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daughterofcain-67 · 3 months

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𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙾𝚞𝚛 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 (𝚙𝚝. 7)

(Soldier Boy x Female Reader)

(masterlist)

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Suddenly driven by the urge to find you, yet conflicted about the fact he would have to kill his own son, Ben sets out with Butcher and Hughie to go to the Vought tower and put an end to this once and for all.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: SPOILERS!!! Final episode of season three, but this series will continue after that episode. I don’t think there’s any major warnings. Little short but this will be continued. Hope you enjoy!

All you could see was white all around you as you sat alone in the room. Captivity wasn’t your idea of a fun time, then again who likes to be held captive against their will? Maybe with the exception of those with Stockholm syndrome, you assumed it would be no one’s idea of a vacation necessarily.

You sat with your back against one of the walls and your legs crossed in front of you. Your eyes were closed as you tried not to focus on your current situation. Instead you were wondering if Ben really did find Mindstorm, and if he was able to get a little more closure and revenge that he wanted. You wondered when he would get to Black Noir, or if he could even get to him in the Vought tower.

Then you began to wonder if Ben would really be able to kill Homelander. You wanted him to be able. To take the hero’s powers away and show everyone that without his powers, Homelander was just an image of Vought’s imperfections. You wanted to know what their reaction would be when they found out their star-spangled mascot was nothing but a useless puppet, like most if not all supes, who just got paid to be glorified for nothing.

After that, your mind started to wander off to the aftermath of your life with Ben after killing Homelander…

Would he get caught yet again? Would he be sent out of the country yet again to a place like Russia? You wouldn’t put it past Vought to do something so cruel. You couldn’t imagine all of the horrible things Ben went through. Well, you could because you went through something similar, but the government wasn’t out to kill you.

The Russians were trying to kill Ben, and they had a lot longer of a time with him. The government didn’t have nearly as much time with you. So you couldn’t imagine just the amount of torture Ben had gone through for such a long amount of time, only to be left alone in a vault like he was some antique in the lab.

You wouldn’t let anything like that happen to him again. You couldn’t let yourself live with that if Vought took him away again. Back then you couldn’t do anything about it, but now you could.

You only hoped that Ben would be careful enough to not let it get to that point.

Then you tried to start thinking more positively. After all, you weren’t a fortune teller. You had to have some sort of hope in you after all.

So maybe you were over thinking and nothing would go wrong with Ben. Maybe he’d be okay after all and his little quest to kill Homelander would go smoothly. He was experienced at least somewhat when it came to some battles, even if he didn’t actually storm Normandy like Vought wanted everyone to believe.

You wondered what life would have in store for you if that were really the case. What would the future hold if both of you came out of this okay after all?

You were pretty confident you’d need a new hidden cabin in the woods somewhere. After all, you didn’t want Vought finding you again if they didn’t destroy your old home anyway. But you wondered where you would go, you wondered where Ben would want to go.

With Vought out of your hair and Homelander gone, you could go anywhere in the world you wanted to go. Would Ben want to go out of the country with you and start a new life?

Maybe you could go somewhere beautifull…

You heard Ireland was beautiful. You’ve never visited the country and you would love to see what it was like. Maybe you and Ben could travel the world before you decided to find a new home and settle down. Maybe have that family Ben always seemed to dream about.

There were so many positive ideas that came floating in your mind and they seemed to be a dream away. You weren’t sure if you could really have any of those fantastical outcomes, but it never hurt to have that hope.

After all… you dreamt that Soldier Boy would come back. Now he was back in your life so unexpectedly. What other things would come true for you?

The sound of the door opening brought you from your thoughts but your eyes remained closed because you knew all too well who was coming through that door. Judging by the stomps those boots made, Homelander wasn’t too happy. Then again, when was he ever happy and not plastering some fake smile for the public eye.

“Still don’t know where Soldier Boy is. Hate to break it to you, Kiddo.” You sighed with exasperation.

“I’m not here for that.”

“Oh really? No threats if I don’t give you some kind of top secret location?” You sassed with a smirk.

“Did you know?”

What the hell kind of a question is that? How were you supposed to respond?

“You need to be a little more specific than that, Kid.” You remained in the same spot, never opening your eyes to look at the ‘hero’ as you tried to go back to your own thoughts.

“Did you know about Soldier Boy being my father?”

This is what made you open your eyes. You looked up at the supe who had his hands on his hips, awaiting an answer coming from you.

Ben was Homelander’s father? How did that happen? And when? It was certainly a sudden shock, one you hadn’t anticipated to hear that morning - at least you were assuming it was morning. You were losing your concept of time after being locked up in the same place for so long.

“Do you realize how much of a perv he was back in the day before he and I started getting along? He was the one that started Herogasm remember? You can’t honestly believe you’re the only kid he has out there, can you?” You laughed, hiding your surprise.

You wondered if Ben had any idea about this. He couldn’t have known, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so accepting of the idea of killing Homelander?

“Oh please, I was born in ‘81. You two were close during that time, I know it. So did you fucking know he was my father, or didn’t you?”

“I didn’t know.” You finally answered after a few moments of silence.

“So how did you find out? You look equally as shocked.” You said while Homelander ran a hand through his bleached hair.

“I… I got a call sometime last night from… from him.”

You lifted a brow. Ben called Homelander? He must’ve gotten home and you hoped he got Dan after all. So did Mindstorm break the news to him? Was that the reason Vought took him away from you? Damned them. It was exactly something Vought would do so you couldn’t put it past them.

“He said it was some sort of… genetic experiment.” Homelander revealed. You rolled your eyes at the way he seemed so shocked at the news. Was he really that stupid when it came to this organization?

“Are you fucking kidding me? Of course they’d have genetic experiments. Most heroes don’t live that long. Vought must’ve wanted Ben to have some kind of early retirement because they were creating you. Some replacement.” You scoffed.

“Oh don’t act like you aren’t effected by it. Doesn’t it bother you that your precious Soldier Boy has a son and it wasn’t a result of something from you?” He asked and you rolled your eyes.

“Kid. Don’t try to use that shit with me.” You scoffed.

“You think I’m affected by that? If I was I wouldn’t have bothered getting close to him after Liberty, or Crimson Countess. But you? You were nothing but some kid that came out of a damn tube. You’re nothing but an experiment. You are not Soldier Boy’s son by any long shot, and you likely never will be because he hates pathetic men like you.”

You noticed Homelander’s eyes glow red at your last comment and you smirked. He wouldn’t be so affected by it if it wasn’t the truth, “Sweetie, if you kill me, your daddy’s gonna gut you like an animal.”

The color of Homelander’s eyes went back to normal and he looked away from you for a moment. You noticed that he seemed to be having a difficult time wrapping his head around this whole thing. Then he started getting some sort of notification from Ashley and you heard him let out a groan of annoyance.

“Fucking Hell!” He exclaimed.

“Something got your panties in a twist there?” You asked with your head tilted before he looked over at you.

“This isn’t over. I’ll find where Soldier Boy is. And he won’t even know you’re here. He’ll never find you and you’ll spend the rest of your days locked up.” He said and he stormed out of the door.

You looked through the glass as Homelander walked off and you looked down at your hand. You flattened it out before slowly turning your hand into a fist and the building started to shake as if you were indirectly trying to tell Homelander he could try to keep you here for a while, but you’d never stay here.

So many things have happened within the last several hours and he didn’t know how to think of any of this. Everything felt so complicated.

Mindstorm was finally dead, and Ben was glad to have finally killed that fucker. Yet he still couldn’t believe that he was a father. That complicated things immensely, yet a deal was still a deal, right? Then there was the fact that you were missing. Ben was absolutely livid at the very idea that something may have happened to you, and you suddenly became his top priority, no matter the complications and the conflict ion he was feeling about all of this.

After the phone call he made to Homelander, telling him that he was the supe’s father, he had been drinking. He ended the phone call quickly and he knew he was still determined to get you back. He had this gut feeling Homelander was the one that had you. Ironic because you were always so cautious of where he went and who could see him, and you failed to think that you now had a target on your own back.

As Ben stepped out of his room with a little hangover remedy in his hand, he could briefly hear Hughie and Butcher talking about him.

“Listen, do you think he’s going to kill his own son? That’s a lot to ask of him. No wonder he was so hesitant to tell us after Mindstorm broke the news.” Hughie said.

“Well Homelander ain’t really his son. Deep down he knows that. He’s nothing but a glorified lab experiment.” Butcher said.

Ben clenched down on his jaw. He knew Butcher was right. He had a task to focus on, and he knew you would want him to stay focused. He knew they would have to go to the Vought tower anyway because it was more than likely that Black Noir was there. As he stepped out, he saw Butcher glance over at him.

“Mornin’ sunshine.” Butcher’s accent thick as he spoke.

“We’ve got a lot ahead of us. We’ve got to go to the office and get more temp V, then we’ll get our asses over to Vought so we can kill two birds with one stone. Then our little team up’s complete.”

“We’re still searching for Y/N.” Ben corrected sternly.

“Well yeah, of course that too.” Butcher nodded as he put his black coat on.

Ben turned and started heading to the room to grab his shield once more and he downed the rest of that little remedy and he tried to focus. You would want it that way.

He didn’t know what Vought was doing to you. Who knew if Vought actually destroyed those records the government had on their experiments with you. You were right, they were all a bunch of liars. No wonder you took to Grace Mallory. But Ben was still worried that maybe now that they had you in their clutches, would Vought really put you through that hell again to find a way to take a hero’s powers?

It was the uncertainty that gave Ben hell. He knew you couldn’t be dead. There was no way you could be dead and he had to believe that. But he knew the way Vought treated their heroes, and how their supes treated each other and got away with it. So who knew what Homelander would do to you.

Once Butcher and Hughie were ready to hit the road, Ben walked out of the door with them as he tried to keep his cool. He took the box of those cigarettes Butcher gave him with the weed and he lit one up whenever they got outside.

When they got to the car, Ben decided that he’d lay down and maybe sleep off the headache that was quickly forming. He could feel when the car was stopped and Butcher went to pump gas. The runt went to go to the bathroom and Ben eventually fell asleep.

A few hours later when Ben woke up he realized Butcher was still driving and he noticed Hughie was no longer in the vehicle with them.

Odd…

“Where’s the cockchoker?” He asked as Butcher started to reply.

“Ah well, you were right about ‘im, Mate. At the gas station he took off.” He said and Ben’s brows narrowed.

“We needed him to get to noir.”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry too much about that one. You said it yourself, Noir’s loyal to Vought so he’ll be there and so will Homelander. Two birds with one stone. All’s well.”

Ben wasn’t too sure if he was willing to believe that whole story. He wanted to believe Butcher was right and things would go smoothly, but so far in Ben’s life nothing has been smooth sailing. Whether he liked it or not, Ben had a feeling Hughie would go back to his little girlfriend and something could go wrong.

“Just wake me up when we get to New York.”

Ben laid back down and looked at the ceiling of the car but he wasn’t sure he’d be going back to sleep so easily. So instead he tried to think of you just as he did when he was in that fucking box in Russia.

He closed his eyes and he could see you in the very cabin you resided on the first night he was able to see you again. He could see you wearing that little necklace he gifted you what felt like eons ago, but you also had a golden band around your finger.

You would be in the kitchen making some sort of dessert and he could see himself walking into the kitchen. He’d say something a little inappropriate in a joking manner and you would roll your eyes pretending to be disgusted but you’d chuckle nonetheless because you knew his sense of humor.

But then, down the stairs there would be a sound of little feet running down to greet the both of them. A boy, one that looked nothing like Homelander. Instead, this would be the perfect mixture of you and him. And Ben would lift his son up into his arms and let him dip his finger into the batter of whatever dessert you were making despite your protests that your son would spoil his dinner.

Ben would shut you up with a kiss and then he’d make his son promise to eat his supper before he’d take the boy out to the backyard to play some sport whether it was football or baseball since he’d be too young to handle a gun.

It was a perfect life all inside of Ben’s mind and he desperately wanted that future. And he would stop at nothing to make sure he’d get you back.

Eventually Ben did finally fall asleep but the nap didn’t feel quite long enough, even if it was already dark outside. He didn’t realize just how worn out he’d been lately. Ever since he came back he’s been going nonstop to get the revenge he wanted on Payback and now to kill Homelander.

Ben squinted and looked around him, realizing Butcher had already pulled up to a building, likely the one that had his temp V shit. Ben groaned a little as he got out of the car and when Butcher popped the trunk, Ben was able to grab his shield and the two of them walked inside.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to do this?” Butcher asked and Ben looked over.

“What? Kill Homelander? You said it yourself, he’s not really my son.” Ben said, even if he did have some sort of doubts about it.

Anyway, the two men walked up the stairs and Ben noticed that they seemed to have a good view of everything. Ben noticed a table full of different alcoholic substances and liquors.

“Have at it. Calm before the storm after all.” Butcher said.

Ben glanced over at Butcher but then he shrugged and went ahead and poured himself a drink as well as one for Butcher, who accepted. Then Ben walked out towards the window where he had the view of the Vought tower.

“Supes are nothing but circus monkeys… Your little girlfriend was right about that. I’m glad she went to Mallory in the beginning.” Ben could hear Butcher say, Ben assumed Butcher saw him looking out of the window.

“You ever seen the Soldier Boy movie?” Ben asked as Butcher was looking at a map of Vought.

“Must’ve missed that classic.” Butcher said.

“I guess it is a classic now.” Ben hummed a little.

“It’s about a kid that lived in poorer parts of South Philly.. discover’s he’s got these super powers to match his little heart of gold. It’s a load of bullshit. All of it.” Ben said and he sat down.

“My dad was never poor, hell I even went to boarding school. Got kicked out of boarding school for bein’ a fuck up.” Ben began and Butcher looked over at him.

“Made sure you remembered you were a fuck up, huh? What’d he do, beat you to hell?” Ben shook his head.

“Couldn’t be bothered by it. Said I was his own personal disappointment. Not a lot I thought I could do about that. As I grew older I realized that I could go to some of his golf friends and they got me into the Vought trials for enlistment. I thought could be my chance at meeting more than just some sort of fuck up to my parents. Vought shot me up with their blue liquid shit and they made me a hero.”

“What’d the old man say to that?”

Ben recalled having this similar conversation with you at that New Year’s party you mentioned in one of your letters. He thought it would get a little easier to talk about and in a way, it was a little easier because now Ben’s father was long gone. It’s not like he had anything to prove to a dead man.

“Said I took a short cut. That a real man wouldn’t have cheated to be a hero.” Ben said as his jaw clenched and he looked down at his drink and cleared his throat.

“None of the supes are born with their powers, but I guess you’ve gathered that already. At first I thought I was doing what was right. Most naive kids do. None of us start off as bad guys.” Ben said before he looked at Butcher again.

“Then one day, when you’ve gone to too many parties, done pointless movies, did everything you were asked to do and yet you still don’t save as many lives as you hope to save, you realize Vought is all about business and money. That’s when you begin to stop giving a fuck, you begin to indulge in the lifestyle of a circus monkey as you call them, because you stop believing in any morals. You stop believing there really is good, and if there is you’ve already been so corrupted to the point where you doubt you can spread that goodness. One day you look in the mirror and realize… you aren’t the man you wanted to be.”

Butcher was quiet for a moment, thinking about his own past. He was always his little brother’s protector. It was sort of his job in a way until one day he had enough of it. And that would forever be one of the biggest regrets of his life.

“I don’t think Homelander had that much of a choice in deciding if he wanted to be a circus monkey or not. The whole world used to look up to him, Hell I even looked up to him at one point. But then one day, it all turned to shit.” Butcher said.

“Trust me, kid. Times are just as complicated and shitty now as they were back in my day. It’s not easy finding out that a kid you didn’t even know you had is Vought’s most beloved puppet. It’s harder to see that they couldn’t have made him better.” Ben sighed.

“What about you? Any kids?” Ben finally asked.

“That’s a bit of a complicated one too.” Butcher said.

Ben looked down, the news from Mindstorm still eating at his mind. He wasn’t sure he wanted to kill his own son. Homelander is the only blood that Ben had left, the only sense of family even if he was just some lab experiment.

“I knew I had a few running around somewhere. Never thought I’d actually run into one of them. I’ve always wanted them, thought I could do better than my old man.” Ben said.

“I’m pretty sure that’s either the hope of the parent, or the fear of turning into their parent keeps them from having kids.” Butcher said, knowing his reason was the latter. What happened to Becca was out of his control though.

“But you have to realize that Homelander isn’t yours. You didn’t name the lad. You didn’t raise him. I know he’s the only blood you got left, Mate, and I know it’s a hard pill to swallow. But Homelander was created in a damned test tube all for the purpose of taking your place. You’ve got to get that through your skull.” Butcher said before he walked over to Ben.

“Don’t you realize that Homelander is the very fucking reason Vought left you to rot? Homelander is the very reason the Ivan’s had you, tortured you, burned you. They filled you up with shit you never asked for all because Vought wanted you dead so they could make a way for a guy in a fucking cape. Not to mention the fact the he was probably the one that fucking took Y/N in the first place and now she’s in that tower going through who fucking knows what.”

Ben went quiet and he tried to think. He knew the reason Butcher was saying all of this was partially because of the deal he made so they could kill Homelander. But he tried to think of what you would have said in that moment.

You knew him better than anyone, and he knew you were so against Vought and all of their bullshit. Would you have said the same thing if you were in Butcher’s shoes?

“I’m going to get some air.” Ben said and he set the glass down and walked out of the front door.

After a few moments, Ben thought he could hear something. This time he wasn’t hearing things in his mind from the PTSD or whatever the fuck Hughie called it. He knew what he heard.

So Ben walked back in the building and as he made his way up the stairs and back to the office, he could hear two girls fighting. Something about killing Homelander and doing whatever it takes. Homelander must’ve been a piece of work if so many people wanted him dead. That was honestly… disheartening at best. Maybe even a bit…

Disappointing.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Some red headed notch in civilian clothes said and Ben lifted a brow.

“No, but I will.” Ben said, truly not giving a fuck about who came to the office.

“You heard ‘him, Lad. Get in the safe.” Butcher said and looked at Hughie.

Ben took a glance at some guy who was glaring at him like he wanted to skin Ben alive personally. It wasn’t the first time Ben had ever gotten that look and he knew it wouldn’t be the last time.

Once everyone was in the safe, Ben started walking out of the door so he could go to Vought. Then he realized that Butcher was trying to stop him.

“Hey. You ready for this?” Butcher asked and Ben hummed a little.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Ben said and they started making their way to the tower.

When they made it to the tower, Ben Butcher and who he now knew was Queen Maeve, wouldn’t be expecting the incoming trouble from Hughie, Starlight and the others in the group.

Although it was getting to the point where Ben knew he shouldn’t take things at face value with this group. He wouldn’t be surprised if the blonde one figured out a way to break out of the damned safe, or any of them for that matter. He learned after his experience with Payback not to underestimate anyone.

Once Ben and Butcher made it to some sort of office, he heard the two of them exchange a little small talk. Something about scorching the earth. He didn’t know and didn’t really give a rat’s ass to know what they were talking about.

“Where’s Noir?” He asked sternly.

“Dead. He… didn’t tell me about you. Dishonesty is.. is something I just can’t tolerate. Queen Maeve there, she knows all about that.” Homelander said and motioned to the redhead

“And where’s Y/N?”

“How should I know anything about her? She was the one attached to you by the hip, wasn’t she?” The Supe asked.

“I just want to talk… That’s all.” Ben didn’t budge or initiate the fight. Neither did Butcher or Maeve.

“Besides, we could never be a family with her. I know you and I want the very same thing. Our teams never gave us that. Instead, every one of them stabbed us in the back. Sooner or later, Y/N will stab you in the back too.” Homelander said and Ben wasn’t sure how he should feel about that statement. Homelander didn’t know anything about you.

“It could be just you and I against the world. We would be an unstoppable duo. Both of us are practically unkillable. We could bring Vought back to its former glory. Just you and me.”

Ben thought about it before he looked over. Then he started walking over, “The only people that could kill us is each other. How would that end?”

“It wouldn’t happen. And what would even make you say that? Him?” Homelander motioned to Butcher. “He’s nothing but human. Flawed. He does’t stand a chance against us, no one does.”

“Don’t listen to that bloody lab rat. He’s trying to twist your mind around.” Butcher said, trying to interfere.

“Remember, he’s not your real son.”

“Yes I am! I am your son! I’m your blood! That’s all that matters in the end, doesn’t it?”

Ben stood silently as Homelander than motioned for a little boy to come to his side. He looked exactly like Homelander, a spitting image really. “This is Ryan. My son. Your grandson.”

Grandson? He was a grandfather too?

Everything Ben had ever wanted was right fucking here in front of him, minus you of course. That was the only issue with this revelation of family. You had no part in it.

“Hi Grandpa.”

Those simple two words made Ben lean back, stunned really since he had never thought he would even hear those words in his life. Let alone a simple ‘hi dad.’

Butcher’s words continued to echo in Ben’s mind. Homelander was nothing but a lab rat, an experiment that came from a tube. He had no bond with this man, he had no bond with his son either. He was just another supe and some random brat. But he can’t completely ignore the shared blood in their veins. How could he?

“We’re all any of us ever needs. We’re a family just the three of us. We can raise Ryan here to be a better hero than the both of us combined so he could take our mantle one day.”

But this very man, this pathetic piece of shit that was the one that had the audacity to take you away from him. The only woman that ever loved him for what he truly was, despite his own imperfections and disappointing qualities. You loved him for who he was. And Homelander took you from him.

Ben walked over to Homelander before he spoke again, “It’s a shame to know that I’ve missed… so much.”

He could see the hope on Homelander’s face. He really thought Ben was going to give him some sort of approving speech, but Ben had to face the truth of what his son really was.

“I wish I could have raised you. Father to son. I could have raised you to be a better man so you could be a better example for your own son…” Ben said as he placed a hand on his own son’s shoulder.

“But instead you’re this… this… weak, sniffling, attention starved cunt that wants everyone’s approval.”

“Weak? But… But I’m you.”

Ben’s lips pressed into a thin line. Homelander was right. He was Ben, all of the parts of Ben he wished he never had to deal with, “I know… You’re a fucking disappointment. One who took away Y/N, and that’s something I just can’t move on from.”

Suddenly, Ben’s hand was attached to Homelander’s jaw as he intended to break it, but the fucking brat tried to push Ben away. Quake and Butcher both held Homelander still as Ben focused every ounce of his energy into his chest so he could use it to finally kill Homelander.

Butcher tried to tell the brat to move, but suddenly, two little red lasers shot from the kid’s eyes as Ben’s chest began to glow. It threw Ben through the glass and against the wall, clearly taking him off guard. What the hell just happened?

Ben slowly got up with a grunt and dusted himself off from the glass. As Homelander was telling Ryan to go upstairs, Ben used his shield to shove the kid into the bookcase.

“Little Shit. Must take after his old man.” Ben said and rubbed his jaw. Then he started to let the energy in his chest begin to glow again while the hero was tending to the brat. This was the moment now that Homelander was distracted. He could take him down as well at the little runt that was getting in his way.

That was when tables started to turn, Butcher’s eyes began to glow too with the temp V still in his system. Ben lifted his shield to block Butcher’s attack and he peered over the shield. Ben was at a loss for words. After all that talk about “a deal’s a deal” this was a change. Didn’t Butcher want the bastard dead?

He didn’t have time to ask many questions before the fight insued between him and Butcher, eventually Homelander joined in too.

You had been hearing rumors that Maeve escaped. So Starlight was right after all about Homelander doing something with her. You knew Homelander must’ve been pissed when he found out that information. You wondered just how much his world was beginning to fall apart all around him.

Suddenly, all of the lights seemed to go red. A lot of people were beginning to panic and the doors of these cells were opened. You were freed! But why? What the Hell was happening? There was only one solution you could possibly come up with.

Soldier Boy.

You quickly got up and you saw all of the prisoners Vought had contained were escaping. You followed all of them, the flow of the crowd seemed to be evacuating the building.

“What’s going on? Why are we running?” you asked one of the lower workers.

“There’s an attack on the tower. Soldier Boy’s real and he’s going to kill all of us! He’s with that Butcher guy Homelander hates so much.” Someone said and you stopped in your tracks as everyone else ran out of the door.

You bit your lip as you tried to think hard of where Soldier Boy and the others could be. Homelander must’ve known Ben was there by now, what if things turned sideways again like they did in Vermont? You ran past the meeting hall but you had to do a double take. That was when you noticed that Black Noir was dead.

Your eyes widened because you knew Ben was at the last name on his list. And what if Starlight made her way back to the tower? What if she convinced the rest of Butcher’s team to put an end to Ben?

You didn’t want to think of that outcome but you could feel all of the adrenaline rushing through your veins.

You had to think fast and you started making your way up to the very top of the tower, deciding to use the stairs since the elevator must’ve been occupied by everyone trying to rush to the lobby from whatever floor they were on so they could rush inside.

You were suddenly held back by two people who made you stop running and when you looked over you saw that it was both Hughie and Starlight.

That was when your worst fears were becoming realized.

“Hughie?! What the Hell?!” You questioned.

“We have to kill him, Quake. He’s dangerous and he’s going to kill so many people! You saw what he did in Vermont.” Hughie said and you glared at him before you fought your way out of his grasp since you could tell he was surprisingly not on the temp V shit.

Then there was starlight and you saw her eyes were starting to glow and your eyes narrowed as you took a hold of her hands, gripped them as tightly as you could and you twisted her wrists, successfully breaking the both of them and you could hear her cry out in agony. She wasn’t the only supe in the room after all. The yellow glow went out of her eyes and you lifted your leg, kicking her to a wall.

Then you marched over and hovered above the ignorant blonde.

“Where the fuck is he?”

“H-He’s with Butcher. He’s going to kill Homelander and anyone else within a hundred foot radius of here. We have to stop him.” Annie said, looking up at you with pleading eyes as if she was begging you to listen.

“What exactly were you going to do with him. What weakness did you find.” You said with a certain darkness in your voice.

“I can’t tell you that.” She said and you wrapped your hands around your throat.

“Listen, Little Girl. At this point, Homelander is the least of your worries,” You tightened your grip on her throat, “if you don’t tell me what the fuck you found out, I will kill you, MM, Frenchie, Butcher, Hughie, mmm… I will kill anyone you’ve ever cared about if you dare take him from me again.”

“V-Vapor. F-Frenchie said it was a vapor that could weaken Soldier Boy. Some kind of toxin.”

“What was the name of the toxin?”

“I-I don’t remember.”

“You’ve learned to lie well. What the fuck is the name of the toxin?”

“N-Novichok! I-It knocks him out and puts him to sleep. L-Like an anesthesia. I-It won’t kill him but it’ll give us time to evacuate these people.” Starlight said.

You heard the name and you thought you’ve heard that name before. You recalled it was a theory you had in one of your papers when you were trying to think of what could have possibly happened to weaken Soldier Boy and taken him away. You didn’t think something like that could be true. For you it was pure speculation, a long shot.

“Try to stop me and I’ll break your fucking neck.” You seethed before you threw Annie next to Hughie before you started running up the stairs as fast as you could to get to Ben and Butcher before anything disaster out happens.

Unfortunately, you realized you were too late. Not only was Homelander fighting Ben, but so was Butcher. MM made it too and so did Kimiko. Kimiko was trying to fight Ben with hand-to-hand combat and she was starting to fail miserably. MM was using some big looking gun to shoot Ben, but obviously it wasn’t working. Butcher and Homelander were using their powers to try and fight him off.

Your eyes widened the very moment you saw Ben’s shield break into pieces. You knew this was serious and things weren’t looking good.

You raised your hands and the building started to shake as you started to use the material, the concrete of the building and you took chunks of it and you started to throw it at Homelander and Butcher.

Ben saw concrete and pieces of the building began to fly and he saw you there. You were alive, and you were there! But the very moment that he was distracted, he felt multiple people tackling him and they put some kind of mask on him. He was all to familiar with what was in the canister and he was instantly starting to feel weak.

“No. I’m not.. going back.. In that fucking box!”

He started absorbing so much more energy and they were finally starting to back off, but this time Ben couldn’t hold back the energy and it needed to go somewhere. The upcoming blast was too intense and he didn’t even realize that someone was knocking him out some window nearby. The next thing he knew, the blast engulfed him and whoever pushed him out.

“NO!” You exclaimed when you saw the man you loved was pushed out of the window.

Your heart was racing so fast, you felt so much more adrenaline course through your veins than you had in a very, very long time.

You stood up and you saw the way Butcher, Hughie, everyone in the room was looking at you and none of them knew what to do next, but Butcher and Homelander were the first to use their eyes on you, only for you to shift the floor in the building and rotate them to where the two were facing each other and attack one another.

MM tried to use the gun on you and the bullets did hurt sure, but they’d do nothing more than leave bruises on your skin. You took a chunk of the concrete in the wall and used it to knock MM across the room and send him flying. You knew it knocked him out but honestly, you didn’t really care.

Kimiko tried to come at you and you took the same chunk of the building that knocked out MM and you used it to knock out Kimiko and shoved her through the same hole in the glass wall that Ben was pushed out of.

You were already starting to feel dizzy from using your powers this much, but you couldn’t stand by this any longer. All of them ruined your life.

They came to your home, brought you out of hiding and Homelander found you making it to where you had to leave. Then when Ben came back, you couldn’t even have him for long before they tried to kill him all over again.

And you were done with all of it.

Your eyes darkened and you used all of the strength you had left and you turned both your hands into fists, raising up in the air. Then with all of the force you had in you, you slammed your fists to the ground.

The entire building started to shake, dust and rubble fell from the ceiling. Then the entire building seemed to drop a layer or three. Everyone started to scramble to their feet and try to find the quickest ways out of the building but you knew it would be too late for a lot of them, the ones that didn’t have V in them anyway.

You did the same motion again with your fists, bringing even more of the building down. Homelander took Ryan and fled from the building, Butcher must’ve still had V in him because you could see him trying to shield MM. But you knew he didn’t have much left in him.

With one more ground breaking smash, the entire building rumbled and it started to lose its foundations, the integrity of the building was now compromised and before you knew it…. The ceiling was falling of all of your heads.

What felt like hours later, you were covered in dust and you were coughing up some blood. You were surprised you were even awake with the amount of rubble that was on top of you. You should have been crushed. You managed to open your eyes and you realized you were unharmed. But the Vought tower was finally brought to its knees. They’d lose everything.

You used whatever was left in your strength to climb your way out of the rubble and when you looked around, you saw that there were ambulances all around. You realized that you used a little too much power and Vought wasn’t the only building you took down. People must’ve been caught in the crossfire.

You were lucky you were covered in white dust, otherwise some news reporters may have recognized you. Some of the paramedics were taking some people out of the rubble, you didn’t care to see who made it and who didn’t.

You started to look around the rubble, no one would really question it because they were all looking for loved ones. You were doing everything you could to find any sign of Soldier Boy. He had to be around somewhere. He had to be okay. There was no way a building killed him, so he had to be here, right?

Instead, you found nothing. You couldn’t find Ben anywhere. You didn’t know if he walked out of this play or if he had the Novichok in his system and he was still knocked out and someone took him. You didn’t know if the energy blast knocked him out because of how much was pent up in him and he hadn’t come to just yet.

You dashed into the shadows, knowing you had a new task at hand…

Find Ben.

No matter what it took, no matter if you’d end up crushing every singly building or destroying every city and killing yourself in the process… you would stop at nothing to find Ben and get him out of the clutches of whoever took him.

Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @roseblue373 @nancymcl @jackles010378 @hobby27 @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @wirdbeimaufhebengebunden @prettyinplaid94 @globetrotter28 @suckitands33 @capricxnt @k-slla @david-tennant-obsessed-blog @deangirl96 @mimaria420 @ashdoctor @muhahaha303 @angelbabyyy99

#jensen ackles #soldier boy #soldier boy fic #soldier boy ff #soldier boy x y/n #soldier boy jensen #soldier boy x you #jensen ackles soldier boy #soldier boy fanfiction #soldier boy x reader #jensen the boys #jensen ackles the boys #the boys amazon #the boys #the boys ff

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the-realest-spot-conlon · 5 months

Text

The Best Brothers Aren't Blood Related llll

Here we gooooo

Tw:mental health, ADHD, language

A slow burn series of Jack and Spot exploring newfound relationships, mental health, and high school as teenage brothers.

"Jack I can explain!" Spot said, trying not to let the worry show on his face, but he really didn't want to dissapoint Jack.

"FUCKING FINALLY! I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA HAVE TO FORCE YOU TWO TO TOGETHER!!" Jack shouted energetically.

"Race... and Spot?? I don't see it," Davey said, bringing his finger to his chin as he pondered the idea of Jack's new favorite couple.

"Fuck you David," Spot said sharply, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Yea Davey, fuck you!" Race added on to Spot's comment, and copying his motion as well.

"Oh, yea, now I see it," Davey said, getting a laugh out of his boyfriend next to him. Spot and Race both high-fived at Davey's acceptance, getting more of a rise out of Jack.

The room went silent after that for a solid thirty seconds before Race said, "Well, this is awkward," breaking the silence.

The whole group nodded in unison as they just kind of sat there, like the awkward adolescents they were.

"Well I'm gonna go, and hopefully Davey you'll follow me," Jack said, winking at his boyfriend before exiting to his own room. Spot fake gagged loud enough for the two to hear, only for Jack to say, "Oh please you're probably about to fuck my best friend," as Davey walked out.

Needless to say that left Spot and Race both speechless.

"Why do you have a whiskey bottle on your nightstand," Race inquired, looking at the bottle of Eagle Rare whiskey on Spot's desk.

"It was my dad's before he passed away. He collected whiskey, and that was his favorite," Spot replied, and he luckily seemed pretty chill about it, as if he had come to terms with his father's death.

"Oh yea didn't he die on that trip to Ireland when he went to tour the distillery?" Race asked. Spot's dad had died when Spot was 10, five years ago, when Medda took Spot in. Mr. Conlon was on a vacation to Ireland when his plane crashed, resulting in the death of the father of everyone's favorite Irish kid- Spot.

"Yup, exactly five years and 19 days ago," Spot said, looking off at the bottle.

Race wasn't gonna question why Spot knew the exact amount of days, because Race knew better than anyone that people coped in different ways.

"My mom died when I was seven," Race said, causing a piercing silence to ring through the air. "My dad drank to cope with the pain. Took it out on me,"

"Race I'm so sorry," Spot said. "Does he still do it?"

"No, not anymore. My aunt sent him to rehab and I lived with her for a year, and when he came back it was like he was a new person." Race smiled slightly, thinking about how his father went from abusive to one of the best fathers in the world (in Race's opinion).

"Oh yea, don't you have one of those big-ass Italian families?" Spot asked. Race and Spot had known each other since they were little kids, what with Jack being best friends with Race. "Yea, Jack took me along to dinner at your house when I was ten. Just a few weeks after my dad died," Spot added.

"Oh yea, I remember my grandma got so sad just looking at you. You had puffy eyes, wouldn't talk to anyone-"

"Let's not dwell on the past," Spot joked. Spot hasn't been one to show vulnerability for a while now, he didn't need his past tainting that reputation.

"Let me take you out on a date," Race changed the subject, picking up on Spot's hints. "I'll pick you up at 6:00 tommorow,"

"Sounds great," Spot replied, biting back the biggest grin of his life.

Race's face practically beamed at Spot's acceptance.

"Can't wait," spot said truthfully.

"Me neither, Sean," Race replied. He knew just how much Spot hated his real name.

"You bastard!" Spot said, causing Race to clutch his stomach laughing.

♧----------♧

"So what are you gonna wear?" Jack said as though they were thirteen year old girls talking about a date to Dairy Queen.

"Fuck, I dunno," Spot shrugged, stealing a bite of ice cream from Jack's bowl.

"We you better figure it out. Race is probably gonna take you to this fancy Italian restaurant he loves. I think its called Fibonacci's or something," Jack said, slapping Spot's hand when it reached for more ice cream.

"You mean like the math sequence?" Spot asked, questioning Jack's sources.

"I dunno I'm probably just fucking stupid,"

"I second that," Spot agreed.

"Asshole," Jack mumbled pointedly.

"Dickbag,"

"Love you too, Spotty,"

"Call me that one more time and I'll strangle you,"

How did you guys like it? I tried to add some depth to Spot and Race's characters, but idk if it was any good. Constructive criticism welcome just don't be a bitch about it <333

#92sies #spot conlon #newsies #racetrack higgins #sprace #jack kelly #davey jacobs

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because-she-goes · 11 months

Text

summer girl

warnings: tooth achingly sweet fluff, domestic!matty, them being heckin adorable. Enjoy!

“Matty, put down the camera for two seconds and look around you! We are in the most beautiful city in the world with some of the best art in the world. The land of Pablo Picasso, Antoni Tapies, Manolo Valdes and Joan Miro!” Nora, clearly, was elated to be on their honeymoon. Matty and her had thrown around ideas for the trip for a full 3 months before making a decision: Rome, Paris, Greece, Australia, Japan, Amalfi Coast, Ireland, Miami… until they landed on Spain. It then took another two weeks to narrow that down to Barcelona and come up with an itinerary and to-do list. La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, The Picasso Museum, La Boqueria all being Nora’s picks. Matty decided on a sunset walk on La Rambla, the aforementioned Fundacio Joan Miro, Parc de la Ciutadella, and going to see a FC Barcelona game at Camp Nou. At every art museum, Matty would make the comment that Nora’s art was leagues better while she wandered around in awe - it never failed to make her giggle and blush.

The pair had been running around for a week or so now, Matty taking every opportunity to photograph Nora at their various stops and compliment her outfits and hype her up a bit. His favorite of these photos was taken at a secluded quiet beach they had found one afternoon, and it was like something out of Baywatch. Nora, in all her bikini-clad glory coming out of the crystal blue water. He thought his heart stopped at that moment and almost dialed for an ambulance. How was he this lucky? Not even in his dreams did he imagine this perfect of a wife, of a vacation, of a life. He was brought back to reality by her waving a hand in front of his face and giggling at him. “Like the bathing suit, Handsome?”

“O-oh god yes, Honey. You look positively drool-worthy in it.” He stuttered.

They took another dip in the water, dried off and changed into their walking clothes. She had gotten the most beautiful white sundress for the trip, lacey and delicate. Matty was in his summer uniform of a tee shirt, some sort of dress pants or jeans and sneakers. He currently was wearing Nora’s favorite of his to steal: it was a white shirt that had “I’m a little devil from Niagara Falls, Canada” written across the chest with a little cartoon. It had been put through the wash so many times now that the collar was starting to get loose and holes dotted the hems. The comforting shirt also allowed for his arm tattoos to be out on display, Nora was going a bit insane ogling them as they walked holding hands. Deciding they both needed to cool down a bit after being in the blazing spanish sun all day, they stopped for some shaved ice and coconut water.

That night for dinner, they went to a tapas bar and drank red wine like it was water. They sat in a quiet corner of the restaurant and giggled away as they recalled the early days of the relationship and their trips to London and New York to visit each other - always greeting the other with a ridiculous sign and flowers at the arrivals gate. The band in the bar was playing some Pete Rodriguez and basa nova as the two spent what felt like an eternity talking.

“You know, I have that Mets hat framed somewhere in storage from your first trip to London… kept it all these years later.” He confesses bashfully, half drunk.

“Well, good thing I still buy that candle from the time you came to New York for my birthday.” She reciprocates. The idea of the other keeping mementos of each other and their early love is enough to make them cry.

“Okay, before we get too emotional here, wanna go back to the hotel, Handsome?”

“I’d love nothing more, Honey.”

When they stumble back into their room, Nora runs for the closet where she was keeping his surprise wedding present. Matty was fixing them both glasses of kalimochos - red wine and coke from when they met, still being their drink of choice.

She grabs the guitar case and walks back to the small suite’s living room. “My love, come here for a minute… got something for you!” Nora’s voice rings as she calls him over.

“One second, Darling… just gotta grab something as well.” A devious giggle follows. He walks to their bedroom and grabs a neatly folded printed receipt from the side table.

“Alright, buttercup… let’s see what you’ve got.” She unsuccessfully hides the guitar case behind her back and giggles when she pulls it from him as he makes a reach for it. “C’mon don’t tease, baby. Lemme see what you’ve got in that… I wonder what it could be.” His eyes glimmer in the light and a smirk falls on his stupidly perfect lips.

“Here you go, baby… Had the hotel people drop it off while we were at the beach earlier.” She holds out the case and he gives her a wink as he grabs it. Opening it quickly, his face drops. Within it is a beautiful black Spanish guitar with cowboys sitting around a fire carved into it and “Singin’ Cowboys” engraved and covered with red paint. Matty’s heart stops and his eyes mist over. It is the most stunning, well-crafted instrument he’s ever held in his own hands. He takes it out and begins to play the start of “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls and his stomach sinks - it sounds even prettier than he could’ve imagined.

“My love… this is the greatest gift anyones ever gotten me. I love it so much, gonna treasure it for the rest of my life. I love you, baby… so so much.” He tells her as he looks up at the angel before him. How could she possibly be real? He wipes some tears from his eyes and kisses her with such tenderness and warmth that it takes her back a bit and knocks the wind out of her. When they disconnect for air, she holds his face for a moment before kissing his forehead. “My sweet boy.” She whispers.

“My sweet girl.” He kisses her nose and taps it quickly. “Now, beloved, here is yours. I couldn’t physically get it here because it’s being shipped to New York currently, but I made sure to print out the order and a copy of it to give to you while we were here.” He nervously twists his rings around his finger… a habit he’s picked up since their New York wedding months ago.

“Oh, please Matty you didn’t have - oh holy shit… is- is this real?” She quickly asks, reading the paper over and over again to verify its real. An authentic Antoni Tàpies, one she’s always dreamt of since she learned about Spanish art in high school. She must’ve told Matty a hundred times about the art in Barcelona and all her favorite artists in Spain.

“Very real, baby… Hopefully you like that specific piece. I thought it had a cool energy to it and matched some of your work. What with the the hands and semi-heart above them.. Plus it’s from the 60s which I remember you always saying was one of your favorite decades in art!” He scratches the back of his neck as he rambles and tries to remember what she’s told him over the years and the information the seller gave him.

“Matty… Les Mains is one of my favorite pieces of art like ever… You’re insane oh my god! I love you and thank you thank you thank you, Handsome!!” She runs into his arms, still clutching the piece of paper in her hand. She knocks him back at first from the force of the hug, but quickly his arms wrap around her waist and he kisses her head.

“Love you too, baby. Can’t believe I am lucky enough to spoil you for the rest of my life and have you forever.”

“Me neither, Handsome.. and for the record, having you as my husband is the greatest gift I will ever receive.”

“Couldn’t agree more, Wife.” He kisses her again and in that moment it feels like time and the world ceases to exist. Just him and Nora in Barcelona… husband and wife.

#the 1975 #matty healy #matty healy fluff #drew’s writing :)#matty x nora #an encounter #HONEYMOONERS BABY #theyre so stinking cute omfg

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darklydeliciousdesires · 1 year

Text

The Dream - Chapter Thirteen.

A huge thank you to all of you offering your engagement. You are appreciated more than you know!

Previous chapters - Prologue One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve

Tag list - In the comments, please DM to be added/removed (note: those not engaging will be automatically removed from the tag list, FYI)

Words - 3,381

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

“Hey,” Angel mumbled, roused from his sleep. “Is it time to get up? Feels early, still.”

“Nope,” Jaime confirmed quietly, she and Frankie pulling on their shoes. “We’re heading up to my parent's place for a family day. It’s a three-hour drive, hence why we’re leaving at 6am. Go back to sleep and we’ll see you guys later tonight.” She blew him a kiss, Frankie waving before they left, leaving him to turn over, Keri stirring at his side.

“Was that them coming in, or leaving? I forgot to mention they’re out all day today,” she spoke, her eyes still closed.

He turned over, kissing her forehead, smiling when she instantly curled into him, resting her hand against his neck. “Leaving. Let’s go back to sleep, huh?” Wrapping an arm around her, he closed his eyes, feeling good to have her there close to him. He knew she’d noticed, the way he’d closed off a little, his thoughts spilling over and controlling his demeanour, no matter how slight.

He wasn’t too sure how to articulate it with her either, with it being so soon after them meeting each other for the first time, to speak of the worry he really didn’t need to pay any mind to so early on in what was blossoming between them. For that moment, he chose sleep above anything else. His brain had other ideas, though. As did Keri’s.

“Where the hell are we?” he asked, approaching her at the side of a river, huge hills bordering it from either side.

“Galway, Ireland.” She turned to him, reaching for his arms, smoothing her palms over the muscles concealed beneath his dark green flannel shirt. “It’s the place I want to visit most once I’m done at college, and the place that at the very mention of, you closed up on me.”

She marvelled to herself, at how her nerves and doubts didn’t exist in her dreams, how she could be bold with him without even giving it a second thought. “I think I know why, too, but I risk making myself look like an idiot if I’m wrong.”

He pulled her into a hug, the impulse not even contemplated, not for a second. “You’re not an idiot. It was my stuff, thinking of shit that don’t even need to come into my head this soon.”

Feeling her heart quicken, she looked up at him. “There’s nothing stopping you coming with me, you know. Those further afield vacations you mentioned? If this thing between us ends up being something, then why not?”

He began to laugh quietly through his nose, shaking his head. “I feel like an ass, even thinking about all this shit. Damn.”

“Well,” she began, pulling him down to her level. “You’re not.” She kissed him then, stroking his face with her thumbs. “Now, wake up and kiss me for real.”

Ten seconds later, and he stirred, Keri moving her head beneath his chin and receiving what she’d requested while sleeping.

“We’re so dumb.”

She laughed, stroking his neck. “Yeah, but I guess since we met in our dreams, that’s the place where everything is still easy for us both, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “Can we go back to just enjoying getting to know one another without stressing about shit that ain’t even come to pass yet?”

Nuzzling his neck, she wrapped her arms around him, his warmth lovely. “That sounds good.”

“So, we sleeping more, or getting up and doing something?”

Stretching a little, she sat up, humming, and then lying right back down, Angel laughing. “Not just yet.” Ten seconds passed. “Okay, I have to go pee. After that, though, I’m coming straight back here.” She scooted out from under the covers, heading towards the kitchen, stopping dead when she looked out of the back door. “Flippin’ hell!”

“What is it?”

“Blizzard!” she called, Angel at her side in seconds.

“Holy fuck! This wasn’t forecast!”

“I know! Shit, that’s bad. It usually starts levelling out around now. Damn! I was gonna drive us up to the dinosaur museum as a surprise, too, but that’s just horrific! That’s run and grab more food bad. I’m not eating all of Franke and Jaime’s stuff, just in case it lasts. I’ll get them extra things too. Oh god! I wonder if they’ve even gotten there okay! I mean, it’s only just started here, but that isn’t to say it hasn’t travelled from where they are.”

One very quick dive into their clothes, and one phone call to the relative visiting couple (who’d arrived safely with mama and papa Brookes) later, and they were walking around the local store across the way from the apartment, luckily without too many other people there stocking up.

“No! You can’t pay for all of this!” Keri protested at the register, Angel making a tsk noise before reaching right over her head and handing the cashier a handful of bills.

“Y’all don’t tell me what to do. Well, there’s one context where it’d be different.”

She made a puzzled face, his wink instantly bringing heat to her cheeks. “Oh.” Dropping her head as they walked from the store, she winced.

“And that’s enough of that, because I know I don’t have that happening for me anytime soon. You ain’t that kind of girl.”

She swallowed hard, wishing she could break into the bottle of tequila within one of the bags she carried. “Does it bother you, or do you feel like I’ve led you on, being different in reality to how I’ve behaved with you while asleep?”

“Nah, but please do one thing for me?” he asked, crossing the street with her. “Next time we’re like that in dreams, be thorough. Please. I’m dying over here.”

And now so was she, too, bursting into a giggle fit all over the groceries she held tightly, one that lasted right until they were back in the apartment.

“Oh, I love the way she just laughs at my pain,” he commented, glaring playfully at her as he placed the bags on the counter.

She paused from taking the perishables to the fridge, moving to drape her arms around his neck, leaning to kiss him. “Promise you I’m worth the wait.”

He growled against her lips, spurring her giggles again. “You damned better be.” They put the groceries away between bouts of becoming wrapped around one another, Keri thanking him for being so generous before heading for a shower, leaving Angel feeling like he needed to go and crotch plant the nearest decently sized pile of snow. He’d never, ever had a girl make him wait for sex before, but he would.

Just that alone drew him in all the more to her, something a little different to what he was used to, a challenge, a girl who wouldn’t let him between her legs at the very suggestion. Well, not at least while they were awake. It didn’t mean, however, that he couldn’t be playful. Keri neither.

“Now that ain’t fair, you coming out just in a towel,” he spoke, standing in the kitchen drinking a coffee, shaking his head. “At least gimme a little flash.”

Her face was aghast. “Mr Reyes! You’re mistaken if you think I’m that kind of girl!” She walked in the direction of the bedroom, grabbing her clothes on the way, knowing he was watching, pulling up the towel and flashing him just a little hint of her butt before kicking the door shut.

“God damn, that’s a fuckin’ nice ass.” he groaned, placing his coffee down and heading for a shower. A cold one. While he was calming himself down, Keri dressed, making use of the myriad of beauty products her friends always insisted were at her disposal whenever she stayed over, her phone beginning to ring as she was deep cleansing her skin.

“Morning little,” David chirped brightly. “How’s it all going with your new friend?”

The emphasis he put on the word friend had her laughing softly. “I don’t think he’s just a friend any longer.”

“Well, if you run out of condoms, I’ll be the cool parent and drop you some more round.”

“David!” she cried, his laugh booming. “There’ll be none of what you’re inferring. I only just met him properly!”

“Good, make him wait a while. Us guys, we don’t mind being driven a little crazy from time to time,” he chuckled, turning up the heater in the garage, where he was doing a little maintenance to both his truck and Meryl’s car. “So, it’s dating now with him, then?”

Rubbing the cleanser into her skin a little more, Keri thought that was a very good question, reaching for the cotton pads and beginning to wipe her face. “We haven’t actually labelled it as such, but I suppose that it is. We’ve just said we’re getting to know one another better. I don’t know how that’ll work long term, being that we live so far apart.”

“Well, kid, just remember you’re what, ten weeks from finishing college now? Not to jump the gun, but you’re free to do whatever and go wherever soon. Who says you can’t decide to be spending a lot of time down in Santo Padre if things work out? You’re a photographer, you don’t need to have roots to once place. You can go where your work takes you.” Putting his phone on speaker, he placed it atop the engine block, taking a spanner to the hose he was attempting to remove. “Greater distances have been overcome where relationships are concerned. Just look at your aunt Bee and uncle Sunni.”

Beatrice, or Bee as she was more commonly known as, was David’s younger sister, who had met her now husband over in India when she had gone out there to work as a doctor in the underprivileged areas surrounding Calcutta. Sunni was a fellow doctor she had met out there and fallen in love with. His parents had originally moved out to Chicago, Sunni a US citizen as he was born there, but had moved back after his training, wanting to give back to the community that his parents had come from and work with those most in need of good medical care.

For the year it had taken Bee to organise herself, her visa and her whole life to move out there and be with him, they had done the long-distance thing, and apart from of course missing each other terribly it had worked out well for them in the end. They had married six years ago, and now had a family of three children.

Thinking of her beloved aunt and uncle, Keri beamed. “You know, as stupid as it sounds, throughout all this I had never considered that, not once!”

He grinned, finally managing to dislodge the troublesome hose. “Well let's not read too much into it right now, but I’ll just say this. If you two did get together, there's considerably less distance for you to cover to see each other, and less cost. Having said that though, I'll help you out with the air fare to go and see him all the same. I know you have it better than a lot of students because of your job as well as what your dad left for you, and because you still live at home with us. If I can help out in any way to make you happier, though, then I will.”

Oh, how lucky she was, to have a stepdad so kind. “Has anyone ever told you how wonderful you are?”

“Yeah, she's called Keri Watkins and she usually does so when she's benefiting from the fact that she knows I can never resist putting a smile on her face,” he laughed, making her giggle too. “Anyway, I’m gonna leave you to your weekend. See you when you get home.”

That weekend went by much too quickly for her liking, Monday morning coming around before she knew it, standing at the gate in Angel’s arms at 7:45am, not wanting to let him go.

“Are you crying?” he asked, Keri burying her face against his chest, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “Aww, baby. Don’t do that! I am coming back, you know.”

“I know,” she croaked, sniffing, drying her eyes on the back of her hand. “I’ll just miss you, is all. I feel like an ass now!”

“You ain’t gonna miss me for long. I shifted some stuff around, so I can come back on Friday. Gotta leave on Sunday morning, though. Got some club stuff to deal with that afternoon, but you’ll have me here for little bit, at least.”

“That soon? You're coming back that soon?” she repeated, making him smile. God, she was adorable. “I’ll have to change my shift at work, so hold on before you book a flight, just so I can make sure I can. I’ll change it to Sunday if possible. We’ll work something out.”

He leaned down, kissing the tip of her nose. “We will, tiny.” He wrapped her up in a tight hug again, Keri forcing the smile to stick to her face as she kissed him goodbye, wishing him a safe flight and holding him again one more time, Angel having to literally run to get through the gate before it closed. Once he was out of view, she let herself cry, turning and leaving the airport at a quick walk, not brave enough to stand at the window and watch the plane fly him away.

She got out to her car after buying herself a takeout coffee almost the size of her own head, sitting there with the heater blasting as she sipped it, sniffing and drying her tears whilst looking at herself in the rear-view mirror.

“He'll be back on Friday stupid! Stop bawling!” she scolded her reflection, laughing at herself as she dried her eyes properly, glad she hadn't decided to wear makeup as it would have inevitably ended up streaked down her cheeks. She really had no reason to be upset, as he would be back before she knew it, and in the meantime, she had a busy week to keep herself occupied, as did he.

After he’d arrived home and unpacked, sorting his laundry out, Angel spent a while tidying up his bedroom, noticing a few relics from his last relationship that he’d overlooked, a couple of things left behind by Lucy after their breakup six months before. He sent her a message telling her what he’d found, asking if she was busy since he could swing by her place on his way to the yard.

‘No, I’m just with the horses! Come by whenever, I’ll be out by the stables.’

Lucy worked from home as a content creator, posting everything about cooking and baking, always doing such with a twist of humour, even working on her first cookbook with a publisher at that moment, too. She might not have been his girlfriend any longer, but Angel was still immensely proud of her.

Pulling up behind the short row of stables that backed onto her modest home, he dismounted and put his helmet and gloves away, stopping to lift Cece, one of Lucy’s three cats into his arms, the feline purring and drooling as he rubbed her belly. Turning the corner, he saw the pink haired head of his ex pop up over Jeeper’s stable door, Lucy greeting him with a cheery wave.

“Look, Jeeps! It’s your buddy!” she cooed, the big, Palomino horse whickering softly as Angel approached, reaching to stroke his face and lean to kiss Lucy’s cheek.

“Is that new?” he asked, poking the side of his neck, watching as she winced before slapping him.

“Yes!” she cried, a mock growl in her tones. “And it’s still crispy, so leave it!” The sacred heart she’d had tattooed on the side of her neck was very much in the healing stages still. “He’s still a menace, Jeeps.”

The horse snorted, Angel letting go of Cece when she began to wriggle, the cat leaping down to go into the feed room and investigate the mouse situation. “So, how’s things?”

“Tiring,” she confirmed, bringing her grooming kit out of the stable with her and bolting it, nodding in the direction of the house. “I’ve been up since four, making videos and adding more recipes to the shortlist for the book, trying to narrow it down. My editor says no more than twenty.”

His eyebrows rose. “With how many you have in your card index, that ain’t gonna be easy!”

Her nodding was vigorous as they climbed the back porch steps, taking a seat at the small table, Lucy raiding the cooler and pulling out two cans of soda. He’d have killed for a cold beer, but his ex was a staunch teetotal. “And me with my indecisiveness!” She thanked him as he pulled out a bag of stuff from within the rucksack he carried, opening it up and gasping immediately. “Oh my god, you found Boris!”

Boris was a little stuffed toy frog she'd had since she was a child, and had been wondering where he'd got to, just like a couple of other items she found. “Where the heck was this hiding?” she added, pulling out a baby pink lace bra she'd only ever worn once, before Angel had removed it and thrown it across the bedroom, never to be seen again.

“Behind the shelves, of all places. I'm sure I looked there when you first lost it, too,” he replied, opening the can and taking a big gulp.

Lucy scoffed, shaking her head. “Who lost it Angel? For a moment there it sounded like you said I lost it, when we both know your underwear flinging skills rival the precision of our Olympic shotput team!”

“You did look good in it,” he reasoned, shrugging slightly.

“Yeah, I guessed as much when I saw your jaw drop,” she reminisced, picking a little piece of hay out from under her thumbnail. “So anyway, how was your weekend? Did you get up to much?”

“I went up to Utah for a few days, snowboarding and stuff,” he revealed, fetching his phone out and showing her the picture of him mid-air, looking impressive. Lucy took it from him, beginning to swipe through. “Oh! She’s pretty, who is she?” she asked with curiosity, coming to a picture of Keri and Ash, both posing in a pretend fist fight.

“That’s Keri, we just started dating.” Pulling out his cigarettes, he lit one up, looking back at Lucy. “Sorry, you good with me talking about that?”

She waved her hand, scrunching up her nose. “Of course, I am! Kinda makes something I was gonna ask you moot now, though.” His eyebrow raise made it clear he wished for her to embellish. “So, I’ll be honest. I’m pretty horny, and I thought that maybe you could help me with that? But if you’re seeing someone, then it’s fine.”

Uncomplicated sex on offer. That no one but them would ever know about. It had been more weeks than he even wanted to admit to himself since he’d been with a woman, the whole dream thing with Keri pulling at his focus too much. Angel smiled, delivering his answer.

“No, thanks, Luce. I, uh, I really like her, and I ain’t screwing that up. You and me, it’s just friends, no benefits. That cool with you?” It hit him then, just how much he really did like Keri, feeling his heart pang a little, remembering her tears at the airport that morning.

She smiled, sipping her soda. “Looks like imma have to go put my vibrator on charge.”

He snorted laughing, taking a long drag on his cigarette. “You should probably leave it plugged into the mains permanently. It’d be like a scene in a prison movie when they put the electric chair on, you come and all the lights dim.”

“Fuck you!”

He winked, grinning. “You wish.”

She launched Boris at his head in retaliation, Angel catching the frog and hurling it back as they shared laughter. His immediate past with a woman was great, and his future with the current one? He was looking forward to enjoying where it would lead with every hour and every day that passed.

#angel reyes #angel reyes fanfiction #angel reyes smut #angel reyes imagine #angel reyes x ofc #angel reyes fanfic #angel reyes fic #mayans mc #mayans mc fanfiction #mayans mc imagine #mayans mc smut #mayans mc fanfic #mayans mc fic

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lau219 · 3 months

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Ask Game for Ships!

Lauren and Cillian from Red Carpet

Part 2 of 2

Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest? Obviously, Cillian’s schedule is a bit more inconsistent, but he tries to keep it as normal as possible. They both love to sleep, and there have been days where they’ve literally never gotten out of bed, spending the day dozing, cuddling/sex, and watching movies in bed. Lauren is also a big fan of naps, and a quick snooze on the couch doesn’t cut it. She’s literally in bed, under the covers, and it could last 45 minutes or 3 hours.

What are their opinions on PDA? PDA is A-okay with these two. Not over-the-top disgusting for any onlookers, but they aren’t shy about showing affection. They love holding hands and are often sharing kisses. And Cillian enjoys using PDA to mark his territory – he wants every other man to know that Lauren is his. Lauren enjoys teasing Cillian when they’re in public and he can’t do much about it. She’ll whisper in his ear and run her hand dangerously close to his cock under the table. There’ve been plenty of times when she’s elicited an erection and has palmed him through an entire meal at a restaurant with friends.

Any crazy kinks? Nothing too crazy. But there is definitely a dom/sub thing going on. Not in a degrading or super extreme way, but Cillian is always the dominant one. Despite being together for quite a while now, Lauren is still somewhat bashful and naturally submissive, and he coaxes things out of her with an authoritative tone and firm touch. He loves having her helpless. He’ll make her a mess, pinning her down or holding her how he wants her, while also demanding that she tell him what she wants, too, and then praising her. Lauren had secretly always responded to the idea of a dominant man, and Cillian never failed to make her heart pound. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and she craves it. And when he speaks the way he does while simultaneously making her fall apart, she’s helpless. Once he calls her a “good girl” in that tone of voice, she’s done for.

Do they go on vacations together? Where is their favorite place to visit? They love doing vacations and long weekend trips together. The best time they ever had was when Cillian brought Lauren with him the next time he went back to Ireland for a visit. Lauren soaked it all in, and Cillian got so much enjoyment out of showing her around and seeing her reactions to everything. For shorter trips, they’ll switch things up. One weekend could be a very lazy one where they spend the whole time just enjoying their surroundings, and another time it can be busy with finding activities or places to visit and being constantly on the go. It’s all about balance.

What clothes/accessories do they steal from each other? Lauren wears his navy hoodie, which, as we all know, is an extreme turn on for Cillian. She will also shove her feet into his shoes to make a quick dash outside for something, because she can just slip them on as opposed to going through the effort of putting on her own shoes. Cillian has never worn anything of Lauren’s – what would that even be? He did have to use her floral-scented deodorant once, though, when his deodorant ran out, and she has never let him live it down.

Which of their friends/family pokes fun at them for them getting flustered/affectionate? Maeve is the queen of teasing them, but it’s completely in good fun. She loves the fact that they have ended up together, as she had sensed immediately that there was something between the two of them when she first met Lauren. Whenever they’ve all been together, she’s always jokingly calling Cillian names and asking Lauren what she sees in him, but Cillian knows Maeve is actually extremely happy for them, and he also dishes it back to her. Maeve will then always make a comment along the lines of, “Just keep it PG while I’m around, yeah?” And then there’s Alex, who claims she is still trying to recover from walking in on Lauren and Cillian’s stairwell rendezvous. She loves giving them a hard time, but, like Maeve, she’s extremely happy for them.

What is something they can never agree on? How do they meet in the middle? Which is better – dark or milk chocolate. He likes dark, she likes milk, so they each have their own separate stash of chocolate stuffed back on the top shelf of the pantry.

What are their favorite places to kiss on their partner? What are their favorite types of kisses? They both love deep, sensual kisses on the lips that express how much they love each other. But separate from that, Cillian loves to kiss Lauren’s neck and throat, as well as the valley between her breasts, which then of course leads to her breasts as well. Lauren loves to kiss Cillian’s neck, too, but her favorite thing to do is trail slow kisses on him, starting at his chin and moving up his jawline, before reaching his ear and kissing him below his earlobe, when she’ll then often whisper something sweet or naughty in his ear.

What is their dream home? Do they buy a place together? Once they’d been together for a while, Lauren moved in with Cillian. Obviously, he had the bigger, nicer place, but he’d never done much to it, and Lauren has the eye for decorating and personal touches. And they do updates and renovations together to make it theirs as a couple. Before, Cillian just felt like it was a place where he lived, but Lauren has made it feel like home.

Do they have any pets or kids? Not yet, but Lauren plans on surprising Cillian with a dog for his next birthday. As for kids, they both definitely want them, but they haven’t discussed it in too much detail beyond that. But what Lauren doesn’t know is that Cillian loves the idea of her having his children, and he cannot wait to see her pregnant. Thinking about it definitely revealed a slight breeding kink in him that he didn’t know he had. Plus, he’s always wanted kids, and he knows Lauren would obviously be an amazing mother.

Who would propose? What would their wedding be like? As we know, Cillian already proposed, although it didn’t go exactly as he’d planned. But all that mattered is that Lauren said yes. It’s still quite early, so they haven’t made much of a dent in planning yet other than setting a date. They know they want their closest family and friends there, and they’ll incorporate some traditional aspects with some of their own touches. It will be more formal – a tuxedo and a gorgeous wedding dress.

What’s something that reminds them of their partner(s)? Do they have anything on them daily as a reminder (a photo, phone background, tattoo, clothing/accessory, etc)? As mentioned way back when, Cillian can’t see a bra without thinking of the day he and Lauren first met. He also saved the notes she’d included with the boxes she sent him when he’d been in Ireland without her. Now that he’s proposed, Lauren has her ring as a daily reminder of Cillian, and remembering what he did to get it for her makes her heart soar. But she also thinks of him whenever she hears someone use the word “sweetheart,” and then she immediately misses him and wants to hear his voice, so she’ll call him.

Want more of these? Send me a request!

@nyxxie-pooh @fuseburner @hannibellector @febris-amatoria @neonpurplestars89-blog

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 4 months

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By: Colette Colfer

Published: Jan 17, 2024

A slow-burning religious revolution is transforming Ireland. The Catholic Church has waned to a smidgin of its former significance and much of the enormous space it once occupied in the Irish psyche has been vacated. A gap has appeared. We need to mind this gap.

At the same time as Catholicism is declining in importance, a new belief system centred around the concept of gender identity is gathering momentum, thrusting roots deep into the cultural fabric of Irish society, and filling parts of the expanse previously occupied by Catholicism.

This new belief system has implications for all sectors of Irish society including education, sports, legislation, and the media. It also influences popular individual understandings of the self.

‘I am large, I contain multitudes’ wrote Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) in his famous poem Song of Myself. The kaleidoscopic complexity of the individual is often eclipsed when those espousing gender identity theory magnify gender identity out of proportion to other facets of the self.

Although the idea of gender identity is considered secular in nature, there are many religious parallels. A certain level of faith is required to believe in the existence of the scientifically unfalsifiable intangible internal essence that is the gendered self. This disembodied sense of self, elevated in importance above the body, mirrors ideas about the soul. Sacrificial rites involving the removal of healthy organs assert the primacy of gender identity that is bestowed with a sacred quality.

There are echoes of holy days and religious seasons in new calendars listing dates associated with gender identity. These include Agender Pride Day (19th May), Non-Binary Awareness Week (in July), International Pronouns Day (20th October), and Transgender Awareness Month (November). There are also quasi-religious symbols, priest-like leaders, slogans that sound like mantras and compulsory articles of belief including that sex is ‘assigned’ at birth, that everyone has a gender identity, and that social transition and affirmation are the path to finding one’s true self (or salvation).

Societies are always changing. When 108-year-old Florence Pannell was interviewed on UK television in 1977 about growing up in Victorian England, she was asked what had changed most during her lifetime. Florence responded: ‘Everything! Nothing is the same! Everything is changed!’ To be alive is to be caught in a web of change. The rate of religious change in Ireland is happening faster than the rate of population change. The Irish population rose 46% from 3.5 to 5.1 million between 1991 and 2022. During the same period, the number of people with ‘no religion’ increased by over 1,000 per cent.1

Ireland in the 1900s was steeped in Catholicism. Church steeples punctured skylines symbolising the highest societal value and pinpointing the geographical locus of the community. Streets and remote country roads were dotted with grottos of the Virgin Mary. Silhouettes of huge crosses were visible on hills and rocky outcrops. Weeks revolved around Sunday mass. People’s entire lifelines were patterned with religious rituals.

Catholicism in Ireland reached its peak in 1961 when Roman Catholics made up a phenomenal 94.9 per cent of the population. Since then, however, the proportion of Catholics has been in decline. By 2022 it had dropped to 69% and since then, the tide of Catholic belief has been receding further still.

Receding tides require attention. In 1907, a tidal wave resulted in the deaths of 70% of the inhabitants of Simeuleu in Indonesia. Survivors told the story of an earthquake followed by a receding sea and then a tidal wave. They referred to the sequence of events as smong. Stories of smong were passed down through the generations in popular lullabies and poems.

When a devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean on the 26th of December 2004 killed an estimated quarter of a million people, the island of Simeuleu was an anomaly in the region as there was only a minimal loss of life. Just seven victims were recorded from the population of almost eighty thousand. The high survival rate was accredited to the stories of smong. Islanders had recognised the signs of the retreating sea after an earthquake and had rushed to higher ground.

Declining religious adherence has potentially important implications. Sascha Becker and Hans-Joachim Voth point out, for example, that: ‘As the role of religion in public life declined from the late 19th century onwards, new ideologies and totalitarian world-views spread’. Becker and Voth mention that the ideologies of both Communism and Naziism were more popular in highly secularised areas of interwar Germany.

The decline of Catholicism in Ireland and the concomitant increase of those with no religion warrants careful consideration. Catholicism has faded significantly from the public sphere, scarpered from centre stage to a quieter corner in the wings. The stage is now peopled by those proclaiming the new gospel of ‘equality, diversity, inclusion’ and the stage is festooned with sacralised Progress Pride flags signalling the adoption of gender identity theory. The ideology of nationalism has more recently made a notable public appearance side stage and new belief systems or older ideologies could also emerge and rise to prominence.

Ireland’s National Census of 2022 indicates a religiously heterogeneous society with over fifty separate categories of religion outlined. This compares to the National Census of 1981 when just eight separate categories of religion were recorded and all the Christian denominations combined constituted 99.4% of the total population. A look at just some of the 2022 categories and numbers of adherents gives an indication of the level of religious change: Islam: 81,930; Hindu: 33,043; Taoists: 200; Scientologists: 132; Satanism: 189; Jedi Knight: 1,800, Jehovah’s Witness: 6,332; Buddhist: 9,053. A low-key online campaign in the run-up to the 2022 Census encouraged those with concerns about gender identity theory to identify their religion on the census form as ‘Believer in Biology’. Although the official census data did not publish details, a Freedom of Information request showed that at least 163 of the 8,064 in the ‘Other stated religion’ category identified their religion as ‘Believer in Biology’.2

Minding the gap vacated by traditional religion that is currently being filled, at least in part, by gender identity theory involves paying careful attention to the latest top-quality research on gender dysphoria, following best medical practice, developing guidelines based on evidence rather than ideology, allowing space for a diversity of beliefs and for healthy civil discussion that allows open conversation and respectful dialogue about the implications of gender identity theory on wider society including on single-sex spaces, sports, and children’s psychological and physical well-being.

The highest point in the urban skyline of Ireland today is the satellite pylon rather than the church steeple. This signals a switch in societal values and the locus of community formation. Social media is where new belief systems are promulgated and where younger generations are most likely to seek and find meaning. The trains of communication in the internet era are fast-moving. Mind the gap.

According to the National Census, 66,270 people had no religion in 1991. This rose to 736,210 in 2022 – a difference of 1,011% ↩︎

The numbers for ‘Believer in Biology’ only include records processed after November 2022. ↩︎

This speaks to the "Substitution Hypothesis," which suggests that as traditional religions decline, other quasi- and religious-like practices fill the void to satisfy human tendency towards religiosity.

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roseofdarknessblog · 1 year

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By the Sea (Marcel Galliard x Reader)

Word count: 2 620

Disclaimer: english is not my first language, I apologize in advance for any mistakes

A/N: My anxiety is through the roof since yesterday and I really needed to distract myself somehow. So here... have some nice Marcel fluff for a better day and take care ❤️

Summary: Sometimes all you need is a picture-perfect day at the beach. Clear blue skies, a good book, and the company of your beloved boyfriend, the one and only Marcel Galliard.

By the Sea

A light breeze kissed your cheeks and woke you up from an unexpected nap. With eyes still heavy with sleep, you blinked a few times trying to make out your surroundings. You were at the beach, of course – laying on your favorite blanket, your tote bag comfortably folded under your head, and a nearly empty picnic basket just a few feet away. Marcel got the idea of taking a short drive to the nearest beach out of nowhere, and you weren′t objecting. It was way too long since the two of you spent the day like this. Somewhere nice and just relaxing. Not thinking about work, school, or any other responsibility.

„You okay?“ Marcel asked while you were still sleepily looking up at the bright blue sky. Only a handful of puffy white clouds were seen scattered around randomly. You could hear seagulls somewhere in the distance, while the slowly coming and going sea waves were creating one of your favorite sounds ever. The weather was absolutely perfect, warm and sunny, with only a slight breeze that made the heat more bearable.

„Yeah, just... how long was I asleep?“ you asked, only then noticing that your still open book way laying on your chest.

Reading was your favorite form of escaping reality. Especially, when you picked up a book you′ve read in the past and loved dearly. Just like this morning, when you decided to start Howl′s Moving Castle for like a fifth time. But it was your first time reading the special edition Marcel got you last Christmas. He knew how much you loved the story, and despite you already owning the whole trilogy, he didn′t hesitate even for a second, when he saw this edition at the bookstore while searching for a perfect gift for you – his beloved girlfriend. He knew you would love it. And he was right, just like always, when it came to your favorite things.

„Not too long, maybe thirty minutes. Didn′t want to wake you up, you really need to rest after the last few months.“ You smiled, closed your book, and rolled over to your side so you could be closer to Marcel. He immediately put his phone down, where he was looking for some summer vacation options, and turned his attention to you. „What do you think about Venice, Bologna, Rome, Florence, or Palermo? Would you like to go there?“

„You wanna go to Italy?“

He shrugged. „Maybe, it looks amazing there. The scenery, all that architecture, and apparently brilliant food. We could go road-tripping around the country if you′d like. So we can see as many places as we want.“

It really did sound appealing. Spending a week or two together, exploring a new country none of you visited before. Marcel had seen many places around the world before the two of you started dating and was more than happy when there was a chance to travel somewhere. Especially with you as his most precious and loving travel buddy. He also loved showing you photos and videos of all the places he visited, while promising to one day go back there with you. Especially to the locations that caught your eyes the most. Places like Iceland, Switzerland, Greece, Ireland, Canada or Hawaii.

„Do we have enough money for something like that? I mean... I would like to go, it sounds absolutely amazing, but I′m not sure we can afford it this summer. We just moved to the new apartment, I have to pay for my car and...“ You loved when Marcel shut you up with a gentle but passionate kiss. Mostly in moments like these, when your need to overanalyze every little detail started to ruin the magic of the present moment.

„What did we agree on before coming here? No overthinking, overanalyzing, or worrying about anything,“ Marcel said, his lips still just mere inches from your mouth. With another smile he kissed the tip of your nose, pulling you into a tight hug. „It′s not like we have to pay for everything right now at this moment. We have time to think it through. It was just a suggestion.“

„I know, sorry,“ you said, burying your face into his chest.

He spent a lot of time at work these last few weeks. And with you trying to balance university and a part-time job, there were days when the two of you hardly saw each other. Mostly just early in the morning or in the evening, when it was finally time to sleep. You missed him terribly every single day and knew, he missed you too. Texting each other throughout the day just wasn't the same.

„It′s fine, don't apologize,“ he whispered, planting a kiss on the top of your head. „I was thinking that maybe we could go as a little group. You know... us two, and Porco with Pieck. If you don't mind, of course.“

„Why would I? Your brother is always good company and Pieck is my best friend since kindergarten. I′m happy to spend time with her.“ Not to mention that it was thanks to you, that she and Marcel′s baby brother, as he liked to address Porco to make him mad, started dating in the first place. „And speaking of couples... did you hear about Annie and Bert? She sent me a picture this morning when you were in the shower... and then I somehow forgot to tell you.“

„I heard, of course. He called me and Reiner with him when he went to buy the engagement ring. Said he picked out a few different options but wasn′t sure which one to get, so he needed someone else′s opinion.“

„Why didn't you tell me?“ you asked surprised, pulling away slightly to look at him. Gosh, he was so effortlessly beautiful, when the light breeze was playing with strands of his hair. The way the sunlight made his eyes look like dark pools of honey always took your breath away. „How long did you know that he′s going to propose to her?“

„Why? Because you and Annie are together all the time and I didn′t want to risk you accidentally telling her.“ You rolled your eyes at him. Marcel laughed, lovingly tugging a few strands of hair behind your ear. The tips of his fingers brushed against your cheek just a moment before he pressed his lips to the exact same spot. „Do you like the ring we picked out?“

You nodded excitedly, remembering the photo Annie sent you this morning. „It′s really beautiful. Simple and elegant, it matches Annie and her style perfectly. Bert really knows what suits her the best.“ The two of them were dating since high school, so it was only natural, that they knew each other more than perfectly.

And it was thanks to them, you got to know Marcel. Since Pieck, Annie, and you were classmates in high school, you knew Bertholdt for a pretty long time as well. But it was just shortly before graduation, that he introduced you to his neighbor and one of his best friends – Marcel Galliard. For you, it was love at first sight. Just like in all of those books and movies you′ve read and seen. And now, almost five years later, you couldn′t be happier. With Marcel by your side, you had absolutely everything in the whole wide world.

„Would you like a similar one?“ Marcel asked suddenly, visibly enjoying the panic that made your cheeks turn red.

„What... what do... what do you mean?“ you stuttered, burying your face into his chest once again while laughing nervously. „I hate how you always make me flustered when I expect it the least,“ you mumbled into his shirt, while Marcel laughed at your reaction wholeheartedly.

„It was just an innocent question, nothing more. It′s not like I′m gonna kneel before you and pop out a ring from my pocket. But if you′d like that...“

Even more shocked, you once again looked into his face, finding a cheeky grin on his lips. His eyes were so visibly filled with happiness and love. It almost made your heart burst from the realization that it′s because of you.

It was you, who made him this happy.

You and only you.

„Are you trying to tell me that you bought me an engagement ring as well?“ Marcel shrugged, rolling over to his back with you still in his embrace. He made himself more comfortable, one hand running up and down your back, while you rested on his broad chest.

„Maybe I saw one that I really liked. Just maybe...“

With a quiet laugh, you kissed the warm skin on his neck, closing your eyes for a short while. Was this really happening? At that moment... was that really your life? Suddenly everything seemed so easy and beautiful. So simple and calm. When the two of you were joking around like that, you truly had hope for the future. In everything that was about to come your way. With Marcel by your side, it was truly effortless to imagine the rest of your life. All you saw was never-ending happiness. Not necessarily without a few hard or unpleasant days, they were a part of everyone's life, but still... with him, even the darkest moments would pass much quicker.

„Marcel...“

„What? I′m just planning ahead a little. Can you blame me?“ Looking down at you, his eyes studied your face for a short while. The perfect quiet moment between the two of you was only disturbed by the calming sounds of the sea. „I love you so much,“ he finally said, grabbing your chin gently and bringing your face closer for a little kiss. His lips always tasted like the sweetest flavors of love one could imagine.

„I love you too,“ you said, kissing him once more and running your hand through his hair. It was so thick and soft, you just loved to play with it at every given chance. Mostly in bed, when the two of you were cuddled up next to each other.

Marcel loved to fall asleep while you were playing with his hair and reading to him at the same time. Listening to your voice, as you read him a few pages from your current read always helped him relax, even after the most stressful day. Because when he was there, curled up in your arms and listening to your every word very carefully, he felt safe and loved. And you? You were so grateful for the boy slowly falling asleep right there next to you, that sometimes tears started to pool in your eyes, while your lips were smiling and your whole chest was full of the warmest and nicest feelings possible.

„Coming here was a good idea, we should do it more often. All the problems seem miles away when the sea is at hands reach.“

„I collected some seashells while you were sleeping. A couple of kids ran by, ranting about how many they found over there by those big rocks, so I went to check it out.“ Without you asking to see them, Marcel reached over to the picnic basket and pulled out the now-empty container, that had your favorite fruit salad inside before. Now it was filled with colorful seashells of various shapes and sizes. „You always loved putting them on display at home. And I owe you a few new ones for those I accidentally destroyed last time.“

It was a funny story, actually. Marcel had a few days off, so he decided to help you out with some work around the new apartment. Cleaning was never his favorite activity to pass time, even though you tried to convince him, that moping the floor, doing laundry, or washing the dishes made him look absolutely irresistible. After all... it wasn′t a complete lie.

On that unfortunate day, Marcel was trying to be nice and clean the apartment before you got home from school. What he wasn't planning on doing, was knocking down one of your favorite display bowls from your bookshelf, which was filled with many different seashells the two of you found during your trips to the beach. The bowl was shattered beyond repair and many of the seashells as well, especially the more fragile ones.

It made you upset at first, but seeing how sorry Marcel was... You didn′t have the heart to stay mad at him for long. One delicious home-cooked dinner was enough to make you forgive him. It was no secret, that Marcel knew his way around the kitchen. Your friends loved coming over for lunch or dinner when he was the one cooking or baking. His chocolate-chip banana bread was to die for, not to mention the best poppy seed and lemon muffins under the sun.

„They are adorable,“ you said, while looking through the seashells Marcel picked up. „Just try not to break them this time.“ Leaning closer, you kissed his cheek, resting your forehead against his. „Thank you.“

There was nowhere to hurry. Not today. The two of you could stay for as long, as you like. So you suggested waiting until sunset, even though it was many hours away. But Marcel didn't mind. Not when you picked up your book once again and started reading out loud. He liked Howl and Sophie′s story as well, his favorite character being the Fire demon Calcifer himself.

While you were reading, he was sorting through the seashells, admiring them one by one, and ultimately used some of them to decorate a cute little sand castle he put together at the edge of the blanket. He said it was his own version of Howl′s castle from the story.

The rest of the day was spent simply relaxing, fooling around in the pleasantly cool water, and taking some photos. You loved to capture simple moments like these, just to have the option to look back at them, when you needed it the most.

„About that engagement ring...“ Marcel said unexpectedly with his head in your lap, while the sky high above you seemed like it was on fire. Rich orange and golden hues transformed the beach around you into a scenery that seemed straight out of a fantasy novel. „Would you like something simple like Annie, or something more extra?“

„You know my style, so I think you′re perfectly capable of choosing the right one.“ To be honest, you never thought about how your engagement ring should look like. After all, it wasn′t up to you. „I don't like showing off.“

„It′s not about showing off. More about...“ He thought for a second, his hands playing with your fingers. „I don′t know, I just want to be sure, that everything is going to be perfect. I want you to remember that moment forever.“

„It′s going to be perfect because it will be you, with who I′ll share the moment,“ you assured him, leaning down and gently kissing his lips. „I can′t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Marcel.“ The tips of your fingers were tracing along his jaw and chin.

„We′ll make the best of it. I can assure you.“

Little did you know, that on that day the two of you visited the beach as boyfriend and girlfriend for the very last time. All that talk about engagement rings wasn′t just to fill in the quiet moments. Marcel really did buy a ring you absolutely adored from the second you saw it, when he knelt in front of you with love and hope in his beautiful brown eyes.

So the next time you visited your favorite beach, you went there as Marcel′s fiancee and future Mrs. Galliard.