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roosterforme · 3 days

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Covering the Classics Part 14 | Bob Floyd x OC

Summary: Once again, Anna can't seem to get what she wants from Kevin. Bob realizes she needs a break, and the last thing he wants to do is leave her alone. He convinces her to go somewhere he knows she will be safe.

Warnings: Angst, Kevin is a dick, bruises on Anna's arm, adult language, 18+

Length: 4900 words

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Female OC (this story is part of the Beer Boy/Sugar and Jake/Jessica universe)

Covering the Classics masterlist. Check my masterlist for more!

Of course this would happen. On the day when Anna was supposed to meet Bob, one of her colleagues from the English department actually wanted to chat in the lounge. Dr. Lukas was usually quiet, but today he wanted to have an in depth conversation about Anna's Classics lecture and whether or not she would mind if he sat in.

"Please, stop by any time. I would love to get some feedback from you." If she was going to stay in San Diego and try for tenure, she may as well get friendly with someone who'd been at the university for longer than she'd been alive. When she finally excused herself to drop the stack of quizzes she printed in her office before heading to Chippy's, she felt a little sadder.

Would she be able to stay here indefinitely? Could she give up on her manuscript and get something just as fulfilling out of her job teaching here? She wanted to have both. Something about being with Bob and knowing he was falling for her made her feel like she could have both. Her manuscript and her job. The best thing about her old life and one of the best things about her new life in California.

Lost in thought as she took the elevator back up, she turned down the hallway to her office and almost screamed when her door came into view. She froze up, somehow unable to decide if fight or flight was her best option. But it didn't matter. He saw her. He was already walking her way. Once again, he had the upper hand in this scenario. Even when she tried to catch him off guard, he managed to surprise her just as much.

And now a truly devastating thought occurred to her. Kevin knew where she worked. He had taken it upon himself to figure that much out. But what if he knew more than that?

"Anna," he said with a smile as if he was greeting an old friend and not his estranged wife he spent years taking advantage of. "I've been waiting for you."

A chill ran down her spine as she tried to push her shoulders back to her tallest height, and she knew he could tell she was nervous. "Waiting for what, Kevin?"

"Well," he started blandly, "you thought it was okay to interrupt my work event, so I decided I would do the same."

Her stomach felt like it sank to her feet. She needed to find a way to send him packing before she could attempt to leave the building. "I actually have plans tonight, so..."

He laughed in response. "You mean the nerdy guy with glasses? Yeah, I already sent him packing. Your plans are with me now."

"What do you mean you sent him packing?" Did Bob try to stop by her office rather than waiting for her at Chippy's? When she took her phone from her pocket to text him, Kevin snatched it from her fingertips.

Anna was completely alone with him right now, and he was scowling down at her. "I said your plans are with me. I'll hold onto this if it's going to be a distraction for you."

When she crossed her arms over her chest, she could feel the tender bruises on her arm where he grabbed her at his conference. She shouldn't have gone there, and now she didn't know what to do. When Kevin pocketed her phone, she asked, "Would you like to sit in my office and talk?"

"No," he replied calmly. "I think we should go back to your apartment on Monroe Avenue to chat."

There was no use in denying the fact that he just named her street, so she didn't even try. "I think I'd rather chat here."

"And I think I'd rather chat about your manuscript somewhere more private," he snapped even though nobody was around. Then he pulled a USB drive from his pocket, and Anna wanted to lunge for it on his open palm. "We can discuss how you're going to split any profits with me."

Before she could even make a decision about reaching for it, Kevin's fingers closed around it again. He already knew where she lived, and if he actually had her writing with him, she needed to try to play by his rules. "Fine," she told him, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "But only if you give me back my phone."

He nodded once. "As soon as we get to my rental car which is parked a block and a half away."

She could make it that far. She kept her eyes on him as she unlocked her office door, dropped off her quizzes for the following day and locked up again behind her. Then she followed a few steps behind Kevin as he walked down the stairs, out of the building and along the sidewalk, not stopping until he got to a silver Lexus.

"Phone," Anna said, realizing that Bob was going to think she stood him up at this point. That idea made her more upset at the moment than anything Kevin could do to her. She held out her hand and Kevin placed it on her palm. She saw some missed calls from Bob, but she didn't want to piss Kevin off any further at the moment, so she dropped it into her bag.

When they were both inside the rental car on the very short drive to her place, Kevin said, "So, Anna, how do you like living in California?"

"It's better than New Jersey," she retorted immediately.

Kevin snorted. "What's the saying? A New Jersey eight is a California three? I'm surprised you got that poor guy to sleep with you. And I'm surprised you can go out in the sun here without getting a blistering sunburn all over your freckles."

Anna sat there quietly, counting her blessings. She really only had three of them. Friends, a job, and her own apartment. "Are you going to give me that USB drive?" she asked when they were close to her place.

"If you sign some paperwork for me. You seemed keen on waving some bullshit from your lawyer in my face yesterday, so I'm sure I can get you to take a look at what I brought with me."

She hated him and his tone of voice, but mostly she hated the idea of him inside her apartment with her. She took a deep breath as she eventually unlocked her door and let him follow her into her tiny studio.

"Nice place," he said, clearly mocking everything he saw.

"Is it any shock to you that this is all I can afford, Kevin?" she snapped.

"I guess my medical degree is worth more than your arts PhD, huh? God bless medical school."

"You paid for it with my dime," she hissed, barely in control of her emotions now. She could see a smile spreading across Kevin's lips, and she knew she desperately needed to get a grip.

"You were a pretty good wife in some respects," he said, laughing at the look on her face. "But now you've become a pain in my ass. And the little stunt you pulled yesterday at my conference was enough to make me want to find you and let you know how it's going to be from here on out. Okay, Anna?"

When she didn't respond, he pulled that little USB drive from his jacket pocket along with a single folded up piece of paper. He smoothed it out before handing it to her.

"Go ahead and sign that for me, and you can have what you want." That little bit of plastic was back on his palm, and she was almost afraid to take her eyes off of it to read the document. But when she did, she found it was drafted up by his lawyer. He wanted half of any money she made through her writing. The idea of it made her want to throw up.

"And what if I don't agree to this?" she whispered.

"Then I keep it. I don't personally need it as badly as you seem to, so I'd think about how generous I'm being if I were you."

"Why are you like this?" Anna nearly shouted. "Why?"

And that's when Kevin snapped. "You tried to intimidate me!" he hollered. "At my own conference! After my keynote introduction! Do you really think I'm going to let that fucking slide?" Her lips were quivering as she pressed them together, but he just continued. "You're such a bitch, Anna. And apparently someone called Alyssa after they saw you there! She thinks we're already in the process of getting divorced!"

"We could have been by now! But you won't let me go with what's mine!"

But Kevin just yelled over her, and Anna briefly wondered if her neighbors could hear them. "You like your new job? Teaching reading comprehension to adults? I hope you still like it when I do everything in my power to get you fired!"

Tears filled her eyes, and her ears were ringing from his voice. When her apartment door flew open and hit the wall, she thought she had imagined it. But even her imagination couldn't perfectly conjure up Bob Floyd in his Dungeons & Dragons shirt and jeans, cheeks red with anger while his blue eyes flashed behind his glasses.

He was on Kevin immediately, taking him by surprise. Anna fleetingly took note of Kevin's shocked expression before Bob slammed him into the wall next to her bed. She gasped as Bob's forearm met Kevin's neck. "Don't yell at her," he said in that voice she loved so much. But he was gruff and angry right now, and Anna's heart pounded erratically as he added, "You don't get to yell at her like that."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Kevin grunted, but Bob had him pinned firmly in place. "You're just some guy she's fucking."

Anna wanted to vanish into thin air. The way Kevin tried to make her sound disgusting in front of Bob made her skin crawl with shame. But all Bob did was glance back at her and calmly ask, "Are you okay?"

When she nodded, he turned back to Kevin and pushed him a little harder against the wall, and that's when Anna jumped to action. "Don't hurt him, Bob. Please, just let him go." She was shaking, terrified that after months and months, Bob would get himself in trouble over her. "He's not worth it."

When Bob loosened his hold, he stood firmly in place just inches in front of Kevin with his back to Anna. She had never felt protected like this in her life. Kevin pointed at her over Bob's shoulder and barked, "The deal is off the table."

"Just leave!" she begged, hands shaking relentlessly now. She needed him to go. She really needed both of them to go so she could have a panic attack in peace.

Kevin shoved past Bob and headed for the door, and Bob locked it behind him. Then he turned to look at her, and she had nowhere to go as she sank down onto the floor next to her mattress and started to cry. Bob was there in an instant, and Anna was too tired to fight it when he collected her into his arms. She crawled into his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and just cried until she was done. His hands were firm and solid against her back, and then he whispered, "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded against his neck, inhaling his clean scent. "It's my fault he knows where I work. It's my fault he knows where I live," she hiccupped. "I shouldn't have tested him like I did."

He just hummed and rubbed her back, his fingers tangling in her long hair. "Nothing Kevin decides to do is anyone's fault but his own. Now let's get you out of here."

Anna pulled away from him and swiped at the tears on her cheeks as she asked, "What do you mean? Where am I supposed to go?" She gestured around her tiny living space, but Bob's eyes remained on her face. "This is where I live."

"I'm not leaving you here," he whispered softly. "If he knows where you live and where you work, I don't think you should be here or on campus alone."

"He's mostly harmless," she insisted softly.

Bob just looked sad as he sighed and started to stand. "He was screaming at you, Anna. And I don't like that. Will you please come with me?"

He was holding out his hand as she looked up at him. "Where?"

"My house. You can stay with me."

------------------------------------

Bob watched as Anna collected some of her things. She looked so flustered, shoving clothing, toiletries and her computer into a backpack and a tote bag. She handed them to him and walked around her little apartment in a bit of a daze.

"I'll bring the food from my fridge for my lunch and some quarters for the laundromat," she muttered before chewing on her lip. Bob reached out and took her gently by the hand as she tried to walk past him, and she looked up at him with wide brown eyes.

"Anna, I have plenty of food. And a washer and dryer."

She took a few deep breaths and said, "But I can't just use all of your stuff. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," he replied immediately. "But you need a break. My house is quiet. There are books and groceries. You can do your laundry. Let's go."

This time she nodded and let him lead her toward the door, but Bob accidentally kicked something across the floor and looked down to find a white USB drive hit the wall next to her bed. "Oh my god," she gasped, releasing his hand and lunging for it. She was kneeling and looking up at him as she whispered, "Kevin dropped it."

Bob's brow furrowed. "What's it from?"

She looked so hopeful now as she stood. "I think it might have my manuscript on it."

"Oh," Bob said in surprise. "Let's get out of here and check it." Anna's hand was back in his the whole way down the stairs, and when he held the door open for her, he pulled her a little closer. "What kind of car was he driving?"

"It was a silver Lexus sedan," she told him, and Bob started looking around at all of the parked cars. "I really don't think he would hang around. I'm telling you, he's an asshole, but he's harmless."

Bob wasn't going to risk it, even though Anna seemed excited now. He opened the passenger side door of his truck and helped her climb in before setting her bags at her feet. Then he walked to the end of the block, looking everywhere for something that could be Kevin's car. When he finally climbed into his truck and started the engine, he drove a slightly convoluted route back to his place, watching for any flash of silver paint.

"Thanks for looking out for me," Anna said softly as he pulled up to the curb in front of his house. "Even after everything."

He wanted to tell her that he would take care of everything if she would let him, but he didn't want to let his feelings overwhelm either of them. "You don't have to thank me for anything. Let's get inside and I'll make dinner while you check that USB drive."

Bob was thankful that Suzanne's door was closed, otherwise he would have had to explain to her why Anna was holding his hand and carrying her overnight bags. As soon as they were in his living room, he made sure his door was locked up tight while she scrambled to get her computer out. She sank down onto the couch and inserted the USB drive, glancing up at him with hopeful eyes. Then her face went expressionless when she looked at the screen.

"It's blank." That didn't sound surprising at all to Bob, and he sighed in relief as she said, "I thought this might be the case." She pushed her computer onto the couch cushion and stood saying, "Will you let me make dinner for you?"

He laughed softly and shook his head. "I already told you that you need a break." He plucked a collection of poems by Emily Dickinson from the top of his book shelf and handed it to her. "Read this. I'll tell you when it's ready."

"Thanks," she whispered, accepting the book from him.

Bob left her in the living room, making a mental list of things he needed to take care of as he peeled some carrots and preheated the oven to cook some chicken breasts. It would only take him a minute to make up the futon in the extra bedroom. He would pack two lunches for tomorrow instead of one. He also needed to call Jessica.

He wished he had something fancier to send Anna to work with, but he did have everything he needed to make sandwiches and fruit salads, and he had some packs of salted peanuts and cans of ginger ale. Once the chicken was in the oven, he slipped out the back door onto his patio, glancing at the street behind him for a silver Lexus while he called Jessica.

"I know, I know," she said when she answered. "I was supposed to send you the notes from D&D, but Jake took me out to dinner. We're on the way home now. I'll send it before bed."

"Hey," he replied. "No, I actually need to ask you to do something else."

"Anything," she replied easily, and Bob was so thankful for his friends.

"If you agree to do it, I need you to not ask a lot of questions at the moment."

"Sure," she told him so casually, his heart literally swelled.

"Anna is staying here with me for a while. Can you pick her up in the mornings on your way to work? I can get her after I leave base in the afternoon, but since you're heading into the city anyway-"

"Yeah. No problem. I can get her around 8:30 or 8:40," she told him. If she was surprised by his request, she didn't show it.

"Thank you, Jess," he said. He added, "I haven't given up," before he ended the call. He made an additional mental note that he needed to pull the weeds in Suzanne's vegetable garden, and then he headed back inside.

--------------------------

Somewhere in the romantic throes of Emily Dickinson, Anna passed out on Bob's couch. She woke up with the book tucked under her chin and his kind face in front of hers. His eyes were so sincere as he said, "Dinner is on the table, and I got the extra bedroom ready."

"Okay," she said as she sat up, still in a daze over everything that happened today. She was proud of herself for not getting her hopes up about what was on the USB drive, but it still hurt to know Kevin was such an ass after all this time. Then as soon as she sat down with Bob and took one bite of the magic carrots he cooked, her brain turned to complete mush. "Oh my god." She took two more big bites, practically moaning over the taste of a hot meal, and she hadn't even gotten to the chicken yet.

"It's nothing fancy, but it's getting late, and I can tell you're tired," he said as he cut up his food.

"Bob," she whispered, looking at him in awe. "This tastes like you went to culinary school."

He blushed bright pink, and Anna desperately tried not to think about how rosy his cheeks had been after he made her orgasm twice. "I'm glad you like it," he muttered, taking a bite and then clearing his throat. "I hope you don't mind, but I called Jess and asked if she could pick you up on her way to campus tomorrow. I would take you myself, but it would add at least 45 minutes to my ride to base in rush hour traffic, and I don't want you waiting for a bus alone."

Anna almost dropped her fork. She couldn't remember the last time someone looked out for her wellbeing like this, because it had never happened before. "Thanks," she whispered. She didn't know how many times she could say that word to him, but she meant it each time she did. And once again he was acting like what he was doing was simply part of his normal existence. Like he helped poor, hungry college professors all the time. Before she bit into the chicken, she asked what had been on her mind earlier. "Why did you come to my apartment anyway?"

He was blushing again as he adjusted his glasses and fumbled his fork. "Uh, well I was running early, so I stopped by your office. Kevin was there, jiggling the doorknob, trying to see if you were inside. He told me he was going to take you back to New Jersey so he could keep track of you."

"Like hell he is!" she snapped. "I'm not going anywhere with him!"

Bob scratched the back of his neck and said, "Yeah, well, as soon as I walked away to see if you were actually already at Chippy's, I just got a weird feeling. When I couldn't find you, I drove to your place. Kevin really rubbed me the wrong way."

The perfect man was sitting across from her, and Anna had to just sit there and eat her delicious chicken while she tried to process things. But then Bob asked, "Why was he there anyway?"

Anna looked up at him like a deer caught in headlights. She knew she needed to be honest with him if she ever had a hope or a prayer, so she said, "I may have figured out he's at a huge conference in Carlsbad until next week. And I may have gone up there and tried to get him to sign over my manuscript."

"Are you serious?" he asked, looking at her like she had two heads. "Anna. You went alone?" She nodded and he said, "I know you think he's harmless, but he looked up your workplace and your address. He tracked you down."

"Yeah," she said softly. "But I tracked him down first."

He sighed deeply. "The difference between you and him is that you wouldn't do anything maliciously but he would. Promise me you won't do something like that again."

The fact that he was worried about her was enough to make her agree, because if Bob Floyd cared about her, then she owed it to him. But also Kevin really got under her skin with his demanding behavior. She knew now that going up to Carlsbad was a bad idea, but she wanted to keep fighting as long as she could. She owed that to herself.

"Let me clean up," she said, standing once she had eaten every speck of food on her plate, but Bob was already shaking his head.

"I'm just going to dump everything in the sink and deal with it tomorrow. Why don't you go up and take a hot shower? You can use anything you find in my bathroom."

Anna wanted to argue with him, but there was such a bone deep ache inside her, and she knew a steamy shower would help alleviate it so she could try to sleep. Once again she thanked him, and once again he told her he didn't mind one bit.

-----------------------------

Bob ended up not only washing all of the dishes and pans but wiping down the entire kitchen, too. Just knowing that Anna was in his shower was making his skin tingle. He thought about being in there with her, but it turned into something more than a sexual need. He just wanted to protect her, kiss the freckles on her shoulders and tell her she could stay here as long as she wanted to. If she simply never left, she could read all of his books and recommend more and more.

With a soft groan, he dragged himself up the stairs once he heard her turn the shower off. He made it to the landing in front of the bathroom door just as she walked out. "You have amazing water pressure," she told him with a little smile. "The shower in my apartment is a tiny stall with terrible water pressure."

Bob wanted to reply, but all he could do was stare at her. She was wearing a tank top and some worn flannel pants, and her damp hair was freshly combed. The sweet smelling steam wafted out, hitting him in the face as he realized that the deep red shade of Anna's wet hair was absolutely, indisputably his favorite color. He never wanted her to go back to her tiny apartment. She didn't even have a real kitchen there. Her bed was on the floor.

Anna cleared her throat and said, "I hope you don't mind, but I made a little spot for some of my stuff on your bathroom counter. You can move it if you want."

"It's fine," he muttered, once again wanting things he shouldn't. But now that he knew exactly how awful Kevin was, it was going to be impossible not to dream that maybe someday Anna would be free. Maybe she'd choose him.

"Okay," she whispered, jerking her thumb toward his extra bedroom. "I'll just get in bed then."

"What?" Bob asked as she took a step away from him. "No, you can sleep in my bed. I'll sleep on the futon." It might kill him to think about her laying on his pillow, tangled up in his sheets, but his bed would be much more comfortable.

"I can't do that," she told him, taking another step. "Not after everything you've done for me."

Before she could make it through the doorway, Bob hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her toward his bedroom. "I insist."

"Bob," she said with a little laugh that melted away into a needier voice as she went along with him. "I'm only going to sleep in your bed if you're there, too."

Fuck. He wanted it so badly, he was automatically nodding in agreement. Anna's lips parted softly, and she sucked in a breath. He steered her toward the bed, and that's when he saw it. He grunted, his steps coming to a halt as he ducked his chin down a little bit so she met his gaze.

"Why is your arm bruised?"

Her lips were pressed in a thin line as she looked up at him wordlessly. Just when he thought she wasn't going to respond, she whispered, "He never did anything like it before, but he grabbed me pretty hard yesterday. I... made him really mad."

"He has no right," Bob growled. "I don't care what you did to him, he should have kept his hands off you."

"But my manuscript is so important to me, and I want it back."

"Anna," he said, cupping her soft cheek in his hand. "Your manuscript isn't worth more than you."

Her eyes fluttered closed, and she nodded. Her long lashes were still resting on her cheeks as she whispered, "I'm ready for bed."

Bob's heart was skipping around in his chest as he kissed her forehead. "Go ahead and climb in. I'll be right there."

He watched as she pulled back the bedding and slipped in between the sheets. After he grabbed some gym shorts and a clean undershirt, he ducked out of the room and into the bathroom. Anna's pink toothbrush and her purple comb were next to the sink. There was some face wash and toothpaste and a bag of makeup. He had to take a minute to pull himself together. He needed to be able to share a bed with her in approximately five minutes.

He brushed his teeth and did all of the necessities before changing into what he was planning on wearing to sleep. He was trying his best to keep his feelings at bay, but it felt like he had I LOVE ANNA written across his forehead when he slipped back into his bedroom. She was clearly emotionally exhausted, but she looked spectacular laying there waiting for him.

When he paused in the doorway, she lifted up the covers on his side of the bed, and Bob carefully folded up his glasses before climbing in next to her. He flicked off the lamp on his nightstand. Neither of them said a word, but when his hand bumped hers beneath the covers, he felt her lace their fingers together. And a few minutes later, Anna was curled up along his side, sound asleep.

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This whole week is a whirlwind for Anna, but at least ending up in Bob's bed when it's time to go to sleep is a high point. Kevin must be destroyed. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

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tojifile · 6 months

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Hey, can I make a request for your event?

Fyodor x fem!reader, except he's madly in love with her but doesn't accept it bc he thinks it's useless :)

@Fyodor Dostoevsky . . . (＾-＾)

Tags: smitten!fyodor, fluff, angst if you squint, gn!reader, domestic Fyodor, kinda ooc, vol 14+ doesn’t exist, yandere themes if you get 400+ graded glasses

A/N: Hello anon !! I’m so sorry this took so long, probably 2-4 months (?) I’ve been so busy with school that I just didn’t have time for requests. I’ll treat my fics like those “mafia!dazai who…” type of posts, if that makes sense. I know it’s a big change from my old writing style but I really hope you would still like it :))

smitten!fyodor who met you while walking around Yokohama. He asked you for directions one day and as faith would have it that was the exact place you were going to as well. Although, he didn’t actually need directions, he just wanted to test his skills in deceit.

“Excuse me miss, pardon me for being a bother. Could you please tell me where the nearest train is?” You softly smiled at the gentleman who had gotten your attention. “Of course, I was just heading there myself, you could just follow me if you’d like.”

smitten!fyodor who was fond of the way you spoke to him in such a polite manner. It was endearing to have someone be so courteous (bare minimum, I know).

smitten!fyodor whose voice you couldn’t forget. Softer than silk yet even the sun itself would revolve around its gravity.

smitten!fyodor who “accidentally” bumps into you from time to time. It’s been going on for several months now and during the first few times you jokingly accused him of stalking you.

“Fyodor-san? This is the fourth time this month, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were stalking me!” You teased. He responded to your joke with a small chuckle.

smitten!fyodor who denies feeling anything for you since he thinks it would hinder his plans for a better world. He constantly tells himself that it’ll pass, but each day he spends with you feels like a dream.

smitten!fyodor who reassures himself that this was all part of his master plan; that you were just another pawn in his epic chess match with Dazai. Surely someone as simple as you couldn’t destroy his plans, right?

smitten!fyodor who tells himself that keeping you happy is all part of his mission to save the world. When he’s overthinking his actions around you he tells himself that he only keeps you happy because a world where you’re sad confuses and frustrates him—oops, wrong thought!

What frustrates him further is the fact that he can no longer tell himself that you’re just a pawn. He never has internal struggles, so how could you do this to him? For years and years he chased his ideals. He tried to attain the unattainable, he never thought something as simple as affection could be that unattainable thing.

smitten!fyodor who saw you on a date with somebody else and he felt like that was God’s way of telling him that he should continue to fulfill his mission rather than chase someone who clearly doesn’t like him back.

Comment 🪩 to be on my taglist !

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ludoka · 5 months

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I'm reading posts that talk about a rewrite of G3 to make it look like G1? Honestly... Why? Let the newcomers have fun with G3. Let children and adolescents feel identified with characters that adapt to new generations.

Instead: why don't they demand a continuation of G1? What do I care about the life of a teenager between 14 and 17 years old? GIVE ME EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF YOUNG ADULTS BETWEEN 20 AND 30!!!!

Give me a Deuce who feels stuck because he doesn't know what to do with his life!!! Give me a Gil who is looking to move out of his parents' house because he can't stand them anymore!! GIVE ME FRANKIE GOING INTO CRISIS BECAUSE SHE KNOWS HOW TO BE AN ADULT!! IT COST HORRORS FOR HER TO BE A TEENAGER, BEING A FUNCTIONAL ADULT IS KILLING HER!!!

Show how Clawdeen strives to be a dressmaker! What the world of modeling is like!! IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKED WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER! Show how Jackson and Holt try to balance their lives so that each one fulfills what they dream of! Show how you organize yourself so that Holt has rehearsals and goes to concerts!! While Jackson manages his college study schedule!! Show Cleo struggling to grow up. This girl was a princess from ancient Egypt and probably had a pre-written life. Now that is not possible. She is grateful but horrified in equal parts because she no longer knows how to continue. Damn, show Toralei trying to achieve a better future but with a background that complicates her life!! OH MY GOD!!! SHE WAS IN A JUVENILE PRISON!!! THAT FILE IS BITTING HIS BUTT IN THE WORST WAY!!

I want characters I can identify with too. But I am no longer a child or teenager, I am an adult. I want adult characters that I can empathize with, identify with, and want to hug because I know how hard it is to try to be a functional adult.

Please leave G3 alone and give me a big sequel to G1.

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zoe-oneesama · 1 year

Note

From what I’ve know, the fandom mostly dislikes Andrey for reasons related to Chloe (bad mother etc.), but what are YOUR reasons for not liking her?

Cuz she's an asshole? On top of being qualified for the Top 3 Never Should've Been Parents to Begin With Award (next to Gabriel and Tomoe), she's an elitist dick waffle without any on screen talent to back it up. So she's a fashion critic. So what? What makes her qualified, have you seen her outfit? And I just have a special hate boner for people who look down on the service industry, so she already wasn't winning any awards for "firing" people left and right.

Meta-wise, I hate her because she just confuses things. "Despair Bear" makes it out that Audrey abandoned the Bourgeois when Chloe was small, though at least old enough to remember, so maybe at minimum 3 years old, though in a sensible universe, closer to 5 or 6. Yet despite being absent from Chloe's life for about a decade, if not more, we're supposed to believe Chloe is the way she is because she's emulating her mother...who isn't there to emulate? Okay. Sure Jan.

Totally unnecessary, Chloe's personality has a good foundation in the fact that her father is rich, powerful, and ready to drop everything to cater to her every petty whim. What does Audrey even add to Chloe's story as presented? Personally, I would've liked it more if Chloe deeply resented her mother and was determined to prove she was BETTER than Audrey. Then have her be frustrated and pissed off every time the two of them are accidentally in sync. Show me a love-hate relationship, at least that would've been interesting, and better yet, would've had something to say about a parent abandoning their child.

But the show just sorta soft balls it. Chloe and Audrey immediately "resolve" a lifetime of abandonment issues because another 14 year old pointed out that they both suck and the two bonded over the fact that she's...right? Audrey decides Chloe's name is worth remembering, she's worth staying in Paris for, and she's "exceptional" in less than 3 minutes because Chloe yelled at the Butler. And for the rest of the series, Audrey is just another Chloe-Patsy, doting on her like her Dad in "Malediktator", cowering under her outburst in "Sole Crusher", and acting as her enforcer when Andre ever puts up a fight. A duo made in hell, but they ARE getting along.

Which makes the leaks for how they're going to end things for the two are confusing.

I don't like Audrey because she was made to be unlikable, but I also don't like Audrey because of her effect on the story. She's used to excuse Chloe being The Worst because look! An Even Worse person! And she made Chloe sad! So you should ignore those several felonies Chloe's committed because her mommy sucks! Nevermind that Chloe and Audrey get along just fine now!

And on top of that, she's used to excuse Andre. Andre, who spoiled Chloe from the beginning, who acts as her attack dog when Chloe cries wolf, who's taught Chloe how to lie, cheat, steal, and bully her way to the top. Somehow HE is getting off scott-free now because He CaN'T bE a DirEcTor aNd fUlFiLL hiS dReAm cUz HiS wIfe'S a BiG meAnIE. Even though Chloe is mostly his fault.

Why couldn't Audrey just stay in New York so we can pretend she doesn't exist and just let Chloe's behavior make sense like it did back in Season 1?

#audrey salt #writing salt #andre salt #my opinion #ml salt

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kyber-crystal · 25 days

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Hi! May I request a sequel to "my little love" for how jake responds to max calling him dad/daddy for the first time? or jake being cute with max and your shared kids (bc i KNOW y'all don't stop after the first one lol)

i'm sorry it took me so long to respond to this but HELL YEAH and i'm extra sorry i didn't post this for a while b/c i wasn't sure about how it turned out in general...anyways, i hope you enjoy : ')

my future || jake "hangman" seresin

summary: as written above! this is a sequel to the headcanon my little love, which i LOVED writing w my whole heart.

settling into married life was surprisingly not difficult. you'd already spent so much time around hangman that forever felt so comfortable

now everyone is so happy and in high spirits. but max is significantly happier than them all and it's so wholesome to see

rooster, or "fairy godmother" (max likes to call him the latter....yes...godmother, not godfather. you don't know why but it's so funny, especially when you watch rooster react to this), is always there to take care of your kiddo when you're busy

he let him sit in his F-14 and take a picture with him :)

and you're paranoid and worrying the whole time but rooster's like "relax, i got him" and he's super chill about it

"he's gonna be a pilot. better than you, even," you leaned over and gave your husband a look

"i think so!"

the kid lives and breathes top gun. and now that you've moved in with hangman, you're only a few minutes' walk from base, making it easy to go back and forth.

when you're working at the hard deck, penny sits him by the nearest booth with a milkshake and some old books and toys

if one of the uncles or phoenix wasn't busy, they'd come over to keep him entertained

and you know when hangman's done for the day when you see max break into his signature grin. you've noticed that you only really see it around him

so you're celebrating his fourth birthday today. it's insane, because he already speaks like a six year old (hangman says it's because you're also smart af. but, being the cocky lil shit he is, fanboy likes to take the credit for it. i mean, the guy majored in biochem, so he knows his stuff)

it's an off day for everyone, so they're able to come help decorate the place. you had the idea to surprise your son, so while everyone was getting ready, fanboy was with max by the beach, playing soccer. they'd come back in an hour and boom!

by the end of things, the hard deck doesn't look like the hard deck anymore. it looks like max's paradise—a kiddie version of top gun, you realize. your heart melts because 🥺🥺🥺

everyone hides when they hear fanboy and max coming in

and then you all jump up from your hiding spots and yell "SURPRISE" and he starts grinning again

and then the kid runs straight towards hangman, giggling in pure delight

"daddy!" he yells

you're all like wait wtf

did he just

say

hangman has to stop for a moment before picking him up. you can see him tearing up bc this is the first time max has ever said this

it's definitely really fulfilling to watch. when he was a baby and screamed and cried for hours at a time out of nowhere, you knew it wasn't always just from tiredness. or being hungry. or whatnot

the rest of the night you're all emotional af and max notices

"daddy why are you crying?"

there go the waterworks...more tears slip down jake's face 🥺😭

"because i'm happy!"

"people cry when they are sad! like when uncle fanboy loses to uncle payback!"

"HEY! kid, i thought you were on my side"

"so, i'm your dad now, huh?"

"forever and ever and ever and ever!"

how could you have gotten so lucky...

you're sitting here in the middle of the hard deck with your family. a family when realization hits. you had a loving husband, and a father, and a child that brightened up your world, and you couldn't have asked for anything more. you finally found someone that wanted forever and wasn't one to back away

now for some more cute moments post-birthday celebration

you take max to base every day right

and hangman will carry him on his shoulders all the time

if he's not done with his flight or workout or whatever, maverick takes his place

or his fairy godmother :)

as soon as he lands, max takes off at the speed of light and goes barreling towards him (how tf is the kid so FAST)

as hangman picks him up he looks at you and says "can we please have another kid. please"

"i want a sister! tell her, daddy!"

"see, the little man agrees"

sorry this ending was so awful i genuinely apologize...

tags, including people who may be interested: @totomoshi @sarcastic-sourwolf @sebastianstangirl01 @altheadarling @ellabellabus07 @hay-9105 @purelyfiction @93joons @criminalyetminimal @yeehawnana @lunamoonbby @hazelgirl355 @multifandom-fangirl4 @paintballkid711 @lyn-lc @whatlovegattado @azari-anna @thelifeofthelifeofme @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @quivvyintheclouds @phoenixhalliwell @winteryoungie @mychoso @lt-b-rooster-bradshaw @jenny-riversmith @krisitzeneva @daethsticks @sithwidow @rosie-posie1313 @sadpetalsstuff @glossydi0r @i-simp-much @hay-9105 @meeeeees-stuff @sweetdayme4427 @unicornlover92 @intrxde @rhiannon-russo @dolce-clout @theghost1345 @baby-girl-e @greatbigshiningstar @joyfulbookreviewmarvelspy @julia-marshal @anya7802 @bittergomez @and-claudia @newlibrary @cosm1cfae

sorry if this doesn't seem updated! some tags include ppl who were tagged in part 1 of this blurb mini-series. if you'd like to be added to the taglist, comment or add yourself to the tgm taglist here!

#top gun #top gun: maverick #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #hangman seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #hangman x reader #glen powell #top gun imagine #top gun fic #hangman fic #jake seresin x you #hangman x you

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whatyadrawin · 6 months

Text

The Fruit After The Flesh -MASTERLIST!-

Thomas Hewitt x AFAB reader

18+ Only, Minors DNI

See reference images for layout here

Summary: You are a 33 year old seamstress living in Rivers, Manitoba struggling to make ends meet and in threat of losing everything until you get a call from a lawyer who informs you of a distant relatives will. Now you own an orchard and have money in the bank on one condition, keep the orchard feeding the people in Fuller, Texas. You meet the Hewitt's and finally feel a sense of belonging in this cruel world, the family is special but one person in particular is stealing your heart... Thomas. Follow the story as you experience everything the farm life has to offer, the romance, the hardships, and the sins.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

Thank you all for reading my silly little self indulgent fic, many of you are likely big fans of Thomas and his family, I hope you all get that same feeling of family and loyalty when reading this. I appreciate the patience you all have in waiting for chapters to come out, they may take me a while due to the art but I am happy to have a very fulfilling hobby as I continue through my journey of education in pursuit of my career. Don't be scared to drop a message and let me know what you think!

#what ya writin #slasher community #thomas hewitt x y/n #thomas hewitt #thomas hewitt x afab reader #the fruit after the flesh #fanfiction #headcannons #slashers

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disappointmentofthefam · 3 months

Text

Love? Love. (part one)

(Andy Barber x reader)

summary- recently split from his wife, Andrew Stephen Barber, aka, Mr hotshot ADA daddy dilf, lives with his 14 year old son Jacob. All he has known since the tender age of 17 is Laurie, and their baby boy. Will his life change when a bright eyed and bushy tailed y/n moves in the house right opposite to his? More importantly, will it change for the better or the worse?

*contains adult themes, smut and age gap (reader is a senior in college, Andy is in his early thirties)*

Andy's sleep is rudely cut short by the whirring engine of packers and movers mixed with the commotion of workers walking back and forth, setting up the furniture.

His face grimaces as soon as he opens his eyes,

at seven fucking am on a sunday! fuck off!

Apparently-as he later finds out-a new family had just moved in the house opposite to his. From what he had heard from his best friend(and neighbor), Sam, the family had a son of around Jacob's age which was about perfect since Jacob was a shy kid and wasn't exactly Mr. popular with kids his age. maybe he would find a friend in the new kid

By the next weekend, Jacob and the kid, Tyler, were already friends and today Jacob had invited his friend to play video games together.

"Daaaaddd", Jacob whines, "Please don't embarrass me!"

Andy gasps dramatically ,"Are you ashamed of your old man!", he even goes as far as to clutch his chest, right where his heart is, "i knew this day would come, i just thought it would be fifty years from now when i am bound to a hospital bed and shit my pants every time i try to say a word with more than three syllables"

As Jacob rolls his eyes, laughing, the doorbell rings, "whatever old man, just behave or i won't buy you diapers when you're all old and 'bound to a bed'".

Tyler shyly greets Andy and the boys disappear into their boy cave. Andy decides to settle down for a movie from the comfort of his couch. He can already imagine what Sam would say if he found out about Andy's weekend plans

are you seriously wasting all that good-good on a couch? Let's go out man , find you a pretty girl, you need to get out of this 'grandma' routine

Sam wouldn't get it ,he was married, happily so, and had a baby girl with the woman of his dreams. "Between the two of those pretty girls, i don't stand a chance"- he'd say

It wasn't that easy for Andy to navigate the modern dating world, there were too many 'what ifs' and not enough 'why nots' for him to fall in love again

what if he's a one night?

what if he catches feelings and she doesn't? what if he finds someone perfect only to find out he's incapable of feeling love again?

oh shit, worse yet- what if he was a reboun-

His thoughts are interrupted by the ringing doorbell, jesus can't a man watch the godfather for the millionth time in peace?

"Hi, Mr. Barber"

Andy's breath hitches, "Hi there"

"I would shake your hand but mine are full", she giggles.

Andy's heart does a backflip at her laugh as he shakily reaches out to take the four tupperware boxes from her.

"I'm y/n", she gives him a sweet smile, "I'm Tyler's sister and we just wanted to thank you for inviting him over, god knows we needed the break! Teenagers, amirite", she looks up at him with those big doe eyes.

Snapping out of the trance, Andy invites her in, "Come in............uh",

"Y/n"

Andy's chest is filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling

Names are so intimate, Y/n, while he asks her to come in, Y/n, he asks her to sit, Y/n, as he brews her a cup of coffee.

Andy, as her eyes sparkle when she realizes the movie he has on, Andy, as she tells him she cooked all the treats she brought him tonight

"So", Andy strikes up the conversation as they settle on the couch, "i've heard that you tutor children?"

"Oh, yes, It's just to earn a little before i graduate, besides, my god complex is fulfilled while teaching people", she jokes.

Andy doesn't remember the last time he was so interested in a conversation that wasn't about work or crime, or both, really.

An hour later, they are way past formalities, talking about everything and nothing, as if they were old friends.

Her mouth agape, she looks at him in utter disbelief, "He got away with it?" ,Andy can't believe she's so engrossed in his work stories, Laurie had always told him to keep his work where it belonged-in his office.

"Tyler and i should leave now, it's getting late, mom will be mad if we're late for dinner"

Andy's heart sinks why did she have to leave

"Alright sweetheart", he says lowly, "it was a pleasure to have your company".

Y/n smiles bashfully 'sweetheart'

did he mean it? no way! he must have a thousand women worshipping at his feet, he's the fucking ADA, he's single, he's hot and don't even get me started on that smile-

Focus Y/n!!

Andy notices the hitch in her breath, the sudden tint on her cheeks and the way her shy eyes try to look anywhere but at him

a straight up filthy image crosses his mind-

you, laying naked on his bed, all spread out for him, whining as he sucked between your petals

you, closing your eyes bashfully as the head of his thick cock lines up with your wet, tight hole

he would have no qualms with slapping your face lightly, "look at daddy while he's fucking you open"

"look at me baby, look at who's making you feel so good"

he'd kiss your pouting lips, "my dumb little baby can't think with daddy's cock inside her, ca-

okay Andy, She's a smart and beautiful twenty-one year old girl, she must have boys falling at her feet, the last thing she'd want is you.

As she and Tyler leave, Andy can't help the stupid smile on his face

"dad?, you good there?"

Andy snaps out of the trance, "yeah kid"

"phew! With that shit eating grin, you almost had me convinced that you had shat you pants"

OH THIS LITTLE ASSHO-

author's note: heyyyyyyy girlies, i purposefuly made the first chapter short and vague so i can take the story forward as you'd like me to! Please do leave suggestions!!! nothing is off limits to me

#andy barber x reader #chris evans smut #chris evans x reader #andy barber smut #chris evans fanfiction #ari levinson x reader #ransom drysdale x reader #chris evans characters #lloyd hansen #loyd hansen x reader

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alicedash2 · 11 months

Text

Izou x Teenager!Reader - puberty and crushes

not reviewed

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Since YN came to the ship, it's been a blast, but let me tell you from the beginning!

Izou arrived with YN on his lap, a small girl with a miserable appearance, who held tightly to Izou, hiding her face in the older's chest, he ran his fingers through the dry and broken hair of the small miserable girl, who managed to touch the heart from the gunslinger of the Whitebeard ship, the way Izou hugged him comfortingly made her stop shivering

The girl turned her head a little to see the men staring at her with curiosity, but soon YN turned her head again hiding, hearing the man's voice comforting her that everything would be fine, that YN was safe

Marco approaches, Izou hands her over, but the little girl refuses to leave and stay away from Izou, because he was the one who found her, who calmed her down in that state of shock and abandonment.

What happened is that YN had been abandoned in a humiliating way, left to die on a desert island, just for not fulfilling one of the family's standards and refusing to submit to that tradition where YN would already have a destiny sealed by the family, destined to become marry a rich pervert man and raise an unhappy family

It was night when YN was found, crying under a tree, alone and in the cold at night, when a man approached by hearing the cries, the same man saw the deplorable situation and decided to ask what had happened, which in which, the little child spoke to the cries and hiccups, Izou, seeing that the little one had already spent a week on the island, decides to take the little one to the ship

- it's going to be fine, you need to go with him now - Izou smiles at the girl, who shakes her head in protest and goes to the man again, behind his comforting hug

- you need to go with him, princess, I'll see you soon - Izou gently pushed her away, Marco took her to his office where he examined her and asked questions

After a few hours of sedatives and questions, YN snuggled into the dream world.

- she needs to rest, she hasn't eaten for 4 days - Marco said, leaving the girl's room

- I'll take care of her, I'll be responsible for her from now on - Izou spoke, he knew that the girl would take some time to get used to the ship and all those people, it would be an extreme change in the little girl's life

- are you sure? It's a child, taking care of a child is difficult -

- but we can't leave her in that situation, I'm the only one she knows, everything will be fine -

Hours pass, the girl wakes up, the moment she wakes up, she tries to remember what had happened, then, noticing the place where she was, she goes looking for the man who rescued her, who, in which, was in the kitchen talking to Thatch, she runs to him and hugs him tightly

- did you sleep well? -she asked, while the girl just felt comfortable in Izou's embraces, who nodded positively

And so, a wonderful friendship was born.

Izou treated YN like a princess, taught and educated her, not that the others didn't do something, YN always had something to learn from them, it was a fun life, even if they spent days in the ocean, rain or shine, when they docked in an island, it was just a party, Izou took YN shopping and spoiled her, liked to get into trouble with kids her age

Here, a list of things Izou said to YN

- that's not what I taught you!-

-don't get in trouble, you're a lady!-

- I warned you not to go there! I told you you'd get hurt -

- come with me, no need to be afraid -

°•°•°

One day, on a peaceful island, the Whitebeard crew was exploring an island, and on that island, Izou lost sight of YN, desperately looking for the child who was migrating to adolescence, with her 14 years old, desperately looking for her, asking the people saw a small teenage girl with flashy outfits (Izou had lent one of her clothes to YN)

Until, in one person, the person said that he saw a girl crying near a square that was nearby, Izou goes there, looking for the girl, when he finds her, he runs to her, thinking that something had happened

- what happened?! You can't disappear like that, come with me- Izou spoke

- I can't leave here... I hurt myself, I think, but I can't leave -

- like this?-

- It's... red- YN said with shame

- red? Blood? To where?!-

-hmmm I don't know what happened, it was sudden! If I leave here I will be ashamed! I soiled your clothes, sorry!-

- don't worry, where did you hurt yourself?-

- ...hmm - YN refused to answer

The girl gets up and turns her back to Izou, where she sees a small bloodstain on the bottom of her clothes.

-ah, tie this around your waist, let's go to the ship-

- what happened?-

- It's normal, stay calm!-

- it hurts, I can't walk -

Izou picked her up gently, and carried her to the ship, thinking about how he was going to tell her about this.

When they arrived, the girl was going to take a shower, after the bath, Izou took her to the infirmary, together with Marco, they prepared to welcome the small and new teenager who officially migrated to puberty

- look, you didn't get hurt, but this will happen every month, okay?-

- but what is this?-

- you're ovulating, it's something that happens every month when you don't reproduce, your body is throwing things out-

- oh, I understand-

- listen to me, you're going to feel new things, you're going to think new things, you're going to want new things, it's a new moment, you're in puberty, you're going to see your body change, it's going to be a little difficult time, but we're going to help you-

- what happened? YN, why are you crying?-

- she... just entered puberty, she's suffering because it's something new and painful, she's scared-

-here, I'm sure you want this- Whitebeard extended his hand with sweets and treats, making the girl smile and say thank you

- I'll take you to your room, your body needs to rest, Marco took her to the room, where the girl lay down and relax in her bed

- in these moments, it's good to drink plenty of water, it can help you -

- I understood!-

- good girl, you are slowly becoming an adult-

-adult?-

-yes, it is a process in which you are changing from being a child to becoming a young and beautiful adult-

- hmmm-

- well, I'm going, you can call me if you have any problems -

Marco was leaving the room, when he came across Izou, who looked a little upset

- your child is gone, is starting to become a teenager -

-she grew up so fast-

- now to take care of her will be more difficult -

- my little one is starting to become a young adult -

- soon she will get married and you won't even notice the notion of time -

Izou smiled, wiping a small tear in his eye, he knocked on the door and entered YN's room, who received him with smiles

-Izou!-

- I didn't even realize how much you've grown, YN!-

- Marco said I'm becoming a young adult -

- you look beautiful, know this, you are just a flower that just bloomed on a warm spring day -

Izou stroked YN's hair, who smiled passionately at Izou

°•°•°•°•

- who is she?- a red-haired boy saw a female form

- I don't remember seeing her in Whitebeard's crew- a boy with blue hair and a clown nose also saw the girl, they spied on her through a tree, the boy with blue hair, called Buggy, looked away and looks at his friend, who blushes and smiles as he catches sight of the small young woman

The boy, newly in love, walked timidly towards the girl, who quickly noticed the boy's presence.

- ehm... hi - the boy said shyly

- hey...-

- w-what's your name?-

- YN...you?-

-S-Shanks...-

- hm...-

- He knows?-

- hm, what?-

- I thought you were cute and beautiful!-

- thank you, I-I thought you were very charming!-

- thank you, do you want to... go with me, walk?-

-I would love!-

Shanks gently takes the girl's hand and they leave the island, talking shyly, sometimes praising and receiving more gentle touches, such as gently squeezing the other's hand, running a hand through his hair and touching the other's leg lightly, the peak was when Shanks kissed her gently on the cheek

- sorry, I had to do that...- the boy hid his face in his hat, incredulous of what he had just done

- It's okay... I like it-

- I'll take you to your ship, it's getting late -

- Sure, thanks, Shanks!-

- I can't believe it!- Izou saw all that hidden, he knew there was something going on, YN had suddenly disappeared, but she always came back, what did she find so interesting to leave and spend hours without returning?

After YN entered the ship, already at night, Izou stayed behind her.

- are you going out with a crew member from Roger?-

- Ah!- Izou! Don't scare me like that!-

- tell me -

- n-not exactly, he just asked me for a walk!-

- you're growing up too fast, YN! Watch out for him!- Izou said

- just because he is a crew member of Roger?-

- no, actually he's a boy! A boy going through puberty! It's dangerous!-

- I don't understand - YN made a confused face, they were just young people in love!

- you should be more careful with who you're going to start having a relationship with, young lady! -

- b-but - YN was cut off by Izou, Izou had an almost angry face, he was just worried about YN being used by a boy who would break the heart of the young girl he had just fallen in love with

- just be careful! Adolescence is the worst time to be in a relationship -

- You're being annoying, Izou!-

- I'm just doing you a favor to warn you, dear! I wish you well, do you like Shanks?-

-yes, he even lent me his hat!-

- ...I'm going to talk to dad, come with me!-

- but I only talked to Shanks -

- it doesn't matter! -

- humpf!- YN pouted and rolled her face

- it's no use pouting or snorting, it's still early for you-

- YN going out with someone? How mature! - Marco said with a sarcastic smile.

- no! I won't accept that, she's not mature, he kissed her on the cheek!-

-but it was just a kiss-

- no! You do not understand!-

- Marco, defend me! -

- Izou, she's in her teens, let her experience love!-

- never! Come on, YN, we have a long talk yet!- Izou holds YN's hand and takes it to Whitebeard, closing the door behind them

- how much drama...-

And Izou took her to Whitebeard, to report what had happened, Whitebeard didn't like Shanks very much, but seeing that his youngest daughter fell in love for the first time was something beautiful, but it awakened the protective instinct in Izou, at the In the end, Izou ended up listening to Whitebeard's words to let YN feel new emotions, be they good, having a relationship and the bad, rejection, it was a new phase and YN needed new experiences, but with care and guidance

#one piece #one piece x reader #whitebeard pirates x reader #shanks x y/n #whitebeard crew #shanks #akagami no shanks #shanks x reader #izou x reader #izou one piece #okada izou #one piece izou #op izou

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fizzingwizard · 1 year

Text

Randomly visited reddit and saw this:

My first thought: it's an incel pretending to be a woman, because what modern woman thinks she's spoiled milk a 30??? (Aside from also trashing her girl friends - girl, get better friends!) But their profile doesn't seem weird in any way, so, I guess there are some people out there who really somehow believe youth ends at 29. Even some who have aged past it.

It's not even true that all 30 year olds are less beautiful than they were at 20. People age in different ways at at different rates: yeah, your likelihood of getting wrinkles and gray hairs is only ever going to go up. But some people don't have their style figured out in their twenties - some people turn thirty and freaking bloom. And you can't call that a late bloomer. 40 isn't a late bloomer either! 20 is nice but it's not the heaven on earth it's cracked up to be, and 30 is just getting started.

Idk about the rest of you but you know those posts about how embarrassing it is to look back on 14? Yeah, related to those when I was 20. Now I've passed the big 3-0, and guess what - I think 20 year old me was so silly lol. So insecure, so afraid to make mistakes, so resistant to change. I enjoyed my twenties, but my early thirties have so far been way better: I'm more confident, less self-involved, and I find happiness so much more easily than I did back when I thought everything I did had to matter So Damn Much. And if you think that doesn't relate to being attractive: confidence is 90% of it. Just walk up and smile. A confident, happy person always attracts others even if they're just average-looking.

Also for people who like men, don't forget: men in their 30s usually aren't quite the energizer bunnies they were in their 20s when it comes to ~sexy times~ The 20-year-old stud who insisted he could go for a roll multiple times a day, every day, is probably much less gung ho at 30. And also more forward-thinking, and less amaaaaazed by omg boobies!!! When you're young, half the excitement is just how new everything is. It gets less intense, thank goodness. (But it's still hot!)

This post just totally rubbed me the wrong way. It read as a still young woman anxiously wringing her hands in apology for having the audacity to be single at... 30?? And apparently not trusting women to have good advice about dating at 30 (so no point in me responding to her, lol), but perfectly comfortable kissing up to incel mindsets such as "women past 25 should accept that they're sloppy seconds" etc. "Value as a partner" do you have intrinsic worth as a human being?? Yes??? Then your value does NOT degrade. Yeah, you might have gray hair, the horror, so unsexy (I've had very visible grays since I was 23 and been dyeing since 26 lmao). Doesn't mean you're less hot than some 20 year old who doesn't know what she's doing. Doesn't mean it'll be at all hard to find a partner who will love you warts and all. Do you have this same expectation of men? Are you gonna start dating a 30 year old dude and then complain that he gets tired more quickly than a 20 year old would?? Is he less sexy just because he doesn't party all night and drink twice his weight without effect? Overrated overrated overrated!

My parents divorced in their 60s. My mom's got a new boyfriend who takes her dancing under the full moon. They're living their best lives way past their so-called "prime" and no, that is not rare - it's just a choice. If you view yourself as having some expiration date, you're not gonna do anything to improve your happiness once you're past it. Don't let incels or misogyny or whatever convince you your perfectly wholesome milk has gone bad, because that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

ETA: Well, while I was working this got 150 notes, and although that's barely a drop in the bucket, it's still a lot more than my rants usually get (about 2 lol). So I just want to clarify a couple things so I stop getting comments about them.

This post was from the askmen subreddit. I left that out, feeling "reddit" was context enough, but I guess the implications may not have been obvious, especially to tumblr users who don't also use reddit. Askmen isn't a horrible place (a number of the responders pointed out why they prefer older women to younger ones), but many of its members have a pretty incel-adjacent vibe. Plus there are a number of women (real or not) who post there, many of whom have a similar brown-nosey "unlike those radical feminists, I'm a woman who knows her place" attitude.

It's fine to suggest the OP may have internalized misogyny from being abused - but it's not a given, as nothing in the post is a definite indication of abuse by itself. Big kudos for the compassion - just keep in mind that my response was about general attitudes towards dating post-twenties and not about abuse victims.

To the person who thinks a relationship of six years makes a difference somehow?: You seem to have interpreted my post as an attack on people who feel insecure about returning to dating after a breakup. But I think it's clearly nothing to do with that. Of course it is natural to have anxieties about being single after so long, but nowhere in this post was that denied or mocked. Whether you've been together one year or six, this post would always be weird - those natural anxieties don't make misogynistic mindsets about decrepit 30-year-old women any less gross. If you had decided to write a reaction to the OP's post, perhaps you would have chosen to center it on the effects of coming off a long term relationship, and I'm sure it'd be insightful. However, I am not you, and I chose to react to the attitudes around aging in relationships reflected in the post.

#rant

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matttgirlies · 1 month

Text

Matt & Me🎀

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - drug use,, sexual refrences

y/nn = your nickname for anyone confused🩷

Chapter 7

The day before I was to leave for Germany, Matt took me aside and said, “Baby, as much as I hate to say it, we’re gonna have to face it. Our time is up.” I broke down and hung onto him tightly, burying my head in his chest.

“I’m not leaving,” I said, sobbing. “I’m not leaving you. I’ll call my parents and say I missed the plane.”

“C’mon, Baby. You think they’re gonna fall for that?”

“Then I’ll tell them the truth: that I love you and that I won’t come back.”

“Hey, hey.” He was trying to calm me. “You’re just gonna make it worse for the next time. I’ve been thinkin’, I always wanted you to see Graceland. But right now, I’ve got some business to take care of in Boston for a few weeks, and then I’ve gotta do another film. So if you go back and do well in school and behave yourself, maybe your parents will let you spend Christmas at Graceland with me and my family.”

I loved the idea, but Christmas was six months away. Anything could happen between now and then.

That night in bed Matt held me very close for a long time. I felt that he was doing more than just comforting me. He was telling me how deeply he cared.

And more than that: His deep belief in consummating our love affair only in marriage gave me hope for the future.

Later, our lovemaking had more feeling and intensity than ever before. Matt wasn’t going to let me go home without my taking a little of him with me. He didn’t enter me; he didn’t have to. He fulfilled my every desire.

“I want you back the way you are now,” he whispered just before dawn. “And remember, I’ll always know.”

I smiled and nodded. I couldn’t conceive of wanting anyone but him.

Matt didn’t walk me into the airport. We kissed goodbye in the limousine. It was a tender but excruciatingly brief moment. I didn’t think the pain could have been greater even if he told me I’d never return.

I walked onto the plane like a robot. I was in a daze that lasted throughout the eleven hour flight. I talked to no one and didn’t care who saw the tears constantly streaming down my face. My world had come to an abrupt end. Finally I closed my eyes and in my mind I relived every moment of my visit. Suddenly the stewardess was telling us to fasten our seat belts for the landing. The thought of freshening up before we arrived never occurred to me. I just sat in a daze, waiting for the plane to taxi to a stop. Then I listlessly gathered up my things and made my way out.

When I first saw my parents, my mother was crying with joy at seeing me and my father was wearing a big welcome-home smile. But as I came nearer, their expressions changed from delight to absolute horror. My father turned away angrily. For a moment my mother just stared. Then she reached into her purse, pulled out a mirror, and thrust it at me.

“Look at yourself! How could you walk off the plane like that?”

I glanced at myself in the mirror and immediately understood their response. Two weeks before, I had left them, a fresh-faced sixteen-year-old, wearing a suitable white cotton suit and innocent of anything but a touch of mascara. Now, not only was I wearing the heavy makeup that Matt liked, but my tears had smeared it all over my face. I hadn’t bothered to lift a comb to my hair, which was unkept and tangled. My parents were shocked and disappointed.

Too embarrassed to look at them, I put my hand to my face and nonchalantly tried to wipe off the residue of black mascara and liner. Then I said, ‘I’d like to go to the ladies’ room.”

“You’re going straight home,” my father snapped. “If you left it on this long, you might as well keep it on another hour.” He hardly said another word to me until we got home and I washed my face.

Christmas in the family was always a major production, but Christmas 1962 was one time I wasn’t concerned about presents. I was bound for the place that I had often dreamed about but never let myself believe that I would actually see—Graceland.

Getting there hadn’t been easy. The plotting and scheming had started one morning at 2:10 a.m., when I had sleepily answered the phone to hear Matt’s voice. He seemed in great spirits. Laughing and joking, he told me that RCA had sent him some horrible demo records for his next movie. “I’m listening to ’em, Baby, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I have to laugh because if I don’t, I’ll start cryin’.”

I chuckled sympathetically, but I could hear the sadness in his voice. Then he said softly, “Little Girl, I want you here for Christmas. I don’t care how you arrange it or what you have to tell your parents. I’ll go along with anything you say, as long as you get here.”

I was shaking as I hung up the phone. I couldn’t imagine my parents allowing me to leave again—especially at Christmas—but there was no way I was going to let him down.

After a few days of silently avoiding the subject, I casually brought up Matt’s request to my mother.

“Absolutely not,” she declared. “It’s out of the question. Christmas is for the family. That’s the way it’s always been and it’s not going to change—not even for Matt Sturniolo.”

I wouldn’t give up. My poor mother was torn between making a dream come true for her daughter and doing what was right as a parent.

“When will this end?” she murmured with an anguished expression. Finally she agreed to speak to my father.

That was the breakthrough.

Again the pleas. Again the promises.

One month later, I was on a flight bound for the United States. Matt had asked James and Angela to meet me at La Guardia Airport in New York and escort me to Boston because he didn’t want me to travel alone.

By the time we reached Boston, I was both exhausted and exhilarated. We went to James’s home on Hamilton Drive, a short distance from Graceland. Matt had left explicit instructions that only he could drive me through the gates of Graceland.

A few minutes after we arrived, he called. His father handed me the phone. Before I could say two words, Matt blurted he was on his way. Minutes later the door flew open and I was in his arms.

Graceland was everything Matt had said it would be. The front lawn was adorned with a nativity scene and the white columns of the mansion were ablaze with holiday lights. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’d ever laid eyes on.

Inside the mansion a crowd of Matt’s friends and relatives all stood waiting to greet me. I felt relaxed and comfortable as he introduced me to everyone, because I had already met several of his friends when I was in Los Angeles.

Then Matt said, “y/nn, there’s someone special who’s waiting for you.” With a smile, he led me up the stairs and opened the door to his grandmother’s room.

“Dodger,” he called out. “Look who’s here. It’s little y/nn. She’s come a long way, Dodger, to be with little us.”

Using endearing terms like “little us” was his way of being affectionate. His mother had raised him on this sweet talk and Matt spoke it with those he cherished.

Dodger smiled and greeted me in her soft voice. “Good God, child, it took you a long time to get here.”

She was sitting in a high-backed overstuffed chair. I leaned over and she gave me a hug and patted me on the back. I was delighted at how good Dodger was looking, her hair, once completely gray, was now a natural looking dark brown. I noticed she wasn’t as thin as she’d been in Germany. At 18 Hauptstrasse, Dodger had presided over a busy household; at Graceland she had withdrawn to her room.

After Matt left us alone, I could tell something was bothering her and asked, “Grandma, how has everything been with you?” She looked at me and then down at the lace handkerchief in her lap.

“I don’t know, Hon. I’m worried about Matt and James. Matt is still upset over his Daddy’s marriage.” James and Angela had gotten married a year earlier. “He don’t spend much time at Graceland anymore and his Daddy’s worried. I hate to see the two of ’em upset like that. Lord have mercy. Matt didn’t go to the weddin’, you know. Matt is tryin’ hard, but when she comes over he just gets up and leaves the room. I don’t know if he’ll ever accept it.”

She reached for her snuffbox. It was an endearing habit that she tried to keep secret.

“But I don’t want you to go worrying about it,” she continued. “You go off and have a good time with Matt. That young’un needs you now.”

I nodded and kissed her cheek. “I promise I’ll take care of him, Dodger,” I said, feeling guilty leaving her. She worried too much, just as all the Sturniolo’s did. It was contagious.

She laughed softly and said with a smile, “Ain’t no one ever called me that but Matt.”

All that night, the guys played pool, watched TV, and hung around the kitchen badgering Pauline (“VO5”) while she played short-order cook.

I realized that there was no set routine at Graceland. Everyone came and went as they pleased. It wasn’t a home, but rather an open house, available to the guys and their dates all with Matt’s approval, of course.

The evening ended around 4 a.m., when Matt finally said good night to everyone and took my hand. I was really exhausted since, in anticipation of the trip, I hadn’t slept for two days. As I walked up the white-carpeted staircase, I closed my eyes and wished I was already in bed.

In his room, Matt gave me two large red pills, explaining, “Take these now, and by the time you come to bed, you’ll be nice and relaxed.” I really didn’t need anything, but he insisted, saying that they would help me sleep better and were a little stronger than what I’d taken before.

I didn’t recognize them. They were larger than I’d ever taken before. You’d have to be a horse to get these down, I thought, but I reluctantly swallowed them.

I went into the dressing room to bathe, and as I sank into the tub, my head settled on the edge. My arm was so heavy I could barely raise my hand; my eyelids seemed weighted. But I felt good and kind of silly.

The longer I soaked, the less energy I had and I only barely managed to get out of the tub. Trying to focus on the bed, I staggered over to where Matt was lying. Then I collapsed.

After that, I was occasionally awakened by the sound of distant voices. One time, I thought I saw Matt whispering to me. Another time I saw his father. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or hallucinating, but when I closed my eyes I could feel the room spinning around.

Then I felt a soft hand gently rubbing and patting my arm. “y/n? y/n? Hon, it’s Grandma, you all right?” Slowly I tried to lift my head, but it was too heavy and it fell back down.

“What’d you give this young’un?” I heard someone say. “You got no business givin’ her something she’s not used to. Son, maybe we ought to call a doctor. She’s in bad shape. I don’t think we should take any chances.”

I managed to focus my half-closed eyes on Matt and gave him a wink and a giddy grin.

He said, “Hell no, we’re not callin’ any doctor. Look, she’s comin’ to.”

Kneeling beside me, he held up my head, and I saw that I wasn’t in his room but lying on the white chaise lounge in his office, which adjoined the bedroom.

“What am I doing here?”

“I walked you in here after the first day,” he answered in a concerned tone. “We were trying to revive you.”

“But I just went to bed,” I said, slurring my words.

“Baby, you had us all scared. You’ve been out for two days on two goddamn five hundred-milligram Placidyls. Must have been out of my head giving them to you that way.”

“Two days! That’s two days off my trip. What’s today?”

“December twenty-third.”

“Oh no.”

“Don’t worry. We still have plenty of time.” He smiled at me and said, “I promise, Baby, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Merry Christmas,” Matt said proudly, handing me a honey-colored six-week-old puppy.

“Oh, Matt. He’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, and the smallest.” I gave Matt a big hug and heard a muffled yelp between us. “Oh, Honey!” I said. “I’m sorry.” I had unwittingly just named the pup Honey.

It was Christmas Eve. Matt had prayed for a white Christmas and—as if on cue—that night three full inches of snow fell.

The gathering around the tree included James and Angela, her three sons—David, Ricky, and Billy—the entourage and their wives, and a handful of Matt’s other relatives and friends. Everyone was pleasant and made me feel welcome, though it must have seemed strange to see me rather than Nicole sitting beside Matt. Nicole had shared Christmas with him the two previous years. Sometimes I couldn’t help wondering if he missed her. It wasn’t easy for him to let go of people. I knew that.

It was fun watching Matt open gifts. “Just what I needed, another jewelry box,” he quipped, unwrapping the fourth one of the evening. He looked over at Gene Smith, one of the few people who could consistently make Matt laugh.

“You give me this, Gene?” he asked.

Gene mumbled, “Naw, M, I didn’t give it to you.”

Then Matt reconsidered. “On second thought, I don’t guess you did, Gene. It’s got too much taste.”

“Ah, M, how can you say that?” Gene was mumbling in his slow Southern drawl.

“Easy.” Matt’s eyes narrowed. “Just look at you, Gene, a living example of ba-a-a-d taste.”

Pretending to be insulted, Gene walked away scratching his head, as everyone laughed.

Although there were lots of jokes, I sensed a sadness in Matt’s look as our eyes met, and I couldn’t help recalling what he’d once said to me in Germany: “Christmas just won’t be the same at Graceland without Mom. It’ll be hard for me, and I don’t know if I can bear the loneliness. But I guess I’ll manage. God will give me the strength somehow.”

“Oh, look, Matt,” I said, trying to distract him with a large, colorfully wrapped present. “Here’s one more you forgot to open.” It was my own gift to him, a musical cigarette case, which I’d purposely saved for last. I held my breath as he unwrapped it.

He opened the box and it began to play “Love Me Tender.”

“I love it! I really do, y/nn. Thank you.”

There was a twinkle in his eyes, and I wished I could always make him this happy.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd.

This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - longgg chapter again🎀

#matt stuniolo fanfic #matthew sturn #matthew sturniolo #matt sturniolo #chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #sturniolo edit #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo imagine #sturniolo smut #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo x reader #nick sturniolo #Spotify

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eleanor-bradstreet · 3 months

Text

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 14: Hastings

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: G Word count: 2.5k

Masterpost Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Sophie awoke to find it mercifully still dark outside. Despite the thrilling events of the evening, she must have dozed off, lulled into comfort within Benedict’s arms. Her body wanted to stay wrapped in the soft blankets against his warm skin, but her mind knew better. She needed to be in her quarters when the rest of the house woke up to prevent any suspicion. What exactly her role was now in the house and what exactly she would say to Benedict the next day, she wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t sleep in his room and cause outright scandal. He breathed softly beside her, his face serene as he slept. God, how she loved this man. Loved his beauty, loved his body, loved how gentle he had been with her.

She placed a soft kiss on his forehead and slid out of the bed as carefully as she could. She couldn’t help but notice the traces of their activities on the sheets and told herself that she must be sure to intercept and launder them herself. She dressed in silence and snuck noiselessly back to her room, undetected.

Once in her own bed she found herself grinning uncontrollably, feeling like an entirely new woman. She supposed she had grown more now, having romped with a man that she loved even though she had preserved her maidenhood. It had been overwhelming but perfect. Strange, but so wonderfully fulfilling. The ghost of Benedict’s kiss, of his body, still pressed upon her skin like a memory. It made her giddy, nearly dizzy with joy. A corner of her mind whispered that she was wanton, a loose woman, the mistress that she had sworn she would never be. But she quieted it with justifications. She wouldn’t let him ‘keep her’ in the traditional sense of a mistress. She would maintain her independence with work and simply enjoy her time with him, just as Genevieve did with her gentlemen friends. The thought gave her pause, remembering that Benedict had been just such a companion to the modiste. Sophie wondered what they had gotten up to together, but knew that her free spirited friend was unlikely to harbor any jealousy toward her for entangling with an old flame, if their paths ever crossed again at all. In truth, Sophie was grateful for Gen’s assessment of Benedict’s character, which had always made her more inclined to trust him.

Whatever she had with Benedict now, it was a gift she could give herself after a lifetime of toil. To be as close as she could with the man she loved at least for a brief time, until his heart was committed to a suitable wife.

She had wanted him for so long, so very long. He was everything to her and now that she knew he wanted her too, she could not refuse him, she didn’t want to refuse him. She had this time, however long or short it might be, to enjoy all of him. Or his body and attentions at least, if she didn’t have his heart. Maybe it would be enough to sustain her in the future after he married and moved on. Maybe it would eventually satiate the gnawing need she felt for him at all times. Maybe her time with him would educate her in knowing what to look for in a husband when they inevitably parted ways to find spouses among their own class.

As for children, she trusted that Benedict would not make her fall pregnant. Thanks to him, she now understood enough of the process to avoid such an outcome. She also knew that a woman’s courses were integral and, though she would never tell anyone, she hadn’t had hers in over a year. Not since she had left the Cowpers and lost so much weight. Without them, she felt certain that it was even more difficult to achieve.

Now that she had known the private acts between a man and a woman, had seen and felt all of Benedict’s body, all of her concerns felt like trifles. All she wanted was more. More of him, more of his touch, more of his moans. She was an awful, sinful woman, she supposed. But right now she didn’t care. The memories of their encounter, its sounds, sights and sensations washed over her again, a blissful smile playing across her lips as she sank quickly into sleep.

She was awoken by an uncharacteristic hum of noise outside her door. Voices were shouting down the corridor, doors were slamming, and pots were clanging so loudly she could hear them all the way from the kitchen. She half wondered if the house was on fire. Blearily, she rose from bed, straightened herself and leaned out into the hall.

She was nearly bowled over by Lizzie scurrying past with a mounded basket of vegetables. The maid skidded to a stop and they looked at each other in alarm.

“Lizzie! What’s going on?” Sophie asked.

“The Duke and Duchess are due to arrive any moment.” Came the breathless reply.

Sophie’s mind reeled. “Who?”

Lizzie’s eyes were wide. “The Duke and Duchess of Hastings.” Her tone was of someone stating the obvious. When Sophie continued to stare at her in confusion, she clarified further. “The former Miss Daphne Bridgerton.”

“Oh.” Sophie uttered, taken aback.

Lizzie cocked her head. “You should speak to Mrs. Wiggin, we have plenty that needs doing.” Then she rushed off in the direction of the kitchen.

___

Benedict grinned when he awoke, the memories of the night still fresh in his mind. He rolled over, arms outstretched, only to find himself alone. He looked around the room but Sophie was nowhere to be found. His senses kicked in and told him she was smart enough not to be caught in his bed when the household woke up, but a small part of him also feared that maybe she had run off, feeling differently about the night’s events than he had.

He dressed quickly and marched out of his room to find her. He didn’t have to search at all because he immediately saw her at the foot of the stairs, walking up with a laundry basket in her arms.

He practically sprinted down to meet her. “Sophie! What are you doing?”

She looked at him with a blaze of annoyance and hissed. “You failed to tell me that your sister would be arriving today!”

“Oh!” He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, chastising himself. With everything happening between them, he had forgotten entirely. “Yes, yes. I’m sorry.” He opened his eyes and looked at her apologetically. “She is coming early to help prepare the house for the ball.”

Sophie rolled her eyes and stomped further up the stairs with urgency. “They will be here at any moment!”

Benedict followed her, scrambling back up the steps until they reached the second floor hall. “Still, what are you doing?” She looked at him with utter exasperation. “I’m helping! What am I supposed to do? Sit around and behave like a guest?”

Benedict couldn't help a smirk from tugging at the corner of his lips. Sophie was adorable when she was flustered. "We should talk." He said quietly, laying a hand on her arm.

She glanced about the hall, but they were safely alone. She softened, "Yes, we'll find the time."

Benedict leaned in, magnetized toward her lips and captured them with his own, thanking her for the night before. It was all Sophie could do not to moan under his kiss, she craved him so much. He pulled back and they smiled at each other, eyes alight. Breaking through the moment, the unmistakable sound of neighing horses and crunching carriage wheels drifted from outside. They both pulled apart and looked around. There was still no one in sight, but they sensed the danger of their discovery rising.

He took a last look at Sophie, not sure when they would find their next moment alone. “I must leave. And you have one task while I go. You will hold onto this feeling, and you will stay looking like this, just like this, until I see you again. Because it breaks my heart to see any other expression on your face.”

“You won’t be able to see me,” she pointed out.

He touched her chin and shot her his lopsided grin. “I’ll know.”

And then, when her eyes were full of that enchanting combination of shock and adoration, he swept in to peck her again and then dashed off down the stairs.

Sophie practically swatted him away, the mad aristocrat who wanted to steal kisses with a maid out in the open. But she couldn't stop herself from beaming like a fool as she went on about her work.

___

Benedict was well aware that he was not dressed formally enough to greet the Duke and Duchess as was customary as their host, but he also found that he didn't care. They were family after all, and both knew him well enough to know that abiding by etiquette was one of his lesser concerns. So, a bit disheveled and still lost in his heady thoughts of Sophie, he descended the front steps of Aubrey Hall to greet his sister and her family in the cool morning sunshine.

He watched as Daphne descended from her elegant carriage dressed in a lavender velvet cloak, taking her husband's extended hand. In her other arm she cradled their third child and first daughter, Caroline. Together, the couple turned and helped their two small sons hop to the ground, both outfitted in smart burgundy outfits.

"Sister!" Benedict smiled widely. "Welcome."

She turned her brilliant blue gaze upon him and smiled back, "Benedict, lovely to see you."

They kissed each other on the cheek with a small embrace before he turned to the Duke.

"Hastings," he said with a smile and a nod.

"Bridgerton," Simon's reply was characteristically cool, but warmth lit his eyes.

Benedict then turned to his nephews and niece, looking down upon them in their mother's arms and gathered around her skirt. "Hello there, all of you!"

Daphne's second son, named Barnaby according to the family's alphabetical tradition, smiled up at him and outstretched his chubby fingers. "Uncle Benny," he squeaked, "Up, up!" Though he loved all of his siblings’ children dearly, Benedict supposed he had the softest spot for Barnaby Basset, sharing initials and birth order as they did, and he happily lifted the boy onto his shoulders.

Holding onto the little knees, he looked down at his eldest nephew Augie. "Alright then, lead the charge, everyone inside."

Augie, a gentleman to the last, took his mother's free hand and led her up the steps and into the house with the rest of the retinue in tow. The additional carriages behind them began to unload with luggage and servants. The entire air of Aubrey Hall changed when visitors or family were in residence, anyone more than just himself and a handful of servants, Benedict thought. It became a large, bustling estate, full of noise and people and goings-on, rather than the quiet and intimate hideaway it had seemed to be only the night before. He was grateful to see family. It stirred a familiar warmth within his chest that he had been without for a rather long time, he realized. But he also couldn't help longing to be alone with Sophie in Aubrey Hall, or anywhere really. As much as he loved to see his sister and her family, their arrival felt like something of an intrusion, as unfair as he knew that was.

They were quickly settled into the morning room with tea, scones and cakes, the staff of Aubrey Hall bolstered by the staff brought from Clyvedon. The two boys immediately fell to playing with toys while the adults watched from the sofas, Daphne holding small Caroline on her knee.

She turned to Benedict. "How are you feeling, brother? Mother wrote that you were here convalescing. It seems you had something of an incident while out visiting…the Cavenders, was it?"

God, there was so much his family didn't know. The last he had written to them, he had notified that he would be staying at Aubrey Hall to recover from a cold caught on the way home from Cavender's party, and that he had hired a nurse to assist him. Not a lie, especially at the time the letter was written, immediately upon his arrival. How things had progressed since then was known only to him and Sophie of course, and it felt like an age had passed since the innocent days of seeing her as a helpful nursemaid.

"Yes, I am fully recovered." He smiled at his sister. "Feeling much better."

Daphne looked at him in that exacting way only she could. "I should say so. You look very well indeed."

Benedict didn't know the extent of what she could read in his face, so he changed the subject. "Oh, and our sisters are forbidden from marrying anyone who attended the Cavender party, is that understood?" He bit into a scone. "A nest of drunks and scoundrels, the lot of them."

Simon leaned over from his seat with a smirk. "I could have told you that."

Benedict grinned in acknowledgement, then turned back to his sister. "The Cavenders aren’t invited to the house, are they?"

"No, I don’t believe so." She shook her head.

"Good,” Benedict said bluntly, “and they never shall be."

Daphne knew better than to probe any further. She truly didn't care to know what sort of behavior would lead both her formerly rakish husband and her wild bohemian brother to think poorly of a man. Tactfully, she changed the subject while sipping her tea. "So what have you been doing to occupy your time?"

Benedict didn't meet her eyes but waved his hand around blithely. "Reading, sleeping. Sketching."

Daphne settled her teacup. "Sketching again? That sounds promising." She gave him a gentle smile.

She had already been married and out of London when Benedict served his stint at the Royal Academy. He also hadn't told her the reason he had left so unceremoniously, which was his discovery that their brother had bought his seat rather than allowing him to earn it on merit. Though he supposed Eloise had probably written to her about it. Nevertheless, Daphne had always been supportive of his passion for art. Particularly after she had met the Duke, her appreciation for landscapes had notably increased and she always had encouraging words for Benedict when she saw him at work with his sketchbook or easel.

“Yes,” he mused. “I suppose I have some newfound inspiration.”

He immediately regretted his reply, fearing that they would probe him as to the source but fortunately Simon cut in with a wry smile.

“Or is that just a ruse for hiding mallets and absconding with a new ball?” He leaned forward and arched a brow at his brother-in-law.

Benedict grinned back at him. Hastings was at last catching on to the family traditions, namely that of underhanded manipulation in the run up to their impending pall mall game. Benedict wouldn’t tell him that he had managed to retrieve his ball from the lake. He would save that surprise for the playing field. It seemed he would be safeguarding many secrets while his family were in residence.

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