#baxter ward x mc

[differenteagletragedy]

So yesterday someone requested a swap AU fic with Baxter as the boy who moved across the street, Cove as his friend you met at 13 and Derek as the guy who rented the condo for the summer. I promptly lost my mind, so here is more.

This is the part in Step 3 when everyone goes to the restaurant and Cove tells everyone he's going to get an apartment and he and MC have a moment, except Baxter style.

"Tell your boyfriend to stop fixing his hair and come on, I'm hungry," Liz said impatiently.

"He's not my boyfriend and he has his process," you replied, looking across the street at your best friend's house.

You, Liz, your moms and Lee were all outside, waiting to go to dinner. Baxter had been invited as well, but it seemed he was running a bit late.

As you were pulling out your phone to text him, he finally appeared. He had a troubled expression, but once he saw you and your family already assembled by your mom's car he turned on a practiced smile and jogged over.

"My apologies," he said, coming to a stop by your side. "I won't hold us up any further. Shall we?"

He held his arm up for you to take and Liz snorted, then said, "We'll meet you there."

Baxter, for all his eccentricities that you'd come to know so well in then ten years you'd been friends, fancied himself a bit of a gentleman. He always offered you his arm when walking anywhere, and you always accepted. You'd had a crush on him for years but had always been too nervous to tell him, so being close to him in any capacity was nice.

Tonight felt a bit different though. Usually he gave off a warmth when you were together, a sort of easygoing gentleness that you'd always noticed was reserved only for you, but now he was tense. As you settled in the passenger seat of his car, ready to follow your family to the restaurant, you saw that his shoulders were tense, and his jaw clenched. He wouldn't look at you.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said a little too quickly as he pulled out onto the street. You kept looking at him, and eventually he let out a sigh.

"Family stuff again?" you asked.

"It's miserable there," he responded, keeping his voice low as he always did when he talked about his parents. Being vulnerable was difficult for him, but he was able to manage it with you.

"I'm sorry," you told him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's only gotten worse since I've turned 18," he continued. "It's like all the expectations they've placed on me my entire life should have suddenly manifested as soon as I became an adult, and because they haven't, and they won't, they're taking it out on me."

Baxter's voice got even lower, and there was a pain to it as he added, "It's unbearable."

You tried to comfort him as best you could, but the drive to the tropical place was a short one, and soon he was pulling into a parking space beside your parents. He took a breath, shot you another fake smile, then got out.

After you'd been seated and your orders had been taken, Baxter cleared his throat. The attention turned to him, and he began speaking.

"I have a bit of an announcement," he began. "I've been keeping it to myself until all the details were hammered out, but now I can share: I'll be headed east to start college in the fall. Virginia, to be precise. For a degree in business."

Your mothers were quick to congratulate him -- he'd become like a third child to them, so it was natural they'd be proud. Lee clapped her hands together, and Liz even joined in, but you just stared at him in shock.

You'd talked about your future plans, of course, and you knew Baxter was going to college but you assumed it would be somewhere nearby. Moving across the country was something someone would discuss with their best friend, but he'd kept you completely in the dark. It hurt.

Baxter answered your family's questions and thanked them for their support, but then he turned to you. You shared a look for a moment.

"If you'll excuse me, I believe I'd like to stretch my legs for just a moment before dinner arrives," he said, standing. He looked down to you, and held out his arm. "Care to join me?"

Without a word, you took his arm once again and followed him to the entrance.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he said quietly, leaning in to speak to you. "If I'm being honest, I didn't know how."

"So you thought it would have been best to tell me like this? When do you even leave, in a month?"

"Three weeks," he corrected. You scoffed.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, grasping your hands and pulling them up to his chest. "I truly am. If there was a way I could stay, I would, and I have to believe you know that. I don't want to leave you, I need to leave them."

His parents. That was the reason for the cross-country move. He was running away.

There was something about his closeness, his hands gripping yours close to his heart that became too much. You loved him, and he was leaving. And as long as his parents lived in the area, you doubted he'd ever want to come back.

"I have to go," you said, pulling your hands back. He began to say something, but you raised your hand to stop him, then left the restaurant.

You felt tears welling up in your eyes and decided to take a seat in your mom's car to have a moment to yourself. You unlocked the back door with a shaky hand and climbed in, then let everything out.

Baxter had been there for over half your life at this point. His presence was a constant, something you could always count on. You'd spent countless days together, and so many nights after he started sneaking in your window for impromptu sleepovers when he couldn't stand being in his own house anymore. You couldn't imagine things being so different.

After a bit, you steadied your breath and wiped your face. When you felt steady enough, you moved to get out, but then you spotted a flash of black and white illuminated by a streetlight.

There was Baxter, leaning against the trunk of his car, waiting for you.

You couldn't help but smile, and at that moment he turned back and caught your eye. He gave a cautious smile back, then tapped on the window.

"Care for some company?" he asked when you opened the door.

And so he crawled in the backseat with you, and before you could say anything, he had his arms around you, pulling you close to his chest. He laid a kiss on top of your head, then rested his cheek there.

"I'm not going to be gone for good," he told you. "And honestly I'm a little ashamed of myself if I've let you believe you could get rid of me this easily."

"You're going to be on the other side of the continent, Baxter."

"I'll visit you. You'll visit me. We'll have summer breaks." He kissed your head again and pulled you even closer, then said, "It's four years, darling. You're stuck with me for a lifetime."

You snuggled into him, basking in his affection. He wasn't always this sweet, finding it more comfortable to joke and tease, but in moments like these, it was harder not to fall more deeply in love with him.

A few more minutes passed in comfortable silence, then you told him that you'd better get back to the restaurant. He agreed, and you stepped out of the car. Just before you got to the door, he stopped and turned to face you.

"There is one more thing I feel the need to say," he started. "Something I should have told you long ago."

Taking a look at his expression, you got nervous. He was about to tell you something serious. His expression was hard to read, but when you saw his eyes dart down to your lips, you stopped him.

"We better get going," you said, stepping toward the doors. "Maybe we can talk about this another time."

Baxter looked at you a moment longer, swallowed, then smiled.

"Yes. Another time."

#our life beginnings and always #our life #baxter ward #baxter x you #baxter x mc #baxter x reader #baxter ward x you #baxter ward x mc #baxter ward x reader #our life swap au #olba #olba baxter #our life baxter

[freyyzu]

PROMISE

All Cove wants is to see you happy, and all Baxter wants is to reassure him that he was going to do exactly that.

a/n; takes place some time during step 4 when your friends throw you another surprise party and you're off talking to someone else. i just think the two most important men in mc's life should interact a little more. implied step 3 ending on a bad note.

The twinkle of the fairy lights that hang from every wall of the first floor is mesmerizing. It's simple decoration, easy to put up, easy to get down, but beautiful all the same. The soft glow it emits puts Baxter at ease; even more so when accompanied by the sight of your smiling face.

His heart skips a beat when you glance over in his direction, your eyes meeting for the briefest moments. You discreetly wave at him, trying your best to not interrupt whatever story Terry is going on about, and he gives you a wave of his own back. He doesn't even try to fight the smile that tugs at his lips.

It was such a straightforward interaction, one that lasted all but three seconds, but just that was enough for him to feel the butterflies in his stomach lurch into a frenzy.

He's so enthralled by you, in fact, that he doesn't even notice the sound of someone making their way closer to him until they're already speaking.

"Uhm, how... how are you enjoying the party?" It's an expected question coming from an unexpected source.

Baxter turns to face the new presence by his side, more than a little surprised. Out of all the people here, Cove Holden would be the last person he expected to initiate a conversation, but the appearance isn't unwelcomed. Far from it.

"It's been fun," he says with full sincerity.

Despite the sparse decorations and only handful of people here, Baxter would say with his full heart that this is the best party he's ever been to. Surrounded by people who really care for him, those who took the time out of their day to surprise him even after all the stunts he's pulled. "Thank you for your part in this. I deeply appreciate it."

"Oh," Cove sputters, apparently flustered by the earnestness. "It's no problem. I'm... glad you're enjoying yourself."

Baxter smiles knowingly, "is there something on your mind?"

The taller male doesn't answer, but he fixes his gaze on a particular person across the room, still intently listening to Terry's story. Miranda and Xavier have joined them by this point.

'Ah.' his expression softens. "Are you worried about them?"

"Of course I am," he replies. Any hesitation in his voice from before lost within those four words. His hands clench and loosen by his sides a few times and he glances down at his feet, as if debating whether or not it was okay to say the next words.

You had forgiven Baxter a long time ago, that was a fact, but Cove couldn't forget your dejected expression or how many false smiles you wore to assure everyone you weren't hurt that summer.

Baxter waits quietly. He doesn't know exactly what your best friend intends to say, but from his fidgeting alone, he could garner a guess. Eventually though, he does break the silence. "I won't hurt them."

Cove looks over to your boyfriend, unable to keep the doubt from his expression. He trusts you, he wants you to be happy, that's all he ever wants for you; but that's even more of a reason for him to be wary. Baxter had broken your heart once, and he never wants to see that happen again.

"Can you promise that?"

There's a pause, and then a shake of a head from the black color haired man and Cove feels his heart nearly sink. "I'm not like you. I haven't known them my entire life. I'm just someone who showed up to the doorstep of your neighborhood one summer and then left."

There's a gleam in his brown eyes that make them seem to sparkle even more than the lights decorated around the room. "We'll have arguments, we'll get into fights," his voice lowers, "but I hope I can learn from those mistakes. That I'll make a better decision the next time." He turns to face Cove. "I can promise that."

Cove swallows the lump in his throat. He had come here to talk to Baxter, but in the end he ended up not being able to say anything at all. Though, maybe that was okay too. Whatever the lead up was, he heard what he needed to hear.

"Thank you," he says.

Baxter's face lights up at those words, eyes widening with boyish glee, before reverting back to his more well-known smirk. "No, thank you for coming over and chatting with me. I'm thankful we got to have this time together."

"Aha," Cove chuckles awkwardly now that the air has cleared. "But uh, Baxter?" He calls, wanting to get just one last word in.

"Yes?"

"You... should take care of yourself, too." And with that final statement, he steps forward to join your group.

Baxter blinks once.

He takes a moment to reign in his shock. Did Cove Holden of all people just give him some encouragement? He chuckles, straightening up as he spots you splitting from the circle to make your way over to his side.

This week has been full of surprises.

#Our Life #Our Life: Beginning and Always #baxter ward #baxter ward x mc #baxter ward x reader #cove holden #i'm really happy cove doesn't just hit it off with baxter honestly #but i think he would try if it made mc happy #and that's what spurred this on

[orion4ever]

mc telling:cove, derek and baxter about their special interests headcanons (full on ranting, very passionate)

Author’s Note: I am Autistic so I resonate with this request alot! I hope you enjoy!

Pairing(s): Cove x MC , Derek x MC and Baxter x MC

⚽️🐠☕️

COVE HOLDEN🌊

He loves it when you talk about your special interest!

He is perfectly content with just sitting in silence while you go on a rant.

He does get a little worried that you might lose your voice when you get really really passionate about this interest.

He’s Autistic as well so he will probably rant about his special interests to you sometimes as well.

Cove🤝MC

Mutually talking about their special interest.

You two would just be casually lounging in bed when you suddenly get on the topic of your Interest and bro would get the pillows propped up so that he can properly listen to you.

DEREK SUÁREZ⚽️

Is always really nice when you start talking about your special interest.

Derek wants to make sure you know he’s listening so he asks questions often.

He might look up information about it so that he can actively talk to you about it.

Like if this special was a book or a movie then he would watch it or read it.

He gets equally passionate with you.

Derek would probably kick around a ball or be working out while you talk, not because he isn’t super interested but because he likes to keep himself occupied while listening to you talk, like a podcast hosted by his favorite person!

You can always count on him to be the guy to listen.

BAXTER WARD☕️

He thinks you talking about your special interests is adorable.

He loves when people are passionate about their interests and hobbies. It shows commitment! (he can’t relate to being committed/j)

He is content with just listening but will occasionally add something or ask for an elaboration from time to time.

If he finds anything of this special interest, like a keychain or a poster then he would bring it home to give to you!

He's sort of in the same boat as Derek where he’d be doing some other task while you talk, like working on scheduling or doing small ballroom moves.

He may not know what you may be referring to half the time but be assured that he will the next time the topic comes up!

Baxter is very thoughtful and always happy to hear about the latest things about your special interest.

#fanfic #olba #our life beginnings & always #olba baxter #baxter ward #cove holden #olba cove #olba derek #olba mc #ourlifebeginningandalwayscove #ourlifebeginningandalwaysbaxter #ourlifebeginningandalwaysderek #derek suarez #gb patch #cove holden x mc #cove holden x reader #derek suarez x mc #derek suarez x reader #baxter ward x mc #baxter ward x reader

[sugar-omi]

Ello! Could you do Mornings with Cove, Derek, and Baxter? Fem! MC, plz!

the boys are so sappy n in love w you/mc it's SICK also does anyone else have trouble keeping their bonnet/scarf on bc i don't even bother anymore, n i alrdy tried the hair pins. it worked once n then never again i sleep like a wild animal istg ANYWAY!! enjoy anon! i'm so sorry it took so long<333

tags : Fluff, fem/afab reader (use of girl, ma'am, wife), multiple choice dialogue, every scenario has different tags bc it's easier for me that way👍, newly established relationship (derek/baxter), marrying cove

[scenarios in order of cove>baxter>derek]

synopsis : how you spend your mornings with the boys

tags : step 3 / in between step 3-4, you proposed to cove at the end of summer, eloping, moving in together

you're slow to wake up, rolling over and taking all the sheets with you.

you huff and try to untangle the sheets from under body and around your leg... once you're comfortable enough you pull your dangling pillow back onto the bed.

you reach over for cove, wanting to be close to your new husband.

"cove?" you finally open your eyes and search around the room. it's empty. well, save for the boxes and the new mattress on the middle of the floor where you slept together last night.

before you can call out again you hear some clinking and the sound of a sink running.

begrudgingly, you leave your nest of blankets in search of cove. it was worthless to stay in bed if he wasn't there.

first though you should wash up a bit, moving all those boxes had you so tired and you slept good.

you creep up behind cove, you already know he's heard you, but between the sizzling of the pan and the messy playlist terry oh so graciously made for you two.

determining there's not danger of one of you getting hurt by the hot pan in the case cove flinches, you wrap your arms around cove.

"oh-!" cove tenses up, putting a hand on your arm.

he laughs when you mumble "good morning" into his back, still sleepy and you almost fall asleep with your head leaned against him. cove is so comforting...

"don't fall asleep back there, i'm almost done cooking." cove's voice rumbles through you, disrupting your nodding head.

"mhm..." you slink over to the couch. it's crooked and in the middle of the room, all but thrown haphazardly in the room by the movers.

you blink, watching the trees sway and cars zoom by.

you're not in the heart of the city, but you're certainly not out in the middle of nearly nowhere like sunset bird.

"here ya go." the plate comes into view, startling you from your daydream.

you mumble your thanks, suddenly realizing how hungry you are. the meal is simple enough and made from whatever snacks and foods you took from your parents' house that are signaturely yours, but there's toast on the side and that's all that matters.

you eat in silence, propping up your computer on some boxes and watching a video, and after you're done eating, you continue down the funny animal rabbit hole.

"this is nice." you say suddenly, whispered almost.

"hey, that's my line." cove teases and you two share lazy wolfish grins. "no~, your line is saying that i'm nice." you correct, proving your innocence.

"so i'm not nice?" cove lays out a trap and you willingly fall into it.

"you are nice, very nice." you lean in to steal a peck, to which cove takes more. when you pull away, you can't help but laugh about it, it's cute how cove always wants more affection from you.

"i'm just saying, it's nice to be with you like this." you flush, suddenly aware of how embarrassing this is to admit. "y'know, being married and living together, 'n all that stuff..." you trail off, glancing off to the side as you let cove process what you said with a flustered face.

suddenly, his arms tighten around you and you look up to see him teary eyed.

"i'm happy too!"

you laugh, reaching up to wipe his tears away. "good."

cove sniffles, his voice thick from crying but also from affection. "i really liked waking up to you today, it was.. nice."

cove's blush must have been contagious because you felt your own face get hot. "i can't say the same since you were missing, but it was nice sleeping together. and we get to do it everyday and every night."

cove laugh, looking off to the side from being embarrassed at your admissions. "sorry, i was just so happy i wanted to surprise you in bed, but you got up before i could get back."

you smile, curling your fingers in his hair. "well, we got our whole lives for that."

you could practically see the hearts popping off cove, "will you wait for me to bring you breakfast tomorrow?"

you laugh, "sure cove."

cove puffs up, happy with every second that goes by. "what do you want to eat? we can go out shopping today. i really want to try this new flavor of juice i saw a few days ago, it's strawberry something..." cove rambles and you let him go on, agreeing and adding onto the verbal list.

eventually, cove pulls out his phone to write this down and you whisper, full of tenderness. "we're being domestic again, but it's for real this time since we're living together."

cove squeaks, unable to hide his face since his hands are holding his phone tight, trying not to drop it on you. "w-we are, aren't we?" cove laugh, happy again.

"thank you for agreeing to marry me."

cove blinks at you, surprised before he laughs. "you're doing it again."

"what?!" you sit up, grinning even though you're taking up a stance. "you've said that twice, what's that supposed to mean!"

cove shrugs, leaving you hanging. he hooks his arms around your neck, eyes full of love. "as if i'd ever say no, i mean.. i never really thought about getting married, but... well, i wouldn't marry anyone else."

you blink away tears, leaning down to capture cove in a kiss.

he hums happily, letting you slide your hand up his shirt when you get lost in each others lips before you pull away.

"let's elope."

"wh-what?!" cove scrambles, forcing you to sit up but he can't go anywhere with you on top of his lap.

"elope, let's get eloped." you repeat, suddenly embarrassed.

cove coughs, "right now?!"

you nod before you back track, "i mean.. unless you don't want to! i can wait, i'm just so happy that it came out..."

it's silent for a moment, and cove is trying to get his temperature down before he explodes..

"let's do it."

you snap your neck to look at him, "huh?"

cove is flustered and sweating a bit "let's elope.." he finally looks at you instead of his hands. "i can't wait either, and i mean.. we're going to be husband and wife anyway so, why not..?"

you grin, "okay! um- i'll get ready then." you stop, realizing there's some things that should be done before hand, "oh, maybe we should call our parents?"

cove nods, giving a strained smile. "they're gonna tease us again.."

you take his hand, "thats okay. we'll suffer together." cove pushes your shoulder with his and rolls his eyes.

"yeah, you're right. we got this."

tags : (after) step 4, multiple dialogue choice for poc readers/readers w different hair length/upkeep

you stir, your dream disturbed by someone shuffling and squirming and a hand on your cheek.

slowly letting your dream go, regrettably since it was just getting interesting, and blink sleepily at the mess of black hair beside you.

you groan, turning your head to hide it in the pillow.

"why are you up? it's not even 11 yet..." you grumble, slipping baxter's phone back under the pillow. it must've ended up there somehow after you two fell asleep in the middle of your youtube binge, and until you're ready to get up it'll stay there.

"just admiring you."

you smile, peeking at him. "no way, you're jus' saying stuff."

baxter looks so tender, his hand moving from your cheek to hold your hand. "i'm serious. you're the prettiest girl in the world."

a coy, wolfish smile comes on his face, "even if-

-your hair is sticking up on one side." you fly upright, covering your hair with your hands.

-your hair is kinda sticking up." you fly upright, snatching up your bonnet/scarf that came off in the middle of the night and fixing it.

-you drool in your sleep." you jump, rubbing your mouth to wipe away the tacky spit.

you huff as baxter chuckles away, "sorry i- ack!"

you slap baxter with the pillow, throwing the sheets away and running to the bathroom to wash up. "laugh it up! you're worse than me, y'know?"

baxter finally sits up, showing you his own messy hair do. it's flat on one side. you stifle a cackle.

he gazes at you softly, sleep and love softening his features. "i'm pas' that."

you don't bother closing the bathroom door, knowing baxter is slow on your tail. "you put salt in your coffee yesterday. are ya sure about that?"

you turn on the shower, letting the water warm up while you brush your teeth.

baxter finally comes behind you, wrapping his arms around you and kissing your cheek.

you hum, pleased.

baxter gazes at you through the mirror, addressing you through it. "i love you."

you feel warm, your heart skipping and beating fast at the overwhelming affection from him today. "i love you too."

baxter kisses your cheek, looking up at you through his eyelashes. "so, can i join your shower?"

"only if you behave, pepe-le-pew." you pinch baxter's cheek, grinning at how he scrunches up his face.

while you get ready for the shower, making the water warm enough for the both of you.

usually you take hot showers, but last time baxter turned red so lukewarm would have to do.

usually you take cold showers, but baxter just shook in the corner of the shower before he jumped under some hot water to warm up.

you two take showers together often, this was good bonding time for you two.

"wash my hair for me?" baxter asks, sliding up behind you.

"sure." you switch spots so baxter can get his hair wet. it's a tight fit since this shower isn't meant for two, but you make it work. it was better than the bathtub anyway, that was its own problem...

baxter sits on the stool, something you finally put in since it was straining, having to bend down every time.

"don't get shampoo in my mouth again." baxter cackles, trying not to laugh as you massage the shampoo in his hair.

"that was an accident!" you defend, "and it was your fault! you wouldn't stop laughing and talking while i was washing your hair out!"

"is that so?" baxter's suave voice echos throughout the bathroom. the sound makes you shiver.

"yeah 'that's so'! you play around too much!" you laugh and mock. "now stop talking, i'm gonna wash it out."

baxter willingly shuts his mouth, letting you tip his head back and detach the shower head to wash the shampoo out.

this gives you a good view of his face. truthfully, there are not many times when baxter is quiet, witty and flirty words always coming from his mouth, and his face is always lined with a lazy lopsided smile.

so seeing him like this, with his face relaxed and his shoulders sagging as he lets you work your hands through his hair.

"you can open your eyes now." you wipe baxter's face with your hand to get the water off his face, pushing his hair back.

baxter blinks, getting used to the change of light. he takes the shower head from your hands so he can hold your hand and he smiles, coy and mischievous. "hey there, beautiful, come here often?"

you roll your eyes, ignoring the flush coming over you. "shut up."

baxter laughs, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your stomach, watching you.

"what're you looking at?" you feel so flustered from baxter being so soft and tender this morning.

"you." baxter intertwines your fingers. "you're the prettiest girl in the world."

you crumble, leaning over him. "can't you just say 'i love you' like a normal person.."

baxter smiles his signature lopsided grin, "nope." he says, popping the 'p'.

you two sit for a moment in silence, wrapped up in each other.

"i love you too. even though you're silly." you mumble, moving to grab baxter's face.

"i think you're helping me to look silly," he tries to smile but you're squishing his cheeks. "i love you more though."

"as if." you lean down to kiss his forehead, then his nose, which if he could, there'd be a happy tail swinging behind him. before you finally meet his lips, letting him take more than you were going to give.

"okay bax," you laugh, pushing his shoulders. "enough kisses, the waters getting cold."

his loopy, lovesick grin turns wolfish, "i'll warm you up."

baxter starts to trail his hands along your hips, going from sensual to playful as he starts tickling your sides.

you squeal, holding onto his wrists. "stop it!" you squirm, laughter echoing throughout the shower..

tags : (after) step 4, clingy derek, reader can cook, Encanto movie mentioned (that movie SLAPPED), reader gives derek a massage

it would be a meriacle you woke up before derek if it wasn't already coming up to 2pm.

you don't usually get up this late, but you and Derek had been up having fun and watching the sunrise just for the hell of it, that it ended up happening.

you yawn and stretch, looking at the expanse of derek's muscled back as you consider if kts worth getting up or not.

'mm, i could make him breakfast..'

now that was an idea. finally setting that as your goal, you throw off the sheets and manage to creep out the room as quietly and as quickly as possible.

you may not be the next gordon ramsay, but you at least knew your way around the kitchen. so once scrounging up some eggs and vegetables, you set onto making an omelet.

which... is harder than it looks. and the first one isn't instgram worthy for sure. looks like you'll be taking that one...

you start humming to the music you have playing quietly, swaying from side to side in place as you expertly (at least in your opinion) shimmy the spatula under the omlete to flip it.

then, right as you give a small "aha!" at your success, a sleepy, gravelly call of your name comes from the hallway.

"y/n..? where are ya?"

you bristle, looking around the disordered kitchen panicked. "kitchen! don't come in!"

you curse, taking the pan off the stove and turning off the eye quickly as you slide into the hallway. you thank derek's sleepy movement since otherwise he would've found you out already if he wasn't ready to collapse where he stood.

he blinks, rubbing his eyes. "what's going on? you need help?"

you start pushing on his chest. "no! i can handle everything here, so just go to bed, and I'll be right there, okay?"

derek laughs, letting you push him back towards the bedroom, "i mean sure but what're you-"

"nope! no questions! just go back to bed and wait for me. if you come out before i'm ready, a punishment is in order!" you nag, crossing your arms as derek gets back into bed.

"kinky."

you huff and roll your eyes, trying not to show your amusement. being half asleep also turns off half of derek's filter..

you lean over, roughly tucking him in much to his delight. "now stay here." you kiss his head before you run off, shutting the door 3/4ths of the way before you throw it back open to glare at him.

"i mean it."

derek laughs, his eyes droopy again already. "yes ma'am."

you shut the door and skip down the hall, hurrying to fix the rest of your and derek's breakfast before the omletes get cold.

bustling around the kitchen, trying to keep things neat as you go, but the stack of dishes in the sink and fallen egg shell you quickly pick up says there was a disaster happening here.

in the end, though, you find the nicest plates derek has here and a food tray before you plate up the food with care, even cutting and peeling some fruit on the side to go with your choice of yogurt or oatmeal, before making your way to the bedroom, humming.

you're happy you got to do something nice for derek, even though it almost went up in ruins a few times. be it from derek almost walking in, the questionably shaped omelet, or almost getting orange juice in your eye when peeling.

you somehow balance the tray well enough to open the door, and before you can give a loud and playfully formal announcement that food is ready, you realize derek is asleep.

he looks so serene, arm stretched out on your side of the bed and the sunlight hitting his back nicely.

you smile, creeping up and sitting the tray down carefully. equally as careful, you ease yourself onto the bed, petting derek's hair as you debate waking him up or not.

you push his hair off his forehead. his hair feels and looks so different when it's not gelled up in his signature style, he still looks handsome like this though, maybe even more-so.

"mmm, tha' you y/n?" derek takes your hand out of his hair and into his, loosely holding your hand.

"yeah. i made you breakfast but if you're too tired we can eat later." you kiss his hand.

derek hums, a dopey smile coming on his face. "i could eat." derek sits up, stretching with a groan and slumping against the pillows, trying to wake himself up.

you present the tray, popping the legs and situation it between you two so you can eat as well.

"oh that's so sad, he just wants to eat with his family.." you fret, absent-mindedly playing with derek's hair.

derek hums, mumbling something.

you look down at him, thinking derek looks like an sleepy pup that thinks he's still a lap dog. derek is much bigger than when you guys were kids, something you still can't get used to some days.

"you falling asleep?" you push his hair back, showing derek's droopy eyes.

he squirms, still keeping his arms wrapped around your waist. "no.." derek yawns, burying his face into your stomach.

you laugh, tugging on little strands of derek's hair, that elicit a low, gravelly hum from him.

"okay, tell me if you want anything." you lean down, trying to kiss derek but the position just strains your neck and back.

derek looks up, peaking at you and smiling when he sees your pouty lips. he leans up, holding the back of your head as he gives you a few soft kisses that he can't help but smile through.

you smile back at him. "lay down with me.." derek purrs, his voice hoarse with sleep.

"i'm trying to watch the movie!" you laugh, derek already pulling you down the bed so you can lay with him.

"and you can watch it from my arms." derek snuggles into your neck, kissing the back of your neck which makes you shiver and laugh.

at some point near the end of the movie you ended up falling asleep, much to your disappointment.

you smack your lips, "dang it..." you fumble for the remote in the sheets, finding it at the end of the bed, only saved by the foot board.

while you start rewinding the movie, derek walks back in.

you perk up, scooting towards the edge of the bed. "derek!" your voice is thick with sleep and your head feels cloudy still from dreamland but seeing derek makes you feel a bit excited.

"you're awake." derek comes to your side, rubbing the towel over his head. you hum, "did you fall asleep too?" you prop yourself on your knees to help derek dry off, "i slept through the ending..." you pout.

derek laughs, "we can watch it together. do you think we can start over? i wasn't paying attention earlier..." derek admits sheepishly.

you nod, then realize derek probably didn't see you before he turned around so you said yes.

while derek looks for clothes you respond to lee's spam texts about something or other.

you're in the middle of typing out another response to respond to your cousins fangirling when derek groans and sighs.

derek slumps over, rubbing his neck.

"you okay, baby?"

derek startles a bit, turning to look at you sheepishly. "yeah, i'm fine."

you roll your eyes and send a quick "brb" text before throwing the phone somewhere on the bed. "no you're not. are you stiff? sore?"

derek comes closer to you, kneeling on the rug so he can hug your waist. "a bit.. guess i've been going to hard on arm day." you both laugh.

"yeah, i don't think those guns need to het any bigger." you laugh, curling your fingers in his hair. "oh! how about i give you a massage?"

derek looks at you with wide eyes, "you can do that?"

you shrug. "i'm not a professional, but it might help. do you want me to?" derek nods, a bit too enthusiastic, which makes him blush and clear his throat. "if you don't mind.."

you shake your head and push derek's shoulders so you can stand up, "not at all, wait here.."

it takes a moment to find the lotion, a con of having moved into a new place: everything is in an odd place.

you don't keep any oil or anything like that that would be more appropriate, so this would have to do.

derek is a bit awkward at first, but once you put on some music for yourself so you can focus, derek starts watching the animal tiktok's your friends were spamming in the group chat, occasionally apologizing for his laughter making your body bounce.

you're happy and share a few laughs and idle conversations between the two of you. you don't really know what you're doing, and mostly following a few tips from online.

derek sighs, sinking into the mattress. "that's good..."

your hands smooth over his back, spreading the lotion down to the small of his back and kneading a bit.

satisfied now that derek looks relaxed and you've done the best you can to make your lover feel better, you lean over to kiss the back of his neck. "there you go, baby."

derek hums, and you move around to lay beside him. "thank you. i feel so much better." derek nuzzles into your neck, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you in.

you laugh at derek's clinginess, wrapping your arms around his back as well. "i'm glad, i wasn't really sure what i was doing."

derek starts peppering kisses all over your face, both of you smiling and laughing.

eventually, derek pulls away, having flipped you over and is gazing down at you, his eyes full of love and are a bit glassy. "thanks for taking care of me today. you're amazing..."

you reach up to cup his cheeks, "you're worth it, you need to be taken care of."

derek laughs, tears gathering on his lashes. he tucks his face into your neck, completely wrapping his body around your own. "i love you so much."

you brighten, surprised but happy with derek's declaration. that's the first time either of you have said the L-word.

"i love you too, derek."

#our life: beginnings & always #olba #cove holden #cove holden x reader #cove x mc #cove x reader #baxter ward #our life baxter #baxter ward x reader #baxter x reader #baxter ward x mc #cove holden fluff #cove holden x mc #baxter ward fluff #derek suarez x mc #derek suarez x reader #our life derek #derek suarez #derek suarez fluff #our life derek suarez #baxter our life #our life baxter ward #our life cove holden #our life cove #cove our life #cove holden x reader fluff #fluff #black reader

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

Got an anonymous request for Lee's reaction in a hypothetical where the MC could tell Lee that they were crushing on the "mystery boy" (Baxter) from Soiree, so of course I was 👀👀👀

I'm 99% sure they were expecting an idle mention rather than a full thing but I couldn't control myself so--

Bonus below the break:

#type: script editing #our life #our life: beginnings & always #olba #step: 2 #moment: family #lee #baxter ward x mc #((I also added a small scene in Soiree for the MC to confirm/feel attracted to the mystery boy)) #((which is what allows this scene to happen.)) #((This also inspired me to add a scene to Boating if the MC is dating Baxter and okay with telling people)) #((where the MC makes due on the promise.)) #((Sorry anon I like this too much it's staying in my modded game forever.)) #((Anyway I'm going to go work on Step 2 -> Step 3 appearance stuff now.))

[milomarigold]

Baxter Ward Headcanon - Lunch Dates

Gender neutral | SFW Fluff | Baxter Ward x MC

First headcanon, hope ya enjoy!

🍁 Being a wedding planner is no easy feat! From planning bigger details like the wedding theme to smaller details like stainless steel or wooden cutlery. That's where Baxter's diligence, organization, and flexibility (📏) comes in handy!

🍁 However, planning such grand events also means our Victorian emo boy tends to skips out on lunch to get more work done. Especially during bigger assignments!

🍁 Since you know he usually only has a black coffee in the morning, you decide to suggest you both get lunch breaks together! It takes a bit of convincing, he wouldn't want to inconvenience you, but in the end he can't resist a chance to spend more time with his charming MC~

Baxter: "You're worried about me skipping meals? Well, my schedule can get hectic. Are you sure it wouldn't trouble you? I wouldn't want to get in the way of what you have to do… Although I'll admit, a chance to see your charming self sounds lovely. Alright then, having lunch dates sounds excellent~"

🍁 His lunch breaks are an hour long. Before your lunch dates he usually didn't use the full time (only the required 30 min) because…

Baxter: (on the phone) "What do you mean the tablecloths are cotton and not linen?? Linda, stay put, I'm on my way."

However, he does try to remain the whole hour with you when your lunch dates begin. He adjusts letting the wedding couple know he will be gone for an hour, but as soon as the break is over they'll have his undivided attention.

🍁 It takes a bit of getting used to at the beginning. He can't help but check his phone when notifications come in, for example. As long as it's not an emergency, you gently remind him it's his time and to enjoy the snack in front of him.

Baxter: "But darling, you're the whole damn meal~"

🍁 He prefers to eat out rather than stay in the office. To avoid co-workers asking questions that lead to him helping to find that one file, and answer that call, oh and he has to call this one place-

🍁 He quickly comes to look forward to your little lunch dates. Seeing how passionately you talk about your interests and the smile on your face when you eat your favorite snack has him smitten!!

🍁 You guys are gossip buddies. Neither of you share anything hurtful, but you two also can't help talking about the shenanigans that go on at your respective workplaces.

Baxter: "One morning Michael came in complaining about a speed bump on the highway…I ponder who he ran over." (Sips coffee casually)

🍁 Baxter's eyes sparkle if you surprise him with a homemade meal. Especially touched if you remember his preferences; such as something pescatarian or something with peaches. You don't have to worry about your cooking skills, your intention matters more to him! His co-workers will notice he's extra chipper that afternoon.

🍁 In return, he'll also prepare a lunch for both of you the night before. He plans to make something that's only a "tad" extra, but always gets carried away and creates the most Instagram/Pinterest worthy aesthetic lunches you ever did see.

Baxter: "It's just a little something to thank you for the other day." 💜

🍁 You both agree to meet at a chill little park near work when you make lunches for each other. You have a special picnic blanket for the occasion that's so comfy you almost lose track of time.

🍁 On days where you can't meet up, you either face call each other or simply text each other to make sure the other has eaten.

💬 Yes, darling I just finished off lunch. It was great, I would've enjoyed it far more with your company, but alas! How about you, have you eaten yet?

🍁 Sometimes you send donuts, muffins and other treats to Baxter's office where he shares with his co-workers. His co-workers like you very much for this reason, haha! It also gives Baxter the opportunity to make more friends.

🍁 Over lunch, he occasionally brings up some wedding planning hitches. You help him figure out solutions when he's stumped.

Baxter: "Darling you're brilliant! Perhaps you're due for a reward? Are you free tonight? I'd love to show you my gratitude~"

Overall, meeting for lunch gives you both another opportunity to take care of each other. He feels the stress melt away as soon as he sees his favorite person and it makes his lunch that much sweeter.

#beloved oreo man #the ol1 victorian clown #ourlife #baxter ward #our life beginnings & always #gb patch #Baxter ward x reader #Baxter ward x mc

[flowertot-s]

but we’re two slow dancers, last ones out

leyendecker study ft. midge and baxter

#its been a hot minute whoopsies #art #artist #drawing #draw #artwork #sketch #digital art #character #fanart #our life beginnings & always #our life baxter #baxter ward #baxter ward x mc #painting #painting study #our life #ol:ba oc #ol:ba

[flower-seeks-the-moon]

sure as the sunrise

He has a voice for reciting poetry.

The morning sunbeams filter through gauzy white curtains, catching in his dark hair like tiny stars. She reaches up to try and catch them, her fingers instead tossing jet-black locks into disarray. Not as if it could get any messier in the mornings.

“Say that again,” she says, blinking languidly when he takes her hand in his. 

His answering chuckle rumbles through her bones, as deep as the earth. “My love for you is true as the morning sun.” The thumb he presses against her pulse, which flutters like a hummingbird in flight, momentarily distracts her from the affection shining in his eyes.

“Turning into a poet, aren’t we? For someone who hates mornings, you’re sure saying something wrinkly-brained right now.”

Instead of responding, he presses her hand against his lips. The heat of his breath puffs against her skin. His fingers trace patterns along the lines of her palm, index running along its lifeline with the reverence of a master weaver putting in place the red threads of fate that bring people together.

It takes a few beats for her to gather her fracturing thoughts.

“You make an honest man and a poet both out of me, Wisteria.”

Her heart feels like it’s near-bursting. “As you make me rather a fool around you.” 

The words linger on the tip of her tongue. She is no great linguist like him, preferring to speak through her silences. But she could manage it, if just for him. So the words come out with a sigh, like sunlight shining through the cracks. 

“For you, Baxter, my affection is as certain as the tides that hug the shore each and every day.”

Though her cheeks burn at her clumsy attempt, the smile that blooms on his face like a flower makes it worth trying.

#baxter ward #ficlet #our life: beginnings & always #our life #olba #writing #luna's fics #baxter ward x mc #drabbles

[ryuuisnotpresent]

to celebrate the b man's dlc launch + his official birthday, take baxter in this totally normal pose, and in black and white of course

congrats on your dlc launch you dramatic ass man, can't wait to play it finally

bonus (old) drawing of baxter and calyun meeting in step 4, I can't remember if I've posted this before

okay yoo joonghyuk I say knowing damn well I used him as a reference

#also an excuse to focus on values instead of worrying about color theory like i usually do #i may be out of commission this weekend because of this man #i need to explore every option okay #just like i did with derek's dlc #our life mc #our life #fanart #baxter ward #our life fanart #baxter ward fanart #baxter ward x mc #our life: beginnings & always #ol:ba #artists on tumblr #our life baxter #our life game #baxter dlc

[loathsomeloner]

You know, I’m kinda surprised I haven’t seen a single person do a redraw of the La La Land poster with their MC and Baxter (at least on tumblr)

I know jazz isn’t really Baxter’s thing but still I think it’d look neat

#I’ve never actually seen the movie btw #so if it really doesn’t fit #whoops my bad I had no idea #our life #our life beginnings & always #our life beginnings and always #our life: beginnings & always #olba #olba mc #olba baxter #baxter ward #our life baxter #baxter ward x mc

[avalordream]

Cove: You really put aside everything and came all this way for me?... How did you even get here so fast...?

MC: Several traffic violations.

Terry: Three counts of resisting arrest!

Derek: Roughly thirteen cans of energy drinks.

Baxter: ✨Also, this is not our car.✨

#our life beginning and always #our life #olba #olba cove holden #olba terry #olba derek suarez #olba baxter alexander ward #olba baxter ward #olba cove #olba derek #olba baxter #olba mc #cove holden x mc #cove x mc #derek suarez x mc #derek x mc #baxter ward x mc #baxter x mc #our life fake qoutes #our life incorrect qoutes #ama thoughts #ama talks #omg #i saw this qoute and HAD to put these four in here #also #baxter not driving his own car? #that's crazyyy #but where's the proof #who's gonna believe you #this bish would totally gaslight the hell out of any witnesses

[differenteagletragedy]

Baxter is a daaaaddy

In which @orion4ever generally requested fics with Daddy Baxter and I decided to write a novel -- this is a series of short little shots of Baxter and MC having a baby and watching that child grow up.

(Note: the baby's name is maybe the corniest thing I have ever done in my entire life but I stand by it and now it is my truth.)

"Do you think maybe you've taken enough tests?" Cove asked, standing next to you in his bathroom.

You looked down at the counter at the neat little line of pregnancy tests. There were different brands, different prices, but they all had the same result.

You were pregnant. With Baxter's baby. And it was NOT planned.

"What are you going to do?" he asked after you didn't answer his first question.

"I'm going to tell him," you responded, trying to project more confidence than you felt.

You and Baxter had been back together for a while at that point, and you'd been living together in Prism Vista City for a couple of years. Your relationship was great, and you absolutely wanted to marry him and have children together. But the plan was for all that to happen in the future.

Life, however, had a different plan.

Cove hyped you up as you collected all the sticks, wrapped them up in the bag from the drug store and threw them away. He kept it going as you walked out to your car to drive home, telling you about how great it would go, how Baxter would be so excited, how you'd be the best mom -- the sweetest words from your sweetest friend.

You tried to keep them in your mind as you made your way back to the apartment. When you made your way up to the front door, you paused, taking in a breath, then went inside.

"There's my girl," Baxter said sweetly, glancing over from the kitchen. The smells wafting through to the living room told you he was almost done cooking dinner.

"Hey," you answered, a bit less enthusiastically than normal.

It wasn't that you thought he'd be mean about it, or disappointed or anything. Not really. It's just that Baxter's original disappearing act left a bigger impression on you than you liked to admit, even now. Logically, you knew there was no chance of him running away. But still, those old feelings were resurfacing and it made you a little uneasy.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, dropping what he was doing to move to stand in front of you.

"Nothing," you said automatically -- you hadn't planned out how to tell him, but you didn't think the doorway would be a great place.

"I know you better than that," he chided, then repeated, "What's wrong?"

His eyes were boring into yours, and it just slipped out.

When he heard those words fall quietly from your lips, he froze. For what felt like forever, he didn't make a sound. He didn't move.

Then he pulled you into a bone-crushing hug.

All the emotions you'd been trying to hold in let loose, and you started sobbing on his shoulder. He held you, stroking your hair, whispering how much he loved you until you were able to calm down a bit.

He leaned back just enough to look at you and asked, "Are we doing this?"

"I want to," you said, certain of that much.

A wide grin broke out on his face -- not one of his usually little lazy smirks, a full-on smile.

And that's how you and Baxter started on the journey of a lifetime.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"If A goes into C ... then ... no, that can't be right," Baxter said, staring out at all the wood pieces and hardware bits laid out around him.

You were about six months along, your tummy was getting rounder, and he had you sitting on the rocking chair in the room you'd been converting to a nursery like the dainty princess he'd been treating you as for the past several months.

He was putting together a crib for the baby. It was not going well.

After you became pregnant, the two of you had decided that it might be time to find a nice little house in the suburbs, somewhere with a yard and a little more room. Baxter took the task on, spending hours upon hours researching and making calls and talking to the bank. When he found some real contenders, he'd taken you out to see them, and that's how you found your new home.

And yes, he'd assured you, the ice cream truck came down this street.

Looking down at your boyfriend reading a packet of assembly instructions like it was the most indecipherable text known to man, you couldn't help but laugh.

"I do believe we're missing something," he muttered, not hearing you.

This had been going on for an hour, and he hadn't gotten anywhere. Baxter was beautiful and sweet and graceful and so many good things, but he certainly wasn't a handyman.

"Ok, that's enough."

He looked up when you stood, then got up himself, moving to you.

"You should be resting, darling," he said, putting his hands on your waist. "Sit back down, let me take care of this. Please."

"I'm pregnant, Baxter, not helpless," you laughed, snaking your arms over his shoulders and pulling him closer.

He smiled -- he had been making quite the fuss over you since you'd told him the big news, but he didn't mind a bit. He actually enjoyed it very much. After all, you were giving him the greatest gift -- a family -- and the least he could do was pamper you while your body created an entire human being.

"I like taking care of you," he reminded you. He placed a kiss on your forehead, and another on your temple.

"Then stop messing around with this stupid crib and mess around with me instead," you said.

He raised an eyebrow, but your remark wasn't a huge surprise. Pregnancy hormones were intense, and after you got through an unpleasant first trimester, you'd gotten pretty ... fiesty.

"What kind of man would I be to deny the mother of my child something she asks for?" he asked.

"No kind of man at all," you replied, pulling him down for a proper kiss.

If Baby Ward ever asked where their antique crib came from, you'd have to come up with a good answer. "Your dad couldn't figure out IKEA instructions and your mom was too horny to help him" just didn't sound like a great story to pass on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You were exhausted, more exhausted than you'd ever been in your life by far. If you'd been in any another situation, you would have passed out a long time ago and slept as long as humanly possible.

But the sight of Baxter standing in your hospital room, cradling your newborn baby girl with such a look of love and devotion on his face was enough for you to keep your eyes open.

"She's perfect," he told you softly. "Absolutely perfect."

The baby, who you still hadn't named yet, gave a little coo, and you'd swear if he wasn't so intent on holding her so carefully he would have melted right into the floor.

"Daddy loves you," he told her, using a mix between his normal fancy voice and a baby-talk tone that he'd been using throughout your pregnancy when talking to your tummy -- it was equal parts adorable and hilarious. "Daddy is going to take care of you and mommy forever and ever, you little angel, daddy's little princess ..."'

He went on like that for a while. It could have been the exhaustion, but you thought you saw actual hearts in his eyes once.

After a bit, the baby started crying. Baxter swiftly handed her to you, and you started a breastfeeding attempt. He stayed right by your side, helping you angle her around and move her head to try to find the best latch. Once you'd found it, you smiled up at him.

"I think I know what her name is," you told him.

"Oh?" he asked. "Do share."

"Penelope. Penny for short."

He smirked at the reference to one of his old favorite sayings, then looked down at the baby. He studied her for a moment, then looked back to you.

"Penny Ward," he said, giving you a quick kiss. "One of the two lights of my life."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Penny ... baby, please ..." you cried, holding your six-month-old daughter in your arms as she cried right along with you.

She was teething, a sharp little top of a tooth poking through her gums, and she didn't care for the feeling one bit. You'd tried everything -- teething rights, soft frozen foods, tylenol, walking, sitting, lying down. Nothing was working.

"Daddy's home," you heard from the doorway. Baxter had been off working a wedding, and you hadn't heard him come in over the sound of Penny's screams.

He walked directly to you, still in his self-designated work uniform of a black shirt and slacks, and took the baby from you.

"I've got her," he said, rubbing her back lightly. "Why don't you take care of yourself? Bed, dinner, a bath, perhaps? What do you need?"

You leaned against the wall, still crying yourself and not sure how to respond. You watched as Baxter kissed Penny on the cheek and moved with her across the room in a little waltz. He'd done this since she was born -- she liked being walked around, but why would Baxter walk when dancing was just as easy?

She settled down a bit in his arms -- a daddy's girl, through and through.

"Can I take a shower?" you asked. "Then I can get her to sleep while you get ready for bed."

"Absolutely not," he told you. "And miss an evening with one of my favorite girls?"

"You worked all day," you reminded him. "You need to rest."

"I think we both know I've got quite the knack for burning the midnight oil."

The two of you had a bit of a stare down, but you were too tired, and Baxter with your baby in his arms was too sweet.

"Ok, fine," you finally said. "I'll take a shower and lay down for a little while, but you come get me soon so you can go to bed."

"Absolutely," he said in a way that actually meant "absolutely not."

Still, you wandered off to change out of your vomit-stained shirt and hop in the shower, completely drained but completely aware of how much you'd lucked out with Baxter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You'd been with Baxter for a long time. You'd seen him at his highest and at his lowest, at his most confident and in the depths of his self hatred.

But you don't think anything quite compared to the Baxter you saw in front of you -- the Baxter who was standing in a hospital room, watching his four-year-old daughter wailing with a broken arm.

He had taken Penny to the park while you got some work done, and she'd fallen off the swing and landed funny on her arm. That was all, a normal childhood injury. Of course it was difficult to see your child in pain, but you could tell Baxter was also blaming himself.

"I've got you, sweetheart," he said softly, standing by the bed. He had one hand on her head, holding it against him, and the other was grasping the hand on her uninjured arm.

"You've got to be a brave girl, ok?" you said. You were kneeling in front of her, careful for the doctors who were at a small table by the bed, preparing to anesthetize her so they could set her arm in a cast.

"But it hurts!" she sobbed. "I want to go home!"

Baxter tensed a bit, and when you glanced up at him you saw tears in his eyes. Still, he did his best to hold it together for his pride and joy.

"I'll tell you what," he said, gripping her hand. "You just be brave for a little longer, then tomorrow we can do whatever you like. Movies all day, candy for breakfast, a toy store shopping spree -- just name it."

You glanced at him again. This girl could take this guilt trip for a major ride if she wanted.

Penny's sniffles slowed down a little as she looked up at her father. "Can we play princesses?"

"We'll be the prettiest princesses in all the land," he replied with no hesitation.

That seemed to make her happy, then the doctors were ready. They put her to sleep, then ushered you and Baxter out of the room while they got to work.

"I'm so sorry," Baxter gasped, all the emotion falling out of him now that his daughter wasn't there to see it. "It happened so quickly -- I should have been closer, I should have caught her ..."

"It was an accident," you told him simply as you pulled him into a hug. "That's all. It's not your fault."

"But it is," he argued. "I was there, I was taking care of her. If she'd fallen differently, if something else had happened, I don't --"

"Stop," you cut him off. "There's no reason to think like that. You're an amazing father. This was an accident. Don't beat yourself up."

He buried his face against your shoulder, and you felt the wetness of his tears. Penny was his world, the thought that he'd put her in danger and inadvertently caused her pain was killing him.

"You're a good father," you repeated. "If I was the one with her at the park, would you blame me?"

"Of course not," he scoffed.

"Then why can't you give yourself the same consideration?"

An age old question about an issue that Baxter was better about, but still struggled with. He held himself to an impossibly high standard, one that he'd never expect anyone else to meet.

When he failed to answer, you hugged him tighter. You told him again how wonderful he was, how much Penny loved and adored him. As you were singing his praises, a nurse came out of the room and told you that they were all done.

After a while longer, the little girl was discharged and sent home with a pink cast that gave you some warm and fuzzy feelings of your own childhood. After sleeping in the next morning, she felt better when she woke up, and your little family spent the day as princesses, complete with tiaras, tutus and wands. And you were the prettiest in all the land.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh my god ... oh ... my god."

"Amazing, right?"

Penny, now a precocious ten-year-old, sat on the floor in the bedroom you shared with Baxter, holding an old photograph in her hands. She looked absolutely entranced, which made sense, considering what the picture showed her.

She'd heard of Baxter's infamous monochrome phase. Her aunts and uncles had made plenty of remarks about it over the years -- Uncle Terry was able to paint an especially vivid picture.

He didn't have many pictures at all of himself when he was younger. He'd cut ties with his family years ago, so any photos there were out, and he'd gone through that lengthy phase where he didn't really let himself have friends. He didn't really like being in photos then, although you had managed to snap a couple of him during that summer in Sunset Bird.

And so your daughter had in her hands a picture of Baxter, all of 19 years old, in all his black and white glory.

"Oh my god," she repeated.

The man himself appeared in the doorway then. He'd been about to announce that dinner was almost ready, but seeing the scene before him, he stopped.

You looked from the photograph back up to Baxter, taking in all the changes that the past two decades had brought. The black and white hair was gone of course, and he'd long been able to wear actual colors. He'd put on a few pounds too -- after all, he wasn't 19 anymore. The smirk though, that was definitely the same.

"Dad, can I be honest?" Penny asked.

"Always," he answered easily.

"You looked ridiculous. Like really. What were you even thinking?"

"I don't know, I think there was a certain charm there," he teased, leaning over her to get a better look at the picture. "I wonder, do you think I could pull that off again? Perhaps a trip to the salon is in order."

"No."

"Oh, come on," he continued. "It wasn't nearly as bad a look as you seem to think. After all, your mother liked it well enough."

"Gross," she cried, standing up and placing the photo on the bed. "I'm going to my room so I don't have to hear this. I'm traumatized."

You laughed as your dramatic daughter did a full-body shake to emphasize how scarred she was. After she was gone, you turned to Baxter, who was grinning at you.

"It wasn't that ridiculous, was it?" he asked, knowing that it, in fact, was that ridiculous and more.

"It's what's inside that counts," you told him, going in for a kiss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Look up ... more ... keep your eyes open, I've almost got it."

After a moment, Penny pulled back and examined Baxter's face. She nodded, satisfied at the look of the eyeliner she'd applied on him.

She was 16 now, and she'd developed a flair for the dramatic like her father had when he was a teenager. Instead of a monochromatic look, she preferred dark colors and heavy makeup. She'd also grown out of her "ugh, parents" stage early, which was why she was letting Baxter take her to a concert.

It was a metal band he liked, and when she heard him playing it in the car, she liked it too. He found tickets to a show they were doing nearby, and you encouraged him to take her on a daddy-daughter date.

That's why you were gathered in the bathroom together -- she had to put a little makeup on him so he fit in.

"I've got some leather pants I'm going to wear as well," he told her. "And for my shirt, I was thinking perhaps I skip it and instead put on a matching leather vest. What do you think?"

After 16 years of living with Baxter, Penny was no longer bothered by his constant teasing. She went on with her business, smudging the eyeliner before beginning to apply a dark blush.

"Whatever you want, dad," she answered. "Whatever you wear, I'm sure you'll be the prettiest princess in all the land."

Baxter was already thrilled to be going out with her, but after hearing the old callback to her favorite childhood game, you could see he was melting.

When the makeup was done, he got dressed -- not in the leather ensemble he suggested -- and you waved them off as they left for the concert.

After they returned home that night, Penny was ecstatic, and so was Baxter. You listened as they went on about how great the show was, and how excited she was to experience her first mosh pit. A hint of anger flashed across her face when she mentioned a guy who was too rough and nearly knocked her down, but then she smiled when she told you her dad had taken care of it.

"What did you do?" you asked suspiciously.

"I took care of it, darling," he answered, giving a quick wink to Penny

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Years later, you found yourself taking in a familiar site, something you'd seen hundreds, if not thousands of times before.

Baxter was standing in front of you, nervously smoothing out his suit.

"Do I look all right?" he asked.

"As handsome as always," you told him.

He smiled and leaned in for a kiss, then ran his hands down his jacket again.

It was Penny's wedding day, and you don't think you'd ever seen him look as anxious as he did then.

He had planned the wedding -- of course he had. While he always took his job seriously, doing his very best to give his clients the best experience he possibly could, this time was just different. He went above and beyond, pouring himself into every detail to ensure his daughter had her dream day.

You and Penny had had to convince him to bring on a partner of sorts, someone to execute everything during the actual wedding so he could enjoy it. But you'd watched him keep a close eye on everything anyway, totally read to jump in if needed.

But right now, his mind was on something else. The reception was about to begin, which meant it wasn't too long until the father-daughter dance.

And Baxter was taking that dance very seriously.

He watched the newlyweds take their first dance, grabbing for your hand as you both looked on with pride. It was such a special feeling, knowing that your child had found someone who meant as much to her as you meant to each other.

Before you knew it, the music changed and Penny found you in the crowd gathered around. She gestured for Baxter to join her, and with one more tug at his tie, he walked towards her.

Watching them dance together was always so lovely, but it was a little different this time around. A lifetime of dances came to mind -- Baxter and Penny dancing around the kitchen when she was a cranky infant who refused to go to sleep, them dancing around her bedroom in their princess gear. You remembered him teaching her the basics of ballroom dancing as she prepared for her first school dance so she'd feel confident. He'd showed her all the trendy dances that were popular when you and her were kids, and although she pretended to die of embarrassment, she did laugh after he taught her how to Dougie.

You wondered how many more chances you'd get to see them like this, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. Things had changed so much, and they only kept changing. It was a bittersweet feeling.

As you were getting lost in your thoughts, you met Baxter's eyes as he moved Penny around the dancefloor. Instead of getting caught up in the uncertainties of the future, you let your heart swell with love.

Against all odds, you'd created a family with him. After a number of chance meetings and a couple of false starts, you'd built a life with him -- you'd put decades of blood, sweat and tears into it. And it was beautiful.

When Baxter led Penny by you, she stuck out her arm and snatched yours, dragging you into the dance as well. He laughed with delight, content to stop the more elaborate routine to wrap his arms around his two best girls and sway together.

"We did good," you told him quietly, glancing over at your daughter.

"We certainly did."

#olba #our life beginnings and always #our life #baxter ward #olba mc #olba baxter #baxter x mc #baxter x reader #our life beginnings and always baxter #baxter ward x reader #baxter ward x mc

[freyyzu]

FIVE

a kiss for every part of you i adore. the problem is, i adore every part of you.

a/n; i'm struggling so bad with the wedding fanfic. my best friend is just watching me descend into insanity rewriting the prologue for the fourth time. i just needed to make something short and cute to fix that o(╥﹏╥)o mild (??? bland???) nsfw on number 3. i've never written nsfw before, please go easy on me. post step 4.

update after finishing; this was not as short as i intended it to be.

5. EYES.

Black and white were considered Baxter's staple colors. From his clothes, to his phone case, to his car, you could list countless more items off the top of your head that all shared those monotone hues.

Really, it'd be easier to list the items he owned that weren't greyscale.

In particular, one comes to mind—two, to be more precise. Would saying he owned them be correct? You assume so. They were a part of his person, after all.

A dark brown—they shine as bright as embers from a fire burning too hot. If you stared at them long enough you would burn, but that was a risk you were willing to take. Anything, if it meant being able to get lost within them for even a moment longer.

"Good morning," you whisper, sweeping your hand across his bangs. The strands of hair fall back into place defiantly over his eyes, much to your dismay.

They're not in their signature side-swept look; they never are in the mornings. Locks of ashy grey stick out from all corners. It splays over the pillow in some sort of abstract art, a few of the longer pieces jutting outwards to tickle your cheek.

Baxter groans, rubbing at his eyes, though only one manages to beat the morning bleariness in order to look at you. Even through the dim glow of sunlight that sneaks through the cracks of the curtains, it shines.

"Good morning," he mumbles, barely audible and coherent.

You chuckle at the sound of his voice. He might be awake now, but he wasn't quite awake just yet. The clock had yet to even strike nine.

Once more, you reach up to his hair. Instead of sweeping away his bangs, this time you push it up past his forehead.

He hums at the feeling of your hand on his skin and smiles, opting to close the one eye he'd manage to pry open before.

Such a baby, you idly think before leaning forward to press your lips onto his eyelid. His hand on your waist tightens at the contact, and you move to give the other the same treatment.

This time, both pools of endless brown open to gaze directly at you. His smile grows wider by the second, and you think that maybe, just maybe, you've found a new, sure-fire method to waking him up.

4. EARS.

There's a quirk you've noticed about Baxter that you hadn't realized before.

No, that's not exactly right. You've noticed it. The problem is it just hadn't happen enough for your suspicions to be confirmed.

You recall seeing it once. The most notable occasion being the day of Jude and Scott's wedding; when the two of you had finally reunited, made your amends, and cleared the air of five years worth of regrets.

He was so happy then his cheeks flushed a vibrant shade of coral pink all the way to the tips of his ears. And as he couldn't believe what he was hearing, his ears had twitched. It reminded you much of a kitten.

For a long while, you wondered if you'd ever see that again, and by some form of pure luck, today you did.

It was still early in the morning, or at least what Baxter would consider early. Even though he didn't need to go to the office today for work, he still had some business to take care of. The sounds of his fingers tapping against the keys of his laptop were the only noise to break through the silence of your shared apartment for the last half an hour.

In the meantime, you busied yourself in the kitchen to make breakfast (brunch is more accurate), having that morning free of any other duties.

"Baxter, breakfast is ready," you call, setting the last plate on the table.

The tapping continues.

You huff amusedly. It was one of those days again—where he got too caught up with his work and blocked out all other distractions. Usually you'd let him finish and bring the occasional cup of coffee or tea and snacks to get him through the load, but having a proper meal to start the day was important.

Cleaning your hands on a towel you amble your way over behind him on the couch, catching a peek of some e-mail exchanges. That wasn't what you were here for, though.

Wrapping your arms loosely around his neck you lean in and manage to push yourself forward enough to peck his ear.

The action apparently catches him completely off-guard, and you feel him straighten in your hold, face going completely red—it continues to travel up past his cheeks. You barely have enough time to catch the tweak of his ears before he shoots up a hand to cover the one you kissed and spins around to face you, eyes wide.

"Ah—" You raise both of your arms up in surrender, suppressing a giggle at his flustered reaction. "I'm sorry. I called you for breakfast, but you were too concentrated on your laptop to hear me."

"Oh," he breathes. At least he didn't seem angry.

Far from it.

You offer him an apologetic smile anyways. "Shall we eat?"

"Yeah," he answers, a little too quickly. His eyes dart away from yours to close his laptop. You get the feeling he didn't need to look away to do that, but just wanted an excuse not meet your eyes right now. "Let's eat."

3. NECK.

Its a cool night this evening in SoCal, but you felt as if you were sitting right next to an open flame.

Lithe arms wrap around your bare waist, pulling you in close. Without the restrictive fabric of clothing separating you from each other, you could feel Baxter's heartbeat more distinctly than ever.

It's steady, if not a little fast.

The gentle motions of your fingers massaging his scalp help it from becoming erratic, but you can feel the spike every time you tug on his hair—feel the way his breath hitches against your exposed shoulders as you pull a little harder the next time. And again on the next, and the time after that.

Lips that you're used to tracing with your own press open-mouth kisses against the side of your neck, and you tilt your head to give him more access.

"Baxter," his name leaves your mouth as a breathless whisper. You can barely stifle the moan that threatens to escape as his fingers tighten their hold on you.

When your grip on his hair tightens, you hear his groan right beside your ear. Unlike you, he doesn't try to suppress it—you're not sure if you're thankful for that or not.

When he begins to press his thigh deeper between your legs you can't restrain your voice anymore.

"Baxter," you say inbetween gulps of air. Your hands move from his head to his shoulders, gently pushing him back to lean against the couch. "Wait."

"Is there something wrong?" His eyebrows crease in worry.

You shake your head with an unsteady laugh and use this time to catch your breath. "No, nothing's wrong. It's— it felt nice, really nice. I was just wondering if I could...?"

Your hands begin to roam again, finding their new homes against the nape of his neck and the flush of his cheeks. The end of your sentence doesn't hear the light of day, but Baxter knows exactly what you're trying to ask when your eyes dart to the mole decorating his neck.

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow, frown morphing into a smirk. Even with his face bright red he would never miss a chance to tease you. Typical Baxter. "Please." He pulls you in by the shoulders until you can feel his breath once more against the lobe of your ear. His voice sends shivers down your spine. "Be my guest."

And so you oblige, pressing feather-light kisses first on his shoulder before trailing further up to his adam's apple and giving it the same treatment. You can feel it bob as he takes a large breath of air, followed by a pleased sigh. His fingers find purchase tangled in your hair, and you're acutely aware of how the roles have been reversed.

Finally, you make it to the area where his mole resides. Your hands follow your lips, one curling around his neck again to twirl strands of grey inbetween its fingers while the other traced the curve of his spine. He shudders beneath your touch.

In contrast to the gentle grazes you've given him thus far, your lips this time, nuzzle against his most sensitive spot with open mouth kisses, biting hard enough for a mark to form, but not to hurt.

"Mmn—!" he moans. His thigh jolts at the unexpected sensation, once more making contact between your legs. His hand pulls at your hair reactively, and you understand then, why he likes it so much.

"Payback for teasing me." You back away, thoroughly admiring your work, drinking in the sight of him beneath you.

Cheeks and ears flushed red, hair in disarray, a cheeky grin that for sure spelt your doom, and a faint rim of crimson that accentuates his already eye-catching mole.

Thinking back on it, you're sure this mole was the only reason you recognized him that summer of 2016. With his growth-spurt and new look, and not to mention you only having the chance to meet once beforehand, you're not sure if you would've been able to tell who he was otherwise. Not that you had to, he recognized you first.

Mindlessly, your thumb brushes against the bloom that darkens with every second passed. It doesn't hurt, you're sure of it, but Baxter appreciates the gesture all the same. Though, apparently not enough to let you linger.

Familiar fingers dip underneath your shorts, rubbing wide archs against your thighs. "Shall we continue?"

Ah, right.

You had a long night ahead of you.

2. LIPS.

"If you're feeling up for it we could take a stroll down the shore after dinner. The beach is usually empty by that time, and I'd love nothing more than to soak in the sights of a beautiful evening with you." He adds after a pause, "If you're alright with that, of course."

"I'd love to, Baxter," you answer instantly, batting away any of his worries.

For how confident your boyfriend made himself out to be to the public, you knew he still had a new dilemmas to sort through that takes time. Making sure you were happy and not feeling insecure about his choices being one of them.

"Really?" His expression lights right back up at your quick response, lips curving up into a genuinely pleased smile. "That's wonderful. I'll have to remember to bring a towel so we can dry our feet once we get back to the car. It wouldn't do well for us to drag sand back into the apartment."

Cove Holden would vehemently disagree with that statement if he were around to hear it, and you were almost inclined to bring it up yourself—being a person of the sea and whatnot.

But you don't.

The only thing on your mind is how you love hearing him so happy, love listening to the sound of his voice as he animatedly talks about even the most mundane things. You love the way the corners of his lips quirk up into a shy smile every time you compliment him and you love the way they stretch into a knowing-grin whenever he finds something new to tease you about—the way he makes it up to you with a kiss that always lasts longer than intended, and the way he says sorry without meaning an ounce of it.

Before long, those idle listings that you're so fond of hearing him talk about no longer register.

Without much thought, your hands are reaching out to cup his cheeks. Your thumb tenderly traces the outline of his jaw. No words were needed to tell him exactly what you were thinking. You were already staring at him as if you were holding the entire world in your hands.

"I'm going to kiss you now," you warn.

He chuckles amusedly, his own hand coming up to map the outline of your bottom lip, as if trying to commit the shape to memory. "What are you waiting for then?"

Nothing, really.

You waste no time leaning in, your lips fitting like puzzle pieces that were carved just to lock with each other.

It starts out slow, wanting, as if afraid you would scare one another off if you went for something more. Eventually, thoses brief pecks spiral out of your reach into something more, it's no longer a want but a need.

Despite you taking initiative, Baxter takes the lead, pulling you closer until you're practically stradling him. Your hands have moved from his cheeks to his neck, securing your place on his lap.

When you finally pull away, you're both gasping for air, eyes lidded and lungs breathless. Had your need for oxygen not won out you would have been content to kiss him all day.

Something about the look in his eyes tells you he thought the same.

1. HANDS.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Spin, pull, and—dip.

The music player clicks, and the sounds of string instruments abruptly stops. The silence that follows signals the end of another song.

"You did amazing." Baxter doesn't hesitate to compliment you as soon as the dance ends. He pulls you up into a standing position, but makes no effort to let go of your clasped hands.

Even if there was no reason to hold you anymore, that didn't mean anything. You were his partner—in more ways than one—so unless you wished for him to let you go, he wasn't planning on doing so any time soon.

"It's because I have such an amazing teacher leading me," you quip back.

He narrows his eyes, smiling widely. "I don't think I can call myself your teacher anymore. At this point you've far outgrown my lessons, don't you think?"

"Not at all. There's always more to learn from a former professional. Maybe you're just holding back on me."

If it was a compliment battle you wanted, it was a compliment battle you were going to get. For the next however long, the two of you spend your downtime exchanging complimentary remarks inbetween gulps of water.

The whole time, Baxter doesn't once let go of your hand, even if it meant awkwardly untwisting the cap of his bottle between his legs. He got it eventually.

"I'm so glad my misfortune brings you joy," he jokes, setting the container down by his side.

"I offered to help," you remind him. "You're the one who denied it."

"It was a battle of pride." He pouts at you, and for a second you almost thought he was serious.

Rolling your eyes, you laugh at his childish attitude. No matter how profession he tries to make himself out to be, you knew better. Underneath all those stiff suits and fancy words he was—as Xavier once described—squishy.

You hold on tighter to his hand; they were squishy too. Or maybe soft would be a more apt description.

"Is something on your mind?" he asks, no doubt curious about the sudden pressure.

You hum, lifting your arm up until the limb was right in front of your—and his—face. Your fingers wriggle out of Baxter's grasp before entertwining with his own. He lets you do it, gladly. Your palms are both clammy from holding each other for so long, but neither of you seem to mind.

And then, as if you had done this a million times before, you bring his hand to your lips in gentle kiss, and there it remains.

The same hand that had been offered to you all those years ago at the Summer Soiree was the same hand that you're holding now.

The one that holds you close in the early mornings and refuses to let go. The one that tucks your hair behind your ear and rubs delicate circles along every part of your body. The one that cradles your cheek with so much warmth you fear that one day you're going to heat up and burn into ash all at the same time.

"I was thinking about how much I love you. All of you." Your lips brush against his skin with every word, as if hoping to physically convey the full brunt of your emotions through that one simple gesture.

"Oh."

In the time you've spent dating Baxter, there were very few instances in which you were able to catch him off-guard. This just so happen to be one of those moments.

He's at a loss for words.

Unfortunately, you don't get the opportunity to bask in it for long, and soon enough, with the same care as you gave him, Baxter kisses the back of your hand. His lips glide down to your pinkie before giving it the same treatment, and then doing the same for your other four fingers, giving them each the individual attention they deserve.

Finally, he switches his grasp to your wrist and presses one final kiss to the inside of your palm.

It tickles.

"It's funny, we were thinking of the same thing." He catches your eye, features glimmering with affection. "About how I love you. All of you."

#Our Life #Our Life: Beginnings and Always #Our Life: Beginnings & Always #Baxter Ward #Baxter Ward x MC #Baxter Ward x Reader #my eyes hurt after finishing this #not proof read im so tired #please enjoy the ramblings of someone head over heels

[orion4ever]

Author's Note: I was inspired by a recent post of mine about Cliff's protective nature towards MC and how he reacts when Baxter and MC reunite and get back together. I believe Cove keeps Cliff updated on EVERYTHING!

This would take place after the events of the Baxter DLC, The timing is up to you!

Pairing: Baxter Ward x MC

Cliff Holden was currently unboxing some new shipments When he heard the store's front doorbell ring a few times.

He emerged from the backroom to see his son and his group of friends. He instantly had a huge grin on his face as he welcomed them.

"Hey, Bud." He greeted nonchalantly, earning a small 'Hey' from his son.

"Oh! Hello, Terry and Miranda! It's always nice seeing you two" he greeted warmly, earning himself an enthusiastic "Heeyyyyy!" from Terry and a small wave from Miranda.

"And of course, MC and-" he paused when he saw the new face standing next to MC with a sheepish smile. He looked familiar but he couldn't put a name to the face.

"Oh! Hey! It's always nice seeing a new face, I am Cliff" he greeted with a grin.

The 'stranger' smile grows a little. "Hello. We've already met before...I was staying in the condo next to yours five years ago..?" The black-haired man said. "Baxter Ward?" He added.

Cliff deflated for a minute. He had remembered, now that Baxter hiked his memory. Cove had updated Cliff on the entire series of events about Baxter and MC.

He was told how the eccentric monochromatic tourist had gotten together with his long-term neighbor and son's best friend.

He was also told about how the same eccentric monochromatic tourist had dumped MC at the end of the summer and vowed to never see them again.

Baxter had always been very neighborly and amiable towards Mr. Holden himself, always greeting him and giving tidbits about his plans for the day.

But...

He couldn't forget how heartbroken MC was over the breakup. It always seemed like they had some unheeded feelings that will most likely never be addressed or explained; leaving MC confused and sad over it all.

Like Noelani and Pamela’s first reaction to the reappearance of Baxter; His excitement melted in the California heat.

“Oh.” Cliff mumbled.

He then walked to stand behind the register took out a long box and continued to talk with everyone.

“So , What brings you back in town, Baxter?”

“Well.-“ Baxter was then promptly interrupted by the sound of a box opening and a metal clanking sound hitting the counter.

Cliff casually unboxed a box of fishing harpoons while staring right at Baxter.

“Well, we wanted to visit the shopping district again to relax.” Baxter finished , he had his usual grin but it looked a tiny bit wobbly.

“Uh-huh,” Cliff said, placing another fishing harpoon on the table casually again. “Ignore me. These are new shipments.” Cliff reiterated, with a slightly forced smile.

Not wanting to stay in this awkward and slightly threatening silence, MC speaks up.

“Mr. Holden , me and Baxter are back together; don’t be too hard on him” they said both in a jokey and genuine sense.

Cliff chuckled a little. “I won’t , don’t worry!” He smiled , shining the threatening harpoons.

Miranda giggled a little , either out of nervousness or whatever was going on. Terry being the social butterfly he is bounced right back.

“B-man invited everyone to lunch so we gotta head out soon!” He stated , giving Baxter a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Yeah. We just wanted to stop by , Dad” Cove said with a smile. Cliff nodded to that. “I appreciate you for thinking about your old man, Cove.”

“Your not old , Mr.Holden. Your only like 49.”

“Pfft-, 49?!? MC. I promise ,I am not that old” he cackled lightheartedly. Before he started waving the group off. “You kids go on now, You don’t have to stay to keep me company.”

As they all began exiting , he stopped Baxter. “Uh , Baxter. A word?” He asked , a serious tone in his voice.

Baxter didn’t say anything but he did move to properly look at the older gentleman. He had a abased frown.

“I don’t want any funny business with you,” Cliff said, crossing his arms. “MC has been a massive support to both Cove and myself for a long time. It would be sad to see them be heartbroken again.” He continued, he wasn’t joking around.

Baxter Ward stood up straighter and said. “Mr. Holden. I assure you that this time, I am here to stay.” He said, putting a pale hand to his purple button-up.

“I understand your concern. I haven’t made a good impression by doing that years ago. I am sorry for that. I truly do care for MC and I want to be with them.”

He finished it off with a slight bow of his head.

Cliff unfolded his arms and gave Baxter’s shoulder a strong but not painful squeeze. “Good. I hope we can become good friends then.”

Cliff then let Baxter go to join the rest of the group with a small hopeful smile.

#olba #our life beginnings & always #olba baxter #baxter ward #fanfic #our life beginning & always Baxter #olba mc #baxter ward x reader #baxter ward x mc #olba cliff #cliff holden #gb patch #cliff casually threatens Baxter with a harpoon #casual protective behavior #fr #☺️ #orion fic

[sugar-omi]

NVM I DID EDIT THIS AND I LITERALLY REWOTE THIS WHOLE THING THEN REWROTE THE LAST HALF SO LIKE ITS BETTER BUT ALSO KINDA SHIT BC ITS ALMOST 7 N I HAVENT SLEPT..... anyway enjoy a piece of whats going on inside emy brain <3333

tags : NSFW, step 4 cove + baxter, all readers, poly cove/reader/baxter, bottom baxter, (service) top cove, mean dom reader!!, over stimulation, they take pics/vid for you, phone sex, dirty talk

synopsis : cove and baxter have some fun while you're away.

baxter felt like his head was spinning...

just a few weeks ago he was planning a wedding, than before he knew it you and cove asked him to be your boyfriend.

and now he's over at your and cove's house, standing in your kitchen with cove draped over his back.

he can't help but squirm, the overwhelming, but welcomed, affection was new to him yet he was soaking it in like a sponge.

cove hums, nuzzling into baxter's neck and starting to press kisses down the side of his neck to his shoulder, pulling baxter's hips back into him.

baxter laughs timidly, not use or expecting this side of cove. "it's hard to make lunch with a giant on your back."

cove smiles and doesn't respond except for sucking a mark under baxter's jaw.

baxter drops the knife he was using to cut up some veg, turning around to face cove. he presses baxter up against the counter, wrapping his arms around him again.

"don't you wanna eat?" baxter pets cove's hair, cupping his cheek.

cove covers baxter's hand with his own, kissing his wrist. "mm... not hungry for food anyway."

baxter flushes, swallowing. baxter is hard to fluster, but something about this usually shy man being so forward makes baxter blush. "what're you hungry for then?"

cove grazes his teeth over baxter's wrist, teasing him. "you."

baxter hums and licks his lips, his eyes dropping to cove's lips as he weighs his options.

"kiss me then..." baxter mumbles, leaning into cove and meeting him in the middle for a deep kiss.

baxter gets lost in the feeling of cove's lips, cove's hands somehow end up under baxter's shirt.

well.. cove's shirt, since baxter lost one of his bags that had his night clothes in them.

he whines into cove's mouth, letting his hands roam over cove's toned shoulders, down his biceps and finally hooking his arms around cove's neck, just losing himself in the kiss.

cove pulls away much to baxter's displeasure, huffing through his nose.

before baxter can say anything else or pull him into another kiss, cove speaks up.

"we don't have to do anything.. i just uh..." cove laughs and smiles shyly. he's so cute. "i'm jus' happy you're here."

baxter feels his heart warm up and swell. he's never been loved like this but fuck it feels good.

baxter tangles his fingers in cove's hair, leaning towards cove. "i'm happy to be here too, so please.." baxter smirks lazily, "indulge me. i want whatever you want.."

this time baxter closes in for a kiss, much more heated than the last kiss and cove lets baxter take control, almost purring because he's so happy to have baxter in his hands.

cove's hands slip down to baxter's butt, and baxter pulls away to make a taunt but cove cuts him off, mumbling something about "jump" before lifting baxter up.

baxter jumps, mostly out of surprise, hooking his arms and legs around cove. baxter laughs, thrilled by the change of position. "oh my... well aren't you assertive." baxter purrs, basking in the flush that comes over cove's face.

cove rolls his eyes, ignoring baxter's comment and starts the trek to your bedroom.

something about cove carrying baxter is strangely arousing, and baxter takes the opportunity to latch onto cove's neck, leaving kisses and faint hickey's on his bronze skin.

cove groans, mumbling something but he seems happy so baxter keeps it up.

cove pinches his thigh, making baxter yelp. "you're gonna make us crash into the wall..."

baxter laughs. "well then pay attention, handsome."

cove doesn't respond, kicking the door open with his foot and he sits baxter on the bed like he's a piece of fine china.

baxter tugs his shirt over his head, throwing it at cove and crawling away to the middle of the bed, purposefully giving cove a view of his boxer clad butt, to make himself comfortable.

he flops onto the mountain of pillows, wiggling. "well, come get me, pretty boy."

cove is very flushed, but if the prominent bulge in his sweats are anything to go by, then this is a very good sign...

cove joins baxter in the middle of the bed, straddling him and pulling him into a kiss.

everything is a blur, and somewhere in the midst of making out, baxter started grinding into cove, moaning into his mouth.

cove falls down to baxter's neck, kissing the mole there. baxter squirms, his nails dragging down cove's back..

"do you wanna stop?" cove speaks around a mouth full of baxter's porcelain skin.

"n-no.. fuck don't stop." baxter gasps, digging his fingers into the muscles of cove's back.

baxter's world feels like it's spinning. cove is so intoxicating, and baxter needs so much more.. baxter pants, rutting up into cove. "please... fuck me.."

cove pulls away, searching baxter's gaze before he nods and reaches over to grab a condom and lube.

he abandons it nearby to tug off his sweatpants and boxers, perhaps a bit too eagerly, but baxter doesn't mind since he's equally as antsy.

baxter's eyes drop to ogle cove's length, biting his lip while he takes in the size..

cove isn't a small man, so baxter expected him to proportional downstairs as well, but thinking and seeing are two different things, and baxter has so many thoughts racing in his head.

"uh.. baxter?" cove speaks up, snapping baxter outta his daze. baxter hums, signaling cove to continue.

"we don't have to go all the way.. or you could top me? whatever you want." cove smiles, feeling sheepish but wanting to be comforting.

"maybe next time, but for now..." baxter starts tugging his boxers off, throwing them off to the side. "i need you in me."

cove swallows, nodding. "tell me if you wanna stop."

baxter should've expected it, or at least have a fleeting thought. cove is so active and so loving that it makes sense that he takes multiple rounds to shower you in pleasure.

but he didn't, and now cove is slowly pulling him apart with his mouth on baxter's cock, holding his hand and keeping his hips down by pressing on baxter's abdomen.

cove takes baxter down his throat, his tongue easily lapping at the bottom of his cock and when he pulls back, a dirty mix of spit and pre-cum fall from cove's puckered lips, pumping his fist over baxter's cock before diving back in.

baxter gasps, his stomach straining when he sucks in a sharp breath. he's gonna cum..

"cove-!" baxter cries, tugging on cove's hair and whining about how close he is. cove is persistent, keeping his lips wrapped around baxter's cock as he cums into cove's waiting mouth.

baxter pants, covering his face with his arm.

fuck he's so sensitive..

cove starts kissing his inner thighs, smiling when baxter gasps and his cock twitches, still hard and flushed.

"you're so cute.." cove purrs, a smile in his voice. baxter peaks at him, watching cove's every move.

cove kisses baxter's hand, "still want more?"

baxter nods, "please.."

cove smiles and reaches for the lube, pouring it over his fingers and settling himself between baxter's legs.

baxter sighs, letting cove work him open with his fingers. "mm-"

cove captures him in a kiss, soaking up baxter's moans, sinking his fingers into his pliable hole, scissoring and massaging his insides with his long digits..

baxter tries to speak in between kisses. "ahh- hurry.. *kiss* up!"

"i never knew you were so impatient." cove laughs, kissing baxter's cheek.

cove sits up, baxter huffs at the loss, but doesn't complain since cove rips the packet open and is rolling it over his cock before baxter can come up with something.

cove kisses baxter's thigh that's propped up on his shoulder, soothing baxter's stuttered moans with praise as he sinks into him.

"that's it... good boy." cove holds his hand, waiting for baxter to get accustomed to every ink of dick cove sinks into him.

by the time he's taken cove to the hilt he's panting and dazed. he's so full, and cove towering over him like this makes him feel small and vulnerable, and it feels amazing to be smothered like this.

cove laughs, stroking one of baxter's thighs. "you okay? still with me, darling?"

baxter exhales, melting at the pet name you two have dubbed for him. baxter grips the pillows, blinking away his haze. "mm. you.. you can move now."

cove nods, kissing baxter's thigh again and pulls his hips back slowly. baxter hums lowly, enjoying the drag of cove's cock against his gummy walls.

cove pauses, looking up at baxter. "how do you want it?"

baxter bites his lip. oh?

he grins arrogantly and purrs. "hard. don't pull any punches, i want you."

cove doesn't respond verbally, snapping his hips into baxter making him moan loudly.

oh fuck-

baxter barely has time to think, cove's hips rearing back to fuck his hard and deep, his tip bumping into baxter's prostate and making him moan loudly.

it's really good you aren't at his apartment. he'd definitely be getting a noise complaint because baxter doesn't stifle any of his noise.

not that cove would let him anyway, since when baxter turns to bury his face in the pillow, cove smacks his thigh. it doesn't hurt, but it still surprises him.

cove gazes at him lasciviously. "don't hide from me."

baxter nods, panting. "yes, sir."

cove's brow twitches, but instead of biting back at baxter's tease, he thrusts his hips up sharply, making him gasp. cove takes ahold of baxter's hips, holding him in place as he starts bullying baxter's insides.

"ohh fuck-" baxter pulls on the sheets, taking cove's assault. baxter drops his face into the pillow, his load moaning muffled.

cove leans down to bite on baxter's ear, "don't hide your face, i wanna see you fall apart."

baxter moans, turning his head so he's not half-buried in the pillow and cove rewards him with a kiss. he locks hands with baxter, another reward for taking the assault on his insides so well.

cove kisses his cheeks, muttering praise. "good boy, you're doing so well."

cove reaches between them and starts stroking baxter's cock, swiping his thumb over the leaky head. baxter's legs start to shake and he drags his nails down cove's shoulder.

"i-i'm too sensitive!" baxter pants out weakly, but cove just kisses him.

"i know you can cum again for me, you're a good boy aren't you?" cove sings, kissing baxter's cheeks again as he pants and shakes from cove working his sensitive cock.

"i- i'm gonna!" baxter clings onto cove, his toes curly as he cums weakly all over his stomach.

"that's it~ good boy..." cove praises him, working him through his orgasm.

cove goes to say something else, but his phone lighting up from half way under the pillow alerts him. he snatches it up, realizing it's you texting him that you're on the way home from work and going to pick up some take-out for dinner.

💘Y/N💘: otw home, just going to get some take-out 💘Y/N💘: y'all having fun over there?

cove reads baxter the text, and he looks like he wants to say something but doesn't.

baxter smirks lazily, knowing exactly what he's thinking. "do it."

cove blinks owlishly. "what?" "you wanna take a picture of me covered in my cum and split open on your dick right? take it." baxter squirms, purposefully pushing his hips back so cove's cock bumps against his twitchy insides.

cove pants, swallowing as he fumbles to go to the camera app.

baxter has a lust-drunk smile on his face, and even though he feels a wave of fluster wash over him he doesn't hide his face and lets cove take the picture.

cove sends it with a shaky exhale, throwing the phone to the side and he folds himself over baxter. "you're dirty." baxter smiles, glancing at his lips. "you thought about it first."

they don't say anything else, falling into another hot kiss and cove tries to speak without breaking apart.

"flip- mmm, over. *kiss* i haven't came yet.."

baxter obeys, panting shakily when cove slips out of him so baxter can get comfortable on his stomach, slipping a pillow under his hips.

suddenly his phone starts ringing again and baxter picks it up just as cove slips into him. cove sees the caller id, "answer it."

baxter can hear the coyness in his voice but he answers it anyway, excited to see where this is going.

"h- oh!" baxter shouts, cove suddenly snapping his hips into baxter and filling him up.

you forgo any greetings, and after the picture you received you didn't really need one. "you guys are naughty. i'm trying to get us food and you're at home being a couple sluts."

they both moan at your degrading words, and it just makes you laugh. "look at you, can't even answer the phone without moaning like you're in heat."

baxter pants, fisting the sheets. "i-it's... cove just filled me up so suddenly..."

he tries to refute but its useless.

"i know baby, cove is using you like a cock sleeve?" you sympathize, and baxter tries to appreciate it but now cove is holding his hips up and fucking into him wildly and all he can do is moan loudly into the phone.

"oh but you like it don't you, darling?" you purr.

fuck. baxter didn't know you had a side like this to you. a side so dirty yet so fucking attractive.

"just let cove take care of you until i'm back, but for now i want you to stay on the phone and tell me how cove's fucking you."

baxter moans loudly at that, embarrassed but way too aroused by your wish. "h-he's.. *pant* his cock is, hitting my prostate," baxter's words drag and slur.

you hum, "it feels good, doesn't it, darling? it's been awhile since you've been fucked like that, huh?"

your voice is taunting, but it's full of allure and baxter is swimming in it. god he doesn't know what he's going to do when you're here and he's sandwiched between you two.

"hand the phone to cove baby, i wanna see you get fucked."

baxter shakily hands the phone back to cove, and cove lets go of one of his hips to fumble for the camera app. "hi covey." you purr. "y-y/n.." cove pants, picking up the pace suddenly. something about you on the phone while he's fucking your boyfriend is so... hot.

"take a video for me baby, doesn't have to be long, jus' wanna see you."

cove mumbles a string of yes' and he flips the phone so he can get a better angle of his cock pounding baxter's sweet, poor insides.

baxter loses himself in cove's assault, reaching between him and the pillow to tug on his cock. he whines loudly, cove shifting so he's practically mounting baxter so he can abuse his prostate.

"t-that it.." cove swallows, caressing baxter's hip lovingly. "good boy..."

baxter exhales, soaking up the praise. "cove! please.. cum, want you to cum..."

cove leans over him, positioning the camera blindly as he tries to steal a kiss from baxter.

after getting the phone in a decent spot off to the side, giving you a crooked side view. cove takes baxter's hips between his hands again, urging him to relax by smoothing a hand down his back.

"cove!" baxter shouts, the bed bumping against the wall as cove continues his onslaught.

"just a little more, darling..." cove pants, focusing on the way he pistons in and out of baxter.

collapsing on top of baxter, his forehead against baxter's sweaty back, cove ruts into him with a low groan, filling the condom as baxter cums weakly all over the pillow underneath him.

while they're basking in the aftermath, panting and trying to come back to earth, you laugh, making them startle.

"that's gonna be a video for the year." there's rustling and the sound of a engine starting. "i'm coming home now, so no more fun until i get back."

baxter pants, conjuring up a taunt. "and what if we don't wanna wait?"

"even pretty boys get punished, so wait."

the phone clicks as it hangs up.

baxter inhales sharply when cove slowly pulls out of him, and he looks over his shoulder to watch cove languidly tie off the condom and push his hair away from his face, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

oh yeah, he's not waiting.

#our life: beginnings & always #cove holden #cove holden x reader #cove x mc #cove x reader #olba #baxter ward x reader #cove holden smut #smut #baxter ward #our life baxter #baxter x reader #baxter ward smut #baxter ward x reader smut #baxter ward x mc #cove x baxter #cove holden x baxter ward #cove holden x baxter ward smut

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

Response to this post by @onedreamaday:

love this so much. If you ever get the chance, can you do a follow with MC telling Lee that Baxter is the mystery boy? (Bonus if they're dating). Lee would have a field day.

I absolutely can.

#type: script editing #our life #our life: beginnings & always #olba #baxter ward #baxter ward x mc #step: 3 #moment: Boating #((Baxter will 100% try to coax the deets off of MC later.)) #((He has no idea that he's been an absolute icon in Lee's gossip with the MC for five years.))