#but it's so much harder to do that to maria and the kids

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

oh my god i'm so in love with all the fic ideas you talked about, but especially the last two with the castles kidnapping matt in like a friendly and well-meaning way. it's so funny to me and also the dynamic here would be absolutely excellent. never realised i needed a pro-crime hyper-competent maria castle in my life but apparently i do???

the dynamic in those, but especially the christmas one, is fucking hilarious. i love it so much. i'd write it tomorrow if i had the time

like the castles are treating this like one of those times where you pick up a puppy out of a cardboard box in a kmart parking lot and like, it's a little scrawny and underfed and feral and yeah, it probably would have been smarter to pick one out of the shelter where at least you know they've been checked out and have their shots and everything, but you know, the kids wanted one so bad and it's christmas, and it's cold and the poor thing's probably going to freeze to death in the cardboard box, so you bring it home, and suddenly it's in these new and unfamiliar surroundings and it keeps trying to skitter out the front door every time it opens, so maybe you have to keep it in a back room or tied up for a while and you hand feed it treats until it stops trying to run away and like, you know eventually the puppy's going to warm up to you as long as you treat it right and when that happens you'll have a happy new member of the family that you can probably shove felt reindeer antlers on for the family christmas card

meanwhile matt's treating this like a fucking kidnapping

#it's so funny to me #like matt is somehow in the minority in thinking kidnapping an adult man is a big deal #normally he'd be able to hurl is body out a third story window and fuck off #but devastantly frank is one of the few people on the planet that can go toe to toe with him on a good day #and he keeps dragging matt off the windowsills and acting like matt's being ridiculous for trying to escape his own kidnapping #also he could try to just fuckin. kick flip frank #but it's so much harder to do that to maria and the kids #and it's SO AWKWARD to get into a physical confrontation with the dad of the kids whose lives you saved and who idolize you now #like merry christmas kids i need to punch your dad #maybe the real kidnapping was the societal conventions we found along the way #also matt's not super at one hundred percent on account of he took on the CIA in a t-shirt and sweatpants and like he WON but it's not GOOD #matt spends this entire time like 'please stop trying to teach me about the magic of christmas time' #'i need you to start treating this hostage situation seriously this is a federal crime you are committing a FEDERAL CRIME' #and maria's engaging in mild gaslighting like 'that's a bit dramatic dear here have a sugar cookie' #matt: 'i don't want a sugar cookie i want you to UNLOCK THE HANDCUFFS' #see the thing is that i'm absolutely convinced teh castles are absolutely fucking insane all of them #like we know frank is not above zip tying a child to the bed and kidnapping her for her own safety #maybe they're just all like that #the moral of the story is that this nice young man helped them and is living a horrible fucking existence so there's no reason why #they can't forcefully adopt him and make him take his medication and recover in their nice guest bedroom instead of a fucking boiler room #like this is 60% physical force and 40% a guilt trip keeping him captive

[shuttershocky]

what do you think of shu, new sui kid on the block? i like her design. the colors are very tasty looking :)

Shu's design is my favorite among the Sui siblings so far, very impressive given how much Ling was made to appeal to my personal tastes.

It's the Roberta in her eyes (same artist). Can't help but be charmed.

I also love that her whole theme is agriculture. All the Sui embody an artform. Nian does metalwork, Dusk does painting, Ling does poetry, and Chongyue does martial arts, but Shu's art is agriculture. Not to embody an Asian stereotype here but I love the respect towards rice farmers.

Now as for her skillset, Shu is a Guardian Defender, a bold choice when Saria has so thoroughly dominated the Guardian class (or just ground support units in general) that the last 6 star Guardian, Blemishine, steered clear of Saria and played a funky DPS/Sleep/Defensive Recovery support role just to be able to see play.

Shu on the other hand, returns to focusing on heals and support utility, meaning she'll actually be encroaching on Saria's turf. Let's look at her skillset.

So from her first talent, we see that Shu goes all in on utility, compared to Saria talent 1 bulking herself up with +ATK and +DEF stacks, or Maria's talent 1 letting her attack sleeping enemies. The "rice fields" give HP regen instead of heals (which means it heals unhealable units like Musha or Juggernauts) which greatly extends her versatility, and granting shelter to allies hiding in her sowed times is a nice bonus, but what I really value about the talent is that she sows the 4 tiles around a healed ally as well, meaning you can get great coverage on a map.

Her Talent 2 is kind of a meme. The Max HP and ASPD effects are really easy to get which is great, but the SP and ATK buff applied when four of Shu, Nian, Chongyue, Dusk, and Ling are all in the team is kind of a meme imo. That's 4/12 slots taken for a meh attack buff and a 0.25 SP/s increase, which is lower than the +0.3/s provided by Ptilopsis (although Shu's appears to work on all SP recovery types which is nice). The Sui siblings don't really have all that much synergy with each other (in fact Ling would rather fly solo to have as many deployment slots for her summons as possible) so trying to force the Sui buff by having 4 deployed seems to me like you will just be griefing yourself half the time on harder stages.

Now for her skills

S1 looks to be the exact same thing as Saria's and default Nearl's. I think Saria's S1 will remain the most valuable version of this since Saria stacks both ATK and DEF on herself over time and this S1 is mostly used to make a Guardian act as a tank. Shu's regen and shelter from ricefield tiles would have to be crazy high for me to consider her S1 when I already got both Saria and Nearl on S1M3.

Shu's S2 is interesting, it's basically an upgraded version of regular Nearl's S2 (which no one uses). I need to see the numbers on the boost to Talent 1 to properly judge this skill, but for now this could potentially open up new strategic options (due to being a ground unit-based shelter buff). It's manually activated and heals two at a time which can be a pain in the ass vs just using Saria's S2, but I'm looking forward to seeing how much it buffs her sow tiles.

And now for Skill 3.

Welcome to the rice fields motherfucker, you aren't allowed to leave. The bonus ATK and ASPD for allies inside her range is a buff no other Guardian can provide, but the really cool bit is teleporting enemies who have stepped on a Sow tile back into it if they end up walking too far.

I'm going to be honest, I have no idea if that is insanely broken for crowd control or if it's just a big meme, as you need to heal allies to plant sow tiles (so you can't plant ahead of your units to make an unescapable trap without using an Operator to create the Sow tiles). It is weird and creative and a very different take on Saria's S3 also being AOE crowd control and heals though, so I like it and can't wait to experiment with it.

#arknights

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Reunited

Summary:  After being deployed for 8 months, you return home to surprise your family.

Warning: Alternative Universe - No modern setting, fluff and angst, reader is the military and Natasha is a military wife, mention of violence/death, no usage of Y/n 

Word count: 2.3k 

‘The girls made sure to pick out loads of snacks for you and the crew. So make sure you share. There is something for your eyes only so please keep that to yourself. I countdown the days until you are home. All my love.’ You smiled as you reread the letter from your wife two more times. For the past 5 months, you survived on these letters and short phone calls from your family back home. You loved serving your country, it was the greatest honor but a wife and two kids at home made it harder to leave. “Is that from the misses?” Clint asked. You took the other envelope out before he took the box from you.

“Of course it is,” Maria said, joining Clint as he dug through the box. She chose a small can of Pringles. “Look at that smile.” You rolled your eyes, used to the teasing from them.

“Is this for us to share?’ Bucky asked, walking up behind you and grabbing the envelope in your hand.

“Hands to yourself, Barnes,” you said, placing the envelope in your pants pocket for later. “We all can’t be lucky enough to serve with our partner.”

“Ain’t lucky for us,” Maria mumbled, throwing a package of nerds to you. “Especially when you walk in on them.” Bucky’s ears turned pink but he shrugged his shoulders. He took a bag of trail mix. This was one of the reasons you hated the thought of retiring. You found a family amongst the men and women you served with. You were part of an elite group of soldiers that the US government sent in for Black Op missions. Under the command of Nick Fury, the team consisted of you, Maria Hill, Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes, and Steve Rogers. They were your brothers and sister but you could not wait to be home.

*

‘Everyone loved the snacks you picked out for them. I’m pretty sure they ate more of them than me. I told a local jewelry maker about you and the girls and how much you mean to me. So she made me three moon necklaces and a sun for me. She said it symbolizes that even though we aren’t together physically I’m always with you and you are with me. Similar to how the moon and sun can’t exist without each other, I’m not me without you. I can’t wait to be home with my girls. All my love.’ Natasha finished your letter. She wanted to reread it but Rose and Hailey were excitedly waiting for her to put the necklaces on. So she did. Once the clasp was in place, they kissed her on the cheek and ran outside to join the other kids. It was a spring day and the Romanoff house was filled with people, food, and laughter. Natasha sighed, stood up, and walked into the kitchen. Laura was there, cutting up a watermelon. “How was the letter?” She asked.

“It was nice hearing from her,” she held up her necklace. “Mind putting this on for me?” Laura nodded, taking the necklace and looking over the charm.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, placing it around Natasha’s neck. Laugher pulled the two mothers to look out of the kitchen window and out into the backyard. They watched as Cooper picked up Rose from behind and threw her into the pool. It was moments like this that Natasha wished you were home to witness them in person and not as a video or photo. Natasha would always support you and she knew you were doing great things but she missed you. Each deployment never got any easier. Laura sighed, putting the freshly cut watermelon into a bowl.

“It never gets easier, does it?” Natasha asked, looking at her friend.

“No,” Laura whispered. “I’m afraid it doesn’t.”

*

The party was over and the house was quiet. When it was quiet, it was hard for Natasha to mask how much she missed you and your absence affected her. She sat in bed with a photo album in her lap. She seemed to get sentimental whenever you sent a letter. Natasha worked at a gym as a personal trainer and Clint, who was a mutual friend, recommended you to try it out. As the story goes and a fact you liked to remind Natasha, she hated you. She thought you were cocky, arrogant, and annoying. But you were persistent and determined to break down Natasha’s walls. It worked and she was grateful you were patient and understanding. She grew up in the foster care system, bouncing between homes. Now she had everything she dreamt of as a kid; a wife that loved her, beautiful girls, and a house filled with love.

The bedroom door slowly opened and saw Rose and Hailey holding onto their stuffed animals. “What’s wrong, printsessy (princesses)?” Natasha asked, noticing their blotchy cheeks from their tears.

“We miss Mom,” Rose whispered. “Can we sleep in here?” Natasha smiled, placing the photo album on the nightstand.

“Come here,” she held open her arms as the twins climbed onto the bed and settled in on either side of her. Now that they were closer, Natasha saw it was the Build-A-Bears you got for them with a recorded message for their birthday.

“When will she be home?” Rose asked.

“Soon, moya lyubov' (my love),” Natasha kissed her head. The real answer was 4 more months.

“Do you think she’ll bring us another gift?” Hailey asked. It made Rose laugh so Natasha let the comment slide.

“I bet she will. Now let’s get some sleep.” The girls climbed underneath the covers and cuddled up against Natasha. “I love you, my sweets.”

“Love you too, mama.”

*

“Thank you for picking me up,” you said to Wanda. “I wanted to surprise Nat.”

“It’s no problem,” she smiled. “I almost had a heart attack when your name popped up on my phone.” You chuckled. You were home 2 months early. Usually, Natasha would be waiting for you at the airport with the girls and the signs they made. Instead, you called Wanda, your next-door neighbor. She and her husband, Vision, had twins of their own. Vision was in the military as well but was stationed locally in the cyber division. “Do you want me to record it?” Wanda asked. “I do love those military reunion videos on YouTube. They make me cry every time.

“That would be great,” you cried watching those videos as well. But right now you were focused on not throwing up all over Wanda’s car. Your leg was bouncing, you were so nervous.

“Hey,” Wanda said, pulling down the familiar neighborhood street. “It’s okay. She and the girls missed you.”

“I think I’m gonna throw up.” You admitted.

“Well don’t do that,” she deadpanned. “I just got the car detailed.” Her joke caused a momentary break in your anxiety and you laughed.

“Thank you for that,” you said as she parked the car in the driveway. You looked at your home. The driveway was covered in artwork from the girls and the plants had newly planted plants, that you knew Melina helped Natasha. Your wife did not have a green thumb. You got out of the car with your duffle bag over your shoulder. Wanda was right behind you as you rang the doorbell. You shifted on the balls of your feet as you waited. You’ve been pinned down by enemy fire, watched a van blow up right next to you, and had to administer first aid to save a falling soldier. But as you waited for the door to open, you were so nervous, terrified. Finally, the door opened and there she was, dressed in her typical workout outfit - black leggings and an oversized graphic T-shirt. Her red hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. “Hi,” you whispered.

*

Natasha had to be dreaming, right? There were 2 more months left of your deployment so why were you standing in front of her? With no sign of injury and wearing your off-duty uniform. You were here. You smiled, chuckling. “I haven’t seen you this shell-shocked since the day I asked you to marry me.” You teased her. Your small jab pulled her out of her trance. She dropped her pre-work bottle to the ground and ran over to you. You dropped your duffle bag to the ground and caught her in your arms. The force made you stumble slightly but you stayed on your feet. “Your home,” she mumbled against your neck. Her voice shook with emotion.

“I’m home, baby,” you said. “I’m home.”

*

“Rose and Hailey Romanoff,” the camp counselor called into the small gym. “Your mom is here to pick you up.” Her name made Hailey look towards the door and the small pause got her out of the small dodgeball game.

“You're out Romanoff!” Eric called out.

“That doesn’t even count,” Hailey said, walking over to the sideline where Rose was sitting. “I was distracted.” Rose giggled.

“You're so competitive for no reason,” she teased her sister. Hailey rolled her eyes. “Do you think we have a doctor’s appointment?” Hailey shook her head as the followed the counselor out of the gym and down the hallway of the school.

“Mom is usually good at reminding us. Maybe babushka (grandma) and dedushka (grandpa) came for a surprise visit.” Hailey loved her grandparents especially when she convinced Alexei to wrestle with her. Rose smiled.

“Or maybe Auntie Yelena came with Fanny and Lucky.”

“What about Aunt Kate or do you like Lucky more than her?” Hailey joked, watching her sister blush.

“You know that’s not-” The words died on her lips as they rounded the corner.

“What’s wrong?” Hailey looked away from her sister to the normal check-in and check-out area, expecting to see Natasha but no. She saw you.

“Mom!” They cried out, breaking out into a full sprint towards you. You knelt as they collided with you.

*

‘My girls,’ you thought as you hugged them. They looked so much like Natasha, fiery red hair and Rose had your eye color. Their heart was beating so fast, mimicking the speed of a hummingbird’s wings. You felt their tears on your neck. You looked over their shoulders and saw Natasha, tears in her green eyes. But she refused to let them fall. “What are you doing here?” Rose asked.

“Finished the mission early,” you said, pushing tears off her face.

“Did-did you beat the bad guys?” Hailey asked, refusing to get out of your arms. You didn’t mind, you’d hold them forever.

“Of course, I did, sweetheart,” you kissed her head. “Come on, let's go home.” You groaned as Hailey still refused to let go.

“Actually,” she said. “Can we get ice cream?”

*

“Are you watching the videos again?” You looked away from your phone and saw Natasha stepping out of the bathroom, wearing an old training shirt of yours and sleeping shorts. You placed your phone on the nightstand.

“You know if we post those videos with sad music,” you sat at the edge of your bed, parting your legs so Natasha could stand between them. “We could go viral.”

“Oh really?” She questioned. You hummed, kissing her stomach through the cotton shirt, and rested your hands on the back of her thighs. Natasha used her pointer finger underneath your chin and forced you to look up at her. She traced the slope of your nose and the bags underneath your eyes.

“Were you telling Hailey the truth when you said you stopped the bad guys?” You grabbed her hand and kissed her palm.

“We did,” you whispered. You never spoke about what you did overseas. Some of the missions were classified and you didn’t want to haunt the dreams of your family. “But some civilians didn’t make it.” She nodded, kissing your forehead and leaving her lips there. You closed your eyes, enjoying the feeling of her lips. “How long do we have until the girls come in?” She smirked.

“Not long enough so get your mind out of the gutter,” you pouted as she turned off the main light and you got into bed. “They’ll be at camp tomorrow and I’ll be all yours.” She said, settling in next to you and resting her head on your chest. You tightly wrapped your arms around her.

“I’ve missed this,” you whispered, taking a deep breath in her vanilla lotion. You felt her tears stain your shirt but you didn’t draw attention to them. You let her cry until you heard her quiet sniffles. It was your turn to lift her chin with your finger. “Do you want me to retire?” You asked. Her green eyes widened, a little red from her tears.

“You're too good at what you do,” she whispered. She was right in a way. You were an excellent marksman, hostage negotiator, and interrogator. But someone could replace you. Fury always had soldiers in mind to join the team. “You’ve saved so many people.”

“But I’m missing so much here,” you said against her lips. “I would need to do one more and I can be done with full benefits.”

“Okay,” she said, fully connecting your lips. You loved kissing Natasha. Her lips were soft and warm against yours.

“Okay,” you said. “I love you.”

“Love you more.”

*

When you woke up, Rose and Hailey were cuddled between you and Natasha. They were holding the Build-A-Bear stuffed animals you got them. You smiled, kissing both of their foreheads. Serving this country wasn’t worth missing. Your girls were your world. You needed to be home not across the sea in another country. “Mommy,” Rose mumbled.

“What’s up, baby?” She turned around to face you. Her eyes were barely open.

“I don’t want you to leave again,” she said, cuddling up against you. You closed your eyes, feeling tears swell.

“I know. One more,” you promised. “One more then I’m done.”  

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff #clint barton x laura barton #wanda maximoff x vision #marvel #Marvel AU #natasha romanov x you #natasha romanov x reader

[brighttears]

reader is pregnant and doesn’t tell Joel until she like 6 months or 7 months pregnant that she like hides it with jumpers and what not until the end of ep8 with David , Ellie and Joel notice her stumbling and breathing heavily like she’s gonna faint that’s when she uncovers her coat and his response is not good and Ellie just in shock so very angst .

Joel Miller x f!reader 

Warnings: mentions of death, canon violence, mentions of abortion and death of a baby, pet names (baby)

Word count: 2k

A/n: yay first request!

– 

Hell no you didn’t plan for this. But by the time you noticed the bump, you couldn’t go back. The first thing you did was tell Maria, who was thrilled. You sat and had a long talk with her, and she made you feel much less afraid, even excited about it. Jackson was a safe place. There were plenty of kids there already, even a school. It was the next day that Joel told you about the plan to see what you could find at the university where the Fireflies might be. Maria tried her hardest to talk you out of it, but now having spent over a year barely leaving Joel’s side, no way were you staying back. Knowing you’re carrying his baby made you only more sure about the decision.

The one good thing about winter was your big fluffy coat and layers. That really is the only good thing, though. Now six months along, it was getting harder and harder to hide, although the lack of food made you look more like four months rather than six months pregnant. Also you were growing more and more uncomfortable. You excused it as maybe a cold, which worried Joel greatly, because it wasn’t like any cold he’d ever seen. You didn’t want to be a burden but you were fucking ravenous. To make up for it you went out hunting often, until a couple months ago, when you couldn't get away with lying down on your belly to use the rifle.

Jackson provided the best food and care you could ever ask for, and Maria was very supportive, but you were scared. By that point, though, there wasn’t really anything you could do. Every day that you didn’t have a miscarriage, you were grateful. Every morning you woke up knowing Joel and Ellie were both safe and with you, you were grateful.

And then Joel got stabbed.

You hated yourself for not doing anything, only holding Ellie behind you as Joel fought off the raider. When Joel turned and you saw the rusty blue protruding from a circle of deep red on his abdomen, the breath was knocked out of you. Before you could yell “Don’t” he had already pulled it out.

Ellie was the one to get you out of there. She had to basically shove you two on the horse for her and Joel and then jumped (impressively, all on her own) onto your horse. You used one hand for the reins and the other to try to keep Joel’s wrapped around you but you almost got pulled down yourself when he fell to the ground. It didn't take long but took too long at the same time to find the neighborhood, then you and Ellie strained to get him set up in a basement. Your hands were trembling as they put pressure on the wound. You felt useless. Your head was swimming from the panic and fear mixed with hunger and exhaustion. Your stomach hurt. 

Still, you insisted you be the one to go out a hunt, but Ellie was adamant that you stay. 

“You couldn’t hold a gun steady if you tried.” she tried to joke, referencing your almost vibrating hands. You didn’t laugh, just finally nodded. While she was gone, Joel woke up. He did a terrible job trying to convince you to “take the girl and run.”

“Are you fucking joking? You hit your head, too? No wait seriously, did you hit your head?”

Between the time he fell back unconscious and Ellie came back, your mind cleared just enough to search the house for something to stitch him up with. All you could find was thread, which was definitely not ideal, but it was all you had. At the very least, you were able to use your lighter to try to sterilize the needle. 

While it was very concerning when Ellie came back with penicillin, then going straight back out, too quick for you to question her, the look in Ellie’s eyes when she came back scared the shit out of you. But once again she made you stay with him, “You have to. I know you’ve been sick and I’m not. I'm healthier than both of you combined. Just take this…” she had grabbed your hand and wrapped your fingers around a knife, “and don’t get killed.”

So, you handled it.

The penicillin worked along with watching your struggle killing the intruder to get Joel, although still weak, to his feet. You found where Ellie was and went after her on foot–you did puke when you saw the bodies hung like pigs in the shed–and then were guided the rest of the way by the smoke. The fear alone was enough to make you nauseated again, and after the adrenaline wore off some and you’d created some distance between you and the resort, it caught up with you and you eventually collapsed. 

Joel took your face in his hands, eyes wide, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m–Joel, I, no, I—”

“What? What is it? Tell me.”

“Joel…”

“What is it?” he demanded.

You couldn’t hide it anymore. You unzipped your jacket and unbuttoned the lighter one beneath it, revealing your pregnant belly. Joel’s face dropped.

“You’re pregnant?”

You nod timidly.

“This why you been so sick?”

You nod again.

“You’re havin’ a fuckin’ kid?”

“I guess so.” you give him a faint smile but it doesn’t last long.

“How could you.” Joel breathes out.

 Tears well up in your eyes at his harsh tone, “I thought, maybe–”

“What, that’d we’d make a family? No. No. I don’t want a family. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? How stupid you’re being?”

“Joel, I–”

“No! That thing’s gonna kill you! I don’t want it.” Joel enunciates the last sentence through his teeth. You start to cry. Joel pulls you in to hold you, then brings you back away by your shoulders, looks into your eyes then down to your belly, then back into your eyes. He pulls you in and then away again, “Baby… in another life… if we weren't–if the world wasn’t like it is, this would be one of the best days of my life.” He squeezes your shoulders. “But it’s not. We don’t live in a world where we can do that. You can’t do this.”

“What about Tommy?”

“What about Tommy?” Joel raises his voice, “Tommy’s livin’ in dreamland. On his fuckin’ commune. I live in the fuckin’ real world, where kids should not be born.”

“What about me?” Ellie interjects and you both look up, having almost forgotten she was there, “You don’t think I was supposed to be born?”

“Ellie, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I didn’t mean you.” Joel gets up to hug her but she breaks free and kneels down to hug you instead, face buried in your collar. You pet her hair and look up at Joel, brow furrowed. 

“How many months along are you?” Joel’s tone remains grim.

“Six months.”

“Six months.”

“I’m sorry, Joel.” you whimper.

Joel almost falls onto one knee, raking his hands through his hair. He starts to breathe heavily and puts one hand on the ground to balance himself. 

“Joel, please,”

He starts to gasp.

“Joel.” you almost cry out. It catches his attention and he looks at you with emotion you can’t identify. Then he lunges to wrap his arms around you and Ellie. 

After a few moments of breathing together, Joel speaks, “Okay. Okay, baby. We’ll figure this out. It’s okay. We can do this.” he raises his head to kiss your forehead and then leans his onto it. “We can do this. Let's get you up. Come on.” he raises you and Ellie gently to your feet. When he looks into your eyes again he wraps his arms around you tightly without a word. Then he brings his arm to take Ellie in with you, his hand on the back of her head, and kisses the top of each of your heads. “We can do this.”

It was basically silent on your way back to the house. You’d decided to stop there just for a little to catch your bearings. Ellie had other plans, apparently, almost immediately falling asleep. She must have been more than exhausted. You and Joel sat on the opposite side of the basement, not wanting to leave Ellie alone. You sat as far away from her as you could so you could talk. The small amount of softness that Joel had grown since you broke the news melted away. 

“How could you do this?”

“Well condoms and abortion clinics are pretty scarce these days, Joel.”

“Don’t fuckin’ joke with me.”

“That isn’t a joke.”

“There are plenty of ways to have a misscarriage, you don’t need an abortion clinic.”

You stop, stunned. “Are you telling me you expected me to find some hanger to shove into myself? Maybe throw myself down a flight of stairs or onto a fucking firehydrant or something?”

He says nothing but continues to glare.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Joel?”

“Me? What the fuck is wrong with you?” He tries to keep his voice low but it is furious, “How could you do this? How could you bring a child into this world? How could you do this to me? I can’t be a fuckin’ father,”

“But you are, Joel. You had a daughter, and you were a great dad.”

“My daughter is dead.” he hisses, “And I am not going to lose another child.” Joel’s lip quivers and he looks to the ground. 

“What about Ellie?”

“What about Ellie?” he goes back to glaring at you and you just look back at him. “Ellie is not my goddamn daughter.” He snaps. You both look over to see if it woke her but she remains still, back facing you on the mattress. “I don’t want a daughter. I don’t want a child. This isn’t only about you.”

“You think I’m only thinking about me? You think I’m going through all this for my sake, being pregnant while starving, traveling across the country in the dead of winter?”

“You can’t blame me for not being able to feed you a fuckin’ five course meal three times a day–”

“I’m not! At what point in this conversation have I ever blamed you?”

“You can’t expect me to provide like a father should. Fuck fatherhood. That’s not a luxury I can afford.”

“So, what?”

“What?”

“Well I’m having this baby–”

“You ever stop to think that maybe you won’t? You ever heard of a stillborn? Even if it lives past birth you expect it to live past a week? A year at the very best? A year of it starvin’–what if we run into a Clicker? Then we’re all dead. What if you don’t make it through childbirth? If you’ve been starvin’ this whole time–and don’t think the deer’ll come on out now that the world knows you’re fuckin’ pregnant. Fuck the baby, this isn’t safe for you.”

“Joel, I don’t know what you want me to say,”

“I want you to tell me you’re fuckin’ joking.”

“Well I’m not.”

“Christ.” Joel presses the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I can’t fuckin’ handle this.” he gets up and starts heading up the stairs.

“Joel, where are you–”

“Don’t worry, I’m not walkin’ out on you. I’m not that much of a piece a shit, as much as you might think so.” with that, he disappears from sight.

Only a few moments later, Ellie moves. She turns her head to look at you, then gets up and crawls over, turning to rest her back against the wall next to you and peers up at you.

“What did you hear?” you ask her in a hushed tone. She says nothing, just rests her head on your shoulder. 

Eventually, she whispers, “I think you’ll make a good mom.”

“Thank you, Ellie… I don’t know anymore, though.”

“What do you mean?” she moves to look up at you again.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna be a mom anymore. Even if I do… decide to keep it… Joel’s right, how long is it gonna live?”

“Marlene told me about my mom, right before she handed me over to Tess and Joel.” she turns her face ahead and you look down at her now, watching her expression. “She gave birth… in some shitty, abandoned house, all alone. An Infected broke in, broke down the door, she gave birth to me while being attacked by an Infected. She got bit. That's why she’s not around anymore. You know my knife? That’s the knife she used to kill it. Isn’t that crazy? …My mom was fuckin’ badass.”

“Now I know where you get it from.”

She meets your gaze and gives you a slight smile. 

“Sometimes, I’m not sure if I think… she was, you know, right, for giving birth to me.”

“Don’t say that Ellie.”

“Well, I am ‘humanity's last hope’” she mocks a deep voice, “so I guess she was in the right.”

“That’s not all you’re worth, Ellie. You’re a wonderful person. You’re the strongest, smartest, bravest, funniest, most badass kid I’ve ever met. I mean it.” 

She slants a smile. “Yeah, I think you’ll make a good mom. Joel will, too. He just has to get used to the idea. It is kinda fair, for him to be so nervous, you know, with his daughter and all.”

“Yeah. I know. You’re right. He’s right.”

“That’s ok, there are plenty of bachelors in Jackson and at least one of them’s gotta have a thing for pregnant women.” 

You both laugh and you hit her arm, “Gross, Ellie.”

“I’m not wrong.”

“Probably not, no.”

Joel opens the door to the basement and asks Ellie on the way down, “Give us a minute, would’ya?”

“Yes sir.”

Joel surprises you by kneeling down in front of you, putting a hand on your knee. He bites the inside of his bottom lip and his eyes are glistening. You wait, completely still and quiet. 

“Look,” he looks away, maybe trying to fight back the tears but fails when he looks back at you. “I love you. I love you so much. I love you more than I’ve loved any woman in my life.” you start breathing heavier, thinking you might start crying again, too. “You would make a great mom. N’ I loved being a dad. But I know what it's like t’… lose a child. I wanted to kill myself after I lost Sarah.” He points to a small scar just in his hairline, “See that? I tried to shoot myself. But I flinched. I never knew why.” Joel rubs his thumb on your knee. “But now I know. “

#the last of us #the last of us fanfiction #joel the last of us #the last of us hbo #joel miller the last of us #joel miller #joel miller fan fiction #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x reader #tlou #tlou fanfiction #joel tlou #tlou hbo #joel miller tlou #joel miller fluff #joel miller angst

[mariposa-writes]

The Assistant - Part 2

Summary: I hate writing summaries...

Word Count: 1.6K

A/N: let me know what you think! I love feedback, thanks!

It was 9:56 when Travis texted you asking for your apartment number. You didn't bother replying and just walked outside to find his car, which was parked in front of the unit you stayed in.

He was standing outside the car, leaning against the hood. "I was going to see if you needed help." He said, opening the door for you.

"I'm fine, but thanks."

"So this is where you live?" He asks eyeing the building suspiciously.

You could tell he wasn't fond of the place and wouldn't be spending an extra time here if he didn't have too. Argentine wasn't the best area to live it, but it was more affordable than Johnson County.

"Do you live with anyone?" Travis asked, realizing he really didn't know much about you.

"Nope."

"Maybe you should." He said under his breath but still loud enough for you to hear.

"Why would I? I like living alone."

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe if you had a roommate you could afford a nicer and safer place."

You were slightly offended that he was judging your apartment so harshly. "It's not a bad place to live. Most of the neighbors are good people, just trying to survive with the little money they have."

"You said most not all." You rolled your eyes, already regretting this little doctors appointment.

"Well the few that aren't so great stay out of the way. They actually aren't that bad, they try to keep the violence away from where the kids play and try not to included innocent people in their beef." You liked where you lived, maybe you could do without the nightly gunshots but for the most part it wasn't bad.

"Alright, whatever you say." He said holding up a hand in mock surrender, while keeping the other on the steering wheel.

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, besides the music playing softly in the background.

———

The doctor’s appointment went well and in 5 days you were supposed to have your surgery. You just first had to get your knee to bend to a 90 degree angle.

You spent all week working on it, and it was much harder than you thought it would be. You were about to call your best friend when Travis’s called ID popped up in your screen.

“Hello?” You said answering the phone, confused on why he was calling

“Hey, it’s Travis” he replied

“Yea, I know.” You we’re wracking your brain on why he was calling when it finally hit you. “You’re not calling to cancel on me tomorrow right?” You asked starting to worry.

You let your mind get the best of you more often than you’d like to admit.

“What? No. I was actually calling to see if you wanted to stay here so we wouldn’t have to wake up as early tomorrow” he explained, “ I know you’re not really a morning person.”

“Uhh, are you sure?” Over the past year and a half while working for Travis you’d had many late night and early mornings, but you had never once stayed over at his house. Even if you were only gonna get 3 hours of sleep, you would go home for them.

To be honest, you didn’t really want to be alone tonight. You were nervous about the surgery, even though it was a basic routine. You’d never been out under the knife before and this was stressing you out more than you cared to admit.

“Yea, I’m sure. I can pick you up in an hour. Also the doctor said you’d need someone to watch over you so I figured you could stay at my house for a few days. Maria will be here and she can help you.”

“Okay, sounds good. See you in an hour.”

About an hour later Travis was knocking on your door. “It’s open” you yelled from your bedroom. He slowly entered not, wanting to over step.

“You ready to go?” He called.

“Yea, just grabbing my bag.” You walked into the living room with ur bag slung over your shoulder. Travis was standing in the middle of your living room, looking around at what he could see.

Your apartment had always been the perfect size for you, one bedroom with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom but with Travis in the room it suddenly felt to small.

He hadn’t noticed that you had walked in yet, you cleared your throat getting his attention “Ready to go?” You chipped, ready to get Travis out of your space.

He cleared his throat like he’d forgotten how to talk. “Yea, let’s go.” He took your bag from you and and carried it to the car.

It was silent for the first half of the ride, which you were normally fine with. You guys didn’t talk much unless it had to do with work. “Thanks for doing this Travis.”

“Yea, it’s not a big deal.”

You wanted to protest tell him that it was a big deal. He was paying for the extra expenses you couldn’t cover, he got you a good doctor, and most importantly he was there for you through this whole thing so far.

Which was something you never expected from him. You expected him to fire you since you wouldn’t be able to do your job for at least three weeks.

Maybe he wasn’t as bad as you thought. He wasn’t ever some raging asshole boss, but he liked things a certain way.

You guys never talked about your personal lives, you knew more about his due to your job but you never openly discussed or asked about his. You just let him tell you what he wanted to.

He pulled into his garage and helped you out if the car. Your knee was only getting worse, it was giving out more often and becoming more painful to walk on.

Travis kept a hand on the small of your back, the whole way into the house. Catching you when your knee gave out, on the way to his kitchen. "Hungry?" He asked as you sat down on the stool at the island in his kitchen.

"Yes, but I can't eat until after the surgery tomorrow."

"I forgot that you had to fast."

"Yup, worst thing about this dumb surgery." You laughed, earning a small chuckle from Travis.

"Ok, I figured it'd be best if you stayed in my room since there's no stairs to get there. Maria changed the sheets and set it all up for you."

"You don't have to give up your room."

"It's fine, I'll be staying in one of the guest rooms upstairs."

"Travis-"

"Don't argue." He said placing a glass of water in front of you. You glared at him, but didn't argue. "I have some stuff I need to do tonight, but I was thinking we could hang out once I'm done."

"Yea, that's fine."

"Perfect, make yourself at home. I'll find you when I'm done." You nodded as he walked upstairs to his office. You got off the couch, not sure what to do. You felt like you needed to work and be doing something productive.

But instead you sat on his couch and powered on his gaming console. He already had NBA 2k23 in so you decided to play that. You play with the kids in your apartment complex when you watch them for their mom. She normally pays you back in the best baked goods in the world.

You'd been playing for about an hour when Travis walked into the living room. "You play?"

"Yea."

"You any good?" He asked sitting down besides you and grabbing the other remote.

"I'm okay," You lied not wanting to brag. You liked to think you'd gotten pretty good at the game, often times beating the kids you watched. "Why, wanna play?"

"Yup, just don't be sad when I beat you."

"Ok," You said, rolling your eyes.

The rest of the night consisted of you and Travis playing different videos games, you beating him in NBA and MLB. He beat you at Madden, "That's not fair you have an advantage over me!" You protested, "You can think all strategically about the game since you play in real life!"

"Oh, your just mad you lost." He said powering off the console. "You're a sore loser." he mumbled.

"I am not a sore loser. It just doesn't happen often so I'm not used to it."

"Oh really?" he raised an eyebrow at you, clearly not believing you.

"Yea! See your used to it, I'm not." You smirked, knowing you were getting under his skin.

"I'm used to it? Who has a super bowl ring and who doesn't?" He asked pointing between you two.

"Oh, that was like 2 seasons ago, get over it." You laughed, as he rolled his eyes.

"Alright, well I think this is a sign to call it a night. We gotta be ready to go by 6:15."

"Okay." You nodded, getting off the couch. Travis walked you to his room.

It felt surreal being in his room. You rarely came in here, not ever really needing too. If you did come in it was to grab something from his closet real quick and leave. "Bathrooms, in there. Call if you need anything."

He said getting ready to leave, just as he was about to close the door you called him. "Travis?"

"Yea?"

"Thank you." He smiled, "I mean it."

"I know, you're welcome. Now go to bed." He shut the door to his room and you could hear him walking away from the door. You climbed into his bed, it was comfier than you could ever imagine and it smelled like him despite Maria changing the sheets.

#travis kelce imagine #travis kelce fic #travis kelce x reader #travis kelce #nfl fanfic #nfl imagine #nfl #kansas city chiefs #kc chiefs #chiefs #super bowl

[total-drama-takes-the-squeakquel]

jock is so good because theyre so toxic and not good for each other and she brings out the worst in him and he brings out the worst in her and they fight so much and kiss and make up and shes constantly touching his chest and pushing him around and he does the same to her and he clearly respects her and calls her maam and jo is clearly insecure about her appearance and brick can make her cute outfits and make her feel better and brick has that whole need to be dominated shit and a second after that jo shows up and bosses him around (that line was clearly alluding to her cmon now) and shes given him the most nicknames out of every other contestant and does that squat thruster thing at him (THAT WASNT EVEN A SQUAT THRUST MIND YOU. why did she do that) and then pulls him in by his hand to say "no welcome to MY team" and their faces were even closer than zokes in every interaction theyve been in and she showed genuine kindness and concern for him when she pulled him out of that grave in ep4. not to mention that music playing in the background mixed in with zooming in on their hands... at least a few ppl working on the show lowkey shipped them. cmon now. even chris acknowledges their romantic tension "mm this tension is so delish i could kiss someone!" (referring to the romance between anne maria and vito all episode) then says "maybe brick and jo wanna kiss and make up?". they totally wouldve made up if there were no cameras but theyre both pussys. she loves to tease him and get on his nerves. brick has a traditional mindset as in the sense that hes the man and has to be in charge and jo humbles the shit out of him. "never met a girl stronger than me!" god i hope she humbles him like that more often. and shes proven herself to be physically stronger than him on multiple occasions too.... jock is just such a fun dynamic bc they kind of hate each other but theyre still frenemies and jo sees him as a more worthy competitor bc unlike lightning she can actually have productive dialogue with brick, meanwhile lightning doesnt even know his ABCs. she literally joined the rats team JUST TO BE WITH BRICK AGAIN. in the intro shes seen beating a punching bag, catches cameron, and immediately disregards him just so she can run after brick and beat his ass. and she does beat his ass. in ep2 brick tries to dislocate his hip just to impress her, this man in down bad. and jos insecurities would be so bad bc she doesnt think shes desirable at all for a relationship, bc she clearly wants one. on her deathbed shes sad shes never had her first kiss. brick fell first but jo fell harder. do you see my vision. they only knew each other for 7 episodes but they made they most of it and had so much natural chemistry. bricks a gentleman and jo loves that bc she can take advantage of his good nature. she loves his chivalry and will still use it against him. brick tries to stand up for himself and fails every time. They’re both too prideful and embarrassed to admit their feelings to one another so they never do, their first kiss is in the middle of a heated argument where jo just suddenly pulls him in my the dog tags and kisses him. After that they can’t look at each other for 2 weeks and enter a weird situationship where they’re too afraid to call each other boyfriend/girlfriend and don’t adopt those official titles until 3 years later. They get married to spite one another. The only reason they’d ever have kids is to prove who would be the better parent. They make EVERYTHING and competition but to them it’s the most romantic thing imaginable. Brick is lovey dovey and jo finds it so obnoxious but she secretly likes it. She wears the pants in this relationship. Bricks need to be dominated was clearly alluding to jo and I’m tired of this fandom pretending it wasn’t. I really am. #toxicheterosexualcouple for the win.

Do you ever think about how Jo’s craziest dream was letting a guy win because she found him ‘attractive?’ Because i do. I lie awake every night in bed thinking about that. I take that as jock evidence idgaf. Jo could never find him physically attractive anyway, she finds him more cute in the way you find a German shepherd cute. She thinks him and his stupid gestures of kindness are annoying and endearing. She loves him. He loves her. She hates him. He hates her. They’ll never be able to be healthy, and they’re not supposed to work out at all, but somehow they keep running back to each other. They make each other feel emasculated. Idc if girls can’t feel emasculated, that’s the best way to describe how he makes her feel. She hates having a crush on him because it makes her feel ‘girly,’ and by her standards, weak. Brick is a gentleman, as described by her, so hed be expected to go for a girl who’s more feminine and ladylike. But you know what he does? He goes for the hot tomboy jockette who will beat him to a pulp. Brick has that “i could never hit a woman” mindset but jo pushes him over his limit and when they get into a seriously heated fight it is soooooo good. Brick knows her behaviors are not healthy and he wants to help her be a better person, but his heart says that she’s fine as is because he loves how mean she is to him. ‘Jo is like this bug; she’s always trying to get under my skin!” SHE WANTS YOU BRO. Guys are so bad at picking up signs istg. Do you ever think about how jo also sees heather as a worthy competitor? And what do brick and heather have in common… dark hair, dark eyes, a cleft chin. That’s Jo’s type. The best Jo ship is debatable, since jomaria transcends levels of holiness that jock is still struggling to reach, but bricks best ship is objectively jock. I’m tired of pretending that Brott is any good. Brick would not be Scott’s type whatsoever; Scott is into bossy ladies, he wants to be bossed around and told what to do. Brick had his ‘need to be dominated.’ Too conflicting. Tired of pretending that Scott would be the ‘dominant’ one in any relationship ever but ill have to stop myself before this turns into a Scott mischaracterization rant. Do you ever think about how jo managed to convince brick to give up the cadet code for a few seconds? The cadet code; bricks life. He lives by that shit, and jo is the only person who’s managed to convince him to abandon it. Do you understand how significant that is? How much is shows how brick respects her? He is willing to abandon his morality just because jo told him too. That sure is something. Do you ever think about how in ep7, Brick voted Lightning at the elimination ceremony instead of jo? Jo receives her marshmallow first, indicating that brick must’ve voted for lightning since jo received none. And brick had even more reason to vote off jo. Brick was on much better terms with lightning. I bet you brick didn’t even vote for jo in ep4 either. Look at how often jo touches his chest. Jo, you do not need to be doing all that. In ep2, after their morning run sequence, she places her hand on his chest as she speaks to him. Brick is busy GAWKING at that hand. He sure is starting at that. She wants you bro, stop being oblivious. Back to when brick dislocated his hip just to impress her— jo seemed impressed for a moment when he told her about his boot camp stuff! Until he dislocated his hip and arm. She made fun of him for that. She thinks his dorkiness is endearing.

Need everyone to stop sleeping on their dynamic bc they were the best part of s4 idgaf anymore. Brick and jo for the win and I’m entirely convinced that if ROTI got a s2 they would’ve gotten together I’m not even kidding.

-

#total drama #long post #jo td #brick td #jock td

[sulfies]

I'm curious to hear what your Altair and Ezio think of The Farm, should Desmond tell them about it!

I dont think my hc Desmond would outright talk about it unless they ask, but the other two would figure out bits from their convos.

Like Ezio would talk about big family dinners and how noisy it was and how he kinda misses it and Desmond would be like "Must be nice, my meals were mostly silent and quick" just bits and slips that hint on how isolated his childhood was. He maybe doesnt even realize how fucked up some things he says are.

I do love when in fics authors make it so Desmond was trained harder than anyone, but I find it funny that Canon Desmond barely had any idea wtf Assassins were or how they work till he got kidnapped, so maybe he talks about smthn and goes like "ooooh so thats why I had to do that *incredibly dangerous* thing as a kid"

Once they did learn/figure out tho,

Altair: would probobly be the person who understood the most since he grew up as a Assassin too, even tho his childhood was also crazy, I think he would almost Pity Desmond bc atleast he had a good father for a bit and the Assassins in Maysaf were still a community and not isolated from the town. Probobly would open up first about himself to get Desmond to talk about it but it might backfire a bit w desmond saying "oh god I got no right to complain their parents died infront of them😭"

Ezio: would be like "so u grew up with assassins whoa! Must be a huge family that has eachothers backs!" And Desmond is like 😬 "not rlly", once he learned he would be devastated, especially if its Ezio after brotherhood is established "thats not right! Its supossed to be a Brotherhood!" And just like be extra mad on his behalf and Desmond would appriciate him being loud for him. Might force him and Altair to family dinners with Maria and Claudia.

I think they would take the news of Desmond being made to genetically be a perfect cocktail of Assassins the worse out of everything and would have the "ur so much more than ur dna" group hug session

Overall I dont think they would Coddle him too much and Desmond wouldnt want to be coddled but It would strengthen their bond once he spoke about it, just regular old traumabonding

But If they ever saw Will for some rsn:

Ezio: his smile would drop as soon as he was talking or he looked towards Will, would give short answers which Will would think fo him being respectfull till Ezio disagreed with every idea he says (bad or good)

Altair: glares, silent, would use big words to show his superiority would say stuff like "oh thats what you guys do? Hmm we found that unnecesery and timewaste" "These swords? Hmm we dont use them due to bla bla bla but you do you" just find something bad about every single thing and like make jabs about it.

Bc he is sadly a Mentor they wouldnt like go punch him in the face but they would do their best to annoy him in a way he cannot call out bc thecnically they didnt do anything. And ofc they wouldnt answer any question he asked and just say "u dont know? Hmm👀"

One of them almost always would be next to Desmond even tho he would be like "omfg stop acting like guarddogs" and litterally not rlly give a shit that Will was there anymore (basically over it)

#asks #I love these HC questions plz keep em coming #I am a sucker for “fucked up desmond childhood” fanfics #Im sorry for typos

[larcenywrites]

Raising a Baby Together | Headcanons

young!Tony Stark x Reader

Tony's barely navigated adulthood, and now he's navigating parenthood? He's not sure which is harder: working the 9 to 5 or keeping up with his little Starks!

Warnings: very mild sexual references | mild pregnancy references | one use of a she/her pronoun/term for reader

Family Series: 1 2 3

💠You hardly managed to keep track of one fussy baby, and now you have to keep up with Tony and his son? It's as stressful as it sounds, but at least his dear mother is around to help out at first! Especially considering Tony is finally working with his father and out of the house during the week.

💠But don't worry! He's definitely sticking around the house for that first week. He needs to learn how to change diapers and make a bottle, too! And struggle just as much to get baby to take said bottle.

💠Tony talks to his newborn as if he should understand words! Tony doesn't sound frustrated or anything, but he's not really cooing at him either?

💠"C'mon, we both know you're hungry." He sounds like a sleazy street salesman or like he's about to bribe a dirty cop. At least your son isn't crying anymore, cozied up in dad's arms, but sometimes he plays the waiting game and refuses to eat for a few minutes. Nothing is even wrong! He probably just likes to drive Tony crazy. It's entertaining to watch if you're around!

💠"No, do it like this," Tony chides playingly when he turns away, lifting the bottle to mouth. His son simply blinks up at him before smiling widely when he pretends to spit it out. "You eat this stuff?" He exclaims, smiling with him and sneaking the bottle right into his mouth. Somehow it works (almost) every time

💠"Do anything fun today?" He asks something like this nearly every day when he comes home and lifts him from his bouncer. He never answers, though. "Yeah, I didn't either."

💠"Were you good for mama today?" He makes sure to ask when he wanders to your side.

💠"Mostly," you tease, turning towards him when he's leaning in for a kiss.

💠"Well he's doing better than me," he mumbles back before smacking your thigh. Not in front of the kid!

💠Tony is struggling with his new work schedule, to say the least, and you're both struggling with the baby's schedule. Tony isn't used to waking up at 7am every day and is still awake throughout much of the night ☹️ The good thing is that he's able to take care of baby at 2am and really doesn't seem to mind! But you'll definitely be taking any shifts after 5am when Tony is finally asleep, and you'll probably have to get him out of bed, too 😅

💠Maria doesn't mind helping while Tony's away if you need it! Besides, she's probably pretty bored anyway. Howard's always gone during the week, but now Tony is too?? Maybe she can teach you a few tips and tricks that worked on a baby Tony, and she gets to gush over a baby again 🥰 and possibly spoil him more than Tony 🤫

💠But as soon as Tony is home, that baby is his! Unless your son is down for a nap, then you have to deal with a pouting Tony that also needs a nap, if we're being honest. But, well, with baby asleep, maybe you can finally get a nap, too! And cuddle up with your lover for a while 😉 Unless your bundle of joy wakes up crying, but, hey, Tony was the one pitching a fit about seeing him earlier, so make him go deal with it 🤧

💠Listen to him on the baby monitor every time! When he's already awake, you can hear Tony overexaggerate a surprised gasp before you hear a much softer "hey, junior" followed by another "hi!" when he picks him up 🥺 "Oh, what's wrong little man" he coos late at night when you both wake up to crying. You're not sure exactly how he does it, but he always manages to get him right back to sleep! Sometimes you might hear him humming the tune of a song that you used to dance to, or sometimes you might wake up to find that Tony had fallen asleep on the sofa or recliner in the nursery, with mini-him still in his arms or on his chest. And then he complains about his back hurting like he's some old man, and you might find that the next time he's taking a nap, he and baby are both in the bed 🥺

💠But the two of you always put him into his crib together before you both go to bed. For those first weeks, it may be the only quiet time you can really spend together, which is quite a change 💔 Tony is pretty clingy because of it. If you're not walking around, he's right next to you on the sofa with arms wrapped around you and head on your shoulder 🥺 Or he'll take a turn at holding him, especially if you're having trouble, and this time you can cozy up to him and ask about his day! And the soft conversation does help put your son to sleep, and sometimes one of you! And Tony is far too afraid that he'll wake both of you, so he'll just sit there until he gets the courage to try and stir you 😅 But if he falls asleep on you, well, at least he's easy to wake up?

💠When Tony is home for the weekend, and therefore not as tired as he is during the week, the house is full of noise, and Tony wants to take his son everywhere. His four-month-old won't necessarily remember the aquarium or the zoo or get to try all the different foods at his favorite restaurant, but they both share those always curious eyes, but this time the wonder in Tony's is more focused on the wonder in his son's 🥹

💠Tony can behave when you're out and about, but at home? He does anything and everything to keep his kid entertained, or maybe just to keep him entertained. Especially when he finally starts laughing, it's all you'll hear. Tony is constantly playing peek-a-boo or simply repeating the same babbling sounds and coos. When that little hand is grabbing at his face, baby seems to find it pretty hilarious when dad nibbles his arm or starts poking his cheeks instead! Sometimes you can't decide who's louder!

💠And, well, Tony's decided he can't get enough of all those smiles and laughter and crying, sooo he's going to have to figure out how to bounce two babies on his leg 😌 It may be a bit soon, but Tony doesn't want his son to get lonely like he did as a kid :( Your son doesn't actually understand, but eventually he starts mimicking Tony and touches and kisses your tummy 🥺

💠"Come on, you can say dada." Once again, he sounds like he's trying to bribe him. Only incoherent baby babbling follows, along with Tony's slightly frustrated sigh. "Close enough." When he does finally say it, you're probably not around, and Tony barely registers it while he's busy making lunch. He quickly turns around, pointing an accusatory finger his way. "Did you just say what I think you said?" But he only gets an innocent grin in return. He'll probably only say it again when you walk by, and while you're busy gasping and turning towards Tony, he's pointing fingers again. "I knew I wasn't crazy!"

💠Once your baby is old enough for baby food, you can guarantee that Tony is doing a taste test every time! His opinion is never very high, but at least when your son is busy laughing at dad's funny face, he can sneak that spoon right into his mouth!

And with the ability to eat more foods, comes Tony's excitement to give him sour things like lemons 🍋 and honestly he's just excited to share, like, a bowl of cheerios or something

💠But if you're ever all around the table for dinner, someone's parents probably want their grandson to sit by them for once to feed and talk to, and Tony isn't quite used to that… he's not afraid to act silly to get his son's attention from the other side of the table and make him laugh 🥰 especially if Tony has already checked out of a boring conversation. And baby must be tired of it too, because when even dad isn't fun anymore, causing trouble and flinging rice is!

💠Maria is always buying new clothes, and half of them don't fit anymore after a month or two 😔 At least you can save them for the next little one coming soon! Speaking of which, she sends her condolences when it turns out to be another boy… Even she doesn't want to keep up with three Tonys 🤧

💠But Tony sure is excited! Excited to cause trouble with his boys, that is 🙄 It's years away, luckily for you, but Tony's already buying plastic tools and talking about the lab. It might make you a bit nervous, considering all the incidents you've had to bandage up, but it is sweet to see him talk about it. He didn't exactly have the best father and son experience, but he's more than ready to make his own ❤️

💠And it must be working already because any time Tony walks into the room, whoever is holding his son will be forced to give him up— and not because Tony is the one pouting about it! Eventually your son starts to point and grab for his dad when he's returned from being out of sight for a few minutes too long! And poor Tony can never resist, even if he recently handed him off because he was getting tired 😭 "Okay, little Stark," he sighs, giving in and taking him back into his arms. But everyone awwws when he lays his head on Tony's shoulder 🥺 and now Tony definitely can't hand him off again while he's so cute and comfy! And Tony hasn't lost that proud smirk— yeah, he's the best dad with the cutest baby 😌

💠You can guarantee that his mom is eager to not only take pictures, but to go through all of the ones from back then! Tony still has a bit of that baby face himself 🥺 

💠And Howard is, well, kinda still Howard. He may not be the most reactive or act the most excited, but he does love his grandson even if he doesn't ask to hold him very often. But he and Maria are more than happy to watch him when you two want a day or night to yourselves! With they way they talk about him, your son must be a perfect angel! You aren't quite convinced when you attempt to put him to sleep that night.

💠He's learned to wave bye to Jarvis every time you leave, and the always calm and collected butler can't help but melt and coo at the newest Stark🥹

💠With baby's first steps comes another one that can't even lift his head yet. Tony took pride in always being the favorite, but as soon as his oldest learned to walk? Gone like the wind! Tony is the one following him around, and always hovering so anxiously. But the kiddo doesn't need anyone to hold his hand, literally! Tony won't say it, but something about it has him a little sad :( At least he has a newborn that can't scramble away just yet? Give it a week or so, though, and he's tottering back to dad with any toy he can find :) and maybe a leaf or two that fell off of a houseplant that he miraculously didn't try to eat 😮‍💨

💠At this point, Tony better have figured out that work/sleep schedule because you sure can't handle them both at the same time! Even if he's literally falling asleep at the table while bottle-feeding your youngest, he is dedicated to the cause. And he finds it hard to put one down for the other, but so do his sons. If his youngest is giggling at his peppering kisses, his oldest is begging for some love, too 😠

💠But, things aren't always so peachy around the house… your 16-month-old has decided it's more fun to throw those chunky plastic cars around instead of sending them down their track, and your 3-month-old is not very happy with all the noise during his nap time 🥲 These are definitely the days that Tony is both glad to be gone, and also feels pretty bad when he comes home to you needing a nap just as much as your littlest one, before immediately getting a plastic hammer thrown at him. And while he's trying his best, for once even he can't get either of them down for a nap, and at dinner time, every single chicken nugget ends up on the floor. At least the chicken nugget thrower himself thinks it's funny, and it's probably the only thing keeping Tony smiling right now 🙂

💠Tony has no idea how discipline works anyway, much less on a baby! And, well, Tony really doesn't want to have to do any of that anyway :( Has he ever even said the word "no"? Suddenly it feels much harder, but he can't just let his kid get away with trying to crawl up the stairs on his own! Eventually he'll get better at it, but... maybe he should ask his mom about it. Or Jarvis? He wasn't exactly disciplined either, huh... or not in the right ways, at least 😬

💠As much as Howard and Tony still have their differences, they can definitely bond over their experiences with their respective troublemakers 😇

"Was I that bad?"

"No, you were worse."

💠You two finally manage to get them to eat and somehow to sleep, but by the time you do, Tony's probably sprawled out on the floor and nodding off, and also acting like a baby when you try to get him up 🙄 but he's wide awake when his low groans of protest stir one of the sleeping Starks right next to him 🫣 if we stay still enough he'll go back to sleep on his own…

💠But it's after the worst days that Tony tries to be a little more romantic! He hasn't forgotten about his dedication to you too! Date nights are a bit sporadic now, and you don't have quite as much time between yourselves anymore, but no matter how tired you both are, who could say no to him setting up a nice bath and pouring your favorite wine 😘 Especially after a few convincing kisses and a sly grin that's always up to no good~

Family Man Series: 1 2 3

#tony stark #tony stark x reader #tony stark imagine #tony stark headcanon #tony stark drabble #tony stark fanfiction #tony stark fic #tony stark fluff #young tony stark #young tony stark x reader #iron man #iron man x reader #iron man drabble #iron man imagine #iron man fanfiction #iron man headcanons #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel headcanons #marvel fic

[romanoffsbish]

Lessons Learned

Natasha Romanoff x FemWife!Reader

Maria Hill x Sister!Reader

Maria Hill x Carol Danvers

Unwelcome Surprise (Part 1)

Warnings‼️:

Jesus Christ, prepare yourself for a potentially broken heart, but a happy ending is promised ❤️

90% of this is Natasha unpacking her trauma, and being resistant to the feelings.

Murder, Violence, Trauma, Childhood innocence lost, feelings of inadequacy, possibly more (please let me know 🤷🏼‍♀️)

10k+ words ; Angsty with a happy ending, reader focused on herself and Nat's definitely put in the work as requested which is why it ended up being so long 😂.

Enjoy Part 3/4 of the Part 2 party palooza❤️

——————————————————————

One week, seven days, 10,080 minutes, and she didn't even want to consider the seconds.

If you were to ask the woman what was harder: "Single" Parenting or Avenging, she'd answer you before you could even mutter the second option. After now having dealt with a distraught toddler, and the six year old that's apparently going on sixteen she's absolutely besides herself.

You've barely said but three words to her since walking out on her the night of the party. Whenever you do call it's something along the lines of "Where're the kids," then you'd let Mason talk your ear off before sighing heavily as Lily says hardly a word before you're hanging up, leaving Natasha to deal with the even sadder toddler, and the brooding child.

When she'd arrived to Laura's without you, looking distraught herself she was met with an apologetic smile, then passed a crying toddler. Mason pulled his thumb from his mouth so that he could wrap his arms tightly around his mothers neck, then continued to lightly sob until he eventually cried himself to sleep. In contrast, Lily had greeted her with a beaming smile, and a hug that nearly toppled her over.

————

Natasha was currently drowning in a bottle of whiskey, kids finally down for the night, left wondering how in the hell everything had managed to get this bad. One day you're like giddy teenagers—crazy in love, the next you're fighting like those high school sweethearts who were bound by unwavering resentment and the accidents created in their early twenties.

The family she so desperately yearned for, then somehow against all the odds forged, is now broken, and she's fearful it's irreparably so. With no one else to blame but herself she can do no more than to wallow in her self pity. However, with the kids present she only has time to do so during the hours of 10pm to 2am, before she crashes on the couch—refusing to lay in the bed without you—for a measly four hours before the nightmare starts all over again at 6am.

——

You had spent that first night in the arms of your sister, crying all the tears you'd thought had already ran their course, but apparently that just wasn't the case.

"Let it all out little one."

"I'm not little." You'd grumbled through your pitiful sobs, feeling the way your sisters chest vibrated from beneath you as she laughed.

"You'll always be my little one Y/N/N..."

You scoff lightly, but betray your show of anger as you nuzzle impossibly closer to her for the much needed comfort, appreciative of the sporadic forehead kiss she bestows upon you.

Carol had tried to give the both of you space, but it was getting hard to do in their one bedroom apartment, and she honestly hurt the more she heard your sobs through the wall. With a light knock, and permission to enter granted she cracked the door open, juggling three mugs in her hand, and smiling at you.

Against their protests you'd crawled out of your sisters lap so they could cuddle; gratefully accepting the mug of chocolate goodness in return and cracking a faint smile at the intentional overload of whipped cream and marshmallows on your designated mug.

A curious silence fell in the room, your sisters head falling to her lovers shoulder while an arm wrapped loosely around her waist, the low drum of whatever late night comedy rerun that's on this early in the morning filling the room as you all sipped upon your drinks. Intrusive thoughts all flooding your mind once the surrounding silence seeped in.

"What did I do wrong?"

At the sound of your broken voice Maria was quick to settle both your mugs down on the side table, firmly grabbing your face to redirect your gaze to her as she gave you a firm glare. Having not seen you looking this small since your shared painful childhood, and just in this moment she could see herself pulling one over on the reformed assassin.

"Absolutely nothing. Romanoff is nothing more than an incapable idiot with the emotional maturity of a fruit fly, I told you that when you accepted the date, did I not?"

"Oh you hush..." You defeatedly groan, yanking your face out of her hands and dramatically flopping back onto their shared bed.

Maria jumps to fill the space next to you, jostling both yours and Carol's bodies as she touches down. Propping herself up onto her elbows so that she could stare down at you since you're laying flat on your back while Carol quietly grabs a blanket and slips out for her voluntary night on the couch.

"Seriously honey, you didn't do anything wrong. You've been an amazing mother to those beautiful children, and an even better wife to the woman who's left you high and dry more times than I can count."

Her thumb was quick to tug your lip from between your teeth, then to wipe away at the stray tears threatening to drip upon her sheets.

"It was so good you know... Before Mason was born we were doing so well, then somewhere between Lily's third birthday, and his birth something changed. After her mandatory three months off she returned to Shield, work had become her main priority, it was like she was moving on autopilot, she'd wake up, have her coffee, leave what felt like obligatory kisses to all of our foreheads as she exited, then she'd be gone all day, if not the rest of the week."

"Did something happen?"

"Not that I was made aware of, it wasn't even a gradual shift either; literally out of nowhere she became distant, then whenever I'd attempt to approach her it was a dismissive comment that led to a blowout fight. It was as if I wasn't even worth her time of day anymore, I just wanted to know what happened, so that I could try to fix it. What have I done that I am not deserving of at least that? I have given her ten years of my life, my twenties were hers, and I'll be damned if I'll waste my thirties miserable."

Maria releases a drawn out sigh, not entirely sure how to respond to you, but as your big sister she begins to work towards fixing things.

"I don't have the answers honey, only she would, but honestly I'm not sure she knows why either. I can however offer you what I do know. Natasha loves you a lot honey, even if her way of showing it is backwards, you can decide how you wish to take that information. Whatever you do Y/N/N, don't just go running back to her, but don't just throw in the towel either, not without at least one more attempt to fix things; don't be like our parents Y/N/N."

Maria watches you wincing at the mention of your late parents, but she feels the tough love angle is important, hopefully clarifying even.

"You've put in the work when it came to your trauma Y/N/N, you willingly sought out help, and you are the better one of us for it. You're two times the mother ours ever was, and that's a fact... Natasha, if we're being honest here didn't, and though incomparable hers runs a hell of a lot deeper than ours ever did. It seems to me that she only ever buried herself in you, willing your presence to make it all go away, and for awhile it probably did work for her."

It's true that Natasha had hardly spent anytime processing her trauma before she had met you. Freedom had never really meant free for her, she was able to "escape" the Red-Room with the help of Shield, and in turn she handed them her whole life until she found you, who she then passed the blazing torch to.

"From experience though we both know that's not how the healing process works, I think that something has potentially triggered her and without the resources to understand it's fair to assume she didn't even realize it. We both know she's too proud, afraid even to face the darkness that is her past, but I fear if she doesn't have the motivation to face it she'll just continue down this destructive path.."

Maria's words had struck a chord within you; running from your problems will get you nowhere, and throwing in the towel on your marriage isn't exactly your goal here either. Taking a step back sounded more like it, striking the fear of God into the redhead before you return to her with a list of ultimatums.

"Plus, she put in for a year off as soon as the undercover mission was forcibly extended, which we both know is huge. It's like the former assassin's equivalent to a root canal."

"Damn 'Ria, you should've been a shrink." You laugh out, then move to cuddle against her.

Your genuine laughter helped to soothe Maria's worried heart—you're going to be okay, it'll just take time...

—

The following morning you were off, not willing to stay in plain sight in case the redhead set off to find you. So, you did the next best thing by taking the offered jet—Maria's orders, and the accompanying black card from the millionaire's hand, his profuse apologies more than accepted since you'd now been given this freedom to travel the world as you'd always dreamed.

Taking off was rather liberating actually, first on your list was to travel within the states, and with the jet it made it a fairly easy conquest. Every sunrise, and sunset along with the designated meal times was spent within a new state, with the exception of California, Texas, Alaska and Hawaii being lucky enough to have full days. It took you exactly two weeks to travel to all the unseen spaces, and though it was exhausting at times you refused to miss it.

When you eventually arrived in California, you'd started with a walk along the Golden Gate bridge to catch the sunrise, feeling as free as can be once the ocean breeze hit your face. The way this one state had such a variety of climates had you in relative awe, viewing the snowy mountains off in the distance, while toes hesitantly dipped into Tahoe's crystal clear lakes. Quite the experience honestly, skipping the rocks while grubbing on some fantastic tacos from a truck. You'd enjoyed observing the entirety of the sunny state, forgoing Los Angeles for your children's sake, and honestly being grateful you weren't traveling by car, because the people here were truly reckless.

You were fortunate enough to catch a view of the Northern lights from quite a few states, you walked along the shores of beaches, and visited sights like the Space Needle, or "The Worlds Largest: Ketchup bottle, Cheese Wheel, Potato" and so much more that you'd never imagined needed to be memorialized.

After the states you traveled across the entirety of many contents, sightseeing at the forefront, but more so you'd been on a journey of self discovery. You'd seemingly forgotten yourself over the years after becoming a wife and then a mother, so you emerged yourself into a plethora of new worlds in search of clarity.

With every new adventure you'd found your soul feeling a tad bit lighter; even if your heart did hurt every time you heard your son shriek as you were hanging up, or your daughter's angry breathing on the other end of the line, and lest we forget the voicemails left in the middle of the night wearing you down just as much—you're not sure she even knew she was leaving them though.

The only clear problem ended up being how lonely you found yourself, it was so odd to you too because for as long as you can remember it'd always been just you. Sure, you had Maria, but with her climbing the ranks at Shield you were on your own a lot. Working on your undergraduate degree, which left you with so little time for fun, but full of hope for your prospective, bright future.

Then one day along while back Maria was invited to an event in which she refused to go alone, so she dragged your resisting form into a fancy venue against your will. Silently cursing her for having the upper hand of physical training on a regular basis over you. By the end of the event though you'd loosened up after having had your fill of champagne, and while dancing the night away you'd met the most gorgeous woman you'd ever laid eyes upon.

Natasha Romanoff, the woman you now call your wife, and the one who with one simple smirk, and a charming kiss to your hand had managed to reel you in. A whirlwind romance full of laughter, sex, and an abundance of love. Somewhere along the way though the laughter had died, and all you got were sparing moans, and loud screaming—not the good kind.

So, after two months of traveling, you shakily took the jet home to New York, then set off with your sister in tow towards the farmhouse. AirPods in playing your favorite podcast with your head leaning against the window to take in the New York skyline. Admiring the ways that the sun slowly rose, beams of light shining through the cracks between the skyscrapers. Maria sat beside you in her sunglasses, sipping upon her coffee while fulfilling her older sister duty of driving you through the city while Carol quietly sat in the back reading a book—you were starting to understand why she's such a good partner for your sister.

While you came to terms with a lot, and worked to understand your wife over blaming her you finally felt like you could breathe again. The last couple of months had been absolute hell for your wife though, your unwillingness to even share your location had been weighing heavily on the woman's heart, the possibilities for what you're doing were endless and that drove her mad.

Were you moving on?

Did someone else sweep you off your feet?

Is that why you haven't come back yet?

Did she really just ruin everything she spent years building up over her unresolved traumas?

The fear of losing you had always been her biggest, so she's not sure why she—entirely unprovoked, brought it to fruition.

Turns out your daughter was wondering much of the same... Lily had been hard on you, and had said some very mean things, but no matter what she could still depend on you to be there. Every time she would wake with a nightmare, even after treating you badly, she knew she could always climb into your bed at night. Without fail you'd pull her close, dry her cheeks, and sing to her until she was soothed.

Natasha sleeps on the couch though, and she's not getting much sleep as it is, so now she's left to face her fears on her own. The biggest one being that she somehow ran her mommy off.

Of course she did, she was cruel, and now you're just gone...

"Mama?"

"Hmm?" Natasha hummed, slowly peering over her third mug of coffee in under just an hour to see your daughter's distraught face.

"Oh lyubov', what's wrong?"

"I'm scared mama..." She cries, and Natasha rounds the counter, scooping the tiny girl up and into her tight embrace.

"Why are you scared angel?"

"I broke the family... I was mean to mommy, and now she's just gone... What if she never comes back? Mama, does she hate me? I-I. She's my mommy, she can't hate me... Right? I'd told her I hated her a day before she left, but I didn't mean it, I never meant it..." Lily says in a panic, her words incomprehensible near the end as she began to hyperventilate.

"Hey, slow down there angel... I need you to breathe for me baby, come on..."

Natasha is able to pull her out of the breathing fit, but her trembling body doesn't cease, Natasha just pulls her into her chest even tighter and rocks her tiny body. 

"Oh Lily-bug... You have to know that your mommy doesn't hate you, she loves you so very much, don't you ever doubt that hunny. You also didn't break our family, I don't want to hear you saying that again."

"But—."

"No, you're the child here baby, you did not cause this. It was mama that messed up." Natasha firmly replies after taking a steadying breath, because admitting it out loud really hurt, but seeing her daughter riddled with guilt was somehow more painful.

"No, mama you didn't." Lily replies in a panic.

"Honey, I don't like saying it, but it's true. Mama made some really stupid choices, and now Mommy is just taking a little breather."

"What did you do?"

"I also wasn't very nice to mommy, I said some really mean things to her, and always ran away. Mommy did nothing wrong, but I still made her —."

Natasha pauses, decisively she reroutes the conversation, not really wanting to unload such heaviness onto the already fragile young girl in her arms.

"Honey, why were you mean to mommy, hm?"

"I thought when mommy yelled at you she was why you kept leaving, and that just made me so mad. You were always gone mama, and I just missed you so much... Yelling just made me feel so much better, but I know it didn't make mommy feel good, she cried a lot..."

"Me neither pumpkin, I do think it made her really sad, but she's smart—she knows you love her, I promise."

"Can you tell her sorry for me please? Maybe then she'll come home... I miss her, she's a good mommy... She also knows how to cook." She quietly asks over a yawn, her mother's light laughter and warm body lulling her into a much needed nap.

Your daughters confessions really weighs heavy on the former assassin, while barely being around she'd still managed to pass her anger issues off onto your daughter. Forcing her into such heavy feelings at such a young age; she'd always vowed to protect her family, but she knows now that she did the opposite here...

Failures never really been an option for her, and after talking things over with the innocent child she's aware that she'll need to work through a lot if she's ever going to fix this, which is the only option she's prepared for. She'd gone to text you for your daughter's sake, but then she decided that would be too cheap.

She'll call you later, hopefully you'll answer...

Little did she know you were currently stood behind the house, Maria headed towards the front door to enact her portion of the plan. Because had she known the house would be clean, and she would've showered as well.

Lily's quick to jolt up at the sound of the door, scrambling to her feet she runs over in the hopes that it's Lila, or Coop on the other side.

"AUNTIE MARIA!!" She shrieks, pleasantly surprised by her presence she all but jumps into her arms, then in a curious manner she looks over her shoulder hoping to see you.

"Hello there my favorite niece." She teasingly greets the young girl, eyes naturally taking in the mess of a woman on the couch before finally addressing her.

"Hey Nat, sorry for just dropping in, but would it be okay if Carol and I took the kids out for the day? Promise they'll be back by sunset."

"Of course. Let me just go get Mason up and dressed, then you'll be good to go."

"Ooh, can we go to the zoo? Oh, and maybe get ice cream?"

Natasha strides off towards your son's room, shoulders sagging as soon as Maria's no longer visible. For a brief moment her head falls against his door, a lone tear falls as she works to pull herself together just enough to send the kids off for their day of fun, and for her day of drinking to just start a bit earlier.

"Hey Mace, baby boy it's time to get up..." She coos, lightly shaking him awake, and just like clockwork he calls out for you, as he does every single morning.

"Mommy?!"

"No baby, it's just mama." She sighs in defeat, then lifts his body out of the dinosaur themed toddler bed to dress him.

She can't blame him, she misses you just the same, but it still stings for her to feel like she's not enough for him. It's her own fault, she's never been a consistent enough figure in his short life, and now he's only been left with her.

"Come on buddy, your auntie is here."

His face instantly lights up, and her heart breaks at the sight, knowing that he's bonded with his aunt in a way he still hasn't with her just hurts beyond measure.

"Auntie Riri?"

Natasha nods, then his hand drops from hers and he runs down the stairs to get to see for himself.

"No running down the stairs!" She shrieks, fear overcoming her at the possibility of him falling, but as she catches up to him all it did was make him hesitant to be near her.

Mason's not really used to yelling, he's always been a sensitive little one. Lily was a relatively quiet baby, her cries instantly soothed upon having her needs met. Mason was the opposite, crying regularly for more than the basic needs. Lily had been, and still is pretty independent, but Mason's always needed that extra bit of affection, and to accommodate him you'd taken the 'no need to shout' approach at parenting. Finding it for more beneficial in the long run anyways, as shouting was borderline barbaric, and emotionally harmful to any child.

"I'm sorry, mama just didn't want you to get hurt... Can I have a hug goodbye?"

He shook his head 'no' while hiding behind Maria's leg, but after he saw Lily hugging her he hesitantly made his way over too. Natasha heavily sighed at the contact grateful for even the most minor progress, then she placed a tender kiss to his temple before sending them both off with an 'I love you.'

Once they were out the door, and she heard the car had taken off she gasped as the immense, overwhelming sadness bubbled over into irrational rage, a framed family photo caught in the crossfire as she threw it against the wall. Crumbling to her knees at the same time the glass shattered across the floor, left to regret her actions the moment she had observed the scene before her.

Brushing the glass away she pulled the image into her trembling chest; it was a perfect photo.

Natasha and you had taken Lily to the secluded park up the road which was really just a tire swing, and a rickety metal slide. There you stood with a much younger Lily, her tiny arms wrapped around your throat, hanging off your back as tiny legs tried to wrap around your protruding belly—the left succeeded but the right was dangling. While you were fighting for your life Natasha had managed to run into the timed photo grabbing her leg, pushing her up and relieving the pressure upon your larynx. The photo captured as you took in an exaggerated breath, Lily's body towering above yours with a smirk to rival Natasha's, and Nat's other hand was on your stomach while her face was contorted fearfully. What a memory...

"That was a good day, one of our last ones actually." You suddenly said from behind her, causing Natasha to scramble to face you.

The sight of your normally put-together, fiercely strong wife stood before you as nothing but a shell of herself hurt you far more than you cared to admit. No matter how much damage or pain she inflicted upon the family you didn't necessarily intend for this response. Karma doesn't always do the job it's meant to, here it seems to have only broken her further.

"You're-you're really here..."

Natasha scuffled across the floor in a rush, paying no mind to the glass that's scratching up her exposed knees as her body's only goal is to reach you—to feel you.

"Yes, I think it's about time we talk..." You reply with an accompanying groan as her tear filled face slams against the fabric of your shirt, and your hand falls atop her head in a comforting way.

"Natasha... Get up..."

With all her strength she wills herself to let you go, then slowly she makes her way over to the couch where she sits with her bloodied knees pulled tightly into her chest.

Taking the moment to really observe her you see the distant look in her eye, and the olive complexion she once had has faded as if the sun just wasn't around anymore. It's more apparent than ever how much she truly needs some help. Three years of mostly being alone didn't do this to you, and she's only been here two months. Granted she didn't leave you fearing a divorce, but still, this is beyond a simple talk between two broken lovers.

With a familiar ease you had moved around the house, collecting the first aid kit and throwing the trash away as it littered the whole kitchen counters all while waiting on the tea kettle. Settling the mugs on the table you moved to sit beside Natasha, cautiously reaching out, but stopping once her hand wraps around your wrist.

"Leave it." She rasps, but you shake her hold and dab the gauze with antiseptic on the cuts.

"Natasha, I'm not going to leave you cut up."

"You left me..." Her words are merely a whisper, you continued to just work on her knees until you pulled your thoughts together.

The cuts were superficial, so after you slathered some ointment over them you left them uncovered then pulled back to finally acknowledge her heartbreak.

"Yes, I did do that, but I'm back now so that we can talk this out."

"I wanted to talk that night..."

"Natasha, this isn't going to work if we lie. You didn't try to talk, you tried to fuck me into submission, and it nearly worked—once again, but much like you I couldn't do this anymore. Going back to the way things were isn't an option for me."

"Detka, I promise we won't go back, but please don't leave again, I-I can't do this alone."

"Tasha, I'm back, but I'm not back as you want. I'm here to be a support system, to coparent our beautiful babies, and to make sure the house never looks like this again. I'll be staying in the guest room for now until we—."

"No-no... I don't want a fucking divorce, I want you Y/N/N, I want us—our family..." Natasha shouts while jumping to her feet and blocking you from leaving the couch.

"Then it's good we're on the same page then, because I want all of that too, desperately so. You have to stop interrupting me, stop jumping to conclusions, and stop making decisions for us. I don't see this marriage working if we just jump right back into it."

"Why can't we just be us now? I have ten months left of my time off, we can travel with the kids, we can be happy, I want to be happy."

"Being happy starts with you Nat, whatever it is you're holding onto you need to let it all go. You need to seek outside help, you're so angry, but deep down I know you're drowning in sorrow, and burying yourself in us clearly stopped working for you a long time ago."

"That's easy enough for you to say, how do I just let it all go? All that I've lived through, that I've done to others, I'm just meant to let it go?"

"Yeah, you need to let it fucking go, because the longer you hold on, the more you're going to continue to lose. I've never been a fan of ultimatums, but fuck, Natasha this is mine!"

"What are you saying?"

"You need to get help, or this won't work, and then divorce would be our only option. Our kids deserve two happy parents, I refuse to be to my children what my parents were to me. Maria and I survived by the skin of our teeth, and I'll be damned if Lily and Mason are made to do the same. We have a chance here to give our kids what we never had and we're fucking it up Natasha. Mason deserves to know his other mother, and Lily shouldn't have to hate me to love you."

Natasha's taken aback by your words, looking deeply into your eyes she sees this is truly it. Either she gets the "help", or you're gone for good, and two months without you was enough for her to never want that again, so she nods. Then taking tentative steps she moves forward until she straddles your lap, and buries her face into the crook of your neck.

"Natasha..."

"Please...? Just hold me, please..."

Your arms wrap around her waist, allowing her this moment of comfort, because in the end she's still your wife, and she's not a horrible person, she's the furthest thing from that.

"I promise to fix this Y/N/N... I can't lose you, I won't survive it."

"I know you will Tasha, and I promise to be here every step of the way, now get some rest."

You pulled the blanket from off the top of the couch to place over her, turning the TV on low to watch a random comedy rerun while you simultaneously soothed the body atop of yours until it fell slack. Then after she was in a deep sleep you placed a lingering kiss to her forehead before gently slipping her onto the couch and moving to clean up the disaster that is your shared home before getting started on dinner.

—

Maria came back three hours later with a sleeping toddler and an exhausted little girl. With her spare key she unlocked the door, and as soon as the smell of borscht hit Lily's nose her whole body perked up, dropping her aunts hand in favor of running into the kitchen.

"Mommy you're back!" She shouts excitedly, but you're quick to shush her while also dropping to your knees to fully embrace her.

Once you've got her in your arms you stand once more, stirring the soup when you feel her body start to tremble in your hold.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

You tried to set her down but her hold became unbearably tight and you realized she was indeed scared

"Put him with Nat, and stir the soup please. There's bowls for all of us." You instructed your older sister, ignoring the playful muttering of 'bossy' she throws your way as you make your way upstairs.

Once the both of you came back downstairs Natasha already had Mason in his seat, and was helping Maria to set the table. Maria noticed you first, sending up a sympathetic smile when your eyes instantly fell to the to go containers in her hand.

"Duty calls." She jests with the tupperware lifted in the air and arms wide open to say goodbye.

You'd walked around the corner, and while hugging her goodbye Mason began to squirm in his seat so you cut the embrace short and moved to pick him up, and for the third time today someone was clinging to you like a koala.

That night you went to sleep in the guest room with Mason already clinging to you, and by the time the clock struck one your bed was full. Though it wasn't part of your plan, you knew it would be an adjustment, so for the time being you let it be, and if you were being honest with yourself really it wasn't that hard to do.

——

Natasha was really starting to wonder if divorce was that bad as she sat in the waiting room to meet her therapist, the one designated for the Avengers, and all their extended members.

She's lived a whole life without you, she could easily do it... right?

"Natasha Romanoff? Miss Montague will see you now."

Natasha took a moment to collect herself, wringing her hands out a few times before switching a flip and confidently walking through the doors as the perplexed receptionist stood in wait.

Natasha entered the woman's office and the sight of the tidy, almost clinical environment had her stomach turning with uneasiness. Regardless of her feelings though she sat down, and for her entire session just sat there staring the woman down, the psychologist's gaze never wavering as she left the floor open to her.

"Well, Mrs. Romanoff that was a great first session, I'll see you again next week at the same time, thank you for coming in."

Natasha scoffs as she's practically shoved out of the office, but for some reason she can't fight the fact that she feels microscopically better.

—

The next session's a bit more involved as she introduces "herself" to the woman, barely scratching the surface when she mutters out:

"I'm Natasha, and I'm here to fix my marriage with Y/N, and then hopefully we'll be a happy family again."

Natasha felt incredibly brave for having even mentioned the problem at hand, but Miss Montague felt differently, as she chuckled inappropriately in response while closing her notebook and leaning onto her elbows that were flat on the desk separating them to hold her stare as she spoke.

"That might be your goal Natasha, but that's not why you're here, so how about we try to get passed this game of surface level deflection here and you can tell me exactly what I need to hear to get you to where your wife and kids need you to be, and where you deserve to be."

Natasha abruptly stood at the women's words, followed shortly by the slamming of her doors, and when she was about halfway home on her bike she pulled off onto the barren exit and burst into tears. Thirty minutes later she was back in the office, and angrier than ever.

"Listen, this is all so fucking pointless! Y/N deserves better than me, she always has. I'm nothing more than a trained killer, these hands were designed to inflict pain, not to show love. I was selfish, I wanted something I was never meant to have, and now they're suffering because I can't live up to it. My son won't even look at me now that Y/N's back home, and my daughter is still so angry because I taught her to be nothing more than that. Y/N's trying to fix me, but I don't think that's possible, why can't she fucking see that? She wants me to let go, but it would be so much easier if she was to do it instead, she should just let me go..."

"Well that's just not true Mrs. Romanoff, I'm sat here before you and I see so much more than what you are saying. You are a wife, and a mother, and just because you obviously feel undeserving doesn't change the fact that you've made these decisions that led to where you are. We also both know you wouldn't even be here if you wanted her to leave you. Something I'd said clearly upset you, and you're just trying to protect yourself. Self preservation can be just as detrimental as it can be beneficial."

Natasha's anger was slowly fading to sadness, feet moving of their own accord to have her sitting down before her therapist once more, her cracked heart somewhat ready to listen to reason.

"Here's what I'm going to offer you from this moment forward. You'll be honest, completely, because I'm here to help you out—not judge, and there's nothing you'll say that will scare me off either. I'm the Avengers shrink for Christ sake, none of you got here because you had normal upbringings. Honesty is the only way we get you healed Natasha, so if you're down to try, I'm here to help. If you're not then I fear you'll lose everything, and as much as you try to hide from me I can see the fear in your eyes at that very prospect. I'm not in the business of sugar coating—you won't survive this loss."

—

The next few sessions work much the same, Natasha tells partial truths, gets called out, and then after a moment of anger she reveals more of herself to the shrink, and little by little you begin to take notice of her at home.

The new effort she is putting forth is obvious, and you can easily tell it's organic and not some temporary forced fix to convince you. Without overstepping, or halting her progress you make a conscious effort to give her more. Subtle initiations of physical contact, late night walks as a family, and family movie nights with the Barton's where you sit beside her and allow your fingers to brush. Natasha appreciates the intimacy, but she'd be lying to say she doesn't want more, feeling like she's flirting with the idea of dating her wife is just strange to her.

—

"So, Natasha, it's been two months, and as great as this is going we've already reached a sort of plateau, I know somethings holding us back. How are things with Mason? Let's talk about him and what is it that changed be—."

"You know, Lily did this adorable thing when she was a baby. She'd purse her little lips, and just blow these little spit bubbles, Y/N thought it was so gross, but it was honestly really cute."

"Natasha, we're talking about Mason here."

"There's nothing to say, he's my son, but clearly I'm not his mama..." She snaps, a certain edge to her voice that shows she's uncomfortable, but is that not what therapy's meant for...?

"He's three, and you weren't exactly there, if I remember correctly you missed his last birthday."

"I was on a mission..." She weakly defends, but from previous sessions they both know it was an avoidable one. 

"Doesn't change the fact that he has a right to be hesitant of you, but you however have no right to give up on him, so let's go through the days leading up to his birth. There has to be something we're missing here, or better yet something you're holding onto and refusing to let go."

"Everything was fine."

"Natasha, stop deflecting."

"No, it was, Y/N was so cuddly and needy just like when she was pregnant with Lily, it was perfect. Then she gave birth, and when we got home he just wouldn't stop crying, and I-I..."

Natasha can't exactly fight the tears as she is violently thrown into an unfavorable memory from her past, one that she'd suppressed with a bottle of vodka within the same night—perks of being the top widow at the time.

•~~~~~•~~~~~•—•~~~~~•~~~~~•

"Natalia, these are the targets, leave nothing behind. Are we clear?"

"Yes madam." Natasha monotonously responds, politely grabbing the file out of her hand then she's making her way to the weapons room to gather her collection.

She'd taken two trains and a bus, completely undetected, and she's just as efficient when she climbs into the German Townhouse to wait for her targets to return home. The file, as usual, proclaims these individuals to be traitors of the highest degree and she knows better than to ask for clarification. Harsh training had left her void of the will to ask, but it never left her without a deep pain in her chest.

She was observant as can be, the room she climbed into told her that she'd been sent to kill someone's parents, but the file didn't. Natasha was trained to kill, it was an effortless swan's dance at this point, but killing children was a hard concept for her, she'd never been made to kill one before, and she's not entirely sure she had it in her.

The sound of a door clicking announced to her of their return, she shook the fear from her heart and made her way through the halls. The parents knew immediately that this was it, the cold breeze in their house enough of a warning, but they knew better than to run. Instead they shoved their four year old into the specialty designed closet, texted a friend for his safe retrieval, then sat on the couch.

Natasha rounded the corner to see them, their pensive expression telling her that they're ready, so she makes it a quick process for them. Two silenced gunshots, one between his eyes, the other right through her chest, then she goes to head for the closet; mind on autopilot as she wills her body to kill the innocent child, after already killing the most likely just as innocent parents.

"Bitte tu ihm nichts, sie wissen nichts von ihm, lass ihn gehen. Er ist ein guter Junge"

(Please dont hurt him, they don't know about him, let him go. he's a good boy.)

Natasha hesitates with her hand over the closet doorknob, she could just go, her mission for all they know is completed, but she had express instructions to leave nothing behind, and nothing includes witnesses, but he had yet to see her face.

"Das verspreche ich."  The dying mother pulls her from her internal debate as she pleads once more for her sons life.

(I promise)

Natasha sees the look in her eyes, the honesty jumping out as the life itself drains from them, and Natasha decides in the moment it is best to leave him be, so she wipes the gun to place in the husbands hands, then she disappears into the shadows.

"Mama.. Mama wake up.." He cries over the limp body, her green eyes notice his desperate pair of blue from the shadows she hides in.

His tears never stop, heartbreaking sobs continue to leave him as he lays his head over his mothers chest, her stilled heart beneath his ears. Her own guarded heart shattering as she watches the innocence slowly leaves him, the same way she'd watched it leave Yelena's, all the while ignoring the little girl that she once was. She finally leaves the scene after the boy's received safe passage, but his cries for his mama never once leave her mind, deeply etched into her heart, left there to remind her every day that she is the monster they set out to make her.

•~~~~~•~~~~~•—•~~~~~•~~~~~•

"Natasha, that wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was, why can't you see that?"

The shrink stops herself from interjecting, seeing this as a potential breaking point for the former assassin as she'd yet to tremble like this before.

"What's worse is that was my last mission before my deflection, the same one that left me to murder a little girl in the name of freedom. Couldn't kill him, but for an end to my own suffering I could kill her, and it turns out I didn't even do that right; I just disfigured her and left her and my little sister Yelena behind to fend for themselves against that vile man—I'm no better than he is, can't you see?"

Miss Montague takes cautious steps to kneel before Natasha who's sat on the couch, taking her hands into her own for the obvious needed comfort, and Natasha's teary eyes lift to meet her softened brown ones.

"How can I hold my crying baby, and try to soothe him and allow him to find comfort in calling me mama when that little boy never got to do the same?"

"Natasha, you didn't have any say in the matter, and when given the choice you actively spared him. Nothing you did is something that I can forgive you for, and it seems to me you're unwilling to forgive yourself. You have to stop torturing yourself for the things you were forced to do, you need to then seek forgiveness, and maybe then you can forgive yourself too."

"What? Am I just meant to find him and say 'Sorry for killing your parents?'" Natasha snaps at her shrink for what's probably the millionth time, but Montague isn't phased.

"No, that's too literal, and a bit morbid. Seek it out where you can actually get it."

"Please, stop speaking in riddles for once!!" She groans, hands yanked back to run down her face in frustration.

"Yelena—start there, you've made amends, but now go and say sorry again like you mean it. Next apologize to Y/N, share with her what you can, then say you're sorry for the last three years you couldn't be who she needed you to be. Then finally, look Mason in his eyes, and force yourself to feel the love he has for you. When Y/N left he trusted you enough to care for him, and when given no choice you were able to do it; it's honestly likely his hesitation is spurred on by your own to let him love you."

Natasha nods in sudden understanding, frantically jumping to her feet she bids her goodbye with the promise of seeing her next week, because they're far from done here. Leaving to race off to Yelena's, a pitstop for booze a necessity before she's then pounding on her sister's door.

"Natasha, what are you doing here? Did something happen to Y/N? The kids?"

"I'm sorry."

Yelena, though confused, closes the door as her frantic—seemingly unhinged—sister brushes past her to sit on the couch and pops open two entire bottles of vodka.

"Natasha, what are you—?"

"Sidet!"

Yelena sits, not entirely sure why she's taking orders from her sister in her own house but alas she does it, gratefully accepting the bottle of booze in temporary lieu of an explanation.

Natasha and Yelena drink silently for an hour before the redhead bleeds her heart out to her little sister, to which Yelena embraces her wholeheartedly, and repeatedly reassures her that she's more than forgiven. Truly, both of them needed this moment of brutal unpacking. Yelena feels far less alone in hearing her sister's struggles when compared to her very own, and Natasha never realized how much she needed the forgiveness of her mladshaya sestra until she genuinely had it.

"Natalia, I forgive you, and I love you so much..."

——

Natasha's appointment had been at 2PM, and seeing as how she missed the family movie night you were feeling a whole hell of a lot when she still hadn't shown at 10PM. An all too familiar pain reemerging in your chest as you start to think that all the progress had been an elaborate ruse, that your marriage was over.

The wine clouded your mind, and the tears readily fell as you began to come to terms with the end of all you'd ever wanted. Sounds, and visuals around you blurred, leaving you to miss the jingling keys, and the fast approaching steps, all that brings you out of it is the feel of rough hands holding your face.

"Detka, what's wrong?"

Her voice—deep, sexy, full of love and concern, but mostly infuriating.

"Don't touch me."

Natasha ignores you, quickly lifting your body up and carrying you out to the porch to avoid waking the kids.

"I thought you were getting better, but it appears to me it was a short lived fantasy." You seethe as soon as she settles you down.

"Detka..."

"No, I'll have all your stuff packed by tomorrow night, you can stay at the Barton's."

Natasha's hands firmly grip you by the shoulders, guiding your body into the pillar before she shouts in your face.

"I'm sorry!"

Natasha and apologies don't usually happen often, so your mouth shuts and your eyes widen, opening the floor for her to elaborate.

"We had a breakthrough today..."

Her trembling lip, and disheveled features finally catch in your visual, so without a second thought you pull her into your embrace and settle the both of you down in the swinging chair, hand over her own to comfort her.

"I went to see Lena, and we had a breakthrough of our own actually..."

Her fingers play with the rings on your fingers, head adjusting on your shoulder so that she could peer up at you when she spoke next.

"... I've done bad things Y/N/N, and I'm scared that if I tell you exactly what I've done you'll run, and that'll hurt me so much worse than you leaving because I pushed you to do it."

"Have a little more faith in me Nat, I didn't exactly enter this relationship lightly, nor did I bring children into the world with you without thinking it through. I know enough about your past to know you've been made to do some horrific things but that's neither her nor there. Your past changes nothing for me, because above all else I know your heart, and it's gold... After the last three years I wouldn't still be fighting for us if I didn't know that my Natty is still in there deep down."

Natasha sobs against your chest, but unlike the last few times it's obvious to you this isn't a pity party, or some ploy to get you to give in; this is raw, unadulterated pain and you can tell that much by the way her body violently shakes and how she has to work overtime just to breathe air into her lungs, her heaving chest without reprieve causes a panic to settle deep within your body.

Terrified you do just about everything you can to calm her down, but the only thing that ends up working is the shock of your lips firmly pressed to hers. Once she catches up she's desperately trying to kiss you back, hands linking around your neck to keep you planted there, and for just a moment you give into the euphoric feeling of having your wife's body flush against your own, arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Tasha, honey... Let's focus here..."

"I'm so sorry Y/N, I never meant to hurt you this badly, I was just so scared..."

"I get that honey, but what exactly happened?"

"Mason... He—."

Your heart twinges in anger at the mention of your beautiful son's name, but you hold back, allowing her the chance to explain before you prematurely lose it on her.

"He triggered something in me, I'd buried it for so long that I'd began to live my life like it never even happened, and that just makes it so much worse because I didn't deserve to forget. I deserved to feel miserable for what I did."

"Did you have a choice?"

"I don't know, it was my hands was it not?"

"Tasha, just tell me what you need to, help me to understand. I want to forgive you, and most of me already has, but you need to work with me. You can't just say Mason's the problem, then not tell me why, that's our son in there."

"That's not what I said, I said he triggered me, he's not the problem, he never was, I am." She huffs angrily, all her previous sadness from the painful memories crashing down on her again.

"None of that either Tasha, you're not the problem, you're just dealing with them. What do you need from me? A promise? I promise that I love you, and no matter what you say I still will."

"I-I love you too..." She quietly whispers as she takes a steadying breathe before sitting up straighter to finally open her heart to you in every way that she always should've.

Natasha candidly speaks, and you quietly listen while using your legs to get the chair to swing. Watching the pain swirling beneath her eyes and using your touch to soothe her as best you could, but your heart was absolutely breaking for the uncharacteristically fragile woman. Her words eventually died off once her twisted tales came to an end, she just resided in your lap, sniffling every once in awhile as she came down from her heightened storytelling and you got your thoughts together.

"Oh honey, my beautiful, sweet angel, none of that was your fault, and you shouldn't have to carry the burden of it either. You won't want to hear this but you were just as innocent as he was, you were just doing what you had to to survive, and the fact that you hesitated told me that boy was always safe with you. These hands of yours are built to love, and have been used to do so countless times, and I know they'll continue to do so as we navigate through this life together." You reason, your right hand rising, thumb slowly tracing over her features while wiping away at her tears, and pulling her lip from between her teeth before dropping to lift her hand up, and slowly linking your hands to provide emphasis to your words.

"I mean, look at you now. Everything they said you couldn't be you became it anyways in spite of them, you became a mother, you're my wife, and fuck Nat, you're even a superhero. So many little kids look up to you; for all the lives that you've been made to take you've made up for it tenfold with the one's you've saved." You reply, an obvious air of anger to your tone as you passionately do so, only really softening at the subtle flinching of her features.

"That little boy, as tragic as his story was is most likely doing just fine Nat. Children are so incredibly resilient, and he was so young that his brain most likely shielded him as he aged. The only ones to blame here are the redroom—Dreykov or Madam, shit—even his parents. They brought him into the world knowing the enemies they made, and instead of protecting him they left him open to a world of hurt. A parents love for their child is supposed to be strong enough to put them first, and they failed to do that, they were selfish and held onto him until their dying breath, and nearly cost him his own life."

Natasha's face twists as your hopeful words hit, she'd never imagined him as doing anything other than suffering, so to imagine he somehow overcame it and is thriving is a nice perspective, and she knows you're more than likely right.

"Forgive yourself for not being able to undo all the pain you've caused so that you can finally be free Natalia; Forgive yourself for not being the person we all needed you to be; Forgive your inner child for the life she never got to live, and learn to heal her through our kids; Forgive yourself so that we can love you fully, because that's all we all want to do."

Natasha's body began to tremble once again as your words permeated deep into her psyche, but then a soft sniffle from the left caught both of your attentions, the assassins head lifting and her bleary eyes settling on the petrified young boy. Stood there with a thumb in his mouth, a blanket and teddy clutched to his chest, and eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Mama, please no cry..." He himself sobbed, tiny empathetic body rushing to climb onto the swing, struggling as he does.

He forcefully squeezed into the space between the both of you, laying his blanket over his legs and delicately placing his teddy into her arms while twisting and throwing his tiny arms tightly around her neck and burying himself against her. Natasha's right arm stays behind your back, but her left desperately clings to his body, and once her eyes meet your adoring ones the dam breaks wide open, tears never stopping no matter how hard he pleaded with her through his own sobs to stop, both only ever ceasing to do so when the both of them fell asleep on your lap.

"Hey there, need some help?"

Your gaze slowly travels from the peaceful faces sat upon you over to Clint, and he sends you an easy smile.

"How'd you find us?" You tease the former spy, and he quirks his brow at you playfully before gesturing to the brunette who was stood in watch upon the porch next door.

He's quick to approach with buff arms at the ready to free you from your pretty comfortable confinement. He follows behind you with the mother son duo still fast asleep against his chest, and you open the door to your shared room for him to settle them down in the bed.

"You going to sleep in there with them tonight?" He quietly asks you as he leaves the door open just a crack, and judging by the inflection in his voice he's clearly aware of your sleeping schedule as of late.

"Mhm, I'm just going to get her some Tylenol, and water for the headache she's likely to have come morning, thanks for your help Clint." You politely reply, avoiding his attempt to snoop for his wife—the sneaky little minx she is, then you wish him a goodnight while locking the doors.

Shutting down the house you happily throw back the remainder of your wine glass before making your way to bed, nearly going into the guest on instinct before redirecting your feet. Upon entering the room you see Natasha had shifted to her back, and Mason was completely on top of her, then you noticed the slightly older child had found residence in your spot, so you gently shifted her slumped form over to crawl into the bed.

"Fuck... We're never almost divorcing again." You quietly groaned at the feel of the tempur-pedic mattress beneath your aching back.

"Please, can we not? The couch really sucks..." Natasha whispers back, and you peep open one eye to see her staring at you while her hand soothing runs down Mason's spine.

Both of you share a bittersweet chuckle, locked eyes conveying all the rest of the unspoken words, and though there's still a lot of work to do, you're more than content knowing that your Natasha's the one laying beside you.

——(Bonus)

"I go with mama!" Mason shrieks as you hold his wiggling form while waiting in the insanely long line for Dumbo, Lily stood beside you with a 'not this ride' face, and you feel rather giddy at the thought of having tricked her into thinking that 'Its A Small World' is the best ride yet, and that's what's up next.

"Yes, you will go with mama!" Natasha beams, with a proud smile when she looks to you, lightly pecking your lips while seamlessly passing the churro over to your hand in exchange for the toddler.

"Thank you honey." You cheer, followed by a moan as the flavors melt onto your tongue, and after only two bites in peace you reluctantly give all present parties a bite, to then losing the treat all together as Mason bats his eyes at you.

"You're welcome." She giggles, then your group is suddenly ushered into the fast pass lane when Natasha's recognized by a worker.

"Perks of being a superhero." You muse with a wink thrown her way as you lift Lily up and into the elephant.

After the initial jolt into the air you admit that flying through the sky is nice, your heart also soaring at the sight of your reluctant daughters subtle quirked lips, desperately trying to hide her satisfaction with the ride, and also at the way your wife and son are happily flying in front of you. Natasha's smile never once falls as he happily dances in the seat beside her, finger nonstop pointing out all the magical sights that Disneyland has to offer.

"Mommy..."

"Yes Lil?"

"I love you..."

"I love you too angel." You coo, placing a kiss to her forehead as the ride settles, along with all the residual tension this year had to bring.

Meeting your wife at the exit with a tired six year old on your hip you find she has the much more energetic three year old sat upon hers, naturally the both of you link your free hands and set off in search of your next big adventure.

—————————————————————

10,135 Words — Jesus this was definitely a lot.

Sorry if it hurts more than you expected, happy for you if it didn't hurt at all, either way enjoy.

—————————————————————

#natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #natasha x y/n #natasha x you #natasha x fem!reader #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff angst #natasha romanoff oneshot #natasha romanoff pov #natasha romanoff x female reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff x y/n #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x reader angst #gxg #natasharomanoffpov #natasharomanoff #maria hill x carol danvers #carol danvers #maria hill #black widow fluff #black widow #black widow angst #mama nat

[albertasunrise]

Only You - 50/50

Masterlist

Summary: Having spent most of your life in relationships that went nowhere. You struggled to trust that this man… this ray of sunshine… wouldn’t leave you eventually. (18+)

Relationships: Reader x Ben Miller

Warnings:Like AO3, I choose to give none. Read at your own risk. 18+ (So... sorry this took so long!! I hope you enjoy this update ♥️)

Series Masterlist - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

“What do you mean you’re pretty sure it’s mine?” Ben growled out as glared at you “You and Mike not been fuckin’ too?”

“Well yes.” You replied “But he always uses a condom and well… we didn’t.”

“Fuck!” Ben yelled as he got to his feet.

“I know this isn’t ideal but-“

“Ideal??” He scoffed “This is a fuckin’ shit show!”

“Benny please-“

“So what’s the plan?” He interrupted “Marry Mike and pass this baby off as his?… Cus I dunno if you’ve noticed sweetheart but we don’t look all that much alike.”

“No. That isn’t my plan.” You grumbled, feeling your temper rise.

“So what? How are you gonna fix this?”

“I’m gonna get rid of it.” You answered plainly and Ben’s jaw dropped.

“No.”

“Like you said. I can’t pass this kid off as Mike’s and we’re gonna get married so the only solution is to terminate it.” You continued with a shaky voice as you looked up to see the crestfallen expression on Ben’s face.

“You’re gonna kill my kid?” He spat, tears forming in his ice-blue eyes.

“Ben, come on, we both know this is for the best.”

“Do we?!” He shrieked “Cus I told you the other day that I wanted kids with you… I want this and now you’re telling me it's there but I can’t have it?”

“Benny please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“Why fucking tell me if nothing I say is gonna change your mind?” He shouted, anger bursting from the seams “Did you just wanna hurt me some more of good measure?”

“No.” You choked as your tears flowed freely down your flushed cheeks.

“Then why?” He sobbed “You give me hope, then you rip it away. Over and over.”

“Benny-“

“I fucking hate you Stitch!” He choked “I hate you.”

You sobbed hard at this confession. Your cries were guttural as you clutched your stomach and wailed. Benny watched you, his heart aching to comfort you but his head telling him to tell you to leave. He hated the fact that he didn’t hate you. Not one bit.

He just hated that he couldn’t have you.

“I should go.” You piped up when your cries quietened.

“Yeah, you should,” Miller replied, not looking at you as you stood to leave.

“I am sorry Benny.” You sobbed “I never meant to hurt you.”

Ben didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at you. Just stared off at the wall as you let yourself out. When he was sure you were gone, he let his wall break. Tears poured from him like a broken levee.

He wished you’d never told him you were pregnant.

That he’d never asked for your name.

…

Ben thanked Frankie with a nod as the pilot placed another beer in front of him. They sat in tense silence for a while before Frank finally asked Ben the inevitable question.

“How are you doing?”

“I'm fine!” Ben replied but the older man wasn’t buying it.

“You’re a shit liar you know.”

“What do you want me to say Fish?” Benny growled, “The woman I love gave me hope that we could be together, only to stomp on it.” The younger man spat out “And not she’s pregnant with my kid but she’s getting rid of it-“

“Stitch is pregnant?” Frankie blanched.

“Assumed you knew. She and Maria are tight aren't they?”

“Well yeah but she’s not been over lately.” Fish replied, “She’s getting rid of it?”

“That’s the plan.” Benny scoffed and the pilot let out a long sigh.

“I’m sorry brother.” A comforting hand was placed on Ben’s arm “I know you wanted a family with her.”

“I wanted everything with her!” He practically yelled, “I just don’t get why she fucking told me if she planned to get rid of it all along.”

“Perhaps she felt like she owed it to you.”

“Yeah well… best she’d just kept it to herself.” The blonde scoffed.

Frankie gave him a sympathetic smile, watching as the man pushed himself to his feet “Need a piss.” He grumbled out, leaving the pilot alone.

Picking up his phone, he called the only person he could think of.

“Hey, it’s me.”

…

You were startled by banging at your front door. Checking your phone you noted it was a little after eight. You weren't sure who it was. Mike having had to work at one of the restaurants that evening. Padding across your lounge, you pulled the blanket around your shoulders tighter as you opened the door to find a furious-looking Maria standing there.

"What are you-"

"You're pregnant?!" She practically shrieked, before looking down quickly at the sleeping baby in her arms.

"How did you?…"

"Ben's out for drinks with Frank." She stated, stepping into your house "Assumed you'd told me and that Frank would know."

"Right."

"Apparently you're getting rid of it?"

"Maria-"

"Look, I didn't judge you when you told me about what happened with Ben… Or even your choice to stay with Mike - which is dumb by the way - but I can't stand by and let you get rid of something I know you want."

"It's Ben's though Maria!"

"I know that." She replied plainly.

"So what, I tell Mike I cheated and got pregnant and that I want to keep it?" You scoffed "He'll leave me!"

"So?"

"What do you mean so??" You shrieked, sighing when the baby started to cry.

"Take her a sec." The older woman sighed as she handed you the wailing infant.

"I'm sorry Princessa." You cooed as you rocked her in your arms, watching as Maria pulled out what she needed to make the little one's bottle.

Suddenly the crying stopped and two big, wet, round, chocolate-brown orbs stared up at you. You smiled at her and she smiled back, giving you that gummy grin that you loved too much and suddenly something inside you shifted.

"Come here l

Lila" Maria cooed as she took her baby from you and perched on the couch, smiling when she latched to her bottle eagerly.

She then looked at you. Noting how you were staring at the little one with an expression that was plain as day. Your hand unconsciously resting on your stomach.

"I can't do this." You choked as you finally tore your eyes away from the baby and looked at your friend.

"I know." She replied with a knowing look "I will support you. Whatever happens but know that Ben wants this with you…" She trailed off.

"I know he does."

"Then stop putting the wrong man first." Mari sighed "Choose the man that wants to give you the world… Not the one that can give you expensive presents."

"You're right." You nodded "I need to tell Mike."

"Tell me what?"

The two of you jumped as you turned to look at Mike who was standing beside your open front door. His brows were pulled together as his eyes flitted between you and Maria.

"Baby… Tell me what?"

"Mike, I'm pregnant." You sighed, your expression severe.

"Really?" Mike squeaked, a grin filling his features as he took a step towards you.

"Mike it isn't yours." You stopped him in his tracks and his elated expression returned to confusion.

"What do you mean it's not mine?"

"It's Ben's." You confessed, your heart thundering in your chest "When you were away, we… Well, we-"

"You cheated on me." He growled and you nodded "And now you're fucking pregnant with his bastard kid?"

"Mike!" Maria warned but the man was having none of it.

"I shower you with gifts… treat you like a queen and this is how you repay me??"

"You cheated on me too Mike or did you forget about that?" You growled.

"I made a mistake!" He yelled, groaning when Lila started to cry again "Get that fucking baby out of here."

"No!" You yelled, "Maria stays."

"We need to talk about this-"

"There's nothing to talk about." You snarled "I chose you over Ben because I felt bad for you. I broke the heart of the man I love because your mum died and I felt like it was my duty to get you through it."

"Damn right, it is!"

"Well, I'm done putting everyone else first Mike." You snapped "I am putting myself first for once."

Your chest was heaving as you stared at the man. Your eyes burning into him as you finally said what you wanted to say to him all those weeks ago.

"It's over Mike." You stated plainly "I'm in love with Ben… I want to be with him and I wanna raise this baby with him."

"Fucking bitch!" He spat as he pulled off the keys you'd have cut for him and threw them at you.

You flinched as the metal objects hit your cheek, schooling your features to remain unaffected when you touched your cheek and they came away blood.

"Don't come running back to me when he leaves you." He scoffed before storming out of the house.

You let out a shaky breath as you felt your emotions start to bubble over. You sobbed as you held your cheek, sprinting to the kitchen to grab a cloth. Your emotions were a mess. On the one hand, you were happy you'd broken things off. On the other, you were terrified that you were too late. You knew you had to speak to Ben. You just hoped he'd listen.

Maria then helped you clean and dress the gash Mike had inflicted on your cheek. Three butterfly stitches standing out in stark contrast to the redness of your skin.

"I need to talk to Benny." You sighed when Maria grabbed the last of her things to leave.

"Yup." She chuckled, smiling sweetly at you as Lila snoozed on her shoulder.

"Think he'll listen to me?"

"I think that boy loves you." She replied, "You hurt him and you're going to have some work to do but I know that he wants this with you."

"He told me he hated me."

"He doesn't hate you, sweetie." She sighed, tilting her head to one side as she spoke "He hates that didn't just act sooner."

…

You thought about waiting a few days. Waiting for the dust to settle but you knew that that was just you trying to avoid the potential rejection that was waiting for you. So when you found yourself standing in front of his door with your fist raised, ready to knock, you took a steadying breath and did it.

Ben's face when he opened the door wasn't hard to read. He didn't say anything. Just stepped aside to let you in and you thanked him with a small nod. When you were sat and so was Ben, the two of you sat there in awkward silence for a while. Neither one of you knew what to say to the other.

"I told Mike." You piped up when the silence became too much and Ben nodded but didn't say anything "Ben?"

"What do you want me to say?" He grumbled and you rolled your eyes at his response.

"How about what did he say?" You asked as you tucked your hair behind your ear, revealing the cut on your cheek that was now bruised around the edges.

Ben's demeanour instantly changed. He shot to his feet and sat beside you, his fingers brushing your skin as he inspected the injury.

"Did he do this?" He growled as he pinched your chin and brought your gaze to him.

"He uh… He threw his set of keys at me." You sighed "We broke up."

This grabbed Ben's attention. Sitting back, his eyes studied you closely as he waited for you to elaborate.

"Maria made it very clear to me that I have been making stupid decisions lately." Ben scoffed at that but smiled, feeling his anger start to fizzle a little "I have always put everyone else first. I stay with Mike because I felt like it was my duty to support him.

"I have never put myself first before so this is me doing that… I love you, Benny. I love you and I know I have fucked up so bad with you but if I'm not too late… I choose you."

"Stitch-"

"Before you say anything… I uh… Well, I have something to show you." You said as you rummaged in your bag and pulled out what you were looking for "Thought you might wanna see these."

His eyes went wide as you handed him the sonogram pictures from your scan earlier that day. He choked on a sob as he looked through them. A bright smile filled his features as he studied them closely.

"I want to do this with you, Benny." You piped up after a short pause "I want to have this baby with you. I want to be a family."

He looked up at you with a teary smile and beamed. Nodding like a loon as he glanced down at the pictures again before grabbing the back of your neck and pulling you in for a kiss that took your breath away.

"Okay." He whispered against your lips as he pulled back enough to look at you through his long lashes "Let's do this Stitch."

"Yeah?" You asked, your voice trembling with a mixture of need and excitement.

"Let's have a baby."

Next

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#ben miller fanfiction #ben miller x you #ben miller #ben miller triple frontier #benny miller x reader #benny miller triple frontier #ben miller x reader #benny miller x you #garrett hedlund fanfiction #garrett hedlund #triple frontier #triple frontier fanfiction

[famwhy]

„Could we maybe get an extra were we see what happened to donel and how his thoughts slowly shift from friendship to that of an obsessed cultist?“

Sorry that it took so long only read the message now

Lmao, it's all good man, here you go~

(This ask is related to this post.)

Taglist:

@pinkrose1422

Donel was an aggressive guy.

For as long as he could remember, he had been picking fights with kids both for your sake and his own.

He was your childhood friend so of course he would pick fights with those who dared to chat shit about you.

You never liked his bad habit.

Always tugged on his arm when he got a little too aggressive with people.

'It's not right.' You would tell him. 'You could end up getting in big trouble.'

He would scoff in response. 'You think I give a shit? I'm not letting that fucking wasteman speak about you like that.'

You would sigh in response because you knew; you knew that nothing you could say or do would convince him not to beat people up when they pissed him off.

He always cared for you.

Sure, he was teasing and always made fun of you for your height or your lack of athletic prowess but it was all in good fun.

No one else in his friendgroup meant as much to him as you did.

You were his dear friend, his first friend that stuck with him through many a hard time.

So him not being able to see you, right after these obsessed fucks murdered his other friends in front of his eyes, absolutely killed him.

"You piece of shit!" Donel thrashed in the arms of the hooded people restraining him. "How fucking dare you kill them?!"

"Tch." Poe, the traitorous bastard, clicked his tongue. "I can't believe the Saviour ever befriended a barbarian like you."

"The fuck did you say to me?!" He growled. "Fuck you! At least she actually willingly befriended me instead of becoming friends with me out of pity!"

The cultist's teeth grinded against each other in his annoyance. "You are unworthy of the Saviour's love!"

"Fucking cultist freak!" Donel snarled. "Let me the fuck go so I can smash your face in for making her go through that!"

"I can't believe you have to become devoted to her! You don't have the potential to be her worshipper!"

"No," the sudden, new voice caused all heads to turn towards the sound of approaching footsteps. "He has potential."

Donel heard the gasps of the freaks around him, mumbling following not too long after.

"In fact, he has the most potential out of all of us." The person continued speaking. "Just look at that spark in his eyes, the urge to protect her. It's there, the potential is overflowing. If we just redirect his fondness into devotion. He could become a better worshipper than us all."

Poe rose a brow. "I doubt it, but," he sighed deeply, "you are the expert, Athens."

"Leave him to me." The figure's lips twitched upwards.

"You mustn't harm him, the Saviour strictly forbids it." Poe bitterly mumbled.

"Very well, that makes my job only the slightest bit harder."

.

.

.

From that point on, Donel was put in a room, tied to a chair and only brought food when it was necessary.

He cursed the pieces of shit that put him in there every day.

How dare they have the audacity to lock him up and force you to be some sort of deity they worship?!

Though he was grateful for one thing.

They provided him with a desk and a laptop displaying live surveillance of yourself.

He found himself staring at it in his concern for your health.

Were you eating?

Were you hurt?

Were you getting the right amount of rest?

He wouldn't always be staring at it, sometimes, he would faze out. Choosing not to pay attention too much as that would probably be the type of freaky thing these damn cultists would do.

He would also sometimes be able to hear the conversations you had with the worshipping cunts.

"Maria!" You called to one of them. "Where is Donel? When can I see him?"

"He is safe, Saviour." The maid bowed her head to you.

"That's not what I asked." You crossed your arms.

"I apologise," her head didn't rise up, "I cannot say more."

She had then walked off, leaving you standing there with your arms still crossed.

"Oh Donel," he heard you sigh, "where are you?"

"I'm right here!" He pulled on his restraints, vision growing a little fuzzy as he refused to let the tears flow. "I'm right fucking here..."

You, bless your soul, would always ask the freaks about where he was; if you could see him; when you could see him.

And Donel would watch, each time getting more worked up than the last.

Until one day, the screen switched off.

Black, in front of his very eyes.

Suddenly, there was no you on the other side.

"NO!"

What happened?

Where did you go?!

What were they doing to you?!

"Y/N!"

Were they hurting you?!

Was that why they turned the camera off?!

So they could hurt you behind his back?!

"LET ME SEE HER, YOU FUCKERS!"

Days.

They left it off for days.

He went days without seeing your face, without knowing how you were, what you were doing.

It was just him and that stupid never ending drop of water that always, always found its way into his ears.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Over and over.

Again and again.

It was driving him insane.

And just as he was losing all faith, there came his saving grace.

"Donel?"

Your voice.

His head shot up.

"Oh, Donel," his shaky pupils landed on the colourful screen. "I hope you're okay. Wherever you are... I promise - I'll find you and I'll save you!"

Save him?

Yes, save him.

Like you always had.

When that bitch played with his heart.

When he lost his first ever game because one idiot didn't know how to pass a fucking ball.

When he faced his biggest loss in the form of his father's death.

It was you that was there with him through it all.

For the first time in his life, Donel's eyes swirled. They swirled with his devotion to you. His adoration for you.

His love for you.

You, his one and only purpose.

You, his true Saviour.

From that point on, he asked one more additional question as he watched you.

Did you miss him?

Because he sure missed you.

Oh, he missed you so much.

.

.

.

Donel paid no mind to the sound of the door opening, too busy fixating his gaze on you to care.

"Ready to see the Saviour again?"

Was he ready to see you?

Of course.

Of course he was ready to see you.

He was guided to you, seated at that luxurious throne as always, radiating that warm glow he was even able to feel through a screen.

The first thing you did when you saw him was jump out of your seat to throw your arms around him.

Him.

You chose to run to him.

You must have loved him.

Just as much as he loved you.

His Saviour.

Yes, the image above is how Donel looks like.

#.elation #x reader #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere male #female reader #yandere cult #yandere x you #cult

[bumblepony]

Okay, it's getting colder here and I need warm thoughts. I demand you share with me three Tommy/Maria autumnal headcanons.

(I demand politely with hat in hand). xx

Oh this is a lovely one and strangely enough one I've thought about. I'm actually going to give you six as a bonus. Three Canon verse HC and Three no apocalypse verse HC.

No Apocalypse Verse

1. Tommy is a huge apple cider fan—all things apple cider, the drink, the donuts, the scent. If it's fall, it's apple cider. Maria is a Pumpkin Spice girl. Fall is all things PS all the time. There are wars in the T/M household on what is better. Tommy once spent a week on the couch when he changed out all the candles in the house to apple-scented candles when Maria wasn't looking. Maria once had to buy Tommy two jugs of apple cider when she changed his Starbucks order to a PSL on the app instead of an apple cider macchiato as a joke.

2. They love fall foliage tours. They've been up to the Adirondack every year to take the train ride that goes through the mountains. They are major leaf peepers, and it drives Joel crazy because every year, they try to get him and Tess to go. Joel could care less about the turning of the leaves, and Tess could care less too, honestly, but she loves to fuck with Joel, so she'll set them up to go just to drive him crazy.

3. Once they have their first son Mateo, who just so happens to have been born in the fall, (which was not in any way orchestrated by Maria keeping meticulous track of her cycles so she could make sure when the best moment for conception would be) they do a photoshoot of him in a pumpkin each year. Then, when they have their daughter Tilly (also born in the fall, hmmm, Tommy's starting to ask questions), the tradition continues. By the time little Solana is born also in the fall (okay Maria this is gettin' ridiculous darlin' how did I not notice you were doin' this.) It's a whole thing: baby, toddler, and kid in a pumpkin. It's getting harder and harder to find big enough pumpkins. When the kids are all grown up, they get together to do a joke photoshoot of a reenactment of their first group photo as kids for Tommy and Maria's anniversary gift. Tommy laughs so hard he snots whiskey out of his nose. Maria laughs too but she also gets Teary-Eyed at seeing all her babies so grown up. It goes on the living room wall in a place of honor and never comes down.

Canon Verse

1. Maria is the one doing all the fall activities in Jackson, she loves it, it's one of her favorite times of year. When Tommy comes along he wholeheartedly throws himself in as well. It's actually how they end up falling in love. One late night while Tommy is helping her get the sting lights up for the fall dance, he turns them on and she looks so beautiful in the glowing bulbs that he can't help but tell her and then fate is set.

2. Tommy hates Halloween, always has. Part of it could be the time he snuck down to watch the Halloween movie from the stairs when he was 8 years old, and his big brother, at 13, was watching the movie with his then-friend Shawna, who he very much wanted to be his girlfriend in hopes that she would cuddle close to him during the jump scares. She did, and they were blissfully together for a whole week; Joel even got his first French kiss from it. But all Tommy got was nightmares about Micheal Meyers trying to break into his house on Halloween to kill him and his family. So yeah, Tommy doesn't like Halloween. But every year, he sucks it up and puts on the brave Uncle Tommy face and the goofiest of costumes to make first Sarah happy and then Ellie 20 years later. Because that's what good uncles do. Maria knows, though, and she does everything she can to try and make the holiday as stress-free as she can for him. They have no decorations inside the house, and what they do have outside is the bare minimum, and it's all silly, not scary.

3. Tommy and Maria still love the fall foliage. Their favorite thing to do is to sit outside on their porch in Jackson, Tommy siping his hot apple cider and Maria siping her PS coffee that she makes herself, and they watch the seasons change. Both of them are secretly happy that their little community ended up in a part of the US that has the change of the seasons. On beautiful fall days, Tommy likes to take Maria outside of Jackson into the woods with all the leaves, and they pile them up and dance in them. Ellie lets them borrow her walkmen so they can each put one headphone in one ear each and listen to the music as they sway together.

#tlou #tlou fanfiction #the last of us #tommy miller #maria miller #headcannons #tlou headcanons

[biographydivider]

Baby-talkin’ Madrigals!

A lil’ something for @sketchnwhatevr, in honour of that adorable art of Agustin and baby Isabela that she blessed us with.

“C’mon, Isa...just a little more food, then we’re all done. Do it for Papi, okay?”

Agustín sat cross-legged on the floor in front of his baby daughter, holding a bowl full of sweet-smelling, fruity mush. Isabela leaned forward, eyes fixed on her Papi’s expression. Agustín scooped up a spoonful of baby food and reached out to his daughter, making what his wife was now calling his ‘yum-yum face’. Wide-eyed, tongue often sticking out. Slightly vacant, focused only on the culinery explosion in the bowl in front of him.

“Yeaaah, oh it’s soooo taaasstyy, right? Yummy yuum, Isabela’s faaaavourite. Nyaaam nyaam nyaaaaamm, awww that’s my best girl, Isabela loves her food doesn’t she? Yuuum yuuuumm...”

“Y’doing the thing again.”

“You,” Agustín said, as his cuñado walked past to raid the pantry for snacks, “do not understand the delicate science of the yum-yum face.”

“It’s weird, Gus,” Bruno said, standing on his tiptoes to reach into a cabinet above his head.

“You’ll understand when you have your own kids.” Agustín wiped a smear of baby food from Isabela’s cheek. She giggled, and he prodded her gently in the belly so she’d laugh even harder. “Won’t he, Issie? Yesh he will, yesh he wiiiiiill...”

“...uh-huh. Hey, did Juli make some arequipe the other day? Coulda sworn there were some left...”

“Oohhhh I dunnooooo, Tiiiio Bruuuunooo,” Agustín cooed, readying another spoonful. “I’m a little busyyyyy hereee...”

“Don’t talk to me like that. I’m an adult. A respected member of the community.”

“Now that’s a liiiiieee, Tiio Bruuuunooo...”

“Heh. Y’right.” Bruno gave up his search and wandered away, nudging Agustín in the ribs with a sandaled toe as he passed. “Still. S’weird.”

...

“C’mon, Maria. Just a little, eentsy, teensy bit more, okay?”

The very pregnant rat stirred slightly in her nest, looking up at Bruno with a deadpan, long-suffering expression. If rats could swear, he thought to himself wrly, before jiggling the peice of corn in front of her nose again.

“Y’gotta eat for your babies’ sake, y’know? I know you’re sore, but y’can’t just lie here and feel sorry for...”

Maria nipped at his finger crossly, making him drop the corn with a yelp. “Lil’ brat,” he growled under his breath, nursing his finger. “Okay, fine. No more corn. But maybe you’d like to...aha!”

Bruno lunged across the room and snatched up a plate; he’d managed to squirrel an arepa or two up to his room, protesting to the family that he had some ‘very important seer business to attend to’ - when, in reality, he just wanted to spend a little bit of the day alone, in the quiet. Saying as much wasn’t exactly an acceptable reason to cloister yourself away, he’d found; especially now the babies were here. Plus, Maria needed him. She hadn’t eaten in a day or two, and he was starting to worry.

Now, he never usually fed his rats people food. It led to bad habits, and he could get his hands on healthy stuff for them easy enough. But today, he’d make an exception.

“Here we gooo,” Bruno crooned, snapping off a peice about the size of his thumbnail. “Arepa con queso, just for the Mami-to-be...”

Maria blinked up at him, snuffling his fingers with her ticklish nose. Then, she took a bite. Bruno’s insides suddenly felt like they were made of fireworks.

“Ohhh whatta good girl,” he sang, watching her take the arepa between her tiny hands and nibble away, “yeeaah, bet that’s real tasty, huh?”

Maria looked up at him, licking her tiny chops, and Bruno felt his smile grow wider, his voice hitch an octave higher. “Y’such a gooood giiiirl, good girl Marriiaa, yeaaaah, soooo tastyyyy, yumm yuuummm...”

“I knew it.”

Bruno whirled. There was Agustín; standing in his doorway, pointing a finger in his direction, face a mask of shock.

“What?” Bruno said. “What’d I --” He clapped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. No. He hadn’t been. Surely not. Agustín shook his finger at Bruno, an accusing spectre in the doorway.

“You were doing the yum-yum face.”

“I was not!”

But Gus was already gone; haring it down the stairs that led from Bruno’s room. “JULIETA!”

Somewhere far away in the house, Bruno heard his sister groan. “Agustín, you’ll wake the babies.”

“He does do it to the rats! You owe me one week of bottle feeds!”

“He does?! Ay, Brunito...”

#encanto #encanto fanfic #Bruno Madrigal #agustin madrigal #isabela madrigal #this wouldn't leave me head until I wrote it down #I could literally *hear* that picture every time I looked at it!

[final-girl96]

Firefly Chapter Forty-Nine

Joel's pov

Joel sat in the town's workshop, his boots sitting on the bench. They were falling apart, the duct tape he put around them was barely holding them together and the soles were so thin he could feel the terrain against the soles Of his feet. Every rock, stick, sharp jagged object they walked across he felt it.

His emotions were just like his boots. Held together by duct tape and barely holding on. He was relieved he found his brother, he was happy that Tommy was alright and safe. The new information about him Being married to a woman; a woman that most definitely hates him for that fact, was shocking. He was happy for him, but that to Joel…to Joel that meant Tommy wouldn't need him anymore. There was no way Maria would let him stay here. The news about Tommy becoming A father hit harder though. He had no doubt in his mind that Tommy would be an amazing father.

But being with Ellie and yn, Joel started to feel a little more like his old self. Ellie was a huge pain in his ass, but she was starting to become more than a package that he had to deliver. He grew to care for the girl. It has been so long since he's had a child in his presence. After Sarah, he didn't care for children much. He can't say he pictured having a family with yn because he has. It was just a picture of a time when Cordyceps never happened and Sarah was still alive. Yn would have finished college, dated guys her own age, and maybe then down the road when she was older, they could have been something more than just neighbors.

Their age gap has always bothered him. He kept it in the back of his mind though because he was in love with her, is in love with her. That doesn't matter though, she's not safe with him. Ellie isn't safe with him. Tommy would be able to get Ellie to where she needed to go and yn would be safer here. She could be happy here, and find someone closer to her age. Someone who could give her everything she deserves.

The bell over the door rang and Tommy walked in. “The guys said I might find you here,” he said, shutting the door behind him. “Figured I'd save you the trouble.” He sat down a pair of boots for Joel. Joel went and sat down on a stool and slowly started to put them on. “I shouldn't have said what I said,” Joel told him. “I don't even believe it. I know you're happy for me. It just... It's complicated for you... and I'm sorry. So you gonna let me off the hook, or what?”

“This ride to the University, is it a suicide mission?” Joel asked. “No. It's dangerous, but it's nothin' you can't handle. Just prepare and do what you do,” Tommy said. Joel finished putting his boots 9n and looked up at him. “You've had people go that way and come back?” He asked. He wanted to make sure it was going to be safe before he dropped a bomb on Tommy. “All of 'em. What is this?”

“She's immune.” Tommy pulled his eyebrows together in confusion. “What?” He asked. “Ellie. She got infected, but she didn't get sick. Tommy. Tommy, I saw her get bit myself. That was months ago. Months. She's immune. From the beginning. It was Marlene. She hired us to help yn smuggle her to some Fireflies. It went bad. Tess got bit. She made me swear to take the kid and go with yn. It was her dyin' wish. What the hell was I supposed to do?” Tommy didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent and listened to Joel, who's eyes were getting glossy.

“We went through Pittsburg and made it as far as Kansas City then... You know, she saved my life and yn's there... from another kid. Five years ago, I would've destroyed him. But she had to shoot him to save us. Fourteen years old. Because I was too slow and too fսckin' deaf to hear him comin' and get to yn before the other guy Got to her. And I saw... I saw a man kill his own brother... to save her, while I just watched. And today, I thought that dog was gonna tear her apart because it smelled somethin' on her. And all I did was stand there.”

He took a pause, hanging his head, and trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I couldn't... move. I couldn't think of anything to say. I just... I was so afraid. You think I can still handle things, but... I'm not who I was. I'm weak. Lately, there are these moments where the fear comes up outta nowhere, and... my heart... feels like it's stopped. And I have dreams. Every night.”

“What kinda dreams?” Tommy asked. “I don't know. I can't remember. I just know that when I wake up... I've lost somethin'.” Joel let the tears go; let them slide down his cheeks. “I'm failin' in my sleep. That's all I do. It's all I've ever done is fail her again and again. I failed yn, too. Me coming back to her being gone repeats in my head over and over. I was too protective. I didn't spend time with her like she wanted because I was too busy off with Tess smuggling shit in and out of the QZ. I got her back but I've been failing her again.”

Tommy was silent for a while, thinking everything through. “You want me to take her.” Joel looked at him with a look of defeat. “I'm just gonna get her killed. I want yn to stay here where she's safe. She can have a life here, find someone her own age, someone who can take care of her and male her happy. I know it. I have to leave them.” He didn't want to but he knows he has to. Yn meant everything to him and Ellie had wormed her way into his heart. He wanted nothing more than for them to be with him but he couldn't do that. He wouldn't let himself do that.

“Joel…” Tommy was cut off before he could even respond. “I mean, it's why you took off on me, right? To make up for the things we did? Well, here's your chance to bring your kid into a better world. You're younger than me. You're still strong. You said it yourself, you'll come back. You have to take her. You have to make sure yn stays here where she's safest and will get what she deserves.happiness.And you can't tell anyone, not even Maria. Tommy, you're the only one I trust. If anyone else sees those bites on her, what's under her skin... they'll shoot her. It's the last thing I'll ever ask of you. I swear.” Tommy didn't say anything for a few long minutes. He thought it over. He knew yn would never agree to this. He knew he wouldn't be able to male her stay here, especially if Joel left. “I'll take her out at dawn. We got you in 38. It's left, left, right.”

#joel x reader #ellie x joel #joel the last of us #joel and ellie #joel tlou #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller the last of us #joel miller fanfic #joel miller tlou #the last of us fanfiction #ellie the last of us #the last of us game #the last of us #bloaters tlou #tlou fanfiction #tlou #ellie x riley #ellie x reader #ellie williams #ellie tlou #pedro pascal

[loveaetingkids]

Buckle up folks cus me and the @skimpilydressedwithanaxecame up with a new AU- mashup of an Owl house and the Book of Life.

Here’s every characters profile:

Hexide students

(All art was done by @demonofthesouppot) Manolo- son of a famous beast tamer Carlos Sanchez

•studies in bard coven(much to Carlos charging)

•has bull palisman

•favorite pupil of La Muerte

Maria-daughter of a leader of Emperors coven General Posada

•studies in beast keeping(despite her father's wishes to see her in healing coven)

•Chuy is her palisman

•does broom racing in her free time

•favorite pupil of Candlemaker

Joaquin-son of a diseased Guard Captain Joaquin Mondragon Sr(who fell in battle against Chakal-a wild witch who opposes Emperors rule)

•studies in abomination coven;has hawk palisman

•got a pet-griffin named Plata

•competes with Maria on the title of the #1 fastest broom racer

•favorite pupil of Xibalba 

Hexide teachers

La Muerte(or Catrina,as they call her in this Au)-teaches bard magic

•uses bard and potions magic

•has puma palisman

•big history nerd,(puts her at edge with Emperors coven)

•married to Xibalba

Xibalba-teaches illusion

•uses illusion and potions(or in his case, poison) magic

•has a winged serpent as palisman

•collects curses

•married to Catrina

Candlemaker-teaches oracle magic

•uses oracle magic

•collects ancient books,befriended one(aka Book of Life)

•is close friends with La Muerte and Xibalba 

Family members

Carlos Sanchez-comes from a family of beast tamers

•uses cruel methods of domestication believing that he continues family traditions,wants to pass his mantle to his son,who’s against it

General Posada- Head witch of Emperors coven

•being close friends with late Mondragon Sr,he promised him to raise and train his son to go to the Emperors coven

•neglects his daughter and her talents

Plot summary:

La Muerte, Xibalba and the Candlemaker, as most respected teachers in Hexside, have their favorite students: Manolo, Joaquim and Maria.Seeing potential in kids,they decided to take care of them,each in their own way:Catrina helped Manolo with bard magic,teaching him how to put all his emotions into music,so that he would “play from his heart”;Xibalba,despite not having abomination magic,trained Joaquins fast reaction in combat-after all,his abilities are exactly what this morons coven needs; and Candlemaker just spent time with Maria,gushing over books or hiding her from General Posada in his library after two had fights about her coven choice.

These three teachers are often ranting about how their favorite pupil is better then other ones(at least Xibalba and Catrina do,while Candlemaster’s just chilling,knowing that Maria doesn’t need to be warped up into this;she’s the most talented witch without those competitions)pulling up their talents and making non-extreme wagers.But then it got out of hand because Manolo and Joaquin,hearing or at the very least knowing of their status as “chosen ones”, take their competivness more radically.Maria,also being aware of the case,takes Candlemakers stance thinking that it’s stupid; besides,why are these grown ups so obsessed with kids school scores?However Joaquin and Manolo,having not the best influences at home(Carlos Sanchez and General Poasada) take into their heads that in order to “get” Maria,they should push themselves harder.

Before the witch duel of sorts,Joaquin,being afraid of losing(fearing Generals judgement and Xibalbas disappointment) takes one of Xibalbas curses from his collection and uses it on Manolo,making him cursed much like Lilith did with Eda.Manolo would resemble the souls of killed bulls in the last sequence of original film,if not more humanoid.The poor boy,being scared and confused,runs away; Xibalba and La Muerte,realizing where this curse came from,interrogated Joaquin,who bust into tears,saying that he didn’t know that the curse will affect Manolo so badly.

Meanwhile,during her daily tasks at animal shelter, Maria stumbles upon an unusual monster, the like of which she had never seen. Trying to soothe the creature, she came to the conclusion that music has a calming effect on it. But before finally establishing a connection with her “new” friend,Carlos Sanchez bursts into the school grounds with orders from Emperor to capture the bull-like creature.With the screams of Manolo in grasp of Carlos,Maria runs to Candlemaker demanding to free this mythic animal.

Later on,when Catrina,Xibalba and Joaquin meet with Candlemaker and Maria,they embark on a journey to release Manolo,all the while Joaquin opens up about his insecurities,while Maria tells about how shes not the prize to be won.

During the raid of the Emperor's palace, the teachers, out of curiosity (mostly Candlemaker and Catrina,being history nerds) went to the main archive and found out that this whole idea about covens was nothing but a lie, a manipulative tactic to weaken the witches and help the Emperor rise to power.

After the break at Emperors palace was known,Carlos guarded the newly captured Manolo,and after a while,realized with drawing horror,that it was his son.Soon,Maria and Joaquin joined him,and after series of arguing,young Posada showed confused Carlos how to put Manolo at ease.After two parties were reunited,they fought the Coven’s guard,and the end,the Emperor himself(not Philip in this AU btw).During the battle,General Posada tried to shame Joaquin into joining him,threatening with estrangement,but Joaquin held his ground,and later on,kicks his butt with Maria(although he loses an eye during it;the wound is tended by apologizing Xibalba).Afterwards the battle,teachers inform Carlos and kids that the only way to subdue the curse effects is if someone split the burden:Joaquin agreed immediately,wanting to make Manolo’s life easier and apologize for cursing his friend.But then Carlos steps in. He knows that no matter how strong Maria and Joaquin are, these two are still children.So as a way to make amends with Manolo after all he had done to him,Carlos takes the mantle,returning his son to his witch form.

Yadda-yadda,the Emperor is no more,witches are free to use wild magic,Joaquin goes to live with Xibalba,Maria-with Candlemaker,Carlos quits beast taming and apologizes to his son as best as he could,learning the perks of living as cursed,and everything ends well with three main characters being in love.

#owl house #owl house au #book of life #book of life au #owl house x book of life #manolo sanchez #carlos sanchez #maria posada #general posada #joaquin mondragon #la muerte #xibalba #candlemaker #tbol #tbol au #tres leches

[love-wiiidow]

Beautiful Girl-Charles Leclerc x Bianchi!OC

warnings: cursing, fluff, angst, friends to enemies to lovers, death, depression, smut, age gap (charles is 26, coco is 22)

summary: when corinne bianchi loses her older brother, the only person she can count on is charles. until she can’t.

authors note: happy birthday jules!

previous—next

my charles playlist—here

Coco was excelling in a kart.

Almost every single race was won; and if it wasn’t won she was standing on the podium.

Jules loved watching his little sister participate in the sport that meant so much to his family.

The boy was currently in Formula Renault 2.0, and was on track to winning the championship.

Coco would not be more proud of her older brother.

At school, the only thing she talked about was how her brother was in Formula Renault 2.0, and how he was so close to winning the championship.

She never failed to bring up Charles either.

“Saviez-vous que le grand frère d'Arthur vient de remporter un titre à Monaco did you know that Arthur’s big brother just won a title in Monaco?” Coco bragged as she sat at a table in school, Arthur sat next to her.

“Why do you care about cars so much?” A kid asked, and Coco and Arthur looked at each other with smirks on their faces.

“Because we’re going to be Formula One drivers some day.”

Coco was dead-set on being a Formula One driver.

She had no other backup plan.

She also knew that she wanted to drive for Ferrari.

Either next to her brother, Charles, or Arthur.

“Jules, are you going to race for Ferrari?” The young girl asked her brother one night as he was tucking her in.

“I hope so, mon ange my Angel.” He said as he placed her Ferrari themed teddy bear on her chest.

“When I race for Ferrari I want to either race next to you, Charles, or Arthur!” She smiled. “And I want to be world champion!”

Jules was always far too nice and loving to his little sister, and just let her dream when it came to being an F1 driver.

He knew it would be harder for her compared to Charles or Arthur simply because of her gender, and he really wished it didn’t have to be that way.

The young girl had posters of her F1 idols on the walls.

Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda, and most importantly, Maria Teresa de Filippis.

Maria Teresa was an Italian racing driver, and the first woman to race in an F1 World Championship.

She scored no championship points, but Coco still aspired to be like her.

“Jules, je veux etre comme elle I want to be like her.” Coco smiled at the poster of Maria Teresa that was above her dresser.

“I know you do, Coco.” Jules smiled. “You’ve got to go to bed to be rested for our important day tomorrow.”

Coco snuggled up into her bed and prepared for Jules to sing to her.

“Close your eyes, have no fear. The monsters gone, he’s on the run, and your brothers here.” Jules softly sang as Coco closed her eyes. “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, girl.”

Coco and Arthur were almost 7 years old, and were sat in the Leclercs living room.

Arthur had seemed sad for the entire day, and Coco wouldn’t seem to figure out why.

“Arthur, are you okay?” She asked him once again as they sat on the couch next to each other.

“I have to quit racing.” He pouted and her jaw dropped.

“What?” She gasped.

“My parents can’t afford both Charles and I.” He huffed. “They picked him over me.”

“I cannot believe this!” The young girl threw up her hands. “My family can pay for you, I’m sure of it!”

“No, Coco, it’s okay, really.” Arthur protested. “Just a bit bummed, is all.”

The girl closed her mouth and looked at her “twin” feeling the sadness radiating off of him.

“I’m sorry, Arthur.” She pouted with him, leaning forward and giving him a hug. “I’ll win all my races just for you now.”

“Thank you.” He smiled.

And that’s exactly what Coco did.

Every. Single. Race.

The collection of trophies in the Bianchi household was enormous.

Jules had just won the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 championship, and Coco had just won her karting championship, so the display case was well furnished.

Charles had been watching Coco dominate the track.

He had accompanied the Bianchis to every race he could attend, and would cheer loudly for the girl when she inevitably crossed the line in P1.

He was there for her championship deciding race as well, and cheered as loud (if not louder) than Jules.

“TU L'AS FAIT! you did it!” Charles screamed as Coco came barrelling off of the podium and into the arms of her brother.

“JE L'AI FAIT! i did it!” She screamed, pumping her fist and her trophy in the air.

Her father carefully took the trophy from her hands since since he didn’t trust that she wouldn’t break it.

After hugging Jules for a significant amount of time, Coco moved onto Charles.

She hugged him like her life depended on it, squeezing him as the almost 10 year old lifted her off of the ground.

A loud laugh came out of her mouth, nothing but joy radiating from the group.

After Charles, she moved into Arthur.

“For you.” She smiled, hugging him.

“For us.” He smiled back.

As the years passed by, Cocos talent shocked every one she came in contact with.

Including the big guys.

#charles lecrelc #charles leclerc #formula 1 #max verstappen #jules bianchi #arthur leclerc #it girl #racing #idol #michael schumacher #niki lauda #ayrton senna