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xjulixred45x · 3 days

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I NEED a continuation of that satosugu x bully!reader thing you wrote

Okay okay😚 i will do it, i will make this a little long, enjoy it~ and thanks for the Request ❤️

They mean a continuation of this one

Bully! SatoSugu x Bully! Reader

Genre: Headcanons

Reader: female

Warnings:EXPLICIT BULLYING (not towards reader! rather she is the bully along with the boys. Don't do this in real life btw, it's horrible), reader has a bad family situation, reader has SEVERE attitude problems, surprisingly good friends Bully! SatoSugu? Ambiguos if this a Romantic poly relationship or a Platonic one(it's Upon You)strange amount of Fluff towards the end.

JUST TO CLARIFY, BULLYING IS SHIT AND ANYONE WHO DOES IT IS A HORRIBLE PERSON, NO MATTER THE REASON. THE BULLYING DESTROYS PEOPLE, THIS HAS NO INTENTION TO ROMANTICIZE THE IDEA OF BULLYING, BUT TO TAKE REFERENCE TO THE TROPE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

reader was someone... difficult to say the least.

From the first day he set foot in high school the only thing he did was cause some kind of trouble.

The students were afraid of her, her volatile nature made it difficult to know what she was going to do or what was going to provoke her.

teachers even started taking precautions around her to stay safe from her outbursts. which were a little bit of everything, from robberies, insults, physical violence, etc.

without forgetting that the girl's class attendance was irregular and inconsistent. just like your notes.

She hated everyone and it seemed like everyone hated her.

That's why he constantly moved between schools when the previous one had had enough of his antics.

which generated a big discussion at home.

The neighborhood where the reader lived was not very good, but her house was worse.

her mother was long gone, and her father, a poor excuse of a man, didn't do much for a living other than berating her for her own bad behavior.

often ending in physical fights. It was the only way they both had to get out their frustration.

It was the only thing the reader knew.

but sincerely? Not everything was so bad.

She had built a reputation as a badass in every school she went to and scared her, she liked the feeling of finally being in control.

Being feared was fun, no one messes with you. You are at the top.

and at the same time you go unnoticed, since no one has the courage to say something against you (unless they want a beating)

Although it was definitely a bit monotonous at this point, the reader liked the feeling of being someone people were afraid of for once.

although something changed in 2007

That year, a reader was reintegrating into secondary education after a particularly unpleasant expulsion.

and thanks to that, it was somewhat difficult for her to find a school that would admit her this year until they forgot about the drama of the previous one.

and she went to the Jujutsu academy (strange name)

That was where he met them, in a way.

or rather, Gojo and Geto already knew about her beforehand.

It was difficult not to recognize her from the recent drama with the beating she gave to the gang of chimpiras in her old school (schools?)

Gojo was curious, Geto somehow felt threatened.

Gojo wanted to know how hard he could push this new student, to see her tough girl image crumble.

Geto took it more seriously, although he did not consider the reader a serious threat, a full-fledged bully with a reputation would definitely draw the spotlight on her for a while. They shouldn't let her think it was important.

The plan they had made was the standard.

First they would start with small incidents that did not seem malicious, so that she would lower her guard. so she would think it was a safe place.

Then those incidents would increase in quantity and more frequently, also starting to bring certain passive aggressive comments into the mix, but you still can't consider bullying, right?

Things like picking on her while she was distracted, grabbing her things without permission, commenting on her appearance, yes, all of that is wrong, but can you really say it's bullying? Are you really going to take a prank that seriously?

and from there, use everything they had.

stealing whatever she had for lunch, throwing food on her, yelling at her during breaks about how fat and ugly she was...

--use any kind of secret of her against her, throw her things in the trash, all so she would understand his place.

she was beneath them.

but things...did not turn out as they expected.

First of all, reader was much more aggressive than one would expect. every time Gojo tried to get closer it was like she sensed danger and moved away or worse, threw something AT HIM.

Like the time he "accidentally" tried to bump into her and she elbowed him in the ribs and told him to "watch where you were going, you idiot."

or when Geto tried to give her a little "constructive criticism" about her disheveled and reading appearance she just looked at him, with cold, dead eyes, and said "you're emo, you don't get a say in how I look" that was WOW.

Phase one failed completely. reader definitely did not act as they had expected, she definitely had experience.

which led to them having a surprisingly brilliant idea.

What if instead of trying to tear her down, they used her as another member of the team?

Sure, they were used to just working with the two of them, but Reader had a clear advantage in several areas where they couldn't reach (reputation, physical fights, etc.).

It was worth trying.

I imagine that at first they went directly to the reader to tell her the terms of this deal, how they would help each other stay on top and thus not bother her, in exchange she could do whatever she wanted.

simple, concise and effective. Reader I accept the terms.

and the following weeks would be HELL for the students and teachers of the Jujutsu institution.

Geto was considerably the smartest of the group, he was the one who put together the heavy tactics and the one who selected the best victims, calculating and deceitful.

He was a relatively good student too, at least when Gojo and the reader forgot their homework (almost always) they could copy his (it's not like he could do anything after all).

Gojo was surprisingly less evil but much more immature and childish. He was like a man child.

He had intelligence, yes, but it was not conventional intelligence, he had great creativity when it came to being cruel. to give you insults. to make you feel like shit.

Apart from the fact that he came from a big family with a lot of money, all of the group's actions were swept under the rug.

and then was reader.

What could you say she became the muscle of the trio.

reader, with her history of fights and bad reputation, could make everyone so afraid to talk to anyone about their problems that it was ridiculous.

It was like a silent warning, say one word and I will beat you to a pulp.

Surprisingly, they adapted very well to Reader, although it was strange at first, since they were "business partners" but Reader was very quiet and reserved when she was not beating up.

Gojo was the most determined to change this, he was part of the group now after all! At least you have to learn to have a little fun.

Geto was more concerned upon learning of the reader's long history of previous schools, at first because it could mean she could leave at any moment, but upon closer inspection, it's more that she doesn't want to lose this new addition to the group.

The three of them skip classes from time to time, or force the reader to attend more so they don't expel her. How do you expect them to make life miserable for the first years without her? Woman, put your will!

They both even share food with her or steal bentos so that she eats more when she realizes that there really is absolutely nothing coming during class time, she has to stay nourished to take the beating! They won't let her kick ass until she eats >:(

If there is any group work that they do or do have to do, it is most likely that they will do it at Satoru's house, it is the largest and with materials, and it is also fun for him to see his two friends with astonished faces when they see his house every damn time.

although definitely when they both have a more serious problem, they usually go to where the reader lives, since her father is not there most of the time.

Suguru usually goes to the trouble of throwing away the old sake and beer bottles, along with the old bills scattered throughout the house.

Satoru limits himself to sniffing around whatever is within his reach, but at least he has the option of not opening what is closed. But when he sees the family photos or how dirty everything is along with the broken things.

It makes them have a better understanding of Because she is a reader like that, she allows herself to be somewhat vulnerable with them by showing them how she lives.

and surprisingly they appreciate it.

And it's not like it remains reader only receiving a certain type of comfort.

Reader will be a shitty brawler, but if you mess with her Squad, you're Dead.

not only in the school environment, but in life in general.

When Suguru goes through a depressive episode, she and Satoru combine neurons to try to make him feel better, whether with company, games, food, etc. Same goes when Satoru is feeling shitty.

I think that in general, the reader is the "heart" of the group. Having a complicated life, she knows better about emotions and how she would have wanted to be comforted, in a certain way.

(only applicable to this fictional case, this may vary. Don't take it seriously)

For the same reason, when she is especially down, it usually means a day of rest for everyone, a break from EVERYTHING.

from family, from school, from responsibilities, from the whole world.

Just go play at some arcade, win silly prizes and discuss who will take it home.

play basketball and have Satoru kick their butts because neither Suguru nor the reader invites him.

go on a motorcycle and race who is faster.

eat ice cream and sleep on the street.

and miss school the next day, they missed yesterday after all, what does one more day matter?

On these types of days they can forget what kind of people they are, the things they do, what has happened to them.

Yes, in short they are all three DEPLORABLE and horrible beings, but at least they are deplorable and horrible all together.

Shares, reglogs and comments are very welcome!

Sorry if i take long in the works😅 i'm trying to keep publishing AND have a more healthy schetule with My other Activitys, so if i Slow down, it's bc i need it.

Thanks for the Request ❤️

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essektheylyss · 5 days

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Fearne had, in true Fearne fashion, wrapped herself like a personal pashmina around Dorian, which left Orym to curl into his chest.

They had slept this way dozens of times before. Fearne’s blackened fingers wrapped tightly around his forearm as she snored loudly into Dorian’s ear. Orym’s head rested on Dorian’s bicep, his arms folded together between them, and his bare feet were gingerly resting upon Dorian’s thighs just above the knees, as Dorian had coiled enough to let Fearne’s fuzzy leg stretch over his hip. They were exhausted, and this was familiar, and he should’ve been fast asleep.

But Orym’s mind buzzed.

Fearne had always been a strong source of heat, but now she was a furnace, and even without covers it was too warm. But Fearne was not the reason why Orym’s skin burned where it met Dorian’s.

He was a fucking grown man. He was fully capable of admitting that.

Admitting it didn’t change it.

Neither did it change his awareness that Dorian had been too still for the past hour, his breath too precise and measured to be natural as it fell upon Orym’s hair. Orym was not going to presume that the cause of this was the same thing afflicting him; there were plenty of other reasons Dorian would be lying awake tonight.

“My family will find your brother,” he murmured finally, and Dorian’s breath wavered for just an instant before he regained his composure and returned to his measured, singer’s breathing. It was so slight that no one else could’ve noticed it, but Orym noticed. “You said there’s a body— the Tempest can bring him back, or Fearne, honestly—“

“I know,” Dorian answered, and this too was so faint that no one but Orym could’ve heard. “I know,” he said again, as though this one was only to appease himself.

“Do you think… do you think any of Opal is still in there?”

“I don’t know. I could barely tell what was in there—“ he cut himself off. “I couldn’t even help my brother. I think Fy’ra Rai might’ve… she must’ve seen something. I hope so,” he added, inhaling, trying to capture an airy tone that he didn’t fully manage. “The Spider Queen doesn’t deserve her. She doesn’t deserve anything.”

Orym had nothing to say to this. He hadn’t cared what the gods did or didn’t deserve in weeks, but now he could see the vein of fury that sharpened Dorian’s edges. It didn’t frighten him the way it had frightened him months ago, when things had been simpler, when there was not a war to be fought. It simply saddened him. “I’m so sorry about Opal,” he said, after the silence had lingered. “But I’m,” he breathed out a single dark laugh at himself, his selfishness, “I’m real glad it wasn’t you.”

Dorian’s laugh matched his own. “I suppose that is a silver lining.”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Orym admitted. It was easier to keep his voice from cracking at a whisper. “I’ve thought about seeing you again so many times— I wish the circumstances were better—“

“I’m here,” Dorian said, for the second time today. “The circumstances tried very hard to make even that impossible, but— I’m here.”

Orym pulled his arm gently out of Fearne’s grasp and raised his hand to Dorian’s cheek. It was too dark to see the tinge of lavender against his skin, but Orym could feel the warmth bloom beneath his fingers. He still couldn’t bring himself to attribute his friend’s insomnia to anything so self-serving as his own, but perhaps it was one factor.

He pulled his hand back. Was there a flash of disappointment in Dorian’s eyes? He couldn’t tell in the dark. But he brushed his fingers together, drawing upon the wellspring of life within the ground beneath this hastily-erected encampment. The Hellcatch looked like a barren wasteland to most, but that life was still present even here.

Perhaps not now, but after a rainy season, the valley would bloom with wildflowers. The seeds waited in the earth for their time to sprout. Life went on, even in the darkest of places.

He produced a small stalk of life from his hands, and held out the tiny bundle of forget-me-nots to Dorian.

He should’ve said that they were for Cyrus, to remember him by. He wanted to say that they were for Dorian himself, that a day hadn’t gone by that he hadn’t thought of him. He didn’t speak at all as Dorian’s hand wrapped around Orym’s, pinching the stem beneath his fingers but not letting go.

“Orym,” Dorian breathed, looking from the flowers to his face. Then a strange expression came over his face, a wrinkle of consternation as he stared into the middle distance. “Fearne, are you braiding my hair?”

Orym lifted his head an inch to peer past Dorian’s ear. He had noticed that the snoring had stopped, but he’d been too caught up in the conversation to process it. Fearne’s wide eyes stared back with perfect innocence, her hands indeed weaving Dorian’s hair into a loose braid.

“Just pretend I’m not here,” she whispered quickly. “I’m totally not here.”

When Orym dropped his head back to Dorian’s arm, he was met with a crooked smile. It was not meant to be disarming, but it disarmed him anyway.

“Just like old times, eh?” he said, but his hand was still around Orym’s.

Carefully, Orym moved to tuck the flower behind Dorian’s ear, bringing both of their hands with him, and then laced their fingers together instead. “No,” he said, and tucked his head so that his brow rested against Dorian’s chin, and pressed their entwined hands to his lips. “But I think that’s okay.”

#this was SUPPOSED to be a drabble that was borne out of fearne's one line of dialogue in particular lmfao #but here we are #anyway I just think they're neat okay #I don't know if I've written orym's pov but he's fun honestly #I feel like it's the exact middle point between caduceus and fjord lmao #but god. writing someone with a 30+ passive perception is uhhh a puzzle lmfao #critical role #cr spoilers #orym of the air ashari #dorian storm #fearne calloway #dorym #cr fic

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hypewinter · 1 year

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Bruce carefully approached the child playing by himself in the park. The child giggled as they played with chalk, the sidewalk illuminated by a single street lamp.

"What are you drawing?" he said softly, not wanting to alarm them.

The child turned, revealing themself to be a little boy, no older than 5. He had raven black hair and icy blue eyes. Bruce could practically already hear Oracle snickering on the other end of the comms. She had probably already taken a snapshot of the boy through his visor and posted to the batkids group chat which contrary to popular belief, he did know about. Bruce sighed internally. He'd never hear the end of it when he got home. Especially if he had the kid in tow. Let's hope that didn't happen.

"Hello Batman!" a cheery voice broke him out of his thoughts. "I'm drawing a gargaggle!"

Bruce refocused on the boy who showed no signs of fear. He didn't even look surprised which was strange to say the least. "A gargaggle? Do you mean gargoyle?"

The boy furrowed his brows for a bit before piping up again. "I do! It's such a funny word. I can never get it right."

"I know the feeling," Bruce said, crouching down next to the boy. "Sometimes I struggle with words too."

The boy's eyes went wide as if he couldn't believe the Batman struggled with words. "Say-" Bruce started, "-it's pretty late out are your parents nearby?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I don't have parents," he said as he went back to doodling.

Ok Bruce don't freak out just yet. "Oh, then do you have a guardian of sorts? Like an older sibling, or another family member? Like an aunt or grandparent?"

The boy shook his head again. "Nope. Oh! But I do have a friend. She's very nice and gives me lots of gifts and special things."

Alright, he could work with that. Maybe this 'friend' was the kid's guardian and he just didn't realize it yet. That could happen if he was put in their care recently. Bruce cleared his throat to get the boy to look up at him again. "Do you know where your friend is right now?" he asked.

The boy smiled wide. " 'course I do! She's right over there!" As he spoke, he pointed to a clutter of trees, just to his left. "She really loves you and your family," he said. "She's shy though, so she hid when she saw you coming."

"I see," Bruce replied as he got up. "Well maybe I can convince her to come out." He walked over to where the boy had pointed and pulled apart the bushes, hoping to find a woman who he could talk to about the dangers of wandering around at night. Instead he found nothing.

Bruce heard a giggle from behind him. "That's not where she is silly," he said.

"But that's what you-"

"She's not in the bushes, she's in the shadows. She's really good at hide and seek you know. Once we were playing and she hid in the shadows. Then she snuck up behind me from another shadow. It was really unfair! I never win hide and seek or tag against her," the boy said, starting to pout.

She's in the shadows? A meta? And one with a similar power set to Signal no less. Hmmmm.

Bruce began making his way back to the boy. "Then where is she right now?" he asked.

The boy shrugged, as he returned to his drawing once again. "I don't know. Sometimes she leaves and doesn't return for days. Since you're around, I don't think she's coming back for a while."

Great, just great. He had managed to scare off a little boy's only guardian in the middle of the night. Good going Bruce. he chided himself. He crouched down next to the boy again. "Do you know how to get home? Maybe we can wait for your friend there."

The boy turned to Bruce again. "Sure do!" he said, puffing out his chest. " 'cause I'm a big boy and big boys know how to get home on their own." he recited.

That was another point for the growing concerning information checklist. "Okay let's go wait for her then."

The boy's face dropped as he looked longingly at his gargoyle drawing. For a moment, Bruce thought he would have to bribe the kid with a lollipop but instead he held up his arms to be carried. "Okay," he said solemnly.

Bruce exhaled in relief as he picked up the boy. After pulling out his grappling gun he turned to the boy. "Where to...." Shit. Had he really forgotten to ask for the kid's name?

The boy in question didn't seem all too bothered by that fact. "Danny," he answered seamlessly. "And it's that way." Bruce aimed his grappling gun and off they went.

----

It took Danny all of two directions before he was out like a light. Bruce sighed, switching directions. Yep, he would truly never hear the end of it.

#dp x dc #dc x dp #winter's tales #this could be a de-aged danny thing #but i imagine it to be more of an early accident thing #gotham sees a tiny baby wondering around her streets alone and decides none of that #she doesn't have to worry now though #since her precious bats will take care of him from now on #meanwhile oracle is cackling as she patches bruce's comms through to everyone else

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literaryavenger · 2 months

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Birthday Kiss

Summary: It's Bucky's birthday and he decides to spend it with his best friend, Steve, and Steve's little sister, you.

Pairing: 40s!Bucky Barnes x Rogers!Reader, Brother!Steve Rogers x Sister!Reader

Warnings: Angst. Idiots in love. Fluff. Vague mentions to sex. Language 'cause I can't help myself. My poor attempts at being funny.

Word Count: 3.4K

Prompt: "So what should I say?" "when?" "when I love someone." "you should say it"

A/N: Since it's almost Bucky's birthday I wanted to celebrate it with my first fic with 40s Bucky! He's one of my favorite Buckys and I've been wanting to write about him for a while and I finally got this idea! Hope someone enjoys it! In my mind this happens like a year before Captain America: The First Avenger, so Bucky is turning 25, Steve is 23 and the Reader is 21, but you can always imagine any age you want. As always, any ideas for fics are appreciated!

Masterlist

You enter the room to see Bucky is hanging out in yours and Steve's apartment, like he always does, sitting down at the window, smoking a cigarette and reading the evening newspaper while a football game plays on the television in the living room and Steve sits on the couch, drawing on his notebook.

You're used to Bucky being here, he's your big brother's best friend and you've come to be very close friends with him too, even if you wished there was more.

As clichè as it is to have a crush on your brother's best friend, you couldn't help it. He was handsome and funny, and he's always sweet and protective of you.

You've known him since you were 9 years old, and he's the only family you have left other than Steve.

"Is this really how you're going to spend your birthday?" You ask Bucky as you sit on the couch next to Steve.

Bucky turns around towards you with a bright smile, his blue eyes lighting up as soon as he sees you, like they always do whenever he's around you.

He puts out the cigarette and stands up, walking over to you, sitting down on your other side and pulling you into a side hug.

"Hey, doll. I didn't think you were gonna be here today." He says, although he seems more happily surprised by your presence than disappointed.

"I live here, Barnes." You tease him with a smile. "Unlike you."

He rolls his eyes playfully as Steve snickers next to you while he keeps drawing. "I know that. I meant, I thought you were gonna be out with your friends tonight."

"I didn't feel like it." You dismiss him quickly, not wanting to actually say out loud that you'd rather spend his birthday with him doing nothing than go out with your friends, so you try to casually change the subject. "I thought you'd at least want to spend today with Dot."

Dot isn't actually Bucky's girlfriend, they've been on a few dates and you've seen them together a couple of times, but Bucky introduced her to you as a friend so you don't think they're that serious.

Not that Bucky ever is, girls are always all over him and he takes advantage of that. He's a ladies man.

But you try not to worry too much about his love life, not wanting to hurt yourself more than knowing Bucky will never see you like that already does.

"Well, I wanted to spend my birthday with my favorite pair of siblings. She can give me my birthday kiss tomorrow." He says with a grin while ruffling your hair.

"So... What's been going on with you lately, doll? Anything interesting happening in your life?" He asks curiously after a pause, genuinely wanting to know more about your day-to-day activities and experiences.

"I... Well, I went on my first date." You say shyly while playing with the edge of your dress.

Bucky's eyes widen in surprise, his interest piqued by your sudden confession. "First date? Who was it with? How'd it go?" He asks with what seems like excitement but mentally preparing himself to potentially become jealous or possessive no matter who you mention.

"It was fine..." You say quietly, still not looking at him. "It just wasn't... It wasn't what I was expecting..."

Bucky senses something off in your tone and expression, and immediately becomes concerned. He places a gentle hand on your knee, trying to comfort you without making it too obvious.

"What happened, doll? Did things not go as well as you hoped they would? Are you feeling okay?" He asks softly, trying to gauge whether or not you want to open up about what happened during your date and if there's anything he can do to make it better.

You don't really know how to answer his question, so you don't, simply glancing at him before looking away and shrugging.

"Tell me what happened, I'm here for you no matter what. If that guy hurt your feelings or made you uncomfortable, I'll kick his ass for sure." He promises fiercely, his protective instincts kicking into high gear whenever you seem vulnerable or upset.

You giggle weakly at his protectiveness but still don't look at him, so he takes your chin gently but firmly and makes you look at him. "Tell me what happened on your date. Was it some creep who tried to grope you or something worse? Because if he did, I swear to god I will find him and break his fucking legs."

"That's not it, Bucky." You say quickly. "It's just... He just... He wasn't..." You. He wasn't you. That's what you want to tell him, but you can't, so you sigh and shrug again. "He just wasn't my type."

Bucky knew what was your type. He knew he was your type, he has seen you ogle him countless times when he walked past you or sat near you.

He also knew that you had never shown any interest in any of the men who approached you, always dismissing them as not good enough for you. Or at least that's why he thought you did.

Glancing at Steve before looking back at you again, Bucky says quietly. "Well, that's too bad for him I guess."

"It doesn't matter, I'm not seeing him again." I say quietly, avoiding both Steve and Bucky's eyes.

Bucky's brow furrowed in confusion, he couldn't believe you were so quick to give up on a potential relationship just because the guy didn't live up to your impossible standards.

"Doll, you gotta give guys more of a chance. They ain't all as bad as you seem to think they are." He scolds you playfully, but there was also a hint of underlying irritation in his tone as he takes a long sip from his beer bottle.

You glance at him before looking away again. "So... You think I should go on another date with that guy?" You ask quietly.

Bucky thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of pushing you to go on another date with the mystery guy. "Yeah, actually. I mean, if you think he's worth giving a second chance, then why not? And if he turns out to be a total dud again, then at least you can say you gave it a shot. But only if you're really sure he's worth your time though. Don't waste it on some loser who doesn't appreciate everything you have to offer."

He advised you, trying to strike a balance between being supportive and challenging you to take risks when it came to relationships. "But whatever you decide, don't let me pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. You've gotta follow your heart, doll."

"You know, Stevie doesn't care this much about who I date, and he's my older brother." You tease Bucky while glancing at Steve.

Bucky snorts in amusement, "Yeah well, I'm not your brother, sweetheart, but I'm your friend and your wingman, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit back and watch you throw away a potential chance to be happy. Now come on, make up your mind already. Are you gonna give the guy another chance or not?" He pressed, playfully but determinedly.

You look at his face for a moment before looking away again and sighing. "I'm not." You say quietly but firmly. "I'm not going on a second date with that guy." You clarify.

Bucky felt his jaw tighten a little as he realized that you had completely ignored his previous suggestion and were instead deciding against giving the guy a second chance.

He didn't like the idea of you potentially missing out on something good due to your own stubbornness, but he also knew that he couldn't force you to do anything you didn't truly want to do.

"Well, fuck. Guess that settles that then," He said after a moment of silence, trying to hide his disappointment but failing miserably. "You're really gonna just throw that opportunity away? Fine, suit yourself, I guess. But don't expect me to hold your hand or anything when you get sad because you're alone. You're on your own with that shit."

"I guess I am." You say quietly before getting up from the couch and going to the window, climbing into the emergency staircase to go up to the roof, like you do most nights to watch the stars.

Bucky watches you leave, feeling a mix of frustration and concern as he realizes that you're retreating to your usual spot on the roof rather than staying and talking to him.

He wants to call after you, to make sure you're okay, but he knows better than to push you if you need time alone.

Instead, he takes a deep breath and tries to focus on the present moment, reminding himself that sometimes people need space and time to themselves.

"Fine. Have it your way," he calls after you, knowing that there isn't much else he can do in this situation. "But don't think for a second that I won't be keeping an eye on you up there. You better not try anything stupid."

You roll your eyes but don't stop, going up to the roof, that's right above yours and Steve's apartment, and sitting on the picnic blanket you and Steve use every night.

After a few minutes someone else comes to the roof and you can tell it's Steve by the light steps. "You sure you want to let Bucky alone in our apartment, Stevie? I'm afraid he might burn it down." You joke weakly without turning around to look at him, your eyes locked in the city's skyline.

Steve chuckles and you can feel him sitting down next to you. It's not the first time you sit together on the roof, everybody in your apartment building knows this is the Rogers siblings' spot.

You don't say anything and neither does Steve, and you're especially glad he doesn't say anything when he sees a tear falling down your cheek but simply wraps his arm around you as you lay your head on his shoulder.

"What's going on in your head, little sis?" Steve asks you after you stop crying.

You try to gather your thoughts, trying to find a way to make sense of everything swirling in your head. You take a deep breath before you pull away slightly and turn your head towards the city again. "What should I say?" You ask quietly.

"When?" Steve asks with a frown.

"When I love someone." I clarify looking back at him.

"You should say it." He tells you firmly. It's not the first time you've talked about this, Steve knows about your feelings for Bucky and like a good big brother he always tells you to express yourself. "You should tell him."

You sigh and look away from him and back to the New York skyline. "I don't know, Stevie..."

"Why not, Bambi?" You smile softly at his use of your childhood nickname because Bambi is your favorite book, but then you shake your head.

"Have you seen the way he looks at Dot? I have no chance with him. I'm not his type." You say with conviction.

"You really don't see it?" Steve ask, getting a little frustrated.

"See what?" You ask confusedly while looking back at him.

"The difference between you and her is that he looks at her like she's the prettiest girl in the world," Steve says and your heart sinks so you look away from him, but he still goes on. "but when he looks at you it's like... It's like maybe you're magic. He looks at you with such reverence and respect. He looks at you like if he could just have you in his arms, everything would be okay. Like if he had you, nothing could touch him. He looks at you like he just realized what love is."

Steve pauses and grabs your chin gently to make you look at him before finishing. "He loves you. Anyone can see that. You're just too blind to notice it."

Steve kisses your forehead and then gets up and goes back inside to the apartment, leaving you to think about everything he said.

You lay down on the picnic towel on the ground of the roof and look up at the stars. Could Steve be right? Does Bucky really love you back but you just haven't noticed?

If Bucky had feelings for you, certainly you would've noticed.

Yes, he's protective of you and he's always happy to have you around, but you've been friends for over a decade and he is your brother's best friend, so he probably sees you as just that. His best friend's sister.

But he never did treat you like Steve's annoying little sister.

Even when you were kids he always tried to include you in their games and literally held your hand whenever the three of you went somewhere, like the park a few blocks over.

He would always coo on you when you got any scrapes while playing and kiss your boo-boos away.

He's always been very sweet to you and he stood up for you as much as he did for Steve whenever someone bothered you.

But could that really be actual love? Or is it just affection for a girl he's known since you were little and sees as his own little sister?

You rub your eyes before putting your hands behind your head, getting comfortable while looking at the sky full of stars.

In the meantime, Bucky heard everything from the window of your apartment.

He couldn't deny the truth of what Steve had said, he did look at you with a sense of reverence and respect, like you held the key to unlocking his heart and making everything else in his life fall into place.

But he also knew that he had to tread carefully, to approach you in the right way or risk scaring you off completely.

As much as he wanted to take control of the situation and make things happen on his terms, he knew that he needed to let you come to him, to give you space to process everything that Steve told you and to allow you time to realize how much you actually mean to him.

As Steve climbs back into the window, he gives Bucky a pointed look and a pat in the back, silently encouraging him to talk to you.

Bucky takes a deep breath and then climbs into the stairs, getting to the roof but not getting any closer to you. He's determined to talk to you, but his nerves are getting the best of him.

You can hear Bucky coming to the roof and when he doesn't move closer you frown slightly but think he's just giving you a moment before sitting next to you.

When he stays put for a couple of minutes, you roll your eyes and with a small smile you say "You can come lay down next to me, if you want." Loudly enough for him to hear, your eyes never leaving the stars above you.

Bucky's heart skips a beat as he hears your invitation, and without hesitation he steps forward and drops down onto the towel beside you.

You can tell he's trying to keep his movements quiet, not wanting to startle you or disturb your peaceful contemplation.

He lays there quietly for a few moments, taking in the sight of you lying there so effortlessly beautiful, before finally speaking.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear those words coming from your mouth," he whispers and moves closer to you, placing one arm around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder, feeling incredibly vulnerable by the fact that you were so physically close and you were allowing him to get even closer.

"Thanks for letting me do this," he added, indicating the embrace.

"It's not the first time we've watched the stars together, Buck..." You whisper back, resting your head on his while willing your heart to stop beating so fast.

Bucky smiles softly, feeling a warm sense of contentment wash over him as he wraps his arms around you, feeling incredibly grateful for this moment of intimacy between the two of you.

He can feel the gentle weight of your body against his, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. He listens to the sound of your breathing, feeling his heartbeat slow down as he takes comfort in your presence.

"Yeah, it's not the first time... But it feels different tonight." He whispers back, feeling a newfound confidence and boldness coursing through his veins.

He moves even closer to you, pressing his face against your neck and inhaling deeply, savoring the scent of your skin. "I've always... I've always wanted to hold you like this."

"I... I always wanted you to..." You whisper back hesitantly and bite your lip when he presses his face against your neck, almost scared to move, worried that if you do it'll ruin the moment.

Bucky feels a surge of pleasure course through his body as he hears your response, knowing that you too cherished these special moments with him.

When you don't say anything at his physical contact he continues to hold you tightly, feeling a deep sense of connection growing between you.

He presses his lips against your neck, gently kissing and nibbling on your skin, feeling a newfound desire burning within him that he had never experienced before.

He wants more than anything to take things further, to remove your clothing and explore every inch of your body with his hands and mouth, but he forces himself to remain patient and wait for your signal that you actually want something more intimate.

"You know... I've always been afraid to show you how much I really care about you," he whispers into your ear, his voice barely audible over the sound of the city below them.

"Steve thinks you love me..." You say quietly, hoping to god that your idiot brother is right for once in his life.

Bucky freezes a little, feeling a mixture of relief and surprise wash over him. He's surprised at your boldness but so relieved that the truth is finally out there.

But he also knows you well enough to know that if he wants you to truly believe that he loves you, then he has to act quickly to prove it to you and make sure that you never doubt his feelings again.

"Yeah... I do love you, Doll. More than anything else in this world. And I'm sorry that I didn't say it sooner... But I was afraid to lose you." He admits quietly, as he takes your face in his hands.

"You really mean that?" You ask quietly, a mix of hope and uncertainty clear in your voice.

"I do." He says without hesitation while he looks at your beautiful face turned towards his. "And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I care about you."

The smile that comes to your face is so bright that it feels to Bucky like the sun suddenly came up in the middle of the night.

"I know you already gave me a birthday gift," He says, referring to the jacket you gave him this morning. "But can I ask you for one more?"

You're definitely curious about what he wants so you nod. "Sure, what is it?"

"Can you give me a birthday kiss?" He asks quietly while brushing a strand of hair aways from your face and behind your ear.

You blush a little and can't help but smile because he wants a birthday kiss from you, not Dot or any other girl, and you nod slowly as you start leaning in.

Bucky meets you halfway and when your lips touch it feels like fireworks, your stomach filling with butterflies while he brings you closer to him while deepening the kiss.

After a few minutes you both pull away for air, breathing heavily while looking at each other. "Wow." Is all he says after a moment.

You giggle and bite your lip. "Happy birthday, Bucky." You say softly and give him a kiss on the cheek before settling back against him, your head on his chest as you look up at the stars.

Bucky wraps his arms around you, kissing the top of your head and then relaxes while looking up too, more content than ever to finally have you in his arms.

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luckycloverforducks · 2 months

Text

Fuck it, HH swap AU

Their core personalities and backgrounds stay the same, it's mostly a role switch

Niffty <--> Husker

Angel Dust <--> Vaggie

Alastor <--> Charlie

(the typical for swap AUs, I know,,)

Everyone else stays the same

These r edits bc I was just figuring out their designs for the AU, I'll draw them normally another time (Husker isn't here cuz I can't find a good png of the mf)

In this AU Alastor started the hotel mostly because he randomly thought up the idea once and thought, "that's fucking hilarious, I'm doing that" + a secondary sentimental reason he'd kill me for saying (he got genuinely fully invested in the cause eventually)

He advertised it on his radio show suddenly out of the blue after 7 and a half years of radio (lol) silence. Alastor still owns Husker's and Niffty's souls but they're also obviously friends (or atleast close to it)

Also he can read tarot bc why not :3

Charlie is closer to her dad in this AU and more sheltered, adopting a more aloof, smug, and dangerous persona so sinners take her seriously, she also has a very slight condescending outlook towards sinners but she's at her core still compassionate and still views them as her people and want to protect them to a certain extent, and she still thinks the Exterminations are unnecessary and cruel, but she doesn't feel like she can do much about it since according to Lucifer's stories and discouragement, she knows heaven likely wouldn't listen much if at all, but when she heard of Alastor's little project it resparked hope in her and she decided to invest in it, becoming co-owner and funder for the hotel.

Angel Dust/Anthony never made a deal with Valentino and actually stayed in his family's crime/mafia business for the 1st half of him being in Hell, but his dad is a POS and kicked him out for being gay so he started doing s3x work, and then he met Alastor after he brutalized his harassers one day, and Angel wanted to repay the favor somehow. Alastor seems interested in him so they struck a deal (not a soul deal, just a simple deal) which has Angel/Anthony is under Alastors protection in exchange for Angel/Anthony's loyalty and assistance when needed (which is a rare case so Angel still feels like he owes Alastor). They grow friendly with time, and Alastor offers to have him be patient zero for his redemption project, and he accepted.

Vaggie/Vi is still a fallen exterminstor and still met Charlie the same way she did in the show, but after that they went their separate ways and Vi finds herself making a deal with Velvette. Instead of being a pornstar like Angel in the show, she is an influencer and a rockstar/singer, she does enjoy making music and playing the guitar but Velvette tends to overwork her and make her do things she doesn't really like for views/popularity. Velvette is the nicest to Vi/Vaggie compared to with her other employees (which isn't a very highly set bar tbh) but she also frequently break her boundaries.

Vi met Charlie again during one of her concerts and they got close and started dating. (Also one sided Velvette x Vaggie is sort of slightly maybe canon in this AU bc toxic Yuri is fun (and it's only fully one sided after Charlie and Vaggie/Vi started dating))

She helps manage the hotel when needed, but is honestly only there cause Charlie is.

Not much about Niffty changes tbh (she's perfect the way she is, utterly unhinged 😍) she's just a bit more mellowed out and less hyper (she's still hyper just not all the time like in the show) and she's also a bartender and has surprisingly good taste for alcohol, and also frequently makes borderline poisonous drinks while experimenting, but when she gets it right it's really good. Doesn't stop the others of being terrified of her drinks though

Husker is a more smiley and charming in this AU, using a laid back attitude to put people at ease and more willing to open up to him if they need to (he used to use the information people share as blackmail when he needs to back when he was an Overlord, although he never actually needs to spread anything, just threats), and he's still very observant but he's also slightly more unhinged- He's a sort of butler/cleaner for the hotel

He still gets grumpy time to time, but mostly when he's drunk, which isn't as often anymore ever since Niffty was put in charge of the bar (understandably so)

He has a bit of an anger issue and also gets annoyed easily, and sometimes makes unhinged threats as a sort of joke (they stop being much of a joke once you genuinely piss him off)

He likes things clean and tidy because it helps him pretend to be put together

He and Alastor are a bit friendlier compared to in the show, hes still one of the few people that knows more about Alastor, though hes still bummed about the whole being owned by Alastor thing (Husker can also read tarot to a lesser extent bc Al taught him for funzies and Husker thought it's interesting)

His gambling addiction is also ever so slightly worse

#alastor hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel husk #hazbin angel dust #niffty #hazbin vaggie #swap au #hazbin hotel swap au #velvette mentioned #radiodust #chaggie #Velvette x Vaggie #seriously am i the only one who thought of this ship?#huskerdust #the ship tags are mostly just for reach but at the same time not really #i love them #btw #if u even care #UpsideDown/Swap AU

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thegreengnome · 11 months

Note

You could write something about aemond x wife pregnant reader. While she's asleep he starts talking to her belly and the baby starts kicking? :3

Of course! I hope you like it!

Hatchling

The mighty Targaryen prince had never felt so relaxed before, he dares not move for fear of ruining the peace. Here he lay his wife next to him, there legs entwined together. The fire in the chambers slowly dying down, the keep quiet as everyone slept and most importantly soft intake and releases of the women sleeping next to him lulling him into a sleep.

In their chambers and next to Y/N he was not a warrior, not the one-eyed prince that many feared, he was simply Aemond. The husband.

A shift in the bed next to him caught his attention. His wife lay asleep but no longer in content and peace. Her face had screwed up, a pout forming on her lips as she tried once again to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

Her growing belly brushing up against his side as she twists and turns. This pregnancy had come as a surprise to the couple. Having been married for two years the couple had not thought they would be blessed by the gods. Aemond had his love with him, if they could not add to their family, he knew they would be alright. They had each other, but the gods did decide to gift them a babe, a true blessing for the pair. A hatchling of their very own.

The sweet girl had recently felt the negative effects of this pregnancy. Her gowns had been too tight for the maids to fasten and the pains in her back had Y/N asking for daily rubs from her husband, the pregnancy had been hard on the first-time mother.

Aemond could recall the day Y/N had told him the news- the happy tears appearing in the crinkle of her eyes and the embrace between them that seemed to last a lifetime. It was a day that he would forever keep in his mind. A day his family became complete.

The shifting began again. The pout forming and the crease appearing between her brows. This would not do- Aemond could not lie in peace while his wife suffered.

Sliding is arm around Y/N’s back – drawing her body closer Aemond cupped the belly that was causing so much trouble. Soothing the taut skin by rubbing it back and forth. Aemond leans closer to his child, continuing his motions.

“Be calm ñuha riña (my child). You are disturbingmuña” The kick against his hand had him huffing out a laugh.

“We have waited so long for you”

Back and forth his hand went, never slowing the comforting rhythm.

“You are not even here and we love you so much” Aemond could imagine it now. Teaching his child to wield a blade, taking them out on Vhagar for daily flights. Reading them to sleep, and teaching them right from wrong.

Leaning further down towards the child “You have the most wonderful older cousins. Jaehaerys believes you to be a boy while Jaehaera thinks you to be a girl. Whatever you will be, you are a Targaryen, a member of a fierce and proud family, but most importantly you will be our child. Fiercely loved by your parents and the most special babe in this entire world”

The twists and turns had come to an end, the babe now still in their mother’s stomach. Their father quietly talked to them, informing the babe of their future life. Their mother is now awake. A twitch of her lips as she listened to her husband converse with their unborn babe.

#alicent hightower #aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #hotd #aemond x you #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond x reader #aemond fanfic #aemond x y/n #aemond fanfiction #hotd fanfic #hotd daemon #house of the dragon fanfic #hotd x reader #hotd imagine

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buckyalpine · 2 years

Note

Heeey sweetie ! I hope you’re well !! I always look forward to your posts and check your page daily for updates ! Your writing is incredible and always leaves me with butterflies in my stomach !! I wanted to leave a request if that’s okay ! I was thinking about mob Bucky with grumpy-sunshine trope !? Bucky being the grumpiest little shit ! He’s arrogant and stares too much . But then he meets this ray of sunshine and she’s the only one to get him soft ! She’s the only one that can coax a smile out of him ! Gives her the gentlest touches and sweetest kisses ! He’s proud to have her next to him and loves how much smaller she looks compared to his massive size . Even tho he’s dominant in bed , he’s still careful and considerate with her ! Fluffy fluff with a big intimidating man

YESS Omg i love this so much its adorable. (18+, cause there’s fluffy fluff but also smutty smut)

Disclaimer: I love fics where Bucky loves his much smaller reader compared to his larger size but I do my best to not describe the readers size too much because I want anyone to be able to imagine themselves in my fics. When I write, Bucky is obsessed over how he can just easily scoop you up into his arms and toss you over his shoulder effortlessly.

First time meeting you I just imagine you both meet in the most wholesome way as well. He's truly the grumpiest shit anyone's ever met. Arrogant and cocky but he’s earned his reputation so no one dares question it. That being said, he has some principals, one of them being that family always comes first. He takes that very seriously. That's why he's out and about, looking for a present for Sam’s daughter’s birthday, hand picked himself (and by present, we’re talking presents plural, he already bought her a custom gold engraved locket and an Hermes baby blanket, no godchild of his would get any less).

Still, he wanted to give her more, wandering into a little book shop at the corner of the street that appeared to be empty. His men stood outside the door while he scanned the shelfs, huffing in frustration because there were so many choices and it would have been easier to just buy the all the books. He picked up a book and set it down, the store probably wouldn’t cost too much-

"Can I help you?"

A sweet voice called him from behind and Bucky was ready to give the person hell, he hated sales people. Most people. Honestly all people. Except Steve. He'd maybe pee on Sam if he was on fire but that was as far as his love for him went. (its all a front, he loves Sam).

He turned around, about to tell whoever it was, to fuck off, blinking instead when he came face to face with you. You smiled up at him, eyes twinkling, setting down the pile of books you had in your arms to look at the shelf he was browsing.

“What age group are you looking for?”

Bucky hardly registered your words, staring at what looked like the human form of a cute little garden fairy straight out of a fairytale. You were in a blush pink sundress, covered in tiny flowers, standing on your tippy toes trying to reach the books higher on the shelf. Garden fairy, what the fuck was wrong with him, he shook his head trying to regain his train of thought.

“Uh- a baby?” Bucky didn’t know what to do with himself, most people took his staring as a sign to go away but you seemed unbothered.

"Oh! Come with me, there’s a great section at the back, I’ll show you!” You happily led the 6′4 mob boss to the kids corner at the back of the store, colorful drawings, plush rugs and little bean bags covered the area.

“Any of these would be great for a little one” You pointed to the shelves that were low to the ground, pulling out a few and handing them to him “let me know if you see anything you like” with that, you went back to putting books away. You returned a few minutes later, biting back a smile, looking at the tall man covered head to toe in dark ink, diligently reading through one of the books you handed to him.

"You look so cute" You giggled, looking at Bucky sitting on one of the tiny chairs, his long legs sprawled out in front of him.

"Cute?" Bucky had never been more insulted in his life, of all things to describe him, how dare you tell him he looked cute.

“Of course” You grinned as you walked over and sat down beside him. The gentle sweet scent of your perfume evaded his senses, his heart jumped when he felt your warm hand brush against his. Bucky didn’t know why his heart was racing, he didn’t like it. His brows furrowed, trying to stop the blush that spread across his face when he saw your smile.

“Do you like that one?” Bucky nodded, looking at the cover of the book; two bears sitting together looking at the moon. “I love you to the moon and back, its such a sweet book, I would have picked this one too”

Bucky nodded again, not trusting himself to speak around you. You took the book to the front to check him out. After he paid, you placed a little brown bear that matched the ones on the book cover in the bag as well. Bucky cocked his head confusedly, reaching for his wallet again.

“How much?”

“Just take it as part of the gift” You smiled, tying a ribbon around the handles of the bag. “I’m sure they’ll love it. Have a good day!” You gave him a little wave as he walked out, turning back to your books, while Bucky felt his insides melt.

The pretty girl at the book store thinks I’m cute.

Bucky slid into his SUV, the corner of his lips twitching, his cheeks dusted pink. You thought he was cute. Cute. He continued to bite his bottom lip, fighting with his face muscles to keep from smiling, failing miserably instead.

“Is he having a stroke”

Sam whispered, staring at Bucky through the rearview mirror while he sat at the front with Steve. Bucky’s face continued to twitch, trying to keep his classic scowl on his lips.

“I think he’s smiling” snorted, cocking an eyebrow watching Bucky carefully inspect the little brown bear you put in the bag.

“He knows how to smile?”

“You good punk?” Steve called out, smirking when Bucky stuffed the bear back in the bag, pretending he wasn’t giving it heart eyes while thinking about you. “You looked real cozy talking to the girl at that the bookstore”

“Shut up” He ignored his two friends snickering, throwing them a growl before thinking about you again.

She thinks I’m cute.

After that meeting, imagine Bucky finds himself going back for more and more books; he doesn’t even have time to read but he can’t help it. Every time he steps into your bookstore, its like sliding into a comfy blanket. He’s addicted to your sweet smile; your always there with a new book for him to read. He can’t help but smile every time he sees you flit around the shelves, he felt like he was living in his own fairytale.

The first kiss

Bucky watched you huff in frustration, trying to put a book back on the shelf but it was too high for you to reach.

“Um-could-would you please help me put this back?” You asked shyly, while Bucky smiled, nodding and coming up behind you, his hand gently holding your waist, placing the book on top with ease. His tall form towered over you, his chest brushing against your as you turned and looked up at him.

“Th-thank you” you whispered, your eyes flicking from his blue eyes to his pink lips. His lips were curved in a soft smile that gave you butterflies; it wasn’t often that you saw him smile but it seemed he did it whenever he was close to you.

“You look handsome when you smile” You squeaked, slapping your hand over your mouth as soon as the words slipped through. Bucky bit his lip, while you looked away embarrassed you had said that out loud. “Sorry I didn’t mean-”

You gasped, feeling him pull you closer, his hand gently tilting your chin up to look at him. His head dipped down slightly and you felt your body moving on its own, standing on your tippy toes to be closer to him.

“Can I kiss you?” He whispered, his nose nudging against yours. You nod, letting out a shuddered breath as his hand cupped your cheek, pressing his lips sweetly to yours. You hesitantly moved your arms to wrap around his shoulders, melting into his touch.

You didn’t know how much time had passed, staying tucked in his arms, having waited ages for him to finally make a move. When he finally has to leave, he comes running back in mere seconds later.

“Did you forget something?”

Bucky nodded, his hands wrapping around you waist, pulling you close to him again, his lips kissing you softly as ever.

“I wanted another kiss”

That kiss turned into lots of kisses. Lingering hugs. When he finally brings you to his home, he keeps you his little secret for a while so he can enjoy your company. You bring out a softness in him he didn’t know was possible; soft fluffy dates with him cooking for you, or going on evening strolls. You’re his everything, he loves seeing his little garden fairy comfy in his home. You made everything warmer; the soft scent of candles always traveled down the halls; sweet baked goodies were always ready in the kitchen. Sam and Steve were definitely not complaining, pretending they didn’t notice Bucky’s classic grumpy face now also came with a cute little blush on his cheeks.

The first time they meet you

Imagine Bucky’s team finally find the mole they’d been hunting for months. They’re all riled up, throwing him into the van, threatening him within an inch of his life. They know Bucky likes to take care of business himself but it doesn’t stop them from warning him about the pure wrath he’s going to face.

“You’re fucked”

“You thought we were bad? You’re gonna wish your mom swallowed you”

They drag him up the steps, bursting into his office, expecting Bucky to be waiting there with his knife twirling between his fingers.

Instead...

Bucky’s men all stared at each other before looking at the sweet thing that was sitting in their bosses lap, feeding him pastries. Bucky grinned like a love struck puppy, cradling you to his chest while he sat on his office chair, moaning at the sweet caramel melting on his tongue. The last thing they expected to see was a delicate thing like you cuddled up with who they thought was a blood thirsty gang leader.

Sam snorted, shaking his head, watching Bucky ignore the rest of them, his eyes still trained on you, peppering kisses onto your cheek.

“Motherfucker, are you eating butter tarts right now?”

“They taste good” Bucky shrugged, giving you one final sweet kiss to your lips before looking up at his team.

“Why don’t you wait for me in my room, I’ll be there soon” Bucky pressed a soft kiss onto your temple, helping you off his lap. You smiled, brushing some of his hair back, kissing his forehead.

“Come soon bubba” Your bare feet padded through his office, giving the towering men a quick wave as you passed them “Hi Sam, Hi Steve!”

Sam blinked, before grinning and giving you a friendly wave back.

“She is adorable, fucks she doing with you”

“Shut the fuck up bird brain” Bucky panned, a growl emitting from his chest, as he rounded the table, his previous soft demeanor dropping as soon as his eyes landed on the mole. “Have Steve keep him quiet, my angel doesn’t have to hear this shit”

After Bucky’s men saw how soft he was for you, you become their secret weapon. You’re always there to soften the blow they’d face, making him smile even when delivering the worst news.

“Boss, the deliveries were seized” Peter trembles at the door, while Bucky’s nostrils flare, he’s about to tell everyone off, but his anger dissipates as soon as your head pops into the room.

“Bucky, come cuddle?” You push past the men, your hands draping around his shoulders.

“They put you up to this, didn’t they?” Bucky snorted, rubbing his temples, melting as soon as you crawled into his lap. You giggled innocently, kissing his scruffy cheek while he lifted you into his arms, carrying you over to his room.

“Hmm, they’re lucky you’re so sweet babygirl”

The first time

For months, Bucky didn’t do anything more than give you soft kisses, hugs and cuddles. He wanted you, he needed you in a way he never thought was possible, but he didn’t want to rush anything. You were special and if he was going to be intimate with you, it’d be whenever you were ready.

He never wanted to pressure you into anything, but you reassured him you wanted this. Bucky swallowed thickly, looking at your smaller form curled up against his bed waiting for him. You looked so sweet and delicate, wearing just one of his shirts, nervously fidgeting with your hands while he crawled up the bed to you.

“Are you sure about this prinţesă?” He kissed your knee, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb; you felt your face heat up and the name he had for you, nodding without meeting his eyes. “Look at me baby” He tilted your chin to meet his gaze, “I won’t be upset if you want to wait”

You knew he meant it. Not once had he ever made you feel like doing something you didn’t want. His sweetness only made you want him more.

“I want this, I-I want you” you whispered, moaning softly when his lips pressed against yours. He kissed you softly, his hand moving to your waist to lay you down against the pillows. He was on top of you, nipping your jaw, peppering kisses down your neck, his hand caressing the side of your thigh.

Being with you was different.

He natural instinct had always been rough and fast; clothes torn, no build up.

He didn’t want that with his pretty doll. Yet.

He slowly undressed you, pulling your shirt over your head, leaving you bare underneath him. He continued to kiss you while still being fully dressed, chuckling when he felt you squirm under him.

“What is it baby?” He cocked his head, picking up on what you wanted when you fiddled with the buttons on his shirt but he didn’t want to give in, enjoying your flustered state.

“I-um” You fisted his shirt, burning under his gaze, “Take it off”

“Take what off?” He cocked his eyebrow, a smirk dancing on his pretty lips.

“Ugh, I want to see you naked Bucky” You pouted, burying your face into his neck while he grinned, bringing your hands to unbutton his shirt.

“Whatever my babydoll wants, go ahead prinţesă, m’all yours” You squeaked when he pulled you and rolled over so you were straddled on top of him, his hands stroking your bare waist and thighs.

“Want you to take it off babygirl” He couldn't take his eyes off you as you shakily undid his tie, moving to his buttons next. As soon as his shirt was off, you managed to unbuckle his belt and tug off his pants. You blinked at his thick cock straining against his briefs.

Bucky brought his fingers to rub though your soaked folds, groaning at the slick that easily coated his fingers.

“Will you let me taste you?”

“I-no one’s ever-

“I’ll be gentle baby, promise it’ll feel good” Bucky laid you on your back as he worshipped your body, trailing kisses down your skin, while you hesitantly parted your legs, his thick, wide shoulders forcing them apart further.

“So pretty baby” Bucky groaned, kissing your clit, his lips sealing around your clit, sucking softly, careful not to apply too much pressure. “You have the sweetest clit doll”

He could feel his cock throb against the mattress at the way your face contorted, soft whine slipping past your lips as you tried to keep your moans down. He pushed a finger in, gently stretching you out, while you started to grow needy, your hips shifting under him. He pulled away, his beard glistening with your arousal, eyes heavy with lust.

“Want to be inside you prinţesă”

You nodded, while he threw his briefs off, his cock standing tall and proud as he hovered above you.

“Bucky, it-it won’t fit” You whispered, watching his thick cock bob between his legs, grazing on your clit.

“We’ll make it fit baby” His hand gently cupped your face, while your legs moved up to hug his waist. “Tell me if its too much and I’ll stop” He moved his cock through your folds, groaning at how you felt on the tip of his cock.

“Ready?” You nodded, gasping feeling his thick blunt tip prod against your soaked entrance.

“Jaames...” You whimpered feeling him stretch you while he kissed your forehead, stopping his movements with just the tip inside you.

“Shhh angel, it’s just me sweet girl” Your body trembled under his, biting down onto his shoulder as he pushed himself further while holding your body close to his. You were still getting used to the burn and stretch of him as he buried himself to the hilt, clinging onto him while he stayed still.

“I know baby” Bucky stroked your forehead, brushing your hair away from your face, kissing your cheeks. He felt a new type of feral, his sweet girl under him, whining and whimpering over his cock, your pussy dripping around him.

“S’too big Bucky” You bit your lip, your pretty doe eyes locked with his.

“My cocks too big for you baby?” Bucky cooed, while you nodded, throbbing at your nails digging into his skin “Your pussy’s too tight, huh angel, you need me to go slow?”

There was something addicting over how hard Bucky was trying to hold back, his brows furrowed, cock already leaking into you. He started off slow, gentle thrusts, letting you adjust, telling you how perfect you were, his hands laced with yours, pinned against the bed.

“Taking my cock like such a good girl baby”

“You know how pretty you look right now doll?”

You felt the burn start to melt, your moans growing louder while he pushed his entire length in and out of you, his bally smacking against your ass.

“M-more Bucky, please?”

Bucky’s breaths grew heavy, feeling his spine tingle already, you had a different affect on him, his cock already throbbing.

“You’re beautiful prinţesă”

“Could make love to you like this for hours my baby”

“Taking me so well babydoll, making my cock throb, you’re so tight”

He craved so much more of your warmth, his pace speeding up, moaning and grunting each time you cried out. He gripped onto the head board as he started to pound you, the sounds of skin slapping carrying through the room.

“F-uck baby, you feel so good” He moaned into your neck, the muscles on his back tensed as he fucked you harder. “Am-am I too rough sweet girl”

“F-feels g-good James” You cried out from under him, your walls starting to flutter as he hit your g-spot. Bucky moaned, his forehead coming down to rest on yours, lips parted and brushing against each other. “Bucky, harder, please”

The sound your moaning his name made him almost cum on the spot.

“Oh fuck don’t stop, tell me it feels good baby, tell me how bad you want it, keep saying my name”

“JAMESS” The headboard practically slammed against the wall as he abandoned all softness, the both of you feral over each other, chasing your highs.

“Tell me how good my cock makes you feel baby” His hand snaked between your bodies, rubbing and teasing your clit, making you nearly sob.

“S’good Bucky, stretching me, I- fuck m’gonna cum!”

“Cum my gorgeous girl, CUM” “JAMES-I-F-FUCK” You clenched around his cock, cumming and squirting around him while he roared, his pace stuttering as he spilled ropes of cum into you. You both held onto each other, moaning and panting as you came down from your orgasm, your body still convulsing feeling his cum drip out of you.

“Fuck I love you” He panted against your skin, pressing sloppy kisses all over your face. He had a goofy grin, sweeping you into his arms to run you a hot bath.

(Which was a waste of time, considering he spent the rest of the night with you, making an utter sticky mess in his bed)

Bonus: The first tattoo (dedicated to you)

Most of Bucky’s body is covered in dark ink, but none of his pieces were done impulsively. Each piece had a meaning behind it, and his latest one was his favorite.

“Close your eyes baby” He picked you up and placed you on his desk, unbuttoning his shirt while you impatiently waited for him to tell you, you could look. “Alright, open”

“A fairy?” You gasped, looking at his newest piece, your fingers gently tracing over his chest. Above his heart, was his latest piece, a little fairy reading a book while sitting on the moon.

“From when I first met you. I thought you were like a little garden fairy” Bucky blushed, kissing your nose. “Could never get enough of you, the only little fairy to think I’m cute”

Tears stung your eyes, sniffling while he wrapped his arms around you. You smiled against his skin, kissing his chest.

“You like it baby?” His thumbs swiped across your cheeks, stroking your hair while you nodded, struggling to formulate words.

“I-I love y-ou” You choked out, hugging him tighter

“I adore you sweet girl, love you to the moon and back”

Tags:

@glxwingrxse @hungryyeyess @sebsgirl71479 @beabutterfly987 @teambarnes72 @witchywhore @jamesbuckybarneswify @slutforsexyseabass @chrisdrysdale @littlemarvelmenfan @buggy14 @whimsyplaty92 @sergntbarnes @inkedaztec @pono-pura-vida @moonlightreader649 @brooklynscherry-z @elle14-blog1 @justsebstan @littlelightnings @psychomanniac-blog @happyt0exist @emmabarnes @bethyruth @matchat3a @cjand10 @getwellsoontana @cherryschaos @lokisasgardianvampirequeen @ashenc-blog @buckybarnessimpp @potatothots @goldylions @high-functioning-lokipath @morganemorganite-blog @kingfleury @peaches1958 @spiderman-stilinski @peaceinourtime82 @gublur @wintersmelodie @geeky-politics-46 @lolawassad @almosttoopizza @a-poor-gryffindork @alternativeprincess @buckycallsmeaslut @kamaria-sweet-writes @charmedbysarge @xnorthstar3x @kryoee7 @alina02 @gh0stgurl @polishprincess999 @jessybarnes @carrotfantasimp

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fandomxpreferences · 1 year

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Two Lines, Two Idiots Chapter Six: Crying Into A Cupcake

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Maybank!Reader, Twin!JJ Maybank x reader

TW:pregnancy, slight angst, very brief mention of abuse, brief mention of addiction, so much fluff and cuteness, I think thats all

Summary: You, Rafe, and the pogues finally find out what youre having.

Word Count:3k

Things have settled down ever since Rafe confronted Ward a couple of weeks ago. It's been radio silence from the older Cameron, though Rose has tried to reach out a few times. She's even sent flowers, but her attempts at reconciliation have been ignored.

If there's one thing you've learned about that family, it's that there's always an angle. Maybe Rose really does feel bad, or maybe she's playing both sides of the field. There's no way to know, and it's not a risk either of you are willing to take.

Since Rafe's 'family' is out of the picture and your dad is obviously not in your life, that leaves the pogues. So when you and Rafe went to your appointment yesterday, you decided not to find out the genders just yet.

Instead, you had them send the results to a local bakery which is where you are now. Your friends don't know that they're finding out what you're having today, and your body is buzzing with excitement at the idea.

You've never been a big fan of gender reveal parties and even if you were, who is there to invite? Instead, you're opting for a small intimate affair with just Rafe and your found family. The nice older lady brings you your order; seven cupcakes that are dyed either all blue, all pink, or a combination.

You thank her with a smile after Rafe pays, and make the trek back to the truck. He helps you up since your belly is large enough now to cause issues. You're glad that the secret is about to be revealed because even though you're only fifteen weeks, the rate that you're growing is bound to start raising questions.

"Are you excited?"

Rafe smiles at you briefly before turning his attention back to the road and he squeezes your hand. The route to the chateau is second nature now since he's been staying there; ever since the altercation, he's refused to step foot back in Tannyhill.

You're not sure what's happening with the living situation, but JJ and John B have both insisted that you can just set up in the spare room and stay there. You're not quite sure how that could possibly work with Rafe practically moved in and two babies on the way, but you've written it off to be figured out later.

"Yeah, but I'm nervous too. What if they freak out?"

Rafe shoots you a glance and shrugs his shoulders, not at all concerned.

"They will at first, but based on how involved they already are, I'm guessing it'll quickly turn to happiness."

You sigh and nod, nerves eating at your mind.

"I hope so."

When the two of you arrive, everyone is already outside scattered around the yard. JJ is laying in the hammock with John B standing over him, Sarah and Kie are sitting on a log laughing about something, and Pope is off in his own little world reading a book.

The scene makes your heart swell as you watch all the people you love most in the world in one place, and you swallow the lump in your throat.

"Ready?" Rafe asks, and you turn to face him with a timid smile.

"As I'll ever be."

At that, you take a step forward and plaster on your best happy face.

"Hey, losers. You up for some dessert?"

Your voice draws their attention and they all face you with intrigued expressions. Sarah catches on first as she leaps to her feet with wide eyes and rushes forward.

She looks at the treats in Rafe's hand with swirled pink and blue icing on top and moves to snatch them from him.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Rafe quickly dodges her and holds them up over his head with a smirk.

"Sure is. Ready to find out what we're having?"

This successfully gets the rest of the pogues to join and JJ wraps an arm around your shoulder.

"I can't believe my little sister is having a kid."

You roll your eyes at his cheeky grin and push him off of you.

"Fuck off, JJ. You were born before me by two minutes."

You can't help but grin at his childlike laughter, and bump your shoulder into his. Sarah looks like she's about to explode as she bounces on the ball of her feet and stares at the plastic container.

"Can we please eat the cupcakes? I'm going to die."

You laugh at her pleading and nod at Rafe who starts handing them out.

"Okay, on the count of three everybody take a bite."

You wait for everyone to nod in understanding and take a deep breath before starting the countdown.

"Okay. One…two…three!"

You take a large bite and stare down at the blue with sparkling eyes before turning to Rafe. He's got a blue cupcake as well, and the two of you wait for everyones reactions. You figure JJ must also have blue when he lets out a loud cheer accompanied by a fist pump.

"Fuck yeah, it's a boy!"

You watch confusion grow on John B and Kie's faces as they turn their cupcakes around to show them to you.

"No, it's a girl."

John B's face is set in a deep frown and you turn to face Rafe with wide eyes before leaping into his arms. He throws his arms up and cheers once he sets you down, over the moon to be having one of each.

Rafe had been begging the universe for a daughter; a little daddy girl that he could spoil and take on dates.

"Wait, I'm lost. Did they screw up the order?"

You don't answer your brother, instead giving them a second to stew. You see John B figure it out first, and he turns to you with his jaw dropped.

"Wait, are you fucking serious?"

You nod your head with a smile that puts the sun to shame and giggle loudly when he carefully picks you up and spins you around. The rest aren't far behind, and when he sets you down JJ grabs your arm to make you face him.

There's an unspoken question in his eyes and you just nod in confirmation. You see his eyes well up with tears and get concerned for a moment before he shakes his head and pulls you into a bone-crushing hug.

"Holy shit. You're gonna have a Y/N and JJ 2.0"

The realization hits you like a ton of bricks as you return his embrace and bury your head into his shoulder. You and JJ might have your squabbles, but the bond you have is one of a kind. It warms your heart to think your son and daughter are going to have a built-in best friend.

"Oh my god, this means I don't have to choose! I can shop the entire baby section!"

You let out a watery laugh at Sarah's exclamation and wipe your tears. She launches forward and throws her arms around your neck, joy radiating off of her.

"I'm so glad that you're gonna be the mother of my niece and nephew. I can't begin to explain how happy I am for both of you. You've always been my sister, but this is just a whole new level. I love you."

She whispers into your ear, and you hug her a little tighter as the sentiment causes a fresh round of tears.

"I love you too, Sarah."

She releases you after a few moments and goes over to Rafe, letting the rest of the group get in their hugs with you.

The look on your boyfriend's face is one of sheer glee and terror, and Sarah pulls him aside.

"Are you okay?"

Rafe brings his thumb up to his mouth and gnaws on the side of it, a nervous habit he picked up as a child.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just scared."

Sarah nods and takes a moment to mull over his confession.

"Scared of what? You've been ironclad through this whole thing. What changed?"

The look in Rafe's eyes is akin to a little kid, and suddenly Sarah knows what he means.

"Oh. You're scared to have a son."

When her brother doesn't respond, she places a gentle hand on his forearm.

"Rafe, you're not Dad. You never have been. You've made bad decisions, but you're trying to be better. That's more than he could say. I see the way you look at her. It's like she hung the moon and stars."

He nods and shifts on his feet, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"I wish Mom was still here."

Sarah gives him a sympathetic look before pulling him into a hug.

"Me too. She'd be so excited, and proud of you. I know that she would have loved Y/N."

The two of them just stand there for a moment, finding comfort in each other before she pulls back and nods toward you.

"Go celebrate with your girl. This is your guys' moment."

You beam up at Rafe as he rejoins your little circle and lean into him when he wraps his arms around you to place his hands on your belly.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us."

John B is still in shock and you laugh lightly.

"We wanted it to be a surprise. Plus, we were still coming to terms with it ourselves."

He nods with a huff and Sarah slaps his arm, a quick reminder that this isn't about him. You all settle in around a bonfire, discussing the babies and what you all think they'll be like.

JJ insists they'll have his signature blonde hair, and Rafe swears they'll have his piercing blue eyes and irresistible charm.

A short while later, you're sitting on the beach staring out at the waves when you feel someone sit beside you.

"You good, sis?"

You avoid his gaze, peering up at the stars and trying to suck the tears back into your eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

JJ has always picked up on your moods at an annoyingly fast pace, and you sniffle.

"I'm so fucking afraid, J. Like stomach in knots, throwing up, straight up panic attack fear."

He frowns and pulls you into his side, his hand coming up to comb through your hair like he did when you were younger after one of Luke's episodes.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

He's always been so patient and gentle with you, well aware that you're the more sensitive one. You've always put on a brave face, but JJ knows that it's just a front. Under the surface, you're just as close to the edge as he is.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy. I just can't help but wonder if he's doomed. I silently hoped not to have a boy. I mean, look at the men in his bloodline. On both sides. One is a deranged money-hungry psychopath, and the other is an abusive addict. He's set up to fail before he even has a chance."

Your throat burns as you talk through the constriction and more hot tears fall into your lap.

"Y/N, look at how Rafe and I turned out. Sure, we're both a little reckless and hot-headed; but all things considered, we do okay. We both came straight from the lion's den and managed to make it out. Your little boy is going to have an entire army behind him and everything we grew up without. He's going to be the best, I promise."

You turn your head to look at him, skepticism clear on your face.

"You really think so?"

He nods instantly and leans forward to press a kiss to your temple.

"I know so. Have you talked to Rafe about this? I'm sure he's thinking the same thing."

You shake your head and JJ sighs, moving to stand up.

"I'm going to send him over. Don't shut him out, okay? You guys are in this together."

He doesn't give you a chance to respond, and within a couple of minutes, Rafe is rushing over. He drops to his knees beside you, and his heart drops at the sight of your bloodshot eyes and puffy cheeks.

"What's going on, baby? Talk to me."

He looks so worried, and it makes your heart clench. His eyes never leave yours, his hands on either side of your face forcing you to look at him.

"I don't want him to be a Cameron."

You immediately regret your choice of words when hurt flashes through his ocean eyes, but he doesn't interrupt.

"I don't mean it like that. I just mean.. the men in your family have so much pressure on them. I don't want him to grow up hard and calloused the way you were forced to. I want him to be soft and kind. I want him to be a kid."

Rafe nods in understanding before pulling you into his lap.

"Baby, I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. I want him to be happy too, and I'd go to the ends of the earth to achieve it. I want all of you to be happy. I know we haven't talked about it yet, but if it'll ease your mind then we can give them your last name. Hell when we get married, I'll take your last name. Whatever puts a smile on that pretty face."

You shake your head from side to side and stifle another sob.

"I don't want him to be a Maybank either. He's going to have a reputation either way, but at least with the Camron title, it won't be that he's a troublemaker destined to end up in prison. Neither of us comes from a great lineage, and that's what worries me. It's like he's cursed to either be a power-hungry asshole or an abusive drunk that steals and gambles."

He leans down so he's eye level with you and shakes his head.

"Y/N, that's not true. We'll build our own legacy and it'll be good and loving. Our babies don't have to carry the burden we did just because they share the name."

You nod, but Rafe can tell that something is still bothering you.

"That's not all of it. What else is going on in that brilliant mind of yours?"

You hesitate for a moment before deciding that if this is going to work, you have to be honest.

"I never had a mother figure."

He catches on instantly, already sure he knows where this is going.

"What if I'm a bad mom?"

Rafe looks genuinely taken aback and offended at the mere suggestion, his eyebrows pinched together. Even in your current state, your hand reaches up to smooth out the crease and he leans into your touch.

"You're going to be the best fucking mom. You know how I know? Because of that right there. Even when you're going through something, your first instinct is to take care of me. You care for everyone around you, baby; and it's not because you have to. It's just who you are."

His thumb swipes under your eye when another tear falls and he continues.

"You are the most selfless, thoughtful, and kind person I've ever met. You don't treat people well to get something out of it, you do it because you have a good heart. You don't even realize it, and I'm going to spend every day reminding you."

He stops for a second, and you can tell he's debating on saying something else.

"I love you. I'm so in love with you that it makes my head spin and I can't make sense of it. You make me want to be a better person, Y/N. you've given me a reason to live and for that, I will always be grateful."

Rafe leans his forehead against yours and closes his eyes, just soaking up your presence. Really, he's trying to transfer all your pain and heartache over to himself. How can he not? You're his entire world, and if he could download all of your suffering he would without a second thought.

Usually, commitment would send you running for the hills. With anybody else, it's always raised alarm bells and sent your nervous system into fight or flight.

Nothing good has ever come from it; you've seen it over and over again. Yet, as you sit here in Rafe's arms you feel nothing but a serene calmness. You feel safe and at home, exactly where you're meant to be.

"I'm in love with you too. I've never told anybody that before, I've always left before it could get that far. But I don't want to run this time. I don't want to run ever again, not if it's away from you."

He pulls you into a sweet kiss, and in this tiny blip in the space-time continuum, every puzzle piece slots into place.

"I'll do anything I have to to make sure the three of you are taken care of. Our boy will be just fine because he has you. I'm never going anywhere."

Your cries have died down to hiccups and Rafe's heart feels like it's been pulverized at the smallness of your voice.

"Promise?"

He pulls back and sticks his hand out, nothing but love and soothing energy rolling off of him and into you.

"Pinky."

You hook your finger around his and you both kiss it, a vow to make a better life than what you were handed. His words from a few moments ago suddenly register in your foggy mind, and his heart soars at the mischievous smile that suddenly splits your face.

"Wait, did you say when we get married?"

He groans, his unspoken prayer that you didn't catch his slip-up going unanswered.

"I did. I meant it, too. It doesn't have to be anytime soon, but one day my ring is going to be weighing down your left hand with a diamond big enough to be seen from space."

Your lips crash into his and his hands encircle your waist as the two of you smile into the kiss.

"I'm holding you to that."

You squeal when he tickles his sides and his hand comes up to poke your nose.

"I expect nothing less."

@i-love-rafe @itsmytimetoodream @brynley-a-xoxo @whore4drew @houseofperfecttaste @everythingmarveltopgun @f4ll-for-you @athenabarnes @antagonize-me-motherfucker @writtenwordslover @madsnxo @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @starrystarkey93 @keylin1730 @fulla02 @loving-and-dreaming @evening-starlight @ibleedcalories @badasspizzalover @veescorneroftheworld @pinkpantheris @brooklynscherry-z @starkeylover @sebastiansstanswhore @lothiriel9

#rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron #Rafe Cameron x maybank!reader #outer banks imagine #outer banks fic #outer banks

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ghost-in-marble · 3 months

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As powerful as it is to know that Jack was willing to let the world go to the 456 if only Ianto would be spared, as a bubble moment in and of itself, it’s so much more powerful knowing Jack’s characterization. Because he is always making hard calls and making sacrifices for the good of the world, but Ianto is where he draws the line.

Jack let Jasmine go with the fairies for the good of the world. This is made more palatable because she wanted to go, but it’s still a sacrifice that makes Jasmine’s mother lash out at him and causes Gwen, Tosh, and Owen to give him the cold shoulder. I think it’s debatable whether or not he would have let the fairies have her even if she hadn’t wanted to go - maybe the issue would have dragged on a bit longer, but barring any other solutions presenting themselves (and the episode makes it clear this is unlikely), I think he would have given her up.

He sacrificed the original 456 victims as well. He knew that he was handing a bunch of scared little kids to an alien, and he didn’t know what was going to happen to them; they could have been dinner for all he knew. This was also not his call to make, but he went along with it because it was made clear that it was 12 kids or the world. He follows orders and doesn’t even try to find another solution.

He sacrifices Steven, his own grandson, to stop the 456, because it’s down to the wire and this is the only solution available. They don’t have time to come up with anything else. And what else is he going to do? Go hunt down a less conveniently available child and devastate someone else’s family just to keep his own intact? Most people would have; we see all the politicians specifically discuss that none of their families will lose children to the 456.

Yet Jack is willing to walk away from the path he’s set himself on of protecting the world, and would let terrible, horrific things happen in the world and to other people, if only it would save Ianto’s life. And knowing that in the context of Jack’s previously established characterization just makes it that much more devastating and really speaks to how much he loves and needs Ianto, and also to the effect the loss of Ianto has on him, despite their relationship never really being discussed in the text very much or taking centre stage at all.

#torchwood #torchwood meta #captain jack harkness #ianto jones #janto

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imnotjaesblog · 6 months

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Part 5: The Jock

Starring: Lee Jeno

Summary: Unlike some of the other men in Y/n's life Jeno is no stranger. He's had the luxury of knowing and admiring her ever since they were little. He's been his end goal since he was ten and promised a spot at the company if he married his father's best friend's daughter. Jeno wanting only the best for himself and his family kept that promise and has waited years for his moment. It's only after a certain someone starts to spill the details of Y/n's plans of revenge does he start to remember what made him so interested and sometimes so uninterested in her in the first place. In Jeno's eyes, it's only okay when the worst isn't happening to him. Too bad he's next on her list.

Warnings: Smut, Oral (F.m reciving) Y/n gives Jeno a handjob. Intercourse, Curisng and Manipulation.

MINORS DO NOT READ!!!!!

Words: 7.7k

Enjoy :)

The boy's locker room was the last place you'd ever thought you'd be. Yet here you were standing in your brown Jimmy Choo high heel boots, brown patted skirt with the brown leather jacket to match. Your hair was wrapped up in a tight bun and a Jimmy Choo Burgundy Patent And Suede Mahala Satchel is wrapped around your shoulder. Lips in a glossed purse, as you stood in the locker room with your arms, crossed over your chest and every boy's jaw on the floor.

"You can't be in here!" a boy yelled towel wrapped around his waist. But instead of shying away from you, he laughed with his friends all of them checking out your body. His body jiggled as he laughed. You walked over to him Jimmy Choo's boots made a clink as you stepped on the dripping floor. Every male in that room followed your body.

"Sweetie close your mouth. You're cuter when you're not talking," You said watching his mouth slightly open. He stared at you in awe of the pet name and the fact that it came from your lips. He reached over with a chuckle flicking his chin. The boy jerked back causing you to chuckle.

"Watch out man you'll have to take another shower," he said causing the boy to brush him off with his hand. The group of boys went to leave but you stopped one that was on the hockey team.

"Sungchan," you called touching his arm. He turned to you with a friendly smile, already fully dressed. "Yes?" he asked you. "Have you seen Jeno?" you asked back. He raised a brow thinking for a moment. "He should be in practice," he responded swinging his duffle bag over his shoulder. "I can walk you there," he offered with a warm smile. You nodded handing him your bag. He took it in his hands walking ahead as you followed walking out of the sweat and pit-smelling locker room.

Once you arrive at the official locker room for the hockey players Sungchan stops in front of you. "This is it," he said motioning to the locker door. He handed you back your purse, opening the door for himself. You stopped it from closing with your boot. His eyes widen. "You can't come in its for boys," he nervously. You shrugged, "Are they naked?" you asked. He peaked inside seeing all the men in uniform including Jeno. He pulled his head back out shaking his head. You smiled removing your boot and letting the door hit his back.

"Then let me in," you said calmly with a hint of sternness. He sighed pushing the door open. He cursed at himself in his head for letting you talk down to him and for also wanting to do whatever you told him to do.

You walked drawing attention once again with the sound of your boots. Your eyes however searched for Jeno. Seeing only two members of the team sitting at their respective benches. Your school took hockey and basketball very seriously giving both sports their own respective space to practice and change. As you walked further in you stepped on the orange and blue rug continuing your search for Jeno.

You saw Sungchan place his bag down and sit beside Haechan who turned his head when he looked at you. You smirked to yourself knowing the effect you had on him. You walked further in seeing Ten emerge in full uniform. He picked up his head smiling wide when he saw you. He rushed over to you embracing you in a hug. "Mhm you smell great," he complimented. "Same as always?" he asked and you nodded with a warm and genuine smile.

You took his hand pulling him to the side. "Where's Jeno?" you whispered. He nudged his head to the left. "In the office talking with the coach. He should be outside," he said you nodded. He began chuckling showing off his gorgeous smile. "By the way," he nudged his head forward. "Haechan is pissed," he said with a slight chuckle.

"So you see," you responded. "You really did a number on him," he said back looking away from Haechan who once he looked your way again got up and left leaving Sungchan alone. You turned back to Ten hearing a voice. The voice matched a face once he emerged from the corner. Your smile fell and your eyes slightly widened, a lump caught in your throat. Ten scanned your face worried. "What is it?" he asked seeing your face change from worry to annoyance.

He was about to turn but then he heard the boy laugh. Si Cheng is behind him talking with Yangyang. Both men laughed not even noting your presence until Yangyang opened his eyes his laughter dying once he spotted you.

"Y/n?" he questioned Si Cheng's head snapping to you almost popping a vein. "Y/n?" he questioned as well. "What are you doing here?" asked Yangyang. You attempted to find an excuse but Si Cheng beat you to it.

"She's here to meet me. Right babe?" he asked walking over to you. He pushed past Ten who stumbled back annoyed. You scoffed licking your teeth and shaking your head. Si Cheng landed by your side placing a strong arm around your waist. Dressed in his hockey uniform he pulled you closer to him. "Came to wish me luck on the game tonight," he said and you smiled with a nod. Yangyang stepped closer Sungchan coming over as well.

"I didn't know you guys were dating," said Sungchan. "How could you not everyone know? They fucked in his car, remember?" Yangyang asked. You watched Ten's hand ball up into a fist but shot him a glare. You chuckled brushing your arm. "That seems like an exsanguination," you said back calmly with a small shake of your head. "I don't sleep and tell," you said looking over at Si Cheng who clenched his jaw tightening his grip around your waist.

You watched his leg start to bounce. You bit back your own smile.

"Doesn't seem like it," he spat back.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" you asked with a tilt of your head. You mouthed the words "Watch it" to Yangyang all of you watched as he scoffed and walked away. "Ten a moment alone with my boyfriend," you said to Ten who eyed the boy. Si Cheng smugly smirked ushering Ten away with his hand. "You heard her go," he said cockily. Ten went to rush at him but Sungchan stopped him placing a hand on his chest with a shake of his head. "Come on it's not worth it," he said removing Ten. You sent him a comforting smile as he left.

Once it was just you two in the locker room you stepped onto his foot hard his hand removing itself from around your waist. You turned to him, Si Cheng holding onto his aching foot a srunch in his face in pain. You bent down grabbing onto his uniform collar pulling him back up his body straightening out. His fearful eyes wide staring back into your angry ones. You dragged him to a locker pushing him up against it. "Listen, Si Cheng, I don't know how you convinced everyone that I'm on your pathetic little arm but you did. Now that you have given me no choice I will do everything in my power to destroy you,"

"Y/n come on it's all fun-" he said smugly.

"It's not fun for me. You are slowly destroying my reputation and I won't let, especially some nobody do that," You said with a shake of your head. Words spitting from your mouth like venom. Si Cheng hadn't taken this seriously. Assuming this would be a game for the two of you from now on. But now seeing the firey look in your eyes he was starting to realize who he was dealing with.

"I will rip every piece of you apart piece by piece. Destroy every bit of your social life that even the people outside who beg to be in this school will look down upon you. You will be burned to ashes when I'm done with you," you said with no stutter. You stepped closer to him just hovering over his face and with a hushed whisper you spoke.

"And I'll start with the people closest to you the same way yours did to mine," you hushed. Si Cheng's heart rate picked up when you spoke your words of warning. He needed to say something do anything to stand his ground. So he pushed your hand off his arm jerking it back. He stepped closer to you causing you to step back.

"Okay, baby you wanna play this kind of game? You know who my father is-" he warned.

"And you know mine. Try and threaten me," you spat back with a confident smirk. You crossed your arms over your chest watching Si Chjeng closely as he went to speak however his words died on his tongue when the captain of the hockey team stepped out of the coach's office.

You looked over his shoulder with a sinful smile. Si Cheng's eyebrow raised confused. He went to speak but you shushed him with your hand. He stops seeing you and starts to walk away.

"Jeno!" you called grabbing the captain's attention. He turned to you with a smile. Si Cheng's heart skipped a beat poking the inside of his mouth with his tongue. You looked back at Si Cheng with a glare that was quickly replaced with a smile. Who knew behind all that glamour and good looks was an evil Easy A?

"I was looking for you," you said to Jeno as you walked past Si Cheng. Jeno smiled as you skipped over to him completely oblivious to one of his best friends watching not too far away. If this is how you were going to handle things then let there be war.

Too bad you were already a few steps ahead, taking the jewels from all the battles you've already won.

You didn't spare Si Cheng a second glance once your arm wrapped around Jeno's stepping outside the hockey team's locker room.

"I was looking for you," You said on Jeno's arm as he walked to the ice rink. He smiled shaking his head. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting," He said opening the door for you. You stepped inside the cool room rubbing your hands together. Jeno followed behind handing you his Celine hoodie. You slipped it on taking your place on a nearby bench while the hockey team began practice. Jeno slipped on his skates. Once he tied them both he stood up leaning over to place a kiss on your kiss you swiftly turned your head his kiss landing on your cheek.

He didn't think much of it taking off onto the ice rink.

Jeno and you had a small past. You weren't lovers or even close friends, it was only recently that you two became so close. However, you did know his older sister thanks to the closeness of your parents. This university was full of kids who lived wealthy lives it was just a matter of how high you were on the chain of wealth.

You sat at the top. Your parents own multiple businesses their biggest being the tech company. Jeno's father is a CEO at one of your mother's companies. The two being great friends in college she offered him a job he couldn't refuse. Making his sister, him, and you childhood friends. His father always wanted the best for his children. He wanted both to be successful, attend the best schools, and join as many clubs as possible. He wanted his children to live the life they both truly deserved and with his daughter next in line for the company he had to give his son something.

A certain Sunday afternoon at the Y/L house gave him the idea.

After your time with Yangyang that Sunday, you missed brunch with your friends, you had to attend a small brunch your parents were hosting before they left for Bejing on business. They invited a few friends, Jeno's parents being on the guest list.

And with your luck, Jeno was already on your list.

So you set the bait. During your parent's brunch, you pulled him aside. Leading him down a hallway of your childhood home. Sneaking off into your old bedroom. You shut the door after pushing him inside. He stood confused but intrigued unable to wipe the smile off his lips. You locked your bedroom door your feet not having a chance to sink into the memories of your soft carpet. You pushed Jeno onto your bed straddling. He shocked held onto your waist so you wouldn't fall. Leaning down you placed a kiss on his lips grinding against him.

He pulled away eyes wide but still holding his grip on your waist. His lips are already hot and red. A million questions flowed through his head. You had never shown any interest in him. What made you change your mind? Was it physics? He thought or maybe his cologne.

" Y/n what are you doing?" he asked chest heaving up and down. You sat back hands placed on his firm chest a small pout forming on your lips. "You don't want to?" you asked a hint of sadness in your tone. He sat up shaking his head holding you tight, close to him. "No I do its just not when your parents and my parents are in the other room," he said. You sighed lifting your leg up from his waist. You stood up, Jeno sitting up legs spread fixing his blue blazer.

"Fine," you pouted fixing yourself. Jeno stood up wanting to see me in your presence. Grabbing your arm he pulled you in his direction guiding you to your bed. He laid you down and picked up your brown flowy Prada dress that hugged your curves perfectly. He kissed his way up or thigh his action catching you by surprise. His kisses are warm and wet, the heat from his lips on your skin making your panties pool.

You sat up watching his head disappear into your dress. "Jeno I thought…our parents," you said softly eyes beginning to shut as Jeno inched closer. He lifted his head lips wet from his own drool. "I know what I said baby but you clearly need my help and I can't just let you leave when you're in pain. Does it hurt baby?" he asked and you nodded with a pout. He picked himself up with a slight nod followed by a pout placing a wet kiss on your lips.

"See baby I can leave you in pain. So let me do this okay? Let me make it better," he said kissing your jaw. You nodded handing reaching up to his hair and eyes shutting. "Okay but what will I do when it hurts again?" you asked playing along. He kissed under your ear and down your neck. Licking and sucking on the beauty mark just below your ear. "Call me and I'll help you," he said placing a kiss on your lips. You nodded turning your head to fully engulf him with your lips.

His hand glides down your body hands bunching up the cloth of your dress, hicking it, and ruffling up at your waist. His fingers slipped past your lilac panties spreading your wet folds between his cool lengthy fingers. You leaned your head back on his chest eyelids fluttering shut. Your lips parted air pushing through and fanning his skin. His fingers crept around your clit swirling the bud in small circles.

You let out an airy moan still being mindful of where you were. Jeno smirked eyes peeling from his hand that disappeared under your brown dress to your face. "That's right baby girl take it," he whispered into your ears warm breath tickling your neck. You shuddered hand reaching to grab his thigh. The faster his fingers circled your clit the higher your hand slid up his thigh gripping on his slacks, your nails digging into his skin.

"Fuck," you cursed feeling your moan get caught in your throat. He looked up checking the door. Seeing it closed the door still locked shut he looked back down with a smirk. He used his other hand to grab hold of your chin yanking your face to meet his looking deep into your eyes. "Awww," he cooed speeding up his fingers. Your lips formed a pout his eyes mocking you.

"Baby girl, are you close?" he asked darkly. You nodded your hand inching closer to his clothed cock. You nodded a knot in your stomach quickly forming but something in your gut told you there was something off about Jeno Demnor.

His hand suddenly slowed. "I'll let you cum if you answer my question," he said you huffed annoyed he brought you so close yet took it away. You rolled your eyes your hand hovering over his dick. You flicked your eyes back up to him. "Fine," you said lips forming a tight line.

"Did you fuck Si Cheng?" he asked slowly circling your clit.

You shook your head staring into his eyes.

"You wouldn't believe me if I said yes," you responded.

He smirked leaning down and placing a kiss on your lips. You turned your head his kiss landing on the corner of your mouth. You dropped your hand grabbing onto his cock and squeezing it feeling how hard he was in your hand. "But don't get in the middle baby. I know your secret," you said picking your head up. You stood up to walk away but he followed grabbing hold of your waist and throwing you onto your bed,

Your legs spread apart. Jeno flopped onto the bed laying in front of you crawling to rest in between your legs. You raised yourself on your elbows watching with a villainous smirk on your lips. Jeno grabbed hold of your thighs spreading your legs apart your dress spilling onto your waist. He ripped your panties off throwing them to the other end of your room. His cool fingers spread your fold, hot mouth engulfing your clit. His tongue flicked the bundle of nerves.

You chuckled watching him devour you.

He wasted no time abusing your clit and sucking every inch of your pussy with his wet lips. Eating you like a starved man. You felt the knot in your stomach form again. He looked up your hands spreading your thighs apart still. Your bottom lip in between your teeth stared back into his dark orbs head falling back as you spilled into his mouth. He groaned eyes shutting as she swallowed your juices coaxing his throat.

"Jeno! Y/n!" you heard your mother called. Jeno panicked letting you go. He stood up adjusting himself while you took your time licking your lips as you walked up to the anxious man. You patted his shoulder stealing his attention.

"Come see me again," you said. He smiled hand resting on your waist.

"Y/n," he began successfully hiding his boner. "I know what you're doing. I know what you've done with my friends," he said hand pulling you closer to him.

You raised a brow heart skipping a beat. Your breathing had quickened as you tried to focus on his eyes. "What do you mean?" you asked hiding the nerves in your tone.

"I know you didn't fuck Si Cheng. You would never, not even out of pity," he chuckled dark hair dusting his forehead. "But I know you Y/n, I know you have a knack for revenge," he said darkly. You pushed him off angrily. "You don't know me-"

"Yes I do," he said calmly. "I know you are planning something," he said with a step towards you. "I may not know what," he said stepping closer and closer to you, your back hitting the dresser. He hovered over you. "But I know it involves them," he said glaring into your eyes. Your chest rose up and down trying to find the words to speak. Your mind flowed with questions. How was he able to read you so well? There so no way out of the entire friend group he would figure it out.

You couldn't let him win. You couldn't let them win. You weren't even halfway and he was seconds from destroying everything. The worry on your face sparked even more of his flames.

"And if I find out what you're doing. I will destroy you," he said a hitch in your throat. You gulped fear flowing through your veins. "So for now," he helped you up taking your arm in his. "You will be my obedient and pleasant girlfriend and if you refuse I'll have my private investigator search every inch of your life and find out what you're doing," he said an unpleasant smile on his lips. "Do you understand?" he asked guiding you to your bathroom door. You nodded walking with him. He opened the door allowing you to step inside.

"Great. Now get yourself cleaned up. I'll meet you in the living room," he said with a smile as he shut the door. The minute the door shut you felt the tension in your body fade. You let out a breath you didn't even realize you were holding. You instantly grabbed your phone and dialed the number of your private investigator thinking only one thing in your head.

Jisung better not have opened his fucking mouth.

———

Once Jeno took off onto the rink you rolled your eyes removing his sweater from your body and placing it on the bench. You would rather be cold than wear his sweater.

After the team took a break you decided to leave. There was a certain boy you had to find. You stood up grabbing your purse. Jeno skated his way to you opening the door to the rink and coming to your side concerned.

“Your leaving? Why so soon?” He asked nicely turning to see if his friends were watching. They were so when he turned back to you he frowned. You sighed forming an apologetic smile on your lips. “I’m sorry. I really have to go. I have an exam tomorrow and I really need to study,” you said moving to walk past him but he stopped you grabbing hold of your arm. He leaned close to your ear lips grazing over your skin.

“You better not be running off to work on your little revenge plan. Because if I remember correctly on a certain Sunday brunch in your childhood bedroom I warned you what would happen if I find out you doing anything you not supposed to be,” he warned. You yanked your arm away looking him in his dark eyes.

“I said I was studying. And besides Jeno do you really want to warn me so out in your open? Where anyone can see you or hear you. Look that them,” you leaned in taking his chin in your hands and pointing his head in the direction of his friends all watching the two of you.

“One wrong move. One slip and I’ll make sure everyone here believes you hurt me got it?” You asked a smile on your tongue. He scoffed stepping back from you. “You know what you’re right, you should probably go. I have some things I need to take care of,” he said as he walked back to the rink skating with his friends. You brushed off his comment making your way out of the rink.

Once the door closed you instantly made your way down the hallway. Students seeing the glare in your eyes and nostrils that flared stepped aside saving themselves from your wraith. You turned a corner spotting a certain friend of Jisung’s speaking with a fellow classmate. You walked over to him nudging his friend to the side and grabbing onto the other guy's shirt.

“Where is Jisung?” You asked him eyes glaring into his. He put his hands up shaking his head glasses shifting.

“I don’t know-��

“Don’t like to me Doyoung. Where is he?” You asked narrowing your eyes. Your brows furrowed as he scrambled his words. “Why?” He asked nervously fumbling with the straps on his book bag.

“He owes me something. Now tell me!” You demanded Doyoung’s friend running off. Doyoung shook in your grasp looking at every else but your eyes. You shook him again heels clanking on your floor. He put his hand up in defense. He always dreamed of you approaching him but not like this.

“In the library-“ he finally said through pants. You let him go causing him to stumble but he didn’t fall. He adjusted his glasses and fixed his button-up as he watched your hips sway down the hallway to the library. His nerdy friend came back patting Doyoung’s shoulder.

“Was it everything you hoped?” He asked jokingly. Doyoung shrugged him off. “Oh, you didn’t run away?” He spat back. The boy just shook his head sucking his teeth.

The trip to the library, while on the other side of the building, was rather quick. You practically flew there with how quickly your legs took you there. You opened the doors head already doing circles around the seemingly crowded space. You swiped your ID gaining access to the space and moving past a group of girls who were just walking into the space. You walked farther in not seeing him at a desk on the main floor. So you went upstairs a disappointed huff leaving your lips when you failed to find him again. After an unsuccessful trip upstairs you began checking the aisles.

He wasn’t in Fiction.

Or Mystery.

Or Romance.

Nor was he in Si-Fi.

You were about to give up until you reached historical fiction where you found the boy in the grey hoodie sitting on the floor, reading a nonfiction book and headphones in his ear. You smiled walking over to him. When you stood tall above him he still hadn’t noticed your presence. You sighed bending down to his level knees touching your chest. You leaned forward grabbing one of the headphones and removing it from his ear.

“Hi,” you said quietly. He turned to your neutral lips forming a smile. “Oh hey,” he said taking off his other headphone. You smile nose scrunching in the process. Jisung smiled back but it slowly started to fade when he realized you were pissed. He immediately grabbed his bookbag stuffing his books in his bag. His headphones fell to the ground dragging on the floor as he ran around the corner. You turned walking the other way reaching the opposite end of the large book shelf. Jisung stopped in his tracks turning the other way.

He ran to the back of the shelves with nowhere to turn but the way he came. He calmed his breathing placing his hand on his chest. He checked the path seeing it empty. With a sigh of relief, he picked his headphones up stuffing them in his bookbag. You could see him scrambling around his bag.

You appeared from the shadows brown-heeled boots silent against the navy blue carpet. You stepped closer to the carpet doing you the favor and keeping the clink in your shoes quiet. You stepped closer to him, still not taking notice of your presence. Until he saw your boots, then your legs. His eyes scanned your frame upwards passing your waist and collarbone soon meeting your eyes.

He went to take off but you grabbed the strap of his bookbag yanking him back causing him to stumble onto a bookshelf. His back lay flat and his legs wide holding his balance. He looked up at you worried expression on his face. His book bad starting to fall from his shoulders. You wasted no time trapping him arms holding onto the bookshelf behind him closing him in. You stared deep into his eyes a huff leaving your lips.

"What did you tell Jeno?" you asked chewing on the side of your mouth. Jisung shook his head bringing his hands up in defense.

"Nothing. I swear," he said anxiously his eyes doing their best to maintain contact with yours. You grabbed onto the collar of his hoodie bringing him closer to you. His bookbag fell to the ground in the process. You glared into his eyes nostrils flaring.

"Don't lie to me Jisung. I know you said something. How else would he start to catch on?" you said growing impatient. You didn't want to confront him this way but if Jisung really did tell Jeno anything what choice did you have to get the truth?

He shook his head again. "Y/n I swear I did nothing," he said. Your lips form a tight line. You looked closely into his eyes searching for any sight of hesitation. When you couldn't find anything you let him go letting him hit the book shelf again. You viciously picked his bookbag from the floor placing it on his shoulder. When it touched his shoulder you leaned closer meeting his ear.

"I find out your lying to me I will ruin you," you warned letting the strap fall on his skin. Once it landed you turned around and walked away leaving Jisung alone, in the dark part of the library.

"Do you think he really could have something to do with it?" Wendy asked you as she walked beside you towards a bench at the hockey game. You were no stranger to these games, being Ten is on the team. People knew you were coming to the game. They even created a seat close up just for you. It also drove in a larger crowd. Most people come to see you, maybe even talk to you if they have the chance to.

However, after Si Cheng's little lie, people started to look at you differently. Si Cheng based on the universities ranking was bars below you. If you could pick someone to beneath you then what made you different from them?

This hockey game would be your first public appearance after you decided to not attend the Halloween party. People were waiting to see what you'd do next. They knew you were not one to be played with which is why they kept gossip short and only talked when they had left campus. Most people lost the respect they had for you when the rumors came out. Others fought to not believe such rumors, you'd never choose someone like him to take over your father's business.

Jeno made his way over to you as you made your way to your seat. When you went to sit down there was another girl in your seat. Wendy went up to her tapping her shoulder. "Uh you are in her seat," she commented blankly. The girl turned looking you up and down before she turned back to her friends scoffing, flipping her hair, and laughing with her friends. Wendy gasped a surprised look on her face. She went to launch herself at the girl but you stopped her.

"Wait," you told suddenly pointing at Jeno.

"Let her have the seat," you said loud enough for the girl to her. She turned to her friends sitting beside her ready to defend her. She turned crossing her arms over her chest a small tilt in her head and a smirk on her pink glossed lips. "It's just a chair," you said with a sly smirk feeling Jeno come up behind you.

Jeno would be your ticket back to the top. If you wanted to destroy Yuta, Jaehyun, and Johnny you had to retake your place. Getting the lesser like Doyoung, Mark and the other friends they have would be easier than Jaemin, Haechan, and Yangyang combined. But Jeno, Johnny, Jaehyun, and Yuta were held high at your school. The only way you can get them is if you make it to the top and Jeno was your ticket.

So you'd let him have his fun. Let him think he was controlling you, turning you into his obedient, pretty little girlfriend. Let him think he would be the man you married after university so your father's company would be his. You smirked feeling his hands wrap around your waist and the girls in front of you watching with wide eyes.

Jeno's downfall would be your greatest.

The girl perked up standing in front of the bench. She cleaned the seat with her hands. "I was just keeping it warm for you," she said quietly a fake smile on her lips. She and her friends rushed away. You smiled turning to place a kiss on Jeno's lips catching everyone's attention. Everyone Oooed and cheered for the two of you. When you pulled away you saw how surprised and red Jeno was. Some guy even patted Jeno's back proud of the captain.

You smiled stepping away to take your seat.

"I know your secret," you whispered to Jeno who laid in between your legs. You had left the hockey game once it finished. The Dinosaurs had yet another game this season. Jeno drove you back to your apartment. You invited him upstairs letting him stay for a while. After all, he did want to celebrate your first public appearance, not only for you but for the two of you being a couple.

"What's that?" he asked laying his cheek on your exposed thigh. You let your hand in his hair slowly detangle from his skin.

"You're a virgin," you said softly. You removed your hand from his hair feeling his cheek grow warm on your skin. His eyes widened as he sat up using his arms as balance. He scoffed turning away from you. "I'm not," he protested. You smirked letting out a chuckle and crawling over to him. You wrapped your legs around his waist, and he couldn't help but let his hands roam your bare skin. Molding at your plush thighs for comfort.

"Don't lie baby I know," you said in his ear using one of your hands to wrap around his chest and the other to softly play with his hair. He relaxed under your touch shutting his eyes at the feeling of your nails scratching his scalp. "How?" he hushed your nails putting him in a trance.

"I overheard a few girls. Just talk," you whispered into his ear. He hummed laying his back on your chest. Your hand that wrapped around his body made its way to the hem of his shirt. You played with it silently asking for him to take it off. He listened leaning forward for a moment allowing you to remove his t-shirt. He laid back on your front bare chest rising up and down. His sculpted frame is hot under your touch.

"I can fix that," you whispered in his ear placing a small kiss on his lobe. Your hand glided down his firm chest reaching the waistband of his sweatpants. You pulled back the cloth watching both his face and your hand disappear into his pants. He groaned loudly bucking his hips into your hand. You squeezed his bare cock feeling it get harder into your hand. His hands that gripped your thighs held on tighter his nails digging into your skin. You squeezed him again cupping him in your hand.

He bit his lip becoming fully hard in your palm. "Fuck," he cursed once your hand wrapped around his dick. Fingers gathering his precum and spreading it around his shaft. His slick in your hand coaxing his veiny, thick cock. He let his head fall back in your embrace mouth falling open as you jerked him.

"Fuck baby girl just like that," he moaned biting his lip. You smirked seeing him get all worked up and ready to take you. He let his bottom lip free when you jerked your hand even faster gripping onto the base of his cock to the tip. He rutted his hips into your fist using one of his hands to lower down his pants freeing his dick from its restrains.

"Fuck baby girl I'm gonna cum," he moaned a pornographic moan. Never in his life did a hand job feel so good. You could feel him twitch in your hand making you stop. He groaned frustrated so close to his release all for it to be stolen away by you. His eyes fluttered open readjusting to the light in your dimly lit bedroom.

"Jeno baby," you teased rubbing his shoulder. Again he relaxed into your touch rolling his neck as you rubbed and molded the most tense parts of his body. You leaned into his ear your breath fanning his neck. "Yes," he responded eyelashes dusting his cheeks.

"Let me fix your problem. I know you think about it," you teased with a lick of your teeth. You wrapped yourself around him tighter drawing him back into your embrace. "I know you touch yourself thinking about what it must feel like to be inside a warm, wet, and tight cunt," you kissed his neck feathering his skin with your lashes. He shuddered at the feeling his whole body tense for a moment.

"And I want to give that to you, especially now that I'm your girlfriend, you whispered lips leaving his skin. You pulled your whole body away removing your top completely as we as your bra throwing both pieces of clothing to the side. You laid on your pillows using them to rest on the small of your back. Jeno turned to you lips parted seeing only half of your naked frame on display.

"I want to give you everything," you said slowly spreading your legs apart for him. His jaw dropped instantly falling onto your bed becoming eye level with your glistening pussy. He went to lean forward, just to taste but two of your fingers stopped it pushing his forehead away. You shook your head a slight purse in your lips.

"Not tonight," you said watching him start to feel nervous. Overall Jeno came off as a confident guy. A man with some much to lose but a care in the world. He knows exactly what he wants and knows exactly how he's going to get it. This was something he had always wanted, he just couldn't believe he was going to get it.

After all, he may solely want you because of your father's company but it was still you he'd sleep with. He had to be memorable.

He licked his lips completely removing his sweatpants and boxers both falling off the bed. As he removed his clothes you pulled a condom out from your dresser handing it to him. You ripped it open allowing him to remove it from the package. He placed it around his angry red cock still starved of pleasure and aligned it at your entrance.

You smiled taking his dick in your hands and pushing it inch by inch past your tight hole. You kept yourself together but on the inside your pussy was screaming. Jeno was not only veiny but thick, you felt like your walls would bust. But the stretch was so deliciously amazing you wouldn't even mind it. You could hear your wetness squish agasint the base of his cock that slide inside you. Weighing inside of your body you moved further down just so he'd fit deeper inside you.

Once he rested himself inside you, you tapped his thigh so he could start moving. He did, slowly building up his own pace. His mind blank only thinking of how you felt and his own pleasure. He wanted to move faster completely lose his mind in your tight cunt but he saw the look on your face when he pushed himself fully inside. You winced feeling slight pain by the stretch. So he moved slowly until you said you were ready.

When you gave him the okay he sped up his pace. "Fuck baby," you moaned feeling his cock graze your velvet walls. Your wetness coating his dick, slipping in and out of you. Leaning forward he captured your lips with his. He moaned into your mouth feeling you clench around him. You were still getting used to him being inside you.

You pulled away from his lips head falling back in bliss releasing out an earthy groan erupting from your chest. You felt tingles down to your toes with the reach he had in you. He gripped onto your waist biceps flexing when he quickly rutted his hips into you. His pelvis rubbing against your clit. "Fuck baby girl I'm not gonna last long," He groaned slipping more cursed from his plumped lips. He whimpered feeling you squeeze around him again.

"Cum baby it's okay," you said easing him through his first time. His shut and mouth fell open as he released a series of groans slipping into the condom. You are not too far behind drowning his cock in your slick release. He pulled out slowly. You gasped inhaling for the first time since his entire dick was inside you. He chuckled hair falling onto his forehead body drenched in sweat.

Your body is covered in sweat too. He removed the condom throwing it in the trash. He went to place a kiss on your cheek but you stopped him. You turned to him grabbing his cheek and forcing him to look at you. You smirked a vile look in your eyes.

"Now I own you," you said darkly. He raised a brow trying to break free from your grip. He raised a brow hand coming up to your arm to remove him but it was no use most of his strength drained. "What?" he managed to ask through breaths. "I own you remember?" he told you.

You shook your head sitting up slowly. "You seem to not understand so let me explain it to you," you began.

"You think you know me so well. I'm a spoiled girl whose only purpose in life is to use people for her entertainment. But you're wrong," you say letting him go and throwing his chin. He flexed his jaw hearing a small crack. He turned to you watching you disappear into the bathroom. He waited for a moment seeing you left. He went to open the door but you beat him opening the door wearing one of your red laced robes.

"My father is one of the most powerful men in the world currently and your father is nothing but one of his more accomplished workers with a few gold medals under his belt. But he's nothing like my dad and while that doesn't bother me and could care less about the power, you do," you said eyeing him. You walked over to a small wooden cabinet in the far corner of your room pulling out a small bottle of wine and pouring two cups. You handed Jeno one seeing while you were away he put only his pants back on.

You sipped it and placed it down on your vanity. Jeno held his glass in his hand only bringing it to his lips when you did.

"So?" he commented. "I know your secrets. I could ruin you," he reported defensively.

"And I know your wants," you said calmly with a perk of your brow. "I know what you so truly desire. I also know everything you got to lose how even threatening me is risky for you," you took a pause crossing your arms over your chest. "You like to believe you are at my status but in reality, you are just a boy like your sister and some of your friends who just living off Daddy's money. You not different from us, from me," you said picking up your glass and taking a sip.

"And I know how much that money means to you. Don't make me take it away," you said this time less calm and more stern. You had to drill it in this man's brain that you were serious about this. No way would you let Lee Jeno ruin everything you were walking towards because he had some said rich boy fantasy about becoming even more powerful than he already was.

"What do you want then? For us to break up?" he asked setting his glass down knuckles finally turning back from white to their original color. You shook your head. "No. That remains the same. The only thing I ask is for you to be my pretty, noncurious, little obedient boyfriend," you said with a chuckle. He huffed lips forming a tight line.

"Understand?" you asked. He chewed the inside of his mouth rolling his eyes. He nodded walking over to grab his shirt. "Oh, my lovely," you called back seeing him now fully dressed. "What?" he asked a gruff in his voice.

"Don't tell anyone," you warned nicely. He brushed you off leaving you alone but listened to your demand. You hummed hearing your door lock on the way back to your room. Your dog jumped onto your bed as you put on a movie watching it as you finished your wine. Eyes glued to the screen for about ten minutes before you heard your doorbell ring. You walked over to your front door your dog by your side.

You checked the peephole seeing a familiar boy standing outside your door. You sighed opening the door to a sad Jisung. Your dog almost immediately jumps to greet him at the door. She made him smile for a brief moment before his eyes met yours. He refused to let his eyes wander around your frame only concealed by a red laced robe.

He had more important things to tell you.

You leaned against your front door poking the inside of your mouth with your tongue. "What?" you asked him. He sighed eyes shifting to your eyes.

"I know who's been talking to Jeno. I also know who he plans on spilling to next," he said in a rush. You widened your eyes taking his hand and pulling him inside your apartment the door locking behind him.

Time was slowly starting to run out for you.

Looks like Mark wouldn't have to wait as long as you hoped.

To Be Continued...

I hope you all enjoyed part 5 of my 10-part series Easy A! I wanted to change things up in this part to give Y/n a little scare lol. Overall thank you so much for reading and see you all in Part 6.

Don't forget to Share and Like!

Tags: @hengicumdump @sexygrass @jakiki94 @90s-belladonna @soobiverse @ethelia @notevenheretbh1 @scarfac3 @toroufriteh @renyoungrecs @yumekowhore

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danikamariewrites · 7 months

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more dark batboys x dark reader pls i’d literally give you my first born for more, maybe they sit together and do a debrief of all mysteries in velaris. like the boys have been trying to solve this one criminal that kidnaps primarily men sith bad reputation and reader joyfully says oh that’s me!! :)) and their jaw drop nv they’ve been investigating for over 20 years and now they’re in awe and want to know exactly how her brilliant mind did it🧎‍♀️

Cold Cases

Poly!batboys x reader

A/n: I think this has been one of my favorite ‘series’ to write for besides the ddlg stuff

Warnings: mentions of injuries, murder, torture, and mentions of abuse

Azriel had laid out all his unsolved cases from the past decade. All missing males or murdered. He stood, his hands behind his back, as he waited for you, Cassian, and Rhysand to come in.

Rhys pushes the door open giving Azriel a questioning look. He just nods at the table and Rhys just lets out an ‘Ahh’ before taking his seat. You have your arm entwined with Cassian’s as he leads you to your seat.

You plop down kissing Cassian’s hand in thanks and turn your attention to Azriel. “What’s all this Az?” You gesture at the files across the table. Azriel sits, pulling the closest one to him flipping it open. “These are all unsolved cases. All males either missing or murdered, so I wanted to go through them with you to see if you knew anything.”

“Ooohhhh a stroll down memory lane. Ok read ‘em.” You say excitedly. A deranged twinkle in your eye as Azriel reads out some of your greatest crimes. The first three cases were duds. You were almost offended he thought you did it.

Once Azriel read out the fourth case that devilish smirk that told them you knew something they didn’t spread across your lips. You let Azriel finish before you said anything. “Yeah that was me. He’s dead, I buried him in the Dark Forest. The asshole was beating his wife, so I stopped it.”

Cassian gave your shoulder a supportive squeeze as Azriel moved the file to his ‘solved’ pile. The next few were also you. Majority dead, all in different and very creative ways, as Rhys put it. This went on for two hours and over seventy percent of Azriel’s unsolved cases were you.

The last case was an interesting one. The male was missing and still alive. You wouldn’t say what he did, it was far too vile to repeat. The female that was his victim didn’t live in the long run. “I-I wanted him to live with the pain he caused her.” You seemed to be struggling to get your words out.

The boys knew this was clearly personal. But they wouldn’t push. You’d tell them the story on your own time. “I psychologically tortured him for years. His friends and family thought he’d gone crazy, magic really helped there. Once I got my hands on him I kept him tied up for days. I broke his mind to the point where he didn’t even know who he was.” You let out a shaky breath, laying your sweaty palms on the cool wood table.

“A few days after that I dropped him in a random Winter Court village. Gave him a whole new identity and a face fucked up beyond recognition. He’s confused, alone, and scared. And he will be for the rest of his life.” Your eyes had gone distant, like you were in that Winter village watching the male. A grave look had taken over your usual chipper demeanor.

Shaking your head a little, you snap back into yourself. That smirk coming back along with the glint in your eyes. “That all of them Azzy?” “Yeah,” he nods. “I’m very impressed darling. And not a single person suspected you.”

You shrugged, standing from your seat. “What can I say? It’s a talent.” As you left the room the boys shared a look that said they were impressed yet terrified of where you draw the line.

#acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar reader fic #acotar reader imagine #acotar imagine #azriel x reader #azriel x you #azriel acotar #cassian acotar #cassian x you #cassian x reader #rhysand acotar #rhysand x you #rhysand x reader

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dreamii-krybaby · 6 months

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Theory on Nori’s actual personality

Ok but what if it’s revealed that Nori isn’t necessarily malicious or evil or satan’s spawn, like specifically during her time at the labs and camps.

Like yes I know she seems to be enjoying herself after the core collapse thanks to the pictures in EP4 and at the interview shown in EP6 despite Alice going berserk and smashing her own head and Yeva hurting and terrified. Not only her body language but also the fact she is resting her arm on one of the sentinels as if they were mere pets gives her almost disney villian vibes

Because to me she could be somewhat similar to N. She is a beacon of positivy, it may be simply her personality or a developed coping mechanism

It could be that her chill and cool vibes are astonishing. So it’s not that she doesn’t care or anything, she simply isn’t aware of the gravity of the situation or takes things easy.

Plus the fact that the goddam sentinels are so chill around her that even one of them lets Nori put her arm on top of them can maybe be seen as the sentinels not perceiving Nori as a threat, and more as a companion, maybe even as a friend.

Her EP6 appearance may be a red herring or is purposely made so we draw the wrong conclusion.

Bc most of her bad actions where when she was under the influence of the AS:

- Like before the core collapse happened we clearly saw in EP6 that Nori was fully possessed bc of her yellow eyes. And we in the footage you can see drones or even human limbs scattered around her, so all of that was when she was possessed.

- after the core collapse she shows to be quite friendly, it could be that she doesn’t remember a lot after her possession. Unlike Yeva who probably was still processing everything.

Tho tbh I can cut her some slack if she indeed was happy after the humans perished after the core collapse. Since you know, she was experimented and probably witnessed a lot of fucked up shit.

- When Alice mentioned that she left them to die, she also later added she had yellow eyes, again, Nori was possessed at that time. Alice probably didn’t know that the one who probably left them to die was the AS, not Nori

- Now this more of an assumption, but the fact that in Nori’s closet Khan kept boxes and boxes of “happy family memories” it probably meant their relationship was pretty good.

- And things only went south when Nori started to get visions(?). Also she constantly told Khan to build doors against the coming sky demons. Clearly she was trying to protect herself, Uzi and Khan, and probably the rest of the colony (which also included Yeva, which would go against the interpretation that Nori didn’t care much for Yeva). Also remember, it was Khan who wasn’t there for Nori, she needed him, she tried to warn him.

-Its also worth mentioning that Yeva might have not been harmed by Nori during the interview shown at EP6. Bc first there is no sharp object that could potentially be used against Yeva. (Wait now that I think about it, there is a JCJenson pen, and if u remember the pilot, that pen could have actually been used to cause Yeva’s injury but it seems to be lacking oil stains)

And its a higher possibility that Alice could have done it, as it seems she has gone berserk and drew with her own oil on the walls and is clawing at the wall, and maybeee she also used Yeva’s oil to draw.

Also Nori couldn’t have used the AS directly on Yeva due to both having the AS. And a interpretation made by @capnsaltsquid said that Yeva’s eye got damaged by the AS itself, it fucking blew up, due to her body not being very “compatible” with the AS. (Yeva my poor gal :( )

Again I think it all depends on interpretation.

Now does this mean she is a pure holy saint? No. Murder Drones is a show where most ppl aren’t really a saint. Yes..probably not even my gal Yeva. But Nori could be that at the end she wasn’t evil or smth. She could have a similar situation to Cyn.

Now personally would enjoy if she actually started off as antagonist or even villian when she got the AS at the labs and had to unfortunately learn the hard way about the dangers of the AS later. Wouldn’t mind at all if she occasionally showed moments of villainy.

And me being me, how about devil’s advocate?

Maybe she was indeed a son of a bitch at her time at the labs maybe she was happy after the destruction she caused after the core collapse.

What if Nori actually planned to get possessed? What if the AS offered her freedom by getting rid of the humans. Bc the AS drawing below her shown on the EP6 footage surrounded by body remains gives me “summoning the local Eldritch god inside of my body to do silly stuff” vibes

For all we know the AS could have given her a sense of control, power, and superiority and for a lab rat surrounded by robo-raptors and other, more aggressive lab rats, that must have felt amazing.

Also it would be nice to have a villian who fully embraces the AS, even for only a period of time.

Before you say we have Doll, I don’t think so, well partially:

-She immediately feels sorry for Uzi upon learning she also has the AS, and she promised her to help her once she finds what she is looking for.

-She also calls the AS a “sickness” via Tessa’s comment on EP6.

-A lot of ppl and myself included infer that what Doll is looking for is a cure for the AS

-Even if she uses the AS a lot more than Uzi I think Doll is simply taking advantage of it while she has it, its the only ready available tool she has. But I don’t think she necessarily likes having it. Plus Doll has more control over her body over the AS unlike Uzi.

So I would love for Nori at the beginning to embrace the AS, that loves it. Sees it as a blessing rather than a sickness. That feels a rush of control when using it.

Or we could go the more, chill route, she uses it more due to carelessness and ignorance.

And perhaps for her later go “Well maybe I don’t want this thing anymore”

But realistically from what I gathered, I see her someone who is chill, open, easy going, sociable and perhaps, careless.

Tho am begging on my knees for her to be a morally grey sassy lady.

#murder drones #murder drones nori #nori murder drones #nori doorman murder drones #murder drones nori doorman #nori doorman #murder drones theory

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rottenprincessshura100 · 3 months

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Lewin and Osceola: Chapter 148 recap and notes

Man did this one hit me in the feels.

We get the back story between Lewin and Osceola and it's intense, sad and full of love.

Osceola is ready to martyr himself to save the person he cares most about; Lightning.

Lightning is like a son to him.

In the beginning of this chapter we find Osceola, laying on the ground and near death after battling Amon. Lightning is shouting into his headset, urgently begging him to answer. Osceola is musing on the last vestiges of consciousness that Lightning seems really upset and "he lost his cool." And it's true Lightning is always cool, calm and collected, he's like Mephisto. But in this case, Osceola is very special to Lightning, he's the man that raised him and is like a father. Regardless of Lightning's normal lack of empathy, his deep love of Osceola is blatantly showing through.

Osceola has a flashback of his life. We see that he has spiritual Indigenous roots, and his family taught him about death. Death wasn't an ending to be feared, but a transition. And a person's death should have some sort of meaning, at least that's what Osceola surmised. He went out into the world trying to find what life truly meant, in order to better understand the purpose of this death. When he met his wife and had a child he thought he understood. He would provide and protect his family. Love and family were the key, the things worth fighting for. That love was worth dying for.

Sadly, his child was killed in a terrible accident. Osceola couldn't stop it, and couldn't protect his child. This caused the breakup of his marriage and Osceola lost everything he valued, his family and his self-worth.

Osceola's life parallels Shura. Both exorcists turn to alcohol after the death of a loved one. When Shiro died, Shura was completely lost. Shiro was closest thing to family Shura ever had. Without Shiro she also could not fulfill her promise to Hachiro and was left in limbo.

Osceola, also couldn't be spiritually fulfilled and have a meaningful death. He had no-one to protect, no family to fight for.

Luckily both Shura and Osceola were able to find a life worth living. Shura became a parent/mentor to Yukio and Rin. And Osceola was given the task of mentoring Lewin Light.

Lewin had a terrible childhood, and seemed destitute, drawing parallels to Yuri Egin. It's possible he was raised under the supervision of former exorcists like Yuri. Yuri's caretakers were homeless people, and perhaps Lightning's were heretics.

Yuri, however, fared slightly better than Lightning. She had a much more loving family and learned empathy and love. These lessons followed her throughout her life. Sadly Lightning was chained in his basement because he caretakers didn't know how to deal with his powers and inquisitive mind.

Yuri lost her caretakers when her demon temptaint (Satan) got jealous and killed them.

But what about Lightning. It almost seems as if he killed his caretakers himself, after suffering intense abuse.

Lewin's story more aligns with Satan. The kid acts like a demon, he has the same crazy instinct to learn everything, impossible power and a lack of empathy.

And we all know what happened to Satan. Satan is mistreated and turns into a supervillain that can't be reasoned with and wants to kill all of humanity and scorch Assiah to ashes.

In order for a demon to exist in Assiah and be content, he must care about humanity and learn to coexist with them. Nurturing demons is really, really important. They do have feelings, they just don't wear them on their sleeves like humans. Loving a demon does have an impact, even if it doesn't seem that way.

Osceola is given the difficult assignment of caring for Lewin. He's a fish out of water, like Shiro was for Rin. (Don't think Mephisto isn't watching this experiment carefully!!)

Lewin states that he isn't possessed by a demon. And I believe him. I think this kid is a reincarnated version of Azazel. When Azazel no longer wanted to live in Assiah, maybe he retired his ego and passed on his heart to Lewin?

Osceola teaches the little demon kid what it means to be human. And I think a lot of it sticks. Lewin is clearly on the side of Assiah.

When we snap back to the future, we see Lewin and we don't even get a chance to read his emotion, but whatever it is, it's serious enough to scare the shit out of Bon. Lewin knows his father is ready to die, and will that cause the demon finally emerge out of Lewin? Will Lewin be the next person displaced? Will he become lost too?

Is Lightning's grip on human affection and love enough to help him weather the emotional storm that is coming? Will fighting for Assiah be enough to give him meaning?

Osceola's death will be a test.

Now we wait to see if Lewin passes that test.

Will the new Azazel be a Mephisto? Or will he be a Lucfer/Satan?

Do we have any concerns about Lightning?

Does he just tell humans what he wants them to hear?

Or does he really have feelings?

He lied about this his family... after telling the truth.

His words can be contradictions...

He also said he wanted to be a hero, loved humans and the world. He said he wasn't into revenge and liked Assiah the way it was. He didn't have a secret ambition.

What if that was a lie?

#blue exorcist #Lewin Light #Lightning #osceola redarm #mephisto pheles #shura kirigakure #yuri egin #rin okumura #yukio okumura #shiro fujimoto #blue exorcist theories

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sailor-aviator · 7 months

Text

Singing in the Sanctuary: Chapter One

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw is a simple man. Well, as simple as one can be while living a life of crime. The notorious outlaw of the western territories has never been interested in settling down and having a family, but will that all change when he meets a shy, new teacher who just moved into town?

Warnings: Swearing, Bradley Bradshaw being a flirt, suggestive language. I think that’s all?

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N: Here's Chapter One!! I hope you all enjoy. As always, validation of any form (reblogs, comments, and likes) are always appreciated. And if you want to swing by and leave me a message or ask, you are always free to do so! I love talking about my works. 18+ ONLY!! Find me on AO3 under sailor_aviator where I will be posting these fics as well!

Series Masterlist || DPU Masterlist || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw Tag List

Maverick had taken you home and let his wife, Penny, help you get settled in to your temporary home. Penny was a lovely woman, smile lines clear on her face. While she was easily one of the most beautiful women you had ever seen in your entire life, her easy confidence is what ultimately drew you to the older woman.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” you had gushed as Maverick led you into their home. It was a simple, white house close to the edge of town, and the interior gave a particularly cozy atmosphere that had you relaxing almost instantly.

“You as well, darlin’,” she smiled, green eyes twinkling. You went to shake her hand, but she pulled you into a tight hug instead. “No need to be so formal, sweetheart. You’ll be staying here until we can find something else for you, after all.”

“Of course,” you sighed. Penny pulled away and rested her hands on your shoulders. Peering over at her husband, the corners of her mouth dipped down in disapproval.

“Speaking of which, Pete, when are you going to get that school house built?” she griped. Maverick rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and offered her a small smile.

“We’ll start it here soon, I reckon,” he murmured, causing Penny’s frown to turn into a full blown scowl.

“You’ve been saying that for months now!”

“And when I find the workers, we’ll get right on it,” he replied pointedly. “Besides, we just now got ourselves someone to teach all the little hellions.”

Penny rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath that you didn’t quite catch. She turned her attention back to you and smiled, guiding you towards the stairs. “Come on, darlin’. Let’s go get you situated. Mav’ll bring your things up in a little bit.”

You followed her dutifully up the stairs and down the hall until she stopped in front of the the last door on the left.

“This is you, sweetheart,” she said, opening the door. It was a simple room. A four poster bed was placed against the far wall and a wardrobe on the wall to your right beside the window. A small vanity sat at your left, and as you took it all in, you felt the excitement of the day wash over you.

“I love it,” you said quietly, grinning from ear to ear. Penny’s smile matched your own.

“I’m glad. I know it’s not much, but you’re free to do with it what you like until we get you your own place. It even has a view of the mountains.”

At her words, you moved over to the window, drawing back the curtains and leaning in to look out. There were no words to describe it. You had been a little worried to move out to the middle of the desert, knowing how much you’d miss your sprawling green landscapes. The mere thought had you feeling a mixture of guilt and homesickness. Your parents were probably beside themselves at that very moment, despite the note you had left them explaining where you were going. You could practically hear the wails of your mother from hundreds of miles away. But the view of the mountains before you almost made up for those awful feelings within you. It was like a painting you had seen once at the market. The blue sky popped against the muted oranges and brown that lay underneath, and the white clouds that floated by looked almost unreal.

“It’s beautiful,” you breathed quietly, and Penny chuckled.

“It is, isn’t it?” she began, coming over to stand next to you. “It’s even more beautiful at night when you can see all the stars in the sky.”

“I can imagine,” you said, already smiling at the thought. Penny straightened up and clapped her hands together.

“Right! Well, how about you and I go downstairs and get supper started? The butcher sold me a prime cut of beef today, and there’s a recipe I’ve been dying to try.”

You followed her out the door, the smile still plastered on your face. “I’d love to.”

Your dinner with Maverick and Penny had been full of conversation and laughter. Maverick told you about how he had come to found the town with his best friend, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who also happened to be the towns sitting sheriff.

“He’s a stubborn son of a gun,” Maverick had said with a hint of a smile, “but there’s no one I trust more.”

Penny had cocked an eyebrow at him at that, and Maverick chuckled, placing his hand on top of hers where it sat at the table. “No one else but you, of course darlin’.”

“Do you know when Bradley and the others are getting back into town?” she had asked him some time later. Maverick sighed, sitting back in his chair with a wistful look on his face.

“I don’t. You know how those boys are. Here one minute, gone the next. If I’ve told them once, I’ve told them a thousand times, ‘keep me posted so I know you’re still alive.’ Do they listen to me? No, I’m just an overly cautious, old man.”

“You’re not that old,” Penny smiled, causing the corners of Maverick’s mouth to twitch into a small, returning one. “You’ve still got a couple of years, I’d say.”

“How kind of you to say,” Maverick laughed. He stood up from the table, stretching. “That was a mighty fine meal you two girls cooked up. But, I have some things I need to tend to before the night is over. Y/n, you’ll be joining us at church in the morning, won’t you?”

“Oh, I wasn’t sure I was allowed to,” you said, setting your fork down sheepishly. Penny smiled at you warmly.

“Of course you are! You don’t need an invitation to attend service. The reverand will be happy to meet you, and I’m sure it’ll be a good opportunity to see where you’ll be teaching the young ones. When did you want to start? We can announce it while everyone is gathered tomorrow.”

“Oh,” you said, thinking. Much like every other decision you had made recently, you decided to dive head first into the opportunity. “I can begin on Monday. Let’s say, eight o’clock? I can start getting things ready tomorrow afternoon after the service, provided that’s alright with the reverend.”

“I don’t see why that would be a problem,” said Maverick. “I’ll let him know as soon as we get there tomorrow morning. Have a pleasent evening, ladies. Penny, I’ll probably be late, so don’t wait up.”

“That man never stays still for long,” Penny sighed, smiling fondly after her husband. Standing, she stacked the dishes in her hands and made her way to the kitchen. “You go on ahead to bed, sweetheart. I’ll get the dishes tonight.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, following after her, and she waved you off.

“‘Course! You’ve had a long day, and you’ve still got some unpacking to do. You can help me after breakfast in the morning.”

“Alright,” you relented, turning to head upstairs. “Goodnight, Penny.”

“Goodnight, darlin’.”

The following morning came quickly, and you found yourself excitedly walking into the sanctuary of the church in your Sunday best. A few people milled about you as they took their seats in the pews up and down the aisle. Some looked at you curiously, but you paid them no mind as you followed Maverick and Penny to the front of the church. You all sat down in the front pew and waited for the service to start.

“Did you hear?” said a girl to your left. “The Dagger Posse is back in town!”

“Really?” squealed her friend, earning looks from some of the older townfolk. “When did they arrive?”

“Just last night! Oh, that Jake is so handsome, isn’t he?” the first girl giggled. You heard someone snort, and turned to see a pretty girl a few rows back from you roll her eyes. She sat next to a handsome man who looked like he might be her brother and a pretty girl with dark hair and deep, brown eyes who smiled at him affectionately. The two girls continued, not paying any mind to the one who snorted.

“He is, but that Bradley isn’t so bad on the eyes either! It’s been horrible going this long without seeing all those handsome men walking around town,” said the second girl.

Her friend nodded enthusiastically. “You’re right. A month is simply too long.”

Before her friend could reply, the reverend made his way to the front to begin the service. The chatter died down as the reverend began to speak. It was a lovely service, and before you knew it, the hour had passed. The reverand gestured to Maverick, who stood up and turned to face the rest of the congregation.

“Mornin’, folks,” he said, earning a cacophony of “good mornings” from those around him. “You all know me, and you also know that we’ve been doin’ our best to get a school established here in Maverick. Well, I’m happy to announce that as of yesterday, our humble, little town finally has a new teacher!”

He gestured to you, and you stood up shyly, waving at the people surrounding you. Several people clapped and you could have sworn you heard a few people say “finally!” Maverick continued.

“Unfortunately, we still don’t have a schoolhouse built for our little critters, so for the foreseeable future, I’ll be looking for volunteers to help me build not only a schoolhouse, but a home for our wonderful new addition.”

“Thank you, Pete,” said the reverend as Maverick sat back down. “If anyone should have any questions for our new teacher, I believe she’ll be taking some time to get our sanctuary ready for school tomorrow morning. Eight o’clock, was it?”

“Yes,” you chirped. The reverend smiled.

“Eight o’clock tomorrow morning is when school will start. I hope to see many young, shining faces here on time ready to learn! That’s all I have for today. May God bless you all this fine Sunday.”

You sat back as the congregation began to file out of the sanctuary. Once everyone had left, you got up and walked up to the front. Behind the pulpit, you found the slate tablets that Penny had told you about earlier that morning. You grabbed a few of them and began to place them in the first few rows of the pews. You began to hum a little melody as you worked, allowing the sound to roll through you. Your mother had always been proud of your ability to sing.

“Like an angel here on earth,” she had said once. You had shied away from the compliment, but it never deterred you from enjoying the hobby.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,” you sang as you walked back up towards the pulpit to grab more slates. “That saved a wretch like me.”

Turning, you moved to the other side of the aisle, repeating the task from before.

“I once was lost, but now am found,” you continued, turning back to grab the last few remaining tablets. Gathering them up in your arms, you turned. “Was blind, but now I see.”

Your finished the last note, looking up towards the door and nearly dropping the slates in your arms as you jumped. Standing in the doorway was a devistatingly handsome man. His skin was golden like it had been kissed by the sun itself, and chestnut brown hair curled at his forehead. His mustache sat above his lips that were curled into a small smile as he watched you with deep, brown eyes.

“Hey, little songbird. Don’t stop on my account,” he drawled, leaning against the doorframe. You didn’t say anything, to nervous to speak. This only seemed to amuse him, and he pushed off from the doorframe and started walking over towards you.

“That’s a pretty voice you got there,” he continued, causing you to tighten your hold on the tablets. “Maybe I can get a private show here soon.”

“C-c-can I help you?” you asked, cursing yourself for stuttering. The man hummed, coming to a stop in front of you. He was so tall, that you had to crane your head back in order to meet his gaze. He looked at you thoughtfully, biting his bottom lip before leaning down so close that his breath fanned over your face.

“That depends,” he smirked. “What are you offering?”

“I don’t,” you started, but your sentence was cut off by a squeak as the man cornered you against the wall by the pulpit.

“You gonna let me have a taste, darlin’?” He asked huskily, sliding his hand down to grip your skirt.

“We’re in a church!” You gasped, your brain struggling to catch up with what was happening. You put a hand on his chest, trying to use the tablets to push him back. He chuckled, taking them out of your hand and tossing them to the floor.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Your pulse skyrocketed and your breath caught in your throat as he leaned in closer, close enough for you to see the green in his eyes.

“Oh, Rooster,” called a voice in a sing-song tone. You glanced over to see another tall, handsome man. This one, however, was blond and just a breath shorter than the one currently caging you in.

“‘M busy,” the man—Rooster—grumbled, softly stroking your cheek. You felt the skin in where he touched you blaze, and you tried to suppress the shudder that ran up your spine. Rooster’s smirk returned as he pressed in closer to you.

“Rooster?”

Rooster continued to ignore the man, cupping your jaw. He leaned in so that his lips hovered over yours, and you let out an involuntary whimper, feeling your resolve weaken.

“Don’t worry,” he cooed softly. “I’ve got you.”

“Bradley.”

“What, Hangman?” Snapped Rooster, Bradley, whirling around to glare at the man, thunder in his eyes. The man, Hangman, didn’t seem phased by the sudden hostility of his friend. In fact, he looked bored as he inspected his fingernails, propped up against the door frame where Bradley had just been minutes before.

“Well, Roo, I hate to interrupt your,” Hangman paused, casting you a quick glance before smirking, “fun, but we do have some things we need to take care of.”

Bradley didn’t say anything, still looking at Hangman with a thunderous look. Hangman cocked an eyebrow as if to challenge Bradley to argue.

“Have you even found Maverick?” Hangman asked exasperatedly.

“Maverick?” You questioned, your sense slowly coming back to you now that Bradley wasn’t quite so close. “He left already.”

Both men turned to look at you.

“Do you know where we can find him?” Asked Hangman, standing up straight now, hand on his hip.

“I believe he and Penny went home,” you said carefully, unsure of what these men wanted with your host.

“Well, thank you kindly, darlin’,” Hangman said, throwing you a wink before sauntering out the door. A moment passed and Bradley turned back to look at you, but your gaze was focused on your hands. Bradley’s hand reached out to cup your cheek again, pulling your face up to look at him. An unreadable expression was on his face as he studied you. His thumb gently stroked your bottom lip, and you once again found yourself having difficulty breathing and focusing on a single thought. His hand was so warm.

Bradley seemed to make up his mind about whatever it was he was thinking about, and he pulled away with another smirk. He turned and walked down the aisle of the church and out the door without another word to you. You shook your head in an attempt to clear it.

You quickly placed the rest of the tablets in the pews and waved goodbye to the reverend who had wandered back in from outside. You dragged your feet a little more than what was necessary as you made your way back to the house. You spotted several horses tied up by the gate outside, and you took a steadying breath to brace yourself for what, or who, was on the other side of the door. You stopped just outside and debated on whether or not it was too late to run off to another town. Deciding against it, you swung the door open before you lost your nerve. A group of six men were sprawled across varying pieces of furniture in the parlor, two of whom were now familiar to you. Both looked at you in surprise, but Bradley’s shock quickly turned into a lazy smirk.

“Well, hi Birdie,” he drawled, earning looks from both Maverick and Penny. “What’re you doing here?”

#bradley rooster bradshaw #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x y/n #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster x y/n #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley rooster x reader #sits #western au #rooster top gun

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lilyginnyblackv2 · 1 year

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Dream Star Daycare vs. Blue Sky Daycare

I’ve already talked a bit about the differences between these two and how the first daycare (Dream Star) was colder than the second daycare that Miri actually gets accepted at (Blue Sky). But, I had a bit more commentary that I wanted to add, especially because that post in general wasn’t really about that topic (it was about Kazuki and Rei really accepting the roles of “Fathers” within the larger societal structure of Japan). This post is just going to be about these two different daycares though.

First we have Dream Star Daycare. The name alone, while cute, is a bit colder already. It’s about nighttime, sleeping, and stars (up in cold space). The outside is doesn’t really tell or say much about the daycare:

There are two big smiling flowers at the entrance way, but everything else about the building is pointed and sharp. The color is a dull orange-brown, the pillars are white, large, and intimidating, and the windows are void of any children’s artwork or colors or anything that really says, “Welcome children!” in a nice and kind way. You can barely see the (pretty barren looking) playground in the back there, through the walkway entrance. I can see a pair of exercise bars maybe, and that’s pretty much it.

Blue Sky Daycare really lives up to that warm name. When people think of blue skies, they think of nice days outdoors with their family and friends. Warm memories and experiences. Visually, the building is much more welcoming as well. The entrance way has low arches that are rounded, with small pictures of happy animals welcoming the parents and students in.

The playground is front and center with lots of different equipment and things for the children to do. The playground is also very colorful, just like the roof, which is a pretty blue, and the walls of the building, which are painted an off-white color that allows all of the colorful images to be seen (like the flying birds and floating hot balloons). There are some sharp shapes, like the roof tops, but they are evened out with smaller and/or rounder windows that are more frequent as well.

The way the building is structured also allows for the parents to see what is going on inside the classrooms and for the teachers to keep a better eye on the children from the classrooms when they play outside. Dearm Star Daycare didn’t allow for anything like that, because the building was more like a refurbished government building than Blue Sky’s Daycare, which feels more like a home.

The first thing we are greeted to inside Dream Star Daycare is this woman. She likely is a head teacher or manager - someone higher up that doesn’t actually work with the children. The give away for this is how she is dressed. She’s wearing a very business and professional looking suit outfit that doesn’t allow for much mobility, and around her neck is a necklace that could be a choking hazard and just cause a general mess around actual children (like, if one of them pulled on it and it broke and the pearls went everywhere).

Along with this, we have the stern lines around her lips, which are pulled down in a frown. Her squared jawline, narrowed and smaller shaped eyes, and furrowed brows combined with very bland colored and traditionally shaped glasses makes her come off as displeased, stern, and no funny business right from the start. Her haircut brings this whole look together as well.

In the background we can see some of the pictures the children have drawn...But they don’t look much like drawings the children made to express themselves. Those drawings definitely look more like academic based drawings, focusing on the children learning vocabulary and sight words. Since they are almost all single word images (dog, sushi, rainbow, train, etc.). None of them show true self expression or anything situational that indicates creativity and the children creating them to learn by living and exploring. Seems more rotary, repetition, learn-by-memorizing-sight-words based kind of learning instead.

Someone in the comments of my previous post commented on how big the desk is, and they’re totally right. This desk is huge and places a lot of space between Kazuki, Rei, and the lady interviewing them. Miri is also far off to the side and playing alone with blocks. Blocks can help children learn some good social skills, but that’s only when they are playing with blocks with others.

Otherwise, blocks tend to focus more on helping children learn more conceptual ideas (math, spatial awareness, increase attention span, etc.). Concepts that are more beneficial for academics, rather than social learning and building.

Also, let’s take a look at the dialogue here, “We’re your first choice of daycare, then?” I’m sure, in a scene that we didn’t get to see, that the lady did common pleasantries and greetings, but the show decided that this sentence should be the first one that we hear this woman say to Kazuki and Rei. Before she asked this, she made a sort of disgruntled sound, so that combined with this...unpleasant greeting makes it clear that this woman doesn’t want them at her daycare. She is basically saying, “We were your first choice,” with the implication of “I wish we weren’t.”

After that, she goes on to ask them this:

“And...you’re both fathers?” The “And...” is saying a lot here. Right, that pause before a question indicates some level of uncomfortableness with the question you are going to ask. Implies you find something off or wrong with whatever you are asking about. She also starts off only engaging with Kazuki and Rei. Miri has to literally force herself into the conversation, and then the woman only gives one word replies back to Miri (usually as a question). No true engagement.

In the other post I talked about the look of the room, so I won’t go into details with that here, but you can see how barren and cold it looks and feels.

Now, let’s check back with Blue Sky Daycare:

What a difference our first impression of Blue Sky Daycare is! Cute, warm, and inviting pastel colors are everywhere, as are pictures and children’s crafts. You can see the boxes of toys in the back, but Miri isn’t playing with any of them, because she was brought into the interview itself.

Miss Anna starts off the interview by talking to her directly, in fact. Asking for her name and age. She has a pretty smile, button nose, rosy cheeks, and big kind eyes. Her hair is done up in a loose ponytail, and she isn’t wearing any jewelry. The older man next to her has a kind smile on his face too, big bushy eyebrows, and wears very soft colors (pastels of green and pink, a muted red color, and white). Nothing about either characters design is sharp or cold like the other women.

There is also a very prominent wooden piano right next to the table they are sitting at (it’s a dark wood color too, which has a “warm” tone to it). Sunlight is shining in form the windowed doorway behind them, and the desk they are all sitting at is big enough, but also allows the two groups to be closer, and is at Miri’s level.

We also get a nice, full view of Miss Anna’s design here. Her clothes are comfy, she has an apron on with pockets, and she is wearing just socks. All of this indicates that she actually engages with the students. No jewelry anywhere for kids to break and cause a mess or possibly choke on, no stuffy clothes that would be hard to move and play and jump around in, an apron for her to get messy when it is craft time, and pockets to hold materials she might need throughout the day.

When she asks about them being two fathers, she says, “Two fathers, you say?” Things to note: there is no “And” or “...” no pause in asking this question. She also asks it politely. In the Japanese she ends it with “desu ka,” which is a general level of politeness. The English carries this over with the translation of “you say?” This carries over her tone of voice and expression (a nice smile) too, which are far more welcoming than the previous daycare.

Finally, when Miri is talking (and not just introducing herself), Miss Anna bends down and closer to Miri. So she indicates that she is listening closely to what Miri is saying and is doing so more on Miri’s level, rather than Miri having to do so on the adult’s level (like what we see at the previous daycare).

They really do a fantastic job of visually showing why Blue Sky Daycare is not only a perfect fit for this little family of three, but also why it is a good daycare in general.

In a way, Kazuki and Rei really...dodged a bullet.

(Sorry, I’ll end this now, lol).

#Buddy Daddies #Rei Suwa #Kazuki Kurusu #Miri Unasaka #Anna Hanyu #BD spoilers #Buddy Daddies spoilers #meta post #character design post #long post #thought post #image heavy post

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ckret2 · 8 months

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Chapter 16 of human Bill has taken an "I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me" approach to being the Mystery Shack's prisoner (title TBD), featuring:

Also featuring: Ford and Mabel bonding... until things go very, very wrong. Thanks Bill.

####

October 2012

As Stan turned the corner, he paused to let his eyes adjust as he came out of the blinding evening sun into the shadows of a tight, unobtrusive street, then shuffled up to where Ford was waiting. "All right, I think we shook the cops," he muttered. "The were-rats should keep 'em distracted. Smart move, splitting up to lead them to each other." He rummaged through the bag of ("borrowed") groceries that had caused them all this trouble, looking for a stick of cured meat he'd had his eye on.

"Mm." That was all Ford said.

Stan looked sharply at Ford. "Hey, you okay? The rats didn't get you, did they?" He glanced over Ford for any torn clothes or blood.

"No—sorry, I'm fine. Just..." He gestured at the storefront across the street. "Distracted."

Stan followed his gesture. He couldn't read the language on the signs, but he didn't need to: the pictures in the windows—tarot cards, palmistry charts, a hand-painted poster of a crystal ball, all surrounded by unlit neon tubes shaped into stars—made it clear enough just what kind of shop this was. Stan laughed. "Hey, it looks like what Ma did with the pawn shop after Dad passed. When we're back in the States, I oughta find a picture for you. Or maybe Shermie can 'e-mail' us one, I think his kid was 'digitalizing' the old family photos..." He trailed off as he saw what Ford was really staring at.

Amongst the other dark neon lights, there was a single larger one, just over the name of the shop: a triangle with an eye.

Stan shuddered. "Ugh. I'm never gonna be able to look at those things the same way again, are you?"

"I haven't been able to for over thirty years," Ford said. "It's funny—in most civilized dimensions in the multiverse, that symbol is incredibly taboo, because as soon as it's drawn it becomes his eye. I only ever saw it used as the direst warning in places tainted by the Nightmare Realm—places he could already see."

Stan snorted. "Coming home must've been a rude shock, huh?"

It was true—Ford saw Bill peering from every dollar, winking slyly at him from strangers' gold rings, standing solemn vigil over graveyards from the headstones. Ford remembered the first time he'd returned to his study: of course he'd known that all his art of Bill was still there, but he'd been stunned by the sheer quantity of eyes watching him, ready to welcome him home. He'd awkwardly hidden himself beneath a bedsheet like a ghost to keep Bill from staring at him as he went around the room, covering every tapestry, drawing, and statue with black curtains. He hoped Bill hadn't been actively watching then. He knew he'd looked stupid.

"You don't know the half of it." Ford nodded toward the psychic shop. "Looking at that face now feels like seeing a toxic waste warning sign."

"Do you think she knows?" Stan asked.

"'She'?"

"The psychic!" Apparently, Stan had decided the psychic was a woman. "D'you think she knows what that is? Did he slip her prophecies to start up her business? Or is it just a spooky magic symbol to her?"

Stan was probably expecting Ford to vaguely speculate—but instead, he eyed the symbol critically. "It's got a slit pupil, which is always a worrying sign," he said, "but that could just be an aesthetic choice. If it had his clothing or limbs, I'd know for sure it's meant to be him, but without..."

As they'd spoken, the evening had crept on and the shadows in the alley had deepened; and now it was dark enough that someone inside the shop flipped the neon lights on. Multicolored stars danced around the window. The triangle lit up bright yellow. The pupil and top eyelid had burned out, so now it looked like the Eye of Providence was perpetually asleep, eye shut.

Stan and Ford both shivered.

"That's probably a coincidence, right?" Stan said. "That's—that's just bad luck."

"There's absolutely no scientific reason why Bill's death would cause depictions of his face to—um—malfunction," Ford said. "It's definitely a coincidence." He said it like he was sure.

"Right," Stan said. "C'mon, we should head back to the beach before someone finds our boat." He turned away from the shop. As he walked, he fished his wallet out of his pocket, rifled through the money until he found some American currency, and squinted at it to make sure Bill's eye was still open.

Ford didn't move. He was still staring at the triangle.

Did she know, he wondered? (She or he or whoever owned this shop.) Did Bill have a worshiper here? Perhaps just another distant believer who'd been recruited by one of the micro-cults Bill left in his wake, five degrees and fifty years removed from a former "student" that Bill had "inspired" and then abandoned?

Or had Bill met them in their dreams? Had he been summoned up to give them inspiration and knowledge of the future? Did they remember Bill as the central figure in a visionary dream that now made up the core of their spirituality? Maybe he'd visited them more than once, while trying to decide whether they'd be useful to him? Perhaps he'd been grooming the fortune teller into his minion, feeding them lines he wanted to pass on to a local politician or scientist? Did he ever play board games with them?

Did they worship him still?

Did they know their god was dead?

Stan called from the end of the street, "Ford?"

"Coming." Ford tore his gaze away from the dead face. "I kept expecting it to blink."

Stan laughed nervously. "Yeah, real funny."

Stan and Ford watched each other from their peripheral vision as they turned the corner, to make sure neither of them tried to glance back to check.

They returned to their boat, set sail, and had dinner. And when Stan went to bed, Ford sat out on the deck, looked at the stars—and wept.

He'd cried when he'd thought his brother had lost his memories forever. He hadn't cried in the month and a half since then. He didn't want anyone to watch him grieve the worst monster he'd ever met.

####

There'd been an ache in Ford's chest for over thirty years—an empty pit that once held awe—a dark void that used to be filled with starlight. Ford knew now that, metaphorically speaking, the divine light Bill put off had never been anything but optical illusions with flashlights and mirrors. But even so—even so, nothing and nobody had inspired such sublime wonder in Ford since.

During his lowest moments out in the multiverse, starving and exhausted and despairing, he'd irrationally wondered if the unimpressable depression left in Bill's wake was evidence that Bill had been truly that great, too great for a human like Ford to understand, and the shadow cast on Ford's life in Bill's absence was the natural consequence of turning away from something godlike.

Ford had gotten over that. He'd recovered, he'd grown. He understood the truth: Bill's parlor tricks had dazzled his eyes so thoroughly that now he couldn't detect the subtle glimmer of the truly wondrous. He wondered if his eyes would ever adjust to the dark again.

Whether he liked it or not, he missed the way mind-blowing awe felt. He missed being dazzled.

There were days when he wasn't sure what he resented Bill for more: vomiting so much glittery garbage into his soul, or stopping.

####

June 2013

When Ford went looking for his briefcase to make a trip to Portland, he found it opened in the kitchen. He shouldn't have left it in the kitchen. His five-page copy of the text from a purportedly-extraterrestrial prehistoric cave painting was spread out across the table.

The mysterious, unintelligible alien text had been fully translated.

With purple crayon.

Into a second alien language.

Ford could have strangled Bill.

And what made him angriest was how excited he was over this new puzzle.

The original cave panting had consisted of hundreds of tiny symbols in an unknown language from an unknown species, painted on rock, the text faded over time. He hadn't even known whether all the symbols were recognizable as their originals. He'd suspected there'd never be a translation in his lifetime, if indeed there ever was. Bill's translation implicitly said, yes, there is a knowable translation. Said, and you can know the translation too. Said, I've made it into a fun game for you. Said, all you have to do is play along.

He would not play along.

He stuffed the papers back in his bag where they belonged, added the stack of notes he'd made for his trip, slung the briefcase over his shoulder and against his back, and went looking for his great-niece.

####

"Hey Grunkle Ford!" Mabel waved from the living room table. "Wanna play fairy chess?" She was wearing a black-and-white checkerboard-patterned sweater with a blue fairy on her chest. Apparently, this was her plan for the day.

Ford paused outside the living room. "What's 'fairy' chess?"

"It's like normal chess, but you get to decorate the chess pieces and give them weird new rules. Look! I made a princess and a unicorn!" She held up a queen piece with a yarn ponytail and a knight piece with a clay horn. "Wanna play? You can make up any kind of piece you want and I can decorate it for you! Or I can give you the rook with the dragon wings!"

Ford laughed. "That sounds fun. Where did you come up with fairy chess?"

Mabel hesitated, her smile slightly flagging.

"Ah." Of course. He would teach her made-up chess varieties. Ford cleared his throat. "Actually, I'm planning to visit Portland today. There's a weird-looking shop I saw while Soos was driving Stan and I from the airport, and I've been meaning to visit it."

"Oh." Mabel's smile wilted completely. She placed her princess and unicorn back on the chess board. "Yeah. That's fine. I could ask Dipper if he wants to play. Unless he's going with you..."

"I was actually going to ask if you'd like to come."

Mabel's head whipped toward Ford, eyes wide. "Really?"

"Sure, it seemed up your alley! I'm going to a crystal shop—"

"WHAT!" Mabel was on her feet and bounding across the room. "Shut up, I love crystals! They're like jumbo glitter for adults!"

Ford laughed. "I thought you might be interested!"

Mabel went on, "And you know those gift shops with all the shelves of glass and crystal sculptures? I love looking at those! I've always wanted to get one, but my parents think I'd break it. They're probably right."

Ford flashed back to the devastation Mabel wrought on the gift shop snow globes last summer. Well. Maybe her parents had a point, but. "You just have to be careful with it during transport! I got one of those souvenir glass statues during my roadtrip from college to Gravity Falls, and it survived all sorts of gnome invasions and eye-bat battles. I wonder where Stan put it?"

"What did it look like?"

"Mothgar." Did they still make Mothgar movies? "She's a beautiful, heroic moth—who's been radioactively mutated into a giant fire-breathing monster. I consider her one of my heroes. Her flame breath held her statue in the air."

"That sounds awesome!" Mabel bounced on her feet excitedly. "I'll be right back! I've gotta change clothes before we go." She pounded up the stairs.

Ford wondered if Mabel would like watching Mothgar, or any of the other Lizilla monster movies. He and Stan had practically grown up on those films; it would be nice to pass his love of them on to someone else in the family. Maybe she'd find them boring. It sounded like kids these days were more into computer-generated movies...

His train of thought gently derailed as he slowly became aware of a dangerous predator watching him.

He looked around—living room, kitchen, hallway, front door. Nothing. He looked up. Bill was standing in the shadows of the attic stairway landing, leaning against the corner where the stairs turned, peering down at Ford.

Ford scowled.

Bill grinned. "Crystals, huh?" There was a mocking edge to his smile. "Doesn't that sound fun. I bet she'll just love that."

That was the idea, yes. "What are you getting at, Bill."

"'Getting at'?" Bill repeated innocently. "What's there to get at? I just think it's nice of you to do something nice for her."

"Uh-huh."

"Especially after all the time you've spent favoring her brother."

There it was. And the dig struck home, too. Ford's stomach twisted. He'd never forgive himself for only confiding in Dipper about his history with Bill or the danger of the rift—and in the process, setting up Mabel to be the next one Bill tricked and exploited.

And as much as he wished he could say otherwise, he hadn't done much better in the months since then. Shortly after arriving home, Dipper had started having nightmares about Bill possessing or harassing him. When Dipper had those nightmares, usually Ford was the first person he called. He didn't want to disturb his parents or sister more than necessary, and he knew Ford kept odd hours in odd time zones and might be available at 3 a.m. California time—and most importantly, Ford had had more restless nights than he could count, waking up on strange worlds from nightmares of Bill. Ford was the only one who could understand what Dipper was going through: that unique sanity-shaking terror that came from knowing it was a dream, but still not knowing whether it was real.

Those late-night reassurance sessions and the conversations he'd had with Dipper after he calmed down had brought both of them closer. Ford was glad that when Dipper had most needed somebody, Ford was able to be that person—but he hated that in giving Dipper that support, he'd only widened the gap in the attention he gave Dipper and Mabel.

But she had her own life, with friends and school and hobbies—so many hobbies—Dipper had told Ford, laughing, about how she'd had to juggle her parkour lessons with library craft classes—and Ford didn't have excuses to talk to Mabel the way he did Dipper, and so what could Ford do about it? (What could Ford do about it? He actually didn't know. He'd always been abysmal at socialization, even just keeping up with friends and family. And that was before he'd gone thirty years without steady human company.)

Ford had hoped he could make it up to Mabel this summer.

And then Bill happened.

He was smirking down at Ford like he knew he'd hit a bullseye.

Ford wondered how much Bill knew—if he'd assumed that the way Ford neglected Mabel last summer had continued, or if he'd had some way to spy on them over the past school year... or if she'd told him. "My family's none of your business, Bill."

Ford could almost see the gears in Bill's head turning—no doubt mentally trying out various retorts to find the most cutting—but when he spoke again, he simply changed topics. "So hey, what'd you think of that translation? Helpful at all?"

Dryly, Ford said, "You mean the one you translated into another alien language?"

"Wrong-o. I translated it into an alien writing system. It's a human language."

"What?" Ford rummaged through his briefcase for the "translated" pages. "Which language?"

"C'mon, Fords—Ford, where's the fun in just telling you? I want to see if you can figure it out yourself," Bill said. As Ford's scowl deepened, Bill added, "Give you a hint: it's a language you've studied."

A language he'd studied... Did that mean only second languages, or was English an option? No, if English was a possibility, Bill probably would have said "it's a language you know." Unless he was trying to distract Ford from the possibility it was English. He'd keep English on the list. He ought to start by counting up the number of distinct letters, if Bill had used a simple substitution cipher that might rule out some options...

He wasn't sure how long he'd been staring at the first page of the crayon translation when he heard the attic bedroom door open. Mabel came bounding downstairs in a hot pink sweater that said "YOU ROCK!" over a drum kit. "I used to have a sweater with a crystal heart on it but I think I left it in Piedmont! This'll have to do..." She slowed at the landing, giving Bill a questioning look, and then stopped when she saw Ford looking up at them. "What's up?"

Before Ford could speak up, Bill said, "I was asking Stanford about an alien translation I helped him with this morning, that's all! I don't think he's too grateful. Hey—crystal shop, right?" He beamed at Mabel. "Bring me something fun!"

Mabel beamed back. "Ok—!"

"No," Ford said.

"No," Mabel immediately repeated. "Nope! Nuh-uh, crystals are off the list of acceptable prisoner amenities."

Bill sighed deeply. "All right, fine. I guess I'll just go without the simple pleasure of a cool-looking rock in my final days."

Mabel laughed. "You're such a whiner. I'll draw you a stupid rock." She hopped down the stairs. "See you later!"

"Hey, Shooting Star," Bill said. "Stay safe out there, okay?" The way he said it like a warning, and the way Mabel immediately paused mid-step, made the hair on the back of Ford's neck stand on end.

He held open the door, glared up at Bill, and said calmly, "We'll be back by dinner."

Bill didn't reply. He just smiled.

The moment the door shut, Mabel looked up at Ford, brows furrowed. "Sooo... what was all that about an alien translation?"

Ford showed Mabel the papers. "He rifled through my bag when I wasn't looking, put a translation in a cipher, and dared me to crack it."

"Ah!" Mabel's puzzled look evaporated. "I knew he was up to something! At least he's just being a jerk instead of a supervillain." She laughed.

Ford smiled in relief. He hadn't lost her yet. "This time, anyway."

"This time!"

As they walked around the shack to Stan's car, Mabel tentatively took Ford's hand. He squeezed hers back just a little too tight.

####

Part of Mabel was nervous to hang out with Ford—just Ford, without Dipper or Stan there as well. He loved her, of course—she knew he loved her, and she loved him—but they didn't simply hang out. Last summer, she'd usually been the one to talk to him first, and they rarely spoke over the school year unless it was part of a family call. She got it—last summer he'd been busy with Bill stuff, during the school year he'd been busy with adventuring, and this summer he was busy with Bill stuff again—and Ford and Dipper had more in common to talk about—so it was fine, really. She understood. But even so, being alone with him kinda made her feel like she was in trouble.

But she'd had nothing to worry about. As they hit the road, there'd been a few minutes of awkward small talk—the kinds of questions adults always asked kids when they couldn't think to ask anything else, so, what kinds of classes are you taking next year—but once they hit common ground the conversation got rolling. Mabel had agonized over whether to join the yearbook or take art class, since she only had room in her electives for one, and had finally settled on art; Ford revealed that one year in high school he'd only taken biology and physics and passed up chemistry so that he could take an art class, had kicked himself over it when taking college chemistry courses, but now decades later he was glad he'd made the effort to preserve his artistic side even as he cultivated his scientific mind. Somehow, even though she'd spent all summer looking over Dipper's shoulder at Ford's illustrations in Journal 3, it had never quite dawned on her that being a scientist didn't mean Ford wasn't also an artist.

They talked about their preferred drawing tools—Ford liked the precision and detail of pencils and pens, while Mabel preferred the smooth drawing experience, vibrant hues, and color-blending potential of crayons. They talked about what they liked drawing—Ford typically drew from life, but said he greatly admired Mabel's creative imagination. Ford talked about blueprints and engineering diagrams like they were artwork, talked about protractors and compasses and rulers like they were art tools; and Mabel figured that blueprints were like very angular versions of the intricate star, swirl, and squiggle patterns she liked filling page margins with, so maybe that was a kind of art. They agreed that the greatest artistic masters of the modern age were the people who made those crazy paintings for the covers of fantasy paperback novels. They both couldn't stand watercolor painting and didn't understand how people could control the paint well enough to make it look good, rather than just sort of leak faintly-colored puddles around the page—although Mabel, at least, was willing to give watercolors another shot.

And from artwork they moved on to talking about Mabel's hopes for high school and Ford's memories of that time—the good and the bad. (Ford asked Mabel to have mercy if the class nerd ever awkwardly attempted to flirt with her at a school dance; she could tell the nerd "no" if she wanted, just please don't pour punch all over his suit.) And then they talked about music (they were surprised at how many synth-poppy new-wavy favorites they had in common, and Mabel was heartbroken to learn how much of the 80s he still had to catch up on), and then about all the new technology Mabel thought Ford had probably missed out on and the equivalent technology he'd encountered out in the multiverse, and then some of the adventures he'd had and people he'd met out in other dimensions...

And Mabel kept expecting Bill to come up, but he never did.

The hour drive from Gravity Falls to the outskirts of Portland consisted mostly of wide flat roads self-consciously hustling through forests, as if the cars were embarrassed visitors who'd stepped into the wrong room. Low wooden buildings clustered together in twos and threes beneath the trees like dogs sitting at their owners' feet. The occasional A-frame house peered curiously down at the road through the pines and firs. Mabel peered curiously back.

In the distance, hazy blue mountains bristling with trees tried to bite the sky. Sometimes, Mabel could imagine an X-shaped rip in the sky vomiting colors onto a distant mountain. Not for the first time, she wondered what Weirdmageddon had looked like from outside Roadkill County. She'd searched online, but never found any pictures.

They passed a bright red shop with dozens of wood-carved statues of bears and Bigfoot in the parking lot, and a cute little white house with a metal sculpture of an ostrich sitting in the front yard, and a teeny tiny shack next to a chop-your-own-Christmas-tree farm—"You hack it, we'll pack it". Seeing a gas station beside a trailer-sized drive-thru coffee shop felt like stumbling upon a carnival. Eventually, the trees peeled back to reveal a strip of colorful but run-down local shops lining either side of Route 26; which bloomed into a proper small town, houses painted cloud white and sky blue on one side of the road, a hunter green motel-style apartment building on the other side, though Mabel could always see the trees waiting just a few streets beyond the main road; and then another small town, which beat the trees back even further; and then their surroundings gently became the suburban outskirts of Portland as they got on the highway.

"The crystal shop was somewhere on the north side of the highway," Ford said, gesturing to the right. So far, all that had gone by on the right had been trees, warehouses, and distant clusters of houses. "I didn't get a long look at it, but it had some mystical-sounding name and it was in a row of storefronts with a pole sign next to the highway. The sign had a cutout in the middle for a stained glass window shaped like a diamond."

"Oooh, fancy."

"And very distinctive. We should have no trouble finding the place again."

The highway ran elevated above the homes and businesses below. After a few miles, a railroad wove up alongside the highway. Ford glanced at the railroad with a puzzled frown. Mabel asked, "Should we have passed it by now?"

"I'm... not sure. I thought we would have—when we were traveling the other direction, I seem to remember I didn't see it long before we exited the highway—but..." He trailed off. "We can't possibly have missed it. That sign stood out like a sore, bejeweled thumb."

Mabel made a mental note to try bedazzling her fingernails. "Are you sure it was on this side of the highway?"

"Positive. I saw it to my left as we were traveling east and considering asking Soos and Stan if they'd mind exiting the highway to visit it, but I decided that would take too much time since it was on the wrong side of the highway and we'd have to do a U-turn. So now it should be on our side of the highway." He gestured demonstratively to the right. "I'm sure of it."

"Okay." Mabel propped her chin in her hand and stared out the window again. A wall of concrete and trees rose up along the right side of the highway, and Ford's frown deepened.

When they reached the exit for the airport, Mabel finally had to admit to herself that there probably was no crystal shop.

Her stomach flip-flopped as Ford silently exited the highway, pulled into a strip mall parking lot, and parked. He stared out the windshield, frowning in deep thought, staring into the distance.

This is it, Mabel thought, ankles twisting together, fingers digging into the bench seat cushion.

Ford said, "We can't have missed the shop. That sign was taller than anything in the area. We couldn't have overlooked it if we'd tried."

Mabel's stomach slowly de-flipped. "Maybe they closed?" she suggested. "Or maybe something knocked the sign down!" In the week and a half since Ford had last come this way.

"Maybe," Ford said dubiously.

Mabel pulled out her phone to search for Portland crystal shops and rock shops. "There's some shops in town, but I... don't see any up here? Maybe they closed years ago and only just took the sign down?"

"Hmm. It seems unlikely, but... I don't know what else could have happened." He glanced at Mabel's phone. "What are you looking at? Do you have the yellow pages in there?"

"Um..." Mabel shrugged. "Kinda?"

Ford sighed. "Well, if we can't find the crystal shop I saw, I suppose we could visit another one. I did promise you crystals. Can you give me directions with that thing?"

Mabel gave him a hesitant, thoughtful look; but then she nodded, grinned, and said, "Sure! You drive, I'll navigate! This'll be easy!"

####

They missed the store four times.

####

The store Mabel had dug up was a general magic shop named Lunar Blessings, on the ground level of a mixed-use building. It was surrounded by apartments up above, a beauty salon to the left, and a tax preparation service to the right. They carefully stowed Stan's car in the parking garage.

"For my thirtieth birthday, I made a trip to Portland and got a cake at a bakery that used to be on this block," Ford said, looking up at the compact brick-like building that now filled the block. "It must have gone out of business." So many little things had changed.

Mabel was treating the sidewalk like a huge hopscotch board as they approached the magic shop, taking huge leaps between each concrete square. As the storefront came into sight, she said, "You know those souvenir shops with trays of polished rocks and little bags you can fill up?"

"The little brown suede bags? Yes, I've seen those. I think they're terrific gifts for young fans of geology." He probably would have gotten one himself as a child, but he hadn't started seeing them until adulthood.

"I have like eight of those bags!" Mabel declared. "I collect them whenever I can! Last summer I tried to talk Grunkle Stan into adding them to the Mystery Shack, but he said they were too easy to shoplift. He let me buy a fake gold nugget for half price, though!" She looked up at Ford hopefully. "A store full of crystals probably has something like that, right? Or at least a few cheap small rocks? Those bags are only, like, five dollars."

Solemnly, Ford said, "Your shopping budget is fifty dollars."

Mabel stumbled her last jump and almost fell. "What! Are you serious!"

"I've been in places like this before. These days you can't get anything decent for five dollars." He offered her a half smile. "Anyway, I missed out on thirty years of spoiling my nephew and my great-niece and great-nephew. I've got to make up for lost time."

Mabel flung her arms around Ford—"Thank you thank you thank you!"—and flung open the store door. "Rockmongers! Show me to your biggest, fanciest crystals! You've got a big spender in the house!" The door swung shut.

By the time Ford made it in, Mabel was saying, somewhat sheepishly, "Show me to your second fanciest crystals." Ford spied her next to an amethyst geode almost as tall as she was and hurried over.

Mabel took his hand and whispered, "You weren't kidding. Fifty dollars doesn't take you far in this place."

Ford grinned. "Funny, isn't it? Considering that you can just dig this stuff out of the ground."

Mabel nodded. "Like potatoes."

Like potatoes. Ford couldn't believe he'd missed out on thirteen years of this kid.

####

The shop boasted books on metaphysics and magic spells; sculptures depicting an undifferentiated mix of global religious figures and fantasy creatures; fake dream catchers with plastic beads and neon-dyed feathers; shelves stuffed with herbs, incense, tarot cards, and more; and most importantly of all: crystals, crystals, rocks, and crystals. Raw stones, polished tumbled stones, carved into figurines and mystical shapes, arranged by rock type in roughly rainbow order around the walls.

It was the kind of place where, once upon a time, Ford would have eagerly spent half an afternoon, browsing the books for something intellectually stimulating amidst the rows of hokey hocus-pocus, scoffing at the promised protections listed on the cards by each type of crystal but still glancing over the crystals themselves for something that might look pleasant on his desk. Not a believer in the melting pot of New Age beliefs being peddled, but still acknowledging he'd dedicated his life to seeking the same things people sought in shops like this.

He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever feel comfortable in a magic shop again.

He'd hardly been in the shop a minute before he saw a gold-foiled pyramid with an Eye of Horus on the side. And then small pyramids constructed out of seven layers of stone, forming an inverted rainbow from purple down to red. "Divine Eye"-brand incense sticks with a brown logo stamped onto each package depicting an uncannily realistic eye on a pyramid. Milky translucent selenite pyramids. Multiple different tarot decks—simple woodcut designs, complex oil paintings, punkish collage art—that featured an eye in a triangle somewhere on the box art. Shiny black pyramids with copper coils wrapped around them. A poster with a psychedelic Eye of Providence. Pyramids in a dozen other colors and stones. With so many hostile triangles around, even the familiar, watchful nazar and eyed hamsa amulets now seemed to stare at him too hard.

It was almost a relief when Ford spotted, between sculptures of Shiva and a severe-looking angel, one sculpture that was unmistakeably Bill himself. He was seated with his legs in lotus position, "floating" by attaching to a wall of flames behind him, with two blue glass flames in his hands. Anything else in this shop left Ford with the nervous uncertainty of whether the artist had been depicting Bill, or just an innocuous Eye of Providence symbol a hundred generations removed from its initial inspiration. But this sculpture, down to the hat and bow tie, left no doubt.

Ford reminded himself that it shouldn't be a comfort to see Bill's face; and he didn't like that he had to remind himself.

He gingerly pictured up the sculpture, surprised at how light it was, and inspected the bottom. It had a logo stamped on it that matched the logo on sculptures of at least a dozen other less malevolent entities in the store; the shop had probably bought them en masse and wasn't affiliated with Bill. But somewhere out there was an artist who was. Ford wondered where they were.

####

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel bounded up to him, grinning.

Ford flinched when his name was called and turned away from the shelf he'd been inspecting a little too fast, like he'd been caught doing something wrong—but he gave her his full, polite attention. "Yes?"

"Look what I found in the window! It makes rainbows when the sunlight hits it! Like a prism-pyramid! A prismid! A pyrismid?" She shrugged. "Anyway, isn't it awesome! Free rainbows, everywhere, forever!" She beamed at Ford, holding her clear glass pyramid up for him to inspect; but when she saw the look on his face, she slowly lowered it. "What's wrong?"

Ford forced a tense smile. "Oh, it's... I'm sorry, Mabel. You're right, it is very impressive. But—" He winced, glancing away, voice dropping, "Bill happens to be fond of those, too. I used to have—dozens of those."

Mabel's cheeks heated up. "Oh." Now that she thought back, she distantly recalled seeing a similar pyramid in the room with the switcheroo carpet, although she'd never seen it in the sunlight. Stupid, stupid, stupid. "Sorry. I can put it back. I saw some pink cats and these resin hearts filled with gold flakes? They were cute."

It took Ford a second to speak; Mabel wasn't sure he'd even heard what she'd said. "He didn't put the idea of getting one of these in your head, did he?"

"What? No!" Mabel said. "Of course not! When would he have even brought it up?"

"You... have been spending a lot of time around him lately."

"Pffft!" Mabel rolled her eyes. "Like when?"

####

"Okay," Stan called from the kitchen, a tray of raw burgers in front of him, "ready to start grilling! How does everyone want their burgers? Your options are 'medium rare' and 'overcooked.'"

Mabel stuck her head in the kitchen. "I want mine with sprinkles mixed in!"

Stan grimaced. "Sweetie, that sounds awful—"

Bill stuck his head in over Mabel's. "I want sprinkles too."

"I'm not making you a burger!"

Mabel chanted, "Sprinkles, sprinkles—" and Bill joined in, "—sprinkles, sprinkles, sprinkles—!"

####

Mabel pointed at one of the cartoon animal drawings on the blackboard. "And the orange one is...?"

Bill, sitting on the living room floor with a notepad and a yellow pencil, raised his hand, even though he was Mabel's only audience. "Teddy Tender!"

"And his job is...?"

"Healing! Uh—doctoring and social reconciliation! He's like a therapist medic."

"Correct! Full points!"

"Yes!"

"And the indigo one?"

Bill squinted at the fishy-looking creature. "The Mystic Dolphin."

"Close enough, I'll give it to you! Misty the Dolphin. Her job?"

Bill frowned. "Psychic powers."

"No."

"Purple has psychic powers."

"No!"

"Who has psychic powers, then!"

"Nobody has psychic powers, man, we've been over this!"

Bill groaned. "Is Misty going to be on the test?"

"Of course she is! We can't just skip over Misty! Indigo gets shortchanged in artistic depictions of rainbows enough as it is!"

"Misty is stupid! She can't even visit the rest of the critters!" Bill chucked his notebook at the blackboard. It smacked it harmlessly and flopped to the floor.

Mabel gave him a stern look. "You'll never grasp the deeper thematic concepts in Color Critters if you can't see that Misty's an equal part of the team regardless of her handicaps."

Bill groaned again.

####

"Hey dudes," Soos said, opening the attic door. "Do you know where my laundry went? I can't find my green t-shirt, and—"

Mabel was wearing Soos's green t-shirt, which went down to her calves like a loose dress. Bill was hot glueing construction paper flowers all over the shirt.

Arms outstretched in a T shape, Mabel said, "I'm the flower queen."

"She's the flower queen," Bill said.

Soos looked between them both, flashed Mabel a double thumbs up, said, "You look beautiful, dawg," and shut the door.

####

Mabel kicked a foot sheepishly. "I haven't been spending that much time with him."

"That was all in the last three days," Ford said.

Mabel winced. "Okay, fine—but—it's all been harmless stuff! Nothing Bill can use to conquer the world or anything! I'm not even letting him use the scissors! And I promise he's not doing anything evil under my supervision. He's actually been really well behaved—"

"That's exactly what worries me!" Ford snapped. He sighed harshly. "Mabel—I'm not surprised he's treating you decently. It's what I expected. I... I've actually been meaning to talk to you about this for a few days."

Mabel immediately went cold. Stay safe out there, okay? "Oh. Yeah?"

"I understand you're just trying to be kind, but considering who we're dealing with here—and how willing he is to exploit and abuse even our best virtues—I'm worried you're not being careful enough around him."

Mabel was never careful enough, was she? Not even careful enough to be trusted with a snow globe, much less anything important. Voice thick, she asked, "Is that why we're here?" She gestured around the magic shop.

Ford hesitated just long enough to give her her answer. "I... didn't think this was a conversation we should have inside the shack."

Mabel looked down at her hands, saw the stupid glass pyramid, and nearly flung it on the floor in frustration. Instead, she set it on the nearest shelf. Don't break anything. Under her breath, she muttered, "Bill said you'd do something like this."

"Bill said? Bill said?! Of course he would, that's just like him. What kind of nonsense has he been filling your head with?"

####

"Honestly, I'm surprised Ford hasn't said anything about you talking to me yet," Bill said, carefully taping construction paper petals together into flowers. "But mark my words—if he's taken this long, it's only because he's waiting for an opportunity to scold you where I can't overhear. He'll probably lure you out somewhere fun—go to the zoo or something. Then he'll let you have it."

"Pfff, come on!" Mabel focused on cutting out the next few flower petals. "He wouldn't 'let me have it.' If it bothered him that much, he'd have said so by now."

"You, my friend, have never seen him get really mad. I have. For the sake of argument, maybe I deserved it, fine—but he's got a tendency to aim that hate at anybody I'm friends with, too. So don't think you're safe."

Mabel paused, then shook her head. "No." She threw another bunch of petals at Bill to tape together. "He wouldn't hate me. We're family."

"If you were your brother, I'd agree with you. As it is, though..." Bill dumped a half dozen finished flowers in Mabel's lap. "Honestly, I can't even tell how he feels about you. Can you?"

####

Mabel flinched. "Obviously what he's filling my head with isn't nonsense, because he was right! You took me all the way to Portland by promising a stupid crystal shop that doesn't exist—"

"What?! Mabel, that's ridiculous! Just listen to m—"

"Why are you yelling! Why are you mad at me, I was only trying to be nice to him!" She let out a sob. "I didn't do anything wrong this time!"

Ford froze. "Mabel..."

She ran out of the crystal shop, crying. Ford watched her go, paralyzed. Mad at her? He was mad at Bill, if anybody. Mad at her?

He turned helplessly toward the shopkeeper, as if the only other adult in the store could help him out. "I'm... sorry for the disturbance."

The shopkeeper shrugged her shoulder in vague sympathy. "She upset over some guy?"

"Not that way." Thank goodness for that. "She's just..." He sighed. "She's been making friends with a very bad influence."

####

The entire crystal shop trip was initially one super long chapter that I cut in two. They would have been about equal length if I'd ended this chapter after Ford saw the Bill statue. I decided not to do that. I did that to be mean. ♡

#bill cipher #human bill cipher #mabel pines #grunkle ford #(he's not in the art but he's costar of this chapter)#gravity falls #gravity falls fic #gravity falls fanart #my art #my writing #bill goldilocks cipher

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