#and none of your precautions held out as long as you had hoped...

[stvrni0lo]

𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐬

nathan doe x reader (fluff)

summary: in an attempt to bake at a sleepover, you and nate forget to check your baked goods in your sleep-deprived state

warnings/notes: none! lmk if i missed anything

requested?: yes! number 18 “failed cooking/baking attempt” from my actions prompt list

> > >

You and Nate always found a way to make your casual dates more interesting. Whether it be making up random games to play, or watching shitty movies to make fun of them, you guys always ended up having fun.

Today, it was baking. At 1 AM.

You should’ve been sleeping, but upon rolling around and thrashing in the covers uncomfortably, you decided sleep wouldn’t come easy tonight.

Nate knew that too. Which is why he suggested baking in the first place.

Flour covered the entire countertop as you and Nate desperately rolled balls of cookie dough onto a baking tray. The mess in the kitchen was too much to bear, but you tried to ignore it.

“I really hope these turn out good,” he said excitedly, jumping on the balls of his feet.

You had never really baked from scratch before, but you didn’t want to rain on his parade.

“Of course they will. Trust the process, Nathaniel,” you said mockingly.

You grabbed the tray and placed it into the preheated oven, turning the timer on for 10 minutes. You didn’t have high hopes but seeing how eager Nate was, you couldn’t help but hold out for his sake. Maybe they’d turn out alright.

Nate crouched down as he stared through the glass of the oven. You giggled at the sight. His eyes were wide and glossy as he stared into the warm light, watching the cookies rise slowly.

“They won’t bake any faster if you watch them, babe,” you said, ruffling his hair from where you stood above him.

He caught your hand in his as he held onto it, using it as leverage to help him stand up. He swayed your arms side to side as he smiled giddily at you. The white light of the kitchen illuminated his features beautifully. His insane bone structure looked sharper than usual.

“Thanks for this,” you said, your head leaning on his shoulder.

His arm came to wrap around you as he leaned his head on top of yours.

“Any time. Plus it was an excuse to get free cookies.”

You both chuckled as you leaned against the island, letting the seconds tick by in silence. In all honesty making the batter had tired you out, and your eyelids seemed to be drooping already.

“Hey sleepy-head,” said Nate, shaking you gently. His hand caressed your hair out of the way as he watched you groggily open your eyes.

“Hm?” you said.

“Do you smell that?”

Your eyes widened as you realized you had left them in too long. 10 minutes was set as a precaution, but you had meant to take them out earlier to check on them.

Of course you never ended up doing that because your boyfriend’s shoulder was just so comfortable. You could fall asleep on him every single time without fail. He always said he enjoyed the fact that you felt safe enough to fall asleep so easily around him.

“Shit!” you exclaimed as you grabbed some oven mitts and dragged the tray out of the oven.

The smoke billowed out as you dropped it onto the hob. They weren’t burnt, but they were as hard as rocks.

Nate knocked on them with his knuckles, wincing at the sharpness and heat of them.

“Wow those are bad,” he said. His shoulders slumped slightly as he rubbed your back.

“I really wanted cookies,” he mumbled.

You wrapped an arm around his waist as you rested your head on him once again.

“How about for now we go cuddle and sleep - we can try again tomorrow?”

Nate hummed in agreement, his head nodding quickly.

You had started to walk towards his bedroom, holding his hand as you pulled him along. Nate, however, picked you up bridal style as he made his way to the bed.

“Could hardly call those baked goods - they were more like baked bads,” he said as he grimaced at the image of them.

You giggled as you rested your head on his shoulder as he carried you down the hallway.

“Nate, what the fuck does that even mean.”

- - -

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭:

@lollibumblebee

@dwntwn-strnlo

@gracietaylorsversions

@20nugs

@thetriplets3

@sunshinewwx

@gwenlore

@gabbylovesreading

@ssturniolo

@opheliaofficial07

@stargirlv0id

#nathan doe #nathan doe imagine #nathan doe x reader #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #matt sturniolo #chris sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #the sturniolo triplets #christopher sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #stvrni0lo #the sturniolos

[lokigayforhela]

I thought about Hela being able to get the reader pregnant, I don't know how it would work, but it crossed my mind and I couldn't help asking you. Perhaps the reader discovering that she is pregnant and then telling Hela? I understand if you don't want to do it

TW: None

WC: 1165

Rating: G

A/N: This is a very old prompt, and it is very short simply because I felt like it truly would be a short, intimate moment between the two of them as they prepare for the road ahead of them. I hope you enjoy this soft, sweet little fluffy fic!

You wrung your hands together as you paced back and forth from the door of your chambers to the window, the same thing you had been doing for the greater part of an hour now, your mind still reeling with the news the healers had given you earlier that morning.

You’d been feeling a little under the weather as of late, waking up nauseous in the mornings and the littlest scent or taste of food sending you running for the washroom to be sick in an empty washbasin. It had been going on for just over a couple of weeks, and while you hadn’t exactly been hiding it from Hela, you’d not exactly told her about it, either.

And it wasn’t to say that you’d had no idea what was going on with you. It was just that you’d been a little surprised at the likelihood of what was going on with you.

It was no secret that pregnancy on Asgard was different than you’d read about in other realms and star systems. While it seemed to only be possible between certain people biologically elsewhere, on Asgard it was an entirely different process that relied not on certain necessities between two people, but rather the seidr that each held within their person. It was something that was simply known on Asgard, and precautions were taken accordingly.

Except, perhaps, you and Hela hadn’t been as careful as you should have been, you had begun to realize as you’d sought out the healers for a more direct diagnosis. And when they had confirmed that you were, indeed, with child, rather than go straight to Hela to let her know, you’d gone to your chambers to come to terms with everything first before telling her.

It wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing, if you were pregnant. After all, you and Hela had been together for many years, properly courting and then marrying just over a year ago, so it wasn’t as though you would have no support system whatsoever. It was just that you weren’t sure if that was what Hela wanted. She was in line to become Queen one day, and while it didn’t seem that she would be taking over the throne any time soon, you knew that one day she would, and it would take up much of her time. And a baby thrown in in the middle of that could be a distraction Hela wouldn’t want just yet, despite her current position in waiting to step into her power.

But hiding it from her simply was out of the question, and you knew that, even as you continued to pace around your room. Even if you wanted to keep it from her as long as possible, she’d find out eventually, and the idea of her not knowing from the beginning and possibly being hurt or worse that you hadn’t confided in her could lead to an entire series of events that you couldn’t even begin to imagine, let alone want to go through.

No, you needed to tell Hela.

Today.

You just needed a little time to process first.

Your pacing was drawn to an immediate halt when not five seconds later, you heard a knock at your door, gentle but with a firmness that let you know it was important.

“Y/N?”

Well, it seemed your time to process was up already.

You took a slow, deep breath and crossed over to the door, opening it with a smile that came more easily than you thought it would.

“Can I come in?” Hela was always so formal with you, despite the fact that it was her room, too. But it was endearing, you supposed, to know Hela respected your privacy even in your shared chambers.

“Of course you can.” You stepped back a bit so she could make her way in, and closed the door behind her, leaning back against it as she turned to face you.

“I was told you went to the healers this morning. Is everything alright? Are you ill?” She reached forward to take your hands in both of hers, and you softened at the gentle expression of concern that had taken over her features.

“I’m fine. Really.” You took another deep breath, exhaling slowly before continuing. “But… there is something I need to tell you.”

Hela’s expression became a little more serious, and she nodded, leading you over to the bed and sitting down with you, her gaze never leaving yours as she waited for you to speak.

There was really no reason to beat around the bush any further, and without any way other way to do it, you simply came out and said it.

“Hela, I’m with child.”

Hela blinked once, expression remaining entirely neutral for a split second.

And then she smiled.

“Y/N, that’s wonderful news!”

It was your turn to blink dumbly as you looked at her. “…it is?”

She looked at you for a moment, expression growing serious again. “Well, I think it is. But if you don’t, that’s okay, too, and we can… talk about your options.”

“No, I… it isn’t that. It isn’t that I don’t think it’s wonderful news. It’s just… well, it’s life-changing a bit, wouldn’t you say?” Now that the truth was out, and you could be open about it, you were overwhelmed with the reality of the situation.

“Of course it is. And it will take a lot of work, from the both of us, to be ready and to have everything ready. But Y/N… I need you to know that you don’t have to be frightened. And if there was something I said or did to make you worry about you telling me this news, please tell me.”

You shook your head a bit, squeezing her hands gently. “I just… I didn’t know if this was something that you’d… want. With you in line to become Queen, and all the work that would come with that. I didn’t want to take away from your preparation.”

Hela softened again, bringing a hand up to cup your face gently so that you were looking directly at her. “Y/N, nothing could ever make me not want to do this with you. Not anything. And perhaps it’s a little sooner than either of us imagined it happening, but that doesn’t make me any less happy, and it doesn’t make me love you any less than I do. Nothing could ever change that. Do you understand me? Nothing.”

You nodded, feeling a weight lift from your chest, and you smiled softly.

“…thank you. I really needed to hear that. And I’m happy to do this with you, too. No matter how… crazy it all gets. We’re in this together. You and me.”

Hela smiled softly. “You and me.” And she reached down to place a gentle hand on your stomach. “And the little one, too.”

You laughed softly, finally feeling like everything was just as it should be. “And the little one, too.”

#Hela x reader #Hela Odinsdottir x reader #Hela #Hela Odinsdottir #Marvel #fluff #pregnancy fluff #slight angst #mama!hela #mama!reader #anonymous #ask #answered #thank you for the prompt!

[captain-yeet]

How to be Human (Felix x Fem!Reader Oneshot)

Summary: Peace couldn’t always be for forever. The love of your life has been hurt, after he had constantly worried for your safety being in jeopardy. What happens when a man as strong and formidable as a mountain becomes human?

CW: None, hurt/comfort vibes, angst.

Vampires and humans in relationships weren't rare, but uncommon enough that if such a thing were to happen, certain precautions were to be taken.

He'd always worried about me. I'm "small and fragile compared to him", after all. I'd always tell him, "Honey, I'm surrounded by vampires, one of them being you. It's gonna be fine."

I hadn't given much thought to the concept of someone hurting him.

I loved our shared room. It was cozy; Felix was a little bit plain when it came to décor save for some mounted weapons on the wall from his human days circa two thousand-something years ago.

Granted I was no grand interior designer myself. My contributions have been posted plants and one stylized painting of a cat meme done in the same style as Starry Night. Felix grudgingly let me hang that.

It was home. Our home.

I hope he comes home soon. Its supposed to be today. He'd been sent out on a job to look into some weird humans who'd supposedly been spreading the word about vampires in Italy, some odd 20 miles from Volterra.

Sunlight slowly creeped into the room through the curtain, engulfing the room in a gentle golden glow.

A knock brought me out of my calm reverie. Reluctantly, I rolled off the bed and trudged over to the door. Demetri stood there, white as a ghost. There was a faraway look in his eyes that immediately sparked alarm bells in my mind. “Dem, what’s wrong? Where’s Felix?”

Demetri swallowed. “He - I need to tell you something, dear. You’re not going to like this.”

My heart sped up. “Is he - no no, please tell me isn’t dea-”

Demetri grabbed me by the shoulders, his gaze intense. “No. Calm yourself. He is alive, but badly hurt. He wanted me to come talk to you to prepare you for the condition he’s in.”

 “What kind of condition?” I whispered, my mind going to the worst possible scenarios. Did he get burned? A burn was what I considered the worst. His beautiful face that always gave me the biggest smile whenever his eyes met mine.

Wordlessly Demetri held his hand for me to take. “I’ll take you to him now. I can explain on the way.”

My darling mate - my partner, my boyfriend, husband, soulmate -  had been attacked by a gifted vampire that temporarily took away his immortality. I watched him writhe uncomfortably in  a room some guards had set up as a temporary sick bay for him. Demetri and two others in the room who’s faces I didn’t recognize shared lost glances as the once strong vampire moaned and groaned in pain. They swiftly excused themselves, leaving me and Demetri alone with Felix.

 “Felix?” I cried out, moving past Demetri and to Felix’s side. I cupped my hand against his cheek; he was so clammy... Seeing his skin flush with color was so jarring, after being accustomed to his pale skin.

His eyes fluttered, squeezing shut momentarily before brown eyes met mine. Brown. Not red. The familiar vermillion gone and replaced with a woodsy brown. I couldn’t help the sob that left my lips and I pressed my forehead against his. 

 “Cara mia, you don’t need to see me like this,” he rasped. A sickly stench reached my nose and I recognized it was vomit. He’d been vomiting.

 “Well I’m here,” I retorted, softly, pulling back to give him an empathetic look. “Have you eaten? Had water?”

Felix’s brows scrunched. “Uh, water yes,” he replied slowly. “No food.”

He looked past me toward his best friend, the two sharing a long silent exchange.

The cogs were spinning in my head faster than I could keep up with. But I got the jist of the look. Turning my head to Demetri as well, I quietly asked him, “When was the last time he ate?”

Demetri opened and closed his mouth. He couldn’t meet my eyes, instead choosing to continue looking at Felix. “...We hadn’t thought of it, I’m so sorry.”

I loved Demetri. He had been an absolute sweetheart since I began living in Italy with Felix. I considered him a brother. A dear friend. Whenever Felix was away he’d be right there to keep me company, all I had to do was ask when he wasn’t busy. The fury the coursed through my veins at the immortal’s foolishness burned hot in my blood. 

 “He’s been turned human and you didn’t think he’d need to be fed? How long has he been like this?”

 “Y/N,” Felix croaked. I shushed him gently, stroking his face. 

 “How long?” I asked again, my voice cracking.

A short, five second silence filled the room.

 “Three days,” Demetri said so softly I almost didn’t catch it.

 “Three days?” I growled.

That’s it. Absolutely not. I rose to my feet, my hands gliding down Felix’s sweaty arms. “I’m taking him. I will care for him. How could you guys not have thought that maybe after, what, a millennia of immortality he wouldn’t need some kind of nourishment other than water?”

 “Two millennia,” Felix added, “I’m two thousand years old, baby girl.”

 “Darling I love you so much but please, let me handle this.”

I had to think. We had a kitchen in the castle, which had a considerate amount of dust plastered all over the countertops. No fridge. No modern or semi-modern-ish oven to work with. To be fair, only myself and the receptionists were the only humans in the castle that lived for longer than an hour long tour. And the receptionist had lunch breaks. Me, on the other hand, I’d either get lunch or go to the little apartment Felix had purchased for us in the city. 

He wanted us to have privacy to get to know each other, when the bond was first realized.

So I stormed out of the room shouting a command to Demetri to get him some water but not to let Felix drink all of it at once. If it had been days since he ate, he needed food immediately. There was a little sandwich place nearby that I love and adore. A simple footlong should sate him... hopefully. 

                                                              ~~~

 “Here, have this.”

I set the footlong onto Felix’s lap. I didn’t want to upset his stomach with anything too over the top. A simple ham and provolone sub with lettuce, tomato, mayo and honey mustard. Granted I just ordered what I normally get. But regardless, the sandwich would be perfect for his weakened state.

Demetri was openly staring at Felix, watching his every move. Felix looked at the sandwich, then to me, then to Demetri and repeated the cycle, his face turning a shade darker.

If he wasn’t starved like a dog, I’d be gushing over him blushing in embarrassment.

 “Dem stop with the staring,” I scolded him.

He cleared his throat, averting his eyes to the wall in front of him.

Gingerly, Felix picked up the sandwich, eyeing it like it was a small gross creature in his grasp. So much hesitation came with the first bite. While I sat with him I watched him attempt to chew. He had the idea of chewing down - the manners of keeping his mouth closed. He’d seen me eat. He knows how chewing works in theory.

In practice?

It was like watching a five year old try to be polite at the dinner table at a family gig.

After three bites he pushed the sandwich away, wrapping it back up and placing it on an end table next to the bed. I wanted to take away the sadness in him. He slouched in defeat, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

I reached out to wipe away some mayo at the corner of his mouth, giving him a reassuring smile. “It’ll take a bit until you feel a little better,” I informed him.

Felix pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin there. “Any word on the location of the one that did this to me?” He asked Demetri. I tried not to let it show he chose to ignore me. Not eating for thousands of years and suddenly needing to had to be a shock to his system...

But still, the way he couldn’t look me in the eyes...

 “I’ll be setting out soon with the twins to retrieve them. I know their location. They will be brought to justice,” he hissed, reaching out to clap Felix on the shoulder, albeit a bit too rough, the now human executioner grunting at Demetri’s hard handed reassurance. 

 “Demetri’s got this, honey,” I added, sharing a worried look with the tracker who had become like a brother to me. “He knows I’ll find a way to kick his ass if he doesn’t.”

Demetri chuckled. Felix didn’t.

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Loud growling from Felix’s stomach interrupted the flow of conversation. 

Shaking his head, Demetri gently squeezed my shoulder with words of comfort before he bid farewell to us, leaving the two of us alone.

 “Let’s get you home, yeah?” I stood up and grabbed his discarded clothes that covered a nearby chair, setting them on the bed in front of him.

Felix slowly grabbed his shirt, taking pause. “If I don’t become human again...”

I sat next to him on the bed, replacing the shirt in his hands with my hands. “You will.”

 “But if I don’t.” he snarled, finally meeting my eyes. Tears brimmed in them threatening to spill over. “If, I don’t, I can’t protect you properly. I’m so, so sorry I failed you this way Y/N.”

Now it was my turn to be confused. “Failed me?” I repeated. “How? By becoming human for a little while? This isn’t your fault!”

 “By becoming weak! I promised you the day we confessed our love for each other that I would take care of you. You’re in my world now, embroiled in all the vampire nonsense and the politics, and the danger that comes with it. I need to be my strongest to make sure you’re always well protected and now that I’m mortal I cannot protect you from my kind.”

 “I don’t expect you to bear that weight alone!” I let go to cup his face in my hands, our eyes locked on each others. “We belong to each other, that means both of us protects the other, not just you taking care of me!” I reminded him.

That silenced him for a moment. “So, you don’t feel let down at all by me?”

This was what he was worrying about?

I responded by pressing my lips to his softly, putting as much passion and “I love you so much” energy behind it that I hoped he’d understand what I was trying to convey with my actions. “Not one bit, I breathed against his lips.

Strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest. I melted into his hold, throwing my arms around his neck, enjoying the sensation of his arms around me. Human or vampire I don’t think I’d ever get tired of his touch. 

Time became obsolete. I don’t know how long we stayed like that for. The sun had dimmed in brightness by the time we pulled away from each other. “Let’s go home, you can eat the rest of that when we get back and I’ll show you some good things about behind human. I plan on taking full advantage of this situation.”

Felix chuckled, wiping the tears from his face and looking at me with so much adoration I was thankful he couldn’t hear my heart falter under his intense, loving gaze. “Say less. Unless it involves the two of us in bed and me making you scream my name over and over again, then please tell me more.”

I threw his coat at his face with a giggle. “Felix!” I gasped, giving him a scolding look. The bastard knew what that kind of talk did to me. A small fire flickered to life that only he could douse.

Despite everything he smirked, knowing exactly what was going on in my mind and body. “You said we should take advantage of the situation. Now I can fuck you without wanting to drink your blood and you expect my train of thought to not go there when you say things like that?”

Oh I hated him and loved him fiercely. “Get dressed. I was talking about like, eating chocolate and things like that. Sleeping, for gods sake!”

 “There’ll be sleeping to come after you do, don’t worry darling.”

 “Get dressed. Now.”

 He put his shirt on and threw the covers off his body, swinging his legs out of the bed. Shaking his head he shimmied into his clothes. “Yes ma’am, what you say goes.”

We walked out of Volterra hand in hand back to our little piece of paradise we call home. I had full faith Demetri will find a way to reverse what’s been done. But for now, it’s time to take advantage and show my previously-a-vampire mate the fun parts of being human. 

#if yall want part 2 let me know #felix x reader #felix volturi #felix volturi x reader #volturi #volturi x reader #my fics #twilight saga #twilight

[sexynetra]

#22 or #23 for anarcia ??

22: "They won't take you away from me ever again"

23: "You need to keep your eyes open a little longer"

Uhh this turned out a little darker than I planned but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy! Bringing back the boxer AU for this one! (which wow writing this reminded me how much I missed writing them so if y'all have requests for this AU... my asks and dms are open)

TW: cops, violence

Marcia paced back and forth in the lobby of the police station, tugging nervously at her long blonde locks as she glanced at the door for what seemed like the millionth time. She knew what Anetra did was dangerous, of course. Fighting was dangerous at the best of times, let alone when all of the safety precautions were stripped away.

Marcia was always nervous when Anetra agreed to unregulated fights. She understood why - to some extent at least. The prize money for the underground fights was a lot higher, more than enough to cover their monthly expenses with just one or two wins. She didn’t understand the adrenaline rush quite as much. After all, it wasn’t exciting for Marcia, it was just scary. Without rules, all sportsmanlike conduct flew out the window. As well as all legality. As if the fear of Anetra getting beaten to a pulp wasn’t enough, they had to worry about police raids too.

Marcia didn’t know what sort of bad luck was in the air that day, but one of the opponents had lost a few fights to Anetra before and wanted vengeance. And Anetra was a good fighter, she could hold her own against the best of them, but not when brass knuckles entered the picture. And at some point between Anetra going down and Marcia desperately shoving her way through the crowd to reach her girlfriend, the cops descended to arrest everyone involved in the fighting ring.

Which was how Marcia found herself here, nervously waiting for Anetra to be released. Marcia hadn’t been held long when it became clear that she wasn’t betting or fighting. Anetra, on the other hand, had been in the ring when the police raid happened, so despite Marcia’s pleas to let Anetra out so she could get medical attention, Marcia had been waiting nearly 6 hours for her girlfriend to be released.

She jolted out of her thoughts when she heard the buzzer that announced the door opening, looking up to see a familiar mop of dyed blonde hair. She ignored the cop's gripes of protest as she barreled past them all to throw her arms around her girlfriend, burying her face in the crook of her neck, the tears finally spilling over, the emotions of the day all hitting her at once.

As soon as the cop closest had unlocked the cuffs, Anetras strong arms wrapped back around her girlfriend. As shaken as the girl was by the whole situation, her gut instinct was to play the strong one, to be brave so Marcia wouldn’t have to be.

“C’mon, angel. They said I’m free to go home. And I really want to go to bed…” She sighed, placing a small kiss on Marcia’s hair, heart breaking slightly at how much her girlfriend was shaking in her arms.

“I thought… I thought they were gonna keep you. I thought I wasn’t gonna get to see you again… They won’t take you away from me ever again. I won't let them” Her voice was muffled since she refused to move her face from where it was buried in Anetra’s neck.

“I know, my love. I know. I’m here now. I’m safe…”

Marcia finally looked up at that, eyes red and puffy “No you aren’t. You’re hurt and they took you away before I could check on you. Your face is all sliced up and none of it has been cleaned, plus you went down so hard, you might have a concussion…” She sniffled, hand reaching up to brush ever so gently at the injuries decorating her girlfriend's face, frown deepening at the soft hiss Anetra involuntarily let out.

“Marsh, I’m fine, I promise. Just some cuts. You can clean them for me when we get home, okay? Whats another 15 minutes? Plus, I'm exhausted, I just want to nap for a bit, this has all been incredibly draining.”

Marcia’s frown only deepened at that and her grip around Anetra tightened “I am getting you all cleaned and bandaged the second we get home. But no sleeping yet. You need to keep your eyes open a little longer. You know how risky concussions are babe. I’ve given you a million lectures on this…”

Anetra rolled her eyes but a small fond smile on her lips revealed that she wasn’t actually annoyed “Okay, okay. You’re the boss, babe. Let’s go…”

#wow I missed this au theyre so cute #boxer au #anetra #rpdr 15 #drag race #drag race 15 #rpdr #marcia #anarcia #anarcia fanfic #anarcia fanfiction #marcia marcia marcia #marcia x3 #nurse marcia #boxer anetra #also I cannot stick to a word limit im sorry this is like 800 words I didnt mean to go so long lmao #drag race fan fiction #drag race fanfic #rupauls drag race

[driftward]

Title: FFXIV Write 2023 - Free Day 3 - 17. Coven Characters: The Coven, Nyx Blackmoon Rating: Teen Summary: The Nyx Project Science Team is not best pleased with their new moniker Notes: Takes place at least a decade before the calamity maybe more. Questionable canonicity; I reserve the right to heavily rework it later.

The converted cargo space in the Garlean gunship was cramped, loaded with as much equipment as the Nyx Project science team could get into the space. The only clear spot was around the twin doors that led to the outside of the underbelly of the craft, where unit 12 'Nyx' now stood, her arms held out stiffly from her while two of the scientists worked around her.

"That'll do it," said Papanan, stepping back. He looked over to where Cata was standing, watching their progress, and he gave the Garlean a sharp salute. "Explosive harness secured, mal Praetatus."

Cato just nodded, distantly. Liana continued to fuss over Nyx for a few moments. She had to be loud to be heard over the gunship's engines, but tried not to be so loud that the entire bay would hear. "You should still have good freedom of movement, and none of the functions of your armor have been hampered in any way... So long as you don't become enthralled, nothing will come of this, okay? This is just a safety precaution." She crouched to look into Nyx's staring eyes, and despite herself, held their gaze. "I'm sorry," she said, too quiet to be heard, but she knew Nyx would see it.

"I find the situation understandable, given the full extent of my capabilities," said Nyx. An ancient directive, deep in their core logic, made itself felt. "Indeed, were our situations reversed, I would have destroyed me rather than risk the potential harm I represent."

"Well, if we had done that," said Liana, looking over at Papanan, "then we wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn and find new experiences, now would we?"

Nyx's stare did not waver, her eyes tracking Liana's movements. "And now that I am operational the risk I present is obvious. I still would have destroyed me."

Papanan nodded, as overhead, the internal announcement system crackled to life. "Twenty klicks out. We will approach from two klicks over head, then begin drop sequence. Mission set to be on the clock at time now, two minutes."

"Well, I'd rather hoped we'd be able to get it to come to those conclusions on its own," he grumbled to Liana as she moved out of the way to make space for him. He came to stand squarely in front of Nyx, hands on his hips as he looked up at her. "Unit twelve. Do you remember the Ul'dahn dilemma?"

"That simulation game about adversarial cooperation. Yes."

"And what was the goal?"

"Maximize score."

"Very good! And how did you do that?"

"Analyzing the point values of various stances during each phase, and attempting to predict the stance of the opposing player."

"Alright. And what if there is no other player, hmn?"

"Then there is no game."

"Correct. No game, no points, right? What's that tell us?"

"One minute." crackled on the overhead speaker, and Papanan made a rude gesture at it.

"I am uncertain," said Nyx.

"Well, can you win without points?"

"No."

"What do you need?"

"A person to play with."

"Just so, my overwrought construct! You need the player. No player, no points!"

"Then there would be no point to the game."

"Ah, but that's part of the catch. You're going to get the game anyway. You can opt out, sure, once. But otherwise, in order to get anything, you have to sit down at the table. You may not always get to choose the players, but to get anything, you always need them, and you always have to choose to play the game. And we, my dear, we play the game."

"And you have chosen me as a player."

"Just so! And the only way to learn?"

"Is to play the game. I believe I understand."

Papanan nodded as the speaker came on again. "Thirty seconds!"

"Getting clear!" yelled Papanan as he scampered off the bay doors. "Good luck. I believe in you," said Liana as she too quickly moved away, leaving Nyx in the middle of the cargo hold.

There was a countdown from ten seconds, and then the bay doors fell open underneath Nyx. The various scientists hovered around their equipment and hung on as wind whipped by underneath the craft. Nyx, for their part, just held in midair, aloft through some trick of their internal Allagan construction.

Nyx looked down, their eyes searching the ground, their ears rotating independently of each other, sweeping back and forth.

"Eikon located. Aetheric limit identified. Initial classification 'Eta', singular primary elemental aspect of erde. Ready to engage."

Liana checked with the pilot, and nodded. "We are go, we are go, we are go. Commence mission. Nyx unit 12, fix release."

Nyx let go of gravity, dropping out of the bottom of the gunship. Liana watched as they dropped away, falling down to where the dread Eikon lay.

Cascading peered over his radio instruments, watching telemetry, while Miki got on the radio. "Nyx, Miki, radio check." Liana picked up a headset to listen, and caught the end of "-eck sat."

"The Eikon is the enemy," said Miki.

"And the enemy exists only to be destroyed," intoned Nyx back.

Liana grimaced. So it began.

~*~

The soldiers and support staff of the Castrum found themselves ducking to the side of hallways and making themself scarce in the space in front of Cato as he marched down to section nine, where the Nyx Project was currently housed out of. He held a crumpled up news sheet tightly in a fist, the scowl on his face making clear his fury to any who looked in his way. Nobody saw fit to get between him and his destination, until at last, he stood in front of the several tonze door that led to section nine.

The machinery to open it whirred to activity, and it began to open, achingly slowly as always. Comically slowly, in fact, Cato came to find. While he had managed to remain in motion, he had been able to maintain his temper. Faced with an implacable foe who cared not for him, however, he found that as he watched it move, ilm by ilm, his anger broke. By the time it had swung open far enough to admit him, his anger had bled down to something more like annoyance, or perhaps just irritation.

He walked into the labs to find the other scientists at work. Nyx was in a sitting position in her cradle, her left arm partially disassembled. Myomar and fibers spilled out of the socket there and had been carefully pulled to lay out flat, while the off gold endoskeletal frame had its joint disassembled, and some of the armature braces had been fully separated. Papanan was doing some kind of work that required the multitools and a magnifying lens on his forehead, while Cascading seemed to be helping him. Miki was taking measurements or notes on a tomestone. Liana seemed to be reading something to Nyx. Nyx, for its part, turned and watched Cato's movements silently.

He'd long grown used to the staring.

"Have any of you heard the latest? Maybe over the radio?" asked Cato.

Liana just shook her head while Cascading responded. "You know radio signal doesn't reach all the way down here, mal Praetatus. We can only get what comes down the fiber," he said, as he gestured at the large communication signal tube that connected to the terminals and ran up into the ceiling.

Cato handed the news sheet off to Liana, and then stood back, crossing his arms. Everyone else save Papanan crowded around her to read over her shoulder.

"What is it now, governor decided to piss away another quarterly budget on palatial gardens?" said Papanan.

"No," said Liana. "...today, we are the news."

Papanan stopped his work. "...shite."

Cascading's voice rumbled. "No good deed, I suppose."

Liana read part of the report out loud. "A coven of witches choosing to embrace the ways of the Empire have learned to turn their magicks into a boon. They drew forth one of the kami, and using Garlean magitek, it was captured. Through technological prowess, it was encased in a suit of magitek armor, which allowed Imperial forces to control its will. Empowering the suit, and using this magitek marvel, Garlean forces struck a decisive blow against the enemies of the empire today, by turning the kami on one of the dread Eikons, bringing it low and saving Imperial citizens from the threat of enthrallment... what is this?"

"The Frumentarium should have suppressed any news of our action," said Miki earnestly. "We're still under a 'most secret' writ! Not even the provincial government is supposed to know the details of what we do."

"I suspect the Frumentarium is who told the journalist about our action. I mean - look. Witches? That's nonsense to the locals, but mention of a kami? Remember the rumors around Unit 12 when we had it doing surveillance for them? A creepy spirit that listened in on otherwise secret conversation? I'm not sure what game Aemilia is playing at, but I'm sure this is his work, and I don't want to be part of it," said Cato.

Papanan made a thoughtful noise. "Hmn. Well, consider though, the provincial government still doesn't know what we do. Just the hogwash version of it. Clever."

"Or stupid. I wish she would have checked with me first at least. Give us a chance to make our own cover story! We are supposed to lay low. And I'm supposed to convince these people to give us better funding. I could've told them we'd made strides in Garlean magitek armor and bolstered a common conscript, not... not this utter bullshit about magic and witches and what else."

"It does make for a good misdirect though, you have to agree," said Papanan.

Miki looked unhappy. "It... does play on the superstitions of my people well. They are like to wholly believe this story, instead of suspecting that we have uncovered and repurposed Allagan technology. You might be able to use that with the governor."

"The governor isn't going to be interested in more occult superstitious nonsense. Especially not after the whole incident with the reapers. We're supposed to be becoming a new more civilized nation, not regressing into barbarism," groused Cato.

Nyx's gaze turned to Papanan. "I believe that these are political machinations, correct?"

Papanan nodded. "Just so."

"How would you apply the principles of the Ul'dahn Dilemma to the situation?"

"I wouldn't, not what I've taught you of it so far, these sorts of things are too complex for it, we'd have to talk more about... ah, but you may be on to something!"

"She is?" "It is?" asked Cascading and Cato at the same time.

Pananan grinned and waved a finger in the air. "Of course! You think the Frumentarium is behind this, correct? That really means only one person around here, like you said. Our dear friend and benefactor, Aemilia."

"...of course," said Cato. "I still do not see the applicability of your little game."

"Well, you're playing it and you know the player. She doesn't do things for no reason, now does she? So the question is - cooperate or betray? You could try to undermine her story with your own, or even the truth!, if you like. Or... you could play along, and see where it goes. Either way, it seems you're overdue for your seat at the table."

Cato crossed his arms, and frowned. "...well, unlike your game, at least I can speak with her and see what the play even is."

"That's a good plan," said Liana. "The Frumentarium does have a vested interest in the Nyx project, being as they have paid for a significant part of it. You should see what she has to say."

Papanan winked at Nyx. "And now you get to learn about multiple players - as well as the extended iterative game."

"The winning strategy in an extended iterative game is to not cooperate on the last stage," said Nyx. "What stage is Praetatus on?"

"Ah, well, that's the thing about multiple players in the iterative game," said Papanan. "You never know when the last stage is."

~*~

Cato did not get the chance to speak to Aemilia as soon as he would have liked.

Almost immediately upon leaving section 9, a courier conscript was quick to find him, handing him an invitation to a meeting at the palace within scant few bells. An attempt to find Aemilia before then was made, but he failed to find her before he had to get ready to leave.

Ultimately, he found her. At the same meeting.

The governor was present, as was Aemilia, the legatus, and several other members of rank in both the Imperial and local government. While the province was under Garlemald's control, at least a semblance of lip service was played to the idea that it was still under its own governship. A sham, anyone with any real influence knew, but one that still required all the players to play their parts.

So while the legatus was the real authority in the region in actuality, at least on paper, it was the governor who everyone answered to in the province.

And it was the governor who had apparently decided it was time for an impromptu check of the state of his province.

Cato found his seat at the table opposite Aemilia. She glanced over him, scanning him from head to toe in that way that always made him feel somehow as though he had been caught naked and then promptly dropped out of existence as she looked away, but other than that, her attention seemed to be fully on the meeting and the other members present as each spoke in turn. Cato for his part only paid the slightest bit of attention, worrying about the others, and his position in this weird hierarchy.

After all, the Nyx Project was still something of a failure.

At last, the governor turned his attention to him.

"And ah, esteemed mal Praetatus... I am given to understand that your project is the one behind the Eikon's defeat the other day? Care to explain that?"

Cato glanced across at Aemilia. The attention which she had shared with other speakers that day was now his and his alone, but her expression was unreadable.

He cleared his throat.

"Ah, well. Surely the lordship has heard the rumors and been made aware of the news themself," he said, carefully. "We have indeed figure out how to harness the power of a kami in the defense of imperial citizens."

The legatus looked over at him, with the kind of small smile on his face that came with being in on a shared joke, as the governor nodded jovially. "Well, yes, yes, and what a spectacular showing it was. If I might ask, next time, if either sciences division or the military divisions might keep me informed of the going ons in my own province? I mean, yes, splendid work, but perhaps a little trust could go a long way, yes yes? I do hope to speak more with you about this later, mal Praetatus."

"Of course, your lordship."

The meeting moved on, and so did Aemilia's attention. Cato collapsed in his seat.

He was going to have to ask Papanan about that stupid game later, he just knew it.

Once the meeting broke later, he did not spare any time for pleasantries, instead choosing to head back to the castrum. As he strode down back city ways, he became aware of having a shadow, and he slowed his pace.

If she didn't want him to know she was there, he wouldn't. Since she did, he assumed she wanted to say something.

"Mark me surprised, mal Praetatus. I did not expect you to go for our little cover story. I was prepared to let it go."

"I knew it was you," he said. "The kami bit was too on-the-nose from the field reports. But witches? Seriously?"

She sighed dramatically as she fell in step next to him. "Yes, I blame the cultural translation team. It is so hard to find good help these days. But a good ally, on the other hand, well."

Cato did not break stride. "I work on behalf of the Empire. I assumed you had your reasons."

"Indeed. The kami remarks were not entirely my handiwork. Your little Unit 12 did exemplary work, but I suppose large scale combat with an Eikon requires far less finesse and more brute force foregoing subterfuge than reconnaissance. Too many people saw it at work. We could have suppressed it... but at such grand cost. Far easier to tell half a lie instead."

"I wish we could have been informed."

"I had to work quickly. As you can tell. If we had more time, we could have avoided that little witch snafu. As it is, the locals get to learn a bit about traditions far away from home, and we get our coverup. As well as a little bit of a boon to sell to that idiot governor... for now."

"I understand."

"I can tell. Clever man. I appreciate clever. Clever might be rewarded."

"All I ask is to continue to have a say in my project. Other than that, I continue to serve the Empire."

"So dutiful. So noted. Very well. I'll be in touch."

And then, like a whisper on the wind, she was just simply gone, and Cato stopped to look at where she had been walking along side him, feeling faintly startled. Once it was obvious she was indeed gone and not coming back, however, he continued on to the lab.

~*~

The Nyx Project science team had assembled in the main central laboratory, one of the places large enough for all of them. Ayane oen Ka, the combat trainer for Unit 12, had been recalled back, and the Au Ra was now leaning against Nyx heavily, one arm draped over her shoulder. For her part, Nyx was standing stock still at attention. Both were in military dress uniforms. The rest of the team were also dressed in formal wear, though each of them wore a lab coat over that. Only Cato was not present.

Nobody was certain what the meeting was about. Miki had forwarded the idea that the recent change in governship may have had something to do with it, but that had only resulted in Papanan making a joke about how perhaps Garlemald had grown tired of paying for ridiculous gardens. The group had fallen to idle small talk when Cato walked in, Aemilia with him.

"Mal Praetatus," said Datum, standing to attention to execute a smart salute. "The entire science team is assembled."

"Thank you, lux Lorimus. You all know of Aemilia sas Valentina, of course, our contact with the Frumentarium. She wished to speak with the team."

Cato walked over to stand with the team, while Aemilia paced back and forth in front of them, looking each of them up and down in turn.

She paused, briefly, in front of Ayane. "Welcome back. You are being formally reassigned to continue combat training duties for the singular Nyx unit."

Ayane almost purred as she responded. "Understood. It will be a delight."

"I'm sure," said Aemilia. She turned to the rest of the team.

"Your efforts on behalf of the Empire have not gone unnoticed," she said. "And the Empire rewards its loyal subjects so. Funding for continued development of the Nyx project has been... approved. The original goals of the Frumentarium in funding this little experiment of yours are of course dashed. The idea of that thing being any kind of reasonable deep cover agent are deeply misguided. However, as a stealth combatant, it is perhaps among our best, maybe even being able to serve as a replacement for those traitorous reapers. And when it comes to the Imperial mandate against Eikons, well. Excellence nonpareil.

"To that end, this is the official end of the Nyx Project. You are now all part of the Anti-Eikon Infantry Unit. You may of course continue your work without disruption. If we could only bring even one more of those tremendously useful units online, that would be a great boon to the Empire. Failing that, we shall make do with the one."

Aemilia walked to stand in front of Nyx, and crouched a little to carefully examine their face.

"As for it, in keeping with the cover story which you are all oh-so-familiar with, your new designation is Nyx Blackmoon. Acknowledge."

"Change designation from Unit 12 to Nyx Blackmoon. Confirm," said Nyx in that flat monotone of theirs.

"Confirmed."

"Designation Nyx Blackmoon, confirmed. Change accepted."

Aemilia smiled thinly at them, and stood up. "As for the rest of you, externally, you are now the witches of Coven 9. Cato mal Praetatus?"

"Yes?"

"You are now head of science sector for this Castrum. Pray utilize the resources well. Ah! Speaking of which, before I go... here. A gift."

Aemilia produced a delivery tube, which she held out to Cato. He frowned as he took it, opening one end of it, and pulling out a large blueprint, which he unfurled.

It was the designs for a new model of Garlean gunship. Larger than the one the team currently had access to, the markings on the blueprint indicated it was still one early planning stages, with plenty of options for modification or enhancement. It was sleek and long, with a large primary gun located just under the forward bridge, and several fine aero fins for steering.

"The standard model for that type should roll out slowly over the next few summers. I've earmarked one in particular specifically for you to modify for the purposes of deploying your little war machine."

She smiled at Cato. "Loyalty, of course, comes with appropriate rewards, mal Praetatus. Don't disappoint."

With that, she turned and left the science team, who each found themselves stunned by their seeming sudden change in fortune.

Nyx looked at Cato.

"You cooperated."

Cato looked at the door Aemilia had left through.

"Yeah," he said. "Guess I did."

#ffxivwrite2023 #final fantasy xiv #the coven #nyx blackmoon #coven #202309-18 #biot writes

[bennydwight]

And Baby Makes Five (A Ghost and Molly McGee Oneshot)

Summary: Settling in for the first night in their Forever Home, Pete and Sharon talk about the elephant in the room.

Or, rather, the ghost in the attic.

(AO3 format here!)

Draughty windows, peeling paint, that squeaky third stair, get wiring checked and call a plumber for the downstairs bathroom. The routine was so familiar to Pete that he found himself taking stock of all potential expenses automatically, dividing them by matter of importance. The same habit in every house, instinctive and methodical. Hopefully, this would be the last time he had to perform this little song and dance.

Not even a single night into their Forever Home and already the expenses were piling up. He knew they’d gotten the house on a bargain, but they’d probably be paying the difference in repairs alone.

Something to think about another day. For now, all their things safely inside (they’d learned their lesson after the first time their car had been broken into), the McGees had settled for the evening, enthusiasm growing with every item that found a place on a shelf or on a wall or in a corner. Their new house, their last new house, claimed by knickknacks and reminders.

The sound of socked feet pulled Pete from his reverie. Molly made her way down from the attic, taking the ladder facing forward in a display of agility that he himself had long lost to age. Had he ever been that young? “Brushed your teeth already? I think the toiletries are hidden somewhere under mom’s decorative pillows.

She smiled widely, showing off a gleaming grin. “Nope, already done! I’m just going down to make Scratch some tacos.”

Ah, yes, the other unexpected expense. Pete had thus far put ‘exorcist’ into the ‘possible’ category. While the ghost (an actual ghost!) had made himself a nuisance during the move-in, tossing items around and doing his best to make things as inconvenient as possible, an uncertain feeling stilled Pete’s hand whenever he thought to reach for the phone. Scratch had never actually made any threats against his family, much less followed through, and Pete remained cautiously hopeful. “Ah, bribery! It’s always worked for me!”

“Also I think he just hasn’t had a home-cooked meal in a long time.”

None of them knew how long, despite Molly’s persistent questioning during the day, and Pete sobered at the thought. He held out a hand to pause her descent down the stairs. “Molly, I know you’re excited at having a ghost friend, I would be too.” He set a hand on her shoulder, oddly aware of the way his brow furrowed as he held his daughter’s searching stare. “But remember, if he ever invades your space, or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, I want you to come tell me or mom, okay?”

He was being a diligent father, taking necessary precautions with a stranger around his children, but something unpleasant curled in his chest as the words left his mouth. For some reason, irrational and naïve as it was, he felt this conversation was unneeded. The impression he’d gotten from Scratch, while surly and churlish, was not one of malice. His head said you’re being too trusting while his gut said Scratch would never harm them.

Molly seemed to agree, expression growing increasingly scandalized with every word, and by the end of the sentence she was shaking her head vehemently. “No, no, dad, he would never hurt me, we’re best friends!” (Something about that sat oddly too.) “And besides, we barged into his house. If anyone’s feeling uncomfortable, it’s him! He says we can stay on a trial basis, but we have to be good neighbours if we’ll be sharing our Forever Home.”

Parenting on the whole was a mixed bag of anxiety and mistakes and panic, but moments like these soothed Pete’s fearful heart. With a kid like Molly, he and Sharon must be doing something right. “Well, if anyone can get through to him, it’s you. Still, I’ll be here if you ever need me. And tell him thank you, for giving us a chance.”

Molly clicked her tongue, shooting him a fingerguns before continuing her happy skip down the stairs. What had he done to deserve such amazing kids?

And of course, an amazing wife. As Pete entered into their room, Sharon knelt on the floor by the mattress, folding the last of the day’s laundry into the loose dresser drawers stacked against the wall. Right, first thing on the docket tomorrow was reassembling the dresser. Who wanted centipedes in their shirts?

Sharon glanced up at his entry. “That was Molly? How’s she doing?”

Pete hooked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating through the closed door. “Just passed her, she seemed chipper as ever. Was going to make our phantasmic friend some tacos.”

Sharon sighed. “I’ll go clean up the kitchen when she’s done.” Her eyes strayed up to the ceiling even as her hands occupied themselves with pulling a pant leg rightside out. “At least he’s stopped screaming.”

At the tail end of the day, after it became clear he couldn’t scare them out, Scratch had retreated to the attic and taken to creating the most horrible, hair-raising noises without pause, moans rattling through the support beams like the whole house was coming alive beneath them. Pete just hoped he hadn’t shifted the supports too much, the foundation was sketchy enough as is.

“I know that look,” Sharon interjected as Pete lowered himself onto the edge of the mattress, knees clicking in complaint. “You did the checklist, didn’t you. How bad is it?”

Any other house, Pete would’ve gone through the list of expenses, and the first night would be spent with Sharon, huddling over their monthly budget and prioritizing bills until the wee hours of the morning. But this was their Forever Home. They could go one night without worrying about money.

He tried a reassuring smile. “It’s not awful. Look, I know it’s not exactly what we were expecting, but it won’t be all bad.” His grin widened to something realer, cheeky. “And the neighbours are definitely a spectre-cle—”

Sharon beaned him in the face with a balled up shirt, but even though the folds of soft, laundry scented cotton Pete could hear her stifled snort. He folded the shirt, working alongside his wife in neat, even movements before speaking again, this time more serious. “If he’s really a problem though, honey, we can—”

She turned on him, eyes blazing, brandishing a sock like a sword. “Peter McGee, we are not kicking that boy out of his own house!”

His hands shot up in defense. “That’s not what I was suggesting!” He backtracked, erasing ‘exorcist’ off the expenses list. (Definite pros there, apparently they weren’t cheap.) “Besides, have you seen how protective he is of this place? It would be like having a bodyguard.”

Sharon hummed in agreement, settling back on her haunches again. “Molly seems to like him.”

There was more there. Pete gave a pointed pause. “And what do you think of our new houseguest?”

“I think he’s here to stay, and we won’t get anywhere near a peaceful place with him if we consider him a houseguest. He’s a resident, just as much as we are.”

Pete recognized the purse of her lips, and sat quietly and patiently as she gathered her more complicated thoughts. She blew a deep sigh out through her nose. “Please don’t think I’m crazy.”

He put a hand over his heart, serious as the grave (ha ha). “I would never!”

She rewarded him with another shirt to the face. “Hardy-har har. In Thai culture, ghosts usually stick around either because they’re protecting something, or they’ve met an ugly end.” Her hands stilled, a cardigan unfolded over her knees. “Whatever Scratch’s reason is, something about him strikes me as… incredibly sad.”

Pete rested his cheek on a fist. “You too, huh?”

“I don’t know what it is,” Sharon resumed her folding with more force than strictly necessary. “But he’s here, and so are we. As long as he doesn’t hurt the kids—and I don’t think he will—” she interrupted at Pete’s opening mouth, “then Scratch is just as home as we are.”

A thump above them indicated Molly had closed the attic hatch, followed closely by her energetic speech. While too muffled to make out whole words, Pete heard Scratch’s excited answer, much more diluted than his previous screaming.

“She soothed the savage beast,” Sharon commented amusedly, apparently having noted the exchange too. She finished with the folding and joined him on the mattress, turning off the light on the way.

“Kitchen?”

“I’ll do it tomorrow. Maybe Scratch will want a midnight snack.”

They crawled under the covers, still musty smelling from the moving van, listening to the conversation above their heads for a moment. Nice as it was now, they’d probably need to soundproof the attic somehow. Add that to the expenses list.

“She sounds so much happier,” said Sharon in a tone so caring that Pete’s eyes welled up.

Beneath the blankets, he reached for Sharon’s hand. “Maybe this’ll be a blessing. Molly’s been without a steady friend for so long.”

She snorted again, the sound made quieter by onset drowsiness. “Maybe her perspective will start to rub off on him.”

Somehow, the acceptance eased a tightness in Pete’s heart he hadn’t before realized was there. “So it’s official. Whether he likes it or not, Scratch is a McGee now.”

“He’s under our roof, he takes our name.”

“Figuratively, if he likes his own surname better.”

“I was trying to be poetic and metaphorical, Pete.”

Despite the thumps and laughter from above, a sleepy fog settled over the two of them. Eyes drooping, already starting to succumb to the exhaustion of the day, Pete huffed a laugh. “You know, I always thought we’d planned to stop at two.”

Sharon matched his chuckle, curling up against his side. “Well, you know what they say: the third is always a happy accident.”

           END      

#the ghost and molly mcgee #tgamm #pate mcgee #sharon mcgee #writing #oneshot #cross posted on ao3 #scratch is adopted change my mind #trick question you cant #sharon and pete had him figured out from the beginning

[sabineelectricheart]

Adapting to a New-Born

Summary: Eugene and Aurora’s first child has just been born, but things have not been going well in their relationship.

Rating: K+ - Suitable for more mature childen, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes.

Words: 1000

Notes: I don’t know, I think I fumbled a bit on the gender roles of this sort of society. Even if the narrative points to women working and inclusion of homoaffective couples, it is all Regency on other points, so I’m a bit unsure of it all.

“Oh, how nice of you to join us.” Aurora says sarcastically when Eugene arrives at home much too late at night.

Once he looked out the window of the library and saw that the sun was long departed the sky, he knew that there would be trouble with his wife at home. Part of him wanted to dally somewhere, to try and avoid for as long as he could having to face what certainly was a row, but he knows that she would lay into him worse if he arrived any later, let alone smelling like a pub.

He was not expecting to find her awake, though. He nurtured the hope, perhaps foolishly, that the gods would make him this kindness. She is always complaining about how tired she is, after all.

No such luck once again. A dispute would have to be held.

The lady, who sat on his reading armchair, shifts their new-born son as she finishes feeding him, pulling her nightgown back up to cover herself.

Normally, a nanny and a wet-nurse would be there to help her, but with little to no support from the Hartmann family, they could not afford the wages. They had a single maid and cook, and it would have to suffice. The shame she felt about nursing her own child would only serve to increase her frustrations.

“I am sorry Aurora, but you know I cannot take my watch into the library. I completely lost track of time.” He calmly explained.

Aurora is having none of it and snaps.

“Oh, poppycock, Eugene!” She scoffs. “You know very well that this story of yours is just a bad excuse. Do yourself a favour and just admit that you would rather be at the university than here taking care of your family.”

They had not planned any of it. They had not planned to get married, lest of all to conceive. Their son is the result of the failure of improper contraceptive medicines that she took. Since her parents’ bad financial situation prevented her to consult with the medics she was used to, she had to find the formulas on the back market.

Taking faulty medicine was not much of a problem, since it was mostly a precaution anyways. However, soon after their graduation, Eugene and Aurora decided to become intimate, and then every time they were together was an unwitting game of roulette.

Eventually, it landed on zero.

No one in their right mind plans a baby out of wedlock, especially in amongst the gentry, but they and their families agreed that they were keeping the baby. They moved in together, got married in a rushed ceremony, and it was consummated.

Only a few months later, though, they definitely are not in that typical blissful newlywed phase.

“Aurora, you know that this is not true.” He tiredly argues. “I do not understand how you expect me to be able to perfectly balance work with our family already. We have only been parents for a month, it is going to take time.”

His wife rolls her eyes. “It should not be that hard, Eugene. It should be very clear which of those two things is the priority.”

“So, what exactly do you want?” He snaps back at her. “You want me to quit the courses at the university? Do you want me to beg my parents for some more money? Do you want to move back to your father’s home?”

The woman rolls her eyes. “That is not what I said.”

“Then say whatever you have to say. Stop talking in fucking riddles!”

He does not mean to raise his voice at her, but their relationship has been tense lately.

Aurora clenches her jaw.

“Don’t make me say something I’m going to regret.” She retorts after several moments of tense silence.

“Go ahead, lady wife. Tell me all about how you regret having been married to me!” Eugene sneers.

Aurora stands from the armchair, stalking away to the nursery without another word.

*_*_*_*_*

After the shouting match, Eugene takes a cold bath to calm himself down.

He lightly bumps his head against the cool tiles. Stupid. So stupid. Why did he do that? Why did he taunt her with the possibility of a separation?

Balancing being a family father and an academic is harder than he expected, and that is already taking into account that he is usually very good at being an academic. In fact, perhaps this is exactly the issue. With his crippling fear of failure, it just felt safer to focus on the role he’s sure to succeed in.

However, that is not fair to his son or his lady wife, and that is a betrayal of the responsibility he holds over their lives and the love he feels for them both. He is willing to do whatever it takes to not lose his family.

Aurora still has not come to bed by the time he finishes his bath. Eugene throws on his nightshirt, making his way to his son’s room.

The boy is sound asleep in his crib. The older man approaches, gently running his thumb over his soft cheek.

“Daddy loves you, and I promise I am going to be the father you deserve.” He vows quietly.

He steps away from the crib, approaching the nursing chair which his wife is curled up in, seemingly asleep.

Eugene crouches before her, peering into the closed eyelids.

“Aurora.” He calls, to no response. “Come on, I know you are awake.”

“I do not want to talk to you, Eugene.” Aurora insists, eyes still closed.

She looks absolutely exhausted, and he feels another pang of guilt.

“We have to talk. One of the most important rules of marriage is not to go to sleep angry.” Eugene responds, lifting her into his arms, taking her spot on the chair and placing her in his lap. “I love you, Aurora, and I am sorry. I promise I am going to do better by you.”

*_*_*_*_*

Crème de la Crème Masterlist

#crème de la crème #Eugene Hartmann

[shiningstages]

@toestalucia | cont. from ( x )

     Isaac can’t help but stare at the captain. How comfortable they look as they stare at the clouds above them, making the grass look like the softest blanket in the world, all with a smile that eased worry in an instant. Of course, Isaac could never be fully at ease, always some thought or some vague feeling making anxiety take a soft hold over him. The stress of his own upbringing being only for a wish that held the pressure generations over him, of hoping Gwynne was living a happy life without him when he had given her to his best friend, and of knowing how short his life would probably be, even after all the precautions he took to live healthier amongst his work. Though that was the old way of living. Now back from the moon - the place he longed for the most, but then seeing the place as an experimental hell - none of those stresses should weigh his shoulders. But, he supposed, when your life was so tied to the past, the past will cling onto you no matter what. And nightmares of experiences gone by couldn’t be softened by the choice of a brighter future.

     In that sense, he can’t help but compare himself to Gran - How different they felt, yet knowing that the growing captain had their own stresses as a leader. Perhaps even a past they couldn’t quite let go of…Isaac was unsure, not having known them for too long, and being so unused to their kindness and their company - the company of people in general practically made him dizzy every day, yet feeling like a valued part once more didn’t hurt. And he had expected them to be a part of the prying, ever hungry for knowledge youths around them. So the answer only makes Isaac stare more, compare more, hypothesize more on how the captain and he differed. Yet Isaac knew it would be hypocritical to pry himself, when the captain was so nice and Isaac…Never wanted them to know the true horrors of the moon. The glimpses they got through their automagods were enough; none of them ever needed to know how much it haunted him. That was enough prying into the mind of another for eternity.

          “...Thank you, comrade.” is all he can think to say on the matter. Just the thought of everything had made his gaze so distant, yet the captain’s answers brought him back down to earth, an awkward yet appreciative smile replacing any depressive air that had clung to him. Feeling the breeze pick up and tousle his messy hair, he looks up to the sky and takes a deep breath in. “Ah~ well, we shouldn’t waste this pretty day getting serious over nothing then.” A de-facto statement, yet also said the by man that hide in a workshop or his room all day, but that was just another difference between them that they didn’t need to bring up. Stretching a little - spine cracking a little in the process, letting out a gasp of satisfaction afterwards - before looking at the captain again. “Thanks for looking for me and hanging out a little, but I’ll be fine getting back to the ship on my own.” His whole little morning trip to his favorite parts shop stopped short to reminisce on the bank of the river, yet he didn’t think the captain would lounge with him instead of scolding him for being missing. Maybe that’d be saved for the earful he’d get from his little sister…Something that made him never want to walk aboard the Grandcypher again upon thinking about it, yet it also wasn’t unwelcomed attention, so long as she didn’t nag him too much.

#;handy dandy engineer! ( isaac ) #v: travels and tribulations! #( *shakes hands emoji* they'd both be hypocrites together~ #of course the captain has dealt with So Much but isaac in my mind doesn't know that #he only knows the extent that they connect with the society and lyria/vyrn; but not even too much on the latter #also wars me seeing isaac is 31 in gbf lore is..........great content ghfghgjkfhg for myheart #also that his name is spelled isaac not issac; one of my fav characters and autocorrect makes me forget his name #also thinking back to your convo of 'people calling gran their name instead of captain/akira their name instead of sage' #it makes me..........thinking of isaac's verbal tick of calling everyone comrade endearing fgdfzhdgd because it's new!! #new nickname #and of it's okay if you don't remember all of stay moon; i only cling onto the part where isaac yells anyways jgdhkchggjcg #'i didn't have a choice!' 'no you can't leave; you're my only companion!' he really just had The Worst Time #and i'm here for the trauma content (his ssr fate stories with the otherworldly being pretending to be grace...juicy) #with him talking to gwyenne over his suit's walkie talkie while the OW was being grace and trying so hard not to freak out gwyenne!! #that content is good and reminds me this man will never open up about anything (at least not anytime soon))

[opuxmagnum]

Just some body rambles;

Right out the gate; I defined much of her image as a mesh between ‘vaguely human’ and very obviously Pthumerian. Her image of course is based on what I have seen expressly on Pthumerians we see present in game (The queen, The descendant, those who roam the chalices etc) on top of some of my own HC’s and things I had in mind for Rosealia. I am returning to some older ideas tbh...

Despite a human visage she stands at a towering height of nearly “7′0′ (213 cm), one of many prominent details that speaks of her dubious Pthumerian lineage. While her height is a defining factor, it isn’t the only thing of note.

Her skin is of an ashen hue, with muted under shades of blue. In broad daylight, it is starkly obvious as she appears visually pale grey. This is also noticeable in the shade of her lips-- a darkened slate grey hue with a tinge of a muted blue.

Her hair is a vibrant shade of white with traces of silver and is of a fine and full texture. The length of is stops just about her mid back and it is customary for her to bind it into a loose side braid, or a tightly fitted bun.

Her musculature of her form is defined, a broad form significantly more sculpted in appearance with wide set shoulders and a powerful back muscle structure.

 Long, swan-like neck with pronounced collar bone maybe just one too many extra cervical vertebrae..

Lengthy toned limbs while befitting of her structure are still unusually long even for her considerable height. Her legs are in mirroring proportion to the abnormal length of her arms– making her already muscular visage appear somewhat deceivingly spindly at a glance. (Don’t get her wrong she can wrap her whole hand around ur face or rip you apart no issue and out duel many…)

Her eyes consist of a icy silver hue with flecks of pale blue, set against a darkened sclera that emphasizes. Drawing attention to her eyes and the construct of their shape from socket to brow ridge. The shape and structure of her eye is somewhat wider, taking on a peculiar angle given the augmented shape --it appears somewhat reminiscent of many nocturnal creatures.

Her mouth seems just a little long in accordance to her facial structure. That is simply due in part to the size and structure of her skull and width of her jaw line. This is along with the rest of her too-long features.

Lastly, upon her hands she bares an additional digit -- noting 6 upon each. Although she may hold a humanoid form, many things about her aren’t ‘right’. She is unfortunately a being who stands separate of man and far removed. Regardless on if she likes it or not... :/

#Rosealia; #Graveyard mummers — Headcanon #gonna use that tag here too #she doesn't get 100% subtlety because in part... with what was done to her and how she came to be #She is not the perfect ‘marriage’ of human and Pthumerian features. #but she is close #it only makes sense #i also want to dive into some internal body stuff too... that will come later #You want a strong potential god vessel not a feeble human one #and that is the fucked up truth of it #and i am not gonna shy away from that element #but that didn't turn over as well as they had hoped #She is something that is very much aberrant #she got away from the church barely tbh but also... how would you fucking stop THAT? #and none of your precautions held out as long as you had hoped...? #like it just backfired in a spectacular way when she just.. broke people #I can't wait to move on to her abilities and what she has access to... #cause she is a filthy sneak #after playing obedient for so long #-PLAYS UP THE ANGEL/ALIEN NEPHILIUM VIBES- #also lots of themes of isolation and disconnect because fuck me i guess it had to happen but at least it ain't reasonless #when u want closeness or connection but ur perceived more tool or monster rather than person that u just begin to accept it #well.. weapon and vessel I should say... #and you just live like that -- detached; duty bound; and emotionally compromised #until u walk out... and have to unlearn some shit #can;t wait to fucking crack into THAT #very easy for these fucks to dehumanize her for so long that she began to really deeply internalize that but I am veering off #sorry to go off in tags like this with disconnected stuff I am just abit hype since I started her bio entry #slowly but surely #q.

[ynscrazylife]

Can I please please request one where Natasha and Yelena have another younger sister (Y/N) and she gets badly injured and her older sisters are hysterical since they’re afraid to lose one they love the most

A Race Against Time | romanoff fam fic

Summary: Natasha and Yelena do their best to help their hurt younger sister.

Authors Note: Thanks for requesting!

Request to be on a taglist (or multiple) here! (Taglists are at the end of the fic)

MCU Masterlist #1 | MCU Masterlist #2 |  Main Masterlist

PSA: Do NOT copy, steal, translate, plagiarize, republish, etc any of my works on Tumblr or any other platform. Also, do NOT claim any of my works as your own. All of these works are either requests I’ve gotten that people have wanted me to write or original ideas I’ve had for works. If you happen to take inspiration from anything I’ve written and want to write something inspired by that, please a) ask me first and b) IF I say yes, credit me as inspo in your post by tagging me and link whatever work of mine that inspired you. Thanks.

header c @/twitalents

“Everybody alright?” Natasha asked as Alexei and Melina approached her and Yelena. The redhead herself definitely hadn’t gotten out of the whole ordeal without injuries. In fact, from Dreykov punching her to the fight against the Widows, and the fight against Antonia (not to mention the injuries from the past few days that she hadn’t taken care of), she was in some pain. However she didn’t worry about herself, she knew she’d be fine. She always was.

Natasha glanced over and spotted Y/N making her way over to them, too. From the distance, Natasha couldn’t tell that she was limping and was very hurt.

“I am clearly injured,” Melina deadpanned, causing Natasha to look back over and send her adoptive mother a smile as an apology. With a quick glance, Natasha could tell that she’d be okay, she’d just need a cast on that ankle and-

Thump.

The sound, accompanied by Yelena’s loud gasp and yelp, broke through Natasha’s thoughts and caused her to whip around suddenly. The sight her eyes landed on instantly sent what felt like an ice shard plunging into her chest. No. No.

By the time she snapped out of it, Yelena was already by Y/N’s unconscious figure, which the thump must have been - her plummeting to the ground - and Alexei was helping Melina over as fast as he could. Natasha sped past them and dropped to her knees, her brain wired to already be processing the situation and formulating a plan, while she lightly stopped Yelena’s wrist to prevent her from going to shake Y/N.

“You don’t move someone who is unconscious unless necessary - it could injure them,” she breathed out. Yelena, who could see that her older sister was in autopilot mode, sat back and let her do her thing, opting to look up at her parents, instead.

Both their eyes were glued to Y/N. Alexei’s eyebrows crinkled and, after taking a big breath, muttered (just loud enough for them to hear), “There’s blood on you.”

Natasha’s eyes snapped down and sure enough, her knees were bloodied. She quickly looked up only to see blood beginning to come from Y/N’s stomach where she had fallen on her side. Closing her eyes for a moment to allow herself to think, Natasha carefully and gently pulled up Y/N’s shirt, only to see an open gash in the shape of the Widow hourglass.

“Wha-?” She said, barely forming a word, and Yelena leaned over to see.

She immediately began shaking her head and pushed Y/N onto her back. “I-I know what this is, I think. I remember hearing about a weapon that’d leave that mark,” she rambled out.

Melina peered over Natasha’s shoulder and when she saw it, her face went pale. “That-that weapon, it ejects a blast that makes that mark when it meets the skin. It was made as a precaution in case any of the Widows went rogue - it was made years ago. But only a few were made because they were so confident in themselves. It-it goes along with a process they constructed to re-brainwash the Widows. The blast gets under her skin, in her body, with a chemical that’s in it, and that chemical starts the brainwashing process,” she explained.

A park of hope entered Yelena’s eyes. “So she won’t be fully brainwashed?” She asked.

“Not without the rest of the procedure,” Melina began, but then her eyes widened when she remembered something and horror quickly flashed across her face. “But if the process isn’t completed within a certain time period, the chemical will wear off its brainwashing effects and instead will start hurting her . . . A lot . . . But I have an antidote-” her tone sped up now, “-It’s back at the house. We need to get her there.”

Natasha and Yelena nodded, both having gone through a great wave of emotions throughout Melina’s words. Yelena, while racked with worry, still remained hopeful, and Natasha did her best to be, too, but her tears were drying and she was sniffling.

“The jet is-” Alexei began to say, when the sound of the engines of cars rapidly approaching cut him off.

Natasha looked over. “Shit, Ross,” she said, regretting even tipping him off to their location in the first place.

Melina bit her lip. “You girls go. Take Y/N home. The antidote is labelled ‘Ant-Widow,’,” she told them firmly.

Yelena’s lips parted to protest, not wanting to split up, but catching Natasha picking up Y/N out of the corner of her eye stopped her. She nodded, rising to her feet.

“We’ll distract them. They won’t want anything to do with us when they realize you’re not here,” Melina insisted.

Natasha sent her a look that she could only hope was conveying everything she wanted it to. A million thoughts whizzed about in her mind, none making room for each other. She wondered, would they leave them alone? Or would they be taken into questioning? Shouldn’t she be the one facing Ross - since she called him there? Is Y/N going to be okay? Will they get there in time?

By the way Melina looked back at her, Natasha thought that her message had been received. There was no time to go over the plan any longer, if they stayed even a couple more seconds they’d get caught by Ross, whose army of cars headed to a halt.

Natasha bolted off in the jet’s direction, Yelena quick on her heels. They rushed inside and Natasha took her time to gently put Y/N down before going to the pilot seat. Yelena sat down in the back, wanting to watch over their little sister.

Neither of them said anything until Natasha had gotten them off the ground and away from the field. Yelena could hear the engine whirring and she knew that Natasha was going as fast as this aircraft could probably go.

“Natasha,” she said, her voice small and hesitant, reminding Natasha of her own self when she was younger. The redhead braced herself for her sister’s words. “Do you think we’ll get there in time?”

Natasha let out a slow yet steady breath, fighting back the urge to tell her not to say that. She wondered the same thing, and she hated it. She didn’t answer, though, because she didn’t want to lie. She didn’t know herself, and she also hated that.

Yelena looked down in defeat when she didn’t get an answer and continued watching Y/N. She couldn’t stop herself from worrying and when she spotted the other injuries — bruises, cuts, scrapes — littering her body, she got up and went to the back.

The blonde grabbed the med kit they had stored and went back, quickly opening it up and getting everything she needed. First, bandages. Yelena put pressure on the wound even though she knew it wouldn’t bleed out, and a twinge of guilt hit her when Y/N moved and groaned unconsciously.

She then wrapped up Y/N’s stomach and tended to her other injures, every so often glancing at Natasha, who she could see by the way she was sitting up straight that she was tense. Upset. Worried. Yelena had to admit she was feeling those same things but busied herself by taking care of Y/N.

This carried on and they were about ¾ there when everything shifted. Y/N, who had been mostly quiet throughout the journey, suddenly rolled onto her side, eyes opening with a startled gasp.

Natasha frantically looked up at Yelena and the latter jumped to resolve the situation. Gently, she put her hands on her younger sister’s shoulders and tried to turn her onto her back, but Y/N fought her off and scurried back, against the wall.

“Y/N,” Yelena said, slowly putting her hands up in a “surrender” gesture.

The younger one shook her head as tears began to flow down her cheeks. “It-it hurts,” she got out, wrapping her arms around herself.

Yelena sent Natasha a frightened, desperate look and the glint in Natasha’s eyes held tears in them. “I can’t go any faster!” She cried out in frustration, her anger at her helplessness beginning to grow.

Yelena turned back to Y/N. “Take deep breaths with me, okay?” She said, and took a couple deep breaths to show her. It took Y/N a second, but she followed along. However, the pain didn’t take a break for long, and quickly came crashing back to her, like a magnet.

She let out another cry, but this one filled with that much more anguish, desperation, a pure rage from wanting it to be over, a rage that nearly caused her to vomit. Y/N leaned forward, hoping that there was something - anything - that could relieve this pain for even just a second. The warmth she was soon filled with from her older sister’s arms wrapping around her and pulling her close did nothing to soothe pain, but she found someone to have a steady grip on, someone to hold.

This continued on. In every cry let out, Yelena could’ve sworn each one was louder than the last. She didn’t know what to do so she did the only thing she could and stayed there. After  a particularly loud cry from Y/N, Yelena couldn’t stop a “Natasha!” from escaping.

“I’m trying!” She shouted over the engine and over Y/N, doing her best to blink away the tears and focus, but everytime she was on the brink of it, something tore her away.

After what felt like what could only be described as eons, Natasha managed to touch down in the same spot she had just a day ago. The moment they made contact, she leapt out of her seat, nearly tumbling to the floor, and practically fell against the door.

“Stay with her,” was all she said to Yelena before pushing all her weight against the door and breaking off into a run towards the house.

Natasha had run fast before. To escape Antonia, on countless SHIELD missions, and even to beat Sam in a race, but none amounted to this. The mountains and trees whipped by so fast that she felt like she was in a race car and it made her head spin. Nonetheless (and she thanked her extensive training for that), Natasha’s stamina held out and she ran through the house, tripping over things and knocking others over, until she reached Melina’s office.

At first, everything looked like a normal office space for a normal business woman, but the underlying science and spy secrecy that she knew had to be inside was revealed. Cabinets upon cabinets filled with vials upon vilas and files upon files. She scoured the entire room and nearly dropped the green-filled file when she saw its label. This was it.

A moment of victory passed until Natasha remembered the weight of the situation and she got back on her feet, running like the wind, and leaving behind the office looking like some raccoons had gotten inside.

By the time she reached the top of the hill, Natasha could make out the outline of Yelena carrying Y/N (who was draped over her like a curtain, by the way) toward her.

They met in the middle and Yelena put Y/N down, the older sisters kneeling beside her. Y/N was half-conscious at this point and Natasha moved at the speed of light to get the vial lid off. “She was getting worse, I couldn’t wait!” Yelena yelled.

When she got it open, Natasha pushed it towards Y/N’s lips. “Y/N, honey, c’mon, you gotta drink,” she encouraged, hand trembling as Y/N attempted to fight her off. It was only Yelena running her hands through her hair that calmed her down, and she took a small sip of the vial’s contents at first before gulping it down.

When she stopped squirming and seemed to no longer be in pain, instead falling into a peaceful sleep, that’s when both Natasha and Yelena had calmed down. It had been a rollercoaster, but they did it, and she was okay. The two held each other, relieved.  

Permanent Taglist: @natasharomanoffismywife @hehehehannahthings @paulawand @blackbat2020 @cerberus-spectre @marrymemcgrath @celestialbarnes @kathryndimitrescu @snipyloulou @big-galaxy-chaos @cc13723things @ycfwmalise14 @unexpected-character  (could not tag)  @passionswift

MCU Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @summerlovingbaby @ineffablebean @okkulta @procrastinatingsapphictrash @prettysbliss @caseyfish @sarahp-stan @thewidowsghost @basiclesbianbitch @mycosmicparadise @kidswhofightmonsters @xtraordinaryfangrl @peggycarter-steverogers @username23345 @ima-gi--na-tion @yori-nakajima @hi-i-1 @mmmmokdok @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @mads-weasley @tenaciousperfectionunknown @afraid-to-be-me @lilclownx @acertainredhead @natromanoffxox @lilymurphy03 @thanossexual @avengersz-biotch @kozumekoi  @mjaudrey @un-name-d @leyannrae @buckyandstevesbitch @kuzome

#natasha romanoff x reader #Natasha romanoff x you #Natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff angst #natasha romanoff fic #natasha romanoff x y/n #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha romanoff request #natasha x reader #Natasha x you #natasha x y/n #natasha and yelena #natasha fic #natasha angst #natasha imagine #natasha fanfiction #yelena belova x you #yelena belova x reader #yelena belova x y/n #yelena belova imagine #yelena belova angst #yelena belova fic #yelena belova fanfiction #yelena Belova #black widow #black widow x reader #black widow x you #black widow imagine

[fivelakesinwriting]

heyy can u do a reader having a really bad nightmare and can’t stop crying but rafe comforts her?

Author's Notes: It's not overly long, but as always the love is there. I hope you all like it - let me know what you think if you have a moment. If this was your request, I hope you love it xoxo

Warnings: None!

Requested? YES! Requests for OBX are OPEN!

*My work is not to be transferred, copied, translated or reposted to any other sites without my permission. Please see my masterlist for all other works and warnings. Thank you! xoxo

Rafe had always been somewhat of a light sleeper. One foot in either realm as a safety precaution. So when he felt her toss and turn next to him, he woke up almost instantly.

He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, rubbing whatever sleep had been resting there away. With a heavy exhale he pushed himself up on his forearms and turned to the woman beside him who was clutching on to the blankets with a vice grip.

He knew better than to wake up someone who was having a nightmare, so he gently placed his fingers over her wrist as she held the blanket and waited. The trembles stopped, and Rafe held his breath as he waited for the inevitable moment when she woke up.

She shot up in bed, a deep gasp rattling throughout her body as she released the blankets from her death grip. Her eyes frantically took in the bedroom around her as she realized she was not wherever her subconscious had taken her, but safe at home in bed.

"Sweetie?" Rafe whispered as he slowly reached for the blankets clutched between her fingers.

"Rafe!" She sobbed out as she released the fabric and tossed herself in his arms, tears soaking the collar of his shirt as she cried in his arms.

Rafe was used to this by now. His love frequently had nightmares, so he knew the routine. He wrapped her in his arms and let her cry it out. One palm on her back as she shook with her cries while the other smoothed over her messy hair as he hummed in her ear.

"S'alright. I'm here. It was a nightmare. Do you remember what this one was about?" Rafe muttered as he pulled her hair off the back of her sweaty neck, gently twisting it around his fingers.

"No. I just remember the feeling." She inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath while she clutched at his t-shirt.

"Your heart is still racing." Rafe replied softly as her heart thumped against his own chest.

She pulled her head off of his shoulder and looked into his sleepy eyes, her own eyes still filled with tears. So sad, so scared. His heart broke and he wished he could help. Get inside her brain and make them stop, be the force between her and the nightmares.

"Thank you, Rafe." She whispered as she nuzzled her face back in the crease of his neck, holding onto his t-shirt with a looser grip. He felt her eyelashes flutter against his skin and he knew she was starting to relax again.

"I've got you, sweetheart. Do you want a cup of tea or anything? I know sometimes that helps." Rafe stated softly as he continued to gently twist her hair around his fingers in an attempt to soothe her, keep her mind from whatever had plagued her dreams.

"No, I'm okay. I guess it's close to morning anyways. Do you think you could just rub my back for a little bit?" She asked as she snuggled further into him.

"Of course, sweetheart." Rafe nodded as he moved further into the bed once more, getting comfortable, and shifted her in his arms to keep her close.

He ran his fingers through her hair as she rested her head on his chest, and he didn't mind that his shirt was still soaked with her tears. He would change it in a little bit when she was asleep again.

Rafe felt the flutter of her eyelashes slow down, her breathing even out, and her hold on his t-shirt loosen. He waited a few moments until he was positive that she was asleep before he gently moved out from under her body, covering her with the blankets once more and got out of bed. He pulled off his t-shirt, stained with his love's tears then made his way downstairs to the kitchen for a quick workout before he would surprised her with a nice breakfast after her rough night.

He would never pry about her nightmares, he just wanted her to be happy and safe. So a cup of tea, an extra long cuddle and breakfast in bed it was.

They both had higher hopes for the next night.

Hotties:

@starkey-babie @barrysjumpsuit @vintageobx @fashion-fasting @sodasback @babeyglo @rottenstyx @whcclxr @pogueslandia @soph0864 @plutooryectors @beauvibaby

*tag list is open, please let me know if I forgot you or you would like to be added/removed from particular posts. I've removed the people that don't pre-populate :(

Please let me know what you think if you have a moment! Thank you so much xoxo

Requests for OBX ARE OPEN!

#rafe cameron request #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron imagine #obx rafe #rafe cameron fluff #rafe cameron #rafe fic #outer banks fic #outer banks imagines #outer banks requests #outer banks imagine #obx imagine #obx fanfiction #outer banks fluff #obx fic #rafe cameron x reader

[bakugosbratx]

Warning: NSFW 18+ Content. Sexual intercourse, angst, pregnancy, cursing, fluff, degrading, etc.

Words: 1.6k

Check out my other works here

A/N: I just realized there isn’t much talking at all. I’ll make up for it in part four. This shit is sad. I am sad so it’s fitting. I’m sorry in advance. I hope you enjoyed.

Part Two | Finale

Tags: @awilddreamerwrites @miriobaby @lanarist @peachsenpie @milkthistletea @sickchildren @bakugousbrat @lil-miminini @tremendouswolfsaladranch @ssplague @vinny-likes-to-play21

Not every story has a happy ending. Y/N is learning this the hard way.

“CEO of Bakugo Industires, Katsuki Bakugo, shows off his new girlfriend at the Industry Ceremony tonight—“

You turn your phone off. Your red, swollen tear filled eyes could not look at the words and pictures anymore. The press sure did know how to capture the model’s perfect angles. A courtesy they would never give you if you were ever lucky to fill her shoes.

The way Katsuki’s muscular arm snaked around her tiny little waist made you fall ill. The flash of his glamorous smile filled your broken one with rage.

Your ears are filled with the salty liquid that flowed from your orbs. You are not even sure how you are still breathing. It shouldn’t hurt this much. It shouldn’t feel like this. You are just fuck buddies.

Were just fuck buddies.

The words will not stop replaying in your head. It’s been over a month. It’s spinning on a broken record player. All the emotions you felt in that moment intensify with each passing day. You should hate him for abandoning you, but your heart cannot do so. All you wanted was him.

You knew better than to fall for Katsuki. He told you to keep your feelings out of your sexual relations with him yet here you are, sobbing into your bedroom pillow, a growing fetus inside of you.

The room felt restricting of your oxygen supply. The ceiling fan sent chills down your warm spine. Your body aches and your throat feels dry. Katsuki’s cruel words along with his actions strangle you. You have not been able to see straight since.

The next couple of months of work are pure hell. You did your best to avoid Katsuki and he did the same. You noticed that Katsuki did not look at you as you were the only one in the room anymore. He seemed to look past you. If you dared meet those beautiful crimson eyes for even a slight moment, you were left feeling disgusted with yourself. Katsuki has a way of speaking without actually doing so. You adored and hated that about him.

Whenever he addressed you for business matters, you had trouble formulating sentences. Your eyes always seemed to be puffy from the endless nights of hysterical tears. Katsuki’s voice held more aggression than you are used to. Maybe you wanted him to at least have some sympathy, but that was nowhere to be found. He soon stopped inviting you to meetings.

You two did a wonderful job of finding the long way around the office building. Any precaution there was to take, you both did, but no plan is bulletproof and you are going to see each other at some point.

You two have not seen each other in over a month — almost two — and you have been feeling stronger than before. Less weeping nights, you are back to eating a normal diet, and you are more well rested. The bags under your eyes became less noticeable, but they still lingered longer than one would prefer.

You dried off your hands in the restroom — the one furthest from you and Katsuki’s office — and headed out to get back to work. The hallway is quite vacant around this time of day. Everyone is either on lunch or too focused on their work before packing up for the day. Your heels echoed amongst the marble floor. Looking up, your breath hitched.

Your eyes met the ones you desperately wanted to despise. Yours held sadness and desperation while he held anger and disgust. The way Katsuki viewed you, you started to view yourself. Even if it isn’t your fault.

The glance was only a maximum of five seconds, but those five seconds felt like a decade for you two. A period of time you would come to mentally plead for overtime.

You have not seen him for another three weeks after that. The cycle repeated: you sobbed, and sobbed some more, and then you started to cry less.

Then it happened.

You are coming into work late due to a doctor's appointment. The baby is healthy as are you so that is lovely news. Something you would love to share with Katsuki if he even remembered your name.

The elevator was taking its sweet time getting up to the floor where your office is located. You felt strong. How could you not? Your baby is going to be okay from the looks of it. A little human is excited to meet you and you are becoming excited to meet them.

Maybe things are starting to fall into place.

Elevator doors open. You begin to walk forward but come to a halt with the man standing in front of you; Katsuki Bakugo.

Your heart races with your bottom lip begging to quiver. You do your best to hide it though as you brush past one another. A jolt of electricity shot through you. The slightest graze of his calloused fingertips felt so rigid yet so soft. Your instincts force you to look up to see the stranger peer down at you. The stranger you used to know.

“See me, Katsuki. See me as the woman you used to know.” You mentally beg. You just wanted him to see you as somebody. Somebody he used to want.

Katsuki paused there, speaking to you through his eyes. This time, they did not hold as much disgust as before. Maybe it’s the hormones, but you could have sworn you witnessed longing within the roots of his irises. If Katsuki was capable of processing his emotions and allowing them to show, he would write them on his features. He remains stone cold, preventing his fingertips from latching onto yours. So, awkwardly they lay, both of your breaths caught in your windpipes until Katsuki decides to break free of the shackles.

You attempted to be in Katsuki’s space more. You knew him like a book just like he did for you. You both learned each other’s frequent routines.

Awkward encounters became more frequent and you both secretly looked forward to them. Long stares that withheld unspoken phrases. Katsuki’s gazes turned from disgust to softness. Especially with your stomach starting to show as the months rolled on. Still, not a word was spoken

The corporate office began to talk. Chatter amongst Katsuki’s employees disturbed his peace of mind. He knows he has to address you at some point, but what is there to say? What could Katsuki even begin to formulate for you to understand where he is coming from? You are due sooner than he is comfortable with. There is no hiding your stomach.

You never asked a penny from him. Hell, you have not even tried to speak to him since that night. You only spoke when formally addressed. Even that was rare.

Katsuki replays that night a lot while laying in bed. He claims what you two had was just two coworkers having sexual intercourse, but nothing can hide the way he moans your name when he masturbates or has sex with someone else. The way he sees you in every female he comes into contact with. Nothing can hide the way his natural rapid heartbeat stops by the mention of your beautiful name. Don’t even get him started on the way you purposely would get on his nerves. They are all part of the list of delicate little things he missed.

You have every right to hate him. Katsuki would not blame you if you did. His hatred for himself reflected in his actions which ultimately was passed onto you. You carried that burden. He would search for the reflection of his anger in your orbs, but they held none. They held nothing but sadness and love. Love he refuses to accept.

Katsuki laid in bed, alone, allowing his mind to wander. He cursed you for keeping him awake. He is a busy man with things to do yet your features haunt him. The thought of someone else touching you the way he does killed him. He knows he would have heard muttering by now if you went to his rival yet there is silence.

You are silent.

You are falling deep into your peaceful slumber. Something you have been doing more lately. You no longer need the lullabies of your heartache and unwanted whimpers for comfort. You are more at ease.

A heavy knocking at the door startled you. Groaning and gazing at your cell phone, the time read the time.

1:03AM

The knocking picked up again. You are not expecting company at this hour so you take precautions. Grabbing the metal baseball bat you keep under your bed, you stroll to the door. The knocking echoed through your apartment complex much to your sleeping neighbors dismay. Your adrenaline rises with each step you take towards the door. Gazing out the peephole of your front door, you see Katsuki standing at the door.

Throwing the baseball bat to the side, you open the door.

“Katsuki, what the—“

Katsuki ushers himself in, not even giving you an opportunity to scold him or ask anymore questions. Instead, his lips are entangled with yours. Magnets desperately pulling towards each other. You attempt to push him away as you smell the alcohol lingering in his breath, but Katsuki is much stronger than you are.

Your mind is telling you to hate this, but your heart speaks otherwise as Katsuki pushes you against the beige wall, caging you in with his arms. You did not even try to stop him as he began removing any article clothing on your body. Your lips only disconnected for short seconds before meeting again. Now you are laid on the kitchen table, Katsuki’s thick erected cock deep in your pussy, begging moans escaping your parted lips.

Here we go again.

©bakugosbratx

All Rights Reserved

#tw pregnancy #tw angst #bakugosbratx #no strings attached #mini series #part 3 #bakugou katsuki #bakugo katsuki #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugō #bakugo smut #ceo bakugo #bakugo x female reader #bakugo x you

[plus-size-reader]

Domestic

Natasha Romanoff x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 2000 words

Warnings: none

Summary: Nat has a super cute wifey who likes to have mass dinners for all the avengers at their home

—————————————————————————————————

The arrangement that Clint had for Laura and the kids had worked for him.

By all accounts, most people didn’t even know that they existed, which in this life, certainly helped to keep them alive.

Having people that you loved made you vulnerable, and it also put all of their lives in danger. Clint knew that all too well, and made sure that no one would know who or where they were in order to protect them.

It was a good plan, a smart plan, and when you and Natasha got married, she wanted the same thing for you.

You were the love of her life, and one of the only people in the world she truly cared for. She had spent her entire life sure that she would never fall in love, or get too close to anyone, but you had easily broken down all those walls.

That made you more valuable than gold to her.

You were her everything, and if hiding you away was what she’d have to do to keep you safe, no one would need to know about you. It had been easy for Clint, and others like him, so there was no reason it couldn’t work for her too.

Fury understood that Natasha wasn’t taking this issue lightly, so he and Colson took special precautions to make sure that no one would ever be able to find you unless they had high enough clearance and couldn’t be registered as a threat.

After all, Nat had no shortage of enemies and getting ahold of you would be all they would be after.

You were valuable to them too, for a much different reason.

Getting to you would put Natasha in quite the predicament. Using you as leverage, there was virtually nothing they couldn’t find out, which meant it was in S.H.I.E.L.Ds best interest to keep you hidden too.

They had too many secrets to keep, and Natasha held the key to most of them.

So, she kept you hidden away.

It was safer for the two of you to just keep the love you shared under wraps and you didn’t mind that. You understood that there could be real danger if you weren’t careful.

It was just something you had to do if you wanted to be with her, and you certainly did. Quite frankly, there was nothing you wouldn’t do for her, even if it meant uprooting your whole life and practically going into witness protection.

However, staying there forever wasn’t an option either.

As with all things, nothing could stay a secret forever. At some point, the secret was bound to get out to someone; though, it wasn’t as detrimental as you had always assumed it would be when it finally came to light.

The visitors you had were more than welcome.

The knock at your door wasn’t one you had been expecting, but when you opened it, you were anything but worried.

Standing there, entirely unannounced, was the woman you’d married and all of the avengers.

“What are you doing here?” you gasped, throwing your arms around her shoulders before she could so much as say hello. Technically, you weren’t supposed to be so open right away, but you didn’t care.

You hadn’t seen Natasha in months, and you weren’t sure you could hold back much longer with her right in front of you.

Living out here, while safe, was lonely.

Still, Natasha with as much as she missed you was paranoid by nature. Even this much, out in the open, made her nervous.

“Inside honey” she reminded gently, gingerly walking you back until you were safely within the confines of your home. It was only when the door was closed and locked with all of you inside that Nat visibly relaxed.

Understandably, she was uneasy about this whole thing.

Not only was she telling them all about you and the secret she’d been hiding for years at this point, but she was also gathering all the people she cared about in one place.

With a past like hers, it was a little stressful.

Though, she also found some amount of comfort in getting to see you again after all this time. The recent events had made it hard to sneak off and visit you without attracting suspicious or unwanted attention.

There was silence for a moment or two as the waiting crowd tried to figure out what was going on, or what about this place made it Natasha’s very important stop. She had been very clear that they couldn’t go anywhere until they came here.

There had to be a reason it was so important.

Natasha had never done anything like this before, and until this moment, they were sure that she didn’t have any personal connections to anything or anywhere. A woman like her, doing what she did, didn’t get that luxury.

...or, at least, they didn’t think so.

Almost immediately, of course, Tony connected the dots.

There was just something about the way she looked at you, and the way you looked back at her in turn, he’d seen it a million times before. He’d seen it in his own parents on the rare occasions they weren’t fighting.

You were in love.

The fact that he didn’t know you existed until today, or the fact that she’d hidden so much from him didn’t bother Tony in the least. In the lives they lived, everyone had their secrets, no one more so than Natasha.

If anything, he was glad she’d chosen to share with them now.

“This is your special lady, isn’t it?” he teased, doing his best not to be as awkward as he was sure it was coming across. Natasha was just so cagey about the things in her life, especially her love life, and this was news to him.

Good news, but news none-the-less.

You weren’t entirely sure what to say at first, taking your place at Natasha’s side. You knew who they were, of course, and you’d heard a lot about them but you had never had the privilege of meeting any of them before.

You didn’t get to meet many new people ever, for that matter. You were a little concerned that your people skills had gotten rusty.

It was impossible to know who was dangerous or not, and you didn’t want to risk running into the wrong kind. Being on high alert made it really hard to connect with people, even when you were sure they were safe.

It was new for you.

“This is my wife, Y/N” Natasha hummed, practically beaming as she finally said those words out loud. She had never had the privilege before, but this seemed like the perfect place to finally make it happen.

This was safe.

These people were safe, and even with as nervous as you were to be meeting them, you knew that Nat would never bring anyone even remotely dangerous to meet you.

The fact that she trusted them enough to bring them to your home meant that she trusted them, and if she trusted them, you could too. So, rather than hide behind your beautiful wife all night, you stood up a little straighter and decided to just give this thing a try.

“Hello, you must be the avengers” you tried, ignoring how strange the sentence sounded falling from your lips. It was hardly a normal thing to say, and hardly the most smooth delivery you’d ever given but it wasn’t the worst.

...And no one seemed too offended by it.

All in all, it was an okay icebreaker, and before too long, conversation was swelling all around you. You had gotten ready to start dinner when they arrived, so it seemed like the perfect thing to busy yourself with while they talked and checked out your home.

It was a cute little place, one Nat had practically fallen in love with, partially because of the close family floorplan and mostly because of the isolation.

The two of you sometimes talked about getting a bigger place, or moving somewhere far away from here, but for the pair of you, this house was just fine. It was decorated nicely, your way of having some agency over the situation you’d been put in with pictures and artwork everywhere.

“So, you’ve just been living here? Isn’t that a little difficult?” Steve asked, sitting down across from the island where you were stirring a bowl of what looked to be pasta salad.

This whole thing was blowing his mind.

In general, most everyone else had come to accept the arrangement you two shared as just part of being married to a spy but Captain America was less used to this whole thing, even now. The idea of hiding away your life partner was blowing his mind, even for safety's sake.

It seemed like it would be hard.

“It isn’t easy, but it’s just what we have to do. Nat’s made a lot of enemies over the years” you shrugged, doing your very best to explain the situation in the same way you did with everyone else.

It was just how it was.

You sometimes dreamed of what it would be like if you didn’t have to live like this. If you and Natasha could just go strolling down the street, hand in hand, without the fear of being kidnapped and tortured in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately though, that fear was justified. There were people everywhere who would have gladly gotten their hands on you, in this country, and all over the world.

“Well, you’ve got some allies in your corner now too” he smiled, finishing what was left of his glass of juice and then going to look through your wedding album with the others on the couch.

Clint had snatched it from the shelf as soon as he came in, after giving you a hug and a kiss on the forehead as he always did, and insisted on showing it to the others. Your wedding pictures were some of his favorites, especially because he’d been the only other person in attendance to the event.

You hoped that for your sake, Steve was right. You had grown so accustomed to seeing everyone else in the world as a threat that it would be nice to know that you had some friends in this world as well.

“You forgot to stir the noodles, honey” Nat grinned, gliding past you to the stove where the pot was bubbling away. You had a habit of getting a little far off, especially in a kitchen setting, with a million thoughts swirling around in your head.

It was something you hated, but couldn't seem to get a handle on, but Natasha found it endearing.

It reminded her of the first time you’d offered to make her dinner and ended up burning most of the spaghetti to the bottom of the pan.

It reminded her of why she’d fallen in love with you in the first place.

~

Eventually, with the quick rescue of the spaghetti from Nat, dinner was ready which meant that your small, meant for two dining room, was full to the brim with assassins, super soldiers, and avengers of all varieties.

It wasn’t exactly how you saw tonight going, but as everyone crowded around the dining room table, you were anything but upset about that.

This was what you’d always wanted. A house full of guests, a warm dinner spread out over the entire table, and the love of your life at your side.

It was absolutely perfect.

You didn’t get to experience things like this very often, but you had a feeling that now that it had happened, this was going to be an ongoing occurrence for you and Natasha, who enjoyed these things much more than she’d ever admit.

After all, this group was her family, and it wasn’t going to kill her to be a little domestic from time to time.

#natasha romanoff #avengers #marvel #black widow #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x ps reader #natasha romanoff x plus size reader #natasha romanoff imagine #avengers x reader #avengers x ps reader #avengers x plus size reader #avengers imagine #marvel x reader #marvel x ps reader #marvel x plus size reader #marvel imagine #black widow x reader #black widow x ps reader #black widow x plus size reader #black widow imagine #femslash

[tippytopdays]

Tenacity

This ended up being a lot longer than intended but it's done enough for me to be satisfied with it.

Consider it a sequel to Weak

Combat was never something to be weak in. Be it blunt force weapons or ballistics, everyone knew something. Whole groups were skilled in things that could make a normal man’s head spin.

And then there was you. And you knew nothing.

You’d been born into this world with only your hands and basic know how for survival. There was no chance if you ran straight into combat with the nothing you had. Even if you did the only object even close to a weapon was the shovel you kept with you.

The handle had snapped like a twig, leaving you with the nothing you had come into this with.

There was no way to tell when they’d come. No warnings, no signs; only an oppressive presence that forced every Bandit into hiding and slaughtered every Zed.

The Agency was efficient after all. And you were no different.

Why they were here didn’t matter, only that they were. Like a plague set upon an unsuspecting town doomed for destruction. The hideaway you’d made out of the abandoned factory had fallen within hours of their appearance; an effort for supplies or scavenging you’d assumed. And once they’d found your nest of stolen goods and ratty furniture you’d bolted, nothing to your name except the shovel you’d snagged on the way out.

Clearly, that hadn’t mattered in the slightest.

The gunfire still hadn’t stopped. They were still coming.

You’d hidden in the only place you’d hoped they wouldn’t dare invade, their own abandoned facility. It was far more run down than the factory; machinery that once calculated to the extremes shattered to bits on the floors, testing chambers long silenced, and labs in ruins so decrepit nothing could even begin to repair them.

And the bodies half disintegrated with rot strewn about gave you little solace, as their stench permeated the entire facility.

A door activated from down the hallway, sliding open with a hiss.

They would find you, hidden behind a cluster of desks in some lab far away from the entry. It had been Hell to get back here and you had no doubt it would be equally Hellish to get out. The only open doors had been either blasted or left open by whoever had stormed this place before you.

One of them being at the end of the hallway, now left occupied by whoever had just come in.

Heavy footsteps tromped the corridor. You held your breath, mouth covered with your hands.

Another door was opened, somewhere opposite to yours. And still they came; one after another each room was searched, like a countdown to the inevitable.

A dark shadow loomed from the hallway, stretching through the long broken in door and over the desk you hid behind. Plastered against the wall as an omen of death.

There was no way out now.

Whoever it was stepped into the room. It was strange, you’d briefly noticed over the pounding of your heart, there was no swarm of steps behind the first. He was alone.

Why? Where were the others?

Footsteps thundered in the mostly empty lab. Containers that possibly once held important testing fluids and had long been smashed onto the ground crunched underfoot as the Agent wandered from one side to the other. Clattering came from one end of the room, opposite of your hiding space, furniture being disturbed in his curiosity. Briefly you’d peeked around the very edge of the desk; you could barely catch a glimpse of the him, let alone decipher what he was doing, but the barrel of what was definitely a very large weapon strapped across his back deterred you from any further investigation.

It was so strange, this was far too deeply wedged into the building for it to be mere coincidence. Was there something they’d left here? Something in this old, musty lab that you’d just so happened to take refuge in? A weapon? A lost experiment?

Loud clunking echoed in the mostly empty room as something large was righted. Something shifted, something moved. It was always something, none of it you could decipher. Only that it was there.

And it was getting closer.

It was only now, in this lieu of clattering and banging just out of your peripherals that you noticed this was the only sound you could hear. No shouting, no explosions. Only the footsteps traversing this room, and the commotion he was making.

Why, of all times, had the gunfire stopped the moment this Agent had entered the room?

There was no time for ruminating. At best you had mere seconds before you were discovered, an uncomfortably loud shattering of glass from just a handful of feet away nearly jumping you out prematurely.

But where would you go? Where would you hide now when the only safety had already been compromised?

A shuffle, a twitch of a limb that you weren’t paying enough attention to—exactly how didn’t even cross your mind as the desk shifted just so, dislodging a precariously set lamp. It tumbled to the hard floor, shattering to pieces.

All noise stopped. Your breathing followed.

If you weren’t screwed by coming here, you were now.

Whatever was in his hands clattered to the floor, forgotten entirely as stomping footsteps approached at a rapid pace. You didn’t have time to scramble away, to hide again before he was upon you, the desk squealing as he yanked it from your back.

Cold, angry red glared down from very familiar goggles, and fear turned to horror.

Hank. He had come back.

How was he even alive in the first place? Hadn’t he died in your arms?

The mere reality of his presence before you was as horrifying as it was clarifying. Hank still being alive was a very good implication of why the noises from the rest of the building had come to a halt. May have even been the cause for them even, since you didn’t recall any resistance forces in this ghost town.

Funny how adrenaline clouds memories when one’s wrapped tightly in terror.

You’d scrambled away, far enough that the piping on the wall behind the desk dug into your side. He watched, still and silent as death while the flickering glare of the hallway light obscured his eyes behind the lenses of his goggles.

Why had he come back? For you? To finish what he’d started? To burst your skull like he had intended upon your first meeting?

The silence was deafening, not even the whisper of cloth as he stood from hunching over your hiding place. Still staring at you he stepped around the overturned furniture, uncaring of the crunch of the lamp beneath his boot. A bright flash across the barrel of the heavy machine gun strapped around his back was enough to have you flinching away, arms raised.

Years of running, hiding in the dark, over in just seconds. You could flee the Agency and scurry out of sight of the Bandits all you needed, but here it was hopeless.

When he crouched down to your height you covered your eyes, cowering.

Nothing escaped Hank. Not even you.

All cognitive thought stopped as something very large plopped onto your head.

Your eyes snapped open behind your hands. The weight shifted, fingers of a hand—a very large hand—entangling into your hair.

Was he going to crush you with his bare hands? To throw you like you weighed nothing and toss you to your death?

The grip shifted, pushing your head back. Your hands fell away from your face and into your lap, shaking as he manhandled you.

He was just staring at you, an arm reached out to hold you by the head. The light from the hall was muted behind his utterly massive frame, barely any reaching around the width of his shoulders just to kiss the edges of the goggles. A foul stench of blood wafted into your face as he breathed, a drop splattering against your leg in his leaning over you.

He was monstrous. He was dangerous. Every nerve in your body was firing double and you knew if you were to run, he would catch you.

He was stroking your face.

In your haze of panic the hold on your hair faded, his touch trailing down. It wasn’t gentle, the harsh scrape of his nails down your temple causing a twitch to jerk in your neck as his fingers traced baselessly across your cheek. It was senseless patterns, no real thought behind it as it flickered to and fro over your skin.

As he brushed across the bridge of your nose, you followed it across the mask on his own face.

It was the same motions you had given him in his final moments.

You paused abruptly. The fear, the terror, all of the adrenaline in your body seemed to just flush away at the realization and you just stared, agape.

He remembered. Somehow that was more surprising to you than the fact he’d miraculously risen from the dead, and even more baffling than his touch tracing your face.

Had he come back for you because of what you’d done for him?

Just as suddenly as he’d started he stopped. The hand pulled away from your face, brushing over your neck to grab you by the collar.

You noted briefly that, while it was harsh, there was no energy to throw behind it. Not even malice in his movements as you were yanked forward into his arms and hauled over his shoulder.

And as he stomped back out of the room, carting you down the hall and into the moderately fresher air outdoors, you noted that he had taken precaution to not throw you over the shoulder that the gun’s barrel was propped against.

Your eyes flickered to the trigger.

There was no magazine. It was empty.

_____________________________________________________________

The door to the building opened with a hiss. He’d barely given enough of a glance towards the cameras to know who it was, “Alright Hank, what did you think was so damn important that you got me up at midnight-“ Mid fiddling with his data pad the man’s ranting came to an abrupt halt, red lenses focusing onto the body tossed unceremoniously over the assassin’s shoulder. Slowly, he raised a hand to pinch the apex of the mask on his face.

“Wimbleton did you seriously just bring in a stray?”

“Shut the Hell up Doc.”

#madness combat #madness combat x reader #hank j. wimbleton #hank j. wimbleton x reader #2BDamned #mentioned at least #fun #my writing

[griffintail]

Okay this is just a small thing that you don't have to do, just an idea but like. What do you think their reactions would be to wolf hybrid!Child reader going Rabid on a skeleton that tried to hurt their dad.

I hope you enjoy! ♥

In Game, Reader is 10

Pairings:  Platonic! Parental! Tommy, Wilbur, Philza, Technoblade, Eret, and Dream x F! Child! Wolf Hybrid! Reader

Warnings: Fighting of Mobs

        TommyInnit

        Hyped

        Tommy loved bringing (Y/N) everywhere he went, much to everyone’s dismay her whole life.

        Their dismay lessened once (Y/N) was able to actually learn how to fight. With her added perks of being part wolf and her father being a decent fighter, she wasn’t half bad for only being ten.

        Today, the pair were out trying to get (Y/N) her first disc. Sure, she had her father’s she shared with him but she wanted her own, which made Tommy so proud of her. Together they struck out into the world and went searching for a few ruined temples and such.

        “We only got a few diamonds so far.” (Y/N) huffed, her ears flat on top of her head after they searched their third temple.

        “None of that now!” Tommy tried to cheer her up. “It took me ages to find my first disc. We’ll find one for you. And having a few diamonds isn’t too bad either! We can use them to try and scam a few items from people.”

        (Y/N)’s tail wagged at her father’s words. “Yeah! We’ll find one! And if you’re going to do more scams with Uncle Tubbo can I join?”

        “Of course! That’s the spirit!” He ruffled her hair between her ears as they went to find a new place to loot.

        Night was slowly creeping up on them when they found a new abandoned building.

        “Alright, it’s dark inside and it’s late. So, get your shield and sword ready.” Tommy told her.

        She nodded, taking her shield off her back as Tommy went in first, shield up and sword at the ready. Following in after him with her shield, her ears twitched as she listened. Tommy walked forward when (Y/N) heard the pulling off a bow. Before she could warn him, Tommy yelped as an arrow snagged his bandana and tore it as it went by.

         He whipped around to defend himself when (Y/N) snarled, launching herself into the skeleton.

        The monster was barely able to hold itself together and got no chance to respond to the attack as the child used her sword to cut off its head. Tommy stood in surprise as (Y/N)’s ears twitched and her tail straight as she growled tearing the rest of the bones apart.

        “Holy shit!” He exclaimed finally, (Y/N) jumping as she looked at him. “That was fucking awesome!”

        She knelt on the ground for a moment with a bone in her hand, watching him before grinning and her tail wagged quickly.

        “Really?”

        “Of course! My training for you has really worked!” He grinned as helped her up. “Let’s go own more shit!”

        “Yeah!” She bounced putting the bone in her hand in her bag to gnaw on later.

        Tommy had her listen first this time and together they took out any other mobs.

        In the end, Tubbo screamed as Tommy slammed his door open with (Y/N) on his shoulders, practically howling while holding a disc in celebration. It was just an average adventure.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Wilbur

        Worried but proud

        Oh look, Wilbur has another animal child, who would be surprised?

        After the war, L’Manberg had become a mostly peaceful nation. (Y/N) didn’t need to learn how to fight like her brother so he let her instead enjoy her other passions.

        It very much pleased Wilbur though that his little girl always still wanted to spend time with him. One of those days, the pair had been outside the walls. Wilbur had brought his guitar, strumming as he sang, while (Y/N) ran around to get her extra energy. The father hadn’t expected the storm clouds to roll in so fast but they did.

        The rain started to pour, (Y/N) screaming as she clung onto Wilbur as thunder boomed.

        “It’s alright little star.” He assured her as he quickly got up, putting his guitar on his back. “Let’s get back home.”

        She clung to his hand as they sprinted for the path and went for L’Manberg. He had carelessly not brought a weapon as he hadn’t expected to be out when monsters could come out. So, when a skeleton was in the path, he halted to a stop, looking for a quick escape before it noticed them.

        “This way—” Wilbur tugged (Y/N)’s hand but his eyes went wide as the arrow flew past his head. “Shit!”

        Before he knew it, (Y/N) had let go of his hand. He was too busy looking for a weapon to defend himself and his child when he noticed (Y/N) attacking the skeleton.

        “(Y/N)!” He yelped in panic as he rushed forward.

        Even without any experience, just pure instinct to protect her pack, she managed to take apart the skeleton. Wilbur pulled her from it, her big eyes looking at him with a bone in her mouth. She sat there for a moment before her eyes went wide, the bone dropping.

        “I’m sorry daddy!”

        Wilbur didn’t know what to say for a moment, the thunderclap breaking him from his thoughts as (Y/N) screamed, clinging onto him again. He took a new approach and scooped her up before sprinting instead for the Embassy. Tommy wasn’t in, so they were able to slip in. The man sighed with relief to be out of the rain, putting (Y/N) down.

        She shook the water out of her hair as she swished her tail to do the same. Wilbur took off his guitar, jacket, and hat, laying the objects on a chest as he ruffled his hair.

        “Alright, let’s get your jacket off and find something to dry off with,” Wilbur said, going for the back room.

        “I’m really sorry daddy.” She spoke before he stepped through.

        He stopped, remembering what happened. He looked back at her, her ears pointed back as she stared down at the ground with her hands behind her back and her wet tail on the floor. Coming over, he knelt in front of her, taking her shoulders, having her look at.

        “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Wilbur told her, making one of her ears twitch. “You did good. I was extremely worried, yes. I was scared you would get hurt and I don’t want you to rush into danger again without a proper weapon, but I’m not angry or disappointed with you.”

        “I really did good?” She asked, her tail coming off the floor.

        “Yes, you did.” He smiled. “I’m proud you were able to think on your feet little star and protect us both. But, as I said, we’re not going to do that again without a weapon right?”

        “Yes sir, Mr. President.” She gave a giggle with a salute.

        He laughed as he kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair. “Now let’s get you dry.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Philza

        Would have taught her more control, proud

        (Y/N) laughed as Phil held her securely to him as they soared through the sky from the village they had just traded at.

        “You having fun darling?” He smiled at her.

        “Yes!” She cheered, her ears twitching madly in the wind. “This so much more fun than walking!”

        He laughed himself as he nodded. “It is. Like I said though, I can’t do this long, we’ll probably have to walk the rest of the way home.”

        “Aw ok.” She frowned but instead smiled and decided to enjoy the moment.

        Phil had promised the young girl when she was old enough, he’d start taking her one trading expeditions after he trained her up a bit. He did tend to stay out for long periods of time after all and usually saw mobs. It had come to that time and Phil personally trained her. As Phil had taught all three of his sons, teaching his fourth child was no work and (Y/N) picked it up quickly. He also helped her work on her wolf instincts just as he had with Techno with his piglin ones.

        Of course, it was precautional training. He wasn’t going to let her fight mobs so easily. There was little to no chance she’d have to fight anything; Phil was a master at avoiding mobs and taking them out with ease as he only had one life left to his name and had to be extra careful.

        As night was starting to set in, Phil landed as his wings took as much as they could.

        “Alright, stay close to me darling.” He told her as he took off his shield and sword as a precaution.

        She nodded, her ears perked up and listening carefully to help her father as she had her own gear out. Together, they walked through the snow towards their home, Phil ahead of (Y/N) as she was close to his back. As they were close to the edge of their property, (Y/N)’s right ear twitched at the sound of a bowstring in the distance. Quickly, she turned and held up a shield in front of her father’s back, an arrow giving a loud THUNK as it hit the wood.

        Phil jumped at the noise, whipping around just as (Y/N) dashed forward and used her sword to strike the skeleton with ease. He rushed over as the skeleton tried to recollect itself and gave a final blow to it.

        “Come on,” Phil told her as her tail swished and she growled lightly. “We’re almost home.”

        She followed Phil again and from there they got home safely. He sighed in relief as he laid down his weapons, (Y/N) laying hers down beside him. Looking at his daughter, he patted her head between her ears smiling.

        “Good job kiddo. You really had my back.”

        Her tail wagged eagerly as she smiled. “I learned from the best.”

        He laughed as he nodded. “Guess you did. We got to work on you not rushing in head first though ok?”

        “Ok.” She nodded with determination.

        “That’s my little angel.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Technoblade

        Proud

        (Y/N) was the daughter of the Blood God!

        The second she could hold a sword on her own, she wanted to learn everything she could just to be like her father. Techno was glad to teach her as he wanted to make sure if his enemies ever found her, she could defend himself and he did tend to exploit her wolf abilities in some dangerous places, so not having to watch her constantly was good too.

        Today was any other day. A bit of training between the two, trading a bit with a village, minor terrorism in the Dream SMP land.

        “So, what did we learn today?” Techno asked as he led her across the bridge in the Nether to the home portal.

        “Grandpa doesn’t let us have fun?” She questioned as she looked at him.

        Techno threw back his head in laughter at that. Phil had convinced Techno not to do a few of his crimes, much to the pair’s disappointment.

        “I was looking for more we keep better track of our invisibility, but grandpa not letting us have fun is true too.” He grinned.

        (Y/N) wagged her tail as Techno went through the portal first, (Y/N) a few seconds behind. He frowned at the night sky, taking his axe off his belt as he saw a few scattered mobs in the snow.

        “Guess we were in the Nether too long,” Techno said. “Stay close to me. We’re going to make a run for the house.”

        “Ok.” She nodded as she took off her sword just as a precaution.

        “Three, two, one, go!” He told her before the two of them sprinted across the snow.

        They had piqued the interest of a few zombies but they were much too fast for them. As they got close to the house, an arrow snagged itself into Techno’s cape. He stopped and went to turn with a full axe swing but didn’t get the chance as a snarl filled the air. Looking, he saw (Y/N) slashing through the skeleton with ease then tore it apart with her own hands.

        He was impressed but there were mobs around. So, grabbing her by the arm, he dragged her away, forcing her to run with him again as she growled still at the now-dead skeleton.

        “Come on killer.” He told her with a proud smirk.

        “It tried to hurt you.” She huffed as they finally slowed down on the porch.

        “Yes, but what do we say?” He looked at her.

        “Technoblade never dies!” She threw up her arms with a grin and he smiled as well as he ruffled her hair as he opened the door.

        “That’s right. You did well out there, little goddess, we need to work on your form though and that was a bit overkill.”

        She pouted. “Ok.”

        He chuckled patting her head. “But I’m proud of you regardless.”

        That made her smile again as Techno took off his cape to fix it. As he did the voices were chanting.

        Blood Child! Blood Child! Blood Child!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Eret

        Worried

        (Y/N), as a wolf hybrid, had an excessive amount of energy that Eret was just not able to keep up with sometimes. So, he’d let her go off on her own with Tommy, the two usually able to work both of their excessive energy out without any possible danger as Eret made Tommy promise him.

        It had been one of those days and Eret was waiting by the castle gate, worry starting to seep into him as the sun was starting to set.

        “Damn it, Tommy.” He muttered under his breath before going back inside the castle for a moment.

        Coming back out and starting to walk down the path, now he had a sword strapped to his belt as he made his way to Tommy’s. As he got to the fenced area, he heard the sounds of (Y/N)’s laughter as Tommy was yelling out profanities. Going in and to the door, he knocked on Tommy’s door. Swinging it open, Tommy stood there with a scowl on his face.

        “You’re both late,” Eret told him.

        “Shit, is it really that late?” Tommy’s eyes went wide at the setting light. “I got to meet up with Wilbur!”

        He went back inside as (Y/N) came over, seeing her father, a guilty look on her face seeing the fading light.    

        “Sorry, dad.”

        “It’s alright sweetie. Let’s get home before it gets too dark. Stay safe Tommy!” He called as (Y/N) came to Eret’s side.

        The two walked down the Prime Path as the sun set full set.

        “You’re not mad?” (Y/N) asked.

        “No princess, I understand you were having fun. I was just worried and I knew I had to come to get you. Tommy’s a good fighter but I don’t think he could protect two people.” Eret explained calmly to her.

        “Well, I’m sorry I worried you.”

        “It’s alright, let’s just get home safe.” He smiled at her.

        The castle was just in sight, making Eret feel relief that they’d get there without seeing a single mob, but he jinxed himself. As they stepped out of the gate from the Community House, an arrow flew by his arm. He jumped in surprise, pulling his sword as he went to grab (Y/N) to pull her behind him, but only grabbed air.

        Looking around in a panic, he saw his little girl tackling the skeleton on instinct and starting to pull it apart with her hands.

        “Princess.” He said quickly as he went over and pulled her off the mob as she growled. “It’s alright. Calm down.”

        “It tried to hurt you!”

        “I understand sweetie, but you should have let me handle it alright?”

        She huffed but nodded. “Alright.”

        He helped her up and smiled as he ruffled her hair. “Thank you for being my knight instead princess but I promise I got it.”

        “Ok, dad.” She agreed as they went home to the castle without any more problems. “…can you teach me how to fight though?”

        “If you want to princess. We’ll figure it out.”

        “Thank you, dad.” She smiled.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Dream

         Proud but Worried

        “Got you!” (Y/N) howled as she tackled George, who in turn screamed.

        Dream laughed as he came over to them putting his wooden sword on George’s chest. They were playing a game of Manhunt and Dream had (Y/N) on his team naturally. With that, she was able to use her wolf senses to win with ease. Dream actually had to do very little but defend her. Sure, he trained her but there was a large training curve between her and everyone else.

        “We win again.” Dream told him.

        “This is no fair,” George whined. “(Y/N) can hear everything.”

        “You guys practically stomp around the forest.” (Y/N) grinned as she jumped up, her tail wagging rapidly.

        “Now don’t be too mean to your uncle.” Dream laughed, ruffling her hair.

        “I’m going to guess George lost too.” Sapnap came over to the group.

        “Dad and I are the best team!” (Y/N) threw up her hands, making Dream grin as he moved his mask from his face.

        “What told you? The scream?” Dream teased George now.

        George grabbed Dream, trying to tackle him but Dream managed to swing it back and pin George to the ground. The goggled man huffed at his second defeat as (Y/N) cheered.

        “Alright, let’s get home you two idiots.” Dream chuckled as he helped George up.

        The sun was close to setting and they were in the forest. The two other men agreed with Dream and everyone started walking.

        “Can we play again tomorrow?” (Y/N) asked Dream with eagerness, her tail still wagging.

        He laughed, nodding. “Sure. But why don’t you try and find me tomorrow with your uncles?”

        “But I like your team.” She pouted.

        “I’m honored sweetheart, but we have to make your uncles think they’re good too.” He whispered but loud enough for the others to hear.

        “Alright! You listen here Dream!” Sapnap stopped to argue with his friend, making Dream laughed.

        (Y/N) was giggling as the three were playfully arguing with each other but she frowned as her ear twitched hearing a sound in the forest. It sounded like…bones?

        Then she heard the bowstring and her eyes went wide.

        “Look out!” She shouted, startling everyone, giving them enough time to move as the arrow just flew past Dream’s face.

        “Holy shit!” Dream exclaimed in surprise.

        Before anyone could react, there was a snarl and the three saw the little girl tearing the skeleton apart.

        “Yo! You show it (Y/N)!” Sapnap cheered.

        “Shut up. Alright, sweetheart.” Dream came over, pulling her off. “You got it.”

        She huffed at the pile of bones before looking at her dad. “Are you ok daddy?”

        He smiled lightly as he nodded, patting her head as he crouched in front of her. “I’m fine, you warned me just in time.”

        “Good.” She grinned, her tail wagging.

        “But I don’t want you to do something like that again ok?” He looked at her seriously. “You got it, but you went way over of what you needed to.”

        She frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”

        “It was dead, but you kept going. That’s serious stuff. Sapnap was wrong to encourage you. I’m proud you got it, but you need to keep your control, ok?”

        She nodded slowly. “Ok. I think I understand.”

        He smiled again, kissing the top of her head. “Good. Now let’s get home before anything else catches us.”

        With that, the four went home, pride definitely in his chest but he would make sure his daughter understood her anger.

#mcyt x reader #mcyt fanfiction #tommyinnit x reader #wilbur soot x reader #philza x reader #technoblade x reader #eret x reader #dream x reader #dreamsmp x reader

[baepsaesbae]

Teaser: Me, My Ghost, and I

Summoning him was just a last ditch effort to save your grades. Becoming a ghost’s assistant was something you’d never even dream of doing. However, Jimin isn’t anything like you expected him to be. Nothing could prepare you for the position you had just voluntarily landed in.

Publishing date: October 29

Pairing— Park Jimin x reader    

Genre— SMUT, supernatural au, Ghost!Jimin, Human!reader, mild fluff, some angst I guess (Just a supernatural au for the teaser)

Warnings— none for the teaser

Word Count— Teaser: 497  Fic: ~13.1k

A/N— This story was inspired by the anime Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, aka Toilet bound Hanako-kun. The beautiful banner was created by the incredibly talented @dee-ehn​! Please let me know if you would like to be included in a tag list

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” you whispered to yourself as you stood in front of the bathroom stall.

Rumors have been passed down for multiple generations regarding haunted sites littered around campus. According to the stories, this bathroom was haunted by a powerful spirit known to grant wishes at a price. No one knew if the stories were true, but this bathroom had practically been abandoned as a safety precaution. Not even the janitors came to clean it. 

“Come out for aid. Come out to play. Come out and seize the day,” you chanted before knocking on the door three times. 

You held your breath in anticipation. Moments passed. Nothing happened. Your shoulders relaxed as you released your tension. Of course this wasn’t going to work. Ghosts weren’t real. You sighed at your failed last ditch effort.

“Boo,” a whisper floated directly into your ear. 

Your body froze in place. The hair on the back of your neck stood up as goosebumps covered your skin.

“What can I do for you? Its been ages since anyone came to visit me,” the voice echoed around the bathroom. 

“I-I basically just bombed a midterm. I really can’t afford to fail again--” you stammered before laughter erupted beside you.

“You sought out the occult just for a silly test? Okay, I’m intrigued.”

You quickly spun around, half hoping that you had just been imagining things. The bathroom was empty. No one was around you.

“I’m real,” the ghost piped up behind you.

“Stop scaring me!” you cried out as you shut your eyes.

“Okay okay! It’s only natural; I’m pretty sure most people think ghosts are scary. Open your eyes,” the ghost demanded.

You took a deep breath before opening your eyes in an attempt to mentally prepare yourself. What you saw took you by surprise. A handsome boy was smiling down at you as he levitated a bit off of the ground. He seemed to be around your same age, and could even pass off as a regular college student. Of course, you’d just have to overlook his slight transparency and the fact that he was freely floating in the air. 

“I’m Jimin!” the ghost gleefully introduced himself, “But you already knew that,” a daunting smile crept across his face as he got closer.

“Can you help me or not?” you blurted out as adrenaline coursed through your veins. 

“Of course! I’ll help you if you help me. It’s simple really,” Jimin shrugged. 

“What do I have to do?” you asked.

“Nothing much. Just be my assistant, and I can help you out as long as you’re in my service,” the ghost said nonchalantly.

Your head was spinning; you were still trying to process what was happening. It was hard to cope with the fact that ghosts are real while simultaneously trying to make a life altering decision. 

“Deal!” you called out in the heat of the moment as you suddenly thrust your hand forward for a handshake.

Published October 22, 2021. No editing, copying, translating, or reposting allowed. All Rights Reserved © 2021 Baepsaesbae.

#bts teaser #bts smut #jimin smut #bts fanfic #jimin fanfic #park Jimin #bts x reader #bts imagines