#before it ever reaches the date it canonically occurs

[liaromancewriter]

Do any of your pairs feel they don't get enough time with their children once they're born? Or do they not get enough time with each other? Does having kids impact them in a negative way?

Both my pairings have busy lives, so there are times when they feel they're not giving each other or their kids enough time. I think that the balancing act is natural when you have a family and a career. At the same time, both couples have nannies and a good support system. So, while having kids doesn't impact them negatively on the whole, there are moments when it occurs.

Ethan & Cassie:

By the time the twins come along, Cassie's career is on the rise, and Ethan has already achieved everything he wanted to. As such, he doesn't see the need to constantly push himself to the brink. He finally listened to what Naveen had been saying all these years: there's more to life than medicine. At the same time, he encouraged Cassie to go for what she wanted, supporting her completely.

Ethan and Cassie took a 6-month sabbatical after the twins were born. Her pregnancy was an unexpected and difficult one. She needed time to recover, and they felt it was important to bond as a family. They could afford it, so why not? Going back to work was hard for them, but eventually they adjusted.

If you've read any of my fics, you know their girls can be a handful at times. In the early years, finding alone time was hard. Often, they felt like the only time they spent not talking about kids-related stuff was when they were at work. But their regular coffee date at Derry's kept them connected.

Still, there was a period of time when they started drifting apart. It got worse when Louise died, and Ethan was wracked with guilt about not doing enough for her. Eventually, they did couples counseling and had a heart-to-heart about their relationship and what each of them needed from the other. Learning how to balance that with their family and being there for their girls was a huge part of it.

As an aside, Ethan, in canon, was ambivalent about having a family. In my world, Cassie is equally so at the start of their relationship. It took her time to see herself as a mother and even longer to adjust to actually becoming one.

Max & Sienna:

I've probably shown more of this topic for Maxenna than Ethan & Cassie. Max and Sienna's family started quite unexpectedly, and neither of them was ready for it that soon in their relationship. They were barely married four months and hadn't even reached the first year anniversary of officially becoming a couple. That caused a lot of friction at times, before and after Noah was born. I've written a couple of fics about this topic with Party of Three being the first one.

All Fall Down is a pivotal moment in their relationship, one that scared both of them. After that, they made a pact to never forget the fundamental promise they made to each other when their friendship had begun to shift to love: open and honest, no matter what. In Night Adventures, you see them discussing getting non-kid alone time and how important is to their relationship after becoming parents. Max & Si Time is blocked off in their calendars.

Still, Max's job requires a lot of long hours and travel. Plus, he and Sienna have social commitments because of the Valentine name. So, they do a lot of juggling between work and their family. Sienna switched to part-time during her second pregnancy and stayed that way. Eventually, she started doing a YT Cooking 101 channel, which led to cookbooks, and she got busier than ever.

They do struggle to give their children time, and Sienna feels guilty about it more often than not, even though their kids are well-adjusted. They make a point to spend time as a family, though (see Family Vacation).

Thanks for the ask.

Character Asks: @bluebelle08 @cariantha @crazy-loca-blog @coffeeheartaddict2 @lucy-268 @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

#open heart #ethan ramsey x cassie valentine #ethan ramsey #sienna trinh #sienna trinh x max valentine #ask and answered

[bloodiedlamb]

PROLOGUE.

✩⭑ In the weeks following Charlie’s birthday, she’s got a confrontation to make, one that’ll alter the course of her and her brother’s lives for the remainder of them.

⭑ rafe cameron x fem!oc

✩ 0.609k words.

⭑ jail visit, narcissistic parent, hints at death, cussing, anxiety.

✩ hey guys, so i’ve been super excited about this for a minute now, and i’m finally able to work on it! i have big (painful) plans for this series and i’m hoping y’all stick with me through it. reminder that this chapter takes place 3 years before the canon starting date of the show!!

⭑ HOME BY MIDNIGHT. | NEXT CHAPTER.

✩ BETA READ + EDITED BY @porcelainmind

THREE YEARS AGO…

The doors to the visiting room swing open with a clank loud enough to make her cringe. She waits, hardly patient, for the man to come slinking down the corridor to his seat.

“You cut your hair.” He says, a casual statement to undermine the fact that he was seeing his daughter for the first time in years. His eyes are heavier than she remembers, a few new scars adorning his cheekbones. He’s missing a tooth and his voice is gruffer. It’s as though he’d aged fifteen years.

“Got bored.” She shrugs, her jaw set and her eyes void of anything that would give him satisfaction. “How are they treating you here?”

“Like a Mutt at the Pound,” he grimaces sarcastically, “How are they treating you out there, Honey?” It’s cute, the way he’s still trying to act like a parent after everything he’s done.

“Like a whore in Church,” she snides back. “Look, I don’t have time for small-talk, alright, Dad?”

“I know,” he sends her a cold smile, “Just wanted to see how long you’d last. What do you need?”

“I need you to sign over your parental rights of Sam to me.” The man’s brows raise, and he leans back with crossed arms. Out of all the things that Michael Mason’s daughter could’ve asked him, this wasn’t what he expected.

“Really?” He snorts, “Never pegged you for the Motherly type.”

A low blow, considering the events that occurred over the last three years.

“Piss off. Are you gonna sign or not?”

He blinks at her. Once. Twice. Three times, before leaning further back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head comfortably. “Maybe, what’s in it for me?”

She scoffs, “I knew this shit was a waste of fucking time. See you in court, asshole.” She rises quickly, tugging her jacket on tighter before he speaks again, catching her off guard.

“I’ll sign it, Charlotte.”

The girl, freshly eighteen, pauses and glares at him. It could be a trick, she knows, nothing’s ever what it seems with the man.

“I’m serious. No strings attached.”

“Fine,” she sits back down and motions for the guard to set down the papers that she’d initially brought in with her. “Sign it then.”

Michael pauses for a moment, then sighs and signs it. When he looks up, it’s almost as though he seems saddened by the state of affairs, but she’s sure she’s imagined it. He gives a bittersweet smile, one most would take as genuine, but she knows better.

“What, no ‘Thanks, Dad, you’re the best’?”

“I hope you rot in here, Mike,” she rolls her eyes and rises again, this time much slower than before.

“Bye, Charlie.”

She doesn’t bother to reply, instead keeping her gaze straight ahead as she makes her way back out of the Visitor’s Hall and down through the lobby until she reaches her car. Sam sits patiently in the front seat, headphones plugged into his ears as he blares rock from his IPod. The last thing his Mother ever gifted him.

He looks up at the sight of his sister, a nervous glint to his eyes, “How’d it go?”

Charlie hands him the pages, her hands shaking as her stomach churns. She’d been anticipating this ten minute conversation for nearly a month and a half since she turned eighteen and was terrified of what might happen. “Better than I thought.”

“He signed?” Sam sounds excited, but Charlie can’t miss the underlying grief in his tone.

“He knew there wasn’t any other choice.”

“Right.”

“You ready for the first day of the rest of our lives?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

TAGLIST.

@blondedmuse @surprisenecromancy @bruiseology @porcelainmind

#fanfic #fanfiction #rafe cameron fanfic #oc #writing #outerbanks #obx #📕 . home by midnight

[away-ward]

hi, i’ve always been too shy to comment or send asks before but i’m making this my first bc i wanted to let you know how much i appreciate your work! i read your hell yeah fanfic a couple of months ago & when i stumbled upon it again recently & found a whole master list worth of fanfics added, i was super ecstatic & read all of them in one go hahaha

my personal favourites are reality & arrival <3 reality bc their conversation in the carfax room was so in line w their characters, it just re-emphasised how much i wish we got more of willemmy outside of blackchurch. having a scene like that in nightfall would’ve really grounded them as a couple in the present. all the snippets from the first three books plus the high school chapters of willemmy were such good buildup only to have the willalexaydin bs instead 🤧 anyways, i have a soft spot for arrival too. to have the damon & indie dynamic play out like that makes so much sense! damon & will already have such a strong & unique bond so for will, of all his friends, to have the first girl in the group would definitely make their relationship extra special.

on a side note, your post abt aydin being a few years older than canon made me lose my shit btw since i completely agree 😩 whenever i’m in my devil’s night brain rot, i always pictured him like 6 years older especially w how penelope douglas was trying to portray aydin & emory together. oh & your timeline for the character’s ages made me happy! it never occurred to me for will to be the oldest of the horsemen (which i’ve seen a few ppl comment on). given his may birthdate, i just assumed he was born the following year after michael, kai, & damon were. i mean, it makes sense right?? he’s the baby of the four. i could be wrong but then that would mean damon is the youngest which i refuse to imagine for some reason given all the shit he’s been up to 💀

this post is getting longer than i expected & i could probably continue rambling on but i just wanted to thank you again for your contribution 🙏🏽 this fandom has practically a drought in fan fiction unless it’s for second gen but seeing as kaibanks & willemmy (my biases) were done dirty in the series, your account has truly been such a gem to follow.

It’s nice to hear from you!! I’ve definitely been on the fence about whether to reach out to someone or not but I’m so happy that you decided to leave this message. It really made my day.

I feel that ‘reality’ is the closest I’ve ever come to getting Em and Will right. I also a snuck in a few references that are dear to me, so it’s special in my eyes, despite its needed edits. It was originally a request, so I can’t take all the credit for it, but I’m just so I’m happy that it’s one of your favs.

And ‘arrival’ has been a personal HC of mine for a long time. It took me a while to get out onto a page, so it’s great to hear that it’s struck home with others too.

A lot of my fics are borne out of that ‘we didn’t get to see this in the book but we should have’ and ‘what would have happened if…?’ feeling. Having had the chance to speak to other fans, I know I’m not alone in that, so it’s nice that so many people are finding my fics...fulfilling? I know other writers could do better, but until then, I’m happy to be around to fill a void.

Ahhh! The aydin age thing! Thank you! Anytime Aydin’s age is brought up in NF I’m like, ‘no you’re lying. You’re, like, 32/33.” But nope. He’s 26???? smh. Missed opportunity. It could have done so much for his character to just age him up a bit.

Regarding the timeline…as much as I would have loved for Will to the oldest…I think he is the baby. For clarification, I think Michael, Kai, and Damon were born in 1994 and Will in 1995. I didn’t want to give actual years in the post because I think the vibe that PD was going for was a timeless/infinite ‘this could be taking place at any point in time’. except for the points where they put in things that would date the books, the years and timing were purposefully left vague. I didn’t want to take that away by giving concrete dates. But I stayed up til an ungodly hour on a work night, going over this stupid timeline with a friend who has never read the series because trying to untangle it in my head was driving me absolutely nuts. So I had to record it somewhere.

In the chart, they all start the school year the same age* and then end the school year the same age, but within that nine months, it goes Michael, Kai, Damon all before Devil’s Night on October 30th, the new year, and finally Will in May.

That being said, at one point we did get stuck on whether Will was actually the oldest and I loved what it did for his character too. If at some point, he got held back a grade, it would go to why he’s a bit insecure, feels like he’s the dumbest in the group, and doesn’t trust himself to act on his own. I kinda wish Will had some sort of learning disability like dyslexia or ADHD because I think it would contribute to his lack of interest in school and strengthen his addiction storyline. None of that is canon and I don’t HC that it is. I just kinda wish it was there…

But according to my calculations, Will is the baby of the group, and of his family. That, along with his privilege, can also explain why he is the why he is.

Also Damon being the youngest would be hilarious and I wish it were so.

No worries, I as a wordy rambler myself, I appreciate everything you had to say. Feel free to drop by any time. I talk way too much, but it’s nice to get this devil’s night brain rot, as you so accurately termed, out to others who understand.

Thank you so much for your message and have a great day!

*well, if the school year starts in August, which some places in the US do. Others start in September, in which case, Michael will already be the next age up at the start of the year.

#asked and answered #devil's night series stuff #the horsemen of devil's night #my writing #timeline #ages #asked and answered 14

[saratogaroadwrites]

For King and Country (90/122)

For King and Country | saratogaroad rating: T total wordcount:  280,466 characters: Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane, Aranella, Batu, Tani, Lofty, Leander Aristidies, Bracken Meadows relationships: Roland Crane & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Aranella & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane & Aranella, Batu & Tani, Batu & Evan, Tani & Evan, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Lofty, Rolander other tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Mother-Son Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Place Slowly Becomes Home People Slowly Become Family, Found Family, For Want of A Nail warnings: none

Pulled from his world by mysterious powers, former president Roland Crane finds himself caught in the middle of a coup meant to take the life of the young King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum. Joining forces with Aranella, the pair of them set out to aid Evan in making his dream of a kingdom where everyone can live happily ever after a reality.

But the road to peace is a long and treacherous one and there is no promise of success in a world where darkness spreads ever thicker with each passing day. If they are to stand a chance, they must stand together, for king and for country.

(A retelling.)

=

The castle was quiet as Roland slipped back inside. Night had long since fallen, his stomach grumbling at his having missed dinner due to his trek back through the sewers. Brushing snow off his shoulders and arms as he walked, he made his way back towards his assigned quarters in the northern wing of the castle. Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d be able to warm up and clean up a little before anybody needed him again.

“Ah, Roland!”

No such luck. Schooling his face into something calm, he turned around to see Vermine waddling his way up the corridor.

“Just the man I wanted to see,” the chancellor said, “You are needed in his Majesty’s study, and—” He paused, looking Roland from top to bottom. His lip curled at all the snow that must have still been clinging to him. Roland hoped he hadn't tracked sewer muck or goo into the carpet, too. “Goodness. You look a fright. Where have you been this evening, hm?”

“Oh, you know,” Roland smiled easily, “Taking a look around town, checking out the sights. I might have gotten a little turned around, that’s all.”

“Yes…” Vermine considered him through narrowed eyes. “You’ve a gift for understatement, it seems. Well,” He clicked his tongue. “No matter. Come—his Majesty has need of you.”

With a nod, Roland silently fell into step behind Vermine. Unease prickled across his skin as they walked, though that may have just been because Tove was growling against his neck. Mausinger’s office was in the south wing, not far from the royal quarters. He had probably taken over the rooms that had once belonged to King Leonhard, Roland thought, and he found himself wondering if anything yet remained of Evan’s biological father.

It would have been nice to take a memento back for the boy.

A knock pulled Roland from his thoughts. They had reached Mausinger’s study, and after the rat-king called for them to enter, the pair slipped inside. Mausinger looked up from his desk and smiled.

“Ah, Roland! Good evening to you. I trust your night has been going well?”

“Nothing to complain about,” Roland said, “His Excellency said you needed to speak with me?”

“Straight to the point as always,” Mausinger said with a nod, “I wished to let you know that Vermine and I will be leaving the city tomorrow. As we are to begin our assault upon Evermore within the next few days, I must consult with Oakenhart before such a thing can occur.”

Next few days? Oh, no. No no no no.

“So soon?” He asked, managing to keep a lid on his panicked kneejerk reaction. “Are you sure everything’s ready?”

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be,” Mausinger said, “You have given us valuable information, and if we are to make our date, we must leave as soon as possible.” He contemplated the map spread before him. “It wouldn’t do to be late to such an occasion.”

This was happening now. Dammit. Roland grit his teeth, breathing quietly through his nose before he relaxed his jaw.

“I suppose not. But what does leaving the city have to do with talking to Oakenhart? Why not just call him here?”

Mausinger’s eye twitched. He couldn’t come out and admit that he couldn’t call Oakenhart without a Kingsbond, Roland knew, because to do so would be to admit that he wasn’t the rightful King he called himself. He had to hand it to the rat; he was good at covering up his failings.

“I do not know how Tildrum does it, but the true Rulers of Ding Dong Dell have always communed with Oakenhart in his Cradle. I must go there to speak with him.”

“I see.” Roland crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I guess now’s as good a time as any to tell you that there’s a man going around stealing Kingsbonds. It could be dangerous to head out there even with guards.”

"Stealing them?" Vermine snorted. "Such fantasy. The bond between King and Kingmaker is sacred. It cannot be severed any more than a Lover's Knot or bond between Souls."

Roland's grimace was only half an act. "I would believe that, your Excellency, if I hadn't seen Doloran steal three Kingsbond from their ruler's chests." He looked at Mausinger and added, "He'll be after Oakenhart's bond next. I can’t say it’s the safest idea to go out there."

“Perhaps not,” Mausinger hummed quietly. “I shall add an additional squad of guards to the retinue then. Tell me,” He looked to Roland, “How does such a theft occur?”

“Through the use of some sort of magic,” Roland said, “I’m a little sketchy on those details. But I do know that the ruler in question has to be found wanting in some way or another first.”

“Nonsense!" Vermine exclaimed. Roland kept watching as the concern in Mausinger's eyes faded away while his right hand spoke, "The bond between Oakenhart and his Majesty is the strongest any Dellian ruler has had in generations! Stronger than even King Leonhard!"

"Now now, Vermine," Mausinger soothed with a proud smile, "I am certain that Roland was simply concerned. To see such a thing three times…well,” He chuckled, “One must wonder how much power it is that Tildrum truly seeks if he was willing to allow such a thing to happen three times!”

Anger rushed hotly through Roland’s veins. This despot had no right to talk about Evan like that. Wishing he could wipe that smug smirk off of his face, Roland settled for the barest hint of a nod.

“I suppose you’re right.” He said, “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

Mausinger hummed pensively. “Well, we will leave tomorrow morning. It is perhaps just under a day’s travel to the Cradle, so that will account for tomorrow. Time to speak with Oakenhart and the journey back…” He inclined his head. “Two days. Perhaps three, if the weather is unfavorable.”

“Why do you ask?” Vermine tilted his head. “Surely you are not that concerned?”

“No, I’m sure you can handle yourselves. I was just wondering if you two would like me to do anything in your absence.” Roland smiled politely, already spinning plans in his mind. This would be his best chance. “Besides keep planning the assault on Evermore, I mean.”

“Well, Grimm has been a bit out of sorts lately,” Vermine said, “See to him and see if there is anything he needs. Oh, and tell Guardmaster Buck to station extra patrols on the eastern wall.” He pulled a horrid face. “We’ve seen signs of those blasted pirates running amuck. Wouldn’t do to let them get lucky.”

A wave of fondness for Batu’s rough-shod men and women turned Roland's polite smile a hair or two more genuine. He bowed his head in a nod.

“Of course. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get right on that.”

“Diligent as ever,” Mausinger said. “Very well, you are dismissed. Have a pleasant night, Roland.”

“Safe travels, your Majesty, your Excellence.”

Quickly slipping out of the room, Roland shut the door behind him. He waited until he was halfway down the hall before he finally let the curse slip between his teeth. Of all the rotten luck! Things were moving too quickly. He needed to get the Mark as soon as he could, but if he went for it now he knew he’d be trapped.

He would have to wait until Mausinger and Vermine were out of the castle, and that meant playing along for just a little while longer.

So much for things going according to plan. At least Grimm was easy enough to find; a tall, broad-shouldered mouse, he was one of Mausinger’s handful of Generals. Roland had nearly mistaken him for the Black Knight the first time they had crossed paths, but Grimm was no monster. He was well skilled, and paused in his sword form in the indoor training arena as Roland walked up to him.

“Good evening, Master Roland,” He said, “Care to join me?”

“Maybe next time,” Roland said, “But I am here to talk to you. Chancellor Vermine said you’ve been out of sorts lately.” He tilted his head as Grimm grimaced and looked away. “Is everything alright?”

“Well enough, I suppose. I have just been…thinking, lately. Perhaps a bit too much, but.” He stopped himself and looked up. “Actually…would you be willing to help me with something?”

“Depends on what it is.” Roland crossed his arms over his chest, subtly moving towards his arms band. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, though maybe that was just the cold getting to him. “Could you explain?”

“What—oh, of course.” Grimm sheathed his sword and turned around. His red-brown eyes were dark, saddened and tired. “You see, I have been searching for someone for several months now, and it sort of ties back in to when you and the Prince made your escape. Miss Aranella took you through the old sewer exit, yes?”

“That’s right.” Roland said. Was this going where he thought it was going? “I’ll take it not everyone made it back out after we left.”

“I’m afraid not,” Grimm confirmed grimly. “The last time anyone saw the Black Knight was when he was sent after the two of you. We couldn’t find him afterwards, and since you’re the only one here I can ask…” He spread his hands helplessly. “You see my predicament, I’m sure.”

Oh, he saw it alright. He’d seen the Black Knight topple clean over the edge and straight down into the abyss. He’d seen the Darkness do some pretty impressive stuff since then, but could it have helped such a creature survive that kind of fall? He doubted it. Roland grimaced.

“Grimm, a lot of things happened down there. The Black Knight, he…”

“I know his odds are pretty terrible, Master Roland,” Grimm nodded, “But he was my friend, and I need to be sure. I know it’s a lot to ask, but…”

“But you need the closure.” Roland sighed. He knew that feeling all too well. He didn’t want to go back down there until he had to, and chasing after the Black Knight’s ghost felt like a recipe for disaster, but… “Alright. The last place I saw him was near the Hills exit. It’s about a half day’s walk east of here.”

“I know the place.” Grimm said. His fingers tapped the hilt of his sword as he nodded. “We’ll leave after breakfast. Dress warmly—well.” He eyed Roland’s coat. A smile flickered across his muzzle. “I suppose you have that matter well in hand.”

Roland couldn’t help but laugh. It was the one thing he had in hand!

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” He took a breath. "Tomorrow, then. We'll see if there's anything we can find down there."

Gods, he hoped they lived to regret this.

#nnk2 #ni no kuni 2 #nnk2 fic #!fic #fic: for king and country

[themculibrary]

Mature Rated Fics Masterlist

A Marriage of Inconvenience (ao3) - WhinyWingedWinchester loki/tony, natasha/thor, odin/frigga M, 80k

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Prince Loki, however, does not wish to be married, and he makes this clear to Tony even after their vows have been said before the priest. Life is no better for Tony in Castle Aysgarth than it was back in Iron Reach - he is as unwanted by Loki as he was by his father.

But slowly, things change. There is a steadily growing affection between them, something that might, perhaps, grow into more and Tony can only hope his love for Loki might one day be returned.

But then an assassin strikes unexpectedly, pirates attack, and Tony very well might be living an adventure from one of his books, but it looks like happily-ever-after might be too much to hope for.

Anew. (ao3) - IViv tony/stephen M, 130k

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Only darkness and ice—or that was what Tony thought. He closed his eyes in a Siberian bunker and opened them again on his 41st birthday, with War Machine flying into the distance.

Born For This - Capsicle2013 steve/tony M, 71k

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Tony was born with four. They said he was destined for greatness. If this is what greatness looks like then Tony doesn’t want it.

catching bullets in our teeth - anothercover clint/natasha M. 77k

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[Begins pre-CACW, through the events of it, and into the aftermath. Otherwise known as: the slow-burn divorce fic we didn’t know we needed.]

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Bucky's life is about to get a whole lot more exciting.

From Where We Began (ao3) - RunningInThePouringRain steve/tony M, 42k

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(Or the fix it fic where Steve arrives in 2012 and tries to rewrite MCU canon in order to save Tony Stark).

In the Early Dawn (ao3) - starspangledsprocket steve/tony M, 3k

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“MJ and I are just friends.”

Or, a story in which Peter and Michelle insist that they are just friends, to the belief of no one around them.

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He's got it half right.

Kick at the Darkness 'Til it Bleeds Daylight (ao3) - NyxEtoile, OlivesAwl sharon/steve M, 6k

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He didn't need to take it to read it. "You want my shield?" he asked. Also Sam's wings. Not, he noticed, Stark's suit.

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Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes (ao3) - leiascully natasha/steve M, 38k

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Kings of Everything (ao3) - glittercake sam/bucky M, 6k

Summary: Twenty-five years after the events at a popular New York Bistro, Timothy DumDum Dugan tells the true story of infamous mobster Jimmy Buchanan and the man he gave it all up for.

leave the gun on the table (ao3) - Myrime steve/tony, bruce/thor, bucky/natasha M, 185k

Summary: Tony meets his soulmate under the worst possible circumstances. It is not just a kidnapping gone wrong. It turns out Steve and his gang picked him on purpose and they want some personal revenge. If only he had managed to say the words written on his soulmate’s arm before they threw him back out into the streets.

Left Foot Forward (ao3) - shatteredhourglass bucky/clint M, 22k

Summary: There was an unspoken rule among the Avengers that they didn't talk about Clint's soulmark. They didn't talk about it, they didn't look at it, and they didn't bring it up.

life in cinematic haze (ao3) - shatteredhourglass bucky/clint M, 13k

Summary: They get closer and Bucky gets a better look at the man, thinks maybe Sam had been expecting an archer in purple instead of a sword-wielder in black. The thing is, he met Hawkeye years ago, at an airport with his bow in hand and his head held high. They hadn’t spoken to each other but Bucky had seen the resolve, the vibrant life streaming from him as he’d given Steve a tight smile and pulled out an arrow.

He hadn’t met this.

Our Shattered Past (ao3) - Elenduen bucky/tony M, 159k

Summary: Bucky survives the snap, survives to see two-thirds of the universe die, half turning to ash, the others killed because those others turned to ash. He follows Steve back to America and the Avengers compound struggling to try and make sense of everything that has happened. Then Tony Stark returns to earth, broken, sick, desolate. Bucky feels he owes Tony for what he did to his parents, he wants to find a way to make amends and the only way he think to do that is to act as protection for Tony while he slowly recovers from his time in space.

Tony couldn't care less what happens to him now. He failed, Peter is gone, two-thirds of the Universe is gone, why should he care if he lives or dies now? he is determined to help others while he can though and if that means Barnes is following him around then he can help too.

What neither expect is a relationship to blossom between them or the family that blooms out of the ashes of their shattered pasts.

Painted in Indigo (ao3) - nekare steve/bucky M, 11k

Summary: “You should be careful of that one,” Mr. Hendrickson says, with a nod to Bucky outside the window. “It ain’t right. Looking at you all the time as he does. The way he should be looking at girls.”

Steve laughs, because damn, but what a ridiculous idea.

Or, five times Steve caught Bucky looking at him, and the one time he looked first.

Such Sweet Revenge (ao3) - ali_aliska bucky/tony M, 167k

Summary: When the Rogues are back in the States after being pardoned, the New Avengers want nothing to do with them and as far as Tony is concerned, if he never speaks to them again, it'll be too soon. After all, he didn't spend the last year putting himself (and his family) back together only for his former co-workers to ruin all of his hard work.

But then he gets a hand-written letter from the Winter Soldier himself, apologizing for the events that transpired and an off-handed comment from Rhodey about Rogers failing to take care of an obviously miserable Bucky Barnes sets in motion Tony's new, oh-so-evil plan to get some payback.

After all, what better revenge than to steal the Winter Soldier away from his best friend?

The only problem: Tony sucks at being vengeful, but apparently he's an expert at inadvertently falling in love.

While You Were Sleeping (ao3) - Brenda steve/bucky M, 45k

Summary: Bucky wakes up from cryo to find himself in a world without Steve - and that's just the beginning of his problems.

#themculibrary #masterlists #marvel #mcu #mature #mature masterlist

[mc-lukanette]

*crawls over completely exhausted* No Canon Lukanette... Need fluff... maybe salt too...

Luka gave Marinette's parents a smile as he waited for Marinette to come downstairs, though to say he was concerned was an understatement. He and Marinette hadn't been dating for long, but he knew something was wrong due to her song singing even more stress-filled notes than usual. He wanted to talk to her about it, but also wanted her to open up to him herself when she was ready.

Wanting to focus on smiling for her when she came down, Luka shook off the thought and stared up at Marinette's trap door. Seeing that she hadn't come down yet - understandable given that she had no idea he was there - he pulled out his phone and navigated to her contact. However, just before he could tap on it, there was an abrupt, loud, and unusual noise coming from Marinette's room, followed by the sound of Marinette yelping and presumably hitting the floor.

Luka gasped. “Marinette!”

Not even thinking, he hurried upstairs, phone clutched tightly in his hand as he pushed the trap door up and let himself in.

Over a dozen tiny kwami were speeding around her room, each with distinct voices and one of whom he recognized as Sass. He'd initially thought that the Liberty was chaos, and it was, but there was something different about fifteen little melodies all moving around simultaneously and wreaking havoc. They hadn't even seemed to notice that he was there.

There was also a ladybug-patterned ellipsoid lying on the table in the middle of it all, though Luka's eyes fixated mostly on Marinette lying there on the floor, now staring at him with wide eyes as he took in the whole situation.

"L-luka!" she greeted, voice forced. "W-what a surprise! I mean, you must be surprised at my toy collection! See, there's—there’s this magnetism thing going on that lets them seem like they're flying and—"

She was cut off as one of the kwami accidentally dropped something to the floor, making her flinch from the loud noise. Even the sound all around the room was overwhelming, the little beings ignoring Marinette’s panic in favor of playing with her things.

That's when the tears started, subtly at first until Marinette let out a whimper.

Ignoring all the revelations he just went through, Luka hurried to Marinette's side, helping her up and checking her for injuries. "Marinette, are you okay—"

"You know!" she cut in, running her fingers anxiously through her hair. "You're not supposed to know!"

He took a breath, recognizing that he was going to have to deal with these revelations now. "It's okay. I promise, I'd never—"

"No, it's not okay!" she argued, throwing her hands out. "I've been guardian for just a few days and this—this isn't—! I already—and now the kwami are out—!" She slumped and dropped her gaze to the floor, ashamed. "I'm a bad guardian. I'm a bad girlfriend. I couldn't protect you from knowing!"

"Marinette, you're not a bad girlfriend. You—" He paused, something occurring to him. "Protect me...?"

He hadn't been Viperion for long, but Luka remembered the importance given to secret identities. He understood that it was a form of protecting oneself and one's loved ones, meaning that a permanent hero like Ladybug needed to keep hers a secret the most.

"Is..." His stomach twisted in knots as he remembered all the dates she'd had to either miss or postpone. He bent down, trying to look at her face, and when he still couldn't, he gently cupped her face and encouraged her to make eye contact with him. "Is that why—"

"Yes! That's why I have to keep cutting our dates short, and not being there for you, and not going on patrols with Chat, and why I haven't had time to take those stupid Adrien pictures down! I can't do anything right!"

At some point, the volume of her voice had finally drawn the attention of the kwami, who all stared at her like children watching their parent having a breakdown and feeling awkward about it. Luka paid them no mind, his heart breaking as he processed all the information Marinette was telling him while all he could do was pull her into a hug and just hold her.

"I'm sorry I found out like this," he admitted, running his hand up and down along her back. "I'm glad that I know but I would've wanted you to share that secret with me instead."

"I-I'm sor—"

"Please don't apologize, Marinette," he gently begged. "I hate hearing songs with meanings I don't agree with. You don't have anything to feel sorry for. If I had the ladybug earrings instead, I would've had to do the same thing as you, and you wouldn't have asked me to apologize, would you?"

She looked up at him, expression pained and full of so many burdens that he couldn't believe he hadn't seen before. He brushed her fringe aside and rested his palm against her forehead, concerned about how pale she seemed and worried that she'd stress herself to a cold.

She leaned into his touch, then further until he was forced to move his hand away. She buried her face in his chest, surprising him as she hugged him tightly. Her song turned from the harsh wail of an electric guitar to the mellow tones of an acoustic, and he sighed in a mixture of relief and happiness.

"...Luka," she murmured, lightly clutching whatever fabric she could reach. "The movie. We'll miss it at this rate."

He hummed, half in response to what she said and half in content. "You're so much more important than the movie."

His heart skipped a beat when she actually giggled, her grip on him loosening and the hug turning to something she did because she wanted to, not for comfort. "More important than Jagged Stone?"

He chuckled, burying his face into her hair as he returned the hug. "Always. Even my idol can't compete with my muse."

She leaned further into him, her melody picking up hints off a bell chiming happily. She almost knocked him over from how much of her weight she was putting on him, but he didn't protest and even enjoyed it; it meant she was trusting him with her secrets instead of shouldering the weight herself.

"I know I couldn't have known," he began, "but I'm sorry that our dates took up your time. I never wanted to cause you any stress."

"But I wanted to!" she insisted, jolting up to look at him. "It's just—it's been a lot, and—"

He placed two fingers against her lips before she could start rambling. "Marinette, I don't need to go on normal dates to have fun with you."

She blinked, waiting for him to move his fingers before asking, "Y-you don't?"

He smiled. "Of course not. I can hang out here while you work, while you do important stuff."

With a small, amused snort, she pulled away from him and wiped any stray tears away. "You're 'important stuff.'"

He grinned like the love-struck fool that he was, then shrugged. "Well, I'll still be here anyway then, right?"

"That's true." She paused, glancing off to the side in consideration, then looked back at him as she asked, "in that case... would you help me with something?"

"Anything," he answered immediately.

She pointed, his gaze drawn to her wall full of Adrien pictures. "Like I said, I haven't had the time, and... I've been wanting to remodel forever."

He was more than happy to help, and there was a selfish part of him that considered it far better than any movie they could've seen.

—————

It took a bit more time than either of them anticipated to take down all of the images, but between the two of them, it wasn't a hard job. The biggest time-waster during the whole thing was Marinette's rambling, but Luka welcomed it wholeheartedly.

Due to not watching much TV, he honestly hadn't heard about what'd happened when Jagged Stone had been at the bakery and the camera crew had invaded Marinette's privacy, and he couldn't believe how much mental stress she must've gone through. After all, even though he and Juleka shared a room, there was still a divider for when they needed their privacy, so he wasn't unaware about how personal it was to have one's room recorded without their consent, even if nothing embarrassing got caught on camera.

It seemed cruel to know that Paris' supposedly lucky superhero was perhaps one of the unluckiest people he'd ever known.

Almost on cue, just when the last picture was down and Marinette was debating on what to do with them, her phone went off with a ringtone that sounded very much like danger. Looking over, there was a butterfly symbol flashing on the screen and Marinette's expression faltered at the sight of it.

"Akuma alert," she said flatly, with a pout that would've been cute had he not known what it meant. She hesitated, eyes flicking from him to her phone. "Um... look, I... I have to—"

"Go," he interrupted with a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere, and I'll be here when you're done."

"But—" She frowned and glared at her phone, clearly knowing that she had to leave but not wanting to.

"I mean it, Marinette. It's okay."

She looked at him like she'd never heard those words from anyone else before, eyes vulnerable but fond. She gave him a nod, a brief smile flickering across her face before she turned away and rushed to the stairs. She shouted for her transformation on the way out and Luka watched as her clothes shifted into her ladybug-patterned bodysuit.

When she was completely gone, Luka felt a sudden unsteadiness and leaned against the table for support. It wasn't that he was shocked exactly to hear that Marinette was Ladybug, but he was still overloaded nonetheless.

As his hand rested on the table, he felt the heel of his palm brush something and looked down to see the pile of Adrien pictures next to him. It sent another rush through his body at the reminder that she'd asked him to help her take them down. He was dating her, sure, but he wasn't foolish enough to think that there were no lingering feelings for Adrien. He knew where she stood and he was okay letting her test the waters with him, as she did have feelings for him and who was he to complain if his crush wanted to date him? Besides, he couldn't help wanting to see if maybe it would truly make their bond stronger.

Looking at the wall now, clear of anything but the pink paint, he knew this was real and ended up wishing he'd brought his guitar.

Then, remembering the akuma alert on Marinette's phone, Luka pulled out his own and began to search, eventually finding what she already had: a direct link to watch streams and updates on whatever akuma or sentimonster shenanigans were going on. He knew well enough that he would only give himself anxiety from it, but he wanted to watch his girlfriend in action as a form of support.

Gosh, Ladybug was his girlfriend.

He took a deep breath to steady himself as he watched the footage, his eyes locked to the screen and only shifting when he felt various figures drawing close. He looked up to see that the kwami had all gathered around him, watching the screen closely.

"So..." the pig-looking kwami began, fiddling with their own paws like they knew they were being awkward. "Have you ever wanted to be a hero?"

There was a hiss off to the side, Sass cutting in with, "He already has me."

Luka wasn't feeling up to smile at that, debating with himself before sighing. "Marinette works really hard, and her song is full of sour notes right now," he said. Stepping away and heading for the chaise lounge, he sat down and added, "I hope you can figure out how to rewrite them."

The kwami all exchanged looks, some confused by the metaphor and others who perhaps understood but didn't know how to follow up on it. Luka didn't give them his attention, focusing on the akuma battle playing on his phone.

As he'd expected, it made him a little nervous actually seeing Ladybug in action due to now knowing it was his girlfriend fighting out there. He believed in her abilities and mentally cheered her on, but he just kept remembering all the akuma he'd known about and how stressful it had to have been.

Off to the side, some of the kwami joined forces to help pick up some of the items they'd previously dropped on the floor. It was only after Marinette's room looked as it did before that they properly joined Luka to watch the battle with him.

It was a start.

—————

The battle between Ladybug and the akuma (and Chat Noir was there he supposed) seemed to be getting into its final verse when Luka heard the sound of the trap door being grabbed and clicked open, making him jump. He was only able to whisper a, "Hide," so the kwami could act before Sabine peered inside the room and took a curious look around.

Apparently, they all thought that huddling against his back was a great hiding spot, and he could only smile sheepishly at Sabine while attempting to ignore the weird feeling.

"You're still here?" Sabine asked. "I thought you were going somewhere, and..." She raised a brow, looking around once more. "Where's Marinette?"

"Ah," Luka began, his mind rushing for an excuse, "we actually decided to have our date here instead. Marinette just went up to her balcony to grab something."

It didn't feel good to lie, though he also felt a sense of accomplishment in protecting Marinette's secret. Was this what Marinette dealt with all the time; having to lie to people even if she didn't want to?

Sabine glanced up briefly to where the balcony was, then back to him, slightly confused but rolling with it. "Alright. Do you two need anything?"

"No, ma'am. Thank you though," he replied, hoping it didn't sound forced.

Thankfully, Sabine nodded and left without asking any further questions, the kwami emerging and clinging to Luka while they peered at the now-closed trap door. Luka breathed a sigh of relief, then went back to watching the akuma battle on his phone.

The rest of the fight took a couple minutes, and all that was left to do afterward was wait for Ladybug to return. Once again, Luka wished he had his guitar, making a mental note to get all of his feelings out when he got home, as typical music apps just didn't do anything for him.

An expected "thump" eventually came from the balcony, and the kwami drifting away from Luka as Ladybug descended and landed on her bed. She saw Luka staring at her and initially flinched, but it was clearly a reflex from people seeing her as Ladybug where she shouldn't be, and she hurried down to meet with him afterward. Luka hopped to his feet, not hesitating to meet her halfway and envelop her in a hug, earning a squeak out of her.

"L-luka?"

"Sorry," he murmured. "Just... I got to think about everything you must've gone through without m—" He choked off, suddenly embarrassed, then corrected, "—someone to help you."

She blinked, then giggled and hugged him back. "You're my boyfriend. You're apologizing for hugging me and being worried about sounding selfish?" She nestled her face against his shoulder and he blushed at how warm she was. "Don't. I like it when you're a little selfish, Luka. It grounds me; makes me feel like you're not totally out of my league."

Luka scoffed, nuzzling his head against hers. "You're in a league all your own. I'm literally dating a superhero."

"Trust me, it's not as cool as it sounds."

"I disagree. I think you're really cool."

She blushed profusely. "H-hey..."

He chuckled. "By the way, your mom came to check up on us."

Ladybug gasped, then pulled back, eyes wide and concerned. She was clearly about to apologize, so he cut her off before she could.

"I told her that we were having our date here and that you were getting something from the balcony. Everything's alright."

Her shoulders eased. She let out a sigh of relief as her head fell back against his shoulder. "Thank you."

He hummed contently, resting his hand along her back and keeping it there. Then, realizing when Sabine came up earlier and might do it again, he reminded her, "You're still Ladybug."

"Huh? ...Oh!" she said, though with less panic than normal and unwilling to recoil from the happy spot she was in.

He heard the whisper of her de-transformation phrase and winced as the light engulfed her, slowly turning her back into Marinette. He felt the spandex under his hand turn into fabric and Marinette's breath against his skin as she exhaled.

A kwami that Luka deduced was Marinette's flew a small distance away, eyeing Luka warily and semi-critically. Luka didn't blame her - he wasn't supposed to know - but he also knew that it was far too late to change anything now, and there was no way he was going to abandon Marinette or pretend he knew nothing. He imagined that the kwami knew that too.

"...I'm Tikki," the kwami greeted finally. "It's nice to meet you officially, Luka."

Luka gave her a nod in return, then stiffened somewhat as Marinette squeezed him tighter, burying her face further against him like she truly cherished him.

"It's still a lot," she whispered. "Is it okay if you hug me a little longer?"

"Of course." Though, he paused for a moment before adding, "Would it be more comfortable for you if we move to your chaise?"

"Hm?" She pulled away just enough to look down and realize that they were still awkwardly standing at the bottom of the steps to her bed. "Oh! Yeah, I mean—I didn't even—"

"Hey." He tenderly cupped her cheek, offering a smile. "I didn't complain, did I?"

She looked briefly surprised, making him wonder just how much she'd had to apologize in the past. They slowly made their way over to the chaise lounge, Luka settling down and opening his arms for her so she could settle onto his lap and snuggle against him. He leaned back against the chaise, throwing his legs across the length of it, then wrapped an arm around Marinette to make her feel secure.

"This is nice. It's... um—" She peeked up at him, then grinned shyly. "—melodic? Is that what you'd call it?"

He couldn't stop himself from snorting.

Marinette blushed in embarrassment. "H-hey! I'm trying, okay?"

"I know." He took a strand of her hair in his hand and stroked it. "You always try, and I love that about you."

She let out a series of whines at that, but doesn't protest the compliment either. She nestled against his chest, keeping her face turned away enough to still talk to him without her voice being muffled.

"I just... want to know more about you, Luka," she told him. "You're so sweet and I felt awful having to ditch you. Didn't it bother you?"

He gave a one-armed shrug. "You were busy. I unders—"

"Luka."

He stopped, meeting her firm gaze and knowing that he wasn't getting out of this easily. He sighed, admitting, "...Yeah, it bothered me, but it wasn't because of you or that I didn't trust you. I... see—my dad..." He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing that he'd never told anyone this story before. "I never knew who he was. I asked my mom so many times, but she never gave me an answer. Whenever you had to leave and lie to me, I..."

"Oh." She raised herself up more to meet him closer to eye level. "I'm so sorry—wait—sorry, you told me not to apologize—Sorry! I did it agai—ACK!"

He laughed, feeling warm and delighted by how much she cared about him and wanted him to feel secure in their relationship. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance, wanting to nuzzle her for how cute she was being and just barely able to hold himself back.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you were looking out for me, but you deserve someone to look out for you too."

She pouted a bit at the heartfelt comment, then smiled and raised her hand to settle on his along her shoulder.

He hummed, pausing purposefully for effect before asking, "...So, what does the great guardian Marinette want to do now?"

"Oh my gosh, Luka."

He grinned, happy to compliment her until she was completely red. "How about the brave and heroic Ladybug then?"

"Luka."

He reached up to caress her cheek with his thumb. "But, if you ask me, I like the kind, sincere civilian Marinette best."

"LUKA!"

—————

The rest of their "date" passed by smoothly, Marinette's parents having left them alone so as to not interrupt anything. Marinette had idly brought up the idea that the movie might still be playing - just at a different time than they planned on going - but Luka brushed off the idea and insisted that he was happy there and didn't need to go on a "real" date with her to have fun, opting to leave it up to her.

And... yeah, neither of them were willing to leave their current position and exchange it for having to sit in different seats at a theater with other people around. They opted to just stare at the ceiling and talk, the kwami having respectfully retreated to Marinette's bed to give them privacy.

Talks of their past meetings and when she left to become Ladybug soon turned into a game of finishing Jagged Stone lyrics. Luka, either by being the bigger fan or just having an easier time remembering them, ended up winning in the end, though he couldn't have expected Marinette to follow up by immediately leaving his lap. He'd held back a whine at the sudden lack of warmth and wondered if maybe she'd been teasing him with some sort of punishment by going away.

But then she'd returned with a tiny pink gift box, and inside was a guitar pick necklace signed by Jagged Stone himself.

"He came into the bakery the other day and I had him sign it for you," she explained. Taking it out to fully present it to him, she asked, "Do...do you like it?"

"I love it, Marinette," he replied immediately, reaching out to feel the guitar pick and properly appreciate it. "I can have this?"

She smiled in response, holding the necklace out in a gesture that made his heart skip a beat, realizing that she was offering to put it on him herself. He leaned close, feeling the light brush of her fingers against his neck as she slipped it onto him. He silently hoped that it was durable because he was absolutely never taking it off.

Marinette's hands lingered on the string even when the necklace was fully on, Luka meeting her gaze to see that she was looking at him with all the love he'd ever dreamed of her offering him. He didn't say a word and neither did she, but with a light tug on his necklace, he was pulled towards her into a kiss. It was definitely too deep for their first but also so nice that neither of them cared, and not even the Ladybug revelation could outmatch his surprise at being so readily smooched.

Luka reached for the hand grabbing his necklace, Marinette letting go of it so they could thread their fingers together. His song was going crazy as she leaned forward, clearly wanting more from him and him being wonderfully helpless to resist her. He breathed her in, his other hand finding its place on her side. Her own hand rose up so her fingers could settle against the back of his neck, and he couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed by the sound he made when she started playing with his hair.

She didn't even pull away when their kiss broke, merely pressing her forehead to his while they each caught their breath. Despite the boldness she'd just displayed, she somehow couldn't maintain eye contact and ended up looking elsewhere while all he could do was stare at her in a daze.

"S-sor—" She paused, remembering again that he told her not to apologize. "I-I mean, I'm... not sorry? I—ah—remembered you saying that music is simpler than words, so I just—I thought that maybe I shouldn't ask you with words and just... play it instead?" Luka could feel the heat radiating from her blush as she hurriedly added, "Um... is that okay?"

He answered her with another kiss.

#type: story #story: oneshot #Flower Arrangement Shipping #episode: Truth #other: ml spoilers #((I may or may not have made that ending scene a little more passionate than it would be otherwise)) #((out of pure spite.)) #((You're welcome.)) #Pro LukaMari #Lukanette

[introvert--weeb]

Hello Can we talk about your talent girl you're shinning ❤💅💅

But seriously you're work is awesome

Tell me plz if I can request this:

Takemitchi coming back to the past not understanding what is missing for the future

He is in one of toman meeting waiting for the "talk" but he hear some noise behind the tree 🌳and when he go to see he find micky and his gf(s/o) kissing and being lovey dovey and then he understands that she is the reason of mickeys dark implusion (dk if i wrot it good)

Like her dying in his arms so like takemitchi want to save both of them (I'm sucker for this type of angst 🤧)

Sorry if this is too much 😅you don't have to do it just wanted to cry

Love 💘😻💜💛💚🧡💘😻💜💛💚🧡

Oh my god! I'm so glad you are enjoying my writing and thank you so much! You have just made my whole week with that! ❤️😭❤️

Of course! I am a sucker for angst (if you couldn't tell from my posts) and this is just amazing!!

Thank you so much for requesting and I hope you enjoy this @kimrena-stuff

--

Mikey X f!reader (fluff with angst)

TW: mentions of death, sadness, blood, violence, canon divergence, alternate timeline

--

The future still wasn't perfect in Takemichi's eyes. Sure, most of the people he tried saving survived but there still was no happy ending for any of them. And once again, Hinata had been killed.

It was confusing him. Surely he had made sure that everything was fixed in the past? What was he missing that could have caused another bad future. The blond had even asked Chifuyu about any events that could be coming up that would cause Mikey to turn out the same as he had every other future. Was it Kisaki? But Kisaki had been fired from Toman.

Chifuyu could not offer much information, after all, he did not know the future and Mikey hadn't declared a war on any other gangs since last time Takemichi had gone back. So there was no luck in that department. Maybe they were both overlooking something small that would be massive in the future?

Takemichi was sort of thankful that he had been called up about the Toman meeting that was happening that night. He could find his answer there, he was sure. After all, each meeting he had gone to so far had provided him with an idea of what was going to happen.

He had arrived at the shrine earlier than most other members. The only ones he really knew that had arrived were Draken, Mitsuya and Chifuyu considering that was who he hitched a ride with. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except Mikey wasn't with Draken as he usually would be.

Curiosity had gotten the better of the young Toman, he had went to ask Draken where the captain was. Draken simply pointed over to a gathering of trees, explaining that Mikey could usually be found there before meetings start. That seemed to only make the boy's curiosity worse, wondering what Mikey could be doing in the cover of the trees.

He couldn't be meeting up with Kisaki still, could he? Is that why the future was not getting any better? Panic filled Takemichi as he approached the trees. If he was talking with Kisaki then that could be his only chance to stop it and create the perfect future he wanted!

It was as he was getting closer that he heard what he thought was two voices talking quietly. Not quiet enough where it could be considered whispering but enough where Takemichi couldn't make out the words being exchanged. He could tell one of them was definitely Mikey but the other could have been anyone. Had Mikey decided to ally himself with someone even more dangerous than Kisaki was proving to be? After all, nobody in Toman had been able to see Mikey in the future so it could be possible.

Trying his best to hide himself from Mikey, Takemichi peeked his head around to find a sight that made his cheeks flush a dark red. Mikey had both hands against a tree trunk with an absolute hottie between them. At first, it seemed a little alarming for the younger blond until he had noticed the soft smile and blush that dusted your features.

It was only when Mikey leaned down to press a kiss to your lips that Takemichi had felt he was overstaying his welcome. Especially since he wasn't really welcome in the first place. He was simply a creepy peeper at that moment. Why did he keep ending up in these types of moments that made him look like a creep?! First it was with Emma and now he was essentially watching his captain make out with his girlfriend.

"I love you, Mikey." Your voice was breathless from that kiss, your eyes sparkling as they stared into your lover's dark ones. It was obvious to anyone that you were both so in love with each other. Hell, you were sneaking off together at any moment you could find just to be all lovey dovey with each other.

"I love you more, Y/N."

Takemichi had caught that small snippet of your conversation as he was trying to silently walk away. He really didn't want to be caught by the Invincible Mikey staring at the loving exchange after all. But it did get him thinking. Had you ever been mentioned in the future? Surely if you were this in love, you would remain by Mikey's side forever?

The Toman meeting started as it usually did. You would be sat on the stairs while your boyfriend would address the issues related to the gang. Everyone knew who you were, you would always be at the meetings after all unless you had to attend to other business. That would explain why Takemichi hadn't seen you. You must have been attending to other things every meeting that the blond went to. All throughout the meeting, Takemichi could only try and recall if you're present in some way in the future. Surely you would still be hanging around with the same people 12 years later.

He would have to contact Naoto in the future as soon as he could. After all, if there was something big that was going to happen then he would want to find out as soon as he could. And so, as soon as the meeting was finished, he made his way to the Tachibana household to find young Naoto.

"So, how did it go? Were you able to change anything?" That was the first thing Naoto asked once Takemichi had woken up. It was the same routine each time. Naoto would ask if he had changed anything, knowing that it wasn't enough since Hinata was still dead. But maybe if something had changed, they were a little bit closer to finding out what was causing this chain of reactions.

Takemichi shook his head and then dived headfirst into his question. He had asked if you were ever mentioned in one way or another. Maybe if you were still alive, something must have happened between you and Mikey which he could prevent from occurring. Just thinking back on how in love you both were with each other, he was beginning to doubt that it was a simple break up.

It had taken the two males a full hour until your name had popped up in their searches. It really didn't help that Takemichi only knew your first name and that you would hang out with Toman. The news article had filled the computer screen, a photo of you smiling in the top corner of the page. It gave off a vibe that didn't match the contents of the article.

You had been stabbed 15 times in the chest and stomach during a gang brawl between Toman and a gang Takemichi hadn't heard of yet. You were rushed to the hospital but had died before the doctors could reach you. It stated that it was a boy named Manjiro Sano that had brought you in.

It all started to make sense now. You had been caught up in the brawl and had sustained injuries that had ended your life. So Mikey had lost himself when you had died in his arms as he tried his best to save you.

Takemichi checked the date on which you had died. 2 days from today. Why wasn't this brawl mentioned at the Toman meeting?! Did Mikey keep it a secret or was it a spontaneous confrontation? Takemichi could only guess it was the second option. Especially since the brawl would take place at Toman's meeting spot at the shrine.

"I need to save Y/N from dying. That is what we were missing! If she survives, Mikey won't lose another piece of himself." And with that, the handshake that activated the time leaping had taken place.

Takemichi had explained his plan to Chifuyu. Explained how there would be a brawl the next day at the shrine and how that is possibly the trigger for the bad futures. After all, Mikey might stay sane with you by his side. Chifuyu couldn't believe what he was hearing. A gang would have the balls to enter the meeting place of Toman just to start a fight? They must either hold a huge grudge against them or were just plain insane. No gang was to ever enter another gang's meeting spot as it was seen as sacred.

The blond had vowed that he would do anything he could to protect you from harm and ultimately save Mikey from his dark future. Even if he had to glue himself to your side, he would make sure nothing happened to you. He would make up for the time he had failed to save Baji.

You and Mikey continued with your routine. Enter the tree clearing and spend some quality time together. You both exchanged kisses, splitting the dorayaki you would keep on you for your boyfriend, and joking around. Everything a couple in love should do.

The day of the brawl had arrived and so had the rival gang. It was in the middle of Mikey addressing his gang that the opponent's had arrived. The shock was quickly erased as the fighting began. Mikey had made sure you stayed close behind him so he could keep you safe, even though you could fight. Maybe not as well as most of the Toman members but you were capable of keeping yourself safe.

Takemichi scanned the entire shrine area in search of you. Relief had briefly enveloped the middle schooler. After all, if Mikey was with you, nobody could touch you. Or that's what everyone had thought. You had been separated from Mikey as soon as the gang members discovered you were cared for deeply by him. They had thought that if they got you, they could win the fight.

It was if the world was entering slow motion. Takemichi tried to push his way to where you were being dragged, the determination to save everyone being his main driving force. Mikey had yet to notice you were no longer behind him, too focused on taking out the leader and winning the brawl so he could take you home where you would be safe. However, that plan was quickly becoming less likely.

"Shit! Move out of my way!" Takemichi had panic pumping throughout his veins. If he couldn't get to you in time, there was no second chance. It was times like this that made him realise just how human he was. He was one boy, not a God. He could only do so much. But he was sure as hell gonna try and save you.

"Y/N!" Takemichi's voice carried across the entirety of the battlefield. So much so that everyone had frozen, especially Mikey. He turned his gaze to behind him where he thought you were only to find you were missing. Frantic, his dark eyes scanned the area until they rested on you being held against your will. The boy who held you had his arm across your neck, squeezing so you couldn't call out to your boyfriend. However, it was the knife that he pointed to your chest that had Mikey scared.

Takemichi was the only person who didn't freeze, pushing his way past the bodies that stood like statues. He could make it! He could save everyone with this one action! He was convinced that this was why Mikey had given into his dark impulses and why no-one could get their happily ever afters.

He was too late. The knife had pierced through your chest, narrowly missing any vital organs. This had seemed to spur the younger blond to increase his speed, trying to keep in mind that you could survive if he kept the stabs to a minimum. After all, the news article had explained how you had been stabbed 15 times. One was fixable. One he could deal with.

Mikey couldn't seem to move. His love had been stabbed. For no other reason than they were there and sticking by him. This wasn't fair. You had nothing to do with what the problem was and you shouldn't be paying the price for it either.

It felt like an eternity for Takemichi to reach where you were. His legs were screaming at him to stop and his heart was beating a million miles a minute. In the time it took him to get to you, you had sustained another two stabs in your stomach and chest. The person doing it was nothing short of a monster. He didn't care that you were innocent or that you were a girl. He just continued his mission.

The sound of skin to skin contact echoed, a sickening crack following along. Takemichi had landed the hardest punch he could muster against the side profile of the monster. The crack was the jaw breaking underneath the force. You were released as the perpetrator stumbled backwards, falling as he lost consciousness. Takemichi had made it but he wasn't confident that it was in time. He couldn't help but watch as you smiled and fell sideways. Fueled simply by the adrenaline, he had carefully picked you up in his arms before starting his journey to the hospital.

Draken had been the one to snap Mikey out of his daze, telling him to get his bike. There was no way that Takemichi would get there in time if he was simply thinking of running. And so that's what Mikey did. He fired up his precious bike, ordering the young blond to climb onto the back before speeding his way to the closest medical facility.

Due to all of this, you had survived. Takemichi had succeeded in saving you and thus saving Mikey. There was a possibility that the future would be good this time.

Once he had heard you were alive and doing well, Mikey had finally let himself react. Tears fell one after the other down his cheeks and relief had lifted his heart. He wouldn't lose you. You were alive because of Takemitchy. That is something Mikey couldn't thank the younger blond enough for. He had saved your life when Mikey could do nothing but watch.

Everyone expressed their gratitude for Takemichi. After all, they couldn't imagine what Mikey would turn out like if he had lost you during that fight. Takemichi had an idea but wasn't about to spill what the future he knew was like. Speaking of which, he did wonder how this had affected his future. Would everyone finally have their happy endings? He sure did hope so.

As soon as Naoto had shook his hand, Takemichi had found himself sitting at a table with a can of beer in his hand. Confused on what was going on, he glanced around at his surroundings. He was currently in a home that looked nothing like his apartment. Photos of a couple he vaguely recognised littered the walls, there was the scent of takeout wafting in the air, and the noise was loud yet joyful.

A few days later, Takemichi decided to head back to where he belonged. 12 years in the future. You had been discharged from the hospital and probably on a date with Mikey as he approached the Tachibana residence. Thinking about it, Mikey had seemed to brighten up more ever since you had been allowed out of the hospital. Takemichi laughed as he recalled Mikey buried under a large bouquet of your favourite flowers and a giant plushie of your favourite animal on that day. You had simply laughed before peppering the Toman leader's face in kisses. You had also planted a peck on the younger boy's cheek as a sign of how grateful you were to him. After all, if Takemichi hadn't done any of that, you wouldn't be able to spend anymore time with Mikey. You owed him your life.

That's when Takemichi realised he had done it. Hinata was chatting happily with Yuzuha and Hakkai about their experiences in Europe; Mitsuya, Smiley and Angry were laughing about some inside joke no-one knew about; Pah-chin and Peh-yan were discussing business relating to the real estate agency; Kazutora and Inui were drinking in the corner, simply observing the festivities; and Draken was chatting away happily to Mikey, his arm around Emma's waist as she tried to soothe their baby. Takemichi had saved them all. They were all OK. Most of all, Hinata was alive.

"Anyone needing any refills?" your voice trailed in from where you stood in the doorway connecting the living room and kitchen. You looked almost the same except for a few features. Takemichi knew at that moment that this was the perfect future for everyone, especially when Hinata had come over and kissed his cheek. The discussion around the room had suddenly become one as everyone spoke about the upcoming weddings between you and Mikey as well as the one between Takemichi and Hinata. For the first time in a long time, Takemichi could let go of the weight he had carried around and enjoy his life with his friends and his fiancé.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #mikey sano #mikey x reader #angst with a happy ending #anime drabble #tokyo revengers scenarios #manjiro sano #requested #takemitchy #takemichi hanagaki

[free-pancakes]

Levihan Song Prompt

Like My Father by Jax

Aged Like Fine Wine

a Levihan post-canon fix-it oneshot

AO3 link here

Summary: Hange and Levi send an adult Gabi off on her first date with Falco, heavily inspired by the lyrics of Like My Father by Jax

Notes: Thanks for the ask @29austro-lover, this ended up being such a soft little thing, and I loved writing it! it feels almost ooc but maybe this is just how it would feel to get a canonverse happy ending for levihan lmao

“I’m home!”

Gabi heard a tea kettle whistling from the kitchen as she hung her coat up by the front of the cabin, and closed the door gently behind her. A record player played softly in the living room, the sound of a piano filling the home.

She walked up to the small table in the foyer, smiling as her eyes ran over the bouquet of yellow roses lying on top of it. A small sticky note lay next to it—“Four-Eyes, don’t tell me titans are cuter than these damn flowers I picked for you.” Gabi laughed to herself after reading it.

“Gabi, is that you?”

“Yes, Captain!”

The thumping of a cane grew louder, until Levi popped his head through the doorway.

“Gabi, I told you to stop with that already. It’s been years since I’ve retired from the Survey Corps. Just call me Levi already.” His slightly graying hair swayed as he nodded his hand towards the sofa in the living room, and Gabi obliged to his routine.

She sat and waited until Levi shuffled in with a piping hot teapot, and he poured some for the both of them. As they sipped, they listened to the record player continue to play.

“Hange loves this song, right?” Gabi asked, almost getting Levi to smile—it made her wonder exactly what memories came to Levi’s mind as he listened to the song. He stood up, gesturing his hand towards Gabi, and she took it happily. He took her hand holding up to the side, supporting it, while Gabi let him lean a bit into her, keeping him steady without his cane. Levi led her, dancing slowly to the lovely song together.

Levi looked up at Gabi, a warm sensation swirling up inside him as he saw how much she’s grown since they had first met. Gabi had grown into a fine, strong-willed woman emanating sunshine—oddly very similar to someone they both knew all too well.

“Gabi, you better make sure that Falco brat is treating you right,” he said out loud. But in his head, he wanted to say that that boy should be treating his little girl like royalty—a queen for that matter, just as she deserved—as she was the closest thing he and Hange ever had to a daughter.

Gabi smiled, and squeezed Levi’s hand. But before she could reassure him, the sound of a horse and carriage came from just outside. Gabi knew by now there was nothing stopping Levi whenever Hange arrived home from a meeting. She could only assist him by handing him his cane—otherwise, he’d get so worked up if she helped him anymore than that. Gabi waited, staring outside the window as Levi approached the horse and carriage on his own. She couldn��t help but laugh seeing Jean and Armin always trying to help Hange out, their faces absolutely terrified every single time—Levi’s back was always towards her, but she knew he definitely had that menacing scowl strewn across his face to elicit such a reaction from them. But they knew to expect this—Levi always wanted to hold the carriage door open and help Hange out by himself.

Like clockwork, Hange would happily wish them farewell, while Levi simply waved them off, wondering why they still had to still bother Hange for advice—they were “grown and could handle it themselves” he had always complained. But Hange clearly didn’t mind.

Arm in arm, the two walked back in, Hange squealing at the flowers as Levi moved with purpose towards the kitchen.

“Oi Levi, titans are still cuter, though!” She yelled after reading his note.

“Why, because they’re gross, like you?” he retorted.

“No, because they’re at least taller than you!” she answered, and threw her head back in laughter.

Before Gabi could visibly cringe at their weird way of poking fun at each other, Hange walked into the living room, greeting her with a big hug and a kiss on the forehead. It never failed to make Gabi smile.

“I hope Levi wasn’t giving you a hard time! Your date with Falco tonight is going to be great, honey—“

“Ah titan shit!” Levi exclaimed from the kitchen. Hange and Gabi made eye contact, smirking before saying in unison, “Titans don’t shit!” and doubled over in laughter.

Levi brought out the pie he had been baking, the edges of the crust a bit dark, and a disappointed look on his face as he sat on the sofa next to Hange.

“Don’t worry, Levi! I like when the crust is a bit more crunchy on the outside!” Though suddenly, she paused and looked down at her belly, frowning as she poked at the excess layer of fat. “But my old body isn’t keeping up with all the sweets you make me anymore,” she muttered with a frown. Before she could dwell on it for any longer, Levi pushed the bangs out of her face and around her ear—“Pfft, well you look pretty hot today.”

She smirked, and placed her hand on his knee—“Hot, huh Shorty? Well—“

Gabi slapped her hands over her ears and groaned, “Guys, please don’t be weird while I’m around—“

A shy knock on the front door sounded, startling all three of them. Gabi rushed to find Falco standing their blushing like a fool, a small bouquet of lilies in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other. After catching up, a slice of pie, and a solid glare or three from Levi making Falco feel like he might just drop dead on the spot, the two decided it was time to go.

“Seeya later, oldies!” Gabi said teasingly.

Falco froze as he watched the smile disappear from Hange’s face, and Levi’s glare grow fiercer, and the two of them simultaneously flip them off. “Just you wait, age will hit you hard too someday!” Levi yelled as Gabi laughed and closed the door.

When the two reached the top of the hill, Falco looked back at the cabin, seeing Hange and Levi through the window, dancing together, a glass of wine in Hange’s hand. Hange leans back to look at Levi—

“And now cue Hange-san saying, ‘Levi, well you’re just like fine wine, better with age!’” And Falco’s jaw dropped as he watched Gabi’s mocking sync up perfectly with the words forming on Hange’s lips. Gabi giggled at Falco’s reaction.

“They’re perfect together right?” Gabi said under her breath, while Falco nodded confidently in agreement.

A wonderful evening later and a sweet hug goodbye, Gabi closed the door as Falco made his way up the hill. When he reached the top, he decided to take another look back at the cabin once again. He turned, and watched Gabi approach the sofa in the living room under the warm, dim light in the home. She smiled at Hange and Levi, both having fallen asleep next to each other. She stared lovingly at the two, noticing that the grey hairs grew a little more prominent on their heads with each day. Gabi carefully took Hange’s glasses from Levi’s hands, picked up the book that lay in Hange’s lap, and gently placed a blanket over the two of them. Falco smiled softly at the scene occurring before him, hoping he’d get to continue being a part of it. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stared up at the night sky, and wondered how the stars aligned so perfectly for the 4 of them to live out the happy ending that previously only existed in dreams.

#levihan #levihan fanfiction #levihan fanfic #gabi x falco #falbi #levi ackerman #hange zoe #falco grice #gabi braun

[innovativestruggles]

will you do tsukiyachi head canons?

I'm not very good with writing HC (I think I've only ever done it once in my life LOL) but I'll give it a go since you asked teehee ❤️

TsukiYachi HC

· Yachi would confess first - in a very roundabout, flustered manner that wasn’t supposed to come out like that

· Tsukki also liked Yachi but he never pursued those feelings and he thought she would never reciprocate, so he just left it and never bothered (plus he is insecure...)

· Tsukki would be pleasantly surprised with the confession and would be the one to say (in a very deadpan, listless voice), "so do you want to date then?"

· For the first few months of dating, Yachi would sometimes feel intimidated by Tsukki’s presence. Tsukki would sense this and would always comfort her by giving head pats

· Tsukki would be covertly protective of Yachi

· When they are travelling on packed trains, Tsukki would always make sure that Yachi’s back is against him and his arms are around her. This is to deter pervs. Yachi being so short and small would make her a prime target for creeps

· No one would dare do anything to Yachi because Tsukki is too tall and intimidating (and he would genuinely have a ‘piss off’ look on his face)

· He would enjoy teasing her whenever he can. Tsukki likes taking items from Yachi and holding them out of her reach just for fun

· But he would always keep an eye out to make sure Yachi does not trip from jumping excessively trying to get them back

· Several times this would happen and Tsukki would always be ready to catch her if she stumbles. He would then use the opportunity to tease her and hug her

· Yachi would be so mortified she would try and hide underneath his jacket to cover her embarrassment (but she would be equally happy that she gets the extra cuddles)

· This would get Tsukki flustered and he would stop teasing her immediately to recollect himself

· Yachi would eventually catch on to this and use it as her ultimate weapon if Tsukki was being particularly ruthless. She would just come forward and hug him really tight. He would give the item back to her every time

· Several times Tsukki would suddenly return the ‘stolen’ item to Yachi without further explanation. Unbeknownst to Yachi, she was jumping too high in her school skirt and people could see beneath it. Tsukki noticed this and stopped what he was doing immediately. He ain’t gonna let anyone (except him) perv on his girl

· They would walk back home from school together holding hands. And after several months, they would start giving each other goodbye pecks before parting ways for the night

· Yachi would sometimes make surprise bento lunches for Tsukki in an attempt to get him to eat more (and because she wants to show her love and appreciation for him)

· Yachi and Tsukki would make time to have lunch together just the two of them a couple times a week

· They would study together. A lot.

· They would often have deep and meaningful conversations about everything and anything

· Tsukki would get annoyed if Kageyama or Hinata (or anyone really) asks him study questions, but does not mind if Yachi does

· Tsukki is only patient when he teaches Yachi

· Sometimes in the middle of studying, an exhausted Yachi would crawl onto Tsukki’s lap and fall asleep

· “How am I supposed to study?” Tsukki would say this every time, but then he would just embrace her and fall asleep against her (he’s obviously exhausted as well!)

· Every time they have an intensive study session that would occur late into the night, they would do a sleepover

· Yachi would wear all of Tsukki’s star shirts as her nightdress whenever she sleeps over

· They would initially start off by being modest – Yachi sleeping on the bed (whether hers or Tsukki’s) and Tsukki sleeping on the floor next to her. But then he would always somehow end up cuddling up to her on the bed…

· They both have a couple’s photo on their phone lock screen (taken on a special Christmas Eve date)

· Yachi likes to do a lot of cutsey things (like taking sticker photos) on their dates, whereas Tsukki doesn’t. He would go along with them all because seeing Yachi smile is what matters most to him

· They would text each other goodnight every night (unless they are doing a sleepover, then it would be a goodnight kiss)

· Tsukki dislikes PDA but can be affectionate in private given the right moment

· Tsukki has a sweet and sensitive side only Yachi can see

· Yachi understands Tsukki better than anyone. He doesn’t often show emotions, whether happy or sad, but Yachi would see through all this and knows exactly when to comfort him

· Tsukki likes his hair being touched! He’d be most relaxed when he is lying on Yachi’s lap and Yachi is gently stroking his hair

· Yachi would hand make Tsukki a strawberry shortcake (his favourite food) every year for his birthday

· They would sometimes do a joint birthday celebration together, as they share the same birth month

· After every volleyball match, Yachi would always give Tsukki a hug (despite his (slight) protest that he is all hot and sweaty)

· On several occasions after a winning match, Tsukki’s teammates would attempt to hug him, but he would irritably step away. Then he would just let Yachi right at him (his teammates would sulk about this for quite some time)

· Yachi would often get distracted checking out Tsukki when he is playing volleyball. Several times she would forget to update the scoring board and got a mini lecture from Ukai, much to Tsukki’s confusion

· At the end of their first year, Tsukki and Yachi would one day have a random conversation that ended in them both deciding to grow their hair longer

· Yachi is the only girl outside Tsukki’s family that has ever been in his room

· Tsukki’s brother and mother loves it when Yachi visits. His mother would always embarrass them when she starts talking about future grandkids. Though Tsukki would be visibly irritated, he actually doesn’t mind

· Yachi's mother is quite fond of Tsukki and would always be welcoming of him

· Yachi would sometimes eat dinner at Tsukki’s house (since her mother is always working late), and sometimes Tsukki would come over to her place and they cook something together

· Tsukki is pretty good at cooking, Yachi is better at baking!

· Tsukki hates seeing Yachi cry the most. He once threatened Hinata and Kageyama that he would punch them both and walk off the team if they don’t make up from their fight that made Yachi cry

Maybe I should write a story that combines all these elements?!

I hope you enjoyed them at least, anon! 💞

#my brain went off its rocker with all these hc #i actually had to try and put them in a sensible order as they were all over the place #but that was what made it fun #it's so much harder to write hc than i thought #but i tried #i def prefer writing teehee #but nevertheless this was still fun to imagine up and i can so see some of these happening if they got together #aaaaahhhh #and i'm so sorry i took so long to respond to your ask! #thanks for the ask #tsukiyachi #tsukiyachi headcanons #tsukishima kei #yachi hitoka #ask #haikyuu

[help-i-need-a-cool-username]

Been thinking about what Mordred's life in Camelot would've been like if Merlin didn't hate him and then thought about how if Morgana was around she would probably always give him her favor at every tournament (until he married) and the other knights would tease him for that so have a broad outline for a Beloved Characters Dont Turn Evil AU

Morgana discovers her magic and Merlin swears to her that he'll protect her. He comforts her when she's scared and Merlin begs Gaius to share his knowledge and suspicions about Morgana to Morgana herself. One night Morgana bursts into their quarters in hysterics, waking them up, screaming and sobbing, and it feels like Merlin's hug is the only thing holding her together but its not enough. Glass starts shattering, candles flare, chandeliers fall to the ground. Gaius decides at this point not telling her will do considerable more harm than not, to both herself and others. They stay up through the night. Gaius speaking and Morgana asking questions, Merlin with a supportive hand on Morgana's shoulder. At one point Morgana tearfully asks the question Merlin asked Gaius long ago, "am i a monster?". They all fall asleep at the table, and that morning when Gwen arrives to wake Morgana only to find her absent with her blankets thrown over the bed and several things knocked over she runs and alerts the guards. The guards initiate lockdown and the commotion reaches Uther and wakes Arthur (Merlin is once again late), and they proceed to fear she was kidnapped right under their noses without anyone knowing. Arthur runs down to get Merlin so he can prepare him for the day only to open the door to find the three of them asleep on the table.

Later Merlin organizes for Morgana to learn more than Gaius can tell her from the Druids, but she intends to stay the night at least, if not then significantly longer (anywhere from a week to several months), and they have no good excuse for her to use that would allow her to leave without Gwen and guards. They come up with some very convoluted plan, which does not end up in the raid that occurred in canon, and when Gwen catches her sneaking back she lies and says she wanted to check up on Mordred (who she did run into), to see if he was with the Druid encampment that was rumored to be nearby (which he was). She didn't learn nearly as much as she hoped in those few hours, but they at least pointed her in a direction.

Morgause comes to town, and leaves Morgana her bracelet. After discovering it stops her visions Morgana takes it to Gaius, who reveals it was enchanted and looks similar to the one Lady Vivienne used to wear. Morgana states Morgause got it from her mother, but that Lady Vivienne was Morgana's mother and wonders how the bracelet ever got to Morgause. Gaius says there was a rumor that Lady Vivienne had a baby that displayed a affinity for magic, but Gorlois told Uther their baby had died before they even named her. Gaius reveals that the baby was smuggled out of Camelot and given to the High Priestesses, and Morgause might very well be that baby. Morgana begins to long for a connection with Morgause, to meet the sister she never knew of and recover something of her dead parents. When she begins secretly meeting Morgause, she tells Merlin and then asks him to come with her when she begins receiving lessons from her. Morgause tries to convince them that killing Uther is the right thing to do, but Merlin keeps reassuring Morgana that all they need to do is convince Arthur to change the law for when he is king, and he's not ready to do that now so theres no use in killing Uther before he's ready, and that she does love Uther and Uther does love her and would try to "fix" her well before he ordered her death. Morgause still wants him dead, to rush the prophecy of magic's return. Them sneaking out every few nights cements the idea that Morgana and Merlin are secretly dating in castle gossip.

Im not sure what happens with Morgause, but i think she would still take Camelot at some point and she would spare Morgana and by extension Merlin. Morgana and Merlin make sure to get Arthur out (and Merlin probably goes with him) because they dont trust Morgause to not kill him. Morgause reveals her heritage (and makes Morgana a Princess and her Heir) despite claiming the throne for people of magic and not the House of Gorlois, and the knowledge that Vivienne and one of her daughters were sorceresses leads Uther to believe he can not save Morgana from magic that is likely in her blood and THAT is what breaks his mental state. Morgana's real heritage is revealed soon after, with Uther informing Gaius that Morgana being a Princess is actually within her birth rights. Morgause continues Morgana's training because at some point Morgana has to become a High Priestess because canon. That or Morgause switches sides (this is a Beloved Characters Dont Go Evil AU might as well make it No Beloved Characters Are Evil AU) and she trains Morgana later after Arthur is a established King.

Morgause is overthrown and the Round Table formed. Arthur as well as several people in the castle know of or suspect Morgana of being a sorceress but he refuses to banish her, first believing it to have been out of her control (forced by Morgause) and later learning that her nightmares had been magic all along (how could he punish her for something he knows she had tried to get rid of for over a decade?). Perhaps he lets her keep the title of Princess, having always seen her as a sister (and someone who is compassionate for the people in a way royalty should be) and armed with the new knowledge of her being his actual sister. Everyone expects Regent Arthur to crack down on magic, its what Uther would have done and what the people want, so he does. Morgana becomes a advocate for magic, as she had been for Arthur in private as a Prince, and it scares people in the castle. They believe her to be working with Morgause, despite her arguments being for individuals' wellbeing and how punishments fuels hatred for Camelot. Several attempts are made on her life, many stopped by Merlin and Gwen and sometimes Lancelot. Arthur often "asks" Merlin for his opinion on magic and with Morgana's voice being public he feels okay with being straight with Arthur on what he thinks. Uther dies same as he did in canon: protecting Arthur from a assassination.

Mordred becomes a Knight because canon. Morgana is ecstatic to see him again and acts like a mother who hasn't seen her child in ages when she first sees him. Merlin has learned you often make the enemies that are destined to kill you (ex. trying to stop Morgana's visions from coming true) so he ignores Kilgharrah and doesn't hate Mordred (he is always wary though). Mordred alternates between childlike eagerness around the knights and following Merlin around while hero worshiping him (no one can figure out why. Their best guess is that Morgana is a mutual friend). In the beginning he kept messing up his name (calling him "Merlin" is just weird) and they often talk in their heads and therefore just stare at each other which has led to two conflicting rumors: theyre in love or they hate each other. Morgana often invites him to dinner, and when they dine with Arthur they easily slip into mind-talking (because chewing) and Arthur is convinced that they're making fun of him every time they do it. He protects Arthur when Merlin can't, often runs off to do side quests Merlin needs to do but cant get away to do, and often tags along with Merlin on his quests. Being able to share the knowledge of his destiny since Lancelot died (if he dies in this AU) relaxes Merlin's caution and allows him to be emotionally closer to him. Mordred enjoys being around Merlin and Morgana not just because he's Emrys and she's Morgana, but because they are the closest thing to home he has: they know what he is, they understand (bits) of his culture and make it possible for Mordred to share it with them, their individual magic sings strong enough to remind him of when he lived surrounded by it. He quickly grows to love them so very much and no one understands WHY. The knights tease him about it, and Morgana forcing Arthur to take Mordred on certain missions he isnt qualified for "so he can learn" does not help. Gwaine and Percival were planning to convince him that he couldnt compete in a tournament without a lady's favor because he's the rookie and his panicked look greatly amuses them only to find Morgana giving him her's before kissing his cheek. They were relentless after that, alternating between "lady's favors dont count if they're from your mom," "Mordred has a girlfriend," and whatever the medieval version of affectionately calling him "Bambi" is. Morgana sits in the stand's throne (since Arthur is competing) or besides it if Gwen is queen, and she flashes a smile at him when he comes out (Gwen too. He's a sweet kid with a baby face, of course he's one of her favorites. He also reminds her of Merlin when she first met him: kind, awkward, cute). This settles Mordred's nerves but has the unfortunate side effect of increased teasing. Merlin doesn't let it go to far, he never does, and gives them a distraction before running back to Arthur.

And then magic is brought back to the land and Morgana continues the work of the High Priestesses and helps the rebuilding efforts and they're still adventures and problems, but everyone Lives Happily Ever After

#hinacu merlin #bbc merlin #morgana #mordred #merlin #morgause #au #morgana is good au #mordred is good au #to clarify merlin and morgana never date #its just castle gossip and arthurs assumptions #mordred has familial love for morgana and no you dont need a family dynamic for that #people make mom jokes but its not like that #morgana cares a lot about people and wants to protect them but mordred is ''new'' and ten years younger than her #so mom jokes are too easy #morgana tells merlin of her visions and he sets out to stop them like when kilgharrah tells him stuff #and then she gets her bracelet and that stops but its not like merlin can ask her to take it off #idk when morgana finds out about his magic #maybe he tells her about the whole dragonlord thing but i dont trust her not to NOT say something about it when defending him #he def would have kept it a secret around morgause and in canon she didnt seem to know his power but nimueh did so who knows #i like to think she has no idea that he has powerful magic that hes actually super weak with it since he almost never does magic #big fan of mordreds silent hero worship

[duckprintspress]

What is a Story?

When Duck Prints Press put out our call for applicants, we asked everyone to submit “a sample of their work (between 1,000 and 2,000 words)… [that] must function as a short story.” When we reviewed the 100+ samples we received, we noticed many areas where writers commonly struggled. Based on what we learned, we’ve planned a number of blog posts to discuss these challenging areas, and we’ve decided to tackle one of the most frequent issues first. Many otherwise strong submissions lost points on our rubric line regarding “plot and events,” and specifically, they scored a 1 or a 2 because “the story has no plot (for example, is a vignette).” 

So, this begs the question, what is a story, and, of course, what isn’t a story?

(note that throughout this post, I use the word “narrative” to refer to any amount of text that may or may not be a story, and I use story only in a more narrow, specific sense.)

What is a story?

The answer is deceptively simple: a story is any narrative that has a plot. But...what is a plot? There are many ways to define a plot, but at its most basic, a plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and by the ending, something has changed. If, at the end of the story, nothing has changed, then it’s not a story. However, even if something has changed, it’s still not necessarily a story, because characters and time-frame also influence the definition. A narrative without at least one character is not a story. Likewise, a narrative time-frame, if it’s discussing events at a meta-level (“this happened, then this happened, then this happened”) may show that changes occur, but it’s still not a story - it’s an overview or an outline. The lines, of course, can be blurry - and where any given author, reader, or DPP reviewer draws the line between “this is a story” and “this isn’t a story” will vary. 

How is a story communicated to the reader?

To function as a story, the narrative must include characters. Now, character doesn’t necessarily have to mean person, or even require sentience, but there must be some point of view being explored, and if the character is an animal or an inanimate object, writing it as a character will require a degree of anthropomorphizing. The key aspect is that the character has some form of agency - some ability to interact with and influence their surroundings. This character will have a point of view and a perspective that affects how they perceive the story’s setting, and by the end of the story this character should have either changed themselves, or changed their surroundings, or changed their relationships. The circumstances around this character must be different by the end of the story than they were at the beginning - or else it’s not a story.

What is change?

As part of the narrative, one or more characters in the story must engage in some form of activity that results in the world around them changing. Writing advice most oftenly calls this “conflict,” but honestly? I hate that word. The classic couching of “person vs. self, person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. society, person vs. fate” as the available types of conflict is tired. Defining the only kind of change as conflict and specifically describing it as “x versus y” is to automatically get a potential writer thinking in terms of antagonism. While antagonism is one available type of change, it’s not the only, and while many pieces of writing advice point out that these “versus” constructions don’t mean enmity by nature...why not simply choose a less confusing construction, one that doesn’t require addenda to explain the existence of narratives that clearly are stories but are less “versus” and more “and” - “person and self,” “person and person,” “person and nature,” “person and society,” “person and fate.” I’ve opted to use the word change, because one of the clearest ways to tell if a narrative is a story or not is to look at the nature of the character(s) are at the beginning, and look at the nature of them at the end, and say - what’s different? Maybe they’ve built something. Maybe they’ve reached a new understanding. Maybe they’ve conquered a challenge. Maybe they’ve altered their perspective. Maybe they’ve learned something. Maybe, they’ve changed the world, or maybe, they’ve just changed a light bulb - but something has changed.

Before some writing snob comes at me and says, “okay, fine, we dare you to come up with a plot that doesn’t fit into the classic five conflict types” ...of course we can’t. That model functions because all stories can be shoehorned into it, as long as very loose definition of “conflict” and “versus” are used. But because it’s described in oppositional terms, a lot of writers get distracted by that terminology and think there has to be, well, a conflict, in the narrow definition of the word. And that’s clearly absurd - many of our favorite fanfiction tropes, for example, are fluffy and comforting and soft precisely because they’re not about conflict, they’re about harmony. Yes, “enemies to lovers” is wonderful, but so is “friends to lovers.” Two people going on a date that ends with a marriage proposal is a story: they started out as a couple and ended engaged. Something has changed - their relationship status. But to call that “person versus person,” while perhaps technically correct, is ludicrous. Now, to keep it interesting, there might be some “person versus self” - “I’m not worthy of this love, omg do they really care for me, oh will society give us problems if we say yes?” which is how it can be shoehorned into the “conflict” model. But be it ever so soft, and their love ever so accepted, and their faith in each other ever so steady - if there really is no conflict, just those two people meeting up and having a nice night and ending in a proposal...it’s still a story. To say it’s not a story because there was no conflict, only an advancement of their relationship...yes, a story like that is borderline to being a vignette or “slice of life” narrative. Certainly, if there’s zero sources of tension, it may not be a very interesting story, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a story. 

What else does a story need?

Honestly - not much. Don’t get us wrong - a story is stronger if it has a setting so that it doesn’t just take place in endless blankness. A story with multiple characters but no form of dialog (verbal or non-verbal) may be a little flat. A story where something changes but some of the introduced plot elements aren’t resolved will feel incomplete to a reader. A story without any negativity could be boring. Stories lacking these elements may not be good stories...or they could be amazing, and innovative, showing how a tale can be told without elements we usually consider essential! As long as something or someone has changed, and the story is told in a narrative, descriptive format that includes a character - it’s a story.

What isn’t a story?

Things that aren’t stories fall into two broad categories:

Narratives that have description, characters, dialogue, setting, and other story elements, but nothing changes. Examples of this are “slice of life” narratives and what, in fandom-parlance, would be called an episode coda or canon insert - a chunk of narrative deliberately meant to make a bridge between two established events but in which nothing can change because the surrounding events remain established. (A coda or insert might be a story, it varies.)

Narratives that are either entirely “show” (for example, a vignette) or entirely “tell” (for example, a synopsis),  These can also be seen as relating to time - either there’s little or no passage of time (usually the case in vignettes) or far too much passage of time (usually the case in synopses). Narratives like this may or may not include a character, but even if they do, they’re still not stories. Why not? Because any story that is entirely “show” and involves minimal passage of time is unlikely to result in change, and instead will be an extended description of a moment. And any story that is entirely “tell” and depicts a large swath are overviews - there’s no element to actually grab a reader and no reason the reader should care about this dry relationship of events. That’s not a story - it’s a history textbook.

Drawing the lines between these categories can be difficult, and to some extent will come down to taste. Anyone who says there’s a hard-and-fast rule in writing is a liar. Just because a synopsis or a “slice of life” narrative isn’t usually a story doesn’t mean they will never be one. But, in general, if you’re looking at a piece of work and you’re trying to determine if it’s a story or not, there are some signs that will strongly suggest it’s not a story:

There are no characters.

There is no setting.

Nothing has changed between the beginning and ending of the narrative.

The entire narrative is an extended description of a single person/object/setting.

The entire narrative could easily be reworded into a sequence of, “thing one happened, then thing two happened, then thing three happened, then thing four happened.”

The narrative feels like a “pause,” or a “bridge” that takes place between two events that aren’t depicted in the narrative.

A central conflict or issue is introduced or described in details, but nothing is done to try to solve the issue.

Now, for the most important part of this discussion of what isn’t a story: writing something that isn’t a story isn’t a bad thing! Especially in fanfiction communities, we live for self-indulgent narratives that make us happy. We love to see those “moments between.” We live for a thought-out thousand-year history for some setting that didn’t originally have that much background. These kinds of narratives are fun to write, and especially when they’re part of an existing franchise, can be a delight to read. We are not saying that there is literally anything wrong with writing a narrative that isn’t a story. 

That said, Duck Prints Press’s applicant call specifically asked authors to submit a writing sample that was a story, with the eventual goal of selecting authors to write short stories for an anthology. Which is to say: there’s nothing wrong at all with writing “slice of life” stories, codas, canon inserts, vignettes, or synopses - it’s simply not what we asked people to submit in this specific case, and we’ve come to see that a lot of people submitted non-stories without an apparent understanding of the difference, and we wanted to explain that difference.

But, to everyone reading this: write whatever brings you joy, in as much detail or vagueness as makes you happy, and share it with whoever you want. Just also understand, that for many types of narratives, if you’re asked “is that a story?” it’s not. That’s not to create a hierarchy - they’re all equal as art forms, they’re just not the same.

Okay I kinda understand this in theory but what do these differences actually look like in practice?

In long-form works, it’s usually relatively easy to recognize what is a story and what isn’t. Almost every novel ever published has a plot, and has things change, and is therefore a story. (though there are exceptions - Wikipedia lists a few longer vignettes and, when done thoughtfully, it can be astonishingly effective.) However, in shorter works, it can be difficult to tell the difference - and, as previously mentioned, the lines can blur.

In the interest of giving an idea of what the differences are, here are a few examples I quickly cooked up to try to show you all, since I’ve done a lot of “telling” so far (this blog post: also not a story, ha!) and very little demonstration. These are each around 150 words, to show that even in a tiny word count, any of these narrative structures is a viable choice. (Sorry these aren’t high literature - I just threw them together for this post, so I’d have something that suited.)

(read more)

A story - a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, where something changes:

The door slammed open. Looking up from her embroidery, Victoria blinked as Margaret strode into the room.There was an air of expectancy that was inexplicable to Victoria; she grew more confused when Margaret approached and dropped to one knee.

“What are you doing?” Heart pounding, Victoria attempted self-restraint, but she couldn’t rein in her hope, because it almost looked like...it seemed like...but--

“Proposing,” announced Margaret, pulling a velvet-covered box from her pocket and opening to reveal an emerald set in a gold band.

“But you can’t!”

Margaret tilted her head to the side and frowned. “Why not?”

Objections occurred to Victoria, but examining them...she couldn’t think of a one that Margaret wouldn’t demolish with her usual brilliance. “You know what? You’re right. Who’s to stop us? And...I accept.”

And as Margaret slipped the ring onto Victoria’s finger, she knew: there could be no objection. Nothing had ever felt so right in her life.

“Slice of life” - a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, where nothing changes:

“What a day!” said James, dropping onto the couch with an exhausted sigh. 

“I know what you mean,” Tom agreed. He fumbled a hand across the cushion separating them, and James delighted in the simple comfort of threading their fingers together.

A beep, beep, beep sounded in the kitchen, announcing that the microwave had finished nuking their leftovers.

“You getting that?” asked Tom.

“It’s your turn!” James countered.

“But I don’t want to let go of your hand.” Tom gave his hand a squeeze, and a pleased glow suffused James’s chest.

It was Tom’s turn to retrieve their dinner.

But Tom was right - holding hands was wonderful.

“Let’s get it together,” James suggested. 

Hesitating, Tom remained still as James sit up and gave a tug on their joined arms, then he broke into a smile and rose at James’s side.

“I love the way you think.”

“I love you, too, darling”

And together - always together - they got their dinner.

“Bridge” scene, episode coda, or canon insert-style fic - a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, where nothing changes:

Arriving home after the battle, Sandy opened the rough-hewn door and shed her damaged armor. Her dented cuirass had left an aching bruise across her chest; she carried it to the smithy out back for repair in the morning. A gash on her thigh throbbed where an arrow had pierced the straps holding her greaves in places; she brought them to her leather-working station. Nicks and fissures marred her once-gleaming sword blade. All Sandy wanted was to collapse in bed, but resisted the pull of relaxation, because blood limned the damaged places red, and repair to the damaged weapon couldn’t wait. Taking a seat, placed her feet on the treadles that set her whet stone to spinning and set about polishing out every imperfection.

Yes, she was exhausted.

But her sword must be cleaned, and smoothed, and honed, and prepared.

Sandy must be prepared.

There would always be another battle to be fought.

Vignette, a narrative without a beginning, a middle, or an end, which may or may not have a character, and nothing changes and in which the emphasis is on showing, rather than telling (but, as in this example, a combination may be used):

The wind blew chill down the narrow mountain pass. All was silent, save for the rush of the breeze. All was still, save where gusts stirred the tall grasses and the branches of trees that reached, claw-like, toward the sky. 

Once upon a time, a stream had carved this cut through the cliffs, forcing its way through soft chalk and hard shale, leaving jagged stones that emerged from the steep pass walls like teeth. The stream was long dry, now, only water-smoothed stones strewn across the ground to show where it had ever been.

Once upon a time, travellers had traversed the dried-up rill bed, pounding down the dirt, knocking the rocks aside, leaving scars where their fires burned. They’d lived, and laughed, and explored, and sought...and left, never to return.

Now, there was nothing: nothing but the storm.

And all was silent.

And all was still.

And the wind blew, chill, down the narrow mountain pass.

Synopsis, a narrative with a beginning, a middle and an end, which may or may not have characters, and where something changes, and in which  the emphasis is on telling rather showing:

Emperor Xiang Zhen was born in 9884 to Dowager Empress Luo Zexi and the warlord Xiang Yijun. After his birth, there was a long period of strife. Those who supported Xiang Yijun’s claim to the throne battled those who still supported the Dowager Empress’s deceased husband Peng Zhenya. Eventually, the factions found common ground when Xiang Zhen came of age, and he was enthroned in 9902. 

With his reign came peace and prosperity. The arts flourished. Scholarship advanced, and many great Dao masters arose, using cultivation to rid the land of evil’s left by the long war. Xiang Zhen longed to join a Night Hunt himself, but he was trapped by his political position. He didn’t dare risk the fragile stability in the Empire. If something happened to him, the results could be catastrophic. So he studied, and ruled, and adjudicated, and endowed, and endured.

Xiang Zhen did as he must.

But, oh...he wished he weren’t alone.

I know this is long, so we’ll leave this discussion at this point. Hopefully you found it helpful, and please do let me know if you have any questions! Duck Prints Press is always here to offer support to writers, and we love getting writing asks!

#duck prints press #writing advice #original content

[makaylajadewrites]

Another Aspect

Hi all! I wrote this work for @endingsbeginnings​ - I hope you all enjoy!

Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid

Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Autism, Autistic Spencer Reid, Established Relationship

Summary: Spencer has a meltdown on the job, but Derek is there to help him through it.

Word count: 1173

Read on AO3 here

It was a bad one. No amount of blood or gore fazed Spencer, but something about kids always seemed to get to all of them. Not just any kids - autistic kids, and other special needs children who were snatched on their ways to and from school, only for their bodies to be found nearly twenty-four hours later. Evidence of sexual assault was left on every body, most of which were male, but this unsub did not discriminate against gender. It seemed he was not preferential, and most of them hypothesized that choosing special needs kids made the abductions easier, and Spencer was so incredibly disgusted by the mere thought. How could anyone do those things to a defenseless child?

He was reaching his breaking point. The overwhelming urge to stim was encroaching on him, and he could tell that he was on the verge of a complete and total meltdown because the details of this case were harrowing and he felt so helpless, since all of the leads they had followed thus far ended up going nowhere. Already, a child had died while they were on the case. Seeing his distressed parents crumble against each other as JJ delivered the unfortunate news, through the glass windows of the conference room was heartbreaking. His hands were trembling already. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know.

But then there was Morgan… Derek Morgan, his partner, whom he absolutely adored. Fortunately for Reid, the feelings were very mutual; they had been dating for about ten months now, naturally gravitating towards each other after Tobias Hankle. There was just something they saw in each other, a sense of belonging, of home, that made it work, even though most would look at them and see polar opposites. But they were happy together, and Spencer had never before been in a relationship where his partner was so understanding of his autistic traits - it was like Morgan didn’t even consider it a problem like most did, but rather, he accepted it as another unique aspect of Spencer.

He and Prentiss had just returned from their canvas of the latest crime scene. Prentiss went off to join Rossi in his endeavor through the old case files, and Morgan rejoined with him at their space in the middle of the police department. Spencer had been sitting in that exact spot for at least ten minutes, although he wasn’t entirely sure since he lost track of time when he was in his own head, attempting to escape from the chaos of sensory hell all around him. There were so many people, all around him, so u

“You got anything, Reid?” Derek asked, sounding a bit exacerbated, most likely because nothing had turned up from their investigation at the crime scene. Reid couldn’t find it in himself to respond right away, but when his lips parted, the most horrific thing occurred;

“You got anything, Reid?” He responded effortlessly, his eyes widening in realization at what he had done. He was immediately overcome with embarrassment, his hands balling into fists over his legs. His lower lip began to tremble.

“Okay, it’s okay, baby… Why don’t we go somewhere quiet, okay?” Morgan said, reaching a hand out to allow Spencer to initiate contact himself. Spencer looked up at him, biting his lips to prevent himself from talking, because he knew very well that he would only repeat what Morgan was saying to him. He couldn’t help it - sometimes his brain just overused itself so much that finding words of his own was too difficult, and instead found comfort in repeating what he heard. His hands fidgeted in his lap still, and he stared at the extended hand with an expression somewhere between fear and trepidation. He slowly took it though, standing up with Morgan’s help. As soon as he was standing though, he recoiled rather violently, and instead chose to follow Morgan away from the bustling center of the police department and into an unused office that was dark and empty.

Once inside, Morgan closed the door behind them, pulled the blinds and, without touching the younger man, guided Spencer to sit down on the small sofa inside. Spencer did so, wordlessly, pressing his ever-twitching hands in between his thighs.

“You’re okay, Spencer,” Morgan said to him, crouching down in front of him and opening up his messenger bag, digging around for a stim toy.

“You’re okay, Spencer,” Reid repeated immediately, raising a hand up since he was unable to resist the urge to chew on his finger, nibbling lightly and reveling in the slight discomfort it gave him. Derek glanced up from the bag, a chewable necklace in his hand, the rubber piece blue and shaped like a crystal.

“Hey, hey, don’t hurt yourself, use this instead,” Derek said, holding the necklace up to him but refraining from touching him still - Spencer couldn’t be more grateful. He took the necklace instantly and pressed the chewable toy into his mouth, biting down on it in a constant rhythm, humming quietly in the back of his throat. His hands reached for Derek’s, and even as surprised as he was, Derek held his hands up slowly. Spencer laced their fingers together, squeezing his hands in a pattern mirroring his biting. Squeeze, relax; bite, relax…

About seven minutes later, Spencer’s mind had calmed down, his hands slightly shaking in Derek’s before he lifted one, taking the chewable out of his mouth and slipping it into a baggy in his messenger bag. He would have to wash it later, when they got to the hotel… But that was the least of his concerns. He met Derek’s gaze, and he smiled slightly, Derek squeezing their hands that were still joined.

“How are you feeling?” He asked him, his voice low and calming, and Spencer licked his lips before reaching a hand up to brush his hair away from his face.

“Better…” he said, matching Morgan’s quiet volume. Derek smiled, and as he began to pull his hand away, Spencer immediately pulled it up towards his face, resting his cheek against Derek’s knuckles.

“D-Derek, I…” Spencer started, looking down briefly before raising his gaze to meet Derek’s dark, gentle eyes once more, Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Derek said simply, brushing his knuckles over Spencer’s cheekbone, “If you need some more time, no one will think any different. But if not, let’s get this son of a bitch.”

Spencer nodded and with a new sense of determination, followed Derek out of the empty office. God, I love that man, he thought with a content smile, and when they rejoined the team in the department, Spencer approached the map with a new thought in mind, and within ten seconds, he was spouting off a new theory to their team, and he could have sworn he saw a proud smile twitching at the corner of Derek’s lips.

Needless to say, Spencer’s insight led them straight to the unsub, and they boarded the jet that night, arriving home the next morning.

#I hope you like it!! #Drey⚓️ #Spencer reid #Derek morgan #moreid #criminal minds #cm #tw mention of csa #tw csa #tw murder

[forevfangirlwrites]

Okay so Percabeth and winter activities sledding, building a snowman, baking cookies, hot chocolate etc. because Percy was kidnapped so they could do them the first year they were dating and they had college and stuff so domestic Percy realizing this and wanting those experiences with Annabeth so he plans them out? Idk

It doesn’t hit him until his mom tells him that they’re taking Estelle sledding.

When was the last time he went sledding?

Between two wars, getting kidnapped, and college, there hadn’t been that much time to go sledding. A simple sentiment sure, a lot of adults don’t go sledding, but he had lost his childhood to a prophecy.

His mother catches the shift in his mood and raises an eyebrow as she hands him some hot chocolate. She wants to know what’s up, but he truly believes that bringing up his “had-to-grow-up-to-fast” story would completely sour the mood.

“Can we come?” he asks instead.

“Of course!” Sally responds quickly. “You and Annabeth are always welcome to come.”

He hadn’t realized he had lumped Annabeth with him, it’s second nature at this point, but it brings up an even bigger question. When was the last time she’d gone sledding?

Had she ever gone sledding?

He doesn’t know the answer but considering she’s been right by his side through the wars and college and all, it’s probably a negative.

He makes plans for the following day, hugs his mom and sister and walks out the door with more thoughts than he had expected.

Their apartment isn’t too far so he opts to walk, braving through the cold, in an attempt to gather the series of revelations that had occurred to him.

What other winter activities had they missed out on? Luckily, Christmas and New Years had been covered, but sledding is just the tip of the iceberg.

Building snowmen, for example, had they ever done that? Given Camp’s magical weather border, he doesn’t think so. And what about ice skating? Couples are always doing that kind of stuff.

Was he a bad boyfriend for not taking her on the quintessential ice-skating date??

Realistically, he knows he isn’t a bad boyfriend. But with ideas in his head, he knows how he can be a better one.

He’s still smiling when he comes through the door. Annabeth runs up to greet him.

“What’s up?” she asks, eyes subtly roaming his body and he knows she’s checking for signs of a battle.

He does the same, but in that moment, it hurts that she even has to think that way. She’s been on the lookout since she was seven, all he wants is that for one day she doesn’t have to be.

“We’ve got plans tomorrow.”

“What plans?” Her eyebrows crease in question in the most adorable way and he forgoes answering for kissing her because, well, he can.

-.-

“All these layers, I know it’s cold, but what gives?”

Percy thinks Annabeth is smart enough to figure out where they’re going, can see the vague idea forming in her head, but she wants him to confirm it.

He doesn’t, just taking her hand instead.

“Annabeth, I know you’re the planner and strategist and all that, but let me plan one date.” He smiles to let her know he doesn’t mean it and she playfully pouts back, shoulders easing into a more relaxed position.

She’s giving up her need for control on this one. It’s a testament to how well she knows him because clearly something about him is screaming that he wants this day to go well.

Estelle spots them before he does.

“Nannabeth!” she screams, running up to them as Percy pretends to be hurt by the preferential treatment from his younger sister. Annabeth sticks her tongue out at the display, bending down to give her a hug.

But a second later, Estelle yells, “Percy!” in the same delighted screech and he gets a hug of his own.

“There you are! We have another sled but Estelle is afraid to go down,” his mother explains, walking up to them with Paul in tow.

“We’ll go first so she can see that it’s fun,” Percy replies, grabbing a sled while beckoning Annabeth and Estelle over.

“Watch this, Este, Annabeth and I are about to sled down the hill!”

His sister watches as he sits down, holding the sled in place for Annabeth to climb in front.

“No! Percy!” Estelle is clearly still scared but Annabeth turns to shoot her a thumbs up a second before he lets go and gravity does the work.

“WOOOOOO!” The scream isn’t even for Estelle anymore, he’s just truly having a blast. It also helps that Annabeth is right in front of him and despite the wind he can feel her warmth.

They slow to a stop at the end, falling sideways into the snow.  Annabeth turns to look at him and he sees her face for the first time since they started.

Eyes wide, cheeks flushed, she’s wearing the biggest grin he’s seen in a while. It makes his heart flutter and he’d kiss her if he wasn’t also grinning as much.

They stand up and Percy waves to Estelle at the top as they make their way back up the side.

“I haven’t gone sledding since I was like four years old,” Annabeth says breathlessly. “Thanks, Percy.”

He doesn’t think he can respond with how his throat is choking up at the genuineness of her voice. Luckily, he doesn’t have to because Estelle is rushing over.

“That was SO much fun!” Annabeth says with the same wide smile to her worried little face.

Needless to say, one go down the hill with Percy, and Estelle is screaming with joy demanding to go again with Annabeth this time.

About twenty minutes in, they manage to get Sally and Paul to go down the hill.

“Last ride,” his mother tells them about an hour later. “Estelle’s nap time is coming up.”

Naturally, Estelle doesn’t want to go but they split up the two sleds, so Percy takes one and Annabeth and Estelle get the other.

“Race you down,” he challenges.

“We’re so gonna win,” Annabeth replies, looking down at Estelle who’s beyond hyped about the race.

“Yeah!”

Paul counts them down. “3, 2, 1, GO!”

The girls win.

Estelle shrieks in joy and Annabeth has the flushed beam on her face. It brings back the memory of the first time she ever kissed him, standing in a chariot, surrounded by victory. He has to physically resist the urge to kiss her right then as he pretends to slump in defeat.

“That was a lot of fun,” Annabeth says once they wave the other three goodbye.

“It’s not over yet.”

“It’s not?” She tilts her head to the side, but he just smiles, turning to scan the park for a good spot.

“Nope! Come on!” Her hand in his, he pulls her to a small section of the field covered in snow. Reaching down, he pats some into a sizable ball and starts to roll.

“Help me,” he says looking up at her. Her eyes are full of amusement, but she drops down beside him to start packing in snow.

“A snowman?”

“He’s not just a snowman! Don’t listen to her Greg.”

Annabeth pulls more snow together, building up the base. “Who’s Greg?”

“Our snowman, duh!”

She stops mid roll to look over at him with a raised eyebrow. “Why is his name Greg?”

Percy doesn’t stop mid roll to answer. “Because that’s just his name. Why is your name Annabeth?”

She shakes her head, a smile still gracing her face, and returns to her work.

Just as Percy thought, building a snowman is right up Annabeth’s alley. If she can design Olympus, she can create the best snowman ever and there’s a glimmer in her eyes as she studies the creation.

He can’t help but stare, only stopping when she sends him out to find some sticks for hands.

By the time he’s back with the sticks, she’s miraculously dug out a few rocks for the face.

They stand back to look at Greg.

“He’s so handsome!” Annabeth exclaims happily.

“But not more than me, right?”

She turns to meet his eyes, the smile turning into a smirk. “Um….”

Percy makes a face, stepping back to throw a snowball right at her chest. Well, he’d been aiming for the face but aiming had never been his strong suit and he’d always opted out of archery.

Something he regrets now, because Annabeth’s aim is much better, and her snowball does hit him in the face.

Cold washes over his nose and cheeks and he turns, scandalized at Annabeth’s giggling form. It’s almost cute enough to prevent his retaliation…almost.

The snowball fight doesn’t last long, mostly because Annabeth breaks out into laughter and can’t seem to stop. It’s too contagious for even Percy to hold back.

“Who even won?” Annabeth asks, still giggling as he wraps his arms around her.

“Greg.”

They both turn to look at the snowman.

“Yeah, sounds about right,” Annabeth agrees, as they bid farewell to Greg and start walking out of the park.

The best part of winter in NYC is that the street vendors just turn to selling hot chocolate, especially near ice skating rinks, so he buys two cups for them to warm up as they watch the ice skaters.

Annabeth holds the cup to her lips, covering her face in steam, but he still sees her eyes watch the ice skaters.

“You want to go?” He asks.

She turns to look at him. “Something tells me you’ve planned for us to go.”

“Only if you want to, we’ve done a lot today.”

“Tomorrow?” She asks hopefully.

“Of course.” As if he could say no to her.

-.-

“Thank you for today,” Annabeth says later that night as she slips into bed beside him.

“You don’t need to thank me.”

She cuddles close. “Yeah I do, I’ve got the best boyfriend ever.”

He wraps and arm around her and pulls her even closer. “I’m just glad you had fun.”

Annabeth’s arm drapes across his chest, hand stopping right over his heart. “I did, and I figured out why my name is Annabeth.”

“Oh?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Cause it fits with Percy so nicely. Percy and Annabeth, they just go together.”

This time he doesn’t—can’t—stop himself from kissing her.

A/N: Thank you for the prompt! It was such a cute fic to write! I haven’t written canon Percabeth in a while either, so it was even better. Sorry it took a while to write, but I hope you liked this fluffy oneshot! Thanks again!

#percy and annabeth #percabeth #percabeth fic #canon percabeth #percabeth fanfiction #fluff #cute

[writing-gifts]

A/N: totally not canon interaction but i wanted to practice some before i try to write anything serious for nimh... also i misremembered how they originally met when i started writing this so i double downed lol

reader is gender neutral

----

The weather was nice today so you had been out and about to prevent yourself from hiding in your home for the rest of the week.

Ever since yesterday, you were stressed for multiple reasons and you were hoping this walk would help take your mind off things. You were currently spending your lunch outside at a restaurant. Unfortunately, you doubt you could eat at a time like this with one of your stressors in plain sight.

You stare at another table a distance away, hiding partly behind a menu to avoid bringing attention to yourself.

What had you on such high alert was the occupant at said table: A rabbit, trying to hold a fork between their paws. But without thumbs it looked to be a very difficult task. The fork falls from their grip once again and they sigh. It looks as if they've given up.

That had to be one of the boys you accidentally cursed at the zoo! You're sure that's the blonde bunny who asked for a refund too. Before you could give it to him though, one of the predators among all the scattering animals got a little too close and he hightailed it. You sigh a bit to yourself. It still seems unreal but that's what really occurred.

So much happened that day including you getting fired. Damn your boss--like it was your fault that you got distracted and passed out the wrong water to the visitors! What type of zoo even needs a magically-cursed water supply anyways!?

You shake your head and put down the menu. This wasn't the time to get even more worked up so you take a deep breath. You hadn't really rehearsed what to say when you found the guys--animals… manimals. How do you even bring up that you accidentally cursed someone, but you could change them back with the power of love?

You get up. You'll just have to tear it off like a bandage. Even if this felt more like a wax strip situation...

Making your way over to the rabbit who was now eating his salad with his paws--which was very cute by the way--you steel yourself.

You give your friendliest smile when you're close enough to show that you don't mean harm. He still tenses up like....well, a rabbit and looks like he wants to bolt. Poor thing, he probably can't control it. Fortunately for you, he doesn't actually run.

"Uh hello, I'm sorry to interrupt your meal. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I noticed that you're an...animal."

"O-Oh that's quite okay." A kind sounding voice comes from the rabbit, which was pretty well fitting actually. "You don't usually see rabbits trying to use utensils so I can see why you'd find this strange. You don't ever see them doing that actually, as far as I know."

You wave off the idea. "Trust me, I don't find it strange at all."

"Really? I'm still trying to get used to it myself. You see I'm not usually like--" he motions to his furry body "--this."

"Actually, that's why I'm here. I think I can help you with your predicament! Do you remember the day you changed at the zoo? I was the worker there passing out water at the entrance. You asked me for a refund."

He tilts his head and his nose twitches. Again, cute but this wasn't the time for that. You hold your hands behind your back so you don't accidentally try to reach out and pet him.

"Right! I remember you just before the...panther."

You grimace. That must have been extremely frightening for him so you can't help feeling guilty. You would definitely make sure to fix this and you had words for that panther. Once you found him.

"Well you see…I might have been the cause. The water I gave was apparently magically-cursed water and-and now all these guys are animals! Somehow, I have to change them back with the power of friendship--wait no--love! I'm not even sure how that works though, but this little creature told me to...so yeah."

You stop yourself from rambling any further.

The rabbit stares at you wide eyed and his little laugh sounds very unsure. "...Umm I don't know what to say to that, but I suppose that's not so far fetched considering that magic is apparently real."

"Wait, so you believe me?"

"I guess I don't not believe you. Er sorry for the double negative. I'm not exactly jumping for joy at being a rabbit. And better hearing is definitely not worth the trade-off of opposable thumbs. So I would like to try out your plan at least."

"Oh wow...Okay, cool!"

With that out of the way you calm down a considerable amount. You hadn't expected him to accept the idea so quickly. Maybe this whole magical animal quest would be a piece of cake!

"Let's go on a date then. That would be a good way to start to get you to fall for me!"

You need to find a new job stat.

He looks kind of bashful but nods. "That sounds like a good first step."

"Oh wait, I totally forgot about names. I'm ____. What's yours?"

"Nimh."

"Well nice to meet you Nimh. I'm sorry I turned you into an animal. And even though this has definitely caused you much trouble, you do make a very cute bunny."

You'd never seen a rabbit blush but here you were. And it was absolutely adorable.

Oh powers that be, give me strength.

"Well gosh. Thank you ____...I think?"

"You're very welcome." You sit down at his table. "This can be our pre-date."

Nimh chuckles a bit at your lame attempt at a joke and you think you already like him.

"By the way..."

You immediately put all your attention on the rabbit. Scratch the 'think'. You definitely like him (if your urgency to please him said anything).

"Why would a zoo have magically-cursed water for?" he asks.

"Oh my god, that's what I've been wondering!"

#very short #but test run and all #blush blush #sad panda studios #nimh #i know theres like a handful of ppl talking about blush blush on here #and i would like to join in thank you #i like nimh so much #i wanna date someone like him #ive said it 500 times and ill sayit 500 more #he's so cute

[hehron]

Not A Harpy

Summary: Harry always makes Ginny feel better, even if they're not together. Just a little Hinny best friends/neighbours au I've wanted to post for a while now. Will likely be a three-shot.

Not A Harpy

"Whoa, you look like someone stole your piggy puff," Harry said, as he watched Ginny come up the stairs.

She gave him a blank look, before quietly making her way towards her apartment.

"Seriously, what's wrong? Ron threatened what's-his-name and embarrassed you again?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.

Ginny stopped. She hadn't even thought about Paul since the evening. He probably wouldn't even want to see her again, when he heard.

"Ginny?"

She turned to look at him, her lip trembling. He suddenly grew serious, taking two steps closer. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't get it," She said, swallowing hard.

"What?" Harry frowned.

"I didn't make the team." That was all it took for the tears she'd kept at bay for the past hour to break free.

"Oh," His eyes widened, his shock apparent on his face. This only made her sob harder.

"Come here," He said softly, bringing her into a hug. She tightened her arms around him, crying into his shoulder.

"Why? I mean, you're so good," He muttered before a thought occurred to him. "It's not- It's not because you're a blood traitor, is it?" He asked sharply.

"N-No," She sniffled. The thought had occurred to her, but she knew it wasn't the case. "The rest of them were that good. I wasn't- I couldn't- They flew better-"

"It's okay, it's okay," He comforted. "It'll be okay."

"Harry?" They broke apart to see Lisa Turpin waiting at the staircase. It was only then that Ginny realised he was dressed to go out.

"Hi, Lisa," Harry said awkwardly.

"Is everything all right?" Lisa asked, even though Ginny tried to surreptitiously wipe her tears. God, she hated crying.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine," She gave a bland smile. "You two go ahead." She turned her keys and went inside before he could object.

"Um, is it okay if we skip tonight?" Harry asked, eyeing Ginny's closed door.

"Okay, but what's wrong with her?" Lisa asked.

"Nothing. Just things…"

"Well, aren't you sensitive all of a sudden!" She gave a little laugh. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye," He said as she left.

"All right, move over," Harry said, entering Ginny's apartment.

"I thought you were going on a date," Ginny said, glumly, lying on her sofa.

"Are you kidding? I've been trying to get out of it for ages," He said, sitting on the floor.

"Everything sucks."

"Yup, that's about right."

"No, I mean it," Ginny said, sitting up. "I don't get my dream job, and I can't even get drunk because Hermione threw away the rest of our alcohol after Susan's break up."

"Now that was an entertaining night," Harry held back a grin. "We certainly enjoyed it."

"Ugh, boys," She tsked, cracking a smile, which dropped as soon as her eyes landed on her forgotten broomstick.

"Hey, I know it sucks now, but it's going to work out."

She gave him a dubious look.

"So what if the Harpies didn't pick you? It's their loss. There are plenty of other teams who are dying to have you!"

"I guess the Tornadoes aren't that bad. Angelina's on it," She conceded. "Or PU."

"There you go! Oliver Wood is the captain. Shaping to be my favourite team."

"That's because you have a crush on Wood," She sniffed.

"Anyone who's spent five minutes with Oliver will realise liking him is like liking Hagrid's three-headed dog."

Ginny let out a watery laugh.

"And worse comes to worst, you can always play for the Canons," He teased. "Ron will be over the moon."

"God, no!" Ginny said at once. "There's no way I'll ever stoop to that level!"

She groaned suddenly, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, Harry, I made an ass of myself today!"

"Come on, you?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, dropping her hands to her lap. "I acted cocky and cheeky and- Oh My God- I acted like myself. And I mean my overconfident, arrogant self, not the cheeky and endearing one."

"Yeah, none of us liked that version," Harry said solemnly.

"I'm serious!" She said, punching him lightly.

"Okay, okay," He chuckled. "Eh, just forget about it, Gin," He said, joining her on the couch and snaking an arm over her shoulder.

"I can't," She moaned, leaning against him. "I can't get some of the things I said out of my head. Harry! I told Gwenog Jones that I was going to kick her ass! The Gwenog Jones! Stop laughing. It's not funny!" She whacked his arm, though she was also grinning.

"Oh, I disagree. I can totally picture you doing that. What did she say?" He asked as his laughter subsidised.

"She told me she would kick mine, and she did," Ginny winced.

"Yikes! Still, it's a bigger accomplishment than many. How many others can say they got their asses kicked by Gwenog Jones?"

"I guess that's true," She shrugged.

"Yeah! I would kill to get my ass kicked by someone as awesome as Gwenog Jones!" Harry exclaimed.

"Wouldn't be too hard to do that," Ginny smirked.

"Younger seeker in a century, Gin-Gin."

"Oh, please, everyone knows Mcgonagall only put you on the team because she wanted to piss off Snape," She scoffed.

"I knew it was you who started that rumour!" Harry accused.

"It's not a rumour if it's true, Darling," She grinned.

"You're awful," He complained, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"The worst thing is Hermione's going to rub it in my face," Ginny groaned after a while. "'I told you to be respectful, Ginny' or 'I told you not to be overconfident, Ginny' or 'You should have let me prep you, Ginny'," She said in a perfect imitation of her best friend, causing Harry to snigger.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but," Harry leaned in to whisper. "Hermione only got an Acceptable on her Potions NEWT."

"No!" Ginny exclaimed, looking gleeful. "How is that possible?"

"Oh, she got cocky too. Rubbing it in that she was naturally talented while we needed help from the Prince's book."

"I know I should be sympathetic, but that makes me feel so much better," Ginny admitted.

"Everyone needs some leverage to counter the lectures, Gin. But I recommend only using it once."

"Ooh, what's the story there?"

"I tried using it twice, and she pulled out an alphabetised list of all the stupid things I'd done. Was not a pleasant experience."

Ginny cackled at this.

"You feeling better, then?" Harry asked.

"I guess," She shrugged. "Yeah, what the heck, I'll be fine. It's not the end of the world."

"Great. And it's not even seven. What do you wanna do?"

"A quick game would be nice," She said, looking outside.

"All right, but I won't go easy on you," Harry said with a straight face.

"Ha! Like I need you to go easy on me to beat you, loser."

"I see Mean Ginny's back," Harry grumbled.

"Oh yeah, and she's going to kick your cute little ass!" A threat she was able to follow through much to Harry's chagrin.

"Thanks, I had a great time, something I didn't think was possible today," Ginny

smiled as they walked back to their apartments.

"Well, you did get me out of an annoying date, so I guess I owed you one."

"Why don't you just dump her if she's so annoying?" She asked exasperatedly.

"And have all of you rub it in my face that I'm the only single one? Not a chance."

"Aw, come on, I'm dumping Paul before he dumps me, and I want company."

"Nice try, I'm not falling for that again," He snorted.

"Aw, Har, please?"

"Nope."

"Come on!"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because guys will already be lining up to go out with you! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to find someone who's not a fangirl?"

Her lips twitched. "You could try going out with muggles."

"Yeah, because that went so well for me last time," He said sarcastically.

"You just need to be more suave," She said, giving him many more useless suggestions before they reached the apartment, where the whole gang was gathered. And so an awful day ended on a high note, with Ginny feeling impossibly fond of her friends, well, one friend more than others.

#harry potter #ginny weasley #hinny #harry x ginny #best friends/neighbours

[thefanficmonster]

Hey Vy! 📚🌻 Here!

How is your week going? My roller skates just got here and I'm so happy omg! My protective gear haven't got here yet so I'm trying not to fall but a almost hit my face so many times- i have to stop for some time now because I need to clean my room :_: but here's your three words of this week: Paradise, curly, radio

A lot a lot looot of loveee,

📚🌻.

Hi darling 📚🌻 !

Please be extra careful until your protective gear arrives, I'd hate to hear you've injured yourself 🥺 Anyways, hope you have fun with your roller skates (always stay safe though)! 🥰

Here comes a short drabble with your three words! This one’s gonna be a little different though - no OCs and not for the Resident Evil fandom, but rather the How To Get Away With Murder fandom, more specifically - for my favorite relatioship/characters on the show! Hope you enjoy!

All my love, Vy 💌

Better

Laurel Castillo x Frank Delfino (How To Get Away With Murder - AU: Canon Divergence; AU where the characters tolerate each other XD)

Warnings: Slight spoilers (Nothing too major though), Swearing

Laurel runs a hand through Chris’ curly hair, admiring how peaceful he looks now that he’s finally asleep. He’s got a fever that’s been giving him crying fits for two days now. Having to deal with a sick two-year-old while simultaneously trying to keep up with work and her final studies has been exhausting to no end. She’s been receiving some help from Michaela who seems utterly desperate to keep herself busy at all times, even when she’s supposed to be relaxing just so her mind doesn’t spiral into the void of loneliness she’s fallen victim to as of recent. Connor and Ollie have babysat for her a few times as well, another gesture she’s incredibly grateful for. Asher has offered to look after the toddler too on numerous occasions but that’s one offer Laurel’s never taken up. She appreciates him offering her his help, but everyone would justify this action of hers considering how reckless Asher can be at times - aka 90% of the time.

The Keating 5 has come through for her when it comes to both looking after Chris and keeping up with her studies, proving their friendship to be  one of those rare ones. However, Keating 5 aside, she’s received the most amount of help from one particular person. Someone who’s prepared to turn up at her doorstep at three in the morning if she needs him.

Frank Delfino

The two had a rocky start, to say the least. Their on-again-off-again relationship as colleagues with benefits. Their constant back and fourth. Then came Frank’s disappearance and Laurel’s involvement with Wes, all occurrences blowing huge holes not only in their romantic relationship but also their friendship which has always been a second away from ceasing to exist, all things considered. Friendship is hard to maintain with such a strong, hypnotic and magnetic romantic connection. Some people just weren’t meant to be friends, ever. Frank and Laurel are among them.

Speaking of Frank, the man’s been rather concerned lately, the lack of calls and messages from Laurel worrying him more with each passing day. He overheard Michaela mention Chris’ fever in passing conversation with Asher when she was bailing on a date with the excuse of helping Laurel look after the sick toddler. He’d been surprised to hear that, initially thinking it was a cheap excuse of Michaela’s to avoid spending time with Asher considering things between them have grown sort of complicated. But when Connor confirmed this claim of hers, Frank couldn’t help but grow very concerned. He’s grown used to knowing what’s going on with Chris and Laurel before everyone else so having someone else be in the know while he was kept in the dark made him feel oddly jealous and hurt.

And he could only hold his worries and assumptions at bay so long...

Responding to the knock at the door, knowing who it probably is at this hour, Laurel contemplates whether opening the door would be the right thing to do. She’s double-checked that it is indeed him, that bringing her more uncertainty than comfort, oddly enough. She’s been doing her best to distance herself from him and his life for quite a while now. She’s been meaning to give him an opportunity at a normal life, away from her mess and chaos. She’s been wanting to give him an escape from the fiasco she always finds herself dragging him into.

But he still comes back to her, by his own choice.

“Laurel, it’s me.“ His coarse voice reaches her from the other side of the door.

“Yeah...“ She trails off, forcing her hand up to turn the lock, “...I know.“

Opening the door reveals the concern on his face a lot better than she saw through the peephole. It makes her heart swell up and all she wants to do is throw her arms around him in a tight embrace. But she can’t do that, she won’t. She’s not willing to give him any reason to hold onto her whatsoever. In her eyes, he deserves a lot better. And maybe he does, but he doesn’t want anything or anyone better.

“Hey...“ he mutters, unsure of how to start of the interaction. Things have never been easy between them and, looking back, it seems like they’ve only gotten harder. Somehow, their connection has only grown stronger though. A connection he wants to uphold and a connection she wants to sever.

“Hey...What are you doing here so late?“ Ok, that’s a sustainable question considering it’s 10PM, but then again he’s come to her apartment at odder hours. Only difference is, those other times, she called him over.

“Though I’d check on you. You’ve been rather dead with calls and texts recently. Also missed Chris, heard he had a fever so I got worried.“ She hears the undertone of accusation in his voice loud and clear. It makes her bite her lip with guilt she wishes she wasn’t feeling, especially when she’s supposed to be doing the right thing.

You can’t decide for him. If he wants to keep coming back, that’s on him.

That thought hasn’t crossed her mind yet. It almost feels like she’s letting herself off the hook, feeding into the temptation to embrace what her and Frank have.

“You hungry?“ Now that is a bit more out-of-place question, but it’s accompanied by her taking a step back to allow him inside, “I ordered Thai food I never got to finish.“

He follows the signal, growing a bit more hopeful now that she’s let him in the apartment, thinking maybe she isn’t avoiding him after all. “Loss of appetite?”

“Partly.“ She replies, hearing the click of Frank locking the front door before following her in the kitchen where the hanging lights are dimmed. “Chris was throwing a fuss all day, I couldn’t really do much but focus on him.“ She motions to the living room where the coffee table is littered with sheets of paper and highlighters, some of which have found a spot on the floor as well. “Not to mention the ton of crap I need to do for school and work.“

“Would’ve been a lot easier on you had you called me, you know?“ He comments, walking over to the fridge, taking out the two packs of Thai takeout, suggesting she had been expecting him. She wasn’t really, she was just quietly hoping he’d show up at her doorstep.

“Didn’t wanna bother you. It’s nothing serious, a simple cold, I can handle it.“ She replies, approaching the small vintage radio in the corner of the kitchen counter, turning it on to a quiet volume so some tunes could fill the silences that are bound to occur frequently with the amount of tension between them.

“You could never bother me, Laurel. I’ve told you countless times before...“ putting the food he’s now moved onto a large plate into the microwave and turning the machine on, he turns to look at her, “I love Chris like he’s my son. In my eyes, he is my son and I love him with all my heart. Just like I love you.“

Instead of allowing the deafening quiet to take over them again - the soft music from the radio aside - Laurel lets the loudness of her mind surface. She lets it seep through the barriers she built in order to protect herself and protect everyone around her from herself: “Do you never stop to think you deserve better, Frank? Better than some grown-ass woman with her life in shambles and a kid whose father’s dead. Do you not think you deserve someone who knows what they want and where they’re headed with their life? Someone who...” her confidence is slowly leaving her to fend for herself and so she does, the best she can. “Someone who can cook and do their projects and work and take care of her son simultaneously. Someone better, Frank! Do you never want someone better?”

She hadn’t realized her eyes had been darting all over the place, looking everywhere but at him. How that her gaze has once again landed on his face, she feels her stomach turn at what she sees. That concerned, hurt and disappointed frown only further fuels her guilt, making her wish she’d never opened the door in the first place.

“Laurel, where’s this all coming from? Did Bonnie say something to you cause if she did...“ she cuts him off.

“No, she didn’t. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now actually. All I am to you is trouble and a burden and...“ he gets back at her, cutting her off himself.

“And you’re none of those things, Laurel. Your view of yourself is interfering with your perception of this, of us, of what we have. You and Chris are my family. The family I choose. It’s not about deserve or idealism - it’s about what brings you joy and makes you feel complete. What and who makes you feel at home. Who is your home.“ Always cautious of her personal space, Frank takes a hesitant step towards her and another when she doesn’t back away. “Lord knows it’s no paradise, but what we have is special, Laurel, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.“

Against her best attempts at keeping her emotions at bay, Laurel feels her eyes brimming with tears as she gazes up at the man she’s never been in the clear with. She never realizes what he means to her until it’s too late. She only realized she loved him when he disappeared. She only realized he meant the world to her when he had already slipped from her grip. And she refuses to continue that pattern.

Instead, she’ll work on finding out what they are exactly and even if she doesn’t reach that epiphany, she’ll still embrace it, no matter the oddity and unfamiliarity of it all.

“Thank you.“ she manages to whisper past the knot in her throat.

“Don’t thank me, you should never thank me for the things I do for you or Chris. I choose to do them. I choose to be here. I choose you because I want you. You and no one else, Laurel.“

Just then, the microwave beeps, alerting the two that their close-to-midnight meal is warmed up. Taking the plate out and placing it on the counter to cool down a little, he turns to her with a small smile on his face, “Let’s see what’s so troubling about that project of yours, shall we?”

And just like that, the tension has lifted, allowing for a smile to appear on her face as well. That ease of the mind is not something she’s been very used to throughout her life, constantly having shit to worry about and people to deal with. That’s why she’s never wanted to be a burden on someone’s back. She’s never wanted to be a major part in someone’s life, at least not until she gets her shit together.

And although she might never get her shit together, she’s got someone she loves and someone who loves her by her side. Lord knows he hasn’t been on top of his own shit either. At least they’ll be figuring it all out together.

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