’s how I got here, to Sabaody!”
“Uh huh. And who did you say your crew was again?”
“I, ahem, I don’t travel with a crew.”
“Right.” He laughs dryly.
“What is it?”
“You’re a bad liar.”
“I- I’m not lying!”
“Look, you don’t have to tell me what crew you’re a part of,” Law explains, “but don’t lie and say you’re not a pirate at all.”
“Well… it’s generally not a good idea to tell strangers that you’re a pirate. Not even nice ones, like you."
Ignoring the butterflies in his stomach that unexpectedly appear when you call him nice, Law's burning curiosity is fed by your roundabout half-answer. “Ah, so you are one? What’s your bounty?”
“That’s not really any of your business.” Though you believe his intentions to be purely based in curiosity, you're second guessing allowing this man to lead you away on an island grove that you have never visited, nor know anything about. Still, your crew is nowhere in sight or hearing range, which worries you given just how loud they usually are.
“I’m paying you a favor by leaving my crew to escort you to where I’m assuming your ship is located- it’s the least you could do.” Law’s tone is more prickly than before.
“Well, I don’t need an escort, and you’ve already walked me halfway there and pointed me in the right direction.”
“Fine- then I’ll leave.”
His sudden change in mood from what you interpreted as shy to borderline aggressive throws you off. And so, having a similar moody temperament and stubbornness (though you’d never admit it after seeing it so clearly in him), you return the sentiment. “Fine by me.”
You continue walking forward while Law turns back, until he calls over his shoulder. “And by the way; you’ll need to find your way through the lawless zone up ahead if you want to get to Grove 41.” If condescending was a person, it would be him. You’re sure of it. “That, or I could’ve shown you a much safer shortcut.”
You pause, turn to face him, roll your eyes, and continue walking.
“What, you’re still not going to ask for my help?”
“Don’t need it!” Which, you really don’t. You’re plenty strong, but your bounty is small enough to not be worried. “I’m not scared of a law-less zone, if anything I think I’d welcome it.”
Your mocking words hurt his ego in a way he hasn't felt in years, taking him down several pegs.
You don't even stick around long enough to listen to him rebuke everything about you, from your high and mighty tone to your vain attempts at lying, ending his one sided argument with a very classy middle finger your way. So, Law grumbles all the way back to Grove 1 to find his crew, and hopes to never see you again. Meanwhile, you find your way to the other Strawhats. Your adventure with them continues, and you don’t have much time to think of your earlier encounter with a handsome pirate and possible-friend turned enemy (if you could even call him that.)
Law doesn't know if his ego (or wildly beating heart) could take another second in your presence- it just might burst if it had to endure any more of your witty comments or sly looks. It would, however, be an interesting theory to test further, should you ever meet again.
The prospect is both horrifying and thrilling to him at the same time.
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goldsbitch · 4 months
Text
That one call overseas
part 7 to That one Christmas flight
summary: Now that we don't talk.
warning: pure angst this time, cheesy af, swear words I guess, cliche probably, typos most definitely
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The hole Y/N dug for herself was getting deeper with each day of no contact with Lando. Gone was her ability to contain her emotions within herself. Her friends were getting concerned. Their ever so calm and easy going friend turned into an impulsive, unreliable and even slightly rude menace.
Teresa was the one who kept patience with her in the worst days, as only the best of friends do. When Y/N got kicked out of a bar for the first time in her life for her comments in lousy bad Italian on a random couple in the late hours of their Friday night, Teresa walked her home and screamed Hits Different with her at the top of their lungs to ease the atmosphere. And once they were home, she listened to Y/N rant about how she would never ever call the asshole who does not even bother to text her again. Teresa also stopped her from throwing his hoodie away, knowing that the following morning would hurt just a little more.
When Y/N woke up the following noon, she took a hard look in the mirror. This was getting ridiculous. She swore to herself and all of her roommates that no more alcohol and no more Lando desperation. It's a crush - it'll pass. One day this will be a nice story to tell the kids she'll have with some Antonio, the accountant or Ignacio, the lawyer. Not Lando, the racer - and that was ok.
//
Lando was off to Montreal and things could not be more busy for him. New updates to test, again, as his frustration grew. He only wished to be finally at the top podium, which seemed to always slip in between his hands. His mind, of course, was clouded by the thoughts of Y/N. At first he thought ashamed of himself for not reaching out and appearing like an asshole - but he somewhat expected her to break the silence. He started to second guess every aspect of the time they shared together. Perhaps she did not have as great time as he had, perhaps he acted like an asshole, or perhaps he just was not good enough for those who were not under the F1 charm spell. Not good enough for her. He finally resorted into doing something he tries to avoid as much as possible - looked at the fan pages and comments to boost his ego up. It only led to him feeling more shameful and pathetic than when he started. He kept her necklace and brought it with him. For all it was worth, he had an amazing memory to look back at, no matter how delusional he felt doing that.
The paddock was a great place to be at when searching for a distraction, so he made sure to spend as little time as possible alone and surrounded himself with people. He even walked to the stands often than he usually would, searching fans and giving photos out, smiling a little to extra on all the girls who looked remotely close to Y/N. Who knows, he might pick up someone like that at the end of Montreal ride. Why not. Nobody was stopping him.
He went to the race with all he had, fully prepped and focused. However, red flags, poor strategy choice had him finishing way below the targeted place. To his luck, Oscar was on a roll of luck and finished way better compared to Lando - and of course that everyone compared. Debrief meetings like that drown the soul more than usually.
Influx of all the journalists was overwhelming that day. The interview fatigue hit hard and after few of those, Lando felt that based on the questions he was asked, everyone thought of this race like a massive fail for him. His own answers continually worsened.
"Why do you think this week has ended the way it did?" asked one of the more prominent interviewers.
"Well, you know how it is. Sometimes the week just does not go the way you'd wish, even if last weekend it seemed like we're on a track to something good. One things affects the other and getting out of that rut is challenging."
"Are you talking about the updates, or something different?"
"Yeah, something like that. But as they say, when life gives you lemons, right. Make lemonade...or limoncello for a rainy day, ey?"
"Well, we hope to see the cheerful Lando soon and ideally at a podium too!" Lando knew the interviewer was only doing his job and technically she was not doing anything wrong, but he could not help and for a split second let his face do a look, that was certainly not appropriate for someone who was so used to media and knew he had to be smart around them.
He was in no mood to watch a celebration of Oscar or to get wrapped up in the post race chaos. Once he felt free to leave, he did, putting his phone on don't disturbe mode and went for a walk around the city with his headphones on, to dwelve in some sad tunes and solitude of his own thoughts.
//
Y/N asked Teresa to punch her anytime she looked like she was about to search Lando news. Her roommate refused to do that as it would be a full time job, but did help her set up some tags to block. Saturday was a success, however once Sunday evening and race time rolled in, Y/N knew she was absolutely not ready to try and ignore it. So instead they made a girls evening in about it. The idea was to replace real memories with Lando for race watching and distance him. They were trying... So they sat together with their study books to combine distractions. Y/N was explaining the race rules, avoiding any personal remarks about Lando. To her own disappointment, he was not featured a lot as there was not much really going on for him during the race. But maybe it was for the best. It really felt alienating, seeing his face on the screen, a character in the story of F1, so far removed from the unfiltered smiling face she had burned in her memory. The mood in the apartment was calm, maybe a little mellow. There was a weird calmness in Y/N, as she knew for a fact that he was busy. Knowing that she will definitely not get any text and that he was not ignoring her was soothing for the soul, even if for just few hours. At the end, the girls had way better time than expected, Teresa taking the initiative to comment on all the rest of the drivers and ranking them based on looks and vibes. She became a Leclerc girl all the way in.
"Right, that's my cue to go to the bathroom," Y/N stood up as the post race interviews rolled in. That would be too much at the moment.
"Love the drama vibes you give off. I'll watch it and let you know if there was anything alarming," Teresa assured her.
"Doubt that," was the bitter response she received back.
Once Y/N came back, she returned to her friend sitting with a puzzled look.
"What?!" all the pent up emotions took the stage, all the hard worked stillness gone as if it was a dream.
Teresa sat in silence, looking bluntly at the screen.
"What??!" Y/N repeated impatiently. "Ugh, forget this charade. I'll just watch it." This all felt like she had passed the test, but hadn't learned the lesson at all.
"Yeah, maybe you should. Interesting, his voice is higher that I imagined," Teresa replied as Y/N became to rewind the stream. They sat in silence, as they watched post race Lando in his tiredness, obvious annoyance and visible dark circles under his eyes. A shock went through Y/N at the word limoncello.
"Y/N, it must a coincidence. He's just been to Italy, so the connection was there...means probably nothing," Teresa said quietly as she watched her bewildered friend.
"Limoncello. Name a more Italian drink...What the fuck?? Is he joking right now? What is this?"
"Y/N, he has no idea you're watching, remember?"
"Yeah, I don't care about that. Makes it even worse actually." She replayed his interview once again.
"Ok, that's it - I'm taking this away from you," Teresa ordered after she saw Y/N going for a third round of the interview. "Do you wanna talk about it, talk it through?" So they went on to the kitchen, cooked some pasta while Y/N went on a rant where she let all her thoughts let loose.
//
"Honestly, fuck him. I don't need the mess he brings into my life. I can find great sex on every corner in this city!"
"Yeah, you go girl!"
"You know what, I'm gonna call him!" Y/N turned directions again for 17th time that day.
"Yeah, I kind of thought you would," Teresa sighed tiredly. "And I think you should, the worst thing you might get is a peace of mind...eventually."
"Yeah, I'm gonna do it! Now!"
She dialed his number. The phone rang for the first time. The second and third. With the seventh dial, she hung up. The girls looked at each and Teresa went for a hug.
"He might be busy with some racing stuff?" Teresa said in a tone which suggested that she herself had a hard time believing.
"I'm so stupid," Y/N whispered.
//
Of course he would miss it. Obviously. Because that just what seems to follow him and this girl around. It was deep evening over at her timezone, but still ok for a late night talk. He called back. What was he even planning on saying? He had no idea. When she did not pick up, he called for a second time. She picked up his facetime call and to say his heart skipped a beat would be an understatement. His heart triple jumped. A face appeared in low light. She smiled.
"Hey you," he opened with. The word honey almost slipped his tongue, but he was not sure how it would be received on the other side of the line.
She waved and gestured him to be silent. Lando was bewildered.
"Where are you?" he whispered, trying to unsucesfully figure out from her background. Again, he was met with a shush. Well, this will be real fun, Lando thought, slightly annoyed.
"Wait, you have me in your earbuds...so you need to be silent, not me!" Y/N frowned and nodded. She got up from where she was sitting and started walking.
"Well, since I have some guaranteed no interruption time, let me fill your ears with a story! There once was a beautiful girl, who talked so much and was so obnoxious that the city decided to ban her from speaking. Luckily, she found the most handsome guy in the town to keep her company with his wit, charm and great looks. To reward him for his services she sent him-"
"Ok, you can STOP now," she exclaimed, as she walked down the stairs.
"Where the fuck are you at this hour, young lady. Someone should seriously keep an eye on you!"
"Yeah, well, I sometimes think the same - and then I'm suddenly sitting in some random hotel room hundreds of miles away from where I was supposed to be," she winked at him. "No, I was at the church."
"Oh...you religious? Wait, are the churches still open?"
"Yes, silly. It's Italy, one always is. And no, I'm not religious per say."
"Oh, well then it makes perfect sense that you're hanging out in churches at midnight, yes."
"Yeah, you know. One gets bored."
"Ok, weirdo," Lando laughed.
"No, I like to go there to clear my head. There is some magic in the architecture and in the old walls," she explained. She really did go to get her head clear, to think it out. "Oh, and one day, I'd like to fuck in like a really old building. Not church exactly, but like I dunno. Our university halls are making me super hot sometimes." She had no idea why this was the first thing she'd pick as a topic. God, she felt lame.
"Well, that would be a hard thing to decline, if you're offering."
"Cheeky as ever, are we?"
"Obviously. So, tell me. Whats up? It's nice to see you by the way. I wanted to tell you that before you shushed me down so politely."
"Aw, nice to see you too, man." Lando would prefer to be called differently. "Some school stuff, completely blew my Monday's presentation, so that was fun."
"You should have studied in the weekend, hmm!"
"Yes! I should have," she had a hard time keeping the smiles in, "Anyway, otherwise it's been pretty much a lot of nothing."
"So you called me because you're bored and not because you wanted to talk to me?" He knew he was pushing it. But desperate times... She hesitated and shot him a strange look he could not decipher.
"Did you know we also have leaning tower here in Bologna?" Y/N panned the phone to show him one of the two towers in the city centre. She was walking around with no apparent destination. "Have you been here?"
Lando smiled weakly. There was a strange frustration regarding the distance he felt towards her. Not the physical miles. "Yeah, I've been there once." His Bologna trip was not exactly a great memory. Maybe this call had been a mistake. The last thing he needed now was to feel strange. He showed her the park he had been walking in.
"I'm in Montreal! Have you been?" Y/N also felt some strange vibes coming through this dry conversation
"No, but sounds fun."
"Not really. There has been a lot of pressure at me lately. I'm starting to hate it. Can't say it to anyone, nobody seems to get it." He looked off to Y/N from the start of the phone call. She took few breaths to triple check that she really wanted to break the elephant in the room. It somehow seemed like a "now or never" situation.
"Saw the race today." Lando paused. He suddenly felt the most vulnerable he had ever felt with her. Did she know him from the first moment? Was she lying? He had a hard time gathering out a response. She felt that, so she started blabbering. The cat was out of the bag, so what the hell.
"I broke our rule after we met. Not immediately! But I just...it felt nice meeting you. And I had no idea about racing beforehand. I overheard your name once and I was like "there can't have been two sets of parents naming their child Lando in this century". She looked at his puzzled face. "I'm sorry." Range of emotions floated through Lando, who was particularly sensitive today. It was only a matter of time when she'd find out who he was, he knew the day had to come at some point. But there was a part of him that wanted him to be the one to tell her. To tell his side of the story first, before she could get it elsewhere. He only had to trust her that she wasn't lying from the start. Very few people liked him for him and not "the racer Lando Norris".
But then again, who was he judge? He practically stalked her down - no, not practically, he actually tracked her down. Why did he do that? Because he was wonderstuck too. He liked her. So that meant that she liked him too. Sense of pride took over.
"Don't say sorry. You look too cute doing that," se said feeling braver now and less like a teenager with a crush. "Nah, it's ok. Wanted to spare you of the NDA, but I guess too late now." The more he came to terms with the fact he was not an enigma anymore, the more confident he became. "I mean, I was the one to find you even though you're not exactly famous, so..."
"Yeah!" she said as if she forgot that. "See, bordeline creepy," she laughed, obviously feeling relieved that he hadn't hung up the phone. "But, it's you, so I guess cute?"
"I'd say it's a little problematic on both parts, so we're even, honey."
She laughed. The looks they shared were a little more intimate than their previous looks. A sense of warmth washed over Y/N.
"It's funny. Do you know when I was in Bologna?"
"Ha, I do actually. My friends saw you at a bar."
"Yes...That's not exactly a coincidence. I wanted to "bump" into you accidentally."
She bit her lip down and closed her eyes. Took a deep breath and replied: "Do you know what was also a massive fail?"
He shook his head.
"I was at Imola. I wanted to "bump" into you accidentally."
Silence followed, as the two idiots took the new information in. Butterflies flying all over Bologna and Montreal.
"I think it's time we stopped dancing around and start being clear with each other or we'll start to look really stupid," Lando stated after a moment.
"Agree, Lando."
"Great, Y/N. I want to see you again soon."
"Me too."
They talked for another hour. Chatting lightly around about this and that, heart racing, not pushing more boundaries anymore that night, as the leap felt big enough to hardly swallow for them at the time. Y/N had final exams so the next weekend was a no go for her. But they agreed she'll come over to Spain, as he calendar was clear until the summer. Apart from seeing each other, confidentiality was a big thing for both of them. They barely knew each other, even if it had felt differently every time they talked.
Y/N was unable to relax that night, as the line "I can't wait to kiss you again," which Lando said instead of a goodbye, burned in her mind with the brightest of all flames. Some people were never destined to be friends.
part 8
__________________________________________________
Tagged all those who like to suffer: @prudyhoo @anuksunamon @sagestack @esquerkaren @ushygushybaby @ilove-tswizzle @thehufflepuffavenger1  @superlegend216 @mehrmonga @lovely-blackinnon @mylifeihate1029 @lausdigitaldiary @tswizzleismother @goldenharrysworld @llando4norris @classiclitfreak  @ophcelia @leclerc13 @starmanv @k4r1402 @biitch-with-wifi @drunk-teens-doing-drugs 
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sp0o0kylights · 1 year
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Steve And Robin Are Stuck in A Timeloop AU 
Steve's lost track of which time loop this is.
Had lost track pretty much instantly, because it turns out when people die repeatedly in front of you, it kinda takes precedence in your memory. 
Besides, Robin has a list in her head, memorized via some kind of musical code, alongside all the dates and times they wake up in. 
(Steve doesn't see what difference it makes if they wake up at 7:15 am the day of the Championship or 8:25 am, but Robin's insistent that even the slightest variations could mean something.) 
He’ll have to ask his soulmate when he finds her though, because presently Steve has determined they're having one of their weirder loops.
Typically, when the two of them get kicked back in time, they wake up the day of the Championship game. Occasionally it will be the day right before or the day after, but sometimes? 
Sometimes they’re sent back someplace, some time, that isn’t related to 1986 at all. 
Thus far, the Starcourt loop had been the worst. 
("If it happens a third time I'm killing myself." Steve had told Robin after they’d failed that one. 
Robin didn’t even look at him, the two of them huddled up together in Steve’s bed. "No you're not Dingus, not without shooting me first."
"How come I have to shoot you!? Is it because I'm a man? That's not very feminist of you."
"No its because you've seen me shoot, I would miss!") 
Steve had even woken up in an odd place. Not his bed or the couch, but the driver's seat of the Beamer, seated in the high school parking lot.  
It made him immediately uneasy. 
The chair is reclined all the way back, the mass of cars indicating it was a school day. Steve struggled to recall when he's ever taken a nap in his car as he got out of it, trying to decide how he wanted to go about things. 
Felt his pocket and was surprised to find it full of a packet of smokes. 
The sheer implication of that had him pulling out a cig and lighting it before the knowledge that he'd officially quit buying his own cigarettes in 1985 sank in.
Panicked and chainsmokes three, before deciding his best course of action was his usual one. 
Find Robin. 
Which of course means that he found Eddie instead. 
xxx
He’d started his first lap, walking out if the parking lot and round to the more shaded, empty parts of the building when a voice he knew yelled. 
The kind of yell he’d grown intimately familiar with, the one Eddie used when he was terrified and using anger to hide it. 
Steve turns automatically, following the taunts and loud, pained breathing until he finds a handful of jocks encircling the metalhead. He's down on one knee, snarling like a wildcat caught in a trap while some guy Steve barely recognizes holds him by the hair, laughing. 
Red coats his vision instantly, and any thoughts Steve had about being stuck in time (sort of) vanish from his mind entirely. 
The world shrinks down, to that white knuckled grip on Eddie's hair, the way it’s pulling the older boy’s face up so that Steve can see the straining muscles in his throat. 
The protective creature that lives in his chest and likes to punch it’s way out of problems awakens, and a thrum goes through Steve as he feels its demand for blood. 
"Hey fellas " Steve calls joyfully, striding directly into the crowd. "What’re we doing?" 
Two part before him like fish seeing a shark,and a faraway inner voice identifies them as members of the swim team. 
Which likely meant the other two were football players, and for all the tackling they did they were surprisingly easy to scare, if you knew how to play it right. 
Steve absolutely knew how to play it right. 
"Fuck off Harrington. This isn't your business." The one holding Eddie's hair spits. 
"Well that would be where you're wrong." Steve was still keeping things conversational as he positioned himself, arms nice and loose at his sides. He lets the thing that lives inside him, who made him turn right back around all those years ago and charge back into the Byers house, out a little more. Feels the need to protect, to save, to destroy the things that are his, fuel him.  "Seeing as all of Eddie's business is my business."
Eddie stares up at him, wide eyed at the declaration. 
Feeling entirely out of control of his body, Steve sends him a wink. 
"Since when!?" The other football player asks. 
"Since now." Steve declares cheerfully--and then smiles. 
It isn’t a nice smile. 
Thoroughly unnerved, his swim team members shrink back. He’ll have words for them later if he has time--Steve can't ever recall the swim team members being dicks but who fucking knows. 
His memory wasn't the best before he and Robin got stuck in time. 
"You fucking into drugs now or wha--" Their ringleader, still holding onto Eddie by the hair, doesn't get to finish his sentence.
Mostly because his mouth is too busy catching Steve's fist. 
Fighting, he knows, is something he does best when it's too the death and he's armed with something. 
Bonus points if his opponent is a horrific monster from another dimension. 
He has gotten better though, and here the rapid pace he sets feels almost too easy. 
The first guy goes down on the ground before the rest pick up on it, giving Eddie time to lurch backwards as Steve turns and torpedoes into the next jock. 
This one gets in a good shot--Steve staggers with a blow to his side but it's not enough to wind him. He keeps to his feet and advances, delivering one more punch before the swim team guys are trying to call him off. 
"Come on man, you're gonna kill them!" 
Steve almost laughs-- he hasn't come close to killing either idiot-- but backs away, keeping himself between them and Eddie. 
They wave their hands, getting ahold of their bloodied friends as they slowly ease between them and Steve. Make apologizes and promises that it was a poor joke, Munson just got to them, hot heads you know? 
Steve snarls at them to fuck off, and glares until they're gone. 
"What the hell just happened?" Eddie asks him, and Steve turns to find him on his feet, leaning heavily against the brick wall of the school. 
As far as he can get away from Steve. 
"Our football quarterback can't hit for shit." Steve informs him, having finally placed an least one of the guys. "It's probably why we always lose." 
Eddie gives him such a freaked out face it almost makes him laugh a second time.
The effect isn't helped by the fact that Eddie's normally long mane is hovering just over his shoulders, the curls somehow poofier than normal. Clearly he’s still trying to grow it out, but it just makes him look like one of those frazzled dogs. 
Adorable. 
On instinct Steve reaches out to playfully pull a few strands, then freezes when Eddie flinches from him. 
"Sorry." He keeps his hands up, as he takes in Munson's face. "Shit dude, he got your nose good." 
There's blood smeared under it, and given the look of the skin surrounding it? 
Eddie's gonna have an impressive bruise soon enough. 
Steve gets a glare sent his way. "Why do you care?" Eddie spits, back very much still up, and-- right. 
Right. 
Time travel. 
"I'm really bad at explaining it." Steve warns, running a hand through his hair. He did this part plenty without Robin (meeting Eddie that was--Robs usually tackled Nancy.) But he also typically did in it 1986, and with at least three of the kids, not whenever they currently were. 
"We usually start with facts only you'd know, but I don't actually know when I am right now." He finishes, and realizes immediately that it doesn’t make a lick of sense. 
"When you are?" Eddie asks, because of course he clocks that part immediately. 
"Ye--eah." Steve says, dragging out the word. 
He looks at Eddie desperately, like the metalhead will tell him the exact information he needs. 
Eddie just stares back. 
"Look, it sounds really stupid when you say it out loud." Steve says finally, because fuck, it does!
"Comparable to all the other times you talk out loud?" Eddie snips, voice full of venom. 
"Shut up.” Steve replies automatically, but his tone holds no heat. He’s too used to trading banter with Eddie that is friendly.  “I'm gonna preface this by saying I can prove it."
"Oh wow preface. Such a big word for you! Did Nancy Wheeler teach you that one?"
"Robin actually." Then, "Nancy?"
The look Eddie gives him could melt steel beams. "Yeah man. Nancy Wheeler. Your girlfriend." 
"Oh--oh god." Steve says, because that means they're way back. Possibly to the beginning. 
Or worse, before he and Nancy had broken up.
"I can’t handle that breakup a second time." He says wide eyed, the panic gripping him for a second. “I could-no, no I could get Robin to tell her!” 
Because that sure would work. 
Steve can just imagine it now. Robin, sauntering up to Nancy and going ‘Hey, we really haven’t met yet but you’re gonna dump Steve, if you haven’t already and to cut through all the drama, I’m here to just tell you on his behalf that it’s over. What was that? A coward? Why yes, he is one!’
You know, provided she didn’t just laugh in his face and then cuff him over the head when she realized he was being serious. 
“Dude.” Eddie says, sinking a world’s worth of judgment into the single syllable. 
“Yeah, you’re right, bad call.” Steve says, and whatever Eddie was expecting it clearly wasn’t that. 
“Are you on drugs right now?” Eddie finally asks when Steve reverts back to looking to him as if he’s going to help. A bad habit, and one Steve knows he needs to stop doing. 
Even if Eddie, in the original timeline and every one after they got him on board, eventually becomes someone Steve can rely on like that. 
“You can tell me if you are, man, you know I won’t judge.” The hateful air around him is fading into something more confused, and then into something else entirely. The persona Eddie pulls when he’s hurt and trying to hide it with jokes and rants. “Unless you and your buddies bought from someone that wasn’t me, in which case I get exclusive rights to judge.” 
He’s shifting as he finally stands up off the wall, and Steve doesn’t miss how he hugs one hand to a rib. 
Shit. 
He needs to get Eddie up to speed and he needs to do it fast.
Steve sighs and just starts listing Eddie Munson Facts like an unprepared kid who was called on in class. 
"Okay, so your uncle collects mugs, right? And--fuck I don't know when you get all the tattoos,” Steve makes a vague gesture around his chest, “but you have bats on your arm and you gave them all names." 
Eddie's eyes pop wide again, jaw slacking as Steve volleys off a few more Munson Facts. 
"You have this weird fear about red ribbon necklaces because of a book you read in third grade, your first guitar has this giant ugly--sorry dude, but you cannot write legibly to save your life, 'This machine slays dragons' quote across it and--oh!"
 He was so fucking stupid. The answer was literally staring at him in the face, dangling around Eddie's neck. 
Steve snapped his fingers excitedly. "The guitar pick on your neck is your moms!"
Eddie’s mouth open and closes like a fish, long enough that the smile slowly slides off of Steve’s face.  
"How the fuck do you know all that?" He manages after a long, tortuous moment, looking like he’d been sucker punched. 
Again. 
With the most pained look his face can manage, Steve finally answers. "Time travel."
Eddie blinks.
Then blinks again. 
 "Time travel." He echoes faintly. 
"Yeah. I'm from 1986, where things kinda got really fucked up."
"No kidding?" Eddie says, right before he erupts into giggles. 
"Did they get you in the head?" Steve asks, abruptly concerned, as Eddie collapses back against the wall in a growing fit of laughter.  
Concussed Eddie was not a road he wanted to go down but Steve knew better than anyone what happens if you ignore such things. 
"I think my weed just hit." Eddie explains as he wipes away a tear, and Steve wants to shake him, but knows it won't get him anywhere. 
"That's great. That's just great."  He grumbles, hands going onto his hips. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To get you a bandage. And then find Robin.” 
Robin, Steve decided, could handle a high, concussed Eddie.
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bbrissonn · 6 months
Text
𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 - 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲
↬ in which after years of pinning after you, gavin finally decides to go for what he truly wants. ↬ pairing: gavin brindley x casey!reader ↬ wc: 5.3k ↬ warnings: slightly nsfw, read at your own risk, not proofread, lowercase intended ↬ disclaimer: gavin's lowkey an asshole for a bit, but they get a happy ending ! ↬ autors's note: this was requested by an anon, but i accidently deleted it so oopsie, was supposed to just be a small blurb but i got carried away like always. i was listening to a random playlist when experience by ludovico einaudi started playing and this became so angsty to sorry about that
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you and seamus had always been close. when he started playing hockey, so did you. hockey wasn't all that popular in florida, the boys barely being able to have a team for their age group each years. meaning the possibility of having a girls team was pretty much impossible. which lead to you joining seamus' team when you turn 8. you joining the team meant you were now teammates with gavin brindley, a boy from your neighborhood, who also happened to be shea's best friend.
the two of you were never close, whenever is familly came over you'd chose to spend time with his sister. even if the two of you were on the same team, you were still just his best friend's little sister.
when seamus left for the NTDP, everything was weird. not only did you lose your defense partner, but it also felt like you had lost a part of yourself. which is why when the umich women's hockey team offered you a spot on their team, you waisted no time accepting their offer.
of course it wasn't going to be like before, you and shea playing together, but it was close enough. the two of you would be back in the same time, having the time of your lives playing the sport you love the most.
unfortunately, the two of you couldn't share a dorm like you hoped. so, shea opted for gavin as his roommate, and you with another freshman on your team. but you barely ever spent time in there, always being over at shea's dorm. the brindley boy never minded much attention to the two of you, leaving the two of you to be in your own little world.
you and gavin had maybe spoken no more than four sentences to each other since you both arrived in michigan. couple of greetings here and there, but nothing more. which is why when he showed up along with your brother to your team's home opener, you were shocked. even more when you saw him waiting outside of the locker room after the games, your brother no where in sight.
"hey." he smiled at you when you walked out, making you stop in your tracks. you looked around quickly, seeing if seamus was near, but no one else seemed to be around.
"hi?" you spoke confused. this was probably the first time the two of you had ever spoken to each other with no one around.
"you did great." he said with a smile. a small one of your own grew on your face, rocking backwards on your heels.
"thanks. uh, i don't wanna come off as rude or whatever, but what're you doing here exactly?" you questioned him with an awkward smile. he stared at you for a couple of seconds before snapping out of whatever weird trance he was in.
"i came with shea."
"i meant what are you doing here?" you repeated, looking around the hallway.
"oh. um, well, i was waiting outside but one of your teammates brought me here."
"gavin, you know that's not that i meant." you pushed. you weren't exactly sure what game he was playing, but you were already growing tired.
"honestly?" he asked, making you nod your head, which made the boy in front of you sigh. "i don't know." he answered, making you scoff slightly.
"gavin we played on the same team for 7 years and you barely ever spoke to me. now, all of the sudden, you wait for me after my games? what's going on? did something happen with shea?" you panicked. normally, it was always seamus waiting for you after game, and vice-versa, never seamus' friends.
"shea's fine. i, uh, i went to the bathroom and when he came back he was gone."
"it's a five minute walk, gavin." you mumbled as your last teammate left the locker room. the boy in front of you looked down at the ground, biting his lip slightly as he realized he had been caught, no more excuses coming to him.
"i wanted to see you." he whispered honestly, a slight shade of pink taking over to apple of his cheeks. he sighed when his eyes met yours, your brows furred. "i just... i don't know, ever since we got to michigan, it's just been different."
"what do you mean?" you questioned confused. you truly didn't understand what he was trying to say, and you were growing tired of him beating around the bush.
"you've always been shea's sister to me, right?" he started. "but i don't want you to just be his sister anymore." he continued when you nodded. your brows furred again at his words, still confused.
"gav..." you trailed off as the boy started avoiding eye contact again.
"when i came over for the first time when you guys moved, i wasn't there for shea. i wanted to have a playdate with you, but my mom called yours and then i got dragged to your garage. i've always wanted to get to know you, but seamus told me to stay away from you, but i don't wanna stay away anymore." he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
"gavin..." you trailed off again, being at a lost for words. he had always been seamus' best friend. always. the two of you have known each other since you were kids, yet he felt like a total stranger because of how little you knew about him.
"i've seen the way you look at me, y/n. and i know you've seen the way i look at you." he whispered softly, taking a stop closer to you. your fingers brushed against each other, your heads inches away.
"shea-"
"what shea doesn't know won't kill him." he smirked, using a phrase he's heard you use so many times during your gossip sessions with your twin.
"he's gonna know, i physically can't lie to him."
"then we can just tell him, y/n/n. why do you think he left without me?" he asked, his pointer finger coming bellow your chin and lifting your head so you were looking at him. you could feel his breath against your face as his eyes looked down at your lips, and that's all you needed before leaning in and connecting your lips.
both of his hands quickly flew to your waist as yours went to the back of his neck and head, your fingers brushing through his curls. your kiss quickly went from soft and slow to messy and quick. his arms fully wrapped around your waist as your tongues met in the middle. a groan left his mouth as you pushed your body against his, your chest flat against his as your hands travelled deeper in his curls.
after a minute or two, one of your hands came to his chest, your fingers looping in the necklace that adored his neck. when the boy pulled away from you to catch his breath, you were quick to pull him back after a couple of seconds. the two of you smiled into the kiss, your teeth clashing together as a small giggle escaped your lips.
gavin's hands started to travel down further your back, until a loud couch was heard in the hallway. the two of you pulled away, looking in the direction of the cough, only to see one of the janitors staring at the two of you. a dark shade of read appeared on your face before the brindley boy grabbed your hand and started guiding towards the exit of the arena.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
it had now been a week since that night, and you had yet to tell your brother about your new found romance with his best friend. it wasn't like you didn't want to, you did, you really did, and you tried. you were planning on telling him after three days, but that plan quickly dissipated when seamus started rambling on and on about how thankful he was that gavin had chosen michigan as well, and how grateful he felt to have a brother by his side.
guilt took over as you couldn't shake the feeling that you were betraying your brother. scared of how he was going to react, you decided to keep it to yourself, and you had yet to find another moment to tell him about it. you called gavin, freaking out about what the two of you had done, but he was quick to calm you down. he reassured you that seamus should be happy that the two of you were happy together, and if he wasn't, he'd have to get over it.
which lead to this moment, gavin's large frame above yours as the two of you were in nothing but undergarments. his lips slowly travelling down your body as soft moans echoed in his shared dorm room.
seamus had a class, meaning gavin had the dorm to himself, and you two were quick not to waist a single second you could have alone. shea's class was two hours long, and his professor often went beyond that time by thirty minutes, meaning the two of you had plenty of time.
"gav!" you gasped when his fingers started rubbing small circles against your clit. you had quickly rushed to his dorm from your class after seeing his text almost an hour ago, your body still full of need after the previous night. the two of you were sharing a heated make out in your dorm until your brother called gavin, urging him to come back to their dorm.
thankfully you and gavin shared a class, so using the excuse that you were helping him study was one your twin brother believed quite easily. he did find it a little weird how quickly the two of you became close, but he decided to brush it off, telling himself he was probably just overthinking it.
but this, this he was sure he wasn't overthinking. the first thing he saw when he walked into his dorm was your bra flying to the ground. at first, he just though gavin had decided to use up their free room and get laid. he couldn't blame him, sharing a dorm was making the two of them quite sexually frustrated as hooking up with someone while your best friend is laying on the bed at the end of yours was pretty awkward. seamus was supposed to be gone for at least three hours like always, but his professor's wife went into labor and ended the class early.
he was about to walk away when he heard gavin mumble something that made him stop dead in his tracks. he wasn't sure if he had just misheard what his best friend said, but when gavin repeated himself louder, he was sure he was hearing right.
"fuck, y/n/n."
"gav, hurry up, please!" he heard you whine as what sounded like a condom packaging was being opened. seamus felt his heart drop in his stomach. he had left gavin at the rink after your game because he just wanted the two of you to be friends, not have sex in his room while he was gone.
"don't worry, baby, shea won't be back for another two hours. we got plenty of time. gonna make you feel so good." when he heard those words, his hands went numb, and the door handle slipped from his grip, making the door slam shut. the loud noise made you and gavin jump slightly.
"y/n?" you heard seamus' shaky voice ask. when you looked to your side, no one was there, meaning he was still standing at the door. your heart broken at the sound of your brother's voice, the guilt once again coming back. gavin had a finger over his mouth, telling you stay quiet, but you couldn't.
"shea." you breathed out loud enough for your brother to hear as you pushed gavin off of you. your hands reached for your shirt that was on the bed, quickly throwing it on as you avoided making eyes contact with gavin. the boy tried to stop you from reaching for your underwear, which were also on the bed, but quickly gave up when you brushed him off, standing up from the bed and slipping them on.
you grabbed both your pair of pants that were laying at the end of the little hallway leading to the door, your eyes meeting seamus' when you leaned back up. your brother was frozen, tears starting to form in his eyes. you were about to started walking towards him, but gavin joined you. one of is hand reached for his pants you were holding, while the other landed on your back. his pressed a small kiss to your temple, trying to reassure that everything was going to be okay.
but his action only seemed to make the situation even worse. seamus' brows furred as anger now took over. his eyes went from broken to angry and the words he spoke next were not the ones you wanted to hear.
"get out." he whispered harshly, his eyes staring into gavin's.
"shea-"
"it's fine." gavin mumbled in your ear before grabbing a hoodie. "i'll be outside." he added before making his way to the door. your brother's eyes never left his best friend until the door was close, and they shifted to you.
"with gavin? really?"
"i tried to tell you, i swear i did-"
"how long?" he asked firmly, cutting you off. "a month? two? five? a year?"
"no, god, no, shea. a week. it was after my game, when you left gav at the rink. i never meant to hurt you, but i deserve to be happy, shea." you admitted, the two of you still standing in the same spots.
"and you couldn't find somebody else to be happy with? it had to be him?"
"shea you've known since we were kids how i've felt about him."
"you said he was just some childhood crush, y/n!" seamus spat, raising his voice slightly as he approached you.
"he is! he was! but he's felt the same way about me all along, and i'm tired of not letting myself be happy just for you." you said, standing up for yourself. all your life you had always just listened to seamus without really questioning what he was saying, almost letting him dictate your life, but you were tired of that.
"you really wanna be with him?"
"yes."
"then go be with him, but stay the hell away from me." he mumbled harshly before pushing past you and going over to his desk where he dropped his bag.
"shea, please."
"leave." he said firmly. his back was facing you and it wasn't until he heard the door close that he let a tear slip from his eyes. on the other side of the door, gavin was met with your red eyes filled with tears. the boy was quick to bring you into his chest, holding you tight against him. thankfully your dorm was on the same floor as theirs, so the brindley boy waisted no time bringing over there.
your roommate was gone, having a class of your own, something you were grateful for as you started breaking down in gavin's arms once the two of you were sitting on your bed. the mood completely different from the last time the two of you were there together.
"it's okay, sweetheart. he just needs some time." gavin mumbled as his thumbs rubbed small circles on your arm and back, trying to help you calm down.
"he hates me." you cried out, and gavin felt his heart ach for the two of you. you had always been so close, and he couldn't help the guilt he felt for making the two of you drift apart.
"i'm sorry."
"it's not your fault, gav. he's an asshole."
"he's your brother. twin brother."
"who's an asshole." you spoke through your sobs. gavin chuckled slightly at your words, you were never really one to use foul language, expect when it came to your brother.
"hey, look at me. i promise, everything's gonna be okay. he's just shocked right now, and the way he found out wasn't... ideal." he said, trying his best to comfort you.
"i'm scared he's gonna hate me forever."
"he's your twin, y/n/n, he can't hate you. just give him some time to clear his head, okay?" gavin said, his hand cupping your face and pressing a kiss to your lips after you nodded slightly.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
the next couple of days were weird for everyone. gavin and seamus barely ever spoke to each other, something everyone on their team noticed. nolan had tried to make them fix whatever the problem was, but neither of them wanted to talk about it.
whenever gavin would leave their dorm during the evenings, seamus would shoot up a dirty look, making gavin roll his eyes every time he would end up in the hallway. things between you and gavin were amazing, no one had ever made you feel as happy as he did. he was doing an amazing job at making sure you were okay at all time, waiting for you outside the class you shared with your brother.
it was truly perfect, well besides the fact that seamus still hadn't talked to either of you. even your parents all the way in florida could sense something was wrong, especially when the two of you joined the weekly family face time from your own dorms and barely spoke during said facetime.
but that all change one morning when you and gavin got woken up by a loud knock at the door. you let out a loud groan as the person once again knocked. your roommate had gone home for the weekend since he family lived in detroit and you guys had the weekend off.
"can you go open it, please?" you asked gavin, who had officially asked you as his girlfriend the night before. the boy didn't answer, instead just pressing a kiss to your forehead before getting out of your bed and going to open the door.
"hi." you heard your brother say, almost making you jump out of your bed. gavin stood at the door, only wearing boxers, giving your brother the very wrong idea of what he just walked into.
"we were sleeping." gavin mumbled harshly, knowing where his best friend's mind went to.
"can i come in?"
"depends. are you gonna yell at her again?" gavin asked, crossing his arms over his chest. before seamus had the chance to answer, you appeared next to your boyfriend. the two hockey players were both looking at you, waiting to hear your answer. your fingers interlocked with gavin's, his hands squeeze yours lightly before you nodded, stepping to the side to let your brother in.
you and gavin ended up sitting on your bed, your hands locked together, while shea sat at your desk chair.
"i'm sorry for how i reacted. i shouldn't have gotten mad like that, 'm sorry." your brother spoke after about a minute of awkward silence. you could tell by the look in his eyes that he truly felt bad for how he acted.
"i'm sorry we lied to-"
"we didn't lie. we just didn't say the truth." gavin cut you off, making you let out a sigh. you knew he was right, but him saying that wasn't going to make the situation any better.
"you know, i don't remember asking you to be here for this conversation." seamus said harshly, his eyes staring into gavin's. the younger boy scoffed at your brother's words, making himself comfortable on your bed.
"i'm apart of this."
"doesn't mean i was talking to you."
"she's my girlfriend, you talk to her, you talk to me." gavin said protectively. he hated having to see you cry in his arms almost every night for the past week, and he wasn't going to let seamus off the hook so easily for what he did. seamus' started throwing daggers gavin's way, and you knew you had to intervene before the situation escalated.
"gav, can shea and i talk for a moment, please? alone." you said making gavin take a deep breath as he started into seamus' eyes. you squeeze his hands slightly, making him look over at you. "i'll be fine. i'll text you if i need you, okay?" you added as gavin leaned his forehead against yours, your free hand cupping his cheek as you pressed a small peck to his lips.
"i'll go see what the fants are up to." he whispered in your ear before standing up from the bed, sending a glare in shea's way, before leaving your room.
"so... you guys are official?"
"yup."
"i'm happy for you, y/n, i really am. and you were right. you deserve to be happy and be with someone who makes you happy. but i want you to understand how it makes me feel. gav's been my best friends since forever, and you've been my best friend forever. i don't want to lose you to him, or lose him to you, y/n/n." he explained.
"you're not losing anyone, shea. your my twin, you're stuck with me forever." you joked, but when your eyes met his you were reminded of why he was here. "you were an asshole, shea."
"i know, and i'm so sorry, y/n/n."
"if you do it again, i'm gonna have to snitch to mom and dad." when his brain registered what you had just said, he finally realized that you weren't mad at him. "but you can't be mad at gav, shea. if you're not mad at me, you can't be mad at him, it's not fair."
"y/n-"
"no. he went behind your back just as much as i did. it's not fair, shea. we never meant for you find out the way you did, and i'm sorry it happened that way, but you can't be mad at him." you cut him off.
"i can’t not be mad at him, y/n/n. he promised me nothing was going on between you two, he lied to me.” shea spoke, making you a little confuse.
"he lied? when?"
"you know when i went on that little rant about him, i asked him earlier that day if anything had happened after your game, and he swore nothing happened. he lied."
"he only lied because i told him i wanted to tell you, shea, not because he wanted to. he wanted me to tell you that same night, but i... i was too scared of how you were going to react. and clearly i was right for being scared." you stated, getting a little angry at the end. your brother scoffed at your words, standing up from your chair and pacing around the room.
"of course you're gonna side with him." he mumbled under his breath, but it was still loud enough for you to hear. his words made you stand up from your spot on your bed, placing a hand on his chest to stop his pacing.
"okay, now you're being an asshole again, shea." you said, a stern look on your face as you stared into his eyes.
"whatever." he whispered, rolling his eyes before leaving your room. you let out a loud sigh before hearing the door open and close once again. a pair of hands landed on your hips, lips pressing a kiss behind your ear.
"you lied to him?" you mumbled as you leaned back against the brindley. he let out a sigh of his own as his arms wrapped around your waist.
"i did." he confirmed. he knew that lying to his best friend was eventually gonna come back and bite him in the ass, he just didn't except for it to come from you.
"you could've told me."
"i know, and i'm sorry i didn't. but you already had so much to worry about, i didn't want shea's and i's friendship to worry you even more." he whispered softly in your ear, pecking the shell of your ear after.
"things were going so good, and then he just started being an asshole again." you informed him, turning around in his hold so you were chest to chest. your hands went to the side of his neck, your fingers playing with some of his curls.
"he's mad at me, baby, not you. heard him and rut talkin' 'bout it." gavin mumbled in the shell of your ear as he pulled you into him.
"it's not fair."
"i know, baby, but it's gonna be okay. listen, i know it's bad timing, but coach wants me to go down to the rink. i'll be back as soon as i can, okay?" he said, as the two of you pulled away slightly. you nodded your head slightly and gavin pressed a kiss to your lips before leaving the room with his things.
you decided to meet up with some of your friends to go grab a quick breakfast at a cafe near your dorm. you talked with them about what happened, desperate for some advice. you eventually settled on a plan, and as soon as you got back to your building, you went straight to seamus' room.
when your brother opened the door, the two of you just stared at each other, before you pushed past him and into his room. you heard him let out a long sigh before joining you in the middle of the room.
"sit." you said, looking at his desk chair. he quickly listened, wanting to get this over with. "gavin's your best friend, shea. he's always been your best friend. he loves you, and he cares about you. and this you being mad at him thing is stupid and selfish of you. we're happy together, and you should be happy for us, not mad at us. he's your best friend, and he's hurting because you're not talking to him. i am the one who waited to tell you, if you're gonna be mad at anyone be mad at me, but not him." you cried out, tears forming in your eyes as memories from two nights ago filled your head.
gavin was over at your dorm, watching a movie when the two of you started talking. he eventually admitted to you how much it hurted him that shea was ignoring him. he even cried a little in your arms because of it. never had you seen gavin cry, not even after he was injured or a hard lose. never.
"i know, but i can't be happy for you, y/n. i know how he is, he breaks hearts, y/n. i don't want him to hurt you. even if he wasn't my friend, i wouldn't be happy for you. this isn't about you being with my best friend, this is how about how he treats girls. and i'm not just stand there and act like i'm okay with you being with him. i don't want you to see you hurt. he cheated on his last two girlfriend's, y/n, and i don't want that to happen to you too." seamus explained. tears started falling from your eyes as the more he talked.
"that's not true, he isn't like that."
"i was there, y/n, both time! i was the one who told them! i don't want the next girl i'm stuck giving that talk to is you, i can't. i won't be the one who hurts you." your brother added, as tears of his own pilled in his eyes. meanwhile, more started rolling down your cheeks.
"i really like him, shea. he makes me really happy, and he's different now."
"you don't know that." seamus exclaimed, standing up from his seat.
"he's not like that, shea. please, just give him a chance. i really want this, shea. i really wanna be with him." you begged. the look on your face finally making him break his protective big brother roll.
"fine, but i swear, y/n, if he does anything-"
"thank you! thank you!" you said, rushing into your brothers arm. your arms wrapped around his torso as you let out a small sniffle, while his went around your shoulders.
"if he hurts you-"
"he won't."
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
"what's going on?" you asked walking into your dorm room later that week. after your little talk with seamus, he had a long with gavin. first talking to him as your big brother, warning him about what would happen if he hurts you. then as his best friend, telling him not to mess it up because he could tell how happy you two were.
gavin wasn't really sure what you had said to him while he was at Yost that morning. but whatever you said, he was thankful you did. you could hangout outside of your dorm room, hold hands whenever you wanted, and you could swear you had never been happy before.
"thought we could finally have that playdate." gavin said, walking towards you as he held a hand out. the lights were out, a bunch of candles light up on your desk as he guided you into the room.
on your bed were a bunch of your favourite snacks, along with some flowers. next to those was a box, the words guess who? written on it, making your jaw drop.
"you remember?" you asked excited, but at the same time embarrassed.
"do i remember you harassing shea until we were like 12 to play guess who every day? of course i do."
"gosh, i am so glab puberty's a thing."
"so am i." gavin smirked, his eyes staring at your boobs. you were wearing a shirt with a very deep v neck, the bra you were wearing making your boobs show even more.
"hey, eyes up here mister." you said, snapping a finger in his face. the boy chuckled slightly before grabbing the flowers and handing them to you.
"my lady."
"thank you kind, sir." you answered, also using a british accent. the two of you laughed slightly before gavin pressed a long kiss to your lips.
the two of you spent the night eating snacks, playing guess who over and over again until gavin finally won. you had also convince him to finally start watching pretty little liars with you.
that night spend together was probably one of the best night of your life. it only made your feelings for the boy that much stronger, and the he felt the same way.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
"okay, could you at least not shove your tongue down each other's throat while i'm here." seamus mumbled from his bed, making you and gavin pull away from each other. "i don't want any nephews or nieces."
"you're just jealous."
"your boyfriend has a bigger butt than you, y/n." seamus said bluntly, making you and gavin gasp at his words.
"it's not that flat." you said, looking at your brother before turning to look at gavin. "right?"
"it's not. gavin's butt is just huge."
"i do have a pretty big booty."
"and i still can't believe you won't share your ass workout with me." you sassed your boyfriend, making seamus chuckle slightly.
"and i'm telling you it's genetics!"
"i'm serious though. if you guys wanna get all freaky, go to your dorm." seamus cut your little chat off. his eyes were looking at your eyes, making you roll your own.
"it's girl's night over there."
"sucks for you, but you're not having sex here."
"shea, when two people love each other..." you started, but you were stopped by your twin brother throwing one of his extra pillow on you.
"shut up! i'm going to sleep. get that smile off your face, brindley. i'll still hear you."
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twipsai · 4 months
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god, this took me DAYS to make, but i finally finished my interpretation of Dedf1sh and Paul throughout the years!!! some notes under the cut lol
2015
Ahato and Marina are childhood friends, Marina was even there for her when her parents passed. Marina helped her take care of Paul when they were growing up to the point that Paul considered her a second big sister. this, of course, changed when
the two worked on music together when Ahato wasnt working (which she got increasingly busier up until she left to go to kamabo), and the melody for Chopscrewey and Crush were made by them during this time!
while Paul was a musical genius, he did struggle in school quite a bit as his creative drive often overwrote his working drive :P
the skull/octo logo is a logo they made for themselves for when they got to the surface and formed a band together
Ahato dropped out of school to work full-time to support her and Paul (which,,, isnt very uncommon for octarian families)
2017
the Kamabo sanitization program (tm) requires patients to remove strings such as shoelaces and hoodie strings from their clothing to reduce the risk of them trying to strangle themselves or each other, which is why Ahato doesnt have shoelaces
Paul didnt go to the surface until he was recruited to Sashimori, and started living with the three of them
Ahato has amnesia, she knows she had a family, but cant quite remember who they were or where she even came from. most of her memories are muscle memory, which is why she remembers how to make music and such
Ahato cant hear anything around her-- she wont become out-right aggressive when approached like most sanitized octos are, but she will be a little jittery and on-guard
2022
im not really prepared to say too much about Ahato/Acht here bc of how little we know about her role in side order as of writing this (1/7/2024)
Paul has mostly moved on from trying to find Ahato, while he does wish they could be reunited, a lot of his memories of that time have become fuzzy... he wouldnt be able to recognize her face if he saw it.
Ahato's dress got ripped when she first left kamabo (which was a few months after octo expansion)-- she found some red thread to stitch it up and lace up her shoes! :D
on that note, the addition of more red in her design is to symbolize how more and more memories of her life are resurfacing-- same thing with being able to see her eye on her visor
also her eye is supposed to look like a turret from portal lol
Paul regularly commutes from inkopolis to splatsville-- i think he went crazy for the alterna tracks when they were first recovered lol
andddd,,, thats it!!! if you have any questions about my headcanons for these two, feel free to ask in my inbox!!! though i dont have EVERYTHING fleshed out yet, im still waiting for side order to release before i figure it all out ^^;
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turtlesandfrogs · 3 months
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Here's the actually* short notes for the course, "The Science of Well-Being" from Yale on coursera, which is available for free. Mostly focusing on the actionable steps.
Point the first: We/society at large is often wrong about what makes people happy/have a sense of well being. Unless you've been reading into motivation, happiness, flow, etc, already, in which case you're likely right on track.
We adapt to both good things and bad things, so neither one effects us as much as we think they will. Our brains adapt to, and filter out stimuli after a while. If we want to get the most enjoyment out of something/life, we should increase variety and take breaks. Like, drink a different kind of tea every day, or take breaks when listening to music. Also, practicing gratitude, savoring (pausing and intentionally appreciating the good moments in life), sharing experiences with others, and recalling past moments of joy. Also, you can practice negative visualization, when you on purpose think of how awful the world would be if you didn't have something that you do have.
A good job is one that allows you to practice your signature strengths and enter the flow state.
The income-increased happiness plateau is somewhere between $75k and $500k- but I found a recent article** after the comments to this effect, and "Yet is important to note that the relationship is weak, even if statistically robust. The correlation between average happiness and log(income) is 0.09 in the experience sampling data, for example, and the difference between the medians of happiness at household incomes of $15,000 and $250,000 is about five points on a 100-point scale. The flattening and accelerating patterns are even smaller modulations of a small effect. However, the emotional effects of other circumstances are also small. KD reported that the effect of an approximately four-fold difference in income is about equal to the effect of being a caregiver, twice as large as the effect of being married, about equal to the effect of a weekend, and less than a third as large as the effect of a headache." Which says to me I'm making the right move by going to a 4 day work week :P But seriously, that's great news.
We think in comparisons, and comparison is the thief of joy. You can reduce consumption of images of people who are richer, cooler, more skilled, etc than you, and that will help prevent mood deterioration. You can also reframe to compare to yourself in the past.
Being kind makes you and everyone involved happier. Buying things for others makes you happier than buying things for yourself. Giving to charity makes you happier if it builds social connection. (Why the focus on buying things to make you happier? Why not on actions you can take to make yourself or someone else happier? Probably because giving someone $20 is easier from a study's standpoint.)
Get 7 or more hours of sleep a day.
Move 30 minutes a day.
Meditate- look into mindfulness, loving kindness.
Social connection- doesn't have to be a romantic relationship! Just interacting with others, even strangers, makes us happier (still sounds fake to me, but I'm like a mega introvert). Spending time with people you like is good.
Having free time is important.
Create an environment that supports what ever change you're trying to make.
WOOP = Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, and Plan. "What's your wish for your goal? What's your best outcome? What are the obstacles? What's your if-then plan?" Really helps with actually accomplishing your goals.
*I realized I said short notes before, but then somehow that ended up being super long.
** Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved by Matthew A. Killingswortha, Daniel Kahnemanb, and Barbara Mellers
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writerslittlelibrary · 6 months
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I'm your mother now, chapter 4
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masterlist series masterlist
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7 part 8
summary: when you wake up in a strange room, you soon come to realize the amazing Black Widow, who appears to be the perfect role model for girls all around the world, is greatly deranged…
pairing: Dark!Natasha x teen reader, Yelena x niece reader
warnings: yelling, a lot of swearing, dark themes, kinda evil Natasha
genre: angst
words: 2788
a/n: I finally got to introduce auntie Yelena!!!! (not proofread yet, I might do it later)
You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work
 |——————————— ⴵ ———————————|
When Natasha had given you the ipad, the first thing you tried was find some information on yourself. You were desperate to know whether you were truly missed, but Natasha wasn't stupid. The ipad had no access to the media. You weren't able to look yourself up, and you weren't able to reach out for help.
The ipad did come with a Netflix and Disney subscription, so you had mainly busied yourself with that over the days. 
When you were messing around on the ipad today, however, you discovered you could turn on the weather app. It may not have sounded very interesting at first, until you realized, to know the weather, the app would have to know where you were.
And so, you turned the location of the ipad on and you soon discovered where Natasha had taken you, or rather what country she had smuggled you into. 
You were in Russia. How on earth did you make it to Russia? 
Before you could question yourself any more, there was a knock on the door. Natasha walked in soon after the knock sounded. “Hello sweetheart,” she said as she sat down on the bed.
“We're in Russia?” you questioned, and Natasha's smile faltered slightly before it returned to normal again. “Of course we're in Russia, detka. I had to take you home.”
You looked away from Natasha, staring at the floor as you contemplated what to do next. You had nowhere to go, nowhere to run to, if you even were to escape, and now, you realized no one in this country probably even knew of your disappearance.
“I need to run down to the store to get some things. Are you going to be okay on your own?” Natasha asked as she laid her hand on your leg, rubbing it up and down soothingly. You nodded slightly, before she grabbed your chin and gently turned your head to face her. “If you're good, you might be able to go with me next time when we pick out the Christmas tree,” she stated, smiling lovingly at you.
“It's November…” you said, and Natasha shook her head while letting out a chuckle. 
“We always like to start the Christmas coziness early,” she said as she leaned forward, giving you a kiss on your forehead. She then got up, walking back to your door.
“Be good,” she told you before she walked away, closing your door behind her. “Wait who's we?”
Your question wasn't heard as Natasha was already downstairs, and when you walked to the window you heard the front door shut. You saw Natasha get in her car and drive away, leaving you alone in the house. 
Snow had already started falling in the area you were in, and a thick layer of white fluff covered the ground. 
You were keeping track of it ever since it started falling, and according to your calculations, which were based on your random instinct you used, the snow must now be thick enough to break a fall. 
You knew all doors and windows on the main floor were locked, but the windows on the first floor could actually open fully. The windows on the first floor were too high to jump from, and Natasha knew that, but what she hadn't thought about was the fact you were willing to take the chance and trust the snow would break your fall. 
And so, you grabbed your bag, stuffed your stuffed animal and notebook and grabbed the warmest clothes you owned. Once you were dressed warm and secure, you went into Natasha's room, knowing her windows were the only windows in the house that opened fully. 
You were quiet and careful, even though you knew Natasha wasn't there. You didn't want to push your luck.
You opened the window and carefully sat on the edge, dangling your feet above the ground. It was a high drop, but you figured the snow would make sure you survived. You closed your eyes and let go, letting yourself fall down the window and into the snow.
You let out a sigh of relief when you landed in the soft snow, happy you were alive.
You didn't waste any time however, getting up quickly and finding the trail Natasha's car had left. You reckoned if she'd go to a store, there must be a town nearby. 
You followed the tracks Natasha’s car had left, thinking it was the best option you had, until you realized the snow started picking up, and soon there was so much snow falling from the skies you couldn't see the tracks anymore, let alone a hand in front of your face. 
You were now officially lost, and you couldn't even see how lost you were. 
There was no possible way you could find the town in these conditions, if there even was one. You were shivering, the clothes you decided to wear not doing much against the harsh cold. You had never been this cold before, every part of your body aching. 
You decided to lean against a tree for a moment, just to catch your breath, but the moment you allowed yourself to rest you realized how tired you were, now sitting down on the ground and wrapping your arms around your knees, making a futile attempt to keep yourself as warm as possible. 
Tears started rolling down your cheeks as you realized what you had done. Sniffling slightly as you closed your eyes. You had killed yourself.
You don't remember much after that, until you felt a hand on your shoulder, shaking you awake. “I found her,” you heard a woman say, before she turned back to you and placed her hands on your cheeks, making you face her.
“It's okay, malysh. I'm gonna get you out of here,” the voice said as she moved to your side, wrapping a hand around your back and placing her other arm under your knees. 
She lifted you up effortlessly, walking with you in her arms.
“You're gonna be okay,” the woman said as she smiled down at you. Was she with the police? Was she here to save you? Had they somehow found you all the way in Russia?
You closed your eyes, too exhausted to keep them open as the rocking of the woman's movement lulled you to sleep. 
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When you opened your eyes, you were met with a heater blowing straight in your face. Blankets were wrapped around your body, as you heard talking in the background. It didn't take long for you to recognize the couch you were on, and the blankets you were wrapped in. You were back. It wasn't the police that had found you, it was an associate of Natasha.
You groaned slightly as you tried to sit up, hearing the talking from the kitchen stop and footsteps coming to the living room.
You closed your eyes when you sat up straight, the lights too bright and hurting your head. You felt the couch dip beside you, and you felt a hand run over your back. “You're okay,” you heard the person beside you say.
It was the same voice you had heard in the woods, and you realized this was the woman that had found you, and the woman that brought you back.
You opened your eyes, groaning as the light filled your vision. 
Natasha was standing in front of you, her hands on her hips as she stared down at you angrily. “What the hell were you thinking?!” she yelled as you flinched back, something that didn't go unnoticed by the woman beside. 
“Natasha, calm down,” the woman beside you said, turning to you. “I'm Yelena. I've heard a lot about you. It is so nice to finally meet you,” she said, smiling softly.
You gave her a small smile, and her smile grew as she noticed it. A shiver ran up your spine, and Yelena rubbed your arms when she noticed it, trying to help you get as warm as possible. 
“Don't baby her, Yelena,” you heard Natasha's voice say disapprovingly. “She did something wrong-” “only because you kidnapped me,” you interrupted her, and immediately held your breath as you saw her facial expression change. 
Your eyes widened as you saw anger cross her face, and you immediately rushed out an apology.
Natasha wasn't having it, and she raised her hand reading herself to slap you again.
“Natasha!” Yelena yelled as she got up, catching her arm before her hand could strike you. “She's already apologized!” Yelena exclaimed as Natasha lowered her arm, rubbing her hands over her face. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm just… stressed,” she said as she crouched down in front of you, placing her hands on your knees.
“I was worried about you, malysh,” she says as she leans forward, kissing your forehead. 
“I'm sorry…” you whispered, lowering your head. “It's okay, just don't do that ever again,” Natasha said as she sat next to you, putting her arm around your shoulder and pulling you into her side. 
Yelena sat on the other side of you, a smile on her face. 
“I was so excited to meet you! I've always wanted a niece,” she said as she smiled at you, putting her hand on your knee.
“A niece?” you questioned, looking up at Natasha confused. “Yelena is my sister,” she explained, and you frowned. “Then why are there no pictures of you two hanging anywhere?” you questioned, and Yelena scoffed. “You have no pictures of me?” she asked, her heavy Russian accent breaking through.
Natasha smiled and shook her head. “We haven't gotten to decorating the house yet,” she simply stated as she strengthened her grip around you slightly, before letting go.
She turned her head towards you, looking serious.
“Now, next time you want to go outside, ask me so I can make sure you are safe,” she said as she looked at you expectedly, and you nodded. “Yes mama, I'm sorry.” 
Natasha smiled as she gave you a forehead kiss, getting up from the couch and returning with a bag. 
Did she really think you just wanted to go outside? Didn't it occur to her that you tried to escape? Was she really that convinced that you loved her? I mean, sure. These past few days you definitely didn't hate her that much. Natasha was a pretty nice person to be around as long as you didn't make her mad, and the only way you really got her mad is when you denied she was your mother. 
The bag hitting the floor snapped you from your train of thoughts, and you looked at the bag as it fell open. You looked at Natasha questioningly, and she just smiled at you. “Go ahead,” she said as she motioned her arm towards the bag.
You got off the couch, sitting on the floor as you dug through the bag, pulling the stuff out of it and setting them on the coffee table.
Once you were done, you stared at the ingredients, before turning to look at Natasha. “Well?” she asked you, but you looked at her confused. “What's it for?” you asked her, and Yelena let out a laugh. “These ingredients are for cookies, silly,” Natasha said as sat down next to you on the ground.
“Yelena is staying with us for a few days, and I thought we could have a movie night and bake some cookies,” she started before leaning closer to you and wiping a stray hair behind your ear. “I'll even forget your bedtime for once,” she finished as she smiled, giving you another kiss on your cheek this time. You smiled, looking at the ingredients.
“Come on,” Natasha said as she stood up, lending you a hand to help you up. The blanket that was once wrapped around you tightly was now hanging loosely around your shoulder, and Natasha wrapped it around you a little tighter before putting her and on your back, guiding you to the kitchen.
“Yelena, sestra. Be a dear and bring the supplies to the kitchen please,” Natasha said as she led you into the kitchen, pulling out a bar stool and helping you sit on it.
Yelena huffed in annoyance as she gathered the supplies, following you two to the kitchen. “Suka,” you heard her mutter under her breath, but Natasha just smiled in amusement.
Natasha took the supplies from Yelena and sat them down on the counter. “Now, wash your hands and let's get to baking,” she smiled as she opened some boxes.
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After the cookie baking and dinner, you three were now settled on the couch. It was well past your bedtime, and even though Natasha had told you you could stay up, the hot chocolate she offered you was still drugged, which is how you ended up passed out on the couch, your head in Natasha's lap as your legs rested on Yelena's.
“Do you think I made a mistake?” Natasha asked Yelena as she stroked your hair, the movie credits rolling on the screen. “What do you mean?” Yelena asked, turning her head to look at her sister. “Was I too aggressive? I think I scared her…” Natasha said sadly, throwing her head back and resting it on the couch.
“I won't lie to you, sestra. You could've gone with a different approach, but in the end, your daughter is here, and soon, she will realize how much you love her.” 
Natasha smiled, closing her eyes before raising her head and looking down at you again.
“She will have the best family. I can't wait for her to meet mama and papa,” Natasha said, looking at Yelena with a smile. “She'll love them,” Yelena said as she reached for another cookie, enjoying the comfortable silence her and Natasha had fallen into.
After a few minutes Natasha had carried you to bed, and both her and Yelena had decided to go to bed as well. 
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The next morning you woke up early, smelling the breakfast all the way in your room. You rubbed your eyes and stretched before leaving the warmth of your bed, making your way downstairs when you realized Natasha hadn't woken you up.
Instead of Natasha, you found Yelena in the kitchen making pancakes.
“Oh good. You are awake. Would you like chocolate chips in your pancakes or no?” she asked as she poured some batter in the pan, turning around and smiling at you. “I would never say no to chocolate in pancakes,” you told her and Yelena grinned, bending down and grabbing the chocolate chips from a cupboard. 
After chatting with Yelena for a little bit, you suddenly heard fast footsteps come down the stairs. Before they could even make it to the kitchen, you already heard her ask. “Yelena! Have you seen y/n she was not in bed-” Natasha stopped talking when she walked into the kitchen, seeing you sitting at the counter doodling something. 
“Sestra. Glad you are awake. Chocolate chip pancakes or no?” Yelena asked Natasha as she plated some pancakes for you, putting them down in front of you.
“Why are you awake already?” Natasha asked as she walked closer to you, completely ignoring Yelena's question. With the drugs Natasha had given you last night, you should've at least slept for a few more hours. You simply shrugged, pulling your plate of pancakes closer to you and pouring syrup over them.
Natasha shook her head slightly to get herself out of her thoughts, stepping to stand next to you and grabbing your wrist before you fork could hit the pancake.
“You have not bathed, and you have not yet brushed your teeth,” she said, pulling your wrists slightly to get you to stand. You sighed and put your fork down, not wanting to fight her and deal with the consequence, but luckily for you Yelena stepped in. 
“Oh come on Natasha. Can't she do that after breakfast? Her pancakes will get cold,” Yelena pouted as she leaned over the counter, staring at Natasha. 
“Yeah mama, my pancakes will get cold…” you repeated Yelena, hoping your way of addressing her would help with her decision to let you eat first. Natasha sighed and let your wrist go, dropping down on the stool next to you. “Not even two days and you're already ganging up on me. Fine, you can eat breakfast before your morning routine, but ONLY this once,” Natasha stated as she stole Yelena's plate of pancakes, grabbing the syrup from beside you and pouring it over the pancakes. 
“Yay,” you cheered slightly as you picked your fork up, digging into the delicious pancakes Yelena made. 
Maybe living with Natasha wasn't so bad after all…
chapter 5
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theminecraftbee · 7 months
Text
hermit horror week day 7: season 9 or from beyond
Q: HOW LONG WAS SHE MISSING?
A: That's, uh, quite the thing to start this out on, Joe, I mean. When you said you wanted to interview me for an article about my role at Blue River Raceway, I didn't think you'd... Who do you mean?
Q: YOU'RE DODGING THE QUESTION.
A: And you're starting off a bit too strong. Seriously, I might think you're lying.
Q: I MEAN, I LIED A LITTLE. I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D ANSWER QUESTIONS IF I DIDN'T.
A: I can leave.
Q: I MADE FRIENDS WAY BACK WHEN WE WENT TO EMPIRES. WITH SOMEONE WHO WASN'T OLLIE.
A: I don't have to answer this.
Q: HOW LONG WAS SHE MISSING?
A: I don't know who you're talking about.
Q: I THINK YOU DO.
A: I think if I knew, she was dangerous. She knew how to modify memories. She wasn't safe to be friends with, Joe. You should--you should get that checked out. I mean, think about what a me who didn't care for you might do, and then, like, go to a doctor about it.
Q: SO YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT.
A: I'm... not supposed to. I think she tried to make me forget she was ever there.
Q: HOW LONG WAS SHE MISSING?
A: Look, time is weird. It was after I built my base. Before the Rift. Only slightly before then, though, because time isn't the same on both sides. If I'd known that, I would have been more careful. Sent her better supplies, too. Brought my own memory potions. I wouldn't have just... followed you all blindly. Not that I did.
Q: YOU KNEW SHE WAS GONE?
A: Of course I did. I had to be prepared.
Q: PREPARED FOR WHAT?
A: Joe, she's dangerous. You have to know she's dangerous. I did what had to be done, after she got dangerous, and I did what had to be done, after she escaped. I was prepared. I knew what would happen if she found you all.
Q: YOU WERE GOING TO KILL HER.
A: Well, when you put it like that...
Q: SHE WAS NICE TO ME. YOU HUNTED ME OUT OF HERMITOPIA--
A: Hey, don't characterize it like that, you know as well as I do how much that was a game--
Q: LET ME FINISH THE QUESTION. SHE GAVE ME A HOME. SHE WAS NICE. WHY DO YOU SAY SHE'S DANGEROUS?
A: Joe, how much of your time in Cogsmede do you remember?
Q: I'M THE INTERVIEWER.
A: And I'm trying to tell you. How much do you remember? Did she show you everything? Did she tell you why she wanted you there?
Q: STOP THAT.
A: Because I know she liked to hunt people. That's part of why I locked her up in the first place. Tried to figure out what had gone wrong with her. You kept asking how long she was missing, and I, I tried to keep you all safe. You have to understand I had to do it. And--how much do you remember?
Q: I MEAN, I KNOW ABOUT THE HEADS.
A: Joe.
Q: MY BEST FRIEND'S CLEO, I REALLY CAN'T JUDGE ABOUT THE HEADS.
A: You have to know she's dangerous then. And she just let you remember?
Q: NO SHE DIDN'T. I'M JUST BAD AT FORGETTING THINGS I'M SUPPOSED TO. I HAVE A SURPRISINGLY ROBUST MEMORY! I JUST--DO YOU THINK SHE'S OKAY?
A: It's not that simple.
Q: DO YOU CARE?
A: It's not that simple. But yes. Of course I care. Of course I... Of course I do. I couldn't not.
Q: HOW LONG WAS SHE MISSING?
A: Since slightly after the Rift closed. I sent her a letter. I haven't heard back.
Q: TELL ME IF YOU DO.
A: Fine. I will.
Q: I CAN ACTUALLY ASK YOU ABOUT THE RACE TRACK NOW IF YOU'D LIKE.
A: I mean, I built the sign. What else is there to say, in the face of all that?
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