#I've had too much caffeine tonight

[strawbnation]

I hadn't slept enough for a couple of days and then last night I knocked out like you've never seen before and I haven't felt that good in a while weewooo

#sometimes all you need is to just fall into a deep coma and forget the world is real O_O #I should sleep early tonight too so I can like :3c have enough sleep for tomorrow #I've also stopped drinking as much coffee there are days in between kwafee now #which sometimes I miss the taste (might by some more caffeine free stuff soon) #but also genuinely really helps with my sleep #so .... I guess it does make a huge difference huhh... #downside? my back hurts because i had to move recently whoopsie teehee I have been silly again #t

[nicksolemnlyswears]

THE BEAR AND THE BEE HIVE

summary: in which carmy falls for the sweet café owner that supplies him with endless americanos

pairing: carmen berzatto x fem!reader

word count: 14.4k

warning: it's a little bit of a slow burn. sorry. i'm a sucker for it and i feel like carmy is a slow burn kinda guy. 18 +, cursing, smut, p in v, oral (m. receiving), fingering, they use protection guys! i deserve a pat in the back. nothing too wild. oh, and very brief mention of suicide.

a/n: i started writing this way back in october and then it was nearly done and i abandoned it. well i finally got around to completing it tonight!

this is my first time ever writing for carmy and i tried my best writing this. i love carmy and the show but i didn’t expect it to be hard to write him as a character. i wanted to get him right so i took my time with it and didn’t rush it. hopefully you guys like my carmy. enjoy!

i think i've had this stored in my drafts for like 4 months and it's time for me to set it free.

The cigarettes were not enough anymore. No matter how many smoke breaks Carmy took, he still felt the edge on his shoulders. A fear laced with anxiety that overtook him.

After deciding that blowing through yet another wall in his restaurant was the way to go, Carmy took a break. He needed it before he used the sledgehammer to destroy the restaurant in its entirety, along with his dream.

He remembers a coffee shop only a block away from The Bear and thinks he could use a coffee right about now. Maybe the mixture of caffeine and nicotine will be able to relax his shoulders, if only for an hour.

As soon as he opens the door, the smell of ground coffee beans greets him. He looks around, taking in the cozy ambiance the decorative wood brings to the place and the splashes of warm yellow that lighten it up.

Then he sees you, and his focus shifts entirely. His eyes only see you.

"Hi, welcome to Bee Hive!" You chirp with a small smile.

Carmy freezes, forgetting why he's there in the first place. He slowly steps up to the register, where you patiently wait for him. It's just after the lunch rush, so you're in no hurry.

He finds he's acting like a teenager who has just seen a pretty girl. Only he's not a teenager, and you're more than a pretty girl.

"What can I get for you today?" You ask, not noticing the effect you've had on him. You take a sharpie out of your yellow apron, preparing to scribble down his order in a cup.

Carmy has perfected the empty on the outside but screaming on the inside face. Strangers don't tend to know he's almost always losing his shit.

"I-I don't…sorry," Carmy looks at you briefly before diverting his eyes. He apologizes in a flurry, looking for an excuse for his weird behavior, "Uh, it's my first time here. What do you recommend?"

"It's not a problem," you say softly as if to calm him, "I'm a simple girl. I love the latte, but if you're looking for something stronger, the americano is one of the favorites."

Carmy nods as you ramble about the drinks, where the coffee beans come from, and the different notes of each blend. He hangs onto every word that slips from your lips. The static in his brain clearing up for the first time in hours.

It ends too soon as you realize you're talking too much and probably overwhelmed him. You sheepishly smile at him and trail off, but he continues to stare, waiting for you to continue.

"I'll take the Americano," Carmy nods, giving you a tight-lipped smile. Although he had been hanging to every one of your words, he was too focused on the shape of your lips and the sweet tone of your voice.

"Good choice," you nod, grabbing a cup from the tray beside you, "What's your name?"

Carmy looks up, slightly alarmed, as if you've asked for his social security number. "What?" He thinks you'll be forward and ask for his number next, seemingly forgetting how coffee orders work.

"Your name? For the order?" You explain, trying to ease his worries. He's odd, but in an endearing way. You believe this is his first time here because you're confident you would've remembered him.

"Fuck, right, yeah," he nervously says, pinching the bridge of his nose, "My name's Carmen."

"Your Americano will be right out, Carmen," you tell him, capping your sharpie back up.

Carmy quickly pays and stands to the side to wait for his order. He forces himself to not look at you or in your direction as you take other customers' orders. He just knows he's made a fool of himself already. Not that it matters. Why would it matter? He's there for the coffee. Nothing else, no one else.

As he walks out of Bee Hive, he sips his coffee. His shoulders instantly drop, and his fear-induced anxiety starts to dissipate for the moment. He's unsure if the effect is because of the caffeine or the thoughts of your pretty smile.

Visiting your coffee shop becomes routine for Carmy. Whenever things at The Bear become crazy -or he starts to lose his fuckin' mind- he makes his way to Bee Hive with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

For twenty minutes, he's free of Richie's constant hounding, Sugar's struggles with the permits and scheduling, and Sydney's disappointment because the menu is still extremely underway.

Each time he's stopped by, you've been there to greet him, and each time, you've left a little heart by Carmen's name, which makes his heart race in a peculiar way. His hands would touch his chest to check if it was heartburn, but it didn't feel like that. It's not anxiety either cause he knows pretty well how that feels.

All he knows is he hasn't done anything to deserve such a gesture. He's convinced himself you draw little hearts for everyone because he's not special.

One Thursday afternoon, Carmy realizes he doesn't know your name. He looks for a name tag, but you're not wearing one on your yellow apron. He should know your name if you insist on making small talk despite his short answers.

He can't help it. He gets too in his head to answer like a normal person, so his answers come out choppy and dry.

"Alright, Carmen, your order will be right out," you say, handing his cup to one of the baristas. You always hold out and ask him what he wants to order. He has the right to change his mind anytime, but for now, he's stuck with the americano, which he drowns in sugar.

As curiosity eats at him, he gathers the courage to ask. "Thanks. Hey, uh, I've-I’ve never gotten your name…” Carmy says, cursing at himself for not formulating the question correctly. His hand comes up to grip his hair instinctually.

Your smile widens when he asks your name. The silly crush you've developed for your customer fluttering to life. It's just a crush over a stranger, nothing to write home about.

You tell him your name but follow it with "-call me Honey. Everyone knows me by that name. I'm sure if you ask my friends about me with my real name, you'll throw them for a loop."

You're rambling, hoping he doesn't think calling you by your nickname is weird. Then again, how can he judge when he has a sister people call 'Sugar' and he and his siblings also don the nickname 'Bear.'

"Honey." Carmy repeats your nickname, smiling as he finds it fitting. "In that case, call me Carmy."

"Nice to properly meet you, Carmy," you say, grinning.

Like all the days before, Carmy steps aside and waits for his coffee. He doesn't let himself continue the conversation or ask more about you even if it’s everything he wants to do.

It's rare for Carmy to be in a good mood, and whenever it happens, it doesn't tend to last. His goal of opening a restaurant in 12 weeks makes it impossible for him to relax and enjoy the ride. To prolong this unusual feeling, Carmy stops by Bee Hive on his way to The Bear.

"Have you made your boss angry, Honey?" He asks as he pulls out his wallet to pay. He ordered the americano as he always does.

"No…why do you ask?" You ask, tilting your head in confusion.

"Uh, 'cause you-you're always here. Do you not take days off? Not that I'm complaining. I-I like seeing you here." Carmy's words get quieter as he speaks, red creeping up his neck. So much for trying to make a joke.

You look around the room and tell him, "Imma let you in on a little secret."

Carmy follows your hand, waving him to get closer. The smell of cigarettes invades your senses as you get close to him. You'd never admit that the mix of his cigarettes and your coffee is addicting. As both lean over the counter, you whisper, "I'm the boss. I can't run away even if I wanted to."

"You own the coffee shop," Carmy pans in shock.

Carmy is more than surprised at your words. Especially now that he knows how expensive it is to open a business. You can't be a day over 25 and own a successful coffee place. There is hope, after all.

"I do," you nod, standing straight once more.

A couple of years ago, you had inherited a hefty amount of money from an estranged aunt. Fresh out of college and with no real plan, you thought it would be a good moment to follow your dream and open the cozy café.

"How do you do it?" Carmy asks, amazed at the girl smiling at him. "I don't know if you know, but, um, I-I'm opening the restaurant around the block. Used to be The Beef?" He finishes grimly as he points to his side of the block.

"Oh, yeah. The guys who worked there helped me move some equipment when I first opened two years ago," you reveal, "Tell you what, whenever you have a break, come around. I'll give you a free americano and tell you all about it. Neighbor to neighbor."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Carmy agrees. "I'll take you up on that."

Weeks go by, and Carmy seemingly forgets about Bee Hive and your pending conversation. You try not to overthink about his absence or how you might've scared him away. He's probably just busy remodeling his restaurant. You know better than anyone how much time that takes.

Still, his presence has become part of your routine, and you can't help but look at the door each time the bell rings. You expect to see him walking up to the counter, the remnants of cigarette smoke coming out his nose as he breathes.

You're pretty close to your assumption because Carmy has been dealing with the fire suppression test. They didn't fail the test once but twice, and if they didn't pass it on the third try, their plan to open the restaurant in 12 weeks goes out the window. Fak has tried everything, and nothing works.

He'd sent Richie once on a coffee run, but the fuckin' idiot went to the nearest Starbucks. Carmy had been looking forward to tasting your coffee and seeing his name in the cup with the little heart because he's 100% sure he's the only Carmen you know. It's not a common name in these parts of town.

One very early morning, he's walking to work, and as he passes Bee Hive, he sees you inside, wiping tables down before you open at 6:30.

Impulsively, he knocks on the glass, not giving himself the time to overthink things. You turn to look at the window and see him standing outside, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his familiar plaid jacket to protect himself from the chilly March air.

"Hey stranger," you greet him, opening the door and inviting him in.

"Hi," he breathes out, staring at you, "you're here early," he tries to casually mention.

You roll your eyes dramatically and say, "It's a downside of the job. Did you know people want coffee at the crack of dawn?"

You try acting as nonchalant as possible. It's not like you missed seeing one of your favorite customers, his beautiful blue eyes, or the way he rocks a simple white t-shirt.

"I had no idea," Carmy smiles, bringing his tattooed hand up to his lips, "I, uh, usually drink mine at night." That much is true. On those sleepless nights when insomnia takes over him, the best remedy is coffee.

"Would you make an exception and join me for a morning coffee at the crack ass of dawn?" Anxiously, you play with the rings on your fingers. It feels like you're asking the guy on a date when it's just a friendly coffee.

"As long as you have some business advice to spare?" Carmy responds shakily. He briefly looks down the street to glimpse at his restaurant. It's too early for anyone to be there yet.

"Deal."

Throwing the towel over your shoulder, you make your way behind the counter. Carmy attempts to make small talk with you as you prepare both drinks.

This is the first time he's watching you in action since you tend to stick to the cash register when he's around. It's not a coincidence. After the first time he came to Bee Hive, you wanted to see more of him, so you stationed yourself at the register where you'd be sure to see him, and he'd see you.

"Here you go." You place his coffee mug on the table along with yours before disappearing momentarily and returning with an orange soufflé coffee cake. You're pulling all the stops for Carmy to leave a good impression.

Carmy thanks you and sips his coffee, "Wow, this is fire!" He expected to taste an americano, but what you prepared was entirely different. He can make out hints of hazelnut and caramel in the coffee.

"Thanks. I took the liberty of changing your order. You can always come back to the americano, though…" you shrug shyly, looking at him over the rim of your mug.

"I-I appreciate it. Thanks." Carmy throws you a nervous grin. He gestures with his tattooed hand to dig into the cake you brought out. He shouldn't be the only one eating.

You and Carmy share the cake as you talk about yourselves and the crazy businesses you own. Somehow, talking to you comes easy to him. He's still nervous and scared to fuck things up, but the warm coffee and your even warmer smile ease him into it.

"How do you do it? This place is always packed, and you seem like you run a tight ship," Carmy wonders, playing with the fork. The cake is long gone, although the notes of orange remain on his tongue. Would you taste the same?

"It wasn't without mistakes. I had to learn a lot from my fuck ups and listen to my team because although I'm the owner, they are the ones doing most of the work. Whenever there's a flaw, they are the first to know," you speak softly, afraid of ruining the calm ambiance you've set up, twirling the small amount of coffee left in your mug.

It's your favorite part of morning coffee. When you have just the smallest bit of coffee left, and you know you'll never drink it because it's cold, but it gives you an excuse to remain where you are.

"So, all I gotta do is listen?" It's funny you say that because Carmy listens, but his friend's voices get muddled somewhere along the way. As much as he tries to focus on them, they merge together and form a cacophony in his head.

"A lot of listening and a lot of experimentation. I've been open for two years, and it's only been in the last six months that I can confidently tell you we found our groove," you admit with a grimace.

Bee Hive is your baby, but bringing it to life was everything but easy. You messed up so many times, costing you so much money. You didn't know shit about owning a business or building one from the ground up. Doing research and putting your pride aside to ask for help got you through it.

"I've only been doing this for, like, less than a fuckin' year, and I already want to pull my hair out," Carmy admits with a pitiful laugh.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you it gets better soon," you say apologetically, reaching for his hand that rests on the table.

Carmy freezes, glancing at your hand on top of his. He hasn't got a clue what to fucking do with the display of affection. Was it a display of affection? He doesn't fucking know. "It's, uh, it's, uh, it's alright. As-as long as you give me coffee, I think I can make it through," Carmen furrows his eyebrows as he stutters through the sentence.

"I can't wait to see what the award-winning chef does," you say, bringing your hand back to your lap, none the wiser to Carmy's internal struggle.

He should've done something to keep your hand on his. Place his other hand on yours or fucking turn his hand around to grasp it. He liked feeling your warm skin on his. It hasn't been a minute since you pulled away, and he's craving it already. It's ridiculous. Is he really that touch-starved that he's seeking affection from a near stranger?

He coughs and darts his eyes between the wooden table top and you, "Fuck. You-you know about that?"

"I might've done some research after finding out you're opening the restaurant. I got curious. I'm sorry." Apologizing is your default thing to do. Messing things up is your area of expertise. You really didn't think he'd mind you mentioning it.

"No, no, no, uh, you don't have to apologize. You just caught me off guard," Carmy shakes his head, reassuring both of you.

"Okay, good," you lightly smile at him, averting your eyes when your gazes meet.

If there's a time for you to make a move, it's now. Taking a shaky breath, you speak up, "I was wondering if you'd ever like to-."

A loud knock on the glass door interrupts you. You and Carmy jump and look towards the source of the noise. It's one of your regular clients, waving at you to open up. Looking at your watch, you see it's 6:30 already.

"Shit. I'm-I'm sorry I took so much of your time," Carmy apologizes, picking up his mug and the plate to put away.

You grab his wrist to make him stop in his tracks, "Relax. I enjoyed talking to you. Maybe we can do it again soon?"

Carmy nods wide-eyed. He likes the idea just as much as you do. You take away the mug and plate with a soft 'okay.' He then follows you to the door as you unlock it and turn the sign to 'open.'

"I, um, gotta go work on the menu. I'll probably be back later for another coffee?" Carmen asks you as if he's asking for permission, which you find adorable.

"I'll be behind the register," you say, watching him walk away. He turns his head back for a moment, and you catch the smile gracing his lips as yours turns to mimic him.

"Oh, he's cute," your customer, an older lady, says, watching him go along with you. "It's about time you got a boyfriend."

"Mrs. O'Hara, here for your tea?" You ask her, ignoring the comment about your love life. That woman will set you up with anyone. She does love her tea, though, and expects you to provide it on time.

It's slow, but Carmen warms up to you. Instead of grabbing his coffee to go, he now drinks it at the café, coincidentally around the same time you take your break.

He's been hesitantly opening up. It's not like he's telling you about how fucked up his family is or how his brother committed suicide. More often, it's about the restaurant and his work as a chef, the struggles of getting every permit they need on a tight schedule since they are supposed to open in about four weeks now, or the occasional childhood memory. It's everything you need to know at this stage.

You love listening to Carmy talk, even if you have to coax it out of him sometimes. He's passionate about the restaurant despite all the stress that comes from it, and he adores the people he works with. He's shy but not in a dorky way because he's actually fascinating. Before meeting him, you never knew that collecting denim was a thing.

The smell of cigarettes that clings to him is also tightly laced with his character. When you step outside to get some sun and the scent of someone smoking hits you, your heart instantly speeds up, hoping it's him coming for his daily americano, or to come swoop you away into a sunset.

"-I fell on my ass in the middle of the street. I was freaking out, thinking I was gonna get run over by a car," you exclaim as you tell Carmy about the crazy Christmas you spent in New York last year.

"It's New York. You probably would have been run over," Carmy chuckles along with you. "There was this one time I was running late and-" His phone vibrating interrupts him.

"Sorry, it's just the fridge guy," he tells you with a furrow of his eyebrows. You notice he does that a lot when he's thinking deeply. Carmy silences it and looks back over to you.

"You should pick that up. A busted fridge is the last thing you need. Trust me. Been there, done that." You encourage him to take the call. The restaurant is more important than your story about how you bruised your coccyx in New York.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Carm! Call him back before you forget," you insist, grabbing his empty cup to trash it. You don't give him any other option, leaving him there to help your employees with a faulty machine.

He watches you closely, closer than ever before. He allows himself to watch how you frown at the machine and how your ringed fingers fumble with the knobs. His eyes keep trailing down involuntarily, and they take in how nicely your jeans hug your ass.

He goes into a spiral into these old pair of Levi jeans popular in the 90s and how they would fit nicely with the shape of your hips and legs. Carmy continues on the tangent, imagining himself peeling them off your body.

The phone vibrating in his hand snaps him out of it. Clearing his throat, he picks up the phone and walks outside. He waves at you through the window as he makes his way back to The Bear. Your frustration at the machine vanishes momentarily as you wave back, except the machine splatters, forcing you to redirect your attention. When you look outside again, he's gone.

Stakes are high at The Bear. There's less than four weeks until Friends and Family, and there is much to do. Marcus has returned from Copenhagen and is working on the desserts. Tina is doing her job as the new sous chef. Fak and Sweeps are helping out wherever they can. And Richie is being Richie, trying to be open but resisting change.

"I need coffee or a pop. Anything with caffeine," Sydney says, throwing her head back. She and Carmen have been working on the chaos menu for hours, and she keeps messing up. Carmy insists that it's okay that they'll adjust and get it right soon, but she's beginning to lose hope.

"Me too. I'd kill for an espresso," Natalie agrees, softly rubbing her hand over her growing bump.

"I thought you couldn't have caffeine cause of the baby," Richie mentions, remembering Tiff's time while pregnant.

"I don't need you to fuckin' tell me what I can or can't eat, Richie," Natalie yells, glaring at him. Although he's right, the doctor told her to limit her caffeine intake. Hard to do when she's up all night thinking about everything she needs to do for The Bear.

"Shit. I'm sorry for fucking caring," Richie screams back, lifting his hands up in defense.

"I can go to the coffee place down the block. Get everyone something," Carmy pipes up, looking forward to seeing you today.

Natalie is quick to shoot that idea down, "You can't. The fridge guy is coming in 20 minutes."

"Fuck, that's right," Carmy groans, digging his head in his hands. His fingers rake through his hair, messing up his curls. He wanted to see you and talk to you, even if it was for five short minutes.

"I'll go," Sydney sighs. She needs to leave the kitchen for more than five minutes, or she'll go crazy, "Just tell me what you guys want to order."

Natalie grumbles about getting decaf, Richie orders a plain black coffee, and Carmy asks for his americano. As Sydney leaves to ask Marcus, Carmy yells after her, "Please, go to Bee Hive. If you get Starbucks, I'm gonna fucking lose it."

Richie and Natalie exchange a look. Richie because he's confused, and Natalie because she knows something is happening with Carmy. He's never been picky over coffee. In fact, they have an old coffee machine in the office that now goes unused because he's always at that coffee shop.

"Sorry, I didn't get the fuckin' memo. Since when is Starbucks bad?" Richie frowns, looking to get a rise out of Carmy.

"I don't think it's about the coffee, cousin," Natalie responds, directing her gaze towards her brother, who is hunched over the counters, chopping vegetables.

"If it's not about the coffee, what is it about?" Richie questions, crossing his arms.

"Shut the fuck up, Sugar," Carmy grumbles, looking at his sister with a glare. He already knows where she's going. She tried to bring it up a couple of days ago after she walked by the coffee shop and saw him being friendly with you.

Natalie smiles and responds, "Carmy has a crush on the barista."

"That's ridiculous. I don't have a crush on her." Carmy shakes his head, avoiding Richie and Natalie's eyes on him. They always do this. They gang up on him if he shows even the slightest interest in a girl. They think they can help, but all they do is embarrass him.

"Come on, Bear. Why else would you go almost every day to get coffee?" Natalie asks, giving him a look.

"Because it's good fuckin' coffee. Jesus, it's not that deep." Carmy grabs the veggies he chopped and drops them into a container to use later.

"It's okay to admit you like a pretty girl, cousin! I'm excited for you! Makes you human and not a lonely hermit," Richie jokes, pushing on Carmy's buttons. "When was the last time you got laid?"

"I swear to God, Richie. Shut the fuck up," Carmy points at him angrily.

"No, I should go with Sydney and see who this girl is!" Richie says, walking out of the half-built kitchen.

Carmy follows him instantly, "You're not going fuckin' anywhere, fuckin' jagoff." He's turning red from anger, seeing Richie with his mocking smile. Natalie follows behind them, amused at the situation. It reminds her of the banters they used to get in with Mickey.

"Admit that you like her," Richie shrugs, giving him a choice.

"No, I won't," Carmy refuses. "You always do this shit."

"Then, I'm going," Richie nods, stepping towards the door.

"Fuck! Shit, alright. I like her, okay? Don't fucking go anywhere," Carmy yells, rubbing a hand on his face out of frustration. It's like he's not allowed to keep anything good to himself.

"Was that so hard?" Richie grins, clapping a hand on Carmy's shoulder.

"Don't fuckin' touch me," Carmy grumbles, walking back to the kitchen. Natalie follows him with a smile, shaking her head at Richie.

Carmy sighs and squeezes his eyes shut. He has yet to admit that he likes you more than he should. He's been avoiding it, afraid of what it might lead to, or rather, what it might not.

He couldn't let Richie go see you. He has a big fuckin' mouth and will tell you Carmy has a crush on you whether it's true or not. Just like that, he feels the sour taste in his mouth, his heartburn making an appearance. Carmy should go look for his pepto before it gets worse.

Unaware of the argument back at The Bear, Sydney walks to Bee Hive. She's walked past many times but has yet to have the time to stop and try it out.

As she waits in line, she reads over the drinks menu. It's clear that it's been carefully curated. Starbucks has nothing on this menu. She can see why Carmy would prefer to come here instead.

When it's her turn to order, Sydney takes out her phone to recite everyone's drink order. She also points to a few pastries, thinking Marcus would like to try some of them and get inspiration. That and she knows Natalie will enjoy them as well.

You're sitting at a table close to the pickup counter. You often find yourself all over the store, ensuring everything goes smoothly. Sometimes, you stop to talk to your regulars and see how they're doing.

You notice Sydney struggling with all the cups she has to carry. It's proving difficult despite the to-go trays your barista put them in. Deciding to approach her, you ask, "Do you need help?"

"Oh, no. I'm fine, thanks," Sydney responds with a nervous smile. She's trying hard to grab everything, including the box with the pastries.

You continue watching her struggle because you know she needs help. You let her try and figure it out for one more minute before stepping in again when she almost drops two of the drinks, "Need some help now?"

"Yeah," Sydney sighs, "I guess I can leave one of the trays here, go to the restaurant, and come back for the rest," she speaks mostly to herself.

"Are you going far?"

"No, just the restaurant down the block," Sydney responds with a sigh, scratching her eyebrow as she tries to figure out the logistics of carrying the drinks. She could get a box to put everything in.

You perk up at her response. The only restaurant down the block is Carmen's. Could she work there? "Carmy's restaurant?"

"You know Carmy?" Sydney asks, tilting her head. Maybe Nat was right. Carmy spends his time here because of the woman in front of her.

"He comes here often. Anyway, I can go with you to help you out. It's not far, and I'd feel bad if your drinks got cold." You offer to help her out because you're a nice person. Not because you want a chance to see the curly-haired man you are developing feelings for.

"You really don't have to…"

"It's really not a problem," you press, grabbing one of the to-go trays and motioning for her to lead the way.

Sydney sighs in defeat and nods, "Thanks. I'm Sydney, by the way."

"I'm Honey," you smile, following her outside.

You chat all the way to the restaurant with Sydney. She reminds you of Carmy in some ways, so you can see why they are friends. Before arriving at the restaurant, Sydney apologizes in advance for any sort of mess there might be, including yelling.

As you near the building under renovation, your palms start to sweat. Maybe you shouldn't have come. You're showing up unannounced, and he's probably too busy to talk to you anyway. You can slip in and out without him noticing. That's the goal now.

You open the door for Sydney, letting her go through first, and quietly follow her into the restaurant. There's no time to escape, as all eyes are instantly on you.

Richie is arguing with Fak when he sees you walk in. He narrows his eyes as Carmy looks in your direction from the kitchen. With just one glance to Carmy's face, he knows who you're supposed to be.

"Guess I didn't have to go anywhere. She came to me," Richie whispers, rushing out the door.

"Shut the fuck up. Where are you going? Don't embarrass me!" Carmy whispers out to Richie unsuccessfully.

"Oh, you'll do that all by yourself," Richie throws over his shoulder.

"Honey, hey, what-what're you doing here?" Carmy speaks, not giving Richie a chance to open his big mouth. He stands between you and Richie, blocking him for the time being.

"Sydney needed help with the drinks," you answer nervously, averting your eyes.

"Oh, thanks for that. You didn't have to," Carmy approaches you and takes the drinks from your hands. His fingers brush with yours momentarily, causing you both to blush.

"I did, or else you probably wouldn't have anything to drink," you whisper to him.

Sydney, Fak, and Richie all watch the interaction amusedly. Richie has a big teasing grin on his face as he makes a plan in his head.

"Hi, I'm Richie! Carmy's cousin," he introduces himself, shoving Carmy to the side and shaking your hand enthusiastically. "I gotta say Carmen right here is obsessed with your coffee. He's banned us from getting Starbucks."

Carmy curses under his breath as Richie does precisely what he tells him not to. He has the urge to throw the coffee at him and run away.

"Is that right?" You ask, amused, looking over at Carmy with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Richie answers for him as Carmy tries to find the right words to say. "Cousin, why don't you give the nice lady a tour of the place?"

"It's not done yet. Could be dangerous," Carmy hopelessly says with a gulp.

"Nonsense! You'll take care of her!" Richie insists. He takes the coffee from Carmy's hands and pushes him in your direction. "Go give her a tour."

Richie, Sydney, and Fak all disappear to the office to stay out of the way and try to snoop simultaneously. Fak sends Carmy a not-so-discreet thumbs-up that makes you giggle.

He's internally screaming at his so-called friends but is glad to see you. It was all he wanted before Sydney left to get their drinks. It's strange having you here at The Bear, though. He's so used to seeing you in your own space back at Bee Hive.

Trying to make things better, you say, "Sorry you've been roped into this. You probably have better things to do. I can go-"

Carmy doesn't let you finish. "No, stay. I want to show you around."

"Let's see what you got then, Berzatto," you grin, following him to the kitchen.

Carmy takes his time showing you The Bear. He wants you to stay. He wants to spend time with you but doesn't really know how to say it. So he takes it slow, answers your questions about the restaurant, shows you the front and how everything will be laid out, and introduces you to the ones around, including the fridge guy working on the handle.

Sadly, you get a call from Bee Hive asking you to come back. Carmy walks you outside, dreading having to say goodbye.

"I'm really excited for The Bear to open. You have a great place and team," you tell Carmy.

"I really got lucky with them, huh?" He asks, playing with a dish towel.

"I gotta go. I'll see you later, Berzatto." You don't know where you got the guts to lean towards him and kiss his cheek.

Carmy stays still as his face heats up. You start walking away and throw him a smile over your shoulder. When you're a distance away, he touches the cheek you kissed. Back inside, Richie runs over to Sugar to tell her what he just witnessed.

It's late when Carmy leaves The Bear. As he walks to the train station, he has his hands stuffed in his jacket pocket. On his way, he sees a lone light turned on in your café. Crossing the street to check it out, he sees you're still there with glasses perched on your nose in front of the computer.

He tries the door, and to his luck, it's open. You look in his direction, startled, but relax once you see it's him.

"Nice glasses," Carmy teases, pulling out a chair to sit.

"Are you making fun of me?" You purse your lips, propping your chin on your palm.

"No, I…I think you look cute with them," Carmy admits. After a stern talk from Sugar and Richie, he's realized he should probably make a proper move on you because if what they say is true, you also have a crush on him.

"Thanks," you blush, the light from your screen making it obvious to Carmy, who can't stop the corners of his lips from turning up into a smile.

"Late night?"

"One of my baristas is moving out of state. I have to find someone new, preferably who has experience," you say with a sigh. Glancing at him, you add, "Are you perhaps interested in the position?"

"Poaching me from my own restaurant, nice. I'll let you know I'm an excellent worker," Carmy jokes, tapping his fingers on the table.

There's no doubt in your mind he's an excellent worker. He has to be if he's considered one of the best up-and-coming chefs. Or to work in one of the best restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars.

"I don't know. I'll need references," you speak as if not believing him.

Carmy smiles and softly chuckles, "Fair enough."

There's a moment of silence between the two of you that Carmy is quick to fill, "So, uh, have you had dinner yet by chance?" This is it.

You shake your head no and look at him with hopeful eyes.

"Wanna go grab pizza? I know a place," he asks, finding your gaze on him.

"Say no more," you say, closing your laptop and taking off your glasses. "I'm starving."

Carmy waits for you to lock Bee Hive and grab your things. Then, you both walk to the pizza place. To pass the time, you and Carmy talk about your days and anything that comes to mind. Nothing serious as you get to know each other.

Waiting in line to order the pizza, you tell him all about your nickname and how you were donned 'Honey' to everyone who knows you. In return, he tells you about his nickname 'Bear' and why his restaurant is named as such. For the first time, he dares mention Mickey.

"Best pizza in Chicago," Carmy says, taking a slice of the pie and placing it on your plate.

"I'll see about that," you murmur. You wait until he has a slice of his own and dig in simultaneously.

"It's good, but this is not the best pizza place in Chicago," you say after chewing the first bite, "I'm gonna get your chef license revoked."

"Are you? With what proof? Have you tried all the pizza places to know?"

"I don't have to because I've tried the best," you hum, taking another bite. The cheese stretches as you pull it away.

"Oh yeah? Which one?" Carmy questions you, taking a drink of his beer.

"Mine. The pizza I make is the best," you shrug modestly.

"Wait. You cook?" Carmy asks, giving you a look of surprise.

Cooking is a universal thing. Most people know how to cook up to a degree, yet only some are as confident in their skills as you are. You know you're definitely not up to Carmy's level, but if there is something you know how to do properly, it's pizza.

"Yeah! You're not the only good cook here, Berzatto," you sass back at him, dipping the pizza crust in the marinara sauce.

"Sorry for assuming," he raises his palms.

"You're forgiven," you chirp.

"When will I try this famous pizza of yours then?" Carmy wonders. An attempt to see if you'd like to see more of him.

"I promise I'll make it for you once you open The Bear. You're too stressed to fully enjoy it now," you respond. You were reaching out. Throwing hints that you want this to continue in the foreseeable future.

The conversation continues to flow with an empty pizza box in front of you. Customers come and go until it's only the two of you and a drunk customer picking up his pizza.

"Tell me about your tattoos. Were they an act of rebellion or something else?"

It's an excuse to touch his hands. You reach for them, turning them to see the black ink on his hands and fingers. You gently trace over them with the pads of your fingers. Over the hand that's stabbed, the letters S.O.U. on his knuckles and the forget-me-nots. The one you're dying to touch, though, is the one on his bicep; you'd give anything to feel the hard muscle underneath the rolled-up sleeves of his white t-shirt.

"Uh, my first tattoo is the 773. Got it when I left Chicago for the first time. After that, I sort of became addicted to them. I found they helped my anxiety when it was becoming too much. The pain distracted me and made me feel stronger than I actually was," he says, letting you touch him. He finds that he likes it. Your touch is soft and warm. Comforting.

"So what you're trying to say is you're a masochist," you say, bouncing your eyebrows at him. Your touch goes further up his arm to turn it and look at the fish tattoo on his forearm.

"I guess so," Carmy responds with a breathy laugh, "Do you have any tattoos?"

"Maybe…" You shrug as the pads of your fingers trail back down to his palm until you pull them back towards you. Carmy instantly misses the feeling, opting to cross his arms to retain the warmth you left behind.

"It's bad, isn't it?" He says knowingly. Your reaction told him everything he needed to know.

"The worst," you grimace, shaking your head at the memory of you getting it.

"So, rebellion or something else?"

"Rebellion. For all the wrong reasons," you groan, burying your face in your hands, "Growing up, everyone saw me as a good girl because that's what I was. Breaking the rules terrified me. So, as a teenager, I didn't want to be seen as a goody two shoes, so the summer before I went to college, I decided that getting a tattoo would make me a badass."

"Did it work?"

"God, no. I only got the outline done 'cause it hurt like a bitch. Then I went crying to my parents, fully having a meltdown, apologizing for disappointing them," You scrunch your nose as you say the following words, "They laughed in my face, called me a wimp, and told me to suck it up."

Carmy fully laughs at your story. Head thrown back, eyes closing, "What did you get?"

"That's a secret, Berzatto," you purse your lips, avoiding responding. You just know he'll make fun of you for it.

Everyone who has seen your tattoo has made fun of you for it, yourself included. It's so silly and not badass. Carmy will have to wait to see your tattoo, and you hope this continues so he can see it up close.

"Really? That bad?" Carmy stares wide-eyed.

"It's terrible," you nod, leaning on the table. "We should probably get going before the waitress throws a fit."

Carmy looks over his shoulder to see the waitress glaring at them. It's five minutes till close, and they've made no move to go. He turns back to you and nods towards the door. Carmy helps you with your jacket and leaves a tip on the jar for the waitress. At that, she happily calls after them with a 'Good night!'

"Do you live far?" Carmy asks, seeing how dark it is now that most places have closed. There are too many lamp posts that aren't working. He'd feel better if he could walk you home or you called an Uber. Preferably the former.

"Only a couple of blocks away. Why?"

"It's late. Let me walk you home," Carmy says decidedly, not giving you much of a choice.

"Thanks," you respond with a small smile.

The pace you set is slow. You don't want your time with Carmy to end just yet. He's such an interesting and sweet guy. He's a little awkward, but it adds to his charm, and you can see he's trying.

Somewhere along the way, his hand brushes against yours briefly. Then, it happens again, and you decide to bite the bullet. You grasp his hand in yours.

"Is this okay?" You ask when he falls silent.

Carmy doesn't have a lot of experience with girls. He can't even remember the last time he held a girl's hand. All he knows is he doesn't remember ever feeling this good. "Yes, uh, this is okay."

Carmy walks you up to your front door when you reach your house. You unlock the door but stay outside face-to-face with Carmy.

"Thanks for the pizza," you say, fiddling with your fingers. You were about to make one more move for the night. Because as long as Carmy allows you, you'll keep pushing for more.

"Sorry, it wasn't the best," he retorts, rubbing his jaw with his hand. You notice he does that a lot when nervous.

"Your company made up for it," you reassure him, "g'night Carmy." You kiss his cheek goodbye, watching as his cheeks blush.

"Night," he whispers.

As you turn to leave, Carmy stops you by grabbing your wrist, "Wait-uh, can I? Uh-shit. Fuck it." For a second, Carmy shuts out the excessive thoughts in his head and does what he's been dying to do for weeks.

Carmy cups your jaw and kisses you. It's soft and slow. He gives you enough leeway to pull away if it's something you don't want, but you reciprocate eagerly. You've been waiting for this all night.

As confidence surges through his body, Carmy throws an arm around your waist, pulling you closer. You wrap your arms around him, one of your hands resting on his neck, tangling on his curls. The tug of your fingers feels like heaven.

The kiss turns needy and desperate, your lips moving perfectly in sync. His tongue brushes over your lip; Carmy has been dying to test a theory. Are you as sweet as your name?

He's rewarded by a little noise in the back of your throat as he slips his tongue into your mouth. It's endearing, and he finds a way to make you do it again. With heads tilting to deepen the kiss, he concludes he was right. You're pure honey. Sweet and addicting.

When Carmy returns to his apartment, he gets the urge to create, to cook. He wants to bring your taste to life with his cooking. Something with honey.

"I was wondering if you'd want to come to the restaurant for Family and Friends."

You and Carmy are in your little office at Bee Hive. He stands between your legs as you sit on the desk. His lips are slightly red and swollen, and the hair at the nape of his neck is messier than usual.

"Hm, I could be persuaded," you pretend to think as you play with the golden chain around his neck, pulling him towards you.

"Yeah?" Carmy laughs, leaning to brush his lips against yours. When he feels you nod, he closes the small gap between the two of you.

His hands hold your hips, pulling you impossibly closer. He tastes like coffee, which is to be expected from the discarded cup beside you. It's funny how your relationship, if it could be called that, has moved all around Bee Hive from the register to the front and now to your office.

You're at a weird spot where you're not exactly friends because friends don't kiss, but you're not a couple either. It's a situationship for sure. You're content with what you have now, although you'd also love it if Carmy were to ask you to be more. You pin it on him being shy. He'll get around to it.

"What do you say?" Carmy questions as he kisses a trail from your cheek to your jaw.

"Consider me in," you giggle when he kisses a tickly spot.

Carmy brushes a strand of hair out of your face, remaining close to you. This is what he needs. After months of stress and anxiety of having to deal with The Beef, now The Bear, he needed you and your calming presence. Someone removed from the chaos, a safe haven.

He's quiet as his thoughts consume him, and you take the intimate position to fix his gold chain. Turning it so the clasp faces the back instead of the front. "I'm excited, Carmy," you say with a smile, brushing his cheek with your thumb.

"You can bring someone with you," Carmy offers nervously because he realizes he probably won't have the time to spend much time with you. "I-I don't think I'll be around much. I'm sorry. I'd understand if that makes you change your mind," Carmy drops his head as he braces himself for disappointment.

As the weeks pass, you learn more about Carmy and his insecurities. It doesn't deter you from wanting to be with him. Everyone has their issues. "Berzatto, stop. Look at me," you softly divert his attention, "I'd love to go and support you even if it's from the sidelines."

"You sure?" He asks once more.

If reassurance is what he needs, that's what you'll give. "Don't worry about me. This is your moment, Carmy. Enjoy it. I'll be around afterward."

"Thank you for understanding," Carmy responds, stealing one more kiss from you.

When he returns to The Bear, he helps Sydney prep the dishes they finally chose to serve. He notes how everything is laid out and anything they should fix before opening.

Richie struts into the kitchen with a suit on. Apparently, it's his thing now. Carmy figures staging at Chef Terry's restaurant had a good impact on him. All Carmy wanted was to show Richie he had what it takes. That he's not a fuck up.

"Glad to see things are going well with Honey," Richie thunders.

"What are you talking about?" Carmy says in a rush as he plates the lamb expertly.

"That thing on your neck," Richie says, motioning to his own neck. He has a smug look on his face.

"I don't have time for this, cousin," Carmy grumbles, wiping the plate where the sauce might've splattered.

Groaning, Richie grabs one of the new pans and holds it in front of Carmy. "I don't see anything," he frowns, looking at Richie for an explanation.

"Right here," Richie points towards the edge of his t-shirt around his neck.

Carmy pulls it back and finally spots what Richie has been referring to. There is a fading purple bruise on his skin, a hickey. You must've done it when he was back in your office. He'd been too busy touching you to notice.

Sydney, silently watching, pipes up, "No wonder he hasn't been as on edge lately." Carmy shoots her a glare, which causes her to shrug and laugh with a, "What? It's true."

"Ay, yo, Sugar, get in here!" Richie yells down the hall to the office.

"What is it?" Natalie barges in, afraid something went to shit.

Carmy ignores Richie as he babbles to Natalie what he found. His face is red, though, as Sydney nudges his side.

"That's enough about me. We have shit to do," Carmy shouts in his chef's voice.

Everyone in the kitchen, including Richie and Natalie, repeats, "Yes, chef!"

Walking out of the kitchen Richie, 'whispers' to Natalie, "I've always wondered if he likes to be called chef in bed."

"Fuck off, Richie," Natalie glares, but then it falls, and it's replaced with a teasing grin, "He definitely does."

"I heard that! Don't you two have better things to do?" Carmy screams at them.

"Yes, chef!"

Carmy keeps hearing Cicero's 'Uh-oh' throughout the whole day. He understands Cicero, he really does, but to call you a distraction?

His work with The Bear is only starting. They managed to make it to Friends and Family. Now, they have to keep up their best work to fill up the restaurant daily and have a waiting list. His work is far from done. He should listen to Cicero.

Cicero said it with the best of intentions. He doesn't want the Berzatto siblings to fail. He wants to believe they'll succeed and, most importantly, get him his money.

If there is something Cicero has learned throughout the years, it is that girls are distractions. They mean well, but oftentimes, they keep your eyes off the ball. Especially when it's a new relationship like Carmy's. Ultimately, it's up to Carmy to decide what he wants to do. Cicero has played his part by giving him his advice.

One last delivery is made to the restaurant an hour before opening. Richie is the one to receive it and place it in front of Carmy. "She's a keeper, Cousin," he says with a pointed look and a nod. He also wants the best for Carmy, and yet it doesn't align with Cicero.

You knew Carmy would be too stressed and all over the place to eat or drink, so you sent everyone at The Bear a drink and a pastry. One of the cups has Carmen's name with a little heart and 'good luck' written on it.

"Yeah, she is," Carmy sighs, turning the cup in his hands to look at the message. His thumb brushes over your handwriting longingly. Is listening to Cicero the wise thing to do? He's one of the most successful men he knows in his family.

When it's 10 minutes till open, Carmy changes into his uniform and looks in the mirror. His heart is racing, begging for Friends and Family not to be a complete failure. Walking out of the bathroom, Carmy is a man on a mission.

It starts relatively well, but like everything in Carmy's life, the kitchen starts welcoming in the chaos.

They are too slow getting the orders out, which causes Sydney to start doubting herself and asking Carmy to step in. He reassures her she's doing good. They just have to keep up the pace.

Then, one of the new chefs disappears mid-rush. Forcing Tina to work two stations and Marcus to step out of his to help Sydney. Carmy ignores some weird tension between them as he works on ensuring the dishes are good to go.

Next thing he knows, Sugar is rushing into the kitchen, yelling at him about forks. It's wasted time, as he can't do anything about it. A shrill reverberates inside his head as he looks at the ticking clock. It's enough to give him a headache.

With no one to take a dish to its table, Carmy takes it upon himself to do it. There's no time to re-fire or wait for someone. He places it on their table and pours the tea into their cups before retreating with an 'enjoy.'

He looks at his restaurant, and suddenly, the ringing in his head gets louder. Sitting in a booth is his old boss, staring back at him like he did back in New York. Like he was waiting for Carmy to fail.

His voice echoes in Carmy's head. Why are you so fuckin' slow. Hurry up. Go faster motherfucker. Talentless piece of shit.

Right before Carmy spirals, it all goes away. His focus shifts entirely as he sees you taking your seat for the night. The one he chose because he'd be able to see you from the kitchen. You have successfully blocked the mirage he'd conjured up.

You're there with your brother as Richie talks you up, thanking you for coming. As if sensing him, your eyes lock with Carmys. Shyly, you send him a wave, which he returns, thanking you in his head for getting there at the perfect time.

Carmy ducks back to the kitchen with newfound energy. Richie enters shortly after him.

"Chef, your girl is here."

"Thanks, Chef, um, do you have the notepad?" Carmy asks as he continues cleaning dishes and making sure each one is up to par.

"Here you go."

Taking the notepad from Richie, he begins scribbling. I love- No, too fuckin' soon. Thank you for- Nope, it's too stale.

I'm happy you're here, Honey. Wait for me after you're done? -Bear

"Here," Carmy hands it to him without even looking at Richie.

"Keep up the good work, Chefs," Richie yells out to the room before disappearing to the front of the house. The door swinging shut behind him.

"Yes, Chef!"

Something isn't working in the kitchen. They're too backed up, and no matter how hard they try, they're always a tad too slow. Through Sydney surrounding the wheel to Richie, Carmy steals glances out the kitchen window. You're smiling at whatever your brother says, your lips sipping the wine he chose. Carmy can get through this night because, in the end, you'll be waiting for him.

"There he is," you sing as you spot Carmy walking out of the kitchen. The chef's whites back in his locker as he sports his white t-shirt, jeans, and jacket.

Fak, who kept you company while Carmy finished up, speaks up next, "My brother, I'm gonna grab a sandwich and head home. Honey, it was a pleasure meeting you."

"You too, Neil!"

"Thanks for everything," Carmy tells him, giving him a hug and a pat like dudes do.

Carmy turns and grabs your hand to pull you close and kiss your cheek. "What did you think?"

"It was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted," you tell him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

There's a reason Carmy has had so many accolades despite his young age. He has a gift in the kitchen. The moment his food touched your taste buds, your life changed. He and Sydney outdid themselves, and the way everything flowed showed how much work they put into the restaurant.

"You're exaggerating," Carmy modestly says, his arms wrapping around your waist.

"I'm really not," you shake your head, pursing your lips. Carmy can't resist placing a small peck on your red-painted lips.

"What about your famous pizza?"

"No, it might be the best pizza in Chicago, but whatever I ate today topped it," you smile at him, scrunching your nose. "Consider your chef's license reinstated,"

"Thanks," Carmy laughs breathily, "Do you mind if we walk? I feel some of the rush still."

"Lead the way, Mr. Berzatto."

Carmy grabs your hand, leading you to the streets of Chicago. It's silent momentarily as the wind cools Carmy's heated face. He places his hand along with yours into his pocket.

"Did your brother like it?" He asks, breaking the ice.

"Oh yeah. I'm officially like the best sister ever," you respond, squeezing his hand.

You had accidentally forgotten that your brother had passed the Bar exam. So, you didn't have time to get him anything in celebration. You figured dinner at a lovely new restaurant would help while you got him a proper present.

"How did you feel throughout, though? It looked intense." You often found yourself looking through the small glass window into the kitchen. They were always on the move, looking for the next thing to do.

"It didn't just look like it. I'm used to it, though," Carmy admits with a sniff. Everyone's best and worst habits shone through for those couple of hours. It's an environment he's all too familiar with, in and out of the kitchen.

"That rough," you grimace.

"It's fine. We have a lot to work on, but it's a start, and it wasn't entirely terrible," Carmy says, thinking back on tonight. Before coming out to meet you, he wrote down a couple of things to go through with Sugar and Sydney.

"Good, 'cause I hope The Bear sticks around the block," you say, bumping your shoulder with his.

You invite Carmy into your house when you arrive. He takes up your offer, holding your hand to help you balance as you take your heels off. It reminds Carmy he forgot to mention how beautiful you looked today.

He follows you to the kitchen, watching your hips sway and your dress skirt swishing. Padding to the wine fridge, you pick out a bottle of red to celebrate.

Carmy indulges in looking at your legs as you stretch up to reach for the glasses of wine up in your cabinets. His blue eyes darken as your dress hikes up, exposing your pretty thighs.

His gaze darts back up at you when you turn around to place the glasses on the kitchen counter. You hand him the wine opener so he can do the honors because you suck at taking the cork out. It's why you mainly stick to cheaper wines with twist-off caps.

"Here is to The Bear and its amazing owner," you say, lifting your glass in front of you.

"Here's to not fuckin' it up entirely," Carmy follows, making you giggle. Your wine glasses clink, and you take a drink.

Placing the glass back down, Carmy pins you against the counter, his strong hands resting on the edge of it. You look at him through your lashes, a hand coming up to his chest to feel the steady thumping of his heart.

"You look beautiful. I like the dress," Carmy murmurs. It's better late than never.

The dress you wear is a pretty shade of light blue. Simple yet dressy. The neckline gives him a good view of your cleavage and has long sleeves to compensate for the shorter length. They currently cover the goosebumps lining your skin.

"Yeah? I picked it out thinking you might," you reveal, biting your lip. The shade reminded you of his eyes.

"You were right," he whispers, cupping your jaw. As pretty as the dress is, he's sure it'll look so much better on the floor.

Carmy closes his eyes as he leans down to kiss you. He's always struggled with words, so he hopes it's enough for you to catch what he's trying to say.

You smile into the kiss, blindly leaving your glass to the side to be able to touch him. Your palm presses against his chest and taut abdomen. He hides a nice amount of muscle under his t-shirts, a pleasant surprise.

Carmy easily lifts you up to sit down on the kitchen island. He steps between your legs, never breaking the heated kiss. The hands on your waist trail down to your thighs and under your dress. Carmy's tattooed hands squeeze your ass and thighs, earning him a moan from you.

This is the farthest you've ever gotten, and you're more than ready to have all of him. Carmy knows this, which leads to his thoughts getting out of control.

He has to make a decision now. Does he allow himself to be with you, or does he remain by himself like always? Richie's, Sugar's, Cicero's, and Sydney's voices all shout at him different things. Some are in favor, and others are in opposition. 'Uh oh.'

He can't lead you on and sleep with you if he will back out tomorrow. The voices become deafening in an instant, ripping him away from your embrace. His emotions bubbled over and spilled all over the place.

"Wait, stop, I just-" Carmy breathes heavily, taking a couple of steps back from you. Carmy's hand comes up to his forehead as he attempts to organize his thoughts.

"What's wrong?" You ask worriedly. Did you do something wrong?

Carmen's thoughts spill out his mouth without making much sense as he paces in your kitchen. "I can't stop thinking about it and owe it to my team..."

"Carm?" You slide off the kitchen counter, approaching him slowly.

"-keeps saying it's a distraction," he rambles mostly to himself. His heart is pounding painfully in his chest. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he was having a heart attack.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's a distraction?" Softly, you grab onto his arms, stopping him in his tracks, trying to find his lost gaze.

"You. Whatever this is," Carmy breathes, finally meeting your eyes, which he instantly regrets as your eyes turn sad.

The watering of your eyes is unintentional, as is the knot forming in your throat. "You think I'm distracting you?" You question barely above a whisper.

His response is instant, "Fuck, no, the opposite. W-When I'm with you or-or think about you, things get clearer, and it's-it's when I feel the most focused." Carmy holds your shoulders, comforting you because he never meant to hurt you. He can't stand the sad look in your eyes.

Slowly, you begin to piece together his rambling and conclude that other people have been telling him you're a distraction. You wonder if they don't want him to be happy. The Bear is the center of Carmy's life, and before that, it was the restaurant in New York. He deserves more than this crazy job.

"Then fuck what others tell you, Carmen. You deserve to have a life outside The Bear." Maybe you're selfish because you don't want to lose him, but you hope he believes your words.

"I-I don't. I don't deserve all your attention or your affection. I'm nothing special. I don't deserve you." Carmy says, shaking his head with furrowed brows.

Weeks ago, he had no source of enjoyment. He said it himself at the support group. Now, he has you, yet he can't bear the thought of you wanting to be with him. He feels like he's tricking you into a bad deal. That's what he is, though, isn't he? An overachieving fuck up with tons upon tons of baggage.

Carmen Berzatto is an anxious person with too many problems in his life. He has a fucked up family. His mother is a mentally unstable alcoholic. His brother was addicted to painkillers and decided that shooting himself on a bridge was better than living this life. That's without mentioning all the trauma he has from his job and the terrible people he's worked with.

What good does he have to offer you?

"Yes, you do," you reassure him, placing your hands on his cheeks. The cool metal of your rings soothes him somewhat, grounding him. "You deserve all that and more, Carmy. You're so sweet and kind and hard-working. You've been through shit. You deserve something good in life. Maybe it's me, or maybe it's not, but don't close yourself off."

You're begging at this point. Whatever this relationship is, it's just starting. He's not giving himself a chance. You like Carmy so damn much. He's funny without knowing it and thoughtful, too. There are so many qualities he doesn't realize he has.

His eyes watch you as tears line them. He's silently pleading for you to convince him. To get him out of his own head and forget the expectations others have on him.

"I'm not going to force you into anything, Carm. It's your call, but I've enjoyed our last couple of months together. I know we don't know each other completely, but I want to know everything about you. I have feelings for you, so whatever you decide, I'll support it."

Being honest is all you can do at this point. You pour your heart out and hope Carmy chooses you.

You and Carmy stand in the middle of your kitchen. Face to face, reaching out towards each other. It's clear as day that you want the same thing. It's only a matter of taking the right steps now.

"I can't let you go," Carmy responds, grabbing the hand on his cheek. His thumb brushes over the back of it.

"Then don't."

Carmy's decision is made. Without another thought, he smashes his lips against yours. He grabs the back of your neck, tilting your head to meet his heated kiss.

It's more intense now that the cards are on the table. Nothing to hold him back.

Tongues clash together as your bodies seek each other out. The temperature rises when Carmy lifts you up to wrap your legs around his hips. His hands are on the back of your thighs, holding tight onto you.

"Bedroom?" He asks, breaking the kiss, a trail of saliva between the two of you.

"Down the hallway," you breathe heavily, kissing down his neck.

Carmy makes it to the bedroom, opening the door with a bang. He spots your bed, placing you in the middle with him holding himself up on top of you.

He watches as your back meets the bed and your fair fans around you like a halo. The curvature of your breasts accentuated even more from the position.

Carmy hikes your leg further up his hips as he dips down to kiss a wet trail down to the neckline of your dress. He leaves open-mouthed kisses on the rounded flesh, nipping at the skin playfully when you arch your back to push more into him.

"Carmy," you breathe, cupping his jaw to pull him back to your lips. Grinding your hips, you manage to graze against his bulge.

"Shit," Carmy shakily curses, thrusting his hips to meet your touch once more.

Curiously, your hands wander across his body. Carmy's moans in your ear make your panties wetter than they already are.

You grasp the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and off. You're desperate to have him, your cunt aches for him. Your nails scratch down his firm stomach when he bites into your earlobe, softly calling your name.

"Unzip me," you pant, pushing him away and pulling your hair off to the side.

Carmy grabs the small zipper, pushing it down and exposing your pretty skin. As he slides the fabric off of you, he kisses your shoulders and back, taking note of the goosebumps on your skin.

His mind is in the present, and nothing can take it away from him. It's like a switch he managed to turn off in his brain. No more family drama, no more The Bear. It's just you...and him. Honey and Bear.

You stretch your neck to the side, giving Carmy more space to pepper kisses across the delicate skin. The dress pooling at your feet exposes your chest, and Carmy's hands come up from behind you. His fingers shyly brush up your stomach, tickling you, until they find your breasts.

He draws a moan from you as he squeezes them in his palms, pushing you back to meet his chest; turning your head to the side, you find his lips.

The kiss breaks when he slides one of his hands into your underwear, dipping his finger to feel your wetness. Your arm reaches back to dig your fist in his curls.

"You're soaked, Honey," he moans, finding your clit to tease it.

"Been waiting for so long, Carmy," you whine as your hips stutter along with the flicks of his wrist.

"I'm sorry. I'm here now," he purrs into your ear.

Carmy can hear the distinct 'shlick, shlick, shlick' of his fingers against your clit. It spurs him on as he slips a finger into you. He can't wait to have his cock inside of you, snug and warm.

"Oh my god, Carmen," you gasp when he prods another finger into your entrance. Hanging onto his arm across your chest, you roll your hips against his fingers.

"I got you," he says, digging his fingers deeper into you and curling them.

Your knees buckle as the tips of his fingers curl and hit your g spot repeatedly. If it weren't for him, you'd be on the floor. With your tummy tensing under the weight of the pleasure, you stutter out, "I'm gonna cum."

Carmy's hand is wet from your juices as he ups the ante. Just as your walls begin to squeeze around his fingers, he pulls them out to circle around your clit.

"Oh, f-fuck!" You squeal, throwing your head back onto his shoulder.

The way your clit softly twitches under the pads of his fingers fucks with Carmy. It makes his cock throb and leak into his jeans.

Untangling from his embrace, you place a breathless kiss on Carmy's lips. His slick digits dig into your hips as he prolongs it.

Blindly, you find the edge of his jeans and unbutton them. If Carmy notices, he doesn't say anything. You want to give him one more reason to stay with you.

He moans into your mouth when you grasp his length through his boxers. He's rock hard as he desperately ruts against your hand.

With your hold still on him, you push him to sit on the bed. Carmy looks up at you lustfully. You plant a single short kiss on his lips before kneeling on the floor between his legs. You leave love bites down his chest while looking up at him through your lashes.

Carmy brushes away any hair that falls on your face, his blue eyes focused solely on you. When you reach the waistband of his pants, you pull them down along with his underwear.

His length pops up from its confines, slapping against his tummy. Its tip is a pretty pink shade, with a thick length and a slight curve to it. You salivate instantly at the sight of it.

Carmy's nervous under you. It's been a long since he's been with someone else, and he's never been the most confident.

"Relax," you say teasingly, kissing around his lower tummy to calm him.

Finally, your hand wraps around his cock, lightly pumping it. Leaving sloppy kisses down his happy trail, you feel Carmy's stomach taut in anticipation.

It's been so fuckin' long.

With your eyes staring into his hungry ones, you kiss the pink head that glistens with pre, teasingly brushing it against your lips. Keeping eye contact, you lick his length from base to tip. You alternate between kissing and licking for a minute, enjoying watching Carmy squirm.

"Fuck, Honey," Carmy throws his head back at your torturous pace.

"Look at me," you sweetly say.

Taking mercy on him, you part your lips to take his length into your warm, wet mouth, bobbing your head to a steady rhythm. Prying one of Carmy's hands from the bedsheets, you place it in your hair, encouraging him to use you.

"Good girl," he moans, fisting your hair to force you to take more of his cock. You let your hands rest on his thighs, feeling the strong muscles underneath.

Carmen observes you with hooded eyes as you hollow your cheeks, sucking him expertly. He's obsessed with how your lips leave behind a tinge of red lipstick on his skin.

"Shit-Fuck me," he yells into the room when you swallow around him.

You want him to cum, but Carmy has other plans. He doesn't think he'll last long if you make him cum now, so after the stunt you pulled, he pulls you off his sensitive cock.

The sight in front of him is erotic as a string of saliva connects you to his cock. The tears lining your eyes and blushed nose add to that pretty picture.

"c'me 'ere," he says, helping you up and kissing you as he leads you back to the bed. He tugs off your wet panties, throwing them somewhere in the room.

You lay back on your pillows with Carmy slotted between your legs. It's torture having him so close and yet so far. Now that you've gotten a taste of his cock you need more.

Carmy touches the inside of your thighs, inching his way closer to your cunt. He instantly notices how fuckin' wet you are. You're dripping even more than before.

"Sucking me off, got you this wet, princess?" He asks, leaning his forehead against yours.

"Mhm, Carmy, wish you would've cum in my mouth," you admit, tilting your head up to brush your lips against his.

"You have such a dirty fuckin' mouth," he chuckles darkly.

Where did this side of you come from? You're usually so sweet and delicate. He should've known you would be a freak in bed. To think he almost let this all go.

"Carmen, please."

"Please, what?" Carmen teases, lining his cock against your opening, wetting his cock.

"Fuck me," you moan, kissing his jaw.

"'m gonna fuck you good, princess," he promises, with a shaky nod before he remembers, "Fuck! I-I don't have a condom with me."

"I should have some in my drawer," you mention breathlessly.

Carmy opens the condom in record time but is surprised when you take it from his hands and roll it down his shaft yourself. You just want an excuse to keep touching him.

With your leg hiked up, he aligns himself and slowly pushes in. You both gasp at the sensation. Carmy, for one, is trying to not bust a nut so soon because you're so tight and warm.

Meanwhile, you hold onto Carmy's back as he stretches you out. It's been so long, and your toys aren't nearly as thick as him. You breathily moan in his ear, which he takes as a good sign as he begins thrusting more forcefully and deeper.

Carmy hopes this isn't a dream, and if it is, he hopes he doesn't wake up anytime soon. He has one hand holding onto your thigh and the other holding himself up. His gold chain dangles above you as he picks his head up from its spot on your shoulder. You take the chance to tug on it, returning his attention to your lips.

"You feel so fuckin' good, princess," Carmy groans, squeezing your thigh.

"I love your cock, Carmy," you whine, feeling the drag of his cock on your walls. The pleasure is all-consuming, leaving a fuzzy feeling in your brain.

"You like when I fuck you like this?"

"Yes, yes, yes, keep going."

His hips snap hard against yours, hitting that spot each and every time. His pelvis hitting your clit. He squeezes your thigh, hips, and sides before his hand squeezes your tits, too, playing with your nipples.

Suddenly, he straightens up, pulling you down the bed to have you flushed against his pelvis. He's a sight for sore eyes that forces you to keep your eyes open.

His thrusts are more forceful like this, where he digs his fingers into the fat of your hips to pull you towards him with each snap. It makes your tits bounce, hypnotizing him.

Through your lustful gaze, he looks like a marble statue. His chest glimmers under the lowlights of your room as sweat clings to him, his chain jumping against the blushed skin of his chest, and his fucking hair falling over his pretty eyes. The set of his jaw could've been sculpted by Michaelangelo himself.

Your hands indulgently reach down to touch him in any way you can. You can only reach his stomach, where a nice pair of abs appear due to the effort.

"You like what you see?" Carmy teases. He's entirely lost on you because otherwise, he wouldn't be as cocky to say that.

"You're so handsome," you pitifully say. Your brain not computing as it should, but how can it when it's being fucked out of you?

Carmy doesn't know how to respond. It's not often he's called handsome or looked at as lustfully as you're looking at him. Thankfully, he doesn't need to say much as your eyes roll back and you squeeze your walls around him.

"Carmy, I'm so close," you pant, trying to find any part of him to hold. He offers you his hand, lacing your fingers together.

"Just a little longer, princess," Carmy groans as you clench around him. "Fuck, don't do that to me."

He glances down at the spot where you and him meet to see a ring of white on the base of his cock. He's enthralled with the way you stretch to accommodate him and the way your pink walls drag along his length when he pulls out. Fuckin' beautiful.

Putting all his knowledge to use, he thumbs your clit, making you jolt. He needs you to cum now, or he won't make it. His balls feel like they're about to burst.

"Carmy," you cry out, tightening the hold on his hand.

You teeter on the edge for only a second until you cum, waves of pleasure washing over you. Carmy curses from above you as your tightening walls choke his cock, making him cum too. He stutters his hips a couple more times, riding out his orgasm.

He leans back down again, catching your lips in a small kiss. His body slowly relaxes against yours as his head rests on your neck, breathing in the scent of sweat and perfume.

"That was good," you breathe heavily, rubbing your hands up and down your back. You're just starting to think clearly.

"Fuckin' amazing," he adds.

There's a beat of silence before you both burst out laughing.

A bubble encases you, and it can't be popped as long as you stay in your bedroom. Carmy doesn't want to leave; it's late already, and in a couple of hours, he has to get up and go to The Bear to repeat the process.

For once, he forgets about that and focuses solely on you. He has a couple of hours to spare. Sleep is overrated.

You face each other on the bed, talking in hushed whispers. Your fingers trace the '773' tattoo on his bicep like you've always wanted to do. It tickles Carmy, so he grabs your hand and kisses your palm.

"Now that I'm thinking about it. I didn't see your tattoo," he whispers to prevent disturbing the peace.

Your face warms at his words. You had forgotten about that. He's seen a lot of you in the past couple of hours. What's a bit more of skin?

"You missed my big bad tattoo?" you joke, poking his nose.

"Show me," he says with a lopsided smile.

You make it dramatic, rolling your eyes and giving him a big sigh. Sitting up on the bed, you peel the bed sheets from your body. Carmy props himself up on his elbow in anticipation.

Right there, on your left side and under the curve of your breast is a small outline of Winnie the Pooh's face. Carmy touches it, biting his lip to hold back a laugh. Unsurprisingly, it's precisely what he expected from you.

A few chuckles pass his lips as he pulls you back into his arms.

"Don't laugh. It made sense at the time," you whine, covering yourself back up.

Carmy pulls you to his chest, kissing your temple, "I'm sure it does. Pooh Bear loves his Honey," Just like he does.

"Exactly! Someone gets it!"

And he does because Carmy, aka The Bear, is quickly falling for his Honey.

A couple of days later, Carmy is back at your house helping you prepare the famous pizza you promised him. He lets you take the lead on everything, preferring to follow your instructions rather than let his mind run wild. It's not like you'll let him do most of the work anyway; it's your recipe, and you're protective over it.

"Can you chop up the veggies?" You ask him as you lay down the dough in a pan.

"Yes, Chef," he nods, kissing your cheek as he digs through your kitchen drawers for a knife.

"Oh, I like the sound of that," you muse, shaking your shoulders as you knead the dough to spread it.

"Don't let it get to your head, Hun," Carmy smiles, slicing the vegetables expertly.

Cooking with Carmy is surprisingly easier than you thought. He's not controlling over the kitchen or judgy. He lets you do your thing in peace, following your orders no matter how strange they might be. This is your kitchen, not his.

As you spread the sauce and cheese over one of the doughs, Carmy gets a call. He wipes his hands with a rag and picks it up. You only hear his side of the conversation.

"No, I'm off tonight. I'm with my girl. Call Sugar. She should be able to help you with that. Great. Thanks."

Carmy had promised himself that he would try to balance it all better. He has his team to help each other out. The Bear is a priority, but so are you because you help him keep whatever sanity he has left.

Carmy hangs up, and when he returns to you, he notices the grin on your lips as you put the toppings he chopped on the pizza.

"What's with the smile?" Carmy stands behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist as he props his head on your shoulder. Your hair tickles his nose, smelling the notes of coconut of your shampoo he digs his head farther into it.

"I'm your girl?" You ask, the smile still present on your face. He'd missed your initial reaction when you heard him call you 'my girl.' You almost dropped the container of pepperoni that was in your hands. It's a shock cause he never asked you to be his girl.

Carmy pauses and tenses up against you. "Uh, yes? Hold up. Turn around," he orders, as he places his hand on your hips to turn your body around.

"Yes, chef," you respond cheekily, your arms around his neck, careful not to touch his sweater with your messy hands.

"Aren't you my girl?" He frowns, rubbing a thumb over your hips.

"I could be, but I don't remember you asking," you pretend to think.

Carmy never directly asked you to be his girlfriend, and you never asked him to be your boyfriend. You might as well be a couple since you've been dating long enough. You decide to seize the opportunity now to get it out of him. Having a proper anniversary day would be nice because you hope this lasts.

"I see, my mistake," Carmy nods, catching your vibe, "Honey…"

"Yes, Carmy?" You blink innocently at him.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He finally asks.

You could joke around but decided against it cause the moment is perfect, "I'd love to," you nod, giving him a small kiss.

When the pizza is cooked, you bring it over to the dining table. Serving Carmy a pretty slice. Excitedly, you wait for him to bite into it and taste it.

"What do you think?" You ask expectantly.

"You were right. Best pizza in Chicago," Carmy agrees with an unbelievable laugh. He's got a lot to learn from you. It's the truth, or maybe he's blinded by his feelings. Only time will tell where you and Carmy will end up.

The End?

thank you guys for pulling through and reading! i know it's a slow burn but i hope you liked it! i certainly enjoyed writing it even though it took me like 4 months.

if you liked it, i would appreciate you liking it, commenting or reblogging. if you have some feedback feel free to send it my way too. i wanna get better at this whole writing thing!

thank you! bye xx

#carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #fanfiction #carmy berzatto #carmy the bear #carmen berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto fanfiction #the bear fanfiction #the bear #carmy x reader #carmy x you #carmy x fem!reader

[astonmartinii]

lewis x accountant!reader if that's ok, pretty please 😋

get the bag | lewis hamilton social media au

pairing: lewis hamilton x accountant!reader

sometimes the perfect pair is a millionaire f1 driver and a top accountant.

lewishamilton

liked by georgerussell63, yourusername and 1,123,878 others

tagged: yourusername

lewishamilton: holiday lovin 🌊

view all 118,459 comments

user89 alert alert lewis is cuffed wtf is going on

georgerussell63 ahh y/n has finally gotten the esteemed instagram post

yourusername had me rotting in the basement

lewishamilton i just made our relationship public and the first thing you say is i have you locked in the basement ???

yourusername oops ... love you 🫶

user48 the end of the slag era ... i need a moment

yourusername added to their story

[caption: working lady needs enough caffeine to fuel a rocket]

yourusername

liked by lewishamilton, pierregasly and 10,673 others

tagged: lewishamilton

yourusername: weekends are for racing (and winning) ;)

view all 923 comments

user77 okay i've come to the conclusion that she slays

lewishamilton much easier with a lucky charm in the garage

yourusername pretty sure you were a seven time world champ before i met you but yeah i'll take the credit for this one xx

user12 i'm so glad he has someone who celebrates him as much as he should be

user65 literally thank the lord

f1wagupdates

liked by 1,078 others

tagged: yourusername, lewishamilton

f1wagsupdates: this is y/n y/ln, lewis hamilton's new girlfriend. not much is known about her except that she's an accountant at a big firm in london, she's reportedly been with lewis for five months and the pair met in a cafe in south kensington.

view all 101 comments

user47 oh god smart and pretty? leave some for the rest of us

user21 call me crazy but i'm ready to defend this relationship with my life

user66 real question is whether roscoe likes her or not

roscoelovescoco i loves y/n very muchs

user90 LMAOOOO

mercedesamgf1

liked by lewishamilton, georgerussell63 and 554,003 others

tagged: yourusername, roscoelovescoco

mercedesamgf1: two lovely guests in the garage this weekend! @redbullracing maybe you could get some advice from y/n, make sure no more catering budget mishaps 😉

view all 71,093 comments

user89 LMAO THEY WENT THERE

yourusername i'm not quite sure they have the budget for my expertise

redbullracing way harsh y/n

user71 i love y/n this just confirms it

lewishamilton my two favourite people

lewishamilton

liked by yourusername, pierregasly and 1,302,776 others

tagged: yourusername

lewishamilton: spending time with princess

view all 201,788 comments

yourusername love you bub xx

lewishamilton love you more

user57 god. i need this in my life

georgerussell63 so when is this double date carmen and i have been promised?

yourusername next weekend work?

yourusername

liked by mercedesamgf1, lewishamilton and 13,567 others

tagged: lewishamilton

yourusername: happy birthday baby!! you've been the best thing to ever happen to me and i'm so grateful i get to live this life with you xx

view all 2,078 comments

lewishamilton i love you too, thank you for always being there for me

yourusername always

user57 gonna stargaze on the train tracks tonight

roscoelovescoco happy birthdays dad !!

user90 i love them so much

note: hope you enjoyed!! it's a bit shorter than i wanted it to be but i hope you enjoyed xx

#f1 instagram au #f1 x you #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton instagram au #lewis hamilton x you

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Growing Pains Part 4

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~9.2k

Summary: Little Nat is almost 13 and school’s a bitch. Retired mob boss turned stay-at-home mom Wanda has to figure out how to deal with bullies at her daughter’s school. 

A/N: Credit to @rianncreates for this fic idea. Sorry for not writing much. I've been very unmotivated and kinda depressed, but I'm working on it!

Warnings: Fluff, teen angst, injury, reference to previous injury/trauma, bullies, and pranks

It’s almost 1 in the morning and sleep isn’t coming easily for you tonight. The usual culprit, your chronic pain, isn’t to blame tonight for once. You are thinking about what Natalya had asked tonight, and how you suspect that she was unintentionally, possibly coming out to you. Despite your claim of not caring one way or another, you’d love to know if she liked someone. Especially if that someone was a friend.

After considering this for too long you start to worry that your daughter was being bullied. It seemed like a stretch just going off of what she’d mentioned tonight, but as you rolled it around in your brain it didn’t seem unreasonable. She was shy and a bit awkward when she wanted to be, and you and Wanda loved her for it. That said, if someone found out that she had a crush especially on a friend you could see them taunting her about it. 

You hate to think that your daughter could be targeted like this, but you blame your restlessness for the current spiral. Nat would tell you if she was having trouble. Wouldn’t she?

“You’re tense, detka. What’s wrong? Are you hurting?”

You’d failed to realize as you got more anxious, that your body was starting to reflect this without your consent. Given that Wanda’s in her usual spot right snug up against your side, she can feel how you grow stiff beside her. She shifts carefully in case you’re in pain, so she can see your face. Or at least try to. She sees that you’re looking down at her with a caught expression, and given that it’s late you don’t waste precious time trying to deceive your too smart wife.

When you don’t respond immediately Wanda frowns as she starts to sit up. You don’t let her go far as you tighten your hold on her with a shake of your head. 

“No, Wands I’m fine. I was just thinking about Little Nat.”

This surprises Wanda for a couple of reasons. Usually, you can’t sleep because of your pain or you had caffeine too close to bed. She hadn’t guessed that you were worrying about their daughter and she wonders if she missed something earlier tonight.

You don’t let her fret too much as you kiss her head and take a deep breath before shifting to get more comfortable. You’re a little cold and pull the covers up higher as you shiver beneath them.

“She seemed concerned about facing more people like that woman today, and I just can’t help but think she was trying to tell me something.” 

Wanda doesn’t say anything at first, and the silence leaves you time to continue thinking about what you might be missing. Wanda’s mind is working in a similar way, and she frowns at the thought that she’s missed something important with her daughter. She’d believed Natalya when she said she didn’t like any of her friends, but she allowed her faith in her daughter to blind her to the simple fact that Nat may have just been scared. Wanda hated to think that her daughter could fear her in any capacity. If she wasn’t being truthful because she feared her reaction then Wanda had failed as a mother. 

She feels you squeeze her arm and she turns to see you with a knowing look. You shake your head before leaning in to kiss your wife’s hair with a smile. 

“You’re a wonderful mother, Wanda. Anyone with eyes can see how good you are to all of our children.”

Wanda sighs in defeat and she shifts so she’s facing you as she tangles your legs together. 

“You’re a little biased, detka.”

You don’t get to refute this before Wanda’s voicing her fears, stopping you short from responding with a joke. You frown at the thought of Wanda thinking of herself as inadequate when she’s no such thing. You never thought you could love Wanda more than when you’d married her, but then seeing her become a kind, fair, and loving mom had proved you wrong. 

“If I’m such a good mother, why doesn’t Natalya trust me?”

Your heart sinks and you’re twisting in Wanda’s grasp so you can be face to face. Despite struggling with this question a little  yourself, you really just had to remember how you’d first felt when you had a crush on someone. Regardless of who it was, you’d been terrified to consider the truth and you’d lied to multiple people just to keep your secret. You don’t know if Natalya’s doing the same, or if she even has a secret, but you have to believe that she’s just scared like a teen tends to be when something seems daunting. You know that Wanda has experienced similar fear, but now she’s also contending with her desire to have Nat tell her everything, and it’s making things complicated. 

Wanda grumbles in annoyance as you move out of her arms, but you continue to sit up so you’re hovering over her. She can’t see your face anymore because it’s obscured by darkness but she hears the smile in your voice as you offer her reassurance that she’s not a shitty parent.

“My love, it’s not about trust. You know Natalya trusts you with her life, but she’s a teenager, and things were scary back then if you recall.” 

The memory of one of her most terrifying high school experiences makes her practically recoil. You have a point. Everything at Natalya’s age seemed too daunting to commit to. It was a time that was supposed to be exciting and new, but for some it was overwhelming and terrifying. Trying to figure out who you were and what you wanted from life was a task that couldn’t be taken too seriously. It was a sure-fire way to psych yourself out and become totally apathetic. 

Wanda realizes that her daughter has a lot on her plate, and that she shouldn’t take this personally. Knowing that and accepting it however are two different things. She sighs heavily before she reaches out for you wordlessly. You take her hand in yours but she just shakes her head as she pulls you closer until you’re almost face to face again. You hover over her feeling her breath against your cheek as she speaks up. 

“That was a long time ago, Y/n.”

Wanda’s tone tells you that she’s accepting what you’ve said and that she doesn’t want to dwell on it. She’s changing the subject and you’re more than willing to go along with it if it means you can go to sleep soon. You shake your head before leaning in to kiss your wife chastely. You pull back just enough to respond and you feel Wanda’s hands fall to your waist. 

“Not so long, beautiful. That was what? 20 years ago?”

You don’t need to be able to see your wife to know that she’s rolling her eyes as she huffs in disbelief. She squeezes your sides which makes you flinch and laugh from the ticklish feeling. The sound makes her heart swell and she kisses your cheek in thanks before urging you closer. 

“You’re either really bad at math or you’re full of shit.”

“Why not both?”

Instead of responding and continuing the banter, Wanda decides she’d like to do something else. It’s late and you have work tomorrow, but it’s been a while since the two of you had done more than kiss and cuddle. Most of their time at home together was spent with their daughter which they loved, but it was nice to have time alone occasionally. You can tell what your wife is after as she pulls you close and then flush against her front as she captures your bottom lip between hers. You groan as you deepen the kiss and shift so you’re settled more comfortably on Wanda’s lap.

“I love you.”

Your hands begin to wander to your wife’s soft stomach, and you run your fingers along the faint stretch marks that you committed to memory long ago. You wish you could see your beautiful wife, but for now you’ll settle for touching her and holding her close as you make her writhe and gasp in pleasure. By the time you’re satisfied and Wanda’s left feeling boneless, it’s almost 3 in the morning. You’re exhausted and you’re pretty sure that Wanda’s already asleep where she clings to you. You sigh quietly as you lay your head on your pillow and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow you’ll figure out what you’re going to do for Natalya.

The next morning, Nat’s bruise has darkened and looks a little purple when she comes downstairs for breakfast. You watch as Wanda sets her coffee down and grabs the plate of food she’d made for Nat. The younger Maximoff yawns before she walks up to you and then Wanda for a hug. 

“Hi moms.”

When your daughter pulls back, you take a moment to look at her face and you can’t help but frown slightly. You gently brush her cheek before setting her off to get her breakfast. 

“How’s it feeling?”

She shrugs as she walks back around the counter to where her other mom is, and she has to resist the urge to grab her food and immediately start eating. She looks up at her redheaded mom because she’s certain she’d like to look at her eye as well. Natalya lets her mom fuss for a bit before she hugs her while taking her plate with a grateful smile. 

“I’m really fine, Moms. It’s just another reminder to pay attention.” 

Wanda frowns at this and you can’t help but roll your eyes as you watch your daughter sit down at the table. She’s already dressed for school and Wanda double checks to make sure Nat’s lunch is all set before joining the two of you at the table. You’re grateful for the cup of coffee Wanda brings you with a knowing smile, and you just shoot her one of your own before you turn to Natalya who’s practically scarfing down her breakfast. 

“Slow down, kiddo. You’re going to choke.” 

“You have plenty of time before we need to leave.” 

This comment from Wanda makes Little Nat pause and her fork stops halfway to her mouth as she realizes she’s caught. She tries to resume eating like nothing is amiss, but her parents had been watching her closely and it was impossible for them to miss her reaction. You raise an eyebrow at your daughter who’s failing to look nonchalant, and Wanda decides to broach the subject before you head out to work soon.

“What is it?” 

Natalya pauses as she considers how to tell her parents that she’d come home and immediately texted Taylor about coming up with a plan to get Stacy off her back. She had agreed to come to school a little early, but she didn’t want to tell her parents about this. She tries to come up with a believable lie on the spot. Something she’s never successfully done. 

“I just might need to go to school a little early.” 

The vague answer makes both of her moms frown, but Nat focuses on her breakfast and tries to buy herself time. 

“I forgot about a science project that I was supposed to work on with Taylor, but we’re meeting before school to do it.” 

Wanda immediately checks the time and sees that there is less than an hour before the first bell rings. She’s not sure how Nat thought this would work out, but she’s already worried for her. You’re a little more focused on the fact that Natalya hadn’t mentioned anything about this last night. You’d asked her twice once she was finished with her work if there was anything else that she had to do. You knew that your daughter could be forgetful, so you just try to ignore your nagging suspicion and try to believe that she’d simply forgotten. 

“When’s it due? Are you going to have enough time to work on it? What is the project about?” 

Natalya quickly finishes the rest of the breakfast before addressing her mom who was already stressing out. She shakes her head before realizing that she should have come up with a different lie, but it was a little late for that. She smiles at the duo before she shrugs and mentions that it’s not a big deal. 

“It’s due today, but at the end of the day. It’s just a presentation about an element from the periodic table. It’s a little dumb honestly. We just have to list different things that are made from silver.” 

This does sound a little pointless to you, but Wanda’s more focused on the fact that their daughter apparently completely forgot about an assignment. This hasn’t happened in a while because Wanda made a point of getting Natalya a planner that helps her keep track of all of her assignments. She takes it to school every day and she’s gotten in the habit of taking it out for each class and writing anything she’d need to do for it. 

It helped her organize her sometimes jumbled thoughts, and both you and Wanda started to notice that she was forgetting fewer things. 

“Have you started on it at all, milaya?” 

Wanda was a little anxious about this, but her daughter, just like you, smiles at her and insists that it was fine. She had it covered. 

“Yeah, it’s easy! A lot of things are made of silver. Jewelry, knives, swords, bullets…” 

Wanda’s frown deepens at the fact that Natalya basically just named all weapons for some reason, but you just shake your head as you set down your empty mug. You’ll need more coffee given your late night, but you’re going to take it to-go at this point. You stifle a yawn as you sit back in your chair and look to your daughter with a small smile. 

“Bullets aren’t made of silver, Little Nat. Unless you’re a vampire hunter.”

Wanda rolls her eyes at this comment and is about to make one of her own about your priorities, but Natalya beats her to it. You don’t seem particularly thrown by her question, but Wanda holds her breath as she waits to hear what your response is. She tries not to think about the dozens of guns in the basement that she needed to get to her brother asap. 

“How do you know that, Mom?” 

You realize your mistake fairly quickly but luckily you have an easy answer for this question that doesn’t include bringing up Wanda’s past. You had learned a lot about guns during your years with Wanda, but it had been a very long time since you touched one with the intent to shoot it. 

“When dogs are accidentally shot while hunting, they’re brought in for lead poisoning. Not silver.” 

Natalya stops short of petting Boone and thinks about this with a frown. She supposes it makes sense that her mom would see a couple of these cases at work. They live in the mountains, of course people are going to hunt. Her frown quickly turns to a smile as she scratches her panting dog’s head. He’d come up to check and see if she has any leftovers, but unfortunately for him she’d eaten everything. Nat’s distracted by Rogue coming around too, so she misses the quick exchange between her parents before Wanda decides to get things moving. If Natalya really needs to be at school early, she might as well get ready now. 

“Okay, Natalya. Go on and clean up so we can get ready to go.” 

Little Nat nods before she goes off to do as her mom says. She hugs her vet mom bye in case you leave before she comes back, and you wish her good luck on her project before watching her retreat to the kitchen. You turn your attention to the furry head nudging your leg before smiling at your wife. 

“What do you have planned for today, Wands?” 

Your wife has to think about this because she hadn’t really gotten any further than taking Natalya to school. She doesn’t have too many errands to run today. She just went to the store, but she supposes she could run by the pharmacy and the dispensary for both yours and her medications. She shrugs before finishing off her coffee with a smile as she thinks of one more thing she can do. 

“Just a couple of errands. Might stop by Piet’s to give him some boxes.” 

You immediately know what she’s talking about, and you smile as you steal a glance at the basement door that you made sure had a lock on it years ago. Although it was mostly an out of sight, out mind type deal, occasionally you or Wanda would think about the guns down there and worry about Nat finding them. Despite the fact that she used to have nightmares about the basement, Natalya wouldn’t avoid it forever, and you’d rather not have to explain what was in the heavy, locked boxes that certainly were covered in dust and spiders. 

You stand up to get more coffee and you grab Wanda’s cup as well with a questioning look. She smiles in thanks and you plant a quick kiss on her lips before going to see how Nat’s doing. She’s finishing up with her dish as you arrive, and you laugh as she hugs you one more time before running upstairs to get ready. Regardless of what they’d be doing, she’d promised Taylor she would be there in about 20 minutes, and she had to leave soon if she didn’t want to be late. 

“Bye Mom! See you tonight. I’ll be right back!” 

When you return to the table, Rogue is trying to climb in Wanda’s lap and Fletcher has jumped up on your chair. You shoot her a glare, but you don’t move her because you’re about to head to work anyway. Still you give her a hard time before you set Wanda’s cup in front of her with a sigh. 

“Fletcher, you’re the worst.” 

Wanda shoots you a look that you just smile at before you bend over to kiss her goodbye. You need to head to work soon, and you forgot that you’d agreed to have someone shadow your appointments today. You need to be slightly more prepared than usual, and this would require a little extra time this morning. Wanda catches your chin as you try to pull away and gives you one more kiss before smiling at you. 

“If you’re not too busy for lunch today, let me know?” 

You nod in agreement before you head upstairs to finish getting ready. You walk past Natalya’s room and she nearly barrels you over as she comes running out with her backpack slung over her shoulder. You cringe as she slams into you and the sound catches Wanda’s attention from where she’s petting Fletcher who’s still sitting in your spot. She sees you stumble slightly before you hold up your arms to steady your overly enthusiastic daughter. 

“Oh, sorry Mom!” 

You shake your head as you offer your daughter a stern look that is softened by your small smile. You take a deep breath and pushed away the soreness you feel before waving Little Nat downstairs and heading to your bedroom. 

“Slow down, kid. You’re going to hurt yourself.” 

Natalya just nods before hugging you quickly and hurrying down the stairs, only a little slower than what she’d originally intended. You just roll your eyes before retreating to your room, and Wanda stands up at the sight of her daughter ready to go. 

“Ready?”

Taylor arrives at school before Nat, and she heads to their meeting spot on the hill outside of school. It’s nice out and she can tell it’s going to be cooler than it was yesterday. She’s glad because she doesn’t want to sweat too much at practice when she’s barely able to bend over. She’d taken something when she’d gotten home from the game last night, and she’d iced the largest bruise on her side before going to bed. However, she woke up stiff and angry all over again at the fact that she’d been body slammed with zero consequence to the other player. 

She took another pain reliever and tried to forget about it as she got ready for school early this morning. She’d agreed to meet Natalya to talk about what she wanted to do regarding Stacy’s continued bullying. Taylor was ecstatic that her friend was going to do something about it, and it took a lot of self-control to not tell Luke and Alyssa too. She wonders what the other brunette had come up with. Or maybe this would be a brainstorming session. 

When it’s almost time for Nat to get here, Taylor decides to go wait for her at the car circle. She’s a little antsy and wants to get started on plotting Nat’s revenge. She finds herself pacing as she waits for her friend, and at the sound of a car pulling up she’s immediately turning to see who it is. 

“Taylor!” 

She smiles at the sound of her friend’s voice and she hurries to greet the brunette who’s practically out of the car before it’s stopped.

“Hey, Nat. Mrs. Maximoff. How are you?”

Nat resists the urge to roll her eyes as Taylor smiles at her mom. She grabs her backpack before closing the door behind her and getting out of the way so the two can chat. 

“Hi Taylor, I’m well, how are you? Ready for your presentation today?” 

Nat stiffens and Taylor looks a little confused before she turns to Nat for a split second. She realizes she’s missing something and she decides to try to cover this up as best as possible. She offers the older Maximoff an awkward smile before her gaze shifts back to Natalya. 

“Umm, I thought this was a paper?” 

Nat just sighs in defeat and she doesn’t have to turn around to see her mom’s suspicion. She instead groans under her breath and opts to take advantage of her friend’s comment. She shoots her mom a sheepish smile before grabbing Taylor’s arm and leading her away. 

“Clearly, we have a lot of work to do. See you later, Mama!”

Wanda is still frowning as she watches Nat lead her friend toward school. She notices that Taylor’s hunched over slightly so she can listen to whatever Nat’s saying, but Wanda definitely can’t hear it. She decides to just let it be and check in later. For now, she’s going back home to sit with her cat for a bit before figuring out what to do with her day. She’d like to get around to planting the few vegetables she’d bought for her garden. It was supposed to be a nice day, and given that she’d put this off for a bit, she had at least a dozen vegetables to plant. 

She thinks about what she’ll be able to harvest, if anything, on the way home. She yawns before getting out of the car to greet Rogue who as usual was waiting for her return. He wags his tail, and Wanda scratches his head before she steps into the house. She looks around at the kitchen and the living room, and she heads toward the couch when she sees Fletcher sitting on one of the pillows. She sits down beside her and pats her lap with a smile. Her cat gracefully makes her way over and plops down in her lap with a loud purr. Wanda pets her for a while and scratches Rogue where he sits at her feet. 

She grabs her phone and texts her brother while she’s still thinking about it. If she remembers correctly, he’s busy for most of the day, but she’s in no rush to get this done. She considers what she could do with the basement after it’s cleaned out. Their house already has everything they could want, and far more than they could need. What could they put downstairs in a dark room? 

This thought makes Wanda realize that she can change this if she wanted to. She shakes the thought away for the moment because she wants to get outside before it gets too hot. She decides to go upstairs and get changed and then take Rogue with her to the garden. She would let Fletcher go, but she’s sure to just run off and Wanda was too high anxiety to let her cat just wander the woods. 

When she’s dressed and ready to go, she opens the back door and waits for Rogue to follow her out before she heads toward the shed. The very large backyard that basically extended toward the woods was empty for a long time. You and Wanda just enjoyed the natural beauty of the place when you first moved here. You loved seeing how the grass stretched out to the trees, and you hadn’t wanted to change that. Five years ago, Wanda had brought up the idea of having a garden where she could grow flowers and food. You’d mostly been interested in the food and after Wanda had told you her plans to grow a bunch of vegetables, you’d been game. You and Steve had built the garden according to Wanda’s carefully laid plans, and over the years you’ve only had to make a few modifications. 

Wanda had grown a majority of the vegetables you ate, and the extras went to their friends. During late summer, she’d grow pumpkins that are ready for Halloween so Little Nat would have them for her pumpkin carving contest. First it was a thing between the family, but she’d since introduced the idea to her friends and given her creativity she usually won.

When Wanda arrives to the garden, she’s smiling as she opens the gate and lets Rogue amble through first. He’s been in here many times and he knows that there are only three rules. Don’t step on the plants, eat the plants or pee on them. One of the modifications you’d made includes a small area for Rogue to sit comfortably while still watching his mom closely. He loved spending time here with her, and despite the temptation of the food grown, he was well behaved. Although he couldn’t eat any of the plants, Wanda sometimes fed him some of the veggies, mostly carrots after she washed them. Boone was less interested in the view of the garden and more interested in the food, and after trying to eat one of the tomato plants, he wasn’t allowed in for long and without direct supervision. 

“What should we do first, bud? Plant or pick?” 

After receiving no answer from the shepherd, Wanda decides to plant the tomato plants she’d bought recently along with some flowers. She’s almost finished when she hears her phone beep from her pocket. She takes off her gloves and wipes her sweaty forehead with a sigh before she reaches for her phone. She’s surprised to see a text from her brother already, but she’s quick to text back when he suggests stopping by this afternoon to pick up the guns. Wanda sends him a smile and agrees to 3pm before she puts her phone up and checks on her dog. He’s napping beside some lettuce and Wanda can’t help but smile widely at him. 

She picks up her trowel before adjusting her hat with a frown. It’s predictably gotten sunnier, but it’s still pretty nice out so she decides to keep going. After the last plant is in place in the bed, she grabs one of the baskets and decides to start picking some of the ripe vegetables. 

“Rogue, are you ready for the fun part?” 

He stands up excitedly and pants as he follows her lead along the paths. This was his favorite part because he got to follow her to each bed and sniff the food that she picked. She grew things all year round, but honestly summer was her favorite season because of the food she grew. She knew you liked it too, and she fills an entire basket with kale and okra. She’s going to need to grab some more soon, but she stops to take a break when she gets another text message. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed and it’s nearly 11 when you text her. 

I’ll be free for lunch, if you’re still interested?

Wanda considers this carefully as she looks around her garden. She still has a lot to do, but she supposes it can wait until tomorrow. She’d rather have lunch with you, and if she can bring you something that she’s made from the garden that will just be a bonus. She starts to text you before she has to scold Rogue for pawing at the basket she left at her feet. He knows that anything on the plant is off-limits, but once it’s in the basket or on the ground, he thinks of it as fair game. 

“No, bud. You’ll get some later, okay?” 

He only whines and lays his head on the ground before Wanda turns back to her phone. She smiles as she types out a response before getting to her feet. She’ll go find another basket and finish up with the tomatoes and green beans before leaving the rest for later. 

I’ve been in the garden all morning, so I’ll bring lunch.

When you see this a little later you can’t help but be excited. You loved when your wife brought you lunch, but when it was something she made you knew it would be amazing. You text her back before returning to your last couple of appointments before lunch. You’re certain that your mind will be on food until your wife comes to visit, but luckily these last two appointments should be pretty straightforward. 

Thanks, Wands. I’m already excited. 

Once Wanda’s finished gathering the ingredients for lunch, she washes just what she’ll need before she puts it in the fridge for a few minutes as she jumps in the shower. She only does it so it will be out of Rogue’s reach, but she’d cut up a carrot for him and put it in his bowl, so hopefully that will keep him happy. She doesn’t wash her hair, but she makes sure to get rid of any dirt and sweat from her time outside before she gets ready to cook. 

Rogue sits outside of the kitchen watching her carefully as she prepares a salad and a few things to go with it. Wanda has to shoo Fletcher away a couple of times, and when she bats at a carrot on the counter, she has to banish her to the living room. It’s 12 when Wanda finishes up packing everything for lunch, and she checks her appearance in the mirror briefly before she kisses her pets goodbye. 

“I’ll be back soon, kids. Be good.” 

She supposes she could take Rogue, but he’d spent a lot of time out in the sun this morning, and she wanted him to relax. She also didn’t want you to have to leave him alone anywhere in the office because he undoubtedly would complain. He could always hang out with Boone but that required their supervision and maybe they could save that for next time. 

When lunchtime rolls around at school, Nat’s smiling as she meets Taylor, Luke, and Alyssa at their normal spot. She and Taylor had discussed their plan at length, and after getting everything set for phase one before the first bell Nat was near giddy in anticipation. Taylor had to remind her to tone it down or else she’d risk tipping someone off. The brunette knew her friend was a shit liar and would probably spill everything. She loved her for her inability to keep a straight face, but it would not help in this situation. She’d done a lot of things like this, which is why she had the necessary supplies in her locker already, and Taylor was used to just watching and waiting. 

“You know, this is the first time that you’ve done something like this, isn’t it?” 

Taylor was mostly musing to herself, but when she thinks about it a little more she can’t help but smile. Her friend has always been one to abide by the rules which is something she respected, but didn’t concern herself with nearly as much. She got in trouble more, but it was never for serious things. The worst had been when she’d been accused of fighting. Both of her moms had shown up, as well as the parents of the boy she’s smacked and they’d all had it out before it was decided that she acted in self-defense. Either way, Natalya had only ever gotten in trouble for forgetting an assignment, but nothing that was really noteworthy. If everything went according to plan, she also wouldn’t get in trouble for this, but they’d just have to see. 

Surprisingly, Natalya just smiles widely before nodding in agreement. She was a little terrified, but also, she feels eager to see how this all plays out. It’s only the first step of several, but with her friends’ support and her newfound albeit tenuous confidence, she was going to get Stacy to leave her alone. 

“It is! It might sound dumb, but I am really looking forward to this.” 

The trio all shake their heads at the thought. They’re still a little surprised by how long Nat’s gone without putting her foot down or seeking help. They felt guilty for not stepping in earlier, or convincing her to do something, but they were making up for that now. They would have the brunette’s back, and they were also looking forward to what happened next. 

Luke’s smiling the widest because he’s imagining how Stacy will react to what Taylor and Nat had done. She was always a bit of a drama queen, and he knew that he was going to flee and encourage Nat to do the same if it came down to it. 

Alyssa had been against the idea because it seemed like they were asking for trouble. She knew that Nat was against going to anyone for help, but this was just going to cause a confrontation that she probably wasn’t ready for. If she was lucky, it wouldn’t involve her parents, but if she was particularly unlucky, she’d have Stacy’s there too. Still, she decided to keep her objections to herself because she really hadn’t seen Nat like this in a while. At the risk of losing their sleepover privileges this weekend, she was going through with this. 

“When do you think she’ll go to her locker?” 

It was almost as if Alyssa had summoned her by asking this, and the group sees an irate Stacy burst through the cafeteria doors at the bottom of the hill. They can hear the faint sound of muffled laughter as the door closes behind her and she immediately searches for them. Nat has to stifle her laughter at the sight of the blonde’s face. Her anger was less amusing than the fact that she was covered in silver and gold glitter. 

She and Taylor had gone back and forth with the idea of a while before she’d decided to go for it. She hated glitter because it never went away, and she refused to open gifts that were wrapped in glitter paper if she didn’t get gloves. You found it ridiculous, but Wanda seemed to understand and avoided the decoration like the plague. She mostly realized how much of a pain it was to get out of the carpet, and she didn’t want to worry about it. The one year that Fletcher had been covered in it made her reluctant to cuddle with her until she got a bath which neither of them enjoyed. 

“You little shit!” 

Nat was already standing up to avoid getting any glitter on her, and her friends followed suit as the brunette started to back away. 

“Hey, Stace, I love what you did with the…” 

She gestures vaguely to the blonde’s face, but she continues to back away from the glitter that she did not want to get on her. She watches her friends back up as Stacy comes storming up the stairs leaving glitter in her wake. She starts to run at Nat and the brunette quickly turns tail and runs. She has a destination in mind and she hopes that she makes it there scot-free. 

“Get back here, bitch!” 

Wanda arrives to your work a little after noon with a bag of food to find you waiting at the front desk. You are talking with one of the receptionists, but as soon as you see her you trail off with a smile. You move forward to greet her with a kiss on the cheek before you look toward the bag curiously. 

“Hey, Wands. Glad you could make it.” 

Wanda just rolls her eyes before she’s kissing your cheek and grabbing your hand. She’s reaching out to hand you the bag so she can fix your hair that’s a little all over the place. She doesn’t have time to ask before you put an arm around her waist and lead her back toward your office. Wanda smiles as you attempt to explain your appearance, but she honestly doesn’t mind. She feels like she looks a little rough too.

“Follow me, my love. Yeah, sorry, I had a puppy in my hair earlier.” 

Wanda doesn’t even have time to ask as she follows you up the stairs and past a few assistants that she just offers a smile. She visits a couple times a month probably. She is free to do it more often, but she doesn’t want to get in the way or disturb you while you work. She knows it’s important for you to have your time at work without her, and she wants you to have that. That said, sometimes when days are hard or you’re freer than usual, you’ll ask her to lunch like you did today. 

“That’s adorable. You’ve had a good day so far?” 

You hold the door to your office open for your wife before following her in with a nod. You shut the door behind you and quickly clear a spot on your desk for the bag of food that Wanda brought. You resist the urge to dig in immediately as you explain how most of your day had been very good so far. You were glad that Wanda was visiting too, and you move over to the small couch along the wall that you’d bought after Wanda mentioned that having a place to sit together would be nice. The first couple of times, Wanda had just sat in your lap or you’d borrowed a chair, but this was so much better. You hold your arms out for your wife and she obediently grabs the bag and sets in at the end of the couch before sitting beside you. 

“It’s been great. Nobody’s been sick yet which is nice. What about you? Did Rogue behave while you worked?”

Wanda smiles at this as she nods and curls up beside you with a sigh. She’s glad to take the time to relax after being on her knees in the dirt for so long, and she stretches out before offering you a response. She doesn’t notice that you’re just smiling at her as she thinks about her dog that she left at home. 

“He was very good. Only tried to eat out of my basket a couple of times.” 

You laugh at this and the image of Rogue scrounging for food in the garden. Boone was banned from it for a while since he dug up nearly a whole row of carrots. You sit up when Wanda reaches for the bag she brought because she knows you’re hungry. You probably have been for most of the day. She takes out the first container that has your lunch and then a smaller one that contained dressing. You smile and accept it with a kiss and a thank you as you take a peek at what’s inside. 

“Wow, this looks so good. Thank you.”

Wanda just nods as she takes out her own lunch which is basically the same as yours, but with chicken instead of salmon. You open the container and have to hold back a moan at how good the salad looked. You loved that your wife enjoyed growing food. It was your favorite thing, and you swore if you had the time and patience for it, you’d join her. 

“Of course, detka.” 

You two eat in silence for a minute and you hum happily as you spear another green bean through a leaf of kale. The excited noise you release as you realize you’ve snagged a tomato too makes Wanda smile widely at you. You’re so adorable she can’t stand it sometimes. 

“So is everything else looking good?” 

Wanda smiles at your predictable question, and she tells you about how the other vegetables are growing. You didn’t help much in the garden, that was Wanda’s thing, but sometimes when it was time to change crops you would pick up seeds or dirt for her. One time when the fence had been destroyed by something looking for easy food, you’d had to rebuild it, but beyond this you mostly just benefited from Wanda’s hard work. 

“It’s all looking great. We’re going to make Nat a fan of cauliflower in no time.” 

You laugh at this because despite your daughter liking a lot of different foods, this is the one vegetable that she couldn’t stand. She could tell if it was in a dish even in the smallest amounts and she wouldn’t eat it. It was almost a game to you sometimes. You were trying to get her to like one of your favorite vegetables by exposing her to it more, but so far, you’ve failed. 

You’re still eating and plotting how to make this happen when Wanda’s mind wanders to the only other thing she had to do today. She’ll go home and finish in the garden before organizing the boxes in the basement to help Pietro out. She doesn’t worry about that now though because she wants to run something by you. 

“How’s the rest of your day look, doc?” 

You smile before shrugging and only glancing at your computer for a second.  Your afternoon will be a little busier than this morning, but that’s fine you’ll be ready now that you’re well-fed and motivated by the fun appointment you get to see at the end of the day. You tell Wanda this and she smiles before setting her mostly finished lunch aside for a minute. She wants to ask your opinion on something, and she waits until you’re in between bites. 

“What about you, Wands? Any plans?” 

This is the perfect opening and Wanda nods before telling you her plan to have Pietro come over and remove hopefully all of the guns that they had down in the basement. You’re happy to hear this and you wonder what Pietro’s going to do with them. You and your friends didn’t go into details about how they were going to leave their mob lives behind. The general consensus though was that they would lay low and not walk around armed anymore once the dust settled and they seemed to be in the clear. You and Wanda had packed all of your guns away and you are pretty sure Steve and Bucky did too, but you couldn’t but sure about Nat and Yelena. That said, you and Wanda were the only ones who really had to hide your guns from anyone, namely Nat. Although she sometimes visited her relatives, she never stayed long enough to find any of the guns they might have lying around. 

Wanda would make sure that these stayed locked up or at least out of reach of her daughter if she ever visited Pietro in the future. 

“Now that it’s cleared out, I was thinking about doing something with it.” 

This catches your attention, and after you finish chewing you shoot your wife a curious look that she only sees out of the corner of her eye as she looks down at her hands. 

“What were you thinking?” 

Wanda hadn’t really come up with anything yet. She thought that it could be a work out room, or a movie room, although that’s what the den was for, so she wanted to ask you if you had an opinion. Maybe it could be a game room, or another bedroom. 

Wanda shrugs as she mentions her plans, or rather lack of plans, and you just nod before trying to think of something that could be done. The house had anything that any of you could need, and you’re not sure what would be worth doing. 

“If the dogs handled stairs better, I’d suggest giving them a floor of their own. Confine the dog hair to one place.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes at this because even if the dogs were younger and spryer, you would never try to keep them tucked away downstairs. Sure you would consider giving them extra space, but you wouldn’t want the door closed so they could come and go as they pleased. Still, Wanda imagines what this room would look like and she’s sure you would like it as much as the dogs. 

“Maybe 5 years ago. We could have built them a pool.” 

You freeze with your fork halfway to your mouth and Wanda frowns as she considers what she just said. You’re smiling by the time she looks at you and she can’t help but return it as she quickly wonders what all of this would involve. 

“A pool?”

“A pool.”

Natalya curses as she turns down the hallway back toward the main office where the principal spent most of her time. She hadn’t been to the office except maybe once in her first year here, and she hopes it’s still in the same place. She doesn’t have time to think much about it before she hears Stacy at the end of the hall accompanied by her friends’ voices. Natalya barely waits after she knocks on the principal’s door before she’s opening it and apologizing. Her heart is thundering inside her chest from the run here and her nerves now that she’s arrived at her destination. 

“Sorry, Ms. Lewis! I just had to tell you before she--.” 

Natalya’s cut off and she mutters a curse in Sokovian under her breath as she’s tackled from behind. She puts her hands out to stop herself from falling on her face, but she still feels the carpet rub uncomfortably on her cheek as Stacy pins her down.

“You’re dead, Maximoff!” 

“Ms. Jenkins!” 

As Nat continues to struggle beneath the blonde, she hears new voices and she’s lifted off the ground slightly as someone tries to get Stacy off her. Nat’s trying not to think about the glitter that she sees falling on the carpet and her clothes. She squeezes her eyes shut as she waits to be freed from underneath the irate teen. She could get her off if she really wanted to, but she was trying to appear like the passive party, and it only took a few seconds for Luke and Taylor to yank Stacy off. 

“Get off of me!”

“Chill, Stace. You’re getting glitter everywhere!”

Luke backed away from the copious amounts of glitter flying everywhere, and he’s almost out the door when their principal speaks up again. She’s a little bewildered by the sight in front of her. She wouldn’t have expected to have the daughter of the PTA president and quite possibly the quietest student in school in her office together, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. 

“Everyone sit down now! Explain to me what’s going on, please.” 

Wanda’s back at home and in her garden again when her brother arrives. She’d taken Rogue back outside and with her sunhat, and his umbrella, they both got to work. Well, she did most of the work, but Rogue supervised her and sniffed every basket she laid nearby him. 

The sound of a car coming up the road catches the shepherd’s attention, and Wanda hears the sound of a car door slamming. Rogue starts to get up to investigate, but Wanda shakes her head before telling him to stay put. She texts her brother that she’s in the garden, and less than a minute later, the older Maximoff is appearing from over the fence. 

“Hey there, sestra. Looking good.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes but says nothing as Rogue stands up as soon as Pietro walks through the gate. He sniffs him before huffing and turning back to his mom who had three baskets full of vegetables that she’s picked. 

“I didn’t realize how late it was. I just have to finish this section, and then I can help you.” 

Pietro shakes his head as she watches his sister cuts a few stalks of asparagus before tossing them in a basket. He’s always found his sister’s interest in gardening fascinating. He was mostly interested in the food, but he knew that his sister had it down to a science after all these years. He walks over to where one of the baskets is and glances at Rogue before he starts to pick it up. 

“It’s fine. I can take these in and then meet you there?” 

Wanda just nods before she finishes up and wipes her gloved hands on her already dirty pants. She’d changed again after getting back from lunch with you, and she would need another shower before she made dinner tonight. She watches Rogue follow her brother who’d grabbed two baskets before she collects her tools and goes to put them in the shed. She walks back into the garden as her brother’s returning and she hands him a basket before grabbing the last one and shutting the gate behind her. 

“Thanks for coming by, Piet. This is definitely overdue.” 

Pietro smiles at his sister’s visible relief at getting all, or at least most, of the guns out of her house. They’ve been in the basement for years and he knew that this was an important thing that kept his sister from being comfortable with guests. Sure there were other reasons, but the two dozen guns definitely stressed her out and would require an explanation if anyone stumbled upon them. 

“Of course. I hope you know they’re just going in my basement.” 

Wanda laughs at this as she follows him into the house. She takes off her shoes and shakes her head at the idea of them being so similar. She’s seen his basement and it’s more of a man cave, but there’s a huge vault down there as well behind the water heater that holds his guns and other illegal, valuable things. Wanda sets her hat down on a nearby table before she runs a hand through her hair and heads for the stairs. 

“I’m going to get the key. I’ll be right back. I made some chicken earlier if you want some. It’s in the fridge.” 

Pietro barely waits until his sister’s finished speaking before he’s searching for the leftovers from lunch. He’d eaten already, but he can always eat more and he’s on his second piece by the time Wanda reappears with some keys on a chain. In addition to the basement key, she has keys to several cars that she’s kept but not used often, in the safe. She knows she’ll probably have to part with them at some point because she pays more for the maintenance than she should, but she can’t help but be a little nostalgic.

“It’s six boxes, right?” 

Wanda nods as she unlocks the door and flips on the light with a sigh. She hasn’t been in here in a while so she’s not surprised by how dusty it is and she hides a grimace before she starts to walk down the stairs. 

“Yeah, did you bring the truck?” 

Pietro nods even though she can’t see it but she figures that he wouldn’t bring his sportscar to move all this. She was a little surprised when he’d arrived at her house one day with a giant pickup. She had wanted to give him grief about it, but apparently, he’d gotten it to go camping with Natalya. They’d done it a couple of times and it was always a struggle to pack everything that Pietro wanted including a list of nearly 40 items. Natalya had been so young she could barely get in the truck without help and Wanda couldn’t help but imagine her daughter just disappearing under it. 

One time you’d gone with them and brought the dogs and it was apparently a lot of fun. This is what Natalya claimed anyway, but you and Pietro were less vocal about your opinions to the point that Wanda had to ask you later what had happened.

Apparently the two of you had been surprised by a bear the last night and your two dogs had chased after it leaving you to chase after them. You haven’t gone camping since, but Pietro tried to take Little Nat out a couple times a year. 

“It’s filthy down here, Wanda.” 

Wanda just nods in agreement because she’s sure there are plenty of things living down here that she doesn’t want to know anything about. She knows she’s going to have to deal with it if she really wants to build a pool down here, but that’s a task for another day. 

“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t, Piet. Let’s get these upstairs.” 

It only takes a few minutes with the two of them working together before the boxes are stacked in the foyer ready to be taken outside. Wanda wanted to clean them off first, but Pietro argued that there was really no point. They were just going to another dusty house and she eventually acquiesced when she heard her phone ring as she stepped out of the house with their third box. 

“Shit, I should get that sorry.” 

Pietro sighed dramatically, but he lifted it just fine on his own and headed to the truck while Wanda went back inside. It stopped ringing as soon as she got there, but she only got to see the number of the caller before they were calling again. 

It was Natalya’s school. 

Wanda didn’t hesitate to answer and she completely ignored her brother as she listened to the woman on the other end of the line. Her jaw continues to drop with each thing this woman, her daughter’s principal says and she’s already looking for her keys when she’s told what is needed of her. 

“Mrs. Maximoff, if you and your wife could come at dismissal for a meeting, I’m hoping we can resolve this issue.” 

Wanda’s so stunned by what Natalya apparently did today at school that she can’t answer immediately. It’s not until she sees her brother shooting her a confused look that she gathers her wits and nods in understanding. 

“Of course. We’ll – I’ll call her and we’ll both try to be there.” 

Wanda honestly doesn’t hear the woman say anything in response before she just stares at her phone after the call’s ended. What the hell was going on?

Masterlist

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x female reader #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda x reader #post mob au #growing pains #natalya maximoff

[steddie-thirst]

Fuck Off | Mean!Steddie x Henderson!Reader | 18+ |

{Note: I originally was going to have Eddie be Micheal and Steve Ghostface, but knowing their personalities I've switched them. So Ghostface!Eddie and Michael!Steve}

Summary: Steve and Eddie are on the hunt for their next victim, but little do they know you are targeted by both. However, their desires collide when they realize how cute you are and would be more cute alive than with your guts splattered against the wall. Which leads to tons of chaotic trouble.

warnings: blood, death, profain language, innuendos, Ghostface being himself, Michael being well Michael, and other stuff. Minors DNI

Ring Ring

"Hello?"

"Hey, sorry to bother."

"Nancy it's fine. I'm assuming you 're ready for me to come pick up Dustin?"

She laughs, soft and sweet, "No. He wanted to know if it would be fine if he stayed for the night?"

You sigh looking over your shoulder to check the time. Eight o'clock is staring back at you in angry red numbers. Ugh yeah - No, it was definitely to late to go pick him up. Unlike most people in town you lived at a greater distance from most of your friends. By the time you'd gotten ready, hopped in the car and drove over, it would be closer to nine-thirty, then you'd have to actually get him to be quiet long enough for him to sleep. That would take a miracle.

"Yeah-" You pause to yawn pulling yourself up off the couch and stretching arms and legs as the cracks from an overworked body seem to release the tension, "- That's fine. Just make sure he takes his medicine. Allergies."

"Right, okay." She agrees looking back at the boys as they were still gathered around the living room table still going at their little game. It was almost surreal to seem them so calm. Of course, there was an occasional loud celebration, but otherwise very quiet. "But, I know you must be tired. Dustin, mentioned how classes have been going."

"Oh yeah." Grumbling as the soreness dissipates from your legs up, stiffness in the joints becoming more apparent. It was hard work sitting hunched over a notebook and fully highlighted text-book all day studying. Rings of shadows had started to appear beneath your eyes, still reddened from pulling all-nighters just to pass the exam. "Never-ending and totally draining." You huff going to grab a can of soda from the fridge.

"Well.." Nancy starts, ".. I'm gonna go, the boys just finished their game and I don't think they should stay up any longer."

"Agreed, you take care."

"You too, Nancy. Bye."

"Bye." The line disconnects and you sigh setting the receiver back onto the stand. Well, at least it would be quiet. Pulling the tab back on the can, before gulping down some of caffeine. You sigh in relief - caffeine had somehow always fueled you- going back to the couch to relax. Maybe tonight was going to be the one day to finally catch up just yourself, do some self-care, maybe sleep.

Ring Ring

"Hello? Who the fuck is this?"

"Wow, who knew Hawkins' golden boy had such a filthy mouth." Jason scoffed at the voice on the other side of the line.

"Andy, I've had enough of your shit. You've gotta stop hitting the drinks man." He scolded. The alteration faltered as a wheezing laughter filled Jason's ears.

"Ha, man. You don't know what you're - hic - talkin' about." He slurred over the phone.

"Christ, Andy. Grow some balls and quit drinking, we've got a game tomorrow." Jason hangs up and heads upstairs to his room. He had much more important things to deal with besides his brainless team-mates. Climbing up the stairs to his room he's interrupted yet again by the phone. A frustrated groan falling from him as he turns on his heels padding back down the steps, nearly tripping over the game-ball in the process.

He reaches for the phone mumbling curses to himself. "Andy I said quit fucking calling me!"

"This isn't, Andy." The voice was altered, just like before, but no sign of slurring or slowed speech. Deffinately not his drunken friend who called only minutes ago.

"Then who is this?" Jason asked, not really expecting an answer, let alone a truthful one.

"Someone who's been waiting to gut you like a fish. You know what they say-" He paused to chuckle, " - Payback is a bitch." Jason stood frozen in place. Over his years he'd wronged many people: nerds, goths, band kinds, other jocks, random people, and those freaks. Before he could fully fit the pieces together the stranger speaks up, "And if I were you I'd start running." Jason listens as the phone line goes dead, but doesn't move an inch.

Only when the figure bursts from the closet in front of Jason, does he take off running. "Shit! Fuck-" He turns to run towards the stairs, but before he makes it, karma comes back to bite him, feet stumbling over the ball left on the floor and he falls.

Tumbling straight to the ground and shattering his skull on the staircase. The ghost-like figure watching as he bleeds on the carpet tilting his head and fleeing the scene. Justice had been done.

You on the other hand were enjoying the piece and quiet, revelling in its grace. It had never been so peaceful in the Henderson household, it was amazing. Then it all came crashing down when a knock sounded on the door. "Ugh.. so much for that." You push off the couch to pad over to the front door and fling it open, peering out into the empty blackness of the night. Huh? Who had knocked? Were you hearing things?

From across the street there was a tall figure dressed in a jumpsuit and some sort of white mask? What the- Blinking your tired eyes the mysterious figure is gone. Okay, yes. So maybe you were seeing things, it's not like that was the worse thing happening right now.

You could be dead.

The phone blares from the kitchen once more and you're left groaning as you waltz into the room to grab it off the stand. "Hello? Henderson residence."

"Who's this?"

"Why don't you tell me your name first? Then maybe I might tell you mine." You offer.

"What if I tell you my name's, Jason?" The voice responds a sweetness laced his tone despite the gravelly voice.

"Ugh like Jason Carver?" You ask with a roll of your eyes, before adding on. "That guy is s creep."

"You dint have to worry about him. He didn't get the heads up." This stranger seemed off.

"Listen, Jason. You seem like a nice guy and all, but I'm very tired and had a long day is there any way we could chat another time?" The line went dead.

"Guess that's a no." You hang up the phone an return to the safety of your couch.

Meanwhile on the other end a familiar figure was fuming over the incident, right as he was about to make his move someone had to ruin it. He turned to raise the knife only to be met with a white mask, blue jumpsuit, and soulless eyes staring back at him.

"You look like your mom fucking gave up." He jeered jabbing his knife in his direction. The other masked figure slapped his hand away, own palms drenched with blood. "Hey, this is my kill! My street so back off!" Before he could argue the man clad in his jumpsuit lunged making the ghostly stranger fall back into the dirt. Reaching gloved hands to pull at his mask- He froze.

"Steve?" He tilted his head, going to reach down for his mask and remove it. Being met with a winning smile, dark curls and sweet brown eyes.

"Eddie?"

"Surprise, baby." Steve growled at his response slamming him down into the ground by the shoulders of his dark robe, before climbing off.

"What the fuck are you doing on my block, freak?" Steve hissed gesturing his own weapon to Eddie, who had manged to finally stand back up after being tackled.

"Well, first of all, bud. This is my street." He corrects. "And before you interrupted I was going in for the kill." He gestures one hand off to the house they'd been hiding beside and Steve huffed.

"She's mine." Steve growls pressing his blade to Eddie's throat, only to gave one pressed back to his own.

"No, fuckface (Y/N) is my kill. I'm gonna splatter her insides over the walls and make it look like fucking Christmas!" As the two stood there, eyes boring into one another, you distracted them.

Walking outside to get some fresh air, it always managed to bring some sort of relief. They watched, listened, and waited. No.

Steve seemed to catch on to Eddie's thoughts. "What of we work together?" He suggests pulling his weapon back as Eddie did. "You and me."

"Together?" Eddie repeats with a scoff.

"I know how you look at her. I do it to. She's special and can be ours, but only if we work together." Steve reaches a hand out to offer his mask back to Eddie and him doing the same.

"Together." They confirmed.

TAGLIST:

@st-ls @munsonloverblog @off-phelia @strangerthingsstories5255 @fujiihime @shyposttree @damon-loves-pie @fanficfanatic204 @positivevibesnlif3 @beebslebobs @seratoninsickness @k0urti @thatlonelypieceoftoast @marianita195 @b-barnes04 @phantomxoxo @eddiemunsons-missingnipple

#eddie munson #stranger things fandom #stranger things x fem!reader #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x reader #steddie x fem!reader #dustin henderson #sth steddie thirst! #mean!steddie #mean!eddie munson #mean!steve #daddy!steve harrington #daddy!eddie #stranger things season 4 #18+ #slashers #steddie x henderson!reader

[helloalycia]

watching TV [one] // kate bishop

summary: everything seems like it's going perfectly in your life – your girlfriend, your best friend, your job – until it's not. After your girlfriend breaks up with you so suddenly, you're left trying to understand what the problem was, but Kate is there to make it all better.

warning/s: mention of a breakup, mild violence and injury.

author’s note: i’ve literally had this in my drafts for so long and finally managed to finish it. It’s based off/inspired by the song ‘Watching TV’ by Sara Kays – feel free to listen to it whilst you read (I’ve popped the song below). Hope you enjoy!

two / three / masterlist / wattpad

"Are you really just going to sit here and keep buying coffee, Kate?" I ask my very determined best friend with amusement.

"Well, I got told off last time for staying all day and not buying more than one drink, so yeah," she replies like it's obvious. "And I don't want you to get fired because of it, so duh. I'd buy the whole menu if it meant we could hang out, Y/N."

I roll my eyes, feeling my smile widen at how cute she could be sometimes. I worked in a coffee shop and, since graduating, I'd been increasing my hours to pay rent which meant I was spending less time with Kate than usual. So, naturally, her solution was to hang out with me at work.

"You're cute, I'll give you that," I say, shooting her an appreciative look, before setting her third cup of coffee down before her. "Please don't have a caffeine overdose for my sake though."

She grabs my hand and puts it on her chest. "You feel that? It's a little too late."

I laugh when I feel the faint thrumming of her heart in her chest, faster than it should be. "Wow. I'm definitely cutting you off now."

"The things we do for love." She flashes me a grin and I shake my head with dismay.

Before I can think to say anything else, I glance behind her and my smile widens when I spot my girlfriend entering through the front door. She looks around, mirroring my smile when she spots me, too.

"Hannah, what are you doing here?" I ask with surprise.

She leans forward to kiss my cheek, making me grow warm at the contact. "I was running some errands and thought I'd stop by. Also just wanted to double check we were still on for tonight."

"Of course we are. I'm looking forward to it. Already got the snacks in and the films ready to go," I answer excitedly, meeting her brown eyes.

We'd planned for her to stay over at mine tonight and have a movie night just because, and to say I was looking forward to it was an understatement.

"Kate, hey, how are you?" Hannah asks politely, noticing her presence before us.

Kate's smile fades slightly and I can tell she's trying to remain civil. "Hey, Hannah... I'm good. And you?"

Hannah gives her a smile. "Doing great..."

It gets awkwardly quiet and I hate that it has to be like this. Hannah and I have been dating for about a year now, but her and Kate have never really gotten along. Or rather, there's just an awkwardness between them that never disappeared with time like I wanted. They both meant a lot to me and so made the effort with one another for my sake, but it's clear they wouldn't choose to converse if they could. I've tried talking to Kate about it, but she claims everything is fine. Same with Hannah. So, I just got used to it.

"Right, well I should get back to work," I break the silence with a small smile, looking between them. "Hannah, c'mon, I'll take your order. And Kate." I give her a warning look. "Last coffee. I mean it."

Her sincerity returns as she challenges my stare. "We'll see."

I scoff gently, leaving her to it as I return to my position at the till. Kate never listens, what can I say? But I won't lie – I love having her around.

As planned, Hannah stays over that same evening, watching films with me and eating way too much junk food to be considered healthy. But it's fun and I have never felt more relaxed, not unless I'm by myself or with Kate.

She stays overnight, sharing bed with me and cuddling to no ends, before I make us both a hearty breakfast and we reside on the couch to watch some midday TV together. Maybe the normalcy of it all is what throws me off – bad things shouldn't happen when everything feels normal. That's the whole point of something being normal, it's not bad. And yet...

"Y/N, I need to tell you something."

I hum in response, not really paying attention as I watch the telly. "Go for it."

Hannah hesitates. "I'm serious."

I furrow my brows slightly, glancing over at her at the change of her voice. "What is it?" When I notice the guilt in her expression, I straighten up and mute the TV, giving her all of my attention. Clearly something is bothering her. "Hey, Hannah, what is it? What's wrong?"

When I grab her hand, hoping to provide some comfort for whatever is bothering her, she pulls hers away.

"I'm breaking up with you."

I blink, taken aback by her bluntness. "You're– you– what?"

It doesn't seem plausible, what she said. Is this a stupid joke? Because it's not funny.

She chews on the inside of her cheek, eyes avoiding mine, and the longer she's quiet, the more my fear builds up that she's being serious.

"I didn't know how else to say it," she says quietly. "But I'm breaking up with you."

It's as if her words aren't quite sinking in because they just don't make sense. Breaking up? We're literally watching TV – how can she be breaking up with me?

"I don't understand," I say slowly, before attempting to reach over for her hand. A strike of hurt passes through me when she yanks her hand away further. "I need you to explain. To talk to me. I'm– what?"

She shakes her head slowly, standing up. I follow her with my eyes, trying to hide the way my breathing is becoming quicker, panicked, worried.

"I can't do this anymore," she says awkwardly, running a hand through her hair. "That's all."

Standing up, I try to step closer to her, unable to acknowledge the truth of the matter which is that she doesn't want to be near me. But how? Why? We were cuddling last night and now she suddenly can't stand me? What?

"Hannah, please give me more than that," I say with a teary smile, confused. "How can you suddenly want to break up? What's going on?"

She clenches her jaw, finally risking a glance my way, and it's like I'm staring at a completely different person. Her eyes are void of love or adoration or anything I feel for her. Has it been like that for a while? Have I never noticed?

"I'm sorry, Y/N," she says, and she sounds anything but, making my heart ache. "I should go."

There are no words to describe the utter disbelief I feel at watching grab her shoes, pulling them onto her feet. She's leaving? That's it? What?

"Wait a minute, Hannah," I say quickly, snapping back into action and following after her. "You're breaking up with me? Just like that? How can you–? I don't understand–"

"I don't love you anymore!" she snaps, making me jump. She swallows hard, exhaling and looking my way with guilty eyes. "I've been trying to tell you for a while now. It just never felt like the right time."

My throat closes up as she stares at me with pity. Shameful warmth creeps onto my cheeks. She doesn't love me anymore?

"That's all," she finishes softly, like it's not a big deal, like my heart isn't shattering at every word she speaks.

"You don't... why would... you..." I swallow thickly, trying to stop my voice from shaking so much. It doesn't help that she's staring at me with pitiful eyes. "What did I do?"

She sighs, rubbing her forehead with her forefinger and thumb. "Nothing. I just... I don't love you anymore."

My vision blurs with tears as I look to the floor, trying to figure out what that means. How can she not love me anymore? We've been fine. Nothing has gotten between us, we literally just hung out all evening. I'm still in love with her – she's my girlfriend. How can she decide she wants to leave all of a sudden?

"I'm sorry," she says once more, but it's mere background noise to my jumbled thoughts. Her hand ghosts my wrist, an apologetic squeeze, before I hear her leaving my apartment.

So, that's it? She leaves? And I'm alone? No explanation, no reason, just that she isn't in love with me anymore?

What?

Before the initial hurt can take over, I'm still very much confused. I try to call her, needing more of an explanation then a mere 'I don't love you anymore'. We've been together for a year – how can she just want to throw that all away? Doesn't she owe me more than a blunt breakup?

When she ignores my calls and texts, merely sending a 'l have nothing more to say, Y/N' text with finality, I realise she's dead serious. This isn't an elaborate prank, nor did she care enough to give me more than what she did. It's over. And I'm just supposed to accept that.

I've had breakups before. One where I've been the dumper, and another where I've been the dumped. Neither have hurt as much as this. I expected those, there were signs there. Lack of communication, the feeling like we were drifting apart, the bickering... it was obvious when my previous relationships were coming to an end. But this one came out of nowhere. I had no chance to prepare, to tell myself to stop loving her back.

I shouldn't spend my time wondering why, but it's all that's on my mind. If I'm not crying in my room, missing someone who doesn't want me anymore, then I'm wondering: why? What was the reason? She doesn't love me anymore, but there has to be a reason why.

Something about me isn't good enough for her. Something about me is so undesirable that she stopped loving me. What? Was it that time I showed up late to dinner and left her waiting fifteen minutes? Was it that time I disagreed with the way she spoke to her mum and we argued briefly about it afterwards?

It's so easy to reflect on every disagreement, every minor argument, every time I could have pissed her off... one of those times must have been it for her. The reason she called it quits.

What is it?

As if getting broken up with isn't embarrassing enough, it had to be by the girl my best friend never approved of. Such a cliché, right? That should have been an instant red flag, the girlfriend not being approved by the best friend. And yet I still went for it.

The last thing I want is for Kate to find out, for her to think that she was right. She'd never say it, but just her thinking it would be enough to make me feel even shittier. She'll have to find out eventually, but for now, it's better to keep to myself. Besides, I'm definitely not in the mood to face anybody at the moment, so I try to stick to myself.

Whenever she asks to hang out, I give her some lame excuse why I can't. Half the time it's because I'm actually working, but she'd never know the difference. If I'm not doing that, I spend my time applying for better jobs that actually utilise my degree whilst questioning every aspect of my relationship. How hadn't I seen it coming? Hannah had just woken up one day, looked at me and decided she couldn't love me anymore.

Yeah, it's safe to say I've never felt worse.

Of course, soaking in self-pity doesn't go down so easily when your best friend is as persistent as she is.

I don't know why I expect anything less from Kate, who is the definition of a hyperactive puppy, but I'm still surprised when she visits me at work one afternoon.

"Kate? What are you–? What are you doing here?"

She quirks a brow as she shoots me an amused smile. "Don't act too surprised."

I clear my throat, straightening up. "Sorry, I– sorry, just, what's up? How did you know I was working?"

"We'll, you've only been saying you're busy with work every time I want to hang out with you, so I thought I'd stop by," she says dramatically and with an easygoing smile. "That okay?"

I nod, looking down at the till. "Yeah, of course. Sorry."

She pauses, so I look up to see her humour is gone, replaced with concern. "Hey, are you okay? You seem preoccupied."

I force a smile, not wanting to get into this now and definitely not ready to tell her about the breakup when it's still so fresh. "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. Just tired from all the shifts, sorry."

She dips her head to find my eyes, her blue ones flickering between mine worriedly. With a low voice, she says, "What's with all the extra shifts? Do you need money? Because you know I'll always help you, Y/N."

I shake my head, widening my smile and hoping it looks genuine. "Kate, I'm fine, don't worry. Now, come on. What can I get you?"

She chews on her lip, no doubt about to retort, but thankfully she decides not to and instead orders her drink. After moving to go get it ready, I sigh inwardly, knowing I need to make more effort with her. She'll definitely suspect something if I keep avoiding her.

It's hard to focus on applying for jobs when you're definitely not in the mood to, but I still force myself to at least dedicate a few hours a day to searching and starting some applications. After all, I don't want to be working at a coffee shop forever.

I'm at home doing just that when Kate messages me, asking if I'm at home. After telling her I am, she invites herself over and I can't exactly stop her, even though I'd rather just be alone, so I tell her okay and throw on a more presentable outfit (AKA putting on pants).

When there's a knock at the door, I roll off my bed and answer it, unable to stop the small smile appearing on my face at the sight of Kate. Even though I haven't been myself lately, she always manages to make everything a little better without even realising.

"Hey," I say, stepping to the side to let her in. "How you doing?"

I notice she's wearing her Avengers sweatshirt and joggers which is just a black outfit with the Avengers logo printed on the corner.

"You been at the Compound?" I ask, closing the door after she steps in.

"Hey, yeah," she starts, sounding a little distracted.

"Oh, cool." I lead her to the couch as I ask, "So, how was training or whatever it is that Avengers do?"

It's supposed to be lighthearted but she doesn't fall into it like she usually does, leaving me curious.

"What?" I ask when she begins to frown at me.

She hesitates, eyes flickering to the spot behind me briefly, before saying, "I bumped into Hannah on the way back to my place before."

And as if somebody flicks a switch, any comfort I feel is immediately gone at the mention of my ex's name. Judging by Kate's face, she knows. And I don't know what's worse – the look she's giving me or the possible thoughts running through her head about me.

"Y/N...," she says gently, stepping forward. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrug indifferently, avoiding her sympathetic stare. "It didn't come up."

Kate raises her brows with slight disbelief. "Y/N."

I put my hands behind my back nonchalantly, trying to hide my fidgeting. "What did she say?" I ask.

She bites her lip, eyes studying me in a concerned way but one that only leaves me embarrassed.

"I was saying hello to her to be polite," she answers reluctantly. "And then I asked about you, if you were okay because you've been distracted lately and I thought she might know more than I do. But then she got all awkward and said she wouldn't know. So, obviously, I said what? And she–" She frowns. "She said she broke up with you like three weeks ago."

I close my eyes, wincing with embarrassment. She said that? If there was any way I wanted Kate to find out, this was the last.

"Y/N, what the hell?" Kate says, making me open my eyes to see her confusion. "What happened?"

I push my hair from my eyes and try to remain calm, but the feelings are bubbling away on the surface again and I begin to feel uncomfortable. "It's not a big deal. It was just a breakup. I should have known it wouldn't work out."

Should I have?

"What was the reason?" she asks carefully, and I hate that I can't answer that because I don't know. That's what hurts the most.

How do I explain to Kate that something about me wasn't enough for Hannah to love so she left me instead?

"Please can we just forget about it?" I plead quietly, risking a glance in Kate's direction. "I know this is the part where you say 'I told you so', but I'm–"

"Hey, no, stop it," she cuts me off, resting her hand on my shoulder and dipping her head to meet my gaze. "That's not even a thought of mine right now. I'm just worried about you... how are you?"

I flash her a forced smile, nodding. "I'm fine, Kate, see?"

It's a terrible attempt to convince her, but it's easier than telling her exactly how I'm feeling. I hope she doesn't push it, but she does one better and pulls me in for a hug. I didn't realise how much I needed it until she's wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tight and providing a warmth I so dearly missed. I relax at the feeling, tucking my head into her shoulder and revelling in her care.

"Seriously, what happened?" she asks softly.

I don't let go of her, not yet. But she deserves an answer. And maybe I'm sick of bottling it all up.

"I don't know," I admit quietly, voice breaking embarrassingly enough.

She's patient, letting me hold her for a moment longer as I gather the courage to face her. It's not about her – Kate and I are close enough for me to tell her my deepest, darkest secrets. It's more about how embarrassing it is to be in this situation in the first place.

"She just broke up with me," I finally speak once I pull away from Kate's embrace. Her blue eyes watch me, hanging onto my every word, and it feels good to say it aloud even though my heart still breaks reliving it. "There wasn't any warning. And when I asked her why, she said– she said she didn't love me anymore. Just like that."

Okay, so saying it aloud doesn't feel good. I take it back.

"Sorry," I say when I realise tears are rolling down my face and my nose is all stuffy. Backing up, I look away and wipe my face with my sleeves. "I don't mean to be all gross. It's embarrassing, I know–"

"No it's not," she says quickly, shaking her head and watching me with a softened stare. "Is that why you didn't tell me? Because you were embarrassed?"

I exhale deeply, not knowing what to say because, funnily enough, I'm still embarrassed.

"Y/N," she urges, grabbing my hand, but I pull back gently, ashamed of the pity.

"Yes, that's why I didn't tell you," I tell her with a frown, meeting her gaze through blurred vision. "How isn't it completely and utterly humiliating, Kate? She broke up with me because she suddenly woke up one day, looked at me and thought 'nope, don't love her!' Something about me is unloveable, clearly. How isn't that embarrassing?"

Kate steps forward, grabbing my hand and squeezing it before I can let go. "Are you insane, Y/N? That's not true at all, not one bit!"

I scoff quietly, looking away from her. She only tugs me closer by my hand, forcing me to look at her.

"Who the hell in their right mind would fall out of love with you?!" she exclaims, throwing a hand up in the air. "There's clearly something wrong with her! You're amazing!"

I roll my eyes, finding it difficult to believe her. Besides, she's biased. As a best friend, she's not exactly going to put me down, is she?

"This isn't an 'I told you so' moment," she says adamantly, before pulling me into another hug, holding me so tight that I'm surprised she cares this much at all. "I'm here for you. I care about you and I wish you'd told me so you didn't have to go through it alone... please, don't push me away."

It's impossible not to love her right now, not when she's reminding me exactly how lucky I am to have her in my life.

"Thanks," I mutter into her shoulder. "I just... I don't want to talk about it."

I feel her nod in response before she pulls away and holds me at arm's length. I can't read her expression, surprisingly enough, but then she offers me a comforting smile and I almost regret not telling her in the first place.

That's Kate Bishop for you.

Since Kate discovered the truth, it's easier to just be me... the distant, moody, sulking version that is. I don't expect to feel better straight away, but it sucks being sad and I hate that I can't do much about it. I don't want it to consume me though, so I try not to distance myself from the people in my life, people like Kate. I try to keep my promise of letting her in and not pushing her away, but it's too easy to sulk.

"Did you see that, Y/N?! Clint taught me that one!"

I look up when I realise Kate is talking to me, jumping up and down with excitement, bow and arrow in hand. She invited me to hang out with her at the Avengers Compound whilst she gets some archery training in. She knows how much I love messing around with her whenever she invites me, but today I'm just not feeling it and I may or may not have been zoning out a little.

"I... sorry, Kate, I must have missed it," I admit with an apologetic smile. "Bet it was great though."

Her smile fades as she tilts her head, studying me. I know what she's thinking and look away, deciding that maybe I should leave if I'm just bringing the mood down. But then she skips over to me lightheartedly, taking a seat beside me.

"Hey," she says softly, tapping my knee with her forefinger.

I look over at her and she's already smiling my way, eyes looking up at me as she's leaned down, trying to catch my attention. Admittedly, my lips curl upwards.

"I want to take you to the fair that's happening in Central Park," she continues, straightening up in her seat, never looking away from me.

I exhale sharply, trying not to laugh. "I don't think I'd be very good company."

She lifts a brow hopefully. "Please?"

As much as I don't want to attend a fair, Kate's cute pout is very convincing, and I find myself sighing quietly, giving in with a nod. Her smile widens shamelessly before she pulls me in for a hug.

"Gross, Kate, c'mon," I whine petulantly, attempting to shove her away because she's all sweaty from training.

She only laughs and hugs me even tighter, winning against my useless attempts to fight her. I roll my eyes, pouting, but I'd be lying if said I didn't love it.

A few nights later is when the fair takes place and I realise what I've agreed to. The only reason I bother getting ready and not completely bailing is Kate's texts all day telling me how excited she is. For her sake, I try my best to push away my grumpiness as of late so we can actually have a good time.

I'm waiting for her outside my apartment building so we can go together when I spot her approaching.

"Somebody took their time," I joke when I see her.

"My bad," she chuckles nervously, stopping before me, and my eyes widen when I spot the cuts sprinkled over her face, covered by little bandages.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Raising my hand instinctively, I have to stop myself from touching her cuts, fingers hovering over them.

"For God's sake, Kate, can't you stay out of trouble ever?" I say with annoyance, though the worry I'm trying to disguise is still very much present.

"Nope...?" she says when I lower my hand, grinning sheepishly.

I settle with an eye roll, scoffing quietly. She's always been careless like this, gaining bruise after cut, even before she joined the Avengers. It always worried me, now more so than ever, but she's also unsurprisingly good at staying alive so I can't really say anything. Plus, I'm not too sure she'd listen to me if I tried to stop her from being stupid anyway.

"Come on, let's go!" she changes the subject, tugging at my hand. "I've already got my heart set on a corn dog."

"Yeah, yeah..."

When we reach Central Park, the fair is in full swing, bustling with people, vendors, rides and music playing loudly. It's the most perfect sight, instantly brightening my mood, to my surprise. Kate immediately drags me to the first thing she sees – a corn dog stand – before taking charge the whole evening. We play countless fairground games, hop on a few definitely unsafe rides, hit each other in the bumper cars and eat way too much junk food. I don't think I've enjoyed myself this much since the breakup.

By the time I'm pretty sure we've done everything the fair has to offer, twice over, we find ourselves sat on a bench to get off our feet. Kate is eating from a bag of popcorn whilst I take another look at our winnings from the night – a stuffed toy, some key rings, snacks... pointless stuff, but I can't love it any more than I do.

"You look happy," Kate says, and it takes me a moment to tear my attention away from one of the keyrings I'm studying. She's smiling at me, blue eyes twinkling with the neon lights.

"I am," I say, shrugging.

She purses her lips, looking down. "I missed seeing it."

I look away, unsure what to say but imagining what it must be like for her lately. I haven't exactly been the greatest company, but she's still stuck by me.

"It's not true, y'know," she adds carefully.

"What?"

A pause, and then: "You're not unloveable. I wouldn't be here if you were."

At the mention of my words to her once she'd discovered the truth – my fear, deep down – I close my eyes and sigh quietly. A retort is at the tip of my tongue because no matter how convinced she sounds, I know it's not entirely true. Why else would Hannah simply fall out of love with me? Get bored of me so easily?

But before I can say anything, Kate's hand slips into mine, making me open my eyes with surprise. She takes my other hand, too, forcing me to face her slightly as she watches me with a seriousness she rarely showed.

"It hurts now, but it will get better," she says with complete and utter sincerity, her eyes boring through mine. "What Hannah did was horrible. The way she went about it..." She pauses, looking up with a suppressed scowl. "God, if I could see her again just to give her a taste of her own medicine." Shaking the thought away, she looks to me once more. "But that's besides the point. Don't let it ruin you, Y/N. You're the best. And you deserve the world and every good thing in it, and you'll get it someday. For now... well," she cracks a smile, jokingly, "you'll just have to settle with me.

A small smile tugs at my lips, heart warming at her words.

"You're the last thing from unloveable," she adds, giving me a knowing look.

I'm not sure if I believe her words, but I believe that she believes it, and that's enough for me for now.

"Thank you, Kate," I finally speak, surprised at way my voice breaks. Her words have more of an effect on me than I thought. Embarrassed but smiling nonetheless, I avoid her eyes and pull her in for a hug. "I love you, you know that?"

She snickers, returning my hug. "I know, Y/N. I think you know I love you, too."

I sigh contently, tightening my hold when she tries to pull away. She chuckles quietly, staying put, and I'm grateful because I don't want to let go just yet. She's been here for me when I haven't been myself and I've never felt more gratitude for her than I have right now. What I have here with Kate, this friendship... it's definitely unconditional. It always has been.

#kate bishop #kate bishop x reader #kate bishop imagine #hawkeye #hawkeye imagine #marvel #mcu #hailee steinfeld

[hellfirexhoe]

Death of Me: Chapter 15 - A Very Special Meeting of the Hellfire Club

Chapter 15 | Series Masterlist

3,794 words

Warnings: 18+ content, minors DNI, pregnancy, childbirth, fluff.

October 31st 1986.

If you thought you were miserable during your first trimester, boy were you unprepared for going a week past your due date. 

You're fairly certain that raspberries may go extinct at the rate you're chugging cups of raspberry leaf tea. Not that you care. Stupid raspberries. 

Eddie had taken you on miles long meanders in the woods around Hawkins, trying to hold a conversation with you that wouldn't end in you frustrated. You appreciate the effort but still, stupid walks.

Your mother had said castor oil was a great way to get things moving. You didn't have time to find out before the oily substance on your tongue made you vomit. Stupid oil.

You woke up this morning particularly irritable, stomping around the house until Eddie finally dared to ask what was bothering you so. You'd shot him a death glare and then pointed at your stomach,

"He's supposed to be here. We were told the 23rd."

"I know sweetheart, but maybe he's just super cosy in there and isn't ready to leave yet. But we'll get to meet him soon." Eddie gives you a soft smile and you groan,

"Spare me that crap. I just want him off my bladder." You growl the last words as your son helpfully pushes down on your bladder as though to illustrate your point.

Eddie tries to give you a sympathetic smile but it doesn't win you over, you're uncomfortable and sore and you feel like you haven't slept in months. 

"You don't have to come with me tonight, I really don't mind if you want to stay home and get some rest, maybe a bubble bath."

"Two things," You hold up your fingers, "One, I can't drive myself to the hospital if your son decides he wants to make an appearance. Two, there is no way on God's green earth I'm going to be able to fit into that tub right now." You rummage through the cupboard, locating your coffee mug with ease. Eddie learned the hard way that your caffeine intake was not his to police while you were sleeping so poorly. A tiny foot in the ribs doesn't exactly send you off into a dreamless sleep.

Eddie comes over to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, the other rubbing your stomach soothingly. 

"Ugh you smell like water." You grumble and wrinkle your nose while Eddie stands baffled,

"What the hell does water smell like?"

"I don't know but you just do!" Eddie bites back a chuckle, knowing you'll bite his head off if he does. 

"Okay I'm going to go shower and see if that somehow makes me smell less like water. Do you want me to help you with your costume when I'm done?"

"You're going to have to squeeze me into it, I feel like I've swallowed a planet."

The zip glides smoothly up your back as Eddie finishes helping you get dressed, mercifully you’d picked a much larger size, meaning Eddie did not have to “grease you up” as he kindly offered. You sit on the edge of the bed and he kneels down to help you slip your feet into your shoes, a small frown crossing his face, placing the shoes back down beside him and switching to rubbing your feet, a quiet tut leaving his mouth,

"You're been on your feet too much again." He gently chides, it's coming from a place of concern, not control. 

"Well how else am I going to walk this baby out?" You lean back onto a pillow you hastily shove behind you, sighing as Eddie’s hands work over your sore feet, relaxing the muscles and helping the painful swelling on your feet reduce. You shut your eyes and let another long sigh go,

“Better?” 

“Don’t be smug about it.” Eddie laughs and you smile, “Alright if you don’t stop now I’m going to have to insist you cancel tonight and carry on.” 

“Sorry guys, no game tonight. Fiancee’s feet hurt so I’m spending the evening taking care of her? Yeah what an asshole I’d be.” Eddie places your shoes onto your feet gently and stands up, holding out a hand to help you up.

“Five more minutes.” You pout and Eddie lets his hand drop, shrugging,

“Fine but then you miss out on watching me stab myself in the eye multiple times.” Eddie ducks into the bathroom as he calls out to you. 

“It’s just not that difficult to do Eddie, how many times do I have to do your makeup for you?” You eventually manage to pull yourself off the bed and waddle into the bathroom watching as he immediately pulls his lower lid down,

“Absolutely not. Put the pencil down Munson.” You had explained so many times that doing that was going to cause premature aging around his eyes but he just doesn’t listen, insisting this was the only way he could put eyeliner on. You take the pencil from his hand and turn his head to yours, rolling your eyes at the satisfied grin on his face. To his credit, Eddie keeps still as he squats down so you can reach his eyes with ease, and is able to fight the instinct to back away from the invading black pencil rimming his eyes.

“Okay, there. Not difficult.” You step back and let Eddie admire his lined eyes in the mirror, grinning at your handiwork as he inspects it.

“Thank you sweetheart.” Eddie smooches the top of your head, “Now where are those fangs?” 

He rummages through the bag he’s haphazardly thrown onto the counter and produces a plastic pack of fangs.

“Eddie, those are going to shred your gums to pieces, what happened to the caps I found?”

“The caps were cool, but these glow in the dark.” Eddie switches the light off as he speaks and produces another pack of faintly green teeth and offers them to you.

“Nope, I’m sticking with my caps, have fun wrecking your gums though.” 

“Your losh.” Eddie struggles with the plastic encasing his teeth, but you can see he’s grinning in the dark thanks to the glow of the teeth.

You switch the light back on and gently bump him aside so you can better see the mirror for placing the fang caps over your teeth. The putty tastes vile but secures them comfortably and means you can still talk without sounding insane. You spot Eddie rummaging in the bag once more and he produces a frankly ridiculous amount of fake blood.

“I thought we were both going as vampires? You going as Carrie or something?” Eddie laughs as you watch him with a raised eyebrow,

“I got a good deal.”

“I’d hope so, that jug is getting passed down to our grandkids.” 

Eddie dips a q-tip into the jug and dabs two marks on your neck, dragging the soaked cotton along your skin to emulate a trickle of blood. You shudder at the sticky sensation but in the mirror you have to admit it looks realistic.

“Okay now do me.” 

“Eddie… we have plans.” You joke, it takes him a split second to grasp your meaning but he does,

“I meant the fake blood, idiot.” Eddie teases as he presents you with a q tip and tilts his neck for you.

“What if I just draw a dick on your neck right now?” 

“You’re a menace. I’m trusting you to behave.” 

You’re the first to the Wheeler’s house, aside from the Wheeler’s of course. Nancy answers the door, dressed as a witch, complete with pointy hat and broomstick. As you head into the basement you see Mike, with an alarming amount of gel through his hair, slicking it back. You tilt your head on the side unable to place the costume inspiration, he notices your stare,

“It will make sense when El gets here.” 

“You’re gonna die when you realise.” Nancy laughs as she moves more chairs around the table and then beckons you upstairs with her. “No baby yet then?” 

“Shit, we left him at home.” You deadpan and then laugh,

“Sorry, stupid question huh?” 

“It’s okay, but if he doesn’t come soon I am sending him to a bad school.” 

A doorbell interrupts you and you see a sliver of orange and white in the gap between Nancy and the door, Nancy is nearly on the floor with giggles and steps aside to allow Dustin in, Dustin who is wearing a gigantic grin, and a traffic cone costume.

“Points for originality.” You manage between laughs. He tries to bow and nearly takes Eddie out with the tip of the cone on his head. 

“Shit Henderson, you were right. I’d never have guessed.” 

“Thank you, thank you.” Dustin holds out his hand and Eddie places a bill into the hand, shaking his head and laughing. 

Eleven arrives alongside Will and Jonathon, and immediately you twig the costume as Mike goes in to hug her,

“Oh my god you guys are Danny and Sandy! That is beyond cute!” Dustin pretends to gag from behind their back but you can see he thinks the costume is cute too. Will and Jonathon have both dressed as wizards, Will’s costume is one that is well loved, you can see from the adjustments made to the costume to fit a growing body. Will immediately attaches himself to Eddie and is asking a million questions a minute about the campaign, and Eddie matches his energy immediately, gesturing with his hands in a manner that is bound to result in someone being accidentally hit. 

Robin is next to arrive, with her designated driver dressed in a blue boiler suit and raybans. 

“Maverick from Top Gun?” Steve nods, grinning, clearly thrilled with his costume. Robin’s is harder to place, a mustard yellow sweater and pale blue jeans.

“Any clues?” She shakes her head, looking like she might explode at any given minute into raucous laughter,

“She won’t even give me any clues. It’s driving me crazy! Like, I know this sweater from somewhere!”

“Robin!” Dustin hollers from across the room, “Nice Steve costume!” 

Robin collapses into laughter as Steve’s jaw drops, not sure whether to be offended or flattered.

“Is this why you were asking me about my hair care routine??”

Erica, Lucas and Max are dropped off by the basement door so that Max can be easily wheeled into the basement, Max is dressed as Freddie Krueger, with Lucas dressed as Nancy Thompson, complete with a beautifully styled wig. Erica has on a cowboy hat, with an apple mark on her cheek, and is wearing pale orange clothes, you have to ask Dustin who immediately twigs and compliments the cleverness of the costume. 

“She’s Applejack.”

“Apple who?”

“My Little Pony.” 

“Ooh, that is clever.” 

You notice the absence of the original Hellfire club, you know Eddie had invited them but it had been a terse call, two had moved away from Hawkins in the aftermath of the “earthquake” and weren’t thrilled about coming back and Gareth had politely declined as he apparently had a date, which Eddie wasn’t entirely sure he believed. You’d done your best not to eavesdrop but the phone was on the wall in the kitchen, and you were trying to make dinner, so it’s not entirely your fault that you’d overheard the conversations. Eddie had insisted it didn’t bother him that they were seemingly avoiding him, but eventually you’d pointed out that it’s okay if it did bother him, and you were always happy to listen if he wanted to talk about it, and that was enough for Eddie, to know he had a supportive partner, and friends who weren’t dodging his calls for a Halloween-themed D&D afternoon/evening.

Eddie starts the session and immediately is met with confused stares at his slurred speech. Eddie sighs heavily and spits out his vampire teeth and tries again to speak, this time everyone understanding. 

It’s about an hour in when you stand to pick up the dice Eddie is helpfully gesturing to, you feel a slight cramp in your belly, you brush it off. You’d been dealing with braxton hicks for the last 3 weeks and this did not feel any different to those, so you take a sip of water and grab a handful of pretzels when your turn is over, knowing these usually help to alleviate the symptoms. 

Eddie catches Mike gawking at your bump and puts his head in front of his face to intercept the gaze,

“She’s not going to explode, you know. Quit your staring.” Mike averts his gaze but you do catch him glancing a few times, and you’re fairly sure Eddie’s statement was right on the money because the boy is looking at you like he expects an Alien chestburster situation is going to happen any second.

Another hour passes and your snacking hasn’t stopped the discomfort, and as another cramp hits you curse under your breath and kick Eddie’s foot under the table, Eddie’s eyes flick to you and he notices the beads of sweat on your head,

“You okay?” He whispers, you shake your head and gesture for him to lean in closer, the second the phrase,

“I think I’m having contractions.” Leaves your lips he is on his feet, 

“Right, someone take a note of where we’re at, we’re gonna head to the hospital and go have us a baby.” Eddie grabs your hand and guides you out of the house without a moment’s hesitation.

Will shuts his eyes and closes Eddie’s notebooks without peeking, before Dustin or Mike think to hop up and have a rummage. 

“Eddie, they're going to tell us to go home and wait until my contractions are more frequent.” 

“That’s fine, but I want you to get checked out first.” Eddie’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel.

“We don’t even have my hospital bag in the van, we need to go home first. We can call my parents and Wayne too and let them know.” Eddie takes the next turn reluctantly, clearly not happy with the diversion back to your house but knowing you’re making sense.

You’re helped down from the van and as another contraction hits so does a wave of nausea and you proceed to vomit on Eddie’s shoes. Mercifully they’re not his usual white reeboks, they’re black so the staining isn’t visible, because that would probably make you vomit again.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I need new shoes anyway.” He shuffles out of them and dumps them into the trashcan as you head to the front door. You call your parents as Eddie hops up the stairs, taking about 4 at a time by the sound alone. He's coming back down the stairs just as you tell your parents what’s happening, a bag slung over one shoulder and trying to hop into a new shoe.

“You can call Wayne, I desperately need to sit down.” You struggle over to a chair as Eddie dials, phone pressed into his shoulder as he puts the other shoe on.

“Hey Wayne -”

You hear a small pop and feel fluid trickling down your leg, for a split second you wonder if you might have pissed yourself but then it dawns on you.

“SHIT BABY COMING GOTTA GO BYE.” Eddie manages to garble out before he slams the receiver down and all but fireman carries you out of the house.

Without the cushioning of liquid your contractions are suddenly infinitely worse, to the point that when you arrive at the hospital the first thing you say to a member of staff is,

“Drugs. Get me drugs.” 

You’re helped into a wheelchair and wheeled into an examination room where a midwife checks you over and confirms you’re in labour, to which you snarkily reply,

“I could have told you that!” Eddie mouths an apology to her and is waved off,

“If you think that’s the worst anyone has said to me mid-labour you are mistaken. Let me take you guys to a room and you can get settled in there.”

Eddie settles you on the bed, making sure you have enough pillows to be comfortable and fussing around until you ask him to just sit down because he’s making you anxious with his pacing. You receive pain relief and are able to relax between exams, and countless members of staff walking in and out to check on you. You have gas and air available to you and of course Eddie asks to try it as soon as you’re on your own.

“Oooh I feel all dizzy.” Eddie laughs as he hands the mouthpiece back to you,

“I’m more enjoying it for the pain relief, but I’m glad you’re having fun.” You stick your tongue out at him.

It’s around 9pm when you first start feeling the urge to push, you alert Eddie and he presses the call button behind your head. Your midwife confirms that you can start to push and Eddie pales for a second but shakes his head, regaining himself and comes to stand by your side taking your hand in his.

It takes two hours of pushing, your whole body wracked with pain and covered in sweat. Eddie tried to distract you from the pain by slipping his fangs in when you weren’t looking and then flashing you a cheesy grin, that did make you laugh until you realised that laughing hurt just as bad as a contraction at the minute. Eddie didn’t have time to remove the fangs before you had to push once more, and this time you were told to hold the push, because the baby's head was so close. You held until you were fairly sure you were about to pass out and then managed one more push.

“Okay heads out! Now let's get these shoulders out and get this guy out!” You could only give a half hearted thumbs up to the midwife as you huffed on the gas and air as though it might hold the secret to getting the baby out with one painless push. 

“You got thish.” Eddie rubs your back, “My shtrong girl, you can do it.” 

You listen to your body and your midwife’s instructions and eventually, after a lot of pushing, swearing and sweating, you feel a small foot kick your thigh and an almost instant relief of pressure.

The cry comes moments later, a beautiful sound to yours and Eddie’s ears. Your son is placed on your chest and Eddie perches on the bed, putting his arm around you to cradle you gently as you look down at the small person laying on you. 

Wayne was absolutely right about the Munson nose, and dark tufts on his slightly bloodied head indicate he’s got Eddie’s hair. The shape of his lips is similar to your own and it makes you smile to see your own features in this perfect being in your arms. Your midwife helps you finish delivery then takes your son away briefly to check him over and clean him up a bit, eventually handing you a bundle of blue blankets surrounding his face. 

“11.59pm, he just made the cut for a Halloween birthday.” The midwife jokes,

“Hell yeah he did.” Eddie grins, then practically melts into a puddle when his finger is grabbed so tightly. You rest the back of your head on Eddie’s chest and he rests his chin on the top of your head as you both stare in absolute wonder.

“Can’t believe we made him.” You say quietly,

“Me neither. He’s just so perfect.” You nod at Eddie’s words, stroking the top of your son’s head. 

“You should probably call our families, let them know.” 

“You sure? They can wait till tomorrow.” You nod reassuring him you are happy for him to step out for a second.

Eddie keeps the door open, and stretches the phone cord to its absolute limit so that he never has to take his eyes off of the two of you while he makes the calls. Your parents cry, but Wayne? Wayne wails down the phone at the news, utterly unintelligible noise. 

“Okay… Well, visiting hours are from 9am so you can come meet him if you want.” More loud sobbing, that sounds like an agreement.

After a night of not really sleeping because you don’t want to take your eyes off of your new baby, and also doing your best impression of a human cow, as you described it to Eddie, 9am rolls around and your parents and Wayne, who had carpooled and being sitting in the car in the parking lot since 7.30am don’t wait a second before they’re practically running to meet their first grandchild.

Wayne is allowed first cuddles and then proceeds to make the strange, strangled wailing noise from last night when Eddie whispers the name to him. Your parents busy themselves with checking on you, trying to wait their turn to see their grandson. Wayne passes the baby to your mother who wells up when the soft weight is placed in her arms, your father similarly chokes up, looking between the baby, you, and Eddie.

“He’s a perfect mix of the pair of you.” 

Eddie peers over your mother’s shoulder, “Yeah, sorry about the nose kid.” Everyone softly chuckles and your father awkwardly places a hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

“Do we get to know the name then?” Your mother asks, gesturing at a quiet sniffling Wayne, you nod and gesture to Eddie.

“His name is Oscar Wayne Munson.” The loud sobbing from Wayne starts up again and your parents smile,

“Or, Ozzy.” You speak up and your mother glances at you, confused,

“Like Osbourne?” You nod, Eddie’s a little too stunned to speak that your mother knows who Ozzy Osbourne is.

“It actually fits, really well.” Your mother laughs looking down at the baby in her arms, “Little Ozzy.” Eventually she is convinced to pass him to your father for cuddles, and then Oscar is placed back in your arms, where you hold him close to you, inhaling that fresh new baby smell that Eddie was convinced was a myth until he’d sniffed Oscar’s head and declared they needed to make that smell a car air freshener. Your family stay for a while, but they notice you getting tired and politely excuse themselves, leaving you and Eddie to cuddle up with your child.

“Hey, did you ever think, all those times you were glaring at me from across the canteen that we’d get to this point?”

“Eddie, I love you so much. But if anyone had told me back then this was how my ‘86 was going to go I would have personally driven them to Pennhurst myself.”

“‘86 was definitely our year though, right?”

“Absolutely.” 

Taglist: @hellomothermoon @tlclick73 @likedovesinthewnd @bebe0701 @wheaty-melon @thegirlwhohides @munsonsgirl71 @sammararaven @joejoequinnquinn @hellfire-puppet @micheledawn1975 @averagemisfit03 @edsforehead @thehuntresswolf @a-hopeless-fan @sister-cirice @boomhauer @quinndjarin @tayhar811 @sidthedollface2 @callmeloverr @manda-panda-monium @3rriberri @eddiesbabe95 @trashmouth-richie @ches-86

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader fanfic #eddie munson x reader fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x you fanfic #eddie munson x you fanfiction #eddie munson x you smut #eddie fan fiction #eddie core #eddie fanfic #eddie fluff #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x female reader #eddie the freak munson #eddie munson x bitchy reader #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fanfic #stranger things smut #eddie munson angst #eddie my beloved #death of me fic #joseph quinn fanfic #joseph quinn smut

[rising-volteccers]

I have a prompt for Friede. He gets sick but he's the last one to notice. Like everyone is taking care of him in their own way.

Thank you very much for sending this prompt! I'm currently sick myself and wrote this all in one go while medicated and sporting a 102F fever. I suppose I just wanted to make him suffer alongside me hhh...

Anyways! Hope it's still an enjoyable read! I think this is the longest piece I've written thus far so I'm pretty proud of it still haha!

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Cap, Murdock, Mollie, Orla, Liko, Roy, Ludlow

--

Waking up that morning, Friede found himself struggling to sit up. His body felt heavier than usual, though he supposed that was expected when he took night shift for the past couple of days. Manouvering the ship through a storm, battling strong winds and dipping temperatures took a lot out of someone. At the very least his crew didn’t lose too much sleep over it, especially the children.

Cracking a huge yawn that he barely covered, Friede went through his usual routine at a more sluggish pace. He briefly forgot where he kept his goggles and he almost exited the room without tying up his hair. Cap gave him odd looks throughout it all but aside from a questioning noise, he scampered up his shoulder as he headed to the dining area.

By the time he entered, everyone was in the midst of digging into the wonderful breakfast spread Murdock put out. He barely stifled another yawn when Orla greeted him with, “Morning sleepyhead. Thought you were gonna skip breakfast there.”

“Mm? Nah, I would’t miss it without someone getting on my case about it,” he replied with a cheeky little grin at Mollie, who merely raised an eyebrow at him. Friede ignored her sudden interest as he took a seat at the end of the table.

Friede wasted no time in pouring himself a mug of coffee. With how tired he felt, he needed a bit more caffeine in his system. The first sip made him pause, and he pulled the mug away to scrutinize the dark liquid.

“Hey Murdock, did you use a different coffee blend?”

Murdock looked up from his own plate. “Hm? Nah, it’s always been the same. Why, it tastes weird to you or something?”

Huh, if nothing changed, he supposed it was his taste buds being weird for some reason. Oh well, nothing that he couldn’t drink. Friede gave an airy wave that made Murdock stare at him for awhile longer before he passed the bread basket to Roy.

With a half mug of coffee in him, Friede found himself lacking a bit of appetite which he chalked up to his tired state. His stomach felt a little weird after a piece of toast and a few berries so he decided to stop before any accident could occur.

“That’s all you’re eating?” Orla commented as he drained the rest of his mug.

“Yeah. Guess I’m not as hungry as I thought,” he replied, once again stifling a jaw cracking yawn. As he rubbed his eye with a finger, he missed the way his crew exchanged glances with one another. 

“You feeling alright?” Murdock asked, sounding oddly cautious.

“Yeah, probably just all those late nights catching up. Nothing that going to sleep earlier tonight couldn’t fix.”

Suddenly feeling a little stifled from the attention he garnered, Friede stood up from his chair–placing a hand on the back of it to steady himself through a brief wave of lightheadness. 

“Hey–”

“I’ll catch you guys later then,” he spoke quickly, flashing them all his usual smile before turning on his heel to exit the dining area. Cap quickly finished his own food, cheeks stuffed and then dashed after him.

That was a little weird, admittedly. His crew stared at him like he had two heads at the end. Couldn’t figure out why but oh well, maybe that was a one time thing. Friede paused to allow Cap a chance to settle on his shoulders again. It was his turn to do some chores today so he might as well get to it now if he wanted to nap later.

–

After he cleared the table and washed the dishes with Roy’s help, Murdock went to the cabinet to pull out a tea caddy. He opened the lid to check what blends he still had left. Only he, Liko and Mollie really enjoyed tea while the rest were coffee drinkers (or in Roy’s case, a Tapu Cocoa fiend). He rarely made tea for those outside their little group but he figured it was necessary today.

Murdock knew that Friede wasn’t feeling well. If his sluggish nature wasn’t a tell, then his lack of appetite spoke of an uneasy stomach. While Friede couldn’t match Roy’s huge appetite (typical for a growing boy and one where Murdock encouraged), the good captain usually ate his fill before going about his day. 

The chef took out the honey jar as well as a half cut lemon from the fridge. While he waited for the water to boil, he took out a red thermos from a different cabinet. Rarely used seeing that he was more than happy to make the crew something from scratch but one that should fit his purpose right now.

Within twenty minutes, he exited the kitchen with the thermos in hand, filled with a blend specifically made for uneasy stomachs. Murdock found Friede and Cap quickly enough; it was his turn to mop the deck, which he found him to do with slow, sluggish swipes.

Swallowing down the flare of concern, Murdock called out, “Hey Friede!”

Friede nearly dropped the mop in surprise but he straightened up with a tighter grip, then turned around to regard him with a semblance of a pout.

“What’s with the attempted heart attack so early in the morning?” he grumbled. Another check towards his unwell state was him being a little testier than usual.

“Sorry. I just wanted to give you something. Here you go.” Murdock handed Friede the red thermos. At the questioning look, he gave a disarming smile, keeping his voice light. “It’s honey lemon tea. I’m slowly using up what we have left before we restock in a few days.”

“Okay? Thanks I guess.” Murdock knew him well enough to not take the somewhat dismissive response to heart. Likely confused when his brain wasn’t running on all cylinders, not to mention the choice of beverage given. Coffee or Tapu Cocoa were the go-to more than a whole thermos of tea. 

“No problem. I’d appreciate if you could give it a try later and give me some feedback on it. Wanted to see if the ratio I put works or not,” he added. By framing it this way, Friede would find himself obligated to do so, which Murdock hoped involved him taking a break whilst drinking it.

“Yeah sure.”

“Right, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll see you around lunch then.” Murdock didn’t stick around after that. Had he tried to push more, Friede might get defensive, stubbornly loveable fool that he was. The chef decided to make a hearty soup for lunch to see if his captain could stomach it later. 

–

“What’s on your mind Liko?” Roy’s question startled the girl out of her thoughts. She jumped a little in her seat, spooking Sprigatito who fell off her lap in turn. She spent a few minutes apologizing to her starter before answering Roy, who looked a bit guilty after that.

“I’m sorry for startling you. I didn’t think you were so out of it,” he apologized, hugging Fuecoco tighter to his chest.

“N-No it’s fine! I was… mm, I was thinking about earlier.” Liko replied, shifting to the side so Roy could take a seat seeing that she piqued his interest.

“What about earlier?”

“You know… how tired Friede looks.” Having been a part of the Rising Volt Tacklers for awhile now, Liko had time to observe the crew’s habits and behavior, storing everything into her little mental file cabinet. She knew that Friede’s sluggishness was unusual for the seemingly upbeat guy. At least, he’d try to hide if he felt off on account to avoid worrying others.

“I guess you’re right. I don’t think I’ve seen him yawn so much during breakfast! That’s usually my thing!”

Liko giggled at his words, though her expression drooped into a more thoughtful one. “Yes, which is why I think he’s not feeling 100% right now. And he’s either not admitting it or he doesn’t think much on why he’s feeling so tired. A-At least that’s what I think.”

Roy tilted his head, so much so that Liko could practically see the gears turning. “I think you’re right. I remember Orla mentioning once that he’s a stubborn, lovable oaf of a man that thinks he needs to shoulder everything himself!”

She blinked in surprise at that. She hummed, fiddling with a lock of her hair. “I-I see. I think you should avoid mentioning that to either of them…”

“Hm? Yeah, alright.” Roy hugged his Fuecoco once more. “So… do you think we should help him?”

Liko nodded, swinging her legs. “Yeah! I think we should! Maybe he’d feel better if he gets some more rest. It’s his turn to do most of the chores today I believe.”

“We can help him out with that so he can go take a nap or something.” Roy had a huge grin on his lips, hopping up from his seat. “What are we waiting for?”

Liko quickly got up to join him, leaving Sprigatito to curl up and nap on the couch for the time being. The two kids hunted down their mentor until they spotted him carrying a basket of laundry, heading towards the back of the ship where they hung them out to air dry.

“Hey Friede!” Roy called out. Liko saw the way Friede startled, almost dropping the basket before his grip tightened at the last second. She quickly joined Roy to stand at his side.

“Liko, Roy,” he began slowly, eyes narrowing slightly. “Did you need something?”

The kids exchanged a quick glance before Liko stepped up to answer. “W-We were hoping if we could… um, swap chores today!”

“Yeah!” Roy was quick to follow up, steamrolling through whatever response Friede might have said. “We have plans to do some training tomorrow so we were hoping if we could do our chores today to have some free time tomorrow!”

“Training?” Friede sported a questioning look but Liko took note of the fact that it wasn’t an immediate dismissal. 

“Y-Yeah! We… wanted to get more practice on battling so we can help defend our home if stuff happens.”

Liko resisted the urge to squirm from Friede’s assessing gaze. Roy wasn’t as nearly affected but she had a feeling the boy too waited with bated breath for a verdict. At last something in Friede’s eyes softened, and he sighed.

“Well, I guess I can take over your chores tomorrow. Make sure to inform Mollie about the change, alright? Don’t need her coming after my neck for foisting off work onto you two…”

Liko had a feeling that they weren’t supposed to hear that last bit. She chose not to say anything aside from carefully grabbing the laundry basket from him. Friede sighed once more, regarding the pair with a half smile. 

“If you want to practice with Cap too, let me know. I’m sure he’d be up for it.”

“Y-Yes, thank you!” she responded, injecting as much enthusiasm into her voice. Liko supposed training was on tomorrow’s agenda. Hopefully Sprigatito would be up for it.

“Yes! Me and Fuecoco are ready for the challenge!”

“Alright, alright.” Friede covered his mouth from an abrupt yawn that sneaked out. He ran his fingers through his hair, then stood up straighter. “If you two need me, I’ll be at the captain’s deck.”

“Okay!” She clamped down the urge to add I hope you’ll feel better soon!

The two kids watched Friede walk away and up the small steps until he disappeared into the room. 

“You think he’s going to nap?” Roy asked.

“Mm… I hope so.” Liko eyed the laundry in hand. “Come on, we better go hang this up while the sun’s up.”

“Okay!”

Liko hoped that Friede would feel a little better with some rest, knowing that Roy too shared her sentiment.

–

Ludlow slowly pushed the door to the captain’s deck open. Peeking his head inside, he found Cap staring inquisitively at him before recognition flashed in his eyes once his gaze landed onto the folded blanket in his arms. The Pikachu raised a paw at him, forming a little thumbs up.

“Don’t mind me,” he uttered softly. Ludlow shuffled his way inside, steps light in comparison to the soft snores escaping the young captain’s lips. Once he reached the large chair, he took a moment to observe Friede.

Being a fisherman by trade and at heart, he knew to be patient whilst keeping his senses open for even the slightest of changes. Be as still as a calm lake, hand ready to reel in the moment his lure caught something. Ludlow of course applied this in his everyday life, too.

Thus without it being explicitly stated, he knew that the rest of the youngsters were looking after their ill captain. He knew why they’ve yet to outright state it to his face; Friede could be infuriatingly stubborn, insisting that he was fine despite feeling otherwise. Ludlow supposed it matched his ambition at least. One couldn’t have thought of converting his fishing boat into an airship without being strong-willed and just a little eccentric.  

Still, he personally believed that there was a time and place for everything. Friede truly was lucky to have such caring people in his life. Ludlow didn’t exactly place himself in that circle, preferring to continue his observation of these youngsters from his spot day in and day out. 

Carefully, he unfolded the blanket before draping it over the slumbering captain’s form. Ludlow could do nothing about the rather uncomfortable position he slept in without the risk of waking him up but he did his best to tuck the blanket in. Cap too assisted him, using his paws to tug the blanket higher up.

Friede remained fast asleep throughout it all. Ludlow eventually took a step back, shared a knowing nod with Cap before shuffling his way out of the room.

–

Orla toiled the morning away within the engine room but her mind drifted every so often towards a certain someone on this ship. She didn’t let any of those thoughts affected her work as she didn’t want to worry the Pokemon that assisted her. By the time she emerged from the hot room around lunch time, she was free to ruminate about that stubborn, loveable oaf they had for a captain.

She knew that Mollie and Murdock shared similar thoughts during Friede’s time at breakfast earlier. All of them knew him well enough to know that he either refused to acknowledge his ill state or he didn’t connect the dots. 

Friede was a brilliant man, that Orla won’t deny. His plan to fashion an old fishing boat into an airship was successful mostly due to her work but the layout he presented helped with the foundation. Orla built around his vision until they had a home in the sky, soaring high and free.

As intelligent as he was, the guy could be fairly dense in keeping track of changes to his body. Sometimes he actively hid that fact, believing that he could handle it by himself until one of them had to drag him by the ear to Mollie. Other times, it just didn’t click that maybe, just maybe his body wasn’t feeling all that well. 

Orla had a feeling that it leaned more towards the latter this time. He wasn’t as defensive, though his exhaustion may have tempered it down. Regardless, his infuriating stubbornness likely remained, as it won’t even if his brain actively cooked itself. Thus Orla would give him a bit more time to come clean before dragging him to the infirmary.

In the meantime, she went to freshen herself up for lunch. Worrying about that knucklehead made her hungry, so she wasted little time in carving herself a spot at the dining table. Murdock informed them that soup and sandwiches were today’s menu. Orla lacked any doubt that it was in consideration for Friede. 

Who, as lunch progressed remained absent. Liko and Roy exchanged glances, while Murdock looked like he wanted nothing more than to get up from his seat. Ludlow and Mollie ate on as usual but she took notice on the way Mollie tapped a finger on the surface, signalling her rising ire and worry.

Orla bit back a sigh. She quickly finished up her meal, then declared to the table that, “I’ll go check up on Friede.”

It felt like the table collective exhaled a relieved breath. Murdock flashed her a grateful smile while the kids exchanged soft smiles with one another. Mollie looked up, quiet but her eyes sent a clearly defined message. 

Let me know what happens. 

The engineer dipped her head once, then stood up from her chair.

“He was napping in the captain’s deck last time I checked,” Ludlow spoke up, surprising them that he knew in the first place.

“Oh, so he did get some more rest…” She barely picked up on Liko’s muttered words prior to her exit from the dining room. Her steps were collected as she made her way up the steps to the deck.

Orla opted to enter without knocking. Her entrance drew Cap’s attention, who looked a little relieved. Her heart rate sped up slightly as she closed the distance between the door and the captain’s chair.

Taking one look at Friede, she knew why Cap reacted that way. Putting aside the uncomfortable position he fell asleep in, she spotted the dusting of red high on his cheekbones. Sweat dotted his forehead, easily revealing a fever once she pressed the back of her hand against it. 

She hated being right in this situation. Orla pulled out her Rotom Phone and sent a quick text to Mollie to prepare the infirmary since she was bringing a fever stricken idiot there within the next ten minutes. After that, she gently placed a hand on Friede’s shoulder and gave it a little shake.

Friede groaned, looking like he was trying to free his arms from the blanket in order to swat her hand away. Orla gave a harder shake, this time punctuating it with, “Hey Friede, come on wake up.”

Eventually hazy yellow eyes opened, and he blinked in confusion for a few seconds before they settled onto her face. 

“Orla…?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Come on, I’m taking you to the infirmary. You’re sick,” she stated promptly. Before his ill timed stubbornness kicked in, she needed to make decisions so that he only had time to react and not think.

It took a bit of effort for Orla to pull Friede to his feet. She had to shoulder the sudden weight pressed against her, his deep heavy breaths spoke of a sudden wave of lightheadness that he tried to get in control of. She gave him time to stand a little steadier on his feet, then with an arm around his waist for support, she started to guide her sick captain towards the infirmary.

–

Mollie had things prepared by the time Orla and Friede came stumbling in. She wasted little time in helping Orla get him on the bed, where he struggled somewhat from the hands that wanted to take his flight jacket off.

“I don’t want you in too many layers,” Mollie spoke, gently gripping Friede’s shoulder as to ground him. She waited until he settled down before starting her check-up.

After Orla left the infirmary, her hands swiftly went from one test to another; checking his temperature, pulse, the inside of his throat when he mumbled about a scratchy throat during her questioning session. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that Friede was in for a few days minimum of bed rest until the worst of the symptoms eased up.

Mollie raised an eyebrow at the mullish tilt to his eyebrows once she gave him the verdict. “I don’t want you to pass out nor increase the chance of spreading this to everyone. I’ll be having my hands full looking after one stubborn idiot.”

“Harsh,” he mumbled, cowering when her eyes hardened. Mollie could be a little cold when someone had the misfortune of igniting her ire. She preferred a cool sense of professionalism rather than allow fear to settle in. Friede genuinely worried her but as the nurse on this ship, she had to keep rational if she wanted him to recover as quickly as possible.

“Am I wrong?” she challenged.

Perhaps something finally clicked into that feverish brain of his as Friede hunched in slightly, eyes darting to the side.

“No,” he admitted. “Sorry for worrying you.”

As much as she wanted to keep a hold of the slight thrum of anger beneath her skin, Mollie simply heaved out a deep sigh, briefly pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I wish that you’d stop hiding when you’re not feeling well, Friede.” Her eyes settled onto his contrite expression. “Do you realize that you’ve got everyone worried today?”

“I, uh, I actually didn’t.” His voice sounded like a child being reprimanded, which she supposed wasn’t far from the truth. “Honest, I just thought I was feeling more tired than usual. But I guess that’s why Murdock gave me that tea, and the kids offering to switch chores with me…”

It took a lot of willpower to not roll her eyes. Honestly, this brilliant man could be so dense at times. 

“I don’t know whether it’s better that you’re ignorant or stubborn. Regardless, you’re on bedrest for coming days. I’ll give you some medication to take after you have something in your stomach. Murdock made soup so that should be easy on it.”

“He did?”

“Yes Friede. Everyone noticed you weren’t feeling well–except for you, unsurprisingly.” Her blunt tone didn’t quite match the way she slowly draped a blanket over his form. “Now you’re going to briefly rest here while I have Murdock bring some soup for you to eat. I expect you to eat as much as you’re able to, then take the medicine. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” he mumbled, sighing blissfully once Mollie placed a folded damp rag over his forehead. 

Mollie smoothened the blanket once more, her own expression softening somewhat. “Try and get some sleep, alright?”

“Mm…” She supposed that after the fight drained from his body, he couldn’t resist succumbing to some much needed rest. Mollie observed him for awhile longer, then checked her cabinet for the appropriate medicine to give Friede later.

With everyone pitching in to take care of their stubborn, loveable captain, it was her hope that he’d return back to full health before the week was up. Until then, she was in for a whole lot of whining in her immediate future… 

Not that she fully minded, she supposed.

#Pokemon Horizons #Pokeani #Professor Friede #Liko (Pokemon) #Roy (Pokemon) #Murdock (Pokemon) #Orla (Pokemon) #Mollie (Pokemon) #Ludlow (Pokemon) #Captain Pikachu #Hana writes stuff #A fun challenge to write multiple POVs aside from Friede's! #I hope I got their voices more or less alright

[pinksirensong]

B.F.F.

Chapter Four

The Dreaming was gloomy and rainy, just like Dream of the Endless. Tonight he had planned to tell Y/N the truth, he would finally say his real name and what he was, but nothing worked out. His friend, Hob, contacted him to warn that she wouldn't be able to go on their date because her friend needed her. Owen. Always Owen getting on his way. It was like that boy wanted to make him mad, taking their time together. Deep down Morpheus admired that on her, the way she would put others before her own wishes and yet it also annoyed him.

Morpheus waited and waited all night for her to enter his realm, at least then he would know she was safe. It felt like years for him, but it was really only a few hours. He couldn't wait anymore so Dream had to seek the only person that could help him: Hob. They called once, twice…ten times and nothing. By now not only Morpheus but Hob too was worried about Y/N, she was never so silent for so long. It was time for him to go to her, he needed to know what was going on and more than that he needed to make sure all was well with his beloved.

Y/N was so invested in her painting that she didn't even notice that not only the door was unlocked but also didn't see Daniel entering her apartment. So much caffeine on her system felt like a wave of creativity, she mixed the colors exactly how it was supposed to be and the figures that she thought were flowing towards her canvas.

"What are you doing?" Daniel's voice rang through the apartment, making her jump and almost ruin her work.

"Oh, love, you scared me." giving him one smile she went back to painting, which didn't make the other happy.

"I scared you?" she didn't want to, but Y/N knew that the tone he was using meant trouble, so she dropped her paintbrush and turned towards him. Daniel was far from happy.

"Is something wrong? I told Hob that I wouldn't be able to go on our date, like always."

"Yes, I was…informed. I tried to call you with Hob's…cellphone. You did not answer."

"Well, it took longer than expected and when we got back I just…I was inspired so I started painting right after arriving!" she expected him to understand, after all Daniel was supportive of her work.

"You were gone not only the entire night but also a good part of the day after with this…Owen. Not a word and suddenly you are inspired? After weeks complaining about an artist's block?" the look on Y/N's face was enough for him to understand what he was implying and how wrong it was. Between the two of them he was the one lying, how could he even think of accusing her when he was dishonest from the beginning?

"Excuse me? You think what, that I'm cheating on you with Owen?" she scoffed and started walking around the place. "We talked about it several times, Daniel." her saying his fake name was a job on his endless soul. "If I wanted to be with anyone else I would break up with you and do it! I'm honest about my feelings, I don't play games!"

"Y/N…"

"No, you don't get to Y/N me with your sweet voice now. I told you from the start that Owen is all I've. My blood relatives left me a long time ago, if it wasn't for Owen I would be alone and probably homeless too. We can always count on each other, so I couldn't say no when he asked me for help." Morpheus wanted to kick himself for even suggesting something like that, obviously he knew it wasn't the case but his worry soon became anger and he let his temper get in the way.

"Y/N…Carus, I am deeply sorry." oh, if Matthew could see him now he would definitely become a joke at the Dreaming. The Dream Lord apologizing? To a mortal?

"He wanted to get something from his family, so we had to go to New York at the last minute. I didn't even have time to change from my cheer uniform! I don't know exactly the details, but when we got there it wasn't with this guy anymore and Owen was so sad that I couldn't leave him, you know? Time passed by and I didn't notice how late, or early, it was. We went home and…gosh, I'm a fuckin asshole, but I can't help it." she sat on the couch and looked at him. "All that sentiment, that sadness, it brought something in me. I remembered some bad shit from my own past and that darkness somehow became a painting inside my head and I need to put it on a canvas. I had to, the urge was too strong."

"I see." and indeed he did, Morpheus had his suspicions that Owen didn't approve their relationship, but now not only he confirmed it but understood that he wanted to make them break up. "Again, I am sorry. I should have never even made you think that the thought of cheating crossed my mind. It was never that, I trust you more than anything. I was worried about you and expressed it poorly." he sat at her side and grabbed her hand with his. "Forgive me, please."

"You must understand that I would never do something like this just as I don't expect you to do it too. If you ever wish to be with someone else all you have to do is say it, of course I'll be sad, but we can follow different paths without all that bad blood."

"There is no one else. There will never be anyone else." without giving her time to say anything, he used his free hand to pull her closer by the neck and kiss her. "Carus..." he whispered, breaking the kiss, their lips still close. "My carus…I love you. Every second we are apart my heart aches for you, I miss you and I worry about you. I can not control it, it has been so long since I felt something even close to this. I love you and I can not lose you. I will do better…be better, if you will have me."

"Oh, hon… I don't want you to change. I love you for who you are." there were tears in her eyes. One minute ago they were arguing and now he was declaring his love for her…for the first time.

"As you know I had other…relationships, I was…still am far from perfect. I do not wish to repeat my mistakes with you. Never with you. When I think about the future all I see and all I want in it is you." he pecked her lips with his a few times.

"We can work on that. When it's too much, when you cross the line…if you do it, I will tell you and we can talk. Like now, okay? I love you too and I can't see a future for me without you in it." Morpheus couldn't possibly be more happy than now, he finally professed his love for her and he was able to fix his mistakes without losing her. Dream knew he wasn't the easiest person to be around, but he was willing to do everything for her.

The only problem was that Morpheus knew that as soon as Owen found out his plan didn't work and not only that but also brought them closer, he would try something. Perhaps it was time to resort to other means to find out more about this man…it was time to search for his book and understand all of this.

"You know, now I'm really happy. I don't think I can go back to the painting." her voice broke his thoughts. "It's kind of your fault, you know?"

"Oh, is it?" the smirk on her face was enough for him to know that she was far from mad at him.

"Yes, you're the one that made me happy. So now you'll have to be my new inspiration!" she stood up and started walking towards her room, when almost there Y/N turned towards him and called him with her finger. "Come, love. I'll paint you like one of those French girls." Morpheus had not idea what that meant, but he would follow her to the end of the world if she asked him to. At the end of the night Dream found out exactly what she meant and he loved every second of it.

Orpheus, on another hand, started to plan what to do next.

.

.

.

*Carus is dear or beloved in Latin (source: google)

tag list: @jesllianaquilesrolon @reallystressedhoneybee @waitingformysandman @mypsychoticlove @mrdarcyifhewere21stcentury

#morpheus x reader #the sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus x oc #bff

[pigeonwhumps]

Break

MD-264N masterlist

Taglist: @wolfeyedwitch @den-of-evil @dustypinetree @cardboardarsonist

Asim persuades Blue to take a break from examining information about Morgan.

980 words

CWs: self-dehumanisation, living weapon, recovery whump, overworking, trauma

Asim knocks on the door of the workroom and enters, watching Blue frown into his computer, making a little note. He hasn't noticed him entering at all.

"Blue."

Blue jumps and pulls off his headphones, spinning around. He deflates at the sight of Asim.

"Oh. It's you."

"Expecting someone else?"

"I thought Rhian would've come to shout at me by now. For upsetting Morgan. Are they still going by Morgan?"

Asim sighs. "She knows it was their choice, she's not angry. And yes, they are, as you'd know if you'd left this room at all in the past two days."

"I've been busy. How's Morgan?"

"Unsettled and grieving, but they'll be fine. They have a colouring book and we've improvised wide grips on some of the cutlery and colouring pencils, which is working well for them. You were right about both. Asha and Rhian are with them now. And don't change the subject. You look almost ill."

Blue has large bags under his eyes, eyelids drooping now he's not looking at his computer. There's a massive thermos beside him. So he's left the room at least once.

"How much caffeine have you had?"

Blue's hand twitches. "Not too much."

"Bullshit. Drink some water, take a break. That's an order, Blue, because I know you won't do it any other way. And you're going to eat some proper food with us tonight. No arguments."

Blue looks like he's about to argue, but he just wilts instead, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

"Are you sure they don't hate me?"

"Of course they don't. It was Morgan's decision to watch it, neither Rhian or Asha hate you for giving them free will. And Morgan certainly doesn't. They're shaken, obviously, heavy nightmares, but they'll recover. Hating you isn't the default."

"I– it's hard. The recordings of Morgan are brutal. There's a lot of information here though, if I can just get through it."

"Break first, information later. Or you'll miss things."

"Like what?"

"Like me coming in the room earlier. You usually hear that immediately. Your senses are dulled, you’re overtired, and you’ve got to be emotional. Take a break, have a rest, it’ll be here later. I’m making your favourite.”

Blue smiles weakly, looking shaken. “Maybe… that might be a good idea. Some of the training videos hit a bit close to home.”

Asim squeezes Blue’s shoulder as he stands wearily. “You were so scared and surprisingly naive when you arrived. Now look at you. You’ve come a long way, and I'm proud of you. But you still don’t take care of yourself properly.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Will Morgan, Rhian and Asha be there?”

“If you’re okay with it.”

Blue nods. “Sure. They can stay.”

_

Rhian cheers when Blue enters the kitchen. “You’re here! We’ve missed you.”

Morgan gives him a hesitant wave, which he returns. Because okay, they might be a weapon, and he and Asim might have contingencies upon contingencies, but right now they're huddled into themself, eyes puffy with tears and exhaustion, Archimedes in their hands and a set of cutlery with padded grips in front of them. They look younger than Blue’s ever really seen them, and maybe it’s the sheer humanity of the video flashing through his mind but he can’t see a weapon in them right now. Normally that would make him on edge, but now he’s just tired.

Maybe Asim was right. Maybe he does need a break.

Asha narrows her eyes, examining them. “You don’t look very well.”

“Just overtired. I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.”

“You’re still going by Morgan, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“No need for formalities, I just wanted to check what your name is now. There’s more videos and documents if you want to look at them, but first I want to apologise for hurting you. I’ve been a bit… insensitive, I guess I sort of forgot you’re a person too. You might have the capacity to be dangerous, but you’re still one of us, and I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you’re not.”

Morgan frowns. “This weapon is not a person, and weapons cannot be hurt. But if you want forgiveness from a malfunctioning weapon, it, I, it forgives you anyway.”

It's not long before Asim finishes the scrambled eggs on toast, and Blue can't help but watch as Morgan eats. They do so one-handed at first, still copying Rhian, but even that looks easier with the new grips.

At least something tangibly good has come out of that video, then.

“This weapon is sorry if it upset you,” says Morgan quietly, over the sound of forks and plates. “It did not mean to. It has been malfunctioning a lot recently, it thinks maybe that memory was bad.”

Blue waves his hand in the air, nearly poking Asim's remaining eye out with his fork. “’s okay. You didn’t do any of those things, that was the government. I think you need to get used to having a past.”

Morgan nods, snuggling up against Asha. Blue thinks they’re trying to make sure Rhian can eat by not blocking their arm. As if anyone with a heart could think that they’re not human when they do things like that.

But then, the director doesn’t have one.

“How are you doing, Blue?” asks Rhian concernedly. He shrugs.

“I’m alive. The nightmares aren’t too bad. Think that’s the best I can hope for, considering.”

Considering everything the government did to Morgan that reminds Blue too much of his own training. He wasn’t lying when he told Asim the information hit close to home. It’s causing memories to pop up all over the place, ones he thought he’d securely boxed up and stored away.

He’ll get over it though. He always does.

It's the best the situation can get. And really, isn’t that all anyone can hope for?

#whump #whump writing #living weapon whump #living weapon #recovery whump #overworked #trauma tw #self dehumanisation #whumpee and caretaker #disabled caretaker #disabled character #md 264n #morgan the weapon #blue the engineer #asim the leader #asha the medic #rhian the fighter

[adventuresasmrsfindley]

Random brain dump comin atcha.

Today was so much better. I freaking hate Mondays and I am notoriously extra grumpy on them. The weekends are just so good and then you're jolted back to reality and it's unfair.

I have felt either a UTI or kidney issue coming on all day and it's the worst. I'm chugging water like crazy and hoping tomorrow the feeling is gone. If not, I'll be off to urgent care. I can't stand this feeling. I can't even remember the last time I had a UTI or anything similar so I really hope it's a fluke or a side effect of too much alcohol/caffeine/spicy food last week that I can flush out myself.

I'm taking Knox to the dentist in the morning. I'm ashamed to admit it'll be the first time. I am not the best at keeping up on my own dental health and I wish I hadn't projected those fears and anxieties onto my parenthood journey. I know it'll be fine. I'm mostly just scared now about them judging me or lecturing me. I'm going to make sure every time I take him I schedule his next visit. That should hold me accountable.

I've been loving the Versed skincare line lately. I just tried the exfoliating face wash for the first time tonight and it left my skin feeling soooo good! I already have their night cream and it's one of my favs. I also picked up the vitamin C day moisturizer so I'm excited to try that. Been taking much better care of my skin the last couple of years and it makes such a difference. I also got the shave oil @middwestbloom posted about and wowza. It really levels up the shower experience!

We are still keeping up on the new bedtime routine and it's amazing how much better my mood is now that I'm getting quality sleep. We've had a couple rough nights but overall he is sleeping much better and staying in his room more consistently!

[fitgothgirl]

Had one of those good days where you do All of The Things! I cleaned up my room, did a bunch of dishes, cleaned the metal over-the-range microwave filters for the fan above the stove (if that makes sense lol), got back to doing my bujo and did a spread for April and a spread for next week, started writing in my new pretty diary, did laundry, and wrote out April on our white board calendar. I love going into a new week (that's also a new month) with everything all clean and ready like this, feels so good. 😌 A good remedy for the Sunday Scaries imo haha.

The last couple weeks, I've been staying up too late and drinking too much alcohol, along with having too much caffeine earlier in the day since my tolerance is high right now. But today I made sure to have just my one coffee in the morning and kept it at that and I'm not having any alcohol. I want to be tired and sleep well tonight; the last two nights I've gone to sleep at 3:30-4:30AM. 😳😬 So yeah I need to turn this around and get back to some better sleep hygiene. Plus I want to just drink less for the other obvious reasons you should moderate lol. But yeah, it's fun to stay up late sometimes but it's been too much and I can tell it's making me feel crappy. But it's a little past 10:30PM right now and I'm definitely feeling much sleepier than usual so things are going according to plan and I'll be hopping in bed soon. ✌🏼

#mine #personal fitblr

[lanawinterscigarettes]

Idk if you received any request for Peter, but if not, what about he and reader on their first date? Maybe they are a bit nervous and they think screw up their chance with him. But Peter found them adorable.

You guys always have the cutest ideas for fics, I swear 😢💘

First Date Jitters (Peter Maximoff x reader)

Warnings: none, just some awkward babes in love

Tonight was the night you were going on your first date with Peter. You'd been trying for weeks to pluck up the courage to ask him out, at first thinking he didn't like you back until you realized he just wasn't all that great at taking a hint.

You were a nervous wreck as you got ready, thinking about all the ways this could go wrong. What if you tripped walking out of the house and sprained your ankle? What if you accidentally burped when you leaned in for your first kiss? What if he saw someone who was much more attractive and cooler looking than you and decided to go out with them instead?

There were seemly endless possibilities of how this could go wrong, but you tried to put on a brave face as you slipped on your shoes. Checking how you looked in the mirror one last time, you grabbed your keys and phone as you headed to meet him at the coffee shop you'd both agreed on.

You texted Peter as soon as you arrived to let him know you'd gotten there. Mere seconds later, you looked up to see he had zoomed his way to the table, sitting across from you.

"Oh, hey," you said as you put your phone away. "That was quick."

"Yeah. Y'know, super speed and all that." He shrugged as he looked around the cafe. "This place is nice."

"Yeah, I figured you'd like it," you said, giving him a smile. "This place has the best coffee in town, although I doubt you need the caffeine."

"Proabably not." The two of you laughed as a waitress came over to the table to wait on you.

After placing your orders, you both sat there quietly as you waited for your drinks to arrive. The silence was awkward, and part of you wondered why he even agreed to go on this date with you in the first place.

You fiddled with the zipper on your jacket as you nervously stared at the ground, worried you might say something stupid if you opened your mouth to speak. Peter rapidly tapped his fingers on the table, an indicator that he was either bored or just full of pent up energy. At that point you were desperately hoping it was the latter.

"So.." You cleared your throat, trying to get some form of a conversation going.

"So.." He awkwardly responded. The two of you were quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

"I'm glad you asked me out. I've been wanting to spend more time with you, but I was unsure how to ask, especially since I didn't know if you actually liked me or not."

That was when you realized something crucial; it wasn't that he didn't like you, quite the contrary. He was just as nervous as you were about messing this up.

"What? Of course I like you!" You blurted out. "You're funny, and cool, and you have a great sense of style, your hair is awesome, somehow you always manage to beat me at video games- why wouldn't I want to go out with you?"

Peter gave you a sheepish grin as you listed off everything you liked about him. "Wow. I had no idea you felt that way about me. I always thought of myself to be a nuisance you only hung out with to get me to leave you alone, but apparently I was wrong."

You playfully punched him in the arm. "You're not a nuisance, don't say that. I really enjoy your company. I hope you enjoy mine, too."

"Believe me, I do. I'm here, aren't I?"

Even though you'd started this date off nervous as ever, you were feeling calmer and much more relaxed after learning Peter cared about you just as much as you did him.

"Yeah," you responded, giving him a genuine smile. "You are."

~

Taglist: @anxiously-sad @iloveentrapta @ghot-girl @taecube @nevilleismywhore @ethrealzzz @xxromanoffxx @your-next-daydream

#mcu #mcu imagines #mcu x reader #mcu fic #mcu fluff #marvel #marvel imagines #marvel x reader #marvel fic #marvel fluff #xmen #xmen imagines #xmen x reader #xmen fic #xmen fluff #x men #x men imagines #x men x reader #x men fic #x men fluff #peter maximoff #peter maximoff imagines #peter maximoff x reader #peter maximoff fic #peter maximoff fluff

[beggingwolf]

The coast is clear ... or ... Ii've been up all night. S/G, of course. ))) Thanks!

It's half past five and there's a light on in the kitchen.

Nathalie bundles her robe tighter around her waist as she walks down the stairs. She takes a deep breath as she turns the corner, and sure enough, Sidney is there.

He's at his usual seat around the kitchen table, elbows braced on the tabletop as his limp fingers rest around an empty mug. His head, bent down over the mug, takes a moment to rise. His eyes are bleary and focus very slowly on Nathalie in the doorway.

"Is everything alright?" she asks gently.

"Sorry," Sid mumbles, sitting back and rubbing a hand over his face. "I didn't sleep well. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. Can I make you something to help? Hot chocolate?"

"No. Thanks."

Sidney has always been a little perplexing. Painfully young in some ways, and much too old for his years in others. Mario treated him like a younger brother, but to Nathalie Sidney had half a foot in childhood and half a foot in a retirement home. She's seen him laugh like a little boy, and she's seen him sit sternly on the phone with his agent like a president.

He doesn't look nineteen now. He looks exhausted and sick in a way Nathalie remembers seeing in the mirror when Mario's first diagnosis was delivered by the doctors all those years ago.

"You look like you need some rest, Sidney."

She's expecting him to laugh or smile and shake it off. Instead, she feels the muscle beneath her grip go lax as Sidney slumps a bit lower over the table.

"I've been up all night. It's fine."

"It will be a late night again tonight," she tells him, and that seems to bleed the last of his caffeinated energy out of him.

Nathalie takes the chair next to him, normally Mario's, and places her hands palm-up in front of her. Sidney stares into his mug instead.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No."

"Should we cancel the dinner? If something's going on, I can have Mario reschedule tonight. He can meet Evgeni some other time."

"No!" Sidney speaks too fast, and his knuckles are white as he clenches onto the mug. "No, don't..."

A quiet realization slams into Nathalie and steals the wind from her lungs. She gathers herself and looks Sidney over once more. He's sick with worry.

"This is about Evgeni. You already know him?"

Sidney nods slowly. He doesn't meet her eyes.

"It's been," Sidney starts, and his throat clicks wetly, "a long while since I've seen him. Or talked with him."

He doesn't flinch when Nathalie takes his hand from where he's trying to crush the mug. He silently lets Nathalie wrap her fingers around his.

"I didn't think he was going to make it out."

"He's in California," Nathalie tells him, though he already knows it. "He'll be on his way in no time at all."

Sid nods again, and Nathalie sits with him until the sun rises.

#sidgeno #hockey rpf #tag game #ficlet #maybe not what you expected... but I hope you like it!

[bi-bats]

to me you are the patron saint of coffee and damitim 💕

oh this is SO kind!! Esp cause I've only posted literally a single DamiTim fic that is still unfinished 🥺 that's literally so sweet, more of them to come (maybe probably if I ever remember how to think and plot again adkjfhadjlsjk)

also yeah the coffee one just. That tracks. But also I've had roughly 50 mg of caffeine this week and that's it (I cut it out to prove that the side effects of the meds were simply because of the meds and not because of the caffeine so that I can have my doctor take me off of them tonight) and COFFEE MY BELOVED I MISS YOU SO MUCH. TOMORROW I CAN HAVE YOU BACK AND I CANNOT WAIT TO EMBRACE YOU TENDERLY

Anyways thank you anon you are too kind 💕

Send me an ask telling me what you think I'm the patron saint of!

#batsasks #bibatrambles #🫥anon #med update I have an appointment with my med manager in like 3 hrs and Im gonna have him take me off of these immediately #i hate them muchly

[thelaundrybitch]

Little Blue Hearts Update - Chapter 28

Happy Tuesday Turtle Doves!

Whew! It has been one hell of a ride so far 😅

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who read and enjoy all my work, especially Little Blue Hearts. It's closer to my heart than you know💕

With that being said, this chapter brings us full circle and starting with the next chapter, we will be delving into some interestingly weird and dark shit. Hold tight. 😬

Soon, you will be meeting some new characters and villains *gasp*

BUT DON'T WORRY! There will still be lots of fluff, romance, and adult time 👀

PLEASE NOTE: concerning this chapter - there are potential triggers. Sexual assault is mentioned but it does not go any further than a mention.

18+ content - for mature audiences only!

Reblogs only, please!

Little Blue Hearts cover art by the lovely @leosgirl82

Redeemed... Kinda

~Michelangelo~

FOUR HOURS.

Leo's had us doing guided meditation with Sensei for FOUR FREAKIN HOURS.

With sandalwood burning the whole time. NOT MY FAVORITE THING.

You know, the point of this guided meditation was to calm everyone's nerves and help rid unwanted energy from the night's events, but I'm fairly certain it's having the OPPOSITE effect on me.

"Michelangelo," Master Splinter speaks my name softly, pulling me from my internal bitchfest.

"Yes, Sensei?" I ask, opening my eyes.

"Would it be rude of me to ask you to make a meal for everyone while I finish up the last hour with your brothers?" He asks with a knowing smile.

"Not at all, Sensei. Any requests?" I ask him.

"Something big and delicious," he whispers to me, eyes wide in emphasis.

I get up and bow to him, with a big appreciative smile, before heading to the kitchen.

About an hour and a half later, I have the entire island full of different breakfasty foods.

Freshly cut fruit salad with a yogurt dip, cinnamon french toast, pancakes, eggs- scrambled, fried, and deviled, corn beef hash, bacon, sausage, bread hot out of the maker, some breakfast sushi, chicken adobo, jasmine rice, and my specialty breakfast vegetable stir-fry. The condiments are spread out on the island as well.

Plates are set up at the breakfast table that I've added the leaf to, so it's big enough to accommodate everyone.

Coffee for Donnie, Mocha Latte for Raph, green tea for Leo, Oolong tea for Dad, and a glass of milk for me.

-I don't like how caffeine makes me feel, hence the milk-

Everyone comes filing in looking more exhausted now, than they were before they went into the dojo for meditation.

I give Leo a questioning look, and he mouths "Later" to me.

Dad is full of praise and gratitude for the amazing meal I've prepared. Honestly, it feels a little too much, but I'll take the praise over getting bitched at for beating my girlfriend's attacker.

While we're eating, Ashley texts me that she found my radio under her futon and will bring it to the lair later.

"Hey guys, Ash says she and Liv will be headed here around 4:30 this afternoon - after they take a nap. She says they're gonna have a bite to eat at that little cafe down the street from her apartment before they come, though. She doesn't want Liv getting all hangry when she's here," I tell them with a chuckle.

"Good," says Sensei. "You will all go to sleep and relax until it is time for the girls to join us. Michelangelo, I would like you to order some pizza for dinner tonight, please," he instructs me.

"Joe's it is!" I exclaim. "I'll call after breakfast is cleaned up, to put in the order. I'll pay over the phone and set up for contactless delivery at Ashley's after the ladies leave the apartment," I tell him.

"Excellent, Michelangelo. Thank you. Now go get some rest. All of you," he demands.

Everyone leaves the kitchen aside from me and Leo, who I can tell needs to talk.

"What happened after I left the dojo?" I ask him as he helps me put everything in containers to be refrigerated.

"We were put in strengthening poses for reprimanding you this morning," he says solemnly.

"Wait, what?" I ask, looking at him in confusion.

Leo sighs, "You know how Dad likes to watch Donnie's monitors when he's worried? You know, his 'gut feeling' thing?" He asks.

"Yea, ok," I say.

"Well, he watched us all night. He saw the whole thing with Ashley's attacker…" says Leo, looking at me, my eyes going wide.

"Oh, no…" I whisper.

"He was both amazed and proud of your actions," Leo says, looking a bit shocked.

"He told us it was a completely normal reaction to have. First, coming across someone who almost killed you while you were trying to save a woman being raped. And second, finding said rapist who was trying to finish what he started, with your girlfriend, a year later - by sneaking into her apartment during sleeping hours. With a knife," he finishes. "Jesus, Mikey, I didn't even know he had a knife," he whispers, fear flashing across his face.

I nod. "So was he proud that I took the guy out? I can't imagine he was proud that I almost choked him to death," I say, feeling a bit guilty.

"He was proud that you put him down. You did the right thing, Mike. You caught the guy, then kept your emotions in check," says Leo. "Actually, I was really proud of you too. AM! I am really proud of you!" He corrects himself.

I give him a cautious smile, "Thanks," I say, feeling a bit better about the whole situation now.

"Alright. Time for sleep. I hope," Leo says, rolling his eyes as he puts the last of the leftovers in the fridge.

"Still geekin’ out?" I ask him with a smile.

"Yes. I don't even know how to pull myself together anymore," he sighs. "But I'm out. Before I get in trouble with Dad. Again," he says, flashing me big eyes, as he turns and leaves the kitchen.

I finish putting away the clean dishes and head to my bedroom, where I call and place an order for four pizzas from Joe's to be delivered to Ashley's at 4:30 this afternoon. Then I crawl into bed for some much-needed sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Bang bang bang*

"Mikey! It's four o'clock! Get ya ass up!"

"Ugh…"

*Bang bang bang*

"YEA, YEA! I'M UP!" I yell to Raph, who is beating the shit out of my door.

I lay in bed for a few more minutes until I hear the signature Leo knock, followed by the click of my door opening up.

"Did you sleep, Prince Charming?" I ask him, smiling, with my eyes still closed.

He chuckles, "What's with you guys calling me Prince Charming, anyway?" He asks.

I sit up on the edge of my bed, facing toward where he's standing.

"Bruh… you could charm the spots off a leopard, for crying out loud!" I tell him. "Seriously? You're like the world's biggest flirt, and NO ONE CARES because you're so good at it. You don't discriminate either! Men, women, relatives, animals… I mean, for real!" I exaggerate.

He chuckles, leaning up against the dresser by the door. "I think that's a little much. And I'm not a flirt. Well, not purposely, anyway," he says, furrowing his brow ridge. "Gentleman, yes. And everyone should be treated with respect," he says.

"May God have mercy on any person you purposely flirt with. We might end up needing to call the coroner," I say, smirking and winking at him.

"Oh, come on. Now you're really blowing smoke up my skirt," he says, picking up one of Ashley's hair-ties off the dresser and sling-shotting it at me.

I catch it before it hits me in the face and stand up to stretch. "Alright, Prince Charming, let's go figure out who's getting dinner," I say, still teasing him.

"Oh, Dad says you, me, and Donnie are to go over to Ashley's to get dinner," he says. "He wants Raph to help him with a bath before Liv gets here."

"Poor Raph," I whisper, wide-eyed and horrified, as we walk to the lab to get Donnie.

After fighting with Donnie, and needing to give him the ultimatum to either come with us or help bathe Dad, we're all off to Ashley's. 

Ashley texts me halfway there to let us know they're already at the cafe enjoying their late lunch - which would've perfectly lined up for us to get back to the lair before them, but the friggin pizza guy was like 15 minutes late! I had to call Raph to go get the girls in the SUV, and boy was Donnie unhappy about that.

We're on our way back to the lair, and Leo is losing his mind. He's doing an excellent job of looking composed, but I can feel the anxious energy rolling off him in waves.

"Chill, dude," I whisper, and he just gives me a pleading look.

Shit.

I can hear Ashley's voice up ahead as we're getting closer to the lair, and Leo looks like he's ready to either pass out from anxiety, or run away screaming and crying in the opposite direction.

Double shits.

Donnie is far enough behind us, fiddling with his PDA, where I take a chance to whisper to Leo.

"Everything is gonna be fine. Perfect, even," I say, trying to convince my poor older brother.

"Mikey, I can't do this. What if she hates me?" He says, slowly unraveling.

"She won't," I say confidently.

"How do you know?" He questions me.

"Oh good lord in heaven, I can't believe I'm doing this," I breathe out quickly, making a cross over the front of my body.

"Doing what?" Asks Leo.

"Look,'' I say, lowering my whispering voice even lower, "She likes you."

"Nice try, Mike. That doesn't work anymore. We aren't kids, you know," he says, looking annoyed.

"Leo. She knows who we are - don't ask how. Just believe me. And she likes you. Like LIKES you, man," I say softly.

"What?" 

Time has stopped for Leo.

I'm fairly certain I just saw fireworks erupt over his head, the same time while hearing my sex life being flushed down the toilet. 

But. 

I can't let him meet her in the state he's in. I love my brother too much to see him suffering when I know I can help.

"I'll swear on anything you want. Ashley told me. But if you tell her or anyone else that I told you, I may lose my manhood," I mumble. "I've probably just kissed my sex life goodbye too, to be honest," I mutter.

We've made it to the lair, and I can see Ashley has Liv by the hands, so Liv's back is to us.

I look at Leo, and everything about his demeanor and energy has changed. 

He's a new man.

I turn back to my girlfriend who's smiling at us from where she's holding Liv.

"Hey, Baby!" I say to her with the biggest smile I have in my *I'm in so much shit* arsenal.

Thankfully she doesn't pick up on it.

"Hey, hun. Just. Can you guys stay there for one minute? I want to introduce you to my cousin." She says.

Leo decides he's gonna hang back a bit in the shadows, and Donnie goes right in.

"Oh, hey, Ash!" 

"Is everything alright?" Asks Leo when he sees how Ashley is holding Liv, Ashley's face visibly concerned

"Yeah. Actually, I think everything is." She slowly lets go of her cousin's hands, letting them drop down to her sides. 

"Liv, I'd like you to meet my friends..."

Little Blue Hearts Master list HERE

@leosgirl82 @turtle-babe83 @drowninghelll @chicchanmooshy @roxosupreme @mysticboombox @nittleboo @post-apocalyptic-daydream @xanadu-702 @xanadu702 @pheradream15 @mistyroselove @ashleighclark98 @jurikyu-blog @sewerninno @tmntspidergirl @raphielover @zombiesnips-blog @raphslovemuffin80 @brightlotusmoon @superneko-chan

*If you aren’t on this list, please let me know if you want me to tag you in my other work or if you prefer me to not tag you 😘

#little blue hearts #thelaundrybitch #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt bayverse #tmnt leo #tmnt leonardo #bayverse leo #bayverse leonardo #tmnt raph #tmnt raphael #bayverse raph #bayverse raphael #tmnt donnie #tmnt donatello #bayverse donnie #bayverse donatello #tmnt mikey #tmnt michelangelo #bayverse mikey #bayverse michelangelo #tmnt aged up