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tomtenadia · 3 years

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A Little Braver ch.6

Here we go with chapter 6. I edited but if you see any typos I am sorry I had a long day at work.

During the call they attend in the chapter they mention a substance called ANFO. Click here for more info. I did some research hopefully it makes sense. I am no an expert but I needed something for the scene.

Our two idiots... well, I hope you will be happy (for now) *evil laughter*

I hope you will enjoy the chapter

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Three months later.

Rowan landed back at the airbase in the morning. The carrier had docked on the coast a few hours earlier on and then they had flown back to the base with their jets.

He got off his plane and smelled the air of home. Winter had given way to spring and he could smell flowers and wondered if the kingsflames were in bloom already.

“Damn it feels good to be back.” Shouted Gavriel getting off his jet and stretching his back “I am dying for a very long relaxing bath. And peace, without you idiots annoying me.”

“Oh yeah,” said Fenrys “Not having to hear Connall and Vaughan snore will be so good.” He turned to Rowan and Gavriel “Not everyone has the rank to get their own quarters.”

Rowan pretended not to hear the youngster and started walking around his aircraft to do his post-flight checks. He had enough of their bickering and of Fenrys moaning in general.

“Guys.” He bellowed “Less talking and do your post-flight checks.”

“Someone is grumpy.” Added Fenrys.

Connall slapped him on the back of his neck “don’t anger the man even further. Now shut up and do your job. I am so tired of your voice.”

Rowan silently thanked Connall for putting his twin in place.

Once he was done, Rowan grabbed his duffel bag and went to the changing room and took a shower. He would take a proper one at home, for now he just wanted to remove some dirt from him.

The changing room was busy and he opened his locker with a sigh. He definitely needed peace and quiet and not to be in close quarters for a while.

“I am so looking forward to my month off.” Commented Gavriel “and decent food. I want to sit down for a meal for more than ten minutes.” Then he turned to Rowan “Any plans?”

“Not really.” He shrugged.

“Are you going to see your captain?”

“I don’t know.” He said quickly. He did his best to put her out of his mind during those months away. To ignore those pesky feeling that had been taking root in him even while far away from her. He had hated how he left her and throwing himself into work had been the best way to try and forget. But now he was back and he felt as if he was stuck.

He put his uniform back on and grabbed his stuff “Just stay out of trouble,” he told them before leaving the room.

While walking to his office he pulled his mobile out of the bag, switched it back on and a barrage of notifications hit him and two voicemails awaited him. The first one was from Aelin and she was mad at him. How could he blame her. He had disappeared without a word. How could he even begin to apologise? When he listened to the second and a glimmer of hope appeared in front of him. She wanted to talk. He grabbed his stuff and blitzed out of the airbase. The taxi he had called arrived ten minutes later and once at the station he paid the driver and got off, his duffel bag on his shoulder. An array of emotions passed through him while he moved the first step in the direction of the firehouse, panic being at the top of the list.

He lifted his sunglasses on his head and took in the scene in the distance. Two fire engines were parked in front of the yard. Aelin and the rest of the team were washing them, the day was sunny and mild so the perfect occasion. He chuckled and noticed that she was standing. She was walking normally and he sighed. Rowan found himself staring at her walking around the truck and shouting orders. She was just as stunning as he remembered her. He missed her. He realised in that instant looking at her from far away that somehow, although there was nothing but vitriol between the two, he just missed her. Was his heart actually racing?

Aelin lifted her gaze for one instant and in the distance on the pavement she noticed a tall figure with silver hair. She squeezed the sponge and threw it in the bucket, then stood and marched to him doing all her best to maintain her cool to try and pass as aloof and not minimally interested that he was back. A lie to herself she struggled to believe.

“I am back safely.” He said when she was close enough.

“Well, at least you can do your job well enough to stay alive.” Her tone was hard and unforgiving.

Of course she was still mad at him, what was he expecting?

“Follow me.” She turned around and began walking back inside the station and Rowan knew she was headed for her office. Better have some privacy, he had a feeling he was not going not enjoy the conversation.

“Sit,” she ordered, once inside her office and he complied like a good soldier.

She moved around the desk and plopped on her chair.

“Aelin I—“

“No, you don’t get to go first,” annoyance quite thick in her voice “You left.” She sat up straight “you left me at the hospital and left again three days later for your mission and neither time you bothered to tell me why. You left.” She searched for his gaze and looked at his pine green eyes “Do you have any idea how I felt when I fully woke up and found out you never got back?” She told him unleashing all the anger she had bottled up while he was away “I went to your airbase and I was told by one of the guards that you all had gone for a week already.” She was not shouting but her tone was full of annoyance toward him.

Rowan had thought over and over again how he could apologise to her, but doing so it would mean reveal his secret and he was not sure he could. He should expose his fears and come clean with her, she had lost, just like him, she would understand his struggle.

Eventually he stood and started pacing “I heard what you said in the hospital… about your feelings. And I panicked.” He stopped for a moment “I freaked out because…” he collapsed on the chair, his head in his hands and Aelin knew exactly why but she had to hear him say it.

He had to do it, be a little braver and tell her why he fled, it was his only chance if he even contemplated the idea of being with her or to have any kind of relationship.

“I am scared of getting involved again.” He sighed deeply and Aelin saw pain in his eyes “Over a year and a half ago I lost my wife.” He confessed and Aelin gripped her hands under the table to avoid crying. “She died in a car crash. It was winter and the roads were bad and she just… lost control of the car according to the police.” He looked away for a second “Lyria was also pregnant.” His voice trembled for a moment. “I was away. I was on the other side of the continent when it happened. I left my pregnant wife alone.”

Aelin’s eyes became wet all of a sudden.

“She was going to leave me.” He admitted painfully and Aelin almost gasped at the unexpected ammission “a few days before I left I was looking for something for her in her drawer and saw the papers. She had all the documents ready to file for divorce, my signature was the only thing missing. She had also a letter from her lawyer saying that she would win full custody of our child since, because of my job, I was not fit to look after a child. I would probably win to see my child from time to time.” He stood again “I never told her that I had found out. I left for my mission and she didn’t even come to the airbase with me as she used to do in the past.” He ran his hand through his hair “I loved her. But apparently not enough.” He stopped again as if to gather his thoughts “I got a short compassionate leave and when I got back I just threw myself into work. It kept my mind busy. Since then I haven’t been with anyone.”

“I know.” Aelin whispered and he look at her in a strange way”About the accident, I mean.” She said softly.

“One day I was curious and I looked you up.” She stood and went around the table and sat at the front, facing him. No barriers between them “I read about your wife. Then I read the article about her accident.” She hoped she was not to mess up this one “I recognised our engine in one of the photos from the article.

His gaze widened.

“My team and I attended the accident.” And stared at him but his expression was illegible “It was bad. Only one person survived that night. I had nightmares about it for a week. She… your wife… I think she did not suffer much. I know it’s not much consolation, but from the dynamics it was probably instantaneous.”

Rowan looked at her and she saw tears in his eyes.

“I still have the file.”

“No.” He said calmly “I don’t think I can.”

She took a step to him and took his hand in hers “I know the pain” it was time for her confession. It was only fair.

Rowan looked at her and remembered about the man she had lost.

“His name was Sam. He was a firefighter and a captain at west station. I lost him over a year ago. He attended a call. We could not assist straight away because we were busy on another one. Once we were done we ran in their help. I was too late.” She buried her face in her hands “when I got there they were just carrying his body outside the building.” She looked at him “he did not die a nice death. He suffered and I was not there. I was too late to help him.” She squeezed his hand “I know your pain and your fears because they are the same as mine.” She took another step toward him “losing Sam almost destroyed me. I can’t go through that a second time.”

“How do you get out of the abysm?” He asked tenderly, both with eyes moist.

“One step at a time.” She added and her body was now almost close to his.

Rowan hesitated for an instant then his arm reached out and pulled her closer “Together, then” he whispered, leaning his chin on her head “we can try together.”

“Yeah…” she whispered, her hands against his chest “I am sorry I was mad at you.”

“Shhh… I deserved it.”

She leaned closer and inhaled his scent of pine and snow. He always smelled of home.

“I am sorry I was always so mean to you. I think I was just trying to push you away and keep my distance.”

Aelin smiled and with her fingers brushed his name tag “I think we both did our best to show our unpleasant side.”

She felt him tighten his arms around her “Can we please not? I don’t mean not fighting because I have a feeling that we might get into a few fights from time to time. I mean stop being actually nasty to each other.” He admitted and she felt his thumb tracing circles on her back “whatever this is… I want to give it a go. If you are okay of course,”

She looked up at him and saw a faint smile that reached his eyes. Even with a small smile the man was stunning. She didn’t want to think about with a proper smile.

“Yeah. I want to. I am still terrified, though.”

“That makes two of us.”

“So, where do we start, captain?”

“You owe me two so what about we start with me taking you out for dinner and then we move from there?”

Aelin chuckled “Do you have your mortgage ready?”

He smiled. He gave her an actual real smile and Aelin had to restrain her instinct to slam him against the door and have her way with him.

“The bank apparently does not offer mortgages to pay for meals.” He pulled back a bit to look at her “are you free tomorrow night? I am on my month off so I am totally free.”

Aelin nodded “yes, we will be coming off night shift around 9am. I can go home, sleep and I will see you at night.”

“I still have your address. Can I pick you up at seven?”

“I think I will be alive again by that time.”

“What do we say to our friends if they ask?”

“None of their business.”

He looked down at her “I like it.”

They pulled apart and Aelin went back to sitting on the desk and him on the chair “So your knee is okay again?”

“Yes, physio was a bitch but it’s getting better. The guys, as a joke, gave me kneepads.”

She saw him smile and she realised she would say all sort of stupid things to see that reaction in him. The result left her breathless.

“And you performance review?”

She gave him the biggest grin ever “We crushed it. Absolutely nailed it and I am so proud of my team”

“I had no doubts.” He leaned back on the chair “and I see that you got another engine. That must be great news for you guys.”

She nodded “we got it two weeks ago. It was all thanks to the protest after the embankment fire. Dorian pushed and he got it.” She took a pen and tapped it on her knee “we still don’t have a full team, so at the moment we use it if the situation requires it and we split our team and Aedion leads it. It’s not optimal but the team is coming,” she explained “west is giving us half of their experienced team in their second truck and they are taking half rookies so we’ll both have a truck of mixed crews. Again, not the best but we can’t have an engine with all newbies.”

“That is wonderful.”

“You interview helped as well. The one outside the hospital.”

He looked away for a moment “they made me so mad. Giving all the credit to us when we did very little. I had to.”

“Thank you.”

In that instant the dispatch alarm went off.

“Shit.” She jumped off the table “Don’t go anywhere. There’s a tv, a kitchen. Stay here.”

He nodded and grabbed her hand “Be safe, please.”

She nodded and ran outside.

“There you are. You are the last one here.” Joked Aedion while they were both getting ready.

“She was with her captain.” Added Ansel with a wicked smile.

“Uh, getting nasty in the office?” Added Brullo.

Aelin opened the door and jumped in the engine at her seat “stop behaving like children and jump in the bloody truck right now.”

“Aedion, you lead the second one. ”

Rowan noticed the two engines and the ambulance drive away and once they were away he wandered around the empty space.

He walked around the deserted station and tried to discover more about that interesting team. He walked back the same way as her office and found a corridor that lead to their beds. On a wall there were pictures of the whole team. He stared at Aelin’s picture. She had the most beautiful grin and it was so like her. He smiled at her and traced his step back to the resting area. He sat on the sofa and switched on the tv and on the news he saw a raging fire as breaking news and he guessed that’s where they were going. The headline quoted a fire in an explosive warehouse near a quarry. It looked terrifying.

“Aedion,” said Aelin over the radio “we are going to the warehouse near the quarry. Explosives. This is your kingdom.”

“I saw it. Dispatch confirmed west is coming as well. It must be bad for four engines.”

They arrived at the site five minutes later.

Aelin jumped off the truck “Fuck.” Was her first reaction at the scene in front of them.

In the distance she heard the evacuation sirens for the quarry. West station arrived a moment later.

The fire was raging. Luckily the warehouse was near a quarry and away from inhabited areas, that at least was a start.

She saw a man with a high visibility jacket and ran to him.

“Captain Galathynius.” She introduced herself.

“Captain. I am the manager.” He explained “We evacuated the quarry in time as soon as we heard the first explosion. The warehouse team was loading a new load of explosives to be sent to the quarry. Something must have gone wrong. We lost contact with the team in the north wing where we store the explosives.”

Aedion arrived a moment later “what are we dealing with?”

“Mostly ANFO.” Replied the manager “it was meant to be moved.”

“Do you store any other agent or fuels?”

The manager nodded “but in a separate section. Something must have gone wrong while carrying it away. ANFO must have been in contact with any of the other fuels we use. ANFO is just an oxidiser” the manager explained and Aedion nodded aware of how ANFO worked.

“How many people do you have in the warehouse?’ Asked Aelin trying to assess the situation.

“About 60 and I have 40 accounted for.”

“We’ll get them out.” She said. Grabbed Aedion’s arm and walked away.

“Still twenty people inside. You are the expert. What are the chances I can send the team in and make it out alive?”

“Heat will cause ANFO to detonate. The fire is spreading qui—“

Another savage explosion ravaged the area. The blast so strong that the aftershock was felt quite a distance away. Aedion had pulled Aelin down on the ground and when they lifted their heads they noticed the rest of the team had done the same.

“Thomas,” she shouted while standing up “Connect to the water supply and get the water going and keep the temperature down as much as you can.”

He nodded and spurred his team into action.

“Aedion, you and I are going in.”

The man nodded.

“Luca, Brullo, keep the water going as well. We need to cool down the place as much as possible.” Then she walked to Thomas “Aedion and I are going in. There are still twenty people trapped. We’ll see if we can do something. Call dispatch and order all the units they can send in.”

“You can’t be serious.” The other captain protested “Dorian will not be happy.”

“I am.” she said finishing to don her gear fully “we’ll se you on the flip side. Keep the water coming.”

He stared at her and Aedion ran to the area less affected by the fire. It was a suicide mission and Dorian was not going to be happy.

Back at the station, Rowan was on the edge of his seat. He had felt the explosion, heard it mostly. He kept staring at the screen where he had seen Aelin and Aedion running into the building and his heart raced to the point of pain. There was no way there was anyone alive in that inferno. Why was she risking her life like that?

The four engines were woking hard channeling as much water as possible on the building but from his perspective it seemed like the fire was not yielding at all. He stood and started pacing.

In that moment Lorcan called him “Are you seeing the news about the fire?”

“Yeah.” Rowan replied not removing his eyes from the tv.

“They are there.”

“I know.” Rowan felt sick “Aelin just went in.”

“Are you at home?” The man on the line asked.

“No, at the station.”

“Let me know when they are back.”

Rowan hung up and resumed his pacing.

Dorian arrived on the scene and ran to Thomas as soon as he noticed the captain.

“Where are they?” He asked with panic in his voice.

Thomas inclined his head and indicated the building and Dorian swore savagely.

“How long? I got an update on my way here.”

“Five minutes.” Added the captain directing the water to another area of the building “I have called for more units. Two more are on their way.”

“That is not enough,” raged Dorian grabbing his phone. He walked away calling someone. When he came back he was slightly less furious “Being the chief has its perks. All the units available are coming in. This is not—“ another explosion.

Much stronger than the previous one. A mushroom of yellow fire went up in the sky and the blast rocked the ground all the way to Orynth.

“Chief to Captain. Aelin please come in.” No answer.

“Aelin, damn answer that bloody radio.” He started pacing nervously and a hand ran through his hair “Aedion, come in.”

“Fuck, fuck.”

In that instant the sound of sirens filled the air.

Dorian turned and saw a long line of engines filing down the main track.

He ran to the station captains and started shouting orders. The other engines deployed around the warehouse and started tackling the fire.

Thomas joined Dorian “I am going in. My men are manning the engine and the hoses. I am going to get them out.”

“No you are not.” The tone in Dorian’s word was harsh “I am not having another one of my captains in that building. They should not be inside in the first place.”

“We have still twenty civilians trapped inside.”

“Captain, you and I have done this job for a while. You know better than me that with three such explosions the chances someone inside is still alive are slim. We stop the fire and hope they are safe.”

“Do nothing?” Thomas shouted “How the fuck do you expect me to do nothing?”

“I am the chief, I am ordering.”

Thomas stormed away and resumed his position with the attack lines with the rest of his team.

“Aedion?” Aelin’s voice was faint. She removed the pile of debris from her body and tried to stand “Aedion?” She called again, panic rising. The smoke and fire were making visibility non existent “AEDION.” She shouted.

A moment later she heard a groan and noticed his bulking figure sprawled on the floor. She ran to him and saw he was awake “answer me for fuck’s sake.”

He removed his mask “my oxygen tank is bust.”

She removed hers and passed it to him “use mine, I still have some juice left.”

“We need to get out.”

“We haven’t found anyone.”

“Aelin,” he breathed removing the mask and giving it back to her “we need to get out. Another explosion like the last one and we are roast. And the fumes are bad. We don’t have long.”

“Fine.” She helped him stand. Slowly they tried to navigate their way through the fire and smoke.

The radio crackled static as they took a few steps deeper in the inferno.

“I heard something.” Aelin moved to the sound and Aedion followed. They found a heavy door and opened it slowly. Inside they found the twenty workers still missing.

“Is anyone injured?”

A woman nodded and showed her leg that clearly had a fracture and then pointed at at another man who lay unconscious.

“We’ll get you out of here.” She looked at their scared faces “pull up you clothes and cover mouth and noses” then she crouched down and offered the woman a piggyback. Aedion placed the unconscious man on his shoulder. She started to walk but one of the workers stopped her “This way.” They walked to a door that was locked.

“It’s a secondary route. It will take us to some tunnels underneath.”

Aelin looked at Aedion and the man nodded. It was their only option. They deposited their victims on the ground and with their axes they started knocking down the heavy door. Once through they recovered the people and walked on “stay behind us. Do not walk away form the big man behind me. Hold hands and form a line like at school.”

The civilians nodded and followed. The tunnels were full of smoke. They needed to be quick. The fumes from ANFO were toxic. Her oxygen tank started beeping and she knew she had ran out of juice as well.

“This way,” said the man who seemed to know about the tunnels “these were used in the olden days when we still used dynamite to blast the quarry. They would carry it under here. Apparently it was safer than outside were there were people everywhere. They never had any accident.”

Aelin followed the man with apprehension, everyone had started coughing quite badly.

“How far?”

“Not long. We are almost out. My dad was a worker here in the olden days. He told me everything about the tunnels.”

She heard Aedion cough behind her and she followed next.

Then she felt it. The breeze and a few minutes later the tunnel opened up right in front of the quarry. Everyone collapsed exhausted and took great gulps of air. Aelin looked up and saw the fire was diminishing and gasped when she noticed the crazy amount on fire engines.

“Captain, Thomas,” she croaked, while her chest spasmed in another fit of coughing.

“Chief, captain, where are you?”

Fuck, of course Dorian was there. Lovely, a dressing down from him was all she needed “In front of the quarry, we found some tunnels. We have all civilians with us.” And her coughing resumed savagely.

Dorian walked to the manager “my men saved your trapped civilians. They mentioned some tunnels.”

The manager nodded “follow me,” they reached some SUVs, Dorian jumped in and they started driving. Not long after they stopped in a car park and Dorian in the distance noticed two firefighters uniforms.

“You damn fools,” he shouted when he was in close range “that was definitely one of the most stupid thing you two have ever done.”

Aelin coughed “Glad to see you too, buddy.”

Aedion stood “ two of the civvies are injured, the other ones just need to be checked.”

“Load them in the SUVs,” said the manager “we’ll take you all back to the main area with the EMTs.”

“Civilians first, Aedion and I can wait.” The man helped carry the survivors and sat back beside Aelin waiting for their turn and breathing deeply.

Dorian stood in front of them glaring “The whole fire department in the region has been mobilised for this.” He looked away “how did you two survive the two explosions?”

“We have super power.” She joked but from Dorian’s reaction she realised she had gone too far. The man was pissed.

“I should be mad at both of you and suspend you for being reckless.” He growled “Instead I will just keep on venting my displeasure for a few days more and also thank you for saving the civilians. But I am still displeased with you two. You do your job, you do not play heroes. Do you both read me in this?”

The two nodded silently without adding any comments to avoid angering Dorian even more.

The SUVs came back and both Aelin and Aedion made their way to the vehicles after the chief ordered them to get their arses back to their teams.

When they got back to where their team was cheers erupted.

Thomas passed his hose to a team member and ran to hug Aelin “you idiot. You damn idiot.”

“Such sweet words.” She joked patting the man on the back.

Aedion was dragged away by Lysandra for some checks and now Elide was pulling her jacket “come on, you will smooch later. Now I need to check on you. It’s protocol and you inhaled enough shit for today.”

Rowan noticed the black SUVs bring back some civilians and his worry grew when neither Aelin nor Aedion appeared. The flames were now under control thanks to the effort of all the engines involved.

Then he spotted her, her dirty blonde hair popping out of one of the SUVs that had just come back, and Aedion followed.

He collapsed on the sofa and finally let out the breath he had no idea he had been holding. She looked a mess but she was walking. She was fine. He saw the west captain ran for her and hug her and for a very brief second a pang of jealousy hit him. The he realised it was just a colleague being relieved to see they were alive.

Elide dragged Aelin away to the ambulance and he hoped Lorcan was following the news. Elide was petite but he had a feeling the woman had just as much fire as Aelin.

He relaxed and then he had an idea. He grabbed the phone and rang Gavriel “Hey man, listen I have an idea and I need your help.”

Aelin sat on a gurney in an ambulance, with an oxygen mask attached to her face.

“I am fine,” she complained, trying to remove it, but Elide slapped her hand.

“You are violent.”

“What were you two thinking? You and that idiot cousin of yours? Going inside that hell?” The woman complained checking again her blood pressure and oxygen levels.

“It’s our job.”

“Not when the bloody place is about to blow up. You scared the heck out of everyone.”

“How’s Aedion?”

“Probably getting beaten up by Lys.”

Aelin laughed and more coughing wrecked her body. When she reopened her eyes her entire team was in front of the ambulance “Don’t you two do that ever again. You crazy bastards.” Were the loving words coming from Ansel. Everyone nodded “Dorian had to call all the fire trucks in the area.” Explained Ress.

“I guess you two will soon receive another invite from the mayor.” Joked Nox and Aelin gasped.

Brullo looked at her with a grin “that’s what you get at playing damn heroes. Police has been stopping people coming any closer all night. There is a sea of reporters out there.”

“Don’t you have jobs to do?” Groaned Elide “let the woman recover.”

“I always forget how scary you can be Lochan.” Ren shouted back at her while walking away from them.

“How are you feeling? Can you breath better?”

Aelin nodded.

“Your oxygen levels are back to normal. Does it hurt when you breath?”

“No, I am fine.”

It was much, much later when they did manage to finally get back to the station. Aelin got off the truck and then a wall of muscles slammed into her and enveloped her in a fierce hug. She looked up and noticed a pair of green eyes staring at her. She leaned her head against his chest for a second and the smell of pine and snow hit her. His scent.

“Don’t do that ever again.” He whispered in her ear.

“Where you worried about me, captain?” Then she pulled back noticing her team staring at the two. Fuck, no one knew they had sort of reconciled.

“What is the arsehole doing here?” Shouted Aedion pulling Aelin away from Rowan.

“He was here before the call. I told him to wait for me. That’s why he is here. And his name is not arsehole.” She growled back at her cousin.

Then a few more people came out of the station and they recognised Rowan’s squadron.

“We made food. Gavriel is a great cook. We helped. I just thought that you might all be starving.”

“Damn he is good,” said Ansel looking at Rowan from top to bottom.

Lorcan looked at Elide and the woman smiled at him. He tried to smile back but he was nervous and instead walked back to the station with the rest of the group.

“They need domesticating,” commented Lysandra when she noticed her friend’s dejected expression “Let’s go, I hope the food is as good as last time.”

Rowan and Aelin were the only two left behind “Sorry I hugged you in public.”

She shook her head “It’s fine. It actually felt nice.” Then smiled “I just hope you are now ready for all the comments that are going to rain on us as soon as we get back in there.” She brushed his uniform “I covered you in soot.”

“I don’t care. I have never been more terrified in my life. And I had some hairy experiences in my job.”

“Sorry,” she looked down but she felt his fingers lift her chin.

“You were amazing. Totally insane, but I am in awe.”

He took her shoulder “come on, you need food and we got loads ready.”

Together they walked back and Aelin walked to the sink to wash her face. She wanted a shower but she wanted food more.

“Aedion you could have at least washed your face.” She sat beside Rowan and noticed her cousin’s state.

“I am hungry.”

“Lys, did you kiss him in that state?”

“Hell no,” said the woman taking a bite of her food “I gave him a pat on the back and told him to get his arse in the ambulance.”

“Uh, someone is not getting any tonight.” Chimed Ress and the group laughed.

“Probably more than you, boyo.”growled back Aedion without rising his gaze from his meal.

“Well, someone is definitely getting some,” added Fenrys and nodded to Aelin and Rowan who were just sitting normally eating their food, not even brushing against each other.

Rowan growled at the man and Aelin laughed.

“So what is it with you two?” Asked Elide curious.

Aelin and Rowan’s head popped up from their plates.

“You hugged, he did all of this, are you two dating and pretending to fight so we don’t annoy you?”

“We are just us for now.”explained Aelin “before the fire we talked.”

“We are figuring things out. No labels. No rush. One step at a time.” He grabbed Aelin’s hand under the table and turned to her “we will let things develop.”

“That’s boring.” Comment Aedion, mouth half full.

Aelin snorted out loud “You pined after Lysandra for two years. Two years of driving me crazy because you were head over heels for her but could not make up your mind.”

“Aelin.” Shouted the man.

“Two years?” Asked Lysandra “why you never told me?”

“You know him. He always tries to do the right thing. He kept telling himself that it was not proper since you worked together. I had to read him the regulations and tell him that EMTs are not under our chain of command so he was in the clear. Had it be Ansel, now that would have been an issue since he is her superior.” Explained Aelin who enjoyed the shift of the conversation moving away from her and Rowan.

“You are an idiot.”

She noticed Lorcan throwing glances at Elide and she elbowed Rowan but he had noticed as well.

Elide stared at Lorcan, then blushed savagely and went back to her food “this is amazing,” she said out loud.

“Lorcan made those.” Said Gavriel and Aelin was sure that the man had noticed the exchanges as well.

“So you are a good cook as well?”

Lorcan grunted but Connall elbowed him. A very brave manoeuvre considering that Lorcan was his boss.

“I live on my own. I need to know how to cook.” He managed, never looking at her.

Aelin texted Rowan is he always this bad at flirting?

She could hear Rowan silent laugh this is actually going well for his standards.

Aelin rolled her eyes “who has a house big enough with a garden that we can have a nice barbecue? All of us? Just to get to know each other?” Announced Aelin.

Gavriel raised his hand “I do. I have a big yard and I haven’t used my barbecue since last year.”

“Awesome. What about this Saturday?We are off and you guys are on your month off. So it’s perfect.”

“How do you know about our month off?” Asked Fenrys, staring at Rowan.

“Ro— Captain Whitethorn told me.”

“Oh, of course he did, didn’t he?”

She was going to slap Fenrys.

“Lieutenant, I don’t see why it might be any of your business what the captain and I talk about.” Rowan had put on his captain voice and Fenrys went back to his food.

“The barbecue sounds amazing, spring is in full swing.”

“Good,” said Aelin standing and going to the fridge “I think we all need it after tonight.” Then she brought a bottle of coke to the table “we can’t have wine because we are still on shift.”

“It’s fine,” said Vaughan “we are used to stay dry.” And he pointed at Rowan and Lorcan “their no booze policy is outrageous. We can’t even drink when we are off shift.”

“Blame the twins,” replied Rowan “they are the ones who got drunk, brought two girls on a heavily secure aircraft carrier, got busted and are still on active duty just because Lorcan and I saved their arses.”

“Oh yeah, that was epic.”

“So after that, Rowan and I decided to tighten things and now they can only drink once their mission is over and their arses are back on Terrasen.” Explained Lorcan.

“That’s brutal,” commented Aedion.

The twins had gone silent all of a sudden.

“It must be hard keeping big kids in place,” Elide asked Lorcan and the man attempted a smile at the woman.

“That’s why Rowan is the one who deals with that. He is the babysitter. The perks of rank.”

Rowan gave Lorcan a rude gesture and Aelin burst out laughing.

“You are lucky we are off duty, Whitethorn.”

“Why? Are you going to spank me?”

The group burst into laughter. No one expected the stiff necked captain to come out with such a remark.

“No, because you might like it and it’s gross.”

Aelin was in stitches, her stomach in pain from too much laughing.

“Who is the kinkiest?” Asked Lysandra.

The fire station team pointed at Ansel and the woman stood and bowed happy to be the winner of such a title.

The pilots group pointed at Lorcan and Elide blushed savagely.

“I think he and Essar covered every place of their houses and tried every position known to the human race.” Commented Gavriel.

Elide stared at Aelin in disbelief and Aelin knew the woman’s fears. Elide was the opposite and had no experience and could see why Elide was now panicking.

After their meal, the fire station boys had been put on kitchen duty and were washing dishes and cleaning, while Ansel, Lys, Elide and Aelin were having their meeting in the ambulance.

“I can’t.” Said Elide.

“Why?” Asked Ansel.

“Did you hear Gavriel? Lorcan is basically a sex god and I am the opposite.”

“There is no need to freak out now. All you are doing is staring at each other. When the time comes you just have to talk to him.” Explained Lysandra calmly.

“And tell him what? Sorry Lorcan I do not know what to do with men?”

“Yes,” said Aelin “if he is a decent man he will understand.”

“If he is not, I‘ll deal with him.” Aelin liked Ansel a lot. The woman wan’t always easy to get along with but when it came to them four they had formed their tiny support group and Ansel would back them up at all times. She was loyal and quite an awesome firefighter.

“Yeah but he might want to do things I do not feel comfortable with.”

“Consent, Elide.” Said Ansel sternly “If you say no it’s no. If the bastard pushes, you dump his arse straight away because he is not worth it.”

“Ansel is right,” said Aelin, taking Elide’s hand “If you want to go slow, you tell him. If he says no, well he can fuck off.”

Rowan was helping in the kitchen when he noticed all the women had disappeared “where did they go?” He could not see them anywhere.

“Girls meeting in the ambulance.” Explained Aedion “Aelin, Lys, Elide and Ansel sit in the back of the ambulance and have their girls meetings. Probably to gossip or complain about us.”

“Oh.” Was Rowan’s only comment.

“But I think tonight you and I are in the clear.” He finished washing the dishes “I got a feeling they are talking about Elide and Lorcan.”

“So everyone noticed, eh?”

“They were definitely not being subtle.” Replied Aedion “you tell you CO to go easy on her. He breaks her heart, I break him.” Then he turned to Rowan “same goes to you. You break Aelin’s heart and you are a dead man. She has been through enough.”

Rowan leaned against the counter “I know about Sam.”

Aedion’s mouth fell open.

“She told me.” Rowan admitted quietly while drying some of the dishes “We are taking things slow.” Confessed Rowan. He felt like he could talk easily to the man, although he was positive Aedion was not his biggest fan “I lost my wife over a year and a half ago. I know how Aelin feels.”

“I am sorry, man.”

Rowan brushed him off “Aelin and I are trying. But I don’t want to hurt her anymore.”

“You’d better.”

In that instant the kitchen became populated again and the two stopped talking.

“We gave the guys the tour,” explained Ress, happily “are the girls still in their meeting?”

“Looks like,” said Aedion and patted Rowan on the shoulder “guys I am going for a shower.”

“Go and make yourself pretty for your woman.”

Eventually the women came back as well and Lysandra cheered when she was told Aedion had gone for a shower.

Aelin walked to Lorcan “can I talk to you?”

The man looked at her with a questioning look.

They walked outside in the yard “do you like Elide? Are you interested in her?”

The man looked away clearly not comfortable talking about his feelings.

“Elide likes you, for some obscure reason. She is wonderful and a dear friend of mine. She does not have the same… experience you have. You are free to try and date her if she is okay with it. But you break her heart, you hurt her and I swear you’ll be flying from Terrasen under false identity because Lys, Ansel and I will come after you.” The man was a giant but she was not scared “do you read me on that, sir?”

Lorcan nodded.

“Now you stop playing side glances and go ask her out for a coffee.”

“Are you planning on managing my relationship with her?” He asked annoyed.

“No, but I will be watching you.” And walked away.

With her eyes she followed the man going to talk to Elide and once he was done she saw her friend giving her the thumbs up.

Happy with her job she went to find Rowan and found him sitting hiding beside one of the engines.

“Hey,” she said sitting down beside him “what are you doing down here alone?”

He replied with a heavy sigh “Our two teams together get along a bit too much. I just needed peace and quiet. I landed only this morning. We haven’t slept in a while and jet lag and all. I am a bit wiped.”

“You should go home.”

He leaned his head against the vehicle ‘you should too… after the night you had.”

“Can’t, night shift remember? I will go and take a shower though, and collapse on my bunk. But I am stuck here until tomorrow and hope no more emergencies.”

“It’s not fair though. After that fire you should go home and have someone relieve you.”

“That’s not how it works, captain.” She stood “go home. Sleep, I believe you promised a lady to go out for a meal.”

“Yes, and hopefully this lady will find some time to relax as well.”

Rowan stood as well and stopped in front of her.

“Thank you for the meal. It was awesome.”

“You deserved it.”

She grabbed the tips of his fingers and held them gently “I will see you tonight at seven.”

“Hopefully with less dirt on you.”

She flipped him off and walked away. Rowan chuckled and in the end took his leave as well.

TAGS:

@rowaelinismyotp

@jlinez

@swankii-art-teacher

@courtofjurdan

@whimsicallyreading

@tillyrubes10

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trashmenofmarvel · 3 years

Text

Branded - Chapter 34

Pairing: Demon!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You and Bucky head back to New York.

(This is a fan AU of Falling’s Just Another Way to Fly by araniaart . Please check out this incredible series for all of your demon Bucky needs.)

Chapter Warnings: Brief explicit sex, angst, mild anxiety attacks, fluff, dirty jokes

AO3

The shower was not, in fact, faster with the two of you in it.

It started off fine enough, with Bucky helping wash off the drying cum between your legs. Somehow, it escalated with you pressed chest first against the wall, moaning without shame against the tile. Bucky rubbed the tip of his cock between your folds, teasing you, making you beg for it until he pushed forward and slid all the way inside.

Bucky didn’t seem to have any kind of refractory period, and you didn’t either, so he fucked you right there against the wall. Your fingers were flat against the tile, his fingers intertwining with yours as he ground against you, the spray of water making everything wet and slippery and so much more obscene.

It didn’t last much longer than that. As soon as Bucky had one hand delved between your legs, padded finger carefully rubbing against your clit as the other gently cradled your throat, it was over. You came with a cry, knees buckling as your legs went weak. You would have fallen if Bucky hadn’t held you up, giving a strained groan as he spilled into you again.

This time, when he cleaned you, there was no danger of a fourth round. You could barely hold yourself up, leaning against Bucky for support as you floated on a blissful wave of tingly euphoria.

Bucky wasn’t nearly as content. He had that tight frown he wore when he was unhappy, usually at himself, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

“I’m okay,” you mumbled into his shoulder. “Just… tired.”

“Because I drained you dry.”

“I’m anything but dry,” you said, giving the biggest shit-eating grin you could muster.

He sighed, gently scrubbing down the front of your thighs. You shivered appreciatively at the lovely attention.

“I got careless,” he muttered. “Should have stopped after the first time.”

“I’ll just nap on the way back.” You yawned involuntarily. Shit, maybe he had drained you a little too much. Oops. “You were gonna drive anyway, right? Just give me some carbs and I’ll be good as new.”

Bucky grunted but didn’t argue further, ending the argument with a kiss on top of your head. You could get used to resolving arguments this way.

After finishing cleaning up and toweling dry (or rather, Bucky toweled you dry while you hummed drunkenly against his chest), you headed downstairs for a quick breakfast. As suspected, you felt much better after scarfing down a bagel, a bowl of oatmeal, and a plate of pancakes and fruit. If being hungry and tired after sex was the biggest price you had to pay to have Bucky, you were more than willing.

Of course, it wasn’t the biggest price you had to pay, but you didn’t want to think about that whole situation. Being reminded of the fact that if you didn’t have sex with Bucky you’d die a terrible, painful death could really put a damper on your mood. It was a problem for another day, not for right now, when you had to focus on your last meal with the family and pretend you hadn’t just had your brains screwed out by a hot-ass demon.

Before you knew it, you were packed up and out the door, Monster’s carrier cradled in your arms as Bucky got the bags. Your aunt and uncle hugged you both, followed by you mom, squeezing you tightly before letting you go.

“Be safe on the drive. Text me when you get back. I’ll try calling you more, I miss talking to you, sweetie.”

“Me too, Mom,” you said, the guilt hurdling through your body like a ricocheting bullet. She had no idea the kind of danger and trauma you’d been through, and no matter what, you could never tell her. The least you could do was try to be better and contact her more often.

With a warm smile, your mom wrapped her arms around Bucky’s shoulders and gave him a tight squeeze.

“You take care now, Jacob. We loved having you over, so don’t be a stranger.”

“Thank you for having me, ma’am,” he said, flashing a dazzling smile once they pulled apart. “It was a pleasure.”

You mom shot you a knowing smile after Bucky turned around, and you had to fight to not bury your face in your hands. At least she hadn’t said something like ‘oh no, the pleasure’s all my daughter’s.’

Ugh. Family.

You loved coming back home again, but you were also ready to get back to the city. Back to your own place where you could have a bit more privacy. It also meant you had to think about what came next.

The dilemma seemed to weigh heavily on Bucky’s mind as well; after he pulled the car away from the icy curb, he was quiet, but the tension in his jaw spoke volumes. After you were out of the Boston suburbs and on the highway, slower than the speed limit to account for the icy roads, Bucky said, “You can take a nap if you want.”

“I’m okay for now. If you don’t mind the company, that is.”

“I always love having you around.”

And just like that, your face was on fire.

“Bucky.”

“And you’re so cute when you’re flustered, too.”

When you glanced over, sure enough, he was grinning with those perfect white teeth full on display. You wished you had a hoodie to hide in but you’d opted to wear a sweater instead, so you buried your face in your hands.

“You can’t just say things like that.”

“What? That I like spending time with you?” He huffed. “Anyone’s who’s too embarrassed to tell you that stuff doesn’t deserve you.”

Now you were burying your face in your hands and slinking down in the seat.

“Aww c’mon. Is it that bad? Being complimented?”

“I’m just… not used to it, that’s all.”

There was a sudden warm weight on top of your head, fingers moved through your hair, and you instantly melted. Being petted by a demon probably shouldn’t have been so relaxing, but you leaned into his touch and lowered your hands into your lap.

“You really like that?” he asked with a tinge of amusement.

You made a mmhmm sound and closed your eyes, warm and safe. You didn’t want this trip to end, not knowing what came next, but maybe things would be all right.

Maybe because you felt so cozy and content you lost a bit of your filter. Or maybe Bucky’s fingers on your scalp coupled with the lack of sleep made you more open. For whatever reason, you broached the subject you’d both been avoiding since last night.

“It wasn’t that bad, you know,” you mumbled. “Being in that place with you.”

His hand stopped moving. No, you didn’t like that, keep petting me, damn it. But he didn’t, and when he pulled away entirely you nearly whined. It pulled you out of your stupor at least, and Bucky’s tense expression as he stared out the windshield made you regret saying anything at all.

But you had, and it was too late to take it back, so you pressed on.

“Really, it… it felt like a lifetime when I was there, but now it’s just like… a dream. Or fuzzy, like childhood memories. I don’t know how to explain it.”

The only sound between you were tires on the icy road, the hum of the heater, and the windshield wipers thumping back and forth at a regular rhythm.

“You had it worse,” you blurted. Oh, why had you brought it up? You should have at least waited until you got back to the city, not when you were trapped in a car together. “You had to actually live all that stuff.”

“You lived it too.” He was almost too quiet to hear. “You did.”

That was all he said, at least for so long you thought the conversation was officially over. You stared out the passenger window, watching the flakes pound against the glass, when Bucky asked:

“What was it like? Being inside someone’s head?”

Even though his tone was carefully blank, it was a curious question, and you were happy to answer it if it got him talking.

“Kind of… weird? But I got used to it pretty fast. Sometimes I could zone out and not really pay attention to what you were doing. So I could… you know, give you privacy.” Your face grew warmer and you didn’t dare look at him. “And other times, I could be very present and felt what you were feeling. It really wasn’t that bad. Especially when… uh…when I kept you warm, and stuff.”

Yep, your face was on fire again, but it made it all worth it when he gave an amused snort.

“I never did thank you for that. I’m pretty sure I would have froze to death otherwise. And I didn’t even know who you were, or what you were, and I wanted to…”

Wanted to what?

He never said, because the conversation truly died there, and you didn’t have the heart to revive it. Not with the mournful look on his face as he drove.

You propped your arm up on the window and made a pillow out of it, hoping if you took a nap you might be more clear-headed, and if not that, at least you could leave Bucky alone with his thoughts. Worried you’d pushed him too far and too fast, you didn’t think you’d fall asleep, but the thrum of the car engine lulled you into a doze. When next you opened your eyes, the car was stopped, pulled up to a pump at a gas station. The car was still on, the heater keeping the car comfortably warm, but Bucky was nowhere in sight.

Panic shot through you like a thunderbolt, and you shoved open the door, holding on to it as you frantically searched the parking lot. There were people around so you didn’t start yelling for Bucky like a crazy person, but your heart was beating against your ribcage like a trapped animal.

Where could Bucky have gone? Did someone capture him? You didn’t believe he would have left on his own, no way, not after… not after everything that had happened the past few days.

He wouldn’t leave, he wouldn’t leave, he wouldn’t—

“Sweetheart?”

You spun around so hard you nearly lost your footing, but you grabbed the roof of the car and regained your balance. Bucky still gripped you by the shoulder, concern creasing his brows.

“Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing. I just saw you were gone and got worried, that’s all.” And now you also felt like the world’s biggest idiot, or at least the world’s clingiest person.

Bucky released his breath and dropped his hand.

“Jesus, you scared me.”

“I scared you?” You were pretty sure your heart was still beating a mile a minute, and you were definitely still out of breath. “What do you mean I scared you?”

“I was inside paying for gas, and next thing I feel is your terror—I thought someone had attacked you.”

“That’s what I thought had happened to you!”

Bucky sighed and pushed the hair back from his face with a gloved hand, and then gave you an exasperated but fond look.

“You think we’re being a little co-dependent?” you asked, sheepish.

“Sweetheart.” His unfairly sexy mouth quirked as he rolled his eyes. “We’re literally bound by demon magic.”

“Oh. Yeah, good point.”

He kissed you on the top of your head and instantly the tension leeched from your body. Bucky really could play your body like an instrument, couldn’t he.

“Well, now that you’re back,” you said with a wince, “I gotta go pee. And maybe pick up some snacks, I’m still really hungry.”

“That’ll be from the, uh… multiple feedings.” His smile vanished, replaced by concern. “Do you want me to—I should come with you?”

“I think only one of us should be subjected to the horrors of gas station restrooms. Plus, someone needs to stay and watch the child.”

Bucky blinked in confusion and then grimaced. You shook your finger at him.

“Monster is baby, and you keep an eye on him. I’ll be right back,” you added when he switched back into worry-mode. “If I’m in danger, sounds like you’ll know it, yes?”

Bucky grumbled an affirmative, and you turned away. Paused. Turned back around and walked up to him. His eyes widened as you planted a kiss on his cheek, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t intensely pleased with yourself for his reaction.

After you braved the disgusting bathroom and picked up a couple snacks demanded by your rumbling stomach, you paused in front of a humming machine. You stared at the swirling glass in front of you, lost in the memory of a red-washed dune.

You snapped out of it, set down your snacks, and grabbed two huge plastic cups to fill.

By the time you returned outside, the car was fueled and Bucky was leaning against the side with his arms crossed over his chest. To an outsider he would appear calm, but tightness of his shoulders and the fraught lines of his face told you a different story.

Bucky took the overfilling snacks from your arms to your gratitude. He raised an eyebrow at the sheer volume of them, and you shrugged.

“I was hungry. You’re welcome to my snacks, too. Oh, and… I got this for you.”

You held out one of the Big Gulps. The plastic was a solid blue and red, so Bucky couldn’t see what was inside until he looked down the transparent domed lid.

He stared at it. And stared. It was cold enough to snow, and you were sweating.

“I know it’s not… not blueberry-flavored. They don’t really do that anymore, use real ingredients for this kind of junk. But it is blue, and it’s an Icee, so I figured…” Your voice trailed off. Bucky continued to stare.

And then his eyes started to water.

“Oh, no,” you whispered, horrified. “I’m sorry, Bucky, I didn’t mean to—“

Bucky pulled you into a tight embrace. Right there, in the gas station, for all to see.

“I’m the one who’s sorry.” One arm across the back of your shoulders and the other around your waist, he squeezed you, holding you tightly to his chest. “I’m so, so sorry. I don’t understand why it happened. How you got stuck in the demon realm place with me. I didn’t know it was you. I didn’t… I didn’t know… I should have known, but I didn’t, and I’m so sorry.”

“Bucky…” You melted into his hold, kept warm from the biting temperatures. But it didn’t protect you from your guilt of hiding the truth. It wasn’t Bucky’s fault what had happened. You were responsible, even if it had been an accident, but you were too afraid to tell him what the Ancient One had said. You had no idea how he would react, and you wanted to get back to the city before dropping that bomb on him.

“Please don’t apologize,” you said, muffled by his jacket. “I’m fine. It wasn’t that bad on my end. Like I told you, it was kind of like a dream. It’s already faded a little.”

Which was true. Somewhat. There were a few moments that would stick with you for the rest of your life, like the mummified corpse with the sigil on its shoulder. You had no doubt it was a human enslaved to a demon, but what you didn’t know was how they had ended up on that world. It would be the subject of more nightmares, that was for sure.

Not to mention the whole watching Bucky die in front of you thing, but if you thought about that for even a moment you’d probably have a nervous breakdown. The only thing that kept it at bay was the constant reminder that Bucky was alive and well.

All in all, you were coping fairly well, and if anything, you were more worried about Bucky. He’d actually been there physically while you’d only experienced the time-loop through him.

Or… that was your guess, anyway. Who knew how these things worked? Hopefully, the wizards.

“I’m still sorry you had to go through all of that,” he said, warm breath tickling your hair. “If I’d known that was going to happen, I never would have tried to show you those memories.”

You couldn’t reach your arms around him, protectively holding your Icee so he wouldn’t crush it, so you leaned up and kissed his cheek.

“We’re both here and we’re both okay,” you said, “so that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

Bucky had an odd expression. It was part wistful, sad, and something else. You couldn’t figure out what it was before he gave a defeated smile.

“All right, all right.”

“I’m serious, Barnes.” You prodded his chest playfully. “You’ve seen my family. One demon isn’t going to intimidate me. We’ll figure out what happened with the memories, but you are not allowed to blame yourself. I forbid it.”

The strange, sad look vanished, and Bucky released you with one arm, the other kept around your waist. Your skin tingled at the casual touch. Would you ever get used to this?

Bucky stared down at the slushy in suspicion, then he took a cautious sip of the straw and grimaced.

“Jesus. What’s it with people these days and sugar? You tryin’ to give kids diabetes?”

“Oh, my God,” you groaned, and grabbed your snacks. Bucky wasn’t going to get any if he was going to complain about your junk food choices.

“What? It’s a serious question,” he continued as you both got into the car. “It won’t do anything to me, but what about your poor liver?”

“I’m pretty sure my liver is glowing with vitality after all the demon sex I’ve had.”

It took a beat for him to respond. You could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“That.” He turned his head very slowly, and peered at you. “Is not how it works.”

You grinned and slouched back in your seat, sticking your straw in your mouth and slurping as obnoxiously as possible. Bucky shook his head before putting the car into gear, the softness of his smile fading too quickly, and the faint sadness you didn’t like returned.

Next Chapter

#branded #demon!bucky barnes #demon!bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #my fanfiction #my writing

132 notes · View notes

ryoskuna · 3 years

Text

⭑ teacher’s pet | prelude (reader-insert version)

pairing: sukuna x fem!reader/original character, platonic!yuji x reader.

genre: older itadori brother/tattoo artist!sukuna au. baby/kindergartener! yuji. parenting!au, some domestic fluff (later on), other things will be added as they come up.

warnings: possible grammar errors, drama, mentions of insecurity, mentions of death (via yuji, and extension, sukuna’s grandfather), tattoos, mentions of food, mentions of abandonment, motorcycles, parenting, additional stuff will be tagged as it comes up, sukuna’s sometimes a bit ooc (i guess??? feel free to tell me if he is).

additional notes: sukuna looks like a mixture of his original form, and has the extended height from his original form in this (so he is a large, muscular man/a damn beefcake) and yuji as a teen with the naturally pink hair and brown sides. if i could draw him, i would. also, i tried to be as gender neutral as possible, but this will may become more feminine leaning, but i’ll try my best to keep the reader version gender neutral.

word count: 3.1k

here’s the original character version if you’re interested.

⭑

summary: sukuna is yuji itadori’s older brother, and a tattoo artist. but nothing takes more priority than his baby brother, even if he isn’t good at showing it. when yuji falls head over heels for his kindergarten teacher, sukuna soon learns exactly why the six year old likes her.

⭑

additional aesthetics/materials to go with:

spotify playlists: ( x, thank you @gillinanarts ) and this is like a soundtrack ( x ). sukuna specific playlist ( x ).

“Tch,” Sukuna scratched at the nape of his neck as he went to tug at the door. “I got it, old man!” His lips were pulling into a sneer at the thought of some kid playing ding-dong-ditch. However, if it weren’t for the muffled noise of a small animal, he wouldn’t have looked down at the car seat at his feet. He was tempted to nudge it with the toe of his left foot but then decided against it. Maybe that wasn’t an animal. After all, usually… humans were in car seats, right? He squats down towards the carrier, and pinches the blanket between his index finger and thumb, only to see a chubby, red-faced baby, his fists chunky and rubbing at his face. It takes two blinks and a skip of his heartbeat to finally make sense of the note attached on the top of the carrier before Sukuna ever moves to wipe a tear from the baby’s face. “Yuji, huh?” He murmured as the baby made a noise before proceeding to try and grab one of Sukuna’s oversized fingers. Yuji mutters something in baby garble, even sort of glares at it — if a baby could glare, that is — and tugs on it.

“You got a good grip there, brat,” Sukuna chuckled as Yuji grips his finger and tries to pull it into his mouth, only for the older brother to curl his finger down, stretching back to pick the carrier up and bring it inside, nudging the door closed with his foot. He may be eighteen, but he’s not stupid. He hadn’t seen his mother or father in thirteen years, but they still had the nerve to leave their second kid on the doorstep — as if they were telling his grandfather, “You did so well with the first one, here, raise our second one too!”

Another snort left him as he rolled his eyes. His grandfather had done his best — but it didn’t stop the two trips to juvie, and all the countless times he had gotten detention, or a letter was written to his grandfather about his behavior that he had either forged a signature on or tossed in the trash. Sukuna’s pride and the subsequent need to handle everything himself were among his many weapons of choice. Much like his hands, or his knuckles, or his boots.

Sukuna sits the carrier on the dining table, unbuckles the baby, and picks him up into his arms, holding him against his chest. Yuji makes an “mmph” noise and shoves his whole hand in his mouth, chewing on his fist. His other fist takes an opportunity to quickly curl itself into Sukuna’s black t-shirt, holding for dear life. “Did mom and dad leave you?” Sukuna asks, watching Yuji look up at him and open his mouth before going back to suck on his fist. “Wait till the old man sees you,” he adds, his lips curling in a little smile. Yuji twists his lips into a toothless smile, but Sukuna can’t help but think it’s more so at the small fart he’s let out instead of listening to his older brother’s words. The older brother can’t resist the smile that forms on his lips. Yuji is all of a few months old, and he’s a little shit. But something in his heart is warm and full at watching him look around in Sukuna’s arms, occasionally moving to slap his wet, spit covered hand on either Sukuna’s face or over his mouth.

Sukuna barely notices he’s pulled at the cord that twists open the blinds. He can hear the hum from the lights in his grandfather’s room, glances to the older man in the bed and then back to the bushes outside, and how someone neatly takes the time to blow cut leaves into a pile, as if it matters. He stopped paying attention to the deafening silence between his grandfather after the first time the man has said, “Make sure you take care of Yuji.”

As if Sukuna would do anything else when it came to his younger brother. Taking care of Yuji is all he’s ever done, at least for the past six years. When it came to Yuji, it was like the heavens had given him a second chance, another attempt to make something decent of himself instead of picking locks and picking fights.

It’s not like he had a choice when a baby shows up on his doorstep (well, his grandfather’s doorstep), with a note attached reading: His name is Yuji Itadori. He’s Sukuna’s brother. Look after him. It didn’t take a genius to know that considering his grandfather didn’t have any secret love children — that the baby belonged to one, if not both, his parents (indeed his father). And was another grandson, another mouth to feed and be left in the care of Wasuke Itadori. But now, Wasuke Itadori was dying — and his second grandson, Yuji, would be left in the care of his eldest, Sukuna.

It was either that or the foster system, and if Wasuke hadn’t thrown Sukuna into the foster system, especially with all the hell he raised, Sukuna wouldn’t do the same to his innocent younger brother. Plus, it was one of the man’s dying wishes to his grandson, so that the least Sukuna could do was try and follow through. “Not like I can do anything else.”

His broad shoulders fill the window space, and he glances over his shoulder to see the old man fast asleep, so he reaches for his jacket on the back of the chair and tugs it on, picking up his helmet and gently sliding the door shut behind him. He stops his grandfather’s usual nurse, murmurs that he’ll be back later in the afternoon, and thanks her for taking care of the grumpy elderly man. He picks up on a nurse laughing at a joke coming from a child’s voice, and he sees Yuji, ever the charmer, leaning on his tiptoes to talk to a nurse who is leaning over the counter and conning his way for another lollipop at the same time.

The nurses surrounding the station look up at the man walking towards the station, his vermillion eyes fixated on his younger brother, framed by dark lashes and a stature that resembles a god. Blessed with height and good-looks to shame even the highest-ranking model, and oh. The tattoos. The tattoos that frame his neck from his back tease on his shoulders, and the few times, the nurses caught his shirt raise; they end towards his hipbones. It’s easy to drink him in like hot coffee, especially when he raises a hand to ruffle Yuji’s hair. “Alright, Casanova,” Sukuna chuckles as he gestures to the child’s helmet in a nearby plastic chair. “Grab your helmet. We’ve got to get going.” Yuji furrows his eyebrows to ask who is casanova, but with the unwavering gesture from Sukuna, he trots off to grab his helmet and pull on his jacket.

“Thanks for looking out for him,” Sukuna thanks the nurse — a blonde girl, no older than about 21. She has a training sticker on her badge and her hair pulled into two buns on the side of her head. He watches as her cheeks turn pink. His hand dips into the mug filled with lollipops on the counter and puts it into his pocket for later.

“Of course,” She replies, and he can’t help but think of the irony of her name — Candace (but for the weeks they’ve been coming to the hospital, she insists on being called Candy)— as he looks back at Yuji, who grabs up at his hand, and holds it.

“We’ll see you later, Candy.” Sukuna winks, a sly smile pulling at the corners of his lips. “Stay sweet, yeah?” He grins to himself when he spots the bright red on her face. That was the reaction he had wanted all along — the crimson on her flushed cheeks. His boots echo down the hall with Yuji at his side before looking down at the six-year-old.

“We’ll be back this afternoon to see granddad,” Sukuna informs him as he gives a click of his tongue for Yuji not to unwrap the candy in his fist. “You haven’t had breakfast yet.”

Yuji sighs and gives a small huff before asking the question he’s been thinking of all morning. “Kuna?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Is Granddad going to die?”

“Tch,” Sukuna starts, his tongue going against his cheek before he then raises his shoulder. He’s not the grim reaper, so he can’t give an exact answer, but Sukuna isn’t one to lie to Yuji, and there’s no point in sugarcoating it either. “Maybe. I don’t know.” Sukuna watches how Yuji’s head looks down at his light-up sneakers — which in any case, the boy would have taken delight in —and picks him up onto his hip. “But if it happens, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, and we’ll be fine. Think of good shit, okay? Like the flowers, we’ll bring the nurses. Or… what you want for breakfast.”

“Pancakes!” Yuji yells, wrapping his arm around Sukuna’s neck. Sukuna lets a small smile form on his lips. That’s better, he thinks to himself. He’s too young to be that aware. He can’t say that, knowing he was the same way. He was too aware, too knowing, but maybe not having his parents around always wondering why they did that to him. It’s too late to be tortured by what-ifs; he’s got better things to think about, like where he’s going to find pancakes from and driving a motorcycle safely with a small child in a car seat behind him.

“Alright,” Sukuna agrees. “Pancakes it is.”

. . .

The smell of ink wraps around the lingering scent of cleaner — bleach, wet wipes, the like as you follow your friend inside. Curious eyes look over the panels of designs lining the walls, only stopping when Rachel sets the deposit for the both of them. There’s a clean black motorcycle outside, shiny as if it was freshly washed. The only thing strange about it is the child’s car seat on the back, which sticks out like a sore thumb. Just like that car seat, you feel out of place in a pair of jeans and a pink shirt, borrowed from your friend. Your fingers dig a little into the sides of your denim jacket, but otherwise, there’s nowhere to hide.

The guitar chords of Come as You Are by Nirvana play on the speaker overhead. It’s loud enough to be heard but not too loud to block out the television for the child who sits in a bean bag chair, munching on what looks like pancakes in a to-go container. Y/N can’t help but notice his pink hair, almost rose gold under the fluorescent light. Your eyes soften as you watch him laugh at Tom, getting whacked in the head by Jerry, again for the umpteenth time. Her necklace dances among her collarbones, her fingers reaching up and tug gently. She only turns when she hears the pop of someone’s gum — the secretary, handling the front desk as she settles a hand on her hip. “Can I help you?” She asks, with dark red hair, blonde tips at the bottom. Her gum pops again, this time blowing into a bubble before popping over her onyx colored lipstick.

Rachel nods and gestures to the paperwork they’ve signed on the counter. “We’ve got an appointment. Both of us.” Y/N walks over to the counter, and she can hear the soft squeak of a chair and the slam of a trash can lid before a door shuts.

“ Do you remember who?” Rachel nods before pointing a finger.

“I got her an appointment with Sukuna since he’s good at everything — and I’ve got one with Naomi.”

The redhead sighs, scratching the back of her neck. “Gimme a second,” she sighs before hopping over the side of the l-shaped desk. She walks into the room that’s off the lobby side and gives a tap on the wall. “Sukuna, Naomi, you ready?” She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Sukuna rolls up his sleeves as he sits back in his chair and then waved a hand. However, Naomi has someone in her chair, tattooing something on someone’s back — a dragon, maybe?

“Send ‘em this way, Lila,” he leans back in his chair, pins up his sleeves, and his feet cross in front of him. He’s got these black combat boots on, his jeans neatly tucked into them, and Rachel gives Y/N a little nudge forward.

“Go ahead. Good luck,” She smiles. “If you cry, I’ll come running, but remember! You said you wanted to start checking off your bucket list.” she teased before Y/N gives a roll of her eyes. Your fingers tug a little onto your hair, trying to fix it — after all, aren’t first impressions important?. No going back. You has to do this for yourself. You wanted to start on your bucket list, and this was the first item. Going back isn’t an option, not now.

When you walk into the room, Sukuna leans up in his chair, and his eyes give you a once over. There’s a little twinkle in his eyes, but you can’t determine what it means. So, you decide you shouldn’t read into it. You’re surprised to see that he has similar hair to the younger boy on the couch. It is the same shade of pink, with brown undercuts — except his eyes are a startling shade of vermillion. Under the lights, they’re almost a bright red, like a fire just starting to burn. His arms and chest fill out a compressed charcoal gray shirt tucked into his light-colored denim jeans, and his fingernails pick at his cuticles as he leans back into his chair, tilting his head to look up at you.

Y/N can’t help but be warm from it as you walks over, and he gives a tilt of his head to gesture for you to sit, holding his hand out. “Let me see your paper,” he demands, but his voice isn’t inherently harsh. A bit gruff, deep, and his fingers feel warm but calloused. They go over your palm before returning closer to their owner, and he adds, “Take off your jacket.” He’s beautiful. Godly, even. You watch how he breathes — just like you— but his chest expands, inches a little smaller once he exhales, and repeats all over again. The tattoos that curl towards his neck’s nape are made of dark ink, as black as a void. You can see the curl of his canine towards his lip as he gently sinks his teeth in, like a bee pressing into a flower. His shoulders are broad enough to fill the chair itself; in fact, he’s almost too big, and you can’t help but think of what’s like just to be closer to him.

Sukuna reads over the paper, looks at the location. Shoulder cap. “Is this your first time?” He raises an eyebrow, but he doesn’t meet your gaze. There’s also what you don’t want, and he everything you put, he couldn’t see you with anyways. No skulls, nothing he would consider gruff or dark first. Y/N nods, still a bit hesitant to say anything. “Yes,” you clarify, reminding yourself to nod. If you were going to ask your students to use their words, you should hold yourself to the same standard, right?

“You know that’s not an easy spot, right?”

“I know. I can take it.” Sukuna chuckles, gives a murmur of I don’t doubt that, and then stands to his feet. His eyes are soft before he glances at the paper again and gestures. The sunlight hits him just right from the wide window near his station, and there’s a clearing filled with a mixture of unidentifiable wildflowers. They’re beautiful, and every one looks different to yours eyes… you can’t help but wonder if he chose it for the view.

“You… sure you want to give me free rein on your tattoo?”

“Ehrm, yeah,” Y/N swallowed. “I heard you were the best, and I don’t want a tattoo that’s like anyone else’s… so I figured I would trust your creativity.” However, Sukuna smiles and raises an eyebrow. The comment strokes his pride, amused at his legacy that undoubtedly gets passed from client to client. His eyes give you another look over as he picks up a tablet and takes you in. And are you easy to take in… so much so, he has to remind himself to slow down, lest he absorb you somehow, and you disappear entirely from his sight. He looks at the deep v of your shirt, and the somewhat innocence in the way you toy with the hem of your shirt, and the pink sleeves that remind him so much of the clouds Yuji likes to draw. When he inhales again, he’s taking you in, at full force like some kind of cosmic angel. It’s like the sun has framed you, even given you a halo. You’re a canvas of his creation. The way the light makes you glow. The sun halo.

And he picks up his pen and starts to draw. The first muse he’s had since… well, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a muse. But he would relish it while he could, before the reality set back in. “You can sit — what’s your name?” His fingers work fast with your appearance burned into his memory as he hears the soft squeak of his tattooing chair you sit in.

“Y/N.”

Sukuna mouths your name to himself as he sketches. “Take a look,” he starts, “Tell me if you don’t like it. Be honest, because these are permanent.” There’s some part of Y/N that’s tempted to give a brief I know, but there’s a lack of maliciousness in his tone that makes you bite your tongue. You lean over into his space, and he gets the slightest whiff of your shampoo — something sweet mixed with the scent of mint, making him release a soft hum.

“It’s beautiful,” You admit, nodding. “Perfect.”

A pleased smile edges it way onto Sukuna’s lips, before he nods. “Then let’s get started. Lemme wash my hands and grab some gloves, and we’ll be ready to go. Go ahead and get your shoulder out, and I’ll grab a towel to keep from getting your clothes dirty.”

“Thank you.”

“Mhm,” Sukuna nods, looking over his shoulder. “No problem, Y/N.”

#teacher's pet series.#teacher's pet series ft. sukuna #sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna x reader #jujutsu kaisen headcanons #jujutsu kaisen fanfiction #jujutsu kaisen imagines #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x y/n #jujutsu kaisen x you #yuji.#yuji itadori #sukuna x y/n #sukuna x you

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cl-01-kestis · 3 years

Text

A Gut Feeling - Tech x Mechanic!Reader | Soulmate AU | 2/2

Summary: After your sleepless night of meeting your Soulmate, you wake up the next day to find he’s leaving.

Warnings: angst

Surprisingly, you had the best sleep you had in a very long time. You didn’t toss or turn, or wake up randomly in the middle of your sleep, you stayed still till the late morning and you woke up to the sound of the bunker door being opened. All the clones were up and dressed, out on patroll which left you all alone.

Rex was the one who woke you up, patting your face softly since he wasn’t entirely good at waking people up. You woke up feeling not tired at all, you felt so fresh and ready for anything to be thrown at you. You got showered in the refreshers and quickly changed into a t-shirt and combat shorts considering it was a sunny day today on Anaxes. Your tattoos were on full display as you walked out of the bunker with a towel draped around your shoulders since your hair was still wet, rubbing your scalp and walking down the ramp which led to the large concrete platform of the Republic base.

Kix and Jesse walked with you to your station at the one of the many mechanic stations, making successful conversation with you as you ruffled your hair once more and looked out across the platform to the bit at the back of the base where Anakin and Mace were discussing things. You didn’t have the energy to work too much today, it had been drained from you the day before and you felt like you needed a day off - if Rex would let you.

“You seem in a good mood today” Jesse commented with a smile, his helmet wedged between his elbow and waist as he leaned against one of the clone carriers which was next to your station. You smiled at his comment, remembering the occurrences that too place last night and unable to stop the grin spreading over your face.

“A bit, yeah” You giggled, causing Kix and Jesse to exchange a look of curiosuty. This didn’t go unnoticed by you though, you only found it more amusing that they were oblivious as to what happened. However, you kept your mouth shut and leaned against your speeder as you sipped on some Caf that Kix fetched for you before getting here.

“Have your missions been difficult recently?” You asked, continuing the conversation on matters that excluded you as you watched the two clones with a smile. Jesse nodded, frowning, that didn’t mean anything good.

“We were assigned to a Separatist base on Anaxes; that Bad Batch were with us- I don’t like em’” Jesse grumbled, causing Kix to laugh and shove his shoulder playfully.

“Don’t get rubbed up the wrong way about them, Jesse, they’re not worth our time” Kix brushed off Jesse’s aggression and his gaze returned to yours. He noticed the way your face got a little dark with a blush, the way you chewed on your lip and tapped your fingers on your Caf cup before looking down at the ground and sighing.

“Something on your mind?” Kix asked with a raised brow. You shook your head quickly in response, sipping shyly at your Caf once again. Jesse exchanged another look with Kix, speaking with their eyes before Rex came out of nowhere to interrupt them.

“You’re requested on Bay 6, (Y/N), as for you two, come with me” Rex didn’t smile as he stared at his soldiers, causing them to immediately get in formation and put their helmets on before following him to wherever they had to go. As for you, you didn’t waste a moment as you downed the rest of the Caf and placed your towel on the seat of your speeder.

You let out another yawn as you walked across the massive platform of the Anaxes station, stretching your arms out and cracking your back as you passed many clones, shouting over and wishing them a good morning followed by waves and salutes. The morning sun kissed your revealed skin as you rubbed your forehead with your shirt, waving yourself as an attempt to cool off as you approached bay 6, noticing Hunter sitting down beside Wrecker who you hadn’t yet met.

“Morning Serg!” You shouted, catching his attention and Wreckers who jumped slightly at your voice.

“Morning (Y/N)! Sleep well?” Hunter asked kindly, patting the spot next to him which made you smile.

“Yep, you?” You seemed shy but surprisingly casual as you sat down next to Hunter, your knees bent as your elbows rest on them. Hunter and Wrecker seemed to be doing the same thing as you and enjoyed the Anaxes sun on their skin, the top half of their armour discarded and in a pile beside them.

“Wrecker slept like a baby, none of us could get to sleep last night with all his snoring” Hunter chuckled, nudging Wrecker who blushed at being called out by his Sergeant, shrugging off his comment casually.

“Pardon me if I’m wrong, but Captain Rex told me I was requested here?” You asked with a tilted head, scratching the back of your neck as you watched Hunters expression shift from a curious one to a smirk.

“Yes thats correct, Tech’s not been shutting up about you” He let out a breathy laugh, Wrecker joining him in the process as if the two of them had an inside joke. Without thinking, a blush swarmed your face and you made a small ‘oh’ noise.

“Where is he now?” You asked, Hunter replied by sticking his thumb up and pointing it behind him at the bunker behind all of you sitting on the ramp.

“Crosshair’s not in so take all the time you need” Hunter winked.

“O-oh, no it’s not like-“ You didn’t even bother to finish the sentence as Hunter and Wrecker smirked to themselves, watching you stand up and walk towards the bunker with a nervous frame. You chapped on the door a couple of times, calling out Tech’s name before it opened and a pair of strong hands pulled you in, the door immediately closing behind you.

“Maker!” You placed a hand on your chest, looking up and feeling immediate relief when you saw Tech.

“Morning sweetheart, sorry I scared you” Tech chuckled, removing his helmet from his head but he kept on his goggles as he bent down to give you a peck.

“Not at all, just a little susprised” You smiled, cupping his cheek and stroking it softly with our thumb. Tech placed his helmet on the nearest bed beside him and took off his goggles, placing them beside his helmet before wrapping an arm around your waist. Your heart fluttered at his romantic gestures and you looked up at his beautiful light brown eyes. You noticed a hint of honey swirled around the pupils and that only made him more beautiful.

“I’ve got a while till I have to leave, but I want to spend it with you” Tech said with a shy smile, taking something from his pocket and revealing a beautiful dark purple crystal that sparkled in the bunker’s lamp light.

“This is just a little thing I picked up on my way back to the base, I saved it for studies but I thought you might like it” He sounded almost nervous as he raised it to your view, offering you it with a slightly shaky hand. Without hesitance, you cupped the stone in your hands and delicately took it from Tech’s, staring at it with big eyes.

“This is beautiful, pelire” You gasped, clutching the stone tight to your heart and looking up at Tech with the most beautiful expression he’d ever seen.

“I’m glad you like it my dear, let’s sit” He offered you his hand, smiling from ear to ear as you took it and let him drag you to his part of the bunker which was filled with all different types of technology and materials. Tech was certainly the curious type.

“Wow” Your mouth gaped open when you spotted his data pad.

“This is one of a kind technology! I’ve heard all about this stuff, it’s so cool seeing one in person!” You started geeking out with your mechanic mind, sitting down on Tech’s bed and placing the stone on your lap before carefully picking up his specialised data pad. Tech sat down opposite you on the bed beside his and watched you with a beaming expression.

“Kamino was kind enough to offer me one, you can look through it if you want” He shrugged as he gestured to the data pad, folding his arms and leaning them on his knees as he continued watching you fiddle around with it.

“This is so cool- sorry I’m going through all your stuff without even asking you” You reached out to offer him his data pad but he raised a hand to deny it.

“Look through it, there’s loads of different photos from different missions I’ve been on if you want to check them out” Tech moved over to sit beside you, taking his data pad from your grasp and typing in a few things before bringing up a folder full of hundreds, if not thousands of photos.

“Wow...” Your jaw started to get sore with how much it was staying open, eyes darting to each photo to drink in as much info as you could. Tech wrapped an arm around your waist as he placed the data pad on his lap and started scrolling through the photos.

“This was when all of us were cadets” He chuckled, clicking on one photo in particular that revealed them as very young boys. You instantly recognised Tech and chuckled when you saw him whack Wrecker in the top of the head with a smaller data pad, they looked as though they were arguing in the photo whereas Crosshair and Hunter laughed.

You felt so comfortable in his arms, you were so glad he was opening up to you like this. You understood it would take him a while to do this with anyone else, that thought made your heart race. Seeing Tech in his childhood made you realise just how much he was like anyone else, that went for all the other clones. He was just like you, he had a life before he met you and you wanted to learn all about it, just like he wanted to learn all about you.

“What about that one?” You asked, clicking on another photo which showed a teenage Tech cuddling a very grumpy Crosshair as he slept. You giggled as Tech blushed and scrolled to the next one.

“It was common for us to cuddle, warmth is a survival tool after all” Tech tried to reason as he fought the redness off his face. You continued smiling at his words and thought of how cute he looked when he was asleep, not in a creepy way or anything.

“This one looks interesting” You pointed at the screen, your finger hovering above a young Tech as he aimed his two DC-17 hand blasters at a Separatist model on the clone training course.

“That was my final exam, all of us went through a different training program to heighten each of our abilities - I had to get into the system to shut down all the droids, it was prettt difficult though” He chuckled at the end, scratching his neck as he looked at the photo for a second longer before sighing to himself and swiping away from the photos. You looked up to Tech who seemed deep in thought, placing the data pad beside him on his bed before turning to look at you.

“I know this is a sudden question, but when can I next see you?” He sounded excited as he took your hands in his and smiled. Your heart skipped a beat just at the sight of his smile and you had to think for a moment, pursing your lips and frowning before raising your brows and sighing.

“I’ll be moved to Coruscant whenever Skywalker lets me, but I’m free whenever... what about you?” Your voice trailed into a soft whisper, your chest starting to sink with sadness when you realised Tech was going to leave today.

“I have no idea, we’re a busy troop... but I will visit as much as I can- here” Tech took a pen out of his pocket, looking around for a piece of paper. Rolling your eyes, you offered him your bare arm and let out a chuckle when you saw his frown of confusion.

“Make do with what you’ve got” You caused a smile to burst out on his face once more and he shrugged, taking your arm as if it were glass and scribbling down his holonumber on it before leaving a small ‘x’ at the end. You giggled at his gesture and looked at it once he was finished. He had such nice handwriting, even on skin.

“I may not always be around but I’ll always be one text away” He cupped your cheek, kissing your forehead lovingly before leaning his own against yours. You two stayed like that for a while, basking in the comfortable silence of the bunker and lacing your fingers together.

Everything felt so perfect. You couldn’t wait to tell your parents about this, especially your Dad and Brother. Having found your soulmate, you had such a more positive perspective on life and you couldn’t wait to spend the rest of your days beside Tech. You understood you’ve barely known him for a day but he immediately made himself a part of you the moment you both met. It felt like this was what the force wanted, even though you weren’t a Jedi or force wielder, but you heard the Jedi speak of it including Mace Windu, who had originally found you and recommended you to the organisation of Mechanics working at Coruscant.

You admit you weren’t ready to leave Tech just yet even though he needed to go, you had just met him only yesterday and you couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to him when you two were apart. You wouldn’t forgive yourself if that were the case.

Tech seemed to notice your tense posture and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers grazing your skin for a while longer as if he was analysing how everything felt and what emotions he was experiencing. Tech was so brand new to this emotion called love, all his life he never desired such things but now he was face to face with it. He couldn’t run from it and he certainly didn’t want to, and it made it even more interesting considering you two were completely different in almost everything. But aside from differences, the two of you were surprisingly very similar personality and hobby wise. He loved using technology, you loved to make it. He loved exploring the universe, you had yet to see it at all. He loved learning new things, you were the one who taught him, and you were teaching him now what love really meant.

He cherished this moment with you as if it would he his last, and there was no telling whether or not that would be the case. Tech was a busy man and dealt with deadly missions that almost got him killed over 50% of the time. Things were difficult now because he had a thing to fight for now, he had someone in mind every time he was close to death and needed to fight back. You were the reason for all his doings now, every opinion and thought, you were behind it now. In some people’s opinions, it would be considered as a burden, but to him it was so much different from that.

His whole life, Tech was engineered to never feel anything to do with love or affection. That went for all his brothers as well. He shouldn’t feel this way, but he does and he can’t run from it. You’ve got him wrapped around your finger and he’s never felt so willing to fall at someone’s feet. What would he do if he ever lost you one of these days? Maker knows, Tech certainly didn’t want to know.

A fist slamming against the door of the bunker caused you and Tech to jump out of your skins. Your heart slapped against your rib cage as you tried to steady your breathing, trying to shake off the wave of shock your body was in from the sudden loud noise.

“Hurry up Tech! Times ticking!” It was Crosshair, sounding as irritated as ever. Your shoulders slumped and you looked down sadly as you picked up the stone resting in your lap. Tech held you close as he pressed his lips firmly against yours and cupped your cheek with his free hand.

“We should get going before they burst in” He sighed, standing up from his bed and starting to pack all his things for the journey ahead of him. You helped him back, taking things from his bed and hanging them to him so he could put in properly without damaging anything.

He had so many different gadgets, a mechanic’s wet dream completely. You found yourself staring at each piece of technology for a second longer than necessary and it made Tech smile to see you were so curious about everything he owned. Your hands grazed against each other more than once as you handed him his belongings and eventually ere was nothing else to pass on. Tech zipped up his backpack and stood up, slipping the straps onto his shoulders as he walked over to the bed he left his goggles and helmet on, picking them up before placing them on his head and letting out a hollow sigh.

You followed behind Tech, holding onto the crystal he gave you and hesitantly placing it in your pocket as you approached him. Tech turned around and enveloped you in a tight hug, stroking your hair and wishing he could give you another kiss but the helmet covering his head restricted him from doing so. Even so, you kissed the side of his helmet and earned a soft chuckle from him as he cupped your cheek and stroked it with his thumb.

“Come on!” You both frowned and turned to the door when Wrecker slammed it open, a scowl on his face which was quickly replaced with a shocked expression.

“I’ll be out in a minute” Tech said with a cold, frosty tone, glaring hard at his brother who nodded and closed the door shut once more.

“We should really get going” You sighed, pulling away from Tech and taking his hand as you walked out of the bunker, opening up the bunker door your gaze meeting with Hunter’s who’s arms were crossed and a smile was on his face.

“Come on lovebirds, we ain’t got all day” He smirked, nudging Tech’s shoulder with his own once he was close enough. You chuckled at the brothers behaviour and watched in amusement as Tech shoved Hunter back with a hint of irritation in his eyes, all whilst holding your hand.

You followed the bad batch to their ship, the Havoc Marauder, walking beside Tech and squeezing his hand softly when you finally approached the ramp and let him go. Crosshair, Hunter and Wrecker all boarded the ship after waving to you farewell and Tech was left standing on the stairs.

“I don’t want to leave you here” Tech sighed in disappointment, taking both of your hands and brushing your knuckles with his thumbs. You looked up at him with glassy eyes, your heart practically stuck to him him as he removed his helmet and brought you in for a deep kiss, startling some clones around you who were on duty. You kissed back immediately as a tear flew down your cheek, unable to control your emotions as you pulled away and wiped your eyes. Tech kissed away your tears and calmed you down by whispering sweet nothings in your ear and stroking your hair.

“Everything alright over here?” You jumped and turned to look and see Anakin Skywalker with his arms folded and a raised brow. You and Tech quickly pulled away from one another and you wiped away your tears.

“I guess” You answered, shuffling awkwardly in front of him as he looked between you and Tech with wide and amused eyes. Anakin took a step towards you, leaning into your ear and patting your shoulder.

“You know, if you want to join him it wouldn’t hurt anyone” He whispered, pulling back and sending you a wink before saluting Tech and walking off. You stood in your spot with a surprised expression, your tears of sadness were quickly replaced with a beaming smile as you turned to Tech and looked up.

“I’m coming with you” You beamed.

“You what?!” Tech exclaimed in excitement, screaming at Hunter to refrain from powering up the ship as he watched you run off to collect your things from your mechanic station. Your heart was racing, pumping with adrenaline as you lifted your tools box and collected all your things from the bunker including your clothes and washing products.

You were so quick in returning to Tech, one hand holding your tools box whereas the other held a backpack full of messily dumped clothes. Tech couldn’t be more happy as he looked at you though, taking the toolbox from your grasp and helping you on the Havoc Marauder as Echo and Crosshair came to see what was taking Tech so long, only to realise you were joining them.

2 new members in one day? Hunter liked the sound of it, even though Crosshair had a thing or two to say about it, his comments were brushed to the side and you were graciously assisted by Echo and Tech who helped you unload everything when you arrived.

As you looked back down the ramp, you looked to see Rex, Jesse and Kix all smiling in the distance. You walked down the ramp mid way and saluted them, immediately earning them back from the three clones who all looked sad to see you go. Giving them one last wave, you turned around and took Tech’s hand that was stretched out for you to take.

“Welcome to the crew, mechanic” Tech smiled, kissing your cheek as the ramp closed over and you were with your new family, the people who you really belonged with.

#star wars #x reader #clone wars #the bad batch #bad batch tech #clone trooper tech

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wiypt-writes · 3 years

Text

Riding On

Ch 11- It Was The Leprechauns…

Summary: Frank and Fliss bring Alex home and settle into their ‘new’ normal. Meanwhile the Circle of Truth, with honorary members Steve and Bill take Frank out to wet the baby’s head…although it isn’t so much wet as drowned! Drunk Frank anyone??

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: Ok, so I had a bit of fun with this one. Very Frank heavy but…yeah, who cares, he’s my weakness!! DBDILF for the win.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding On Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 10

And the plastic must keep spinning around forever, and the memories will flood and keep us together

As Frank slowed the truck to a stop Fliss smiled and looked out of the window.

"Glad to be home?" Frank asked, turning to look at her and she reached through the gap in the front seats, gently placing her hand on Alex's tummy where he was fastened into the baby seat.

"Yeah." She nodded, looking at Frank before giving him a soft kiss. "Yeah I am."

Frank grinned again before he moved to get out of the car, opening the back door for Fliss, offering her his hand as she slowly slid out. He then made his way to the front passenger side and leaned in to unclip the car seat. As he did so his t-shirt rode up a little at the back and Fliss cocked her head to the side at the flash of his boxer shorts which were visible where his jeans had dropped slightly on his hips.

"Are you wearing Spongebob underwear?" She asked and he gave a chuckle as he turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"They're cool." His eyebrow rising over the top of his aviators.

"Whatever you say, Sailor."

"You bought em, Cowgirl." He chuckled, pulling back out of the car, the handle of the baby seat clutched safely in his hand.

"Actually it was Mary." She smiled as he shut the car door. “They were her Father’s Day Specials if I recall correctly.”

“Yeah they were.” He smiled, and at that moment the door to the house opened and the girl herself shot out, Thor running past her straight up to Fliss whereas Mary made her way to Frank, hugging him tightly.

"Hey boy." Fliss smiled, ruffling his head. Alex chose that moment to make a little simpering noise and Thor turned his head to look at him, his ears pricking forward. Fliss closed her hand round his collar as Frank held the baby carrier still. The two of them watched as Thor gently pushed his nose into the car seat sniffing the curious new object and when Alex moved he jerked back, head cocking to one side before his tail began to wag furiously and he gave an excited little wine.

"He likes him!" Mary grinned.

"That right? He meet with your approval, Thor?" Frank asked and Thor pushed his nose back, this time concentrating on sniffing the baby.

"Okay enough, good boy." Fliss yanked him back, giving him another pat. "Let's get inside."

Frank took her hand in his and the two of them headed up the steps to the porch, Mary skipping ahead of them up to where Evelyn was waiting. Frank looked at his mother and stopped, pushing his aviators up.

“You look like shit.” He smirked.

“She’s hungover.” Mary grinned.

“It was a heavy night.” Evelyn replied in justification as Frank grinned at Fliss.

“Party went well then?” Fliss quipped and Evelyn groaned.

“Your dad brought out his home made coconut rum.” She said, following them into the cool house.

Fliss grimaced. “Yeah, that’s deadly stuff. Me and Steve got wasted on that once, I was hungover for days.”

“It tasted quite nice.” Evelyn sighed. “But it doesn’t feel very nice today.”

Frank gently placed the car seat on the coffee table and turned to look at his mother “I’m not sure whether I should be embarrassed or proud. Maybe both.”

“Piss off, Frank.” She shot back and he let out a bark of a laugh. “I’m going to make a cup of tea, does anyone want one?”

Fliss eagerly accepted as she sat down on the sofa, her hand reaching out to undo the fastenings on the car seat. She couldn’t wait to get Alex in her arms again. Frank perched on the arm next to her, his hand gently rubbing between Fliss’ shoulder blades as she cradled their baby gently, his head resting against her shoulder as he peeked around the room with his little blue eyes.

“How is he?” Mary asked as she approached, dropping onto the seat at the other side of Fliss.

“He’s good.” Fliss smiled, before she looked at Mary “Do you want to hold him again?”

Mary nodded eagerly so Frank stood up and moved round the back of the sofa, propping the cushions up to help Mary sit up right. Fliss placed Alex into her arms and he lay still, apart from his hands which gently fisted up by his face.

Evelyn had a hold next once she had finished her tea and then headed off to the annex for a lay down and to give them a bit of time alone, not wanting to overstep. Mary asked if she could go to the yard so, after slathering her in sunscreen and jamming a cap on her head, Frank wandered out to watch her climb over the fence and head over to Joanne. The girl gave a wave which he acknowledged and then she shouted over to him.

“Hey daddy! How’s mommy?”

“She’s great!” Frank yelled back, beaming as he nodded to Mary. “She gives you any trouble, send her straight home!”

Joanne waved him away and he turned and walked back inside, closing the door behind him.

Fliss was feeding Alex again when he walked back in and once he was done he went down for a nap which the new parents took full advantage of, grabbing some sleep themselves. Frank had stayed with them in the hospital, refusing to leave, and as such both of them had been up three times in the night with their new baby so sleeping whilst he slept seemed like a damned fine idea, even if it was only for forty minutes or so until Frank woke up, his neck cricked from where he’d had it lay against the arm of the sofa, Fliss was snuggled up with her head on his chest, lay secure between him and the back cushions. He stayed as still as he could so as not to wake her, giving a soft huff of laughter at Thor who was led by the basinet, curled up, eyes on Alex. Frank found himself pondering if the dog could possibly know that their baby was what had been in Fliss’ belly and whether he could smell something or not to that effect because he was being extremely protective, the same way he had been over Fliss at the start of her pregnancy. As he watched the dog curiously, Fliss stirred a little and Frank gave her head a soft kiss, but she didn’t wake.

Yet their son did. He gave a little murmur, the beginnings of a cry and Franky quickly and quietly moved, keeping Fliss’ head supported enough as he grabbed a cushion and laid her down so she could continue to rest. He picked Alex up, and as suspected he needed a diaper change. That was one thing Frank had plenty of practice on. A little while later once he was cleaned he gently picked him back up and took him for walk round the ground floor of the house, talking to him softly as he went.

A little while later he heard Fliss calling his name. He wandered back into the family area at the back of the house and she smiled at him.

“You okay, Sweetheart?” he asked.

“Yeah, I just wondered where you were.”

She hesitated before she gave a little smile. “Of course I do but he’s your son too Frank.”

“Maybe we need a snuggle rota.” He smiled.

Fliss laughed “I get enough momma bear time when he’s feeding, I can’t be too selfish about it. If he’s happy with you then I might grab a shower.”

“Have a bath and then take another nap if you need one.” Frank looked at her. “You had a busy day yesterday.”

“One way of putting it.” She smiled. “You know, I was actually thinking that maybe before he wants feeding again, I could take him to the Yard to meet Joanne and the guys?”

"I forgot to say she asked after you before." Frank smiled, as he gently readjusted Alex slightly “Bet she’d love to see him, and it’ll give you chance to check everything is running smoothly."

"Yeah.” Fliss smiled before she bit her lip and then looked at Frank. “Should I take him in the stroller or the baby sling?"

"What do you wanna take him in?" Frank asked.

"Well, the sling would be nice but it’s whatever is best for him, I mean it is warm and the sun-" "Liss, it’s almost four pm." Frank cut her off "The sun will be cooling off shortly and besides, we got him plenty of sun hats. Pop one on and just keep in the shade as much as you can, he’ll be fine I promise you."

"Okay." She nodded, looking at Alex, still biting her lip.

She was nervous, Frank could tell. And he knew that rather than letting herself get worried and tense about it, it was better to offer her his hand so to speak. She would soon come round once she realised that she could cope perfectly fine.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked gently.

"Please." She looked at him before she glanced at her hands. "I know it's stupid, Frank, but..."

"Hey, no, it’s not, honey. It’s not at all." He assured her and waited for her to look at him and he smiled "Look, I’m nervous about stuff too."

"You've done this before"

“Only from 6 months."

"But you helped Diane..."

"You telling me you never helped out with Charlie and Joel when they were born?" he said calmly. Fliss fell silent and he continued. "It's not a science, no matter what all those so called expert books and manuals say, there’s no magic formula or solution to any of this." He smiled gently. “Just a lot of instinct and love. And common sense." He added.

“That’s us fucked then.” Fliss quipped and he gave a soft chuckle as she shook her head, her hand smoothing over the back of her son’s head. "I know. You're right. I’m sorry."

"There’s nothing to be sorry for." Frank assured her "I like that you’re telling me how you feel and that’s what we gotta do. Be honest with each other and do this together yeah?"

She looked up at him and smiled "Yeah."

He gave her a gentle kiss "I love you.”

“You too.” She smiled, laying her head against his.

“Now, go on, get showered and then let’s go show our boy off."

***** The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of sleepless nights, feedings, dirty diapers and many changed outfits (both Alex’s and theirs following the amount of times he spit up on them) plenty of visitors and juggling a new baby with Mary's return to school. Frank grumbled one night to Fliss that with the amount of visitors they had, their front door should have been a revolving one but she knew that despite his gripes he was secretly low key pleased that his friends couldn't wait to meet Bean and she could practically hear the crowing in his voice when he introduced everyone to him.

Being the parents of a baby was tiring, but thanks to some help and advice from the health visitors and Fliss' mom they worked out a pretty good routine between the pair of them for night feeds, Fliss expressing as much as she could meant that Frank could also feed him, which not only gave her a rest but him time to bond with his son. Not that he felt he needed it, mind. He’d been ready to die for him the minute Fliss had told him she was pregnant.

A fortnight after Alex's birth, Frank returned back to work. Fliss had been reluctant to let him go, begging him to take an extra week but as he pointed out if he did that he would be stuck for leave over Christmas. In the end, because Fliss was flapping about being on her own with a baby for so long, Verity had come round for the first day to keep her company and be on hand. Frank knew that Fliss would get better as time went by and whilst she was still a little nervous- constantly worrying about the little noises or crying he did when she couldn't immediately figure out what it was he wanted- it was best she had someone there.

His theory that she would be fine in time was right, and by the middle of his first week back she was still a little tentative with certain things but happy to be on her own for the afternoons, Verity only coming in the mornings. And when he came back home on the Thursday evening, Fliss was actually over at the yard with Alex in the sling, chatting to Joanne and helping out with the lesson plans. It had made him beyond happy she'd ventured out alone, even if it was only to the end of their drive. The following week, on the Tuesday, she told Frank she was going to tell her mother not to come over the next day and Frank encouraged her to do so, reminding her that her parents and him were only a little drive away if she needed them. But she didn’t, she coped fine, just as he had assured her she would, even if she did message him a few times that morning which he didn’t mind at all.

On the Thursday, almost three weeks to the date she had gone into labour, Fliss was sat in the Garden with a drink and a book. Alex was sleeping in the cool of the kitchen, not far from the door so he was in eyesight at all times. Not that any harm would come to him with Thor on sentry duty, mind. The German shepherd had taken it upon himself to be the little boy's personal guard and was never far away. He lay by the bassinet when Alex slept there, curled down the side of their bed at night as Alex lay in the bedside sleeper and when the infant was being fed or cuddled he would jump up onto the couch if possible to watch or simply sit by the feet of whoever had him, eyes trained on them the whole time. Fliss was convinced Thor thought Alex was some kind of hairless puppy.

She reached the end of her chapter and was just heading inside for a refill of iced tea (her craving for apple juice completely gone and she was back to hating the stuff) when her phone went.

“Yo, Titch…” Her brother spoke and she smiled “How’s that beautiful little Nephew of mine?”

“He’s fine…and so am I thanks for asking.”

“Yeah, well it ain’t all about you.” Steve said and Fliss rolled her eyes “Listen, me and dad are trying to get Frank to come out for a few beers tomorrow wetting the baby’s head to so to speak but he is refusing.”

“He’s tired.” Fliss said, “Alex woke at three and didn’t settle till five. Frank was up at seven for work so he probably just wants to catch up on his sleep.”

“Yeah, well he can sleep on Saturday.” Steve said “He’s been fobbing us now ever since we first asked two weeks ago.”

At that Fliss frowned. “He didn’t mention you’d asked.”

“He didn’t?”

“No.” She paused. Whilst Frank had certainly calmed down in that respect since they had first gotten together, it wasn’t like him to turn down the offer of a night out with the boys, and she could only assume it was down to Alex.

“Well we have and Dad’s desperate to take him out for a few beers. Can you see if you can work your magic?”

“You want me to beg my fiancée to go out drinking, whilst I stay at home with our three week old baby?” Fliss asked.

“Yes.” Steve replied simply

“You’re a dick.” She shook her head, “I’ll mention it to him when he gets back but I’m not promising anything.”

Frank arrived home a little over an hour later, to find Fliss led on one of the sun-loungers in the shade, Alex resting on her chest, her bare legs stretched out in front of her.

“Busy afternoon?” he quipped and she pulled her shades down to glare at him. “That was a joke.”

“We had a very busy day actually.” She looked up at him as he dropped a kiss to her lips, before he did the same to the back of Alex’s head. “We went to the store this morning, then to see Roberta this afternoon, and then came home, I made meatloaf for dinner and then I had a few hours out here whilst he slept. Then he barfed up all over me and now I have sick in my hair.”

Frank let out a laugh and shook his head as she bent her legs so he could perch on the end of the lounger. She shifted a little and cocked her head.

“Where’s Mary, and why are you so clean?”

“Mary has gone up to see Monty and I’m clean because I’ve been in the office and shop all day working on the rotas and a few other pieces of administration for when Alan leaves.” He shrugged “I apologise sincerely for the lack of grease and dirt.”

“So you should.” She grinned “But, seeing as you’re so clean…” she moved and sat up slightly so she could hand Alex over to his daddy who took him tenderly, pressing another kiss to his head.

“Why don’t you grab a shower if you’re bothered about your hair?” he offered and she nodded, standing up.

“Okay.” She smiled “I won’t be long.”

Frank shook his head “Take as much time as you need. Not going anywhere.”

“Hmm, yeah, I heard.”

Frank looked at her “What?”

“Steve called before. Said that Dad’s been trying to get you to go out for a drink but you’re refusing.”

Frank let out a groan. “They've been on at me for the last week or so, as have the Circle Of Truth boys. Say I need to go wet the baby’s head so to speak.”

“You should” Fliss looked at him. “It’s tradition.”

Frank pulled a face.

“Are you seriously turning down a night out?” Fliss asked.

“No, just temporarily putting it on hiatus”

Fliss snorted “Loser.”

“I don’t see you clamouring to go out.” He looked at her.

“Well, actually, I was thinking of going to Lunch with Bonnie on Sunday.” Fliss shrugged “She said Rio’s are launching a new menu so…”

“You should go.” Frank encouraged her, smiling softly.

“I will if you go out on Friday.” She shot back. Frank rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Why are you so keen to get rid of me for a night?”

“I’m not.” Fliss shrugged “Just think it’s nice that they all want to celebrate with you.” She paused and looked down at her hands before she took a breath and looked back up a Frank. “You’re not refusing to go because you don’t think I can cope are you? Because-“

“No, no baby of course not.” He shook his head sincerely “That’s not it at all, I just, well I wasn’t that bothered.”

“Okay, as long as that’s it.” She nodded, accepting his answer.

“You know what?” He smiled as he looked down at Alex. “I think I will go. The more I think about it, the more fun it sounds. And we did it for both of Jake’s so..”

Fliss smiled and stood up, giving him a soft kiss. “Good, you can call Steve and give him the good news.”

Frank watched her head inside before he looked down at Alex who was fisting his tiny hands around his open button down. Smiling, he shifted slightly, holding him up with one strong arm as he grabbed his phone in the other. First he sent Steve a quick message calling him a sly bastard and then fired one off to the Circle Of Truth chat saying they were on for drinks. Steve replied first with a simply middle finger emoji along with the words “see you tomorrow.”

“Your Uncle is a pain in the ass.” He grumbled to Alex before he smiled, stood up and headed inside to grab a beer.

*****

“Right does everyone have a drink?” Bill looked around the group. Steve, Frank, Simon, Greg and Jake all raised their bottles. “Ok then, in honour of my beautiful daughter giving birth to my third amazing grandson, Alexander Francis William. Congratulations, Frankie boy!”

Frank smiled and raised his beer as the group all let out various cheers and calls, before taking a large drink from his bottle.

“Still can’t believe you stuck the name Francis in there.” Jake looked at Frank who raised his middle finger in response.

“Get fucked, and I didn’t. Fliss did.”

“Clearly delirious with the pain.” Simon nodded and Frank rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up.” He took a drink from his bottle, shrugging.

They stood chatting for an hour or so before Simon decided it was time for shots. There were groans and half-assed protests, Greg complaining loudly that a Head Wetting night was supposed to be civilised. At that Frank almost choked on his beer and turned to his best friend, shaking his head.

“Greg, the last Baby’s Head wetting we went to for Jake’s Annie, you were kicked out of the burrito place for spilling drinks all over the table and trying to wipe up the mess with tortillas.”

The group laughed and Greg shrugged. “Well at last I’ve never hid in the bushes and called four Ubers to play hide and seek.” He pointed at Frank who snorted.

“That was…yeah…it was a very heavy night.”

“No shit.” Jake mumbled “I woke up in the morning looking for my phone. Couldn’t find it anywhere but there was like a random piece of toast on the nightstand. Then I heard Lisa shouting. My phone was in the microwave covered with melted cheese.”

Steve snorted at that and hastily turned away as his beer came out of his nose, causing Frank to laugh even harder as Bill chuckled and shook his head.

“I was staying at my mom’s that night.” Simon mused as the laughter died down. “I was in between apartments remember? I woke up in the dog’s bed downstairs. Apparently she had come down from bed when I came in and I told her I felt sorry for Barney sleeping in the kitchen alone and I climbed into his basket with him. She just left me there.”

“You lot are worse than my gang, and that’s saying something.” Steve grinned.

“Bull shit.” Frank pointed at him. “Fliss told me loads of stuff you used to get up to.”

“Yeah, come on Ringo, you must have some stupid drunk tales.” Jake turned to Steve who grinned.

“Oh I got plenty as Frankie boy said, thing is a hell of a lot of them involve Fliss.” He shrugged and the boys laughed, Frank snorting.

“I think my personal favourite was the time you set fire to the kitchen curtains.” Bill mused, and Steve grinned.

“Yeah we were high then though, Dad, not drunk.”

“High?” Simon looked at Steve before he glanced at Frank who shrugged “Damned Frank, your girl’s a little bit of a rebel on the sly ain’t she?”

“You have no idea.” Frank smirked, raising his eyebrow.

“Dude, that’s my sister.” Steve nudged him and Frank shrugged, taking another swig of his beer.

“She was though.” Bill smiled fondly “You and her were always up to mischief. As soon as she was old enough to go drinking she was hanging around with your lot.”

“That was because she fancied Lee.” Steve snorted.

The group all sniggered and Frank laughed “Is that the guy she dated for a year or so?”

“Yes, much to my disgust.” Steve narrowed his eyes.

“Was his disgust too when you punched him.” Bill grinned and Steve sighed.

“He was shagging my little sister.” He shook his head. “Just…no.”

The group all snorted and Frank groaned “Ok, I don’t want to know anymore…”

“You have no room to be all coy about it!” Simon looked at him “Your antics in here before you got with Fliss…”

“Yeah, yeah…” Frank sighed “Can we change the subject?”

At that point he felt someone shove him in the back and he stumbled forward, banging into Steve, spilling his beer slightly. There was a bit of a commotion as the rest of the group all rallied behind him and Frank spun round.

“Really, really sorry…” A dark haired man with a strong Irish accent was apologising to the group “I tripped and…”

“Fine, just watch where you’re going yeah?” Steve looked at him as Frank brushed his shirt down.

“He just said he was sorry.” The man to his left, a smaller red head shot back “It was an accident.”

“Yeah and I was just telling him to be more careful.” Steve frowned.

“Or what?”

Bill sighed and turned round “Look, we don’t want any trouble. Apology accepted so…”

The two men eyed up the group before they turned away and headed for the bar.

“Right…” Simon clapped his hands together, breaking the tension slightly “Shots and then who’s up for a game of pool?”

“Do we have to? I’m crap.” Steve shook his head and Frank looked at him.

“Yeah, I heard that before from a Gallagher.” He snorted. Steve and Bill frowned and he explained to them both. “On our first date Fliss hustled me big time, right at that table actually...”

Steve snorted “She used to do that to all of my mates. Nine times outta Ten we’d come home with more money than we started with.” He paused and looked down at his feet, before watched Bill as he turned to Simon who was heading to the bar, following him over, making insistences that he was paying again as it was his Grandson’s party so to speak. He looked back at Frank and smiled. “Dad’s right, she was fun. We had some good times, thick as thieves before she met that cunt and left for Boston.”

“Yeah she told me a bit about how close you were.” Frank smiled “But you still are now. It’s nice.”

“Got you to thank for that.” Steve looked at him “She’s back to her old self, better dare I say it.”

Frank smiled shyly, the way he always did when he was accredited with Fliss’ ‘turn-around’. “I don’t know if I can take full credit for it, I mean…”

“You gave her another chance.” Steve cut him off “A chance of happiness with a guy that’s decent and treats her right.” He shrugged “Just the way we all see it anyway.”

Frank’s mind flickered back to the moments after Alex had been born when Fliss had rather tearily declared pretty much the same to his face. He shrugged and smiled softly “Yeah, well, I was a mess until I met her to so I guess you could say we helped each other out.”

At that point a shot of tequila was shoved into his hand along with a wedge of lime and Simon held up the salt shaker.

“Drink, bitches!” he grinned, and Frank let out a soft groan. This was going to get messy.

****

A couple of shots and several more rounds of beer later, the group were all starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, so when Bill ordered them all a bourbon, none of them really raised much of a protest. They stood by the pool table, the game of killer taking a lot longer than it would have had they were sober and Simon slung his arm over Frank’s shoulder.

“Can you keep a secret?” he asked and Frank looked at him, squinting a little.

“Well it depends.” Frank replied “On what it is. Like if you killed someone I might be obliged to tell the police.”

“What about if he was an ass hole and deserved to die?”

Frank paused, before he took a mouthful of his bourbon “Okay, well maybe not in that instance.”

Simon nodded “Good to know, but no..it’s…” he looked around and then grinned “Imma ask Bonnie to marry me.”

“No way man!” Frank beamed, “That’s awesome. Congratulations.”

“She aint said yes yet.”

“Well why wouldn’t she?”

Simon shrugged “I know, I’m a catch.”

Frank laughed. “No, I’m pleased for you pal.”

“Thanks.” Simon smiled “You know, I still don’t think it’s fair you’ve seen her naked and I aint seen Fliss…”

Before Frank could reply and call him an asshole Steve jumped in “I’m sorry what?”

Frank groaned. “Nothing, Simon was…”

“Frank slept with my girl.” Simon said bluntly, “Before Fliss…” he added hastily as Steve’s frown deepened.

Steve looked at Frank. “You were with Bonnie?”

“Not really, it…” Frank groaned “It was one night, we were drunk, look, can we not do this?”

“Does Fliss know?” Steve looked at Frank, a smirk on his face.

“Yes she does, she saw us. It nearly ended up in me and her not getting together in the first place so I really don’t wanna think about it.”

“Apparently in the middle of giving Bonnie one he said Fliss’ name.” Simon grinned and Frank let out a loud groan as Steve choked on his drink.

“I fahkin’ hate you.” Frank glared at Simon who was now laughing into his glass.

“Oh my God, Frank!” Steve smacked him on the back. “The more time I spend with you the more I love you pal.”

“Thanks…I think…”

“Hey, you guys ever gonna finish this game or what?”

They all turned to look at the Irish guys who had bumped into them before.

“I dunno, maybe.” Jake stood up, leaning on his cue, “Why?”

“Coz we’ve been waiting for hours.”

“Well then you can just wait longer.” Steve shot back, and the group sniggered.

“Fucking Yanks.” The guy mumbled as he turned around and Steve narrowed his eyes.

“Who you calling a Yank you stupid Irish prick, I’m from Liverpool.”

“Ok, ok…let’s…” Bill spoke loudly, hiccupping a little as he put his arm out to stop Steve who had been walking towards the man that had spoken “Just calm down alright. Soon as we’re done you can have the pool table.”

“Yeah so of you go, back to the other Leprechauns.” Steve waved him away.

“Steven.” Bill warned him, shaking his head. Steve looked at his dad before he shrugged and turned back to Frank who was stood there, grinning.

“You know what Steeby?” Frank drained his glass “The more I hang with you, the more I love you too.”

It was an hour or so later when they all stumbled out of the bar and after hugs and backslaps they headed to their various waiting Ubers. As they passed a large blue truck, Bill paused before he unsteadily dropped to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Frank swayed a little, before he turned to Steve “What is he doing?”

Steve stumbled a little and shrugged “Dad, what…are you letting the air out of the tyre?”

“Yup” Bill stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans before he pushed one through his short, grey hair. “It belongs to those little Irish wankers in the bar, saw one of them get out of it before.”

Frank looked at his future father in law, before he looked at Steve who was smirking ear to ear.

“I told you when you were a kid.” Bill pointed at Steve as the three of them staggered to the waiting car. “Easy, easy catchy monkey.”

*****

"Heyyy." Frank beamed as he stood in the doorway. Fliss looked up and smiled as he walked a little unsteadily towards her. "Hi, beautiful!”

"Hi, handsome." She smiled back as he leaned down over her. He smelt of beer and bourbon as he placed a soft kiss to her lips and she grinned. “So I see you had good time?"

"Well." Frank perched on the arm next to her and glanced down at Alex, his finger smoothing his hungrily working cheek. “We certainly wet his head so to speak."

He hiccupped slightly and Fliss looked up at him, smiling. “Yeah, it appears that way"

"Your dad's fault." Frank slid off the arm of the sofa onto the seat next to her, sprawling out slightly, his long legs stretching out in front of him. "He kept buying it. I mean one minute my glass was empty and the next it was full again."

"Sure he twisted your arm."

"He did, honest Lissy." Frank nodded, supressing a burp. "I kept saying no more, I need to get home to my girls and my boy but Bill, he is bad.”

Fliss looked at Frank who was watching Alex feed before his eyes flickered up to hers and he grinned. "Your boobs look great."

She snorted. "Sorry but for the time being they belong to your son."

"Lucky bastard"

"Well I hate to point it out to you but that's actually what they're designed for."

"Hmmm" Frank closed his eyes.

"Frankie, you need to go to bed." Fliss nudged him gently. “Or you’ll end up crashing on here.”

"In a minute.” He agreed before his eyes flicked open "Ah fahk."

"What?" Fliss asked as Alex pulled away having had his fill. She adjusted herself then him so he was over her shoulder as Frank stood up.

"My jacket."

"Baby, you didn't take one."

"Yes I did." He insisted.

"Frankie, I promise you, you didn't."

He looked at her, before be clicked his fingers and pointed "it was the leprechauns."

“The leprechauns?”

Frank nodded “Yes, the Irish guys. They must have taken my jacket.”

Fliss looked at him, before she shook her head “Okay, course they did. You should speak to him tomorrow and get it back.”

“I intend to.”

“You do that.”

“I will.” He nodded firmly before he turned and headed out of the room, banging onto the frame as he went.

Fliss laughed quietly at him, before she reached for her phone and text her mum asking her if she was awake.

“I wasn’t until your dad and brother turned up 20 minutes ago. They're in a right state.”

“So is Frank, keeps talking about leprechauns stealing his jacket...but he didn’t even take one with him.”

“Your Dad was grumbling about Irish Tourists and then started laughing about a flat tyre or something. Maybe that has something to do with it.”

“God knows, they’re going to be so hungover tomorrow.”

“I’ve left your dad asleep on the kitchen floor after he lay down there hugging a plate of left-overs from dinner. Steve at least managed to make it to his room.”

Fliss exchanged a few more amusing messages with her mother before she gave a yawn and glanced down at Alex. He was nodding off again so she stood up, turned off the lights and headed upstairs.

Frank was face down on the bed in his shirt and boxers. Fliss shook her head, smiling as she placed Alex down in the bedside sleeper, tucking him in before she moved round the bed towards Frank.

“Frankie.” She gently nudged him. “Sailor.”

Frank mumbled something into his pillow but didn’t move.

“Okay, come on.” She nudged him again, this time a little harder. “Take your shirt off and get in bed.”

Frank let out a dirty chuckle as he pushed himself up, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Then he reached up, grabbed Fliss and pulled her down onto the bed, laughing as she let out a little squeak of surprise. He leaned over her, smiling down before he gave her a soft kiss.

“I love you. And I can’t wait to marry you. In fact...I think we should set a date. Properly and book it. We did say this time next year.”

Fliss smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, her hand making its way down to his neck where she gently scratched his skin with her nails. He closed his eyes, making a soft noise of satisfaction in his throat.

“Sounds good to me.” She smiled. He opened one eye and grinned.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “But we can talk about it in the morning? Bean’s gonna be up again in a few hours and I need some beauty sleep.”

“Nah you don’t” he shook his head “You’re gorgeous.”

Fliss chuckled. “Smooth.”

“I try.” Frank gave her another kiss before he pulled away. “Hey, before we go to sleep, can you do me a favour?”

“What?”

“Can I see your boobs? Just see em, I promise, no touchy.” He held his hand up, giving her his best puppy dog eyes, even if they were slightly glazed from the alcohol.

Fliss arched an eyebrow at him before she sat up, and pulled the shirt she was wearing up to flash her chest at him. Frank gave a moan and she laughed before she dropped her top down to cover herself up.

“You’re killing me, sweetheart.” He mumbled, pushing his face into the crook of her neck. He placed a soft kiss just under her ear, trailing his lips down her neck to her jaw line.

“I know, I know.” He sighed, “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to push you, you know that right?”

“Course I do.” She smiled, reaching up and cupping his face. “It’s ok.”

“But just so you know, as soon as I can, I’m gonna fuck you senseless.” He mumbled, giving her another soft kiss.

“Wow, romantic. The first time we can do it after I give birth to your kid you’re gonna fuck me senseless.”

“Yeah but, I’ll make you feel gooood.” He drew out the word and she grinned.

“You always do, Sailor.”

He smiled, his lips once more pecking hers before he pushed himself up and started pulling the bed covers down. He settled sideways on the bed, leaning over her slightly to glance at Alex who was sleeping before Fliss turned off the light and settled next to him as his arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her close.

**** Chapter 12

#riding on #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #frank adler x original female character #gifted #gifted fan fic #chris evans #chris evans characters

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myhockeyworld87 · 4 years

Text

Nervous Regrets - Tyler Seguin - Part 35

Word Count: 2,514

POV: Reader

Warnings: Language

Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out. I had planned on having it up yesterday, but life got busy. I’d love to have those 12 hours back that I lost, but it’s not happening. So with that feedback is always welcome and happy reading!

Nervous Regrets Masterlist

You sat there staring at the picture in your direct messages for you don't know how long. It wasn't until Jace started to cry that you put the phone down so that you could tend to your baby. Jace's little cries filled the air, and you took him over to change his diaper. When he was all clean and dry, his face filled with a smile, which melted your heart. When you looked in his sweet face, you could see your husband there, as Jace had Tyler's eyes and even though he was only a couple weeks old he had that little smirk as well. It was in Jace's expression that you knew that message was nothing but a lie.

Tyler had worked so hard to win you back and you knew that he would never jeopardize your family with some trivial one-night stand. As you sat in the rocking chair, in Jace's nursery feeding him, you pulled up the message again. This time looking at the picture with unfeeling eyes instead of ones that felt hurt and disappointment. There was no denying that, that was your husband, but the closer you looked it was an older picture. Tyler's hair wasn't that long right now, and where his shirt was unbuttoned you could just make out his lack of chest tattoo. This picture was probably taken well before you were even in Tyler's life; more than likely a couple months before you'd met him.

Switching Jace to your other breast, you set the phone back down trying to decide what to do next. Obviously, this person wanted to cause a rift between you and Tyler, and messaging her back would just give credence to a conversation that wasn't necessary. You'd been so wrapped up in the stupid message, that you never heard the garage door open or Tyler come in. "There are my two favorite people in the world." He made his way over to you, kissing you on the lips, causing Jace to stir. "Hey buddy, daddy missed you." Jace looked around searching for Tyler's voice. "Is he done, babe? I'm dying to hold him."

"Mostly," you answered, handing the baby over. "He can finish later. Right now, I think he wants his daddy more." Tyler took Jace from you and held him close to his chest, his one finger caressing his chubby cheeks.

"Bud, did you get bigger? Mommy said no, but I think so." Jace's tiny hand fisted around one of Tyler's fingers. "Look at those muscles; you working out?" The interaction between father and son made your heart so full it could burst and a tear slid down your cheek. "Baby, you ok?" Ty asked taking his eyes off his son for a moment.

"I…" you couldn't seem to get out the words and so you nodded your head.

"Babe, I know you said you're still emotional, but what else is going on."

You sighed heavily, knowing for your relationship to work; you needed to be completely honest. "I got a message on Instagram earlier." A look of concern immediately crossed his face, before he started to shake his head. "I know it's not true Ty. It just took a toll on me."

"What did it say?" And you could see the anger visibly changing him, in the way he stood and held the baby.

You stood so that you could touch and feel him; hoping to release some of his tension. "It doesn't matter. I just wanted to tell you so there wouldn't be any secrets between us."

"If it hurt you, it matters." He wrapped his free arm, the one that wasn't holding Jace, around your waist and pulled you to his side. You looked at Jace, so comfortable in his father's arms as he stared up at his parents. "Tell me (Y/N)."

"It was just a picture of you and some girl. I'm assuming she's the one that sent the message. It said that my "baby daddy" was cheating on me." Before he could say anything you continued. "I know it wasn't true Ty. When I looked at the pic closer, it was old."

"(Y/N), I will never in a million years cheat on you, babe." He cupped your chin so that you would look in his eyes. "You believe me, don't you?"

"Of course, I do Ty. The message just threw me."

"I'm deleting my damn account. It's caused us nothing but trouble."

"Tyler, we're fine. This is just one fangirl, who's making up lies." You were telling yourself this as much as him. "You have your sponsorships to think about and your fans. Don't go deleting things just because of this one instance. I'm fine." He still looked unconvinced. "We're fine. I promise."

"It just annoys the fuck…oops sorry," he spoke more to Jace than to you. "That people think that they can get away with doing this. Like I'm some sort of sex addict that can't wait for my wife to…" you could see him struggling to find the right words.

"Heal?"

"Yeah, heal before I wet my dick in someone else pussy. Shit!" He swore again and you had to laugh at his attempt to control his language around your son.

"I think it's ok to curse around him. He definitely didn't learn to talk in the few days you were gone."

He looked at you a little sheepishly. "Still…I need to learn not too." His eyes went back to his child, where Jace's little face just lit up. It was probably gas, but it was still adorable. "Maybe I'll send this person a message myself." He said drawing you back to the conversation about the direct message. "Or get my lawyers on it."

"How about we just drop it, and if it happens again then we worry about?" He cocked his head "Please Ty?"

He scrunched his face up at you, before agreeing. "Fine, but you have to promise you'll tell me if it happens again."

"Done. Now can we please talk about other things."

"In a minute, there's one more thing," and before you could ask him what that was, his lips were on yours. His mouth searched yours and all the longing that you felt for him over the last several days melted away. Jace squirmed in his arms and the two of you broke apart. "Now that's a better welcome home. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Ty." The rest of the day Tyler barely let Jace out of his arms. He of course allowed you to feed him, but he wouldn't let you put him down for a nap in the bassinet; instead opting for the baby to lay on his chest. You had a feeling if he kept this up you were going to have a hard time training Jace to sleep in his own crib.

"So babe, I was thinking maybe you could bring Jace to practice tomorrow. You know to meet all the guys." You were crawling into bed, after just laying the baby down for the night.

"Yeah, I can do that. Little man and I will be down to have lunch with you guys."

"Can you maybe put on his Stars stuff too?" Like your child would wear anything else when going to see his father at work.

"Of course, babe." He pulled you close to him and you inhaled his scent. God, you missed this even if it was for a few days.

"Thanks, baby. I'm so excited for the guys to meet him." He kissed your forehead, then your nose, and finally your lips, before the two of you drifted off to sleep.

The next morning as soon as Tyler headed off to practice you started to get ready for Jace to meet all his hockey uncles. It was really the first time taking him anywhere other than the doctors, and you found yourself throwing things in the diaper bag you knew you were never going to need but wanted to be prepared. Jace's Star's onesie fit perfectly, but then you had one in every size imaginable. It was his jersey that was a little bit, so you opted to just carry that in the bag not sure if you were going to put it on him or not until you got there. You also threw in a little jacket since he'd be down close to the ice. You made sure to feed him before you left, but also took a bottle on the off chance he'd be fussy.

You buckled him in the car seat, and he whimpered a bit. Cash immediately going to see what was wrong with his brother. "He's ok Cash, just doesn't like to be cooped up in there." The pup looked at you skeptically and you had to laugh. The dogs had definitely become protective of Jace over the last week and hated to hear him cry. Once you had him in the car and were headed down the road, he quickly fell fast asleep.

They were just finishing up practice when you went into the arena. All of the guys were still on the ice, running a few drills. It was Jamie who saw you first, smiling and giving a wave as the puck sailed past him, and you kind of laughed. That got him a few chirps from some of the guys until Monty saw that you were there and called them all in. "Looks like we have a special guest in the building. I'm gonna cut this short, but damn it, wash your hands and shit before you touch the kid." You chuckled at his words, but it was nice to know that he didn't want their sweaty hands all over your child any more than you did.

Tyler was the first to skate off. "Hey babe," he said pecking you real quick before turning down to his little guy. "Hi bud, did you see daddy skating?" Jace's eyes were taking everything as he woke the minute, he heard the pucks on the boards. The guys started to crowd around you and the carrier, trying to sneak a peek at Jace.

"Oh he cute Seggy, nothing like you." Rads said punching your husband in the arm playfully.

"There's my godson," Jamie added. "Sportin' the team colors bud. They look good, though there needs to be a fourteen on there somewhere."

"Get out Chubbs, my son is not wearing your number, even if you are his uncle."

"Alright, hit the showers, then you can have baby time." You told them all.

"I'll meet you in the dining room?" Tyler said before kissing you again and heading off to the locker room. You went down to the kitchen area, setting Jace's carrier on the table so you could take him out. The room was warm so you didn't put his sweatshirt on him, that way everyone could see his little Seguin ninety-one on the back. You propped him up on your shoulder and he looked around a little bit, before flopping his head back down and sucking on your shirt. Perfect, just what you wanted baby drool on you. It didn't really matter though, as long as Jace was happy.

You no sooner were comfortable, then Justin Dowling came in. "Hey (Y/N), how are you feeling? Heard this little guy gave you a bit of a scare." He took a finger and trailed it along Jace's back making him shiver.

"Yeah, he definitely had his own idea about when he wanted to meet us, but I'm good."

"Can I hold him?"

"Of course," you handed Jace off to him. Justin was a natural, the way he swayed back and forth with your little guy in his arms.

"You've got to bring him around Meg, she's dying to meet him. We just didn't want to overwhelm you after everything."

"Yeah, I was planning on having the girls over soon."

"Maybe you can convince her, that we need one of these."

"Oh! You guys will make great parents." They were already one of the cutest couples on the team. "You've got a natural touch there."

"Thanks."

"Alright quit hogging the baby," Bishop chimed in taking Jace from Justin. "Hey Jace, you and Ben are gonna be best buddies. You can have playdates and go on bike rides and take hockey lessons together."

"Woah, slow down there Bish. He's only a couple weeks old." You told him.

"I know, Andrea is dying to bring Ben over."

"We've talked several times. I think she was coming over tomorrow night for a bit. We thought we could watch the game together."

"Wait you're not bringing Jace to the game?" Your husband asked looking too handsome for your liking.

You simply rolled your eyes at him. "Not yet, you knew this though."

"Kinda, just thought maybe you'd change your mind." He walked straight to his child and you could see him fighting the urge not to take him away from Bishop. "But I get it. He's still too small, but in a couple weeks you'll be big enough to come and cheer daddy and all your uncles on." God, you loved your husband like this. That playful cute side, that just adored his child; there was nothing better in the whole world. Well, maybe your son.

The rest of the guys filtered in and it became a game of pass the baby around. You were surprised when even Miro took a turn, however the minute he turned fussy he was handing him back. After an hour, Jace was done with meeting everyone and basically just feel asleep as the guys continued to fuss over him. One by one they all left until there were just a few of you milling about and you figured it was time to head home before Jace needed to be fed. Tyler helped you pack him up, and then the three of you left with promises to bring Jace back real soon. You had a feeling if it was up to Tyler, he would've had him on the ice today, but thankfully he never once asked.

Tyler had ridden with Jamie, so he could take you and Jace home and as you traveled the highways of Dallas he finally said. "Thanks for bringing him down today babe. It meant a lot."

"Ty, I will bring him down whenever you want."

"So…uh…when do you think you'll bring him to a game?"

"Babe, I know you're excited for him to go, but I'd like him to be a little older. Those headphones you got barely fit."

"I'll get a box, so you guys don't have to deal with the family section and you can have Jenna and the girls up there." He was really trying everything he could, but honestly, with that fangirl message, you were leery about taking Jace out in the public.

"How about the next long home stretch?"

"Yeah babe, that will work." The smile on your face was enough to put your doubts at rest, at least for the moment.

#Nervous Regrets Series #nervous regrets #tyler seguin #tyler seguin imagine #tyler seguin imagines #nhl imagines #nhl imagine #nhl fanfic #hockey imagines #hockey imagine #hockey fanfiction

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what-is-your-plan-today · 4 years

Text

Riding High Ch11: It Was The Leprechauns...

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher

A/N: Ok, so I had a bit of fun with this one. Very Frank heavy but…yeah, who cares, he’s my weakness!! Also this song happens to be one of my favourites by one of my favourite Brit Pop era bands- always used to bounce about to this in the Indie Clubs in my city so give it a listen! Chapter Song: Disco Down by Shed 7

Series Masterlist // WIYPT Masterlist

And the plastic must keep spinning around forever, and the memories will flood and keep us together

As Frank slowed the truck to a stop Fliss smiled and looked out of the window. "Glad to be home?" Frank asked, turning to look at her and she reached through the gap in the front seats, gently placing her hand on Alex's tummy where he was fastened into the baby seat. "Yeah." She nodded, looking at Frank before giving him a soft kiss. "Yeah I am." Frank grinned again before he moved to get out of the car, opening the back door for Fliss, offering her his hand as she slowly slid out. He then made his way to the front passenger side and leaned in to unclip the car seat. As he did so his t-shirt rode up a little at the back and Fliss cocked her head to the side as the flash of his boxer shorts which were visible where his jeans had dropped slightly on his hips. "Are you wearing Spongebob underwear?" She asked and he gave a chuckle as he turned to look at her over his shoulder. "They're cool." He said, his eyebrow rising over the top of his aviators. "Whatever you say sailor."

"You bought em Cowgirl." he said, pulling back out of the car, the handle of the baby seat clutched safely in his hand. "Actually it was Mary." She smiled as he shut the car door. “They were her Father’s Day Specials if I recall correctly.” “Yeah they were.” He chuckled and at that moment the door to the house opened and the girl herself shot out, Thor running past her straight up to Fliss whereas Mary made her way to Frank, hugging him tightly. "Hey boy..." Fliss smiled, ruffling his head. Alex chose that moment to make a little simpering noise and Thor turned his head to look at him. Fliss closed her hand round his collar as Frank held the baby carrier still. The two of them watched as Thor gently pushed his nose into the car seat sniffing the curious new object and when Alex moved he jerked back, head cocking to one side before his tail began to wag furiously and he gave an excited little wine.

"He likes him!" Mary grinned.

"That right? He meet with your approval boy?" Frank asked and Thor pushed his nose back, this time concentrating on sniffing the baby.

"Ok, enough Thor, good boy." Fliss yanked him back, giving him another pat. "Let's get inside."

Frank took her hand in his and the two of them headed up the steps to the porch where Evelyn was waiting. Frank looked at her and stopped, pushing his aviators up.

“You look like shit.” He smirked. “She’s hungover.” Mary grinned.

“It was a heavy night.” Evelyn said in justification as Frank grinned at Fliss.

“Party went well then?” Fliss smiled and Evelyn groaned.

“Your dad brought out his home made coconut rum.” She said, following them into the cool house.

Fliss grimaced “Yeah, that’s deadly stuff. Me and Steve got wasted on that once, I was hungover for days.” “It tasted quite nice.” Evelyn said, “But it doesn’t feel very nice today.” Frank gently placed the car seat on the coffee table and turned to look at his mother “I’m not sure whether I should be embarrassed or proud. Maybe both.”

“Piss off Frank.” She shot back and he let out a bark of a laugh. “I’m going to make a cup of tea, does anyone want one?”

Fliss eagerly accepted as she sat down on the sofa, her hand reaching out to undo the fastenings on the car seat. She couldn’t wait to get Alex in her arms again. Frank perched on the arm of the sofa, his hand gently rubbing between Fliss’ shoulder blades as she cradled their gently, his head resting against her shoulder as he peeked around the room with his baby blues.

“How is he?” Mary asked as she approached, dropping onto the seat at the other side of Fliss.

“He’s good.” Fliss said, before she looked at Mary “Do you want to hold him again?”

Evelyn had a hold next once she had finished her tea and then headed off to the annex for a lay down and to give them a bit of time alone, not wanting to overstep. Mary asked if she could head to the yard so Frank wandered out to watch her climb over the fence and head over to Joanne. The girl gave a wave which he acknowledged and then she shouted over to him.

“Hey daddy! How’s mommy?”

“She’s great!” Frank yelled back, beaming as he nodded to Mary “She gives you any trouble, send her straight home!”

Joanne waved him away and he turned and walked back inside, closing the door behind him.

Fliss was feeding Alex again when he walked back in and once he was done he went down for a nap which the new parents took full advantage of, grabbing some sleep themselves. They’d been up 3 times in the night with him, and sleeping whilst he slept seemed like a damned fine idea, even if it was only for 40 minutes or so until Frank woke up, his neck cricked from where he’d had it lay against the arm of the sofa, Fliss was snuggled up with her head on his chest, lay secure between him and the back cushions. He stayed as still as he could so as not to wake her, giving a soft huff of laughter at Thor who was led by the basinet, curled up, eyes on Alex. Frank found himself pondering if the dog could possibly know that their baby was what had been in Fliss’ belly and whether he could smell something or not to that effect because he was being extremely protective, the same way he had been over Fliss at the start of her pregnancy. As he watched the dog curiously, Fliss stirred a little and he gave her head a soft kiss, but she didn’t wake.

“You ok baby?” he asked.

“Yeah, I just wondered where you were.”

“Been showing him round.” Frank smiled and glanced at Alex whose mouth was resting against his collar bone. “He’s been changed. Hasn’t made a noise since.” He watched as Fliss’ eyes fell on her son and he gently sat down next to her. “Do you want him?” She hesitated before she gave a little smile. “Of course I do but he’s your son too Frank.” “Maybe we need a snuggle rota.” He smiled.

Fliss laughed “I get enough momma bear time when he’s feeding, I can’t be too selfish about it. If he’s happy with you then I might grab a shower.”

“Have a bath and then take another nap if you need one.” Frank looked at her. “You had a busy day yesterday.”

“One way of putting it.” She smiled. “Erm, I was actually thinking that maybe before he wants feeding again I could take him to the Yard to meet Joanne and the guys?” "I forgot to say she asked after you before." Frank smiled, as he gently readjusted Alex slightly “Bet she’d love to see him, and it’ll give you chance to check everything is running smoothly." "Yeah.” Fliss smiled before she bit her lip and then looked at Frank. “Should I take him in the stroller or the baby sling?" "What do you wanna take him in?" Frank asked. "Well, the sling would be nice but it’s whatever is best for him, I mean it is warm and the sun-" "Liss, it’s almost 4 pm." Frank cut her off "The sun will be cooling off shortly and besides, we got him plenty of sun hats. Pop one on and just keep in the shade as much as you can, he’ll be fine I promise you." "Ok." She nodded, looking at Alex, still biting her lip. She was nervous, Frank could tell. And he knew that rather than letting herself get worried and tense about it, it was better to offer her his hand so to speak. She would soon come round once she realised that she could cope perfectly fine. "Do you want me to come with you?" He asked gently. "Please." She looked at him before she glanced at her hands. "I know it's stupid, Frank, but..." "Hey, no, it’s not honey." He assured her and waited for her to look at him and he smiled "Look, I’m nervous about stuff too." "You've done this before" "Only from 6 months." He said gently "But you helped Diane..." "You telling me you never helped out with Charlie and Joel when they were born?" he said calmly. She fell silent and he continued. "It's not a science, no matter what all those so called expert books and manuals say." He smiled gently "it's just a lot of instinct and love. And common sense." He added.

“That’s us fucked then” she quipped and he gave a soft chuckle as she shook her head, her hand smoothing over the back of her son’s head. "I know. You're right. I’m sorry." "Nothing to be sorry for." He assured her "I like that you’re telling me how you feel and that’s what we gotta do ok? Be honest with each other and do this together yeah?" She looked up at him and smiled "Yeah." He gave her a gentle kiss "I love you.” “You too.” She smiled, laying her head against his.

“Now, go on, get showered and then let’s go show our boy off."

***** The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of sleepless nights, feedings, changing nappies and outfits (both Alex’s and theirs following the amount of times he spit up on them) plenty of visitors and juggling a new baby with Mary's return to school. Frank grumbled one night to Fliss that with the amount of visitors they had, their front door should have been a revolving one but she knew that despite his gripes he was secretly low key pleased that his friends couldn't wait to meet Bean. It was tiring but thanks to some help and Advice from the health visitors and Fliss' mom they worked out a pretty good routine between the pair of them for night feeds, introducing Alex to formula was the best thing they did in Fliss' opinion because their baby fed an incredible amount. Which, apparently was another thing he got from his father according to Evelyn. A fortnight after Alex's birth, Frank returned back to work. Fliss had been reluctant to let him go, begging him to take an extra week but as he pointed out if he did that he would be stuck for the week before Christmas. In the end, because Fliss was flapping about being on her own with him for so long, Verity had come round for the first day to keep her company and be on hand. Frank knew that Fliss would get better as time went by and whilst she was still a little nervous- constantly worrying about the little noises or crying he did when she couldn't immediately figure out what it was he wanted- it was best she had someone there.

On the Thursday, almost 3 weeks to the date she had gone into labour, Fliss was sat in the Garden with a drink and a book. Alex was sleeping in the cool of the kitchen, not far from the door so he was in eyesight at all times. Not that any harm would come to him with Thor on sentry duty, mind. The German shepherd had taken it upon himself to be the little boy's personal guard and was never far away. He lay by the bassinet when Alex slept there, curled down the side of their bed at night as Alex lay in the bedside sleeper and when the infant was being fed or cuddled he would jump up onto the couch if possible to watch or simply sit by the feet of whoever had him, eyes trained on them the whole time. Fliss was convinced Thor thought Alex was some kind of hairless puppy. She reached the end of her chapter and was just heading inside for a refill of iced tea (her craving for apple juice completely gone and she was back to hating the stuff) when her phone went.

“Yo, Titch…” Her brother spoke and she smiled “How’s that beautiful little Nephew of mine?” “He’s fine…and so am I thanks for asking.” “Yeah, well it ain’t all about you.” Steve said and Fliss rolled her eyes “Listen, me and dad are trying to get Frank to come out for a few beers tomorrow wetting the baby’s head to so to speak but he is refusing.” “He’s tired.” Fliss said, “Alex woke at 3 and didn’t settle till 5. Frank was up at 7 for work so he probably just wants to catch up on his sleep.” “Yeah, well he can sleep on Saturday.” Steve said “He’s been fobbing us now ever since we first asked 2 weeks ago.” At that Fliss frowned. “He didn’t mention you’d asked.” “He didn’t?” “No.” she said pausing. Whilst Frank had certainly calmed down on that respect since they had first gotten together, it wasn’t like him to turn down the offer of a night out with the boys, and she could only assume it was down to Alex.

“Well we have and Dad’s desperate to take him out for a few beers. Can you see if you can work your magic?” “You want me to beg my fiancée to go out drinking, whilst I stay at home with our 3 week old baby?” Fliss asked.

“Yes.” Steve replied simply “You’re a dick.” She shook her head, “I’ll mention it to him when he gets back but I’m not promising anything.”

Frank arrived home a little over an hour later, to find Fliss led on one of the sun-loungers in the shade, Alex resting on her chest, her bare legs stretched out in front of her.

“Busy afternoon?” he quipped and she pulled her shades down to glare at him. “That was a joke.” “We had a very busy day actually.” She looked up at him. “We went to the store this morning, then to see Roberta this afternoon, and then came home, I made meatloaf for dinner and then I had a few hours out here whilst he slept. Then he barfed up all over me and now I have sick in my hair.”

Frank let out a laugh and shook his head as she bent her legs so he could perch on the end of the lounger. She shifted a little and cocked her head.

“Where’s Mary, and why are you so clean?” “Mary has gone up to see Monty and I’m clean because I’ve been in the office and shop all day working on the rotas and a few other pieces of administration for when Alan leaves.” He shrugged “I apologise sincerely for the lack of grease and dirt.” “So you should.” She grinned “But, seeing as you’re so clean…” she moved and sat up slightly so she could hand Alex over to his daddy who took him tenderly, pressing a kiss to his head.

“Why don’t you grab a shower if you’re bothered about your hair?” he offered and she nodded, standing up.

“Hey, I was thinking this weekend you could try him in the pool” she shrugged “I can’t go in for another couple of weeks yet, according to google but you could.”

Frank hesitated “How about we wait, then we can do it together huh?”

“Ok.” She smiled “I won’t be long.”

He shook his head “Take as much time as you need. Not going anywhere.”

“Hmm, yeah, I heard.” Frank looked at her “What?”

“Steve called before. Said that Dad’s been trying to get you to go out for a drink but you’re refusing.” Frank let out a groan. “They've been on at me for the last week or so, as have the Circle Of Truth boys. Say I need to go wet the baby’s head so to speak.” “You should” she looked at him. “It’s tradition.” Frank pulled a face.

“Are you seriously turning down a night out?” Fliss looked at him.

“No, just temporarily putting it on hiatus”

Fliss snorted “Loser.” “I don’t see you clamouring to go out.” He looked at her.

“Well, actually, I was thinking of going to Lunch with Bonnie on Sunday.” Fliss shrugged “She said Rio’s are launching a new menu so…” “You should go.” Frank encouraged her, smiling softly.

“I will if you go out on Friday.” She shot back. Frank rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Why are you so keen to get rid of me for a night?” “I’m not.” Fliss shrugged “Just think it’s nice that they all want to celebrate with you.” She paused and looked down at her hands before she took a breath and looked back up a Frank. “You’re not refusing to go because you don’t think I can cope are you? Because-“ “No, no baby of course not.” He shook his head sincerely “That’s not it at all, I just, well I wasn’t that bothered.”

“Ok.” She nodded, accepting his answer.

Frank watched her for a second, mulling things over. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go and see everyone, but he just enjoyed being at home. It was strange in a way. When he had moved down here with Mary, pretty much right from the off when he met Roberta he’d taken his Friday nights and Saturday mornings as his own, and he’d needed them or he would have probably gone insane. But now, it was different. And he knew it was because Fliss was here too. Someone to spend the evenings with when Mary was in bed. That said, he also knew it was important for them to have their own time as well, and if he was honest, the idea of wetting his own baby’s head was kind of appealing. “Actually…” he said, looking down at Alex. “I think I will go. The more I think about it, the more fun it sounds. And we did it for both of Jake’s so..” She smiled and stood up, giving him a soft kiss. “Good, you can call Steve and give him the good news.” Frank watched her head inside before he looked down at Alex who was fisting his tiny hands around his open button down. Smiling, he shifted slightly, holding him up with one strong arm as he grabbed his phone in the other. First he sent Steve a quick message calling him a sly bastard and then fired one off to the Circle Of Truth chat saying they were on for drinks. Steve replied first with a simply middle finger emoji along with the words “see you tomorrow.”

“Your Uncle is a pain in the ass.” He grumbled to Alex before he smiled, stood up and headed inside to grab a Bud.

******

“Right does everyone have a beer?” Bill looked around the group. Steve, Frank, Simon, Greg and Jake all raised their bottles. “Ok then, in honour of my beautiful daughter giving birth to my third amazing grandson, Alexander Francis William. Cheers lads!”

Frank smiled and raised his beer as the group all let out various cheers and calls, before taking a large drink from his bottle.

“Still can’t believe you stuck the name Francis in there.” Jake looked at Frank who raised his middle finger in response.

“Get fucked, and I didn’t. Fliss did.” “Clearly delirious with the pain.” Simon nodded and Frank rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up…” he took a drink from his bottle.

“Greg, the last Baby’s Head wetting we went to for Jake’s Annie, you were kicked out of the burrito place for spilling drinks all over the table and trying to wipe up the mess with other people’s tortillas.”

The group laughed and Greg shrugged. “Well at last I’ve never hid in the bushes and called four Ubers to play hide and seek.” He pointed at Frank who snorted.

“That was…yeah…it was a very heavy night.” “No shit.” Jake mumbled “I woke up in the morning looking for my phone. Couldn’t find it anywhere but there was like a random piece of toast on the nightstand. Then I heard Lisa shouting. My phone was in the microwave covered with melted cheese.”

Steve snorted at that and hastily turned away as his beer came out of his nose, causing Frank to laugh even harder as Bill chuckled and shook his head.

“You lot are worse than my gang, and that’s saying something.” Steve grinned.

“Bull shit.” Frank pointed at him. “Fliss told me loads of stuff you used to get up to.”

“Yeah, come on Ringo, you must have some stupid drunk tales.” Jake turned to Steve who grinned.

“Oh I got plenty as Frankie boy said, thing is a hell of a lot of them involve Fliss.” He shrugged and the boys laughed, Frank snorting.

“I think my personal favourite was the time you set fire to the kitchen curtains.” Bill said, and Steve grinned.

“Yeah we were high then though Dad, not drunk.”

“High?” Simon looked at Steve before he glanced at Frank who shrugged “Damned Frank, your girl’s a little bit of a rebel on the sly ain’t she?” “You have no idea.” Frank smirked, raising his eyebrow.

“Dude that’s my sister.” Steve nudged him and Frank shrugged, taking another swig of his beer.

“She was though.” Bill smiled fondly “You and her were always up to mischief. As soon as she was old enough to go drinking she was hanging around with your lot.”

“That was because she fancied Lee.” Steve snorted.

The group all sniggered and Frank laughed “Is that the guy she dated for a year or so?” “Yes, much to my disgust.” Steve narrowed his eyes.

“Was his disgust too when you punched him.” Bill said and Steve sighed.

“He was shagging my little sister.” He shook his head. “Just…no.”

The group all snorted and Frank groaned “Ok, I don’t want to know anymore…” “You have no room to be all coy about it!” Simon looked at him “Your antics in here before you got with Fliss…”

“Yeah, yeah…” Frank sighed “Can we change the subject?”

“Really, really sorry…” A dark haired man with a strong Irish accent was apologising to the group “I tripped and…” “Fine, just watch where you’re going yeah?” Steve looked at him as Frank brushed his shirt down.

“He just said he was sorry.” The man to his left, a smaller red head shot back “It was an accident.” “Yeah and I was just telling him to be more careful.” Steve frowned.

“Or what?”

Bill sighed and turned round “Look, we don’t want any trouble. Apology accepted so…”

The two men eyed up the group before they turned away and headed for the bar.

“Right…” Simon said, breaking the tension slightly “Shots and then who’s up for a game of pool?”

“Do we have to? I’m crap.” Steve shook his head and Frank looked at him.

“Yeah, I heard that before from a Gallagher.” He snorted. Steve and Bill frowned and he explained to them both “On our first date Fliss hustled me big time, right at that table actually...” Steve snorted “She used to do that to all of my mates. 9 times outta 10 we’d come home with more money than we started with.” He paused and looked down at his feet, before watched Bill as he turned to Simon who was heading to the bar, following him over, making insistences that he was paying again as it was his Grandson’s party so to speak. He looked back at Frank and smiled. “Dad’s right, she was fun. We had some good times, thick as thieves before she met that cunt and left for Boston.”

“Yeah she told me a bit about how close you were.” Frank smiled “But you still are now. It’s nice.” “Got you to thank for that.” Steve looked at him “She’s back to her old self, better dare I say it.”

Frank smiled shyly, the way he always did when he was accredited with Fliss’ ‘turn-around’. “I don’t know if I can take full credit for it, I mean…” “You gave her another chance.” Steve cut him off “A chance of happiness with a guy that’s decent and treats her right.” He shrugged “Just the way we all see it anyway.” Frank’s mind flickered back to the moments after Alex had been born when Fliss had rather tearily declared pretty much the same to his face. He shrugged and smiled softly “Yeah, well, I was a mess until I met her to so…I guess you could say we helped each other out.” At that point a shot of tequila was shoved into his hand along with a wedge of lime and Simon held up the salt shaker.

“Drink, bitches!” he grinned, and Frank let out a soft groan. This was going to get messy.

******

A couple of shots later and several more rounds of beer, the group were all starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, so when Bill ordered them all a bourbon, none of them really raised much of a protest. They stood by the pool table, the game of killer taking a lot longer than it would have had they were sober and Simon slung his arm over Frank’s shoulder.

“Can you keep a secret?” he asked and Frank looked at him, squinting a little.

“Well it depends.” Frank replied “On what it is. Like if you killed someone I might be obliged to tell the police…” “What about if he was an ass hole and deserved to die?”

Frank paused, before he took a mouthful of his bourbon “OK, well maybe not in that instance.” Simon nodded “Good to know, but no..it’s…” he looked around and then grinned “Imma ask Bonnie to marry me.” “No way man!” Frank beamed, “That’s awesome. Congratulations.” “She aint said yes yet.”

“Well why wouldn’t she?”

Simon shrugged “I know, I’m a catch.” Frank laughed. “No, I’m pleased for you pal.” “Thanks.” Simon smiled “You know, I still don’t think it’s fair you’ve seen her naked and I aint seen Fliss…” Before Frank could reply and call him an asshole Steve jumped in “I’m sorry what?” Frank groaned. “Nothing, Simon was…” “Frank slept with my girl.” Simon said bluntly, “Before Fliss…” he added hastily as Steve’s frown deepened. Steve looked at Frank. “You were with Bonnie?” “Not really, it…” Frank groaned “It was one night, we were drunk…can we not do this?”

“Does Fliss know?” Steve looked at Frank, a smirk on his face.

“Yes she does, she saw us. It nearly ended up in us not getting together in the first place so I really don’t wanna think about it.” “Apparently in the middle of giving Bonnie one he said Fliss’ name.” Simon grinned and Frank let out a loud groan as Steve choked on his drink.

“I fahkin’ hate you.” Frank glared at Simon who was now laughing into his glass.

“Oh my God, Frank…” Steve smacked him on the back “The more time I spend with you the more I love you pal.” “Thanks…I think…” “Hey, you guys ever gonna finish this game or what?”

They all turned to look at the Irish guys who had bumped into them before.

“I dunno, maybe.” Jake stood up, leaning on his cue, “Why?”

“Coz we’ve been waiting for hours.”

“Well then you can just wait longer.” Steve shot back, and the group sniggered.

“Fucking Yanks…” The guy mumbled as he turned around and Steve narrowed his eyes.

“Who you calling a Yank you stupid Irish prick, I’m from Liverpool.” “Ok, ok…let’s…” Bill spoke loudly, hiccupping a little as he put his arm out to stop Steve who had been walking towards the man that had spoken “Just calm down alright. Soon as we’re done you can have the pool table.”

“Yeah so hot foot back to the other Leprechauns over there…” Steve waved him away.

“Steven.” Bill warned him, shaking his head. Steve looked at his dad before he shrugged and turned back to Frank who was stood there, grinning.

“You know what Steeby?” Frank drained his glass “The more I hang with you, the more I love you too…”

“What are you doing?” Frank swayed a little, before he turned to Steve “What is he doing?”

Steve stumbled a little and shrugged “Dad…what…are you letting the air out of the tyre?” “Yup” Bill said, standing up, wiping his hands on his jeans before he pushed one through his short, grey hair. “It belongs to those little Irish wankers in the bar, saw one of them get out of it before.” Frank looked at his future father in law, before he looked at Steve who was smirking ear to ear.

“I told you when you were a kid.” Bill pointed at Steve as the three of them staggered to the waiting car. “Easy, easy catchy monkey.”

*****

"Heyyy." Frank beamed as he stood in the doorway. Fliss looked up and smiled as he walked a little unsteadily towards her. "Hi beautiful". "Hi handsome." She smiled back as he leaned down over her. He smelt of beer and bourbon as he placed a soft kiss to her lips and she grinned "good time?" "Well..." he perched on the arm next to her and glanced down at Alex, his finger smoothing his hungrily working cheek "we certainly wet his head so to speak." He hiccupped slightly and Fliss looked up at him, smiling "yeah, it appears that way" "Your dad's fault." He said, sliding off the arm of the sofa onto the seat next to her, sprawling out slightly, his long legs stretching out in front of him "He kept buying it. I mean one minute my glass was empty and the next it was full again." "Sure he twisted your arm..." "He did, honest Lissy..." Frank nodded "I kept saying no more...I need to get home to my girls and my boy but Bill...he is BAD" Fliss looked at Frank who was watching Alex feed before his eyes flickered up to hers and he grinned. "Your boobs look great." She snorted "Sorry but for the time being they belong to your son." "Lucky bastard" "Well I hate to point it out to you but that's actually what they're designed for." "Hmmm" Frank closed his eyes. "Go to bed." Fliss nudged him gently "In a minute..." he said before his eyes flicked open "Ah fahk." "What?" Fliss asked as Alex pulled away having had his fill. She adjusted herself then him so he was over her shoulder as Frank stood up. "My jacket." "Baby you didn't take one." "Yes I did." He insisted. "Frankie I promise you, you didn't." He looked at her, before be clicked his fingers and pointed "it was the leprechauns."

“The leprechauns?”

Frank nodded “Yes, the Irish guys…they must have taken my jacket.”

Fliss looked at him, before she shook her head “Ok, course he did. You should speak to him tomorrow and get it back.” “I intend to.”

“You do that.”

“I will.” He nodded firmly before he turned and headed out of the room, banging onto the frame as he went.

Fliss laughed quietly at him, before she reached for her phone and text her mum asking her if she was awake.

“I wasn’t until your dad and brother turned up 20 minutes ago. They're in a right state.”

“So is Frank, keeps talking about a leprechaun stealing his jacket...but he didn’t even take one with him.” “Your Dad was grumbling about Irish Tourists and then started laughing about a flat tyre or something. Maybe that has something to do with it.”

“God knows, they’re going to be so hungover tomorrow.” “I’ve left your dad asleep on the kitchen floor after he lay down there hugging a plate of left-overs from dinner. Steve at least managed to make it to his room.” Fliss exchanged a few more amusing messages with her mother before she gave a yawn and glanced down at Alex. He was nodding off again so she stood up, turned off the lights and headed upstairs.

Frank was face down on the bed in his shirt and boxers. Fliss shook her head, smiling as she placed Alex down in the bedside sleeper, tucking him in before she moved round the bed towards Frank.

“Frankie…” she gently nudged him. “Sailor…” He mumbled into his pillow.

“Ok, come on…” she nudged him again. “Take your shirt off and get in bed.” Frank let out a dirty chuckle as he pushed himself up, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Then he reached up, grabbed Fliss and pulled her down onto the bed, laughing as she let out a little squeak of surprise. He leaned over her, smiling down before he gave her a soft kiss.

“I love you. And I can’t wait to marry you.” He said, “In fact...I think we should set a date. Properly and book it. We did say this time next year.”

Fliss smiled and ran her hand through his hair, her hand making its way down to his neck where she gently scratched his skin with her nails. He closed his eyes, making a soft noise of satisfaction in his throat.

“Sounds good to me.” She smiled. He opened one eye and grinned.

“Yeah?” “Yeah.” She nodded. “But we can talk about it in the morning? Bean’s gonna be up again in a few hours and I need some beauty sleep.” “Nah you don’t” he shook his head “You’re gorgeous.” Fliss chuckled “Smooth.” “I try.” He said, giving her another kiss before he pulled away “But before we go to sleep, can you do me a favour?” “What?” “Can I see your boobs? Just see em, I promise, no touchy…” he held his hand up, giving her his best puppy dog eyes, even if they were slightly glazed from the alcohol.

“You’re killing me sweetheart.” He mumbled, pushing his face into the crook of her neck. He placed a soft kiss just under her ear, trailing his lips down her neck to her jaw line.

“Frank…” Fliss sighed, her eyes closing as his lips met hers, his kiss strong and passionate. She let herself go with it for a moment, enjoying the feeling. She loved kissing him, it was pretty much her favourite thing to do, and it helped he was so damned good at it. Eventually she pulled away and pressed her forehead to his. “Baby I can’t not yet…” “I know, I know.” He sighed, “Sorry. I just…” She smiled, reaching up and cupping his face “It’s ok.” “Just so you know, as soon as you can, I’m gonna fuck you senseless.” He mumbled, giving her another soft kiss.

“Wow, romantic. The first time we can do it after I give birth to your kid you’re gonna fuck me senseless.” “Yeah but, I’ll make you feel gooood.” He drew out the word and she grinned.

“You always do Sailor.” He smiled, his lips once more pecking hers before he pushed himself up and started pulling the bed covers down. He settled sideways on the bed, leaning over her slightly to glance at Alex who was sleeping before Fliss turned off the light and settled next to him as his arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her close.

#riding on #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #gifted #gifted fan fic

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olivia200312 · 3 years

Text

Stressed Out~ RID2015! Optimus x Human! Reader (2/2) (Christmas Special)

Plot: Everyone in the base celebrates Christmas.

This continues after part 1 of Stressed Out. This takes 3 years later and Optimus and his wife have a Techno-Organic child together that is 3 years old. Feel free to choose the gender and the name.

Thank you to @DenizArt20 for the idea!

Note: the art goes to the owner!

Head area:

Brain: Processor / Brain Module

Head: Helm

Face: Faceplate

Ears: Audio receptors / Receptor Orifice / Audials

Nose: Enstril / Olfactory Sensor

Eyebrow: Optical Ridge

Eyes: Optics

Mouth: Intake

Lips: Dermas

Teeth: Denta/Dentas

Tongue: Glossa

Chest area:

Chest: Chassis / Thoraxal Cavity

Back: Hexa-Lateral Scapula

Spine: Bipedalism cord / Back Strut

Chest and back armour:

Chest plate

Backplate

Mid-section plating

Neck guard

Side plating

Arm area:

Arms: Arms / Restarlueus

Forearms: Bitarlueus

Hands: Servos

Fingers: Digits

Arm armour:

Gantlets

Shoulder pads

Arm guard

Lower area:

Pelvis: Pelvis

Butt: Aft / Skid-Plate

Thighs: Tibulen

Calves: Cadulen

Feet: Pedes - the high heel bits are called Struts or Heel Struts.

Lower armour:

Skirt plates

Aft plate / Skid plate

Thigh guard

Ankle guard

General/Internal components:

Muscles: Cables / Pistons - It depends on the area in question.

Veins: Fual lines

Stomach: Tanks

Lungs: Vents - used to stop the con/bot from overheating.

Heart: Spark

Tattoos: D-con/A-bot Insignias and the lark

T-Cog: The thing that allows all Cybertronians to transform, be that their arms or their whole body.

Bonus:

Penis: Spike

Vagina: Valve

Body: Frame

-------------------------------------

Today was December 25th and you know what day is? It's fragging Christmas! The day that the kids would wake up early in the morning and jump on their parents' bed. That in fact happened to Optimus and Y/N. They both were sleeping peacefully together with Y/N in Optimus' arms. Oh yeah, and let's just say that Optimus' servo was under Y/N's pajama pants to touch her ass *wink*

They were peacefully sleeping until a cute small voice was heard and jumped on his/her parent's bed. "Sire! Carrier! Wake up, it's Christmas!"

Optimus and Y/N both groaned as they woke up. Optimus took his servo away from his wife's ass, causing Y/N to glare playfully at him and he smirked as a response. They looked at their Techno-Organic child named C/N (Child's name). C/N was Techno-Organic since he's/she's half human and half Cybertronain.

"We're up, sweetie," Y/N said with a tired smile.

Optimus chuckled and while his sparkling was jumping with excitement.

"Come on!" Then C/N jumped off the bed and ran fast like Sonic the Hedgehog would do if he saw a chili dog.

Y/N stretched her arms above her head, her shirt lifting up a bit that showed her stomach. Optimus then placed his servo on her bare stomach, rubbing it. No, Y/N was not pregnant. Her husband teased her sometimes.

She looked at him playfully. "What are you doing?"

Optimus smirked, causing Y/N to blush. He was just so freaking handsome!

"I want to take you again, my dear. When everyone will be sleeping on Christmas night.~"

Y/N giggled while straddling on his lap, her both hands pressing against his chassis. "I'll make sure that you'll enjoy it with every second.~"

Optimus purred while his servos were on her hips. Then they both leaned and were about to kiss, but then a familiar grumpy voiced yelled.

"Bulkhead, I needed that!"

It was Ratchet, obviously. Bulkhead accidentally broke something, causing the grumpy doctor to go mad.

"Oh, come on, Ratch! Lighten up! It's Christmas!" Bulkhead said, trying to light Ratchet up.

Ratchet only grumbled in response. Y/N and Optimus looked at each other and couldn't help but chuckle. They pecked each other's lips and they left the bedroom. Who cares if humans were in their pajamas? Let them be!

In the base was a large Christmas tree. A very large one. Some of the Autobots had to help since humans couldn't do it. The base was even beautiful decorated!

"Hey! Merry Christmas!" Bulkhead said with happiness.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Bulk," Y/N said with a smile.

C/N and Russel ran to the Christmas tree together that was full of presents! There were not only for the kids but for others as well! Y/N went to the table and there was an empty plate. Same to the glass of milk. Looks like Santa was there.~

"Oh, Russel, C/N! Santa Claus was here!"Y/N called out to the kids.

Russel and C/N ran to her and saw the empty plate and glass. They jumped with excitement and ran back to the tree. Y/N laughed at that. The kids looked at the presents since each had a nametag on it. The kids set the presents aside that belonged to the grown-ups while they opened theirs.

"We're done!" C/N called out.

"Why are there a few presents left? Shouldn't the kids open them?" Bulkhead asked.

"Because there are not only for the kids but also for us," Bumblebee answered with a smile. He remembered Raf telling him that stuff.

"Oh my... I wonder if we were good this year to have gifts," Y/N said while pretending like she was in a movie.

Optimus looked amused while he wrapped his arm around her waist. C/N and Russel looked through those gifts and gave the presents to the rightful owners. Each of them had one. The look on Ratchet's faceplate was priceless! He never excepted to have a present since he's old...

Once everyone opened their presents, they had (Choice). Ratchet laughed once he saw that he had new wrenches. "My new babies!"

Everyone looked at him since they found it hilarious. Ratchet just realized what he said and he said: "Hphm."

Later that night~

Once the party was over, they all cleaned up and helped each other. The kids went to sleep since they were very tired. Y/N told that she'll go to sleep early, but she was lying... She decided to give Optimus another 'present'. Remember this morning?

She got dressed in sexy red lingerie that had Christmas decorations on it. She didn't have panties on so her womanhood was exposed... just for her husband. She heard then the door open of their bedroom.

"Sweetspark? Where are you?" It was Optimus obviously.

She then opened the door quietly and saw that Optimus' hexa-lateral scapula was turned to her so he didn't see her. She tiptoed to him and covered his optics with her eyes."Guess who.~"

Optimus purred lowly and chuckled. He placed his servos over her hands. "Is it you, Y/N?"

Y/N giggled. "Yes.~"

Once Optimus could see again, he turned around and his faceplate got dark blue. In front of him stood his wife that wore sexy lingerie without lace panties. He felt himself getting hard like immediately.

"Merry Christmas, my love.~"

Optimus then had lust in his optics again, his spike eager to ram into her tight and wet pussy. He then picked her up, his servos on her ass while her legs were wrapped around his waist. Y/N yelped when her back made contact with the wall and...

"Ahhhh!~"

Optimus slammed into her. Y/N felt like she was on cloud 9 already. "I'm gonna fill you up so good, my dear.~"

Oh boy... Long night ahead.

Part 3 will not happen. Merry Christmas! I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday!

#christmas #transformers #robots in disguise 2015 #tf rid2015 #optimus prime x reader #optimus prime #human reader #x reader

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kaiparker-avengerssmut · 4 years

Text

PART FIVE

LOVE OR HATE?

WARNINGS: smut, swearing

WORD COUNT: 1782

When Katie's younger sister comes on the field trip with her, they meet Officer Jake Riley. Instantly there's some kind of hatred forming between her and Jake, but, when both of their worlds go spiralling, they both have to question if it was really hate or a disguised love?

(First person - y/n)

The warm water ran over my skin, my hands running through my hair as my thoughts ran wild. I'll see you later, he'd said. It had been 3 hours. 3 hours, and I haven't seen him. I just wanted to feel his lips on mine again, his arm round my waist. I heard the curtain rip back, turning my head slightly to the side. Jake walked up behind me, brushing some hair from My neck and placing a soft kiss to it. "Did you miss me?" He breathed. I shivered, his closeness was intoxicating. He pressed him self into my back, kissing my neck up and down, trailing his hands up and down my bare body. I tilted my head back in pleasure, resting it on his shoulder and giving him better access to my neck. He kissed up and down my jugular, grabbing my boob in one hand and flicking my nipple with his thumb, his other hand tracing shapes on my inner thighs. I sighed, Jake smirking into my skin. He brought his thumb up to my clit, rubbing slow circles. I moaned, the feeling euphoric after so long without human contact. Jake moves his hand to my other boob, starting to suck and nibble my neck, leaving red marks in his wake. Without warming he slipped a finger into me, his thumb continuing to rub my clit. "Fuck." I moaned, biting my lip and closing my eyes. Jake brought his lips to my ear. "So wet and tight baby, all for me." He whispered. I moaned again, Jake adding another finger, pushing them in to the knuckle and slowly pulling out again. He sped up his pace, making me moan loudly. "You like that trouble? Just wait till you feel my cock, thrusting in and out of you." Your eyes rolled into the back of your head, you were left a whimpering and moaning mess. "Fuck Jake I'm gonna come soon." He smirked into my neck, his pace increasing any more. "Fuck! Jake, oh my god, fuCK!" I screamed as I came, shaking as he help me up. "Turn around." His breath tickled my ear, shaking, I spun around.

He smiled and kissed me, backing me up into the wall. His hands moved down to cup my ass. "Jump." He mumbled against my lips. He wrapped my legs around his waist, using his hips to hold be into the wall. He grabbed his dick and gave it a few strokes before rubbing his tip up and down my slit. I shivered and moaned. He pushed the tip in and pulled back out, repeating the action over and over. "Fuck Jake, just fuck me already." I breathed. He bent his head and started kissing my shoulder, rubbing his tip over my clit. I leant my head back against the wall. "Please." I whispered. He smirked, "as you wish." And pushed the whole thing in at once. "Fuck." We both moaned. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, my hands tugging on his hair and drawing a groan from him. He pulled out slowly to the tip, slamming back in roughly - making me feel every inch of him. His dick was bigger than I imagined, stretching me out and filling me up to the brim. He continued thrusting into me, switch between going slow and deep and fast and rough. I was a moaning mess, loosing all self control. He leant down and took my right nipple into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth and biting lightly. "Oh fuck Jake, you feel so good." I clawed his broad shoulders, drawing blood. He brought his moth back to my ear, "you like that? My dick pounding into you slick, tight cunt?" I nodded and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. "Jake!" I screamed he smirked and leaned in again, "fuck your so tight around me trouble. Are you close?" I moaned in response. He connected our lips in a lustful kiss, reaching down and rubbing my clit to push me closer to the edge. I started to shake. "FUck Jake!" I screamed, my orgasm ripping through me. He kept thrusting, not slowing down and letting me ride out my high. He cursed as he reached his orgasm, shooting his cum into me in hot spurts. "Oh fuck y/n.. that was amazing." He breathed. He pulled back and looked at me. We shared a smile. "Yes, yes it was." I reached down and pecked him on the lips. He pulled out and set me down, keeping hold of me realising I'd struggle to stand. "We don't have to go far to clean up." He said, looking up at the shower head and back down to me. We smiled at each other and kissed again.

————————————————————————

I sat in bed, in mine and Jake's room. I flipped through the drawings I'd done of Jake over time, picking up a pencil and starting to sketch. I let the pencil glue over the page, smooth lines appearing in-front of me. Half an hour later, Jake walked in, leaning against the door frame and smirking. I looked up at him, he winked. I giggled and he dived into his bed next to mine. He laid on his side, propping himself up on his elbow and leaning over to see what i was drawing. "I see you were very observant." He said with a grin as I looked back up at him and then back to the drawing. Only then had I noticed that it was a drawing of Jake, dripping with water and completely nude. It was very detailed. I blushed. "That's amazing- and accurate." He smirked. I rolled my eyes. "I love you." He took my hand. "I love you too, trouble."

————————————————————————

A few months later.

"Y/N! Y/N!" Jake screamed, running down the corridor towards my isolation cell. I was sick. I had been here for a few hours and the symptoms were rapidly increasing. He pressed his hands against the glass, staring at me, eyes full of concern. I was on the bed, coughing up obscene amounts of blood.

30 hours. It had been 30 hours and Jake hasn't left once. He's sat with his back against the wall, me a mirror image on the other side. He hasn't stopped talking to me, trying to smooth me and telling me about everything we're gonna do when I recover. I knew it was more for him than me. So far he had been strong, not crying once. I knew he was only just holding back tears.

48 hours. It had been 48 hours and what happened kept playing on a loop in my mind. I kept changing the scenario, trying to change the outcome. I had been on patrol with Jake. I was helping an old man who had broken his leg. Someone sick grabbed my ankle and pulled me over, coughing all over me and ripping my mask off. Jake was distraught, hoping I wouldn't get sick and I'd be fine but I knew otherwise. I heard Jakes sobs and they triggered mine. We both new the inevitable would come soon. "I love you Jake." There was a pause. "I love you y/n" I smiled and kept coughing. "Jake?" Another pause. "Yeah trouble?" I smiled. "I need to tell you something." He gulped. "What is it." I took a deep breath, not sure how to say this. "Jake, I, Jake- I'm pregnant." I blurted out, my nerves overtaking me. "How long?" He asked. "Almost 2 months." He nodded and took a shaking breath. "You're going to be fine. The baby will be fine. I promise." Jake said, his overprotectiveness was showing. "I think it too late for that." You said, coughing up blood again.

59 hours. I was still alive. I was showing symptoms, but I was alive. No one new how. I sat on my hospital bed, Jake staring at me intently. I saw Doctor Cannarts approaching. I sat up straight, ready for an explanation. "Y/n. I still haven't got to the bottom of this. Nothing makes sense. I don't get how this is happening. I need to do some blood tests. I know they will weaken you but otherwise there'll never be an explanation." Jake stood up, standing protectively in front of my cell window. "No. No blood tests." Cannarts tried to reason with him, "Jake I need-" "NO! You don't! It will harm her, it will harm-" he stopped talking, tears welling in his eyes. "Jake, is there something you're not telling me?" Cannarts said urgently.

Jake took a breath. "Jake?" He pressed. Jake turned to face Cannarts. "She's pregnant! She's pregnant!" He shouted. Cannarts was shocked into silence. I coughed again.

"It's yours?" Cannarts asked. Jake nodded his head. "You're immune." He said to Jake. "What?" I asked. "Jake, you're immune. Think about it. You've been in constant contact with infected patients from the beginning and haven't shown a single system. I don't know how but I think you're entirely immune, not a carrier or anything." Jake pauses for a second, taking in this information. "H-how?" Cannarts shook his head. "I don't know, but your DNA is in the baby. While it's in y/n the baby is sharing DNA with her, meaning she will only get the symptoms but won't die." We both stood there, stunned into silence. Finally, Jake asked what we were both thinking.

"So does that mean when she gives birth the virus will continue or will her body fight it off by then?" Cannarts looked at Jake and then me, his expression unreadable. "If I'm being honest, I'm not sure. I'll have to run some tests and see how your body continues to react to the virus. This could be a complete breakthrough." He nodded to Jake and walked off, ready to prepare some stuff for his tests.

The next month went by slowly. Jake spent most of his time sat outside my room, which had been furnished more comfortably since we new I'd be there for a long time. He set up all kinds of dates, picnics, movies 'under the stars', board games, dinners etc. Jake was so sweet and loving and helped me get through the days.

#containment #jake riley smut #jake riley x reader #jake riley #chris wood #chris wood smut #katie frank #images #series

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rookie-ramsey · 4 years

Text

Baby Blues, Chapter 7 (Bryce X MC)

Description: Bryce and MC can handle just about anything. Hopefully, pregnancy and parenting fall into the “just about anything” category.

Preview: Bryce frowned and touched her arm. “Em? What is it?”

“I’m really dizzy…” Her knees went weak. Darkness started to fill the corners of her vision. Dropping their merchandise, Bryce caught her just as she stumbled forward.

Previous Chapter

Maybe Emily was mistaken, but the rest of her second trimester seemed to fly by.

“I’m gonna have to buy bigger socks and shoes. My ankles are starting to swell.” As they browsed Target for their weekly shopping adventure, she tossed a package of socks into their shopping cart. “And more maternity clothes. Nothing fits anymore.”

“If it’s any comfort, you look stunning in them.”

“Stunning, huh?” Emily grinned. “I feel reassured.”

“As you should.”

Laughing, she picked out some tops and pants, trying them on before they checked out of the store. In the next store, they perused the baby supplies.

“Check this out.” Bryce held up a box containing a baby carrier. “I can wear this on my chest and carry her around in it.”

Emily’s face softened as she imagined it. “That’s… so ridiculously cute that there should be a law against it. I’m serious. It’s illegally adorable.”

“Illegally adorable, huh? I never knew that was a thing.”

Emily shrugged. “You made it a thing.”

“I’m buying this. I can walk around showing our insanely cute kid off to everyone.” Bryce tucked the box under his arm and followed Emily to the clothes.

Emily browsed the clothes, unable to resist picking out some. “I know I buy something every time we leave the house, but… it’s so tempting, even if she won’t be here for a few months.”

“Hey, babies poop a lot and grow fast. She’ll need a lot of stuff.”

“I already know Sienna wants to plan a baby shower.” Emily picked up a package of tiny socks. “What we don’t buy, I can put on the registry she’s ordered me to make.”

As she reached for a package of pacifiers, a sudden wave of dizziness made her pause. Feeling light, she rested a hand on the shelf for support.

Bryce frowned and touched her arm. “Em? What is it?”

“I’m really dizzy…” Her knees went weak. Darkness started to fill the corners of her vision. Dropping their merchandise, Bryce caught her just as she stumbled forward.

“Emily!”

XXXXXXXX

A groggy trip to the hospital later, Emily winced and touched her head, feeling a dull ache.

“Hey.” Bryce squeezed her hand. “There you are. Do you remember the ride over here?”

“Somewhat. I mostly remember passing out in the middle of Target.”

“That’s accurate.” He nodded softly. “You almost made me wet my pants with fear, but everything’s okay. Your iron was really low.”

“Anemia.” She nodded slowly, smoothing a hand over her stomach. “The baby and I will both be fine with iron supplements and a good diet.”

“Mm hmm.” Bryce leaned over and kissed her gently. “Just don’t freak me out like that again.”

“Sorry.” Emily leaned into him. “What tests did they run?”

“A full workup to be safe. Everything else came back fine.”

“That’s good. It also means we can leave so we can enjoy the rest of our day off.”

“You need to eat something first. Then I’ll spring you out of here.”

Emily sighed, but her stomach rumbled hungrily. “Okay. Can you get me some soup and a salad?”

“Got it.” Bryce left the room, returning a few minutes later with her requested meal. When he set it on the tray, Emily sat up and started eating.

She sighed in relief as her headache began to fade. “I’m feeling better now.”

“Good.” Bryce smoothed her hair back. He waited until Emily finished her food, then helped her up. “Let’s get you out of here.” Together, they left the hospital. Instead of going back to the store, Bryce drove back to their apartment, where they curled up on the couch to work on their registry.

“Do you still want that chest carrier?”

“Hell yeah.” Bryce grinned. “I can’t not buy it.”

Chucking, Emily clicked on the item, adding it to their list. “I can’t wait to see you wear it.”

“I can’t wait to see me wear it, either.”

“Someone’s awake.” Feeling the now-familiar flutter, Emily took Bryce’s hand and settled it on her abdomen. “She’s kicking harder now.”

“I feel that.” Bryce gently rubbed her stomach, feeling another soft kick.

“What did I do to deserve the cutest boyfriend in the world?”

“Well, I have the world’s most gorgeous girlfriend. So there.” Bryce grinned. “I can’t miss a chance to one-up you.”

“You’re a goofball.” Emily buried her fingers in Bryce’s soft hair. “But you’re cute enough to get away with it, so it’s okay.”

XXXXXXX

As fast as her first two trimesters soared, the third trimester slowed to a crawl.

“I’ve never seen so much stuff before,” Emily awed as she admired the pile of presents in her old apartment.

Sienna grinned. “Not everyone showed up, but almost everyone sent you something. I encouraged people to send things you really need, like diapers, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of surprises. Your mom and I had a lot of fun planning this together.”

“We certainly did,” Allison confirmed. “It’s not every day I get to plan a shower for my first grandbaby.”

“I’m just excited to sink my teeth into one of those cupcakes.”

“Soon!” Sienna adding the finishing touches to the last cupcake. “Food’s ready! The mom gets to go first.”

“Yay.” Emily fixed a plate with the spread of finger foods and grabbed one of Sienna’s cupcakes. “I think the thing I miss most about living here is your baking.”

“What are we, chopped liver?” Elijah teased.

Bryce joined Emily on the couch. “I’ve gotta say, this is the first baby shower I’ve been to.”

Sienna shrugged. “All female baby showers are antiquated. I thought it would be more fun with all the residents.”

“It definitely is.”

“I’m just stunned that Ines convinced Zaid to come.” Emily couldn’t resist an amused smile as Ines instructed Zaid to set an oversized gift with the rest of the presents. The rest of their guests fixed their food, enjoying the snacks until Sienna started the games.

Emily arched a brow as her mom helped Sienna set up the first game. “Why do you two have so much baby food?”

“We’re going to use it for a game.” Allison smiled mischievously and handed her daughter a bowl containing slips of paper. “Everyone has to smell and taste and try to guess the flavors. You pick the first victim.”

“I feel dangerous.” Emily reached into the bowl and grabbed a slip of paper. She unfolded it and snickered. “First up… Zaid.”

Zaid’s face fell. “I knew I should have thought twice before putting my name on that paper.”

“Go on!” Grinning, Ines urged him toward the table at the front of the room. Sighing, Zaid eyed the baby food jars warily.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“You’re going to smell each baby food and even taste it if you can’t guess it. Write your answers down, then we’ll see who gets the most right. The winner gets a gift card to a restaurant of their choice.”

She handed Zaid a piece of paper, a pencil, and a handful of tongue depressors. “Use a clean tongue depressor for each food if you taste it.”

“Did these come from a supply closet?”

“Maybe.”

Trying to stifle a laugh, Emily drew the next few names. “You’re next, Bryce and Jackie. Get in line behind Zaid.”

Jackie nudged Bryce. “I bet you ten bucks you won’t take a big bite of each one.”

“Don’t underestimate me. You’re on.” To prove himself, Bryce scooped a generous portion of a smelly green food and tried not to wince as he swallowed it.

“Why in god’s name would you willingly eat this for twenty dollars?” Zaid cringed as he caught a whiff from a jar containing an orange food. “This smells like vomit.”

“A bet’s a bet.” Bryce jotted down his answer for the first jar, then dipped a clean tongue depressor into the orange jar that Zaid set down. He swallowed it and made a face. “Not as disgusting as the first.”

“Let’s change the bet.” Jackie smirked, sniffing the jar’s contents and writing her answer down. “Twenty bucks if you make it through without puking.”

“It’s still a deal. Wanna add anything, Dr. M?”

The senior resident shook his head. “I’d rather not puke today, thank you very much.”

“I’ll give you the twenty bucks I’m about to win from Jackie if you take one bite of this.” Bryce held up one of the orange jars.

“I value my intestines more than twenty dollars!” Rolling his eyes, Zaid sniffed the last jar and wrote his final answer down, handing the paper to Sienna. “Now that my nostrils are destroyed, I’m going to sit down.”

“Thanks for playing!” Sienna grinned and took Bryce and Jackie’s papers as well. Once everyone had played, she called out the answers. “Looks like Bryce wins!”

Bryce grinned. “Lucky me.” He returned to his seat on the couch next to Emily.

“Care to explain your expertise in identifying baby foods?”\

He shrugged. “I’m talented in many areas.”

For the next several minutes, they laughed at the ridiculous games their guests played. Finally, it was time to open presents. Emily excitedly rubbed her hands together and started opening, finding several cases of diapers, as well as outfits, a car seat from her mother, bibs, and pacifiers.

“That one’s from me.” Elijah grinned as Emily opened a bag containing a tiny pair of scrubs. “I thought they were too perfect to not buy.”

“They’re adorable!” Emily added them to the stack of clothes. The next present revealed an assortment of warm hats from Sienna, followed by an oversized stuffed elephant from Zaid and Ines. “This is gonna look great in the nursery!”

Ines grinned. “Believe it or not, Zaid picked it out.”

Zaid’s cheeks flushed as he tried to look anywhere else. “Uh… you’re welcome.”

“It’s perfect. You have good taste.” Emily set the elephant on the coffee table. By the time she finished opening everything, she was exhausted and ready for a nap. As the guests started to leave, Bryce helped Sienna and Allison clean up.

“Bryce, you don’t need to help. You’re a guest of honor, too,” Allison chastised.

“I like cleaning up party messes.” Bryce shrugged and filled a trash bag with paper plates.

Emily stretched and yawned. “Mom, Sienna, thanks for planning everything. I don’t know how we’re going to fit all of this stuff in the car, but I feel like we have enough to last for months.”

“Just wait until you see how many diapers babies go through.” Allison smirked. “I thought I would need to have a truckload delivered a week when you were a baby.”

“Mom,” Emily groaned. “I think the ridiculously huge box Ethan sent will tide us over for a while.”

“At least you won’t be making trips to the store at two in the morning.”

“Yeah. Little girl should be here in four to six weeks.” For a moment, she fell silent, blinking in surprise as she realized the closeness of her due date.

It wouldn’t be long now.

Next Chapter

Tags: @elephant9998 / @mvalentine / @fortunatelywaywardsandwich / @whatchique / @achalantspitfire / @lahellacute / @virtuallytakenby / @oofchoices / @dang-lahela / @miss-whit12 / @drakeismyweakness / @sitsoncornflake / @a-tragical-tale / @bitchloveskcbaseball / @laceandlula / @paulfwesley / @bloomingsivan / @anotherbeingsworld / @vamped99 / @datynasuha / @doctorsurferbro / @loveellamae / @drethanfreakingramsey / @trappedinfandoms / @rookielahela / @macy-ray85 / @mrsdrlahela

#open heart #choices: open heart #bryce lahela #bryce x mc #bryce lahela x mc #choices

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bluehairedboyhcs · 4 years

Text

Old Polaroids

This one is a little weird because it’s not quite a fic and it’s not Headcannons either. It’s supposed to be a conversation. If that makes sense? Anyway I hope you enjoy it because I worked hard on it. 💙

You, Sal, and Larry had spent the entire day in his room sorting through trash and packing his things into boxes. Larry has finally decided to move into the house with Todd, Neil and Sal. The three of you were sweating and tired but the excitement of Larry moving in with the rest of the boys was enough to keep you going. Todd was on his way with more boxes and coffee.

As you were sifting through piles of math notes from high school and song lyrics that were never finished, you stumbled across a stack of Polaroids, the one on top was an old photo of Larry.

“Oh my god guys, look at what I found”

The two boys huddled around the Polaroids you held in you hand.

“Holy shit, this was the night I slammed 2 beers and half a bottle of rum!”

“Yeah, and you felt the overwhelming urge to smoke on Ash’s roof”

“Hey, it’s nice to have a roof cig every once and a while. The view is always great no matter where you are”

Laughing, you hand the photo to Larry and shift your attention to the second photo in the stack.

“Speaking of roof cigarettes, this is you on our senior trip to the beach.”

“Yeah, That’s not a cigarette.”

“I should have figured.”

Chuckling, Larry looked fondly at the picture taking it from your hand.

“Ashley took this one. We couldn’t even see the beach but the view was still good. We were talking about senior year ending and how she was leaving Nockfell. She snuck a photo of me because she wanted to remember that conversation.”

“That’s a good memory. She took it because it was an emotional moment?”

The look of fondness dropped from his features and an annoyed one took its place.

“No! She tried to get a picture of me crying! You can’t even see anything! She even labeled it ‘Larry’s Silhouette’!”

Sally burst out into laughter, snatching the photo from Larry. He studied it to see if there was any hint of wetness around Larry’s eyes.

“So you stole it because she caught you crying?”

“No!”

The two of them took turns bickering and grabbing the photo from eachother. They carried on for a while and you just watched in amusement. They finally settle when Larry grabbed the photo and stuffed it into his pocket.

“I took it because I didn’t want her to have the satisfaction, not because there were visible tears!”

“I don’t know dude, I think I see a little shimmer under-”

“Shut up!”

You heard a knock at the door and looked in its direction. Todd was peaking in with a smile.

“Am I interrupting something?”

“Todd!”

Todd walked in with a drink carrier full of coffee, setting them on the dresser.

“The boxes are in the living room”

His eyes traveled to the three of you and settled on the pictures in your hand.

“Hey! Are those are Polaroids from high school?!”

“Yeah, Y/N found a bunch of them while sorting through Larry’s stuff.”

Larry handed Todd the two pictures. He looked over them and smiled to himself.

“Oh my god, I remember this first one. You were so drunk. Isn’t this the night that made you swear off alcohol for a year?”

“Yeah it is! I still can’t drink more then 3 beers.”

Todd smiled and motioned toward the rest of the photos in your hand.

“Can I see the rest?”

“Sure.”

Todd takes the pictures and looks through them.

“Hey it’s me.”

“Gross it’s got dirt on it.”

“Oh yeah that one was on my floor for a while. After I stepped on it I decided I should probably put it away with the others”

“You didn’t clean it off?”

Shrugging, Larry grabbed the photos. A wide smile spread across his face.

“The treehouse.”

“I took this one.”

Sal peeked at the picture and his eyes brightened.

“Wow that’s right after you showed it to me.”

Larry handed the stack to Sal with his eyes still focused on the picture of the treehouse. Sally took the stack and flipped through them.

“Oh my god.”

Todd grabbed the photo and laughed.

“Wow so much angst.”

With an eye roll, Sal looked at the photo again.

“I was really into Nirvana back then. I gave it to Larry because I thought it looked cool.”

“I think it’s looks cool Sal.”

Sal looked down at his feel shyly and shifted his weight, passing the stack to you.

“Thank you, Y/N.”

“Don’t lie to him it’s so bad.”

You try to punch Larry in the arm and he moves backward to dodge you. After you miss, he laughs

“Shut up, crybaby.”

With a glare, Larry closed his mouth not wanting to bring that topic back up again.

“Hey Sal look”

“Oh I didn’t know she took that. Larry why do you have this one?”

“Because it’s a really cool picture!”

Sal squinted at Larry.

“Oh so this one’a cool but mine isn’t?”

“Look at that light dude. You can’t tell me this one isn’t cool!”

Sally rolled his eyes again.

“What else is there Y/N?”

“There’s this one. Larry, did you take this?”

“Yeah I did. After we found Megan I wanted to see if that ghost hunting trick really worked and it did. You can see the light orbs in the picture.”

Your eyes widened realizing that he was right.

“Oh please, that’s not real they’re just light flares. You yourself even said ‘the lighting is so cool’.”

Larry looked at the photo again.

“Either way it still looks cool.”

“Of course it does. ‘Ooh pretty light I want’.”

Larry and Todd playfully argued for a while while Sal laughed and backed Todd up. You sat on Larry’s bed looking at the final photo fondly.

“Hey Y/N, you alright?”

You turned your attention to the boys and smiled at them. Your eyes watered and they could tell you were upset.

“I’m okay... I just miss her a lot.”

Sal sat next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder for a side hug.

“Yeah, we all do. Has she said anything about when she’s going to visit us again?”

Todd sighed and sat on the floor in front of the two of you.

“I haven’t heard anything unfortunately.”

Larry shifted uncomfortably and rubbed his neck and you eyed him suspiciously.

“Larry?”

“Haha I wasn’t supposed to tell you guys this but...”

Your breath hitched. No way was he actually going to say what you think he was going to say.

“What? Spit it out!”

Larry jumped and stuttered out a response nervously.

“Okay! When I told her I was moving into the house with you guys she said she wanted to help. She’s on her way.”

“What!?”

“Larry! It was supposed to be a secret!”

Your head turned to the door where a short haired Ash was standing.

“Ashley!”

“Ash!”

“Hi, Ashley!”

“Sorry Ash...”

You jumped up and tackled her in a hug almost trampling Todd in the process.

“I missed you so much!”

Ash laughed and looked around the room.

“I missed you guys too. Now, why are we so mopey?”

Everyone held up the photos in their hands.

“No way! I forgot about these!”

All of you reminisced for hours and completely forgot about the main objective of packing Larry’s things. Later in the night when you realized you hadn’t made much progress you all agreed to finish the next day, there was too much to talk about.

I hope you enjoyed this little fic hybrid thing. I hadn’t seen this kind of thing done before and I thought it was a cool idea. Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks for reading! 💙

#ash campbell #ashley campbell #ashley campbell x reader #larry johnson #larry johnson x reader #sal fisher #sal fisher x reader #sallyface #todd morrison

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notyetneedcoffee · 5 years

Note

21 & 80 with capsicle?? SSJSJSH thank you!!

Sorry for the delay, I’ve been fighting the crud. Maybe that’s why this came out a little soft… still smut ridden, don’t get me wrong… but still soft.

Take Care of You

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warning: NSFW, +18, Smut

Damn you hated it when he bled. Ripping open the pressure dressing with your teeth kept the string of profanities from escaping. You tore his uniform open wider, exposing the gash over his rib cage. The white of bone and rubbery band of intercostal muscle peeked out from the gash. You washed it down with saline but didn’t bother with a clotting agent before pressing on the bandage.

Steve grunted as you pressed down hard with one hand and wrapped an arm around him to wind the bandage about his torso. “That hurts.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ll heal faster from this than I will from the scrape on my shoulder.” Even though his injury made you sick, and you knew it had to hurt like hell, the statement was still true.

“You’re injured? Where?” The Captain’s bloody hands came up to your arms, trying to turn you around.

“I’m okay.”

“Let me see.” Steve ordered.

“Let me finish.” You countered.

His strong hands physically shifted you so he could see the tear in your suit and the bloody scraped flesh of your shoulder. Snagging up a handful of four-by-fours, he pressed them against your wound. “Y/N!”

The movement pulled free the yet to be secured bandage at his side, blood freely flowing again down his side. You reached for the bandage as it unraveled. “Dammit, Steve!”

“Get a room!”

A chorus of deep laughs erupted from the other side of the jet. Barton, Wilson and Barnes watched the two of you wrestle for the ability to take care of each other. Sam shook his head, “Y’all just need to make out and get over it.”

Steve went stock still. His eyes locked on a spot on the floor, jaw working furiously against the urge to retort. His one hand still held the dressings against your shoulder, but he no longer tried to look at it. At least it allowed you to secure the pressure bandage properly.

“Stop it.” He said under his breath.

“No. You’re bleeding.” You whispered back, softening. “Why do you let them get to you? You don’t get this combative with Nat.”

“She’s different.” His eyes remained locked on the floor.

“We’re coming in to the safe house, kiddos.” Tony announced from the pilot’s seat. “Cap, you need a medic?”

“No.” He sat up straighter with a wince.

“Bullshit.” Your mumbled response had him glaring at you.

“I just need a hot shower and a little time.” Steve finished.

Stark looked a little apprehensive. He’d seen the vitals readout on the Captain before exiting his suit. He knew it was a pretty significant wound, too. “Sure thing. Why don’t you take the big suite. Shower’s all tricked out with the best stuff.”

As everyone exited the carrier you felt a hand at your arm. Tony breathed in your ear. “He’s gonna tear himself in half getting out of that uniform by himself. Go help him, even if he fights you.”

You intended to do just that, regardless of Stark’s encouragement. Turning the corner toward the bedrooms, Bucky’s considerable girth took up the hall. He watched Steve disappear into the room at the end. Turning sideways to slip past him, he shot you a look.

“Not a word.” You warned. Thankfully, the corner of his mouth just tipped up and he turned away.

Not bothering to knock, you slipped inside. A groan came from the bathroom. Peeking around the corner, you saw Steve sitting on the edge of a very big soaking tub slowing trying to reach down to his boots.

“Gonna let me help you with that, or you still going to be a jerk about it?”

“Y/N,” He practically whined. “What are you-“

“I’m helping you.” Without permission, you peeled off you ruined jacket and knelt in front of him to unstrap his boots.

Steve momentarily forgot about the pain, watching you before him. Breast held firmly in a sports bra. Your hair pulled free of your braid, some sweat slicked to your skin. Dirt and grime marred your face and hands. A bloody, deep scrape oozed on your right shoulder blade. You were beautiful.

“Come on, Steve. Stand up.” When he did, you reached for the fasteners along his torso.

Large hands shoved yours away. “Don’t”

“Steve.”

“No.”

“I’m going to help you.”

“Don’t.” He pushed you away again.

“Steve Rogers.” Fists pounded into your hips. “Do that again and I will spank you!”

His blue eye rounded in surprise just before he burst out laughing. “Ha! Ow. Ow. Oh, crap. Ouch. Okay, you win. Point taken.”

“Why are you so stubborn?” Gently you peeled the torn outer armor off. Deciding the undershirt was a loss anyway, you sliced it open with your tactical knife rather than make him lift his arms.

Standing there naked from the waist up, barefoot, and holding the bloodied bandage to his side with one hand. He swept loose hairs from your face. “I should be taking care of you, not the other way around.”

“You took the brunt of that blast. So, you did take care of me.” Came your soft answer.

He seemed lost in the memory for a moment. Only to be startled as you kicked off your boots and unbuckled your belt. “Y/N, what are doing?”

“We’re getting cleaned up.”

“What?”

Kicking off you pants, now standing before him in just practical uniform underwear, you fought back nerves that rivaled those before a battle. These were different, made you feel more vulnerable, but you knew you were doing the right thing.

“You’re going to let me take care of you and I’m going to let you take care of me. For once, we’re not going to fight about it. For once, we’re just going to let it be okay.” Your fingertips brushed across the skin of his abs. “I think if we can do that, just this once, we may not want to stop.”

The muscles in his jaw worked for a moment before his eyes softened and he nodded. One handed, he unfasted the buckle of his uniform pants. Turning the water on, you adjusted the various shower heads to a gentle wash and a comfortable temperature. Back still to Steve, you stripped of the remainder of your clothes.

He breathed slowly through open lips, eyes drinking you in. When you pushed his pants over his hips, Steve’s eyes drifted closed. Your hands drifted over his strong thighs. As you knelt before him, your hands guided his feet out of his pants. Steve held out his hand to help you to your feet.

Even battered and bloody, you’d never seen anyone more magnificent.

Leading him under the spray of warm water, you grabbed the washcloth and soap. Steve stood still, eyes closed as you wiped away the evidence of the battle away. The tension melted away, leaving him sighing under your touch.

“Steve,” you touched the hand holding the bandage. “How’s your wound?”

He gingerly pulled his hand away. It was still gaping and weeping, but already stitching together. He tossed the soaked bandage in the corner of the shower. Pale red trails danced down his hip, as the water washed away the clotted blood.

“Amazing.” You breathed. “Couple days and there won’t even be a scar.”

“My turn.” He took the washcloth from you, soaping it up again. His hands trailed over your shoulders, down your back, across your hips. Steve cleansed your body with care. A content sigh escaped your lips. “Sweetheart,” He moved your hair to the side. “You’ve got debris in your wound. I need to wash it out.”

“Okay.” You turned into the tile wall, leaning forward so you were against the solid surface. “Do what you need to.”

Using the handheld sprayer, Steve washed out the debris with water and gentle fingers. You breathed through the stinging pain. Finally, his fingers trailed over your arms. You felt his lips touch the back of your neck. Sighing back into him, you felt Steve’s chest against your back. His arms came around your waist.

“Come on. Let’s get this bandaged up.” He nuzzled your ear.

Rinsing off one last time before stepping out, you pulled out the well stocked trauma kit from under the sink. You dried the area around his wound, taping a bandage in place. Steve turned you around, dressing your wound next. In the mirror your saw the weariness in his eyes as he worked.

“Can we go to bed? Just for a while?”

“Yeah,” Steve took your hand. “I’d like that.”

Pulling back the covers and climbing into bed, you instinctively curled around one another. Feeling his bare legs wrap around yours, his heat soaking through to your bones, you’d wanted this for so long. It felt better than you’d ever imagined.

His hand drew circles over your hip, stirring a need for something other than sleep. Nuzzling your nose into his neck, Steve pulled you tighter. Your lips found his, soft and full. His tongue slid along yours, deepening the kiss.

Steve’s hands became more insistent, pulling your leg over his hip, exploring your skin, your breast. You moaned into his mouth. His arousal pressed into your hip. He nipped at your lips. “God, Y/N, I need you.”

“I’ve wanted to tell you that for months.” You grinned against his lips. His smile morphed into a gasp as your hand wrapped around his cock, stroking him. Pushing him flat on his back, you laid a trail of opened mouth kisses across his chest and abdomen.

Steve’s breath hitched, his fingers raking through your hair, as your tongue ran from the base of his dick to the sensitive tip. You took him into your mouth, sucking deep. A low moan escaped his chest. Wetness flooded between your legs. He felt, tasted, so good. Drawing such sinful noises from him, turning him on so much, felt amazing.

“Fuck, sweetheart.” Before long Steve pulled at you, “Come here.” bringing your face to his, his kissed you hard, messy, desperate. He rolled you onto your back, hand dipping low fingers sweeping through your folds, gliding across your clit. “So wet.”

His mouth pulled at your sensitive nipple, causing your back to arch. Steve kissed his way down your body. Fingers slipped into your cunt, stroking firmly. You panted, mewing, feeling the delicious tension grow. When his mouth fell on your clit, sucking and lapping, you cried out. “Holy shit!”

Steve happily hummed against your sensitive nerves, sending shivers up your spine. His fingers curled against the perfect spot and you clenched. The tremors started deep in your core. Your breath came in pants. “Yes.” He purred sucking hard at your clit.

“Fuck!”

He helped you ride out your climax, stroking, kissing, tasting. Crawling up your body, painting you with tongue and teeth, Steve made his way to capture your mouth. You tasted yourself on his tongue, felt the head of his cock nudge your cunt, and your fingers dug into his ass.

Pulling him into you, you breathed his name. “God, Steve.”

Groaning, Steve buried himself deep inside you. The feeling of stretch, the fullness, the weight of him, overwhelming. He began to move. Bodies touching as much as possible, Steve’s mouth latched to the skin below your ear. You were drowning in his scent, his taste, the sound of him.

Moving faster, the need building. Steve pushed up on his arms, slamming into you harder. Bed rocking, skin slapping, a stream of profanity pouring from his lips, Steve lost himself in you. “Oh, shit. Baby. So, fucking good.”

Your hips tipped up, and with one hand he pushed your thigh to your chest. His cock hitting your g spot hard. A primal groan tore from your throat, another orgasm hitting you fast and hard. As you shook, flooding, Steve’s hips snapped erratically as he followed you.

Lowering himself to take your mouth, he kissed you thoroughly before rolling to his uninjured side. You curled around him, bodies still hot and breath still heavy. Steve peppered kisses into your hair. You sighed.

He laughed lightly, “If this is taking care of each other, then we should have been doing this for months.”

“You know, Sam is going to hit you with the biggest ‘I told you so’ ever.” You laughed.

He closed his eyes, grinning widely. “So worth it.”

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers smut #steve rogers fanfiction

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ryoskuna · 3 years

Text

⭑ teacher’s pet | prelude

pairing: sukuna x fem!reader/original character, platonic!yuji x reader.

genre: older itadori brother/tattoo artist!sukuna au. baby/kindergartener! yuji. parenting!au, some domestic fluff (later on), other things will be added as they come up.

word count: 3.1k

But, here is the reader-insert version... because I love y’all.

⭑

additional aesthetics/materials to go with:

spotify playlists: ( x, thank you @gillinanarts ) and this is like a soundtrack ( x ). sukuna specific playlist ( x ), reader/freya specific playlist ( x ).

“We’ll be back this afternoon to see granddad,” Sukuna informs him as he gives a click of his tongue for Yuji not to unwrap the candy in his fist. “You haven’t had breakfast yet.”

Yuji sighs and gives a small huff before asking the question he’s been thinking of all morning. “Kuna?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Is Granddad going to die?”

“Alright,” Sukuna agrees. “Pancakes it is.”

. . .

The smell of ink wraps around the lingering scent of cleaner — bleach, wet wipes, the like as Freya follows her friend inside. Brown eyes look over the panels of designs lining the walls, only stopping when Rachel sets the deposit for the both of them. There’s a clean black motorcycle outside, shiny as if it was freshly washed. The only thing strange about it is the child’s car seat on the back, which sticks out like a sore thumb. Just like that car seat, she feels out of place in a pair of bell-bottom jeans with little bows on the back and a sheer pink shirt covered in strawberries. Her fingers dig a little into the sides of her denim jacket, but otherwise, there’s nowhere to hide.

The guitar chords of Come as You Are by Nirvana play on the speaker overhead. It’s loud enough to be heard but not too loud to block out the television for the child who sits in a bean bag chair, munching on what looks like pancakes in a to-go container. Freya can’t help but notice his pink hair, almost rose gold under the fluorescent light. Her eyes soften as she watches him laugh at Tom, getting whacked in the head by Jerry, again for the umpteenth time. Her necklace dances among her collarbones, her fingers reaching up and tug gently. She only turns when she hears the pop of someone’s gum — the secretary, handling the front desk as she settles a hand on her hip. “Can I help you?” She asks, with dark red hair, blonde tips at the bottom. Her gum pops again, this time blowing into a bubble before popping over her onyx colored lipstick.

Rachel nods and gestures to the paperwork they’ve signed on the counter. “We’ve got an appointment. Both of us.” Freya walks over to the counter, and she can hear the soft squeak of a chair and the slam of a trash can lid before a door shuts.

“ Do you remember who?” Rachel nods before pointing a finger.

“I got her an appointment with Sukuna since he’s good at everything — and I’ve got one with Naomi.”

“Go ahead. Good luck,” She smiles. “If you cry, I’ll come running, but remember! You said you wanted to start checking off your bucket list.” she teased before Freya gives a roll of her eyes. Her fingers tug a little onto her curls in her hair before pulling them up with a satin ribbon. Her dark curls still frame her face, with dark lashes to match. No going back. She has to do this for herself. She wanted to start on her bucket list, and this was the first item. Going back isn’t an option, not now.

When she walks into the room, Sukuna leans up in his chair, and his eyes give her a once over. There’s a little twinkle in his eyes, but she can’t determine what it means. So, she decides she shouldn’t read into it. She’s surprised to see that he has similar hair to the younger boy on the couch. It is the same shade of pink, with brown undercuts — except his eyes are a startling shade of vermillion. Under the lights, they’re almost a bright red, like a fire just starting to burn. His arms and chest fill out a compressed charcoal gray shirt tucked into his light-colored denim jeans, and his fingernails pick at his cuticles as he leans back into his chair, tilting his head to look up at her.

Freya can’t help but be warm from it as she walks over, and he gives a tilt of his head to gesture for her to sit, holding his hand out. “Let me see your paper,” he demands, but his voice isn’t inherently harsh. A bit gruff, deep, and his fingers feel warm but calloused. They go over her palm before returning closer to their owner, and he adds, “Take off your jacket.” He’s beautiful. Godly, even. She watches how he breathes — just like her— but his chest expands, inches a little smaller once he exhales, and repeats all over again. The tattoos that curl towards his neck’s nape are made of dark ink, as black as a void. She can see the curl of his canine towards his lip as he gently sinks his teeth in, like a bee pressing into a flower. His shoulders are broad enough to fill the chair itself; in fact, he’s almost too big, and she can’t help but think of what’s like just to be closer to him.

Sukuna reads over the paper, looks at the location. Shoulder cap. “Is this your first time?” He raises an eyebrow, but he doesn’t meet her gaze. There’s also what she doesn’t want, and he everything she put, he couldn’t see her with anyways. No skulls, nothing he would consider masculine or edgy first. Freya nods, still a bit hesitant to say anything. “Yes,” she clarifies, reminding herself to nod. If she was going to ask her students to use her words, she should hold herself to the same standard, right?

“You know that’s not an easy spot, right?”

“I know. I can take it.” Sukuna chuckles, gives a murmur of I don’t doubt that, and then stands to his feet. His eyes are soft before he glances at the paper again and gestures. The sunlight hits him just right from the wide window near his station, and there’s a clearing filled with a mixture of unidentifiable wildflowers. They’re beautiful, and every one looks different to her eyes… she wonders if he chose it for the view.

“You… sure you want to give me free rein on your tattoo?”

“Ehrm, yeah,” Freya swallowed. “I heard you were the best, and I don’t want a tattoo that’s like anyone else’s… so I figured I would trust your creativity.” However, Sukuna smiles and raises an eyebrow. The comment strokes his pride, amused at his legacy that undoubtedly gets passed from client to client. His eyes give her another look over as he picks up a tablet and takes her in. And is she easy to take in… so much so, he has to remind himself to slow down, lest he absorbs her somehow, and she disappear entirely from his sight. He looks at the deep v of her blouse, and the somewhat innocence in glitter strawberries, and the puff sleeves that remind him so much of the clouds Yuji likes to draw. When he inhales again, he’s taking in her skin color as it absorbs the light. It’s like the sun has kissed her, even given her a halo. She’s a canvas of his creation. The strawberries. The sun halo.

And he picks up his pen and starts to draw. The first muse he’s had since… well, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a muse. But he would relish it while he could, before the reality set back in. “You can sit — what’s your name?” His fingers work fast with her appearance burned into his memory as he hears the soft squeak of his tattooing chair she sits in.

“Freya.”

Sukuna mouths her name to himself as he sketches a mass of flowers, a halo with rays behind them— he even works in a strawberry, as a reminder of what she was wearing, and at the bottom of the bouquet is the ivy that wraps all the flowers together. “Take a look,” he starts, “Tell me if you don’t like it. Be honest, because these are permanent.” There’s some part of Freya that’s tempted to give a brief I know, but there’s a lack of maliciousness in his tone that makes her bite her tongue. She leans over into his space, and he gets the slightest whiff of her shampoo — something sweet mixed with the scent of mint, making him release a soft hum.

“It’s beautiful,” Freya admits, nodding. “Perfect.”

“Thank you.”

“Mhm,” Sukuna nods, looking over his shoulder. “No problem, Frey.”

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psychospeak-blog · 5 years

Text

Won’t Go Slowly // 65

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve // Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen // Sixteen // Seventeen // Eighteen // Nineteen// Twenty // Twenty One // Twenty Two // Twenty Three // Twenty Four// Twenty Five // Twenty Six // Twenty Seven // Twenty Eight // Twenty Nine // Thirty // Thirty One // Thirty Two // Thirty Three // Thirty Four// Thirty Five // Thirty Six // Thirty Seven // Thirty Eight // Thirty Nine // Forty // Forty One // Forty Two // Forty Three // Forty Four // Forty Five // Forty Six // Forty Seven // Forty Eight // Forty Nine // Fifty // Fifty One // Fifty Two // Fifty Three // Fifty Four // Fifty Five // Fifty Six // Fifty Seven // Fifty Eight // Fifty Nine // Sixty// Sixty One // Sixty Two // Sixty Three // Sixty Four

Smut warning (things got a little carried away...oops). Thanks to @chucksbruins for betaing this for me. It’s super long, so I appreciate all reading it! I’m kinda excited about what happens.

There had been a part of you that was a little unsure about just how romantic your time away would be, with having to have the baby with you, and with a house full of dogs, still, like it would feel a little more like every other day.

You were wrong.

Really, Bentley just came along with you everywhere, held in the wrap against you while you went wine tasting, or in the baby carrier Tyler while you explored lighted forest hikes, or do you could hold hands when you took the dogs out for adventures. You had gotten it pretty much down to a science how to take him out to eat for dinner, so you weren't as nervous as you might have been to take him with you to a nice restaurant as you might have been.

You were currently in the ensuite of the bathroom that you'd all been sleeping in, leisurely taking the time to do your hair and make-up, while Tyler was in one of the other bedrooms with Bentley, dressing him in the body suit that you brought for him, a little button up because it was the fanciest thing you had for him at him, and you couldn't wait to see him in it.

Or see Tyler.

In fact, you kind of felt butterflies in your stomach, like this actually was a first date or that you hadn't just seen him a mere twenty minutes before. Not to mention the fact that you'd spent last evening watching a moving with that baby that you'd made together snuggled up with you and the dogs on the couch, or that you'd tag teamed giving him a bath earlier.

You still didn't even know if he'd have any opinion about kissing you with lipstick on, although for some reason you felt like he'd complain that lip gloss was too sticky.

You smiled when you heard a whine at the door, walking in your bra and panties to open it and let Marshall in, shutting it back behind him, his wet nose brushing your bare leg. With Cash needing to be so attached to Bentley and Gerry needing to be wherever the action was, it was usually Marshall who attached himself to you.

"What's up?" You asked,and he backed up, wagging his tail at you and

letting out a bark. "Do they look good?"

You glanced at yourself in the mirror again, your eyes looking bright and your smile easy, even though you probably should be looking more sleep deprived.

It turned out the combination of falling in love and have a beautiful baby boy was a wonderful way to feel completely blissed out even when there had to be a part of you that was exhausted.

You also hadn't foreseen yourself pulling on a black dress like this so soon, fairly plain and classic but you liked the shape that it gave you, the zipper and cutouts on the back really made it a date night dress, especially with jewelry and heels.

"Hey, babe?" You called out down the hall, holding the door open just a little. "Can you zip me when you're ready?"

"We've been ready for hours," you heard Tyler's voice came down from the hall, and then a little knock on the door, like it wasn't open. "We've just been waiting for you."

You laughed under your breath, putting your earrings in as he came into the room, your eyes moving down the crisp white shirt on his arm arm to his watch, to where his hand was supported Bentley, Bentley's wide eyes finding you.

"Oh, you look so handsome," you cooed, getting a little smile, your hand going to slide through his hair before you stopped, laughing. "Did you put gel in his hair?"

"I tried to, he wanted to get all cleaned up for you," Tyler said, his hand combing through Bentley's hair, "He doesn't have quite enough yet, though."

"No," you said, yet it was adorable to see his hair pushed back like Tyler's was, a vision of what they might look like together in the future : your two boys.

"I did the same thing to mine, too, you know?" Tyler said, moving to lay Bentley down on the bed, "no one's telling me I'm handsome."

"No, you look good," you said, inching towards him, "You look hot."

"Don't talk to me like that with your sons in the room," Tyler said, his voice low and teasing, lips tilted up in a smile, hands easing around you but still keeping you at a bit of a distance so you didn't get distracted, you could only assume. His hands went to your cheek, thumb sweeping under your eye, and you didn't even care when his fingers moved through your hair, even though you'd actually done your hair for the first time in months.

"Mmmm...don't let Gerry in," you said, sneaking a quick kiss before you went to shut the door, your dress still half completely open in the back, straps starting to drift down your shoulders.

"Why not?" Tyler laughed, "Marshall's allowed to watch you get dressed like a creep, but you lock the puppy out?"

"He's white," you said, and Tyler gave you a weird look.

"Oh, so you're racist now?"

"I meant for my dress," you said, moving to hit him across the back on his arm since he was laughing at you, thankful that you could hear Gerry now running through the house, likely thinking that it was a game.

"Mmm..I love you all covered in dog hair though," Tyler said, stepping into you once more. trying like hell to slip his hands around your back and do your dress up like that, but there were two zippers due to there being a cut-out, and the dress was the snuggest thing you'd put yourself into since being pregnant, meaning that you'd definitely need to turn around and have this thing done up properly. He huffed against your neck, hands moving to your shoulders to turn you around, fingers playing in that dip along your spine, and you half expected him to snap your bra or something, yet he zipped you up very slowly and gently, in a way that almost made you shiver. "You know, I don't even like dogs, I just got them because I know you do."

"Oh, whatever," you laughed, both of you looking at Cash and Marshall surrounding the bed like the best guard dogs, knowing that if Gerry was in there, he'd just be likely trying to cover Bentley in kisses, or try to make this little creature play with him.

Tyler's arms ran up your side and your shoulders again, moving you around to face him, and now he took a step back, letting himself really look you over. "Wow," he said, his voice coming out in a whisper, running his hand over his beard. "Yeah, wow. You look incredible."

"Yeah?" you asked, because part of you still couldn't believe that he was that attracted to you, not because you didn't feel it, but because a part of you couldn't believe that he'd found you attractive for so many years. Even though he'd told you you looked pretty or that you looked hot before you heading out on a date, you didn't feel it the same way you did now.

"Like all those dates you've been on, and I get the sexy dress," he said, like he'd been thinking the same thing, lips turned up a little in a smile. You'd taken care of that, too, because you kind of didn't want to wear anything you'd worn on a night out before, because he'd probably already seen it all. Not to mention the fact that your whole life was different now.

"Is it too...?" you asked, a little uncertain still.

"No," Tyler interjected. "No, it's perfect. It's really too bad I don't put out on the first date, because I'd do you."

"This is not our first date," you repeated, again, because you'd been out to eat practically every night, Tyler giving you a smirk like you were only just saying that to try and get in his pants, when really you were mostly just wanting to reaffirm how amazing he treated you.

"No, that was just friends grabbing dinner," he said, looking at you once more. "This is like our first adult time date."

You looked at him, frowning at you a little, thumb sweeping in and under your eye, curiously wiping something off. "You've got like black stuff," he said, his touch as gentle as when he wiped Bentley's face off.

"Is it mascara?"

Tyler shrugged, making a noise like he didn't know, pulling back once he was satisfied.

"I think it's all dried up, I haven't really worn make-up in months," you said. Not really since your baby shower, or that quick bit of make-up you'd hastily applied when Tyler surprised you at the hospital, like he cared what you'd look like when you were trying to birth a baby.

"Yeah, I love the no makeup look," Tyler said, his eyes looking rather dreamy and then he blinked, shaking his head. "I mean, not that this isn't good, this is great-"

"I know what you mean," you laughed, because you got it too, the way that he looked after waking up, hair hanging in his eyes, sleepy and yet happy, in a way that not everyone got to see, looking him over now, dress shoes and watch. "Same. Like when I was in Dallas, and you came down in that suit, I-"

Now Tyler gave you an interesting look. "Is that why you were breathing so weird?" he asked, and you nodded, a little timid, but if he was allowed to have been attracted to you back then, you were too. And it wasn't like you were sleeping with anyone other than each other then, anyways. "Babe, I seriously thought something was wrong with you, I was worried."

"I told you I was fine," you said, now starting to feel bad because you knew how if he worried about you, it'd be hard for him to keep you off his mind, and you never wanted to be the cause of him losing focus.

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me you were hot for me," he grinned, like he didn't have hoards of woman telling him how hot he was on a daily basis, greedy to keep hearing it from you. "Like, you coulda just said something, we could have made out."

"We were not -"

"Yeah, we were totally kissing and stuff," he said cockily, and you somehow managed to blush at the memory of him kissing you goodbye all those times, which was definately not part of the initial arrangement that you'd made, nor falling back into good sex, like you'd initially thought it might be. "You just mostly wanted in my pants, but whatever, you still coulda just asked for sex."

"I was hormonal!"

"Nah, I think you were just horny for me," Tyler said, laughing with a smirk, scratching the back of his head as he shifted, like he thought you might hit him, your face flaming red despite the fact that it was totally in your rights now to want to climb on top of him, that you could check him out in a suit with your only worry about him catching you with a grin and shaking his ass back and forth.

"Okay, go get your shoes on before you get too distracted by me," Tyler said, "And I need to figure out what suit I was wearing that night so I can buy fifteen more like it."

It was hard, though, to focus on doing up the little clasps on your heels, especially when Tyler was just so easily getting Bentley all snug in his car seat, slipping him into the backseat with efficiency, looking just absolutely so natural in the way that he cared for him. You had honestly never realized just how much you had wanted to make him a dad, suddenly understanding how he'd barely even had to think about making you a mom.

His hand was settled on your bare back when you walked into the restaurant, Bentley in your arms, slightly taken aback when you noticed a couple of diners glancing at you out of the corner of their eyes having a lovely, romantic, candlelit dinner, half wondering if this place even had a changing table, although that kind of all just melted away when you heard Tyler's voice saying "Seguin for two," smiling when he clarified that it was really three, shooting a glance towards the baby, your whole body warming up deliciously.

And it seemed that he'd thought ahead, because the maitre-d helped to actually bring the stroller to the table for you, cleared away like you had enough room, and you were pretty much certain that with the soft murmurs of voices and the dim, flickering of the candlelight that Bentley would relax into sleep, and if you needed to nurse him or step out like you had when you were out a couple nights ago, that'd be okay, too.

The bit of stiffness that you felt relaxed even more when Tyler subtlety moved past the maitre-d again, pulling out the chair for you before you could, making a show about helping you to settle into your seat, even with the baby on your lap, checking to make sure the candle was out of his reach.

"Wine, babe?" Tyler asked, looking up at you where he was looking at the menu, one hand laid easily on the table, and you found yourself staring at it, kind of wishing that you had a free hand to be able to extend across the table towards him, although you weren't entirely mad about the little hands laying on top of yours. You realized that he was still waiting for an answer, though, and you nodded, your glass of wine now being something that you looked forward to in the evenings, especially curled up on the couch with Tyler, or on the back deck, staring up at the stars. "And what do you want, bud?"

You smiled at the way that Bentley shifted in your arms in response to Tyler's voice, perfectly content, Tyler ducking his head to try and meet Bentley's eyes. "He's totally transfixed on this candle."

"Is he?"

"Uh-huh," Tyler said, deftly sliding his phone out of his pocket, leaning it against the table as he took a video, and then leaning across the table to show it to you, both of you kind of lost in watching his expression in the video, when your wine was delivered.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked, and you realized you hadn't even picked up the menu yet, nor attempted to decipher things like what compressed watermelon or tomato sorbet was, deferring to you as the female, when really you were sort of hoping that Tyler would go first. Or kind of take the lead like he had with the wine, only asking whether you'd wanted white or red, and then giving you a couple of suggestions, firing off little tidbits that you'd picked up from your wine tasting the other day.

"Just a few more minutes," Tyler said, looking at you out of the corner of his eye with a smile, gently sliding your wine glass towards your free hand, tapping his against yours with a little rise of his eyebrows, a soft smile as he took a sip of his red wine. You were still watching him as he eased back in his seat, taking a look at the menu now, and you kept your eyes on him, making a halfhearted attempt to reach for your own menu, just beginning to move your eyes over the words, when Tyler's eyes met yours with a look of mild alarm.

"The menu's in French," he said in a hushed whisper, and you had to bite the inside of your lip trying not to laugh, because Tyler half looked like he was ready to get up and walk out right then and there.

"Well, you took French," you said, calmly, looking the menu over yourself, thankful for the simple language.

"No, I didn't," Tyler said, scrunching his nose up.

"Yes, you did," you confirmed, "We all had to."

"No, you took my French class for me," Tyler said, and now you could remember him crowded around you at lunch, frantically writing down all the answers. "And I still got a C- because of all those presentations and shit, I'm pretty sure I only passed because of you. And I think that hot French teacher had a thing for me."

"Oh my god," you said, Tyler grinning at you.

"Hey, I never said I was interested," he said, "Although I would totally listen to you ramble on about Durkheim or whatever."

"How do you know about Durkheim?" you asked, a smile creeping onto your face.

"I listen to you," he said smugly, his eyes playfully connecting with yours, and you could see the reflection of the light in them, bringing out all the different little flecks of colours, like they did when he was happy, running a hand over his beard in second thought. "Is that how you say his name? Or her name?"

"His," you clarified, "And it's perfect."

"'K, so what do you want to eat?" Tyler asked, leaning over to look at your menu, as if you had the answers hidden, explaining that "Écrasé de rabiole, carottes, champignons, sauce bordelaise" meant the steak was served with radish, carrots, and mushrooms with a bordelaise sauce, Tyler hanging off every word.

"You sound super hot speaking French," he said, his eyes dark now, and you felt a little taken aback, blushing a bit, because it was something he used to roll his eyes at.

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm, it's a thing," he said, decidedly, shifting his body like he was uncomfortable. You decided to share the steak, and the seafood platter, which was perfect by you because you were having enough trouble making a decision, and you knew that you'd likely end up eating off each other's plates anyways. Tyler ordered for you both, while you were trying to give Bentley his pacifier as he was starting to get a little restless in your arms, and you were beginning to wonder if you should get up and try to rock him a bit before the food was ready, Tyler adding in little pieces of French words with the order, and glancing at you, all while you tried not to laugh. And when he was done, he sat back in his seat, letting out a little content sigh as he just looked at you, the world still for a moment.

And yet you were still kind of thinking about earlier.

"You look so proud of yourself," you laughed, because he had a little smug look on his face.

"Well, didn't you hear my pronunciation?" he said, and you grinned, letting out a surprised laugh.

"You've gotten much better."

"You're a good teacher," Tyler said, lacing his hands together. "You're good at helping people get their lives together."

Your whole body warmed up at the way that he looked at you. "Well, I didn't know what I wanted to do," you said, because when you finished your Bachelor's degree, leaving the world of academia had seemed so overwhelming, because that was your safe spot, where you could so easily be successful, and it was easy to go for your Master's, even with that worry about what you'd do after raining down on you, so you'd somehow made a career out of helping others figure that out for themselves. And, somehow, Tyler had been the only one to listen to you drone over and over as you tried to work it through without trying to give you his own advice, even if he somehow rubbed his thumb over the bridge of his nose like you were giving him a headache.

But he'd still listened to every word.

"Yeah, you did," he said easily, like he had all the faith in you in the world.

"I kind of miss it, a bit," you confessed, already, because it had given you so much purpose for so many years, and you kind of liked getting up, and dressed in your work clothes, and heading off for the day. But you also loved lazy mornings stretched out on the living room floor, helping Bentley learn and grow, like only you could do. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave this guy, though," you said, kissing Bentley on the back of his head. "Like, I kind of just want to set a playpen up in my office and have him there with me."

Tyler gave you a soft smile. "Well, you've still got a year to figure that all out."

"Yeah, you're right," you said.

"Sorry, what? Can you say that again?" he asked, laughing like you were an old married couple, giving you a look, and you grinned, your foot easing against his under the table. You were still smiling at each other when your appetizer came, a stack of tomato and basil, and mozzarella, that should have been simple, but that almost looked to pretty to eat, Tyler looking at you as he spun the plate. "Things have kinda changed, huh? From pooling our money together to get cheap pizza for movie nights? Or those giant tubs of ice cream? "

" Yeah, " you laughed, remembering the way his mom always seemed to have sprinkled and chocolate sauce, your mom offering up chocolate chips, and sometimes bags of mini M&M's, "I still like getting cheap pizza with you, though."

"Same," Tyler said, using his fork to take a small slice of everything, tasting it, and then gathering up a bigger bite, meaning across the table to offer it to you, you easily taking the bite. He seemed to be doing that quite often, feeding you a spoonful here and there, usually because you were holding the baby, but it made you feel cared for, in the same way you'd make sure that he had a bottle of water in his hand when Bentley fell asleep on his chest. "He's going down," Tyler said, nodding towards Bentley and you shifted to look at him, his head rolling a bit, and you moved your hand quickly to support his head, Tyler laughing. "He is so done."

You smiled at Tyler, carefully standing up, Tyler using his foot to inch the stroller towards you, gently laying the baby down and then ever so slowly removing your hands. Bentley shifted, and you froze, watching as he squirmed, extending his hands up towards his arm, giving a couple of smiles in his sleep. You watched him for a couple more breaths, and then reached around the back, using his blanket to cover the bassinet part of his stroller. When you turned back, Tyler had his hand extended out towards you for a fist bump, and you grinned, pressing your knuckles against his.

"He was trying to hang, but he just couldn't handle it," Tyler said, doing his best imitation of trying his hardest to keep his eyes open, complete with the little bob of the head, and now you stretched you slid the candle across the table, reaching your right hand into his left.

"He's sleeping with his hands up by his face," you said, and Tyler smiled, already knowing what he looked like, looking at your hands, and then picking you up another bite, the second fork still untouched. You closed your eyes as you tasted the fresh tomato bursting in your mouth alongside the creamy mozzarella, the basil and the balsamic drizzle so incredible light. "That cheese is, like, amazing," you said, something which you often didn't eat anymore, savoring the flavor.

Tyler laughed at your enjoyment, thumb rubbing back and forth across your hand, both of you leaning across the table towards each other, breaking only when you were done sharing your appetizer, the waiter discreetly removing the empty plate. With your hand free for a moment, you took a sip of your wine, Tyler drowning a moment and then sliding to the edge of his seat, peeking under the blanket, moving to shift it back into place.

"Was he making noise?" you asked, once tyler seemed satisfy rd and he pursed his lips and then shook his head.

"No, he's fine," Tyler said, moving back, "He's sleeping. I think someone's taking pictures."

"What? " you asked, in alarm, looking behind Tyler, searching for a phone in someone's hands.

"Shh...shhh, don't look," Tyler laughed, trying to calm you with his eyes. And now you were trying to keep your eyes on him, subtly checking in your peripheral vision, but he gave you a knowing glance, and you only widened your eyes in response, your fingers finding their way to the top of your dress, adjusting it. "It happens sometimes, it's okay," he said, taking another sip of his wine, eyebrows raised like he was trying to suggest that he loves the attention.

"Yeah, well, with you," you said, now looking back at forth at the stroller, glancing down at your dress, ever so clear that you were on a date.

"He's covered, they're not taking a picture of him, I checked, " Tyler said easily, setting the wine glass down on the table and setting his arm back on the table and for the first time, you thought twice before reaching out to take it, the stroller suddenly seeming large and cumbersome next to you.

"Yeah, but it's, like obvious."

"What's obvious?" Tyler asked, shaking his head slightly to indicate he wasn't following.

"That you're not alone," you said, choosing your words carefully now, like you were worried about being overheard and misconstrued, noting, now, that he didn't say that they weren't taking a picture of you. "Like obviously we're together."

"We are together, yes," Tyler said, an amused smile on his face, leaning towards you so that you could easily just close the gap and kiss him, and now you felt your eyes dart out, about who could be watching.

"But there's a baby," you said, looking at the stroller once again, and then back at Tyler, "And they know who I am."

"Babe," Tyler said firmly, his voice grounding you, "What in the hell are you talking about?"

His eyes were searching yours, and you took a deep breath, trying to catch all the thoughts in your head that were swirling. "People are already speculating that you're with me," you said, "Like, they know everything about me."

"What?" Tyler asked, "You mean, like on Instagram?"

"Yeah," you said. It had started quite innocently, really, with you just wanting to see that story that Tyler had posted with Bentley on his story, and then your heart warmed seeing the picture of your hands help together, and the next thing you knew, you were going to his profile page, scrolling through his feed, and it was then you saw the comments. And it was what you had expected, initially, comments that he he'd forgotten to wrap it, and now he was stuck with a baby and a girl, and how much of his salary would now be left to child support, or just straight up messages of congratulations, followed by people arguing in the comments saying the baby wasn't his, that it was his friend's. And while you'd been worried about this before, but that was before you had even imagined being with him. And even though Tyler hadn't straight up posted a picture of you, there were comments about this relationship on there, too. Speculations that he wouldn't ever be able to settle down, or tags of girls complaining that he was off the market. You knew, of course, that his notifications were filled with girls commenting about his looks or his body, blatantly hitting on him as you could only imagine one would do behind the screen, but you never paid it any mind, not when you were just his friend, and especially not now. But that didn't mean that you didn't know about his hook-ups, but he'd never really talked about it with you, never left you abandoned you when you were out with him, and most of the time that you actually visited him either in Dallas or in Boston was spent on his couch, watching T.V. until you fell asleep, or him taking you to the favourite restaurants that he'd discovered.

He'd never hurt you.

You'd at least managed to stop short of googling "Tyler Seguin girlfriend", your mind circling with ideas that he'd been forced into making his relationship public, or that he'd been trapped with a baby, or that you'd been left pregnant and alone, and your friend had to swoop in and pick up the pieces.

You had to remind yourself that this was what he had chosen, holding yourself back from jumping in there to defend him because they didn't even freaking know him.

"I thought we agreed no phones on this trip other than taking pictures of the baby?" Tyler laughed, hand running over the back of his neck, like he was trying to make light of it.

"I was up feeding the baby, you were sleeping," you said, a little sheepishly and he laughed at you, probably thinking that he would be the one who would have a hard time staying away from social media. "And I know you didn't say it was me, but some people are guessing."

"Well, if you went by what people on the internet say, then we've been sleeping together for like, five, six years," Tyler said, squinting his eyes.

"What?" you asked, in shock. And now you were thinking about what might be said about you: that you were a push-over, letting him have an open relationship because it was the only thing you could get, or that he was using you. And also because you, five or six years ago, would have found the idea that you were sleeping with Tyler absolutely absurd.

Things had changed.

"People on the internet are gonna say stuff, babe, it doesn't matter," Tyler said.

"No, I know," you said, looking back at the stroller briefly wondering if hockey players had to deal with TMZ. "It's just, if we're out, and we've got Bentley with us-"

"I would never let anyone take a picture of him," Tyler interjected, "or touch him."

He was serious, too, and you believed him, because this was his world, and he seemed to pick up on the things you didn't, knowing when people recognized him.

"I know you wouldn't," you said, "I just don't know how to handle this, how we should - I don't want you to get a reputation."

Tyler let out a surprised little laugh, his previous concern about you being upset about what people were saying about you melting away. "Yeah, it's totally bad PR to take a woman you're in a committed relationship with and your baby out to eat," Tyler said, "Teams hate that wholesome shit."

"Well, I just didn't know, " you said.

"Babe," Tyler said firmly, "I posted that on there because I wanted people to know that I'm with someone. And I'll post you all damn over there when you're ready, I don't care what people think about me, I care about what you think about me. And a little bit my family, but mostly you."

You felt strangely emotional, the way he was leaning into you. "We can take that part slow, but I don't care if people see us out to eat or walking down the street or whatever. I want us to just be able to love each other when we're out, and just, like, focus on us. I don't care if people are looking."

You swallowed that lump in your throat, eyeing his hand on the table.

"Unless you suddenly don't want to be seen with me?" He asked, with a self-deprecating laugh, and you shook your head, realizing you didn't really care either, your hand moving across the table to take his, his face settling into an easy smile.

He was pretty much all you stated at through the rest of the meal, too, other than the couple of times you checked on Bentley, leaning towards each other like you were the only ones there. And you both had decided you were too full for dessert, instead stopping by one of the bakeries you'd discovered to grab a treat for later, both of you horribly overdressed like the time you'd gone for McFlurries after winter formal. With Bentley awake, you'd gotten a picture of the three of you all dressed up, Bentley held between to two of you, and one where Tyler had surprised you by leaning over to kiss you, both of which you flipped through when you went to sit down by the water for a moment, thinking of how you needed to get these printed and framed, taking a few minutes to walk, looking through the windows of all the little shops, Tyler making fun of you for the flats that you'd packed to slip on in place of your heels.

When you did get finally get back to the dogs, it felt like neither you nor Tyler were in a rush to get out of your nice clothes, lounging on the couch and then sitting on the floor in a way that you were sure would leave wrinkles for both of you, while Bentley and Gerry seemed to get the last bit of their energy out. It wasn't until Bentley started trying to rub his eyes, a sure sign of sleepiness, that you retreated to the bedroom, changing Bentley into his pajamas while Tyler got his bottle ready for him, meeting him in the hallway so you could hand him over, Tyler holding the baby with one hand while he unzipped your dress for you, which meant that you were back in the room that you'd used for getting changed and that you and Tyler would hang out in before you went to sleep in the other room with Bentley, under the guise that you were pumping. Which you did, but you'd also now pulled on what you'd had hidden deep in the zippered section of your suitcase, leaning in front of the mirror as you pulled your breasts into the cups, your hair pretty much perfectly tousled around your face, and you thanked the stars for the way that your curls had fallen out, your make-up not as intense as it had been earlier in the evening.

You hadn't even really known what he'd like, honestly, but assumed he'd enjoy pretty much anything you'd put on, finally deciding on the black lace bustier because it made your feel pulled in and curvy, feminine and sexy in a way that you hadn't felt for awhile. The accompanying thong was honestly not really much of anything, seeming like sting just to you, but you did at least love the way it showed off your ass and hamstrings, still strong and toned from the running. You had a feeling that Tyler would come find you eventually, and now you were half debating if you should lay out on the bed in some way, feeling a little self-conscious and silly being alone.

"Hey, Babe?" you heard Tyler call, "Do you know where his swaddle is?"

You paused, going through taking it off him this morning, finding it folded on the dresser in front of you.

"It's here," you said, moving to pick it up and going straight for the door, only to remember what you were wearing.

"'K, are you almost done, or...?" you could hear the changes in his voice, assuming that he was trying to bounce the baby, hearing Bentley's little fussing noises.

"Yeah, yeah, just one sec," you said, the swaddle still in your hand, hurriedly looking around the room, your eyes thankfully landing on a robe that was hung in the closet, throwing it on and pulling it shut as you walked quickly, wanting to catch Bentley before he went into a full-blown meltdown.

At some point, you realized, Tyler had changed into just a pair of shorts, and he had Bentley held against his chest, moving back and forth to try and calm him down, talking softly. But he turned, his eyes running over your figure, his eyebrows raised in question. "Robe?" he asked, following you to wear you were stashing the milk you'd just pumped in the fridge, ignoring his question. But he still came up, his fingers pulling at the robe, trying to see what you had shielded underneath.

"Tyler, you scolded, pushing his hands away, the dogs rubbing their bodies as they circled your bare legs.

e counter,

"What?" he asked, feigning innocence, leaning into you, even as he grabbed as pacifier from the counter.

"Would you just give me him?" you asked, frazzled, and Tyler laughed, him and the dogs trailing after you into the bedroom, where you tossed the blanket onto the bed, pulling the swaddle snug around him, although you caught Tyler with his head tilted to the side, like he was trying to see up under the robe when you bent over. "Would you stop?" you laughed, eyes wide, cradling the little bundle of baby in your arms, rocking him back and forth.

"I just want to make sure he goes to sleep okay," Tyler said, his arm moving around you as he brought the pacifier to Bentley's mouth, and then he went and sat down rather obediently on the bed, patting the blankets to encourage the dogs to jump up. "C'mon, it's bedtime."

The look he was giving you made it clear that he knew the two of you weren't going to bed, well, well at least not to sleep, and you wondered how he seemed to be able to sense just what your plans were for the rest of the evening.

"Did he eat okay?" You asked, moving to lay Bentley down as his eyes started to bat shut, turning the rocking motion on his portable bassinet, and then pushing the button for the wave noises, and you were certain that you noticed Cash's eyes getting heavy, too.

"Yeah, he's tired," Tyler said, standing up behind you, wrapping his arms around you in a caring way, leaning over, "You're gonna sleep good, right, buds? We got a deal?"

You pulled away just long enough to run your thumb gently over Bentley's cheek, grabbing the baby monitor from the dresser. Tyler's hand ever so softly shutting the door behind you, both of your pausing for noise as you looked into each other's eyes.

There was nothing.

"Hi," Tyler said softly, stepping into you, his arms moving to clasp his hands along the low of your back, but still keeping distance between the two of you.

"Hi," you responded, closing the gap, pressing your lips to his. You could still taste the wine on his lips, smell the fresh scent of his shampoo, the slightly spicy scent of his soap, warm, and manly, and just...Tyler. Your spare hand reached up to his bare chest, sending a shiver of even more warmth through your body, and you suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel more of his skin against yours. He was leaning into you gently, just your lips moving together, not even getting his tongue involved or moving to press you into the wall but instead supporting you into him, humming contentedly against you. He was surprised you when he pulled back for air, bracing his palm on the wall behind you, shooting you a charming look.

"So, baby, do you think I could get your number?" he asked, his smile matching yours, hands dropping to hold yours, even with the gigantic baby monitor you had, and you laughed. "I had a really great time tonight."

"Umm.." you said, shifting your weight back and forth, "I think you can have the key to my house."

Tyler raised an eyebrow as if he was impressed. "That's aggressive."

You laughed with him, feeling his toes cover yours as he stepped closer to you, and you managed to shrug, Tyler laughing as he eased his face into the side of your neck, and you shivered when his lips brushed your sensitive skin, feeling it in your core. He only just inhaled your scent though, and then he kissed you simply, pulling back, and your lips instinctively followed him, half stumbling over his large feet, which Tyler only acknowledged with a giggle, letting you move into him.

"Hey," he asked, tilting his head, your hands still in his, not able to stop himself from laughing. "You want to go watch a movie in bed or something? It's more comfortable than the couch, I know that sounds kinda weird, but...."

"Oh my god," you laughed, and yet you moved into him.

"Yeah," he said, moving backwards, and seeming fairly under control until you stepped into the bedroom, where he pulled you inside, shutting the door behind you and kissing you again, pressing your back against the door, leg naturally slotted between yours. He was breathing heavily, already, when he pulled back, hand pushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, and you felt it, all that you were able to do was to raise your hand to his shoulder. His hand moved down, skimming the arms of your robe, keeping his gaze on yours as he took the baby monitor out of your hand, setting it on the dresser and flicking it on without even needing to look at it.

And now you were renewed, pushing yourself away from the door, Tyler's eyes soft, his smile going a little bit naughty as he reached for the tie on your robe, just toying with it. "Can I...?"

You nodded, feeling strangely cared for with the way that he slipped the robe from your body, letting it pool around your feet, taking a breath before he allowed himself to look down your body. "Oh, hell yeah," he said, pumping his head a bit, and you laughed again. He wasn't laughing, though, not with the way his eyes moved up your bare legs, to your hips and over your waist, settling on your breasts and then your face, repeating the cycle. You wanted to feel shy, with the overt way that he was checking you out, circling around your body, clearly on display, but it was even hotter than you'd expected, especially the way you could hear him suck in a breath as he you knew he saw your backside, not even touching you yet, but you could feel him.

When he completed his rotation, he stood in front of you, his lips parting, reaching out to just rub the fabric. "I like this," he asked, just rubbing the fabric between his thumb and forefinger his voice coming out dry, like he was parched. "Is it new?"

You let out a little surprised "yes," because it wasn't like you were going to wear lingerie for him that you'd worn for past boyfriends, especially because Tyler had known and been friendly with both of them.

It'd be weird.

"No one's ever done anything like this for me before," Tyler said his fingers lightly trailing down to your hips, pads of his fingers just brushing against your skin.

"Really?" you asked, taken aback, and Tyler just merely nodded, lips still pressed together.

"I like it," he repeated, and you made a mental note to make a point to surprise him with a little something special like this for a special occasion, maybe for his birthday, or Valentine's Day, or a homecoming after a trip. "Did you have this on the whole time?"

"No," you said, belatedly, because he seemed a little hopeful, your hand moving back onto his arm as you explained yourself. "I thought about it, but if I needed to feed the baby..."

"Yeah, well, I was gonna say, if you were wearing that and I didn't notice something is wrong with me," he said with a self-deprecating laugh, quickly forgetting, "Do you think you could though? One time? If we brought bottles?"

"Mhmm..." you responded, simply, only because you couldn't find words with how dark his eyes were, although you weren't even entirely sure if you could handle an evening out if he was looking at you with half the intensity that he was now.

He made a noise of appreciation, deep in his throat, leaning down to kiss you the way you wanted, mouth hot and heavy against yours, and you pulled him to you, every nerve in your body coming alive with the way that he moved his mouth make down to your neck, kissing a hungry trail, his tongue coming out to move along the strap that hung from your shoulders, nibbling and sucking along the swell of your breasts. Your hands went to his sides, though, because he was taking control again like he usually did, and you wanted this to be about him, your hand moving up to his shoulder, kissing him as you moved backwards. He moved easily, pulling you with him, his lips never leaving yours, and you took a moment to pull his bottom lip between yours once the back of his calves hit the mattress. Which you thought would work in your favour, but then he instinctively gripped your ass in his large hand, pulling your hips to his.

"Mmm...Ty..." you managed, "babe?"

"Mmm?" He asked, hands roaming. "What do you want? Tell me what you want."

You didn't answer him,instead pressing your hands against his chest until he sat down on the bed, reaching to pull you into his lap. You didn't let him, though, instead bracing your legs against the bed, trying to use the leverage to push him back. He went down easy, though, letting you arrange his body how you liked, giving you a greedy grin as you crawled over him, tucking his hands behind his head, and you slid your body up his thighs, pretty sure that he could feel the wetness seeping through, with how much you'd been anticipating this all night. Only when you looked over your shoulder, double checking that the lights on the baby monitor weren't high enough to let you know the baby wasn't settling did Tyler's hand move, tangling in your hair to pull more of it down around your face, fisting in it to pull you down into him, your hips shifting until you were seated over him, feeling him hardening underneath you. Tyler sucked in a deep breath, eyes moving over you, hands roaming, pulling his lip between his teeth.

"I should take a picture of you just like this," he said, moving like he was going to reach for the nightstand.

"Don't you dare," you said, your hand pressing into his chest, until you could feel him laughing, holding your forearm.

"Nah, I don't want anyone to see you like this but me," he said, his voice deep and possessive, which was hot in a way that you hadn't imagined. "Seriously, I can't decide if I want to fuck you with this on, or take it off."

"You can do whatever you want," you said, sliding downwards.

"Fuck..." Tyler muttered, your hands following the path of your bodyr, tracing over his hard, defined lines, until you came to the tops of his shorts.

"I want these off though," you said, toying with the waistband, watching Tyler gulp.

"You want me to go put the suit back on so you can take that off?"

"No," you laughed, although you kind of wanted to take your time with the buttons of his dress shirt, unzipping his pants. But, hopefully, you'd have the opportunity to do that plenty. You eyed his sizable bulge, checking out his body in the way that he checked out yours.

"Baby," Tyler pleaded, and you slid backwards on his legs, your fingers slipping beneath the waistband, feeling the warmth of his skin, the light hair of his happy trail, tugging his shorts down while his eyes connected with yours, his cock hard and heavy against his stomach, your body clenching in anticipation. You felt Tyler kick his shorts off the rest of the way, his hands reaching. You leaning over though, hands moving up his thighs until his cock twitch. You eyed it, wanting to take him into your mouth, but settled for wrapping your hand around him, giving his a couple of strokes while he let out a sigh of relief, his legs restless beneath you. You placed a kiss on his hip next, his hips stuttering, and your lips moved up his abdomen, kissing over the tattoo on his chest. You were planning to go higher, to move your lips over that piece of ink he'd gotten just for you, but Tyler grabbed your hair instead, gently tugging your lips to his.

"God," you muttered, pussy clenching around nothing, trying to shift just right that your thong would rub against your clit, at least giving you a little bit of pressure.

"Mmmm...baby," Tyler breathed, hands against your ass, pulling you to his cock, and then you could feel his fingers sneak around, one playing with the wetness at your entrance, pushing it in slowly, like he knew what you needed. It was hard to concentrate, though, with his finger inside you, so you let him for just a minute, and then shifted again, Tyler huffing like you'd stop touching him, even as your lips trailed to suck on his neck, creating a mark like he so often did with you, fingernails lightly raking across his chest. "Want you to sit on my face."

You pulled back almost immediately, using his body to steady yourself. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, sliding his hand that had been inside you around your body, sucking his finger into his mouth, and you couldn't stop your body's reaction, the way his eyes slid shut as he tasted you.

"But...I..." you stumbled, shifting on his body, because was this a thing that people actually did and didn't just talk about, your hand braced on his chest. "I was trying to make this about you."

"But what if this is what I want?" he asked, innocently enough, his hips shifting restlessly on the bed.

"You go down on me all the time," you said, part of your brain cursing you for seemingly complaining about it. Which you definitely were not.

" Well, I think you like it," Tyler said, his eyes twinkling, tongue darting out to wet his lips, and you nodded in confirmation. "And I didn't really get to a lot, we haven't been doing that the whole time."

You could feel his fingertips playing along the sides of your ass as you thought, playfully encouraging you.

"I've just never done it before," Tyler said, "And it sounds really hot. With you."

"I just don't want to hurt you," you said, ignoring how wet and desperate to be touched you were for just a moment.

"Believe me, you are not gonna hurt me," Tyler said with a laugh, hands pulling at your ass now. "Please? Just for a minute."

You huffed, unsure of how his whining could be just so hot, slowly settling up his body, Tyler's hands sliding down to your thighs, and then back up, toying with the string of your thong, slowly pulling it to the side, feeling the air against your bare pussy. You shuddered, lifting up so your weight was supported on shins, slowly inching up into position, watching Tyler's eyes widen, a grin coming over his face just before he pulled you into him, letting out a satisfied hum once you were seated over his mouth. Honestly, it felt better than you thought it would, beard pricking at the sensitive skin of your thighs, mouth wet and warm against you. His gentle lips kissed at your clit, and your body went weak, Tyler laughing as he gripped at your thighs to steady you, which only sent more shockwaves through your body.

"Oh my god," you breathed, a lazy, satisfied smile spreading across your face already.

"Yeah, babe," Tyler spoke against your skin, not able to possibly get any closer to you, your hand reaching for the headboard.

This wasn't even your damn bed.

His lips sucked at your swollen clit, your leg beginning to shake already, and your hips pressed hard into his face. Tyler made a strangled noise from beneath you and you immediately pulled back, worried you hurt him, but his fingers gripped harder into your ass, pulling you back with need, making another noise as his tongue hungrily lapped between your folds. Your breath was coming out ragged, and it was all you could hear other than the sounds that Tyler was making, letting out a moan as his tongue drove up inside you, and your hand gripped his hair, so easy to fuck on his tongue, warm, and wet, and hard inside you. It was almost too good, too fast, and you were lucky that you had the wherewithal to actually learn forward to get a glimpse of his face, eyes slid shut like he'd just taken a bite of something delicious, your hips rocking even more, hands struggling for purchase, your bodies moving with each other instead of against each other, letting out a little laugh as you slid away from him, your hips raised over his chest, now becoming more and more aware of the burn on your inner thighs, knowing you'd be feeling it tomorrow.

You didn't care.

"Yeah, that was awesome," he said as he ran his hand over his face to wipe it off, and you couldn't help but laugh again, Tyler's eyes shooting you a devilish look, leaning in with his teeth to hook around the thin string of your thong, slowly inching it down over your hips, his arms still held around your thighs. It wasn't really working out as well as he might have intended, the elastic snapping against your skin and making you laugh, his eyes looking up at you until you slid your own hands to get it out of the way, shifting to push it down your legs, even with Tyler kissing at your legs, the little piece of fabric all but ruined, your hands moving onto his forearms as you leaned more onto him, following the shift of his hand to where he was palming at his cock, giving you a little sheepish grin libuilke it was wrong that you caught him. "I am so fucking hard right now."

A moan slipped out of your mouth at his words, and all of a sudden your body was launched into motion, leaning over towards the nightstand, Tyler's hand lightly slapping your ass, fumbling for the bottle of lube you'd stashed there, your breathing stuttering at just the thought of getting him inside you.

"Baby," Tyler pleaded, which was not helping your mind connect with your hands any better, nor was the groan that he let out when you finally grabbed the lube, using your hands to pump up and down his shaft, feeling him pulsing in your hand already, his hands moving heavy to your hips, gripping you, your mouth falling open as you sunk onto his length, feeling that familiar stretch.

"God," you finally let out, your voice coming out strangely breathless, circling your hips.

"Holy fuck," Tyler muttered, his head pressed hard into the pillow, like you were rendering him boneless. "Babe....you....fuck, you gotta move."

The thing about Tyler was that he could have such control over his body, that the raggedness of his voice and the way he was gripping at your hips was a huge turn on, every muscle in his body pulled tight, wanting to take you in a way that he hadn't since last summer. With a couple of slow rolls of your hips, you build up a good rhythm, the heavy smack of skin on skin filling the room, moving beyond the even, deep touches you'd been giving each other lately, recapturing that pure sexual chemistry that you'd discovered that you had, which was somehow even better now that you didn't have to hide behind it. It wasn't long before Tyler was pulling your hips hard into his, that angle just right, so it was over and over again, your head falling back.

"So fucking good," Tyler mumbled, which just increased your movements, hand trailing down to your clit because you needed the release, couldn't take the build up anymore, especially when you'd been so close before, the sensation overwhelming in a way that let you know that this was going to be huge. Tyler made a frustrated noise, pushing your hand quickly out of the way, using his fingers to circle your clit and you were gone, your body leaning into the sensation, a crazy noise coming out of your mouth, Tyler riding you through it so you weren't sure if it was one big orgasm, or two smashed together, the sensations just building and building. You didn't even come down from it completely before Tyler growled, sitting up and his mouth connecting hard with yours, pushing at the sides of your bustier. "Fuck...I need....I need..."

And someone with his harsh breathing you seemed to understand, your hands working together to pull it from your body, shedding it to the side, Tyler's hands heavy on your bare skin, yet you were still completely caught by surprise when he flipped your bodies over in one motion, your breath getting caught in your chest, Tyler's forehead pressing against yours, the gentle movement of his lips contrasting with the rest of his body, and it was all you could do to clutch to him. "Can you go again?" he asked, somehow able to form thoughts when your brain had left you long ago.

"Yeah, uh....yeah," you managed, completely breathless, feeling nothing other than the heat spreading up your spine again, the slap of his balls against your ass.

He made a completely unintelligent noise, trying to look at you but settling for burying his face in your shoulder, thrusting with abandon, hard and deep, and your legs wrapped around him, pulling him even closer. His hips stuttered, pausing deep inside you, his moan fulling your ear and your body contracting around him, feeling his release inside you and sending you into one of your own, his hips moving even faster as he continues to let go, pawing at each other as you came down together, both of you sweaty and satisfied, slowly reentering the world together, Tyler giving you a lazy grin.

"Yeah, that was awesome," he said, and you could do nothing more than smile back and him, hoping that he at least got the message, and he laughed, kissing you, rolling onto his side towards you, hand running up and down your arm before you turned to him. "You look so damn fucked out."

"I am," you said, and he tried to act like he had it together, but you could see his chest rising and falling for breath, the redness on his cheeks.

"Mmm....I want cookies," he said, throwing his leg over yours, pulling you close, and you immediately started laughing silently. "In like five minutes."

****

"I love you so much right now," you said to Tyler, reaching up from where you were nursing the baby for the iced mocha in his hand, iced coffee being what you'd been constantly craving, and you'd practically started crying this morning when you realized that you'd forgotten to brew coffee and stick in the fridge last night, both before you'd gone to bed, and then you'd thought of it again when you were up in the night with Bentley, certain you'd made a mental note to do that.

Apparently your brain had lost the memo.

"Yeah, I know," Tyler said cockily, stepping over the dogs to set his own coffee down next to yours, leaning down to kiss you on the cheek. "You still planning on eating that soggy bowl of cereal? Saving it for something?"

"Oh shoot," you muttered, looking up in the direction of the kitchen. You'd had it all set up too, the perfect breastfeeding snack right when Bentley would be ready to eat, totally ready to settle in. And you'd forgotten that, too. Tyler just laughed at you like you being scatterbrained was adorable, rather than making fun of you.

"I'll make you a new one," he offered, and all you could do was thank him. Really, you didn't even know why you were so exhausted. Bentley was sleeping better than he ever had, likely tuckered out from all the new stimulation he was getting, and it wasn't like Tyler was having to go train or have any other commitments while you were on vacation, meaning that you had his help all the time.

And yet you found yourself rubbing your feet back and forth against Cash's fur, taking a grateful sip of your coffee, savoring it as if the taste alone would perk your brain up. Marshall's head raised up first from where he was curled up on the other end of the sofa, and you didn't think anything of it, leaning over to pat him, which meant you were completely unprepared for Gerry launching himself onto the couch, your hand holding Bentley to the breastfeeding pillow and your body, trying to steady your coffee, sliding it onto the table beside you.

"Gerry," you said, in what you thought was a stern voice, but he just wagged his tail, making Marshall blink with each pass of his tail, Gerry stepping towards you with that familiar look in his eye. "Gerry," you repeated, your arm going up to protect the baby from errant paws, leaning your head away instinctively to get away from the tongue that was surely to be in your face, likely in your eyes. You were not, however, expecting his head to duck lower, licking at the top of your exposed breast. You screeched a little, trying to push him away, but he was intent like he was trying to lick the remnants out of his food bowl.

"Tyler!" you called, and he must have heard the panic in your voice because you could hear his footsteps rushing.

"Gerry!" Tyler said harshly, attracting his attention, "Off, off."

Luckily, Tyler was able to pull the strong dog off within seconds, Gerry immediately laying down like he was in trouble. "Is he okay?" Tyler asked, running his finger along Bentley's cheek like he was trying to check him for scratches, your hand coming over your upturned lips, Bentley looking around for a moment before he went back to nursing.

"He's fine, he didn't touch him."

Tyler looked back and forth between Ferry and you, a frown evident on his face, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know what, he's never jumped on him like that before."

"He wasn't jumping on him, he was jumping on me," you clarified.

"Are you sure?" Tyler asked tentatively.

"Yes," you said, your voice breaking with laughter, and Tyler raised his eyebrows, giving you a curious look. "He was trying to lick my boob."

"He was what?" Tyler asked, head jutting towards you.

"He was licking my boob," you repeated, cackling with laughter, your fingers wiping at your eyes.

"Quit shaking so much, your kid is trying to eat," Tyler laughed, which only made you laugh harder.

"Sorry," you said, trying to even out your breathing, but it was pointless. "It's just, of course your dog would try to lick my boob."

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means," you said.

"How come he's my dog when he does something bad?"

"Because," you answered, and Tyler laughed, sidling next to you. "He's your dog."

"He's your dog, too," Tyler said, somehow managing to lean over and rest his head on your shoulder without putting pressure on your body. "You're the one who told me to get him."

"I just said he was cute," you laughed, Tyler raising his eyebrow, "You sent me a picture of a puppy and asked me what I thought, what else am I gonna say? I didn't know you were thinking about getting a puppy."

"Well, you didn't have any trouble hopping on a flight and coming down to help me," Tyler said sarcastically, a smile playing across his lips.

"Well, you had a puppy, of course I was coming," you said, already petting Gerry with your foot.

"They're so cute when they're little, it's hard to stop," Tyler said, admittedly, running his fingers over your bare arm lightly, looking at the baby and then back up at you, grinning mischievously, and you thought for a moment that if you weren't careful, you'd end with a whole house full of babies and dogs.

"Yeah," you said, dreamily, because those were the days when you realized that you'd got absolutely nothing done other than stare at a little creature, fresh to the world.

"Then, next thing you know, they're all grown up and licking girl's boobs," Tyler said, and you started giggling again, which turned into deeper laughter when you noticed Marshall just sitting at the end of the couch staring seriously at Tyler's head, like he was judging you both and Tyler looked at him and snorted, his hand moving around to rub at Marshall's neck.

"What did you want to do today?" you asked, already stifling a yawn. "He's ready, so if you want to watch him when he's done eating, I can go get ready, and we could do that hike again?"

"Do you want to do that hike again?" Tyler laughed, eyebrows raised, and you realized that you already had your head resting on the back of the couch.

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Because you look like you're gonna fall asleep," Tyler said, leaning his cheek against the couch like you were.

"Mmm..." you muttered, non committedly, and Tyler laughed.

"You're not?" He laughed.

"I'm just a little tired," you admitted. "I'm sure I'll wake up once we get moving."

"We can just hang out here," Tyler said, "we don't have to go anywhere."

"Yeah, but..." you started.

"But what?"

And you sighed. "But you want to go, and I just-"

"I don't care," he shrugged, setting his feet atop the coffee table as if to prove his point.

"But you didn't go on vacation this year, and you work hard..."

Tyler suddenly looked at you like you had two heads. "I'm on vacation right now."

"Yeah, but it's not the same," you said, and Tyler's eyes widened trying to get you to elaborate, and you inhaled,propping Bentley up on your chest and then rubbing his back, a little fist rising to his face, and Tyler had to pull back a little so he didn't get smacked, leaning in close again. "You came home on bye week to help me set up his room and then you came home right after the season was over."

"Yeah, because I wanted to hang out with you guys," Tyler said, "that's the whole reason why I wanted to come here, because I wanted to relax and be alone with you guys, not because I cared about going on hikes or whatever."

"I know," you said, and he gave you a bit of a skeptical look. "It's been fun, though, I just don't know why I'm so tired today."

"You have a baby," Tyler said, "Pretty sure you're supposed to be tired."

"No, I know," you said, planting a kiss atop Bentley's head. "He's been super good though."

"Yeah, he's been great," Tyler agreed, "but you're still up with him multiple times a night, and we've been super busy, AND you've been screwing my brains out like every night. I'd be tired, too."

"Tyler!"

"What?" He asked, impishly sticking his tongue out at you. "It's true. I didn't say the F word."

"Yeah...I..." you said, stumbling over your words, your face getting hot, and Tyler laughed at you.

"We can just chill here, though, this house is bomb, and we haven't really checked it out," Tyler said, kissing at your neck playfully and then nudging Bentley's nose with his own. "We could watch a movie in the media room, play with toys, take a nap, order take-out."

"We could cook," you said, leaning into him now, "We've got this big, beautiful kitchen, and I don't think I can leave here without cooking in it."

You suddenly felt like you needed a home cooked meal, and perhaps fresh vegetables.

"Yeah, sure," Tyler said, "if you want."

"I want," you said, leaning easily into his kiss.

You didn't nap though, not really, but you'd shut your eyes while stretched out on the floor playing with Bentley and then again curled up with Tyler later on the couch, catching up on Netflix, feeling much more rested without being drowsy.

Tyler had ended up picking you both up sandwiches for a late lunch, which meant that by the time you'd headed to the grocery store it was fairly quiet, everyone likely already eating their dinner, the warm summer evening calm and inviting.

"Oh, sure, now you fall asleep," you said quietly towards Bentley, who had fallen silent pretty much as soon as you turned into the parking lot. Tyler had offered to go to the store for you or stay back with the baby, but selfishly you wanted to spend time with both of them. "We go on a drive where we want you to fall asleep and you're mad the whole time, but we go for a short drive and you pass out?"

Tyler laughed, his hand nudging at your hip. "Here, I got him," he said, and you watched as he ever so gently maneuvered the car seat out, Bentley staying silent, his eyes shut restfully, and his little lips puckered, Tyler giving you a look like you should be impressed that the baby stayed asleep, and you stepped a little ahead of them, going to grab a shopping buggy. "I thought we were just grabbing stuff for dinner, you think we need a cart?" he laughed at you.

"To put him in," you said, nodding towards the open cart.

"Oh," Tyler said in a small voice, settling him into the cart, while you attempted to orientate yourself in the unfamiliar store.ÐXXÐX

"What do you want?" you asked, looking over your shoulder towards Tyler.

"You wanna do like pasta or something?"

"Sure," you said, running through a checklist in your mind. "With shrimp?"

"That sounds amazing," he said, literally leaning over to kiss your cheek for no reason, and you noticed the produce guy look at you and smile, like this wasn't something he saw everyday.

"We've still got white, right?" You asked, "we could do a wine sauce."

"You are really into this whole wine thing," Tyler laughed, the two of you having picked up a bottle from local wineries almost every time you'd been out, settling in with your one glass each night.

"I couldn't have any for forever," you said, "and the alcohol will burn off anyways."

Tyler laughed at you, yet you could see him eyeing a display, picking out another bottle to add to your collection. "I think can handle driving a shopping cart, babe, I'm not gonna crash."

And now you realized that you were holding onto the end of the cart, guiding him around like he was a child. "Sorry," you said, pulling away, "Habit."

Tyler smiled at you, leaning over the shopping cart to check on Bentley, slowly pushing it behind you. "How long until he gets to sit up here?"

You looked at Tyler patting the seat at the top of the cart, where you used to stick your purse, but now it seemed more reserved for your diaper bag. "Umm...when he can sit up on his own, I think?" you said, picturing the little bare feet dangling, and ignoring your worries about germs briefly.

"It's gonna be so cute," Tyler said, "I want him to go in the one that looks like a car."

"You want him to go in the one that looks like a car, or you want to?" you asked, grabbing a package of fresh pasta from the shelf.

"I want him to go in it while I push him," Tyler said, as if it was obvious, "We can do donuts by the donuts."

"You are such a geek," you laughed.

"No, you're the nerd," Tyler said, still following you around. "You're a cute nerd, but you're still a giant nerd."

"Whatever," you smiled, enjoying the quiet way that they followed you around the store, while you gathered olive oil, and cheese, and the shrimp, Tyler grabbing ingredients for the salad while you grabbed garlic and fresh herbs.

"Hey, babe?" you heard Tyler call from the other side of the produce section. "Do you want eggplant?"

"For this?" you asked, gathering the herbs into a bag and then turning, "No?"

You stopped though, your hand following when you saw him casually leaning against the cart, and no one would notice unless they were right in his line of sight that he was holding the eggplant right between his legs, Tyler's laughter ringing out when he saw the look on your face.

"What? You don't like eggplant?" he asked, and you found yourself hoping that no one in the store spoke English.

"I like eggplant," you said, "It just doesn't go with what we're making."

"Wait, you actually eat eggplant?" Tyler asked, putting it back now, and you did a double take, because did he seriously just try to put that back?

"Yeah, it's good, like eggplant parm, or-" you said, taking a look at Tyler's scrunched up face, shocked at how incredibly picky he was with food, about the only thing you had to nudge him to get him out of his comfort zone, going to put what you'd grabbed in the cart and freezing. "Tyler, you cannot put an eggplant on my baby's crotch," you said, the words coming out rather serious, but than you were really struggling not to laugh at the words that you just said.

"It's a baby eggplant," Tyler said, poking at it with his finger, a look of amusement on his face that was contagious. You sighed dramatically, going to grab the other one he'd put back before, now wondering what the hell you were going to make with eggplant.

You'd figure it out.

"You're getting it?" Tyler asked, and you nodded. "Why?"

"Because I'm not letting other people buy them after what you did with them."

"But I don't have to eat it, right?"

"Oh, you're gonna eat it," you said, and Tyler looked a little taken aback, leaning down towards Bentley and saying in a stage whisper.

"You're gonna have to do me a favour and get in trouble lots, bud, you're mom's hot when she's mad."

"Stop," you laughed.

"It's true," he said, kissing you on the temple, snaking a hand to discreetly pinch your ass, and your hand wrapped around his forearm, pulling back to kiss him in a way that was at least appropriate in public. "You think we got everything?" he asked, softly, hands brushing yours as you sorted through the cart, your fingers touching the plastic buried underneath the vegetables, finding a package of cinnamon buns, thick with cream cheese frosting.

"The kid must have snuck them in there," Tyler said, scratching the back of his neck, his face scrunched up with mock concern, "Looks like he ruined the packaging a bit, we're gonna have to buy them now, I guess."

"He didn't sneak any ice cream in there, did he?" you asked.

"Mmmm, I don't think so," Tyler said, "I hope he doesn't try to pull anything between now and the check-out counter."

And you couldn't stop the smile from coming across your face when Tyler left disappeared right as you were getting into line, coming back with your favourite ice cream and very obviously stuffing it under the vegetables on the conveyor belt, the cashier sharing a look with you, like she was trying to hide a smile.

It wasn't a few minutes later that you were getting in the car, Bentley all secured in the back, and you moved in to sit next to Tyler, sharing a look when he stayed peacefully asleep, likely not even aware of your whole grocery trip outing, yet he'd still been a big part of it. Tyler already had his seatbelt done up, so you worked on yours, assuming he was waiting for you, his keys in the ignition. But he didn't move to turn the car on, running his hand over the top of the steering wheel, and then turning to look at you, and you could see him swallow.

"I really like being able to go to the grocery store with you," He said simply.

"Yeah, me too," you said, your brain already trying to figure out what he was getting at, it being so obvious he didn't have to spell it out.

"No, I mean, like, I like just being able to go once? Like not have stuff at your house and have stuff at my house, like having it all together?" He said, clearing his throat, his hand wide across his thigh, turning even more to look at you. "I mean, like being in the same house, and living together this week, it's been...awesome."

You looked at him, still trying to put the pieces together, because you'd barely spent a night apart since Bentley had come down with that ear infection, it wasn't like sleeping in the same bed every night and coordinating dinner was that new.

"I want more of it," he said.

"Like...you want to live together?" you said, before you could think, and Tyler just silently nodded, his eyes on yours. "Like in your house?"

"Yeah," Tyler said.

"Well, I mean, we're usually there during the day?" you said, because that was usually your routine, heading over to his place after he'd gotten home from training and staying there until it was just about Bentley's bedtime, when you'd go for your nightly walk and then head back to your place, having diapers and dog bowls and clothes at both of your places. "Not that I don't want to, it's just with his room, at my house, like I think it's easier if we sleep there."

You couldn't even imagine dealing with taking apart the crib and putting it back together again, and your glider, and the whole room that you'd created, knowing the time it had taken you to put it together, and realizing that by the time you'd even set up a place for Bentley at Tyler's, summer would likely be over anyways.

And...

"No, I don't mean here, what we've been doing is fine," Tyler said, half laughing at you. "I meant in Dallas."

"You want me to come live with you in Dallas?" you said, clarifying, feeling all the air rush out of your lungs in shock, everything slowing down, and Tyler nodded clearly, as if he needed to make it perfectly clear, his hands coming to rest on yours.

"You're on maternity leave for a year, right?" he confirmed, even though he already knew the answer, and now was your time to nod. "I just want to....see if we can make this thing work. All of us. If you would...move in with me?"

Although he didn't say it, you could see it in his eyes, of everything that he was asking you to give up. The support system you'd set up, and your family, and your home, and this whole life you'd created for yourself. It felt like you were standing on a ledge, the next words out of your mouth being something that could change your entire life, whether you were going to be all in, or try and keep one foot on solid ground. You let your mind go clear, your eyes darting back to that carseat in the back of Tyler's car, holding that last big decision you'd made together, and then your eyes moved back to Tyler's, who was still waiting for you.

"Yes," you said evenly, your voice filling the car, watching Tyler's smile reflect your own.

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