#and now my brother and nephew had to get tested

[wileys-russo]

love is blind II l.williamson x reader

based around this request here but changed it up a little! love is blind II l.williamson x reader

entering the stadium and making your way down court side your eyes lit up in wonder, raking the thousands of cheering fans clad in their favorite teams colors, chatter bouncing off the walls backed by the upbeat pump of the music in the background as both teams warmed up for the game.

you'd been in new york working for six months now, subletting a room from one of your childhood pen pals which had somehow stood the tests of time, a unique friendship you treasured dearly even if she was an absolute hurricane on her best days.

working as a freelance photographer had lead you to live a colorful life to say the least. you'd been travelling the world from the moment you'd decided to drop out of your rational business degree, deciding much to your parents worry that sort of career just wasn't for you.

but though you'd hopped from one city to the next you'd never really existed in one place long enough to set down solid roots as a large part of your heart always remained back home with your loved ones.

photography far from the most steady income flow it would be an understatement to say at times your situation had been stretched, and you'd learned to become quite the adaptable and creative chef when living from dollar to dollar in some remote corners of the worlds.

but new york had been providing job after job, an endless list of up and coming talents forever wanting headshots, subbing in last minutes as an assitant on shoots for the experience and even shooting for a few magazines along the way had kept you here longer than intended.

but as you grew older and your family expanded, a whole horde of nieces and nephews you hardly saw compiling back home, you found your heart for once longing to settle, to find a reason to set down some roots and maybe a full time job to go with it.

but for now your brother had somehow swung you these courtside tickets for you and your roommate, though with a raging hangover she'd refused to leave the bed, only returning home around nine this morning in a different dress she'd left home in and without shoes you'd known from that very moment you'd likely be venturing to the game tonight alone.

but well traveled on your own that wasn't anything that scared you, you were anyone but someone who dismissed a new experience even if it was a solo one.

which is exactly how you found yourself subtly counting the seats as you made your way down the very front row, making a mental note to smack your brother the next time you saw him for how much he'd likely splashed on these seats which were an early birthday present.

finally finding your seat you were surprised to find it already occupied, a blonde head of hair in jorts and a white button up lazing about comfortably with a drink in her hand.

even without speaking a word you could sense the strong personality oozing from her, loud laughter echoing about as she conversed with a couple of men in the row behind her, an aura of confidence hanging in the air which had your stomach twisting at needing to interrupt her.

"hi i'm so sorry but i think you're in my seat." leah glanced up at the new voice breaking away from her conversation she was previously occupied in, breath catching at the eyes she found herself looking up into.

"i'm 7a, sorry." you winced showing her your ticket on your phone, never having been one for confrontation but the court side seats had been a gift and if the sender didn't see you utilizing them on the tv you'd be getting your ear chewed off without a doubt.

"oh shit no i'm sorry! i didn't even think to check the number i just sat down in the right row." leah apologized sincerely glancing around for jason who had her ticket and lanyard still in his pocket, finding him on the other side of the court taking photos with a group of players.

the seat next to her free leah shuffled over one, allowing you to take your seat as you placed your bag under you and crossed one leg over the other.

"i'm leah." the blonde introduced herself with a smile as you settled a little seeing she wasn't upset like you'd feared but rather seeming quite friendly.

introducing yourself you shook her hand with a laugh as she stuck it out toward you. "how very formal of you." you teased, surprisingly at ease with the english woman finding comfort in the familiar accent in the vast sea of americans you'd been swimming in these last few months.

"well you'd know first and foremost how charming the english are. thought you might want a taste of home! which would be..." leah trailed off with a raised eyebrow.

"i was brought up not to share my home address with strangers. weren't you taught about stranger danger as a child!" you smiled playfully as leah turned herself a little more to face you.

"leah williamson. england captain, european champion, newly appointed basketball fan, first time in new york. i have a younger brother, my grandma is my best mate and i kick a ball round for a living. i spoke at the united nations earlier today and i'm drinking away the nerves i said something terrible because i practically blacked out and can't remember anything!" leah held her drink up in a silent cheers, downing the rest of what appeared to be a gin and tonic with a wink.

"go on stranger, your turn." the blonde encouraged with a flick of her hand as you smiled, finally clocking where she looked familiar. you weren't a massive sports fan, which was ironic given your current location, but you'd have to be completely blind not to recognize the captain of the lionesses after their huge euros win.

"freelance photographer and business school drop out, lived in this fine urban jungle in a shoebox for about six months now. sorry to hit your ego miss euros but i've never sat through a single football match without falling asleep! my dog is my best friend and i'm the youngest of six, the final perfect creation one might say." you grinned, leah rolling her eyes playfully.

"a humble one too it would seem. now look! no longer strangers are we? thank god danger averted." the blonde exhaled wiping at her brow in mock relief before bumping her knee into yours with a grin.

as the announcer started to call out the lineups and the crowd erupted in volume leah shuffled just a tiny bit closer and leant in so she could continue to talk to you, basketball now really the last thing on her mind.

by the final buzzer you couldn't care less who'd won or lost having spent almost the entire game chattering away to leah who seemed more than content to fill in the gaps of your sports knowledge, taking any opportunity she could to slip in a teasing remark about your lack thereof.

"well leah it was lovely to spend some time with such a charming brit! even if you are from milton keynes." you sent leah a dazzling smile and a wink which flipped her stomach, the blonde waving off jason who tried to capture her attention on her other side.

"you may not share my bursting pride and joy for the greatest place on gods green earth but without my ongoing commentary and extensive sports knowledge i'm sure you'd have been bored out of your mind. and now you can tell your brother you sat court side and share his appreciation of this fine game!" leah grinned back, fingers drumming against the lip of her cup.

"mm and imagine his shock when i tell him it was all thanks to an arsenal player, i'll be disowned mind you!" you smacked her knee with a roll of her eyes only causing her grin to widen.

"god i almost forgot you come from a chelsea loving family, disgraceful behaviour that mate." leah grimaced with visible disgust, covering her mouth as she spoke the c word making you laugh and smack her knee again, your hand lingering there for a moment.

as you pulled away leah found herself missing the touch, trying to shake herself out of it and putting it down to the alcohol buzzing through her head.

"i should really get going i'm meeting someone for dinner, but it was lovely sitting and speaking with you." you started sincerely, standing to your feet as leah did the same.

"me too, it was a pleasure to provide you with an in depth basketball crash course." leah joked as you laughed, the sound sending a strange feeling coursing through her stomach.

"i really would have been bored out of my mind without you here, enjoy the rest of your trip. i'll be sure to look out for your UN speech online i'm sure you smashed it!" leahs cheek flushed pink as you leant in and pressed a soft kiss to it, sending her a kind smile and before she could utter another single syllable you were gone.

~

"beth! i am telling you she's a no show. i've waited here for thirty minutes man i'm not wasting the rest of my night!" leah huffed, whisper yelling down the phone to her supposed expert match making friend, slumping down further in her seat.

meanwhile on the opposite side of the restaurant your eyebrows furrowed as you sent your tinder date yet another message which was left on delivered, rolling your eyes and locking your phone with a defeated huff.

"yeah? well your friends name must be casper." leah rolled her eyes unimpressed with beths attempts to make excuse for the mystery woman she'd insisted on setting leah up with, an old family friend who'd lived in new york the last few years who leah just had to meet.

"christ beth i know thats not her name for fuck sakes. i meant because it would appear she's a ghost you numpty!" leah groaned, flashing an apologetic smile toward the couple the table over who gave her an odd look.

"no she's a no show of course just my luck. are you still up for a drink? i can meet you literally anywhere that isn't here. see i told you tinder wasn't for me!" you sighed over the phone, abandoning your half finished drink and grabbing your bag off the counter.

"no i am not going to give it a few more minutes mccabe. now beth call your mate and tell her to lose my number, i told the two of you a blind date was an awful idea but did you listen? no!" leah sternly told off the women on the other end of the phone before hanging up with a frustrated huff and declining the incoming call which followed.

standing from her chair the defender sent the waitress an awkward smile who'd been sending her pitiful glances from the moment she sat down alone at the table clearly set for two.

"oh you're already out? yeah send me the address and i'll get a taxi to soho, and i will be deleting tinder on my way over!" you warned, wincing a little as your friend returned inside and you could clearly hear the music blasting in the background of wherever she was.

not having ordered anything bar a drink she'd already paid for leah bypassed the hostess as she made a hurried beeline for the exit. but too focused on not being seen by the prying woman she knew would ask questions, leah didn't watch where she was walking and suddenly her body collided with another as she stepped outside.

"christ! do you not have eyes?" that voice.

leah sat up from her place on the floor as you did the same, angry features softening at the familar face staring back at you guiltily. "i do in fact have eyes, just forget to use them sometimes." leah winced with a sheepish smile as your own lips curled up in amusement.

"i thought athletes were supposed to be coordinated." you mocked as she hurried to her feet and offered you her hands which you took gratefully, the taller girl hauling you up and steadying you as you nearly slipped again.

"whats whitney houstons favorite form of coordination?" leah blurted out randomly as you gave her a curious look. "hand eyee!" leah sung, loudly, proudly and a little off key as you couldn't help but burst out with a surprised laugh, leahs face lighting up at the sound.

"you really are the perfect combination of charming and strange." you teased, the two of you making your way down the steps out front of the restaurant. "well the world would be incredibly dull if everyone was ill mannered and normal now wouldn't it?" leah countered with a wink as you playfully rolled your eyes.

"so your dinner-" "after the game i-"

you both blushed slightly in the crisp autumn evening as you spoke at the same time. "your dinner, that was fast. is this a normal new york dine and dash?" leah smiled, the two of you starting to walk aimlessly down the street.

"well normally when you meet someone for dinner they show up, so more of a dash without the dine!" you admitted with an annoyed huff, phone still clear of any notifications from your so called date.

"if it makes you feel any better you're singin to the choir. normally when you're set up on a blind date the date in question shows up." leah countered with an empathetic smile as you frowned, unable to understand how the tall charming admittedly quite gorgeous blonde in front of you could have possibly been stood up.

it wasn't as if you hadn't noticed her beauty at the game, but you were far too busy being swept up by her witty one liners, passionate commentary, teasing remarks and sharp sense of humor to really focus all too much on the physicality of it all.

but now you were you found yourself rather enamored with and maybe starting to harbor a slightly juvenile crush on the tall footballer walking by your side.

"dates huh? the worst part of being single." you sighed with an understanding shake of your head, leah humming her agreement and jolting as you suddenly stopped in your tracks. "where are we actually going?" you asked with a laugh, realizing the two of you were truly just wandering without a destination.

"how about for a drink? normally when i try to sweep a girl off her feet thats how i'd start to go about it, not actually taking her down off her feet." leah quipped with a charming smile, pearly white teeth flashing at you cheekily.

"well its the least you can do, think i might have uh tore a quad or a hammy maybe on that fall? oh ref! ref! book her for it!" you faked an injury, bending down to grab at your leg as leah withheld the urge to smile and shook her head at you.

"very funny. you know we could get you on the pitch with diving skills like that! not for arsenal though, we frown upon that sort of reckless, illegitimate and downright unprofessional behavior." leah puffed her chest out with a wave of her hand as you shoved her playfully.

"you know i could get you some acting classes as a gift if you'd like? after all we're only a few streets away from broadway. might win the league with some polished poor tackles, grunts of pain and strategic pens." you teased, leah scoffing at your words.

"well firstly i am utterly offended at that. but secretly i'm quite proud you retained that much football lingo in only a couple of hours, by the time i'm done with you you'll be wearing red, chanting my name and screaming north london forever!" leah smirked, stepping closer to you with a twinkle in her eye.

"and by the time i'm done with you football might just be the very last thing on your mind." you quipped back with a flirty smile, the burst of sudden confidence catching leah a little off guard as she tilted her head, looking down at you as you caught her gaze flicker toward your lips which curled up victoriously.

"so, about that drink?" "i think i know a place."

~

"-and you're sure about this? i don't want you to feel rushed baby." you frowned down at your girlfriend, absentmindedly playing with her hair as her head lay in your lap.

"never been more certain my girl. as much as i love having you all to myself with the move back now i'd love to have you finally meet the girls." leah assured, reaching a hand up to squish your cheeks with a soft smile.

it was safe to say that night in new york and the promise of one drink had wound up as many more with leah stumbling into your shoebox of an apartment with your hand over her mouth desperately trying to stiffle the drunken giggles she couldn't seem to hold back as to not wake your roommate.

it didn't work, your roommate leaping out of the shadows with a baseball bat scaring the two of you half to death as leah pushed you behind her and chucked her fists up, barely able to stand on her own feet as she swayed to and fro.

quickly ushering leah to your bedroom you guiltily sent your friend a smile and promised to explain in the morning, the girl sending you a knowing look of amusement and a hum before retreating back to her own bed.

that night you and leah stayed up talking for hours and hours about everything and nothing, your hand consistently smacking over her mouth as she was unable to control the volume of her boisterous laugh, her tongue licking your palm each time making you squeal and slap her before she'd use the moment to steal a kiss with a cheeky grin.

beyond a few lazy drunken kisses not much more happened, leah waking up still a little tipsy only mere hours later with her phone filled with missed calls and a pounding headache.

feeling her stir and shuffle around looking for her phone you'd woken not long afterward, an anxiety that she was going to leave without another word simmering at the surface of your partially conscious state as she slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

disappointment flooded you momentarily before you shook it off best you could, reminding that one night stands were more than normal and just because you weren't accustomed to them didn't mean leah owed you anything more.

but to your surprise she returned quickly having sent the messages she needed to in order to free up her day, sliding back into bed with you with a smile and a tired sigh.

"good morning." the blonde rasped out, voice cracked and clearly struggling as you offered her the bottle of water from your nightstand which she accepted gratefully.

an old t-shirt of yours hanging off of her taller form it amused you the way it almost looked like a crop top with the height difference, a gentle teasing remark about it falling from your lips as leah playfully flicked your nose and laid back down.

her arms wrapping around you was a foreign yet comforting feeling, a sense of safety that was unknown to you encompassing where you both lay beneath the duvet tangled up together, not another word uttered as within a few minutes you felt her grip relax slightly and her breathing even out.

sleeping away most of the day you'd later asked her out to dinner with the promise of helping her refuel the energy you'd stole from her with the two of you talking well into the early morning, leah eagerly agreeing.

parting after dinner with a lengthy kiss you'd exchanged numbers with a sense of uncertainty of where this could go, leah flying back to london the following morning and you with jobs lined up for the following month.

but with both of you clearly curious and seemingly eager, messages turned into calls which grew to facetimes, and suddenly leah was jetting over to visit you for a few days and you were secretly sneaking off to london to see her, hiding from your family the knowledge you were back.

on the third time you'd met up again leah laid it out for you, admitting she wasn't one for a long distance relationship and hadn't expected to fall for you the way she had, but with the two of you rapidly growing feelings which seemed to be reciprocated you agreed to give it a go.

two months down together and you'd made the decision to return permanently back to england. promising leah over and over it wasn't solely for her and you already had some work lined up, as well as informing of the fact your mum was a few days away from putting your face on a milk carton claiming her daughter had been missing in action for far too long.

you'd intended to get your own place but staying with leah for the first couple of weeks while you looked around the two of you fell into a routine. then out for dinner one night the blonde had offered you a key and asked if you'd move in for good, and with her ever dazzling smile reeling you in how could you say no.

the two of you had kept your blossoming relationship quite quiet, really only meeting one anothers immediate family once you were ready and staying wrapped up in your little love bubble the last few weeks.

the honeymoon phase as leahs mum amanda had dubbed it with an amused smile, only seemed to grow as you and leah finally embraced being able to be together in the way you'd both craved from the very first moment she'd asked you to be her girlfriend.

you'd been having the ongoing conversation the last few days about starting to meet one anothers friends, that seeming the next step in your relationship which was what lead to the current conversation.

true to leahs words that very first night you met, she'd had her way and every weekend now had you bundled in her jersey and sat with her family watching her play, chanting along and proudly singing the angel before every match.

you'd obviously met a few of her close friends and teammates before, hardly able to hide the fact you were living together, but not officially as leahs girlfriend and most nights she had her own friends over you'd be out catching up with your own.

"i really want you to come out after the game and meet all the girls as my girl, officially." leah promised, interlacing her fingers with yours and bringing your knuckles to her mouth, kissing softly as you melted like putty in her hands.

"my pretty pretty lovely gorgeous girl." leah pushed herself to sit up, now hovering over you as her lips ghosted yours and she pulled away with a smirk as you chased them for a kiss, pouting when you didn't get your way.

"so needy." leah teased with a smile as you pinched her for the comment and captured her lips in a kiss, sighing happily as her mouth moved against yours perfectly, butterflies erupting and head spinning as it did every time leah was in your immediate vicinity.

"so. you'll come out tonight then?" leah pulled away and asked hopefully, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear and pecking your lips a few times.

"mmm haven't decided yet baby, might need a few more of these to really seal the deal." you stroked your chin thoughtfully before tapping your lips with a smile and a wiggle of your eyebrows making your girlfriend hide a laugh.

"cheeky girl. well baby i guess i can accommodate these heinous demands!" leah sighed dramatically with a roll of her eyes, leaning back in and pressing her lips to yours with a smile.

~

"how are you feeling gorgous?" leah questioned softly as she parked the car, flicking off the engine and glancing toward you sat in the passenger seat. "nervous." you answered honestly as her hand sat on your thigh squeezed gently.

"i understand my love but i promise the girls are so excited to finally meet you, and i've never met someone as easy to get along with as you. they're all gonna love you and i'm gonna have to fight them for your attention all night!" leah pouted making you crack a smile.

"well you know i'm going home with you at the end of the night babe, and we both know once you have a couple drinks you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself anyway." you teased, leaning over the console to bridge the gap and press your lips to hers.

a few more sweet assurances and kisses later and you were walking into the bar where the girls and some of their loved ones were, leah taking your hand once you were inside and leading you down the back to where they all were, having booked it out for some privacy for them all post game.

a symphony of cheers sounding as the pair of you arrived you felt yourself become a little flustered as suddenly you were rushed by a small crowd of girls who leah shooed away.

instead taking you around to everyone one by one and introducing you, her hand never leaving your waist the entire time as her thumb traced gentle circles into your hip.

finally rounding to the final little group, most of whom you'd met in passing once or twice but again never officially as leahs girlfriend like she announced you now, the title still giving you the warm and fuzzies as you were pulled into a few hugs.

leah stopped the introductions for a moment when her eyes fell on an unfamiliar girl, beth quickly taking over and introducing her friend with an unreadable look flashed leahs way.

leah quickly realized why she was unfamiliar, this was beths friend from new york who to be fair beth had been discussing coming to visit her at training for the last few weeks but leah had only half tuned in, mind as always wandering to you most times it wasn't occupied by football.

hearing the name your chest tightened as you were now able to put two and two together, a gentle squeeze of leahs arm around your waist all you needed to settle again.

"i'm really sorry about what happened, i wasn't in the right space for dates but it was a dick move to just ghost you." the girl addressed leah with a wince who waved it off.

"don't be, if you hadn't we'd never have wound up together." leah was surprised to hear you speak up as your arm hugged her torso and you sent the girl a smile, leahs own lips curling into amusement as she pressed a kiss to the side of your head.

"you two are adorable, i'm really glad things worked out an you found one another." the girl spoke sincerely and gave the pair of you a slightly awkward smile before she stepped away.

"sorry." beth winced guiltily at the defender before pulling you into another hug and warning leah she'd be stealing you a little later as your girlfriend pulled your back into her front protectively with a playful glare.

"i think...is that, you're looking a bit green babe? maybe with envy?" leahs hands fell either side of your face as she looked you over and you smacked her chest withholding a smile.

"you know its quite hot when you get a little possessive baby girl." leah gave you a wolfish grin. "well i only take after you my love, jealousy should be your middle name. need i bring up last weekend for example?" you smiled knowingly, fingers tracing her collarbone.

"he was all over you! i had every right." leah scowled instantly at the mention of the incident which had her dragging you away from a party you'd attended together for one of your siblings birthdays, leah spending the entire night afterwards showing you just how much you really were hers, worshiping your body for hours on end in every which way.

"you doin alright though babe?" leah murmured seriously, taking you aside into a more secluded corner as her eyes roamed over your face for any sign of discomfort.

"i'm good. might need a little help with everyones names for the first couple of hours but i'm good i promise, i'm glad we're finally doing this baby. i love you!" you puckered your lips as leah grinned and gave you what you want, echoing those three words back in between.

lost in the feeling of leahs lips on yours you didn't realise you'd gathered an audience, most of the girls watching on happily seeing how loved up the two of you were, others whispering teasing remarks about the blonde and just how smitten she was.

"oi lovebirds! your turn at pool, you can lock lips after we've kicked your asses."

#woso #woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso community #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson #woso imagine #woso blurbs #engwnt

[outsideratheart]

Time Has No Concept (Ingrid Engen x reader)

It may not have officially been winter but that didn’t stop the -5 degrees feel any warmer. You always said you liked the cold weather or at least you weren’t bothered by it. Today was a true test of that. 

Walking out for the pitch inspection you only have one thing on your mind or more specifically one person. 

“It hasn’t even been a week” Keira tries to tease you but fails because you don’t bite. 

“I don’t care. I spend every day with her in Barcelona so when we’re apart a day is like a week.” 

It was true. It didn’t take much for you to miss Ingrid. You moved to Barcelona after the euros and quickly became friends with Ingrid. It stayed like that way until you won the Champions league. It was a night to be remember for more reason than one. 

Lucy and Keira agreed to go with you to Ingrid as she was with Caro and Ada. 

“Tell me why you, a Norwegian native, are wearing more layers than me?” 

“Because I’m not a human heater” Ingrid opens your arms and makes herself comfy. 

“Hello my love” you look down at her, fully disregarding the company around you. 

“Are you nervous?” Ingrid asks as she sees a crack in your confident persona. 

On game days you were serious, locked in and there was little anybody could do to steer you from this mindset. Ingrid however had the unexplainable ability to see through it and as she stands on the pitch in your arms she sees her girlfriend, not the England captain.

“About the game, of course not” you wink playfully “about what comes after, a little bit. I just want to make a good impression”

“Pull back your shots and maybe you will”

Ingrid knew you would never do as she asked so isn’t surprised when she gets a scoff as her reply. The two of you stay together in each others arms for a few more minutes as you involve yourselves in the conversation between Lucy and Ada. 

It was very well known that you hated wearing base layers but it was advised to put one on gor the game given that it might snow was forecast. That didn’t stop you from removing the thermal layer within the first ten minutes when you saw their goalkeeper go down. At half time most of them put a second base layer on and an extra pair of gloves whereas you opted for a cup of tea instead.

The post match team huddle was one of the quickest in team history and the lap around the pitch that followed matched it. Only one or two England players remained on the pitch to thank the fans, you were one of them. Once the last photo was taken your attention shifted to a different kind of fan.

There she stood talking animatedly with two people who you recognised from the time Ingrid FaceTimed home whilst staying at your apartment.

“Y/N!” The younger boy, Ingrid’s nephew you think, shouts.

“Look at you” Ingrid cannot believe you are standing next to her in the now -8 degrees, maybe even colder, in only shorts and a shirt. No base layers, no gloves, no coat “You’re going to get a cold”

“You forget that I don’t get sick, it’s my superpower. Besides, I’ll have you to keep me warm” you are millimetres away from kissing her when you are interrupted.

“Y/N, please can I have your shirt?” 

“No”

“Yes”

Much to Ingrid’s dismay you give her nephew your shirt. He takes his coat off and quickly puts your shirt on over Ingrid’s. The smile on his face rivals the Cheshire cat’s and you whisper in your girlfriend’s ear that the look on his face makes it worth it. 

Ingrid holds her jacket open and pulls you close as you chat away to her brother about the game, happy with the fact that the two of you get along well and that you will have a familiar face when you meet everybody else a little bit later. It is only when she feels you shivering against her does she politely end the conversation so that you can go inside the stadium.

“Shower, please. No ice baths. We can go on a recovery walk tomorrow” your girlfriend knew your post match routine well at this point but prayed that tonight you would stray without any arguments. 

“Yes ma’am” you salute her before doing as your told. 

Almost two hours later you were pulling up to Ingrid’s parents house. Ingrid seemed confident that her family would like you. The way she grabbed your hand and led you into her childhood home did ease the nerves building inside you. 

Luckily for you, Ingrid’s nephew is the first to see you and pulls you over to show you his Legos. You can’t believe that you are using a child as a shield against her family. 

The protection doesn’t last long because your girlfriend soon calls you over to her parents. You had practiced this speech plenty of times in the mirror. 

Mr and Mrs Engen, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Y/N Y/L/N. 

Yet when you get within a meters distance of them you freeze. These are two of the most important people in your girlfriend’s life and making a good impression on them is a must. 

They stare at you for what feels like an eternity and you can also feel Ingrid’s eyes on you too. Another thing you notice in the corner of your eye is the smirk that is tugging at her lips. 

“You were right. In person she isn’t anything like she is on the pitch” her father says. 

Still you are frozen. Do you slip the player switch on and play the confidence card? No, that might be too much and they’d know it’s an act. 

“Hyggelig å møte deg” you hold your hand out for both her father and her mother. 

Their eyes widen and you don’t know if it’s in shock or horror. Your girlfriend’s silence didn’t help either. 

“I said nice to meet you, right?” 

Ingrid leans in and kisses your check. 

“Elskling, it was perfect” Ingrid compliments you. 

“She is right. The pronunciation was very good” 

“Ingrid didn’t say you knew Norwegian” her father adds. 

“Our team mate Caroline has been teaching me after training” 

Ingrid knew you had been having lessons with Caro, you had told her that much. She just assumed it was Spanish because of how quickly you picked up the native language of your new club. Never in a million years did she think you’d be learning her language. 

The four of you talk for a little while. You get to know Ingrid’s parents and they ask all sorts of questions. They are mainly football and life in Barcelona related. You don’t get the hurt my daughter and I’ll kill you speech but you suspect they are waiting until you’re alone for that. 

After the introductions you retake your place on the floor with Ingrid’s nephew. His company you found a lot less intimidating. Her parent’s are sat on the sofa behind you watching the tv with some of Ingrid’s other relatives but you aren’t bothered by their presence. 

“Y/N” Ingrid shouts from the kitchen where she is helping her brother with the food. 

“Yes, my love” you reply. 

Ingrid’s parents share a look that you don’t see. Was the nickname you had given their daughter part of your English charm or were you really in love with her. 

“So you love our daughter?” Ingrid’s father asks rather boldly. 

“Pappa!” Ingrid comes to your rescue just in time. 

The three important words had not been said but the feeling was there. 

“I do” when you stand to your feet you feel betrayed by your body and mouth. 

“You do?” Ingrid face is the picture of shocked. 

“I do” you whisper softly “I think I’ve know for a while. Everything was made clear in the summer. I was heartbroken but you took me in your arms and held me until I was whole again” 

There it was. The admission that you, for some unknown reason, had been scared to make. 

Ingrid didn’t care that her family was surrounding her. She kissed you with the same passion as the kisses you share at home. It may not be an intense kiss but it is enough to convey her feelings. 

“I love you, I really do” 

What comes over you, you have no idea but you lean back in for another kiss, a peck. The public display of affection does earn a fake gagging sound by her brother before he announces dinner is ready and served. You do have to hold back a laugh when he goes the extra lengths to let everyone know he did it without his sister’s help. 

Later that night you get another hot shower to warm you up. Maybe your girlfriend was right about you getting sick. 

The two of you lay in Ingrid’s teenage room. 

“Did you really mean what you said earlier?” Your girlfriend asks you. 

“What did I say earlier?” 

Hearing this Ingrid sits up and slaps you on the chest. The impact send you into a coughing fit. 

“Don’t play with me. Also, you’re getting sick. Take these” 

You are handed two tablets which you take happily despite your stubbornness. 

“I meant it but I thought it was too soon and I didn’t want to scare you away. How was I suppose to tell you I love you after only being dating for a month, in fact we weren’t even dating, not officially” 

“You knew after a month?” 

“You think it’s too much. You see, this is why I didn’t want to tell you”

Your brain went into overdrive as you began overthinking your decision. 

“It’s not too much Y/N. I met you a year ago yet I feel like I’ve known you a lot longer. I would shock myself at how easy I would open up to you. When it comes to you it’s like time has no concept”

Nobody has ever spoken about you in that way. You were never anyone’s person until you met Ingrid.

“Jeg elsker deg” Ingrid pecks you on the lips “Jeg elsker deg” 

When you fall asleep that night you do so with a huge smile on your face and a sense of calmness that you very rarely feel. 

The next morning Ingrid wakes up to the sound of you coughing, or more accurately barking, in the bathroom. 

“I’m sick” you admit when you see Ingrid standing behind you in the mirror. 

“Come on I’ll make you some broth that will have you feeling good as new in no time” 

“You don’t have to. I’ve taken some more medicine, I’m ok” 

“I know I don’t have to. I want to and it’s what I do for the people I love”

#Ingrid Engen x reader #Ingrid Engen one shot #Ingrid Engen imagine #woso x reader #woso imagine #woso one shot #barcelona femeni x reader #barcelona femeni imagine #barcelona femeni one shot #norwnt x reader #norwnt imagine #norwnt one shot

[aphroditesmoon]

Idk if youre taking requests, if not ignore me, however what about jace with alicents daughter!reader where they get together behind their mothers backs, and theire sneaking around ,failing at it, and alicent anfd rhaenyra catch them

sweetest thing on this side of heaven

jacaerys velaryon x targ!reader

warnings: none

a/n: sorry for the slow req<3 also I had a feeling you wanted something angsty but my heart overtook my brain so this is all fluff.

°°°

You hadn't plan to fall for him at first. But it wasn't that hard to notice his own longing stares and embarrassing efforts to win you over.

You had assumed he would despise you for what your brothers have started, but you are not your brothers, and he knew that. You've always been kind to him since young, but never too close, not even with your own siblings.

Peace was found in solitude, and that was how most of your time was spent. Some may call you heartless, but your found more feelings and purity in stories than in reality.

For the world was crueller than the books made it seem like, and soon the library was your safe place.

You were quite annoyed when he started showing up there too frequently, always asking about what you're reading.

But when you saw his sincerity in actually wanting to know of your interests was real, having someone to talk to became less of a chore.

It even started to feel fun.

And so he became your first friend, first kiss and first lover. He intends to be your only.

Everytime he leaves to Dragonstone, letters will be sent every moon, and he will receive his own from Kingslanding. He was always careful to keep them to himself, gods know since Aemond lost his eye, the strain between his grandmother and his mother became stronger.

And he would always put his mother first as her heir, but you are his fresh cherry from a rotten tree, the ultimate test to his loyalty.

When news spread of the princess Rhaenyra's return to Kingslanding for her son's petition for the inheritance of Driftmark, You had to hold yourself back from showing just now excited you are to meet Jace again.

You also had to fight back the urge to bodyslam your brother to the ground everytime he opens his mouth to mock his nephews.

Aemond had remained bitter of the incident, and you couldn't blame him. You brother had lost a whole eye, he had the right to remain upset. But you still couldn't help the selfishness in you that draws you back to Jacaerys' side.

You hear the commotion servants made when they arrived, waiting for it to pass before approaching him, not wanting to seem too eager.

You lean againts the open door of his chambers, watching him put down his set if clothes by the table side.

"Hello there." You greeted with a knowing smile on your lips.

He freezes in his movements before turning towards you. You had no time to think when he immediately pulled you inside and slammed his doors shut.

Any words you've planned to say to him died on your throat when he has you againts the door, his lips immediately finding yours.

The kiss was hot and passionate, all of his yearning and longing pushed into it. Your hands roam his build, feeling up his tunic, searching for his skin, his warmth againts yours. His own hands stop yours, holding it by your side as he pulls away first for air.

He leans his forehead againts yours, and you can't help smiling as you meet his eyes.

"Missed me much?" He snorts, grinning himself.

"Don't act like you don't." He retorted. You only kept smiling, shaking your head. "Never said that did I? Hm." You fingers move up to trance his temples, caressing his face as if trying to remember all the details of his features you've feared to have forgotten.

He seems to understand the notion, with his own palms cupping your cheeks. "I'm here. I promise." He vows before engulfing your mouth with his again.

°°°

The only thing that went well that day was your reunion with Jace and his brother. Sir Vaemond was executed quite publicly by your uncle Daemon, unsurprisingly, and dinner was almost decent, until your brother decided he just had to open his mouth.

You were hurried to your chambers by your mother, and there was where you went and was met with your lover lounging in your room already, anxiously waiting for you to arrive.

"He knows what he was doing." Jace gritted out, pacing around.

"Of course he does, it's Aemond." He was obviously still infuriated with the events that occured, but your mind was drifting to what bits you heard from your mother and stepsister's conversation as you left.

Jacaerys and Lucerys was to leave to Dragonstone tonight.

Your abruptly stood up and cut off the rambling prince. "I should leave."

He halts and turn to you, wide eyed.

"Oh-Just a few more minutes? I'll stop talking to myself I promise." He pleaded, waving off his rambles.

You shook you head and pulled his hands to intertwine with yours. "No tis' not that, your mother will be here any minute, she wishes for you and Luc to be at Dragonstone by tonight, I heard her myself." You explain, gaze low as you fiddle with his rings.

You hear him inhale a sharp breath before swearing.

"I've just had you back." He sighs out, refusing to meet your eyes. It felt like the first time in ages you two met again, face to face, gazes never met.

"I know, I know. There always seem to be something between us, heh?" You try to lighten the mood, his face only souring more.

He winced at your words, tightening his grip on your hands before opening his eyes again. "You know, if she can't find me, she can't make me go." He says suggestively.

You gave him an amused look, frowning with a tight-lipped smile accompanied.

"What are you gonna do? Hide in the kitchen?" You tease, invoking a fond memory from childhood. He snorts as he checks outside his door for anyone before turning back to you. "Not hide, raid the kitchen."

"Ah sure." You grinned

He takes you by your hand and silently pulls you through the corridors before reaching the closed kitchen. The lock making the both of you scoff.

You had managed to pull it open by the age of 12.

"A little help?" He motioned. You took off a pin from your hair, making it come undone while the other pins fall apart on the floor.

"Fuck." You cursed, while Jacaerys works the lock with your pin. "We'll pick it up later." He simply affirms.

When a click was loudly made, he shoves the kitchen door open and sends you a smirk, earning an eye roll.

Entering the kitchen was entering an odd dazed memory. You can't remember exactly how long it has been since you've been with Jace, but it still feels like yesterday you two were sneaking out strawberry fudge cake and lemon tarts from the kitchen in the middle of the night, laughing quietly at the explosions of anger from the head kitchen lady that next morning.

His hand never leaves yours as you both head in. You sigh loudly as you pull open the cupboards to find leftover blueberry tarts. "My favourite." Savoring the tart, you finish it quickly, not caring for falling crumbs.

Jacaerys nudges your shoulder and takes no time to shove a piece of cheese toast in your mouth when you look his way.

You swatted his arm after almost choking on it. "Bastard." You scolded in a muffled voice.

As soon as the words leaves your mouth you regret them, seeing a flash of offense on his face. "Oh Jace-" An apology almost slipped until you saw the hint of a smile dancing on his lips.

Immediately your face turns irritated again as you smack him harder. "Bastard."

You two spent a few minutes forgetting your responsibilities and your parents as you indulge in chocolate cakes and reminiscing the past.

It wasn't hard to find the two of you in such position like old days. You two had a connection that made it seem as if you've never parted in the first place.

"You know." He says before chucking a tart in his mouth. "When I'm king? I'm gonna make a law that forces you to stay with me." His muffled words makes you choke on a giggle.

Jacaerys often has to present himself extra harder than her brothers, for all the rumours of his illegitimacy. But at times like this, you can truly see the sweet boy in him, who'd rather live off tarts and flying by day than busy himself with ruling and paperworks.

"I'm also going to make a law to ban anything other than these tarts to be served because holy shit." You agreed. "Mhm, the cook definitely did something with these."

Before either of you could counter eachother's words, a foreign voice interrupts.

"How about you make a law to ban tart robbers from nightly kitchen raids." Rhaenyra's voice booms through the room.

Both you and Jace freeze in your actions, mouth full of food, eyes wide, horrified at the circumstances you were found.

To make matters worse, she wasn't the only one there. You silently curse when you see your mother's figure leaning againts the door opposite of Rhaenyra. Both of them holding an unreadable expression.

A long silence lingered until you decided to speak up and ask first; "Are you going to kill us."

You might be hallucinating but you swore you saw your mother fight off a grin before she and Rhaenyra sighs tiredly.

"Just give me one of those damned cakes." She relented.

#house of the dragon #jacaerys velaryon x reader #jacaerys velaryon #hotd x reader #jace velaryon x reader #game of thrones #house of the dragon x reader #jace targaryen x reader #hotd #jacaerys targaryen #jace velaryon #jace targaryen #jacaerys targaryen x reader #jacaerys x reader

[reidslovely]

She’s Having My Baby (Maybe) Pt. 2

Content Warnings: Mention of pregnancy..duh, throwing up, overall pretty fluffy 

Pairing: Frat! Peter Parker

You ask and I deliver. The pregnancy tests are back and they are....

Please instead of liking/hearting this post leave a reblog and/or comment 

Everything around Peter began to blur slightly as the words fell out of his mouth and the vomit crept back up your throat. You stared at him, tears starting to fall down your cheeks as you swallowed roughly.

“Positive? You..you’re sure.”

“All three…positive.” He confirms looking in the sink and back at you, his hands placed firmly on the sink. “Oh baby, oh baby no don’t cry.”

He’s rushing over to you hands taking your cheeks in both hands, fingertips brushing tears off your cheeks. “Shh..talk to me. Look at me bashful please.” Peter’s touch could always settle you. It was some weird phenomenon that you both discovered a week into sleeping together.

“Where’s ya head hmp? Are these happy or sad tears?”

“Happy…scared. But, happy.” You manage your words out. His ears tingled hearing your heartbeat going back and forth between patterns. “Oh my god what if it comes out with eight legs and four eyes.”

Peter held back a laugh at the pure panic of the thought and nodded. Going through his mental scripts of possible responses before shaking his head.

“I have nothing to say that could possibly make you feel better about that possibility.”

“Oh god.” Peter hugged you tightly, knowing the possibility was slim to none. “I got you.” He was swaying in spot smiling to himself kissing your temple. “We gotta tell May.”

-

To say the days that passed in a weird blur was an understatement, most of your time was spent with Peter. Getting lunch, making doctors appointments, him walking you to and from class. Peter was the most clingy you’d ever seen him. You thought your hormones were only supposed to bother you but it was like Peter’s own senses and sensitivity increased by twenty percent. Which you saw in full when telling May the good news.

“You guys both have class today. What are you two doing here?”

May asked putting her bag down as she came in still dressed in her scrubs. Peter smiled, letting go of your hand patting the spot next to him for May to sit. “What’s going on? I’m nervous”

“We just had something to tell you and we both wanted to be here to do it.”

May’s brow furrowed, her hand searching your hand for a ring before clapping her hand over her mouth. You smiled nudging Peter letting him know the time is now.

“We’re gonna have a baby..she’s pregnant.” Peter says after your encouragement. Tears rolling down his cheeks, it was the first time he had said it out loud. Peter wiped his eyes trying to laugh it off breathing out a small ‘fuck’

“I’m gonna be a grandma.” May says her lips are quivering. “I should be mad..I gave you the safe sex talk but I can't because I’m gonna be a grandma.” May’s voice cracked with joy pulling her nephew..her son into a bone crushing hug. Peter’s joyful sobs could be heard in the hug. You laughed with your hand resting on your stomach.

“How far along are you?” May asked to move over to you holding you in a hug. “That's a Peter question, he did the math to the exact.” You laughed leaning your head on May’s shoulder.

“Three weeks and five days almost a month” Peter smiles sitting on the other side of you.

You and May laughed at the three of you sitting in a hug.

-

The frat brothers were starting to catch on that something was off. Harry especially. He’d passed Peter's room multiple times, the two of you laughing, your shirt pushed up over your stomach Peter’s attention clung to it like he was waiting for something to happen. He’d been pestering Miles, Peter’s freshie, to see if he had spilled any information to him. But he hadn’t, which lead to Harry cornering Peter himself.

“You guys okay? You’re acting weird.” Harry asked Pete one night outside of a party. He had noticed how you hadn’t had a single drink and how Peter had his arm placed around your waist territorially.

Peter took a long drag of the cigarette passing it back to Harry. His lips fought the smile but his joy betrayed him. “I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“I hate you, fucking tell me,” Harry whined holding his hands out dramatically to his friend. You stood in the doorway laughing, walking towards Peter. “Just tell him Pete, he’s a uncle he has to be prepared.”

“What?” Harry stated looking between the two of you confused before his eyes widening. “I fucking knew it..”

“No you didn’t” Peter laughs as he and his best friend trade a hug. Harry engulfed you in a hug, picking you up slightly in the hug. “Easy, don't jar the baby.”

“You guys are having a baby?”

Miles yelled out as he walked out the back patio. Peter laughed and tilted his head back over his shoulder. “Come on, join the celebration.”

“You know now that he knows the whole frat is going to find out by the morning.”Harry teases the freshie leaning his arm on Miles' shoulder who awkwardly laughs.

“I know..” Peter laughed, his hand resting on your waist, thumb stroking your hip.

“You worried about a…”

“Superhuman pregnancy? Absolutely I’m not sure how we are gonna play it off. I’m waiting to hear the heartbeat any day now.”

“You guys have been hooking up forever I’m sure you can pass her off as further along.”

You nodded, resting your head against Peter’s shoulder closing your eyes as he practically held you up. “I’m gonna get these two to bed and I’ll be back down.” Peter says putting his beer down and turning you around.

-

As Peter helped you change and got you into bed you smiled peppering his face with kisses any chance you could. “Pregnancy has made you so clingy, bashful.” Peter teases laying next to you hand rubbing small circles on your stomach.

“I know, I’m sorry.” You laugh laying on his other arm turning to look at him. You open your mouth to talk but Peter shushes you, hand from your stomach clapping over your mouth. “I hear it” He says excitedly. “I can hear it, it's small but…it’s there.”

“The heartbeat?” You ask as he presses his ear to your stomach. You felt jealous that Peter could hear it, this one moment you cursed that you weren’t bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager. You’d have to wait a couple weeks till your next appointment before you could hear it.

“I need you to tell me if you’re a boy or girl.”

“They can’t hear you yet!”

“She has a heartbeat at only three weeks who's to say she doesn’t have ears by now.” Peter says kissing you and your stomach excitedly. “I gotta go tell Harry and Miles.” He says flinging himself out of bed and running out of the room.

-

It took a month before the whole frat and your friends found out. Miles did his best to keep it in for as long as he could but he and Harry had gone in together on the first baby present and instead of getting it shipped to May’s like they had planned Miles kept the delivery address as the frat house and when the baby carrier showed up on the doorstep he had outed the secret to Joey and James, who then proceeded to tell the other brothers. The word spread around your friend group so fast that you and Peter couldn’t even stop it before getting greeted with hugs and congratulations. M.J. and Betty calling you immediately to verify the information.

Which made walking into the common room of frat and everyone sitting around less awkward coming back from your doctor's appointment. “This is not a baby shower.” James says, putting his hands out. “But we wouldn't do something nice for our friends and our newest little brother.”

“Or sister.” Harry says. Peter smiled looking at you, his face pressing into your hair. Tears were already building in your eyes as you tried to blink them away.

“So come sit, the chair is for bashful.” Harry laughs standing up. “Sorry Parker you're standing.”

Your hand rubbed over your bump already poking out a bit. You were big for about two months along and everyone couldn’t help but to comment on it but it wasn’t too big of an issue for people to be speculating.

“What is this?”

“Some necessities. You got a stroller.” James says pointing to the black stroller. “We tested it in store made sure it was safe.” You laughed and looked at Peter imagining what these ten or more frat boys looked like in the baby sections of the store testing a stroller.

“But open this one first.” Harry pleads, placing a small bag in your lap.

You furrowed your brow and reached in the bag pulling out a dark red onesie with the Theta Tau letters on it and all your friends' names scribbled on to the onesie with a message. “Oh my god.”

“I fucking love this.” Peter says placing it on your bump. “Oh she’s so wearing this home from the hospital.” You smiled at how Peter always referred to the baby as she, he wanted a daughter so bad. You think back on him referring to himself as a girl dad when you first told him about the possibility and your heart swells.

“I don’t even want her to wear it, I just wanna frame it cause it's so precious.”

“Oh she's so wearing this to game days, parties, everything.” Peter laughed, folding the onesie and putting it in the bag.

“Let's open the rest of these, yeah? We spent most of our monthly money in the baby section if the boards  ask if it was for a social event.” James whispers, pushing the next book towards you.

-

You stood in Peter’s room at the frat house looking at the massive bump as you stood in a pink dres as Peter labeled a few boxes that needed to be moved back to May’s. “I’m huge.” You sigh turning to Peter with a pout.

“No you’re pregnant and don’t forget you're so sexy.” Peter says standing up kissing your cheek, his hands resting on the bump rubbing slowly. “Get me all types of worked up looking at ya’.”

“You’re right. I’m still hot.” You smiled leaning against him to kiss him. “She is going crazy today.”

“I know I hear her moving around in there.” He says pushing a few boxes against the wall.

“Stop, no you can’t.” You say hand on your stomach as you start to walk down the stairs. Peter fixing the buttons on the pink button up.

“I absolutely can. She’s got a real future as a swimmer.”

You couldn’t help but cackle, grabbing his arm walking down the steps towards the party. You hear your friends filming the ‘Hi I’m so and so and I think your gender is…’ and you laugh at some of their statements. “Are your parents gonna FaceTime during the reveal?” Peter asks, sitting you down on his lap in a pink lawn chair. You nod holding his hand on your bump resting your head against his.

“And these are your parents.” Miles says panning the camera over to them.

“And we think you’re a girl.” You smile. “But Miles already knows and he’s been so good that I couldn’t even get it out of him.” You hummed, and Peter nodded knowing how hard you tried.

Mingling while nearly eight months pregnant is extremely hard. Your feet hurt, you’re tired, and all you really wanna do is sit down in comfy clothes and watch TV. But being with your people and Peter helped. Everyone was so sweet and they weren’t always trying to have their hands on you. May was supportive keeping you hydrated and entertained when you weren’t feeling up to walking around and talking.

“He is so excited..you both are.” May laughs looking around. “It’s nice to see everyone coming together for you guys. I was worried Peter would never have this type of connection with people..I’m glad I met you.” May takes your hand squeezing.

“May I’m hormonal, you're gonna make me cry.” You say fanning your face. You kissed her hand and hugged her.

“Okay everybody, time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” Harry announces standing on the table getting everyone's attention.

“If Miles and I could have mommy and daddy over here please behind the chemistry table thank you very much.” He says jumping down resting his arm on M.J.’s shoulder.

Peter took your hand walking you behind the chemistry table smiling at the set up in front of him clapping his hands excitedly. “So Peter and our girl here are going to mix these three combinations. Two will turn green and one will turn pink or blue to show the gender.” Miles explains. Peter puts on his safety goggles and helps you with your glasses smiling.

“You’re loving this aren’t you?”

“Absolutely I am.” He whispers, kissing your head as you both work together mixing the (Non-harmful) chemicals to get reactions.

After mixing you two stepped back taking your glasses off watching the mixtures bubble and foam the first two turning green and the last one taking its time. Foaming over into a light pink color settling into a dark pink liquid.

“It’s a girl! I knew it..I fuckin’ knew it.” Peter yells, hugging you with excitement evident in his tone. You knew he’d be excited no matter what but this was a whole new level. You jump up and down hugging each other. May and your main group of friends flooding you both with hugs. You knew your baby was coming into an amazing and supportive family.

-

The spring semester had ended and you and Peter moved back into May’s attic which Peter had worked hard to turn into a bedroom and half nursery. It looked beautiful but Peter had also turned his old bedroom into a full nursery after May insisted it would be best for when the baby was a little bigger and she could help out. He was so excited and anxiously awaiting that anyday know his little girl could be here. You didn’t lift a finger: Peter made dinner, carried you up the stairs to bed at night, basically bathed you..everything you needed done Peter did for you.

Which is why him working late with Octavious tonight was stressful and anxiety filling for you. May had came home earlier but she was sound asleep in her recliner, and you’d really hate to bother her for a drink and snack. In the dark light of the living room you stood up, trying to gain your balance. Waddling into the kitchen you grabbed a green tea from the fridge and a small bag of chips from the bowl.

“Oh fuck.” You gasped breathlessly, a shooting pain in your lower left side. You grabbed the counter and took a deep breath and started timing it in your head. You started your walk back to the living room before water gushed out from between your legs. “May..May!” You whisper yelled looking at her already sitting up.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, sit here.”

She says watching your panicked face sitting you down she rushed to the hall bathroom grabbing a towel dropping it over the puddle. Already having the house phone between her shoulder holding your hand.

-

Hair on the back of Peter’s neck stood up and he was bolting for the door yelling out apologies to Otto before his phone even rang. He was about a block down from the lab trying to get a lab when May called.

“I know I know I’m on my way.” He says. “It’s the…spider sense that alerted me. They’ve been so heightened lately I don’t know how I can feel it so far away.” He stomps his foot in frustration running down an alleyway looking for a good spot to start swinging.

“It’s called fatherly intuition Peter, sometimes you just know. Not everything is Spider-Man related.” May says rubbing your hand breathing with you.

“Her go bag is in the hall closet. I'm three minutes out, maybe four.” He yells from a rooftop hanging up and starting to head that way.

“I’m not letting him swing me to the hospital.” You say softly laying your head back.

May laughs “I’m calling Dr. Alvarez everything is fine. I’m gonna put your bag in the car and we’ll be there in no time.”

You weren’t sure if everything was moving at 2x speed but it felt like Peter was there in no time. Carrying you to the car and sitting in the backseat with you. “She’s coming.” He says excitedly kissing your temple. “Of course she’d pick today.” He laughs nervously.

“She’s already giving you a hard time.” You joked looking at him grabbing his hand as another contraction started.

“Just like you.”

-

Six hours later you sat exhausted in the hospital bed holding your newborn daughter, Peter crouched over you head against your sweaty head. “Oh look at her.”

“She’s already got your face.” You laugh. “I think I can’t really tell. All babies look the same sometimes.”

Peter laughed, kissing your cheek, nodding. “They really do but she's got my nose and lips for sure. She’s got your hair.”

“I love her.” You say kissing her head. “And I love you Parker.”

“I love you bashful.” Peter says kissing your lips quickly, before leaning down and kissing the little girl's head, her legs kicking in response. You smiled, handing her off to Peter watching him rock her slowly resting her on his chest. You fixed your hospital gown and thanked whatever made you walk into that frat party two years ago.

This came out waaaay longer than I expected it too but once I got started I couldn’t stop. Hope this is what you guys wanted, it’s not proof read at all because I was so excited to post it. 

Taglist: @helloheyhihowdyheya​ @sincericida​ @a-lumos-in-the-nox​ @moonyslove78​ @messymissy​ @adhdhufflepuff​ @toomanyfictionalboyfriends​ @ateliefloresdaprimavera​ @eevylynn​

#tasm fanfiction #tasmedit #tasm fic #tasm #tasm peter parker x reader #tasm peter smut #tasm peter x reader #tasm!peter imagine #tasm peter #tasm peter parker #tasm peter x you #tasm peter imagines #tasm peter parker imagine #tasm! peter parker #tasm! peter parker x reader #tasm!peter x reader #tasm!spiderman x reader #tasm!peter parker #tasm!peter x you #tasm! peter parker fluff #frat!peter

[howyouloveyourdragon]

ᴊᴇꜱꜱɪᴇ (ᴊᴀᴄᴇ)'ꜱ ɢɪʀʟ ᵖᵗ ⁱ

modern!au jessie's girl masterlist

warnings: suggestive scene but no smut pronouns: she/her summary: Aemond has only ever had his eye on one girl, however she just so happens to be his brother's best friend and dating their nephew first of my works on these three so lmk if you'd like more :)

song used

"𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 he saw you, he knew. He had never been so sure of anything in his life...but then his nephew's arm slung around you and he was clenching his jaw. Aegon whistled beside him with a teasing smirk. "Still not over her, huh?" Aegon teases. Aemond has to dig his nails into his palms to keep from doing something he'd regret. "Although for that you'd need to be under–" He's laughing even as Aemond rams his elbow between his ribs. "I think you'd be fine with either." He wheezes. Aemond rolls his eye and stays huffing in the corner of the large house Aegon dragged him to. By now he had had a searing crush on you for five months, five torturous months and his brother made sure to remind him. He didn't think he'd ever felt something so painful before in his life not even when he lost his left eye. His jaw ticks as he stares after your figure carelessly twirling with Jacaerys Velaryon. He digs his fingers into his palm when your resounding laugh echoes out of the mouths around you because how could anyone not catch the infectious beam of light that surrounds your every move?

Your fingers lace with Jace's as he spins you again and again until you're absolutely dizzy and trying to stay upright. Your laughter is stirring the tipsy haze he's attempting to withdraw from and more importantly tugging the strings his heart is so desperately pretending are firm. He knows that Baela can see the lovesick glint in his eyes, hell even his brothers have noticed the change in him. Jace jolts when he feels a hand slapping his back and the familiar perfume wafting through his nose. "We're up soon." His cousin's voice utters into his ear, slowly dropping her hand and shooting you a wink as she steps away. Jace sighs and his eyes soften at you in apology. "Sorry, we'll I'll find you again after." Your bright eyes connoted no ill-will and instead the excitement as you ushered him away. Cute, he thought with a dopey smile. "Go, go!" You encouraged. "I'll still be here when you get back." A second more firm hand connects with his back but this time it tugs him away "It's alright, I got him." Cregan says through an easy grin. You nod and step lean to press a kiss to Jace's cheek, leaving a flash of red in its wake. "I'll see you later." You smile and wait for The Blacks to take the stage.

From the wings of the stage, Aegon taunts his nephew while Aemond helps Helaena carry the equipment. He rolls his eyes and looks across the audience. This was the largest venue they had performed in and he wasn't going to let petty rivalries take away from that. Key word; wasn't. Because then his brother let rip his big mouth. "I think we need a bet, huh?" Aegon smirked. Helaena's distractions weren't working anymore, she was busy testing her keyboard. "Winner takes Y/n to the afterparty, loser leaves." Aemond's eye snaps to him and narrows in suspicion. Aegon never did anything for anyone but himself but it could just as easily be to get on Jacaerys' last nerve. Jace barks a surprised laugh and steps back with eyebrows raised. "You wanna take my girl to the afterparty?" He folds his arms in amusement. "Good luck getting her to agree to any of this." Aegon steps closer, towering ever so slightly above him. His face doesn't move except a confident smirk etching over his chapped lips. "I don't think that'll be an issue." He breathes smugly and drops a hand onto the younger boy's shoulder. Aemond holds his own breath as he watches the exchanges, a layer of anticipation rekindling in his stomach. Jace shrugs. "You can try but we're winning, so you'll need to find somewhere else you can drink yourself into a coma." The quip snatches a laugh from Baela who doesn't quieten at the glare Aemond sends her. Aegon's eyes glint in something no one quite understands, probably not even himself. He grips Jace's shoulder in his hand tightly before slipping it back into his pocket and maintaining his egotistical façade. "May the best man win." Jace responds. "We will." Aegon responds quickly. Jace clenches his jaw and narrows his eyes before taking a deep breath and returning to his bandmates. Cregan was so not gonna be happy with this.

Aegon turns around with a spring in his step as he shoots his brother a smug grin. Aemond furrows his brows. "What are you doing?" He asks, scepticism rolling off his tongue like water. "What are you talking about?" Aegon snickers, handing Alys her guitar. She eyes them both and the tension thickening. "I think I have the same questions." She murmurs, flickering her gaze between them. Warily, she passes Daeron his drumming sticks. Aegon doesn't answer, only winks and takes his place at the front of the stage, forcing a sigh to drip from his Aemond. His brother reluctantly steps back, bass in hand. The lights slowly return to the stage and The Greens' presence is immediately noticed as their new audience claps excitedly. "Hellloo!" He drawls, raising his hand to the microphone and basking in the attention. "I for one am so glad that you are joining us tonight so let us take you somewhere else for a minute, my brother's beautiful brain of course." Snickers greeted the comment as expected. Aemond rolled his eyes before realisation of his words hit; they were supposed to be doing one of Helaena's tonight, weren't they? He caught Aegon's keen eyes and frowned, dread seeping into his veins. "Everyone give it up for our new song, 'Jessie's Girl'!" Aemond's stomach dropped to his feet.

Fuck.

#modern au #modern band au #modern hotd #modern hotd au #modern jacaerys #modern jacaerys velaryon #modern jace velaryon #modern aemond #modern aemond targaryen #modern aegon targaryen #modern aegon ii targaryen #modern jacaerys velaryon x reader #jacaerys velaryon x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #jace velaryon x reader #aemond x reader #modern!aemond x reader #modern!jacaerys x reader #modern!aegon x reader #band au #modern!jacaerys velaryon x reader #modern!jace velaryoon x reader #modern!aegon targaryen x reader #modern!aemond targaryen x reader #hotd fic #house of the dragon fic #jessie's girl ff #jace's girl ff #modern aegon ii targaryen x reader #modern aegon ii x reader

[good4olivia]

a welcome distraction

Aemond Targaryen x f!reader i don't think there are any warnings but feel free to message me if you think there are!

----

Aemond Targaryen watched his sister dance with his nephew, the dull anger from watching her with his brother all these years resurfacing in wake of this. He was in the middle of imagining ways he could slit Jace’s throat when he noticed out of the corner of his one eye, a serving girl making quick glances at him. He hadn’t seen you before, your soft brown skin and even darker hair, atone with your deep brown eyes. You looked nothing like a Targaryen and that’s what intrigued him the most. The second thing, was your obvious dotting on Rhaenyra’s boys. So you were a serving girl from Dragonstone. Aemond assumed, watching you as you filled the cups of everyone’s drink. He didn’t miss how your hands shook when pouring the wine for his mother but you were at ease around Rhaenyra. 

He continued to watch you, grateful for the welcome distraction from obsessing over his sister. That was until Aegon called for more wine, “You’re a pretty thing aren’t you?” Aemond’s jaw clenched as he watched his brother slide a wandering hand down your back. You’re not having her. 

You had no idea how to respond to the prince, you could not offend him but you had zero desire of giving him any indication you wanted more than to serve him wine. “Thank you, my prince.” You said, eyes down focusing only the table. Good girl. Aemond thought as he saw you scurry away. 

“So dear nephew,” Aegon started as Jace sat back down, “You have to tell me, what’s it like fucking her?” He gestured towards where you stood at the back wall, fumbling around with the spare plates. 

Jace glared, “Unlike you, dear uncle - I can be in close quarters with a woman and not have to bed her.” 

“Ah, you don’t know how too, that’s it isn’t it?” He laughed, sipping more his wine, “Do you need me to show you were you put your cock?”  

Aemond tuned out the rest of their conversation, looking over to where you were collecting the third course of the night from the cooks. He saw your hungry gaze linger of the lamb roast. When you approached Aemond with the food, he quickly tore  a generous chuck and handed it to you, “Here.” You wanted to resist but he already shoved it in your dress pocket. You only managed a small ‘thank you’ before moving on. 

Aemond smirked to himself when he saw you scoff down the lamb in the corner, ducking your head slightly when you caught notice of his gaze. He quickly grew bore of this family dinner, he had the urge to explore his new feelings towards you. So he created a scene, suggested that Rhaenyra’s children were bastards and let his dysfunctional family do the rest. It wasn’t till after he got punched by Jace that he noticed you were gone. His mood shifted instantly. Did he scare you away already? 

He left the dining hall immediately, hell bent on finding you. He searched the maid’s quarter and kitchen to no luck, even Jace’s chambers (though he was happy he didn’t find you there.) Aemond was about to go for a ride on Vheagar to calm down when he noticed you. On one of the balcony’s watching the dragon’s flying in the air. 

“Hello.” He called out to you, still serval feet away from you. 

The intrusion startled you, you quickly bowed. “Hello my prince, I’m sorry-“ 

“For what? Why are you sorry?” He asked with an intense look in his eye, quickly closing the gap between you two. 

“I, I don’t know.” You replied, your breath getting caught in your throat from being so close to the handsome prince. 

“You left the party, things were just getting interesting.” He said to you, drawing his hand down your arm, testing your reaction to his touch. Aemond was pleased with your reaction. 

“Jace dismissed me, he didn’t want me to get hurt.” You told him. It was the truth but it seemed so silly saying it out loud now. 

Aemond’s eyes grew darker at that, “My nephew felt the need to protect you from me, how fascinating.” He chuckled, though there was no humour in his voice. 

“No, my prince-“ 

“Hmm, I love the way you say that, ‘my prince.’ I hear it every day, yet you make it seem so delicate coming from your lips.” He said, moving his hand from your arm to run his thumb across your lip. 

“I should be heading back to the hall.” You bid him farewell but only got two steps away until Aemond got a hold of your forearm. 

“I want you to stay with me, my lady. You’re so beautiful. Has anyone ever told you that?” He asked you. 

You glanced down to where he was holding onto you, warmth flooding your being from his touch. “No. Not really, my prince.” You replied. 

Aemond held back a groan from your soft, soft voice and soft eyes looking directly at his. Who were you to make him feel these things, he thought long dead? 

“Have you ever rode on Dragonback?” He asked you, hearing Vhegar approach the balcony. He had never flown Vhegar with anyone before, vowing he never would. One evening with you, you had changed his mind completely. He thought you to be a sources the way you’re messing with his heart and head so quickly and intensely. 

“I can’t say that I have, my prince.” You replied, each moment with Aemond making you feel more confident and more anxious at the same time. 

“Would you join me then? I would love the honour of being your first.” You didn’t miss the double meaning in his words. 

There was nothing more in the world you ever wanted than to ride a Dragon, you would watch all the Targaryen’s fly around on theirs - always dreaming of what it would be like up there. You knew you’re place, you were only a serving girl who wore dirt brown dresses and ate only leftovers but right now, being offered the only experience you had ever wanted - you did not have the willpower to deny it. 

“Would Vhagar be okay with that?” You asked carefully, peering behind Aemond at the beautiful beast. 

Aemond smiled, you were so gentle and kind but there was something underneath all that, he could tell and he wanted nothing more than to bring that side of you out. 

“You needn’t worry about that my beauty, shall we?” He held out his hand to yours. As soon as you placed your’s in his, he squeezed tight and led you to the edge of the balcony where his dragon was waiting. 

You stopped, the reality of what was going on sinking in. Aemond noticed right away; “Do not worry my flower, I will hold onto you the entire time.” He wrapped his arm around your waist, pulled you close and kissed behind your ear. 

Aemond helped you onto the dragon’s back. The second you were on the Dragon, you felt the most powerful and afraid you’ve ever felt in your entire life. Aemond pulled you close, hugging your body to his. He felt his own desire rage inside of him at the feel of your body so close to his, you’re neck on his shoulder, your arms around his waist, your breasts pressed up to his back - his lustful thoughts interrupted by Vhegar taking flight. 

It was like everything you imagined, the wind in your hair, the view of the Red Keep from here, being close to the stars - everything. Aemond turned around to face you and you held each other’s gaze for a moment before he leaned into kiss you, the moon shining in the background. 

Too soon, Vhegar was slowing down and he came to a stop on the beach, Aemond jumped down first and then held both is hands out for you, catching you as you leaped slightly off the Dragon and into his arms. He planted another kiss on your lips as you landed in his arms. 

“Thank you, my prince. That was amazing.” You said as you walked with Aemond up to the castle, he hadn’t let go of your hand and he didn’t think he would ever let go. 

#aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #aemond x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #house of the dragon

[tripleyeeet]

FIGURE YOU OUT (1)

SUMMARY: As Spider-Man's older sister it's your responsibility to make sure he comes home no matter the state. It's also your responsibility to question strangers who claim to be versions of him from other dimensions.

PAIRING: Miguel O'Hara & Female Reader

WORD COUNT: 7,793

WARNINGS: Angst, enemies-to-lovers adjacent (if that makes sense???), minor descriptions of injury, heavy alcohol use, mention of vomiting, inappropriate language.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: OKAY SO this was originally supposed to be a hefty one shot but after much consideration I've decided it's going to read best as a series so you're getting not one but three parts! Hopefully y'all like it 'cause this is my first time writing for Miguel and I'm kind of nervous? :')))

CHAPTER LIST / NEXT CHAPTER / MASTERLIST

-

 “May, for the millionth time I’m not—“

Before you can even finish, Aunt May’s hands are on her face, pushing on the frustrated expression that laces through her features. She’s annoyed, as per usual. Exhausted, just like the pale and veiny hands that rest beneath the dimness of your dining room light, pulling at wrinkled skin. 

“I just think he’d be good for you, you know? Harry’s nice and attractive and—”

“Norman Osborn’s son?”

“Okay, but it’s not like the boy’s anything like his father.”

“That you’re aware of.”

She opens her mouth, a small huff releasing straight from her chest, knowing already you’ll never budge. You’re too stubborn like your father —like her nephew who so effortlessly had a counter for every argument he wound up tangled in. Like you, he’d fight to the death for every little thing and she knows it, causing her to merely frown. 

“Fine, fine but just know you’re missing out. He’s a real catch.”

You scrunch up your face, resisting the urge to gag knowing how much May chastises you for being childish. You’re an adult now, act like it! You practically hear the words echoing through your mind as you reach for the glass of wine in front of you, gripping the stem tightly as you take a huge gulp.

“Okay then, if not Harry, are there any other men?”

You almost cough into your glass, unprepared to answer. Sure there were men. Here and there you’d had some dates and flings and almost, maybe boyfriends. You played the field like any other twenty-something woman in Brooklyn trying for their shot at love by going out to bars or hopping on dating sites. Like everyone else, you scrolled through the endless faces and bios, picking and choosing your fave ones; having moments of is this the one with far too many boys who turned out to be nothing more than just a memory.

So yes and no, you decide, telling May the latter, knowing if you choose the former she’ll get too excited and start asking questions.

“You know you’re not getting any younger, kid.” 

“I know.” 

You also know that you should be offended. You should be pissed off or annoyed —any sort of negative emotion but all you feel is exhaustion, considering you have this conversation at least once a week. Sometimes twice if you have to drop by May’s or the shelter. 

Every time she sees you it’s as if she needs to put this pressure on you. To throw this burden on your shoulders so that she isn’t the only one thinking of it. Because if you’re thinking about it maybe you’ll do something about it, right?

“You should find someone to love —to settle down with.”

You want to. More than she knows. It’s lonely here in New York, living in your busted-up one-bedroom apartment with a brother who’s never around. Day in and day out you’re forced into a space of solitude you never asked for, moving aimlessly from bedroom to subway car to office and back again. 

It’s not ideal, especially when you have to watch Peter and his double life. Sure, it’s stressful —a burden sometimes more often than not, but at least it’s exciting. At least there’s substance.

“I think I’m gonna head to bed soon. The lab needs me early for testing,” you lie, smiling tiredly, hoping that May won’t notice. 

This time she doesn’t. Or at least, she feels worn down enough not to ask questions. A fact you’re thankful for as she nods her head and kisses your face, saying her usual goodbye before scurrying out the front door with a wave. 

When she’s gone you let out a heavy breath, running your fingers through the roots of your hair. You’re not sure how long you can keep living this way. Flowing from place to place like an aimless ghost. It hurts too much knowing all the potentials. All the crazy things waiting for you just outside your door. More than anything you want to experience them —to live them just like Peter. 

Secretly, you think you want to be like Peter. To be looked at —adored or hated, it doesn’t matter. Desperately, you want a pair of eyes to look at you as something other than you: a tired lab assistant just trying to survive. You want someone to see you, to know your worth in a way that doesn’t involve Petri dishes or DNA swabs. 

You want to feel needed, you decide. Not in a life-changing way per se. More needed in the sense of being someone’s first choice like MJ is for Peter. To have that one person you can rely on and vice versa no matter the circumstance. A ride or die. 

The thought makes you groan into the base of your hands as you pull at your roots, the vibrations against your skin making you pull away. It’s only eight and, embarrassingly enough, you’re ready for bed, your body weighing down in the chair you currently reside in. Already your eyes are starting close, their function slowing decreasing by the second as you reach for your glass of wine and down the rest in one gulp.

It’s disgusting but regardless you pour yourself another, already knowing you’ll need it to actually go to bed. 

You don’t sleep well when Peter’s out.

Blinking tiredly you pull your phone out of your pocket and shoot him a quick text. Are you good?

You don’t expect an answer but still worry when you don’t get one, causing your body to twitch as you continue to sit, downing glass after glass until the bottle’s empty and your head starts to feel like it’s swimming through molasses. 

By then it’s nearing nine. The lights of the city shine brightly through your window as you blink and rub your eyes, taking one last dizzy glance at your phone to see that Peter’s replied. 

He’s fine. What’s your address?

Scrunching up your face, you stare at the words in front of you, sounding out each letter so many times that it begins to blur in your mind. He’s fine, you read, knowing for a fact that Peter would never talk about himself in the third person. 

He’s not that weird.

Quickly, you disregard your rule of no phone calls in favour of answers, listening to the dial tone for a good minute before the other end crackles to life and a sigh pushes through. 

“Pete, what the fuck are you talking about?” 

You can feel your older sister instincts kicking in. Every worrying thought pushes itself through your brain right out of your ears to make room for a rage you haven’t felt in forever. Almost instantly it burns you from the inside out, attacking your chest with hot, heavy beats that have you standing from your chair and moving towards the front door in a rush.

As you do, the voice on the other end mumbles something you don’t quite catch, prompting you to yell. 

“Excuse me? Who are you? And why do you have my brother’s phone?”

“My name doesn’t matter.”

It’s a man on the other line. An older one that sounds almost as angry as you.

“Listen here, pal, I swear to god if you don’t tell me—“

“Peter’s fine. He’s a little banged up but we’ve got it under control. Just give us your address and—“

“We? Who’s we? What the fuck are you talking about?” 

Instead of listening to your demands he just groans again and asks for the address, making you groan right back and give it to him, too overwhelmed to care that some stranger and his friends have decided to take Peter into their mysterious hands. 

After that he hangs up the phone without a goodbye, prompting you to respond with an angry growl that has you stomping all over the house in preparation for guests you weren’t prepared for. 

“Stupid fucking piece of shit,” you mumble drunkenly, pacing back and forth through your small living room, unable to sit still knowing that something happened. 

Something happened and you weren’t there to help, like usual. A thought that eats you up inside every time this happens because what can you do? You can’t fight crime like he can —you don’t have powers. You can’t heal his wounds —you’re not medically trained. So really, all you can do is offer him company when MJ isn’t around and rotate his ice packs. Make him food here and there but even that’s difficult when you spend most of your days at the lab.

Essentially you’re just another useless civilian who knows too much, leaving you distraught as you sit on the sidelines, praying to whatever god there is that he arrives home safe.

Thankfully tonight they managed to answer you in some capacity. Instead of dead, he’s just badly injured and as annoyed as you are, you’re still thankful for the outcome. Still thankful for the stranger on the phone despite the angered secrecy. 

You decide when he gets here you’ll apologize for the yelling. It’s the least you can do considering he and his friends probably have to drag poor Peter’s body out of some alleyway across the city. A difficult feat you’ve done a few times over the last decade or so. 

It’s not something you’d ever wish upon anyone. Not even the grumpy stranger over the phone whose gruff voice still rings through your ears as you anxiously move towards the kitchen and open the freezer, checking to see if there are any ice packs readily available. Shuffling through the frozen goods inside, you count four as well as a large bag of frozen vegetables, deciding then that you should probably wait to see the damage before even thinking of running to the pharmacy.

Out of the two of you, you’ve always been the worrier. The one whose mind constantly races at the sign of danger. Peter’s the fight and you’re the flight, and even before he became Spider-Man it had always been that way, which makes the waiting that much harder. The anticipation of what’s to come flooding you in waves of dread that leave you too unsettled to calm down. 

Continually you pace throughout the apartment, moving from kitchen to bedroom to living room in an endless loop that has you swirling around in such a stupor you barely hear the window of your bedroom being tapped on. 

The sound confuses you at first, knowing that it’s most likely just some bird. Peter would never make them take him up the fire escape but then it gets louder —more frantic. The tapping speed doubles as you stand disorientated in the living room, narrowing your eyes as if that’ll help your ears focus.

You realize quickly that it’s a someone tapping and not a something and immediately you spring into action, rushing to your bedroom window to see a trio of bodies all dawned in spider suits of their own. 

It leaves you breathless but still active as you push up the window, breathing out heavy breaths as you watch the smallest of the three —a lithe spider with pink webs stained over white— bound into the room to help pull Peter inside. 

“What took you so long?” 

It’s the voice from the phone, grumbling from the fire escape. He’s taller than the others —thicker. His suit black and red with an emblem that fills his broad chest with bold lines that drape down the front of his arms.

“Give her a break man, she’s probably scared to death.” 

Beside him, another Spider-Man whose suit looks more like Peter’s stands. Both of them grip your brother’s lower half, gently passing them over to the spider in your bedroom, prompting you to rush over to help.

“What the hell happened?”

He’s worse than you’d like to admit. The majority of his mask has been ripped apart. One of his eyes is completely uncovered, blooming with fresh bruises that cause it to swell almost completely shut. On his cheek, he’s got a pretty huge gash along with a few others around his chin and throat.

Immediately, tears begin to form at the corner of your eyes as they all move to lay him on the bed, making sure to be as gentle as possible. 

“It doesn’t matter what happened. What matters is he’s safe. Let’s go.” 

You turn to stare at him —the one who’s already caused you enough grief to last a lifetime. Angrily, you narrow your eyes, fighting the urge to yell as you watch his friends simultaneously shake their heads. 

“Seriously, man?”

“Miguel, you can’t just leave her with this.” 

They speak in unison, both of them matching your unimpressed response as you move in closer, pressing a finger to his chest. “I swear to god if you don’t tell me what happened I’ll kick your ass faster than you can say—“

He pinches the bridge of his nose and gives in, something that feels uncharacteristic even though you’ve just met. “He got a little beat up fighting someone he shouldn’t have, alright?”

“Alright?” you scoff, glancing between the three of them. “No, not alright. Not even a little bit. What do you mean he was fighting someone he shouldn’t have?”

“What do you mean what do you mean? Am I not being clear?”

“Not really, no.” 

He huffs, loudly. A heavy plume of air pushing through his mask. You can feel it fan your face as you take a small step away, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the newfound presence of other spider people. 

You were almost certain Peter was the only one. 

“Maybe one of us should take the reins on this?” The blue and red one asks, prompting the other to nod, motioning for him to take over despite Miguel’s silent protests. 

“Look, we uh, we’re… we’re —how do I even start this? What do you guys usually say?” 

Without missing a beat, the shortest one takes off their mask to reveal a young girl with blonde hair. She looks familiar in a way you can’t quite place, her features bold and big and full of life, giving you a weird sense of deja vu. Have you met her before, you wonder, staring at her eyes and cheeks and mouth, picking apart the details until you’ve decided you definitely have. Somewhere.  

“Hi, I’m Gwen. This is also Peter and Miguel.”

She motions them to take their masks off but Miguel doesn’t budge. Instead, he crosses his arms over his chest as Peter awkwardly peels his away, revealing a face that looks almost identical to your brother’s. 

Which obviously sends you into panic mode, seeing the somewhat distorted face of your brother on the body of someone else. It’s older —heavier, maybe. Unlike your Peter, this one’s eyes are filled with exhausted age and crow's feet. His lips are thinner and coated in a thick five o’clock shadow that takes up the lower half of his face. His figure is thicker, holding a bit of a gut but not enough to notice unless you’re staring.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Miguel says, but the two of them continue, moving through the conversation slowly to gauge your response. 

“Your brother isn’t the only Spider-Man,” Gwen tells you. “At least in general. In this universe he is but uh, there are lots of others which is where we’re technically from.”

You look at your brother confused, wondering if he’s always known or if this is newfound information for the both of you. If it’s new, you hope he’s okay. That once he’s awake and able to process everything that this doesn’t send him over the edge of sanity. 

He’s already hanging by a thread as it is. With family and friends and both of his jobs waiting in the wings at any given moment, the poor guy's constantly overworked. If he isn’t taking pictures for the Daily Bugle he’s studying at school or going on patrol as Spider-Man or laying on the floor in a heap of pain.

He doesn’t need any more stress.

“Listen, I appreciate you bringing him here but I think it’s probably best you guys go, yeah?” 

You smile as warmly as you can through the fog of alcohol that has you reeling. Simultaneously, you’re angry and confused —dizzy at the amount of so many new faces. You’re overwhelmed, to say the least, and knowing Peter he’ll end up the same when he wakes up. 

“Of course.” 

It’s the first time Miguel speaks with any sort of sincerity, his tone dulling down to a quiet calmness that sends a chill up your spine as you watch him fiddle with a watch-like mechanism on his wrist. 

In unison, both Gwen and Peter look at you with sombre expressions, their lips pushing into thin lines of almost disapproval as they watch you move towards your brother, completely forgetting that they’re even there. 

“Tell him if he sees anything suspicious to reach out,” Miguel adds, looking directly at you as he says it.

Cautiously, you look back and nod your head, trying to imagine the face underneath. You bet it’s old, based on the never-ending rage that it seems to radiate. He’s got the kind of attitude an old man would have, making you imagine bushy brows and forehead lines that have developed through continuous frowns. You imagine deep scars that have sat untreated for far too long. An overlay of bruises constantly decorating his frame due to misuse of the body. 

Standing next to your Peter, you imagine he’s the kind of guy who acts before he thinks. At the sign of danger, he spontaneously leaps to remedy any given situation regardless of details. He’ll do whatever it takes. 

He’s a fighter just like Peter. 

“It was nice to meet you,” Gwen waves before throwing on her mask. Old Peter does the same and even though you want to smile —to thank them for everything they’ve done, all you can do is nod and watch as Miguel presses the face of his watch, prompting an angular, orange portal to appear right in front of your window. 

The sudden presence of it somehow stirs Peter awake, prompting him to groan next to you. 

Immediately you move to his aid, kneeling near his face with concern as you press the back of your hand to his partially exposed forehead, feeling the beads of sweat that collect rubbing against your skin.

“Are you okay?”

He mumbles under his breath and moves to sit upright despite your protests. Slowly, he catches himself on the edge of the bed and swings his legs to the floor, doubling over in pain to watch as the three of them turn to face him one last time.

“You good, kid?” Old Peter asks.

“Never better,” he says back, moving to grip his stomach with his forearm, a bloodstained smile spilling across his face.

Despite the pain that’ll inevitably heal in the days to come, you know he’s being honest. Thanks to them, he’s never been better and upon hearing that you find yourself frowning, already knowing what that means. 

He wants to see them again. You imagine it’s because, in some capacity or another their appearance has made the burden of his existence easier. For once, their arrival has created a light inside him you’ve only seen one other time. It was when he finally told MJ that he was Spider-Man. 

As cliche as it was, he described it as this weight that had been lifted off his shoulders, and as you watch him smile at his new friends, you know that’s exactly how he feels now knowing that he isn’t the only one going through the motions. No longer is he the only one forced to navigate this life full of tangled webs. No, now he has friends. Partners that can aid him in the development of his career as Spider-Man. 

People that can help him better than you can.

Before they leave Miguel repeats the statement he asked you to relay to Peter. “Call if you see anymore anomalies.” It’s phrased differently. Molded in a way you’re not meant to understand, making you all the more angry as you watch them leave through the portal. 

“What does he mean by anomalies?”

Peter, now without his fellow spiders, winces as he takes off what’s left of his mask, ignoring your question in favour of repositioning himself back on the bed. Shakily, he sighs as he readjusts, trying his best not to disturb the injuries that cover his aching skin. 

“Can you at least tell me what happened?”

He’s silent for a moment, his mouth half open, unable to fully close thanks to the shiner located on the lower half of his cheek. Then, he cranes his neck towards you. “Some Doc Ock from another universe showed up,” he tells you, his voice low. “I was in the middle of dealing with a robbery when he showed up out of nowhere and caught me off guard.” 

You swallow hard, watching him lick his lips. They’re dry and cracked and covered in old blood that makes you want to cry because you hate seeing him like this. So tired and broken. 

“He didn’t look like our Doc. He was skinnier —younger. And his tech was completely different. He kept talking about me, or I guess his version of me and I was so confused.”

“Mhm.”

“He got me a couple times. Threw me around but then they showed up and I guess sent him back home. I don’t know, by then I’d blacked out.”

His story is easy enough to follow but still leaves you with questions. How did this Doc Ock jump into your universe? Did he have one of those bracelets? Did Peter have one? And if so, has he too gone to different universes?

The urge to bombard him with every single thought that races through your mind settles as you hear his strained breath, reminding you he’s in pain. Quickly, it resets the order of important tasks in your brain, sending you flying towards the kitchen to grab every ice pack you own and start stacking them along Peter’s wounds. 

Carefully you place one along the huge gash on his face, moving his hand to hold it steady before moving to his chest and placing one on either side of his ribs. 

“Are you okay? Like actually, no lying.” 

“Yeah, are you?”

You’re not. Not in the slightest. In fact, if it weren’t for the state he was in you’d be screaming by now, demanding more answers. Something he knows by the way you curtly nod your head instead of speaking. 

“I’m sorry, Miguel can be a lot.” 

Like always, it’s as if he’s read your mind, making you roll your eyes and scoff. “Are you friends with that guy?”

“Not really. I’m only really friends with Peter and Gwen. Everyone else are kind of like coworkers. They’re nice and we get along but aside from work we don’t keep much contact.”

“Aside from like, anomaly stuff?”

“Yeah.” 

It’s weird to uncover such a big secret from your own brother. He’s never been the type to keep things to himself, at least with you. So why this? Why them? 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Sure, but make it quick I’m about to fall asleep.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me about them?”

If it weren’t for the pain radiating through his shoulder you’re almost certain Peter would’ve responded with a shrug. A wordless movement of uncertainty that he instead replaces with a soft I don’t know that has you imagining Miguel and his idiotic mask telling him to keep his mouth shut.

“Was it Miguel?” 

It’s an uncomfortable statement to say out loud —an even more uncomfortable one to have confirmed as you watch Peter nod his head, a guilty expression plastered over his face. It makes you feel almost guilty yourself as you try your best not to explode at the thought of some asshole telling your brother what to do. At the thought of him controlling what he can and cannot tell you about his life. 

You wonder if it’s illegal for regular people like you to universe hop. It probably is but that doesn’t stop you from imagining a world where it isn’t anyway. A world where you rush through a portal of your own to find Miguel on the other side.

You’d give him a piece of your mind if you could, scold him for ever thinking he could keep such a broad existence a secret. You’d push that stupidly broad chest with all your force and tell him what’s what. That no matter how important he is amongst the spiders, you’re still Spider-Man’s sister and deserve the right to know what’s going on. 

“He’s not all bad, you know.”

Giving him an unimpressed look, you watch as he smiles, a small laugh pushing through his lips. 

“No, I’m serious. Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges but he means well.” 

“How so?” 

You’re unconvinced but still curious. Who wouldn’t be after discovering the existence of other universes? 

“He cares about people in his own way. Kind of like you.”

“Me?” 

Should you be offended? 

“What I mean is, he’s only mean because he cares like you. You guys have that same intensity.”

You scrunch up your face. “I’m not intense.” 

Peter snorts as he rolls onto his side, hugging one of the ice packs as he moves to direct his back towards you, thus signalling the end of the conversation. 

“Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, sis.”

-

Peter isn’t answering your texts and it’s starting to stress you out. 

Across from you, Harry and Gwen sit chatting amongst themselves, sipping on what’s most likely their fourth or fifth drinks based on the way they’re leaning in and giggling as you call your brother for the ninth time.

It’s been nearly a month since the incident —two weeks since he started patrolling again— and despite knowing he never answers his phone, you’re still worried. He told you he’d be here an hour ago to escort you home. Something he always did when you got dragged out by the rest of the Oscorp staff. Being a woman, wandering the streets of New York at night wasn’t an option and even though you were technically a geneticist for a mega-corporation you weren’t about to cough up at least fifty bucks to get home, so Peter was agreed to be the next best thing. 

Or at least, he was supposed to be. 

By now you’re well past drunk. Your head is heavy and you can’t stop squirming in your chair because of how restless you feel. Your skin is hot under the fluorescents of the bar lights, their weird shade of neon pink beating down on you like a synthetic sun.

“I think we’re gonna head out,” you hear Harry say. 

You must’ve zoned out because both he and Gwen are already standing, grabbing their coats off the back of their chairs with grins too big to be deemed anything other than mischievous. 

You know immediately they’re going back to his place to fuck. It’s what always happens when Gwen drinks too much and decides that, just this once, she’ll indulge the boss's son. Unfortunately, though, this is probably the fifth time in the last year that this has happened, leaving you certain it’s more of a common occurrence than she lets on. 

“Is Pete still coming to get you?” Gwen asks.

You nod your head, unwilling to admit that he probably isn’t. That instead of flying through the air you’ll most likely be forking over way too much money to sit in some dingy car that smells like piss. 

“Okay, text me tomorrow. Let’s go for brunch!”

The two of them leave hand-in-hand, a detail that doesn’t go unnoticed as you continue to stare, trying to decide how the hell all of that started. It’s not like they’re friendly to each other. At work, Gwen is constantly complaining about Harry’s silver-spoon upbringing. Talking about how privileged he is despite her dad being the police commissioner.

A detail you’re always tempted to bring up, knowing that neither of them has ever truly known what it's like to struggle. Having grown up in big houses with paid tuitions and a never-ending family to love, their lives are completely separate from yours.

It’s why you resent them so much, you think, because growing up, you and Peter never had that. When you were young your parents abandoned you with May and Ben, falling off the face of the earth soon after. Back then you always wondered why but now you know it’s because they weren’t ready. They were young and in love and despite thinking they wanted to extend that love into children, it became quickly obvious they’d made a mistake. A mistake May offered to fix.

You liked May but she wasn’t your mom. Same with Ben. As time went on, you let them think they were your real parents, listening to them when they gave you advice; following their rules so long as you lived under their roof. You didn’t call them mom or dad but you respected them as if you did. At least up until Ben died and Peter got powers and everything got sort of complicated after that. 

And since then, it continued to be complicated. Each year that passed, something new and strange always happened, leaving you there to try and pick up the pieces. 

Most of it always involved Peter. Peter becoming Spider-Man; Peter nearly dying to Doc Ock; Peter nearly dying to Vulture; Peter nearly getting infected by Venom. It was like clockwork year after year, tending to the needs of your brother while trying to live a normal life. 

You couldn’t imagine how he felt. Sure, things were hard for you but for him? God, it must be hell.

Which is why you feel so guilty for phoning him. He’s probably busy dealing with some more important shit like stopping murders or break-ins or maybe even more anomalies. 

You really hope he’s not dealing with the last one. Because if he is it means Miguel’s in town. 

God, you hate that guy.

After the incident, Peter updated you on pretty much the whole anomaly thing. Apparently, in another dimension, there was this headquarters where spider people from all over the universe came to report various issues with their home worlds. 

Overall, the details were a bit confusing —you remember Peter saying something about them being a secret society and that Miguel was their leader but not much else stuck because honestly after that you sort of zoned out. At least until he mentioned that he was officially a part of it all, earning himself his own little watch. 

Upon hearing that, a part of you was proud. A much bigger part though, was skeptical, considering your immediate distrust of Miguel. In that one meeting alone he was rude and weird and you didn’t want Peter hanging out with him.

Not that you had any say, because Peter does what Pete does and that’s fine even though he can be a little bit too trusting —the kind of guy that always sees the good in people. Opposite to you, his trust is extended to whoever, whenever which you know is what ultimately makes him a good Spider-Man. People see that and immediately think of safety —of security in a situation that otherwise isn’t.

As a true New Yorker, you trust no one. Not even the guy that steals the seat across from you with a smile. 

“You here alone?” 

Your phone is still pressed to your ear as you stare him down, the line continuously ringing over and over and over again until it goes to voicemail and you lazily repeat the process. As you do, you continue to pay little mind to the man in front of you, merely watching him glance around the building, a glass of beer tucked tightly in his hand. 

“You calling your boyfriend?”

“Nope” 

“Girlfriend?”

You shake your head and he grins in the way that hyenas do when they’ve found fresh meat. Under the bar lights, his teeth look malicious and jagged, taunting you in a way that makes you internally nervous but externally confident. 

On the outside, you do your best impression of someone brave. Someone like Peter or even Miguel. Your forehead scrunches to form unimpressed lines, your eyes narrowing to match the way your lips tightly push together. 

Across from you, the man continues to grin despite this, looking you up and down and up again with a fire so fully lit inside his eyes you can already feel the oncoming burn.

You hang up and decide to call May. It’s a last resort, knowing that once that phone rings even once you’re in for an earful. You shouldn’t be out so late, kid, you know better! 

Even though you’re in your mid-twenties May still chastises you about the dangers of the city. Working with those less fortunate, you assume it’s because she’s seen some shit. The city’s a fucked up place as you know from both her and Peter but it’s not like you’re unprepared to handle it. You always have a plan! A getaway or an escape route. It’s not your fault that tonight’s plan accidentally fell through.

As you go through your contacts to click on May’s number another body takes the seat next to you. 

“Hey, sorry I’m late.”

The voice sounds nicer than you remember, almost pleasant despite who it’s attached to. Awkwardly, you lock your phone and turn to look, noticing the unfamiliar features of a man you’ve grown to hate. 

Damn it, he’s attractive. And not nearly as old as you imagined him. He’s probably mid-thirties tops, you guess, surveying the texture of his tanned skin. It’s nice. Not as aged as Old Peter’s but you can see some of the same lines around his eyes as he glances between you and the man across.

“Can I help you?”

Miguel’s expression says it all. Fuck off. You can see it in the way his dark brows pinch towards the top of his long nose, showcasing his anger. The kind that’s almost impossible to replicate, the man quickly discovers, prompting him to merely sigh and leave the table, admitting defeat.

Once he’s gone you let out a heavy breath and sink in your seat. Never in your life did you think you’d be happy to see Miguel, and yet here you are. 

“Thank you.” 

Without so much as a glance, he stands from his chair and motions to the exit with his chin. Like usual, he’s got an air of arrogance you can’t quite stand, leaving you annoyed again as you roll your eyes and grab your coat off the back of your seat. 

He’s halfway out the door by the time you catch up to him. Your head, still drunk off the many pints of cheap beer you’d downed throughout the night, sloshes through the crowded room until it smacks dab right into Miguel’s back, prompting him to turn with a glare. 

“C’mon, let’s get you home,” he says. 

Despite wanting to, you don’t protest. Instead, you just follow him out of the building and down the street where he cuts into an abandoned alleyway and stops, checking on you with concerned eyes. 

“If I didn’t already know you were also Spider-Man I’d definitely be freaked out right now,” you say, trying your best not to slur as you lean against the wall of one of the buildings. The brick feels cool against your face.

“How much did you drink in there?” 

“At least five but probably more?”

“Five what?”

You shrug. There’s a moment of silence after that. One where you can feel your eyes fluttering in and out of focus, watching the way Miguel places his hands on his hips and stares you down. 

You can tell that he hates you now, officially. What once was merely a single conversation gone bad has turned to two which means you’re now considered a burden. A problem.

His problem. 

“I’m going to assume that travelling by air is a no-go,” he says; sighing because it means he’s probably going to have to walk you home.

Which you’re sure he doesn’t want to do considering he’s in charge of all the spider people. He’s probably got better things to do than to walk home his employee’s sister. 

“Where’s Peter?”

You’re on the move again before you know it, walking at Miguel’s side, watching the way he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

“He’s out with the others. Another anomaly showed up when you called. He was busy so he asked me to come get you.” 

“Why’d he ask you?” 

Unfortunately for both of you, your filter is absolutely obliterated. Gone with the drinks you’d downed throughout the night. Every aspect of the embarrassment you’d usually feel right now is gone, your innermost thoughts quickly bubbling to the surface like the head of your last beer. 

Miguel, realizing this, shrugs it off and continues walking. Every so often he has to stop to make sure you’re alright —you are most of the time, but every third or fourth time you begin to slow he watches as you double over knowing that you’re probably going to throw up. 

“You good?”

Slowly you crawl to the ground until you’re on all fours, your hands gripping the edge of the sidewalk despite knowing how dirty it is. Beneath your palms and it’s cold and damp from the rain, prompting you to gag even harder because that means there’s probably mud on your hands. Dirty, gross mud from the bottom of people’s shoes. 

You feel a hand on your back. Carefully, it rubs a line back and forth along your spine, causing you to inhale and exhale and focus on the sudden calmness of his voice. 

“You’ll probably feel better if you just let it out.” 

“Mhm.”

“I know it’s gross but I promise it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

As if he’s blessed you with the promise of no judgement, you vomit on the ground, feeling your throat burn with the familiar acidity. As you recover, he continues to rub your back in long, slow movements, making you thankful that at this moment he doesn’t hate you.

Or at least, he chooses not to show it. 

“Thank you, again,” you mumble. 

This time he at least nods, acknowledging your words as he helps pull you to your feet, giving you one final pat on the back before you continue to walk in silence.

-

Miguel insists on staying until Peter’s back, despite your protests. 

His face, heavy with exhaustion looks at you, unwilling to budge on the matter as he pushes himself through the door. “Peter told me to take care of you,” he tells you. “So I’m gonna do that, okay? End of story.”

Now that you’re somewhat sober from the long walk home, you can feel all the hatred you have for him flowing through your system. Sure, he may have walked you home —comforted you in a difficult time but he’s still a dick. Under that sympathetic Spider-Man act he’s still the man that makes you want to scream every time Peter mentions him.

“Fine, but the second you hear anything from Peter you have to tell me.” You wag your finger at him intensely as you wander to the kitchen, feeling your mouth begin to dry up from the amount of water you’ve managed to avoid all night. 

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

He sits on the couch without another word, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. Underneath, his watch emits a warm toned glow, prompting you to look over as he presses the face revealing a small hologram lady. 

“Wow, so nice of you to finally drop by! What’d you do, take her out for more drinks?”

Miguel groans and leans back into the couch, his body practically melding into the cushions. “Is there any news about the anomaly?” 

The woman crosses her arms over her chest and gives him a look —one you can’t quite place as she pulls the pink-heart glasses down the bridge of her nose. “I’ll tell you but only if you tell me how your night went.” 

Her voice is full of mischief, causing Miguel’s head to practically smack into the back of your couch, his eyes finding refuge in the ceiling. He’s embarrassed, you realize then. Probably because instead of being the superhero like everyone else he was demoted to babysitter. 

“The night was fine. She threw up, we walked home, end of story. Update, please.”

“We walked home, huh?” She wiggles her brows and darts around, the light from the watch moving around to get what you assume is a better look at your apartment. “Is she there?”

Even though his head is still hung uncomfortably over the edge of the couch, Miguel still manages to threaten you with his eyes. A warning you reluctantly accept as you move further into the kitchen, making sure you’re out of view.

“She’s sleeping.”

“Ooh, and did you tuck her—“

“Lyla, can I please just get an update?” 

You’ve never heard him so defeated. So tired. It’s like all the fire inside of him has suddenly burnt out and all that’s left is the remnants of ash. His eyes are almost closing without warning, threatening to cut him off from the outside world as Lyla tells him about someone named Hobie and how he’s with your brother. 

Apparently, they’re on Earth-58163. Another universe you know nothing about and probably never will because Peter refuses to talk about it. He always tells you it’s too complicated to explain —too intricate. “If I tried, it’d probably break your brain,” he tells you, brushing off the conversation time and time again. 

It’s annoying in a way that makes you feel like you’re kids again, the child-like jealousy overthrowing your desire to be a good person and just drop it. You need to know more. To understand how this all works so that you’re not just some outsider looking in like usual. 

When you hear Miguel say goodbye to Lyla you practically sprint over to the couch and plop down beside him, deciding that if Peter won’t tell you, you’ll go right to the source. 

“What’s your universe like?” 

There’s still a buzz sitting at the back of your brain, egging you on to set aside your differences in favour of answers. 

“That’s classified.” 

“Classified? Are you serious?”

“Yes, that’s why I said it?”

He doesn’t understand that you’re making fun of him. Or, at least, if he does, he refuses to comment.

“Peter never tells me anything about you guys.” You sink into the couch like Miguel, your arms resting limply on either side of you. “It’s not fair.” 

“Life’s not fair, niña.” 

You scrunch up your face. “I’m not a kid, old man.” 

“Are you under the age of thirty?” He raises his brow. 

“Yes.” 

“Niña.” 

There’s a moment where you think about reaching over and smacking him in the face. Just a small, lightly placed tap, similar to the one you give Peter when he’s being annoying, but immediately you retract such thoughts knowing he’d probably just yell at you. 

“Just because I’m younger than you doesn’t mean I’m a kid.”

“No but it means other things.”

“Like?”

His head turns to face you, his cheek half pushed into the backing of the couch. “That you’re inexperienced.”

“I’ll have you know I’m actually very experienced.”

“That’s what someone inexperienced would say.” 

“Says the guy who runs a secret society of spider people and still manages to get benched for the night.”

You expect him to yell at you then. To suddenly uproot himself from the couch and give you the kind of lecture May would but instead he just snorts and shakes his head, moving to rest the back of his head on the couch again. 

It confuses you if you’re honest. You don’t know Miguel in the slightest, but based on what you’ve heard you assume he’s the kind of guy who harbours a high temper and an unrealistic demand of respect. A boss in every aspect of his life. Because of this, you assume he can’t take a joke. That he doesn’t understand the concept of teasing or banter because his ego takes it too seriously. 

It throws you a bit, your mind suddenly questioning all your previous opinions. You suppose then it isn’t fair to judge him so harshly. Considering the job title, he’s probably under a lot of stress. With such a high volume of people looking to him for guidance, it’s more than likely Peter’s right. He’s not that bad. 

“Okay, well, if you won’t tell me about your universe because you think I’m inexperienced will you tell me about you?”

He’s silent. Or at least dormant, his breath steadily flowing as he slides further and further into the couch. You can tell then that his body is hanging by a thread of consciousness, subtly stirring in pace with his breathing. Slowly, his chest rises and falls, pushing his elbows in tandem as his mouth begins to fall open, making you yawn. 

It’s probably best you go to bed too, you decide, considering the only reason you’re still awake is to get information. If your informant is out cold there’s no sense in prolonging the inevitable, so instead of delaying you quietly stand and stretch your back. Loudly, it cracks, creaking with an age you’re certain now that Miguel would chastise you for. “You’re too young to be creaking like that,” he’d probably say. 

Another yawn filters through as you wander over to your bedroom and grab an extra blanket, throwing it over your shoulders like a shawl as you walk back to Miguel. 

“What are you doing?”

His voice scares the shit out of you, making you jump and embarrassingly let out a shocked squeal, your heart pounding violently in your chest. 

He’s still frozen in place but this time his eyes are half-opened, looking at you with interest. 

“Getting you a blanket.” 

“I don’t need a blanket.” 

“Okay, well, I didn’t know that? I’m not a mindreader.” 

“Why not?”

He may not be Peter Parker in his universe but he certainly retains the same sarcasm, leaving you annoyed as you tear the blanket off and toss it onto his head. 

“Goodnight, old man.” 

“Goodnight, niña.”

-

TAGGING: @fandxmslxt69 (if you'd like to be added fill out this form)

#miguel o'hara fan fic #miguel o'hara fic #miguel o'hara series #miguel o'hara x female reader #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara angst #summer writes

[6rookie-writer0110]

I have been falling for a long time

Wanda Maximoff x Male Reader

Request- The reader is the son of Dante from the devil may cry series but he hasn’t told the team or Wanda that he is a half devil because he’s scared who they will react and across it will scare Wanda. So on the rare occasion the team has a day off Dante and Vergil decide to drop by unannounced because Dante misses his kid and wants to meet the heroes (also because Vergil misses his nephew but he won’t say that and instead will say he’s testing your power)and Dante had the bright idea to just randomly start attacking without saying anything

You and Wanda are at home, carving pumpkins together. You and Wanda have to take out the insides of the pumpkin.

“I always wanted to do this” Wanda smiled.

“I thought it would be boring but it's not,” You said.

“Are you going to carve a scary face?” Wanda asked.

“I will try” You smiled.

You and Wanda start to carve faces on the pumpkin.

“Babe, can I ask you something?” Wanda asked.

“Sure,” You said.

“How come, you don't want me to meet your family? We have been dating for a long time now. You know everything about me and met Pietro and my dad. Feels like I don't know everything about you” Wanda said.

You haven't told your girlfriend about your family and what you are. You don't want her to be scared of you or worse hate you. You always lie about why she can't meet the family and you are running out of excuses.

“Wanda… It's not a good time right now” You said.

“Why?” Wanda asked.

“Because my dad is sick and he has the flu. And I don't want us to get sick” You lied.

“Okay, I understand. How's the pumpkin coming along?” Wanda said.

“Not bad… I think” You said unsure.

Your pumpkin isn't scary and Wanda carved a happy face. Then you and Wanda put the pumpkins on the window. Later, you and Wanda cuddle on the couch and watch a movie.

——

Vergil and Dante are home.

“Brother, have you noticed everything is calm right now,” Vergil said.

“It is,” Dante said.

“We should take advantage of this and have some real fun,” Vergil said.

“We should go see, Y/n. I miss him and we haven't seen him since he left home” Dante said.

Vergil does miss his nephew but won't say it.

“Are you going to call him?” Vergil asked.

“No; how about we surprise him” Dante smiled.

“The element of attacking, good idea,” Vergil said.

“Let’s go before something ruins this moment,” Dante said.

“Okay,” Vergil said.

Before leaving they went to gather some clothes and weapons. Your father Dante, knows where you live because you told him before.

—

Nick Fury and Steve, are making everyone do bonding training exercises. Because lately, everyone hasn't been getting along and the last mission went terribly wrong. Everyone is outside near the shield building. You are standing next to Wanda, but you aren't paying attention to their speech on working together.

But Vergil and Dante spotted you standing next to Wanda. They don't know that she is your girlfriend and they are on the roof, looking at you. Dante takes out his gun and sword, then Vergil takes out his sword. The building isn't too far from where you are standing. Nick and Steve will make you and others train next to the woods. But you rather be in bed sleeping and wake up in the afternoon.

“Ready?” Vergil asked.

“Yeah, let's give him a big hug” Dante smirked.

Vergil and Dante started to walk backward, and then they started to run very fast and jumped off the roof. They managed to reach the distance from where you were standing. You didn't have time to fight back, suddenly you felt your head on the ground extremely hard. Your skull cracked open.

“Hello, nephew” Vergil yelled.

You start to heal fast then you sit up. Wanda is using her magic to fight your father and uncle. Natasha joins in and starts to fight them, then the guys start to fight Dante and Vergil. You stand up and you use your magic to summon your sword.

“This is one hell of a reunion” You smirked.

Your father starts to run towards you and you block his attack.

“Dad!?” You yelled.

“You forgot how your father looks?” Dante asked.

“Y/n, he is your father!?” Wanda yelled.

You and your father keep fighting.

“Yes! He is my father. Dad, what are you doing here? Why you didn't call?” You said.

“Why are you two fighting?” Steve asked.

“This is how we say hi,” Vergil said.

You have some blood on your face, due to hitting the ground. You and your dad stopped fighting then he hugged you.

“What the hell is going on?” Nick yelled.

“This is my father Dante and my uncle Vergil,” You said.

Wanda is waiting for you to tell them that she is your girlfriend.

“Dad, this is the team I'm part of the Avengers. We were supposed to do group training” You said.

Wanda cleared her throat.

“Oh! Sorry. Ummm, dad, this is my girlfriend Wanda Maximoff” You said.

“Nice to meet you,” Wanda said.

“Nice to meet you. Y/n, you didn't tell me that you have a girlfriend?” Dante asked.

“And you said no one would date you because you are a demon,” Vergil said.

“Demon?” Everyone said at the same time.

“What does he mean, that you are a demon?” Wanda asked.

“Yes, my son is a demon it runs in the family. That's why he can heal extremely fast during combat” Dante said.

“I didn't tell you or anyone because… because people will treat me differently and won't trust me because I'm half demon,” You said.

“Why did you lie to me, about everything?” Wanda asked.

You began to stutter then Wanda walked away, then you sighed. You run after her but she needs space and she keeps walking away.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Since finding out that you are half-demon, you and Wanda have been arguing for days. Your dad and uncle went to see you and Wanda, but they heard you two arguing from the bedroom.

“Do you think she will forgive him?” Vergil asked.

“Tough to say. From what I heard, they have been dating for two years and he never told her” Dante said.

“Is he ashamed?” Vergil asked.

“Remember the last girl he dated? He told her and we had to fight the hunters” Dante said.

“Well, they deserved to die,” Vergil said.

Dante nods. They stopped talking because they started to hear what you and Wanda were yelling about.

“Why did you lie to me?!” Wanda yelled.

“I didn't lie to you!” You yelled.

“I told you everything about myself and you didn't! How do you think, I felt when I found out that you were half-demon by your dad attacking you? I don't know if I can trust you, Y/n” Wanda said.

“I’m sorry I didn't tell you. But you can trust me, Wanda. I have been there for you through everything” You yelled.

“But you lied to me about you who are! That is a huge part of you!” Wanda yelled.

You and Wanda kept going back and forth yelling at each other. Then Dante and Vergil, watched Wanda storm out of the apartment. She slammed the door extremely hard then you came out of the bedroom.

“Everything better?” Vergil asked.

You glared at your uncle.

“We live together and she kicked me out,” You said.

“Why you didn't tell her?” Dante asked.

“Because what happened with my last ex-girlfriend, remember? I was scared, Wanda would be like that” You said.

“Give her space then talk to her,” Dante asked.

“If that doesn't work out, then dump her and find someone else,” Vergil said.

“I have to pack,” You said.

You went back to the bedroom, then you started to pack your clothes. Then you went to a hotel with your father and uncle.

——

For days you have been moping around and didn't go on missions. Steve would call but you ignore his calls, then Natasha would call or send you emails but she would threaten you to answer her back. But you don't care if she gets mad at you for not answering, then Scott tried to cheer you but it didn't work.

“Are you in love with her?” Dante asked.

“Yeah, but I haven't told her. Do you think she would forgive me?” You said.

You are sitting on the bed and your dad sits next to you.

“She will forgive you, just give it time. How did you meet her?” Dante asked.

“When I first joined the Avengers, I met her there and it was love at first sight for me,” You said.

“She will come around and when she does, tell her the truth,” Dante said.

He smacked the back of your head, then you started to rub your head.

“What was that for!?” You yelled.

“For being an idiot and not telling her that you are a demon!” Dante yelled.

You glared at your father.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

You found out that the team had to pick sides Steve or Tony. Also, you and Wanda are not talking to each other at all. You went to the airport with your dad and uncle.

“What's the plan?” Dante asked

“I don't want them to fight and I don't want anyone to hurt Wanda,” You said.

“That’s it?” Vergil asked.

“Yes! Yeah, that's it. What else did you expect?” You said

“Looks like someone woke up grumpy,” Vergil said.

“Whatever” You mumbled.

You made it to the airport in time. They were about to fight, then you stood in the middle.

“Come on, guys we don't have to fight,” You said.

“You don't know what is going on, kid. So step aside” Tony said.

“You have to pick a side,” Steve said.

“No!” You yelled.

Everyone watched you transform into your true form as a devil. Your eyes become red, and you are tall and have wings, a long tail, and massive claws.

“Y/n?” Wanda said.

“That’s his true form as a demon,” Vergil said.

You used your claws to break the ground.

“No one will fight!” You yelled.

Wanda moved closer to you.

“Fight him then we will fight against all of you,” Vergil said then he took out his sword.

“My brother is right,” Dante said.

The fight was about to start, but Wanda used her magic to stop everyone. Then you look at Tony and Steve, and you summon your sword with your magic.

“Fine, we won't fight,” Steve said.

“Tony?” Wanda said.

“Okay, okay, we won't fight,” Tony said.

——

Wanda forgave you and you told her why you didn't tell her. You are happy that she let you move back in with her.

“So, happy that we are here alone” Wanda smiled.

You took your girlfriend to the park for a picnic date. You and Wanda start to kiss each other then the date gets ruined because your uncle and father arrive.

“This is a private date,” You said.

“We just want to get to know, Wanda that's all,” Vergil said.

“Uncle V, you hate fun and people,” You said.

“Y/n, I don't mind they are here,” Wanda said.

“Listen to your girlfriend, punk,” Vergil said.

He puts you in a headlock then he starts to mess up your hair.

“Uncle Vergil!” You yelled.

Wanda starts to laugh. You punched your uncle in the stomach then he pushed you to the ground. Wanda moved away and watched you wrestle with your uncle.

“Is everyone like this all the time?” Wanda asked.

“Yes. Welcome to the family, Wanda” Dante said.

“Oh…” Wanda said.

“Wanda, please keep an eye on my son even when you are apart,” Dante said.

“I promise,” Wanda said.

“If you ever need anything, just call me or my brother Vergil,” Dante said.

“I will keep that in mind. Are you going to stop them?” Wanda said.

“Will try” Dante said.

Your father did try to stop you and Vergil, but then he joined the fight.

“Kids” Wanda sighed

She used her magic to stop you three from fighting.

#wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff x male reader #x male reader #male!reader #male reader #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #flufftober

[reallyromealone]

Eddie Munson x male reader

A/B/O

Male pregnancy,. Omegaverse, gay, mlm

Eddie woke to the sound of vomiting echoing through the small home, patting beside him to realize (name) wasn't beside him.

Getting up he wandered to the bathroom to see that his mate was in fact throwing up his dinner from last night "shit baby..." Eddie said rubbing the omegas back whose body shook violently.

"I-I think I need to get a pregnancy test..." (Name) mumbled as he let Eddie lift him up and set him on the bathroom counter and fill the cup set beside the sink and let (name) rince his mouth out, while (name) did that Eddie grabbed prepped the omegas toothbrush.

"Thank you baby..." (Name) mumbled brushing his teeth slow and lazy before spitting it out and rinsing once more "sorry I woke you..."

"Don't be sorry baby, let's get you back to bed" Eddie said kissing (name)s forehead and lifting him up and carrying him back to bed, the alarm on Eddie's side showing its only five am, Eddie didn't even have to leave till 9.

"I think in pregnant again..." (Name) mumbled against Eddie's warm chest, snuggling closer as his head pounded "well seeing as we just finished your heat last week, I wouldn't doubt it"

"(Sons name) might be a big brother..."

"We can book a doctor's appointment if you want" Eddie said softly and (name) nodded "come with me?"

"Wouldn't miss it"

X

Turns out (name) was in fact pregnant, the Omega exhausted from this morning and so, Eddie took their one and a half year old to the shop while (name) napped.

Not without scenting stuff of course.

"Let's go little man" Eddie said as the two gave (name) a kiss on the head, (name) smiling at his pups precious attempt at a smooch.

It was the weekend so that meant a fair amount of kids.

Eddie and (name) often dressed their son in little overalls, the tot was often getting into messes and it was easier to keep his shirt clean.

Also because they would tie a balloon to the back along with a bell so people knew where the boy was.

(Sons name) was a good boy though, usually sticking around his dad and behind the glass table where the register was and colored with his crayons on a new coloring book he got.

"Oh snap it's my favorite nephew!" Dustin said as the party walked into the shop "Didi" (sons name) Squealed at the sight of his uncle and had his dad help him hop down from the stool and rush to Dustin "what's up little man?" Dustin asked lifting his nephew up "dang getting big, huh"

"Yeah he's big brother sized"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't worry to much about it" Eddie loved teasing his brother in law, the younger Henderson looking confused along with the other teens but max seemed to click into it but opted to not say anything.

It was funnier to see Dustin rattle his brain.

The teens went off and played in the game section, leaving the father and son to handle the register aka Eddie handles it and (name) gives them their receipt and a store card.

Coming home was a blessing, seeing his mate sleeping and snuggled into blankets on the couch just made his day infinitely better, the icing being the fact he was pregnant with his pup.

"Be quiet, don't wanna wake him up yeah?"

"Yeah" (sons name) mumbled before sneaking the best a toddler could off to his room and leaving Eddie to look at his mate.

"Welcome home Eddie..." (Name) mumbled sleepily as Eddie set his bag near the couch"shit did we wake you?"

"No you're good..." (Name) made zero attempts to leave his mini nest so Eddie bent over to kiss him gently "how's the little one?" Eddie asked worried and (name) looked relaxed "they aren't making me want to vomit right now so great"

"You hungry?"

"A little..."

"I will make a light dinner baby"

"Love you"

"Love you too"

#omegaverse #stranger things x male reader #stranger things x reader #male reader #eddie munson x male reader #eddie munson x reader #omega male reader

[miracles-and-butterflies]

Oh. My. Gosh. Can we get more of the Body Swap AU? I gotta know who else is swapped. My guess so far, Mirabel is Antonio and Julieta is Alma because I like the idea of everyone swapping and we all know Alma likes to pretend everything is fine so obviously she'd pretend to be whoever she body swapped with. A fun idea would be if everyone was swapped based on their favorite person, Luisa's favorite is Mirabel, Mirabel's favorite is Antonio, and Alma favoring Julieta isn't surprising at all. In that case, Pepa and Julieta would be their husbands, Bruno would be Pepa (wedding fiasco aside I like to think they are quite close due to both having less than ideal gifts), Agustin would be Luisa, Felix would be Dolores, Isabela would be Alma, Dolores would be Isabela, Camilo would be Bruno, and Antonio would be Camilo. Oh the chaos that would ensue, imagine, Dolores finally getting out of Isabela's shadow by getting to BE Isabela, and poor Mariano would be so confused why his ex that admitted she never loved him is now giving him goo goo eyes, Felix deciding to be an overprotective dad and testing Mariano by doing weird things as Dolores to see if he'll still love her, Isabela getting shoved into the leader position and trying to maintain her sanity and keep the town from falling apart, Camilo being the most dramatic creepy prophet he can be while Bruno cringes in the background with a cloud over his head, poor Agustin being ten times as clumsy due to his new size, Mirabel relishing in the fact that she has a gift and absolutely using Antonio's cuteness to her advantage, Pepa finally being free to express her emotions without her gift, her and Julieta taking turns staring at the mirror because dang are their husbands good looking, Alma taking over Julieta's job as healer and experiencing first hand all the work her daughter does and all the stupid and minor injuries people go to her stand for. The possibilities are endless.

Sure, why not? Let’s make this a full AU!

Yes, everyone (minus the husbands as they aren’t linked to the miracle) is swapped but I’m afraid your guesses are mostly wrong. But the favourite idea is fairly right.

Luisa obviously being Mirabel, both favourite sister and person in the family.

Mirabel woke up as Dolores (her favourite cousin), in bed with Mariano, and as you can imagine, completely freaked out. Probably burst her eardrums. So that’s what she’s been to up to while Luisa does whatever she’s doing.

Bruno is Antonio (his favourite of the nieces and nephews). He was very spooked. He had his suspicions, but Luisa showing up confirmed that something had definitely happened, seeing how she clearly wasn’t Mirabel and addressed him as Antonio.

Alma is Bruno (her favourite child) and is going to have a day in his shoes. She’s going to throw hands with some rude townspeople later who still treat Bruno like a bad person.

Dolores is Julieta (her favourite of the aunt/uncles), who has realised but because of her love for being right, is just going along with it. Can’t risk being wrong. She also woke from the sound of “Antonio” crying.

Camilo is Pepa (his favourite person). He initially thinks this will be breeze and isn’t as worried/scared as the others, but slowly comes to the realisation that his mother isn’t treated with the same respect he gives her by everyone else.

Isabela, plot twist, is Luisa. She’s a little embarrassed by it and claims she is only Luisa because Luisa got to be Mirabel. In actuality, she’s very pleased. Think of all the chaos she could cause—

Pepa is Isabela (her favourite niece). She will also be throwing hands later at rude-ass men who can’t accept the fact that Isabela is a lesbian.

Antonio is Camilo (his favourite sibling and babysitter). You did get that one right! He doesn’t really have much angst going on, he just has a fun day as his older brother and enjoys getting to be grown up for a bit.

And lastly, Julieta is Alma. She does try to pretend that everything is fine. She proves to not be the best matriarch, she does more mothering of the council than actually leading the town.

#encanto #ask me anything #encanto bodyswap au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #luisa madrigal #dolores madrigal #camilo madrigal #antonio madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #bruno madrigal #alma madrigal

[theodorecanaryhood]

Enough to make you explode with love

Jason Todd x Female reader

The youngest of your siblings was a ride as you always looked after their children, you didn’t mind though. You loved your Niece’s and Nephew’s so much.

Around the time you began dating Jason he was shocked to see there was always a child in your apartment.

‘Oliver, let your little Sister play with that too’ you spoke softly to the 9 year old.

Jason began to get soft for them and enjoyed having them around, the weekends they were there he’d always make an effort to take them out places.

You were at Wayne Manor with your siblings there and their Children.

Jason was talking to your eldest Brother about some ‘manly’ stuff, probably football or motorbikes. You weren’t paying attention.

Jason stood talking as your youngest Niece walked over and the arms up, wanting Jason to pick her up.

He did, without paying much notice to his natural instinct he lifted her up and spun her round. Your Brother winked at you as you smiled.

You’d lost track of the years you’d spent together but Jason was so stuck into your family, everyone loved him as much as you. Jason was even being addressed as your siblings’ Brother in Law.

You couldn’t put your finger on it but it had been over a week, you felt rough. Nauseous and tired. Maybe the heat was affecting you more than you realised.

Jason knocked gently on the bathroom door as you vomited again, for the countless time this morning.

‘You ok doll?’ Jason asked as he rubbed your back, you sat up as the sweat dripped down your face, Jason smiled softly as he kissed your head.

‘This heat is killing me, the humidity is just making me feel ill all the time’ you replied, leaning your head into Jason’s chest.

‘Well it has been over a month now, you might need to go to the Doctor’

Then it hit you like a ton of bricks, over a month you’d been like this. And you were late, really late. You went wide eyed, Jason spotted this as he looked puzzled.

‘What?’ He asked, you stood up as you walked in a circle.

‘Uhm, I might need to take a test’

‘A covid test?’ Jason asked innocently, as you shook your head.

‘A pregnancy test’

Jason looked pale all of a sudden as he realised what might be making you ill, and that he might have to have some more thoughts about your future together.

‘Y/n, I’ve been thinking while you were in the bathroom, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you’ Jason began, rambling while you came out of the bathroom.

‘Will you marry me?’ Jason asked you as he got on one knee, holding both your hands.

‘Jason’

‘It doesn’t matter if the test is negative, it doesn’t change my mind. I’m still gonna stay with you forever’

‘Yes. Of course I will’ you smiled, Jason stood up and hugged you, giving you a kiss.

Just then in each other’s arms your timer on your phone went off, you pulled away from Jason as you walked back to the bathroom.

Jason sat on the arm of the couch waiting for you to come out, thinking about every scenario he could.

He’d be bad dad, he’d get too stressed and leave, his kid would grow up to hate him.

He couldn’t think anything good about himself as a Dad, mostly cause he’s never been given a chance to get that far.

‘Babe’

…till now

You walked out of the bathroom holding both tests, both positive. You gave them to Jason.

His face lit up like Vegas as he saw the two lines, kissing you deeply as he rested up a little. You holding him in your arms so tight.

‘You’re gonna be an amazing Father, our child is gonna be crazy in love with you’ you whispered to him, almost like you read his thoughts from a few seconds ago.

Jason smiled as a tear fell down his face making you lean up and kiss him, Jason kissing you back.

‘I love you y/n’ Jason smiled, leaning his forehead onto yours.

‘I love you too’ you pecked his lips, kissing his neck and resting you head on his chest.

The two of you stood like this for a while as Jason felt a wave of relief, relief that were choosing to stay with him, that you trusted him enough with your child. His child.

‘Now time to tell everyone’ you said, Jason smiled softly as he bent down and kissed your stomach.

#red hood #red hood fanfiction #red hood x reader #red hood x you #gotham #jason todd fanfiction #jason todd x reader #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #jason todd #red hood x fem!reader #jason todd x fem!reader #red hood x pregnant reader #jason todd x pregnant reader

[runawayolives]

Patience is virtue

Pairing: Max Verstappen x reader

Summary: Jimmy and Sassy are pure saints.

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy. Mentions of Jos Verstappen.

Word count: 2.3k

Masterlist

AN: So I got this idea because my friend's cousin isn't the most gentle with the family cat. This is my first time writing for Max Verstappen, so any feedback will be appreciated.

Also, if anyone has requests for Max Verstappen, feel free to send them to my inbox. It can be a plot idea or just a plain title.

Jimmy and Sassy were saints, you and max both knew this. Before your son was born, both cats already had experience with grabby toddlers, Max's nephews being great practice for both pets to adapt to babies inside the house. 

When you both started considering having a kid, Victoria had recommended you have a test drive with her two boys, just to test the waters. You were already Luka’s godparents, but Victoria’s offer also sounded like a way of getting both of you to babysit more, which you didn’t complain about. Luka, and now Lio adored being at their uncle’s and aunt’s house, it was a big place, great for crawling and running everywhere. 

Besides you taking care of your nephews, Jimmy and Sassy also got great practice. Luka, during his long life of almost two years and a half, adored petting both cats. This meant that Max had to teach him where to pet and how considering the toddler wasn’t great at controlling his strength. Lio, who had just mastered the subtle art of crawling and grabbing everything in sight, had a specific favorite victim: the cat’s whiskers. Poor Jimmy, during the middle of an online work meeting, barged into your room, hiding from the little terror that Lio had become. Of course, the shelter also known as your office wasn’t that great, little Godzilla crawling into the room after the cat. Lucky Jimmy, the moment his greatest fear came in, his attention went to you and decided to forget his victim for a few minutes. Lio was a cuddly baby, from the start, and you loved it. Your nephew smiled at you, and after a loud “gah”, Lio has coming as fast as he could towards your office chair. While the little monster was distracted, you saw jimmy taking the chance to silently leave, making sure Lio couldn’t notice the flee of his latest victim. Surely, Jimmy would join Sassy, who was probably in the home gym with Max and Luka, where the civilized people resided. 

You looked down at the little boy that resembled Max so much. “What were you doing, little terror?” Lio gave you a toothless drool-filled smile, meant to guise innocence. “You wouldn’t hurt a fly, right Lio?”

“Gah.”

“That’s what I thought.” You stroked his hair back, trying to tame the mess that had become his head after probably rolling around with his brother. Lio soon became distracted by something nonexistent. It sometimes surprised you, how babies could focus on a plain white wall for five minutes uninterrupted. 

After you finished your work for the day, Lio and you went in search of the rest of the family, after a failed attempt to join them at the gym. You always thought that the size of the apartment in Monaco was unnecessary, too big for the two of you. You couldn’t even picture how Max lived in it when it was just him, the maze-like place sometimes intimidating you.

You found the four missing family members in the kitchen. Max had Luka on his hip while cutting a banana into bite-sized pieces for the boy who had his arms around his neck. Sassy was purring while rubbing against your fiancè’s pant leg. Jimmy was on the counter, following every movement with its yellow eyes, looking for possible food. 

Your fiancè looked up from his work, smiling once he saw Lio and you. “Look who joined us, Luka.” The boy, once he looked up from the kitchen counter, leaned away from Max, wanting to be in your arm instead. “I see how it is, little man.”

“Auntie!” Max walked closer to the two of you so that the toddler could easily reach you. You repositioned Lio so that you could have both boys on your hips. It wasn’t the first time both of them wanted to be held by you, so you had managed a technique that both boys didn’t fall or get hurt. “Hi Lio!”

The baby had been slowly blinking, signaling that he was ready to have a nap. After his brother’s greeting, he looked annoyed at his sibling and got teary-eyed. Once you noticed, you started swaying back and forth, trying to calm Lio down, not appreciating it when one of your two favorite boys started crying.

“Honey, honey, you’re fine.” Lio looked up at you, the small tears barely nonexistent. You rubbed your nose against his’, knowing that it would distract him for a bit. You then felt a small hand tugging your ear, signaling that the owner of said chubby fingers wanted the same. “For you too, Luka.”

…

Months later, after the wedding, you found out that you and Max were expecting your first child, and the racer’s reaction couldn’t have been better.

You were both sitting on the couch, enjoying each other's company while watching some movie Daniel had recommended. Max had Jimmy on his lap, while Sassy was resting on the back of the couch, with her little head on her owner’s shoulder. Max’s other shoulder had your head on it, and his arm wrapped around your waist, stroking his fingers on your waist, the wedding band giving you chills now and then.

“Bub?”

“Schat.” You shifted your head to look at him, a small smile on your lips.

“What do you think about us having a new team member?” Max brought you closer to him and kissed your hairline. 

“We’ve spoken about this, lief. We both know Jimmy and Sassy don’t react well to dogs.” You shifted again to look at him in the eyes, a dazzling smile on your face.

“A human new team member.” Max’s eyes doubled in size, and he could only manage to let out a small chuckle.

“A baby?” You moved your head side to side.

“Preferably, I don't want to birth a fully grown adult.” Max grabbed Jimmy the same way they held Simba when he was being presented to the kingdom but facing him. Sassy, after Max’s movements, gracefully jumped into your lap, resting her head on your thigh closest to your husband.

“Jimmy, Sassy, you’re going to have a sibling, and you have to be patient with them.” Sassy raised her head from your lap, giving Max what seemed like an unamused look as if saying: We’re already patient enough with the other monsters you bring home.

Jimmy, who was more open to kids (except for Lio, that one terrified him), just looked at your partner blankly, not understanding what the fuss was about. “I need to call my mom.” Max left the cat beside you and dashed into the bedroom, where his phone had been charging.

…

During the pregnancy, as your bump grew, both cats had found enjoyment in resting on your pregnant belly. They took naps on it, or just laid there and demanded pets. When both cats managed to share the space, Max would sometimes get annoyed, saying that they got to spend more time with the baby than him. When he would say this, Jimmy would look up, yellow eyes glaring at his owner, as if defying him to repeat that. 

And once the baby came, both felines would always follow whatever adult was holding little Hugo in their arms. Both cats wanted to make sure that the baby was safe, probably just to avoid the high-pitched wails that would sometimes come out of the small chubby ball. A few times, Max and you had tripped in the middle of the night once Jimmy or Sassy had followed you into the nursery to see if the baby was okay.

“Hugo Verstappen, wat doe je?” (what are you doing?). Once the baby was old enough to recognize the things surrounding him, he showed a particular interest in the two cats that liked to move around the house. “Wat doe je?” The small boy was trying to point at Jimmy, who had followed them from the bathroom to the master bedroom, after the boy’s shower. “Is Jimmy there?” Baby Hugo was wrapped in a bull-themed towel, the small hoody resembling the head of the animal. The baby’s legs were moving back and forth from the excitement, hitting Max on his stomach and back.

The cat, after hearing Hugo’s excited squeal, decided to go into a separate room, fleeing from the loud noises. Said room is your office, which had become his designated hiding spot from whatever monstrosity was making too much noise. It was a good room, had a nice soft carpet, and it was absolutely silent, maybe some typing or an online meeting, but it was heaven if you wanted silence.

Once you heard Max talking to Hugo, and Hugo’s little excited babble, you left the kitchen, with the intent of helping your husband with getting your son ready for bed.  You found both boys in your bedroom, Hugo laying on the bed, with the towel separating his wet body from the dry bedsheets. After changing the baby, they would surely end up damp, but damp was better than soaked. Max hadn’t noticed you coming in, which you appreciated, considering you would get to see their interaction.

“Look at that Hugo, you get to wear your favorite.” Max was holding out a onesie that had dark blue race cars. Your son, being the happy baby he was, gave a happy squeal, probably just from seeing his dad’s face. “Your Papa is so glad you threw up on the other one. We don’t like red race cars, do we?” Hugo just smiled wide enough to show his papa his singular small tooth. “We prefer red bull, Ferrari drools.” The baby grabbed his foot, putting it into his mouth, drool covering his face. “Liebe jongen, you have some drool.” 

Once Hugo was dressed and ready for bed, you grabbed your son, just to have some cuddles before bedtime. Max, during the first months of dating, hadn’t shown any signs of his love language being physical touch, but once you got closer, you realized that Max was slightly touch-deprived, considering that Jos Verstappen wasn’t the most affectionate man. After three months of dating, it was as if a switch had flipped inside of your boyfriend’s mind, Max had become the number one fan of hugs, kisses, and any other form of affection based on touch. It warmed your heart to see that he was able to express love towards his son through touch and to see him live for these cuddle sessions before the baby went to sleep. 

Max kissed you before handing you Hugo, and once the baby was in his arms, he kissed the few hairs covering the baby’s head. You led both boys to the living room couch while swaying the baby up and down to get him to fall asleep. It was a trick you had found out recently, Hugo would go down in less than five minutes if you did it, and it had saved you some hours of sleep. Once sitting down, you put the yawning baby in a laying position, and gently stroked his cheeks and nose. Max was sitting beside you, lovingly looking down at you and Hugo, taking in the sight of his little family.

…

The next day, you had a small family gathering, to celebrate Victoria’s wedding anniversary. It wasn’t something that was overly celebrated, but it was a good reason to meet up the eight of you, and have lunch and spend the afternoon together. 

You went to Victoria’s place in Monaco, a small house outside of the city. It had a garden big enough to have a big table and still have room for the young boys to play around. Because of Luka’s special request, you brought Jimmy and Sassy with you, the oldest grandson wanting to play with both cats. Now, Lio was two, and Luka was three, which meant that they had more or less mastered the art of playing with both cats, but Hugo, was still learning. 

Once you had finished lunch, the five of you, Victoria and her husband, Max and Victoria’s mom, and you and Max, you had all sat around in some lounge chairs that were in the backyard. The boys were playing in a plastic house that Luka had gotten for his birthday, the two oldest coming in and out while Hugo was sitting in front of the door, laughing whenever Luka showed his face through the window. 

Jimmy was resting on Victoria’s lap, appreciating the pets the young woman was giving him. Sassy had just jumped away from Sophia’s, going to see what the young boys were doing. It didn’t take long for Sassy to come back, running in your direction. Little Hugo was crawling after the cat, making the feline jump into your lap. Once Hugo reached Max, he opened his small fist, showing his dad what he had. 

In his chubby hand, you could clearly see two whiskers, belonging to Sassy. Max grabbed them from his son’s hand and showed them to you. While your husband was explaining to Hugo that he had to treat friends gently and with love and that we didn’t hurt our friends, you stroked the poor cat, feeling bad from the pain she must have felt. 

“Patience is a virtue, sweet Sassy.” Max looked at you, bewilderment in his features. 

“We’ve created a monster.” Max then looked at Hugo, who was happily on his lap. “Klein monster, apologize to Sassy.” The small boy looked at the said cat and kicked his legs in excitement. 

“Kat!” The cheetah-like cat left your lap, deciding to hide in a better place.

#max verstappen #max verstappen x reader #f1 #oneshot #imagine #dad!max verstappen #runawayolives #x reader #verstappen #drabble #x you #x y/n

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for building my niece a rocket?

My niece (36F), my nephew (36M), and myself (???M) are adventurers. We've been all over the world together, found all sorts of secrets and temples, and whatnot. In that time, we got really close, and I legally adopted them for reasons I'd rather not share. Point is: they're my wards.

Well, just over a decade ago, she wanted more. She was bored, and we had been just about everywhere here, so she decided she wanted us to try to explore a new horizon: beyond the stars. I was thrilled at the prospect, but her brother thought it was too risky.

It is important to note that she had triplets on the way at this point. They hadn't hatched yet, but the eggs were there (and they were adorable)

With my nephew so adamantly against it, I did the only logical thing to do: I used the resources I had (which is a lot, mind you) and I had the rocket built behind his back. I had intended to give it to her as a gift to celebrate the beginning of her journey into motherhood. And, in my defense, everything was going smoothly!

Of course, she's always been a clever girl. She found the rocket and took off with it before I was ready to give it to her. I caught her as she was taking off, so I figured I could guide her through her little test flight, and what a story she'd have for her boys! But... There was a cosmic storm. She was lost.

Her brother and I were both devastated, but he blamed ME for her death! So, while I poured everything I had into search teams and desperate attempts to find her, he took off with the eggs.

I never did find her.

Ten years later, I've been trying to put this all behind me when lo and behold: my nephew is back. And he brought the triplets (10 M, ×3). And needs a favor.

As bitter as I've been about this, I do still love him (more than words can say), and I really did miss having little chaos monsters in my home, so they've been staying while my nephew tries to rebuild his own home. (Long story short, the triplets toomfoolery nearly tore it apart!) I've been taking us all on a couole adventures, just like the old days, and it's been nice. I finally feel alive again.

The triplets are, of course, as sharp as their mother and twice as curious, and went on to investigate her disappearance behind my back. It took one of them nearly dying for them to finally just ask me about it.

So I told them. And now they blame me!!! Again!!! As if I didn't do everything in my power to get her back.

As if to sprinkle salt in the wound, by the time we got home from that expidition, my nephew had finished rebuilding his home, and they've all moved out.

So. To conclude. AITA for gifting my niece, a new mother, a rocket ship? Am I really to blame for her death when she stole it before it was ready, and I did everything I could to protect her?

I don't think I'm at fault, but this has been eating at me for years, and I've driven away everyone that ever cared about me, so I've come here for a second opinion.

#AITA #am i the asshole #unreality

[kittyball23]

Now we know that Spruce has a wife and apparently children, you could write a one-shots, about them and how they interact with Branch, JD, Poppy and Tiny... and especially Branch's vision of what He and Poppy would look like if they were married. Please and above all think about it.

Here ya go!

Nieces and Nephews (a Trolls fanfic)

Summary: Branch, Poppy, John Dory, and Tiny Diamond get introduced to Spruce’s family

__________________________________________

This was a little strange.

Branch had seen, interacted with, and even helped take care of little Trollings before in Pop Village, so that was nothing new. What was strange, though, was that the little Trollings who were bouncing all around him now were actually related to him. Because they were in fact his nieces and nephews. And that meant Branch was an uncle!

The only time he’d thought that there would be any little Trollings who were his family was if he and Poppy ever got to that point. He would be lying to himself if he’d said that he hadn’t had that lovely daydream sometimes, of a domestic scene in which he’d come home from a day’s work, share a couple of sweet smooches with his beautiful pink Pop Queen, and be attacked on all sides with hugs from their children…

He would sigh if he could, only the air was knocked right out of him in that present moment, when one of the Trollings knocked right into him, having not watched where he was going as he wrestled with one of his brothers.

Branch’s head was in a whirl as he tried and failed to count just how many in total there were, and he turned to observe Spruce, his older brother and the father of all the kids, standing to one side. The purple-haired Troll had an amused look on his face as he watched the children get up to their antics, and Branch shook his head. With Spruce’s romance-seeking behavior in his youth, it really didn’t surprise him that he’d gotten down to business so quickly, and now had a whole posse of kiddos to showcase for it. It did surprise him, however, that Spruce managed to maintain his marriage for as long as he seemed to have done.

His Trollings all had different features, yet Spruce was present in them all - whether it was the blue eyes, or the purple hair, or even a hint of abs in some of the older boys of the bunch.

But they were all the same in their curiosity about Branch and his companions - Poppy, John Dory, and Tiny Diamond - and why they were there.

Branch felt a tug at his leaf vest and heard a little voice below him right afterwards.

“Hey! Hey, Mister!”

“Uh… yeah?” he responded awkwardly.

“What’s your name?” the Trolling asked, blinking her wide blue eyes at him.

“Branch.”

“Branch?” she repeated, testing the word out on her tongue, and then looking back up at him. “Huh. Does it mean anything?”

“It’s something you find in trees,” he said with a shrug.

The Trolling cocked her head at him. “Huh? Whaddya mean?”

“Well…” Branch began, “It’s, um, you know… that part of the tree that kinda sticks out and has leaves on it?”

“Ohhh,” the Trolling said, nodding her head. “You’re talking about a frond! Like those!” She pointed up to the very top of some nearby palm trees.

“Err, well, not exactly - “ Branch started to correct, but was cut off when the little Trolling interrupted him with “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Frond!”

Branch, however,  was not the only one being questioned. Poppy in the meantime was occupied with a little Trolling of her own.

“Is that guy your baby?” the Trolling asked, pointing at Tiny Diamond.

Poppy giggled. “No, he’s not.”

“Ohh… I guess that makes sense,” the Trolling concluded. “He doesn’t really look like you… or your husband!”

Poppy was taken aback by this. “My husband?” she asked.

“Uh-huh. That guy, right over there! He is your husband, right?” Poppy followed the direction his finger was pointing, and blushed heavily when she saw that it was at Branch.

“Oh! UH… n-no!” she squeaked, and then cleared her throat. “He’s, uh, just my boyfriend!”

The Trolling looked confused for a second, and then shrugged. “Huh. Could’ve fooled me. My Daddy looks at my Mommy the same way that guy looks at you. And usually it’s right before they kiss!” He scrunched his nose and made a face. “YUCK!”

“Heh heh, yeah… yuck…” Poppy tittered in agreement, but not thinking it would be so horrible if Branch’s lips ever made their way onto hers.

As Poppy did her best to recover from that little Trolling’s suggestions, Tiny Diamond was handling his own pair of Trollings.

“How old are you?” one of the two Trollings asked him.

“One and a half,” Tiny proudly declared, crossing his arms.

“Really?” the other Trolling said. “Wait, so doesn’t that mean you’re a baby?”

Tiny was appalled to hear this. “A baby? I’m not no baby, I’m a man!”

“Hmmm,” the first Trolling hummed in thought. “His voice is pretty deep. Maybe he’s right! But then, why are you so small?”

“And why are you naked?” the second Trolling piped up.

“I have clothes on,” Tiny insisted, holding up his yellow-tinted glasses at them. “See?”

“Cool!” the first Trolling said, swiping them from his hands and running off with the second Trolling giggling after him.

Tiny gasped. “HEY! Those are mine, come back!” he yelled, running after them.

Yet another Trolling was having his share of time with John Dory. This Trolling whispered at Spruce in confusion, loud enough for JD to hear.

“Daddy, who’s the funny-looking guy?” he asked.

JD huffed. He could take Tiny calling him a random dude, but this was pushing it! “Funny-looking? What exactly makes you say that?” he asked, crossing his arms.

The Trolling giggled. “Who wears a snowcoat in the summer?”

Oof, got me there, John Dory realized, suddenly all too aware of how warm his jacket was making him feel underneath the blazing rays of Vacay Island’s hot, hot sun.

“Junior,” Spruce said warningly to the Trolling, “That’s not the way we talk.”

John Dory smiled in relief for the reprimanding, at least until Spruce said, “It’s ‘who’s the funny-looking Troll,’” to which that smile promptly disappeared.

Spruce smirked, and then said, “And I told you, Junior, he’s my brother. Your uncle.”

“Wow, really?” Junior said. “But Daddy, how come you never told us you had a brother?”

“That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” a new voice piped up, loud enough to have also grabbed Branch, Poppy, and Tiny Diamond’s attention as well. Spruce flinched a little when the female Troll who’d arrived crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look.

“H-hey, baby,” he said, “I, uh… I guess the subject never came up!” Spruce flashed her a charming smile that would’ve probably made any girl fall to her knees in adoration, though the effect failed to work on her.

“Bruce,” she said firmly, “What exactly is going on?”

Spruce sighed. “Babe, I have to tell you something… starting with ‘Bruce’ not exactly being my real name…”

It was then that the purple-haired Troll went on to tell his wife all about the way he used to belong to the sensational boyband ‘BroZone,’ and how he’d had not one, not two, not three, but four siblings that he’d refused to speak of. At least, until two of them came right back into his life.

“Bruce,” she said, frowning in disappointment. “Or Spruce, whatever your name is - I can’t believe this.”

But while she couldn’t believe that he would keep something so vital like this from her, the children couldn’t believe the musical aspect of it all.

“You sang in a real band, Daddy?” one Trolling asked eagerly.

“With your brothers?!” another piped up.

“He sure did,” John Dory answered for her. “And I betchu we still got it!”

This got the children very excited, and they all began chattering at once.

“Ooo! Daddy, Daddy, sing one of your songs with your brothers!”

“Yeah! We wanna hear!”

“How many brothers did you say you had again?”

“He said he had four!”

“But how come there’s only two here now?”

“It doesn’t matter, Daddy can still sing with them!”

“Yeah! Please, Daddy, can you? Pleeeaase?”

Spruce glanced over at his wife. She just glared at him.

“Babe,” he whispered to her, “I promise you’ll like it, ‘kay?”

She snorted and turned away from him.

Confident that he’d be able to change her mind, Spruce turned back to their kids and gave them the answer that they’d hoped for. “Okay, sure.” He didn’t usually like to spoil his kids, but sometimes he found that as a Dad it was too difficult to resist.

“YAAAY!” they cheered happily.

Spruce chuckled, and peered at John Dory and Branch. “Sooo… any ideas for what we’re gonna be singing?”

John Dory began thinking, but was surprised when Branch made the first suggestion. “Anybody up for ‘I Want You Back’?” the blue Troll asked.

“Hooo, yeah, you just read my mind!” JD exclaimed, giving Branch a playful punch on the shoulder.

Branch frowned at him, still not comfortable with his physicalness, while Spruce agreed, liking the idea and eyeing the stage inside the tiki hut just beyond the dunes.

“You’re on!”

__________________________________________

A/N: Uncle Branch and Dad Spruce is something that I need to see happen in the movie for sure! 😍

#trolls #trolls 3 #trolls band together #spruce trolls #branch trolls #john dory #poppy trolls #tiny diamond #dreamworks #thanks for the ask! #kittyball writes #kittyball answers

[ninja-troll-lover]

Meet the lesbian moms of Willow (OC), Fern (OC), Clover (OC), JD, Spruce, Clay, Branch, Hazel (OC), and AJ (OC)!

Headcanons about them 🏳️‍🌈👩🏾‍❤️‍👩🏾

Blueberry 🫐

Daughter of the deceased couple Rosiepuff and River (OC)

Twin sister to the deceased Raspberry Hazel and oldest sister to the deceased Plumberry Spruce and Goldenberry Clay

Ash's Wife

She doesn't know where her four sons are.

Forgot why the Trolls Tribes Split

Really forgetful ever since her escape from Bergen Town

Most of her scrapbooks aren't filled with glitter

Snores and sneezes VERY LOUDLY.

Sleeps through any noise.

Member of the "Extreme Sleepover Club" (Sky Toronto invited her, and she stayed because it reminded her of her wife)

She has multiple albums of her children's drawings.

Good friends with Peppy, Sky Toronto, Dr. Moonbloom, Mags Gumdrop, Queen Essence, King Quincy, Lownote Jones, Rufus, and Gia Grooves

She went into a coma after a bird attacked her, and after the first troll movie events, she was now awake from her coma.

She and Branch used to communicate by letter.

She can usually be seen with her trollings or the grandchildren she's taking care of.

Night Owl and/or Early Bird just depends

Really fast considering she has to chase trollings on a daily basis.

She can hear a pin drop even if she's asleep.

Sings lullabies and reads stories to trollings so they can sleep peacefully.

Please don't test her patience.

She starts remembering her old memories ever since TWT.

At age 6 she started journaling

In my human au, she's half Nigerian from her mother, Rosiepuff, and half Filipino from her father, River.

When it was revealed that Ash Sr. was actually a rock troll, she still loved her despite her music heritage.

She was mad that Ash Sr. didn't tell her that she left with three of her children; she was hoping that she could surprise her by telling her that they were having another kid. Basically,  Ash Sr. wasn't there when Ash Jr. Was born.

Also, she didn't know that her mom killed someone before she died.

Ash Sr. 💚

Youngest daughter to Falcon & Jasmine

Retired tattoo artist and body piercer.

Has four older brothers and their quintuplets; their names in order are Emerald, Dusty, Cliff, and Basil.

In my human AU, she's Mexican.

During her stay at the Troll Tree, she secretly sings rock songs to her kids at night so they can sleep.

Some Pop Trolls and Peppy didn’t know she was a rock troll because she told them that her pointy ears were just a result of her parents pinching them all the time, and they just believed that.

After Ash Sr. moved back to Trollstopia, some of the pop trolls realized that she was a rock troll.

Moved to Trollstopia to be with her wife and kids again.

Some of her nieces and nephews also moved to Rock Hollow, Trollstopia.

Practicing some pop-troll traditions: gift baskets, scrapbooking, etc

Comes from a long line of the best tattoo artists and body piercers.

Made Croco and several other snuggle toys for all her children.

She thought that the Bergens and Pop trolls were working together, and when a troll gets eaten, she thought it was an execution among pop trolls, so that’s why she lied about her pointy ears, but after witnessing her first Trollstice, she thought of revealing her true music heritage, but didn’t want to risk it; what if Blueberry, some pop trolls, Peppy, or worse, Rosiepuff, her then girlfriend’s mother, finds out? So she decided to hide her music heritage.

Rosiepuff actually knew she was a rock troll from the start and told Ash Sr. her secret was safe with her.

Rosiepuff gave her approval of Ash's relationship with her daughter and a blessing for their marriage after eating her fluffleberry, saying it tasted really good for her.

She did tell Blueberry her music heritage after years of encouragement from Rosiepuff

Her kids call her “Mama”, while they call Blueberry “Ma”

Has made a presentation about her brothers and relatives and their low downs on Blueberry when they actually meet them.

Ash Sr. had to leave the troll tree with her three kids because some troll kept sending her threats that he knew she was a Rock troll and that if she didn't, she would be thrown off the troll tree by that same troll. (I'm not going to name that troll, but let's just say he was eaten by a Bergen.)

That same troll (the one threatening Ash) was later pushed off the troll tree by someone who didn't really like him; hint hint it was probably Rosiepuff.

But sadly, Ash Sr. has already left, not knowing that her wife is having another child.

#yeah I had to give some thought on why Ash Sr. had to leave with her 3 kids #trolls band together #trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls 3 #dreamworks #trolls world tour #branch trolls #brozone #trolls world tour dreamworks #trolls dreamworks #dreamworks trolls headcannons #trolls ocs #trolls oc #lesbian #transgender #trans lesbian #filipino hc #mexican #Mexican hc #Nigerian hc #long post #long reads #ntl.ocs

[blackknight-100]

AU: Abhimanyu does not die: Fic II (kind of happy-ending?)

I'm not very sure what is happening here, so if the text looks weird, please forgive the formatting. Part I here.

1. Karna taps insistently on the side of Duryodhana’s chariot as Arjuna's son and – Surya curse them all – his nephew, barges into the chakravyuha.

“What?” Duryodhana snaps. “The boy!” Karna hisses back, just as waspish. “We can capture the boy and bargain with the Pandavas.” Duryodhana turns to him and sneers. “And why should I bargain with my dearest cousins? My army is greater, my commanders wiser, and my victory undoubted. I will not grovel before them.” Karna takes one deep breath, then another. ‘Calm now,’ he tells himself, ‘speak not thoughtlessly.’ “You have far more chance of winning than they do,” he acknowledges, after he is certain he will not lash out. “But war is unpredictable. And they will go down fighting. They will kill at least several of your peoples – your brothers, teacher, uncle and their sons. Even Lakshmana. We can avoid that and win just by taking Abhimanyu captive.” Duryodhana blinks thoughtfully at the young warrior who has, by now, lost his chariot. Kumara is running towards him, whether it is to fight or to catch up with him no one knows. Karna sighs ruefully. “Lakshmana,” he calls, “come here, child.” Kumara breaks course and comes over to him. Surya knows, Karna loves this boy. Duryodhana stares intensely at them, then turns to Guru Drona and commands, “Take the boy captive.”

2. It takes them half a day, and eight tested warriors to take down Abhimanyu. Karna looks at the spitfire youth and feels something that is not quite pride, but close enough. Jayadrath has miraculously managed to keep the Pandava brothers at bay, but he has also forgotten to let Yudhisthir in – and he gets a long tongue-lashing from Guru Drona when he reappears. ‘Yudhisthir would have made a strategically better captive,’ Karna reflects, when he settles down to guard Abhimanyu for the first prahar of the night. ‘At the very least, he would be less troublesome.’ For Abhimanyu had not ceased his rebellion when they had come off the field. As soon as he realised that they were taking him captive, he started trying to kill himself – first with a small blade hidden on his person, next by strangling himself with the tent rope, and finally by trying to hold his breath. It is as difficult a task to keep him alive as it was to capture him. After their paltry meal of rationed flatbread and pickle, Duryodhana sends an emissary to the Pandava camp. They return half a prahar later, and report that the Pandavas are willing to bargain. “They weren’t going to,” the messenger says, “but the Lady Draupadi refused to see her son dead, and Dwarkadheesh said that further war would not be in their favour.” Duryodhana smiles grimly, vindicated.

3. The first day of negotiation dawns cloudy and dull. Karna – who has no intention of ever being in the same room as Kunti again – volunteers to look after their charge. Duryodhana does not protest, but gives him a sharp look that makes it abundantly clear that they are going to talk about it later. Karna sighs. Abhimanyu is not a bad captive as long as he is not trying to send himself to an early pyre. He does not taunt unless taunted, and usually listens to whatever is asked of him, provided it is sensible. Karna gets bored of poking at him before the hour runs out. He is almost glad when Duryodhana rushes in a prahar later, seething with rage, until he realises he is coming for him. His friend hauls him up and off his feet by his shoulder, slams him against the tent pole (which shudders dangerously) and wraps two hands around his throat before he can even open his mouth. “Wha-" he begins, but Duryodhana shakes him by the neck, hard, and he falls quiet again. “When were you going to tell me?” Duryodhana demands, face close to his own. “Were you going to tell me at all?” “Tell you what?” Karna asks, concerned. He is not particularly afraid of Duryodhana, even now, but it is unlike his friend to throttle him, and alarm bells start ringing in his head. “DO NOT ACT INNOCENT,” he roars, “you… you…” Duryodhana flounders, and Karna? Karna knows. He feels something startlingly like betrayal. “The Dowager Empress said she wouldn’t tell,” he whispers, and Duryodhana shakes him even harder. “She didn’t,” Duryodhana says bitterly. “She got Uncle Vidura to do it.” ‘Of course,’ he thinks with a sinking heart, ‘of course.’

+1. Duryodhana comes to visit him on the second day of his… captivity? He is in a huge room in the guest wing of the Hastinapur palace, and while no one has told him he could not leave, Karna thought it was rather obvious. Duryodhana stands at the threshold and stares at him. Karna stares back wearily, thinks about his wife and sons, and prays for them. “Do you know what happened?” Duryodhana asks, almost kindly, and Karna shakes his head. “We were discussing about their surrender,” he tells him, moving forward to take a seat on the couch. “I said they had to go back to the forest, or some other place, that I would provide residence as long as they swore oaths to cease stirring up trouble for me. Bheema said he would rather fulfill his oath of breaking my thigh, and Aunt Kunti said she was unwilling to see anyone but the rightful king on the throne. I told her I was the rightful king. Uncle Vidura told us that you were.” Karna stares at him after the speech, watches as he picks a thread on couch-cushion. “I’m not,” he says. “Emperor Pandu could not have known of my existence, and Adhirath baba adopted me in all ceremony. I am no Kuru.” “And is Aunt Kunti not your mother?” Karna doesn’t know what to say to that, so he says instead, “Radha maa is my mother.” Duryodhana shakes his head wryly. “You did not tell me. They said you knew before the war. You made me look like a fool, Karna.” Karna’s eyes burn – 'so stupid'. “I didn’t think I needed to. You didn’t care before. I wanted to see you on the throne, and no matter what you think, I wasn’t going to betray you. I don’t want to be king of anything beyond what you have already given me.” “I know,” Duryodhana says, softer. He gets up from the couch, walks over to where Karna sits on the bed. “I’m giving back Indraprastha to the Pandavas, with the condition that Vrishsena becomes king after Yudhisthir.” Karna gapes foolishly at him. “What?” Duryodhana laughs. “You think I will let my enemies rule the neighbouring kingdom for generations? Pfft. Vrish is in our team, and their nephew. Let them put him there.” “You…” Karna begins, but then words fail him. Duryodhana rolls his eyes and tugs on his hand. “Come cousin,” he teases, “let’s go and put some ice on the bruises on your neck, and then you can go tell your brothers what we discussed.” Karna gets up, and follows him outside.

#mahabharat #hindu mythology #mahabharata #karna #kauravas #duryodhana #duryodhan #abhimanyu #gratuitous karna duryodhana content #friendship #3+1 #3+1 fics #boo writes #written for an ask