#I had a closing shift yesterday and stayed way too late to try and get this finshed

[atimeofyourlife]

A family Thanksgiving

This was supposed to be up yesterday, but it took on a mind of its own and instead of the few hundred words it was supposed to be, its nearly 3k. Happy belated Thanksgiving to anyone who celebrates! rated: t | wc: 2847 | cw: period typical homophobia, Steve's asshole parents

The offers from everyone to have him over for Thanksgiving had been great, any other year he would have loved such a choice, but for the first time in a long time, he was spending the day with family.

"But you hate your family." Dustin pointed out when Steve had told everyone about his holiday plans.

"No, I hate my parents. It's my grandma that asked me to go, and I want to see her and my cousins that I haven't seen in like five years. I'm driving myself to Chicago, so I won't be stuck in a car with my parents for hours on end." Steve explained.

"But you're working a late the day before, and I'm not going to cover you so you can drive up early" Robin replied.

"I'm planning on leaving by six on Thanksgiving morning. It's less than four hours to drive, so I'll be there before ten, well nine because of the timezone change. I took the late shift the day before so I had an excuse to drive myself, and my parents wouldn't have any reason to come by Hawkins before. And I drive home either the Friday or the Saturday, ready for our Sunday shift."

Come Thanksgiving day, Steve was somewhat regretting his decision. It had been nearly midnight before he'd gotten home, after a number of people came in just before closing insistent on needing a selection of movies ready for the next day. Then hadn't been happy when the movies they wanted weren't in stock, so they left the place a total mess, causing Steve to stay late to tidy up ready for the opener the next day. Then having to get up around five, so he could get ready and be on track to leave as planned. In an attempt to wake up, he was mostly surviving on a large cup of incredibly strong coffee. He was just counting down the minutes until he could get there.

When he walked in the door, he was immediately wrapped up in a hug from his grandma. "Stevie, it's so good to see you."

"It's great to see you too, Grandma." He returned the hug, melting into it a little. Exactly what he needed after the year it had been.

"Let me take a look at you." She stepped back slightly, giving him a once over. Her hand came up to trace the scar still on his neck from where he had been strangled by the bats and vines. "What happened here?"

"I. It's nothing. It looks a lot worse than it is." Steve replied, trying to get out of the awkwardness of the conversation.

"Oh, if you're sure. If you want to help with dinner, you can join us in the kitchen. But if you just want to rest, anyone who's watching football is in the living room, and the Macy's parade is on in the den."

"It's been a long drive, and I had a late finish last night, so I think I'm going to take a bit of a break. I might come out and help a bit later." He offered.

"Oh, honey. If you don't feel up to it, you don't need to help at all. Take it easy, and we'll call you once everything is ready." She kissed Steve on the cheek, before going back to the kitchen.

Steve made his way through the house, glancing into the living room as he passed. He could see his dad in one of the recliners, and decided against joining them. Wanting to delay the inevitable "you're a disappointment" lecture. He knew his mom would likely be in the kitchen, not actually helping, just drinking wine and gossiping. He moved on to the den, where most of his cousins were. He hovered in the doorway for a second, unsure what to say. So much had changed since the last time he had seen any of them.

"Wait, Stevie?" One of them, Lizzie, said as she looked up to see him.

"Uh, hey?" Steve replied, a little unsure, before he was being swamped in a group hug.

"Jesus Christ, when did this happen? Last time I saw you, you were like a little kid. Now you're a whole grown adult." Another, Mark, said.

After a long catch up, bringing Steve up to date on everyone else's lives, and him giving an abridged highlights of his last few years, they then got into more serious topics.

"Was everything okay after the earthquakes? I tried calling a few times, but I don't know if I had the wrong number because it never went through." Alice, the oldest of his cousins, asked.

"The phones were down across the whole town for a while after, then it was patchy for weeks after that. It was hard to get five or ten minutes without it dropping out. It took me like two weeks before I was able to get hold of mom and dad to let them know that the house was still standing, and that I was still alive." Steve explained.

"Wait, they weren't in Hawkins for the earthquakes?" Harry cut in.

"No, they've not been in Hawkins since February? Like over a month before it happened."

"Oh. They were telling us last night about how awful and hard it had been during the earthquakes, and how they were scared for their lives." Alice replied.

"That's such bullshit. They weren't in the country when it happened, they were in London. They didn't even know that it was Hawkins that was affected until I called them, because all they'd seen on the news was a freak earthquake hitting the Midwest. It hadn't even specified the state. And then they didn't care how I was, if I was hurt or anything, all they were interested in was if there was damage to the house, and how the earthquake could affect the resale value."

"Okay, I call dibs about bringing that up over dinner. I just want to see what shade of purple Uncle Dick can turn." Becca, the closest cousin to Steve in age, piped up. "But were you hurt?"

"Uh, minor injuries. Nothing serious." Steve lied, not wanting to worry anyone. "I was able to start volunteering within a couple of days. You know, helping out at the relief center, helping search for missing people. And when everything calmed down I was helping rebuild and stuff. Just trying to do my bit. But I'm fine now."

"That's good. But thinking of Uncle Dick turning purple, who gets to bring up Fuck Reagan?" Mark asked.

"Stevie's been through the most, I think he should get the chance." Alice replied.

"Uh, I think that would go down about as well as if I told him that my best friend is a dyke and I've spent most of my free time in the last six months sucking off the local drug dealer, who was accused of being a cult leader and murdering three people." Steve said quickly, unsure if he wanted anyone else to pick up what he'd said.

"Was that for drugs, or for fun, or what? Like a hook up?" Harry asked.

"He's my boyfriend. I mean, it helps that I get free weed out of him, but I'd do it anyway." Steve admitted.

"That is something you missed out of your round up. But I love that all of us are some variation of queer."

Dinner was...interesting, to say the least. After saying Grace, they went round the table to say what they were thankful for that year. Steve had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing as his parents waxed on and on about how they were thankful for their lives and being able to escape the earthquake unscathed. He couldn't keep from laughing when Becca spoke up against them.

"Really? Because Alice asked Steve how he found it after the earthquakes, and he said that he couldn't reach you for two weeks after it happened because the phones were down and you were in London. And you didn't even know that it had hit Hawkins until he called you."

"Steven, why are you telling lies about us?" His mother demanded.

"I wasn't? You weren't in Hawkins when the earthquake hit. You've not been there since February. When I was finally able to call you, you only cared about how the house was, not if I was hurt. And you were pissed that I hadn't called you sooner, despite the fact the phone lines were down for the whole town. I could have died or been injured in hospital, and you wouldn't have known."

"How dare-" His father started, only to be cut off by Steve's grandmother.

"Settle down. There's no need for arguing. I am inclined to believe Steve, because I do remember you telling me that you were going to be spending a few months in Europe at the start of this year."

Both of Steve's parents were visibly unhappy, but they didn't push it any further, allowing the rest of the family to talk about what they were thankful for.

Many small conversations broke out over the table, Steve loving the feeling of being surrounded by family for the first time in a long time. He got pulled into talking to different people, but he did his best to avoid his parents' eye. Not wanting to get trapped by them telling him all the ways he had bothered them since he'd last seen them. But he knew they were up to something, when his father got up before dessert was served.

"Before we have anything else, we do have a big announcement about the future of our family." He said, using the voice he always used when talking to the most important clients.

"You've sucked enough political dick to get what ever tax exemption you were after?" Lizzie asked, before anyone could take it too seriously.

Steve's dad just spluttered in anger as a call of "Elizabeth." Came from at least four different people around the table.

"Ignoring that horrible interruption. What I was going to tell everyone is about Steven's imminent engagement. He is going to be proposing to Melissa Downey, the daughter of my business partner, at Christmas, they've been seeing each other for nearly eighteen months now, and it is going to mean big things for our family."

Steve couldn't respond, processing what had just been said, as everyone started speaking, some offering congratulations, others in confusion.

"That's news to me." Steve said loudly, to get over everyone's voices, once he could form the words. "I'm not planning on proposing to anyone."

"Well, Arthur and I have been discussing it, and it is the only thing that makes sense now, the two of you have been together for long enough, the logical next step is engagement."

"I'm not dating Melissa. We went on one date over a year ago, just after I graduated. It was awful, all she was interested in was if I made enough money to bankroll her spending addiction. I made up a fake emergency to get out of it, and I would rather stick forks in my eyes than suffer through that again." Steve got to his feet, bracing his hands on the table. Knowing he'd been right not to be optimistic that the holiday could pass without incident.

"You will if you know what's good for you. If you don't, it could destroy our business. You wouldn't want to be the reason we go broke, would you? You could end up homeless. Where would you live?"

"First, I have plenty of friends who would be happy to take me in if I had nowhere else to go. It's something we talked about after the earthquake, because some people I know did have damage caused to their homes and I let them stay with me until they could move back in. Second, I don't really care about whether or not you go broke. You don't provide any money to me. You haven't since I started working at Scoops. I pay for all my food, gas, clothes. If you go broke, my financial position won't change at all. And third, I can't propose to her. I'm in a relationship, and we're both very happy."

"Is it that Buckley girl? Or did you somehow manage to convince that Wheeler girl that you're actually worth something? Because I can tell you now, you are going to break up with whatever little slut-"

"His name is Eddie." Steve shouted before he could think it through, and a silence fell across the room. "That's right. Your son is one of those awful queers that you keep campaigning against, to keep them illegal and get them locked up. And you know what? He's easily the best sex I've ever had. Especially when we get high first."

"Why you-" His father roared, his face turning a dark red in anger. "How dare you do this to us? After everything we have done for you. You'd better hope that those friends of yours would be willing to take you in, because you are not living under my roof any longer. You will have until the end of the weekend to collect your belongings, anything left will be burned."

"Except, it isn't your roof, is it Richard? If I remember correctly, I was the one who paid the mortgage. My name is the one on the deed to the property in Hawkins. I just allowed you to live there, rent-free might I add, because it made sense for you to live somewhere close to Indianapolis when your business was taking off. I had been planning to sell up. So I think maybe you should be the one to collect your belongings from that house, because I'm not sure if I want you living under my roof any longer. It sounds life you're almost never there, anyway." Steve's grandma replied.

"But, mother-" His father started.

"But nothing, Richard. I don't know where you learnt your hateful attitude, because I know I did not raise you to be the sort of man that would kick your own son out over something as minor as who he loves. I really thought you were a better man than that."

"It's disgusting." Steve's mother added. "So unnatural, and that disease."

"What is disgusting is your bigotry. I think I want you both out from under my roof, now. So, if you would both kindly leave. And I expect you to move your belongings from the house in Hawkins, as that is now Steve's house, not yours. And you better not touch anything that isn't yours, or cause any damage, because I will take legal advice." Steve's grandmother stood up, anger radiating from her tiny five foot frame. "And, unless you change and apologize for your outdated beliefs, you can forget any inheritance. I will not have any of my money going to support hatred."

"Mother,"

"Leave, Richard. Now. I'm not afraid to get the police involved here."

Steve's parents looked at him with their faces filled with utter disgust, before they turned and left. His grandmother escorting them off the property.

"Are you okay, Stevie?" His grandmother asked after the end of the meal.

"I. I think so. I think I need to make a couple of phone calls." He replied.

"Use any of the phones, dear. Maybe if you know someone who can keep an eye on the house."

"Yeah. I babysit for the chief of police sometimes, so I might call him. He'll make sure nothing happens."

"Good. And, if you're talking to that boy of yours, tell him that he's got to come up here for Christmas. I want to meet him, and make sure he's good enough for you."

"Grandma." Steve protested.

"I'm just saying." She replied before walking away.

Steve shut himself in one of the bedrooms, for a little privacy from the still crowded house while he made the calls. The call to Hopper was quick, just outlining what was going on, and Hopper agreed to keep a check on the house until Steve was back in Hawkins. Then it was the call to Eddie.

"Baby, I wasn't expecting you to call. How's your Thanksgiving?"

"Interesting. My parents decided to announce that I was going to propose to dad's business partner's daughter. They wouldn't accept that I wasn't interested in her so I accidentally came out."

"Shit, I hope that didn't go too bad?"

"Uh, it could have gone worse? Somehow me coming out got my parents removed from the will and kicked out of the house. Because my grandma wasn't happy with them being assholes about it."

"Oh, badass grandma. I kinda want to meet her now."

"I was hoping you would say something like that. Because she has told me that you have to come here for Christmas. She wants to make sure that you're good enough." Steve couldn't help smiling as he talked, somehow the day had gone so much better than he'd ever hoped.

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington has bad parents #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #stranger things #atimeofyourwrites

[sereneres]

cuddles ⁰

huh yunjin x 6th member!reader / 1.1k

request. — “cuddling w huh yunjin x member!reader 🫶🏻”

summary. — three places. three very cuddly and soft moments. one very warm huh yunjin.

warnings. — none <3

🛋️ — couch

“unnie, they’re… couch!”

“just leave… eunchae, they’re both...”

with the growing volume of the voices of whoever was speaking–one was definitely eunchae, but the other… it was probably either chaewon or sakura. kazuha rarely raised her voice like that–yunjin peeks an eye open, only to immediately regret it upon getting blinded by a stray beam of sunshine that somehow got through the curtains.

“fuck.”

eunchae and the mystery member’s conversation comes to a sudden halt, the former trying and failing to not giggle and the latter–who yunjin had quickly identified just by the way they reacted–just sighing.

“wha’ time’s it?” yunjin slurred out, groaning as she stretched her arms out, only to flinch when she felt something on her chest shift before settling once more. “what the- yn? when did you get here?”

despite how loud the older girl was being, you didn’t wake up. what you did do, though, was nuzzle your face further into the crook of her neck.

“she got there like, an hour into your couch hogging.” eunchae informed, crossing her arms. “i dunno how you stayed asleep, but you did and then ynnie somehow got your arms around her without struggling too much.”

“blergh…” the older of the two grumbles, her lips pulled into a grimace, “my back is killing me… i really should’ve just slept in my bed…”

eunchae huffed. “serves you right for hogging the couch since yesterday afternoon. zuha-unnie and i had to sit on the floor for movie night because of you!”

“oh.” she blinks. “oops. m’bad.”

“too late to say sorry now,” she says haughtily, her lips forming a dangerous pout, “and besides, how’d you end up sleeping here anyway? your room is only a couple of steps away!”

yunjin sighed, shaking her head. “if i knew, manchae, then i would have told you by now.”

“it’s currently eleven in the morning, yunjin.” sakura says, her phone in her hand. “yn has a schedule to get to in an hour, so if you could wake her up, that’d be great.”

“but she’s asleep-”

“wake her up, yunjin,” the oldest of the three–four, technically–girls narrows her eyes, “or i’ll wake her up.”

“…yes ma’am.”

the japanese girl tsked, shaking her head as she slipped her phone into her pocket. “i have to figure out what to scrounge up for dinner so-”

“let’s get take out!” eunchae interrupted, smiling cheekily at the older girl. “i want sushi!”

“we had take out yesterday, manchae.” despite herself, sakura couldn’t not pat the girl on the head. “we can’t get take out twice in a row.”

“why not?~” eunchae whined, pouting at full force.

“because we can’t.”

“unnie!~”

🚘 — the car

when the six of you had gotten into the van at first, you and yunjin had not been close at all. the latter was sitting in the front row–right behind the driver’s seat–and you were sitting all the way in the back with eunchae.

this arrangement didn’t last long, though, as not even ten minutes into the drive–

“unnie,” eunchae whispered into sakura’s ears, making the girl shudder slightly. “ynnie’s being needy again.”

“‘m not needy.” you insisted, your lips curling into a pout that most definitely did not help your case. “‘m jus’ tired, y’know how it is.”

kazuha, against the warnings of both sakura and chaewon, twisted around in her seat, nearly choking herself on her seatbelt in the process but shrugging it off as if she didn’t just, well, choke. “do you want me to come back there?” she asked quietly, to which you shook your head your pouty lips forming a flat line. “then who do you want?”

“it’s definitely not me, that’s for sure.” eunchae muttered, sounding somewhat cross. you frown, kicking her foot lightly and giving her a pointed look.

“don’t you hate it when yn clings to you though?” sakura asks in your stead, raising an eyebrow. “whenever they ask you about something you don’t like about us, you always say that ynnie’s clinginess is annoying or whatever.”

“hmph.”

sakura glances at chaewon, who shrugs, before sighing. “yn, you haven’t been asleep since yesterday afternoon. you need to sleep.”

which meant that you needed someone to cuddle because, while you could go to sleep on your own, you fell asleep a hell of a lot quicker if you were sleeping with someone. it was usually kazuha or sakura, seeing as they lived in the same dorm as you did, but occasionally you had a sleep over with chaewon, yunjin, and occasionally eunchae.

“…yun-unnie.”

and so that was how yunjin found herself two rows away from her usual seat, facing the right side of the car rather than the front so that the two of you could cuddle properly. eunchae, who had been your original seatmate, had reluctantly moved to where yunjin had been sitting and was currently sulking.

“cheer up, eunchae.” sakura attempted to soothe, running a hand through your maknae’s hair as she tried to not smile too much at how cute the younger girl was being. “you can sit with ynnie on the trip back.”

“who says i wanna sit with her?” eunchae asked, crossing her arms defiantly.

from beside your manager, chaewon, who was sitting in the passenger seat, rolled her eyes. “oh please, we all know that you’re going to beg to sit next to yn later.”

“will not!”

“will too!”

“chaewon, don’t instigate her.” sakura admonished, both sounding and looking tired despite having done nothing but eat, get dressed, and pack snacks for the trip before getting into the car. “and eunchae, just… settle down. play on your phone or something.”

meanwhile, kazuha was more focused on you. “how’s she doing?” she asked despite staring right at your sleeping face. “is she okay?”

“she’s not squirming.” yunjin murmured, patting your back softly and slowly as she watched it rise and fall from your measured breaths. “which is a good sign, i guess.”

“hm. tell me if your arms get tired.”

“aha. they won’t.”

(spoiler alert: they did.)

💤 — waiting room

“le sserafim, pre-recording in five!”

you hum, snuggling closer to yunjin who pulled you impossibly closer, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of some of your accessories digging into her skin.

“‘nnie, what’re we gonna do when we get home?” you ask sleepily. yunjin probably shouldn’t be indulging you like this, should probably be forcing you to stay awake instead, but with how soft you look, she couldn’t bring it in herself to do anything but hold you.

“probably flop into the couch until either someone complains about us hogging the couch.” she says, closing her eyes. “sound good?”

“soun’s-” you yawn, blinking the tears from your eyes and groaning when you had to pull away from yunjin to wipe them away. “sounds good, ‘nnie.” you mutter, snuggling back into yunjin. “you’re v’ry warm.”

“yn, yunjin, come on.” chaewon calls, standing above the two of you with a frown on her face. “we have to do the pre-recording, interview, and live show. you know, our literal jobs?”

you whine, clinging onto yunjin as if your leader would try and pry you off of her. “fiv m’re min’us.” you plead, your already slurred words partially muffled due to your mouth be in pressed against yunjin’s clothes. “pleaseeeee~”

“even if we had five minutes to spare, i still wouldn’t let you do…” she trails off, visibly struggling to find a word that would accurately describe what you were doing with yunjin, “whatever it is you’re doing. c’mon, don’t you want to see our fans?”

“no.”

“yn!”

cuddling (verb) — hold close in one's arms as a way of showing love or affection / lie or sit close and snug

masterlist.

#sereneres #seren.writes #seren.request #kpop x reader #le sserafim x reader #lesserafim x reader #le sserafim imagines #lesserafim imagines #yunjin x reader #huh yunjin x reader #yunjin imagines #lsfm.yn

[justfangirlstuffs]

A Saltwater Room

Part 3 featuring @scarredlove's Sea Slug AU boys. :D

Part 1 here, Part 2 here.

Wordcount: 2055

As you slept you had strange dreams. Dreams of being underwater yet somehow able to breathe. Dreams of hands gently cradling you and bright eyes peering at you through the darkness, dreams of being wrapped up in warmth and softness. And any time you felt scared, soft gentle words of comfort were murmured into your ears, allowing you to sink further and further into restful slumber.

Sunlight pressed against your eyelids and you groaned. You didn't want to wake up. You just wanted to stay wrapped up in the warmth of your bed sheets... except... how was the sunlight getting in? Didn't you close the curtains? Something shifted against you, and you very quickly realized you were not alone. And you were not in bed, and these were not your bed sheets.

Blinking your eyes into focus, you found yourself wrapped up in curtains and folds of reds and blues and golds. You were laying atop the yellow sea creature, their arms wrapped around your middle, while the blue one was loosely draped over your legs in a way that didn't hurt but kept you effectively pinned you in place. No wonder you were so warm; now that you were awake you could feel the soft hum of their bodies. They appeared to be fast asleep.

Taking in your surroundings you found yourself in a different sea cave. Much larger than the one you'd fallen asleep in. You were currently resting on a sandy shore that lead to the opening of the cave that had two wide arches looking out into endless ocean. Small waves gently lapped over the sand, trying their best to reach you but lacking the strength or motivation to get very far. Big mood, honestly.

Overhead, a large, jagged hole served as a skylight, letting the sunshine in but still keeping most of the cave in shade. A few large rocks sat in the center, probably perfect spots for sunbathing during certain times of the day. As your eyes roamed, you noticed a part of the cave seemed to go deeper, but you couldn't see too far in before it melded into blackness. Still, you couldn't help but be nervous that something might emerge from those shadows.

It then dawned on you that you were far too calm for this situation. You could feel your panic, your fears and anxiety, but it was like there was a layer of... something separating you from it, not allowing it to reach up and pulled you under. Or... maybe you were just so overstimulated from yesterday you just didn't have the energy to have another attack. Regardless, it was time to address the two sea creatures in the room with you.

“Um... hello?” You lightly nudged against them, trying to get them to wake up so you could have some freedom of movement.

They both stirred, the blue one arching their back as they stretched. Seeing you awake, they slithered off of you. The yellow one waited until you were fully sitting up in your bed of sand before also putting some respectable distance. Huh... okay... so far this was a lot... tamer than your first encounter with either of them.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” the yellow one asked, rubbing their hands fretfully. “When Moon brought you here, I was worried he might've been too late. You were so cold, I thought-”

“Moon?” you repeated, rubbing your head. Your eyes widened. “Wait... as in... Sun and Moon?”

Moon immediately perked up. “You remember us?”

Glancing between the pair of them, it suddenly clicked. No wonder they seemed so familiar and yet so unrecognizable. Because the last time you'd seen them, they were tiny slugs living in your aquarium, small enough to fit in your hand.

“But... you were...” You pointed to your hand. “And now you're...” You gestured vaguely at them.

“Mm, I suppose we do look a bit different,” Sun mused. “Though, to be fair, in such a small space we weren't able to really... stretch our legs, so to speak.”

A bit different. Understatement of the century if there ever was one. Still... you couldn't believe that they were actually here. You thought you'd lost them forever years ago. Your family had been getting ready to move, and you were taking one last stroll with them, in the little aquatic carrying case you had made so you could take them with you whenever you had to leave the house. If they wanted to, of course.

However, your jerk of a cousin stole them from you and you'd chased him, trying to get them back. Then the idiot dropped them into the river that opened out into the ocean. You tried so hard to save them. You cut your hands and knees open on rocks trying to get to them in time, but the ocean stole them away, along with your blood and the tears you cried. You remember being so distraught that you had sulked for weeks afterwards. You'd lost your three best friends, yet no one seemed to understand how much they meant to you. When your parents offer to get you new slugs, you had refused, because how could you possibly replace them?

“Have you been here this whole time?” you asked them.

“Mm, here and there,” Sun answered vaguely. He reached forward and gave you a small boop on the noise. “Looking for you.”

“Waiting for you,” Moon added, his hands worrying the front ruffles of his robes. “Sorry for scaring you. Just... missed you.”

“I might have been a little... hasty as well,” Sun admitted, fingers toying with one of his rays. “I was just so happy. I apologize.”

They... had been looking for you all this time? All these years? What had they been getting up to? Had they gotten lonely? It must have been so scary for them, for their world to explode in such an abrupt and unexpected manner. But at least it seemed like they'd been able to adapt in a way that helped them to survive. Plus, the fact that they were apologizing for their behavior, however well-intentioned it was, really meant a lot.

“So, wait, if you two are here, then where is...” The sentence died in your throat as the pair's eyes widened and a large shadow suddenly loomed over you.

Turning around, your heart leapt up into your throat, clogging up any words you might have said. If these really were your Sun and Moon, then there was no doubt who this could be. Eclipse was so very tall. Taller than the other two. His robes were a deep midnight black laced with gold, adorned with bright yellow polka dots that gleamed with light. Like Sun, he had a halo of appendages around his face that were reminiscent of rays, only more elaborate. Golden yellow eyes shined down at you, his expression unreadable.

Wordlessly he knelt down, one of his large hands reaching out to gently stroke your hair. “Are you all right?” His voice was a gentle rumble, like distant thunder.

“Y-yeah,” you mumbled. “I think so.”

“Good,” he said. Then both of his hands were gripping your face, not harshly, but enough to get your attention as his face suddenly twisted in anger. “What the hell were you thinking?” Suddenly the thunder was not so distant anymore. “Wandering the beach after dark! Are you looking to get eaten?”

The unexpected admonishment cut you deeply and tears sprang up in your eyes. “Why are you yelling at me?” you squeaked.

Eclipse let you go looking panicked, clearly not having expected you to outright cry in the face of his ire.

“Nice going, idiot!” Moon chided, smacking Eclipse on the back of the head.

“I agree,” Sun muttered looking soured as well.

“Shut up! It's both of your faults they nearly died to begin with!” Then, to your amazement, Eclipse scruffed them both with each hand and threw them hand over hand into the water where they splashed, spraying droplets everywhere.

Moon make a few splashes and gargling sounds before playing dead, whilst Sun went full on theatrical mode. “Oh no! Whatever will I do? I need a beautiful strong pearl to save me from this dreadful predicament.” He glanced at you and winked.

A small snort left you, chased by a few giggles. You wiped the stray tears away with the back of your hand. Eclipse lightly touched your shoulder and you winced on reflex. His hand withdrew, his expression sullen but penitent.

“Sorry about that, Angelfish. I got carried away,” he muttered. “When those two brought you here, you were frozen, and your breathing was so slow.”

Shoot... had you really been that in danger of exposure? You gave a small shiver. “I don't do well with yelling,” you told him frankly. “But... it's nice that you cared, Eclipse.”

The use of his name got a reaction, as several of the colorful appendages around his face twitched as a smile spread over his visage. By this point, Sun and Moon were over their theatrics and had come back ashore to rejoin you. Though you noticed they were continuing to keep their distance, even though their expressions and the way they seemed to almost unconsciously gravitate towards you spoke volumes as to how much restraint they were exercising.

“Clip likes to act big and scary, but really he's the biggest softy of all of us,” Sun remarked with a wide grin.

“He's softer than a jellyfish,” Moon teased, poking at Eclipse's side. The latter gave a playful swipe at Moon who ducked away with a soft cackle.

The sight brought a grin to your face, warming your insides. The familiar way they acted, the way they teased and ribbed each other... they really were family. Even though Eclipse tried to act bothered, you were almost certain there was a fondness behind the irritation he was sporting. Gaud... seeing them all here stirred up so many memories, and your head felt so abuzz it was overwhelming. What was once so far off and distance now felt fresh and vivid as though just yesterday you'd been in your bedroom chatting happily away with them.

Suddenly, you were overwhelmed with the strongest urge to hug them, to hold them in a way you couldn't before. And yet... so much time had passed between then and now. You were different, and they were very different. Was it really okay for you to just... pick up where you last left off? Especially when you didn't know them anymore, not like this anyway. But... it would be so nice to have friends again. To have someone in your corner.

“So, what-” you began, however you were cut off as your stomach gave a monstrous growl that seemed to echo through the cave. The three of them stared at you and you were so embarrassed you wanted to hide your face in your hands.

“You're hungry,” Eclipse remarked. Not a question.

“I guess I shouldn't have skipped dinner,” you mumbled, rubbing your stomach.

“You WHAT?” he demanded. However, when you winced at his tone he clenched his fist and released a long heavy sigh. “Let's get you home.”

“Wait, but...” You glanced between the three of them. You still had so many questions.

“Go home, eat and rest,” Eclipse instructed firmly. He extended a hand, and you shyly took it. It was so large compared to your own, but it was soft, warm, and kind. He easily pulled you up onto your feet. “We can talk more later, once you've had time to...” He trailed off, as though searching for the right words.

“Process?” you supplied.

“Yes, that.” He pulled you closer, until you were only a breath apart from him. Your cheeks flushed at the proximity. “All you have to do is call for us, and we'll come find you.” He leaned down pressing a kiss to your forehead.

Warmth bloomed from the spot as your heart thrummed in response. Then suddenly you started to feel very sleepy. You slumped against him, and his arms cradling you was the last sensation you felt before you passed out.

#fnaf sundrop #fnaf moondrop #fnaf eclipse #sun x y/n #sun x reader #moon x y/n #moon x reader #eclipse x y/n #eclipse x reader #sea slug au #justfangirlwritings

[quinloki]

Hellooooooooo!! Wassup? How have you been?

Could I request size kink, praise kink & after care for Shanks, Ace & Luffy?

Thanks! Take care and cya! <3

You know, I've been good. Had a rough day yesterday, slept in a little too late today, but I'mma try and get this ask done before my shift starts. (yay for WFH).

\o/ I love when people ask for Aftercare ♥ makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!

Without any pomp and circumstance for this, let's get into - I'mma go alphabetically (by first name), cause it places Luffy in a good spot to see the differences between him and his brother, and him and his mentor!

Portgas D. Ace:

Size Kink - Yes - Height-wise I think Ace is fairly neutral on the size thing. He's perfectly happy to be the little spoon, he's perfectly happy to the big spoon. I think he just likes to snuggle regardless. He enjoys wrapping his limbs around you and keeping you close, but he'd be equally as happy to be engulfed by someone (Okay, but now I want to write a Yamato x reader x Ace story, you have no idea.)

Praise Kink - Oh god you don't even know - For a guy who thinks the whole world hates him by virtue of his father, he wants you to know how perfectly he loves you. Ace is abysmal at dirty talk - especially when he gets focused on trying to talk dirty, but praise pours from his lips with a flow and grace you wouldn't know he had.

It all comes from his heart, and the only thing that can knock him out of his groove is if you start praising him. He won't stop, or run away from you, but you can see that freckled face turned bright red. He is likely to start railing you to keep you from talking though - or tickling you, or snuggling you harder, etc.

Aftercare - FUCK Yes - Ace's aftercare is a little lacking at first, but he's attentive to you, and listens well. I feel like Marco and Thatch both would've been making sure he knew that he needed to do it, and as time goes on he gets better and better. To Ace it's another way to show his love, and he gets to praise you more while you're talking through everything.

There's not a whole lot of people who can sit in the tub with you and keep the water warm quite the same way Ace can ^_^

Monkey D. Luffy:

Size Kink - I guess - Bigger, smaller, filled to the brim, or being stirred up inside, Luffy doesn't really have a preference. He'll do his best to fulfill your preferences, especially as your relationship grows, and if anyone can Adjust Their Size in a VARIETY of ways, it's Luffy-gods-damned-D-Monkey.

Interestingly, he prefers to be the big spoon, and given the nature of his body, he'll easily stretch and wrap around you to ensure he is.

Praise Kink - Oh god you don't even know - Oh god he didn't even know. Luffy's been praised before, but there's something different when you praise him. Especially when you're being intimate. It sends a shiver through him that he really likes, and so he'll praise you in return (getting better and better at it as time progresses), because if it makes him feel that good, it probably makes you feel that good too.

Careful with the praises though, if you praise him well while you're climaxing, you might end up climaxing a lot. If you have the stamina for it, then that's great, but Luffy's not known for his restraint.

Aftercare - Yes - Luffy is the middle of the slider for aftercare - he does it every time, and he does it well, but there's no much passion in it. He gets all the credit for seeing it through, and staying focused on it, he's not going to risk skipping it and having you end up in a bad way because of it. In a way, it's a testament to how much he does care about you, because he rarely does anything he doesn't want to, and it's pretty obvious aftercare isn't high on his list.

Still, he washes you, snuggles, massages and kisses you while talking about how things went every time. Then he probably does like a billion laps swinging around the ship because he's still a little ball of gremlin energy xD

Shanks:

Size Kink - Yes - Yes is pretty neutral for Shanks, since there's so little he's actively against. He's not against being the big or little spoon, though given his tendency to start things he's usually the one snuggling up to you in one way shape or form. He's definitely not shy about heights, either, but for some reason I feel like Shanks tends to stay within a certain range. I imagine it's almost subconscious though - if someone who was 12' + approached him, he'd be unlikely to say no, but he would be more likely to walk over to someone between like 5'-8' give or take a few inches.

Praise Kink - Oh god you don't even know - Beckmann does nothing but scold him, but he's good, isn't he baby? He's so good to you, doing all those little tender things you like, kissing you so sweetly even if are begging him to go faster that pleasure's still building, isn't it? Just be good, keep taking him so well, you're doing a great job, listen to those sounds, you're so close, aren't you?

Yeah, give or take, Shanks loves praise. He loves to praise you and watch you take pleasure in it just as much as if he were degrading you or teasing you. He loves it when you praise him, even if it's shattered by the pleasure he's giving you and nearly formless. It's okay, you're doing good, he knows exactly what you're trying to say. ♥

Aftercare - FUCK Yes - Shanks' Aftercare game is on point. He's had plenty of practice and a lot of it is almost second nature. He might not consciously fill the role of dom, but it doesn't stop him from taking care of his partner. I feel like he's almost always going to be the more experienced person in the relationship no matter what - he's just so much of a free spirit looking for a good time that I don't think anyone else could hope to keep up.

And he's not reckless or cruel, so he's good at the whole thing, from the chase, to the foreplay, to mutual pleasure, to the aftercare.

#kinky one piece head canon #monkey d. luffy #portgas d. ace #shanks #x reader #luffy x reader #ace x reader #shanks x reader

[writtenonreceipts]

Rowaelin Month Day Eight: Single Parent Au @rowaelinscourt

Rowaelin Month Masterlist Where We've Been Masterlist

Warnings: nothing too major? ~6.5k words

Where We've Been, Where We're Going--Part Six

Aelin awoke with a start the next morning.

Sprawled out on the small couch in the waiting room, she’d forgotten where she was for the briefest of moments.  Her dreams had been filled with running through a small apartment trying to get free from her pursuer.  Constantly looking over her shoulder.  The impending knowledge that she wasn’t safe.  Needless to say, she didn’t sleep well.

As she remembered where she was, that she was safe, she sat up and ran a hand through her hair.  The small window of the waiting room showed off an early morning sky that wasn’t yet dusted with the pinks and golds of a rising sun.

Outside the door were the usual sounds of a hospital: nurses talking quietly, med carts rolling, shoes squeaking on linoleum.  It hadn’t bothered her throughout the night, for which she was grateful.  The hospital was slowly waking up with the usual ins and outs of operation which meant Aelin would soon need to leave.  

She only had a dinner shift at the diner, and she knew Nox wouldn’t be mad if she was late, but considering she was on an hourly wage and needed the tips, getting there on time would be better for her.

Sitting up, she stretched out her sore back.  She’d have to make sure not to wince or waddle when talking to Malakai or she’d never hear the end of her stubborn refusal to go home to a real bed.

She stuffed her hair into a bun, certain it still looked like a rat's nest, and gathered her jacket and phone.  The battery was well on its way to dying so the sooner she got to her car where the spare charger was, the better.

As she headed up to Emrys’ room for a quick check in, she ran into Yrene who was finishing up at a nurses station.

The brunette smiled. “Hey, did you stay here all night?”

“Yeah, I wanted to be close in case anything happened,” Aelin said.

Yrene nodded in understanding.  She reached out and gave Aelin’s arm a squeeze.  “He’s a strong man.  And stubborn as they come.”

“I know.”  She did her best to smile, unwilling to break down in front of Yrene who always appeared so strong and composed all the time. “I just want to swing by the room before I head back to Terrasen.”

“I’ll walk with you.”  

Yrene initialed a patient file before putting it back where it belonged at the nurses station.  Her hair was pulled back in a braid, but there were a few flyaways escaping.  The curls framed her face, emphasizing her dark hazel eyes.

“So, how have you been?” Aelin asked.  She didn’t know Yrene very well, only from the occasional check-ups and some medication prescriptions.  But, Yrene had a quality about her that spoke to kindness and surety that Aelin appreciated.

“Oh, same old,” Yrene laughed.  “A few nurses quit last week so my workload increased a bit.”

She rolled her eyes even as Aelin stared in slight horror.  

“It’s fine,” Yrene insisted, “I get double overtime and everything.  Besides, I’ve gotten really good at sewing up barbed wire injuries.”

“You still deserve a break,” Aelin insisted.

They stepped on the elevator to head up to the recovery wing.  Unlike yesterday, Aelin was able to remain mostly calm.  She kept herself as close to the door as possible still, ready to jump out at the first chance.

“Who needs rest?” Yrene chuckled.

“When was the last time you had a girls night?” Aelin asked. “You should come into Terrasen.  You, Nehemia, me and Marion, we can have a night out of fun.”

That gave Yrene pause.  She fiddled with the pager at her waist as she thought.  Aelin had a feeling she knew exactly what was going through the other woman’s head: new friends, too busy, do I really have time, easier to ignore it.  She knew those thoughts.  As much as Aelin loved new people and having fun, she’d grown warier as of late.  She knew how easily her cover could be blown, sending up a smoke signal to Arobynn telling him where she was.  

It had come close to happening after the debacle with Chaol over a year ago and why she didn’t entirely trust the man anymore.

“If you don’t want to,” Aelin began.

“No,” Yrene said quickly.  “No.  It sounds fun.  I’ll take a look at my schedule and let you know.”

The elevator opened up a floor and had Aelin bouncing out as soon as she could.  Despite the care she took to hide her emotions and her unease, she’d been failing more often in recent weeks.  She used to be good at it--protecting herself from other’s eyes.  For her own sake and the sake of her daughter she needed to get back to that point.

“Great!” Aelin flashed her brightest smile.  She had to be careful around Yrene’s keen eyes.  The woman had seen some of Aelin’s past medical records--the healed broken bones and scars--and would know what they meant.  While Yrene was a professional, and bound by HIPPA, she was still a good person who would look out for someone in a bad situation.  As long as Aelin acted like everything was alright, Yrene wouldn’t comment on it.  

She could hope.

“Marion doesn’t seem like the type to go out,” Yrene commented with light amusement. 

They headed down the hall as dawn slowly began creeping in through the skylights and windows.  It was set to be another beautiful summer day, even with all the turmoil surrounding them.

“Oh, she doesn’t,” Aelin agreed, “she’s always been a little closed off. She bit my head off the first time I invited her out to lunch.  It just takes a little bit for her to feel comfortable around people.”

We all have things we need to keep hidden, she almost said.  She bit her lip and kept those words to herself.

The recovery wing was quiet as they rounded a corner to Emrys’ room.  Malakai was already up and in the hall as the doctor and a nurse did a morning evaluation.

“You look terrible,” Malakai said, giving Aelin an appraising look.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh thanks.”

“I told you that you should have gone home,” he said.

“I’m fine.” The crick in her neck said otherwise, but Aelin ignored that. “How is he?”

“He woke up,” Malakai said, “still groggy and confused, but he did wake up.”

“Good,” Aelin said, “that’s good.”

She glanced to the room where the curtains were drawn.  She wished she could have gotten to see Emrys at least once, but she did need to get going, especially if she wanted to relieve Nehemia from Meiri duty.

“Will you give him my love?” she asked.  “I need to head back to Terrasen.”

“Of course,” Malakai agreed, “go.  I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

Aelin nodded. “I’ll check in with Luca and make sure he’s going to his summer classes.”

“Chaol knows what he’s doing,” Malakai reminded her.  

Aelin kindly ignored him.  She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before turning to Yrene.

“Text me about your schedule.”

Yrene told her she would and satisfied, Aelin headed back to Terrasen.  

…

Rowan stood at the top of the ladder and stared at the window pane he was trying to install.  This really was a two man job but considering he knew no one in this damned town, he was determined to accomplish this on his own.

Last night he’d made the impossibly stupid decision of staying in Terrasen to help finish the renovations on the Inn.  He wasn’t entirely sure why he did it--other than the fact that he actually liked Malakai and Emrys. 

Maybe it also dipped into the idea that he wanted to make a difference.  For so long he’d been entrenched in pain and war, blood and misery.  For so long he’d done what others had told him to do to the point he never really knew what he wanted.  Until the end.

Until that last raid when he’d made a deadly choice.

But this wouldn’t lead to death.

Unless he slipped off the ladder.

Rowan looked down.  He’d probably survive.  

Good thing heights had never bothered him.

He turned back to the window pane.  With careful leveraging he could manage this on his own.  But for the rest of the windows?  Maybe he would have to enlist some help.  Which would require talking to people.

Hell.

After another twenty minutes, Rowan did manage to finagle the window pane into place and secure it with the necessary equipment.  

Sweat poured down his skin as she finally made it down the ladder.  It was barely one in the afternoon and he was ready to call it a day.  Even after spending years hauling equipment through the Kovac desert and sitting in a sniper's nest--there was something particularly grueling about this today.

He hadn’t been sleeping of course.  Hadn’t been training every day, all day.  His body was trying to adapt to its new circumstances and seemed to be failing miserably.

When his feet hit solid ground, he stripped off his shirt to wipe off the excess sweat that was dripping from his forehead.  As he’d come to learn about this part of the state; it was endlessly sunny.  The blue sky allowed for no relief.  Not that Rowan wanted it.

He stood in the parking lot of the Inn, bare chested and let the sun pour down.  He could taste the remnants of dust on his tongue and hear the quiet hum of cars drive past on the main road.  If he focused, if he closed his eyes and waited--he was back in that desert waiting for orders.

The low growl of a closely approaching car drew his attention and he opened his eyes to the blinding light of the sun as a black SUV pulled into the parking lot.  The engine cut off and a man hopped out of the driver's seat.  He had to be Rowan’s same age if he had to guess.  He was handsome with black hair and a charming smile.  There was something familiar about the easy way he held himself.

“You must be Rowan.” The man proffered a hand to shake.  He wore a suit that had to cost at least as much as the SUV he drove. “I’m Dorian, the city mayor.”

Rowan shook his hand but was otherwise unsure what to say to the man.  He’d met many political types in his time in the army and hadn’t liked any of them.  All he could really do was nod and mop his face with his shirt again.

“Malakai mentioned you might be staying in the front office for the day,” Dorian said, glancing at the ladder and mess of window equipment. “He didn’t mention you’d be working.”

There was such an easy way about him, that Rowan could see how someone could be disarmed by the man.  Since Rowan could now count on one hand the number of people he trusted in his life, it was easy to keep his defenses up.

“I figured I’d try and repay them by helping out,” Rowan said.

He remembered meeting a business man out in Kovac who would essentially loot abandoned villages and look for any opportunity to get his hands on money.  It was one of the things that led to Talbot’s death.  And that final raid.

All because of one man.

Rowan knew why Dorian was familiar.

“Havilliard,” he said slowly. Dorian’s smile froze in play. “Dorian Havilliard.  I’ve met your father.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Dorian said, “the man’s a bastard.”

Rowan eased back a step.  Henry Havilliard had come to Kovac because his business was investing funds in the war and had wanted to see sites where his money was being used.  Which had led to the attack miles outside of base camp.

In reality, Rowan knew he couldn’t blame the sins of the father on the son.  He knew that.  But it would be so easy to.

“You served in Kovac, didn’t you?” Dorian asked. “That’s mostly where my father invested.”

“Three tours,” Rowan said.  Three tours over four and a half years.  And then a year of training stateside before that.  It shouldn’t have happened that way, he should have had more time between tours.  Should have given himself a break, but after Talbot…everything had spiraled out of control.

“My father never understood what it was like to serve,” Dorian said, “never really understood what his work was doing.”  He held Rowan’s gaze for a few moments before looking away. “Even with all the time he spent over there.”

No one understood what it was like.  Not until they were holding a dying kid in their arms and had blood staining their lips.

“Did you need to get into the office?” Rowan asked.  He didn’t need to talk about his military time nor did he need to try and bond with a Havilliard.

“No,” Dorian said, he cast another look over the motel.  “I just thought I’d stop by and introduce myself.” He paused. “Are you planning on finishing the renovations yourself?”

Rowan shrugged. “May as well.  Sartaq is still finishing my truck.”

Though, if the last text was to be believed, the truck would be finished by the end of the day.

Dorian nodded absently. “Malakai was worried about being ready for the county fair.  You know--”

He was cut off by a loud squeal.

“Uncle Dorian!”

The small voice carried across the parking lot and was followed by the emphatic pounding of feet.  When Rowan looked around until he saw running along the sidewalk toward them was Meiri.  Her blonde hair bounced wildly about her face and an infectious smile beamed at him.  As she got closer he noticed she wore a pink tutu skirt paired with a blue Spider-Man shirt.

Behind her trailed Aelin at a quick pace with Meiri’s backpack slung on one arm, coffee in hand.

“Hey kiddo!” Dorian knelt down as Meiri nearly bowled him over.

“You missed pizza night with Mia!” Meiri told him.  She smacked her hands on Dorian’s cheeks and looked him dead in the eye. “You never miss pizza night.”

“I’m sorry,” Dorian said, he genuinely seemed apologetic.  Though Rowan wondered if that was from missing the pizza of missing time with Nehemia. “Next time I’ll be there, I promise.”

Meiri held out one hand, pinky in the air. “Pinky promise!”

Aelin watched the exchange in bemusement that had Rowan wondering how often Meiri sealed deals with pinky promises.

“Pinky promise,” Dorian agreed.  He hooked his pinky with hers.  

Satisfied, Meiri turned to Rowan.  Much like the first few times they’d met, she shied away from him, just a little.  Though, she still eyed him with interest.

“Hi,” she said, “did you get pancakes today?”

“Nope,” Rowan said, “no pancakes.”

“That sucks,” Meiri said.

“Meiri!” Aelin scolded, dropped a hand on her daughter's head. “That’s not a word I want you using.”

“But Luca says it,” Meiri said.  She shook her mother off and patted down her hair aggressively.

“Yeah and he’ll be in trouble too,” Aelin assured her daughter. “It’s not a nice way to talk.”

Meiri immediately became uninterested with the mild chastisement and ran over to the tool box sitting out beside the ladder.  She poked and prodded before she found a measuring tape and got to work measuring out every little thing she could.

“I thought you’d be gone by now,” Aelin said, drawing Rowan’s attention away from Meiri who crouched beside Dorian’s SUV, tape measure extended over the tires. “Sartaq left me a message saying your truck was done.”

Rowan ran a hand through his hair, the sweat helping it stick back out of his face.  He nodded to the pile of window and construction equipment off to the side.

“Decided to help out a bit until Emrys was back on his feet,” he explained.  How long had it been since he last checked his phone?  If he’d known Sartaq had finished he would have gone to pick the truck up.

Aelin’s expression betrayed nothing even as her head cocked to one side.  She didn’t exactly trust him, that much was for sure.  But she didn’t dislike him either.  At least…as far as he could tell.  Though, Rowan was certain that she’d never admit to such a thing.

“You should stick around for the county fair,” Dorian said.  He had an earnest grin on his face that had Aelin scoffing, but Rowan didn’t think the malice was directed at him. “It’s a good time.”

“You’d do anything to keep numbers up,” Aelin said.  She rested her hands on her hips and gave Rowan a look. “The reelection is coming up.”

“I’m just saying, food, music, and fireworks,” shrugging, Dorian looked a little chagrined. “And, there's a sharpshooting competition.  Been around since the fair started.  I’m sure Chaol would like the competition, no one’s beat him in three years.”

The offer was genuine, easily extended.  Rowan, however, had no inclination to pick up a gun again.  Not for a long time.  And not unless he had no other choice.

“Yeah, maybe,” Rowan said.  He ran a hand over his jaw contemplating if he could get out of this conversation by just walking away.  He hadn’t touched a weapon of any sort in months, not since being discharged and the thought of handling something else…

Meiri ran over to Dorian, the measuring tape flailing behind her.

“Uncle Dorian! Your car tires are this big!”  Meiri held up the metal tape that made a distinct whipping sound.

“Thanks kiddo,” Dorian smiled down at Meiri. 

“Momma’s gotta go to work, can I stay with you today?” Meiri asked.  She released the tape measure so it snapped together sharply.  

“Sorry, princess, I’ve got a lot of meetings today.” Dorian cast an apologetic look to Aelin who grimaced.

“I should have texted you beforehand,” she sighed. “I guess I can ask Mrs. Olmstead…”

“No Momma!” Meiri cried. “She never has any cookies and she doesn’t like to dig holes.  Plus she smells funny.”

Dorian had to turn away to keep his laugh hidden and Aelin’s lips were pursed so tightly, Rowan worried she’d bite into them.

“The cookies are the biggest crime,” Dorian said.  He patted Meiri on the head. “I need to head down to my meeting.  Have all the fun with this.”

He nodded to Rowan and gave Aelin a peck on the cheek before returning to his SUV.  The car turned out onto the main road, disappearing around a corner with a honk in farewell.

It was only then that Aelin cleared her throat before plucking the tape measure from Meiri’s hands. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but she is a very nice lady.  We can dig holes tomorrow.”

“Please, Momma?”  Meiri clung to her mother’s leg and tugged insistently.

It was a moment that was amusing and endearing.  Meiri in her tutu and large blue eyes and Aelin’s will crumbling bit by bit.  Rowan could remember a similar situation years ago.

A daughter.  A mother.

Each desperately clinging to the other.

“I can watch her,” Rowan said, the words leaving his lips before he knew what the hell he was thinking.

Aelin blinked, clearly shocked by his offer.  Well, there was no turning back now.

“Do you like to dig holes?” Meiri asked.  Her blue eyes widened expectantly as if it were the most important question in the world.

“Sure,” Rowan said, “I spent my summers burying my school books so my mom wouldn’t find them.”

Meiri pondered for a minute before she nodded once. “Okay.  We can have pancakes too!”

She took the measuring tape back from her mom before running to his tool box and taking the level out.  She held the tool in her hands with obvious care before heading over the window ledge of the front office.

It was easy to see Aelin’s uncertainty on the matter with the way she gripped Meiri’s bag in one hand.

“We can just hang out at the diner if you want,” Rowan offered. “You can keep an eye on her, I’ll color with her or something.”

For as long as he could remember, Rowan had never been a kid person.  He’d never known what to do around them or with them or…anything really.  The last kids he’d been around were his cousins but that had been ages ago, back before the war.  And frankly, Rowan wasn’t sure if he should volunteer for this.  After spending years around Lorcan and Fenrys combined there was no telling what Rowan would let slip.

Plenty and cursing that was certain.

“I,” Aelin began.  She sighed and rested a hand on her hip.  The tank top she wore left her golden arms on display.  She even had a few freckles spotting along her shoulders.  Summer looked good on her. “Alright.  Marion has reading hours sometimes at the library, if you stopped by I’m sure she’d help you out.” 

“Alright,” Rowan said.  That would work out well.  He remembered how much Sellene liked to read and Endymion could spin tales like no other.  “We’ll stop by.”

Aelin slowly pulled a key ring from her pocket and unwound a key.  She held it out between two fingers.

“I’m going to trust you,” she said, “don’t make me regret it.  I’m off at eight, but Nox might let me leave early.  You can go back to my place and watch Barbie movies if she gets too rowdy.”

Rowan accepted the key, tucking it into his fingers.  The metal was cool on his skin and seemed to weigh a little heavier in his grasp.

Trust was a heavy burden to own and he really wasn’t sure if he deserved it.  

Meiri skipped back over to them holding up the level so she could peer through one of the small openings between one of the bubble vials.

“Are we gonna get pancakes?” Meiri asked.

“Better,” Aelin answered, “Rowan’s going to take you to the library.”

Meiri gasped in excitement. “Yes!”

Aelin smiled as she crouched down next to her daughter. “Listen to Rowan, okay? I’ll see you tonight after work.”

“Bye, Momma! I love you!”  Meiri threw her arms around Aelin’s neck, nearly smacking her in the head with the level.

Chuckling, Aelin dodged the near assault.  She gently took the level from her daughter. “Let’s be careful with Rowan’s tools, these aren’t toys.”

Meiri nodded, the picture of innocence.

Aelin stood, drawing this good-bye out as long as she could.  Even Rowan wasn’t completely detached from human emotion to notice.

“I’ll make sure my phone’s charged,” Rowan assured her, “and I’ll get your number from Marion.  If that’s alright.”

“You have a phone?” Aelin asked, brow raised.  For the first time that day she was actually directing her amusement at him and not disdain.

“I haven’t used it in a while,” Rowan admitted. The only reason he new where it was was so Sartaq could keep in contact.

Despite the small bit of humor she’d just displayed, Aelin still looked hesitant.  One hand flexed toward Meiri who now butted her head into Aelin legs.  “Just keep me updated.”

“Updates every fifteen minutes,” Rowan promised.

That got a genuine smile. “Thirty minutes is fine.”

…

“Do you like reading Meiri?” Rowan asked as not more than ten minutes later he and Aelin’s daughter were rounding the steps to the library.

The building was small, tucked right up against the post office.  When they entered the double doors, Rowan got the distinct scent of fresh paper and static cleanliness that could only belong to a post office.  It mingled with the subtle undertones of cedar and book musk.

 “Yeah!” Meiri said.  “My favorite is the story of the princess who has to go find her family in the lost castle.  Do you know that story?” 

“Uh, no.”  The last book Rowan had read was…hell, he couldn’t even remember.

Meiri sighed.  “Do you know the story about the ducks?”

“No.”  Whatever fascination Meiri had once had for him was certainly draining away now.  Quickly.

They entered the main lobby of the library where there was a large display of children’s books set in the summer months and a cutout of a puppy with balloons tied to its collar.  Fly away with reading! Was written out overhead.

“Well what do you know?” Meiri asked.

Rowan thought back to what Sellene would have read at Meiri’s age.  “What about Snow White?” 

“She doesn’t have a sword.”

Well at least Rowan knew Aelin was giving her daughter a well rounded view of the world.  Though, admittedly, a lot of fairy tales could be improved if the princess had a sword.

“I’ll ask Marion for help,” Rowan assured Meiri.

He found a small table where he could plug his phone in and let it charge enough to make sure it would actually turn on, before making sure Meiri was settled in the picture book section.  He made sure not to go too far where Meiri was out of view as he looked for Marion.  Despite how small the library was, he wouldn’t take his chances on Meiri running off.

It didn’t take long before Marion appeared from a back room with a stack of books in her arms.  She paused when she saw Rowan.

“Hi,” she said, “what are you…?”

Rowan jutted a thumb back to where Meiri was picking out books. “I’m helping Aelin out with Meiri.”

“Aelin let you take her daughter out of her sight?” Marion obviously did not believe what Rowan was saying.  She propped the books she held on one hip as she walked to the main counter. “She doesn’t know you.”

“Yeah,” Rowan said.  He shrugged. “I  don’t really know why either.”

Marion set her books down and brushed adjusted the bun her hair was knotted in.  She reached for the small phone sitting next to her computer.  Rowan didn’t even try to argue as she immediately began texting.  

“Her shift just started,” he offered helpfully.

Marion only glared up at him.  For such a small woman, she would have made an excellent army ranger.  He could see her ordering a group of soldiers around without much effort at all.  Hell, she could even give Lorcan a run for his money with that scowl.

“Why would I kidnap a five year old and immediately bring her to a library?” Rowan added after Marion finished her message.

“Because you’re up to something,” Marion said. “Showing up to a small town and offering no information about yourself.  Helping out a family you just met.  Don’t think I haven’t heard about what you’re doing for Emrys and Malakai.”

It had been, maybe, a half hour since speaking with Dorian and already the gossip was circulating.

Determination flashed in Marion’s eyes.  As well as mistrust.  Rowan had spent plenty of time trying to understand people, interrogating them, learning everything he could about them that he knew these subtler human emotions.

“I tell you my secrets if you tell me yours,” he offered.  And then, to make a point he added: “Marion’s not even your real name, is it?”

That got a reaction.  Marion stiffened, just barely, but it was enough to tell Rowan enough.  It was a cruel thing to point out, especially given how protective and cautious she was--but he knew, he knew, there was something different about her.  

“Can I have Aelin’s number?  I told her I would text her with updates.”  Rowan tapped a pad of sticky notes for emphasis.

Marion muttered a curse under her breath but did as requested.  She handed him the note, jaw set with anger.

“Thank-you,” Rowan said.

He went back to where his phone was charging, unlocking it and disregarding the missed messages waiting for him.  Those weren’t important.  There were only three people who had his number and he didn’t want to talk to any of them.  Well, technically a few others but dealing with ghosts never got him anywhere.

He tapped out a quick message to Aelin.

>>This is Rowan.  Meiri is currently well on her way to emptying out the entire library.

He debated sending a picture along with it but decided against it.  He doubted Aelin would want a near stranger having pictures of her daughter on his phone.

Hell.  She must have been desperate to let him take Meiri for the afternoon.

Just as he moved to set the phone back down a new message buzzed through.  He thought it was Aelin already responding until he saw the I.D.  He should have known they would reach out like this.

<<im back stateside

<<we need to talk

<<its important

<<you cant ignore me forever

Rowan frowned.  Well he sure as shit could try.

He locked the phone and went over to the small play area where Meiri was rapidly accumulating a large pile of books.  She sat at a small table with a book propped up before her.  One finger trailed along the words as she slowly mouthed the words out.

“K-k-kwik,” she said, “the dog was quick.”

Rowan didn’t know much about kids, but he had a feeling Meiri was far above the usual reading level.  She glanced up when he approached and waved her book in the air.

“C’mon, you said you’d read with me.”

So, Rowan went over and took a seat in the tiny plastic chair beside her and read about the dog that ran all through a small town wrecking havoc as it went.  Every few books, Meiri would get up and wander around to find another book or two and bring them back for Rowan to read.

She was so entranced by each story, Rowan didn’t have the heart to shirk his duties so he wound up doing voices and accents for the different characters.  He made sure to send Aelin messages along the way--ignoring the ones from his old contacts--and just tried to keep Meiri entertained.  

Eventually Marion came over with a coloring book and giant box of crayons for Meiri to color with.  The girl happily took the items and set to work, choosing to go sit in a corner next to a giant stuffed elephant.

Marion sat in one of the kid chairs across from Rowan, chin propped in one hand.

“You know,” she said, “that kid is one of a kind.  And Aelin loves her more than anything.”

It wasn’t anything Rowan was surprised to hear.  Meiri did seem like a different kid than most.  And Aelin’s love for her was one of the first things Rowan had noticed in the diner that first day in Terrasen.  He eyed Marion wondering what she was getting at.

“When Chaol and Aelin were dating, well, if you could call it that,” Marion shrugged, “he wanted something serious and she was just trying things out.  Anyways.  They were doing whatever and he tried to find her family.  Or…I think he did.  Almost told them exactly where to find her too.  I’ve…I’ve never seen her more upset.”

Marion paused, picking at a hangnail.

“I don’t know exactly what happened in her past,” she finally continued, “but I know enough.  And if…if it was anything of what I went through then she deserves to be happy, to have this time and place for her and her kid.  You should have seen the look on her face when Chaol said he found her cousin.  I swear she was going to leave right then and there, murder him too.  She just wants to raise her daughter.”

The words sunk in slowly, taking their time to nestle into Rowan’s brain.  He could hear what was left unsaid and come to his own conclusions.  It didn’t mean he could trust any of it.  Not that Marion or Aelin would blatantly lie about this sort of thing, but they could certainly leave out bits of truth.

“I’m just here for myself,” Rowan said. “I’ll leave as soon as Emrys is back on his feet.”

Marion smiled. “Didn’t you say the same thing about your car?”

She was, unfortunately, right.

“Rowan?” Meiri said, scrambling up from beside that stuffed animal.  Crayons went flying as she moved. “I’m hungry.”

He smiled at the little girl with her wild hair and mismatched clothes.  Confident and strong just like her mother.

“Alright, let's get something to eat.”

If there was anyone that could keep her child safe from the wiles of the world, Rowan was sure it would be Aelin.  He just hoped that one day, maybe, she’d be able to stop running.

…

The heat of Kovac dissipated only slightly when a storm blew in.  Instead of being a dry and consuming heat it had turned into a melting pot of humidity. Dust and sand kicked up from wind and the few trucks that were still on the move, leaving everything in a hazy glaze.  Adding to that a burst of rain and lightning, the desert felt like a whole new type of misery.

Supposedly, the one thing to come of it all was that there would be no scouting or fighting that day.  Rowan wasn’t sure if he liked that or not.  For a while now, he’d felt on edge.  As if he were always waiting for something to happen--and IED to go off, a sneak attack to occur, something that he couldn’t fix.  

He tried to play it cool, to ignore the way his thoughts would latch on to every negative and dangerous thing.  Tried to pretend he was being logical in his worry, that he was simply preparing for what may come.  It was flimsy at best and a part of him knew it.  Ever since the raid last week and the reality that they'd be getting a new commander…Things were changing and Rowan  didn’t like it.  Lorcan or Gavriel were more than capable leaders and if Maeve wanted to divide the squad, she could just keep Gav in his current position and promote Lorcan.  Or even Vaughan.  Bringing in a new body now seemed like a stupid idea.  Rowan knew better than to argue against Maeve when she had her mind set on something, though.  It wasn’t worth the demerit.

He simply tried to keep his frustration at bay.  His squad mates had only offered the usual glare in Maeve's direction at the announcement.  They each felt the frustration but there was nothing to be done at this point.  Not if they wanted to keep things running smoothly.

Unfortunately, they were set to meet Hammel that day.  He’d arrived sooner than anticipated, which Rowan would choose to see as a good thing, a way to get into a new rhythm and normal before the next planned raid.  In the week since the announcement, Rowan had done his own background check on Hammel.  Perhaps it was an abuse of power to call in the favors he did, but he’d wanted to learn everything about the man he could.

He’d spent the last year and a half in Oregon on a small base up there as a trainer.  Many of the men he’d worked with had gone on to get accommodations, many even being stationed in Kovac as well.  There was a brief incident report of someone breaking into his off base apartment and beating his girlfriend before stealing some cash and the tv.  Something about that didn’t seem right, but it was only one report relating to Hammel.  He was an excellent marksman and scout but his true skills lied in stealth work.

Officially, Hammel was a good soldier.  One of the best.

Unofficially…well.  There was only one comment from a young cadet who had been discharged part way through boot camp after “over escalating” a situation between her and a fellow cadet.

Lieutenant Hammel did not take my comments or safety seriously in this investigation.  I would formally request placement in another unit. The cadet had instead been honorably discharged before vanishing entirely.

It wasn’t a lot to base his opinion on, but Rowan was already coming to his own conclusions.

So when the official call came in for the Cadre, as they were known by, to meet with Hammel--Rowan did his best to let the irritation fade away.

"Gentlemen," Hammel greeted once they were all seated.  

The briefing area was as hot and muggy as ever, settling them all with another level of discomfort.  

Lorcan as usual chose a back corner seat, hardly sitting at attention.  Gavriel maintained his decorum and the twins were as lanky and childish as ever.  Rowan glanced at Talbot who had been whisked into the squad after the last raid and Hernandez transferred him.  Rowan didn't know the reasonings, but he liked the kid so he didn't argue.

Before them now, Hammel stood tall and at ease.  Though, there was no mistaking the cold silver of his gaze and the harsh lines of his face.  His red hair hung to his shoulders and he wore a cold ring on one finger.  He didn't seem the least bit concerned with anything but himself.

“I've heard you're undisciplined and like to cause problems."  Hammel raised a single brow looking as though he couldn't have cared less about the lot of them. "Not under my command.  There have been too many slip ups and unsuccessful raids.  These mess ups will no longer happen or I'll make sure the rest of your weeks here are as miserable as your lives."

It was quite the speech, not that Rowan was truly intimidated by it.  He'd already experienced hell and this man wasn't going to make things worse.

"We'll start with a practice training tomorrow, no matter the weather conditions, you've got to be capable of working through anything.  Sniper!"

Rowan sat up, lifting his chin. 

"Only five confirmed kills," Hammel lifted a lip. "Do better."

"None of my men have died in the last two tours I’ve done," Rowan said, "sir.  I've protected my men."

That sneer only broadened. "When I give you an order, soldier, you accept it.  No arguments."

Rowan only stared at the other man.  He fought the urge to gauge everyone else's reactions.  Hell, he wanted to see Gav most of all.  Gav who’d been their leader for nearly two years now and was being sidelined for someone younger.  

Rowan had known war wouldn’t be easy.  He’d known he would kill, potentially be killed.  He knew his perceptions of life would change and that nothing, nothing, would be the same when he was finished.  But to be told to take more lives?  To add more chaos into the world?

“Yes, sir.”  Rowan didn’t salute.  He didn’t move a muscle until Hammel turned the conversation to the next raid that would take place as soon as the storm passed and this time they would see results.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Tumblr isn't allowing me to tag blogs properly so any reblogs would be greatly appreciated! <3

#rowaelin #rowaelin month #rowaelinmonth2023 #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #throne of glass #tog #fanfiction #throne of glass fanfiction

[killmongerskeepermain]

Close Quarters // Shuri

Summary/Request: Could you do a fanfic where reader and shuri get stuck in an elevator while they both have feelings for each other, the sexual tension grows and eventually one of them has to break it. (this doesn’t have to be smut but it could be just fluff but write whatever u wanna write ❤️❤️) - Anonymous

Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader

Warning: Fluff

Word Count: 1.5k

Working in the lab everyday meant keeping a level head while working alongside Shuri. THE princess of Wakanda. The woman who also happens to be your childhood crush. T'Challa was the first person to take notice of your infatuation with the princess. Being like an older brother you never had, he would always poke fun at you and tell you that the two of you belonged together. He would tell you about how she would talk about you all day. What you did together. The ideas you shared. You never took anything he said seriously until the snap happened. He was gone. She was gone. Turned to dust right in front of you when you stayed late in the lab one night. You remember that night as if it was yesterday's nightmare. 

T'Challa has convinced you to tell her how you felt so you purposely stayed in the lab after your day was over to spend time with her. Little did you know a battle would sweep over Wakanda and you had to do your best to assist the princess in dissecting the soul stone. The enemy had broken through to the lab and Shuri grabbed her gauntlet and tried to fight them off but was knocked unconscious. You stood your ground and let Vision take the fight outside before moving to her side.

"Something doesn't feel right." She mumbled and you grabbed her face, checking for a high temp. What caught your eye was the way her shoulder began to crumble away before you. Your eyes went wide as more of her started to disappear and you froze not knowing what to do. 

"Shuri. What's-" the words came out as incoherent mumbles and she quickly grabbed onto your arms.

"I don't know. Y/N what's happening to me." You held her close with tears running down your face, not knowing what's going on or what to do. 

"No, don't go! Don't leave me!" But it was too late, she was completely gone and you let out a painful scream causing Queen Ramonda to rush to the lab. The two of you mourned together, not knowing if she would come back. Not fully understanding what exactly happened. You didn't step foot in the lab for years. You tried to be strong and grieve silently. Knowing the queen was hurting even more, now that both of her children are gone. Steve Rogers came to you with a plan to bring everyone back and he along with the surviving avengers succeeded. You didn't know until you finally walked into the lab with the intention to clean it up. 

"You're cleaning? Wow all it took was me disappearing from the face of the earth." A voice joked and you turned to see her standing there with T'Challa. You dropped everything and ran into her arms, hiding your face in her neck. T'Challa couldn't hide the grin that appeared on his lips as he watched the two of you. You didn't let go or say anything when she hugged you back. That felt like so long ago now. You hadn't even realized your mind shifted to the past until a hand was waving in front of your face.

"Hello! Earth to Y/N? Stay with me woman." Shuri laughed and you quickly regained your posture as she stared down at you. She had grown a bit taller so now you look up at her slightly. "Did you even hear a word I said?"

"I'm here. Something crossed my mind is all." You told her as you gathered the papers on the desk. The two of you had a meeting with queen Ramonda and she had requested you bring the schematics for the Dora Milaje's new weapon ideas. 

"Something big enough to completely block what I was saying?" She grinned and you shook your head trying to hide the smile of your own.

"I didn't completely block you out." You retorted and she crossed her arms, not believing you for a second. "Really? Then please tell me what I said." You froze and she couldn't help the laugh that shook her form.

"I knew it!" You playfully pushed past her, making your way to the elevator as your cheeks started to heat up. She swiped up her folder before following your steps to the door. You pressed the down arrow and waited till you heard the noise announcing it arrived. Stepping inside you stood side by side as the doors closed and you began your descent to the throne room. Or so you thought. The elevator jerked slightly and you felt nervousness in the pit of your stomach. 

"Oh come on. Griot, can you get the elevator working?" The princess exclaimed as you tried to keep your cool. You and confined spaces don't mix. Even with someone else there with you. 

"Working on it right away princess."

"Hey let go of the files. You're going to crush the papers." She laughed but her joke went through one ear and out of the other. She noticed you didn't relax your grip and moved a bit closer to you. "Y/N?"

"Huh? Sorry it's just that I don't do well in tight spaces." You told her as your mind ran through every possible way you could die in an elevator. "You've never told me that." You could help the way your eyes fluttered closed as you leaned onto the wall. 

"We'll be okay dearest. Griot will get us out in no time." She said and you held the folder tightly to your chest. As if to make sure your heart does leap out of it. "Y/N?" You heard her call your name but your chest tightened and you felt yourself starting to hyperventilate. Shuri pulled you closer to her as she grabbed the files away from your hands. She leaned her forehead against your own as she instructed you to take deep breaths. 

"Breath with me. Okay? It's easy. Just take deep breaths." Your breathing levels slowly as you hold onto her arm. Her hands were on each side of your face as she helped you calm down. When your eyes fluttered open, you weren't expecting her to be so close and you suddenly froze. "See. You're okay." Her eyes never left yours until they flickered down to your lips. Your body started to heat up with the sudden closeness and you gently squeezed your legs together. 

"Shuri." You said barely above a whisper. Like a silent invitation her lips crashed into yours and you felt the weight lift off of your shoulders as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. You haven't even realized the elevator was moving until the doors opened giving Okoye an eye full of her nation's princess making out.

"It is about time you made a move princess. Although in an elevator?" She grinned as Shuri slowly pulled away. The evident question floating around the two of you as you stared up at her. What does this mean for your friendship? Your body suddenly felt hot and you excused yourself out of the elevator to your room. You didn't even make it to the throne room as you originally intended. You shut the door but before it could click shut a hand stopped it. Shuri poked her head in the doorway and you immediately began apologizing before she could say anything. 

"I'm so sorry. Shuri. I shouldn't have done that." She leaned against the door fidgeting with her kimoyo bracelet. 

"Was it that bad?" You were taken aback and felt your cheeks heat up. 

"Bad? No, it was amazing. The best kiss I could ever have. Not like a kiss from you would be bad. Why would it be bad, you're the princess of Wakanda. You're beautiful. And smart. And you care about others." You had begun rambling, not even noticing she was slowly getting closer and closer until she was in front of you again. 

"Good." Her hands found your waist before she placed a soft peck on your lips, making all your negative thoughts disappear. "You don't have anything to worry about Y/N."

"But our friendship. I don't want to ruin that. Especiallyafter you've done so much for me." Shuri couldn't help the grin that plastered on her face as she stared down into your brown orbs. "You can't ruin anything if I feel the same way you do." You could swear your heart was about to burst from your chest as you wrapped your arms around her shoulders. She held you close to reassure you there was nothing to worry about and you melted in her embrace. 

"My mother can wait a couple of more minutes. If you still don't believe me, I can show you better than I can tell you, sthandwa." She said in a low voice, caressing your cheeks. Giving a small nod you leaned into her, catching her lips in another kiss. Shuri was finally yours. And she was going to make sure you got all of her.

#poc reader #princess shuri #queen shuri #shuri #shuri black panther #shuri fanfiction #shuri fluff #shuri imagine #shuri udaku #shuri x reader #shuri x black!reader #shuri x fanfic #shuri fic

[staygoldwriting]

Cousin Buckley: Part 5

Summary: You’re Robin’s cousin, and you might be falling for Eddie Munson... or will it be Steve Harrington?? 🖤💜

Please see my masterlist for Parts 1-4!

Warnings: mention of blood and a skinned knee, otherwise it’s pure fluff!

Word count: ~1.4k

A/N: AHHH I’m getting so excited about what will happen next even though I’m the one writing it 😂 Again, THANK YOU for the love--I’m sending it right back 😍 Please enjoy this one--it’s getting good 🙊

Taglist is still a WIP but I’m messaging those whose usernames won’t work!

“Okay, I’ve got to work from one to closing tonight, which is a total drag and barely feels legal, but I’ve got to save up. Do you have any plans?”

You were sitting on Robin’s bed as she fixed her hair for work. Robin had warned you that Thursday was her longest shift day, so you needed to make some plans so you wouldn’t be stuck in the house all day. You envied the day before; you two met up with the guys again and had lunch at the park.

“Actually, I was thinking about hanging out with Eddie,” you said, picking at your fingernails.

“Ahh,” Robin turned around with a smirk on her face. “Has the lady chosen her true love? I would have guessed it was Steve based on your interactions yesterday.”

You blushed; you and Steve had been playing around at the park yesterday. He pushed you on the swings, swung with you on the monkey bars, and then played out in the field, ending with you accidentally falling and skinning your knee as you dove for the frisbee.

✨

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Steve had rushed to your side. “Shoot, you’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine,” you tried to relieve him. “It’s just a skinned knee. Man, they do sting, it doesn’t matter how old you are.”

“Here, let me help you up.”

Steve lifted you up, wrapping your arm around his shoulder. He then walked you over to a bench, swinging your leg up on it. He grabbed a napkin, then squatted beside you to dab your knee. As you winced in pain, he looked up at you sympathetically.

“I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing your arm.

“Don’t worry about it, you’re helping,” you half-smiled, half-grimaced.

“I’ll be right back, I think I have some bandaids in my car.”

He came back with some bandaids. As he dabbed your knee a little more, you continued to wince. He gently applied the bandaid, making sure it wasn’t too tight. 

“Good as new,” he smiled then kissed his finger, pressing it lightly to the bandage then to your nose.

“Thanks, Dr. Steve, what do I owe you?” you joked, trying to hide the way your heart raced as he looked at you admiringly. He tapped his cheek playfully, making you roll your eyes. 

“You can also build up a line of credit,” he winked, pointing to his lips.

✨

You looked down at your knee and lightly touched the fresh bandaid. Steve was sweet, that was for sure. He felt like Hawkins, like those summer days full of popsicle stains, collecting fireflies, and freshly grilled burgers. He was the type of person you could dance with if a great song came on the radio while you were cooking. 

But something about Eddie made you feel different. Eddie wasn’t the typical all-American boy next door; he was softer, a sensitive soul covered by leather and tough patches and bands. When you thought of him, you thought of late nights gazing at the stars, of staying up all night just talking, of leaning on him the way you did two days ago, but this time with his guitar in his hands, strumming a song he made just for you. 

“Hello-o-o, Y/N,” Robin waved her hand in your face, snapping you out of your trance.

“Hey, sorry,” you shook your head. “What were we talking about again?”

“You possibly seeing Eddie today?”

“Right, sorry. Yeah, I think I’ll call him.”

“Go ahead,” Robin smiled. “I gotta go, but I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay. Bye, Rob, have a good day at work. Let me know if you want snacks or something, okay?” you hugged her as she nodded. 

“Seeya, Y/N/N.”

After Robin left, you got ready for the day and went to the kitchen to use the phone. Robin had written down both of the boys’ numbers in case you needed something while she was at work. You dialed Eddie’s number, and soon, a man picked up. 

“Hello?”

“Hi, this is Y/N Buckley. Can I please speak to Eddie?”

“Sure, one second, Y/N.”

“Hello?”

“Hey, Eddie, it’s Y/N. I was wondering if you’d like to hang out today.”

You heard a crash and Eddie cursing to himself.

“Sorry,” he said.

“What happened?”

“Oh, nothing, just dropped the phone. Yes, let’s hang out. What did you have in mind?”

“Do you wanna get some lunch?”

Within fifteen minutes, you saw Eddie’s van pull up into the driveway. As you were walking to the front door, he hopped out of the driver’s seat and rushed up to the door, ringing the bell. When you opened it, he beamed and brought a small bouquet of wildflowers out from behind his back, holding them out to you.

“Hey, these are for you,” he smiled as you grabbed hold of them.

“Oh, Eddie, these are so pretty!” you smiled. “Thank you.” 

You moved to hug him, and he accepted it, your arms around his neck and his around your waist. He rested his head in the crook between your neck and shoulder, and you could feel him smiling. You also smiled as you held him closely. He smelled like cigarettes and floral shampoo, a weird but not entirely unwelcome mix. As you pulled away, you looked away, trying to hide your blush.

“Did you know that wildflowers are my favorite?”

“I could say yes,” he scratched his head, a crooked smile on his face, “but I can’t lie to a lady such as yourself. In all honesty, they’re from behind my trailer.”

“Even better,” you said, and Eddie’s eyes sparkled. “I’m just going to put them in a vase quickly. Here, come in,” you moved to let him in.

As you found a vase and filled it, Eddie leaned on the countertop, gazing at you. He smiled as he saw the genuine joy the flowers brought you. As you arranged them, you narrowed your eyes to make sure the flowers fell evenly.

“You’re so cute.”

“What?” you looked up in surprise, a blush spreading quickly across your cheeks.

“What?” Eddie mirrored, eyes wide. 

“You think I’m cute?” you asked slowly. Eddie’s face didn’t change.

“I… said that out loud. Okay, um,” he shuffled a bit, snapping out of his daze. “I just need to be honest with you, Harrington and I decided that we weren’t going to ask you out, but, to be honest with you, we both really really like you and we’ve wanted to ask you out since the first moment we saw you. I don’t know how he feels, but every single time I see you, I feel like my heart is gonna burst out of my chest, and I know that sounds cliche, but honestly, Y/N, this doesn’t really happen to me. I’ve been labeled as a freak all of my life, so girls avoided me like the plague. When I met you, I felt like you were just being nice like nice people do, you know? But I feel like we actually get along and enjoy each other’s company, right?” he looked at you, breathing a little heavily.

“Right. I enjoy spending time with you, Eddie, honestly,” you said softly.

“Okay, so you like hanging out with me and I like hanging out with you,” his arms were flailing as he spoke, “but, Y/N, I feel like there’s something more, but I don’t want to make a single move before I hear how you feel. So, Y/N,” he held your arms, “please be honest with me and tell me the truth. I’d rather you reject me and we just stay friends than you say yes and be uncomfortable. How do you feel about me?”

Before you could answer, you heard a knock on the door. 

“Eddie!!” 

It was a boy’s voice. Eddie looked at you, a heartbroken look on his face, and turned to get the door. A rush of emotions filled you to a breaking point, and you grabbed his arm to stop him and kissed his cheek, quickly but sweetly. 

“We can talk later,” you said quietly, and Eddie nodded, his face softening. He opened the door, but when he saw who was in front of him, he groaned and dragged his hands down his face in exasperation.

“What do you want, Henderson?”

To be continued!!

🖤

Taglist: @joequinn94 @simonsbluee @lagataprrr @holeformunson @efvyqrs @fieldofsecretss @phantomxoxo @fanficfanatic204 @steves-robin @toomanybandstocare @aeumi @jmj-1312  @witheringawayagain @theravenclawlover @onlyangel-444 @lou-la-lou @spideyycents @nhdudufhhuddu @livingsimp @homiesexual-or-homosexual @justacaliforniandreamer @auszimbo @hawkins-hs @dumplinshee  @ashdoctor @sebastianbarnes @spaceygirly1 @hollandcomics @igotbasicdrag @underthebatcape @kaitcreatesart @evqans @chickennug90 @gttrgrrl @inkedaztec @dearelliewrites @d4td7ewmachine @that-witch-bastard @thatweirdbigirl @timetravelassasin @harryscxnymoon @klaine-92 @frozenhuntress67 @loliakeoghan23 @dinonuggets1967 @roxetteblack @whyislife954 @alphashadows @gothicfaires @eddiemunson_ownsmysoul @simpingoverfictionalppl @luckypainterunknown @vvaleriieee @theshinyrock @mslunawinchester @flipphoneaddict69 @icanreadsposts @beep-beep-sherlock @tillkummer @oliviaak444 @eddiesbattattoos @mlle-ayka @stormsandsea @zeldaknight @livlaughquinn @ssolariiaa @thatonecurlygirl @musicmyheart @luvthatlovestolove @luvbug4728 @morishitoshi​ @theevilqueen394​

#staygoldwriting #eddie munson #stranger things eddie #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fluff #steve harrington #steve harrington x rea #steve harrington fluff #stranger things steve #steve harrington imagine #stranger things #st4 #joseph quinn #joe keery #eddie munson x female reader #steve harrington x fem #stranger things season four #eddie stranger things #steve stranger things

[captainsophiestark]

Fatherhood

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2022!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Prompt: “Do you remember?”

Summary: Y/N and Nik have been dating since the Mikaelsons moved to New Orleans and Y/N got turned into a vampire. When Nik starts to feel worried about his ability to parent Hope, who's due to join the world soon, Y/N helps reassure him.

Word Count: 1,603

Category: Angst, Fluff

A/N: I forgot to post this yesterday lol, so here it is! The fic for today’s Fictober prompt will be coming later today too :)

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I hummed to myself as I walked through the door of the bedroom I shared with my boyfriend, Klaus Mikaelson. I'd just finished baking a BUNCH of cookies with Hayley and Rebekah, and it had been a much-needed stress relief, especially after all the chaos of New Orleans lately. Besides, Hayley had been craving cookies in her heavily-pregnant state, so who were we to deny her?

I headed into the bedroom fully intending to change my clothes and go run some errands, but I stopped short at the sight of Nik staring out the window with his hands behind his back, a grim expression on his face.

"Uh oh," I said, gently closing the door behind me before slowly crossing the room towards my boyfriend. "I recognize that expression. You've got your brooding face on."

Normally, the teasing would've at least made Nik give me a half-smile or an eyeroll. But this time he didn't even glance back at me from his vigil.

"Nik? What's wrong?" I asked, finally reaching him and putting a hand on his shoulder as soon as I did. "C'mon, you can talk to me."

He sighed heavily before shaking his head and plastering a smile to his face. For those who didn't know him very well, it probably would've been quite convincing. But I knew him better than almost anyone else, and it didn't fool me for a second.

"Nothing," he said, trying to maintain the ruse all the same. "Some trouble with the witches that I'm deciding how to deal with, but nothing out of the ordinary."

With that, he tried to step around me and head towards the door. I frowned and caught his arm, gently pulling him to a stop. He turned to look at me, the fake-unbothered expression still on his face as he raised his eyebrows at me.

"Nik. I know you way better than that. I can tell something's wrong, so please, talk to me," I said. Nik hesitated, so I held his stare, trying to communicate nothing but openness and acceptance. He'd lived so much of his life alone, and carrying secrets without trusting anyone, that I knew he was still getting used to letting someone else in. We'd been making incredible progress lately, though, and I hoped we could keep that momentum up.

"I suppose..." he said, starting softly as he turned away from me and went to put on some loud music to defeat anyone trying to listen in. "I'm starting to doubt whether or not I will make for a very good father."

He stayed over by the stereo as he admitted it, fiddling with the knobs and not looking at me. I didn't want to spook him off of the conversation, so I sat down on our bed and watched him.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

He shifted around on his feet, and it was a few minutes before he finally answered. He still didn't look at me as he spoke, either.

"Well, just look at the example set by my father," he spat the word father, and I couldn't help frowning a bit at the thought of Mikael, too. "I've never had a stable parent. I don't want to be like them, but they're all I've ever known. I'm... afraid... of turning into them."

I chewed the inside of my lip, thinking over my next words carefully. After a second, I stood, and crossed the room to Nik. He still didn't look at me, but I put my hands on his shoulders and saw some of the tension ease out of them all the same.

"Nik... you're already doing better than both of them combined by trying to protect Hope at all," I started. He huffed a small laugh, and I continued. "Besides, Nik, you've been taking care of the rest of your family for years. I mean sure, a child is probably going to be a little different, but... even against your parents specifically, you were the person standing up and protecting your family, above all else."

Nik sighed and leaned back towards me, and I wasted no time wrapping my arms around his stomach. I held him tight to me, resting my head against his shoulder and trying to communicate just how loved he really was.

"What if it's not enough?" he finally sighed. "What if, no matter how hard I try, I give her a life of pain and trauma like my parents gave me?"

My heart cracked at the words. Nik had quite literally been through hell, often at the hands of his parents, and I wished every day there was something I could do to take away his pain. Instead, however, I just spoke the words that came to mind and hoped they might help.

"Niky, I know you may not feel this way, but I have nothing but absolute confidence that you're going to be a great dad." He started to scoff and brush me off, but I held tight and kept going. He needed to hear this, even if he wouldn't let himself completely believe it. "Babe, you saved me when I first turned into a vampire. Do you remember?"

He hummed noncommittally and kept staring at the floor, so I moved (still hugging him tight around the middle) until I could look him in the eyes.

"I was devastated. I was terrified. I was alone, and I was on the brink of death because this city didn't place nice with newly-turned vampires. And then I met you. And you showed me how to live despite technically being dead, and got me a daylight ring, and dammit, Nik, you saved my life. You were kind, and caring, and wonderful, and I know you don't usually let people see that part of yourself, but I know it exists. And if it can exist for me, someone you'd really just met but happened to have good chemistry with? You're gonna be a million times above and beyond that with your lovely, beautiful, wonderful daughter when she comes into this world."

Nik sighed out a long breath, a tight smile tugging at his mouth even as he tried to fight it off. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me and held me to him like his life depended on it. I caught a slight shimmer of emotion in his eyes too, and although I knew he wouldn't let the tears fall, I could tell he was closer than normal by the uneven rise and fall of his chest.

"One other thing you should probably know, Nik?" I said, my voice muffled against his chest. He hummed, nestling in a little closer against my hair as he did. "No parent is perfect. You learn as you go. But as long as you're thoughtful in your choices and how you parent, and you're willing to learn and adapt? You're gonna be fine. And damned if that lovely little girl isn't going to grow up surrounded by so many people who love her, with you at the top of the list."

Nik tightened his grip around my waist, and I squeezed him right back. We stayed like that for a few long moments, before he took a deep breath and finally pulled away.

"Have I told you lately how much I adore you?" he asked, staring at me with love in his eyes. I gave him a warm smile in return.

"Yeah, but I could stand to hear it again."

We shared a soft laugh, then Nik took another deep breath and shook off the last of his stress. He straightened again, then fixed me with the devious smile I knew and loved so well.

"So, now that I don't have to pretend to go deal with a witch crisis, and assuming no actual witch crisis has arisen in the minutes we were speaking... it looks like I have a free afternoon."

"Ooo. I have some ideas," I said, giving him a sly smile as I leaned in and put my hand on his bicep. He raised an eyebrow, and I fluttered my eyelashes at him as I responded. "We could have a movie marathon while we eat a ton of the cookies Hayley, Rebekah, and I just baked."

Nik sighed and rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"I have to admit, love, that's not exactly the idea I was thinking of. But I suppose it sounds good anyway."

I grinned and dropped the flirty act. "Great! You use your superspeed to steal some cookies, I'll get some good movies together."

Nik raised an eyebrow and gave me a skeptical look. "When you say good movies do you actually mean good movies?"

"Mmm, that depends. I was thinking I'd pick a few of my favorite Disney movies from when I grew up so you'd know things about them in case you wanted to share them with Hope?"

Nik gave me a warm smile, then took a few steps backwards towards the door.

"I'd consider those excellent movies then," he said. "I'll be back with the cookies before you know it."

With that, he disappeared from the room. I smiled to myself as I moved towards the tv, mentally trying to come up with a list of the best movies for us to watch. Despite (and sometimes because of) his concerns, I knew Nik would be an excellent parent. And I absolutely couldn't wait to see how he would grow and change with her as they went through life together.

#fictober22 #the originals #the vampire diaries #klaus mikaelson #klaus mikealson x reader #the originals fanfiction #the originals imagine #the originals oneshot #klaus mikaelson one shot #klaus mikaelson fanfiction #klaus mikaleson imagine #new orleans #the vampire diaries fanfiction #the vampire diaries imagine #the vampire diaries oneshot #the mikaelsons #hope mikaelson #The Mikaelson Family #rebekah mikaelson #hayley marshall

[jj-maybank123]

ICU

JJ Maybank x Fem! Reader

Warnings: None

Author’s note: Hey!! I’m new into the OBX fandom. I fell in love with JJ and I wrote this quick thing :) Also, this happens in between them finding out John B is alive and them reuniting in Charleston. 

Summary: Based on ICU by Phoebe Bridgers

The grass was cold against her warm sun-kissed skin. Y/N was lying on the front lawn of her house as JJ tried to pick the lock of the front door of her shitty house. What started out as an innocent get together at the Chateau had quickly turned into drinking, smoking, and a late night swim. It was around 2am when everyone left and JJ offered to walk her home, he had decided it wouldn’t be safe for her to walk alone even though it was just a couple of blocks and she had done it a million times before.

“JJ, leave it. I’m tired and I wanna sleep. I’ll just sleep outside,” Y/N groaned. “...or climb the window.”

They had been stuck outside of her house for about an hour trying to open a door. Her Mom was working a night shift and she couldn’t find her keys anywhere, after retracing her steps she deemed it a lost cause but JJ insisted he could pick the lock and asked for her hairpin. At first she stood beside him, even tried to do it herself, but after the first 30 minutes she decided there was no point in trying the impossible. However, JJ wouldn’t budge. He was convinced she had used a hidden key a few years ago to get them inside.

“You are not climbing anything, okay? You’re still drunk.” JJ placed his hands on his hips, his eyebrows furrowed and his hair slightly messy.

“I’ll just wait here until I feel fine enough to climb,” She insisted.  

He sighed, before walking away from the front door towards her, “Okay, fine.”

She was about to say goodbye when JJ laid down next to her.

“I’ll wait with you.”

“JJ,” She said firmly, “Go home. You need to rest, you have work in like 4 hours.”

Their shoulders were just barely touching as they laid side by side, face turned so they could see each other.

“What if a bear attacks you?” he said.

“A bear? In the Outer banks?” He nodded. She rolled her eyes and laughed, “If a bear was to attack me right now I don’t think you’d be able to stop it. Leave and save yourself.”

“I totally would. You’re acting like I haven’t saved you before.”

“Please tell me when you’ve saved me.”

JJ shifted his body to be fully facing her. “That one time you fell off the swing and I carried you home.”

“That was like ten years ago-”

“When you almost drowned that one time last summer. When you fell from your bike. Yesterday, you made me go to your house to kill a spider. Uhhhh - Rafe! That’s a big one. Fought him for your honor. ”

“You got knocked out.”

“Yeah, after saving you!” He touched his chin with his pointer finger, “Let’s see what else.”

“Stop!” She was laughing, he wouldn’t stop naming the most random things he had done throughout the many years they had been friends.

“When you didn’t write that essay for Terry’s class, I called you in sick. Took the blame for the weed your mom found in your room, saved you from that too. When your tire popped in the middle of nowhere and John B and I drove all the way and fixed it. That one time you got so drunk I snuck you into-”

“Okay! Okay! I get it! You’re my knight and shining armor and I can’t be without you. Please stay.”

His eyes softened, “Always.”

He laid back down and a comfortable silence fell over them. They both looked up to the sky. It was a clear night, and they could see the bright stars shining above them. The only thing that could be heard was their breathing and grasshoppers chirping, but neither felt the need to say anything. They didn’t have to.

She was close with the other Pogues, of course, but it was different between her and JJ. They had always been comfortable around each other, no need to pretend. In many ways he knew her better than anyone else, even herself. To her, JJ was it. She had been in love with him since she was old enough to think and for a long time she thought maybe it could be mutual. That somehow JJ Maybank could love her back.

The last couple of months had been crazy, between finding the ship, gold, and John B being declared dead. But even with all the craziness, Y/N had never felt more alive, for the first time she was doing things for herself and not thinking about work and her mom. Somehow this summer had brought them closer together and things began to change between them. Stolen glances, lingering touches, excuses to be together for longer...everything was great but she couldn’t help but want more. 

“I feel like I didn’t start living until a few months ago,” Y/N broke the silence. JJ looked at her slightly confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Like I’ve been dead for years, you know? Not literally, but I was always pretending to be someone I’m not. But not anymore.” Not with you. “Like my life began the moment that we found that boat. I mean, sure the whole thinking-John-B-was-dead thing was horrible but it led to kinda great things and for the first time in so long I feel happy. But I’m so scared that things will suck again.”

She paused but JJ didn’t say anything, he just stared at her. Suddenly she felt stupid for opening her mouth.

“I’m sorry that makes no sense. I’m just thinking out loud. It’s probably the alcohol.”

“No, no. That makes all the sense in the world,” JJ sat up, “It’s like everything is so great now and I feel like it won’t last or that I’ll ruin it the way I always ruin things.”

“You don’t ruin things. Don’t say that,” She sat up and looked at him with so much care. How could he ever think that?

“Yeah, well, that’s not what my Dad thinks,” he said, “He always goes on about how I ruined his life and how I don’t have a future or that I’ll end up in jail.”

“I hate your Dad,” she said and she meant it. She hated the way he talked to him, she hated having to ice the bruises he’d give him. “Don’t listen to him. He has no idea what he is talking about.”

He avoided her eyes and started picking the grass. “I don’t know about that.”

“Hey,” She gently cupped his face so that he was facing her, “I mean it. You’re amazing, JJ.”

“How do you know?” He asked. 

“I see you,” Y/N said without a second of thought, “The way you truly are and it’s great.”

They stayed like that for a few moments, just looking at each other. Their eyes saying everything they didn’t have the courage to say. They had never been this close before, faces just inches away. She could see every detail of his face. How beautiful he was, the way his hair fell perfectly, a small scar on his forehead, his lips.

JJ looked down for a second before looking at her again, “That feeling that everything might go wrong… it disappears when I’m with you. I get the opposite actually, like everything might be okay.”

“Me too.” She spoke barely above a whisper.

Slowly, like gravity on a feather, they started leaning towards each other. Hesitation on both sides, knowing that kissing could change everything. That finally they could be transparent about their feelings, about how mad they are for each other, about how the real fear is about losing each other. Their noses touched, she could feel him breathing, his shaking hand came up to cup her neck. Y/N was leaning into his lips when suddenly he jerked away, his hand dropping.

Y/N was stunned. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think. All she felt was her heart breaking as tears of humiliation and sadness filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” JJ said as he ran his hand through his hair, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She said quietly, hoping her voice wouldn’t crack.

“No, it’s not. I always do this, I always ruin things. I’m sorry,” His voice rose a little bit, he was frustrated. He took a deep breath and said,  “You’re my friend. I don’t wanna lose you.”

“You won't,” Y/N said after a few moments of silence. She had decided that the only thing worse than JJ not loving her back would be to lose him completely. Having him as a friend would be better than not having him at all. “You’re my knight and shining armor, remember?”

“You don’t need me to protect you.”

“Maybe,” she felt her chest tighten, “But I like it when you do.”

“Yeah?” His voice was soft and vulnerable.

“Yeah. You just have to learn how to punch better and forget the gun.”

JJ laughed, “I’ll work on it just for you.”

“Good.” She smiled at him.

Silence fell over them, only this time it was different. The things left unsaid and undone lingered in the air. Regret and curiosity plagued their mind. They became aware of their surroundings. Sitting further from each other than they usually would, heavy eyelids due to the lack of sleep, the warm summer breeze that wrapped around them and the lack of darkness as the horizon turned into shades of oranges and pinks.

“I should probably go to bed,” she said, looking at the sky.

“Can we just stay here for a little bit?” JJ’s voice was small, like he was afraid of asking.

He let out a breath of relief when she nodded. They laid on the ground again, shoulders barely brushing, hands millimeters away; so close yet so far away.

#jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj Maybank imagine #jj obx #jj x reader

[killmongerskeeper]

Close Quarters // Shuri

Summary/Request: Could you do a fanfic where reader and shuri get stuck in an elevator while they both have feelings for each other, the sexual tension grows and eventually one of them has to break it. (this doesn't have to be smut but it could be just fluff but write whatever u wanna write ❤️❤️) - Anonymous

Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader

Warning: Fluff

Word Count: 1.5k

Working in the lab everyday meant keeping a level head while working alongside Shuri. THE princess of Wakanda. The woman who also happens to be your childhood crush. T'Challa was the first person to take notice of your infatuation with the princess. Being like an older brother you never had, he would always poke fun at you and tell you that the two of you belonged together. He would tell you about how she would talk about you all day. What you did together. The ideas you shared. You never took anything he said seriously until the snap happened. He was gone. She was gone. Turned to dust right in front of you when you stayed late in the lab one night. You remember that night as if it was yesterday's nightmare. 

T'Challa has convinced you to tell her how you felt so you purposely stayed in the lab after your day was over to spend time with her. Little did you know a battle would sweep over Wakanda and you had to do your best to assist the princess in dissecting the soul stone. The enemy had broken through to the lab and Shuri grabbed her gauntlet and tried to fight them off but was knocked unconscious. You stood your ground and let Vision take the fight outside before moving to her side.

"Something doesn't feel right." She mumbled and you grabbed her face, checking for a high temp. What caught your eye was the way her shoulder began to crumble away before you. Your eyes went wide as more of her started to disappear and you froze not knowing what to do. 

"Shuri. What's-" the words came out as incoherent mumbles and she quickly grabbed onto your arms.

"I don't know. Y/N what's happening to me." You held her close with tears running down your face, not knowing what's going on or what to do. 

"No, don't go! Don't leave me!" But it was too late, she was completely gone and you let out a painful scream causing Queen Ramonda to rush to the lab. The two of you mourned together, not knowing if she would come back. Not fully understanding what exactly happened. You didn't step foot in the lab for years. You tried to be strong and grieve silently. Knowing the queen was hurting even more, now that both of her children are gone. Steve Rogers came to you with a plan to bring everyone back and he along with the surviving avengers succeeded. You didn't know until you finally walked into the lab with the intention to clean it up. 

"You're cleaning? Wow all it took was me disappearing from the face of the earth." A voice joked and you turned to see her standing there with T'Challa. You dropped everything and ran into her arms, hiding your face in her neck. T'Challa couldn't hide the grin that appeared on his lips as he watched the two of you. You didn't let go or say anything when she hugged you back. That felt like so long ago now. You hadn't even realized your mind shifted to the past until a hand was waving in front of your face.

"Hello! Earth to Y/N? Stay with me woman." Shuri laughed and you quickly regained your posture as she stared down at you. She had grown a bit taller so now you look up at her slightly. "Did you even hear a word I said?"

"I'm here. Something crossed my mind is all." You told her as you gathered the papers on the desk. The two of you had a meeting with queen Ramonda and she had requested you bring the schematics for the Dora Milaje's new weapon ideas. 

"Something big enough to completely block what I was saying?" She grinned and you shook your head trying to hide the smile of your own.

"I didn't completely block you out." You retorted and she crossed her arms, not believing you for a second. "Really? Then please tell me what I said." You froze and she couldn't help the laugh that shook her form.

"I knew it!" You playfully pushed past her, making your way to the elevator as your cheeks started to heat up. She swiped up her folder before following your steps to the door. You pressed the down arrow and waited till you heard the noise announcing it arrived. Stepping inside you stood side by side as the doors closed and you began your descent to the throne room. Or so you thought. The elevator jerked slightly and you felt nervousness in the pit of your stomach. 

"Oh come on. Griot, can you get the elevator working?" The princess exclaimed as you tried to keep your cool. You and confined spaces don't mix. Even with someone else there with you. 

"Working on it right away princess."

"Hey let go of the files. You're going to crush the papers." She laughed but her joke went through one ear and out of the other. She noticed you didn't relax your grip and moved a bit closer to you. "Y/N?"

"Huh? Sorry it's just that I don't do well in tight spaces." You told her as your mind ran through every possible way you could die in an elevator. "You've never told me that." You could help the way your eyes fluttered closed as you leaned onto the wall. 

"We'll be okay dearest. Griot will get us out in no time." She said and you held the folder tightly to your chest. As if to make sure your heart does leap out of it. "Y/N?" You heard her call your name but your chest tightened and you felt yourself starting to hyperventilate. Shuri pulled you closer to her as she grabbed the files away from your hands. She leaned her forehead against your own as she instructed you to take deep breaths. 

"Breath with me. Okay? It's easy. Just take deep breaths." Your breathing levels slowly as you hold onto her arm. Her hands were on each side of your face as she helped you calm down. When your eyes fluttered open, you weren't expecting her to be so close and you suddenly froze. "See. You're okay." Her eyes never left yours until they flickered down to your lips. Your body started to heat up with the sudden closeness and you gently squeezed your legs together. 

"Shuri." You said barely above a whisper. Like a silent invitation her lips crashed into yours and you felt the weight lift off of your shoulders as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. You haven't even realized the elevator was moving until the doors opened giving Okoye an eye full of her nation's princess making out.

"It is about time you made a move princess. Although in an elevator?" She grinned as Shuri slowly pulled away. The evident question floating around the two of you as you stared up at her. What does this mean for your friendship? Your body suddenly felt hot and you excused yourself out of the elevator to your room. You didn't even make it to the throne room as you originally intended. You shut the door but before it could click shut a hand stopped it. Shuri poked her head in the doorway and you immediately began apologizing before she could say anything. 

"I'm so sorry. Shuri. I shouldn't have done that." She leaned against the door fidgeting with her kimoyo bracelet. 

"Was it that bad?" You were taken aback and felt your cheeks heat up. 

"Bad? No, it was amazing. The best kiss I could ever have. Not like a kiss from you would be bad. Why would it be bad, you're the princess of Wakanda. You're beautiful. And smart. And you care about others." You had begun rambling, not even noticing she was slowly getting closer and closer until she was in front of you again. 

"Good." Her hands found your waist before she placed a soft peck on your lips, making all your negative thoughts disappear. "You don't have anything to worry about Y/N."

"But our friendship. I don't want to ruin that. Especiallyafter you've done so much for me." Shuri couldn't help the grin that plastered on her face as she stared down into your brown orbs. "You can't ruin anything if I feel the same way you do." You could swear your heart was about to burst from your chest as you wrapped your arms around her shoulders. She held you close to reassure you there was nothing to worry about and you melted in her embrace. 

"My mother can wait a couple of more minutes. If you still don't believe me, I can show you better than I can tell you, sthandwa." She said in a low voice, caressing your cheeks. Giving a small nod you leaned into her, catching her lips in another kiss. Shuri was finally yours. And she was going to make sure you got all of her.

#black panther shuri #shuri x reader #shuri x you #black panther imagines #poc reader #shuri black panther #shuri udaku

[meadow-selfship]

Hans x Ursula (s/i)

Day 1, 2, 3 for Self-indulgent September (first meeting, museum date (if you squint), Autumn weather/rainy day)

Like many of my 'better' works, this is vaguely inspired by a dream I had that I heavily adapted into this piece.

Pairing: Hans Gruber x Ursula (s/i)

Wordcount: 1660

Setting: a very rainy New Year's Eve.

Dividers by cafekitsune

The pouring rain strained our vision, as we ran over the slippery asphalt. My brother, Abel, followed close behind me. Even though we tried avoiding puddles, our shoes were wet and soggy already.

“In there, the museum looks like it’s still open,” I called over my shoulder. We reached the doors and didn’t hesitate for a single moment, before we barrelled in. The light in the lobby was still on, a clerk sat bored behind the monitors, glancing up from his crossword puzzle. The desk was right by the door, but just past the desk was a little area with seats. It reminded of a doctor’s waiting room with the magazines on the coffee table and the white walls.

Abel sighed and slumped against the door. We dripped all over the door mat, from coat to Abel’s jeans to my wool skirt – everything was soaked through. I wiped at my face, trying to avoid messing up my make-up.

“Good evening,” the clerk greeted and I walked a little closer.

“Hello. Do you mind if we stay here and try to dry up a bit? I know it’s late…” I said.

“Nah, go ahead,” he said with a wave of his hand. “The New Year’s party is going on upstairs so we aren’t closing anytime soon.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod and squeezed the water from the hem of my wool skirt. Disgusting. Boisterous noises came from upstairs; yelling, laughter, people popping small fireworks. Abel and I exchanged a look.

“Sounds like quite the party,” Abel said.

The clerk shifted. “Sure is.”

“Let’s dry off in the bathroom,” I said to Abel.

“Down the hall to the right,” said the clerk and we went on our way.

“Can’t believe it’s still not stopped raining,” said Abel, nudging my knee with his foot. We sat on the couch in the museum lobby, staring restlessly outside. We worked our way through the art magazines that were strewn about the coffee table, but nothing could quell our unease. At some point, the party upstairs quieted down inexplicably, but no one came down to leave. We’d taken our shoes, gloves and coats off and left them on the radiator, hoping they would dry soon. My hair was still dry, thanks to my thick fake fur hat, that now laid sadly next to the gloves, looking something like a deflated wet rat.

“Can I write on this? It’s yesterday’s paper,” I held the paper up.

“Go right ahead,” the man said, hiding a strange tenseness by pretending not to be interested. Bored out of my mind, I circled the fun words, doing as I often do on the train; to see if there is a hidden poem in the front page article.

I turned to Abel. “It’s already half past eight. You were meeting some friends at ten, right?”

The clerk glanced up, something uncharacteristically calculating in his eyes, for a museum desk clerk. Something felt off. We’d better get going soon.

“Yeah. There’s still time. What are you doing?”

“Black out poem.” I nudged the paper to him. “Your turn. Just circle words or connect them.”

He blinked at me. “Mom and dad should’ve never let you study art.”

I laughed. “I assure you I would’ve been equally pretentious even without the education.”

A static buzz made us look to the desk, where the clerk answered a walkie-talkie.

A walkie-talkie is not something front-office workers usually have in a museum, is it? Something was definitely wrong. I pulled the newspaper towards me and penned a quick ‘er is iets mis’ on it. Abel nodded, mirroring my worried expression. We got up, trying to not let our alarmed expressions show.

"You're leaving?" asked the clerk. 

"Yeah, if the rain isn't letting up anyway, we better get home and dry up there," I said, going for my shoes. Ew, still soaked. Cold, too, and I hoped my toes would recover quickly once at home. Not that it mattered now, since it was still coming down in buckets and we'd be soaked through even if our clothes were dry.

"Gross," said Abel, his lip curling with the feeling of it as he pulled the still wet shoe over his socks. Before we could get our coats on, a small group of men came down the stairs. They walked quickly, with purposeful strides, The one who came down first wore an impeccable suit, was he the museum director? Whether he was or wasn't, Abel and me backed away to the door. I grabbed my coat over my arm and held my hat, same as Abel.

"There was only one thing I asked of you, Johan. It was to keep people out," said the one in the suit. With the way he strode towards the clerk, it looked like he wanted to hurt the man. We should've listened to our gut sooner.

I pushed against the door, and instead of it giving way, it made a beeping noise and stayed shut. The eyes of the men from upstairs fell on us. Suddenly it was like I was a kid caught with my hand in the cookie jar, and I stared back at them with unease. The one in the suit, the scariest one, turned around, and our eyes locked. His expression changed.

"See, the alarm was on, I swear-"

"Johan," he drawled, "you didn't say we had such a lovely guest."

He made a jovial gesture, and came closer. "How rude of me not to introduce myself." 

His sudden pleasantness threw me off. He extended his hand, and the way he did it made me take it, despite the strangeness of the situation. "Hans Gruber. And you? Hiding from the rain?"

"Ursula," I said, trying to apply equal pressure to the handshake. "Yes, we're very sorry for intruding. We just came by here from work, and..."

His touch lingered, warm. His smile was the most charming one I've ever seen. "And this is your..?" He gestured to Abel.

"Abel," he said, reaching out to shake his hand. "We're siblings."

Hans nodded, still smiling, as something calculating crept in his gaze. "Good, good. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Actually, why don't you stay a little while longer? We are just wrapping up here. How about, after that, I'll take you home?"

It didn't feel much like a question. His eyes lingered like his touch did. When Hans turned around, his demeanour changed again. A business man.

"Johan, I'll deal with you later. Karl; get the car. Fritz, Tony; get the bags from upstairs."

They did as he said, dispersing quick and without fuss. One thing is certain; Hans is not the museum director.

Abel and I exchanged a confused glance. I tried the door again, muttering a mild curse when it didn't still didn't open. Before I could ask if this was a good idea, Hans turned back, coming closer now. 

"It's really no trouble for us to walk, we wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"You're not from here, are you?" Hans ignored my statements to weasel our way out the door. His hand rested on my shoulder, as he directed us away from the exit and towards the elevators. "When I first came here, it was those times when strangers showed great kindness that made me feel welcome. Let me extend that same kindness to you, today."

"Sir, it's New Year's Eve, surely you have something better to do."

"Oh, Liebling, just call me Hans." His hand slipped to my back now, pressing on insistently enough to make it awkward to linger. "Isn't that even better? A festive mood during a festive time. How are you celebrating?"

Even though Abel followed by my side, it felt like Hans addressed only me. We reached the elevators and Hans stepped forward, pressed buttons, no matter that we didn't agree to come with at all. Abel glanced back at the door. I shrugged at him.

"Abel is going to see some friends later," I said, shifting the focus to him. "They're going into the city, find a good spot to watch the fireworks."

"How nice," he said. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Hans went in first. He expected us to follow, but more so than that, it felt like he didn't even consider it a possibility that we wouldn't. We stepped in and the doors closed. "And you, Liebling?" 

Me, Liebling... "Hmm, watch fireworks from my window and go to bed on time. I'm not such a fan of the loud and the-" I gestured with my arms, "the boisterous."

Hans looked at me for a long moment, no judgement in his eyes, only curiosity and an unexpected fondness. "Then join me in doing the same. My hotel room has an incredible view." Where someone else saying the same thing, would have been a gaud-ish boast, it wasn't with him. His voice was soft, the quietness in which he said it made my heart stir. Would he not be celebrating with those men from before? Or with friends of his own? Not even a wife? If he’s staying at a hotel room, he could be far from home… Just like me.

I kept silence, not breaking eye contact. The moment lasted like that, us staring at each other, Hans' request hanging in the air between us. If we kept it up like this, I wouldn’t need to say anything at all. He could see it all, written on my face, just for him to read – that’s what it felt like. The elevator dinged. Despite having, once again, heard no ‘yes’, Hans led us to the car. 

"Bring Abel home first," I said. "Then we can talk."

Hans’ smile was brighter than even the most colourful fireworks.

#this is so self indulgent it can make me cry or cringe or sob in joy so im just gonna hit post and not think abt it anymore #📔 noli me tangere 🍂 #hans gruber x s/i #hans gruber x oc #hans gruber #im already working on a part 2 to this bc i could but idk if its even going anywhere #self ship #selfshipping #self shipper #self ship community #self insert #die hard 1988 #self-indulgent september

[shealynn88]

A microfic for yesterday’s @drarrymicrofic prompt thalassophile:

Harry hasn’t set foot on land for three months when he gets his first sighting. It’s just a flash of pale, a slither of green, a glitter of silver, and then the same bright shift of wave after rolling wave.

He isn’t looking for anything, really. Just quiet. Just…himself. What he is, outside the constant crush of trying to please everyone.

What he learns is that the stubbornness of needing answers is his own. Innate. Because he scans for that foreign shape constantly. Hoists the sail and follows brief flashes like his life depends on it.

The creature leads him on a merry chase, works him into a froth of instinct, of frustration, until one afternoon he dives over the side and swims down, down, and looks for that huge tail fin and those coils of green that have been taunting him.

And when he finally sees it, he chases. No gillyweed, no spells for fins or breathing. Just his recklessness, honed to a point.

His vision goes dark around the edges and his lungs strain. By the time he realizes he’s in trouble, it’s too late.

~

“You’re even stupider than I remember,” says a posh, insolent voice. He’d know that voice anywhere.

Harry aches all over. “Malfoy?” he croaks. The wood under his fingers is familiar, warm and worn smooth. The rock and creak of his little sailboat, too. “Fuck,” he says, looking around.

He’s lying next to Harry and looking characteristically annoyed. Pale hair hangs in a wet curtain over his shoulders. He is pale skin and gills just inside the divot of his collarbone, and a light sprinkling of scales like freckles across his shoulders and chest.

“It’s really you. They said…they said you died.”

Malfoy sneers. “Of course they did. Flushed me like a goldfish when they were done, didn’t they?” He shakes his head. “I’ll leave you be. Don’t be an idiot, all right? I thought I’d spice up your little expedition—you look awful, by the way—and instead of giving polite chase you nearly drowned yourself. Idiot. Well, now you know who and what I am and we can both move on.”

“Wait!”

Malfoy turns back and flashes him a sharp smile. Literally—his teeth are curved and pointed. “What on earth could you want now?”

“Just…stay. For a bit. Just…just until I catch my breath.”

“Why on earth would you want that?”

Harry has no idea. “Well, we’re not enemies anymore, are we? I haven’t spoken to anyone in months. Have you?”

Malfoy’s mouth turns down in disgust. “No, Potter. I haven’t exactly had the occasion.”

“Well, now you do. Stay.”

Draco looks reluctant and closed off, like he’s waiting for a punchline.

“Please,” Harry adds quietly.

“Fine. Just let me…” Draco shifts and squirms, and Harry sees the long coils of his tail, more like a serpent than a fish, roil and undulate until they finally come to rest under him, allowing him to sit up.

Harry levers himself up as well and looks Draco over, the glitter of scales, the beautiful veil and vein of his tail fin, the long muscular coils of his tail. He’s beautiful.

“Well?” Draco says irritably. “Talk, then.”

And Harry laughs, incredulous and full of joy and feeling no need whatsoever to live up to anything.

The endless sea rocks under them as Harry talks, and the pinched look on Draco’s face smoothes into something cautiously hopeful.

Harry finds pieces of himself there, at sea, in Draco’s curious expression and the roll of the waves and the slow lift of a weight he hadn’t known he was carrying.

“Where do you want to go from here?” he asks Draco as the sun sets.

“Wherever the sea takes us, I suppose,” Draco says with an unconcerned shrug.

Harry smiles and nods, turning his face into the wind.

Us, the waves repeat, lapping against the boat.

Us.

#drarry #drarrymicrofic #love of the sea #harry potter fandom #thalassophile #mer!Draco

[perfectpaperbluebirds]

Sicktember #6

Prompt: Sick and Injured

Fandom/OCs: Criminal Minds (Morgan and Garcia)

Words: 900

Sicknario inspo: Leisure sickness from this post and sickness with injury from this post (by me)

Author’s comments/background: Wasn’t thrilled about the characterization on this one, but it was my best attempt. Garcia and Morgan have such a unique relationship, somewhere in the gray zone between siblings and lovers. But Derek is the perfect victim of leisure sickness and Penelope would never let anyone besides her take care of him. Also, the ending feels kinda awkward, but I struggled so hard trying to think how to end it. Hope you enjoy it all the same!

~~~***~~~

His phone rang for the third time in an hour. Derek Morgan groaned as he rolled over to grab it, doing his best not to jostle his right arm too much. Glancing at the screen, he almost let it keep ringing, but he knew he'd pay for that later. Either that or she would just keep calling until he answered. 

"Hey babygirl," he sniffled, yawning. "What's up?"

"Aww, did I wake you, sugar?" Penelope Garcia asked.

"I was just trying to nap. Haven't been sleeping well with this thing." Though Garcia couldn't see, he glared at the cast that encompassed nearly his whole right arm as if it had personally affronted him. Which, in a way, it had. He sniffled again and cleared his throat as he shifted, trying to get more comfortable. 

"Poor thing. Well, I was just calling to check on you. I told you I would call you every day until your beautiful face is back in the office so you wouldn't forget about me. 

"Silly girl, you know I could never forget about you," he murmured, a smile now warming his voice. 

"Well of course I'm unforgettable. But you can never be too careful," she giggled. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Tired, like I said." He coughed fittishly, clearing his throat with a wince. 

"Hey, hey, what's with all this sniffling and coughing? Don't tell me you're sick, too?"

"Maybe a little. Started feeling like I was coming down with something yesterday. My first week off in months and I get sick. Just my luck." 

"Oh no, my sweetheart," Garcia said, sympathy coloring her tone. "You break your elbow and still manage to get sick even after every single person on the team gave you strict orders to stay home. You really don't do anything halfway, do you?"

"That's why you're crazy about me, don't lie," he chuckled, coughing softly. 

"Oh my dear, that's only one of many, many things that make you irresistible to me. Do you need me to bring you anything to help you feel better?"

"Nah, I think I'm all set. Thanks, sweetness."

"It will always be my pleasure, darling. You take care and rest up so you can get back here. We all miss you already."

"Will do. Talk to you later."

"Bye bye."

~~~

Derek was napping again, this time in the easy chair, when a knock at the door woke him late that evening. Supporting his right arm with his left, he shuffled to the door, grumbling around his yawns. He was prepared to send whoever it was packing, but upon seeing Penelope grinning at him, her bright hair glowing in the porch light, he could only grin back. 

"And just what do you think you're doing here?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. He was surprised to hear that his voice was nearly gone. He hadn't had to speak in several hours. 

"Coming to rescue you, of course. I can't let you be sick and hurting and all alone when I'm just across town."

"You really are something else," he chuckled, which of course became a cough.

"Honey, you have no idea. Now are you gonna let me in or what?"

He stepped side with a little bow and a sniffle so she could enter, ushering her in with his good arm. She curtsied as she passed. She moved to close the door before he could, though, shooing him away from the cold draft. 

"Go sit back down. I’ll take it from here. I've got everything you could possibly need."

She was carrying several bags which she placed on the coffee table. As he sat down and tried to get comfortable, she began to dump out everything she'd brought, which included enough food for several meals, a whole pharmacy's worth of medicine, and sick day odds and ends ranging from a stack of books to a heating pad, including a long, thick scarf, which she wasted no time in wrapping around his neck. The color suited him perfectly, and it was very soft, but he gave her an incredulous look as he unwound it immediately. 

"What's the point of this thing exactly? Wearing a scarf isn't gonna help when I already have a cold."

"Maybe, maybe not. But I wanted an excuse to see you wear this, and it's even sexier than I imagined," she teased. "Still, you're right. Better save it for later when I can see you wear it out." 

He smiled fondly at her as she packed it away and continued to arrange everything else she'd brought. "Thank you for all this, baby. I appreciate it more than you know."

"Aww, I haven't really done anything yet. When you take some of this medicine and start feeling better, then you can thank me."

He took her hand and kissed it. "Just seeing you is making me feel better. So I'm thanking you now." 

She flushed and giggled. "Well if I'd known it was that easy, I wouldn't have spent all afternoon shopping for you."

"Yes you would've," he laughed. 

"Yeah, you're right. You were going to feel better one way or another, I made sure of it. Just wait until you've tried my famous sick day tea. It's got lots of booze in it."

"Just one more thing for me to look forward to, then.” There was a lot more he wanted to say, but he settled for grinning across the table at her, and of course she grinned right back. 

#sicktember 2023 #skt 2023 #prompt 6 #cri/minal min/ds

[borrowedtimeandspace]

Warm Nights

16. Celebrating

From this list of gt prompts.

AU: Time After Time (Twelve AU); set after The Drum Beats Out of Time

Note: Starting to get caught up! This actually works out because there are a few prompts (particularly for this AU) that I would rather post out of order for continuity.

If anyone's familiar with the BBC's The Borrowers from 2011, it was a big inspiration for this part ^^

~~~

Zepheera tossed a brightly colored foil-wrapped chocolate onto the pile. A good section of her home under the floorboards of the Doctor's office was now dedicated to three or four of them so far, each about the size of the borrower's torso. 

The cellophane and foil glinted at her in an unusual manner, and Zepheera glanced up towards her ceiling. She'd grown accustomed to the dark after she purposely settled directly under the TARDIS. Now, for the first time in all the months she'd been there, the box was gone and a little light was able to slip in through the cracks.

She didn't know what brought it on. Only yesterday, Bill had come to visit the Doctor for an informal Christmas get-together with just the two of them, no tutoring involved.  A simple affair; crackers, snacks, and Bill had even brought the Doctor a gift, a cheap but thoughtful one. 

Zepheera really did try not to spy on them too often, especially now that Bill knew for certain that she could be around, but the human's unscheduled appearance had made her curious enough to at least sneak a peek at what they were up to. The holiday had nearly slipped her mind since borrowers were not the type to celebrate it. Not in the same manner as humans. For them, the holidays were more about the abundance of food and supplies to be picked through for weeks on end.

Watching the pair from hiding, it was obvious to Zepheera that they'd grown so close over the months, and were quite candid with one another. Bill spoke casually about her late mother, and the Doctor expressed regret that he hadn't gotten Bill anything when she'd gone out of her way for his gift. It didn't take long for Zepheera to feel that she was intruding on them. 

Then Bill abruptly began asking the Doctor about some quantum physics concept that they'd discussed previously. He reminded her they were on holiday, and he wasn't tutoring her today, but Bill insisted that she was legitimately interested. It was apparently something they'd only touched on briefly, because she struggled to properly describe what she was looking for, but insisted he had a book on it somewhere around the place.

The Doctor got up to humor her, trying to puzzle out what book she could be talking about. Zepheera lost sight of him, but Bill lingered in the main section of his office. Their back and forth about neutrinos or some such continued, with the Doctor's voice growing more distant as he searched deeper and deeper into the office. When he was far enough away, Zepheera watched Bill move with a swiftness. She reached into her pocket and bent down to shove something small under a piece of furniture. Then her long legs carried her out of Zepheera's line of sight, presumably to continue hiding things while the Doctor was distracted. All the while, she continued to slightly shift the concept she was interested in to keep him looking while she hurried back and forth, passing by Zepheera a few times along the way.

The last place she hit up was the tiny space behind the TARDIS, and that's when it hit Zepheera. Bill was hiding something for her to find. She hadn't let Bill see where she usually hides around the office, but she knew one place that Zepheera had taken an interest in. By the time the Doctor returned with a book, Bill was back in her seat like nothing had happened.

Touched and amused in equal measure, Zepheera retreated to the walls and made her way back home. She was in no hurry to see what Bill had left for her, since they were hidden around the place and would likely stay where they were put. She and the Doctor were still having a good party, as well. Zepheera reckoned she could turn in early, and start to sweep the place in the morning when Bill had long since gone home and the Doctor was busy elsewhere.

Her sleep was swiftly broken many hours later by a breeze ruffling her hair– under the floorboards– and an all too familiar groaning noise all around.

Zepheera was out of bed in an instant, sprinting for the subtle gap she'd put in the wall behind the TARDIS. All these months, and as far as she was aware, the Doctor had hardly set foot in his time-and-space machine. What had changed?

No answers were there to meet Zepheera when she burst into the office. Only an empty space in the floor where the TARDIS used to be, a freshly unrolled rug, and of all things, a green triangle tucked against the wall.

Not wanting to be in the way when the TARDIS inevitably rematerialized, Zepheera hefted the chocolate into her arms and took it home. Might as well spend the day finding the others Bill had left for her.

A good portion of the morning was devoted to this task, and after a few hours, Zepheera's bare floor was overtaken by the triangle, an orange crunch, a strawberry créme, a milk choc block, and an orange créme. Zepheera was almost certain this was all of them, and it amused her all over again to think of how long it would take her to make a dent in it all. Still, she reckoned it would be better to be safe than sorry, so she set out for one last thorough sweep of the office.

She was in the middle of climbing between two levels of a bookshelf across the room from the TARDIS' usual spot, hanging on a hook and line when the air started to displace and that noise rang out once again.

Zepheera hurriedly swung herself to the lower shelf and shook her hook free, diving into the books just in time for those wooden doors to become solid and creak open. With held breath, she listened for the Doctor's resonating steps through the office. He lingered for a moment in the middle of the main space, and something thudded against the surface of his desk before he walked off.

Chancing a peek, Zepheera spotted the new addition to the desk. An old camera, set down right between the two photographs.

What are you up to, Doctor? she wondered.

#gtjuly2023 #gtjuly #doctor who gt #doctor who g/t #giant tiny #doctor who crossover #the borrowers #borrowers crossover #giant #tiny #borrower OC #Zepheera #Bill Potts #Twelfth Doctor #twelve AU #Time After Time #TAT: a BTaS AU

[animaniacswritingrequests]

Brain sighed , staring ahead at nothing as the gift of sleep failed to reach him. Ever since Pinky and him had taken the liberty of adopting the three Warner siblings that had moved into their water tower home, albeit that it took some hassle in order to leave ACME labs for good.

They still slept in the same cage, which Dot had insisted she decorate in order to make it more "cute". Just as long as it was comfortable, he hadn't minded. The bottom of the cage was now carpeted with a pink fluff, and their sponge bed had been upgraded to an actual frame and mattress with pillows and a blanket that seemed to be taken from a dollhouse. Either that or one of them had "borrowed" the shrink ray he'd used for a previous world domination plan.

He looked over, and sure enough Pinky was sleeping as peacefully as ever, snoozing with a smile on his face as he snuggled under the soft blanket, opposite from the scratchy one they were used to.

Brain stared at him fondly for a moment, pulling the blanket up more in order to cover his shoulder before he jumped off from the bed, thinking that maybe a glass of warm milk would do him some good.

Unlike back at Acme Labs, their cage was left unlocked so they were free to come and go out as they pleased, just as Brain was doing now. He slid down the rope that was kept there, landing with a soft thump as his feet hit the floor.

"Alright, Brain. Let's see if your kids remembered to do the dishes yesterday. Though I highly doubt-"

He was interrupted mid sentence as he heard the very specific sound of plastic balls shifting over themselves and clicking together as they bumped into each other, as if someone was shuffling through them.

Brain's ears perked up as he listened closely, hearing beneath the noise another more quieter one, that of sniffling and unintelligible blubbering in that of a whisper.

"Yakko?" He called out, making his way over to the ballpit where their oldest son slept. He grunted with some effort as he hoisted himself up the side of the pit, standing up at the edge. "It's late. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

There was no answer, but Yakko was there. He faced away from Brain, curled up in a sort of fetal position, his whole body shaking. There was no use seeing his face to tell that he was crying, with him sniffling and wiping his eyes.

"Er.." Brain struggled, his ears drooping at seeing his son like this. It was also strange, seeing him like this. Just how much was Yakko hiding from him, from Pinky, his own siblings? He opened his mouth to speak again, but Yakko had already lifted himself up, staring at him.

"Oh! Sorry, Dad. Heh, guess I ate a little too much of Pops's cheesecake last night. Which, I helped make by the way, it was my idea to-"

"Yakko." Brain cleared his throat, trying to make his tone sound firm. But it didn't last as Yakko shifted his eyes away, his eyes glimmering and turning red from the stinging tears. "..Is something the matter?"

"Well, I.." He began, trying to make a joke or a snarky remark in order to dismiss it. His tears, his shaking, everything. But his words caught in his throat, and against his own wishes his tears only got heavier as he shook his head, looking down. "It's just, uhhhh.. I had a nightmare. Pretty childish, I know. But, I'm fine now, so-"

"Would you prefer it if I stay here for the time being? That being until you're able to fall asleep again?" Brain offered him, sitting down as his legs dangled over the edge. "I.. have an idea of what it's like to be kept awake by night terrors. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Yakko only blinked in mute surprise, before he smiled, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad. But, fair warning, I do tend to move around a bit in my sleep. So if I end up knocking you off there, don't be too mad."

Brain chuckled softly, giving Yakko a quick scratch behind the ear when he leaned over, watching his tail wag for that moment.

"I assure you, I'll be fine. Now, try and get some sleep. One of us deserves some tonight."

Yakko nodded, stretching his limbs out as he thanked Brain one last time, before turning over to try and get back to sleep, and the mouse took a deep breath, his heart beating fondly.

#brinky adopts the warners au #animaniacs #fluff #angst #yakko warner #pinky and the brain #patb #writing #fanfiction

[asher-mccarthy]

I Wanted To Know || Alex & Asher

Tagging: @asher-mccarthy, @alex-abrams

When: Wednesday February 15th

Where: Alex’s house

Warnings: Just all the feels

Notes: Asher and Alex spend the morning after Valentine’s Day together and make things official

Asher was used to his night shifts dragging on most of the time but lately whenever he was planning on seeing Alex afterwards, the shift always went by super quickly. This shift had gone just like that and now Asher was driving back to Gradian. He picked up Buddy and his ingredients before making his way over to Alex’s place. He couldn’t wait to just see Alex again. Work was always keeping him way too busy and he never got to see Alex enough. He knocked on the door and waited, trying to keep Buddy from knocking the door down.

Alex willed himself to wake up early that morning after having stayed up some of the night cleaning to make sure the house was ready for Asher and Buddy. He sat, writing notes for his projects when he heard a knock on the door. He was happy because he knew that meant that Asher had arrived. He got up and opened the door with a big smile. "Hey Asher. Come on in!" His attention then turned to Buddy. "Hey, boys! Welcome!"

Asher grinned as the door opened and Alex appeared in front of him. He got so distracted for a moment that he ended up letting go of Buddy and he ran off into the house to probably destroy everything. “I hope he won’t destroy your place too much. He just forgets how big he is.” Asher shrugged and headed inside. “I hope you’re hungry! But not too hungry because I still have to actually cook everything.”

"I'm sure he won't destroy anything too precious." Alex smiled as he watched Buddy head inside the house. "I am. And I have a fresh brewed pot of coffee for you. I know thats definitely a must to get you through the cooking." The smile never left his face as he let Asher inside.

At the mention of coffee, Asher sighed happily. “You know that coffee and food is the way to my heart.” Asher liked that he had been to Alex’s place enough times now that he knew the place well so he was able to go straight to the kitchen with the ingredients and find everything he needed easily. “What did you get up to yesterday?”

"I do." Alex laughed as he closed the door and went to his desk to pick up his cup of coffee before heading to the kitchen. "Not much, actually. I just had a binge watch day and lounged around in pajamas."

Asher grinned as Alex joined him in the kitchen. He was pulling ingredients out of the bag as Alex talked. “What did you watch?” He glanced at the ingredients in front of him. “So I was thinking of making eggs, those waffle sandwich things you make that I love and bacon. You’re definitely not allergic to any of that, right?”

Alex watched as he took the ingredients out of the bag. "Star Trek." He listened and nodded. "That's all safe." Asher smiled. “What a great choice!” He pulled a few pans out of one of the cupboards. “I promise I will one day remember everything you are allergic too.” He frowned for a moment. “I might need your help with the waffles. I’m not making them from scratch but I still don’t completely know how to make them.”

Alex laughed and shrugged. "Well, in the mean time, I'm always here to remind you." He nodded. "That, I can do."

“Thank you. I don’t want to have to rush you to the hospital at any point because I forgot.” Asher nodded. “Thank god. I can sort of cook but some food I just really struggle with.” “You're welcome. And luckily, I'm not allergic to much." He chuckled. "With waffles and pancakes, it's all about timing." “I know but it’ll be just my luck I’ll accidentally feed you something that might kill you.” He shook his head. “See, I’m terrible with timing. I’m the type of guy that tries to make caramel and ends up with a solid burnt pan or the guy who burns pizza.” "I don't think you will." Alex chuckled before taking a sip of coffee. He put the cup down and moved to stand right beside Asher. "Practice makes perfect though."

Asher turned to look at Alex with a smile. “Alright, let’s hope you’re right.” He picked up the waffle mix. “That’s true. It’s lucky that I have the patience to practice and you have the patience to help me.” "I know I'm right." Alex smiled and looked at the waffle mix. "Very lucky. How about you mix up the batter and I'll throw it in the waffle iron." Asher nodded. “Sure, I can do that.” He grabbed everything he needed to finish the batter and started to mix it all together. “So I remember you mentioned about your idea to do a bunch of different genres of stories for your next project. Are you still thinking that or do you have a different idea?” Alex watched as he gathered everything he needed and started to mix it together. He sprayed the waffle iron with non stick cooking spray and turned it on. "I'm still thinking about that." Asher continued to mix the batter until it looked like it was all mixed together and handed the bowl to Alex. “It must be so hard to just like come up with ideas for stories or to find an idea that works for what you want to do.” Alex poured some of the batter into the waffle iron and shut it. He hummed a little. "It is sometimes, then at other times it is a barrage of ideas at the wrong times." Asher opened the packet of bacon and pulled some pieces out. He sprayed one of the pans and began to heat it on the stovetop. “Do you write the ideas down whenever you have them so you can use them later?” "If I get them when I'm able to write them down, I do." Alex nodded and watched the waffle iron. "Sometimes I have them while I'm driving or out doing something." Asher nodded and placed the pieces of bacon in the pan. “Oh, that is very inconvenient. Maybe you could do like a voice memo on your phone or something if you’re driving? Or even just call someone who won’t answer and record it as a message on their message bank?” "I try, but I don't want to get pulled over for being on my phone." He hummed and turned toward Asher. Asher nodded. “Actually, that’s a fair point. We wouldn’t want you getting arrested or anything.” The bacon crackled as he kept an eye on it. "Nope." Alex chuckled. He took the waffle out when it was time and poured more batter in to make another one. "How has work been?" Asher grinned and flipped the bacon. “It’s been busy. We’ve got a new resident so we’ve all been helping her out by letting her help us with some of the more difficult cases.” “That sounds interesting. I hope she's doing well with helping all of you." He said, watching the waffle maker.

Asher pulled the bacon from the pan before it started to burn and grabbed more pieces to cook. “It’s been good. I wish I’d had a chance to see some of the more difficult cases when I was a resident instead of trying to figure it out by myself after I became a doctor but hopefully we can help her out a bit.” "I know you all will definitely help." Alex smiled as he waited on the waffle maker. "Sometimes jobs are learning when the curve ball is thrown at you." Asher kept one eye on the bacon as he looked over at Alex. “That’s true. I think I would get bored if I wasn’t learning something new everyday.” “Same here." Alex looked over at him before taking the waffle out and pouring more batter in. He closed the lid. Asher nodded and listened to the bacon crackle. It was such a wonderful sound. “So I think we just need a bit more bacon and then I can do the eggs. Then we can eat!” "I have just a couple more waffles to cook." Alex mailed as he took the waffle out and poured more batter in. Asher pulled out the cooked bacon  and put the last few pieces into the pan. “I have been so excited for this breakfast. I have been thinking about it all night at work.” He laughed. "I've been excited as well. I barely slept I was so excited." Alex smiled as he tended to the waffles. “Really? I hope you got some sleep though because I would feel terrible if you’re tired because of me.” Asher smiled and blushed lightly. "I got some sleep. I set an alarm at my desk and get a few hours in." Alex reassured him and smiled at his blush “Okay, that’s alright. I can be excited at your excitement then.” Asher flipped the bacon as it crackled. Alex hummed as he took the waffle out and poured the last of the batter onto the waffle maker. "I didn't want to be grumpy for you." He giggled. Asher grinned as he listened to the bacon. “I don’t think you could ever be grumpy. Besides, I deal with that many grumpy patients that I’m sure any grumpiness you might have wouldn’t even compare.”

"Oh, I can be sometimes." Alex smiled a bit. "I'm sure I'm not as bad as your grumpy patients though." Asher smiled. “Well, I look forward to seeing your grumpy side. I think it will be adorable.” Asher pulled the bacon out and went and grabbed the eggs. “How do you like your eggs?” "It might be comical." Alex laughed a little then looked over at Asher. "I'll eat my eggs any way they're served to me, honestly." “I’m sure it wouldn’t be.” Asher grinned. “How about scrambled? I’m less likely to mess that up than any other form of eggs.” "Scrambled sounds nice." Alex nodded as he took the final waffle out of the waffle maker and turned it off. He broke the waffles down into smaller bites for the sandwiches. “Great!” Asher grabbed the milk out of the fridge and a bowl to mix the eggs and milk together before adding it to a pan. “I was thinking now that it’s starting to warm up again slightly, maybe we should go on more walks together.” "Going on more walks together sounds like a great plan!" Alex replied excitedly. He definitely loved Asher's company on his walks.

“I’m glad you agree.” Asher replied with a grin. He loved spending any time he could with Alex. He watched as the eggs cooked, stirring them as needed. Once they were finished, he turned off the heat and turned to Alex. “Breakfast is finally ready!” "Of course I agree. I love spending time with you." Alex smiled as he was done with the waffles. "Awesome!" “I always love spending time with you but you already know that.” Asher grinned and pulled out a plate to put the scrambled eggs onto. “You’ll have to show me how to make these breakfast sandwiches.” "I'm glad that we love spending time together." Alex brought over the waffles with a smile. "It's very simple. You just put your eggs and bacon or sausage...maybe some cheese if you'd like between two mini waffles and add some syrup." Asher nodded as he listened to Alex explaining how to make the breakfast sandwiches. “Okay, that sounds simple enough. We should definitely add cheese because who doesn’t love cheese?” Alex got into the fridge and pulled out the syrup and the cheese. "I have several different kinds." Asher grinned as he saw the cheese. “I feel like everybody should have several different kinds of cheese in their house.” "You never know when you're in the mood for something different to eat. Besides, sometimes having several different cheeses on a sandwich is really flavorful." Alex smiled before going back for the coffee and add ins.  “You’re right. It’s always better to be prepared than to want something and not have it.” Asher nodded. “Okay, let’s assemble these sandwiches so we can eat!” "Always." Alex nodded and grabbed the plates, utensils, and napkins and brought them to the table before sitting down. "Yes!" Asher followed Alex to the table with all the food and started assembling the sandwiches. Once he was finished, he sat down with a smile. “Let’s hope they don’t fall apart too much while they’re being eaten. But, breakfast is served!” "They shouldn't, but if they do, I brought forks just in case." Alex grinned and grabbed one of the sandwiches. He took a bite. "Mm. Very good." Asher watched happily as Alex took a bite of one of the sandwiches. He wanted so badly to do a good job with the breakfast for Alex. “I’m really glad.” He took a sandwich for himself and took a bite.

Alex gave him a smile and took a sip of coffee. He swallowed the coffee and took another bite of the sandwich. Asher finished the sandwich he was eating. “I um…I actually got you something.” He got up from the table and grabbed a wrapped present out of the bag he’d brought in. It contained a moleskin notebook that he’d seen in a shop in Newcastle. “It’s just a little something that I saw that made me think of you and I wanted you to have it.” He sat back down at the table with a smile and handed Alex the present. "You did? You didn't have to." Alex smiled at him. He hadn't gotten a Valentines gift in a very long time. He took the present and opened it, revealing the notebook. "It's beautiful. I love it!" The smile remained on his face as he sat it to the side so he didn't get any food on it. "I might have written you something." He got up to grab a piece of paper that looked like it had been aged and had a poem written in calligraphy on it. “I just liked that when I saw it, I thought you’d really like it so I figured I should just grab it for you.” Asher shrugged and smiled at Alex’s reaction. When Alex mentioned that he had written him something, Asher stared at him in shock. He read the poem with a smile on his face and the smile remained as he looked up at Alex again. “This is the best present I’ve ever gotten. I can’t believe you wrote this for me!” Alex nodded and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you thought of me while we were apart." The smile remained on his face as he watched Asher read the poem. "I figured a Valentines present should come from the heart, much like the notebook did. The paper craft I did because I wanted it to look special." The smile on Asher’s face wasn’t going anywhere. “I often think of you while we’re apart.” He gave Alex a quick wink and then laughed. “I always thought Valentine’s presents were just super cheesy and pointless but I’ve realised now that they really can mean something if they come from the heart.” Asher smiled again. “Actually, I had something I wanted to ask you too.” "I often think of you as well." Alex nodded. He did often find himself thinking of the other while apart. "I've always felt the same." He nodded again. "That's true." His ears perked up. "Yeah? Go ahead and ask." Asher grinned and grabbed a mug to pour himself some coffee. “I guess it’s different when you have someone that you actually want to spend Valentine’s Day with. Or in our case, the day after.” After adding everything he needed to his coffee, he took a sip with a smile. “Well, I’ve kind of wanted to ask this for a while but I always felt like maybe I wasn’t ready yet or you weren’t. But I figure I might as well just ask and the worst you’ll do is say no.” He paused to sip his coffee again. “I wanted to know if maybe you might want to be my boyfriend? Like, I know we’ve been on dates and stuff and I really like you and I guess I just wanted you to know that I only want to go on dates with you and be with you.” He laughed. “Sorry, that was a lot of words. I talk a lot when I get nervous.” Alex nodded. "I agree that having someone to spend Valentines Day with makes a difference." He listened and once Asher was done, he smiled. "I was actually thinking the same thing. I really enjoy the time when we're together and catch myself thinking of you when we're apart." The smiled left his face. "So yes." Asher’s heart was beating super fast as he waited for Alex to answer his question. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous because he knew that Alex liked him, but sometimes he got a bit paranoid that maybe he was reading the signs wrong. So when Alex finally said yes, Asher breathed out a sigh of relief as his heart slowed back to a normal pace. “Wow, well, that’s really great. You are now my boyfriend. I really like saying that word.” He laughed as he picked up another sandwich and took a bite. "Yeah, now we're boyfriends." Alex nodded. He was glad of what the question was instead of what it could have been. He finished his sandwich before drinking more coffee and starting on another sandwich. Asher took a big gulp of coffee and another bite of his sandwich. “Did you have any plans for the rest of the day? I’d really love to just spend the day hanging out with you, if you’re free.” "I don't." Alex answered with a big smile before taking another sip of his coffee. "I kept it open just in case you wanted to do something." Asher grinned. “It’s like you knew I was going to ask.” He laughed and took a bite of his sandwich. “Do you have anything on particular you want to do or are you happy just hanging out here?” "I figured you might." Alex smiled then took a bite of his sandwich. "Honestly,  I don't have anything specific I need or want to do. We can just hang out here if you want." “Hanging out here sounds perfect! It will also allow me to take a nap when I need.” Asher grinned and finished his coffee. “Maybe you can finally show me those Blu-Rays you’ve been bragging about.” "You're always welcome to take a nap. All of my rooms and my couch are open to you. I can even get the comfy blanket from my bed and bring it out here." Alex grinned before finishing his sandwich and coffee. "You'd be okay watching Star Trek with me?" Asher finished his sandwich and relaxed back in his chair. “Thank you, I’m alright at the moment but eventually I will need to sleep given I haven’t slept for a while.” He started making himself another coffee. “Of course I would. Star Trek is great. Besides, you love it so that would be enough for me.” "That's completely understandable and I might take a nap myself." Alex said before finishing his sandwich and making another cup of coffee. "That means a lot." “We could always nap together and then we can both get cuddles at the same time.” Asher grinned and sipped his coffee. “It’s nothing, really. I just figure it’s worth trying out things you love because I like you and you like me so your tastes must be alright.” He laughed.

"That's true." Alex nodded. "I also want to try out things you like, too. I want to get to know you more." Asher nodded. “Sure, I’d love to show you the things I like. One of my favourite things actually is comic books. Especially Marvel and DC.” "Comics are cool. I have some graphic novels collected." Alex smiled. "My favorite is Deadpool." “Deadpool is amazing. My favourite is Captain America. Cliché I know, but you just can’t help but like the guy.” Asher sipped his coffee again with a smile. "Cap is pretty likeable." Alex nodded before sipping at his coffee again. "Who's your favorite DC hero?" “It also helps that he is quite an attractive man.” Asher laughed. “My favourite DC hero is Wonder Woman. She’s not only a fantastic fighter, but she is also such a great role model for women. If I ever have a daughter, I’ll be happy knowing that there are women like Wonder Woman to inspire her.”  "Wonder Woman is a great hero. She's kept Superman and Batman in check so many times." Alex nodded. "She really is a great role model." “Somebody does need to keep those two in check a lot.” Asher grinned and sipped his coffee. “Who is your favourite DC hero?” "For DC, I'm more into the villains than the heroes. I do like Harley Quinn's heroic exploits though, whether solo or with the Suicide Squad." “Oh, I feel you. The villains in DC are just something else. I think the villains in DC are just so much better than the Marvel ones. I mean, there’s nobody quite like The Joker.” "There really isn't anyone quite like The Joker. I think that's what gives the villains their appeal. They're all unique and stand out." Alex nodded in agreement.

“I agree. I love Marvel but DC has just created more unique and interesting villains. It’s the reason why The Suicide Squad is so popular.” Asher finished his coffee. "Exactly." Alex finished his own coffee and stretched. Asher smiled. “Are you finished with the food? I can tidy everything up and then we could watch some Star Trek?” "I couldn't eat another bite." Alex said with a smile as he leaned back in his chair. "I'll make some more coffee and get my comfy blanket off the bed." “Sounds like a plan!” Asher got up and stretched. He grabbed the plates of food and took them into the kitchen. He came back and grabbed everything else off the table and put everything away in the kitchen before tidying up what was left of the food. Once everything was tidied up, Asher headed out of the kitchen and into the living area where he found Alex. He made himself comfy on the couch and gave Alex a big smile. “I’m ready when you are.” Alex went straight to the kitchen and put on a fresh pot of coffee for brewing. Then he went to the bedroom and grabbed his comfy blanket, then put it on the couch. He then brought the tray of coffee and add ins, along with clean cups to sit on the table in front of the couch. The then sat down with the remote. Once Asher joined him, he put on Star Trek and got comfortable. Being cuddled up with Alex under his comfy blanket was quickly becoming one of Asher’s favourite places in the world. He smiled to himself as Star Trek started up on the TV. Alex put an arm around Asher as the opening credits started up. It was an episode he's seen lots of times, but it was special because Asher was around to watch with him. Asher really didn’t know much about Star Trek apart from the basics and what he had seen before but he was really enjoying learning about the world and people in the show. He rested his head on Alex’s shoulder with a smile. “Who’s your favourite character?” Alex looked away from the screen and at Asher before pointing out the ship's doctor, Dr. McCoy. "My favorite is McCoy. He's the ship's doctor. He often is the voice of reason within the show. He also has some good quips." Asher’s smile morphed into a grin. “So you’ve got a thing for doctors then, huh?” He laughed and turned his attention back to the show. “He seems great though. I’ll get back to you on my favourite once I’ve watched a bit more.” "Maybe. Especially witty ones." Alex winked, the turned his attention back to the show. "Sounds great." “Is that your way of telling me I’m witty?” Asher grinned at Alex’s wink. His attention kept being drawn back to the show as he was really enjoying it.

"I think you're pretty witty." Alex grinned before his attention was drawn back to the show. It didn't matter how many times he had seen these episodes of Star Trek, they always caught his attention. “I’ll make sure to add that to my resume.” Asher smiled to himself and then laughed as somebody said something funny on the show. Alex chuckled before laughing at the funny thing on the show himself. Even as Asher watched the show, he couldn’t help but think about how happy he was right in this moment and how glad he was that they had agreed to this date. He snuggled in closer to Alex and sighed happily. Alex heard Asher's sigh and smiled. It has been a while since he was this comfortable with anyone. He was glad that things were going well with the date. Asher was so distracted by the show that he found himself disappointed when the episode ended. He turned to Alex for a moment and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Please tell me we are watching another episode. Or even maybe a lot more episodes?” "We can watch as much as you want." Alex smiled as he skipped the end credits so that the next episode would start quickly. “Perfect! Let’s just watch it until one or both of us fall asleep.” Asher would happily spend the entire day cuddled up to Alex watching Star Trek. "That we can do." Alex nodded. He was happy that Asher seemed to be into Star Trek. It would give them more to talk about later for sure. “It will also give me more time to decide on a favourite character.” Asher smiled as the next episode started up. "That's right. You do still have to decide that." Alex chuckled. "There's no rush." “I’m sure it won’t take me long to figure out who I like the most.” Asher glanced at Alex for a moment and smiled. “Most of their personalities are pretty obvious straight away.” "That's true." Alex nodded before yawning. He didn't realize just how tired he was, but was determined not to fall asleep on Asher. Asher noticed Alex’s yawn and gave him a soft smile. “It’s okay if you fall asleep on me. I’ve fallen asleep on you several times already and I know I will fall asleep on you many more times.” "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bad host." Alex smiled softly at him and cuddled into Asher. Asher laughed. “You could never be a bad host. I don’t think it would actually be possible for Alex Abrams to be considered a bad host.” He smiled wider when Alex cuddled into him. "As long as you're sure." Alex yawned again before feeling his eyes grow heavy. Soon, his eyes closed for a moment before he opened them again.

“I’m sure.” Asher turned his attention back to the TV with a smile as he noticed Alex starting to drift off. He pressed a kiss to Alex’s cheek and yawned himself. He knew he would be asleep not long after Alex. Alex could feel himself drift off. He was soon asleep, cuddling more into Asher. Asher felt Alex cuddle more into him and then heard his breathing even out as he drifted off to sleep. He yawned again as he turned his attention back to the TV with a smile. There was no where else he could possibly want to be in this very moment.

He opened his eyes once more before closing his eyes again and falling asleep. Alex finally fully drifted off.

#c:alex #para: i wanted to know