Tumgik
#he made my heart burst and break this season
Note
Hello I am a huge fan of this fanfic your doing, but can I please request, the grid watching a spicy scene of her show? Or her in a body suit type like the picture below? I think Carlos reaction would be funny
Of couse! I had so much fun writing this! My request are OPEN and feedback is always welcome. -XoXo
The unexpected red-flag
The conference room fell into stunned silence as the rain drummed relentlessly against the windows. The TV murmured in the background, its volume turned low, but it was the soft, melodic voice of Amira Sainz that cut through the quiet.
News had spread like wildfire: Baby!Sainz, the beloved sister of Carlos, would grace the third season of the renowned Netflix series “Narcos”. The drivers, usually a rowdy bunch, now sat in hushed anticipation. For Carlos, this was more than just excitement; it was a lifeline. His sister’s return to the family was long overdue, and the chance to witness her artistic brilliance on screen made his heart swell.
Yet, their busy lives as racers left little room for leisure. Days blurred into nights, filled with data analysis and the adrenaline rush of the track. But fate intervened during the red flag at Spa, where the heavens unleashed torrents of rain. The perfect opportunity arose: why not start watching “Narcos” during this unexpected break?
Surprisingly, it was Yuki who suggested it. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he proposed the idea, met with a chorus of enthusiastic “yeah’s” and “omg, yes!” from the other drivers. Carlos and Oscar, absent at the moment, would soon join the impromptu viewing party.
And so, they embarked on their journey into the world of drug cartels, corruption, and intrigue. They skipped scenes where Amira wasn’t present, eager to witness her talent firsthand. But little did they know that the next scene would unravel secrets and twists they never anticipated.
Let's just say Amira Sainz looked good with and without clothes. Throughout her spicy scene, the drivers were so silent. They all looked at her dreamily on the TV when she kissed the guy and started taking of her clothes and-
"¡Eh, estúpidos idiotas! ¿Qué demonios estáis haciendo? ¡¿Por qué demonios estáis viendo a mi hermana desvestirse?!" questioned an angry Carlos. As soon as he saw his little sister on the TV he went into full overprotective big brother mode.
Instantly, Logan shot back, “It’s not what it looks like,” while Fernando chimed in with a soothing “Hermano, you have to calm down.” Meanwhile, Lance attempted diplomacy: “Carlos Boy, we can talk like adults.”
The other drivers rallied, attempting to quell the hot-blooded Spanish driver. But amidst the chaos, Oscar slipped away, drawn by curiosity. He cornered Lando, who was practically bursting with excitement.
“I can’t believe I missed this. How was it?” Oscar leaned in, eager for details.
Lando’s eyes sparkled. “Oscar, you should have heard her speak Spanish. And her hair—oh, her hair falls down her back like—” His words were cut short.
“LANDO NORRIS! STOP TALKING ABOUT MY SISTER, YOU CREEP!” Carlos’s voice thundered across the room, drowning out the rain and the TV.
From the commentator box outside, a muffled sound reached their ears—a high-pitched scream. Lando Norris, usually unflappable on the track, had met his match in Carlos’s protective fury.
Tumblr media
163 notes · View notes
forbidden-sunlight · 3 months
Text
yandere!Alastor with Violet Evergarden!reader scenario: A Wendigo's Violent Love
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Warning: aged-up!reader [in early to late twenties], violence, spoilers for episodes 7 and 8 in the first season of the 2024 show, possessive and obsessive behavior, Alastor is in denial, physical abuse, implication of friends to enemies.
There may be possible triggers in this story.
If you do not feel comfortable venturing any further, please hit the back button on your phone or computer and read something much more pleasant than a possible series of unfortunate events.
Hey guys, welcome to another Hazbin Hotel fic! I know I had said that I was going to be on a break until the 8th or 14th in my last post, but I had gotten a burst of inspiration after watching the season finale and wrote this after discussing the idea with @riddle-simp and collaborated with @witch-of-the-writing-desk. It's because of these two that I managed to write 2k in a single day, so please give a big round of applause to these amazing individuals.
So with that being said, sit back, relax, and let's see what's going on in tonight's broadcast with Hell's one and only Radio Demon!
Part Two
Alastor could not believe what had happened on the rooftop. No, he refused to believe that he was nearly killed by a hair. To almost die for his friends, a fucking altruist of all things.  Sorry to disappoint, but this is not how his story will end here. He thought viciously, tugging at his hair as memories rushed through his mind. He needed more. He needed his freedom. Yet this deal is restricting his powers from reaching their fullest potential, and it almost killed him. Yes, there has to be another way to get out of it. But more importantly….he needed to stop these feelings bubbling inside of him. These feelings he felt towards you. 
You, a simple groundskeeper who had forgotten what it meant to be a human and served as a weapon in war. You, who did not use technology like him yet still found a way to connect with the rest of the hotel’s wayward souls.
He hates it and he wants you gone, out of sight and out of mind, because these feelings have put him in more danger than necessary. When he finds the backdoor of his deal, how to unclip his wings, he will be the one pulling all of the strings and claim the power that he rightfully deserves. He is the Radio Demon, the Great Alastor! Nothing else matters to him!
He made his decision right in the dilapidated radio station to never get attached to you or anyone else again. To only focus on himself and no one else. He is in Hell for a reason, after all. He cackled, feeling the thrum of his power rising in unison with his conviction. Yes. He thought. Yes, he’s Alastor! The cold, ruthless overlord who always has room for more voices on his broadcast. Not some soft-hearted twit who would die for someone! 
Tumblr media
But what he did not realize at the time, just right underneath the hatch, you had heard everything. 
Despite your injuries and losing both of your arms to angelic steel, you had used your strength to trek through the debris and look for him. Now knowing that he despised you, knowing that he sees you as nothing more than a weapon to use for his convenience….well, you could not blame him. You were a weapon when you were alive. You were feared, you were hated, and you did not care at the time. So why did it hurt so much when he said that? You did not know, except it was better to keep your distance from him. 
So you left the Radio Demon alone, staggering away to join the others. 
Vaggie was somehow able to find Sir Pentious’ blueprints for your prosthetics in a fireproof trunk beneath the rubble, and put in a call to Carmilla Carmine to see if she could make them with angelic steel instead of adamantine. Of course, the angelic arms dealer took a look at them first before agreeing to it, but not before telling Vaggie she must ask for your consent to do the procedure and what you wanted to add or remove. You gave your input, and the procedure was scheduled for the following week. Although you could not help with the construction of the hotel, you did assist Charlie by putting together an eulogy and memorial service for Sir Pentious. The princess was not sure when it would be held, hopefully when the hotel was finished. 
You understood, softly promising to be by her side for support, even if you had to be pushed in a wheelchair. Sir Pentious had been a good person, an inventor and a gentleman who was nothing but kind and respectful to you. Even though you offered to pay him for doing repairs on your arms in the past, he brushed it off and instead asked you to join him for tea. He…you hoped he found peace. 
On the day of your procedure, you asked the overlord a question that had been plaguing your mind since the war. “Madam Carmilla, I am a weapon. I was raised to be one, to be used and tossed aside when my usefulness had expired. So…why is it that I am bothered by what Alastor said…on that day?” You did not dare to elaborate on what he exactly said to her, just that he said that he did not want to see you anymore. Be gone from his sight and mind. 
She stared at you for a long moment before she replied coolly, “So I have heard from Vaggie. But I do not share her thoughts. A weapon is lifeless. You are a person. An emotionally stunted one, but someone is living, breathing, and who can still be hurt by what others say about them even if they can’t see it. You are upset because of what Alastor said….and in my humble opinion, whatever you feel towards him, discard it. There is nothing to gain by being close to him.” She then turned away, pulling on a pair of gloves over her hands as one of her daughters placed a mask over her face. “Are you ready to begin? This is your last chance, and I cannot promise it won’t hurt.”
“I am.” You said. “Thank you for answering my question.” 
Carmilla nodded, and proceeded to give out instructions to you and the rest of the staff in the operating room. You complied, not wanting any more time to be wasted on your behalf. At least now you knew why you were upset.  It was because you cared about Alastor. Cared….yes, that is the appropriate word. You had to distance yourself from him. It is what he wanted, so you must respect his decision as the manager of the Hazbin Hotel. 
Yes, it is better this way.
That was the last thought that crossed your mind before a mask was placed over your face, and everything fell into darkness. 
Tumblr media
Alastor did not understand. You were doing what he wanted you to do. He did not want to see or talk to you unless it was necessary. So why was it making him angry? When he congratulated you on a successful recovery from your procedure, complimented your progress in physical therapy per Carmilla’s instructions, or how lovely the eulogy you wrote for Sir Pentious' memorial service, you showed no reaction. You simply stared at him with a hollow expression before thanking him, excusing yourself with a bow of your head. 
He should be elated. No, he is pleased. He is satisfied that his relationship with you has not gone by being professional. Why, you even pull away as soon as he lays a finger on you~! So why does it bother him that you recoil from his touch? No. He…cannot accept it. He cannot accept this.  He needed to speak to you. Discreetly. 
However, now that this new and improved Hazbin Hotel stood in place of the old one, everything is much bigger with the additional square footage; meaning there would be more ground to cover if Alastor is to ever find you, even if you do not wish to see him.
 Niffty, bless her little deranged mind, pointed him in the direction of the greenhouse. Of course, it was much bigger than the old one. But he still saw the old stained glass windows of the Moriningstar family crest lined up on the south side, allowing red light to come through and shine down on seedling trays with new shoots poking out of the inky soil. The clean, fragrant scent of herbs permeated the air as he walked through the rows of berries, juicy melons, and other culinary delights. He did not think this place would already be thriving when you were the only one who tended to it, as the hotel’s groundskeeper. However…this is you. You, who is able to accomplish anything once you put your mind to it. 
He found you hiding just beyond the apple trees, kneeling beside a bush of glistening roses, armed with pruning shears and an apron over your clothes. A watering can sat on the grass by your side. Your back was facing him…which allowed him the element of surprise. Grinning, he leaned forward, stretching his gloved fingers to lightly caress the petals of the rose you were about to snip off. 
“Oh, my apologies dear. My hand slipped!”
You glanced at him over your shoulder, emotionless [Eye Color] irises holding a steady gaze before turning away. “It’s all right. There are others that I can place at Sir Pentious’ memorial site.” You said, raising the shears to carefully cut another rose with a small snip. “Thank you for your concern.” 
The static around him buzzed, swelling in synchronization with his boiling anger towards you. “I see.” He hissed. “I am terribly sorry to disturb you.”
“It is all right.” Snip. “If there is nothing else, please allow me to finish this so that I can go on break. Niffty will not be happy if I am not out of here within ten minutes.” 
“I’m afraid we must discuss something, [First Name].” He pressed on, irritated at your uncharacteristic rudeness. “That is why I am here. So please turn around and look at me.”
You did. You placed the shears down, twisted your body around so that you looked at him straight in the eye. “Yes?” You said. “What do you need?”
He smiled, the static around him coming to a screeching halt and he was much calmer. Finally, He thought. You were looking at him, instead of avoiding his gaze. “I understand that since you have been cleared to return to work, you’ve been quite busy~! However! What I do not understand is why you have been ignoring me.” He leaned forward, feeling his eyes transform into radio dials. “You do not greet me as much as you have before, we haven’t had tea together, nor have we taken a stroll in Cannibal Colony~! So…why are you acting like I am a complete stranger to you?”
“Because I know the truth.”
Any and every thought he could have possibly said to her at this moment evaporated upon hearing your answer. “Pardon? I’m sorry but I didn’t catch that.” His voice leaked through the rising static. He felt his antlers grow, expanding past his ears with cr-crik, crick noises. Like the roots of a tree. 
“I know the truth. I know that you are angry over what happened in the war, how everyone saw you flee from your battle against Adam. I know you wish to unclip your wings and that you utterly despise me. So I am doing what you wish for. To maintain a professional relationship as the groundskeeper and the manager of the Hazbin Hotel. Our goal is to redeem sinners. There’s nothing beyond business between us.” You said with a calm and expressionless composure. “I went there that day, to the radio station. I had gone there to look for you, to make sure you were all right when I heard your words. But know this,” A sudden sheen of ice glazed over your eyes. “If you bring harm to Charlie or anyone in this hotel, I will kill you where you stand.” 
The last thread of patience in his psyche split in half. Before he could stop himself, Alastor pinned you against the ground, his hands on your shoulders and glaring at you, trying to intimate you with his true form, to scare you into silence as he had done with Husk…but you held your gaze. 
“It’s terrible manners to eavesdrop on someone, my dear.”
“And it isn’t wise to attack someone when you are not even at your full strength.” 
In a flash you immediately flipped him over, straddling his hips as you held down his wrists over his head with one hand. The other held a garden spade to his throat and he was burning. That was when he realized you weren’t wearing your gloves, thus the angelic steel is the reason why his skin is on fire. 
“Calm yourself, Alastor.” You said. “There is no reason to be angry when I am doing what you want me to do. Nor to act as you are doing right now. I advise you to take slow, deep breaths and count to five backwards.” 
“Release me.”
“Not until you have calmed down.” The way you replied so calmly, so…lifelessly, made Alastor angry. Angrier than he has felt in a long, long time. Not since his prey had escaped the forest and he did not get to eat them. Not since his mother died, leaving him alone in the world except for a drunken asshole who wasn’t worthy of being his father. Make these feelings stop NOW
“Come to my office in exactly twenty minutes for an evaluation about your conduct at work. Do not be late.”
That was the last thing he said to you before he sunk into the grass as an inky shadow, slithering back towards the greenhouse’s entrance towards his room. He couldn’t believe it. How could you have known everything? How could he not have sensed your presence? Was he that weak? No. No, he assumed he was alone and clearly he had not been. You were an anomaly. You were raised as a weapon; to spy, to kill, to search and destroy upon the command of your master. 
So why does it still bother him? Why does his head feel like it is about to split in half as he goes over the conversation over and over in his mind? Why is his heart falling into the pit of his stomach at remembering your promise to kill him if he harmed anyone here in the hotel? Why does he have this urge to know how you truly feel towards him? Do you still care for him? Do you love him?
In twenty minutes, he needed to know the truth…or else he would go insane.
What Alastor did not realize though, as he holed up himself in his quarters until the allotted time to meet with you, Husk had seen the whole thing from the door. 
He was going to drag you to lunch because Niffty had gotten pissed that you were skipping meals again…and thank fuck Alastor did not see him. Husk, the drunken gambler and former overlord, almost flew over to you with a worried look, grumbling under his breath. Once he saw that you were all right and did not have visible bruises or injuries courtesy of a certain someone, he grabbed you by the hand, leading out of the greenhouse. He was not going to let Alastor hurt you again.
He might be a dumbass, can’t fight worth shit…but you are important to him, and he’ll protect you even if it means putting himself in the line of fire again. 
Tumblr media
Taglist
@no1sillybilly
@faux-ecrivain
@faesdreaming
@sillypumpkins
@imperfectbloodmoon
@bones4thecats
@frompeach
@lunaramune
@sleepy-hutao
@candyladycry
@luthefriendlywitch
@22carolina08
@weirdducky17
@lanxianschoenheit
@frenchtoastmafia
@deathmetalunicorn1
@tired-of-life-86
@angelltheninth
@kanroji-san
@likesugarandcyanide
@yandere-dark-cupid
@trecllllllll
@the-cat-queen-peasants
@rebloglikeyouneedtoo
@oucx
@victheauthor
@navierkalani
@doc-tooth
@solandis-does-stuff
@anielly-2010
@theunknowntravel3r
@riddle-simp
@tonightwrites
@victoria1676
@likesugarandcyanide
@isuckatwritingsobenice
1K notes · View notes
pucksandpower · 5 months
Text
Roll the Dice
Charles Leclerc x Reader
Summary: You and Charles throw your own private celebration after one of the best races of the season
Warnings: 18+ content
Tumblr media
The roar of the crowd still rings in your ears as you make your way through the paddock to find Charles. Your heart is bursting with pride after watching him fight his way to a hard-earned P2.
Las Vegas may be a new circuit but Charles drove it like he had been racing here for years. He made the Ferrari dance in ways you didn’t think were possible, squeezing every last hundredth out of each corner.
You spot him up ahead, finally free from the mob of reporters and post-race press conference. He’s leaning against the wall near the media pen in a rare moment of solitude, eyes closed and head tilted back, no doubt mentally replaying each complex sequence of braking points and apexes.
You take a moment just to look at him — the way his damp curls cling to his forehead, the zipper of his race suit undone and its sleeves tied at his waist to reveal soaked fireproofs that cling to every contour of his chest. He’s breathing heavily, a post-race flush still clinging to his cheeks.
He’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.
As you draw nearer, his eyes blink open and immediately lock with yours. Relief, affection, and something more primal flash through them as a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.
“Y/N!” He shouts, hurrying over to sweep you up in a massive hug.
You squeeze him tight, not caring at all that he’s drenched in sweat and sticky with champagne. “I’m so proud of you!” You beam.
He sets you down, his hands lingering on your waist. “I couldn’t have done it without my good luck charm.”
You playfully smack his shoulder. “Oh stop, this was all you! I can’t believe the drive you put on out there. You were incredible!”
Charles glances down shyly. “Thank you, mon cœur. It was a good race tonight.”
“A great race,” you correct him, “You drove incredibly. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, watching you battle with Max and Checo like that. It was the best thing I’ve seen all season.”
Taking his hand, you lead him away from the crowds. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. I think it’s time we celebrate!”
A flight in the early afternoon means you both decide to forego the wild Vegas parties and instead make your way straight to the hotel. Once you’re in your suite, Charles heads for the shower while you pour champagne. When he emerges in a billow of steam, you hand him a glass.
“To my champion!” You declare, clinking your glass against his.
Charles smiles graciously but you catch a flash of disappointment in his eyes. “I’m hardly a champion finishing P2.”
You fix him with a serious look. “That was the drive of a champion tonight. You left you heart on the track out there. If it wasn’t for that safety car, you would’ve won. I would have bet my life on it.”
He looks thoughtful as he takes a sip. “You really think so?”
“I know so! The way you managed to regain the lead from Max? And then from Checo? The move you pulled in the last lap to take P2? Incredible. My only regret is that you don’t have a car that would give you an opportunity to compete like this all season.”
Charles sighs. “The team is doing their best with what we’ve got.”
You set your glass down and rest your hands on his bare chest. “I know and you’re so patient with them. But a driver like you? You deserve to be fighting at the front in every single race.”
Looking into your eyes, Charles brushes a strand of hair from your face. “We’ll get there, I know it. This result today, it shows progress.”
“You’re right. It does,” you smile up at him. “And when you do get a car worthy of you, the rest of the grid better watch out. Because you are going to do great things, Charles Leclerc.”
Charles gazes at you tenderly before pulling you in for a kiss. Your lips move together unhurriedly, his hands trailing down your back.
When you finally break apart, breaths mingling, he gives you a mischievous look.
“You know, I never did properly thank you for being my good luck charm today.” His fingers toy with the hem of your shirt.
You bite your lip coyly. “I think the good luck charm wants to properly congratulate her driver on the podium. I want to make you feel good. You more than earned it.”
Charles grins and tugs your shirt up over your head. His lips find your neck as he backs you towards the bed, hands roaming your newly exposed skin.
You fumble with the ties on his sweatpants, shoving them down as the back of your legs hit the plush mattress. He gently lowers you down, hovering over you.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmurs, eyes dark with want.
You pull him down for another heated kiss, reveling in the feel of his solid weight above you. Your hands grasp at his back, nails digging in slightly to leave crescent marks on his skin.
Charles groans into your mouth at the sensation, pressing his hips down firmly against yours. You can feel his arousal even through the thin fabric still separating you.
Breaking the kiss, you trail your lips along his stubbled jaw to his ear. “I want you so much,” you whisper hotly.
He shudders in response, hands gripping your waist. “Take what you want, mon amour. I’m all yours.”
You slip a hand between your bodies, palming him through his boxers. He hisses in pleasure, bucking into your touch.
“These need to come off. Now,” you demand.
Charles obliges eagerly, stripping the last barrier between you away. You waste no time to wrap your legs around his waist, gasping as he enters you in one smooth motion.
You move together unhurriedly at first, simply reveling in the feeling of being joined so intimately. Charles peppers your face and neck with tender kisses as your hands caress every inch of his back and shoulders you can reach.
As the pleasure builds, your hips pick up speed, chasing release. Charles shifts his angle, hitting that sweet spot inside you that has you seeing stars.
“Just like that! Don’t stop!” You cry out, nails digging into his shoulders again.
He increases his pace, pounding into you relentlessly. You feel the tension coiling tighter and tighter within you.
“Charles, I’m so close ...” you gasp.
“Let go, mon cœur. Come for me,” he growls breathlessly into your ear.
His words send you tumbling over the edge with a wordless cry. Your vision goes white as intense ecstasy washes over you. Distantly you’re aware of Charles following right after, your name a reverent sigh on his lips.
As you float back down, Charles collapses on top of you. You hold him close, heart threatening to burst from the love and pride swelling within you.
Charles presses his lips to your forehead. “Have I mentioned that you’re the best girlfriend ever? I don’t know what I did to deserve someone as wonderful as you. But I’m so glad you’re here with me through all of this. I love you so much.”
You grin and pull him in for a kiss. “You deserve the world, Charles Leclerc. And I plan on spending every day of our lives proving that to you.”
770 notes · View notes
onlyswan · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
summary: in which sour and salt could be so sweet when jungkook’s existence reminds you that there is still good in the world.
> fluff, a pinch of angst, suggestive / wc: 3.1k
> warnings: mention of the doctor bc oc missed their period >:(, allusion to s/x, making out, jungkook doing pull ups must be a warning for the faint hearted like me
note: we’re going through the seasons?! partly inspired by #that live and jungkook for calvin klein <3 we’ve all seen those pictures right… right… i hope the onlyswan prophecy continues with this drabble i need to see jungkook do pull ups at the beach <3 + reblogs & feedback are always appreciated :D
jungkook is a sunkissed daydream and a shirtless adonis. his tender hands are on your bare thighs, keeping himself steady on the light brown sand while you sit still and look pretty on a log.
“baby, are you pregnant?”
when a man spits out this question, it usually sounds a little bit something like an anxious and insensitive ‘you’re not pregnant, are you?’ your starry-eyed boyfriend is asking you in a calm tone, joking for the most part, yet genuine wonder is painted on his face as if you’re just supposed to tell him what day of the week it is.
you stare at him with a blank expression, silent for a moment as the fierce waves crash on the shore, finding it difficult to take him seriously. “i don’t know. did you break a condom?”
he breaks eye-contact to space out, pursing his lips as he pretends to be immersed in deep thought.
“uhh, not to my knowledge.”
“then i’m not.” you shrug your shoulders with a cheeky grin, scrunching your nose. “will you steal some mangoes for me now, please?”
“is my baby craving for them that bad?” he coos at you softly, inching closer to press a kiss on your lips. “no but why do you always ask me to steal mangoes for you?”
“what do you mean ‘always’? this is only the second time.” you scoff, offended by the accusation, shoving him lightly but he quickly takes a hold of your arms to save himself from falling.
he chuckles lightheartedly, recounting the first time you visited his hometown and you took a walk around his neighborhood together. you looked at the mango tree with so much longing, and he had so much love for you, it was untameable.
nothing much has changed.
except for the color of the mangoes, perhaps. they were yellow back then, ripe and soft. you ripped off the fragile skin with your bare hands as you devoured the nectar-filled fruit, and the both of you came home to his parents’ house sticky and satiated like little kids who played under the sun from noon to afternoon. today, they’re green and plump, and truthfully, his mouth is watering for a taste.
“you know, since the tree is directly infront of our villa-” he tilts his head to the side, briefly looking at your temporary private residence. “it’s technically ours, so it’s not stealing.”
your eyes are glitter with mischief, and they communicate without words before you burst into a fit of revitalizing giggles, filling your empty tummy with a childlike joy.
for a while before jungkook, you’d forgotten people are kind. you chose to live for yourself, and yourself only, because you thought that if you lose sight of your plans for the future because of a impetuous slip within the thrill of temptation, you would also lose the essence of your being that you’re actively fighting so hard to get a good grasp of. you’re in a never-ending, excruciating process of picking apart your identity; detaching yourself from what you learned in the past to make room for growth; and swallowing bitter pills of hard-taught lessons. but when you’re in a relationship, every decision goes through a filter, a need for an answer to the question of how would this make my partner feel?
your friends still ask from time to time, what it is about jungkook that made you bend this principle and compromise your plans when those were the reasons you impulsively ended relationships in the past.
you’d forgotten people are kind.
jungkook is messy. he always leaves behind a fragment of his heart, and you shake your head and you pick up each one to stuff it in the shallow pocket of your understanding of love… until the weight of them destroyed said pocket, and all of a sudden, you have awoken. he opened your eyes to the underlying implication of that filter, how having something sacred to protect is also what makes life more worth living after all.
more than two hours ago, at seven in the morning, he held back your hair while you emptied your guts in the toilet bowl. a week ago, he held your hand in the doctor’s waiting room and didn’t let go until your name was called. that same night, you sulked about the doctor concluding that the reason you didn’t get your period last month was stress again and he teared up when you said i eat well, and i exercise regularly. but in the end it’s all useless because stress is messing up my body and i can’t control it. what do i do? the next day, he cheerfully asked you if you wanted to go see the ocean with him. right now, he’s hanging on a thick branch of a tree, enthusiastically doing pull ups while you peel the raw mangoes he picked out for you.
the familiar sounds of moans and grunts convince you to move the log you’re sitting on, abandoning the view of the majestic blue sky kissing the sparkling ocean in favor of facing your gorgeous boyfriend. he moves on to doing hanging knee tucks, pulling his knees to his chest and gradually increasing his speed and range of motion after gathering enough leverage.
“ah, this is tiring!” his yell ripples across the near-empty beach. he squeezes his eyes shut, laughing through the pain that hurts so good.
you set aside the paring knife on the plain white porcelain plate, dipping a piece of mango in the hill of salt before taking a bite (you played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would call the front desk for salt and you won after jungkook said he lost because his rock was made of paper). this, it’s just what you needed to cure the lethargy that’s been eating away at you. the combination of sour and salty explodes in your taste buds, remedying your awful loss of taste and appetite.
you shudder in sheer delight, smiling sweetly at the man brazenly showcasing his strength infront of you. “i like this a lot. i can feel my stress melting away… like ice cream under the sun.”
“i’m happy you’re enjoying yourself while i-” he cuts off his sentence, letting himself fall on the sand before jumping again to adjust his grip on the rough wood. once again, he hauls his legs upward repeatedly, reaching higher and higher each time. he releases loud huffs of air, grunting raspily with every exertion of force.
you stifle a scandalous gasp when his knees touch his wrists, covering your mouth as you grind the food with your teeth. okay, you know damn well he is flexible and a human-shaped vessel of physical strength, but you mostly witness their irrefutable testaments during intense moments of love and lust… the blissful memories can be kind of hazy.
he heaves a deep sigh, taking a rest as he hangs motionless on the branch. picture-perfect, center-frame for your adoring eyes to feast upon. his honey skin is glazed with a fine sheen of sweat, further accentuating the well-defined muscles of his torso. you only get a tease of his v-line. it hides beneath the exposed white band of his calvin klein underwear peeking above his black swimming shorts. his stomach rises and falls with each breath, and you can’t help but to marvel at his abs with appreciation. beautifully prominent, sculpted not too much. you love that when you touch them, you still feel the tenderness of his flesh, so rawly and so uniquely jungkook.
“you like what you see?” he grins when your eyes meet, winking at you flirtatiously.
“i do.” you sheepishly admit, scrunching your nose before putting another slice of mango on top of your tongue. “keep going. i want to see more.”
“more? you want more?! aish- so demanding.” he complains, thick satoori accent dripping from his voice but still, he gives you more.
you giggle in satisfaction, closely observing the flexing of his muscles and the veins along his arms popping out. one must think you’re used to his tattoos by now, but you’re definitely not. you just learn how to act unaffected, like you can’t write a book of poems about how his body art never seizes to bring you in absolute awe. his eyebrows knit as he pulls himself up, face crumpling with the amount of force and strength he utilizes with every manuever. it’s a seductive scene, but then the dimples on his cheeks make fondness bloom in your heart.
for the love of god, it’s not compromising your plans, but making jungkook a part of your plans. you no longer fantasize about a perfect life. you just want to keep waking up somewhere safe— to be here, standing on the tips of your toes, planting a delicate kiss on the mole at the lower right side of his ribcage. your lips have made one too many sharp mistakes, but they ghost over his skin and he laughs. laughs so joyfully, a majestic string of musical notes from his mouth no other instrument on earth can recreate. it’s a good mistake, the best mistake you could ever possibly make.
“here, drink.“ you offer him a bottle of cold water.
“i’m so tired. oh, fuck-” he does one final pull up before letting go, deliberately falling on the sand and bumping against your feet when he rolls over.
he sits up, warm body vibrating with giggles as he looks up at you.
“did you pack a first aid kit?“
you put a hand over your hip, raising an eyebrow. “what happened now?”
“my hands-” he stares at his palms, sand coating half of the area, before showing them to you. “they sting like hell! seriously!” his little lisp slips out as he rants.
”then why did you keep going?!” you exclaim, grabbing his tattooed wrist to assess the damage. there’s no blood in sight, but his skin has turned a very bright shade of red.
“because it was fun.” he simply answers, and you can’t argue with that.
of course you brought a first aid kit. it’s a necessity, especially when you’re on vacation with your gym bunny boyfriend, apparently. while you grab the ointment in the bedroom, jungkook decides to clean himself up under the outdoor shower situated in a corner beside the swimming pool.
“what’s wrong with this? why are they going at the same time?” he scratches his head in confusion, looking up at the spraying shower head and down at the gushing faucet. he fiddles with the handle in hopes of fixing his problematic water consumption, unintentionally pushing it up higher as he does so. this causes the water pressure to become stronger, sending thin needles to crash down and pierce his fragile skin.
“aw shit-” he reflexively runs away from the rude attack of the silver device. “yah, you punk! what did i to you, huh?! how dare you-”
he clicks his tongue in irritation, resting his hands on his hips. after glaring one more time, he extends his tattooed arm to push the handle all the way down, turning it off. he proceeds to experiment, tilting it to the left, which turns on the faucet only, and then to the right for the shower.
he laughs sarcastically at his discovery, going back under the water. “ahhh, was i the stupid one?”
“i missed you!” he declares loudly as soon as you step out of the sliding door.
“me too, babe.” you hum as you walk towards him, standing a considerable distance from the shower.
he wipes his face with his hands to unblur his vision before pushing back his wet hair, droplets of water endlessly rushing down his body.
“why are you so far?” he protests. “come here.”
“but i already took a shower.”
“so what? you’ll get wet again when we ride the jet ski later.”
you pout at him. “i told you i’m scared.”
“i’d be jack if i have to, i won’t let you drown! don’t you trust your boyfriend, hm?” he attempts to persuade you again after failing last night, knowing well that you’d enjoy yourself only if you overcome your fear of the deep waters. “it will be fun, i promise.”
“ugh, fine. only because you promised.” you weakly succumb to his wishes, setting down the small jar of ointment on the ground.
he happily pulls you in for an embrace, burying his face in the crook of your neck while your arms wrap around his waist. the only barrier between your chests is the thin and small fabric of your red bikini, thoroughly soaked by the cold water combatting the rising heat of the approaching noon. you can feel the rough grains of sand that were washed away from his skin under the soles of your feet, contrasting the feather-light kisses being scattered on your neck. and this feels so utterly liberating, you refuse for it to end, allowing yourself to be hastily pinned against the wall when his supple lips meet yours.
he cups the back of your head and his long and slender fingers dig into your hair, protecting you from accidentally hitting the hard cement. the small thoughtful gesture makes you smile into the kiss. he is not real, he can’t be. if this is a dream, you’re begging the sun to never rise. his gentle hands slowly travel down the expanse of your back, until they reach your hips, teasingly tugging past the side straps of your bikini bottoms before kneading the soft flesh of your ass. he swallows the strangled whine that escapes you, slipping his tongue past your parted lips. he’s addicted to how your body language speaks to him when you get intimate, how you lovingly caress his face and his arms, slow and sensual, but then unconsciously dig your nails to mark crescent moons on his skin when you begin getting lost in your combined passion.
he wants this. he wants you. he wants to spend the rest of his life kissing you and wringing the water from your hair.
you’ve deserted the log to comfortably sit cross-legged with jungkook on the lounge chair, under the shade of the brown umbrella rooted in the soil.
“mhmmm! it’s so delicious!” jungkook carefully dips the slice of mango in the salt once more, wary of the ointment from his hand smearing on the food, before muching on it eagerly. “so crunchy!”
you pause from tending to his left hand, looking at the plate between the two of you to learn that he is nearly finished with the second mango. you only have one left.
“damn!” he dramatically curses with his eyes squeezed shut, punching the salt air. without context, a stranger would probably guess that he tragically lost a bet or remembered an embarrassing memory from highschool. but really, he’s just enjoying some pretty good food. this is the fourth time in the past five minutes that he precisely did the same thing, and yes, you’ve been counting.
“is it that yummy?” you chuckle, extremely endeared and contented when he looks this excited around food. he is the only person in the world who can make you say i’m full just by watching you eat and mean it.
“it was your idea!” he bobs his head while energetically rocking from side to side, cheeks round and full as he chews. “i haven’t eaten something new in a long time. i love it… i should give the resort five stars for my review. just for this. i’ll say i’ll come back again for the mango tree.”
“or i don’t know, we can just plant one ourselves.” you propose before lightly blowing on his inflamed palm.
“but, baby, that would take years!” he interjects. “we need to buy another house, one with a backyard, and wait at least five years for it to grow. i’ll be thirty-two by then. are you hearing that?!”
the disgusted look on his face elicits a burst of amused laughter from you, stomach hurting with a reason miles better than earlier’s. he winces at the thought of entering his 30’s in the very near future. it feels odd to think about, but it’s a little less daunting with the tree added to the picture.
he picks up the final slice on the plate, smothering it with a thin layer of salt before devouring it entirely. he whimpers, high-pitched and wide-eyed, clasping his hand over his mouth before the other one you’re holding slips away from the solace of your care. he free falls from the chair, limply collapsing on the sand. and just like that, he’s covered in them again, from his damp hair down to his wiggly toes.
you move closer to look at him, dangling your legs on the edge. “darling, you’re still alive, aren’t you?”
he spreads out his limbs like a starfish, dreamily peering into the vast cloudy sky. “oh? i think this is exactly what it means to be alive.”
beyond his words, it’s the way he said them. without shyness, without qualms, without pondering. it makes him sound purely sincere, his mellifluous voice gracefully echoing louder than the nihilistic thoughts in your head, and you believe him.
he abruptly sits up, crawling on his knees to reach you. “baby! it’s too good! i want more!” he cries out, feigning desperate sobs as he hugs your legs. “i want more. let’s eat the third one, please.”
“fuck, okay. calm down. we’ll have it.” you cackle, stroking his hair while he rests his head on your lap.
you drag the plate to your side, slicing the last mango with practiced precision and skill. he, then, closes his eyes and bathes in your presence, his warm breath fanning you. it’s peacefully silent for a while, only the sounds of the knife dragging across the fruit and the waves chasing each other to the edge of the sea can be heard. that is until your boyfriend grows bored. he puckers his lips to brush against your soft skin, insatiable, climbing higher and higher until he’s peppering your inner thigh with kisses.
tingling sensations inevitably spark in your lower region, and you click your tongue to rebuke him. “jungkook, behave. i might cut myself if you keep that up.”
his lips curve into a naughty smirk, shifting a bit further down. “sorry.”
“do you want to get sunburnt? get back up here, on the chair.” you bounce your legs to shake him off, but your efforts prove to be fruitless.
he groans, stubbornly holding on to you tighter. “no, i don’t want to.”
taglist in the reblogs! send an ask / dm if you want to be added (or removed) :D
2K notes · View notes
afreakingdork · 10 days
Text
Spring Break
RotTMNT Donatello x Reader One-Shot
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Aged-Up Mutant Ninja Turtles, POV Second Person, Friends to Lovers, Human/Turtle Relationships (TMNT), Yearning, Romance, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, One-Shot
Synopsis: You're on your first spring break of college and returning back home to NYC. Donnie has agreed to pick you up from the airport and the season of change is ready to exercise its rights upon your friendship with him.
Also available on Ao3
I cannot thank @tmntxthings enough! She took my half formed plot bunny and helped me finish it up and embellish it with the cutest ideas!! This fic would not exist without her and she gets my endless affection! 💞
Plane descent, it was the one part of flying that really felt like a roller coaster. With its little dips and adjustments, your stomach would rise in turn. It made some sick, but you found it exciting. It was a manifestation of coming home. With each drop in altitude you were a little bit closer and, no matter how people felt about plane rides, the excitement was palpable. Even those tired and exhausted, ready for their changeovers, were glad for a moment on the ground.
This was your stop and you were especially excited for what waited for you.
Clinging to your phone, there was a final announcement and you looked out the window. Watching fields and houses grow closer and closer, your heart alternatively soared. Ants took on definition and eventually you were doing the careful careen through buildings to land in LaGuardia. With a squeaky landing that jarred your body, people stood through the taxiing process which prompted fights with flight attendants.
You were back in New York City.
A fervor running throughout the plane, there was still the docking process and each second ticked by through syrup until you got a text.
Donatello, not to be confused with the famous Italian Sculptor: I am at the appropriate baggage claim.
It was a new entry in a sea of others that had you momentarily closing your eyes. You then typed out a response about what you’d endured since landing and Donnie kept you occupied with messages right up until it was time to deboard. Bumping and jostling and giving appropriate glares back, you were soon just shy of running down a tunnel. Just like descent, you were closing in by the moment and once you broke free from a certain pair of doors, you paused only to take stock. It was fate, you thought, that people parted and there he was.
Donatello stood bundled up both for some kind of anonymity and the early spring weather. A balmy cool outside, trees were clinging for a bit more warmth before they burst with color. You were going to miss the blossoms this time around, but you had a lifetime of watching the petals dot the otherwise dirty streets before. You always liked this season. There was a sense of change in the air. A metamorphosis, you saw not just the growth between your youth and now, but everything from the last half year. 
You were offered a full ride to a school all the way across the country. 
You accepted and left behind everything. 
The long days of your first semester would have been lonely if not for a certain purple coded turtle offering to marathon shows with you online.
You texted in the cafeteria until you found your crowd.
You continued to message him because he had to know the latest gossip.
A webcam was sent to you as a gift so you could better work on projects together across multiple state lines.
You clung to Donnie as a virtual lifeline through your first set of finals.
The Christmas holdover in California due to a lab opportunity had been a daunting choice. 
It was made all the better as you were given a digital spot at the Hamato family table during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Then came another bout of studying for midterms. 
All to now, where he’d offered to pick you up after something had come up with your parents and you had complained of the taxi fare on your spring break budget.
You were in motion.
In fact, you were barreling towards him. He heard the footsteps, but didn’t connect them to your person as he looked up. Now knowing the source, he jammed his phone in his pocket and took on a sort of prepared alarm. Then, at the last second, he pivoted a foot out. A careful rotation, he lowered his stance into a readied one. It was all the confirmation you needed as you leapt.
He caught you at the same time for the hug and you crushed yourself to him. Momentum should have knocked the air out of you, but he swung. Your body twirled up with your heart and, by the time you were set down, you were groping to get more of him. This was new, you remembered. His scent wasn’t like coming home. You’d never been close enough to really get a whiff. Clinging to his worn hoodie didn’t crop up memories of softness because you had at most brushed it in passing.
You’d known this mutant for seven months and this was your first hug.
You wanted more.
Your only saving grace was he appeared to feel the same. For each tug, to get your arms tighter around his neck, he gave equal pressure around your waist. As you butted your head to his, he clawed into your own jacket, trying to get you that much closer.
It was warm.
It was overwhelming.
You didn’t want to let go.
“Hey.” You murmured against him.
“Greetings.” His voice responded. “How was your flight?”
“Good. Boring. Long.” You nuzzled closer.
“A full work day’s flight.” Donnie hummed, amused.
“Thanks for picking me up. It’s good to see you.”
Finally, after what must have been too long, Donnie pulled back enough to view you with a chide. “You as well.”
A little shy, your arms slipped to rest against his plastron and an announcement interrupted citing luggage. A quick check found you were at the right carousel and you sent Donnie a wry look. “We’re in the right place.”
“I was clear about my location.” He playfully rolled his eyes and reluctantly relinquished you to approach the long luggage circle.
You followed close behind and bumped arms with him. “Oh, there was this lady who would not stop yaking about the toast squares she got in that plane snack mix.”
“Ah, yes, the snack gacha.” Donnie chuckled and bags began to drift down the line.
He explained the odds and you walked him backwards through your trip. There was a gap from when you’d set off for your flight until arrival. He’d been on a video call when you’d packed your suitcase so when said luggage came winding down the metal slide, you didn’t need to say a thing. He knew it and hoisted it up where you shouldered your backpack. You’d returned with mostly things to wash, but you figured that was part of coming home.
You soon drifted away from the building. Working through the bustling drop offs zone, you headed to where Donnie had sequestered one of his vehicles. Parking cost too much for the tank, he settled on something visually low key though the interior was just as technologically stacked as the others. It was a resistance in temptation to press buttons on the dash you had never seen. They felt familiar as he’d taken you on a phone tour when he completed retrofitting the van, but it felt different in person.
Conversation took you home and, before you realized it, you were idling on the street.
Time had slipped through your fingers like water and you hadn’t cupped enough to drink. There’d even been traffic, you’d sat through it, but it hadn’t prolonged the journey. You were due inside. Your parents were waiting. You also would need to leave Donnie. He’d only ever been here to give you this ride. Heart sinking regardless, you moved to give Donnie your regards with a forlorn tilt of your head.
“Let me help you with your bag.” He rushed the statement.
Your eyes met.
You were both a little too eager to delay the inevitable.
“Thank you, I’d appreciate it.” You told him though your heart wanted to ask him over for dinner.
You’d already skipped coming home for winter break and there was no way your parents would allow an interloper to impede on catching up with their child.
You were required to spend time with them first, then friends.
Duty was a strange thing. It brought you home to mom even though you were an adult with a supposed choice. It had your friend hoisting your stuffed suitcase out of the back of a van where you had created the burden of the heft. You clicked up stairs, your luggage wheels hopping steps and Donnie felt the need to fill the space as if he were required to keep from giving you a moment of quiet.
You were thankful.
You didn’t want to think of how you’d miss him.
Again, he’d felt the same. 
You liked that about him.
Reaching your door, you knew you hadn’t messaged your parents for this same reason.
It was your own coveted surprise amongst what you had to do.
Donnie was careful in carting your suitcase up silently.
It felt like a stolen moment. “We still on for Wednesday?”
“Yes.” He nodded and pulled up a ninpo calendar for the sake of it. “Mikey has forewarned Señor Hueso and if you make April wait a moment more, I think she will strangle whoever is closest.”
“Of course.” You bobbed your head and felt the reminder of the knob.
You needed to go home.
You needed to see your parents.
You hadn’t seen them in so long.
You hugged Donnie.
Slower this time, you still moved quick enough that you avoided the awkward shuffle. It was an instant threading of bodies where you had to stave off a sigh. You fit so well without practice and his toned arms slung so comfortably around your waist. You bumped your head to his for the sake of closeness. He stilled and you thought it too much until he turned his beak to nuzzle the side of your head. From his inhale, he was catching your smell so you openly breathed him in the same.
Then you came apart, heads down, unable to bear to see the other leave as you mumbled out promises of seeing each other soon.
Donnie left by the sound of stairs and you unearthed your key to head inside.
Wednesday couldn’t come soon enough.
The rest of your Saturday had been a flurry of catching up with your folks. You were pelted with every question under the sun and the few phone calls with them you’d had throughout the school year seemed to have never happened. Your parents remembered none of the details no matter how much you whined about how you’d already told them about your class load. You were struck with backhanded comments about missing the holidays and how this cousin had proposed and that nephew had gone skiing and would you believe the tan your aunt got?
Then came sleeping in your old bed which was now a foreign one.
You called Donnie with your headphones on and he answered after only one ring.
Unable to stand the odd sheets, you curled up beside your window for faint outdoor light and watched Donnie on screen eat snacks as you unloaded about how annoying it all was. You loved your parents, but it was always something. He took his time in the conversation after your most heated complaints were air cooled and then subjected you to his own. His family’s separation anxiety was on another level, but he never made it a competition. You instead felt commiseration, even if the comparisons were outlandish.
Exhaustion took you to bed and the old smell of you drifted up like one you didn’t recognize. You were just tired enough to mention the discrepancy and Donnie made a comment on how you’d changed. You weren’t sure you had as you hadn’t felt like it, but you guessed of anyone, he would know best.
How had that come to be?
Your best friend was here and someone you’d known since elementary school. You still loved them, but they’d fallen to a certain wayside once Donnie appeared. Meeting him had been an accident at best. From senior year finals, you’d picked up a local coffee shop as your own. During summer, you switched to drinks for fun instead of necessity and a new barista started that you liked. She was great at conversation and better at upsizing drinks with a wink so you always made sure to tip. There came a day when you forgot to have cash on hand and you promised to come back by to fork it over. Now on a first name basis, April had scoffed it off, but you still returned after making change at a nearby bodega. It hadn’t been more than 20 minutes and yet she had disappeared. You waited for her to return from break only to notice a mutant was similarly off to the side and one you’d come to find was waiting for the same April. 
That was early August.
You’d gone to UC Berkeley in early September.
That was less than a month knowing the turtle in person.
Now you were drifting off to Donnie complaining about how he’d been found sneaking into East Laird’s lab yet again.
He just needed access to one chemical.
They wouldn’t miss it.
He’d doctored the supply sheets himself.
The janitor was paranoid.
You giggled and it must have come too late because he ordered you to sleep.
You told him you missed him.
In truth, you did.
He murmured the same along with a mention of Wednesday.
It wasn’t here yet.
Texting helped as Sunday led straight to a family meal with whoever was in town. You rehashed the exact same stories about school more times than you could count. Your scholarship was both held up like a heavyweight champ’s belt while others spoke to you like you were some Hollywood convert. It didn’t matter that there were six driving hours between the two places. You’d betrayed some inane state pride by going to a far flung college and whether that was a success or pompous choice was your family’s to debate.
You went to bed so angry afterward that you broke your 125 day streak of saying goodnight to Donnie.
You woke up under your old ceiling.
Breakfast reminded you of high school.
Dad had work.
Mom had lunch.
She talked and you listened.
You saw your best friend in the 3 o’clock doldrums.
It was awkward until it wasn’t.
It took about an hour, but you fell in line to your old pattern.
You meant to message your bestie more, but college had taken both of you in different directions.
Who’s this guy you keep mentioning? 
Donatello, was it?
Did you meet someone?
What a story that was and it came with a growing smile from your best friend. Each passing word felt like guilt off your lips and you were teased mercilessly.
No, stop that! We aren’t dating!
Why would you ask?
It’s perfectly normal to help a friend out like he did.
Yes, we’re close.
Not that close.
He’s a nice guy.
Yes, really nice, what are you insinuating?
It wasn’t like that.
You wanted to call Donnie on your way home.
Your best friend’s words kept you from it.
Tuesday your dad had off from work and, though they took you, you ended up showing your parents around Prospect Park. Where they’d only heard it was nice, you had seen enough from social media to actually maneuver it. You picked a restaurant they hated and then a bakery they loved. You were nagged incessantly and then pestered.
Tell us about your new college friends!
You don’t sound like you have many, what happened?
Oh, whos’ that?
Tell me more!
Are they nice?
Go to any crazy parties? We won’t judge.
They did.
They judged everything.
You kept Donatello’s name out of your mouth, though he appeared with each question.
He kept you sane.
He had been there for you.
He made things better.
You texted him as you ran to a bathroom stall for a moment of peace.
Donatello, not to be confused with the famous Italian Sculptor: Hard to go back after your taste of freedom?
It was such a him response. 
Donatello, not to be confused with the famous Italian Sculptor: Tomorrow, you’ll have us.
Donatello, not to be confused with the famous Italian Sculptor: Don’t worry.
Donatello, not to be confused with the famous Italian Sculptor: Until then, say the word and I can call you away with a lab emergency.
Donatello, not to be confused with the famous Italian Sculptor: I know the codes for several. Do not ask why.
It helped as you rejoined your parents.
One more day.
Wednesday morning and afternoon were tedious affairs with little to do outside of the dreaded laundry. You aired and disinfected your suitcase and ended up cleaning for the sake of it. It made your mom happy and you prepped ingredients for your parent’s dinner even though you wouldn’t be partaking. It would be another nicety in hopes that they wouldn’t say a word when you stayed out late.
It wasn’t like you had a curfew, but you knew the biting remark would be there.
You left just before your parents got home so you sent messages to both of them to cover your bases. Their sent confirmation was like a final school bell and you were running down stairs at an alarming pace. Donnie’s text window appeared next and you shot out a message about your imminent arrival. You felt a buzz in response and wound an oddly familiar path to the necessary sewer grate. One prepped for access to the turtle’s tunnel, you climbed down and only then brought up a map. Above was one thing as you knew your local streets, but the journey below was one you’d never had time to memorize. Donnie’s map was clear and as you switched from sewer to subway lines, you soon came to the brighter lights of the lair.
The Hamato were piled in the living room and you saw Donnie amongst the bale.
He smiled, but it was Mikey who wrapped around you.
Your name was shouted and it summoned the others who hadn’t been paying as much attention. You got friendly pats, several more squeezes from Mikey, one bear hug from April, and a litany of pelted words from the others. Leo’s Hollywood comment didn’t sting as much because he pulled it out in a reference to Son in Law. He did a pretty good Pauly Shore impression and your praise had him pulling out more impersonations. As the chides and jokes flew, you thought about how they hadn’t pelted you with a million and one questions about your college life. They cared little about class and only if you’d had time to catch any local movies or shows.
You nearly wept at not having to talk about only the studious side of your life and you got to share a movie you recently streamed with Donnie. The others hadn’t known either of you watched it and you both excitedly regaled them on reasons not to without spoiling anything. You laughed about a plot line of having been plucked from their environment and joked about red squirrels. Donnie responded in kind about grey and you both laughed until you realized you were the only ones.
“What’s that about?” April asked where she was folded over a couch beside Raph.
“O-oh, it’s-!” You choked on giggles and held onto Donnie’s arm since he was close.
“You see, there was this inane test question that kept coming up.” Donnie filled in for you.
“Non-native grey squirrels have basically put native red ones on the endangered list!” You spoke with too much levity for the topic.
“Now this is a known ecological issue, but the way the professor framed the question…?” Donnie shook his head with a smile.
“He made it out to be like a gang war! So-so Donnie made this joke because they always, freaking always run out of breakfast in the caf when I get out of my morning class about my territory being disrupted!” You giggled.
Donnie bumped you to chastise. “Wait, you’re leaving out your classmate who runs to beat you there, your grey squirrel!”
“Omigosh! I don’t even know her name!” You cracked up.  
“You’ve yet to mention the actual campus grey squirrel!” Donnie pressed.
You laughed harder. “Omigosh, he hates me and anyone that goes near his door on South Hall!!”
You both hurled more examples that fit into your branching squirrel joke and you thought everyone was having a good time until Raph’s voice cut through. “Sounds like a good inside joke.”
You weren’t immediately sobered, but your giggles grew strange.
“Yeah, I’m not getting it, but hey that happens.” Leo shrugged. “Squirrels aren’t my first comedy punching bag.”
“They’re cute! What do you mean they kill each other!?” Mikey had a watery expression. “To extinction!? How could they!?”
April patted his back. “It’s a dog eat dog world.”
“Is that why we were the Mad Dogz?” Leo looked to Raph.
“No, but I’m going to say yes.” Raph shined back a snaggletoothed grin.
With that the others moved on.
Suddenly feeling painfully self-conscious, you shirked and felt that Donnie’s hand behind your back.  
You looked up at him and he had a grin and whisper waiting for you. “These dum-dums don’t know good comedy.”
“You are the funny one.” You softened up and, in an instant, felt reassured.
He pressed lightly for you to join the room and you jumped back into the conversation which had moved onto pigeons. A hotly debated topic, you took sides and spouted facts you had learned in class. Memes were then shared and eventually you went to Hueso’s. The rowdiest table for what was a comical argument about whether they were his favorite customers, the skeleton yokai refused to answer and only spoke of cash spent and tabs to be paid. Leo chased the man into the kitchen to be his usual intrusive self and you stayed present in table conversation the best you could.
It was difficult when Donnie kept sending you reaction images based on said speech and you found it impossible not to reach right for your phone so each joke would land fresh. It eventually meant both of you were side by side texting on another and it was only when the food came did you jar out of it.
“Can’t leave your significant others for even a second?” Mikey jeered before he tapered off. “Though I kind of thought it was you that Donnie was texting… But that’d be weird right!? You’re literally sitting together, why text?” He laughed. 
Others laughed.  
You and Donnie didn’t. 
It spurned April to steal Donnie’s phone.
Some kind of betrayal, Donnie nearly flipped the table to get it back, but the flash of screen April had seen was enough.
You two were outed and ruthlessly drilled.
This was supposed to be fun, you thought to yourself as you tried to field lobs. They weren’t supposed to be rude like your family and yet you were back to fending vultures off. 
Yes, you spent hours talking.
No, you weren’t dating.
Yes, you texted.
No, it wasn’t because it was a secret conversation.
Yes, you were just friends.
No, you weren’t more.
It was only when Leo reappeared and saw the distress mounting on you and Donnie did he step up in his leader position and caught the table’s attention by the throat. He laid out a new topic in the form of recent battles and that conversation took the heat off. You sighed into the booth, feeling particularly drained and when Leo shoved in to have more seat, it bumped you right into Donnie.
Donnie made room, but his hand stayed on the seat, close to yours.
You tapped a questioning finger to his. 
Your heart was heavy.
Were you wrong?
Was your friendship weird?
Donnie had gotten you through moving across the country.
Donnie had done so much.
You really, really liked him.
His finger curled around yours for reassurance.
You’d asked once hadn’t you?
Something about if you bothered him early on since you talked just about constantly.
Donnie had scoffed by saying the word itself and told you that he put forth as much effort as he cared to.
You’d be the first to know if he was displeased.
He’d been honest.
When you complained about a science he liked, he didn’t care how hard the class was, you got an earful.
One of the few times you’d tried to use him as an excuse not to study, he’d hung right up and temporarily blocked you so you’d be forced to.
Your hands moved and, with a rush of your pulse, you tucked your other fingers up and over his.
He held your hand with one and ate pizza with his other as if nothing strange had occurred.
You did the same and spoke more normality by responding to something Mikey said.
It was taken with its own retort and everything felt right.
“I’m stuffed!” April flopped back and her jacket slunk down lazily on her shoulders.
“Can’t… move…” Raph groaned.
“That’s what happens when you are here for four hours and thirty seven minutes ordering non-stop.” Hueso commented as he picked up several empty pizza trays.
“One for the road?” Leo burped.
“Depends…” Hueso cracked a brow and slid over the check.
Leo flicked his eyes down once and then over to his tablemates where everyone dodged the question.
“Maybe next time.” Leo spoke guilt and Hueso hummed knowingly as he departed. “Split time! Cough it up!”
Complaints were loud as all sorts of money was deposited on the table.
“I love and hate catching up!” Leo crooned once an appropriate amount was placed. 
“We were literally here four days ago.” Raph didn’t have the energy to eye his brother.
“Bah!” Leo swung a lethargic arm and it flopped on the table.
“No more pizza for… four more days…” Mikey grunted.
“Heh, you guys’s diet sucks.” April chuckled and fell over into Mikey on purpose.
The youngest squeaked and dominoed into Raph who shouldered the weight without moving.
“We’ll see you again, what? Friday, right?” Leo craned his head toward you.
Leo was dismissing you. 
It was late. 
This had been the plan. 
Two days.
Donnie squeezed your hand.
You had never let go.
“Well…” You tried to respond.
“You know!” Donnie cut through conversation as if he hadn’t heard how it was coming to a close. “Remember how we weren’t able to find Jupiter Jim and His Majesty Cromslor anywhere online?”
The table quieted and you looked to Donnie curiously. “Oh yeah… We missed it in our marathon.”
“I purchased a copy then, but it only came in a few days ago.”
“That took…” You flicked up a few fingers to count. “Months!?”
“Oversees. Probably a boot leg, but it does indeed work.” Donnie smiled at you.
You felt a flutter in your gut. “We should-”
“Watch it now?” His brows bobbed. “Well everyone?” Donnie looked out, carefree to his inebriated brethren. “Movie night?”
“I’m sleeping!” Raph announced. “Don’t wake me and we’re good.”
“But Don…!” Leo’s head fell onto where his arm was still on the table.
“I could watch.” Mikey’s shoulders bobbed beneath April.
“I’m out. Got work.” April yawned.
“Then it’s settled.” Donnie turned back to you. “Not that we needed permission.”
You chewed on a giggle. “Can’t wait.”
Everyone else dragged themselves back to the lair, but you and Donnie took up the rear as you discussed some lab work. Delving into the study you’d monitored over winter break and what came of it, you were soon sat around the projector where Splinter was asleep in his chair. Raph used the last of his energy carting his dad off to bed and Mikey settled into a bean bag with commands to turn his head towards the screen. Leo helped in that matter and set himself up with his phone in hand to hang out more than watch. You and April said your goodbyes and then Donnie joined you on the couch. Raph didn’t return until well past the first quarter of the movie, but didn’t seem to mind as he flopped down to watch a film presumably the family had seen many times before.
The room was filled with the quiet sounds of the movie until Donnie leaned into you. Your shoulders brushing, he whispered to you a fun fact about the movie that gave way to more. With your head turned against the cushion, you eventually stopped watching the film to instead stare at him. He was enthralling. His lips moved with specific enunciation that you knew came from his love of pizzazz. He topped it off with eloquence from IQ and his flair was infectious no matter how emotionless he tried to present himself.
You adored him.
The credits rolled and there was light after movie discussion where you all found Raph had fallen asleep as promised. Donnie regaled you in his theories on how this movie affected the larger Jupiter Jim universe while he threw a blanket over his older brother. Leo pitched in a few notes about his comic knowledge, but no matter how obsessed the Hamatos’ were in this film series, there was still a limit of how much conversation could be shared.
“Welp!” Leo announced, coming down from a stretch.
That was the second final call of the night.
You had already overstayed your welcome.
You pulled out your phone to text your parents.
Donnie touched your wrist. “Before I forget, I finished my latest project. That targeted hearing device.”
You slowed. “Oh yeah, were you able to work out that model on how it decides what to filter?”
“Yes, in fact, I had a breakthrough-!”
“You finished that two nights ago right? When you were pacing in that fit?” Leo interrupted.
Mikey perked up. “Oh yeah, you were so upset, but you wouldn’t say why! If it was just because you were doing your usual tech walk things, then why not tell us?”
Donnie had obvious guilt and raised his hands.
You stared. 
Two nights ago was when you hadn’t been able to text him goodnight.
You were in motion and interjected yourself with force into the fray. “Show us!”
Leo and Mikey looked at you curiously.
You tried not to balk. “It was for you guys too! It will help you gather intel on missions!”
“I thought it was just for your goggles or business people who never take their Bluetooth out, even at dinner parties?” Leo quizzed Donnie.
“The applications are wide ranging! Why do you think I patented it?” Donnie held his head haughtily and headed toward his lab.
The line there went first Donnie and Leo paired where Donie was putting his all into convincing Leo of his inventions use and then you and Mikey who trailed behind in a conversation of your own. 
You weren’t sure, but you thought the blue brother glanced at you twice.
Mikey regaled you on a video game he had recently beat and, by the time you entered the lab, Donnie was in full presentation mode. A space you had only been in virtually, Donnie walked everyone to where the buds were and tried them on Leo first since he was the naysayer. They proved to work nicely as you and Mikey played examples by moving around the lab to make noise for the technology to hone in on.
You remembered locations from your guided tour, but definition had been sparse over the phone. Now here and moving about, gadgets kept catching your eye. Donnie explained them with quips from his brothers about use or malfunction. You heard all manner of stories and saw a part of Donnie you had yet to see. Donnie was quick to hang up if his brothers tried to intervene, but he was no stranger to complaining about them. You felt like you knew them better than you did because of it, but seeing the brothers in action was something else entirely.
They carried through, soon fatiguing of reminiscing and giving space for Donnie to show off his more successful tech. He shined, putting his best foot forward in a way you assumed he prepared for investor meetings. He eventually let you examine his bo staff and demonstrated how it could be reformed within his ninpo. He was detailing how his schematics process had changed since acquiring his mystic powers when Leo suddenly yelled up to the ceiling.
“Nope! Beep, beep, beep! Hear that? That’s my brain at full capacity! No more! No more science for Leon! Honk-shoo! Bedtime alarm.” Leo threw his arms up and seemed ready to spin around to leave before he caught sight of you. “Great seeing you, by the way. We’ll be seeing you, but not again tonight! Later, losers!”
You all watched Leo walk out.
Mikey saw his own chance to pull away.
The youngest did nothing distinctly, but you could tell he was ready to head to bed himself.
You had been together for hours now and it was definitely the AM of the next day.
You needed to text your parents.
You needed to go home.
You’d see Donnie again.
You had one last time before you flew back across the country.
You got your phone in hand and messaged your parents to check in.
“Michael.” Donnie held his own anxiety. 
That meant both remaining brothers were ready for you to go. 
Having already proved to your parents you were alive, you moved to next pen a message about how you’d be home soon.  
“Huh?” A bubble popped on Mikey’s attention.
“Have you checked the time?” Donnie moved away from you. 
Looking up your screen found the time at 2:47am.
“Oh ho!” Mikey sang with scandalous purpose. 
You paused and looked up to see him sporting a huge grin. 
“I get what you’re putting down, brotha! It is the one and only reserved time for my most exclusive dish!” Mikey moved fluidly through a few poses. 
“Yes.” Donnie looked pointedly at you. “You might have heard of it.” 
You blinked a few times not realizing some kind of ploy was in motion. “Special time…?” 
Sliding to the right, Mikey’s whole body dipped below his raised arms. “It is time for my unmatched, out of control, unparalleled 3am dump nachos!” 
A memory slapped you across the hippocampus. 
You did remember. 
Mikey had sprung them on Donnie when he was helping you study for finals last year. 
The Mikey of the present then snapped to attention in a business-like manner. “Proprietary reserved and guaranteed to eradicate night munchies.”   
Your phone buzzed and beckoned with annoyed responses from your mom. 
You’d thankfully never sent that message about heading back. 
She knew you were doing alright, that was enough. 
You closed your phone. “Who am I to say no to the clock!?” 
“Nacho time!?” Mikey turned to confirm with the last party. “That was what you wanted, right?” 
“Yes.” Donnie tried to stave off a certain amount of joy. “Nacho time.”
“Woo!” Mikey started to holler but caught himself off to whisper. “Quieter woo because people are sleeping!”
You all filed down to the kitchen where Mikey took point in commanding his own cooking show. Talking about all his past chip and cheese related mishaps, he walked through pantry staples  and what wasn’t for good nachos. Donnie settled in by your side and eventually grabbed a few drinks. The pair of you mingled together, sharing little glances amongst Mikey’s display until the nachos were in the oven for a quick melt session.
“Oh man, this was a great idea.” Mikey looked at Donnie approvingly. “I can’t remember the last time we did 3am nachos.”
You did, but you kept quiet. 
“Probably after April’s midnight launch at that movie theater.” There was an air to Donnie that said he was purposefully making something up.
“Eugh, was it one of those ones where they watch like six movies back to back?” Mikey made a face.
“Are those marathons bad?” You asked.
“They are when you can’t pause and do stuff like this.” Mikey gestured around the kitchen.
“Helps to be allowed an oven.” Donnie cocked a brow at you.
“It’s not my fault someone started a fire in the dorms a few years ago.” You shot a smarmy look back.
“Finesse.” Donnie’s fingers came up to floss the word.
“This again!” You rolled your eyes.
“The rules are in place to protect! As long as you don’t violate them obviously, then I don’t see the problem.”
“Your homemade oven thing was way sketchier!”
“You could make it out of all the materials you had on hand! It’s completely safe!”
“Just because one can, doesn’t mean one should!”
“Look! I can recreate it now! You never tried.” Donnie went for a junk drawing and came back with supplies. “The most you needed was wire, then a containment unit, easy enough to build…”
Donnie nearly pressed to your side as he cut and created a wire and then spliced it with a battery. Showing you how to then encase the coils, he asked for your help holding something in place. You did so and he eventually came around with electrical tape to bind his creation. He complained about how soldering should be allowed if hot glue guns were. You spoke against that point and your hands brushed. He scoffed at live flames and slipped his arm through yours in lieu of reaching for a piece of plastic that had rolled away. You pressed into him and told him that with that logic you could simply weld.
“Couldn’t you?” Donnie’s face was near yours.
“I’d need…” You reached up and his cheek tipped into your hand as you activated the release on his goggles as you’d seen him do on video.
His lenses came down and you were close enough to see through them to his eyes beneath.
“… something like this.”
“I see… Safety first…” Donnie murmured, leaning in.
“Mhm…” You mirrored him.
A timer dinged and you jolted apart.
“3am nachos!” Mikey came around with oven mitts as if oblivious. “After hearing both your arguments, I’m gonna go with no homebrewing ovens in the dorms. It looks like you’re building a bomb.” He set the tray down and the smell was undeniably delicious.
You might have enjoyed it more had your heart not been pounding out your ears.
“To the uneducated, perhaps!” Donnie grumbled and looked over the spread.
You moved to better reach and heard Mikey talk about the best constructed bite.
What were you doing?
You had almost kissed Donnie.
If that was what just happened.
Donnie.
You had a nacho in hand.
Donnie.
What you had to label as your newest best friend.
Donnie.
Not a replacement, but an embellishment.
Donnie.
Next to you, the man in question said something about guacamole.
He helped you through your semesters.
You still had 10 more after the current one.
Four total years.
That didn’t include masters which you aimed on getting.
On the other side of the states.
As far as possible in the continental US.
That was only the grand scale. 
On a minor one, you’d be back there in only four days time. 
You’d barely seen Donnie.
You’d also arguably spent more time with him in just seven months then you had lifetimes with some of the people you still happily called friends, but 90% of that time had been through an internet connection.
Donnie.
A chip entered your mouth and it tasted so good you wanted to weep.
It certainly wasn’t for any other reason.
Mikey’s cooking was that good.
Eating.
Eating was happening.
You tried to tune into what Donnie and Mikey were discussing.
Donnie had put his goggles back up on his head.
His eyes looked pretty as he talked to his brother.
They always seemed lazy in expression, but they caught so much.
They also took in nothing if he didn’t care to look.
He’d been looking at you.
Right through that red and blue glass.
The make-up of purple.
Mikey hummed an exhausted note. “Oh man… 5am already? Sun’s gonna be up soon…”
“That late?” Donnie asked absently.
At least your parents had gone to bed and wouldn’t hassle you.
They might because you were absolutely going to get home after they woke up for the day.
That was less than ideal.
You also had lunch plans.
What were you doing?
“I’m hitting the hay!” Mikey announced even though you were sure he’d said other things. “Hug for the road!”
Mikey hugged you and you were sure you hugged back.
“Finish those off or whatever. They don’t keep so toss ‘em! Night, D!”
“Night.” Donnie spoke.
Alone.
You were alone with Donnie.
You’d been avoiding this hadn’t you?
Both of you had. 
“Still hungry?” Donnie spoke timidly.
“Sure.” You had barely had any.
You worked through building that perfect bite Mikey talked about and then went for some salsa Mikey had whipped up.
Donnie was right there with his own chip and your knuckles brushed.
You both froze and looked at each other.
You saw it all there.
The budding feelings.
The long distance.
The fear.
The longing.
“It’s too soon…?” Donnie broke away to look at the sheet pan. “Don’t you think?”
You did.
You know you did.
You were weepy as you nodded and ate more than necessary just because the taste helped abate the sadness.
Donnie offered to take you home in his own melancholy.
You’d barely experienced college.  
You were so young.
In spite of knowing him so well, it wasn’t enough.
When he pulled over on the empty morning curb outside your apartment, sunlight was peering in on your exchange.
What would you do?
How would you say goodbye?
“Walk me to the door?” You asked.
“Of course.” He put the van into park and turned it off.
You walked side by side in silence up the stoop.
The moment you were both on the same level, you hugged him. Hard into his middle you squeezed him for all he was worth. Not to be outshined, you were similarly scooped. Donnie created a protective outer layer where his face buried down into the top of your head. You both siphoned as much of each other off as you could feeling like it would be the last.
Was that right?
It didn’t feel like it, but for right now it was hard to parse anything.
It was exciting to be close to him.
You hadn’t known when he offered to give you a ride that you’d tackle him right out of your airport gate.
You’d never hugged before that. 
You’d never touched at all as far as you could remember. 
All of this was sudden.
Too soon.
You rooted your face into Donnie’s plastron. “I’ll still see you Friday?”
“You’ll see me tomorrow if available.”
You blinked up wide right out of his chest.
“You’re on break. I want to make the most of it.”
This time you threw your arms around his neck and he hoisted you up into the hug. You laughed into it until he set you back down and your heads bumped together. Sting moving to cradle, you lingered against one another. You felt more then, how you were rushing. You were jumping to conclusions. You were deciding years down the line before being present in your own moment.
Too soon.
“Dinner.”
“It’s a date.”
You entered your apartment on a cloud nine bubble that even your parents couldn’t pop. It prevailed through your mother’s nagging and you finally catching blissful shut eye. You barely made your lunch appointment with your friend and were disheveled for it. They laughed at you and joked about a rough night. The unsuspecting victim who just happened to ask the wrong question at the right time, you unloaded on them. Not usually the type of friend for long talks, they took it in stride and came out like an MVP.
They gave you advice on how to proceed and shared how they themselves were doing long distance.
It wasn’t for everyone.
You were young.
You needed to prioritize you.
There was also a certain amount of trusting your gut.
All a tricky balance, you came away feeling optimistic and closer to your friend than before.
You also crashed as soon as you got home and had a screaming match with your mom when she returned from work to find you in bed. It was enhanced by you not telling her about your dinner plans, but it all felt like a certain amount of stride. It was par for the course with growing pains of your adulthood and you got yourself gussied up amongst it. Donnie came to get you and you felt whisked away where your dad sent you off in good humor.
You wished he fielded your mom, but you guessed you could only ask so much.
Your date was a romantic one. Dictated by closeness, you counted in touch. There were brushes to the hands that morphed to holds. He’d pressed your back to indicate he wanted to pull your chair out and would eventually pull you to his side when some drunk adults stormed by on the sidewalk. You snuggled close to him during a concession selection and later would rest your head on his shoulder during a movie. Afterwards when you lingered for a walk in twinkling night lights you spoke your feelings into reality and what to do.
You’d wait.
It was too soon.
There was so much more to see.
You didn’t feel sad about anything other than not being able to kiss him when he brought you home.
Those hugs were hard enough to break apart from.
Friday then came and went and this time you felt fully present amongst the Hamato. Sunita and Casey joined for a rowdy bunch and you felt strong enough to take over the entire city. You also were always placed by Donnie’s side whether it be by both your conscious choices or simply your draw to one another which earned some ire. Unlike the last hang out, you were validated and both breezily brushed it off with knowing smiles. That brought more confusion, but any and all were left guessing what your relationship was.
Your family and a huge friend group hangout took Saturday.
Then you packed with Donnie on a video call.
It was just like a week ago, but wholly new.
You wished him a somber goodnight and right before hanging up he asked to drop you off.
You would have to fend off your parents, but you decided you could oblige.
There was little complaint as the next morning your mom asked you point blank who the boy was. You admitted to them the events of the last seven months, mutation and all, which they took in various stages. What your dad heard mostly was your loneliness and how this guy had gone above and beyond to make you feel less so. That was enough for him and in a stern decision, he refused to be moved. It left your mom high and dry outside the marriage unit and she eventually sighed to dreamily say that was why she loved your father.
Comparisons were then made between them and your relationship with Donnie and you shut that down as quickly as you could.
Donnie was then there and in an impromptu parents meeting.
He was surprisingly adept at it and you had a feeling he was aware this would happen. You ended up drilling him on the way to the airport where he admitted he prepared for at least seven possible scenarios regarding him butting in on the airport drop off. He regaled you in them all until you were sick of his preparations and you were at the airport.
He walked you as far as he could.
You hugged.
It should have been scented with desperation, you thought.
Instead, it felt like a promise.
With the same clingy digging, he gave equal pressure to your waist as you gave his head. He clawed your back and you pulled at his mask tails. It caught puffs of laughter from both of you as you drank each other in. You knew his scent now, a specific one you wished to curl up in. You’d remember prolonging time together even when you talked to him on the phone, presumably as soon as you landed. You’d be exhausted and want to shower, but you’d make time. You liked to give it just as he’d do the same.
You parted.
With smiles that were plump with tears unshed, you waved to him and he lingered as long as he could. You thought he even might have continued past that and used his goggles for some x-ray business. In case he did, you metered your steps and kept looking back to send him more grins to log. He probably had a thousand already from the calls or even this week, but you’d give more. You boarded a plane and spring break ended.
Across the country you flew.
Back to school.
Back to work.
Through summer and an internship.
Opportunity and papers.
Talk of job and studies galore.
Late night calls and walls of text.
A flurry of messages.
Arguments.
Cold shoulders.
Apologies.
Fall Semester.
Winter break.
Spring Semester.
Spring break.
Rinse and repeat. 
Donnie became your only airport ride. No matter when you came, everyone knew he was designated. It became common knowledge as much as anything else. As much as your friendship, everyone knew that was to be expected.
You grew.
Four years passed.
You found yourself yet again coming into LaGuardia on the cusp of spring. You had plans for furthering education on this side of the country. California had been nice, but Donnie had mentioned a study once that stuck with you. Eight in ten adults lived within 100 miles of where they grew up. It seemed like such a silly statistic four years ago when you’d made your college choice. You weren’t sure if you necessarily understood now, but there was a certain comfort in knowing you’d be in New York for the foreseeable future.
It helped that you grew up in such an amazing city.
What a town, Donnie would say reverent regardless of whether it was bad or good.
Shouldering your bag, you walked out to baggage claim. While the spot may have changed and the man was still growing like a weed, Donnie would still always appear to you between crowd waves. A sort of fate, he’d part pedestrians like the sea and he looked up from where he was tinkering with something on his gauntlet.
A smile spread on his face and he was in motion.
You had to keep up.
A hop and a skip and you collided in a spin. Twirling out for the sake of it, you both murmured affections until he rooted your face out from his shoulder. There he dipped you first for the sake of flair, but brought you up to properly execute what came next.
Your hands tucked behind his neck.
He locked his arms around your waist.
His gaze poured over you. 
You tugged him lightly as he was taking his time.
He was hovering, no doubt committing all of this to memory.
You didn’t fault him; you had started dating a few weeks ago.
He’d blurted out the question saying he was unable to wait until spring break or even until you graduated with your undergrad. 
You were long past first kiss territory, but this would be the first with the label.
“Donatello.”
“Not to be confused with the famous Italian sculptor.” He staunchly said the same thing he had since the moment he’d first introduced himself. 
“Please.”
“Please what?” He jeered.
“Kiss me, dum-dum.” You pulled him as hard as he’d allow and he snuck in a laugh before your lips met.
You would always appreciate this time of year for its change.
💜Follow me or my Ao3 for more fanfiction! Behind the scenes deep dive for this fic and others along with in-depth writing discussions, plot bunnies, and more are available for only 1$ over on my patreon~ 💜
My betas are such champs, they follow me for any type of work! All the love to @tmntxthings  (look familiar 😒) and @thepinkpanther83
162 notes · View notes
sc0tters · 9 months
Text
Not Gone For Long | Quinn Hughes
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
summary: you broke up with Quinn two weeks ago, but what happens when you two run into each other at a bar?
request: yes/no
warnings: none.
word count: 1.63K
authors note: I have had this idea in my head for literal hours icl but since I came up with it I’ve been dying to get it written. This is also my first attempt at writing an imagine for an NHL player, so I hope you like it!
Tumblr media
Never go to bed angry with each other.
That was the first rule that you and Quinn made when you got together and neither one ever believed that if it was broken it would soon bring the end of the relationship, but it did.
The two of you had spent two months fighting before you finally mustered up the courage to pull the plug on the relationship when he was on a two week road trip with the team.
And with that three years of a relationship were sent down the drain.
You never thought that leaving him would be easy. You knew that it would be tough on your heart as he was everywhere you looked, on billboards, the TVs at bars, even on the insides of your eyelids when you attempted to sleep.
Your best friends were your total support system during the last two months as they made sure that you never had more than a few seconds to think about the boy that you loved obviously not counting your time in your bedroom because that’s where he seemed to attack your mind.
The apartment you once dreamed of before Quinn was now the place you called home. It was a one bed place but it was all you needed as you settled back into the mundane life.
Unbeknownst to you Quinn had been a total wreck from the moment he walked back into the apartment to see it in a shell of its former self. If it wasn’t for his teammates he would have knocked on every door in Vancouver until he found you, but when the boys reminded him that you had left when he was gone for a reason it made him want to stay home instead.
Quinn wanted to be mad at you for leaving in the way that you did yet the only thing that replayed through his mind was how the last thing he said to you was “see you soon,” no kiss, not even a hug, he just walked out of the apartment. Leaving you by yourself for the next two weeks.
The moment Ellen learnt about the break up she went was on the next flight over on a mission to comfort her son. That night he cried so hard that his lungs ached and his throat burned.
It didn’t help that the Canucks had been through another subpar season, but his upset state wasn’t helping that as he hadn’t scored since you left. Sometimes he wondered if you still watched his games, each time that he’d skate onto the ice he’d search for your face in the crowd and each time he was left empty handed.
Somehow despite all this, your relationship didn’t actually end on bad terms, you two still loved each other and had truly learnt that absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
The fight that broke the camels back though now felt minuscule, if he didn’t want to come with you on your business trip to Paris you didn’t really care. You’d settle for those two weeks without him rather than the last two months, every day of the week.
Now it was present day and your friends managed to convince you to join them on a night out. It was going to be your first as a single woman. You had even managed to get a smile onto your face, not a fake forced smile but instead a real one.
Yet it felt like a balloon full of water burst above your head as you saw him.
Quinn had been dragged to the same bar by his teammates as they celebrated the fact that the season was over.
Your friend saw that you tensed up and as she followed your line of sight she was quick to apologise “we can go somewhere else if you would like?” She proposed not wanting you to have a bad night.
But as there were five of you in the group this was a moment you didn’t want to be selfish in “this bar is big enough for the two of us.” Your voice was soft as you shook your head not letting your eyes leave the boy as you stared more so in shock.
He looked like he had lost weight, hadn’t shaved so his facial hair was now growing out of control, the curls that you loved but he hated were now proudly sat on his head.
Quinn wished that he had seen his hairdresser though the second he saw you. He actually heard your best friends laugh first, it was funny how the sound irritated him.
When he thought he was dreaming or that his sleep deprived mind was playing tricks on him, he spun his head around locking eyes with you.
His cold beer glass masked the sweatiness of his hands as he chugged the last of the bland liquid before he got up “anyone else need a refill?” He watched as you walked off heading in the direction of the bar.
It was the perfect time to talk to you, yes he knew that it was selfish but part of him just hoped that you were as caught up by the breakup as he was.
So he made his way over to the bar, making sure to avoid the drunken men that walked into his path as he was desperate to never lose sight of your little green dress that he loved so much on you.
You thought he never noticed that when the told you he liked that dress on your first date you went out and bought it in seven other colours. But he did, Quinn noticed everything yet that original dress still remained his favourite.
The familiar sound of your acrylics tapping on the table sent shivers down his spine “hey,” his voice came out like a croak causing your eyes to go wide.
You stared at him through the corner of your eye knowing that if you faced him, it would have been over for you “hi.”
If you two hadn’t broken up his fingers would have been on your jaw forcing you to look at him “can you look at me?” He asked feeling the tears begin to well at his eyes “please?” The beg was enough to make your hearty break all over again.
You looked at him not caring that you makeup was now very much ruined as tears ran down your cheeks “I’m sorry,” you blurted out not knowing what else to say.
But it was also true, you did feel sorry about breaking up with him. You wished that you’d handled things better. Yes this was the best way to protect your heart but besides for that it was the worst possible option for every other thing.
Just like old times Quinn didn’t hesitate to comfort the girl as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a hug “I know,” he placed a kiss on your head ignoring how your tears were soaking his shirt.
The coldness of those tears hit him like a dose of reality, you left because the relationship had grown cold.
This was the first time he had hugged you since January, it was now April.
He never meant to stop putting in effort but one day it sort of started and he didn’t know how to stop it. And he was so stressed about hockey that he let the fights you two had fall into the back of his mind.
Whilst he had spent the last two months thinking you were the bad guy, he realised that it had been his fault all along.
That was almost the problem with the whole thing, you each blamed yourselves for putting the knife into the relationship.
Quinn swore that he had been doing it over time and you were just the one to give it the final push.
You finally got your breathing under control causing you to look up at him as your chin rested against the his chest “why are you here?” You asked not trying to be rude but you swore that if you were in his shoes even you wouldn’t want anything to do with yourself.
He let out a soft laugh as he dragged his thumb against your cheek “missed you,” he confessed as he watch the pad of his finger clean in the smudge of your mascara.
Hearing that he must have also had a rough time made you feel sick to your stomach “thought you would have hated me.” You mumbled still thinking that this was all a dream.
Quinn would have been lying if he said that your words didn’t break his heart “could never hate you.” He softly smiled trying to tell you that he meant every word.
As much as he enjoyed being with his friends he wanted to leave “come with me?” He asked holding his hand out for you to grab.
The way his hand interlocked with yours told you that this wasn’t a dream “we should talk somewhere a bit more private.” As much as you wanted to say that you could go back to his apartment and be fine, you knew that things needed to change.
And if they didn’t then you would be having to move on forever.
The stars shone down on Vancouver as you two snuck out of the bar, despite the fact that both friends groups watched the interaction neither decided to stop it.
Sitting in his car that parked at a lookout spot looking over the city as you two ate food from your favourite takeaway restaurant you learnt one thing:
You weren’t letting him go as easy as you did this time.
451 notes · View notes
heavyhitterheaux · 5 months
Text
Thankful For You
First Lady of Private Garden Fic
Tumblr media
Synopsis: A nurse who has been taking care of the triplets ever since they were born has a surprise for you and Jack in your first holiday season as parents and you realize the amazing tribe of people that you have behind you want nothing but the best for the both of you
Pairing: Husband!Jack Harlow x Wife!Reader
First Lady of Private Garden Masterlist
Warnings: mention of d*ath
Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere
Your hands were shaking as you were trying to zip up your coat and they were soon covered by Jack's who simply held onto you for a second before leaning down to kiss your forehead.
“I got it, baby.” He told you as he finished zipping it up and wrapping your scarf around your neck.
“Thank you.” You quietly said, attempting to not burst into tears.
Thanksgiving was going to look a little different this year seeing as Axel was still in the NICU and Ivy and Autumn had come home a month earlier. It was still very touch and go with him and your only wish this holiday season was to not have to bury your second born.
“You're welcome. You know I got you.” He replied before leaning down to kiss you.
While the two of you went to the hospital to spend time with Axel, your mom offered to keep Ivy and Autumn and the two of you promised that you would be over later.
You and Jack obviously weren't in the mood to celebrate the holidays or be around anyone, but you thought that it would be a good distraction from everything else going on around the two of you.
Jack held your hand as the two of you walked to his jeep and helped you inside while he jogged around to the driver's side. The radio was on a low volume as he started up the car and headed towards the hospital.
The two of you were riding in a comfortable silence as Jack reached over to take your hand in his and bring it up to his mouth so that he could place a kiss on the back of it.
You looked over at him and gave him a small smile.
“You know what I'm thankful for today?” He asked you as the two of you finally pulled up into the hospital parking lot.
“Hmm, what would that be?” You asked as you undid your seatbelt and looked over at him.
“That I can wake up every morning and still see my beautiful wife next to me. I really thought that I was going to have to live without you and I don't know what I would have done if that became a reality.”
“You know me better than that. I wasn't leaving without putting up a fight and I'm definitely thankful for that too. I feel for the mothers who don't even get to see their children after they give birth to them. My heart just breaks knowing that could have been my reality. I didn't even see Axel, they immediately took him.”
“I know. But if he's anything like his mother, which I know he is, he's still fighting because he wants to be here.”
“I feel that I don't sleep well at night because I am so on edge. I just wait for the phone to ring and…” You started to say as you felt the tears coming on and Jack immediately reached across the console to bring you into a hug as you cried into his chest. Jack didn’t really sleep at night either, not since the night that you came home and the nightmares started up again. 
He soothingly rubbed your back as he comforted you the best he could.
“He's being strong for us so we need to be strong for him. We made some amazing kids who I know are going to go on to do amazing things. This is only a setback and not the end all be all.” Jack said as he looked down at you to wipe your tears as you nodded and he kissed your nose, making you smile.
“Let's go see our son, he's waiting for us.”
Once the two of you got to the unit and washed your hands, Jack was the first one to pick up Axel who was still wearing oxygen since he had gotten extubated two days before.
You and Jack had lost count of how many times this had happened since he had been born and the crazy thing was that he had only been alive for three months.
“Hi baby boy, it’s daddy.”
Axel immediately perked up from hearing his voice and opened his eyes to look at him which immediately made you smile.
Just then, Cara, who was a nurse and had taken care of all of the triplets numerous times since they had been born, came over to the three of you and smiled. Her sister was actually the nurse who had taken care of you when you had first woken up in the ICU.
“He had a really good night and today is going well for him. When he goes into a deep sleep, we're going to try and turn down his oxygen a little bit more and mom, if you want to feed him while you're here, by all means.”
You immediately nodded and smiled as you stroked his cheek as Jack was still holding him.
“How are my other two doing? Ms. Ivy and Ms. Autumn?” She curiously asked as she adjusted Axel's oxygen in his nose.
“They're fine. Even if they've been home for a month we're still trying to adjust to everything.”
“It'll take time, but you'll get there.”
As Jack was still holding Axel, he immediately took hold of his finger and tightly held onto it.
“He looks like you.” You whispered as you were admiring the two of them.
“You think so? I think he looks like you.”
“Yes and now I'm understanding why I had so much heartburn. Look how much hair he has and he definitely got that from you.”
“He's definitely going to get all the ladies. He already has all of us wrapped around his finger.” Cara said as he ruffled his hair.
“Even though technically you two are the celebrities, he's a celebrity here in our unit.”
“I believe it.” You answered as Jack handed Axel to you to feed him.
“I swear you get cuter every time I see you. Jack, we made cute babies.” You told him and all Jack did was smirk.
“Yeah, he got that from me.”
“Jackman, don't start.” You said while laughing and starting to feed Axel.
“Well, did I lie?” 
All you did was look at him and shake your head.
“You don't have a serious bone in your body.”
“You've been with me since you were fifteen, and you're just now noticing?”
The two of you stayed with Axel the entire morning and majority of the afternoon when Cara came up to the two of you as you were getting ready to leave.
“Hey, I wanted to catch the two of you before you left.”
“Yes, what's going on? Everything okay?” Jack asked her as he was zipping up his coat. 
“Everything’s fine. Follow me and I can show you.”
Walking hand in hand behind Cara down a few long hallways, you both finally reached one of the family rooms that they had that the two of you had come to know all too well in the last three months, but before Cara opened the door she turned back to the two of you.
“I just wanted to say that I know that this hasn't been easy for you and there's been a lot of uncertainty and I just wanted to tell both of you that you're doing an amazing job and those three have some amazing parents. I know the last place you want to be on Thanksgiving is in a hospital so I got a little help to do this for the two of you.”
Once Cara opened the door, the two of you saw both of your families surrounding a table full of food as well as Maggie holding Ivy and your dad holding Autumn.
“Cara… this is…” Jack started to say, but all she did was smile.
“It was both of your parent's ideas so I just made it work.” She said while shrugging.
“Well we appreciate you either way for everything that you’ve done for us.” You replied as you and Jack pulled her into a hug.
“Thank you for taking care of our babies as well as you have.” Jack added as you were attempting to not to cry for the third time today.
“You're welcome. Now let me get back to your little man and you two try to enjoy the rest of your day. Just bring me a slice of pie.”
“You and the unit are definitely getting more than just pie.” You said as she brought you into another hug.
“Go and enjoy your family while I take care of your smallest one.”
Cara walked back to the NICU as you greeted your parents, your in-laws, Clay, Dani, your grandparents as well as Jack's grandparents, both of your aunts, uncles, a few of your cousins and of course the triplets godfather who takes his job a little too seriously, Urban before you were ordered by Maggie to sit down.
“You guys didn't have to do this for us.” You quietly said, but Maggie immediately shook her head no.
“Yes we did and we wanted to. A lot has happened this year and it was only right.” She quickly answered as everyone began to fix their plates.
Dani came up and hugged you from behind and kissed the top of your head and squeezed you tightly as you held onto her.
“I love you so much and don't you ever forget it. I'm so happy my baby girl is still here. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you.” She whispered in your ear and you were doing your best not to cry.
“I love you too.” You answered as Urban then came up to you.
“My best friend in the entire universe.” You said as you held your arms out towards him and he quickly reached down to hug you.
Since Urban had been the person that you had told about the letters that you had written before they did your c section, when he showed up to the hospital and saw Jack’s face full of tears, he immediately knew that Jack needed to read the letter you wrote for him.
Urban obviously took it extra hard and didn’t want to believe that anything bad had happened to you, but when it was just you and him in your hospital room as you were intubated and Jack had gone to see the triplets, he promised you that he would do his best to look out for him and the triplets like you asked even if the last thing he wanted to think about was being without one of his best friends. 
“Lil Bit! And I know what you’re about to say, I saw my family earlier, but I knew my second family needed me too and I wanted to see my mini me.”
“Well your mini me is doing amazing according to Cara. I just hope we can bring him home soon.”
“I’m thankful that you’re still here because I have no idea what we would have done without you.” Urban whispered in your ear and it took everything in you for you not to cry.
“Urby.”
“You don’t even have to say anything, but just so you know, I would have kept the promise that I made you and the rest of PG are on their way as we speak since we didn’t get to do our friendsgiving this year.”
All you did was nod towards him as Jack placed your plate in front of you along with your drink before kissing your cheek which instantly made you smile.
You told him thank you as everyone began eating.
Ivy was asleep in your arms since Maggie had handed her to you and she was content as you were eating your food while Autumn was wide awake in Clay's arms looking around to see what was happening. She was nosey and you knew that she had gotten it from you.
“How is Axel doing?” Your mom asked the both of you since the last she heard was you crying on the phone a few days ago because he had to be intubated again.
“Better. He's on oxygen and Cara said they might be able to turn it down later depending on how he does and he's feeding really well.” Jack answered as Ivy began to shift on your arms. You began to rock her back and forth and she settled back down.
“One step closer to coming home.”
“And that is literally all we want and all we could ask for.”
“You two are doing an amazing job and you know that we're here for you. Anything that you need, all you have to do is tell us.” 
“We appreciate that.”
Everyone had finished eating as you were simply laying your head on Jack’s shoulder who had your hand in his and was rubbing small circles on the back of it as Ivy and Autumn were being passed around and being admired by your family members how much Ivy looked like you and how much Autumn looked like Jack. 
“Now you know what we have to do. Go around the table and say one thing that you're thankful for.” Maggie said and Jack volunteered to start.
“I already told her this earlier, but I'm thankful that I still have my wife. I know that I have a tribe behind me and the babies would have been fine, but I know my life won't be the same without you. So thank you for fighting as hard as you did so that you could live and see our babies grow up.”
“You're going to make me cry for like the millionth time today, but I'm thankful for you too. Despite all that happened, we beat the odds and we're still together and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for all that you do for me.”
“My parents!” You heard Urban say and all you did was laugh.
“But you know where to find me once you drop him.”
“Oh lord. Here we go.” You heard 2fo say over his plate of food and you were wondering when he had come in because you hadn’t seen him or the rest of PG for that matter who was sitting next to him.
“Since when did yall get here?!”
“A few minutes ago and we see Clay is still being the annoying little brother who takes his role very seriously.” Quiiso added which made you stifle a laugh.
“CLAY! Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean I won't kick you into next week.” Jack exclaimed while glaring at him.
“Will you really hit me while I'm holding my niece?”
“Hand her to Dani and meet me outside. I don’t want her to witness this ass whooping you about to get.”
You simply shook your head at the two of them going back and forth and realized how thankful you were for your amazing friends and family that would do anything for you, Jack as well as your triplets. 
The road ahead was probably going to be anything and everything but easy, but as long as you had them in your corner there was nothing that you wouldn’t be able to achieve. 
Once the two of them were done arguing and glaring at each other, you tugged on Jack’s hand and told him that you wanted to talk a walk and just have a few minutes with him without anyone interrupting and he immediately nodded.
The two of you were just taking a stroll around the perimeter of the hospital hand in hand when you finally broke the silence.
“Baby?”
“Yes, mamas?”
“I love you and would do anything for you even though I have already told you that a million times today, I just….. I know that I haven’t been the perfect wife and have a lot to work on but….”
“There’s still no one in the world that I would rather do this with. We both have a lot to work on and I love you too. All we can do is take it one step at a time. It’s going to be okay and our triplets will be okay.” Jack answered you as you brought him into a tight hug, thankful that you were still able to do so.
“So, when can we make another one?” Jack asked you while smirking and all you did was playfully hit his arm.
“Talk to me in about four years and we’ll see.”
Taglist:
@harlowsbby
@babyharleezy
@hoodharlow
@stefansalvatoresgf
@jackiehollanderr
@primadxna-girl
@dessmxsworld
@cockslutslurper3000
@raelorns21
@variety-fangirl
@gbaabyyyy
@kamorsstuff
@harlowthot
@sinsandsuccubus
@curlyhairclub
@bootlegroach
@haylexo10
@thinkingaboutjharlow
@fluidsentiment
@charli123456789
@moody4world
@yourstrulymayah
@yana4life
@beanbagbitch
@alinaharlow
@carma-fanficaddict
@minaxcarter
@arination99
@xjup1t3r
@venusvinc
@jackharloww
@midnight-star47
@minkookie95
@inluvwithladybug
@exoticr0ses
@jharlowsangels
@jackierose902109
@knack4harlow
@cmalass
@megawhoree
@softtcurse
@sia2raw
@miniaturehideoutmentality
@hoya122
@nattinatalia
@jackslover12
@skyesthebomb
@jackharlows-world
@louisianalady
@fdl305
@automaticpeachsong
@harlowcomehome
@gassyandsassy1
@babygirlwilly
@amethyst09
@harrycanyonmoonn
@bout-mine
@tattered-tales
@sisiking99
@dessxoxsworld
@gillybear17
@jacksdaycare
@iheartharlow
@disaster-rose
@babyvinnie
@evansxchalamet
@chtkmyharlow​
@itsyagirljaz
@neon-lights-and-glitter
@awhore4moree
@a-moment-captured
@jackmans-poison
@valentinqee
@lightsoutstyles
@j-worlds-blog
@middlechild404
@0elliotswhore
@iknowdatsrightbih
@w1ldthoughts
@love2loveonme
@hufflewhore128
@shawtypoison
@fantasywritersstuff
@harlowtales
149 notes · View notes
sarahmadisonxoxo · 1 year
Text
Steve Harrington has trained himself in the art of saying goodbye before a relationship actually ends. Whether that be friends, potential partners, or anyone besides maybe Dustin and the rest of his six kids.
The change is subtle. Steve had been through it so many times that he stopped noticing the moment he started pulling away from people. The moment his thoughts would start lying to his heart. Slowly. Gradually pulling itself away until the inevitable fact of being left alone happened.
His own parents hadn’t wanted him. Wasn’t that supposed to be one of the strongest bonds people could share? One between a parent and child. Something about blood being thicker than water. If he’d been broken enough for his own parents to reject him... why would anyone ever want him?
He’d been desperate to prove the hateful voices in his head wrong. Willing to do almost anything to feel important. To feel like he fit in somewhere. He’d gone so far as to change his entire personality... taking on the persona of the respected and ever-beloved King Steve. Going on with the idea that he’d permanently lock that broken child somewhere deep in his memories to never see the light again. His younger self would be locked away, but at least he’d be safe.
There had been a moment, with Nancy, when he’d felt safe to be a little less like King Steve and more like Steve. She was a good person. Nancy wasn’t only beautiful, but she was brave, compassionate, and easily one of the smartest people he’d ever known. Nancy accepted people for who they were. It was the answer to his prayers. His manifestations coming true. Finally, he was being given someone that could accept him... even for the broken parts.
‘ Bullshit’
The word hit like a final nail in his coffin. Shattering his heart in a way that he hadn’t figured out how to fix.
It worked easier this way... handing out pieces of himself. He didn’t have to give the most vulnerable pieces, instead handing out the parts he didn’t mind losing.
Robin had been one of the first people in a long time he gave a larger part of himself to. After she’d opened up to him on a gross bathroom floor at the Starcourt Mall. Nearly dying with him at the hands of the Russians. It felt safe to trust her... Robin was his soulmate with a capital P for platonic. Their friendship helped him start piecing himself together. Slowly, but progress was progress.
During his days at working at Starcourt he purposely struck out with dates. It was easier for the world to assume he was hitting a rough patch than to let them know he was ready to give up on love.
Enough time with Robin had him ready to start again... He actually tried to get dates, and let it just appear that he was getting his game back.
Countless dates... none of them made him want to risk his heart again. Lovely women. The issue sat solely on his own shoulders...
Eddie Munson pinned him to a wall with a broken bottle at his throat.
Vecna happened.
According to Eddie... Nancy hadn’t hesitated to jump in Lovers Lake to save him.
The world was practically ending again... running back to Nancy felt safe. Easy. Familiar. If only he’d known how stupid he’d feel when he came to realize Nancy just couldn’t love him. She never would.
Surprisingly Nancy’s rejection didn’t break him again, sure it hurt like hell. It struck him hard, but he survived it.
Days turned into Months. Seasons changed, Spring to Fall then Winter.
“ Weary travelers.. it appears your Royal Carriage awaits and I wouldn’t want to delay the King’s plans. We will pick up next week” Eddie’s eyes looked up from the table to Steve, leaning against the doorframe, returning his gaze back to the table. Amusement burst on his face at the annoyed groans and mutters of the kids.
“ They are all yours... your grace.” Eddie’s gaze once again flickered up toward Steve.
“ Steve... My name is Steve man. “
“ Steve, you are free to take your kids”
“ Thank you..” Steve chuckled.
“ Anytime..”
Steve ignored how his heart jumped due to Eddie’s smile, being under his gaze. If there was anything he didn’t need it was to fall for someone else..
Only he was afraid he was too late...man this one was going to sting.  
474 notes · View notes
alltoolewis · 2 years
Text
Bubble wrap- Max Verstappen 🍃
Back again writing for this one! This isn't my best piece or longest but I hope you all enjoy it regardless (p.s I know you wouldn't be just allowed to go home if you cut your head open but for this story you can lol) 🤍
Tumblr media
Request- After you have a small car accident, you call your overprotective boyfriend for help... Prompt- "I'm on my way, love..."
When people ask you what your favorite part of dating a world champion driver is, they expect you to say the typical... traveling the world, attending every race you could, meeting A-list celebs in the paddock e.c.t. But in reality, they weren't anywhere close. The real answer was the summer break! Spending every single night together for 3 weeks without the stress of traveling, intense training, or missing out on monumental moments of your lives together. This season has been the hardest. You had just started your dream job in the biggest journalism company in the world & it was safe to say Max was ecstatic... and although you were both proud of the achievement and your career was heading in the right direction, it also meant that you weren't able to attend as many race weekends as you did when you were a student! Although he claimed he didn't mind and that your career as a journalist was just as important as his, you both knew there was a part of him that wished you were with him more. So when the summer break is grew closer, you didn't hesitate to book 2 weeks off, promising your manager that the work from another week that you spent away would be done remotely.
You never denied that it was hard work... having an athlete boyfriend who travelled for a living and having a just as demanding 9 to 5 job. But as you felt his tight grip on your waist, head nuzzled in the crook of your neck as soft snores fell from his mouth you knew that it was all worth it...
"Where are you going?" Max groaned as he felt you tug away from his grip, voice full of sleep as the morning light shadowed through the gaps in the blinds making him keep his eyes closed. You didn't want to leave him, especially when he was this comfortable but you wanted to do something special for him, especially after all that he had done for you this holiday. For the last 2 weeks, he had been waking you up every morning with breakfast in bed, a fresh cup of coffee on the tray spoiling you rotten. So on this rare occasion where you were awake before him, you knew it was your turn to treat the driver instead.
Running your fingers through his brown locks, you whispered softly "Go back to sleep handsome, I will be right back..." Normally he would try and protest, dragging your body closer to his as he'd mumble something about being lonely. But today, he was the complete opposite, like he knew it was your moment to shine and didn't want to ruin it... and in less than minute later he was fast asleep, allowing you to sneak away from him without feeling guilty.
After you were done with your usual routine you skipped down the stairs excitedly, however it was cut surprisingly short as you saw the near-empty fridge. It wasn't abnormal for your fridge to be empty near the end of the holidays, you didn't see the point in stocking it up and putting all the food to waste when your busy schedules kicked in once more. But in this case, you wished it was different.
Knowing you couldn't leave it, you ran back upstairs to your sleepy boyfriend, trying your best to wake him up peacefully. "Maxie..." You mumbled, kneeling on the side of the bed as you rubbed his bare shoulder gently, the motion causing him to stir slightly "I'm going to nip out to the store, we've ran out of grocery stuff... do you need anything?"
Using the arm that wasn't buried underneath the thick duvet, he dragged you down causing you to screech slightly "you!" His comment made your heart burst with adoration and for a moment you were going to stay with him, wrapped in his arms like a safety blanket, but when you heard his stomach slightly groan you knew that wasn't possible. "You'll have me later bubs" You giggled, trying to move his heavy grip from you but failing miserably "But I really need to go... it won't be long till you get up and be disappointed that there's nothing in.." "There would be if you didn't have the last bagel last night..." He mumbled, slightly letting you go.
"Shut up and go back to sleep..." You giggled, knowing there was no point arguing with him on this one cause he was right. "Let me drive you.." He breathed sleepily, slowly trying to get up but you pushed him back down, chuckling as a small pout graced his lips. "I won't be long bubs I promise” smiling you give him one last kiss on the head “you keep the bed warm for me, okay?” You could barely make out his reply as he muffled into the pillow a distant “okay..” Deciding to leave him to sleep in peace, you finally went back downstairs grabbing your keys & wallet before making a dash to the store, wanting to get back into the arms of your sleepy lover as soon as possible!
The whole trip was rushed, securing everything you needed to make a delicious breakfast in bed in a record-breaking time. But the trip didn’t end as smoothly as you thought it would…
Just as you were about to make the corner to the busy roundabout, a car came from nowhere! & like an opening of a grand Prix, you were pushed off the road and into a car sign. Your head bounced off the stirring wheel as your heart stopped... never in your 5 years of driving have you ever had a crash! You were always safe, avoiding collisions or conflict on the road.. but like they say it can happen in a flash. You're breath hitched as you felt liquid run from your forehead, your glossy eyes just making out the slash on your head through the rear-view mirror. It wasn't the biggest cut but you knew it wasn't something that could easily be fixed with a plaster.
The ambulance arrived within 10 minutes, immediately checking you over as they seen to the gash on your head. You never realized how many people you had to speak to after an accident, the list was never ending... within 20 minutes you spoke to the police, paramedics, causer of the accident, insurance company... But there was only one person you needed to speak to, one person you needed...
"Right your all done, honey..." The paramedic spoke, giving your forehead one last wipe "Is there anywhere else that is hurting you..." Still not finding enough words to say, you shook your head. "Okay lovely... is there anybody we can contact for you to go home with or would you like someone to escort you?"
Without hesitation, you breathed out his name "Max, my boyfriend..." Giving you a smile and a quick nod, she turned around, ready to go get his number "Can I call him..?" You mumbled nervously. "Are you sure honey, you took quite a hit there?"
"Yes.. I'm sure..." You smiled, dishing out your phone with your shaking hands "I'll give him a ring now.." Leaving you in they went to the front of the vehicle, still keeping a close eye on you as they left you to phone him in 'private'
Max stirred awake as his phone buzzed against his bedside table, & although he was exhausted he couldn't help but smile as he saw your name flash up upon the screen. Thinking you were just asking going to ask him what type of juice he wanted for breakfast, he chuckled softly down the speaker "Hi baby... you okay-" He stopped as he heard your heavy breathing and the faint sound of sirens leaving in the background "(y/n)… what's happened?"
"Max..." You breathed out, breathe hitching "Can you come pick me up please?"
His eyes grew wide as he heard the panic and worry in your voice. "Why baby, what's happened?" Already in the process of getting ready, he listened to your sighing voice "I've been in a car accident... I'm okay I promise, just a small scratch on my head but my car can't say the same.."
Not needing to hear anymore, he grabbed his keys dashing out the door just like you had done this morning, but this time it was necessary "I'm on my way, love... stay right there.."
Max drove down to your location more anxious than a grand Prix, and although you told him that you were okay and it was just a knock he couldn't help but to panic that it was more than that. You always downplayed your injuries or illnesses, not wanting to make people fuss over you, which made him panic even more. But as he arrived and noticed you sat on the curb next to a paramedic with a dressing on your head, he knew it could of been worst as your car got pulled away completely destroyed!
Hopping out of his car, he immediately ran towards you "Oh my god, schat..." He sighed, pulling you into him gently not wanting to hurt your fragile body anymore "Are you okay...? what the hell happened..."
Feeling a little bit calmer now you were in his arms, you smiled looking at him shyly "I'm fine Maxie, just a small cut on the head that's all..."
Giving you a stern look, his finger hovered over the blood-stained dressing on your forehead "It doesn't look fine (y/n)… it's still bleeding.." Looking at the paramedic, he sighed "Are you sure she's going to be okay... she doesn't need to be checked out or anything?"
"I told you he was a panicker.." You giggled to her, causing a huff to fall out your boyfriends lips.
"She's going to be fine sir.." She smiled friendly "We had all the facilities to deal with her injuries in the ambulance... in total (y/n) had 8 stitches.." Max flinched as he heard the number, looking down at you as you gave him a sincere smile "But we don't believe to think there is any internal damage to her body, he Obs came back totally normal and she passed the cognitive test... of course, if you would like to go get a CT scan to double check we can take you both down to the local clinic.."
Before he could speak, you interrupted "No thank you... I'll be okay.." "Are you sure baby?" He sighed, giving your shoulders a quick squeeze "Don't you think we should just get it checked, just in case it is anything more..."
Shaking your head, you smiled leaning up to kiss his lips "I just want to go home..."
"Very well then.." The paramedic smiled, handing you over a leaflet "If you change your mind your local centre is here.. just pop in anytime for a check over..."
"Thank you so much.."
"No worries, take care..."
As they walked away, you looked up to find Max looking at you with a worrying look "What's up handsome?"
He didn't want to be the vulnerable one right now, not after what you had just gone through. He didn't want to cry or break down in the middle of the road about how he could have lost you. How the accident could of been worst and he'd once again leave in a world were he didn't have you.
Pushing the unthinkable thoughts away, he shook his head, putting his hand on the small of your back as he guided you to his car "Nothing baby..." He sighed "I'm just happy your okay that's all.."
"I'll always come back to you.." You giggled, getting in as he pecked your cheek "Not even a speeding car or a lamppost could stop that.."
His heart melted at your words, even after all of your years together you still made him feel exactly the same... "Stop it.." He chuckled, fastening your seatbelt before going over to his side "You could of killed out there... your never driving alone again!"
"You going to wrap me in bubble wrap to.." You teased as he made sure you seatbelt was tight "I just want you to be safe that's all.." He mumbled over the starting engine.
"As long as I'm with you I'll always be safe.." You smiled "Even if your job is driving a car more than 200 mph!"
"At least your funny bone wasn't damaged.." He chuckled, shooting you a playful glare as he went past the store "Did you get everything you needed anyway?"
"Max!" You gasped, causing him to look at you panicked "They took the groceries! We need to go back so I can make you breakfast.."
"No we're not.." He laughed, placing his hand on your thigh "We are going straight home and your going to rest on the couch while I order us something... you are not doing a thing missus, you hear me?"
"Yes Max..." You groaned, giving him a salute as if he was your master "When did you get so bossy, officer Verstappen.."
"Since my girlfriend decided to crash into a lamppost.." He chuckled teasingly "Besides it's not even time for breakfast anymore... you'll have be gordan ramsey tomorrow now.."
"Fine..." You groaned "But promise me I can do it for you!"
"I promise!" He smiled, leaning over the system to peck your lips "I'll get the bubble wrap ready!"
793 notes · View notes
Text
Carnivore- Werewolf!Doorman x Neighbors
Steven
Steven was not often home, or at the very least would show up at odd hours. As such, he didn’t get to see the doorman often. But when he did, it was the best three minutes of his life. Seeing such an attractive doorman was enough to make him want to be home more often. Although, it doesn’t help that his father would tease about his little crush. 
“Steven, there you are! I was wondering where you were.” (Y/N) exclaimed, looking through the paperwork halfheartedly. They had wanted to chat with him, though they knew they had a job to do.
Though they knew it was Steven from his scent, they still looked at the paperwork to give the notion that they were actually looking. No one could know their secret. Not even…
“Yeah, I guess I am a little late ain’t I?” He asked sheepishly, rubbing his neck. “But hey, listen…my dad always makes a lot of food for football season, do you wanna come over for dinner?” He asked.
(Y/N) blinked. Then blinked again. The awkward silence was deafening for Steven. A deep red blush spread over (Y/N)’s face, giving Steven his answer. 
He chuckled, sliding over a piece of paper with the time 7 P.M written on it. 
“Don’t be late, I’ll let dad know you’re coming over.”
-
It took longer for them to come accustomed to seeing Steven outside of work, but as they grew closer, the need to tell their terrible secret grew. The DDD knew of course, it’s why they were hired since they could scent any doppelganger far before anyone else could notice. But the idea of letting their new boyfriend know…scared them more than anything.
It was a conversation with Mclooy that made the bubble burst.
“Listen kid, I need to talk to you.” He glanced at his son. “Alone, preferably.”
(Y/N) turned to Steven and gave him a thumbs up to go ahead without them. Before they could turn back to Mclooy, he had already grabbed them by the neck and held them against the wall.
“Now what the hell is a werewolf doing around my son?!” He growled, moving his other hand to his hip where his trusty magnum was sure to be.
“You…you knew?” (Y/N) asked, holding their hands up in surrender.
“O’ course I knew! I’ve been around in my time and I know a werewolf when I see one. Took me some time, since you’re so sneaky with it, but I don’t want some monster around my son. These doppelgangers are enough.”
Trying to swallow, (Y/N) began to cry. This surprised Mclooy, and he let the doorman go. 
“I’m not a monster…” They whispered. “I would never hurt Steven. I…I love him, sir.” Their hands went to their neck and rubbed gently. “I want nothing more than to protect him. I can protect him from this world.” They glanced up at Mclooy.
“I give you my word. If you want me to leave Steven alone, I will. But I love him. And I want to protect him. I know firsthand how dangerous doppels can be.”
Mclooy took a second to think, rubbing his chin. Then, he held out a hand to (Y/N). When it wasn’t reciprocated, he shook his hand slightly, ushering them to take it. They did, and with surprising strength for a 60 something year old man, they were standing eye to eye with Steven’s very protective father. 
“Don’t hurt my boy. Or break his heart.” With a stern look, he pushed them towards the door. “Now have fun, but not too much fun. I mean it!”
26 notes · View notes
Text
Fallin’ In Heart First - Cole Turner x Country Singer!Reader
A/N: This is pretty much inspire by HEART FIRST by Kelsea Ballerini so definitely check it out!
Summary: Months after their break up Cole is still moping over Sadie, that is until he hears a certain voice
Word Count: 1.6k
Warnings: Fluff! Simp Behaviour!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics​
Masterlist
Tumblr media
“I have just the thing you’re looking for,” Cole says with a small wink, pointing to the customer who was at the stall.
He reaches out to grab just a plain jar of honey before presenting it to the allergy-suffering customer. She raises a brow in confusion as she takes the jar from him “honey?”
“Yep have some every day, in your tea or on your breakfast, it’s made locally using local pollen so it allows your body to get used to the pollen before allergy season kicks in” Cole explains pushing his hands into his jeans pockets.
The customer studies the jar for a moment before shrugging her shoulders “Worth a shot” she admits before passing over some cash for it.
“Used it all my life and it’s saved me,” Cole says with a small wink.
The lady lets out a small snort of laughter as she shakes her head and puts the jar of honey in her bag “Well thank you” she chuckles before turning and walking off to another stall.
Cole watches as she goes, she was pretty cute, almost certainly his type but his heart just wasn’t in it. He watched as she paused at the nearby flower stall and began admiring the cactus. Something that instantly made Cole sigh deeply as he was reminded of her.
“Oh my god that’s like the millionth sigh this morning!” Mattie exclaims loudly, pulling Cole from his thoughts.
“No, it's not” Cole argues turning around to face his younger sister who was reclined back in her chair.
“Uh yeah it is, you do it whenever you look over at the plant stall” Mattie says pointing over to the stall in question.
“No, I don’t” Cole states with a small scoff shaking his head at her.
“Yeah, you do!” Mattie laughs “Aren’t I right Dad?”
“Yeah you are sighing a lot, you can sit down if you’re asthma is acting up coleslaw” his dad offers making Cole roll his eyes.
“It's not his Asthma it's him still wallowing over Sadie,” Mattie says sending Cole a knowing look.
“No, I’m not, I’m over that” Cole argues but even he could hear how unconvincing he sounded.
Mattie burst out laughing shaking her head at him “You do hear yourself right?”
“Mattie leave him alone, he thought Sadie was the one” his dad chastises lightly.
“Yeah just like he thought Bonnie and Laurie and Peggy were the ones” Mattie mutters under her breath.
“Look Coleslaw we’re doing alright here, why don’t you go take a break, explore the rest of the fair?” His dad suggests.
“Dad I’m fine” Cole sighs.
“And that’s a million and one” Mattie smirks.
“Fine, fine I’m going” Cole exclaims holding his hands up in surrender, grabbing his inhaler as he stormed away ignoring his sister’s laughter.
Cole didn’t really know where to go, the annual county fair was always massive. He knew his dad needed a new part for the tractor so maybe he could go get that, or see if the book stand had anything interesting on agriculture.
He was just walking past one of the bar tents when he heard angelic-like singing that had him freezing. Turning in the direction of the singing he ducked into the large bar tent which was full of people enjoying local cider and listening to live music.
Cole gently pushed his way through the crowd so he could see who was on the small stage. His heart skipping a beat when he finally saw the singer. You were absolutely stunning, perched on a stool in a long floral dress, daisies carefully weaved into your hair. You had a warm smile on your face as you expertly strummed your guitar and sang about love.
Cole was completely enamoured and when your gaze met his the rest of the world melted away and it was just you and him in that tent. You sent him a bashful smile, glancing down for a moment before your gaze returned to him.
For the rest of your set your gaze repeatedly met his and Cole couldn’t help but think you were singing directly to him. So when you finally finished and began packing up Cole didn’t hesitate and made his way straight over to you.
“Hey,” he greeted, shoving his hands in his jean pockets nervously.
You glanced up from your guitar case, a smile growing on your face and you rose to your full height “Hey” you echoed.
“I um just wanted to say I really enjoyed your set, you’re voice is beautiful” Cole says smiling nervously over at you.
You nibble your lower lip and look down bashfully “Thank you” you smile looking back up at him.
Cole gives you a small nod of his head as silence fell between the two of you. He didn’t want to leave but he just couldn’t think of anything else to say. He began to turn away when he spotted a sign for a local cider and instantly spun back around to face you.
“Can I buy you a drink?” He asked suddenly.
You startle slightly at his outburst but a warm smile soon grows on your lips “Yeah that sounds nice”
“Perfect, great,” Cole says with a sigh of relief.
You let out a quiet chuckle as you close your guitar case and pick it up “let's go” you grin.
“Here let me,” Cole says quickly taking the case from you “I promise I won’t drop it”
You let out a loud warm chuckle at that “Don’t worry I trust you…” you say tailing off at the end.
“Cole. I’m Cole, Cole Turner” Cole finishes holding out his free hand.
“Y/N” you smile shaking his hand and Cole could swear he felt sparks fly.
Cole held out his arm signalling for you to go first, smiling, trying and failing to stop himself from doing a little happy dance when your back was turned. You then glanced over your shoulder at him making him quickly recover and flash you a smile.
When you reached the bar Cole ordered two ciders for the both of you and then set down your guitar case. As he did do he noticed all the stickers from different states and cities across the country.
“Are these all the places you’ve toured?” Cole asks as you took a large sip of your cider.
You quickly swallowed and shook your head “No, I’m not much of a traveller far too much of a homebody, my family is just pretty large and spread far and wide so those are just from when I’ve visited them” you explain.
Cole hums nodding his head “I get that, I did a bit of travelling across Europe not too long ago, it was fun but I definitely liked being home and back in my comfort zone”
“Need a holiday from your holiday” you chuckle making Cole laugh.
“Yup exactly that” he smiles “So you don’t travel for your music?” He asks arching a brow.
“No it's just a hobby, I don’t have any real desire to ‘make it’, I just enjoy doing stuff like this and I love my job too much to give it up” you explain.
“What do you do?” Cole asks tilting his head slightly.
“I’m a librarian, so diving into fantasy worlds and romance novels is enough travel for me” You smile bashfully as you take another sip of your cider “What do you do?”
“I’m a farmer, but I have also written a book on the history of agriculture, it was published a few months ago now” Cole answers as he takes a sip of his own cider.
“Wait.” You say holding out your hand “Cole, as in Cole Turner?”
Cole furrows his brows “Yeah….” He says confused.
“I’ve read your book!” You exclaim.
Cole’s eyes widened in surprise “You have!?” He says shaking his head in disbelief, he thought he’d be the only one who’d ever read it.
“Yeah! It came into the library and it looked interesting so I gave it a read and it was really cool! You have a way with words” you explain smiling over at him.
“Thank you” Cole smiles bashfully “but if anyone has a way with words it's you! I mean your songs, god… I’ve never heard someone summarise love and falling in love like you”
“Thank you, not everyone would agree, I’ve been called a hopeless romantic,” you say with a small shrug of your shoulders “Well that's putting it nicely, I’ve been called needy, incessant texter, leading with my heart rather than my head… but I guess I am someone who’d do anything for love”
“I get that,” Cole says with a small nod of his head, making you look back at him with an arched brow “I once travelled halfway around the world after a girl who I went on one date with and didn’t hear back from only to find out she’s a CIA agent and get dragged into her mission to recover a weapon of mass destruction, there were bounty hunters and everything” he rambles looking down at his cider.
Silence fell between the two of you making Cole worry that when he looked back up that he would see a look of horror on your face. But when he did eventually look up he just saw a warm smile on your face.
“You fall in love fast don’t you Cole?” You ask with a smirk, Cole could only nod and swallow nervously “Well I’m glad I’m not the only one” you smile holding your pint out for a toast.
A wide smile broke out on his face as he joined you in your toast. Yeah, he fell in love fast but this time he was sure that he’d met his match, his equal, his soulmate.
Tumblr media
Sharing is caring so please reblog if you enjoyed this and maybe even leave a comment to make my day!
Masterlist
I don’t have a taglist so follow @secretswiftymarvelfanlibrary​ and turn on post notifications to be kept up to date!
151 notes · View notes
hanna-kin · 1 year
Text
Wilmon top five hugs
You know what is just as good as kisses? Or even better? Hugs!
These were so much harder than the kisses but here we go.
5.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I love how assertive Wille is. Hr obviously feels so safe in Simon's room and in Simon's company and it shows. He's such a cuddler and we know it. But here we see just how much touch ia his love language. It's the way he hugs Simon from behind, snuggles against his neck and lets their arms intertwine, rendering Simon speachless. And Simon reciprocates to it my melting into him.
4.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I love the parallel to season 1. I love how they are on the same page, which is the opposite of how they were in season 1. But the love they have for eachother is still the same. That never changed. But there they are and they have both grown so much and they are peaceful because they have eachother and it's them against the world now. It's all that matters at the moment.
And I love Simon's I love you.
3.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
This was such an important moment for them. They are open with eachother, they are honest and they communicate. They are listening to eachother!
Again they have come such a long way in such short time and this is another scene that so clearly shows that.
And that's also what allows them to be there for eachother. Both are obviously struggling here but they are leaning on eachother. Even if their future is uncertain and they have no idea what will happen there's still so much hope.
Simon is going to report August but they are still going to be okay.
Wille is scared shitless about what the future will hold for him but they are still going to be okay.
One way or another.
2.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
This is still my favourite scene. You knew it was coming. It's just so beautiful, with the cinematography and the music being absolutely perfect.
I can not not rank it thia high.
It's a scene that breaks my heart every time. It curshes me every time I watch it and I love it.
Wille is obviously in a very vulnerable place and he let's it show with all his guards down and his heart on his sleeve. I think this is the most vulnerable we ever see him.
He is sacred of losing Simon. Terrified even. Because he's lonely without Simon in his life and the thought of losing Simon swallows him whole.
Gone is the confident Crown Prince that took charge in the Society meeting and over ruled August's decision. Because Simon’s thoughts about him matters. He can't lose Simon.
Simon of course is disappointed with Wille at first and their fight from before lingers. However I don't think he realises how vulnerable Wille was. And when he sees it his anger melts away and he realises that Wille probably did the best he could do and that the fight affected him too.
And he's so gentle when he wraps Wille into his arms. So protective and comforting. Wille lets himself be held and kinda sinks into Simon's arms and he feels so small.
It's sad because we gets so little comfort from anyone but Simon and this is a moment where it just gets too much and it bursts.
And Simon with his huge heart and kind soul takes care of him.
1.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
How could I not? I feel so many things watching this scene. It's such a beautiful scene and the perfect ending to season 1.
Wille is obviously drowning in guilt for what he did and he realises how much he messed up and he needs Simon to know how sorry he is.
He's timid at first, gently complimenting Simon's singing but there's so much sadness and sorrow in his voice.
Simon is alot better at hiding his feelings and his heartbreak but it's obvious that he's hurting so much.
Especially when Wille hugs him and he closes his eyes and grabs at Wille's coat. You can feel he's as desperate for Wille's love as Wille is for his. You know that he's absolutely crushed over losing Wille. It's like he allows himself one final moment together. He knows he's made the right decision but it hurts. So much.
It's an important hug because it's Wille validating their love. It's him saying he's sorry and that he loves him even before he says it out loud. But it's also important because Wille is hugging Simon infront of everyone. He's not hiding.
And then he says I'm sorry and I love you.
You know how much it means to Simon to hear Wille say it but it's not enough. It can't make everything alright. He knows that. He still loves Wille but they can’t be together and he has to be strong.
He's so strong. So brave. He has so much integrity and he stands up for himself even if he hurts.
314 notes · View notes
chubbyheadquarters · 2 years
Note
If it’s fine by you, this is gonna be kinda of a weird request but I thought it’d be interesting! (I can send you a link to a website that lets you watch season 2!) I wanna request lmk mk,red son ,(macaque and wukong if you can-sorry-) with a S/O who’s like bee from bee and puppycat, plus if you want, their reaction to finding out their S/O is part cyborg like deckard did in the last episode in season 1 of the show, I hope that’s alright!
I'll do my best!
Genre: Romantic
Pronouns: Gender-Neutral
TW/CW: None
Character(s): MK, Red Son, Liu Er Mihou-Macaque and Sun Wukong-Monkey King
🐵MK🐵
Tumblr media
I feel like both of your energies would bounce off of each other, Always ready to go do something together, cheery and go get em attitude. Very supportive and always willing to help one another. He appreciates that your always willing to lend an ear, and he tries to do the same for you.
When he's on break or has a day off, you're both going to the arcade, playing all the games you can before heading home and stuffing your faces with food. You essentially live in his room with him and it is messier because of that.
You're both impulsive and always ready to jump into a fight, though at times, you understand how dire a situation can be and pull him from that. He's also kinda glad that like him, you don't get a lot of the complex and complicated words and plans that his friends talk about. Pigsy definitely worries about you two.
When LBD and MK were facing off, you had used your arm to defend him, causing it to bend in an inhuman way. Of course, it scared him, and even when you tell him the truth about being a cyborg, he’s still scared. Just because you're a cyborg or whatever doesn't mean you should use your self as a shield! You'll both have a talk about it when you can.
🔥RED SON🔥
Tumblr media
Why you're so chill about a lot of things, he doesn't get, but he's met weirder. Your cherry attitude about a lot of things also confuses him, but he let's it be since you like it. He appreciates that you get serious when the situation calls for it... But it does worry him when you rush into battle without a plan. Poor boy's gonna have a heart attack one day 😔
He definitely pushes you to do stuff, and refuses to let you procrastinate, especially if it's something that can easily be done. If it's something more serious/emotional, then he'll be more supportive and he'll do it with you if it helps ease your mind.
If he EVER finds out the state of your home, he's gonna stay with you and make sure you keep it clean. After a month of staying, he decides to go back home. You promise to take care of it better and keep your word. He does inspections everytime he visits with you always talking about how you missed him. Cue blush.
He finds out about your robotic nature after you come home, all bruised up and arm close to falling off. It freaks him out, and it doesn’t help how nonchalant you are about it. He does his best to fix it, and you’re telling him everything. He’s still a bit upset that you didn't tell him earlier, but accepts it none the less. He fell for you. All of you, and nothing’s gonna change that for him.
🌙MACAQUE🌙
Tumblr media
He found you a bit weird at first. Your kind nature, random bursts of energy and your quick witted sassiness. It made him curious, so he decided to stick around, teasing you and picking harmless fights whenever he has free time. And then uh oh he falls in love and is in panic mode. He confesses later on don't worry-
He doesn't mind that you're not that smart, and if anything, kinda likes that you need him to explain things to you. It makes him feel needed. He also likes how you never push him about where he's been or what he's been doing. You just ask if he's okay and comfort him should he need it.
He notices that you're oddly good at calming him down. From talking him down from a panic attack, to letting him vent and scream. You'll even offer him a ride on your motorcycle, letting the cool, night air calm the both of you. It scared him at first, knowing that you could clam him to such a degree, but began to lean into it. Your presence made him feel...safe.
When he finds out, it’ll most likely be when the two of you are training. He’ll be pushing a little harder that day, and he'll swing a bit harder, denting your leg. Obviously, he's freaking out a bit, but you explain your cyborg nature. He'll ask why you never said anything, to which you expressed fear of him pushing you away. Maybe it could be the first time you see him without his glamor.👀
☀️SUN WUKONG☀️
Tumblr media
He appreciates how you'll laze with him, especially when you let him rest on your plush thighs and run your hands through his hair. How you'll both snack on his food and watch random shows, snuggling together and enjoying each other's presence.
He's so glad that there's someone else who doesn't like water like him. Granted, he doesn't know the reason, but it's whatever to him. You have your reason, he has has. Safe to say, there are no beach dates.
The two of you train together from time to time, and he's always curious about your strength. You don't really have answer and shrug it off, saying that you've always been pretty strong. He's definitely used his gold vision when he first saw your display of strength, but he never found anything suspicious, so he let it go pretty quickly.
When he finds out about about your true nature, he’s a bit stunned. At least it explains how and why you’re so strong. He'll ask why you didn't tell him, so when you tell him that you were scared of his reaction, he'll be a bit surprised. “Sweetheart, I’m an immortal monkey. I’m not exactly normal by any means.”
Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors!
372 notes · View notes
fineprintedsunsets · 8 months
Text
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒
Tumblr media
🎃 This Is For Haunted Hoedown Day 8! | My Haunted Hoedown Master-List 🎃
best friends-lovers au + "this fear you feel? it won't last."
Synopsis: Your heart has been broken, and your best friend Ransom has made it his mission to make you smile, with all your favorite things of course.
Word Count: 2.4k
Warnings: Throw on this ambiance and spend a day with Ransom as he attempts to cheer you up: tooth-rotting fluff. flirty friends. obvious friends with benefits. a cameo from all my favorite books. sweet!ransomdrysdale x nerd!reader. all the fall vibesss. like alot of fucking angst. Part 2 "We fell in love in October?" maybe?
Baby I'm A Project Lovin' Me's A Mistake.
“Hey sweetheart, How are you doing this morning?” You expected this. Your best friend called you every morning, asking about your plans, checking in, and seeing if you were alright. After, he hung up and went on with his day.
Ransom was like that.
But today, your only reply is a muffled sniffle. Your head is buried deep into your white pillow, both dry and wet tears staining the surface. “Sweetheart? You okay?”
“Yeaaaahhhh” You grog, putting the phone on speaker. You were in fact, not okay. Your boyfriend of 3 years decided to break up with you, he didn’t give a reason, but you're almost ninety percent sure it has to do with a girl you saw him flirting with weeks ago.
It was a red flag, but when you're in love you ignore them.
You wish you hadn’t.
“What happened?” Ransom asks urgently, the sound of his voice is comforting, to hear something then sniffing and silent sobs.
“Nothing, Ransom. I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine, sweet girl.” You never knew how much you missed his little nicknames until this moment
“I am-”
“I'm coming over.” Ransom rushes out, and embarrassment fills your aching body. He has seen you like this a dozen times, always comforting you, but this time you felt so stupid, How could you not see the signs?
“Please, no-”
The line goes dead, and Ransom disconnects his end. All you can do is scream into your pillow.
🍂
“Shortcake, you have to get out of bed sometime today.” Ransom stands over top of you, his sunglasses hanging by his shirt collar, an expensive-looking jacket on.
“Mmph!” A pillow goes hurdling across the room, heading right for Ransom. Unfortunately, he catches it, launching it on the opposite side of your bed.
“Shortcake.” He says seriously, Ransom's eyes look over your crumbled frame, the blanket covering your half-naked body.
“Ransom. Please. I’m fine.”
“Why don’t I take you out, just you and me? How does that sound?” Your head perches up at his offer, seeing the smile blooming on his smooth features. “Yeah? You like that idea?”
Finally moving your head away from the pillow you’ve been face to face for the last three hours, you nod your head in agreement. Spending a day with your best friend is exactly what you need.
“Get dressed, Shortcake.” He laughs, snatching the blanket off your body, you screech as the cool air caresses your thighs. You throw the blanket in his face, running towards the opposite end of the room to your closet.
“Sneaky little-” You crack a little smile, Your mood is lightning just a bit, but it’s going to be hard to fill the hole your ex left, Ransom would make you forget, for the moment at least.
He would make sure of it.
🍂
The weather was beautiful, auburn colors swirled inside the tree’s leaves, yellows and oranges and red collided to make bursts of colors. It was magical.
Autumn had always been your favorite time of year, the Halloween music, the movies, the pumpkin spice lattes. Everything about this season was extraordinary. Ransom’s car matched the leaves, a light orange, its convertible roof folded down.
It allowed you to smell the Autumn wind, feeling it flow through your hair, wiping it around your face. Ransom fingers find the radio, switching it to the nearest station.
The acoustic version of Boris Pickett's “Monster Mash” blares through the station, and Ransom would be damned if he missed the smile that blooms on your face. Although a weak one, he would take all you had to offer.
“Go ahead, I won’t judge. Sing it, shortcake.” Ransom offers, tapping his fingers against the wheel to the beat, turning left on G.R Drive, heading for town. You shrink back, embarrassment flooding your cheeks.
Ransom keeps one hand on the wheel as his other presses into your jaw jokingly. You rear back, “Stop it.”
“Sing it then.” He bargains, his finger poking at your chest. Ransom wanted so desperately to see a true smile from you, even if it meant forcing you to sing Monster Mash.
“Fine! Stop poking me!” Your buck against his hand, telling Ransom to keep his eyes on the road as you tune into the music, listening to the lyrics.
“He did the monster mash.” You start quietly, twirling your fingers in your lap. Your hoodie is drawn over your knees. Ransom is trying very hard not to burst out laughing, he keeps one eye on you, watching your mouth sync with the lyrics, and one eye on the road, going straight for a place he knows you’ll love.
“From my laboratory in the castle east…” You started again, tapping your foot to the beat, the wind settling your nerves for the moment.
“To the master bedroom, where the vampires feast.” You pick up now, moving in tune with the beat, moving your hands, joking with your body, swaying your hips against the seat belt.
“Sing it, baby!” Ransom laughs, his face was practically red from holding in, and with it you join him, listening to the rest of the song play out.
What is with the fall and happy memories?
🍂
“The bookstore? The fucking bookstore!” You squeal excitedly, watching Ransom’s own features bloom in enjoyment, seeing your cheeks puff. The bookstore's front was decorated with paper leaves, stringing a banner across the glass windows.
Its exterior was black and gold, the perfect place for a sad girl. Books heal all wounds. Ransom’s already by the door, pulling his scar tighter as he holds the frame open for you, urging you in.
“As much as I love seeing you toggle, we have books to buy, sweet girl.”
“I love you, you know that?” You say playfully, although not exactly a lie. Ransom had always been like this, ever since you met in college.
“I love you too.”
Books. So many books. It took all your energy not to scream right there and then.
“Good morning!” An employee greets you both with a small smile, and you return it with glee, going straight to the new release stand, not even bothering to wait for Ransom.
Every book released in the past month was here, you wanted to get all of them. You circle around the table, seeing authors ranging from Nicolas Sparks to Ana Huang. A hand grabs your shoulder, spinning you around. Ransom greets you with a smile, handing you a black basket.
“Go crazy, sweetheart.”
“Ransom…” Because he knew you were going to protest, you always do, he places a finger to your lips, cocking his lips in a grin. “I’d rather spend my money on my shortcake.”
Did you already say you love him?
Because you really do love him.
And you do exactly what Ransom tells you, you go crazy.
Your basket is almost filled to the brim. You had insisted on stopping at three books but Ransom wanted you to fill the whole basket. You wanted around now, taking in the spice scent of hair and the smell of freshly printed paper-backs.
It’s not until you see Ransom, a book in his hand, flipping through the pages, that you truly start to panic. The cover, although rather innocent looking, displayed woods, and the name “CREDENCE” sprawled over the cover.
You have never run faster in your life. You attempt to snatch the book out of his hands, surprising him with your speed, but he grips it nonetheless, laughing as you fail to stop him. Halting completely, you watch in terror as Ransom’s back faces you, blocking your sad attempt at receiving the book he begins to read…
Ransom's voice is extracted, dark and husky. “That’s it…Noah says in a strained voice…” Your thighs clench at his words, not because of Ransom in particular, but because you know exactly what scene he is reading.
Oh god.
“Ransom! Shut up-”
But he ignores you, continuing on.
“-Holding my face as he kisses my nose, and then my lips. Good girl”. Ransom doesn't stop despite your pleas, and the more he reads, the more your thighs clench, maybe it wasn’t the book or the scene, maybe it was-
“I feel his fingers slip under the waistband of my shorts, and he starts to pull them down.” He faces you now, reading the pages, his lips pursing to make his voice seem seductive. Ransom is doing it to piss you off, but you are far from it.
“I look at him, pleading” He looks up for dramatic effect, allowing you to hang onto his every word, “No.”
“Yes”.
“He pulls my shorts and panties-”
You snatch the book out of his hand, carefully trying not to crease the cover. “We're done, let’s go.”
“These are the types of books you read?” He whispers, clearly poking fun. He plops the book from your gripping hand, putting it back on its stand. You try to hide the blush forming on your cheeks, Your best friend or not, that was embarrassing.
“An innocent girl like you?” Ransom smiles, grabbing your basket and heading for check-out. Your lips are slightly parted, looking distraught in the middle of a bookstore.
“Ransom!”
“Come on, Shortcake. We have more places to be.”
What the hell just happened?
🍂
“That fear you feel? It won’t last.” Ransom states, his tone a bit more serious. You quirk your brows as you walk down the street, your books stashed in the back of Ransom's convertible.
“Fear?” You question, look to where he walks next to you on the cracked sidewalk. Leaves crunch unearth your feet as you lose your arms in your hoodie, letting the fabric hang.
“You're afraid to trust again, aren’t you shortcake?”
You closed your mouth quickly. Ransom wasn’t entirely wrong, it had only been a few hours, but you truly thought it would be the last time you would ever love again.
“I trust, Ransom.”
“Who?” He asks, stopping in front of a little coffee shop just around the corner of the bookstore. It looks fairly empty from what you can see in the window.
“I trust you.”
That’s all he’s ever wanted to hear.
You order the first pumpkin spice menu item you read. A latte with whipped cream and real pumpkin. Ransom ordered a black coffee, because… of course he did. You both find an orange booth to settle in, sitting across from each other. Candles are lit throughout the shop as baristas call out orders to the other customers.
You bring your lips to the steaming cup, not caring if it burns your tongue or not, you feel the whipped cream gather on your flesh, smelling the cinnamon rooted throughout the substance. Ransom laughs, reaching over the table, and swiping his thumb across your nose to wear the whip cream sets. “You're a messy girl, shortcake.”
“That’s what your dad said.” You joke, laughing as Ransom shakes his head.
“I’m taking the books back.”
“No!”
He tilts his head in a way that says “Now who’s laughing”.
Unfortunately, it was not you.
You two sat in the coffee shop and converse, ordering drink after drink and dessert after dessert, loud laughter could be heard from one source,
Your table.
🍂
It had been a long day. The night sky rose above you, the air now having a layer of coolness to it, enough to bite you if you went outside. As soon as you got into your apartment, Ransom started you a bath, fiddling with a lighter for a few minutes, trying to light your favorite fall-themed candle.
He poured a generous amount of bubble bath into the tub, watching the hot water steam, turning the liquid into white bubbles.
“Shortcake, Bath’s ready!” Ransom calls, and you put your books down, having about ready to organize them. Your stomach ached from all the pumpkin you practically inhaled today, and a warm bath was just the thing to relieve every taught muscle.
You lean against the door frame in nothing but a towel, smelling the bubble bath mixed with the scented candle. You smile, looking at Ransom, “Thank you.” It dissipates from your lips with more appreciation than you could imagine.
“Of course.” Ransom goes to exit, but your fingers wrap around his wrist, turning him around. “Are you going home?”
“I’ll still be here when you get out of your bath.” He whispers, leaning forward to place a soft kiss against your temple, you don’t think much about it, now when it makes you want to melt. “You're full of surprises today, huh?”
“Anything for you, sweetheart.”
Anything.
🍂
The feel of your best friend's lips against your temple, the sound of his flirty comments and funny resolve, you were starting to look at Ransom in a different way.
A way you both desired but pushed away.
“Ransom!” You call, and in an instant, he’s walking into the bathroom, shielding his eyes as he stops in front of the tub. You smile, heat blooming in your gut.
“Come here, silly.” The hesitation in his steps chips at your heart, but you pursue with it regardless. Ransom kneels by the tub, and carefully you unshield his eyes, holding onto his fingers.
“Shortcake, I don’t want to do anything you're uncomfortable with-” You grab his hand from where it rests in yours, and despite begging to be able to pull away, Ransom doesn't do it. He watches as you glide his hand, being held by the wrist, across your shoulder, bringing his fingers lower to slide down your breast, as your unoccupied hand splashes water upward, making the movement easier.
Ransom’s breath catches as his fingers meet a hardened peak, his eyes locking with your own. “Sweet girl-,
“You showed me what it was like to feel good again, Ransom.” A pained look blossomed on his cheeks, looking to where you sit in the bathtub.
“It was my pleasure.” You see clearly he’s fighting with himself, how far should he go with you? He didn’t want you to think he was using you. You and your ex just broke up.
Ransom also couldn’t deny the burning sensation that settled deep inside him, did he have feelings for his best friend? His best fucking friend of four years?
“It’s too soon-” He pulls away, unsure of his wariness, you sigh, feeling his fingers leave your chest. Perhaps it was for the better, it was so soon, and the last thing you wanted to do was use Ransom for pleasure.
If there was one thing you had known, the one thing that interaction did clarify, You loved him.
Maybe, you always had.
64 notes · View notes
turtleybeachin · 1 year
Text
Three Times He Realized He Might Be in Love, and One Time He Was Caught
Pairing: Solomon x Female MC Word Count: 710 Tagging: Fluff, Magic, Written in Season 3
Just a fluffy little character study of Solomon that I wrote entirely to indulge myself. Female pronouns for an unnamed MC who is excited to be capturing the magic in her world, and reintroducing it to his.
1.
Magic had long been his passion, but seeing it through her eyes? It reawakened the wonder and joy of it anew. After centuries of working with magic, it could lose some of its charm -- sure, it was still fascinating and there were always new spells, new potions, new ideas to unlock, but like any task it became everyday work.
But she watched the cherry tree bloom with parted lips, eyes wide and sparkling, cheeks flushed as she bounced on the balls of her feet. A common trick to him was miraculous to her, still new and exciting. She gave a bright laugh and stepped closer to the tree, reaching up to gently brush her fingers against a bloom as if to confirm it was real.
She spun to him and grinned so wide her eyes crinkled half-shut. "Solomon! It's-- you're amazing!"
He laughed and flushed, delighted at her delight. "And you're too generous, my adorable apprentice. You can do the same, you know."
2.
Was this how the brothers felt all the time, he wondered? This magnetism, this need to orbit her, to earn one of her smiles and feel the full weight of her attention? She was captivating enough in small bursts, but spending every single day at her side, working with her and watching her learn and discover her capabilities...
"Solomon!" she gasped, and he refocused with a start. "Look! I did it!! I'm doing it!!"
And there it was, that smile that made his heart squeeze and his breath catch. That absolute delight, the awe at being able to do what he considered a simple parlor trick. He couldn't help but beam back at her. "So you are," he agreed. "Your form is flawless."
She laughed and blushed, the light fizzling out as she squirmed in delight at his praise. "Well, that's a compliment to you, master."
3.
Spending long days and nights lost in his studies was nothing new. Spending long days and nights lost in his studies with someone beside him, equally absorbed in the task? That was new. And she was smarter about it than he was. You'd think after centuries of this he'd have learned tricks to keep himself grounded on his own, but perhaps that was the problem. Perhaps it was because he was so alone that he didn't care to be grounded. Why take wellness breaks when you're immortal and a lack of food won't kill you? Why sit back and focus on the present when you had nobody to share your discoveries with and nothing in the present to enjoy?
She set alarms on her phone, and every two hours they would be forced to surface from their deep dives to stretch and get a snack and some water, to talk together about what they'd been reading and where their minds had gone and what ideas it inspired. Every two hours he would get the pleasure of her attention, her laughter and passion and delight, her insights and her questions.
The breaks were as exciting as the work. And that was new.
+ 1
Ah, he was quite positive that she caught him on camera at the worst possible moment.
She was on a video call with the brothers, animatedly telling them all about the spells she'd learned in the last month and demonstrating some tricks with pure delight. He wasn't in frame, not intended to be part of the call (they did not care about him, which he understood completely and took no offense to), and was content to merely watch his apprentice as she basked in the oohs and ahhhhs of the brothers in her audience.
And then suddenly she grabbed her D.D.D. and twisted, inserting him into frame, and while he shifted his expression to a polite smile immediately he noticed the keen eyes of multiple demons narrowing in on the corner of their screen. And Asmo smirked. 
Damn them, he'd been caught with a dreamy expression on his face. She seemed oblivious, elbowing at him with a laugh and insistence he say hello, chattering about how he was a great teacher and that between him and Satan she was pretty sure she'd learned years of magic in a matter of months.
The only consolation to the blush he felt burning his face was the dusting of pink he could see over Satan's.
241 notes · View notes
keithsandwich · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
Asters Blooming
Pairing: Keith and Alter!Keith/OC (Maeve)
Word Count: ~1660
Tags: Pregnancy, Hurt/Comfort, Route Spoilers (just vaguely mentioned).
Tumblr media
Notes: Written for Falling for You CCC, hosted by the amazing @nightghoul381 and @judejazza.
Prompt: I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
--- Hopefully, it'll be a part of a small series on Keith and Maeve parenting.
Ghoulie and my bestie without a Tumblr (Cosmic Latte) helped me a lot with this one. Thanks for the support, guys! I wouldn't be writing if it wasn't for you.
Tumblr media
"Look, the asters are already blooming." Keith said with a smile, lightly tapping her waist to direct her attention toward the vibrant bushes dotted with purple and blue buds, resembling stars nestled amidst the leaves. While other flowers were starting to wither with the onset of fall, they were happily being born anew.
Maeve's lips curved into a sweet, albeit shy smile. Keith had hoped for more enthusiasm when he invited her to walk in the gardens. After all, these were their gardens, the very first project they had worked on together ever since she arrived at court, and it was growing beautifully. Keith had confessed to her that he'd never had any luck growing flowers, and she decided to show him that growing flowers wasn't a matter of luck; it was about care, about sensing those delicate plants' needs and nourishing them accordingly, no more, no less. He cherished every memory of them getting their hands dirty together and celebrating every bud that popped up from the soil. She would warn him when watering was enough and teach him how to truly connect with the earth.
Soon, the small garden plot Keith had prepared for them had become a perennial burst of colors, shapes, and fragrances. With Maeve's help, they had planned it so that various flowers would bloom throughout the seasons. It was a peaceful, ever-changing landscape that welcomed birds and bees.
Keith would never forget how adorable Maeve looked every time she sang to their flowers, claiming that music was good for them, and besides, they made for a good audience. His heart always warmed at how happy and radiant she seemed to be whenever they were there, and that's what he had hoped to achieve by bringing her to the gardens this morning. However, he was unsuccessful.
She had been acting strangely lately, as if something were bothering her, but Keith couldn't quite grasp what it might be. Not even he, with his natural talent for convincing her to open up, could break through her resolve. When Maeve was determined to keep her feelings to herself, her emotional barrier proved stronger than both of them combined, and it was undeniably frustrating. All Keith wished for was to see her happy and radiant once more.
Just that.
"Maeve," he stopped in his tracks, gently turning her to meet his gaze. She looked at him inquiringly before he took her hands and continued, "I… I understand if you don't want to talk, but I can't accept you being sad any longer. I need to… I have to know what I can do to make you happy again."
His fingers squeezed hers, and the overwhelming emotions became too much for him to maintain eye contact. Keith looked away, down at the colorful aster buds, hoping he wouldn't make them sad too. Because if Maeve was sad, it could only be his fault, right? He was the weed in their garden, the one who could only fail in trying to keep her satisfied and flourishing as she deserved.
When her voice finally sounded, barely louder than the morning's chilling breeze and the chirp of the birds, her words were so unexpected that he doubted his ears. "I'm pregnant," she murmured, and when his eyes searched for hers, they were still downcast and out of reach.
"You're…" Keith tried to confirm her words but couldn't quite repeat them. He would be too ashamed if he got her wrongly. Maeve... pregnant. Maeve was carrying their baby. A baby. They would have a baby together. He would be a father. All these disconnected thoughts coming together made his heart lurch and his stomach drop. He shuddered, unsure how to feel, especially when she seemed so down about the news. Maybe she... didn't want to have a baby with him.
The world around them felt like it was spinning, and Keith desperately tried to hold on and not to switch. Not right now. He needed to be there for her next words.
"I know it's too early, and we're not even married yet. Goodness, we haven't even properly talked about having children, and I..." Maeve shook her head, squeezing his hands with the same intensity. "I'm afraid it's too soon…"
"Too soon?" Granted, one could say things were already moving too quickly for them. Not many seasons have passed between meeting her in Néart and proposing to her in court. But there was nothing Keith would've done differently. Things wouldn't be any slower if he was marrying politically, and he and Maeve simply connected. They felt like one of the same, so all those fast-moving events felt just natural. None of it scared or overwhelmed him, on the contrary, her accepting and soothing presence only made him feel more confident than ever. Now, becoming a father was a completely new concept for him, and he was still trying to grasp it. His trembling hands moved to her waist, hesitant to get any closer to her belly. "Maeve, do you want to have a baby with me?"
Her green eyes widened, watery with emotions, and an awkward smile graced her lips, even if just a little. Maeve nodded. "I do! Of course, I do. There’s nothing I want more, but I… I don't know if you feel the same…"
"How could I not want to have a baby with you? You are the love of my life," Keith's face softened as he rested his forehead against hers, a silent gesture of closeness and support he wished she could understand. He still felt overwhelmed, his thoughts swirling like a whirlwind, but her presence was a comforting anchor amid his emotions.
"Aren't you scared?" Her doe-like eyes glistened in the soft morning glow that surrounded them.
Slowly, Keith’s fingers trailed towards the center of her stomach. The notion that their child was there kept sinking in, and so was the understanding that he would have to care for and protect the little one. It surely was scary, but the love they shared was stronger than this. Strong enough to sow its seed and grow into a new life in her womb.
And then he realized. It could be just like their garden. They could make that little, precious life thrive as beautifully as their flowers.
"I am scared…" his lips curled up in an honest reaction, despite his words. Maeve gasped in surprise when Keith fell to his knees in front of her, grabbing the sides of her body and placing a light, careful kiss on her belly. "But I am so happy, Maeve… This will be the first flower of our love, and just like we made this garden possible, I know I can raise a child if I'm with you."
Keith felt his eyes getting wet, but not like hers. Maeve was already tearful, he could understand if she got even more now, and he wanted to be there every time she cried like she did when she got on her knees just so she could hold his face and kiss him. Again, and again. Soft, sweet, and loving kisses, as happy tears streamed down her face. Well, he knew whenever he couldn't be there for her, he would.
And it made him feel less anxious about being a father. He definitely wouldn't do it alone.
"We're doing this together! Oh, Keith… We're having a baby…"
He closed his eyes and let her sweet voice guide him to the forest of his mind. Not that he didn't want to be with her. There was nothing he wanted more, and this was making him greedy. But he knew he had to let him celebrate the news too.
He would never forgive him if he didn't.
.
.
.
"Silly girl, what were ya so scared of?"
Being there felt incredible. The surprised look in her beautiful, moist green eyes never ceased to amaze him. Keith didn't hesitate before kissing her, the kiss more intense than before, as he wanted to savor all the emotions from her. Gently, he laid her down on the ground while they continued to kiss, and his hand moved to her lower belly. There, lay the proof of his existence. No matter who had conceived that child, he would be equally their father, and they would carry his memory.
When their lips parted, giving room to a smile infinitely more tender than he was used to, Keith allowed himself to become lost in her gaze for a moment. Maeve released a contented, yet bashful sigh, intertwining her fingers with his.
Keith chuckled. He knew what she was worried about. What happened to him definitely made him doubt himself and his ability to protect someone. "He would have insecurities and fears no matter when ya got pregnant, but I am here to take care of him, of you, and of our baby," he leaned in to kiss her cheek, still wet and salty with tears. "Aren't ya the one who taught us that Mother Nature has her own time? We can only revere it, and be thankful she's giving us a child."
"Don't you think it's too soon? We've already been moving so fast, and having a child is such a big step. I... I'm afraid it's too overwhelming, especially for him," she bit her lips, mirroring his insecurity. They were so alike.
Maeve squeezed his hand in hers and against her belly. "Wouldn't you want it to happen in a better time?"
"There's no better time, Maeve. I wouldn't want it any other way. We're having a baby, and this is the most wonderful thing."
He saw a beautiful smile lightening up her face before kissing her lips again. This was what Keith wanted the most — the woman he loved, carrying his child and being radiant about it.
The peaceful sounds of the birds and the fresh smell of earth, grass and flowers mixed with the rosemary of her hair in that soothing scenario never felt so thrilling.
45 notes · View notes