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boldlyvoid · 10 months

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Falling For You.

[REQUEST] spencer reid x BAU!reader but they're in a secret relationship, and basically she gets him to watch all these romcoms, so when he makes a reference to something like Notting Hill or You've Got Mail and then the whole secret is blown.

warnings: mentions of lila archer, spoilers for 90s/2000s rom-coms, co-workers to lovers, love confessions, implied smut, secret relationships.

word count: 2.4k

It was no secret that the newest team member had a thing for romantic comedies. From the little jokes she made with Penelope to the quote from Pretty Woman on her travel mug, she was a walking Rom-Com reference.

Hotch understood some of the references, JJ would talk her ear off about her favourites, and even Emily and Derek would jokingly re-enact that scene from When Harry Met Sally every time they had a team lunch. It was only Spencer who didn’t get the jokes, and after having to explain them all to him 1 too many times, she finally invited him over to watch some.

The first one they watched together was Can’t Buy Me Love. Patrick Dempsey, a loveable nerd has been saving up all summer to buy the telescope of his dreams when the girl next door accidentally ruins her mom's favourite dress and needs to buy a replacement… he ends up buying it for her on the condition that she pretends to date him so his Senior Year can be his best year yet. Spencer likes the movie overall, he wishes someone in his high school took enough pity on him to make him popular. But his favourite scene is when they go to the abandoned airplane graveyard and watch the stars in his homemade telescope.

“I can make one of those,” Spencer whispers to her.

“Really?”

He nods, “It would be pretty easy… maybe we could go star gazing someday too?” He asks, biting the bullet and making this movie date the first of many dates they’d go on.

—

The next movie they watch is Never Been Kissed. Drew Barrymore is a nerdy reporter who goes undercover at a high school and gets to relive her teen years while falling in love for the first time. Spencer likes this one because he can relate, he never had his first kiss until well into his 20s… and she was an actress, too. When he explains that to Y/N she can’t believe it, but he has the magazine photos of them saying goodbye after the case to prove it.

“Have you kissed many people since then?” She asks, wishing he’d move a little closer to her and steal one.

He nods, “a few.”

“anyone good?”

He shakes his head, “no, I’m saving the best kiss for last.”

She looks puzzled? “What?”

“My best kiss will be from the girl I end up marrying,” he gives her a smile and moves his hand over to hold hers.

“Oh,” she bites back a smile and looks down at their interlocked fingers. “Have you at least met her yet?”

“I think so…”

“Well, then shouldn’t you kiss her to find out if she’s the right one?” She teases, leaning into his space even more.

“I suppose you’re right,” he teases, he cups her face with his free hand and rubs his thumb over her cheek, “are you sure you’re okay with this?”

She nods and leans in all the way this time. Effectively pressing their lips together. And even for a first kiss, it sure does feel different. It feels like her last first kiss ever.

—

Keeping it a secret at work is hard when all they want to do is stare at each other with googly-eyes, they’ve fallen head over heels for each other and not told a single soul. No one knows about their movie dates or their real dates either. No one knows they’ve spent a whole night kissing or that they really, really, don’t mind sharing the hotel room with the two queen beds. And they definitely don’t know that they only slept in the one. Together. The whole week they were away.

After the case ends, they head back to her apartment for their mandated 48 hours off with the pan to watch as many movies as they can.

The third movie they watch is You’ve Got Mail.

“Rival bookstore owners hate each other in real life, yet on the internet manage to fall madly in love with one another. Based on an older movie called The Shop Around The Corner, it’s a beloved story brought to life once again by the one and only Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.”

She explains every movie like this before they put it on. He’s honestly only watching them because he loves listening to her talk about them.

“You see, they both have partners in real life but they email each other every day, as friends… but you know what it's like in movies like these,” she smirks. “Best friends who have a lot in common find it easy to fall in love.”

“That they do,” he agrees.

He raises his arm over the back of the couch and she sits back, leaning into his side just as his hand lands on her shoulder. They snuggle up close, she hits play and he watches with glee, not knowing this was going to become his favourite movie by the time it’s over.

His favourite line is when two cars honk at each other and their drivers get out to argue, followed by Meg Ryan saying “Don’t you love New York in the fall?” Which is something Tom Hanks says to her in an email earlier that morning.

He loves the way the old man recalls a woman of his past and called her “enchanting” because what a wonderful thing to say about a woman.

He giggles when Tom Hanks tosses aside Pride and Prejudice cause he just doesn’t get it the way Meg's character does. But ultimately, he picks it back up because he wants to get to know her through her reading history.

“I sympathize with Frank,” Spencer whispers as he brings out a typewriter when they have a perfectly good computer at her house.

“I know,” she laughs. “I love the tablets at work, I can’t believe you still have Penny paint the files out for you.”

You are a lone reed standing tall, waving boldly in the curet sands of commerce. Frank compliments Kathleen, or at least he tries to.

Spencer giggles again. “I remember what it was like being a lone Reid,” he whispers before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She gets all flustered, so madly in love with him that she wants to scream it from the rooftops but it feels way too soon. They’re only 3 movies into their relationship. Maybe at 10, she’ll tell him. Till then, she looks over at him and steals a real kiss.

Kathleen is so passionate about her books in the same way that Y/N loves her movies. Spencer sees so many similarities between them that it’s really no wonder that Tom Hanks’ character falls in love with her. Passionate, kind, beautiful women will always have a place in Spencer's heart.

Their 4th movie is another Meg Ryan classic; When Harry Met Sally, and now Spencer understands why Derek pretends to have an orgasm when he eats a good salad…

Their 5th movie is Notting Hill and Y/N can tell he doesn’t like it very much because unlike William Tucker, the actress who kissed Spencer never talked to him again after that.

Their 6th movie, however, is Pretty Woman. And while they shared a bed all through the last case, they’ve never really slept together. So watching a movie all about sex and falling in love really didn’t help the frustration they were both feelings. By the time the movie ended, it was almost midnight and they should’ve been getting ready for bed.

She gets up and heads to her room, expecting him to follow but he just stands in her doorway, watching with a bit of anxiety in his gut.

“So…” Spencer asks. “What happens after he climbs up and rescues her?”

She stills, her heart fills with love and she quickly makes his way to him. She cups his face in her hands, staring up at him. “She rescues him right back.”

“Indeed you have,” he leans in and presses a quick kiss to her lips. “You know what all these movies have in common?”

“What?” She has no idea where he’s going with this.

“They all fell in love pretty quickly, I mean just look at Vivian and Edward, it took them less than a week,” he explains. “So I don’t feel too crazy when I say… I love you, Y/N. I love you so very much.”

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she whispers between kisses.

They kiss and kiss and he walks with her, leading her toward the bed where they fall in and make love for the first time. It's hot and close and emotional. It's slow and steady and perfect. It’s everything both of them have dreamed of when they finally met the one.

—

On their second day off they watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 13 Going On 30, 50 First Dates, A Walk to Remember, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Holiday. They would’ve gotten to more if they weren’t so wrapped up in one another. By the time they go back to work, they’ve gotten through half of her list of favourite movies.

He’s not sure if it’s luck or coincidence or what… but their next case happens to be in New York.

When they land, they get into their Bureau-issued SUVs and weave in and out of traffic on their way to the scene. They’re honked at multiple times and Spencer just smirks to himself. It’s not until they get out and they’re honked at once again, with some guy yelling at them to get out of his way, that Spencer turns to her and says. “Don’t you love New York in the fall?”

She giggles and shoves him, “Shut up.”

“It’s not the fall?” JJ remarks, not knowing why he’d say such a thing or why she’d react like that.

“Hey, isn’t that…” Emily thinks it over for a second. “That’s a line from you’ve got mail!”

“How would Spencer know that movie?” JJ laughs it off.

Spencer turns to beat red with embarrassment. “I’ve seen it…”

“You’ve seen you’ve got mail?” Derek even rides him for this slip-up. “And when do you have time to watch rom-coms?”

“I’ve seen the original,” he lies. “It’s based on The Shop Around The Corner. My mom liked it before she got sick.”

“Okay,” they drop it there.

Thankfully.

And by the time the case ends, 3 days have passed, the unsub has been booked into Jail at 9am and they’re free to go home. If they want to. Derek suggests they all go out for breakfast, and Hotch says he rather go home and sleep. JJ wants to go shopping and Emily’s right there with her.

Spencer on the other hand, he opens his phone and sends Y/N a message.

“There’s a place in Riverside Park at 91st street where the path curves and there’s a garden. I’ll be waiting there for you.”

She digs her phone out of her pocket seconds later and smiles, a small sigh leaves her as her shoulders slump. She’s so in love with him it's unreal.

“What about you, Y/N?” Emily asks her. “Do you want to come with us?”

“No… no, I have a friend in town I want to meet up with.”

“Looks like it’s just me and you for breakfast, pretty boy,” Derek teased, wrapping his arm around Spencer.

He shakes his head, “Actually, I was thinking about going on a little sightseeing adventure, you know I only come to new york for work.”

“Fine then,” Derek drops it and he, Emily and JJ watch as Spencer and Y/N head off, out of the precinct and in different directions. “I bet you ten bucks they’re meeting up.”

“Hold on,” JJ says as she calls up Penelope. “Hey, yeah, can you tell me where Spencer and Y/N’s GPS pings in 20 minutes?”

“I can… why?” Penny asks nervously.

“No reason. Just a hunch.”

When Penelope eventually calls her back all she has to say is Riverside Park at 91st Street and they know.

—

Y/N gets there first, she’s never seen this place in person before. The flowers are even more vibrant than in the movie. There are bees dancing around every other flower, couples walking around hand in hand, people on dog walks and moms with their strollers. It’s just an average early morning in New York.

And then she sees him. He comes rounding the corner, he’s carrying a bouquet of flowers wrapped in newspaper… at least she thinks they’re flowers.

What they don’t notice is their friends on the other side of the garden, watching them get closer and closer until they’re chest to chest. He wraps his free hand around her waist, she cups his face in her own hands, and she stares up at him like he hung the stars just for her.

“I wanted it to be you,” Spencer whispers what was originally Meg Ryan's line. “I wanted it to be you so badly.”

“You sure did save the best for last,” she knows exactly what he means.

Just as they lean in to kiss, as his lips meet hers, they hear it. Someone is playing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” just for them. They smile into the kiss, shocked that their life is playing out like a perfectly written movie and then they see them.

It’s their own friends who played it. They’re clapping in the distance, “Woo!!” Emily cheers.

“We knew this would happen!” Derek throws in for good measure.

They can’t help but laugh, Spencer pulls her in for another kiss, a longer, more hearty kiss. He loves her and he wants everyone to know.

When she pulls back, she looks as though she could cry, so he extends the bouquet to her. It’s a bunch of yellow, newly sharpened number 2 pencils tied up with string.

“Don’t you love New York in the fall?”

“Not as much as I love you,” she says as she takes them, gladly. “Not even close.”

General Taglist

@ncsls0515 @stevesmunsons @reidsbookclub @sweetyyhippyy @manuosorioh @mrs-dr-reid @k-k0129 @squishyturtle @katsukis1wife @babybisexual @marsmunson86

#Spencer reid #Spencer reid smut #Spencer reid fanfiction #Spencer reid fanfic #Spencer reid imagine #Spencer reid x reader #Spencer reid x y/n #Spencer reid x you #Spencer reid self insert #Spencer reid request #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine

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lokirulzart · 8 months

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WILD WEST AU!!!!

You ever notice that when fools do a western AU, they cheap out on the horses or ignore them entirely??? WELL NOT HERE, FOLKS. ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY HORSE CONTENT. BECAUSE I LOVE Y’ALL AND ALSO HORSES.

Frank has a snooty Appaloosa because he’s fancy, but also appaloosas are reliable trail horses, so that means he can go bug collecting without worrying much. His insect collection is the envy of all the rich collectors in the whole county.

Wally ended up with a chestnut Arabian mare, because Wally is too small for a bigger horse and I just think it’s funny. HANG ON THERE, PARDNER!! SHE’S A WILD ONE!!! Luckily, Wally is usually unaware of his own horse acting up, and the mare ends up tiring herself out just because Wally simply doesn’t even notice her… he’s too busy spacing out. But he’s one of the best Bronco Busters around thanks to her!

Hunter/trapper/fur trader Barnaby has himself a lovely Shire mare with a sweet and patient disposition. She has no trouble carrying whatever Barnaby has hunted as well as big ol’ Barnaby himself… but he still feels bad about making her work, so he only ever hunts what he needs to in order to get by.

Julie and her mustang are BOTH wild. Julie had the chance to tame her, but instead she just fed off of her spirited energy and now the two of them just tear around being crazy together, getting into trouble, rolling in the dust… Julie wouldn’t have it any other way.

What better steed for a Pony Express postal worker than a sure footed mule?! Seriously, mules are the mountain goats of the equine world. Eddie’s mule might not be as fast of a sprinter as some horses, but this animal can trek over ANY terrain, ensuring that all of the mail gets delivered on time. They have yet to miss a single delivery.

(Snake oil) Salesman Howdy Pillar has a general store in town as WELL as a covered wagon to travel around, ensuring that everyone gets the best deals on their pork ‘n’ beans, biscuits, tobacco, and tonics. You want it? Howdy’s GOT it… and his team of 3 dapple gray Connemara ponies, and one brown one, will make sure that you can get it… also the tallest character having the smallest horses makes me giggle.

Poppy doesn’t have a rideable horse yet, which is perhaps for the best. She spends a lot of time at Howdy’s general store or riding in his wagon. She is his best customer. But she has recently come by a thoroughbred foal that she is now raising from a bottle. So perhaps one day very soon Poppy will have her own tall and elegant steed to carry her around… let’s just hope he’s not too fast for her.

Sally is a performer at the local saloon by night and helps out with cleaning during the day… she knows NOTHING about horses… but one night, after all the local drunks went home, a poor American Paint got left behind. Nobody came back to claim the animal, so Sally boards him at the local ranch and visits often. She hopes one day to learn how to ride him, but it’s slow going. She is, after all, a singer and actress first.

AND THEN HOME THE SALOON!! YOU DIDN’T THINK I’D FORGET HOME, DID YOU?? He has a small stable in the back and a second floor, where Wally lives! Wally gets to spend all his free time hanging out, meeting up with his friends, and drinking all the apple juice he wants! (Just don’t tell him it’s apple juice, he’ll get confused. He thinks he’s just drinking whiskey like everyone else. It’s easier this way.) Also Home is the only saloon that can kick out belligerent drunk people itself!

Also Bonus OCs, Luna O’Hare the bilingual cartographer (created by @m0stlygh0st) and Simon, my boy, the ranch hand! Luna has an Andalusian that she likes to dress up, braid it’s mane, and stick flowers in it-… as snacks for later. They’re also grazing buddies and Luna can often be found eating the horse feed because it’s so similar to rabbit food. Simon has a gelding Quarter Horse with golden retriever energy and not a single braincell to his name. Poor Simon… but at least his horse loves him.

YEEHAW!!!! 🤠

#welcome home #wally darling #frank frankly #barnaby b beagle #julie joyful #Eddie dear #howdy pillar #poppy partridge #sally starlet #welcome home oc #cowboy AU #western AU #wild west AU #horses

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mxmeiyun · 1 year

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(Kristina comes on around the 3:42 mark.)

Do you see the edits? "I do see the edits. I don't see all of them, but I've seen quite a few. Sometimes I watch these things and I'm like, I was there. I did the scene. I did the scene ten times. Why am I crying?"

When asked about the Mother Superion and Jillian ship: "God knows that, well. Both of them need somebody to love and to love them... Like Mommy, I mean mother, I mean."

"The saddest part is we don't know when we'll see each other again." 😭

Is Beatrice a tea or coffee person? "Tea. I feel she'll know how to prepare every single type of tea and she'll she'll be very anal about how to do that. And she'd probably yell at Ava for doing her tea wrong or whatever."

Is Beatrice really royalty? "No, I don't believe so."

On following ice hockey: "Yeah, the only thing you need to know is don't whack people with the stick no matter how much you want to."

On Beatrice's name: "Sally's gonna haunt me forever. I'll hear it in my dreams, softly whispering in my ear. Sally. Sally. I'll wake up in cold sweats, screaming."

About who's the big spoon: "I think they spoon interchangeably. Take that as you will."

Obviously you're aware of how much of an impact the character Beatrice has had on so many people. But how has she personally impacted you, and what have you taken away from her that you would like to bring to your own life? "Decorum." "I think there's a there's a sense of confidence, even if you are not. Confident in all of yourself, you can still be confident in the parts that you are secure in, and you know your skills. If you're not ready to be completely open and live your truth in full honesty, then it doesn't mean that you still can't have integrity and confidence and stand up for yourself. And integrity of character and belief in my skills that Beatrice has cultivated already, and that I definitely, when I started playing her, I was like, I am an imposter. I'm gonna get fired from the show immediately." "But like you get that feeling when you go to work or whatever. You go to school. You're like, I do not know any of the things that I know and then you slowly start to realize that you do know, and then you're like, OK, I can hold on to that and make that my my backbone for now until I'm ready to face all the other things that I know to be true about myself, but I'm not ready to project into the world or or represent in the in openly in the world."

If you could spend a day with any of the characters, who would it be and why? "I think I'd have a pretty good time with Ava."

Do you think you're more like Ava or Beatrice? "It just kind of depends on the situation. I feel like if you just talk to me and we're like really good friends for a long time, I might come off more like Ava. But I feel like if I'm not really that close to you, I might come off more as a Beatrice."

How are you taking care of yourself in light of today's news? "Well, first of all, thank you. I'm doing fine. I am in therapy. Therapy great, guys." "It certainly feels like a massive hit to the community, and to us, as well. It's important to take those feelings that are coming up now and try to cultivate them into how you can- I'm just speaking for myself, I can't speak for anybody else- but for me it's about how can I turn these feelings into something useful for me going forward rather than languishing in it for too long. Obviously, your feelings are valid and should be felt to their fullest extent, but don't let them consume you, because then that's not doing anyone service." "Someone taught me a method in acting school, my improv teacher, and he said, 'Whenever something bad happens in your life, pretend you're going into this helicopter. The further up you go in that helicopter, the smaller the problem is, the more you can see around you and the more you can see how that problem does or does not affect everything else around your helicopter. And put into context of how you can affect change positively once you come back to the ground, once you're in the midst of it rather than staying too close to the to the issue at hand and and not actually realizing all the other things that are going on." "I think that's that thinking has helped me a lot whenever something kind of goes wrong or things are not going the way I want them to. But take time for self-care. That's like the most important. If you feel like things are overwhelming then it's always important to look at the things to reprioritize um and always prioritize yourself. Spend your own health and your own wellbeing." "Because anything in life, even if it seems like a little thing like this show got cancelled and now you're upset, you know it might seem to some people like a little thing, but their opinion is not a priority. Your wellbeing is a priority, so always keep that in mind." "And HYDRATE."

Responding to a comment about Beatrice really resonating with a lot of fans and praise of her performance, time, and energy: "Thank you... Beatrice launched my career so she's one that i'm definitely going to hold to heart for many many years to come."

Reflecting on her increased visibility: "You know, at this point, it's not a burden. At this point, I can do this with you guys and it's completely fine. It's the same thing with anything; when something new starts happening, you learn to deal with it and where your boundaries are. I've been so lucky that you guys are all so respectful, and I really, really appreciate that from all of you. It's definitely not the norm for every fandom, so it's incredibly special what you have made this to be. So I commend all of you and I'm so grateful."

Were you shocked by the broad reach of the show, or was it something you anticipated? "Definitely. I was surprised when the first season came out, it was so globally successful. I mean, that just goes to show that some subject matter is felt all around the world. And a beauty of Warrior Nun is that there are so many characters everywhere around the world you can definitely find one that you can root for."

Responding to one fan whose wife has recently passed, and with whom she watched the show with love: "Oh my God, you're gonna make me cry. First of all, so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine how that must be, and I applaud your courage. Thank you. I'm glad this show can be a good memory for you guys and continuing forward. That there's something you can always remember with a warm heart."

Responding to love from Brazil: "I fear if I ever go to Brazil."

"Fear not the bowl of rice, 'tis but a bowl of rice."

Responding to one of the APOP producers wanting to make sure none of their tweets made her uncomfortable: "I'm, like, fully aware of what I've gotten myself into." Do you see all those, Christina? Like, I know there's a joke that you have a burner account, but. "No, I don't. This is my only account."

"I feel like if the pope joins this conversation, he'll no longer be able to call himself His Holiness." Did you see the Warrior Nun stan that recommended the show to the Pope? "No?! Nice... Yeah, somebody just has to tell him to skip that episode, you know?"

*Records an alarm sound for a fan named Janina with increasing intensity*

Wait, Kristina, can you say gay rights? "Wait, what about it?" Just the phrase. "Gay rights." *awkward cheers* "Really lukewarm cheers from the crowd."

Kristina, to Ange Hall: "Well, actually, and I have a question for you. Tell me again, what was the progression of the dickwaffle conversation?" "I feel like Netflix being harassed by penis waffles- someone needs to draw the art of." "Make it rain dickwaffles. No, I mean, obviously, do it respectfully. But like, respectfully make it rain dickwaffles. For legal reasons this is completely a joke. But also, you can't really get mad at dickwaffles. Like, come on."

#warrior nun #kristina tonteri-young #warrior nun blogging

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padfootagain · 4 months

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Something Good (XXV)

Chapter 25 : Mending

Alright, here is the end of the crisis!

Hope you like this new chapter, tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Fluff angst, Slow burn, professor AU.!

Summary: Coming out of a divorce and trying to get used to being a single mom, while teaching your classes at University, you thought your life could not get more complicated than it already is. But when you are asked to take care of the theatre club with the colleague that you really can’t get along with, you realize that everything can still get ten times more complicated in your life. And when you start actually liking Professor Barnes, the troubles only grow exponentially…

Word Count: 3950

Masterlist for the series – Ben Barnes’ Masterlist – Main Masterlist

It was past midnight when you called Ben. Sally was finally asleep, even if she was still upset when she surrendered to slumber. She refused to tell you why she was so upset about all this, and you didn’t want to push her. Ben had left a couple of hours ago, you had argued that you needed to handle your daughter on your own. And if he had claimed to understand, he was still worried sick when he put on his coat and left for the night.

“Is Sally asleep?” he sounded tired, but you had no doubt that he was still wide awake when you called.

“Yeah. She’s still upset though.”

“Did she say anything?”

“Nothing… I don’t know… I thought she could have questions, that she might be a little stressed for a while. But I wasn’t expecting a full-on outburst like this.”

“Yeah, me neither. I don’t understand, I thought… I thought she liked having me around.”

“She did. She talked about you all the time.”

“I don’t understand what we did wrong. Do you think we should have just… shown her. Like hold hands and stuff?”

“She would have asked herself questions, it might have stressed her a lot.”

Ben heaved a sigh.

“What are we going to do now?”

You remained silent, feeling tears come to your eyes again. And on the other side of town, Ben was wiping his cheeks.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he confessed in a breath. “I know that you’ll take the decision that will be best for Sally, and I’ll never blame you for that. But I don’t want to lose you, Y/N. Can we… can we try to fix this before I have to be pushed away?”

Your voice was low and raspy when you answered.

“Of course, Ben. We’ll talk to Sally again. First, we need to figure out what got her so upset. I’ve never seen her like that. And we’ll try to fix this. I… I don’t want to lose either. I won’t leave unless there is truly nothing else that we can do.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll try to talk to her tomorrow. You can come see us in the afternoon, as planned.”

“You’re sure it’s a good idea?”

“Yeah. We need to try again. Together.”

“Alright. Do you think I have a chance to bribe her if I bring ice cream?”

You chuckled at that, feeling a little better thanks to him and his soothing voice.

“It might not be enough, but it won’t hurt.”

Sally was staring by the window at the falling rain.

She had barely spoken a word in the whole morning, which was threateningly unusual for your buoyant girl.

You looked at her tiny frame, at her Stitch t-shirt and the mess of her hair. How could such a tiny human hold so much love and space in your heart?

“Sally, do you want to prepare the pasta sauce with me?”

But she shook her head, eyes still fixed on the blurred world beyond the window. You heaved a sigh, walking closer.

You had left her alone this morning, thinking that she would need some time to process what had happened. But she was still cold and distant and just… apathetic. She was like that when her father left…

“Angel, about what Ben and I told you last night…”

But she turned further away from you, a silent way to show you that she didn’t want to talk about this. It needed to be done, though.

“Angel, you know I love you more than anything in this world,” you went on, voice soothing but with a tinge of vulnerability through a tremor. “Ben and I being together… it won’t change anything. It won’t change that. Nothing can ever change that.”

You reached for her, and Sally didn’t push you away when you ran your fingers through her hair.

“I thought you liked Ben.”

“I did,” the girl quipped.

“But?”

“But I don’t want that. Why do you want that?”

You held her against you, and she let you gently press her head to your stomach.

“Because he makes me happy. Because he’s kind, and he’s willing to take care of us. Because he’s taking good care of you. Because I trust him. And because he’s sillier than me, so you and I can team up against him and make fun of him.”

Sally chuckled at that, and you grinned at the sound, still running your fingers through her hair.

“I don’t want things to change again,” Sally said, breaking your heart.

You remembered the mess you were in after your break up with your ex-husband. You were just now finding your footing in all of this. And despite your best efforts to protect your daughter, no one could leave such a change unscathed.

“I understand. But that’s what life is, Sally. Things change all the time. And sometimes, they change for the better. We have to seize those when we can.”

She finally turned around to encircle you in her tiny arms, pressing her face into your belly.

“Will we still have tomato Tuesday?” she asked, her voice muffled in your clothing, and you chuckled fondly at her.

“Of course! And we’ll still see grandma every Thursday. You’ll still go to your dad’s the same. We’ll still do the same things, only… if you want, Ben can join us too.”

She didn’t say anything, and you didn’t push her. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and you went to open for Ben.

He gave you a warm smile, although the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his worry and lack of sleep.

“Hey. Brought ice-cream, as promised!” he said, showing you his bag, making you smile.

You kissed him before he could take off his coat, letting his soothing presence slow your heart as you breathed in his perfume.

“Hi, meerkat!” Ben greeted your daughter as he took off his shoes, the same warm smile on his lips.

She was looking at him with an unreadable expression, her bunny Mr. Carrot pressed against her heart.

“How are you today? I’ve brought ice-cream for dessert!”

But she didn’t say anything, merely looked at you and Ben with wide eyes, and she ran off before you could hold her back.

You could feel your throat tightening as you stared at the space Sally had just left empty, tears coming back to your eyes, but Ben’s hand on your arm made you turn to him at last.

“I’ll go talk to her.”

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

“I’m the problem. I need to fix this.”

He didn’t let you reply. He knew that you would claim that he wasn’t a problem, but he was. He was always the problem. He was never enough…

Ben strode to Sally’s door instead, leaving you behind. The door had been left open, but he knocked anyway. She was sitting on her bed, looking at Mr. Carrot as if her plushie held the answers to everything. And Ben wished it could be that simple…

“Hey… can I come in and talk with you for a second?”

Sally didn’t look up, but she nodded, and so Ben came to sit beside her.

When he spoke again, his voice was gentle, barely more than a whisper.

“Look, Sally… I understand that it might seem like a lot to take in, and I get that you might need time to wrap your mind around all this. But… you were very upset yesterday, and you seem to still be. Can you tell me why you’re so upset? So we can try to fix that?”

She slowly looked up at Ben, with those eyes that looked just like yours now drowning in tears. Her lips trembled, and Ben wanted to abandon everything. As long as Sally could stop being sad, he would have done anything…

“You can tell me. You need to tell me,” Ben went on, blinking his own tears away. “Because… if you don’t tell me, then I can’t make it better. Do you understand? I need to know what’s wrong to make it better again.”

She went back to looking at her bunny, but she spoke this time. Voice a little hoarse, but holding the blunt honesty of childhood.

“I don’t want you to be with mummy like that.”

Ben’s heart broke in a thousand pieces. Still, he nodded, dried his cheeks with the back of his hand as he sniffed.

“Why not? What bothers you so much about that?”

She vehemently shook her head and started crying again.

“I don’t want a new dad!”

Ben frowned at that.

“I don’t want not to see my dad!”

“Sally, of course you’ll see your dad…”

“Jeremy… at school he said… that his mummy had a new husband, and then he never saw his daddy again… I want my daddy!”

“Hey… hey…”

Ben dropped to the floor, kneeling before the crying child, and held her face in his gentle palms so she would look at him, drying her cheeks.

“Hey… what are you talking about, huh? No one is going to replace your dad. You already have a dad, you don’t need another one. And you’ll keep seeing him, just like you do now. I don’t want to be your dad. I’m just ‘Ben’.”

“But then, what will you be?”

Ben blinked, taken aback and looking for the right words. What would he be if this worked out? If he could stay with you? If he was pulled into your life? If he stayed?

He smiled.

“You know what… I would be very happy if in a few years I could be… like your uncle. But a cool uncle! A fun one! Cause I’m super cool!”

He made a funny face, making her giggle.

“You’re not so cool,” she replied, and he faked outrage.

“How dare you! I’m super cool! I’ve brought ice-cream!”

But she blinked, and looked at her plushie again.

“So… you’re not gonna take daddy away?”

“Of course not, meerkat. No one is going to take your dad away. I’ll be whatever you allow me to be to you, and nothing more.”

He gave her an encouraging smile, and he thought the look in her eyes was calmer now. But she stood without warning, and headed to the living room in search for you.

“Mummy… I want to go see daddy.”

You looked at her in surprise.

“Right now, angel?”

“Yes. I want daddy.”

You heaved a sigh, picked up your phone. That wasn’t a good sign. But if she wanted to see her father to process all this, then so be it. You couldn’t say no, anyway. She was too upset for you to refuse her anything.

So, you grabbed your phone, threw a questioning glance at Ben but the distraught expression on his face spoke volumes. You listened to the beeps of the phone with a lump in your throat.

He answered on the second call.

“Everything alright, Y/N?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“Hey, Liam. Yeah, huh… Sally wants to see you, can we drop by?”

“Now? It’s not my week.”

“I know, but she wants to see you.”

“I’m working right now… can we talk over the phone? I thought we had agreed that we needed to respect the planning.”

“No, she…”

You turned around and lowered your voice to hide your words from your daughter.

“Ben and I talked to her, and she’s upset. She’s asking for you. I think… I think she doesn’t want to see me, right now.”

You hated the hurt in your voice that you couldn’t quieten, and you hated even more Liam’s silence.

“Can she come?” you asked again.

“Of course, I’ll be here in twenty.”

“I can drop her to your place…”

“No, I’ll pick her up. You’ve done enough as it is.”

He hung up, leaving you shocked with the violence of his words.

“Is daddy coming?”

You blinked your tears away, turning to Sally again and forcing a smile.

“Yeah, he’s coming. He’s leaving his flat right away, angel.”

She nodded, turned to go back to her room.

“I love you, angel.”

She slowed her steps, but didn’t turn around. As soon as she had disappeared, Ben walked over to you to hold you tight.

Liam was enraged at this point. That this Ben would try and take you away was one unbearable thing, but that he would hurt Sally in any way? He was ready to smash his skull.

As he pulled away by your home, he was already picturing himself punching Ben in the face. Breaking his fucking nose.

But then, you opened the door, all red eyes and dry lips and dishevelled hair. The looks you had when you separated. When he fucked up. The looks of sadness he had wished to never see again.

And it was this Ben’s fault…

“Daddy!”

“Angel! Come here!”

He picked up Sally without a word to you, or to Ben, who he had spotted by the end of the corridor, looking sheepish, the bastard. How dared he still be here? As if he hadn’t caused enough damage already.

“Where are your stuff, Sally? You want to sleep at daddy’s place tonight?”

The girl hesitated, looked at you.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to see you.”

“Well, let’s pack a bag, just in case. Come on.”

He walked to Sally’s bedroom without another word. Put down his daughter on her bed and shut the door.

“Alright, which pyjamas do you want? The rainbow ones? Or the pirates?”

“I don’t know.”

When he turned to her again, she opened her arms, silently asking to be picked up again, and he obliged. Holding her tight, in a reassuring, constant embrace to show her that he was here, that everything would be alright. That nothing bad would ever happen to her, he would make sure of it…

“Ben is mummy’s boyfriend,” she said in a tiny voice against his shoulder.

“I know. She told me.”

Silence for a while, even the air was still.

“How does that make you feel, angel?” he asked gently, rubbing her back.

“Scared.”

“Scared? Why?”

“Jeremy at school said that his mummy replaced his daddy. And that his daddy didn’t want to see him after that.”

Liam felt his heart shatter at her words. He looked into her eyes with something offended in his expression. Sally’s eyes, your eyes, the ones he adored above all in the world…

“Sally! Don’t be silly! I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here for you, angel.”

“But you weren’t sometimes.”

Liam clenched his jaw at that, but held her gaze despite the tears that gathered in his eyes. Your voice rang in his head then, your warnings that he had to prioritize his family over his work, that this was the important thing he needed to fight for. And that if he wasn’t careful, Sally would resent him later.

He forced a reassuring smile.

“Look, angel… It’s been a bit hard for me at one point. But I’m still here. I’ll always be here. I won’t leave you, angel. No one is going to push me away, or make me leave. Okay? I love you, more than anything. And it will always be the case.”

“So… if mummy and Ben are together, you won’t leave?”

“Of course, I won’t leave. And I won’t let Ben replace me, okay? Did he say that he wanted to replace me?”

“No,” Sally shook her head. “Mummy and Ben said the same thing. That you would always be my daddy. Ben said that… he would be happy if he could be a cool uncle.”

Liam nodded, unsure of his feelings at this answer.

“And… would you like that? For him to be a new uncle?”

Sally pondered the question for a while, holding Mr. Carrot close. And then she nodded.

“Yeah… He’s fun! I think he could be cool too! That could be nice.”

Liam nodded.

“No matter what happens between Ben and mummy, you’ll always be my little angel. Okay?”

She nodded, holding him tight for a while longer.

“Can I stay at mummy’s tonight?”

“You don’t want to come to daddy’s?”

“No… I like my bed here better.”

He laughed at how blunt she was, but nodded, kissing her hair, breathing in her cherry shampoo, his favourite scent in the world.

“Alright.”

“Are you angry because I made you come just for a little while?”

“No, you were upset. You can always call me when you’re upset. I’m you dad, that’s my job. It’s alright. Do you want to play for a bit before I leave? I can stay for the afternoon.”

“YES! Can we make tea for Mr. Carrot?”

“Sure thing! Get everything ready, I’ll talk to mummy for a moment, and then I’ll play with you.”

Sally was happier again, although she wasn’t fully back to her bubbly self. Liam left her to find you and Ben sitting in silence on the sofa. He was holding you close, his arm around your shoulders and your head on his chest. And Liam wanted to break everything in this room…

You blinked up at him as he entered, and then you were on your feet.

“Is everything alright?”

But Liam nodded, surprising even himself.

“She’s just scared, she’ll be alright.”

“She’s packing for tonight?”

“No, she wants to stay here. She just wanted me around. I’ll stay for the afternoon, we’re making tea for Mr. Carrot.”

“She hasn’t eaten lunch yet.”

“We’ll see about that later. I’d like to talk with Ben first. Let’s step outside.”

He didn’t wait for Ben’s approval, or yours. He merely strode towards the door, and waited then in the cold air. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark and threatening. The street was quiet, no one was around.

Ben remained silent stepping outside the building. He waited for Liam to speak first. And he wasn’t disappointed.

“Give me a reason not to punch you right now, Ben.”

But he didn’t rise to the provocation. Instead, he remained silent again, forcing Liam to turn towards him, at last.

And Liam hated what he saw. The dark circles over his cheekbones and the red in his eyes that told that Ben had been crying for hours, barely slept at all last night. The exhaustion on his face, the fear in his gaze, the worry in the lip he had bruised after biting on it too much. And Liam hated him because Ben was clearly not a bad guy. He loved you, it was obvious in every of his movements, all of his gazes aimed for you. And he cared, clearly. He was a good man, and Liam hated him for it, because now… why would he punch him in the face?

“Is Sally alright?” were the first words Ben spoke, voice hoarse with sorrow, and Liam’s hatred only deepened.

“She will be. She thought you would replace me.”

“I don’t want to replace you…”

“No?”

“Of course not. I’m not her father. You are.”

“And yet, you are taking my place.”

Ben narrowed his eyes, and Liam withstood the challenge. He was more hurt than he thought he would by Ben’s earnest words, though. They were lethal in his ear…

“I’m not the one who was stupid enough to let Y/N go.”

Liam let out a dry laugh.

“And you’re so much better than me?”

“No, probably not. But it’s not my fault if you’ve lost her. You’ve managed that on your own. You can’t blame me for falling for her. And you can’t blame her for loving me either…”

“You think she loves you?”

“I know she does.”

“Has she told you that?”

“Yes. And I’ve told her the same.”

Love… you couldn’t love another man… infatuation, perhaps, but…

“Look, Liam, I… I know that you don’t like me. And if I’m being honest, I don’t like you either, so we’re even. But I love Y/N. And I love Sally. And I don’t want to hurt them in any way. And I don’t want to replace you, I’m not Sally’s father, and she doesn’t need me, she needs you. I’m well aware of that…”

“But if you settle with Y/N what will you do? If the two of you have children, will you push her away?”

“God, we’re not there yet…”

“But if you are?”

“Of course not. She has a father, and the best I can be for her is some weird uncle figure. And I’ll be more than happy if I can be that for her. She loves you as a father. It doesn’t mean that I can’t love her as a daughter.”

Ben shook his head, heaving a sigh, pinching the bridge of his glasses before pushing them up his nose.

“Liam, if we manage to do this, if… Sally accepts me enough for me and Y/N to be together… we can’t be enemies. I don’t like you, you don’t like me, but we can’t show it. Can we call a truce?”

He offered Liam his hand, but he didn’t take it. Instead, he walked past Ben, bumped into his shoulder for good measure, and went back to his daughter, walking before his wife.

Ex-wife.

God, he hated Ben. He hated all this.

Still, as he settled with Sally to play, he was smiling, and gentle, and when she asked about next weekend, he reassured her about their plans to go to the museum, and promised her nothing would change between them and that everything would be alright…

Ben gave Sally and you some space during the following week. He didn’t drop by after Liam’s visit, arguing that Sally needed time to think and process what was happening. You tried to argue, because you missed him; but not too much, because you agreed.

Still, after over a week, on Monday evening, Sally spoke about Ben again for the first time.

“Why is Ben not coming anymore?”

“He was just busy. And we thought that perhaps you didn’t want to see him that much…”

She nodded over her bowl of soup, but frowned when she looked up at you again.

“Daddy said he was always going to be here, and Ben said he wanted to be my cool uncle.”

You couldn’t refrain a chuckle at that.

“A cool uncle… that sounds nice. Not sure he can be cool though.”

“He is cool, I think.”

You hummed in agreement, swallowing some soup.

“Can we invite him to tomato Tuesday tomorrow?”

You blinked away your tears at your daughter’s words.

“Sure. You want to call him to ask him if he wants to come?”

“Yes!”

You grabbed your phone, and called, not waiting for the end of the meal. You usually didn’t interrupt dinner, but you were too happy to wait…

Ben grinned as he saw you and Sally appear on the screen.

“Hello, ladies!”

“Hi, Ben! Sally wanted to invite you to tomato Tuesday tomorrow, do you want to come?”

Your heart was warm and full as you noticed that he was blinking tears away.

“Of course! I’d love to! Thanks, meerkat!”

“But, Ben! This is serious business!” Sally warned him. “Because on tomato Tuesday, we make the BEST pasta sauce in the world!”

“The best, really?”

“Yes! So you have to peel the tomato, and then have to boil, and to smash and mummy won’t let you eat any piece of tomato, because she’s mean… and…”

And Sally babbled away about tomato sauce, and the pasta that you cooked every Tuesday with her.

And perhaps things would be okay, after all…

***********************************************

Taglist: @reg-arcturus-black @sergeantbuckybarnes @wolfmoonmusic @idek-what-to-put @kpicard @rhapsodyonthethames @friendly-philosopher @squirreljoe

#ben barnes #ben barnes x reader #ben barnes x you #ben barnes x y/n #ben barnes x female reader #ben barnes x fem!reader #ben barnes fanfiction #ben barnes fanfic #ben barnes series #series #fanfiction #fanfic #writing

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justagalwhowrites · 10 months

Text

Lavender - Ch. 48

You, Joel and Ellie make a home for yourselves in Jackson. A continuation of Lavender Ch. 1-47 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Smut. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ only

Length: 4.2K

Summer, 2024

“You swear I’m not going to sink,” Ellie looked skeptical, waist deep in the lake.

“I promise you’re not gonna sink,” Joel said, smiling a little. “I’ll be right here, not gonna let you drown, Kiddo.”

“So I just, what, fall and the water catches me or what?” She asked. “Because that sounds like bullshit.”

“Come out a little deeper,” Joel stepped back a bit and Ellie hesitated before she obeyed. He arranged himself beside her, one arm behind her back and the other low in the water to help bring her legs up. “Alright, stick one leg straight out and lean back….” She winced as she did it. “Right, now the other one, too. Don’t worry, not gonna let you drown.”

You watched as she rose to floating on her back, her face scrunched tight for a moment before she smiled, eyes opening.

“I’m doing it!” She yelled. “Doc, look!”

“I’m looking!” You shaded your eyes with the book you’d been reading, watching from the shore. “You’re doing great!”

“See?” Joel smiled, standing up straight again, hands on his hips. “Don’t need me out here at all.”

You watched as he showed her how to move her arms and legs while on her back, then helped her move to her front, sweeping her arms forward and pulling herself through the water.

“I can swim!” She called to you. “I can fucking swim!”

You smiled at Joel and he smiled back at you, both of you loving the chance to have Ellie be a child for a change.

Jackson had been good for her. You were all still settling into it in a way. It was strange to think that, a year ago, Ellie hadn’t met Joel and you and Joel were avoiding each other like the plague. Now, you all lived under one roof, together as a family.

You’d overhauled Ellie’s room first. It was girlie, far too girlie for a girl like Ellie. She thought about what she wanted and sheepishly came into the living room one afternoon with a notebook in her hands when you were reading, your head on Joel’s lap.

“Is this dumb?” She asked, holding the notebook out.

“Almost definitely not but let me look,” you said, setting your book on your stomach and taking the notebook from her. It was a mural of the stars, an astronaut floating in space with the Earth a swirl behind them and the long neck of a giraffe reaching into the stars. “In what universe is this dumb? This is awesome!”

“Yeah?” She smiled, leaning over the notebook. “See, I did the astronaut with the kind of space suit that Sally Ride used…”

“Brilliant,” you said. “Let’s do it!”

“Fuck yeah,” she smiled.

Joel made it a point to look for paint when out on patrol and it didn’t take long before you had everything you needed to make it happen. You showed Ellie how to work with the larger space, sketching out the mural in quadrants at first and then starting to paint. It took a few days to finish, the two of you working together on it. She painted the last star, you holding the step stool so she could reach high enough. She came back down and looked up at it, proud, before yelling through the house.

“Joel!” She called. “It’s done! You gotta come see!”

He came in, a dish towel over his shoulder, soap suds still on his wrists.

“Well this is damn impressive,” he said.

“Right?” Ellie said. “It’s like I’m a real artist!”

“You are a real artist,” you smiled at her. “You made something. It’s art. You’re an artist, kid.”

“Hell yeah I am,” she smiled up at the mural. Joel pressed a kiss into your forehead and smiled. When your eyes met his, you knew you were thinking the same thing: Any sacrifice was worth this.

She was a little prickly about school at first. You waited more than a week to start her there, spending most of the time with the three of you piled together on the couch, either watching movies on the TV and VCR in the living room that - miraculously - still worked or playing board games. The family who lived in this house before had a decent stash in the basement - Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, even something called Settlers of Catan that neither you or Joel had ever heard of but quickly became Ellie’s favorite.

The three of you seemed to do best when you were close together. It reminded you, again, of what it was like coming to the QZ with Andrew. You’d thought you were better prepared for it this time - and maybe you were - but it did little to ease the worry that rose in you when Joel left the house to pick up food or Ellie went to shower and was out of your sight for more than a few minutes. The nauseating, hot ball of anxiety seemed constantly primed and ready to fill your stomach. You saw it in them, too. In the tension of Ellie’s jaw when Joel left the house, the relief on both of their faces when you came back into the room after taking a shower.

But you needed to integrate yourselves into life here. Your leg was already doing better, Joel’s side was healing well. The two of you needed to start contributing and Ellie needed to start school again. The teacher in you was vaguely horrified at the kind of learning loss she must have had over the past few months on the road. And she needed to spend time with kids her own age, not the two middle-aged adults who had been her only real human contact for months.

“But you’re a teacher!” Ellie protested when you sat her down to talk about it. “If I really need to learn shit that bad, why can’t you just teach me?”

“Because I’m not the person who should teach you things like English or history,” you replied. “And you need to spend time with kids your own age.”

“Fuck kids my own age!” She crossed her arms and flopped herself back in her chair at the kitchen table, staring daggers out the window panes in the back door.

“Ellie,” Joel scolded lightly. “C’mon. You know she’s right. You need to have a life…”

“I do,” she said. “There’s plenty of shit to do in the house and if I run out of shit in here, I can go in the yard.”

“We can ease into it,” you ignored her protests. “Tomorrow, we can go to the mess hall for meals, talk a bit with some other people…”

“I don’t trust other people,” Ellie’s eyes darted to you and Joel before looking back outside.

“Baby girl,” Joel said gently, leaning onto the table. “You really think we’d send you somewhere that was bad for you? Somewhere you’d get hurt?”

She glared at you both for a second before she sighed.

“No.”

“We’re here for a reason,” he said. “You can have a normal life here. School here ain’t like what it is in the QZ. Give it a shot.”

“Besides,” you said when she was quiet for a moment. “We’re going to start working soon and you’ll just be in here, by yourself all day. That’s not good for you.”

She looked at both of you for a moment, her jaw set firm.

“Fine,” she muttered eventually. “But if it’s stupid as fuck I’m blaming you.”

It only took her a week and a half to admit she liked school. She’d made friends, including a girl named Dina she seemed particularly excited about. She liked her teachers (“Way better than in the fuckin’ QZ - no offense, Doc.”) and seemed to be excited about what she was learning.

“Thank fuck we got a kid who’s excited about school,” Joel sighed one morning after Ellie all but ran out the front door with barely a “good morning” on the way past. “Really wasn’t lookin’ forward to her fightin’ us on it every step of the way.”

“She’ll find something else to fight us on, I’m sure,” you smiled at him over your cup of tea. He smiled a little back and kissed your temple before going to get dressed for the day. You savored it for a moment, the small signs of a quiet, domestic life. You hadn’t realized just how badly you wanted that life. It was like you’d been afraid of wishing for anything quite that much because, in the QZ, when you thought Joel hated you, it was so far out of reach it would only bring you pain to want it.

You had it here.

After a few weeks of working at the clinic, your leg was healed but you were feeling restless. You’d never been able to get a call out to Andrew to tell him that you made it here. Every little kid you saw in town reminded you of Elizabeth and Jonah and how much you wished they could grow up in a place like this. There wasn’t a day that went by in the clinic where you almost talked to Andrew out of sheer force of habit. You were providing medical care, Andrew should be there. That’s how it worked.

“I need to make a trip to the radio tower.”

You said it simply one evening, when Tommy and Maria were over for dinner.

“Absolutely not,” Joel said immediately.

“For a change, I agree with Joel,” Maria said. “We have a strict policy here for a reason…”

“Why d’you need to go?” Tommy frowned. You smiled a little at him. Of course he’d be the only one here who was maybe on your side.

“I just need to make one call,” you said. “To Andrew, let him know we made it OK.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Maria shook her head. “We can’t afford giving away our location…”

“I won’t say anything about where we are,” you said. “He knew we were heading out west, anyway. And it’s Andrew, he’d never say anything to anybody about where we were. He’s completely trustworthy, ask Tommy.”

Maria looked to her husband. He shrugged.

“She’s right,” he said. “Knew the guy for years, I’d trust him with my life. And I know damn well he wouldn’t do a damn thing to hurt her.”

Maria sighed.

“Just the one call,” she said. “That’s all?”

“That’s all,” you said. “I swear.”

“Fine,” she said. “But that’s it. You can’t share where we are, nothing like that.”

“Of course,” you said.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Joel snapped.

“Nope,” you smiled. “It’s cute that you think you do, though.”

He quirked his jaw and glared at you but was quiet until the two of you went to bed that night.

“I ain’t takin’ you out there,” his accent was thick. He was pissed. “After everythin’ we did to get this far and you wanna risk it to call back to fuckin’ Boston…”

“I’m not asking you to take me,” you shrugged as you climbed into bed. “You need to stay here with Ellie, we can’t both leave her and we’re not taking her back outside right now.”

He stared at you for a moment.

“Who the fuck is takin’ you then?” He demanded. “I know you ain’t stupid enough try to go out there on your own…”

“Tommy will,” you said. “He already said he would…”

He got into bed next to you.

“Am I supposed to be happy ‘bout that?” He asked.

“No,” you said. “But you should feel good about Tommy taking me since you know he’ll get us there and back in one piece.”

“Can’t say I’m thrilled about the prospect of you traipsin’ through the wilderness with your ex-boyfriend,” he muttered.

“So you don’t trust me because I was fucking him eight years ago?” You asked, brows raised.

“Course I trust you…” He frowned. “Wait, eight years ago?”

“Yeah?” You said. “That’s when he left, right? So, eight years.”

“No,” he shook his head. “No, you split up…”

“Well yeah,” you laughed a little. “But then we kept… well, you know. Did you really not know about this?”

He was deathly silent for a moment. You could practically feel the rage building in him.

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill ‘im.”

Joel threw back the blankets and started getting dressed.

“You can’t be serious!” You got up, too, putting yourself between him and the bedroom door. “You are not going to pick a fight with your brother over ancient history…”

“It ain’t ancient history if he was fuckin’ my goddamn wife for four years longer’n I thought,” he was seething. “Fuckin’ hid it from me for years!”

“OK let’s take a breath,” you said, putting your hands gently on his bare chest. “One, you’re going to freak out Ellie. Two, if you go storming over there, you’re going to get us kicked out of town. I had to convince Maria that I wasn’t a succubus who had come to town to steal her husband, she actually likes me now, please don’t ruin that because you’re pissed off over something that happened almost a decade ago.”

“He lied to me,” Joel snapped. “For years. Goddamn years because he knew, he fuckin’ knew he was doin’ something shitty…”

“Joel,” you cut him off. “You hated me then…”

“No,” he shook his head. “Never hated you…”

“You were acting like you hated me which, for anyone watching, is the same damn thing,” you said, crossing your arms. “Did you expect me to sit at home, never sleeping with anyone, waiting for you to come around?”

“No,” his jaw tensed. “I expect my brother to keep his hands off my girl, especially if he’s just gonna be fucking her and not treatin’ her right…”

“We broke up because I couldn’t get over you, you idiot!” You had to try to keep your voice down, which was rare for you. You weren’t much of a yeller. “Not that I’m some kind of prize but you’d already won that one! So no, you’re not going to beat up your damn brother because he was sleeping with me when you wanted nothing to do with me. That’s bullshit. You know that’s bullshit.”

He looked at you, his brown eyes a bit softer.

“You really break up because of me?” He asked, hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“See, I guess Tommy didn’t tell you that either,” you rolled your eyes. “But yeah. I warned him when we got together that I didn’t think I could love anyone who wasn’t you. And I was right. So we split up.”

“Well…” he cupped the back of his neck awkwardly. “That… makes it a bit better…”

You rolled your eyes. Men.

“So can we go to bed instead of having you mess up our entire life because you’re trying to be an asshole?” You asked, brows raised. “Because I’m tired. I’d like to go to bed.”

“Let’s go to bed,” he sighed, pulling you against his broad chest and kissing your forehead.

The two of you got back under the covers and you burrowed into him once he turned out the lights.

“Feeling better?” You asked, your nose buried in his throat.

“Still pissed my brother thought he could get away with fuckin’ my wife for years,” he muttered.

“I’m not your wife,” you said, teasing a little.

“Hm?” He pulled back to look at what he could see of you in the dark.

“I’m not your wife,” you said again. “You keep calling me that but, last time I checked, we weren’t married.”

“Right,” he pulled you back against him. “Just… feel like my wife…”

“Well you feel like my husband,” you yawned into him and pressed closer. “But ball’s in your court on that one, Miller.”

It took him less than two weeks. You’d just finished getting Ellie out the door for school, Joel coming in from an overnight patrol at the same time she was leaving.

“Hey Hon,” you called out to him, taking a sip of tea before starting to wash the pan you’d made hashbrowns in. “I can make you eggs or something if you want, I’m not due at the clinic for another two hours…”

You turned around and there he was, down on one knee. It surprised you so much you jumped. He smiled a little at that.

“I had different plans for this 20 years ago,” he said. “Something involving you’n me at that coffee shop where I first saw you and you ordered one of those lavender lattes you like so much. Then I’d take you to a hotel room with a real big tub we could take full advantage of.”

You had to lean back against the counter to keep from falling over, happy tears already catching on your lashes.

“This ain’t that,” he said. “But it is what you’n me have made and you make it everything, Baby. You do. Wouldn’t be here without you - wouldn’t want to be here without you. Seems like everything good I’ve got I can trace back to you, you’re the best of all of it.”

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a necklace, a purple gemstone with a small diamond above it where the pendant met the delicate gold chain.

“It ain’t a ring,” he said. “But I figure a ring’d be in the way at the clinic, anyway…”

You damn near tackled him, almost falling over in your rush to throw your arms around his neck.

“Didn’t even ask you yet,” you could hear him smiling as you buried your face in his shoulder.

“Sorry,” you said voice thick, still holding onto him. “Ask, I’m listening!”

He laughed.

“Baby, I love you more than I knew it was possible to love another person,” his breath was warm against your neck as he spoke. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” You were still clinging to him. He wrapped his arms around your waist and let himself fall backwards so he was sitting on the kitchen floor instead of kneeling. He pulled back from you enough to kiss you.

“Good,” he smiled a little. “Because I’m too old to be on my knees that damn long…”

You got married a few weeks later. It was a small affair, just you and Joel with Ellie and Tommy. Maria officiated and you exchanged matching rings Joel made out of scrap metal that he’d polished to shining. You’d never been happier.

You toyed with the pendant, watching your husband and daughter swim, smiling a little. This was all you wanted in Jackson. All you’d ever wanted, really. A life with Joel, one that was quiet and happy, one where there was no specter of death and pain. You sometimes couldn’t believe that you’d found it, in the face of everything, you’d finally gotten here.

“Y’all headin’ back soon?” You turned to see Tommy on horseback, heading back toward Jackson.

“Time is it?” Joel yelled.

“Pushin’ four.”

“Oh shit,” Ellie clumsily maneuvered herself to standing. “I’m supposed to be going to the mess hall with my friends at like 5:30…”

“Mind taking Ellie back?” You asked.

“Course not,” he said, waiting patiently as Ellie dried off and pulled on her sneakers.

“I’ll probably be home late!” She called over her shoulder as she climbed on the back of Tommy’s horse.

“Have fun!” You watched the two of them ride off back toward town, so distracted you didn’t even notice your husband coming out of the lake until he dripped water on your bare leg.

“Should put that book down, Baby,” he said, a look that almost dared you disobey.

“No,” you shook your head, trying not to smile. “Absolutely not, that water has got to be fucking freezing…”

“I’ll keep you warm,” he said, scooping you up off the blanket you were laying on. You shrieked and dropped your book before it got wet, Joel carrying you into the cold water.

“See?” You said, teeth nearly chattering as you wrapped your arms around your waist. “Fucking freezing!”

He tugged you against him and you could feel his hard length through his swim trunks. You wrapped your arms around his neck and his went around your waist.

“I’ll keep you warm,” he said again, voice low and wanting this time. You smiled a little at that.

“Oh will you, Mr. Miller?” You asked, the teasing edge to your voice picking up the the needy ache that was rapidly building in you.

“I will, Mrs. Miller,” he traced his fingers along your arm before he kissed you, his wet curls dripping on your wrists.

His kiss deepened, his tongue slipping into your mouth, curving around your own. He moved his hands lower until they were cupping your ass and he lifted you so you could wrap your legs around him. Once you were secure, he brought a hand around to your front, running his fingers over your aching slit through your swimsuit, pressing the pad of his thumb against your swollen clit.

You moaned and he reached down, freeing his cock and nudging your suit to the side, his thick head against your entrance. He pressed into you and you clung to him as he stretched you open, the feel of him easing the painful neediness that burned inside you.

“Fuck Baby,” he kissed the top of your shoulder. “Somethin’ about havin’ you in the water…”

You dug your nails into his skin, not able to help yourself, your breasts pressed flush against him.

“Probably because that’s how you first had me,” you panted, holding him deep inside yourself. “Really wasn’t fair, you making me lose my virginity to the best sex I’d ever have… Ruined me for anyone else, never had a shot.”

“Good,” he said, his fingers sinking into the flesh of your ass and leveraging you up his cock before bringing you back down on him with a satisfied grunt. “Like you ruined for me…”

He moved you up and down his thick length, starting easy and shifting to hard and fast, each thrust forcing your aching walls apart as he made room for himself inside you, his head meeting the place inside you he’d marked as his own that day in the pool almost 25 years before. Your body was clinging to him, your core so tight that it was bordering on pain and you couldn’t stand to have him pull away from you again. You tightened your legs around his waist when he thrust into you, forcing him to stay deep inside as you started to cum around him.

“Shit, Baby…” he moved his hands from your ass to your lower back, pressing your hips closer so he could push somehow deeper inside you. “Going to…”

You were too lost in your own orgasm to fully understand the implications of what he said. You’d run out of your birth control stash about two months earlier. The two of you had been practicing the pull out method and keeping your fingers crossed. Now, he was emptying himself into you, his cock throbbing as he filled you with his thick, hot spend.

You groaned, savoring the feeling of him coming apart inside you. You’d missed it, missed how close to him you felt when he lost control while part of him was a part of you. It took until both of your orgasms had faded for you to realize what just happened.

“Shit,” you breathed, pulling back from him enough to see his face, his cock still sheathed within you. “Joel, you didn’t pull out…”

“I know,” he was still catching his breath. “Fuck, I didn’t even think about it…”

You pressed your forehead to his, acutely aware of where your bodies were joined. You could feel his spend inside of you, his head right at the mouth of your womb when he came.

“I guess we just keep our fingers crossed,” you sighed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have held onto you like that…”

“Never apologize for doin’ that,” he said, giving you a squeeze. “Felt fuckin’ amazing.”

You laughed once. He was quiet for a minute.

“But would it be that bad if I got you pregnant?” He asked softly.

“Joel,” you almost laughed before you realized he wasn’t joking.

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to have kids with,” he said. “Life is good here, people have babies here and they’re happy’n healthy. They have a life. It’d be worth it, here.”

“I’m turning 46 in a few months,” you said. “You’re going to be sixty in a few years…”

“Yeah,” he said. “But our kid - your kid - would be worth it.”

You kissed him, soft and gentle, your heart full.

“Yeah,” you said, your lips brushing his. “Yeah, they would be…”

He trailed his mouth along your jaw as he brought a hand back around to your front, pressing two fingers to your sensitive clit, his softening cock still inside you.

“Fuck, Joel,” you panted. “What…”

“Tryin’ to make you cum again,” he said, voice thick. “Think it takes better if you cum after I leave myself inside you…”

You moaned and pressed your face into his neck, rocking your hips against him, falling apart in the water at your husband’s touch.

A/N: One chapter left to tie up a few more loose ends. I hope everyone is enjoying some lovely Miller family time!

Thank you all so much for being here. I truly can't believe this fic is almost done. It's going to kill me a little to end it (I'm still going to, I don't think I can keep writing without a story to serve) and it feels like I just started writing it a few days ago.

For anyone who enjoys my work in general and not just the characters of Joel and Doc, I did start a new TLOU fic today. It's called Yearling and can be found here. I hope you can find something about it to love!

Thank you for spending your time with me and with Doc and Joel. I can't imagine sharing this story without you all. Love you, truly!

Taglist: @paleidiot@ayamenimthiriel@ginger-swag-rapunzel@drewharrisonwriter@flugazi @pedropascalsbbg@taoyuji@starstruckmusiciansartghost@splendsay@bigboiseason123@jpbplvr @ashleyandring @mrsyixingunicorn10@sloanexx@ninaminaromina @lady-bellyn @hufflepuffriver @sarap-77 @storyarcscribe @mellymbee @jasminedragoon @lemonmeli @reds-ramblings@arizonadaydreamer@mumma-moonchild@blackroseguzzi@candypeaches16@kittenlittle24@wrappedinfiction@oatmeaiboy@pedritosdarling@winchestergypsy90@imnotdatboii @lalalalemonade11 @maknimuk1@mrsdarcyinlovewithbuckybarnes@pedrosaidsheispunk@commanderawkward@n7cje@elliesgirlll@tsunamistorm123@spookyxsam@leeeesahhh @anoverwhelmingdin @untamedheart81 @pedropascalfan221 @pedr0swh0r3 @pedrobae@fifia-writes@fatima-marisa @acf2023 @1soff@encephalitiskat @ashleymsnodgrass @karlinspace

#fanfic #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #smut fic

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intimidating-fettuccine · 8 months

Note

I hope this is a valid question

can we have a scenario about the day sally arrived at the mansion?

for example, Slender trying to introduce her in a calm manner to lj and Jason

This got very long, so I hope you're ready to start off the day with a little bit of angst.

He had warned them in advance. Slender had found her, lost and wandering by herself in the woods, and he'd offered her a place to reside. Of course, Slender wasn't an idiot. He was well aware of the trauma that both Jason and Laughing Jack had, as he'd already been spending several decades with them trying to work through it. So, as a courtesy, he warned them in advance that a little girl would be moving into the mansion, and he gave them the courtesy as well that if they wished to, they could leave. Move out of the mansion and find somewhere else to reside. The little girl, however, deserved a home and he'd promised to provide it.

Of course, neither Jason nor LJ were ecstatic about this news, but they'd come to respect Slender and enjoyed his home and his company, and so with nowhere else to go, they chose to stay, under the conditions that they not be forced to interact with her if they didn't want to. Slender agreed to these terms. And, of course, Slender had to have a discussion with Sally as well. That presently only men resided in Slender's home, but that those men were trusted and would not hurt her, and that they were just as scared of her as she is of them, that they fear children just as she fears men. He also told her that should she ever need female company, his mother was just a call away, and that if Sally no longer wanted to stay in the mansion, his mother would find her a home with someone else. For now, Sally chose to reside with Slender.

The little girl held tightly to Slender's hand as they stood in front of the large doors of the mansion. Both of them could practically sense the anxiety radiating from the other side of the door, and Slender looked down at her. Sally wore an expression of anxiety herself, unsure of what to expect. Slender had told her that these two men feared children, but Sally couldn't imagine why. Her curious mind didn't feel it was her place to ask. Her mind did, however, feel moderately at peace knowing they would fear her. Sally wasn't used to standing on equal ground with people, and so, it comforted her to know that their sentiments and relationship were level, even if it's not good to fear each other. She could hide behind the fear as a defense, as space between them.

"Would you like to try going inside? I'll only have you enter when you're ready." Slender's voice reverberated inside her mind, and she looked up at him in thought. She squeezed his hand for comfort, and he squeezed hers back. Eventually, she nodded.

Slender opened the door, and Sally used her other arm to clutch tightly to the plush bear Slender's mother had given her as an item of comfort, her eyes squeezed shut in anxiety. She braced herself for anything at all, but all she was greeted with was silence. Peeling open her eyes, she wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her. Two men, one almost as tall as Slender, the other about a foot shorter, standing anxiously before them. They looked more scared than she did, but that didn't mean her fears were gone, although... She did pity them a bit, for how terrified they seemed.

"Jason, Jack. This little one is Sally. Sally, these are the two men I told you about earlier. She will be living here with us for the time being. You need not spend time together if you don't wish, but you must be able to live in the same building." Slender spoke calmly and quietly, trying to ease the tension in the room.

Sally hadn't been that scared, not at first. But the longer she stood there, the longer it settled into her mind that she would be living with men, the more anxious she grew, and sensing her own anxiety and fear, the men before her grew more anxious as well. Tears began to bloom in her eyes, and then men before her swallowed, pity for her welling up inside them as well. None of them had asked for their trauma, for their issues. Both of them knew Sally personally had done nothing wrong to them, and their internal instincts were telling them to comfort and assist them, but the fear inside them kept them standing where they were. They stood in silence for what was only a few moments but what felt like hours.

"A-are you... Alright...?" Jason was the first to speak, although he'd hardly have called it speaking. Those standing there were the only people alive to hear Jason speak that timidly, his voice quiet, breaking and cracking under his nerves as he held a shaky hand out to Sally. Sally jolted at his voice and squeezed her bear tighter. She shook her head no as she squeezed her eyes shut again.

The two men looked between themselves, and then at Slender, and Slender nodded. It would be best if they called it here. Slender explained to Sally he would take her to her room now, but Jack lightly cleared his throat before they left. Sally tearfully looked at Jack, finding him standing before her, nervous and trembling. In his shaking hands was a stuffed panda, one Jack had crocheted himself earlier that day. A gift. A peace treaty between them. He reached out to hand it to her, his entire body rattling and shaking, and Sally, letting go of Slender's hand, reached out her own shaking hand and took it, clutching it to herself. She nodded at him, her eyes trained on the ground, and Slender took her to her room.

When she was gone, Jason and Jack were both choking on air, tears of their own blooming to their eyes as they left to hide in Jason's workshop, and Sally cried as well, clutching onto the two toys in her arms as she settled into her new bed as Slender left her to calm down by herself. It could have gone worse, as far as a meeting between them could go, but they'd done it. That would be the first and last time they would see each other for several months, Sally doing her best to hide away and dodge them. She did, however, keep that stuffed panda from Jack, despite her anxieties about accepting a gift from a male. Throughout all the years, even up to the present day today, that panda is the only toy to consistently remain in the pile that Sally sleeps with. As the wear and tear of time passes, she knows if it gets too bad, Jack will fix it up for her, just as he always has these long years.

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raaorqtpbpdy · 4 months

Text

Have You Ever...

Danny gets invited to a hero convention as Danny Phantom, and his booth is next to none other than the legendary Ben 10, one of Danny's own favorite heroes. But when the two start playing a modified version of Never-Have-I-Ever to alleviate their boredom between handshakes with fans, they accidentally expose some things they didn't really mean to.

You can also read it on AO3

Written for X-over Danuary Week 2024, Day 1: Ben 10 | Prison Thanks @crossoverdanuary for running this!

I got a late start because I had DnD today, and I finished this at like 10pm, so I didn't have time to edit. I'm planning on editing it later this week, but until then, sorry for any mistakes. [Edit: it has now been edited]

[Warning for mentions of past traumatic experiences]

It was weird to see such a huge convention center so empty.

Well, it wasn't completely empty, but a few people carrying boxes and setting up displays was a significantly smaller crowd than Danny would normally expect to see in a place like this.

"Ah! Danny Phantom you're here!" A woman with a high ponytail and a convention staff t-shirt walked over to him. "Wow, I'm so excited that you actually came!"

Her voice was familiar.

"Sally, right?" he guessed. "Sally Braddock?"

"You remembered!" She said brightly.

Sally had been the one who'd convinced Danny to come to this convention. She'd offered him pretty substantial payment, but it was only when she told him he could have three free tickets to the convention as well that Tucker told him he had to agree or they wouldn't be friends anymore.

So here he was, at San Diego Hero Con, halfway across the country, to sit at a table and sign autographs for a few hours each day, and then do an hour-long panel with a bunch of other teen heroes, and another tomorrow on specifically ghost hunting. (He was still debating whether he should actually show up to that one, or if it would be too dangerous.) The worst part, though, was how early he had to wake up to set up his booth before the event started.

"Here's your presenter badge," Sally said, and handed him a bright yellow name tag clipped to a blue lanyard with the convention's logo on it. "Celebrity meet-and-greets are over there. I'll lead the way. We try not to put them too close to each other or the lines get out of control, but your booth is right next to Ben 10's."

Danny perked up at that. "The alien guy?"

"Yup!"

Oh, man, he hoped he'd get the chance to talk to him. Ben 10 was Danny's favorite superhero. He got to fight real life aliens, sometimes in actual space! And sure, Danny had been to space before that one time Technus had taken over a satellite, but it had still been a ghost fight. It wasn't the same.

"So, this is your table," Sally said, pointing to an empty, white folding table. "Do you have a tablecloth, or banners or headshots or anything?" she asked him with a tight smile.

"Uh.... I don't photograph well," he replied.

Sally sighed. "Well, I can bring over one of the convention tablecloths, but you really should get some kind of poster or cardboard cut-out or something that shows people who they're meeting. And you'll definitely need something to sign. Comic books, or T-shirts. Anything, really. There's a portrait artist in Artists Alley who works pretty fast, her name is Jess. If you get something from her, I can send a gopher to make copies for you to sign."

"Uh, okay? But, I can just call a friend to bring something."

"Whatever works." With that, Sally left to go organize something else.

Danny called up Sam, who was back at the hotel with Tucker—Tucker would no doubt still be sleeping—and asked her to find a nearby print shop and get a Danny Phantom Banner to hang up and a whole bunch of 8x10 illustrations of him. He let her pick the picture, but asked her to please not pick anything too embarrassing.

Right as he hung up, a pair of people approached the booth next to him carrying plastic tubs. It was none other than Ben 10 himself and a tall, furry, blue alien who was no doubt one of his allies. (That or a cosplayer, but since they were with Ben 10 himself, Danny felt safe in assuming that they really were an alien.) The two of them placed their tubs on the floor and opened them up to start unpacking their display.

"Woah, hi!" Danny said, louder than he meant to.

Ben 10 snapped his head around, muscles tensing. Danny recognized that response all too well, and tried not to let out a sympathetic wince.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said. "You're Ben 10, right? I know this is cringey to say, but I'm a huge fan."

"Uh, thanks? Just Ben is fine."

"I'm Danny Phantom, but you can just call me Danny."

"I can see that... uh... nice to meet you?" Ben replied. He seemed uncomfortable. Had Danny come on too strong.

"Something wrong?"

"What? No, of course not," Ben said, though it wasn't very convincing.

"I am Rook Blonko," Ben's companion said, offering Danny a handshake which he excitedly accepted. "It is an honor to meet another hero, though I will admit, it was only recently that I came to learn about you."

"Oh, yeah," Danny let out an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "My scope is a lot more regional and sometimes not very... in this dimension."

"That would be... the Ghost Zone, right?" Ben said casually. "What's it like? Anything like the Null Void?"

So he was at least somewhat familiar with Danny and his exploits. Danny tried not to let that go to his head, but he couldn't help feeling a little giddy nonetheless. Ben laid down a black tablecloth with his logo on it and spread it across his table. This definitely wasn't his first rodeo.

"I don't know about the Null Void," Danny said. "It's like the bottom side of this dimension. It's where ghosts live... or... not live. Reside. Almost everything is green because of all the ectoplasm there, and when humans go there, they can pass right through walls and objects just like ghosts can in this dimension."

"That does not sound like the Null Void at all," Rook observed, pulling rods and boards out of one of the boxes and assembling them into a small standing shelf.

"What's the Null Void like?" Danny asked.

"Mostly red," Ben said with a shrug. "Full of floating islands and enormous aliens. Used as a penal colony for this dimension's worst criminals."

"Oh... yeah, no. Aside from the floating islands, that doesn't sound anything like the Ghost Zone," Danny agreed. "Although it's kind of a cool coincidence that we both have experience with alternate dimensions."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ben looked over at Danny and his sad excuse for a booth—really looking for the first time. "First time at one of these things?"

"Oh yeah," Danny confirmed. "My friend is bailing me out at a print shop right now, but I was so unprepared."

Ben snorted. "Here," he said, digging through one of his boxes and pulling out a bright green swath of fabric. "You can use one of my tablecloths. I brought an extra, just in case. It has my logo on one side, but if you turn it around so the logo faces you no one will be the wiser. We have basically the same color scheme, so it works out."

"Thanks," Danny accepted the tablecloth, slightly surprised, and spread it out over his table. It was almost exactly ectoplasm green, just a shade or two darker. "Have you been to a lot of conventions?"

"A few," Ben said.

"This is your fourth," Rook said.

"That sounds right. If it hadn't been for Rook, I probably would've been just as lost as you at my first one. He's all about preparing in advance. But yeah, I've been a public hero for over a year now, and since my identity isn't a secret anymore, it's easier for the people who run these things to get a hold of me."

"About that... why don't you have a secret identity?"

"It wasn't exactly my choice," Ben replied. "Some kid found it out and exposed me on the internet. It turned out surprisingly well, though, for the most part. Must be nice for you though, not having an alternate identity—not that being dead is nice or anything like that—I mean, it's not a bad thing—or it is a bad thing? I uh... yeah, I don't know what I'm saying."

After taking a moment to parse that rambling sentence, Danny burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Is that why you're acting so uncomfortable around me? Because I'm dead? Ha! You don't have to worry about that. You're fine."

"Serious?"

"Dead serious," Danny replied with a smirk.

Ben shook his head with a soft laugh. "Alright, fine.... Actually, that's not the only reason. Back when I was ten and just starting out I had... a bad experience with a ghost-like alien of mine. Ever since, ghost stuff just puts me a little on edge."

"Oh... I see. Well, don't worry, I won't take it personally," Danny said. "Did you really start doing this when you were ten?"

"Yeah. Although I kinda retired for a few years when I was eleven, and started up again when I was fifteen."

Danny did some quick math in his head. "Oh, so altogether, you and me have been in this for about the same amount of time. 'Cause I got started a little over two years ago."

"Yeah?" Ben was silent for a few moments. He pulled out boxed figurines of his alien forms and lined them up on the shelf Rook had assembled. "So... when did you...."

"Die?" Danny finished for him. "I was fourteen. I'm almost seventeen now. In about three months, I mean."

"Do you still age?"

"Sort of?" Danny shrugged.

He and Jazz had come up with an answer to this question a little while ago, when people noticed that Danny Phantom was starting to look older, even though ghosts supposedly didn't age.

"A ghost's body is a reflection of their mental image of themself. In the Zone, ghosts don't really age or change unless something specific happens that makes them feel older or different. Because I spend so much time in the human world still, because I learn and grow with each fight, I still feel like I'm growing up, so I look like I'm growing up, too."

"That is fascinating," Rook said. "I would love to learn more about ghostly biology."

"I would love to tell you about it. Problem is, I really don't know that much," Danny told him apologetically. He shrugged. "Sorry. I'm a superhero, not a scientist."

"I'm here!" Sam called, her heavy combat boots tromping into the room. She was carrying a large cardboard box. "I would have been here sooner, but I had to put together a design for the banner. Luckily I found a printer that could make one for you on short notice like this, or you'd be screwed."

"You're a life saver!"

"You wish," she scoffed. "I got you a banner and three hundred head shots."

"That's not gonna be enough," Ben said immediately.

"Ya think?" Sam asked.

"Trust me."

She sighed heavily in annoyance. "Okay, I can go back and get some more, but you so owe me, Danny."

"Yeah, I know," Danny said, taking the box from Sam. "You're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah," she said, taking one of the head shots off the top of the stack and leaving again.

"Is that your friend?" Ben asked.

"One of them," Danny confirmed, setting the box down on the table. "That's Sam. She and Tucker have been with me since the beginning. He's probably still asleep at the hotel."

He pulled out a stack of head shots for the table and slid the box with the rest underneath. She'd picked a good picture. It was a poster illustration for a local ghost awareness presentation he'd done a while back, and he nearly sighed with relief when he saw it. He'd been half afraid she'd pick one of the grainy newspaper photos of him in his underwear.

"That's cool," Ben said. "Yeah, I don't think anyone could do this job without allies. When I first started, I had my Grandpa and my cousin, then my cousin and my best friend, and now I have Rook as my partner."

"We have been together for a year," Rook added.

"Like... together together or...?"

"Working partners," Ben clarified insistently. "It's not like that."

"Oh, okay, my bad."

Hoping to alleviate his embarrassment, Danny unfurled his new banner and flew up to hang it on the wall behind his booth. It looked cool, but not too complicated. Just his name and logo and a little bit of ghost designs around the edges. Sam had done a good job with it.

"You are not the first to think that," Rook consoled. "It is a more common assumption than one might think."

They continued chatting idly while they set up their booths. Danny got to ask Rook what kind of alien he was, and what his home planet was like. Sam showed up with a whole bunch more photos and then immediately abandoned them to get a sneak preview of artist alley before she came back as an attendee.

Just before the convention center officially opened, Danny worked up the courage to ask Ben for an autograph, and Ben obliged him with a smile, offering an exchange, rather than asking for payment. Danny eagerly accepted, signing one of his own pictures and trading it for Ben's. Ben's looked far more professional than his own. He hoped people wouldn't be disappointed.

As people started trickling in past the security checkpoint up front, both heroes only got a few people in the beginning. After only about twenty minutes of boredom, Ben suggested they play a game.

"Sure," Danny agreed. "What game?"

"My buddy Kevin calls it Reverse-Never-Have-I-Ever, and my cousin calls it Have-You-Ever." Ben said. "See, we could never play regular Never-Have-I-Ever, because we all knew all the weird stuff we'd done and we'd target each other mercilessly. With this version, You say something you have done, and anyone who hasn't done it loses a point. If everyone's done it, no one loses a point."

"Okay... I think I get the idea, but why don't you start? Five fingers or ten?"

"Let's start with five," Ben said. "Rook, you playing?"

"I will pass," Rook said. "I always lose this game."

"Alright, if that's what you want." Ben shrugged. "Alright, Danny, have you ever... transformed into a different species?"

"Yes."

"You have?!"

"Uh, yeah. I went from human to ghost. Duh."

"Oh... right, duh," Ben agreed, shaking his head at how foolish he'd been to blow his first question like that. "Wow, I can't believe I didn't even think about that...."

"My turn, right?" Danny said. "Have you ever fought an evil alternate version of yourself?"

"Yeah, like six of 'em."

"Okay, well, now you're just showing off."

Ben smirked. "Oh, I never get to use this one on my friends. Have you ever been to space?"

Danny smirked right back. "One of my rogues possessed an orbital satellite."

"Damn it!"

Someone walked over to Danny's table and he smiled at her, pointedly ignored the way she shivered when he shook her hand, and signed a photo for her.

"Okay," he said, shifting his attention back to the game, "have you ever... been cut in two."

"I regenerated, but yeah."

"How?" Danny demanded.

"Plant alien."

"I should've guessed. Stupid plant creatures with their stupid regenerative powers. Undergrowth-ass alien. Lame."

Ben laughed at him while he signed a figurine for a fan who came to his table. "How about this. Have you ever fought a medieval-style knight?"

"A knight? Hold on." Danny considered that for a moment. Had he? He'd rescued Sam from Dora's realm that one time, and yeah, he'd definitely had to fight the ghosts of knights then. Oh! Also Fright Knight. How could he forget about him. "Yes, I have definitely fought knights on several occasions. Ghost knights, obviously."

"Ugh! I really thought I had you with that one. Why do ghosts who died a thousand years ago have to stick around for so long?"

"Nope!" Danny teased. "Okay, how about this one. Have you ever fought a ghost?"

"Define ghost?" Ben asked.

"The law defines a ghost as any creature which produces ectoplasm, is composed of ectoplasm, or requires ectoplasm to survive," Danny recited.

There was no need to say which law—that would be the anti-ecto acts. It was stupid that those stupid acts were still even law when public support of ghosts had never been higher. Although, they hadn't been as heavily enforced the last year or so, since the G.I.W. lost a lot of funding after repeatedly failing to catch their most wanted, Danny.

"Then yes, I have," Ben said. "Have you ever fought an alien?"

"Define alien."

"A creature originating from a planet or plane other than Earth."

"Then yes, ghosts."

"Ah ah ah!" Ben argued. "Ghosts are the spirits of dead humans, which means they originate on Earth."

"Except that not all ghosts are the spirits of dead humans," Danny countered right back. "Many ghosts originally formed inside the Ghost Zone, which makes them, by your definition, aliens, and I have fought them, too. Also I fought off some Incurseans back when they invaded the Earth a little while back. It was awesome."

Ben groaned.

"Haha! Gotcha!"

"Just go already."

"Have you ever died?"

"Ha! Yes, I have," Ben said, as if dying was some huge victory. "You probably thought you had me, but you were wrong. I may have been brought back through alien magic and/or time travel, but yes, I have died. Speaking of which, have you ever time-traveled."

"Psh, have I time traveled?" Danny scoffed. "I have literally met the Ancient, omniscient Master of Time. He's a huge pain in the neck."

It was at this point that more people started accumulating at the two heroes' tables. Some got in line for autographs, though both Ben and Danny were too engrossed in their game at this point to give their full attention. Others just stood, watching, and listening to the two of them. A few even started filming their little game.

"Alright, my turn," Danny said. "Have you ever... oh, I have a good one! Have you ever had to fight your best friend after he copied your powers which then caused him to lose his mind and become evil?"

"Literally how?!" Ben shouted.

"Is that a no?"

"No, I meant 'literally how' as in how has something that specific happened to both of us?"

"No way!"

"Yes way! That's happened to Kevin more than once."

"What?!"

"I know, right?"

"It is also strange for this game to go so long without any of the participants losing a point," Rook said. "I believe it is at this point that I would have lost, had I been participating."

"You put up a good fight, Rook," Ben joked.

"But... I was not playing?"

"I was teasing, Rook."

"Ah, yes."

"Whose turn is it now?" Ben asked. "Mine, right?"

"Yeah," Danny confirmed.

"Have you ever had a limb severed?"

"Yes, but I'm a ghost, so I reattached it pretty easily. Have you ever altered the fabric of reality?"

"I once had to recreate the entire universe after it got destroyed, and then went on intergalactic trial for doing it. And the worst part is, ever since then, grape smoothies just don't taste the same. It's so frustrating. I did get this super comfortable hoodie out of it, though."

"Ew, smoothies?" Danny grimaced. "What are you a yoga mom?"

Ben stood up, slamming a hand on his table and with the other, he pointed accusingly at Danny. "Smoothies are delicious, screw you!"

"You're just frustrated because I'm winning."

"You're not winning, neither of us have lost a single point! But you will!" Ben declared. "Have you ever saved the whole entire universe."

"Yes."

"What?" Ben fell back into his chair, deflated.

"A while back, this one group, the G.I.W. tried to destroy the Ghost Zone with a special anti-ghost nuke, and I stopped them. The Ghost Zone is the flip side of our dimension, so if it had been destroyed, it would have taken our universe along with it. Hence, I saved the universe. I just didn't let it get all over international news first."

"Boo!"

"Isn't that my line?" Danny said.

Ben threw a sharpie at him and he turned intangible and let it pass right through him while he laughed at his own joke.

"Anyway, have you ever visited an alternate timeline where the entire earth is barren and desolate and the alternate version of you rules supreme?"

"Yes, I call it the Mad Universe, because it looked like Mad Max, you know?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I can see it. But really? You have?"

"Yup. The alternate version of Rook was a jerk."

Rook frowned but didn't have the chance to say anything before Ben kept talking.

"Have you ever... I don't know... every time I go weirder, you just match me. Have you ever had a family member be friends with one of you enemies?"

"Yeah, my dad considers my archenemy his best friend in the world," Danny said. "The feeling is not mutual, though. Have you ever been imprisoned by one of your enemies?"

"More times than I can count. Have you ever asexually reproduced?"

"Do clones count?"

"No!" Ben refused.

"Yes," Rook argued, possibly still upset about Ben's jerk comment. "Technically, cloning is a form of asexual reproduction."

"But could they fly?"

"I don't see how that's relevant to asexual reproduction, but yes," Danny said. "They were ghosts. They could fly. Most of them were too unstable to survive though. There's only one left." He frowned.

"Oh... sorry."

"It's... fine." It wasn't fine. He still found himself lying awake at night thinking about them sometimes. Danny shook his head and plastered on a determined grin. "I really think I've got you this time, though."

"Do you?" Ben did not sound convinced.

"Have you ever had to fight sentient food that was not still alive?"

"Y—wait...." Ben frowned as he thought about it for a long moment. "No... I haven't."

"Yes!" Danny cheered and Ben buried his head in his hands, humiliated. "This puts me in the lead."

"Not for long," Ben said. "Have you ever eaten food from another planet?"

"Wha—noooo...."

"Ha!"

"We're dead even again."

Their game continued.

"Have you ever fought a cult's subject of worship?"

"Have you ever had a Christmas-themed battle?"

"Have you ever fought on the same side as one of your enemies?"

"Have you ever been called upon to end a war?"

"Have you ever unexpectedly developed a new power that caused you trouble?"

"Have you ever used your powers to get out of other responsibilities?"

"Have you ever had to skip out on something you were really looking forward to and save the day?"

"Have you ever been blamed for property damage your enemies caused just because you happened to be there at the time?"

"Have you ever been mind controlled?"

"Have you ever fought an evil circus?"

The game kept going on and on, while they absently shook hands and signed autographs, with neither of them giving up another point. Until Sally showed up to tell them it was time to go to the teen hero panel they were on.

It was only then that they looked up and saw all the cameras that had been recording their game. How long had they been recording? How much had they gotten?

"Uh... right," Ben said. "Sorry everyone. You can come back for autographs after the panel. And Danny, I think we're gonna have to call it a draw."

"We'll have to have a rematch some other time," Danny said, trying to keep his tone light, despite his sudden anxiety.

Sally led the two of them to a large room with rows upon rows of empty seats, right down the aisle to the stage up front where a man in his thirties was already standing, and a masked teenage girl with glowing pink hair and eyes was sitting behind the table.

"Hello, I'm John and I'll be moderating this panel," the man introduced. "This is Lucky Girl, another teen hero we invited. Lucky Girl, this is Ben 10 and Danny Phantom."

"Nice to meet you," Danny said.

"I can't believe they roped you into this," Ben said, smiling at the girl like he knew her.

"Shut up," the girl barked back. "We can't all gain international fame overnight, and I have to pay for student housing."

"You two already know each other?" John asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah, we've known each other for a long time," Ben said. "All our lives, in fact."

"Ben, I swear if you give me away I will hex you so bad your children's children's children will travel for miles just to spit on your grave."

Ben put up his hands in surrender, and took his seat without another word. Danny followed his lead. This Lucky Girl didn't seem like the kind of person he wanted to mess with.

Once they were all in their seats, John gave them a quick run down of how the panel would go. He would ask a few questions. They would answer. He would open it up to questions from the audience, and they would answer those too. After an hour, the panel would be over, and they would return to their booths, or in Lucky Girl's case, simply leave, as she apparently didn't have a booth.

"She uses her powers to disguise herself, but she can't keep that up for more than an hour and a half," Ben whispered to Danny, clearly sensing his confusion. "She'll probably hang around for a little while after to greet fans, but she'll have to leave when her mana's drained."

"Oh, okay, that makes sense," Danny whispered back, nodding. "I was worried it might be like a sexism thing."

"As if she'd stand for something like that," Ben scoffed.

Soon enough, the doors opened, and people started trickling in. The seats filled up with mostly teens and young adults, with a few parents and older adults sprinkled in. Danny noticed Sam and Tucker come in and sit in the back row and waved at them. Rook was also sitting in the back row, trying not to draw attention to himself. Although, it seemed like most people thought he was a cosplayer, so he didn't really have to bother hiding.

When the doors closed, John started the panel.

The first part was easy.

John asked questions like: "How do you balance being a hero with the other responsibilities you have as an adolescent?"

"Honestly, not well. You know how people say 'you can sleep when you're dead'? Yeah, that's a lie."

"I'm lucky enough to have a good memory so I don't have to study much, otherwise my grades in school would tank. For me, the real struggle is finding time to do chores."

"I prioritize my other responsibilities. I don't usually face world-ending, city-destroying threats like these two, which allows me the luxury of saving hero work for after my homework is finished."

And: "Where do you go when you want to de-stress after saving the day?"

"I usually go over to my friends' and play video games. I feel safe around them."

"If the sun's still up, Mr. Smoothie. But if it's late, I like to go out for chili fries."

"The library. I know it makes me sound like a nerd, but whatever. I am a nerd. Who cares."

And: "How do your parents figure in to you heroic activities?"

"They... don't know. They don't exactly have a great opinion of ghosts, and they don't recognize me when... I mean, they don't recognize me anymore. So I guess they don't figure in." That wasn't entirely true, but Danny wasn't about to say they shot at him in front of a crowd of hundreds of people.

"My parents are actually very supportive. At first, they wanted me to quit, because they were worried about my safety, but I changed their minds. They raised me to know right from wrong, and to help others whenever I can, and they're proud of me."

"My parents don't know either, and I don't live with them right now because I live on my school campus, so I guess, like Phantom, my parents don't really figure in either."

They were easy questions to answer, even if Danny didn't always tell the whole truth. John kept things light, focusing mostly on them being teenagers, and how being a hero affected that aspect of their life, rather than the other way around. There were a couple questions about battles and enemies, but for the most part, they avoided the heavy stuff.

Then, about halfway into the panel, John opened it up to the audience to ask questions.

They didn't shy away from the heavy stuff.

"Hi, I'm Mandy, big fan," said a girl with curly brown hair. "I have two questions for Ben, first is, are you dating anyone?"

Ben chuckled, trying to sound amused, even though, up close, Danny could tell the question made him uncomfortable.

"No, I'm not dating right now."

The girl giggled for a moment before asking her next question. "My next question is: when you're fighting an alien invasion basically by yourself, do you ever feel afraid?"

Ben didn't answer right away. He took a breath, and nodded.

"Yes," he said. "I know I'm strong, and there's a lot that I can do and have done, but when I'm outnumbered a thousand to one, yeah, I'm a little afraid."

"Not that you were ever actually by yourself," Lucky Girl pointed out.

"Heh," Ben rubbed his neck awkwardly. "That's true. Even if there weren't many, I've always had people in my corner."

The next person who stepped up was a guy in a Danny Phantom T-shirt which read 'it's not gay if he's dead.'

Danny immediately groaned and Ben grinned hugely. "Before you ask your question, I have a question for you. Where did you get that shirt?"

"I got it at a souvenir shop when I went to Amity Park, but I think you can buy them online, too," they guy said.

"I'm getting one."

Danny groaned even more insistently.

"My question is for Phantom. If you hadn't died, do you think you still would have become a hero, and protected your home from ghosts?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Danny admitted. "Amity Park does have other ghost hunters, the Fentons and Red Huntress, for example. If I hadn't d... if I didn't have my powers, I wouldn't really have the ability to protect anybody. I'd probably leave it to the ghost hunters who were better equipped."

"And for Lucky Girl, are you single?"

"Ha ha no," she said flatly. "I have a boyfriend."

"Figures."

Next up was a girl in some pretty fantastic Lucky Girl cosplay. Her wig even lit up. Although she looked like she was quite a bit taller than the real thing.

"Lucky Girl, do your periods ever interfere with fighting crime?"

"Uh... that's a bit personal," Lucky Girl said instantly, as if the answer was instinctive.

But when she saw the way the girl reacted like she'd been slapped, hunching in on herself with shame, Lucky Girl bit her lip and answered anyway.

"Actually... the life of a superhero is really stressful. The kind of stress that has... biological effects. When I first started fighting crime as, like, a regular thing, I didn't have a period for months. When I finally did again it was... you know what, I'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say, it was really bad. Like, my doctor prescribed me pills to stop me from menstruating bad. So... I guess the answer to your question is 'not anymore' and also sorry for the TMI." She finished with a short grimace.

"Thank you for answering," the girl said before going to sit back down.

Ben covered his mic and turned to her. "How come I never knew about that?"

"Are you kidding?" Lucky Girl muttered back. "Like I'm gonna discuss my cycle with a fifteen-year-old boy."

Ben didn't even attempt to argue with that.

As... much as those questions were, it was the next one that really stopped everything in its tracks.

"Hi, I'm Michael. I don't know if you know about this video that's going around. It was only posted, like, less than an hour ago, but it's really blown up in fan circles already," the young man said. "The video shows Phantom and Ben 10... I guess playing a game or something? Where you guys are asking each other if you'd done certain things and basically comparing experiences with each other? Do you know it?"

Ben and Danny shot each other anxious looks.

"Uh... I haven't seen it, but I think we know what you're talking about," Ben answered cautiously. "Is that your question?"

"No, my question is... well, in the video you guys are talking about alternate timelines, and fighting evil versions of yourselves, and getting mind-controlled, and changing reality. I guess my question is. Did all that stuff really happen to you guys?"

Neither Ben nor Danny wanted to answer. They didn't look at each other, or the crowd. They deeply regretted playing a game that revealed such personal secrets in a public space.

Finally, Ben cleared his throat. "Yes, all that happened." Danny nodded his own confirmation. "The life we lead is a dangerous one, and it demands sacrifices, and it takes a lot from you, and it puts you in a lot of strange situations that few others can understand. It's... not for everyone."

The next fan stepped up to the mic. "Follow up questions. First, how are you guys like... functional? Because I mean, if I'd gone through the kind of stuff you were talking about in that video, I think I'd have a mental breakdown. Second, why would you put yourselves through all that?"

"Well, first off, bold of you to assume I've never had a mental breakdown," Danny said. "And secondly, if we don't do it, who will?" he asked. "We're not just random ordinary high schoolers who up and decided to subject ourselves to unspeakable trauma just for the fun of it.

"We do this because we have the power to do things others can't, to fight enemies other people can't fight. We do this because if we don't... if we don't, people die. Or worse. People experience the kind of things we do trying to protect them. So I guess the answer to both of your questions is, what other choice do we have?"

"Yeah, exactly what Danny said," Ben agreed. "I tried to give up my powers, and my responsibilities once, and people got hurt because of it. My grandpa.... Because I wanted to live a normal life, to take it easy, there was no one else to protect them. It is every individual's responsibility to do what they can to help others. It just so happens that we can do more than most, and that comes with drawbacks.

"Lucky Girl, care to weigh in? You weren't in the video, but I know you've had your share of superhero related trauma."

"I think you guys pretty much covered it," she replied. "I don't think I've been through quite as much as you two, but I definitely know about the sacrifices we make for this life. I also know that it's worth it to know that the people and places you love are safe and protected because of you."

The boy's both nodded in agreement.

The questions didn't really lighten up after that. "What's the worst experience you've ever had as a hero?" "Have you ever failed to protect someone?" "We heard Ben 10 say so already, but have you ever wanted to quit, or wished you never had powers in the first place?"

After a point, John noticed how uncomfortable they were getting and had to step in and ask that the next few questions not be so dark.

A younger girl, maybe even a middle schooler, hand mercy on them at last, and asked, "What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you while you were saving the day?" and from there the questions finally eased up.

It felt like it had been far longer than an hour when the session ended, and they left the stage and returned to their booths to sign autographs and shake hands and listen to dozens of people gushing, "I'm you're biggest fan!"

They didn't pick up their game again, even when things got slow. Evidently they'd learned their lesson. And they kept learning it as more and more of the people who came to visit them asked about that video. Each time Danny had to smile and laugh it off, the regret deepened.

It had been a while since he felt like such a complete idiot. Since he'd done something so thoughtless. He'd gotten a lot better at keeping secrets over the years, but he'd just been so excited to talk with someone he had so much in common with—and yeah, he'd probably gotten a little too competitive also. He should have known better.

"So uh... I was at your panel earlier," said a girl who placed a science magazine on the table for him to sign. The cover touted an article about 10 Things You Didn't Know About Ghosts (they have their own culture!). Danny remembered doing that interview.

"That's nice, thanks for coming," Danny said, his smile tensing. "Do you want me to sign the cover, or the page with the article."

"The cover please," the girl said. "For Marnie. And um... I was too nervous to stand up and ask before, but... I was really curious."

"Oh?" Danny asked, keeping his eyes on his hand as he signed the cover 'To Marnie, stay spooky'.

"Why would you make it a game?" she asked. "Wouldn't it be better to try to forget all those things?"

"Easier said than done," Danny said. "Things like that stay with you. Turning them into a joke or a game takes the power away from those bad memories. When you're laughing at your fears, what can they do to you? That's the way I see it. Ben might have another reason, and technically, it was his game. He came up with it."

"So... what you're saying is, laughter is the best medicine?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Danny agreed. He slid the magazine back to her. "Thanks for coming by."

Finally, Danny's shift was over, and Ben's ended at the same time. Just in time, too, because Danny was just about out of photos. He'd have to get more for tomorrow. He signed his last picture with a sigh of relief, thankful that the convention staff had come by to cut off the line when it was about time for him to be finished.

"You finished too, Danny?" Ben asked.

"Yup."

"You wanna go get lunch with us? Wait... do ghosts eat?"

"We do, but I was gonna meet up with my friends for lunch today, and then explore the convention a little." Danny said. "Are you gonna be here tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm here for the whole con," Ben said. "Here, let me give you my number. We should keep in touch."

"Totally!" Danny agreed. "It'll be nice to have an actual superhero friend. I love Sam and Tucker, but there are some things...."

"Yeah, I get what you mean."

After swapping numbers the two of them headed off to their separate engagements. Danny transformed and got to experience what else Hero Con had to offer without getting swarmed by fans like he saw happening to Ben that afternoon.

They met up again the next day. Chatted at their booths, had lunch together, checked out the fan artists, just hung out for a while. This time around, Danny didn't have his human form to protect him from the crowds.

That video of their game haunted them both for the rest of the convention. People kept bringing it up until it became almost more annoying than mortifying.

When Hero Con finally ended, they both breathed sighs of relief. The convention was over, but Ben and Danny kept in touch. They never did have that rematch though. In fact, they were both pretty much done with 'Have-You-Ever'.

#dp #danny phantom #danny fenton #ben 10 #ben tennyson #gwen tennyson #fic #things i wrote #crossover danuary week #crossover danuary week 2024 #crossover #party games #past trauma #humor #dp x ben 10 #dp crossover #dialogue heavy

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Text

It Had To Be You: Chapter 8 - I've Changed My Mind, I Take It Back

Masterpost PREV | NEXT

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, Modern AU

Summary: The fallout from the best night of your life was never going to be pretty…

artwork credit @colettebronte

Warnings: none, really... just some swearing and brief references to sex. Bit of angst and some arguing.

Word Count: 4.0k

Authors Note: A multi-chapter modern rom-com retelling of When Harry Met Sally. In this chapter, both reader and Benedict deal - poorly - with the aftermath of their amazing night together. Yup, it's a slice of angst while hopefully still serving some laughs. This is what has to happen before these idiots can finally see the truth in the next chapter. Thanks to @colettebronte for the advice and betaing and @sorryallonsy for cheerleading and feedback. I hope you enjoy <3

The next morning, you watch silently, covers pulled up under your chin, as Benedict dresses—your stomach in an odd knot. It’s barely dawn, and you are both uncaffeinated, but still, it's the morning after the best sex of your life, and it’s awkward. And you don't know what to say to make it, well, unawkward.

“I have to go, stupid breakfast meeting about a gallery opportunity. But I'd like to see you later if you are free?” his tone is hedging as he sits on the end of the bed and pulls on his shoes.

“Err, sure. Dinner later?” you offer as he stands up and walks around to your side of the bed.

“Dinner sounds great,” he smiles with relief and leans in, placing a lingering kiss on your forehead.

You try not to wince, but a giant ball of something in the pit of your stomach wants to either push him away and make a joke, tell him to “knock it off, mate,” … or, much preferred, grab him by his stupid bloody shirt collar and give him a proper kiss, tongues and all. Haul him right back into your bed and ride him until you are both screaming.

He hovers over you, and your eyes meet, his dilating as if he reads where your thoughts slid, and with a sharp inhale, he pulls back and folds a lip under his teeth as if forbidding himself from taking action, too.

You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and nod your farewell, burrowing deeper under the duvet, not wanting to see him to the door, not wanting a more stilted goodbye than it already is. You both know there is a shit-ton you need to talk about, but neither of you is capable of the intellectual space to unpack it at 6:30 am on a Friday morning.

As you hear your front door snick closed, you take a deep breath and reach for your phone. To contact the only person who might even begin to understand how seismic this is.

—

“Holy shit!!” Kate shrieks, startling Anthony from his slumber.

“What?!? What is it?!?” he sits bolt upright, half-asleep but panicked, her tone causing bile to rise in his throat. Whatever it is has to be serious.

“It fucking happened!” she exclaims, clutching her phone to her chest, an almost maniacal grin claiming her beautiful features as she leans back against the headboard and kicks her feet up gleefully.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Anthony urges, anxiety rolling off him in waves.

She thrusts her phone towards him, and he snatches it, alarmed. There is a pause while he reads a text, and then he sighs, slumping his head into his hands.

“Kate,” he exhales, rubbing his eyes, “for fucks sake. I thought the world was bloody ending! Or at least someone had fucking died. Not that my brother had sex.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Kate retorts, taking back custody of her device and staring at him as if he is some alien creature. “Our best friends just fucked. HOW IS THAT NOT WORLD-CHANGING NEWS, VISCOUNT ANTHONY BRIDGERTON?!?”

Anthony slumps back onto his pillow with a huge sigh. “Okay, no need to whole name me. I thought you said it was bound to happen someday?” he stifles a yawn as he asks it.

“Yeah, so?! This is still huge news,” she argues, gesturing wildly, absolutely nonplussed by his total lack of reaction.

Anthony hums noncommittally, closing his eyes. Just then, his phone starts vibrating on his bedside table; the display lit up with a photo of his brother's drunken face.

“Is that him?! Get all the gossip!! I need deeeeeetails!!” Kate swats his bicep affectionately.

Anthony rolls his eyes and clicks the green button.

“No one I know would call at this hour,” he grouses in lieu of hello.

—

Benedict spends most of the ride in your building’s lift with his head pressed into the cold mirrored surface, eyes screwed shut, wondering if the world could swallow him up so he doesn’t have to think about anything. It takes every fibre of his willpower not to run back, fling your damn door open and bury himself inside you again. But that might make it weirder.

There's only one voice of reason he can think of.

“I know I'm sorry…” he replies abashedly to his brother's less-than-cheery greeting.

“So uhh, it happened, eh?” Anthony cuts to the chase, and Benedict realises you must have already contacted Kate. “How was it?”

“It was good. REALLY good. But then, this morning, it was like we didn't know what to say to each other. I just had to get out of there before I did something stupid like suggest we do it again. SHIT!! I have no idea what to do.”

“You want to come over for breakfast?” Anthony asks, then raises his eyes to a frantic Kate, making a cutting motion. Anthony can only surmise she has just offered the same to you.

“No, I'm not up to eating. I'm just going to get a coffee and a shower and try not to think about whether I've just fucked up the best friendship I've ever had…” he sighs.

Anthony shakes his head at Kate as she sighs in relief. “Listen, so maybe it didn't work out. It would have been great if it did, but…” Anthony shrugs and mouths, ‘What?’ at Kate, as she smacks his arm and gesticulates wildly.

“Hang up before you make it worse,” she growls as mutely as possible. Anthony knows better than to argue with that face. Last time, he ended up on the sofa for two nights.

“I've uh got to go, but we’ll talk later, okay?” Anthony offers.

“Sure,” Benedict trails off and hangs up.

“God….” Anthony flops onto the mattress, already disliking the day that has barely begun. “Tell me I will never have to be out there again,” he sighs, turning his head to look at Kate.

A beautiful smirk claims her face, and he is pleasantly surprised when she swings a leg over and straddles him, leaning in.

“Baby,” she breathes seductively into his ear, “you will never have to be out there again,” she adds silkily.

And suddenly, his morning is a thousand times better.

—

“It was a mistake,” you blurt out, unable to handle the silence any longer.

You have met Benedict for dinner at Pierre Victoire —something about their Beaujolais and Entrecote Steak et Frites just what you need to face this encounter; hence, it was your suggested spot. But you have barely exchanged a word since greeting each other.

A look of surprise briefly clouds his face, and then he agrees, perhaps a little too enthusiastically for your taste.

“I’m so glad you think so. I couldn’t agree more,” he gusts, a hand clamping over his heart in seeming relief at the break in tension. “I’m not saying it wasn’t great….,” he adds.

“It was,” you cut in, somehow needing him to know that more than anything.

He nods and continues, “It really was…we just should never have done it.”

“Agreed,” you chime in, mirroring his big exhale like a burden has been lifted.

“I’m so relieved,” he sighs as the waiter puts down your steaks.

And somehow, you are back to silence, unsure what else to say to each other. In fact, it stays like that for what feels like an age.

“It’s so nice to be able to sit with someone and not have to talk,” he opines at some point halfway through dinner.

All you can do is nod and take a huge gulp of wine.

Difficult, difficult, lemon, difficult.

—

“Okay, so most of the time when you sleep with someone new, you’re just getting to know each other; you have stories to tell,” you puff, feeling like you are dying.

Kate has dragged you to SoulCycle for a ‘fuckfest postmortem’ first thing the next day. It’s Saturday morning, and frankly, right now, you are wishing she was more of a Bellini-brunch-at-a-gastropub kind of person. She used to be; it's her drive to be ultra fit for her wedding that is at fault - it somehow now being a danger to your health.

“Sure…” she nods, looking enviably unsweaty and beautiful in her tiny lycra outfit.

“But with him, we know all of each other's stories already. So once we had sex, it was like we just didn’t know what else to say to each other,” you struggle out.

“Hmmm,” Kate hums distractedly, checking her Apple Watch.

“Maybe you get to a certain point in a relationship where it’s just too late to have sex, y’know?” you shrug, certain a coronary is about to happen. To the point, you are almost grateful when your shoe slips off the pedal and you fall to the floor in an undignified puddle.

Yup, that seems about right.

—

“Is she bringing anyone to the wedding?” Benedict asks, pulling on the brocade waistcoat handed to him by the kindly old gent.

“Really, you want to do this? Here? Now?” Anthony shoots back exasperated, gesturing pointedly to his full white-tie outfit.

It's three weeks after the ‘incident’, as they have taken to calling it, and the boys are getting suited up for the wedding at the same outfitters on Savile Row that the Bridgertons have been going to for generations. One of those old-fashioned wood-panelled places that doesn't even have a real sign outside.

“I was just asking…” he replies, defensive.

Anthony sighs. “She is seeing some software developer,” he admits, fiddling with some cufflinks. “I don't think it's that serious; Kate says he's not coming to the wedding.”

“What’s he like?” Benedict inquires, and Anthony wants to laugh at how badly he is masking his obvious jealousy with faux indifference.

“Rich, handsome, intelligent, athletic—your basic nightmare,” Anthony shrugs.

The sour face Benedict pulls tells him everything Anthony could ever want to know about just how bad his little brother has it.

—

BB: Miss you, Bluey.

It’s never a good idea to text at 1:30 a.m. Especially not someone you’ve been too embarrassed to contact for a month. And especially when you are pretty drunk and hiding in the toilets of a nightclub, avoiding your inebriated younger brother, Colin, on his birthday. Except here Benedict is, doing precisely that, chewing on his nail, awaiting a response.

Y/N: Bluey….?

Ah, shit.

In his drunken state, he temporarily forgot that’s a private nickname he’s given you. His lovely, little blue lobster. He doubts you even remember that FaceTime call all those months ago. He is trying to find a witty excuse when another message pops up.

Y/N: Miss you too, Nudey-face.

He barks a laugh, still entertained that you find his lack of a beard amusing, even though it's been nine months since he shaved it off.

Y/N: Don’t like that? I've got others…

BB: Oh, this ought to be good.

Y/N: Apple-guzzler

Y/N: Dance-ninja

Y/N: Half-assed-peeping-tom

He is giggling, something in his being so fizzy and light that you have slipped right back into your old ways of texting as if nothing happened.

Y/N: Duvet-hog

That last one makes his heart leap, and his chest constricts, memories of your magical night together flooding back. Something wistful tugging in his gut; the idea that you could have more nights of fantastic sex as well as this fun, playful dynamic he has missed so much. But then he recalls with a bitter taste that you have apparently moved on. Emboldened, he decides to tackle that elephant in the room, whiskey doing the typing as much as he is.

BB: I hear you might have a +1 for the wedding…?

The three dots appear twice over, but then nothing. After eight minutes - he counts - he sighs and slips his phone back into his pocket.

Ah, fuck.

—

You chew your lip. Guilt burning behind your ribs, even as you know it’s ridiculous to feel as such. Part of you feels a hollow victory that he was the one to reach out first, but you know it’s pure liquid courage. Kate texted an hour ago that she had dipped out of Colin’s party, leaving all the brothers worse for wear.

Twice you try to craft a response to his last message, simple then jokey, but both feel wrong. You decide it’s better to not respond. At least not at almost two in the morning with that possible plus one lying asleep next to you. It’s not even something you have broached with him, going to the wedding, and now you’re sure you don’t want him there. He’s nice, but you know it’s a rebound thing—an ego boost, a mildly pleasant distraction at most.

—

“Wear the fucking penises, you coward!” Kate slurs bossily, handing you the cheap plastic deeley boppers with glittery gold cocks.

You sigh. “Fine. But don’t blame me if they don’t let us into this place,” you grumble, tugging your coat tighter around your body and bouncing on your strappy-heeled sandals, trying to fight off the seasonal chill.

This is Kate's hen party weekend in Bath, and it’s not going as you’d planned. After the pampering spa day and fancy meal you had arranged as maid of honour, the evening has descended into debauchery. Her sister Edie had booked a male stripper who was almost traumatised by just how feral Kate turned after the vodka luge (also an Edie addition). Now you are all queued up outside some cheesy nightclub that wasn’t on the cards, but Kate insisted.

“How’s your fancy man?” Eloise asks, bumping you with her shoulder and winking.

“Meh,” you shrug noncommittally, unwilling to confess that you dumped him the morning after Benedict texted. “How’s the Bridgerton clan?”

Eloise pulls a face. “Colin and Pen are fucking too loudly. Hy had a new hobby, taxidermy. Yeah exactly. Greg is now into karate. Oh, and a friend is trying to put the moves on Ben. You know, the usual family ridiculousness…”

“Yeah?” You try to hide your acerbic reaction; part of you is desperate to know more, but another part never wants to hear anything about any woman he may be with.

“Yeah, she’s a baker.” Eloise continues, kicking a stone into the gutter. “She makes 3,000 trifles a week…”

“We’re in!!” Kate yells triumphantly as the bouncer unhooks the velvet rope in front of you.

“But Ben doesn’t even like custard….” you mutter, frowning, as unseen by you, all the girls exchange knowing looks before piling into the club.

—

“Eloise’s friend still hitting on you?” Colin leans in, smirking.

Anthony’s stag do is a paintballing weekend. Colin had lobbied hard for a sleazy weekend in Vilnius, but Anthony had baulked, far too scared of Kate’s reaction to that idea. So here they all are, being rained on and sitting in a muddy ditch somewhere in Berkshire.

“I don't know the polite way to say fuck off,” Benedict professes, screwing one eye shut to stare down the barrel of the rifle.

“Why not have some casual fun?” Colin shrugs, reloading his paintball gun.

“Because when I asked her what she was doing when Boris resigned, she said, ‘Oh, I don't know, was he your assistant or something?’” he deadpans, with a terrible impression, unable to hide his disgust at her ignorance.

“No!” Colin guffaws, disbelieving.

“Exactly…” Benedict retorts, but it morphs into a pained yelp as a paintball smacks heavily into his chest.

“You’re dead motherfucker!!!!” Anthony yells, materialising from nowhere, a Rambo-style headband and vest in place, camouflage streaked across his face, seemingly having the time of his life. He ducks and sprints away before anyone can retaliate.

“Aren't we on the same team?” Colin scowls wearily, watching his retreating figure darting between the trees.

“Yeah….” Benedict sighs, staring at the bright pink splotch and already feeling a bruise blooming on his sternum.

Just bloody great…

—

The wedding day. Kate looks beautiful. Aubrey Hall looks beautiful. The weather is beautiful—a crisp autumnal day with the trees at peak colour all over the grounds, golds and fiery reds glowing in the sunshine. It’s all too much, frankly.

Then, to top it all off, Benedict walks in wearing his custom-fitted best man’s outfit, and you almost trip over your damn feet, even standing entirely still. You haven’t seen him in person since that awkward dinner, and you quickly duck behind a pillar before he can spot you as he takes his place in the processional. It’s only when you reach the doorway that you realise he’ll be standing right next to Ant as you walk up the aisle alone.

I need wine… lots of wine…

His eyes bore into you as you take the slow, silly shuffle that you are required to. A weight on your being that seems to slice through right you, and the claret red silk you wear. You feel you deserve a medal when you make it without stumbling on your heels. You shake your shoulders fractionally as you take your place facing him, a frisson in your spine that feels dangerous.

‘You look beautiful,’ he seems to mouth as the bridal procession pipes up while everyone else’s attention cuts to the doorway. And fuck do you wish he were either a thousand miles away or less than an inch from you, his breath ghosting warm over your skin….

—

The reception is in full swing, the band playing and people dancing when a familiar scent that makes your heart leap fills your nostrils.

“Hi…” it's soft, almost hesitant, as he pulls up beside you.

“Hello…” you try to modulate to casual, but it probably comes off as mildly haughty.

“Beautiful ceremony,” he offers, both of your eyes tracking Kate and Anthony as they dance, blissfully absorbed in each other, radiating joy.

“It was,” you concur politely.

A waiter materialises with a tray of canapes, and you take one, but you don't eat it; just spin the skewer in your hand. Something to fiddle with to deal with the discomfort.

God, I miss the way we used to be…

“How have you been?” you ask a little stiffly.

“Fine,” he offers, and you can tell from a mere sideways glance that he’s lying.

“Why can’t we get past this? This awkwardness. Are we going to carry this around forever??” you blurt out. It's exasperation, not words you have thought carefully about, just a knee-jerk response to your own frustration about how weird things are compared to how they used to be.

“Forever?! It just happened!” he exclaims, his hands gesturing in frustration.

Seeing that you are drawing the attention of people nearby, you spin around and walk out of the room. If this is all going to come out now, which apparently your brain has decided it will, you prefer it not to be witnessed by friends and family. Or be a talking point at your best friend's wedding.

“It happened five weeks ago!” you argue over your shoulder as you stalk down a narrow hallway beyond where the guests are mingling. You know that is not a long time in the grand scheme of things, but feeling the need to argue your corner.

“Yeah, well, you must live in dog years cos it sure as fuck didn't take you very long to find someone else. Obviously, it meant nothing to you,” he spits out, a world of hurt behind the spite in his tone.

You stop dead and spin around, an ache in your chest that is pure indignance mixed with self-hatred for how right he is. He can always hit the bullseye every bloody time when it comes to knowing you better than you know yourself. That fling was a classic rebound, an outlet for your frustrations. Moreover, a distraction from letting yourself spiral about how petrified you are that things will never be the same between you and Benedict and how you feel utterly powerless to fix it, even if you can never bring yourself to regret it. It was too spectacular for that.

“Meant nothing to me?!” you hiss, having to temper your urge to scream. “Really?! You are the one who left! That very next morning, you couldn't wait to get out of there. Who the fuck has a breakfast meeting about art? You are such a liar and a coward!”’ you raise your voice, all your emotions about it finally bubbling over.

“I didn't walk out!” he argues, frowning.

“No, sprinted is more like it!” you bite back bitterly, then turn your heel again, furiously tossing your untouched canape into the first rubbish bin you see.

You flounce down a stone staircase at the back of Aubrey Hall, his footsteps loud behind you, ending up in the kitchens, bustling with catering people.

“We both agreed it was a mistake!” he points out angrily.

“Worst mistake I ever made!” you hurl at him, uncaring of the catering staff around you, watching you both as if a soap opera, eyes pinging back and forth like it's a damn tennis match.

“What do you want from me?” he asks, holding his hands up.

“I don't want anything from you!” you lie, wanting to throw yourself at him. He looks so good in his crisp, tailed suit that it takes every effort not to.

“Let's clear something up,” he starts, jabbing his finger pointedly at the ground to his side. “I did not come over that night to make love to you. That is not why I came over. I came over to look after a friend, you asked me to. But you came onto me, and it took every ounce of my being to say no. You were drunk and emotional; I couldn't take advantage like that. But then, when you sobered up, you looked at me with those big, soft eyes and kissed me. And for fucks sake. What was I supposed to do?! I am only human…” you are transfixed by the vein pulsing in his neck and hate yourself for just how aroused you are by it, by this, by this argument, this fire between you.

“What are you saying?!? That I was a pity fuck?!”

You know full well that is not what he's saying at all, but you just can’t help but poke the proverbial beast. Wanting to goad him into something. Ideally, kissing you senseless.

“There you are!!!”

You both turn around to see Anthony in the doorway, well, more accurately, leaning heavily on the doorframe, apparently quite tipsy. You have no idea how much he may have overheard. “I've been looking all over for you shits. Kate is mad you disappeared. Sent me off to find you. Ooh, I did it. I’ll get an excellent husband gold star, won't I?” he perks with a triumphant arm raise, and you realise he's probably had a lot of champagne and no food.

Both you and Benedict exchange looks, knowing your window of opportunity to hash this out just slammed shut.

Benedict wraps an arm around his sibling’s shoulder. “Come on then, brother. Can't keep the bride waiting. Let's go,” he accommodates, steering them towards the steps with a glance back at you that is weighted.

You trail behind as they walk back to the reception, lingering so you are not drawn into any conversation. By the time you enter the room, Anthony is back at Kate’s side as she is making a toast to the crowd. Benedict is still hovering near the door off to the side, almost as if waiting for you.

“Everybody, I'd like to make a toast to our maid of honour and best man. To y/n and Benedict,” she raises her glass towards you, and everyone turns to see you both standing awkwardly about six feet apart. “If Anthony or I found either one of them remotely attractive, we would not be here today. So thank you!”

The crowd laughs along good-naturedly, and all raise their glasses to you. Kate tilts her head sideways with that beautiful but shit-eating grin she uses when stirring up trouble before taking a swig, staring at you challengingly. Almost as if she can read exactly what has just transpired, or maybe Anthony told her something of what he saw. Either way, You can feel Benedict's eyes on you as you attempt bemusement at her toast and nod with a brittle smile.

Just fucking great…

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @foreverlonginguniverse @iboopedyournose @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @margofiore @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @benedictspaintbrush @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @truly-dionysus @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @m-rae23 @last-sheep @kmc1989 @desert-fern @starkeylover @corpseoftrees-queen @magical-spit @bunnyweasley23 @how-many-stars-in-the-sky @amygdtjhddzvb @sya-skies

#benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton #benedict bridgerton fluff #benedict bridgerton angst #benedict bridgerton imagine #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton #bridgerton angst #bridgerton fluff #bridgerton imagine #benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton x female reader #benedict bridgerton x you #benedict bridgerton x y/n #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x female reader #bridgerton x you #bridgerton x y/n #it had to be you fic

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pinejayy · 1 year

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Doll (Wally Darling x Reader) part 4

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3

Sorry for the lack of posts guys, the last few days have been rough. My dad had a stroke and it’s been hard for me. But he is fine at the moment he’s home resting . But I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

I still have three more requests so I’ll work on those soon! Then soon I’ll open up requests again. uwu

Trigger Warnings: Needle

As the door opened you gasped to yourself. Holding onto your face. The door flew open and since you were close to it, it smacked you right in the face. You cursed to yourself. It seemed like Home was doing this on purpose. God you didn’t like this house one bit.

Wally came in rushing, and he saw you holding onto your face. “Oh my god…Doll! Are you okay?” He was by your side, holding you close. “I told you Home this was a game between Y/N and I.” He said in a frim and loud voice. “Lemme see your face Doll.” You removed your hands and showed him your face. He sighed in relief.

“Thankfully there’s no damage, maybe just a little red mark.” Wally said, as he rubbed your cheek with his finger. You just look away and let out a small sigh. Hear small creeks and knocks, as if Home was talking to Wally. “Not now, Home..” He said, but his eye slightly twitching. You wonder what Home was telling him.

“Wally, I’m sorry but I’m going to cut this date short. I would love to go back to my house.” You say softly. Wally frowned and just nodded. As he walked you over to the door.

“I’m sorry about Home Doll, they get a little jealous when I’m playing a game without them.” He said softly. As you both were at his front door. “Let me walk you to your house Doll.”

“NO! No...I’m sorry. I just want to be left alone. I’ll see you later Wally..” You say, as Wally just frowned. He just nodded as he didn’t want to upset you even more. As he leaned in for a goodbye kiss but didn’t get a chance too since you moved your head to the side. Wally clenched his hands and his eye twitching was back. Before he could do anything else you walked off without a other word.

Wally just stood there, you really rejected a kiss from him. FROM YOUR OWN BOYFRIEND. He closed the door and walked around his house. “Home! You didn’t have to smack them in the face! It was really uncalled for!”

*Creek Knock Creek Creek...*

“I know you were trying to prevent them from seeing Sally’s body but STILL!” Wally said as his voice started to crack. He was walking around the living room, he was angry. Why did you have to go after that door? Even though he told you not too?! Wally took a deep breath. And the cherry on top was that you didn’t want him walking you to your place and that you moved away from his kiss.

*Creek....”

“No...It’s okay Home. It’s not your fault.” He said, as he sat down on his chair. Thinking about you now. You went against his orders for going for that door and look where it lead you too. Wally just took a deep breath. He’ll give you your space for now.

Back to your place.

You quickly left Home and walked quickly to your place. You were shocked at what happened. Did Home really have swing that door to your face? Once you were in your house you quickly lock it. You quickly ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, seeing no major mark. Maybe a little redness but nothing really. You sigh and walk back to the living room. You really needed your friend, you went to garb your phone and dial her number. As you waited for her to pick up but got nothing.

“Are you kidding me!” You say to yourself as you hang up. She’s not picking up again? Is she ignoring me? Did I do something to upset her? But then again you remembered what Wally said that she was sick. But you had to see her. Something felt wrong.

As you felt tears starting to form. You just hope she’s okay. So you couldn’t help yourself but make her a soup, you knew Wally told you not to since she’s sick but she was your best friend . And once you did make the soup, you poured it in a small container for her and made your way out of your house. You took the back door because you wanted to avoid Home’s eyes on you. As you walked towards her house you ran into a other close friend...Julie.

“Hello Y/N, How are you doing?” She said, as she gave you a big warm hug.

Making you smile, as you hug her back you look at her. “Pretty good! And how are you doing today Julie?” You asked her, as you pulled away from the hug. She smiled even more “I’m doing good! Just going to Howdy’s so I can pick up a few things! But where are you heading too?”

“Oh, I’m heading over to Sally’s.” You say, making her frown at your comment.

“What do you mean? Haven’t you heard, she left the neighborhood. She moved away...” Julie said, as her tone of voice got soft. She knew that you and Sally were best friends. You look at her confused, but Wally told you that she got sick. Something is not adding up.

“Oh..I didn’t think know that. Thank you for letting me know Julie.” You say and smile weakly at her, as you were about to walk off you hand her the soup. “Here this is for you.”

“Oh Thank You Y/N!” She said, taking the soup. She smiled “But if you need a friend to talk too I’m always here.” And with that she skipped away happily. Something is off, you can feel it.

You smile and wave as she left. It was odd that Julie told you one thing about Sally and Wally told you something different. Someone was lying. And you knew it wasn’t Julie as she was very honest. So that left Wally...

You walked over to Home. Their eyes on you. “Would you stop staring at me for once!” You hiss. You then knocked quite rough at the door. “Wally open up!”

The door opened and there stood Wally. He was smiling at you “Oh Doll your back so soon? Are you okay?” He asked you. “Here come in.”

You didn’t think about it but took a step into his house, as you were fully inside the door slammed hard. Making you jump, and causing Wally to chuckle. “Are you lying to me?” Asking him. As you looked at him.

Wally looked at you, as his smile never faded away. He shook his head “Lying? About what Doll?” He asked, as he took a step towards you. “I would never lie to you Doll...”

You took a step back, you felt something in your stomach. Something was wrong “About Sally-”

Wally just stood there as he was quite. “Doll, I already told you she’s sick...she’s resting.” He said, but the last part sounded more like a growl. You look at him, you didn’t know who to believe...

“Julie told me that she moved away...and you’re telling me that she’s sick. So someone is clearly lying to me. And Julie is one of the most honest neighbors. So your lying to me Wally.” You say, he looked at you. His smile was gone and his eyes on you. His pupils were almost black. It made you uneasy.

Wally looked at you. Why did Julie have to say that. She ruined everything now. Now he has to get rid of her, and he might as well get rid of the other neighbors too. They’ll just get in the way for him and you.

“So you are lying to me?” You say “You know what I’m done with you. I’m going to look for my best friend...I don’t know where she is but I’ll find her.” You say as you walk to the front door and open it. But couldn’t since it was locked. “Tell your stupid house to open the door Wally.”

Wally just stood there, he smiled again at you but it was no normal smile it was a creepy and sinister smile. He walked over to you and slammed a hand on the door, making you jump. He looked down at you he leaned in and whispers against your ear. “Mmh I can’t allow that Doll. You’re staying here with me..” And with that you felt a sharp pain against your neck.

Wally jammed a needle into your neck, injecting you with some unknown liquid. You let out a small scream but that scream was muffled as he placed a hand over your mouth. “Shh Doll, this has to happen. You had to go asking for your friend Sally..” He said, as you try to fight back but felt weak against him. Soon after your body went limp. Passing out.

Before your body could fall to the ground Wally catched you. He held you bride style. “Oh Doll...I’m sorry.” He whispered to you. He looked at your body, this will keep you quite for awhile. He took you over to his bedroom and placed you on his bed. He couldn’t help but admire you. You look so beautiful sleeping on his bed.

“Can’t you believe them Home?” He said loudly. He looked at you and smiled as he placed a kiss on your forehead. “Don’t worry Doll, you don’t have to worry about anyone else anymore. It’s just going to be Me, Home and You. Just the three of us..”

Sorry for the short chapter guys! I’m still trying to recover from these past rough days. But I hope you enjoy guys! But comment down on what should happen next chapter uwu.

Taglist: @lovingyeet @tiredly101 @funnehsrobuxxx @simpitsu @justyui1st @elegantkidfansoul @n1body @dd71128 @all-things-fandomstuck @mb1614 @detective-kenji

#wally darling #welcome home #wally darling x reader #yandere wally darling x reader

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the-floral-perspective · 11 months

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My (personal) creepypasta house headcannons!

If you disagree, please don’t be rude. Let’s keep it nice.

Warning: a lot is tweaked, but please be respectful with your opinions! This is personally how I like to view the creepypasta universe to be like. I think a lot of the trauma either gets overlooked or glorified and I’m not into that. Murder is not ok, the fact that a creepypasta fandom exists in the first place is concerning, but ending rapists or pedos is definitely less bad

- now I know that creepypasta is all about murdering people, but I like to think of it in a happier light.

- for example, I like to think that instead of Slenderman leading the reins, it’d be Sally.

- considering Sally’s backstory, I think that when she died, Slenderman found her and started helping her heal like a father/therapist would.

- in doing so, he created a safe human-free space where she’d be able to live and thrive without the worries of her past.

- but Sally eventually started getting bored, and wanted to keep up with modern tech. Just to do something other than draw as she doesn’t age. So slender would provide cable TV (no phones allowed rule) and Sally was accidentally exposed to the world that was unfortunately, still as cruel as it was to her.

- after finding that there are awful things that continue in the outside world, Sally would start fantasizing of a far land where she’d be able to wipe out all the awful people. Somehow.

- obviously slender knew about this since he can read minds. It was also only slender and Sally in that giant ass mansion, so they discussed their options.

- they decided to open the slender-placed bounds of the mansion, limited to those who really needed it. The mansion would move every four years or so to a random small town wherever in the world.

- together Sally and slender made it a sort of business to kill off the pedos and rapists in the world as more people joined everyday with their unique stories and interests. They could put their traumatic pasts to good use and quit whenever wanted. They’d only be sworn to secrecy once they left.

- laughing Jack was the first one to join. Slender sought him out personally as Jack would be better an ally than a foe. (Sally’s business ended up attracting some really awful spirits, like Zalgo. So they had to recruit some ally’s just in case)

- on the downside, regardless of quitting or not, the creepypastas are immortal. So sticking together is the best thing they can do until the stars fall and the ash arises.

#sally williams #creepypasta #slenderman #laughing jack #jeff the killer #jane the killer #homicidal liu #ben drowned #bloody painter #puppeteer #dr smiley #eyeless jack #ticci toby #cp masky #hoodie

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seravphs · 1 year

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(青春) —

ੈ♡˳·˖✶ — GOJO x FEM READER

There is before-Getou and after-Getou. In both spaces, Gojo exists.

wc — 3.1k

tags — the gradual but inexorable realization that your youth is lost to you, possessive Gojo, so hard to write Gojo and Getou together without making it a little ménage a trois, eldest daughter coded reader trying to pick up the pieces Getou left behind, missing your childhood innocence that can never return, blurry lines, unreliable adults, mild Getou x reader, title from The Belladonna of Sadness by Sally Wen Mao

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The road to Jujutsu High is littered with the fallen cherry blossoms. Gojo kicks at the large snow banks of pink flowers, letting them land in drifts marking your progression across campus. He complains incessantly of the pollen, the bees, and whatever else he finds it in his heart to complain about. Petals rain from the sky over your head.

Spring arrives with the new students on campus. You’re the first, because Gojo insisted on arriving early. He wants to assert his superiority over his classmates by knowing the layout of the land before they can, though you’re sure possessing the Six Eyes would’ve worked just as well in that capacity. Lady Gojo, as always, does not challenge her son. He leaves the day he says he will.

Before you go, she takes you aside. There is an almost saintly quality to her beauty, as if something about her is not of this world. Her white hair sweeps over her shoulder, tracing the delicate curve of her neck.

Her son is undeniably of her blood. They share the same pale coloring, as if a photograph had been bleached to a true negative. Only a woman like her could have given birth to a son like him.

When she places her hands over yours, it’s hard not to pull back, feeling unworthy. Even having known Lady Gojo for most of your life, it’s often difficult to shake the overwhelming feeling of respect you have for her. She asks you to look after him in her stead.

There’s only one answer you can give.

“Good girl,” she says, pressing her lips to your brow like a blessing. This close, you can smell the camellia oil in her silky hair. Loose strands brush against your face, and then she pulls back.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. Another student is there when you arrive.

“What the fuck,” Gojo says. “It’s a week before the semester starts. Why is he here?”

“You’re here,” you pointedly remind him.

He blows you off. “That’s different.”

Getou Suguru got special permission from Principal Yaga to join Jujutsu High two weeks early. As the only student from a non-sorcerer family, Yaga wanted to help him get acclimated before class started. Gojo seethes in rage, especially when Getou tries to help you move your things into your new dorm in the other building.

“Hands off,” he slaps Getou’s hands away from your suitcase. “She’s mine.”

“You can’t own a person,” Getou says, mildly annoyed.

He’s trying to play nice, feeling out the intricacies of completely new faces in a new setting. You wish you could tell him he doesn’t need to bother. Gojo will always be Gojo, no matter where he is.

He’s only mildly more bearable the next day, as the final student arrives just on the cusp of being late.

“A reverse cursed technique user?” Gojo’s practically shivering with excitement. “Cool! I wanna do that!”

Yaga smacks his desk with his ruler for attention. “And you will, if you can manage to pay attention during class.”

You’re surprised you’re even using the classrooms at all. They might be useful for theory, but in truth, everyone knew Jujutsu was best learned through experience. It really wasn’t learned at all, but earned through being on the field.

Yaga doesn’t seem to think so.

“Boring,” Gojo interrupts halfway through his lecture. “I learned all of this already with my tutors when I was eight! When do we get to the good stuff?”

Getou scoffs. “Not all of us have tutors, asshole.”

“Yeah?” Gojo says. He pushes his sunglasses up so they rest on his head.

Yaga takes a quick survey of the classroom. You already know what he’s going to do before he does it.

“Getou, move to the seat next to you. And you,” he points at you. “Sit in his seat, please.”

“We don’t need-“ Getou starts.

“I don’t care,” he says. “Do it. Now.”

You’re almost impressed as you take your new seat. Part of dealing with Gojo is knowing when to pick your battles. It seems Yaga has already picked up on that.

“Hey,” Gojo says, grinning at you. “Knew you couldn’t resist me.”

Shoko, who has been quiet up until now, makes a soft gagging noise from the other side of Getou. On the very first day of class, the relationships between the four of you have already been solidified.

Despite their rocky start, Getou and Gojo seek each other out like they’ve been magnetized to each other. They play terribly off each other, goading the other on.

“Bet you I can take out more cursed users-“

“Bet you I can take down the curse faster-“

Gojo has never had a challenge like him in all of his fifteen years of life. For all their bickering, they take to each other quickly. A little too quickly. They’re attached at the hip before long, which means Getou’s also attached to you.

“Psst,” Gojo hisses. His breath is fogging up the window you just cleaned. “Open up! Hurry!”

You check the clock. It’s past curfew, and the sun has long since set. His hair glows radiantly against the backdrop of the dark sky. Weak to him as always, you push the window open.

“What are you doing?”

He’s already clambering in without an invitation, knowing you won’t refuse him. The consequences of growing up together means you can speak a language that doesn’t need words, a poetic way of saying Gojo is used to being spoiled by you.

“What are you waiting for?” He throws over his shoulder, his leg straddling the windowsill and his torso halfway inside your room. For a second, you’re worried he’ll be stuck. He hit a growth spurt last year and hasn’t stopped since. “Are you coming or not?”

“You didn’t say we were going to her room,” Getou attempts to and fails at hiding the blush on his face. “We can’t be in a girl’s room!”

“Don’t be a prude,” Gojo shoots back.

Getou hesitates, looking at you. You extend your hand to pull him through. He takes it.

Gojo makes himself comfortable as always, ransacking the little box of snacks you keep above the mini fridge. Getou smacks his hands away, trying to discipline him. It’s no use. Gojo’s manners are something his mother despairs at.

Finally satisfied with his pick, Gojo sprawls out on the floor, every single inch taking up as much space as possible. With no room left for Getou, you pat the bed to offer him a seat next to you.

“Where’s Shoko?” You frown. “You invited her, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Gojo waves you off. “I knew you’d be pissed if I didn’t. She said she doesn’t want to hang out. Probably asleep by now.”

He looks up at the two of you through his eyelashes, his eyes half shut. There’s something charmingly open about his expression right now, sweet and boyish. The lamplight casts dancing shadows across his face, making the moment feel ephemeral, though it’s just another night that Gojo has snuck into your room.

He has a way of making all time spent with him feel significant, seared into your memory like it’ll be taken out of its treasure chest and lovingly pored over later. Perhaps it will. He’s an important man - these moments may be like family heirlooms in the future, the good old days when grandma was best friends with the Legendary Gojo Satoru. Maybe your grandchildren will beg you for stories of him. You’ll tell them about how he was talented, brave, and above all, reckless.

He’s beholden to no authority, and beyond willing to prove it. It’s a thorn in the elders’ sides.

“The elders are pressuring Yaga to ask me to take a special grade mission,” he says.

Getou jolts. “That’s confidential.”

Gojo rolls his eyes at him. “Come on, everyone knew I was going to tell her. Do you want me to?”

The last part is directed at you. Carefully, you turn the question over in your head. Gojo is offering you the choice, letting you balance and discard lives. Right now, the elders only have one special grade, Tsukumo Yuki, and she’s fond of going rogue after missions. Maybe it’s just a special grade thing, to be a loose cannon. It would be helpful to have another special grade willing to step up, but-

“Tell him no. You’re just a first-year,” you say.

“I want to go. I’m good enough.”

“Please don’t.”

“Will you give me a reward if I don’t?”

Getou interrupts the beginning of your answer. “It’s fine, I’ll go with him. It’ll be okay if it’s the both of us.”

“You’re a first-year, too. Don’t go, Gojo. I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll talk to Yaga for you.”

As if his name summons him, there’s a loud thump on the door.

“Hey!” Yaga has a bad habit of knocking so hard it startles you. “Are those men’s voices I hear? No boys in the girls’ dorms!”

You freeze. You hate lying because you’re horrible at it. Gojo mouths at you furiously, ‘Just lie! Make something up!’

“No,” you say, too shakily. It’s so obvious. “Just watching TV!”

“Hmph,” Yaga grumbles, but his footsteps fade away.

Years later, you’ll realize that Yaga could’ve checked the boys’ rooms if he was really suspicious and wanted to separate you three. Your heart squeezes, as it always does in the future, thinking of these quieter times. It was nice to be so young and untouchable.

Yaga’s visit kills all future conversation, and Gojo is yawning, anyway. You know you can convince him to listen to you, so you let it go. Getou wakes both of you up the next morning. It’s a particularly brutal day to practice - Tsukumo’s back, which means she wants to have a personal hand in training the “baby special grades,” as she calls them.

You’re waiting for Gojo to finish his private training session on the porch when Getou joins you. He’s drinking green tea out of a reusable bottle. In his other hand, he has a can of soda for you. It’s so cold it sweats condensation even in the barely there warmth of spring.

“Thanks,” you take it gratefully.

“Done already?”

“Waiting for Gojo.”

“Why are you so obsessed with him anyways?” He regrets his words immediately after he says it. “Is that rude? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be.”

You take another gulp of the drink so you can think about his question. It’s so cold your teeth hurt. “I promised his mother I would take care of him.”

“But you’re the same age as him. And not as- You’re-“

“Not as strong as he is,” you supply, without anger.

“I didn’t want to say it.”

“There are different types of strength,” you say, brushing off your clothes as you stand up. Both Gojo and Getou are growing like bean sprouts. The shoulder of his jacket stretches dangerously taut, one of the threads fraying. You reach out and snap it off for him.

“Besides, this is just how it’s always been. Gojo needs a little extra spoiling, and I’ve always been happy to provide it.”

“And if I need spoiling too?” He says, half-joking.

You reach up to pat his head, causing him to freeze. “Sure. I can spare you some.”

“What are you two doing?” Gojo’s voice is like a whip as he strides towards you.

You pull your hand back instantly and hide it behind your back. For some reason, you feel like you’ve been caught doing something wrong.

“There was something in my hair,” Getou says smoothly.

Gojo pulls him towards him by the cuffs of his sleeves. He pats Getou’s hair down himself, as if for confirmation. “Huh. Guess she got all of it. You guys hungry? I’m starved! Let’s get dinner.”

“Wait for Shoko,” you reprimand him. “She’s still in training.”

“But I’m so hungry!”

“It’s just 5 minutes. Come sit by me,” you say.

He whines and moans about it, but he does come to you, laying his head on your lap. The weight of him is soothing and familiar, the heat of him felt through the thin fabric of your skirt. You press a teasing finger to his cheek and feel the whistle of air as he snaps his teeth at you playfully.

“You too, Getou,” you say. “We can all wait together.”

“She’s taking so long,” Gojo complains. You pat him absentmindedly on the head to shush him.

“You’ll be grateful when she’s healing your dumb ass,” Getou tells him.

“Me?” Gojo scoffs. “As if I’m ever going to need healing.”

Your first year passes uneventfully, as slow and syrupy as the jam Gojo eats by the spoonful for breakfast. Gojo still sneaks over occasionally for sleepovers, bringing Getou or Shoko or both. Sometimes you all sneak out together to town.

You continue learning theory and refining your technique. Shoko lies about her age and receives a deferred medical school offer. Gojo and Getou are strong enough to go on missions already, taking everything up to grade 1.

Even during these halcyon days, as if you know what’s coming, your heart is filled with longing. You miss the moment even as you’re living in it, wishing that your first year at Jujutsu Tech would never end. It’s nice to be so peaceful. Though you’re all training to become sorcerers, it doesn’t feel real yet. You cling to each day as summer starts to approach, robbing you of what little is left of your first year.

Spring comes and goes, leaving you with nothing but wistfulness. You can’t help feeling that these are the days you will miss when you graduate, these moments you can never experience again.

It’s bittersweet, the joy of having something for the first time. If you could, you would give yourself temporary amnesia so you could meet every moment anew.

Instead, the uncompromising march of time remains indifferent to your silent prayers. The second day of your second year, Getou asks you to meet him behind the main campus.

“Let’s take a walk through the woods,” he says.

“That’s how good girls get murdered,” you joke, though you follow him anyway.

“You think I would hurt you?”

You gasp, tripping over a root you didn’t expect. He turns around and lunges for you just as you trip backwards, trying to catch you before you can fall. He grabs your shoulders right when you grin and reveal that you were just fine the whole time.

“No,” you say, only cheered on by his exasperation. “I don’t think you would.”

He makes an annoyed sound, and you realize for the first time exactly how close he is to you. He notices simultaneously. Suddenly the awareness that the two of you are just inches apart dawns on both of you. His breath hitches. His kiss tastes like the green tea he drinks to get rid of the aftertaste of curses.

You touch your fingertips to your lips wonderingly as he pulls back. His face is dark with an emotion you can’t identify, something that you don’t think you can call love. He shivers when you press those same fingertips to his lips, your touch burning him through.

You draw back instantly, aware you’ve crossed a line.

“Oh, Getou.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” For this boy from the villages, the strongest but still not Gojo, pity is unbearable. He doles it out to others like a benevolent saint. To receive it feels wrong.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be. I know. It’s Gojo, isn’t it?”

“Not like that,” you try, though you know you’ll never be able to explain the complicated relationship between you and Gojo. Some day he’ll get married. Perhaps he’ll leave you behind, or perhaps you’ll have to explain to some poor girl why there’s an automatic third in her relationship. You just come with the territory, a package deal. 2-for-1 is always just a way to sell a sucker something they don’t want.

“I know,” Getou says. “Do you ever think of doing anything for yourself?”

That’s an interesting question. You thought about it all the time when you were younger and resentful of babysitting, but you’ve long since grown used to your role, like a tree pruned into the right shape.

“Not really.”

Getou’s words are said thoughtlessly, just the musings of a boy who wants to understand why. They take root in your heart and become something else. The leash slackens, little by little.

Spring of second-year is much like first-year. For all you worried, little has changed.

There’s only one major difference.

Gojo and Getou take their first special-grade mission.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

You’re annoyed, and surprised by exactly how annoyed you really are. For everyone else’s bad temper with Gojo, you have the patience of a saint when it comes to him. It helps that he gives you more than he gives anyone else, too, except times like these.

He looks askance. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

Gojo goes. You can’t stop him. You don’t have the right to when he’s more than capable of it. He’s the strongest, after all. Technically, he should’ve been doing field work long before. He’s the most valuable asset the sorcerers have.

Once you’ve uncaged him, Gojo rampages. He comes back within a day, predictably victorious, brutally so. This only solidifies his understanding of himself as the god of this cursed world. He can’t help but push himself even more, trying to find the seemingly limitless boundary of his power.

When he’s given the Star Plasma Vessel mission, he doesn’t turn it down. Getou follows him.

Everyone seems to be walking their own paths. As Gojo and Getou keep exploring the limits of their own strength on missions, Shoko spends her days in the morgue. Eventually, you too find something to pass your time.

Yaga recruits you as an assistant. Most days, this means paperwork and making tea, though occasionally it gives you glimpses into the bureaucracy of the Jujutsu world. Shoko thinks it’s boring, banning you from talking about it on your lunch dates. You don’t mind - you’d hate being idle more.

Though it’s normally unexciting in Yaga’s office, you notice the mood immediately when you walk in. Yaga’s leaning back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose, almost like he’s trying to stop a nosebleed. He looks like he’s about to cry. You’ve never seen your principal like this, and it alarms you.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Gojo says. “I fixed it.”

Turning around, you see his hair first. Gojo’s bone white hair, so like his mother’s, is matted with dark red blood. It drips into his eye and leaves rust colored stains across his cheek, the collar of his shirt, and his jacket. His eyes are manic.

You should’ve gone with them.

(夏) —

#sera writes #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader

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redfoxwritesstuff · 4 days

Text

Sunflower, Book 1, Chapter 23

Tom Hiddleston x OFC Series rated: M Chapter warnings: A boner exists. Flashback smut AN: See that warning? You made it to the smut... that I'm going to spoon feed you over *chapters*. I said there was smut, not that you would be sitting down to a full meal! Have a fluff chapter before two weeks of angst to lead off the angst train!

Masterlist AO3 KoFi ~~~~~<3

Mia’s head rested against Tom’s shoulder as he carried her to bed. Sleep sang it’s siren song to her and with each step he took, it was harder and harder for her to fight off the darkness. Before Tom had crossed into her room, their room, she was dozing in a light sleep.

Carefully, Tom nestled her onto her side of their bed. Their bed, that was a thought that made him smile even for a fleeting moment in the turmoil of the unknown dark turn her night had taken.

He had made it up, pulling the blankets back as she had showered. She needed him, he knew that, even if he was left guessing as to how he could best help her. The cause of it need didn’t matter, though anger simmered under the blanket of concern within him. Something had happened, something worse than what she was saying and he could do nothing but make her a bowl of canned soup.

There would be countless times over the next year when she would need him, just like tonight, and he would likely not be there to care for her. She would likely go to bed hungry, too emotionally spent to heat her own soup. The least he could do was care for her now.

“Sleep well, my Sunflower.” Tom pulled the blankets up over her. He had wanted to kiss her but without knowing what happened, he didn’t dare. Instead he softly pushed the brown wave of hair that fell over her face to the side before going to turn off the lights.

She woke from the light sleep as he climbed into the bed next to her. There was a sea of thoughts and emotions swimming in her too tired mind as she fought sleep back. Turning on her side, she whispered his name.

“Do you need anything?” Tom whispered, turning toward her in the dark.

She surprised him and herself both by scooting herself closer to him. The bed wasn’t large but when they went to sleep, there was space left out of respect for her boundaries regardless of how they tended to wake tangled.

Reaching up, she rested the palm of her hand against his stubbly cheek. He didn’t shave much when he was there and she kind of liked it.

Tom laid still, watching her curiously in the darkness. Leaning forward, she placed a lingering kiss on his lips. It was soft and chaste yet he could feel countless emotions in the simple action. Reaching up, he covered her hand with his own.

“Can you hold me tonight?” She finally whispered.

Tom nodded, voice too thick to try to speak. Shifting onto his back, he drew her toward him. Safe in his arms, she drifted almost instantly right to sleep. Tom wasn’t far behind at all, holding tightly onto her hand resting on his chest.

This was everything he had wanted. She was everything he had wanted.

~~~~~<3

Morning came with Sally bouncing into the room, a bundle of birthday energy Mia and Tom both were too tired for. Sally was spectacular about letting the adults in her life sleep when she woke first but where were some exceptions. Sally had a free pass as soon as the clock in her room turned green to wake her mother up on birthdays and holidays.

Mia nuzzled into Tom’s chest, nails lightly scratching him as she balled her fingers into a fist and tried to disappear into sleep. One of her legs were pressed tightly against Tom’s, stretching out as her toes flexed. Her other leg was curled up, hooked over his thigh with her toes resting on his knee, tickling him as they wiggled sleepily.

“It’s my birthday!” Sally bounced around the room, unconcerned by the sight of Tom, shirtless and in bed with her mom wrapped around him. Sally didn’t question the messy hair or their positions.

To the little girl, they were normal and Tom belonged. It was just fact to Sally.

“Indeed it is, little petal.” Tom pushed himself up on one elbow. It caused him to curl into Mia slightly and she felt why he wasn’t eager to get out of the bed against her thigh. “Why don’t you go grab one pastry out of the box. We’ll be out in a minute to help you with the rest of breakfast.”

Mia bounced out of the room.

“Close the door!” Mia shouted after her. The small girl ran back, grabbed the door handle and swung it closed with a giggle.

“Thank you.” Tom fell back on his back and squeezed her closer to him uncaring of his predicament in the moment.

It caused her whole position to shift again and her thigh brushed against his manhood though she had done her best to avoid it. His breath caught in his chest at the small contact and she yanked her leg straight down. She tried to pull away but was unable with his arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” She hated how her face felt like it was on fire.

“No, no- It’s fine Darling. You didn’t, I know you didn’t mean to.” Hearing him say it like that made her feel something she couldn’t quite pinpoint. She didn’t not want to touch him. She just- It was complicated.

Tom sat up, situating himself in his sweat pants in a effort to hide his excitement before giving up and just keeping himself under the blanket. Mia watched him as she tried to figure out what he really meant by that or and why it made her feel this way.

“Are you feeling better this morning?” Tom asked, noticing her watching him. “I’ll be able to get up in a few minutes, once this um, passes.”

Tom was blushing, she realized. He looked good with the flush high on his cheeks.

“That’s normal.” She said, pointing to his crotch. “In case you didn’t know. It just happens, I know.”

“I know,” Tom swung his legs off the bed, leaving blanket pooled in his lap still. “I just, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” He was calmed down enough that he felt safe to stand.

Mia tried to keep her eyes in PG13 places but it was a struggle. She had seen a lot of Tom the morning after their wedding and not a lot since. Sure, she’d seen him shirtless a handful of times but, oh he looked well endowed.

Sweat pants were magical.

“Are you feeling better?” He asked again, resting his hand on her arm when she failed to answer the first time he asked.

It startled her. She’d been too distracted looking at his goods and then trying not to look at his goods to notice him approaching her. Did he know she was looking at his goods?

“I am, yeah.” She took a deep breath and tried to shake off the weight of the night before and feelings Tom caused in her mind.

“Mia?” Tom wasn’t sure what he was going to say at first. “Do you like working there? I mean, honestly?”

“I can’t not work, Tom.”

“I know- and I’m not asking you. Hell, if I am honest unless my agent is right- unless he can swing this contract with Marvel how he thinks he can swing it, I’ll be able to support you both for a long while but if it doesn’t, maintaining two households would stretch me thin.”

“What’s your point then?”

“My point is when you came home last night, you looked like a shell of the woman I’ve been getting to know for the last few weeks. You looked scared and hurt. I would rather stretch myself thin than have you go through something that leaves you feeling like that, especially if I might not be here.”

“I’m fine, Tom.” She was touched by his worry for her. It warmed her heart and made her eyes water. No one had cared or worried about her like that in a very long time. It scared her too, though. “Look, I-”

“I know.” He interrupted, talking over her. “I know you don’t want to rely on me. I know it’s hard for you to trust me but it’s been a few weeks. We’ve been growing, making progress. At least, I thought so.”

“Tom, I can’t.” He saw it, the moment he pushed too hard. He feared if not for his heart beating in his ears, he would be able to hear the sandcastle of a marriage they had begun to build crumbling to the ground. “I- Thank you, for holding me last night. But I can’t.”

~~~~~<3

Mia had all but ran out of the room. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, deafening her. There was nothing more in the world she wanted than to quit her job and find something where her ass wouldn’t get grabbed and men wouldn’t treat her like one of the attractions.

But she couldn’t.

That would mean trusting Tom completely and he said it himself, his career was a lot of unknowns. Their marriage had an expiration date too. Would they remain married at the end of the year? Tom had seemed so sure three weeks ago when he insisted this crazy plan go into existence but even if things were going okay, would be want his forever to be a stranger?

Mia scrambled eggs and tried to keep her mind from running head first down a path of a million ‘what if’s. She was mad at him and yet she was more touched than he could ever know- all for the same reason: He cared enough to offer her a way out.

“Mommy, Tommy said he’s got a fun day planned!” Sally announced as she ate fruit.

Breakfast was coming in stages this morning. The little girl had chocolate on her cheeks from the small chocolate donut she had first gotten. At some point the night before, Tom had cut up fruit and she was currently munching on that. The scrambled eggs would come last.

“Tommy?” Mia couldn’t help but laugh as the bedroom door opened and Tom walked out. “You’ve been renamed, you’re ‘Tommy’ now.”

“Is that so?” Tom laughed, tension melting a little from his shoulders at Mia’s smile telling him that, at least for now, the dust had settled and perhaps the sandcastle still stood.

He had been Tommy in his boyhood but had grown out of it with everyone except his mother. He was forever Tommy to her, except when he was in trouble- then he was Thomas. He was Thomas when he had told her of his marriage, most recently.

“Mommy and Tommy sitting in a tree.” The little girl sang, giggling. “It rhymes!”

“Eat your eggs.” Mia redirected, sliding the plate in front of her. Glancing at Tom, she could see his face was as red as her’s felt. “Coffee?” She asked him, offering an olive branch over where she had built fortress walls in sand.

~~~~~<3

Tom had spent the day prior studying maps and learning routes. Today was his treat and he’d be damned if he made Mia drive them around for it. He was counting on his phone’s GPS and his prior studies to get them to where he wanted to go without giving away his gift to Sally or Mia who had thought she had approved all the plans for the day.

Mia stacked presents and decorations near the apartment door, hoping to make set up for the party later easier on them both. Tom swore he had food taken care of and that she didn’t have to worry about a cake.

Nothing fancy, he promised when she pressed, insisting everything that he would have needed her approval for, he got her approval for. The last thing she wanted was some spectacle that she would never be able to repeat if he left.

If he left. Mia realized she was no longer thinking about Tom leaving as inevitable. It was a possibility still but she caught herself hoping that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t.

That was dangerous. She had no business getting attached to him.

“Where are we going?” Sally asked the question on Mia’s mind as Tom sat in the driver’s seat.

Mia had a list of possibilities, ideas Tom had run by her but he kept what he decided on to himself.

“It’s a surprise.” He took his time adjusting everything to accommodate his long legs.

Dark sunglasses rested on his face as he threw the car in gear. Veins traced their way up his forearms and she couldn’t help but admire the way his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel. The cords in his neck were highlighted by the harsh desert sun along with his sharp jawline. The red and blonde in his hair were far more obvious in the sun as well.

There had to be something wrong with her. No one should find someone driving a car this attractive.

~~~~~<3~~~~~<3~~~~~<3~~~~~<3

She accepted him into her greedily as he sank in, steady pressure splitting her walls open. His size was more than she was used to but she wanted him all. She wasn’t a untouched flower by any means but his size made her feel virginal in how he filled her inch by inch.

She moaned as he sank deeper into her. The sound was cut off with his lips on hers. She had no choice but to swallow his moan along with her own as he bottomed out, hips nestling tight against hers.

He only paused for a moment as he adjusted his position above her. Then he was thrusting. Slow and deep, the speed built with each thrust. Her legs hooked around his thighs as she tried to pull him closer, wanting to surround herself with him as she surrounded him.

~~~~~<3 Tag List: @winterisakiller @alexakeyloveloki @jennyggggrrr @dangertoozmanykids101 @tilltheendwilliwrite @tinchentitri @wizardcherryblossom @kats72 @buttercupcookies-blog @violethaze @soulpiercing @evedia @princess-ofthe-pages

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