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ellus986 · 4 years

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Underneath the mistletoe

Single dad Ben Hardy x reader part 1

Sorry kids, I know all my fan fics are filled with kids, but I can’t help it as I’m 21 weeks pregnant when I’m writing these lines. And I know I know it is over christmas, but had other things than finishing it, sorry 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

Warning: kissing, dark humor

It is a casual friday night in the diner you work in. Not much of costumers, but your heart stops as your favorite two comes in. The little Keila smiles at you in the minute your eyes meet. They sit in the box they did every friday night for the past year.

“Good evening!” Greets you the blue eyed father.

“Welcome back at our tiny kitchen!” You say as you hand them the menu.

“Y/N, you look so beautiful again!” Cheers the little blue eyed girl.

“Thank you... I almost forgave you...” you giggle.

“For...gave...me?” Mumbles Keila.

“You never ever even tried to hint that your father is a famous actor!” You answer with a smile on your face, and you can see his face change too.

“That changes something?” He asks.

“No! I just wasn’t aware you played the best drummer alive!” You giggle.

“It sounds like you are a Queen fan, but than that movie came out more than a year ago and you just saw it now?” He chuckles.

“As I have my fridays booked always...” you nod your head in they way. “And having school next to work I have zero social life, but yesterday finally I had a class canceled and decided instead of a nap, I watch the movie I wanted for a long time now!”

“And we are really thankfull that you choose us over partying...” he mumbles.

“Everything for the smile of this princess!” You smooth her hair out of her face. Normally you would not touch your costumers, but these two was so different from the others. They come to you every friday, and you only worked on this day because she was so heart-broken one night you had it free and someone else surved them. She was smart and full of heart, and you loved her.

“I’m sorry...” she mumbles not looking up from the table.

“It is okay honey! I was just suprised, that I had your father playing in the background in my teenage years while having dinner!” You giggle again.

“So you was a fan...” he lift one of his eyebrows.

“Nooo... but Easterenders was something that went well as white noise for dinner... I let you decide what you want!” You turn away and walk.

“Daaaad...”

“Keila, no!”

“Dad! Don’t be a...”

“Y/N?” You can’t keep his voice out of your head.

“Yes?”

“We... have Frankie over the weekend... would, you like to come for a walk with us?” Sutters the blue eyed blonde.

“I’m sure I can make time before my afternoon ship if that is good for you?”

“Perfect!” Answers the adorble little one.

The next day:

Bournemouth was cold, and snowy, but the christmas decoration on the street made everything joyfull. A big smile sits on your face as you see Keila running in your way.

“Y/N!” She jumps into your arms and you lift her up.

“Hello, beautiful!” You greet her. “Hello, handsome!” You wave in Ben’s way.

“Princess!” He looks angry.

“It is okay! We know eachother for a year now, she didn’t run in some strangers arms... I mean I hope I don’t count as one...”

“No, you don’t count as a stanger!” He nods. “Are you okay with a jumping 4 years old?” He asks as he gets to you, and you already put down his daugther.

“4 and a half!” Keila holds her finger to her dad’s chest.

“4 and a half, sorry!” He mumbles.

“But back to the question, I’m more than okay with jumping 4 and half years olds!” You giggle, winking in the little ones way. “I study to be a primary teacher, so...”

“Maybe you will teach me?” You can see how Keila’s eyes are shining, as you are walking on the beach sidewalk.

“I don’t think honey, I have years to finish my studies and even if I could finish in two years there would be so little chance to get a job in a school you would go in...”

“Ooh... Frankie lets run!” She gets cheerfull again as she gets the leader from her dad and runs off on the empty street.

“So you want to work with kids one day?” You can see how he is struggling to even ask you.

“Yes defenetly!” You smile at him. “And you are a famous actor?”

“Could say...” his face just gets so red and a half smile gets on it slowly.

“Not fan of the fame?”

“Nah... kinda... I don’t like to be just me infront of people, but I love to perform thought...”

“Y/N, do you like Frankie?” Runs Keila to you, with the dog, who you immediately pet.

“She is so cute!” You nod.

She runs away again and you just walk next to Ben in silence until you think you have something better to do: throw a snowball into his chest. Suprise rises on his face, but he respondes quickly. You get into a big fight fast and you can see Keila running with worry on her face.

“What is happening?”

“She attacked me!” Ben points in your way trying not to laugh.

“Ooh blame it on the woman!” You hold your hands up.

“Ooh adults!” She hides her face in her hand before running away again with the dog, and both of you burst into laugh. You try to get a new snowball, but before you could get enough together he runs in your way and both of you end up in the fresh, white snow laughing, fighting. You lock eyes with him, and your heart just want to leave your chest. “Dad! Really?” You look up to Keila holding her hands on her hips still holding the dog on the leader who just lickes Ben’s face.

“Sorry, you are right little princess!” He gets up and holds his hand out for you.

“Dad! Now she needs to walk home in wet clothes!” You feel like a four and half years old little girl has more responseablety than you two sometimes.

“Oh shoot... do you live far away?” He mumbles.

“Half an hour bus drive from the diner...” you answer, pulling your shoulder.

“Than, I owe you with a coffee, and dry clothes!” He blushes.

“I really don’t want to bother!”

“Please!” Begs Keila.

“Okay...” you give in. “I can’t say no to a princess!”

You follow them to the their near by house. It wasn’t a luxury home, and you liked it for that. As you are about to get to the front door, you see a car parking in front of it, and an auburn man steping out of it. Your heart stops, you just saw him on screen two days ago.

“Uncle Joe, uncle Joe!” Keila forgets all about the dog and runs to him, jumping into his arms.

“Hi Princess!” He kisses her cheek as she is sitting on his hip. “Hi, I’m Joe!” He holds his free hand out for you.

“I kno... I mean, I’m Y/N!” You blush.

“So you know...” he chuckles.

“She just watched bohrap two days ago...” Ben helps you out.

“Yeah, too much work and study!” You pull your shoulder.

“She didn’t know daddy was famous before that!” Steps in the littlest one.

“You didn’t?” He looks at you suprised.

“He was familiar, but who would think of Easterenders?” You giggle.

You walk in as he chuckles with the little girl on his side. Ben shows you around and hands you some dry, and warm clothes. “Really sorry for the wet experience!”

“The wet experience?” Joe yells one room away chuckleing.

You take the clothes and walk into the bathroom. The cosiest bathroom you ever saw. It had wood everywhere and had the a suprisingly big bathtube in the corner, what was really calling for you, but you just come to change your clothes, to the man’s clothes you had no idea was famous, but was so nice with you in the past year.

As you open the door Keila is already standing there. “Are you staying for lunch? Uncle Joe got us food!”

“I don’t want to into...”

“Pleeeease!” She begs you with those big eyes, and as you look up you see Ben, looking at you two.

“If you are hungry, we got enough food, Joe always dubles our needs!”

“Eat with us after your wet experience!” Laugh Joe from the kitchen.

“Pleeease!”

“Okay... okay! I’m staying for lunch, but after I need to go to work!” You answer.

Lunch goes by so fast, and funny. You already saw the trend for #hardzello but you now understand it. They are just two adorable dork perfectly being bestfriends. Keila’s laughter filled the whole room along side yours. As you are about to leave she hugs you, and Ben is about to walk you out.

“Daaad!” You hear almost a scream, both of you turn scared, but than you see Joe laughing.

“What?”

“Look up!” She giggles,as both of you look up.

“Ooh...” he forms it so softly as both of you are standing under the mistletoe.

“Don’t cheat! I needed to kiss uncle Joe on the cheek last year!”

“But you two are over the legal age so... just saying!” Joe holds up his hands.

You can’t even answer as Ben grabs your hip and locks lips with you. It is modorate as there is his child, but passionet as well. It ends as soon as it started, but you still can’t let his eyes go, you just star into eachothers eyes.

To be continued...

My sweet perms:

@simply-sams-things @spacedustmazzello

#ben hardy #ben hardy fan fiction #ben hardy x you #ben hardy x reader #benjamin hardy #benjamin jones #ben jones #borhap fanfic #single dad #single dad fan fic #single dad ben hardy

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megalony · 4 years

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Teacher’s pet- Masterlist

This is my newest dad! Ben Hardy series I am going to be working on which I hope everyone is going to enjoy.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogermeddow @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction @rogahs-drowse @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me @peterquillzsblog @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh

Series taglist: @im-an-adult-ish @gwilymleeisbae @k-k0129 @haileymorelikestupid @glittrixvibe @youngpastafanmug @ultraviolencezs

Ben Hardy masterlist

Summary: (Y/n) teaches at the school Ben’s boys go to and they soon start a relationship. But they have their ups and downs with the problems Ben faces with his boys and how quickly the relationship progresses.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

#ben hardy #ben x reader #ben hardy imagine #imagine #Single Dad #dad! ben #BoRhap #gwilym lee #gwilym imagine #teachers pet #pregnancy #pregnant! reader

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siempre-pedro · 5 years

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My Kid Punched His Kid|2|

Single Dad!Teacher!Ben Hardy x Single Mom!Reader

Summary: A playground fight between two 8-year-olds bring together 2 lonely single parents.

In This Chapter: More back story and Ben and Reader interactions. SO MUCH TEACHER BEN. Rejoice!

Word Count: 2k

A/N: The response to a part 2 was overwhelming and so positive! Thank you thank you!!!!! Please comment and let me know what you think :D Part 3 is on its way

Taglist is open!

Y/N grimaced to self as she walked down the produce aisle of the local grocery store, half-heartedly throwing apples in a plastic bag. Today was just the worst in her mind. Normally it was fine, a few hours in the office and a few hours at home while Abby had school. It was the fact that she couldn’t shut up about Mr. Jones. Y/N grimaced and threw the apples in the cart “Ouch!” Abby yelped from inside the cart.

Y/N snapped out of it and looked down at her grumpy face “Sorry, Abs.”

“Mommy, were you listening?”

“Yeah yeah. You and Mary played on the playground.”

Abby cocks her head and her small lips form a frown in disappointment “No,” she deadpans. “Mr. Jones is talking about our class field trip.”

“Baby do we have to talk about him?” Y/N this time carefully places the head of lettuce next to her daughter.

“I like him. He’s nice.”

Y/N turns her back and rolls her eyes “At least one of us thinks so,” she mutters under her breath. The women continue through the store, every so often Abby mentions her teacher making her mothers blood boil. Suddenly Abby looks up from the tablet and stares at Y/N with wide eyes “What?” she asks worriedly, stopping the cart in the middle of the store.

“We forgot cereal, you promised we’d get Lucky Charms!” Abby announces loudly. Y/N sighs in relief and nods calmly, turning the cart around.

“You’re right, I did,” she replies, calming down from the mild panic attack.

She turns the corner and looks down at a new work notification on her phone. Abby signaled to stop and when she reached up to grab the box a hand was already on the other side. Y/N’s eyebrows knit together. Her gaze turns from the masculine hand and at its owner.

“Fucking hell,” she curses.

“It’s good to see you too,” Ben smirks. Fuck that smirk he does when his tongue ever so lightly drags along his lower lip. She hated it. That was a lie, she loved it. The adults look back at the cereal box they were still holding onto like children fighting over a toy. It was the last box.

Y/N was the first to pull away to cross her arms “Take it,” she spats.

“No, no, Abby looks disappointed,” Ben rejects, pointing to Abagail’s puppy dog pout. Y/N turns and gives her a warning look.

“No. Take it, Ben.”

“Y/N I insist. It’s all yours.”

They look at each other with daggers in their eyes, Ben was getting fed up. He takes the box and holds it up “Take the fucking box!” he shouts out of frustration. Y/N’s subconscious kicks in when she sees the strong grip he has on the crumpled red box. She flinches and cowers away, taking a step away from him, fear took over. Ben saw the fear, his own face softened. “Y/N? I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“It's fine! B-Ben it’s fine. Take it,” She interrupts holding a hand up to him, still trying to stand strong. She shakingly turns and rushes away.

“Momma?”

“We have to go, Abagail,” she hushes.

Ben watches her race out of the aisle, his brows knit together in confusion. He places the box in his cart and runs a hand through his hair. He started to worry about her, shit he was starting to care for a woman that screamed at him the day they met. It was just the weirdest shift in behavior he’d ever seen. “James?” he calls, bringing himself out of the ocean of thoughts. The curly blond boy looks over and puts the box of oatmeal down and skips to his dad.

“Yeah?” he chirps.

“Let’s go bub. We have to get ready for school.”

James looks down at his green dinosaur watch “It’s only 6,” he looked up at his dad with a frown. Ben shot him a look and ushered him along. Tomorrow would be a long day.

Ben eagerly awaited the next morning, fidgeting in his chair before fixing the already perfectly aligned papers on the kid's desk. When the ring of the bell sounded he rubbed his nervous palms. The wheels were turning in his head on how he’d confront her. As the kids piled in he tried his best to be his normal joyous self, but his green eyes kept glued to the door.

“Hi, Mr. Jones!” Abby’s cheerful voice sounds as she enters eventually. Her purple jelly shoes lightly squeak as she rushes to her cubby. The blond frowns when he doesn’t see Y/N, even missing her scowl when she lays eyes on him.

“Abby! You mom didn’t bring you?” He questions.

“No, she had to be at work early. Aunt Lucy brought me,” she answers quickly, jetting by him to take her seat. He sighs and lets the kids take their seats, early waiting to get on with the day. Ben had thought hard about his morning project. It was mostly for personal gain, he knew he couldn’t directly ask Y/N what her home life was like without his ear being screamed off.

“Alright kids, since we’re still getting to know everyone we’re going to draw and write about our family,” he starts, pinning a piece of paper on the board “This here is my house,” he points to the decently drawn picture “and inside is me, my son James and our dog Frankie. I want you to draw your family. Take out our pencil boxes and get creating.”

Ben slowly made his way around to all the kids, crouching down to their level as they explained their families. He tried not to laugh at a few of the drawings, they were trying their best. Anticipating the back row he finally stood next to Abby’s desk and looked at her drawing. She was actually pretty talented, her people looked like people but there was a big black blob next to what he assumed was her “What’s that there Abby?” He asks kindly, touching the black blob that was thankfully done in crayon and not a marker.

She gasps “It’s not done!” She picks up her black crayon and draws two small triangles at the top of the blob. “That’s my dog Sampson, he’s a black lab,” she explains with a large smile.

“Well done. So let’s see, we have you, your mom, and Sampson?” he wonders. She nods excitedly.

“Where’s your dad?” There he did it! God, he was so proud of himself.

Without missing a beat she responds “I don’t have one. Mommy doesn’t like to talk about it.” Ben’s smile starts to fade as he could see her bright smile dim. The brit places a hand on the girls arm and rubs it comfortingly.

“You have a beautiful family Abs. Your mom and Sampson love you very much,” he tells her. She smiles and looks at his drawing up on the board, they were so similar she thinks. It gave her a little more confidence in her small little family.

“James and Frankie love you too,” she tells him. He pats her arm one last time and continues his round before the writing assignment, it was a simple 2 paragraphs of information he needed to know about the single mother. After writing ‘neat handwriting’ on the board boldly, he took his seat behind his desk and waited.

Time had passed and the kids one by one handed in their papers to him before lining up for lunch and recess. Ben took the alone time to pull out a lightly crumpled red box out of one of his storage bins and places it along with a small note inside Abagail’s backpack. Of course, he does try to be somewhat productive, deciding to put all the drawings and papers on the wall as decoration.

When the man gets to Abby’s he pauses and looks away having second thoughts about reading it. Maybe he could actually get a chance to get to know her, he nods along with his thoughts and just staples it to the wall and only reads the part about her dog and grandparents.

The day came to an end, Y/N looked like a woman on a mission as she entered with a few of the parents. No small talk, just grab the girl and go! “Abagail, let’s go,” she whispers, trying to blend in with everyone so Ben doesn’t notice her. Realizing quickly that she did decide to wear a short mustard yellow dress, but it did have her favorite bell sleeves so that it looked like she had wings…it made her daughter smile every time so it was fine. Abby grabbed her backpack and latched onto Y/N’s hand as she raced them out of the room.

But it wasn’t long after she left before Ben could hear the loud and prominent clicking of Y/N heels marching towards his room “What the hell is your problem Jones!” she scolds loudly as she slams the door behind her.

“Uh James, go see if Nurse Katie needs help with her bandaids,” he shoos off his own child before they had a brawl in the middle of a 3rd grade classroom. James nods and quickly leaves the room.

“Now what can I help you with Ms. Y/L/N?” He smirks, leaning back on his desk. Y/N’s face turns red with anger, still cute he thinks of her.

“Don’t act all innocent! You but that stupid box of cereal in her backpack, you should have left it,” she seethed, walking closer to him. All he can do is smirk at her, placing his hands in his pockets unbothered.

“It meant a lot to her, Y/N,” he reminds her calmly.

“I can afford it if that’s what you think of me,” she retorts turning her back to him to look around, she really didn’t want to see his face. Her gaze lands on the wall with the families, Abby was the only one that looked different. Tears start to well up, she hated Abby having to feel different.

“That’s not what I think of you, you’re just really fucking stubborn,” he laughs.

“Did you so this because of me too?” She blinks back the tears and turns to look at him.

Ben rolls his eyes “Not everything I do is about you,” he sighs.

“Really? The past few days have told me differently.”

Ben peels himself away from his desk and walks over to her “I am a teacher and I want to get to know my students.” His voice fills with more annoyance. She hums in a disproving tone. “What that answer not good enough for you?”

“No. You don’t get to do this,” she points a finger at him, their eyes locking in a bitter stare down.

“Do what?”

“Start a fight. I came in here to yell at you,” she scoffs.

Ben snorts and licks his lips “You’re in my territory now, Love,” he winks and walks away smoothly.

Y/N breaths heavily and clenches her fists “Please, just no more stuff in her bag. If I see one more fucking box in her bag I’ll report you.”

Ben laughs at the empty threat “I’ll be sure not to, Ms. Y/L/N,” he answers her almost mockingly, but it was also low and seductive enough to catch her attention.

“Have a good day, Mr. Jones.” Y/N forces out a half ass smile before exiting. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and dialed Lucy “I need you to watch Abby tonight, please. I really need a drink,” she pleads when her friend picks up.

“Oh? What did hot teacher do this time?”

“Lucy!”

“Fine, fine. But you need to watch Mary so Rami and I can go out Friday,” she reasons.

“Fine,” Y/N bites her lip “See you tonight.” She hangs up the phone and exits the school, cursing his name the whole time.

Ben took a seat in his chair and leaned back, rubbing his face and letting out a loud groan “God that woman. I just wanted to reason with her. Fuck, I need a drink,” he says to himself. He pulls out his phone and sends a text to his favorite confidant Gwilym ‘Will you watch James tonight?? I need a drink, probably 10.’

Taglist: if you have been crossed out Tumblr will not let me tag you! Im so sorry

@florenceivy//@everybodyplaythegame//@jalcolmjeed//@itstonimydudes// @sunshine112// @virtualsheepeat//@ixchel-9275//

#ben hardy #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy x you #ben hardy fanfic #ben hardy fanfiction #ben hardy fluff #ben jones #ben hardy au #single dad!Ben hardy #borhap imagine #borhap fanfic #bohemian rhapsody #borhap

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irepookie · 5 years

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Infinity

Summary: QUEEN AU where Roger (akaRow) is a teen single dad and aspiring rock star

Warnings: fluff fluff fluff and some cursing.

Words: 2090

I changed the names Cause I feel more comfortable writing it that way (idk why) but I could re-change them if that'd help you getting more into the story.

Rowan Queen: (tho you can imagine Ben as well. This is my take)

Chapter 1: I'm here

Written from his mother's POV, which gives us some insight on the family background and history as the first day of the rest of their lives unravels.

Gina Marie Queen (neé Thomas) had always been ahead of her time. She was never a fearful woman. Not for men anyway. She hadn't had a father -that alcoholic piece of shit was nothing close to that.-

And for all she knew, she hadn't had a husband either -another waste of space-. She had finally kicked him out hers and her son's life after 10 years of hell when that drunk asshole's rehearsal fits had made her lose the daughter she had been longing for since she could remember.

He could throw plates at her, and she'd fight back burning his beloved match tapes. Or intoxicate his food. Those were her favorite paybacks.

He could verbally abuse their son, and wake up with pink hair the next day. (Rowan's idea when he was 10)

But the night he had pushed her and she had broken waters at month number 5, that was it.

It should have ended earlier, she knew. Her unborn daughter shouldn't have had to suffer the consequences for Gina to finally throw his shit out the window and soak them in the Jack Daniels bottle he hid under his side of the bed and light them with the lighter he'd switch his bloody cigars.

But unfortunately that's what it had taken.

And she would have strangled him in his sleep if she had known Rowan would be taken care of while in jail. But she wasn't. And someone had to think of the rebellious trouble maker too.

And when her son -yes, she decided that rebellious trouble maker was, more or less, worthy of the title despite being the spitting image of the his father- became a father, Gina feared her granddaughter would have the same fate. Row had it in his genes and , as much she had tried to raise him as best as she was capable of, that fear never faded.

So when the phone rang

"Rowan Queen?"

""I'm his mother"

"I'm from the Hospital's maternity aisle. We call to inform you that his daughter's mom has disappeared after giving birth..."

That was all she needed to hear before dropping the phone and leaving it hanging upside down

"ROWAN EUGENE QUEEN! GET YOUR FUCKING ASS HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"I've got rehearsals with the band..."

"YOU GOT SOMEONE PREGNANT, YOU IDIOT??!"

"Me? No!"

"WELL THINK AGAIN!"

"Mum..."

"Just got a call from hospital saying your daughter's mother has disappeared after birth!!! And they called us!"

He was high school's infamous Playboy. Blonde, Blue Big eyes, and a charming smile. And on top of that, one of the four members of a wannabe rock band. The Hot Drummer, they call him .Gina knew. She didn't need to hear about his reputation to know the likelihood of him getting someone pregnant was high. But she had pictured it differently.

She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled, but he didn't move. He kept staring at nowhere.

"Rowan!!!"

No reaction.

She had to slap his cheek in order to get him out his shock

"What do you want?!"

"We're going to hospital, right now"

"What? Why?"

"To work this shit out!!"

"But we have to rehearse"

"Fuck that shit Rowan! They've just told us you got someone pregnant and she run off! That's the most important thing right now so get in that this instance!!"

He did as told. It was a tense car ride. And Gina remembered Elsa. Her baby girl. And how for her father's fault she wasn't there.

"So what now?" Row asked

"We're putting her up for adoption, unless they can contact the mother, although I don't think she should have a say. But if you're the so called father and your name is in the file, we can leave your part signed and then go home."

"Oh"

Gina thought she caught a hint of disappointment in his voice.

It had to be her imagination. Disappointment over what? Missing the wonderful experience of being a teen dad? Ha.

He did look thoughtful. He hadn't even turned on the radio.

Something was off.

But she figured he'd just want to get this whole thing over with, and that he'd sign her over to a better family. As anyone with minimum common sense would

Right?

Then, as they waited for the application, he asked if he could see her.

Her answer was immediate "No"

"Why?"

"How come Why? Why on Earth would you want to see her?"

"Well I'm here. You've been freaking out , and freaking me out as well. Might as well see who this fuss is about"

"A baby. That's it. You don't need to see one. They all look the same. Small, Wrinkly, like a large prune. There you have it"

"Well I wanna see my... That small wrinkled prune"

Damn. He had said <<mine>>. He already considered her his.

Gina changed her strategy.

"Your name is on the certificate, right. But that means nothing"

"Why would it be there otherwise?""

"A mistake. Or maybe the mother just wants to tangle you up."

"The mother's gone"

"Yes. For now. It's called Baby Blues, and when it's gone She'll have you exactly where she wants to. Because I'm guessing she won't be no straight A student either, and you'll have to sustain them both -if you ever make it to college- and you'll end up getting married, and maybe you don't even love her, but divorce is even more tedious than getting married. That's why I've Never done it. So you'll both be stuck as cashiers in whatever low cost store, and then she'll confess that you were her high school crush but that the kid is actually her ex boyfriend's and then you'll throw a fit, and you'll get in a fight and you'll end up grabbing whatever is on your reach to hit whoever's on your reach...."

"Wait mom. I just... I just wanna see her." Row cut her off " Whoever the fuck she may actually be, I'm the one who's here. And I ain't signing anything without knowing who I'm making decisions for. That's all. I just want to see. I don't even want to touch her or whatever. Just knowing who's the reason I had to turn the boys down today. Then I'll sign the paper and we'll go home."

"She's in the NICU anyway. Doubt they'll let you in"

"What's NICU?" Gina caught genuine concern in his voice.

"Nothing bad." She reassured.

They handed the files, and she took them "I'll fill them"

She got through the first page, and he was gone.

Shit. That stubborn bastard.

She didn't want him to be a father. He was 19 for fucks shake. Had never had one of his own. He had only moved out a couple months ago. Nothing lasted much for him. Wether it was a girlfriend, a job, clothes... His longest pet had reached one year alive. And he couldn't go long without getting injured

Not even his drum kit had survived the move, and was litterally patched up. She'd consider herself guilty of murder if she allowed a baby to be on that list. Not to mention the alternative was that she'd be the one, sooner or later, to take over. Because he was never patient and would stress too much -if he didn't lose interest first- or get fed up and cause her shaken Baby syndrome. And just as she was too young to be a grandmother, she was too old to raise a second kid.

So she stormed inside the NICU aisle ready to get him out of there. And what she saw was quite breathtaking. The look in his eyes was priceless: such fondness and marvel... Only comparable to when he had first seen that red Ludwig drum set through the glass of the local music store.

"I've never seen something so awesome in my life!" He had said.

They had never been able to afford it. He had tried to get a job after school, to save up everything. But it hadn't been enough. And he'd go everyday to that street, and just stare at the shiny wonderful kit for hours, hands on the glass, knowing that the likelihood of ever owning it was almost non existent.

He ended up making acquaintance with the owner. They tried to bargain for it, but his lowest price was way too high for them. He did get to play it once tho, and it was an undescribable experience. Murray, the owner, let him give it a try out of pity when someone else bought it, as a farewell. And had never seen anything like it again.

Now this baby was, technically, his -regardless of what biology could say- and he was about to give it away.

Gina did know on first hand it was, having been a volunteer on midwife assistance with her aunt. And 10/10 woman who swore to never want anything to do with their child changed their minds as soon as they laid eyes on them. Only those who really followed through -take it away, I don't wanna see it- walked out there with empty arms.

Now Row was looking at that baby ad if she was a treasure, but that meant nothing in the long term. His father had done something similar to Elsa's sonogram.

Her poor little girl. So young.

So helpless. She had been so naive thinking he would ever change.

But she wasn't gonna make that mistake again. She loved her son, but he really wasn't good at anger management.

She couldn't expose another innocent child to such danger.

"Rowan, come here now. You've seen her. Got what you wanted. Met her. Now let's get this over with"

His hand was resting on the top of the incubators glass, even if he had unglued his eyes from the tiny being inside and nailed on her now, as if he had been staring at the sun for a long while and was now blinded.

"Why the hurry?"

Was she hearing correctly?

"How come Why the hurry? Because we both have things to do"

"I've already cancelled the one plan I had..."

"Well I still have an errand to get done."

He didn't reply, eyes back on the child

"Rowan" she approached him, making sure not to look at the kid. "Rowan Eugene Queen, look at me when I'm talking to you" she ordered in a strict tone

"What?"

"Papers. Signature. Now"

"I'm thinking about it"

"Thinking about...?! Thinking about what? What's there to think? Sign these and we'll go home, and we'll never have to look back at this! Nobody has to know."

"And what about the raisin?"

"The what?"

"Her. What about her?"

"She'll be fine. Adopting couples love newborns. She'll go to a fit, nice marriage and will be very happy. And we'll resume our lives"

"And I'll never see her again?"

"Why do you care?"

He just shrugged and turned his attention back to her. Gina watched him watch her. Goddamn. She was losing him.

"Are you the father?" A nurse asked, walking towards.

*Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it*

Gina prayed.

"I suppose I am" He said it so naturally, with such a bright genuine smile that Gina almost forgot how critical those words were.

"Well, I'm Callie, and I'm on charge tonight. Congratulations, Mr... Oh, Queen." Her eyes widened When reading the tag on the incubator. "We're glad at least someone's here"

"Yea, well..." He scratched the back of his head nervously

"Don't worry. Her mom will get over it." She turned to Gina "You must be Gran..."

"No I'm not" Gina snapped harshly before she could finish the sentence "We were leaving"

"We were not"

"Rowan, I will not repeat it. Sign those bloody papers and get your ass back in the car"

"What if I don't want to?"

"This is serious! There's no other way!"

"Yes there is!"

"You can't be serious!" What 19 year old would ever choose this?

"Well I am"

"You don't even know what serious means! You have no sense of responsibility! You've never finished anything you've ever started!"

"Maybe I want to change! Maybe I can grow up if you stop pestering the shit outta me day In day out! This is not your decision!"

"I'm not letting you do this Row!"

"Then go! Leave me the fuck alone and stop getting in my way!"

Before Gina could answer, a small cry came from the incubator.

And she found herself walking backwards.

It was right she couldn't stop him but she wasn't gonna take part on it.

So she turned around and left, as the nurse explained Row how to hold his newborn daughter.

"You're not gonna break her, I promise. You'll do fine. Because you're here. Just because you're here I know you're gonna be a great dad. You already are" Callie said, putting his trembling arms on the correct position before lifting the small white bundle out the incubator.

They usually didn't do it unless it was necessary for a feed or a change, but she thought this was even more important: they had to meet each other properly: The little one needed to hold on to someone after being abandoned. And there was something in the young boy's eyes that told her he needed just the same.

So with a reassuring smile Callie placed her on Rowan's arms, who brought her closer to his chest by instinct, a small smile already on his lips as he took in her features.

She was gorgeous. And he didn't know why, but he found her to be the most perfect thing he had ever seen. He instantly knew he was gonna protect that wrinkled prune at all costs.

"Hey there, lil'raisin. I'm..." He swallowed the lump in his throat "I'm your Dad and... I'm here now."

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

Hope you guys liked it

It's my first fic on Tumblr so I still don't have the formatting completely handled and my phone won't let me select all the paragraphs at once to put it all in regular font.

Let me know what you think. Thank you all!!😍😍😍😍

~Pookie

#bohemian rhapsody #queen band #roger taylor #roger taylor baby #roger taylor daughter #single dad! roger taylor #ben hardy! roger taylor #fluff #queen fic #queen family #queen #queen fanfiction #queen fandom #queen fluff #fathers and daughters #Rowan Queen #Infinity fic #music #infinity fic

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allegra-writes · 3 years

Text

"Bad together"

Prologue: Benjamin Reilly

Peter Parker x Reader

General audiences

Warnings: none.

"And if I'm dead to you

Why are you at the wake?

Cursing my name, wishing I stayed"

My tears ricochet - Taylor Swift

"... It's a disaster! Look at her! It's like someone took a look at Black Cat, selected everything that made her sexy and then took it out!"

Black Cat. The name froze the young photographer on his tracks right outside his boss' office. He hadn't heard that name in a long time, the last sighting had been well over a year ago. He would know. After all, it had been him, the very last person to have seen Felicia Hardy, alive or dead.

"What are you talking about? That looks hot af, not to mention badass!" Jade's persuasive voice reached his ears, making him smirk: It was no secret the chief editor had a soft spot for the young intern. And, on her part, the petite brunette was a firecracker. Poor old Jameson didn't stand a chance. "Come on, dad. Single handedly taking down three of the Kingpin's goons? That's impressive. It deserves to be one of the slides!"

"Not if we don't get a higher quality picture. That blurry video is good enough for a thumbnail, but not for a slide" Slides were a big deal, they were the Dailybugle.net's equivalent of a front page, and if J. Jonah Jameson took something seriously, it was his web site. He prided himself in the quality of the "receipts" of his "tea", as if that validated the trashiness of the bullshit articles he posted, more fiction from hyper imaginative wannabe writers than serious work from real reporters.

"Well, then let's get the pictures. Where is that star photographer of yours?"

The photographer rolled his eyes, typical Jade. As if the queen of cool didn't know his name. As if she hadn't graced his bed a handful of times already.

"That's a good question. Dolores, get me Reilly!"

"I'm here, Jonah" Ben finally stepped inside the office, throwing an envelope on Jameson's desk before throwing himself on a chair across it. He could feel Jade's eyes on him, almost like a physical caress, trailing from the long, slick back curls on the top of his head, to the muscles of his arms, threatening to rip open the seams at the sleeves of his white t-shirt, to his jean clad thighs. Still, he didn't turn to look at her, refusing to give her the satisfaction.

"What do you have for me today, boy?"

Ben gesticulated vaguely with his head in the direction of Jade, and Jameson caught the hint.

"Jade, out!"

"But, dad, my story!" The petulant reply left her mouth before she could stop it, undoubtedly the product of years of habit. But she had the grace to look embarrassed and leave the office without another word, trying to save whatever professionalism she had left.

Once she was gone, Jameson opened the envelope, flipping through the various pictures of a masked figure swinging around New York in a black and red suit.

"Hmmm… these are good" the older man praised, staring at the images of a frustrated robbery at 5th avenue

Ben snifled nocomitically,

"There was a fire at 16th avenue happening at the same time" He offered, "we could use that. Spider-Man forgets his roots and leaves his old neighborhood to fend for itself, running off to save some pretty socialite…"

"Oh, that is excellent! See, this is why I like you, kid. You have initiative. Unlike these snowflakes out there. Oh, but Spider-Man is a hero. Hero, my ass"

"Well, when you watch your so called hero sit back and do nothing as your life gets destroyed" Ben shrugged, "the rose colored glasses tend to fall off…"

Jameson made a face at that,

"Yeah, about that… I'm sorry. For the role the Daily Bugle played on that…"

Ben shook his head,

"You thought you were getting the truth out there. It's not your fault to have been played, along with half the world. Plus," he added, sounding genuinely enthusiastic, "you gave me this job. And now we can really tell the truth"

"Even when our idea of the truth is somehow different" The older man scoffed, flipping around a picture of Spider-Man sat on what appeared to be a hammock of his own webs, eating a hamburger and reading something that looked suspiciously like a comic book, "Still hung up on that high schooler theory of yours?"

"Well, if it talks like a brat and acts like a brat…" Ben took out another envelope, this time containing a few burger king wrappers and, effectively, a spider-man comic book.

"Where did you even get these?"

"Harlem" was Ben's curt reply, and Jameson knew that was as exact a location as he was going to get.

"So you still believe this is a copycat? Some kid playing dress up"

Ben simply shrugged again.

"Well, there seems to be an epidemic of those lately" Jameson admitted, indicating Ben to come closer, passing a tablet to him, "Jade just handled me this, take a look"

Ben took a deep breath, steeling himself, already knowing what he was going to see in it. Yet, a part of him couldn't help but hope to be wrong. To hope the silver haired figure facing three much bigger, stronger looking ones as he pressed play, wasn't the same one he had spent weeks memorizing last summer. Wasn't the body he had found solace in, when everything fell apart, once again, for the hundredth time in his life.

To hope it wasn't you.

But when in his twenty-two or so years of existence, had things ever gone his way?

Ben felt the screen crack under his fingertips.

"I've heard of her" he lied through his teeth, "didn't even think she was real, to be honest. Extremely elusive, and cunning." That much was true, "I don't understand how something as mundane as a security camera managed to catch her…"

Unless you wanted to be caught, that was.

"Well, I don't care if she's the fucking Loch Ness monster, I want an HD picture of her on my desk tomorrow to go with Jade's article. I already have a headline: New Catastrophe Jen wreaks havoc on Hell's Kitchen" Jameson's eyes lit up with glee as he weaved his hands up in the air, like writing on an invisible marquee.

Ben snorted

"Don't you mean Calamity Jane?"

Jameson's face fell, the color rising to his cheeks, characteristic vein popping on his forehead.

"I meant what I meant, boy! Now, what are you still doing here? You have 24 hours to get me that picture"

"I'm going to need 72," came Ben's unphased reply, "and I want twice what you pay me for the spidey pics"

Jameson's vein looked about ready to explode,

"48 hours. And deal."

Ben jumped from his seat and bolted out of the office before his boss could change his mind, not realizing until it was too late that he was on a collision course with a sweet looking short haired blonde girl.

"Watch where you're going! Jeez!"

"Me? You're the one who crashed against me!"

Ben rolled his eyes, but crouched next to the girl anyway, helping her gather the papers that had been sent flying on impact back together.

"Peter? Oh my god, is that you?"

Of course. What an idiot, he should had recognized that annoying, shrilly voice the second he heard it. It had caught him off guard, something he knew he couldn't afford. But how could he had ever imagine he could run into Betty fucking Brant, Yale cum laude, in the freaking dailybugle.net headquarters of all places?

"Sorry, sweetheart. You must confuse me with someone else…" He mumbled, lowering his head even more in a vain attempt to hide his face.

"Of course not!" She insisted, "You're Peter, Peter Parker, we went to Midtown together!"

"Miss, I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Don't be silly, Peter!" She chuckled, completely deft to his tone or the way his whole demeanor had changed the second she had called him by the old name. "How have you been? Oh, just wait until I tell Ned, he's going to be so-"

CRACK.

At last, the tablet that had been in peril ever since Jameson had put it in Ben's hands, the one that contained his assignment, met its demise, both broken halves falling to the ground, along with all the papers he had picked up for Betty. It was several moments before he could get the shaking of his hands under control, before the tar black rage inside him subsided enough for him to be able to move without shifting. But it had.

"Peter Parker is dead." He deadpanned, dark brown eyes finally meeting Betty's stunned blue ones, "Tell Ned that, he'll probably be glad to hear it"

With that, he stood up and walked away, leaving a confused and agitated Betty behind.

To be continued...

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #tom holland #peter parker imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagine #peter parker x reader smut #tom holland x reader smut #dark!peter parker #dark peter parker #venom #venom!peter parker #marvel #black cat #felicia hardy #bad together #arvin russell

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witchlyboo · 3 years

Text

Definitely, maybe.

Part one. Part two. Part three. Part four. Part five

Summary: A costume designer tries to explain her crazy university years and past relationships to her 11 years old son.

Pairing: Latina!Reader x Tom Holland x Michael B. Jordan x Pedro Pascal x Ben Hardy x Logan Lerman x Timothee Chalamet

Serie warnings: SMUT, angst, age gap, mention of drugs, violence, blood, a lot of misspellings (sorry) and if you’re underage get the fuck out of here, thnx 💕

a/n: Hey, I write this because I want to improve my English skills which is obviously not my first language and because, u know, quarantine. It’s based in the film with the same name but believe me, the story is totally different. The girl in the image that I poorly edited is white and skinny but there’s not other references to it, this fic is friendly with any size and color skin.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“It’s ok if you’re a slut mom, it's not a big deal.” You almost crash the car at the sound of the voice of your son using that word, it’s not unusual on a kid of that age, but it still sounds horrible, it’s the first time that you hear him curse and doesn't feel good at all.

Everyone with eyes could notice, you are not a regular mom, mainly for the bright short pink hair that you have had since you were fifteen, if you’d say that you were born with it, many would actually believe it. Of course, you say bad words in front of your kid, even explain to him the meaning and why he shouldn’t use them but it is ok for you to do it, he is as smart and mature as you wish you would be.

“Who the fuck taught you that word?” You said in a concerned voice, using the irony to cool your perturbation. That is a word that shames women, he couldn’t hear it from you, you never use it, doesn’t matter how much you want to.

“Michael said it in class, I didn’t know it was a bad word, sorry mom.” You looked at him through the rearview and give him a soft smile; he is the kindest, sweetest kid you ever met, and it is really great news because at pregnancy you were afraid of not like your own kid and have to deal with him for the rest of your life. But you are in love with him, and you knew, at the moment you saw him for the first time, that everyone else will be inferior next to him.

“Well, it is, and Michael is an asshole, so don’t hear anything that came of that dirty mouth, we don’t insult women for having an active sexual life, ok?” You asked arriving at home and parking, feeling pressed to distract the kid of all the questions he has about your romantic life, you could talk about sex with him but there’s no need to humiliate yourself about your unsuccessful love attempts.

“Ok, I just want to know how you and daddy met, he said that he competed with other guys, was it like a game?” You got out of the car and go to the backseat to help him but he was already out, sometimes you forget he isn’t that small anymore.

“First of all, your dad is an asshole too, second, there wasn’t any kind of competition, I was dating a lot... no, a few guys at that time, because I was young, single and had a less complicated life, that’s the whole story.” You entered the building holding his hand, as usual, you couldn’t imagine your life anymore not doing it, it feels like the right thing to do, like putting the cereal before the milk.

“Who were they, you met them at college too?” The little boy presses the elevator button and looks at you without blinking. You sighed exasperated and look everywhere but him, you know your kid too good to know that he isn’t close to leaving the topic.

“Evan...”

“Just tell me how many they were.”

“Fine! Jeez.” You tried your best to not look like you were mentally counting because that is exactly what you were doing “Five.”

“Including dad?” He asked with authentic curiosity while you were waiting in the elevator.

“You know what? I worked so hard to make of this relationship a no judgment place and to be honest, I’m feeling judged.” You responded feeling nervous for no special reason, you has been avoiding those memories for a long time and now the simple siluettes of them are making your heart pound with force.

“I just want to know what went wrong between you and dad.” The separation happened six months ago but Evan couldn’t get over it yet, he was trying his hardest to fix whatever was broken between both of you; maybe it is your fault for never argue in front of him or showing any kind of distance, you tried to look like a happy couple until the very end, and of course, the notice took him by surprise.

“You know what went wrong, I’m too cool for your dad, and you better watch out or I’ll decide that I’m too cool for you too.” Entering to the apartment you made your way to the kitchen, opening the freezer and pretending to look for food but you and Evan knew that pizza would be the choice, you never cook on mondays.

“Mamá.” The way he sounded so grown up gave you chills, you never hide anything from him, and just felt wrong to start doing it right now. You looked at him and bite your cheek, for some reason just think about remember all of your ex lovers an put them on the table is terrifying you, you haven’t think of it in years and now your kid is obligating you to put your life in perspective. Maybe you don’t like him that much after all.

“Sometimes people doesn’t want to be together anymore and it’s no one’s fault, it’s not your fault, you know that, right?” You walk to him and hug him giving soft kisses in his head, smelling the scent of his hair and for a moment forgetting every bad moment you had on your life. There’s still some of that baby essence in him, you’ll hold onto that smell until the very end.

“Yeah, but I still want to know who are they, do you keep touch with them?” He insisted not even aware of the cute mother-son moment you were having.

“Ugh!” You softly pushed him away from you dramatically and let yourself fell on the couch, you know that you already lost that battle. ”I don’t want you to have the wrong idea of this, your dad and I broke up because we weren’t happy together anymore, and now that we are separated we can enjoy our life and you at the same time, there’s nothing to fix.”

“Ok, but you told me that you had me by accident.” He started saying standing in front of you with his hands on his hips and decision in his eyes.

“Thing that I regret saying everyday.” You interrupted with a whisper.

“So what if your happy ever after isn’t my dad and is one of those guys?” He finalizes sitting next to you. You looked at him with no expression, you already knew the answer of that, but didn’t say anything, it is too bad for him to know that he wasn’t planned, it would be worst hearing that his father wasn’t your first option.

“Why do you care that much? It happened a long time ago, I don’t even know where those guys are now.” You fix his hair softly and cup his face, lying, clearly.

“I just want you to be happy, and I know you are happy with me, and I know that you don’t need anyone else, and I also know that you and dad won’t get back together, i just want to know how you fell in love with him and who the other ones are so I can understand better why you stop loving each other.” You were speechless, couldn’t think any response to that, he was manipulating you and you noticed but didn’t care, you never could deny something to him, and today is not the exception.

“Ok, I’m going to tell you everything, but if we’re doing this, we’re doing it in my way, that means that I’m not telling you who your dad is, I’m changing names, jobs, and I’m censuring the most of it because you’re underage, you order pizza and there’s no way I’m doing this completely sober.” You finished as you opened the freezer again, this time looking for wine, Evan jumped happily and goes for the phone.

“Everything started with Logan...”

#tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland #ben hardy #ben Hardy imagine #smut #pedro pascal #logan lerman #michael b jordan #timothee chalamet #Latina! reader #fanfic #imagine #blurb #head canon #my garbage

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mdittyz123 · 4 years

Text

Roger Taylor Fic Recommendations

Queen/Bohemian Rhapsody Cast Fic Recommendations Masterlist

I've Been Waiting for You Summery: Roger and (Y/N) are caught off guard when she goes into labor. Suddenly their lives are laid before them as they prepare to greet their first child. #dad!roger #mom!reader #pregnancy #baby #birth

Love is Art Prompt: Can I request a soulmate au with 80's Roger? Where when your soulmate draws one their body it appears on your body in the same space and Roger's soulmate is an artist. She likes to draw very intricate and extravagant things on her thighs. One day Roger sees his tour assistant in a skirt with a matching drawing on her thigh. #part 1 of 2 #soulmates au

Best Grandpa Ever Prompt: I was wondering if I could request some grandpa Roger Taylor where the reader is the partner of Rufus and they are pregnant with/ or has a small boy perhaps 1-3 years and Roger is this doting grandpa and the reader has a relationship to Roger as being just like a daughter to him? #rufus taylor x reader #dad!rufus #mom!reader #grandpa!roger #child

Family Roger's wife and kids visit him at the recording studio #dad!roger #mom!reader #children #baby

*We're Not Normal Reader is taken to the hospital when she has difficulty breathing. Roger and reader learn reader is 9 months pregnant and she is in labor. #dad!roger #mom!reader #pregnancy #suprise baby #birthing problems #queen member!reader

Roger Taylor-Freddie's Best Friend Plot: being Freddie’s best friend means supporting him on everything, and being in love with Roger Taylor means suffering in silence, doesn’t it? Maybe a little trip to the fields can change that, but not in the best way. #series #part 1 of 12 #best friends!freddie and reader

Daughter of Roger Taylor So Roger had a daughter and she is the only kid in the group and Freddie is always there to joke and have a good time with her and John always dances with her while playing and Brian always talks to her about different stars(he tries to make it interesting thinking she would be bored but she really did like it). Can you write about what happens one day she is sick and the four take care of her? #dad!roger #daughter!reader #sick #child

Fill in the Blank Summary: Roger cares for the reader, his best friend, who has shown up at his door in the middle of the night, in need of him. #single mom!reader #series #part 1 of 10 #mom!reader #step-dad!roger #pregnancy #new baby #abusive ex #protective!roger #engagment #marriage

The Weight of the World Synopsis: Roger’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or maybe it’s just the drumming.

Ben Hardy x Reader x Roger Taylor Series You, Roger, and Ben have found your soulmates in each other. Queen was founded several years ago, making Ben and Roger nearly the same age. All BxRxR stories and blurbs take place in the same world. #series #part 1 of 36 #chapters #blurbs #headcanon #group text #polyamourous relationship #dad!roger #dad!ben #mom!reader #3-way marriage #puppy #dog

Maverick A writer for a magazine was hired to follow Queen on tour detailing the bands life and their families. #marriage #tour #interview

Out of Time Reader finds herself in the 1970s on her 23rd birthday and bumps into queen in their earlier days. Her and Roger fall in love. Will she want to return to the future once it is time? #series #complete #part 1 of 34 #somewhat sad ending #somewhat alternate ending

Falling Slowly Reader works under Jim Beach as Queen’s lawyer. She and Roger fall in love #series #completed #part 1 of 32 #lawyer of queen!reader

All Grown Up You return home after a few years and catch Roger’s eye. WARNING: age gap (19 & 32), breeding kink, pregnancy mentions #brother!brian #sister!reader #pregnancy

Child of Mine Roger is dating reader who is a single mother and they raise her daughter together. #series #part 1 of 5 #dad!roger #mom!reader #stepdad!roger #single mom!reader #child #pregnancy

Tears Ricochet Reader has been in a coma for the last couple of years and when she wakes up she finds that her boyfriend Roger now has a wife and child. Has he really moved on though? #series #ongoing #past relationship #angst

Slipping Through My Fingers Ben and taylor!reader’s wedding day #ben hardy x reader #dad!roger #daughter!reader #current!roger #wedding

#queen #bohemian rhapsody #masterlist #fic recommendation #roger taylor x reader #roger x reader #dad!roger #mom!reader #daughter!reader #pregnancy #grandpa!roger taylor #queen member!reader #roger taylor x reader x ben hardy #child #baby #new baby #birthing problems #current!roger taylor

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ellus986 · 4 years

Text

Like a thunder

Single dad Ben Hardy x reader part 2

Okay so from sweet little girls to heavier stuff, we need to speak about things like this too! If any of you experience anything like the end of this chapter please conect someone, tell your parents your family or the cops even!

Warning: kissing, violance, abuse, domestic abuse, swearing

Christmas came around and even you worked on friday you haven’t seen either Ben or Keila. It was not a suprise to you, sure they were on holiday or something, it was not a big deal, you only would’ve been able to go down to you brother’s for one and a half week instead of one if you don’t agree to be in on the 27. and thanks to that even on 28., but who counts things like that. Anyways, last time he acted like nothing happend. You were not mad about it, or even heartbroken, but a little sad that your kiss was nothing for him.

No one was coming in at 9 o’clock already so your boss lets you home. “Have a nice holiday!” He says as you come out in your jacket with your backpack.

“You too!” You wave as you walk out, smiling as finally it was time for your holiday to begin.

“Wait!” You hear as you walk to the bus station, as you look back you see Ben.

“Sorry, my shift is over for today, or the year to be honest, but my boss is still in for an hour!” You answer, as it is clear as hell he did not came because of you.

“I don’t care if the diner is open or not, I came to see you!” He mumbles while trying to catch his breath. “I ... I wanted to say sorry, for being so careless last friday... so did not wanted you to feel like that kiss meant nothing, just...” he runs his fingers in his blonde locks, while he can’t make eyecontact with you. “It is just hard as a dad... I don’t want Keila to be in the middle of anything like this, not when everything is so plastic...”

“Anything like what?” You look at him in disbelief.

“Ooh my God...” he finally looks in your eyes. “I like you, I liked you since we first stepped into that diner a year ago, I guess my own daugther senced it and pushed me to ask you out...” he blushes.

You step closer and kiss him, he grabs you waist and kiss you back, way more harder than last time.

“I like you too!” You wishper as you part your lips.

“Oh God, what a releaf...” he chuckles, pushing his forhead to yours.

New years eve:

“Wait a minute!” You laugh as you try to get the kids off of you.

“I guess you are busy...” he chuckles.

“Just give me one minute to eat these kiddos...” and as you say it teasing them, they run away screaming. “So I’m here!” You get your robe on and walk out to the balcony.

“So that is why you handled well Keila’s jumping thing!” Ben smiles at the camera running his fingers in his dirty blonde hair.

“I’m a well trained Auntie!” You stand proudly.

“No big parties, drunk boys in your planes for today?” He blushes.

“Naah” you shake your head. “Drunk girls in yours?”

“I spend the new years with the guys and Lucy in a pub in London, but would rather spend it with you or Keila...” he mumbles.

“Look at him good, less than two days and he is one year away from 30!” Jumps Joe in the picture.

“Hi Joe!”

“Hi Y/N!”

“Oh you are that old already?” You giggle.

“Why? Are you underaged?” He jokes, but you can see in his eyes he is not sure.

“Obviously not, as I can drink legally eight years now!” You laugh blushing.

“You are 29?” Joe looks shooked.

“No Silly, 26... you know, the legal drinking age in europe is 18!”

“It is always fulling me!” He slaps his own face. “I’m sorry to intorupt this beautiful moment, but we need to get ready for the night! I need to stole this blondie before you have an another wet experience!” He laughs with his head falling back.

“So you two really are coming in one?”

“But remember he will be home until next summer!” Ben makes sure you know Joe won’t be around all along.

“Hey, I planed to come earlier, and you should finally come to the U.S.A.!”

“How is it there? I was never overseas!” You try to keep them on the phone.

“Than you should come with the little girl see New York! It is the best place in the world!” Joe wonders off.

Next week:

You just arrived home from the countryside. You get your keys out, but as you want to open your door you realise it is already opened. Your hands are shaking as you push it in and step in. Your clothes are all over your living room, the flower you had on the table is on the kitchen floor beside a million broken glass pieces.

“You got it from him, right?” You hear the voice you hated to most from your bedroom.

“Peter, what are you doing here?” You try to stay calm, but your hands are shaking more and more.

“You got the flowers from him right?” He repeats like you did not asked him.

“From who?”

“Him, I saw your messages!” He steps closer. You want to get out of the apartment, but he steps to you and closes the door behind you. You are trapped there. The thing you liked in him once, was your worst enemy now: him being tall, and strong.

“I bought those flowers myself...you should know I always have some fresh daisies in my kitchen...” you mumble.

“With what he is better than me?” He asks as you slide out under his arm, but he follows you quickly. “With what?!” He pushes you to the wall, with his fingers on your neck.

“He is not choking me right now...” you try to say the words.

“Why?” He simply says as he finally lets go of your neck, and just hits the wall next to your face.

“Peter it is over a year now...”you wince as he punches the wall again leaving a second hole there. “Please, I need to pay to fix it...” you wishper.

“Why?” He says it again.

“Because... because we were not meant to be... we are different, that is all...”

“Why you like him more?” He sniffes.

“Peter please go!” You cry softly.

“Will you ever love me again?” He gets even closer to you.

“I could never again...” you cry sliding down the wall.

“Fuck you, bitch!” He kicks the wall, so close to your arms you can feel the wind of his leg, before ha walks out and shouts the door behind himself. You cry out loud, shaking hands in your hair, sitting at the ruined wall.

As you are able to calm yourself down enough to be understandable, you call the person you know you can trust. “Hi, Y/N! I thought you call at night on FaceTime!”

“Do... do you have Keila with yourself?” You sutter.

“Hey, What’s wrong? But no, I’m alone!” He sounds concerned.

“Peter... my ex was here... I don’t know he went away or he is still around... I don’t know what to do!” You sob.

“I’m on my way!” You can hear as he gets his clothes on.

“No wait, if he is here, he is dangerous, most likely for you!”

“Why?”

“He saw our Facebook messages... somehow he knew my password... he was hitting the wall yelling, all my clothes are out of my closet, the vase I had with flowers in it is broken as he thought you gave it to me...” you just star in the air.

“I’m on my way...”

“But...”

“There is not but! If he is around I hope he comes up to me and I can punch him!”

“Ben... please don’t, don’t be like him...” you cry out loud again.

“I will be there in 10 minutes!” He ends the call, and you sit there, doing nothing sobbing.

Ben’s view:

He sees noone around when he gets to your apartment, and as you wanted him to not act on it, he is happy about it, that means you are safe. He runs up, and freezes as he sees the ruined door still being open just for some centimeters. He steps in and his heart stops. You sit in a mess, holes are behind you in the wall your eyes are Cried out, and Oh God you had finger marks on your neck. Looking at you for a second was enough to understand what you meant under: don’t be like him.

Ben gets on his knees infront of you, and only that was the minute you realised he is there. You turn your head up, and he grabs you close to himself. You cry on his chest and he smooths your hair, after a while he speaks up. “Are you alright?”

“I am now... I am now!” You mumble into his chest.

“You can’t stay here, you can sleep at my place as long as you want, and if you want tomorrow we look after a new apartment where he can’t find you, or hurt you.” He stands up, and holds his hand out.

“Thank you...” you mumble getting up using his hand bumping into his chest. You look up, and he looks in your swollen eyes, and sees you just as beautiful as he first saw you. You kiss him softly, and he kisses back even softer, as he is afaird he would scare you, or even hurt you with more.

To be continued...

My sweet perms: @simply-sams-things @spacedustmazzello

Story tags: @jonesyaddiction @theprettyandthereckless

#single dad ben hardy #benjamin jones #benjamin hardy #ben hardy fan fiction #ben hardy x you #ben hardy #ben hardy x reader #single dad fan fic #bohrap fanfic #bohrap fanfiction #joe mazzello #joseph fancis mazzello iii

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megalony · 4 years

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Teacher’s pet

This is a new dad! Ben Hardy series I am going to be working on which I hope everyone is going to enjoy.

Ben Hardy masterlist

Summary: Gwilym sets Ben up on a date with (Y/n) who teaches at the school Ben’s kids go to. But Ben is hesitant in the relationship, desperate not to make the same mistakes and needing to put his kids first.

Series masterlist

Enjoy.

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

"Oh come on Ben, she's perfect for you, trust me on this."

"Read my lips, ready? No." Ben's very stern expression and the sarcasm in his actions when he slowly waved his palm at his friend showed he was not interested in where this conversation was going.

Ben leaned his weight back in the rather uncomfortable plastic chair, resting his elbows on the metal arms of said chair as his posture made him look so relaxed, so carefree and indifferent to the world. His legs were slouched and spread to the sides until his thighs were pressing into the sides of the chair, his head was tipped back and one hand was resting on the table, his fingers drumming out a continuous beat that was starting to annoy Gwilym. His other hand held an almost finished cigarette that was now clasped between his ruby red lips that weren't pulled into a smile but they were very close to a frown.

"Why not?" Gwilym leaned forward so he could fold his arms and rest them on the metal table that put space between him and Ben. The table that had such a reflective surface that Gwilym could see himself in the bright metal that allowed the sun to dazzle passers-by.

His brunette curls fell forward near the lens of his opal glasses with rounded frames. He subconsciously pushed the glasses a little further up his nose when he noticed how Ben was studying him. Gwilym's posture, the glasses and his interested yet concerned expression told anyone passing by that he was a teacher by profession. Anyone would think to look at him that he was a teacher or a professor of some kind.

"Mate, I don't want to be set up on a date with anyone, I don't want to date anyone, period. You don't have to keep trying to match me with someone."

Ben's tone or words weren't cruel, he wasn't trying to be rude because he knew Gwilym had his best interests at heart but this wasn't what Ben wanted. He wasn't looking for a relationship, he had too much on his mind and in his life to be thinking about getting into all that bother. He was more than happy as he was but Gwilym didn't seem to think so. Gwilym seemed to think that Ben should be back in the dating world and was forever trying to get Ben to agree to a date with someone he worked with who he deemed was 'a perfect match' for Ben.

Leaning over the table, Ben keep his eyes locked with Gwilym's as he stubbed out his cigarette before he leaned on his right side so he could fish around in his pocket for his lighter and pack of smokes. He didn't miss the way Gwilym rolled his eyes when he saw the almost empty pack of smokes but Ben simply held up his middle finger.

He had no end of friends or family telling him to stop smoking, Hell even his boys were beginning to chide him for the bad habit. But it was a habit that Ben wasn't ready to break, despite the health risks he didn't care about.

"Ben, please just think about it. One date, just get to know her even if you just be friends. We both know you don't want to be single forever and you always seem happier when you're with someone." Gwilym knew Ben didn't need to be in a relationship to be happy but Ben couldn't deny that he did seem more at ease or a bit brighter when he was in a relationship. Gwilym himself was in a steady relationship at the moment and that was what he wanted for his closest friend.

"You and I both know my track record in this department is shit, I don't want to go on a date I don't have the time to go on a date." Resting his cigarette between his fingers, Ben reached out and grabbed the ale brown bottle of beer. Bringing the rim to his lips which had a lot of sugar-coating it making his lips stick to the warm glass.

"But this girl's different Ben. She's a teacher, she works at the school, she's funny, kind and she's got a wicked sense of humour, come on just go on one date with her, please? For me?" Gwilym knew he was beginning to pester now and he never wanted to do that but he knew this was a good idea. This girl worked at the same school Gwilym did which was where Ben just transferred his boys to go to. She was the perfect match for Ben, Gwilym just knew they would get along great if Ben would give it a chance, she had already agreed because Gwilym went on about Ben so much.

"I thought Jamie was different, look what happened there. I thought Lucy was the one and I was so fucking wrong about her and don't get me started on Ellie. All my relationships turned to shit and I got the short straws with them all, I can't do another relationship with all the stuff that's gone on with the boys right now."

All of Ben's long-term relationships had gone wrong in so many ways and they had gone down south for Ben in every one. He had a lot to deal with right now with his boys, he wasn't so sure that a relationship was the best idea.

"If you think like that you'll never go out with anyone again. Just meet her..."

A sigh passed through Ben's lips before he brought his cigarette to his lips to try and calm himself down. Gwilym wasn't going to stop and his logic was right even if it was slightly blackmailing him right now. If Ben went on believing that every relationship he had would turn out bad then he would never get into another one and he trusted Gwilym's judgement more than his own.

"I'm blaming you if this goes to shit. One date and that's it."

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

"Is this your dad?" (Y/n) tipped her head to the side to look down at the ten-year-old sitting beside her feet on the step. The young boy had his head in his hands like he was feeling sorry for himself but the expression on his face was one of thunder and unshed tears that he was trying so hard to hold back.

When the young boy nodded, (Y/n) allowed her eyes to dance over the man who was jogging their way with an expression that she couldn't quite work out. He wore a thin black jacket that looked a little too small when it was zipped up to the collar which caused his muscles in his arms to flex whenever he moved them. His hair was ruffled and dishevelled around his head and his boots were hard against the tarmac which made the floor quake when he walked.

"Get up."

(Y/n)'s eyes narrowed and her expression changed to one of confusion and slight bewilderment when the man spoke to his son. He didn't even know why his son was waiting here with her instead of waiting at the gates with all the other kids but he was choosing to be angry with him.

"I take it your his dad?" The question seemed to rattle something inside of the stranger because he looked at (Y/n) like she had asked him if something stupid like if he was alive or real. His eyes narrowed and creased at the corners as his upper up curled like he was going to snarl or say something snappy at her but he chose to stay silent.

Why would he be talking to him if he wasn't his dad?

"Carter get up I don't have time for this." Leaning down, the rather tall man grabbed the young boy by his upper arm and pulled him like a puppet until he was standing to his feet but even then the boy looked floppy like a rag doll that was about to fall down to the ground again.

"I- I don't mean to interrupt, but your son is waiting with me because he's been fighting and the school likes this sort of thing to be sorted out." (Y/n) folded her arms over her chest, biting her lower lip at the change in this man's expression. He looked perplexed, torn between sighing and talking about this or putting up a defence and walking away from her.

When kids started to fight or shout or do something wrong, the teachers needed to talk to the parents and get it sorted out so the behaviour didn't continue. (Y/n) was present when it happened so she needed to talk to this man about Carter's behaviour.

"I'm sure you mean well but I don't have time for this, I've got my other kids to pick up and if I'm not there in two minutes they will throw a bigger tantrum than Carter does. I'll talk to his teacher tomorrow." He waved his hand in some sort of gesture like he was trying to be kind or gesturing to explain his words but his face told (Y/n) he wasn't hanging around any longer.

He tugged on Carter's arm until the boy finally relented and stopped trying to flop down like a ragdoll. He took hold of his father's hand which put his smaller hand in a vipers grip to stop him from messing around. He turned and started to walk with Carter being dragged behind him which caused a wave of panic to surge through (Y/n). Why didn't he care? Why wasn't he willing to talk to her about this? Why was he being so angry and annoyed with his boy right from the start?

"Don't you even want to know what he's done?" (Y/n) couldn't stop the words from passing through her lips, nor could she stop herself from rushing forward to follow until he turned to face her.

"You just said he's been fighting." He again looked bewildered like she was asking him something stupid. "Look, the headteacher isn't waiting with you so I'm guessing this isn't that serious. I'm not being rude but you're not his teacher, I'll talk to his teacher tomorrow when I drop him off, thank you for waiting with him." Ben's words weren't intentionally being rude but they were rather crude and snappy.

(Y/n) couldn't even get another word out before the man was turning on his heels again and dragging the poor boy with him. Her eyes watched as the boy whined, trying to pull away and either sit back down on the tarmac or just run off in a different direction, but either way, the dad was not having any of it.

"I'm not playing this game Carter, use your legs or I'll carry you." His words weren't shouted or sneered or whispered cruelly but they weren't said in the kindest tone either. There was something about the way that the dad held control in the way he walked and how he talked that made (Y/n) shiver. He didn't seem like the most caring dad on arrival but something told her that there was more to him than the eye could see.

Who on Earth was he?

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

"Are you Ben?"

Those three words caused Ben's head to pick up from the bottle of beer he was staring at like it held all the answers to all the questions he had rattling around in his head. But the moment his eyes latched onto who was asking, he felt something inside of him shuddering.

It was the teacher he talked to three days ago.

It took all Ben had not to drop his head into his hands and sigh when he realised the way she was looking at him. This wasn't going to go off to a good start, he could feel it in his bones. He hadn't been in the best mood that day and he hadn't had the patience with Carter either and she had seen that. She was a teacher, she was going to chide him for how he interacted with his boy even though that was not how Ben always was with him.

"Yep... I'll take a guess that you're (Y/n)?" Ben almost winced when she nodded, proceeding to take a seat opposite him in the small booth next to the window right across from the bar. "Can I get you a drink?" Ben tapped the rim of his glass with his nail as he tried to break the ice between them, feeling relieved when she nodded and recited her drink of choice to him. He was half expecting her to decide that she didn't want to do this after all, he wouldn't have minded if she did.

Ben had spent the last two days debating whether he really wanted to go on this date and he almost stayed home but the thought of Gwilym made him drag himself down here, not knowing what or who to expect.

When Ben arrived back with a drink in hand, he placed it in front of (Y/n) before scratching the back of his head, wincing when his leg started to jitter and his knee bashed against the underneath of the table. He was too anxious for this, he didn't know what he was doing or what he was meant to say. It had been six months since Ben last went on a date and that had gone horribly. He didn't normally date, he wasn't good at it. Ben was more used to friends-to-lovers situations happening, not being set up from the first moment.

"So, uh, Gwil says you teach with him? What year do you teach?" He thought it safer to go with the only piece of information he knew about her rather than try and start up a random topic.

"Yeah, I teach year four and Gwil teaches year five and six... I think your son's in his class isn't he?" The smile on (Y/n)'s face made Ben feel relieved and more relaxed because she wasn't staring at him like he was a bad parent or like she was regretting going on this date but he still didn't feel amazing. Her tone of voice was kind and the way she looked at him made him shiver, she did seem like a kind soul like Gwil said she was.

"Thankfully yeah, Gwil's his teacher... look I, I'm sorry about the other day I really didn't mean to be rude-"

"It's okay like you said, I'm not his teacher and I know Gwil looks out for all the kids. You obviously talked to Gwil about it anyway, let's just forget it and start over." (Y/n) wouldn't deny that Ben's attitude had been... less than inviting or kind but he had clearly been having an off day. Gwilym was Carter's teacher and (Y/n) knew he looked after all the kids and if he and Ben were friends then they would have talked about it and sorted it out. They could forget that day and start over because they were here to be on a date and Gwilym clearly thought they were a match made in heaven.

Ben nodded before he took a rather large gulp of his beer hoping it would settle his raging nerves. He couldn't help but drum his fingers against the table out of anxiety as he wondered what to say next but thankfully he didn't have to start the conversation.

"So what do you do?" (Y/n) took a sip of her drink, smiling around the rim of her glass but Ben could see her eyes narrowing on him, trying to think of what job suited him and what he looked like he did for a living.

"What do you think I do?" His words weren't annoying, cruel or snarky, they were intrigued and curious of her opinion.

"Hmm... bouncer, or a boxer?" (Y/n) smiled when Ben let out a laugh at the suggestions. Darting her eyes to his hand, she noticed his finger had stilled, no longer tapping against the oak table resting between them meaning she was starting to calm him down or make him feel comfortable.

It was hard guessing what he did because he didn't give off specific vibes. He clearly wasn't a teacher, that much (Y/n) knew, but he looked like he could be in almost any job. He could be a removal man, he looked like he would be a good bouncer, turfing people away from the clubs or breaking up fights at midnight on a Saturday evening. A boxer was a bit out of range but it wasn't impossible, he had the build to be a fighter and he seemed like he wouldn't back down from a fight.

"Never had someone guess that before... nah, not the jobs I'd really pick to be honest. I'm in the police, I transport people in custody to the cells or stations or hospital or prisons and whatever." Ben waved his free hand as he spoke, moving so he was leaning back against the red leather of the booth.

Ben wouldn't have the patience to be a bouncer, standing around being bored all day, his mind needed to be occupied and looking for a fight wasn't the best idea for him. He wouldn't want to box either, broken bones weren't ideal. Transporting prisoners was what Ben liked because he was trusted to be cuffed to someone and in charge of making sure they got to places on time and without fuss or scrapes. Sometimes fights started and he had to stop them but it made the job more interesting.

The more Ben started to talk to (Y/n), the more he felt himself relaxing around her and whenever she laughed or cracked a smile, he could feel his heart jumping because her laugh was intoxicating and her smile was brightening.

"So, how many kids do you have?" (Y/n) smiled but she felt a spark of worry flooding her chest when she noticed Ben's own smile turned down at the corners. The change was almost invisible but it was enough to see that this topic wasn't one Ben best liked to talk about.

"I have three boys." Ben kept his smile on his lips as he thought about his three carbon copies running around at his mum's house, probably doing her head in right now. They were the light of his life but they took the energy out of anyone and everyone who looked after them and they tried to run circles around Ben's mother in particular since they knew they couldn't do that with Ben himself.

"How old are they?"

Ben couldn't help but take a sharper breath when thoughts started to run around in his head. Dates didn't go so well when he started to talk about his boys. Ben's attitude was enough to put some people off because he was a no-nonsense kind of guy and he was firm and easily irritated but when he talked about kids, a lot of girls didn't want to be involved. They especially hated when Ben wouldn't talk about his past relationships.

"Carter's ten, James is seven and Finn is three." The smile on (Y/n)'s face made Ben feel relieved but he could feel his skin prickling at the thought of even trying to explain the situation with the boys to her.

"Do you have kids?" He hoped his deflection off of him and onto her wasn't that obvious.

"No, but I'd love to someday." (Y/n) nodded to herself as she looked down at her drink before bringing it to her lips. Kids were a big part of her life, she taught them for a living and it was the best job she could ever have. (Y/n) wanted kids of her own, it was something she knew she was going to do with her life, but the right person hadn't rolled around yet. "Do your boys live with you?" (Y/n) bit her lip, fearing she had gone too far or asked a bit of a personal question when Ben's eyes snapped up to meet her own.

"Yes, all the boys live with me." Ben's response was curt but his small smile showed that it was okay to ask, he would have to tell her at some point if they went on another date together anyway.

(Y/n) nodded with a smile that showed Ben it was okay as she thought over what he said. She didn't know that many parents where the father had custody of the kids, it was almost always the mother who had the children living with her full time instead of the father. But (Y/n) knew every situation was different and she wasn't judging at all.

"I... I don't know what Gwil told you about me, but I don't normally go on dates because I've got the boys to think about and I've got full custody of them all. God knows they're little shits sometimes... the dates normally end as soon as I tell them I've got three boys living with me who all have different mothers."

Ben looked down at the table he started to tap his fingers against quicker than before as he downed the last of his drink. He wasn't trying to warn (Y/n) away or end the date and try to tell her that he didn't want to do this again, but he wasn't having this go like it had in the past. Ben told a girl he had kids and it was fine, then they found out that the boys all lived with him which put some people off and when they knew that all three boys didn't have the same mother, they got a different image of Ben in their heads.

They looked at him like it was a bad thing and he knew then that the relationship wasn't going to go anywhere. Ben's boys were his life, they were everything to him and he had to put them first before anything or anyone else.

Ben's eyes snapped up to look at (Y/n) the moment she rested her hand on his, effectively stopping his fingers from tapping violently against the wood. Her kind, affectionate smile made his heart skip a beat as she realised he seemed to assume she would just get up and leave.

"I'm a teacher, kids are a big part of my life too. I understand that your boys will always come first for you and I would walk away now if I knew they didn't. It doesn't make a difference to me if they have different mothers, I don't want to date them, I want to date you... I'd like to do this again if you're up for it?" (Y/n) bit down on her lip to suppress her grin when Ben held her hand tightly and cracked a smile and a small laugh of relief.

(Y/n) didn't care if the boys had the same mother or not, that didn't involve her and it wasn't a bad thing if Ben had kids with different people, he clearly loved his boys and that was all that mattered. He seemed genuine, he was funny, charismatic, different and had something about him and his no-nonsense attitude that was drawing (Y/n) in. Despite their first encounter, she wanted to do this again.

Maybe Gwilym was right after all.

#ben hardy #ben x reader #ben hardy imagine #Single Dad #dad! ben #imagine #BoRhap #gwilym imagine #gwilym lee #teachers pet

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 3 years

Text

Psycho Analysis: Spider-Man Movie Villains

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, he does whatever a spider can. And what do spiders seem really good at? Amassing huge quantities of hatred and animosity! True to the wily arachnids that inspired him, Spider-Man has quite the impressive gallery of foes, one that I might say rivals Batman as the greatest in comic book history with how colorful, crazy, and creative they are. Even villains derivative of one another, like Hobgoblin and Green Goblin or Carnage and Venom, manage to carve out unique niches that help make them fun and memorable.

And thankfully, these qualities usually translated pretty well to film! I’ve talked about how good Mysterio, Vulture, Kingpin, and Prowler are before, so now it’s time to cover the others all in one fell swoop! From the Raimi trilogy, we have Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Harry Osborn, Sandman, and Eddie Brock/Venom; from the Andrew Garfield duology, we have Lizard, Electro, Rhino, and Harry Osborn again; and leftover from Into the Spider-Verse we have Olivia Octavius, Tombstone, Scorpion, and that film’s brief take on Green Goblin! Oh, and why not throw in Riot from Venom while we’re at it, because he sucks way too much to get his own Psycho Analysis.

Motivation/Goals: A lot of villains are motivated by the classic motivation: revenge. All of the Green Goblins manage to have this as a main part of their actions, making them remarkably consistent and very easy to discuss. The Norman of the Raimi films wants to take out his anger at being frozen out of his own company, and his son wants revenge for his death, while the Harry of the Garfield films wants his vengeance because Spider-Man wouldn’t help cure him of his otherwise incurable disaease that would kill him (a fact made worse because Spider-Man is his actual best friend, Peter Parker, who is coldly condemning his pal to death). The only one who doesn’t really fit is the Spider-Verse take on Green Goblin, and that’s more because he has extremely limited screentime and spends all of it fighting Peter and being scary as hell.

Eddie Brock/Venom is a very interesting case as both halves of the character are motivated by different reasons. The symbiote half is, of course, motivated by the fact that Peter has tried to rid himself of it via using a church bell to kill it. Eddie, on the other hand, has the most absolutely hilarious motivation ever: He wants Peter Parker to die because Peter exposed him for submitting fraudulent pictures to J. Jonah Jameson. Eddie literally breached journalistic ethics but apparently Peter’s to blame for exposing his literal, actual crime! And he prays to God for Peter to die! This version of Eddie is cartoonishly hilarious.Finally, we have Max Dillon, AKA Electro, who is lashing out at a world that did nothing but belittle and demean him, giving him a far more sympathetic motive for revenge.

Kurt Connors is an interesting halfway point between the Doc Ocks and the villains above, because he is not really evil and his whole transformation came about for altruistic scientific reasons, as he tested his serum on himself because they were going to test it out on the public without consent. While the serum drives him mad, he initially only goes after those who were going to use his formula with people as guinea pigs.

Interestingly, the two Doc Ocks contrast each other. While both of them are doing evil deeds for scientific reasons, Otto Octavius is being forced by his tentacles and genuinely wishes to make the world a better place otherwise. Olivia, on the other hand, is a gleeful sadist who doesn’t care who she hurts as long as she can get some sort of scientific knowledge from it.

Sandman is interesting case because his motivations are entirely sympathetic and despite being the man who killed Uncle Ben, it was entirely accidental and he always regretted it. He only ever wanted to get money to save his daughter. It’s really hard not to sympathize with a guy who turned to desperate measures because the American health care system sucks even in a universe where a dude dressed in a bright red suit swings around New York.

Then there are all the rest. Aleksei Systevich, AKA Rhino, is just a criminal, and has barely any screentime to establish a motivation beyond that. This is especially hilarious because the ads really hyped this guy up, only for him to get maybe five minutes of screentime, with most of it at the very end of the movie before the credits (we don’t even get to see his final battle). Tombstone and Scorpion are basically just lackeys for Kingpin, with little established beyond that. Scorpion almost shows up entirely out of nowhere, just popping in for the fight at Aunt May’s house and then the final battle. And then there’s Riot, who just wants to start a symbiote apocalypse on Earth.

Performance: Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Thomas Haden Church as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Sandman in the Raimi trilogy are, in a word, iconic. Dafoe brings a gleeful, cackling hamminess to the Goblin that perfectly suits him and manages to steal every single with how delightfully, cartoonishly evil he is combined with some hilariously chummy moments with Spider-Man. Molina as Ock goes in the opposite direction of hamminess, where instead of making Octavius cartoonishly evil, he gives him this air of gravitas to the point where he somehow manages to make this villain with giant metal tentacles that are controlling his mind come off as sophisticated and serious as Hannibal Lecter. Church meanwhile just looks eerily perfect as Sandman, as if he were ripped straight from the comics and put onscreen, and then of course there’s how well he manages to sell the emotional moments of the character.

The Harrys are a rather mixed bag, sad to say. James Franco and Dennis DeHaan aren’t really bad actors, but they unfortunately have the problem of living in the shadow of the actor who played their dad (Franco) or being in a really awful movie with a terrible script (DeHaan). Franco at least makes up for this by being hilariously, cartoonishly evil to the extent of his dad in the third Raimi film, but DeHaan unfortunately falls rather flat. Topher Grace as Venom is a choice that seems baffling until you realize Raimi cast an actor like this on purpose because he hates Venom so much he didn’t want to give him any dignity.

Jamie Foxx as Electro seems odd at first, but I feel it’s actually a great casting choice, and despite how unbelievably stupid the script is, he’s actually able to do a fairly good job. If his character was in a better movie, he’d probably get a lot less flak (and he’ll be getting his chance soon enough, apparently). Overall, he’s the best part of the Garfield films. Rhys Ifans and Paul Giamatti as Lizard and Rhino are serviceable, but neither film they’re in really gives them much to work with. Giamatti at least gets to steal the show with his brief scenes by being an absolute ham, but Ifans is sadly a bit forgettable in his role (though not for lack of trying on his part).

Now onto the Spider-Verse ensemble! Considering how I gushed over her delightful performance as the Wicked Witch of Westview in WandaVision as well as the fact she is solely responsible for me resurrecting this series from its long hiatus, it should come as no shock at all that Kathryn Hahn as Olivia Octavius is just perfect. Controversial opinion, I know, might get some flak for this hot take. Jorma Taccone as Green Goblin, Joaquin Cosio as Scorpion, and Marvin Jones III as Tombstone all do well for what they’re given, but it’s clear most of the love among Kingpin’s henchmen was given to her (and Prowler, but he got his own review where I talked about how great he is).

Oh, right, Riot. I forgot about him. Riz Ahmed, who plays the human villain Carlton Drake I forgot to mention because he’s incredibly boring, is a really good (and sexy) actor. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to be quite as good and sexy as an actor like him should be in his dual role. In an interesting subversion of how things usually go, he ends up being rather bland compared to the hammy, bonkers hero. This was Tom Hardy’s show, and no one was stealing it from him.

Final Fate: The Raimi films were all made during a time when, if your name wasn’t Magneto and you were a superhero movie villain, you were dying, a trend I’m certainly glad is finally starting to die off. Thankfully, Green Goblin manages to stick around and posthumously influence Harry, so in his case it’s not so bad. Harry and Doc Ock both manage to overcome the darkness in their hearts at the end and sacrifice their lives to help save the day, while Eddie dies after becoming such a simp for the symbiote he leaps into it while Peter is blowing it up. With Sandman, Peter actually has a touching reconciliation with Sandman at the end, forgiving him for the death of Uncle Ben before Sandman dissolves into dust and floats away on the breeze. And no, this is his power, not Thanos’ snap reaching across time, space, and dimensions; Sandman actually gets out of these films alive.

The other villains actually get off easier, as most of them go to jail. From the Amazing Spider-Man films, DeHaan’s Goblin and Rhys Ifan’s Lizard both end up in prison, and it’s safe to assume that the villains of Spider-Verse are going to jail alongside Kingpin. Octavius was hit by a bus, sure, but considering how popular she ended up being it would be really dumb to have that actually kill her. With Electro and Rhino though, it’s really ambiguous, the former because he’s made of electricity and the way he was defeated means it is possible he survived, and the latter because we never actually see the outcome of his battle with Spider-Man. If the film they were in was actually good and warranted sequels, we may have found out what their true fates were, but at the very least Electro is moving over to the MCU alongside Molina’s Doc Ock.

Oh, right, forgot Riot again. He dies.

Best Scene/Best Quote: I’m combining these this time just to make it easier on me, because in at least in a couple cases the two are the same.

Green Goblin has a lot to choose from, to the point where it’s easy to cop out and just say every scene he’s in is amazing. I’ve always been fond of his chummy chat with Spider-Man on the rooftop, or the scene where he terrifies Aunt May, or the scene where he attacks the parade and vaporizes the board of directors with pumpkin bombs.

Dock Ock is easy: the train battle. This might be one of the best action scenes in any superhero movie ever, and since he’s the villain in it, it almost goes without saying..There’s a reason this scene is singled out so often.

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Eddie Brock and DeHaan Goblin actually have their best scenes also be their best lines. Eddie praying for God to kill Peter Parker and DeHaan!Harry screaming “YOU’RE A FRAUD, SPIDER-MAN!” after Spidey refuses to give him a life-saving blood transfusion are just so absolutely hilarious and memorable that you can’t hate them.

Aside from the powerful forgiveness moment at the film’s end, I think it’s really indisputable that the best scene from Sandman, and perhaps the Raimi trilogy as a whole, is the scene of Sandman’s creation. Words really can’t do it justice, so just watch:

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Electro’s best moment isn’t even actually part of the movie, unless you want to count his rendition of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” No, his is from a Tumblr post, proving definitively that Electro’s power can not be contained.

For Olivia, I’d say either of the reveals for her are great. You can go with the twist that she’s the Doc Ock of Miles’ universe, or the twist that she might have fucked Aunt May. Either way, you can’t really go wrong.

The rest of the villains… yeah, I’ve got nothing. At least with Rhino you can say his entire time on screen was fun, but the rest? Nope. They’re kind of just there.

Final Thoughts & Score:

Green Goblin

Where to begin with this guy? He is everything I look for in a great villain: he’s hammy and cartoonish, he can be terrifying and threatening when he wants to be, he has a ridiculous yet memorable costume, every word out of his mouth is hilarious and memorable, and he’s played by an amazing actor. It’s hard to dispute that Doc Ock is the best villain in Raimi’s trilogy, but Goblin is definitely the most fun. If you thought he’d get less than a 10/10, you thought wrong.

Doctor Octopus

Aside from Green Goblin, Doc Ock is Spidey’s most iconic and memorable foe, nd this adaptation of him does not disappoint. By making him a more tragic and somewhat anti-villainous figure and putting him in the hands of someone as awesome and talented as Alfred Molina, they managed to make such a cartoonish villain retain that comic book silliness while still being a legitimately imposing antagonist. I suppose it helps that a director who knows how to balance silly and serous like Raimi helps. It’s absolutely not a shock that the MCU wants to bring Molina back, because really, I can’t see anyone making the dubious doctor nearly as cool as the 10/10 performance Molina gave.

Harry Osborn

Franco’s Harry has an interesting arc, but one that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense under scrutiny. Frankly, his descent into villain is handled well but when he actually gets to be a villain in the third film, things fall apart.. But at any rate, he gets to be cartoonishly hilarious while he pettily ruins Peter’s life, so I think a 3/10 is warranted just for how goofy he is.

Eddie Brock/Venom

For the longest time, I hated Eddie Brock, but loved the Venom symbiote for its fantastic design… A design hampered by the fact Topher Grace keeps sticking his face through the symbiote and talking in his normal voice. But then one day I remembered Eddie literally prays to God for Peter Parker to die, and I realize that as crappy as this version of Venom is, he’s undoubtedly hilarious. A 3/10 mainly because of how hilariously bad he is, though the design of the symbiote is unironically great. Shame Grace kept sticking his face through and that Raimi hates the character.

Sandman

Sandman is a villain who deserved a better movie. Sure, Spider-Man 3 is fun and funny, but a character with this much depth and emotional weight deserved a film of the caliber of Spider-Man 2. At any rate, he adds a bit of class and dignity to the proceedings, and Thomas Haden Church really nails it. He’s a 9/10 for sure.

Lizard

Lizard is just a very boring villain, which is a shame because Lizard is not a boring villain in the comics and other media like the cartoons. I don’t really know if he was the best choice for Spider-Man’s first outing; I’ll at least give him that he’s a more inspired choice than doing the Green Goblin again, but that doesn’t score him higher than a 4/10. As boring as he ends up being, that library fight was pretty cool and had a great Stan Lee cameo, so I can’t say he’s the bottom of the barrel.

Electro

Electro is a villain who desperately deserved a better movie. While his backstory as a nerdy fanboy who got kicked around by the world is nothing new, or fresh, or original, Jamie Foxx manages to make the character work fairly well even though almost everything around him is unbelievably stupid. The fact he managed to make “Don’t you know? I’m Electro” sound cool and badass is a testament to his skill, and thankfully he’s coming back in the MCU in some way, so I guess Electro’s power can not be contained to a single movie. Still, this iteration only manages to get to a 6/10, because while all the elements of greatness are there, he’s hampered by the abysmal writing.

Rhino

Paul Giamatti certainly looks like he’s having a blast here. His attitude is almost infectious, but alas, his time is too brief to bring any great joy, and his jarring appearance out of nowhere at the end of the film certainly do him no favors. Still, Giamatti keeps Rhino from sinking any lower than a 5/10.

Harry Osborn

This Harry is just a joke. His arc makes no sense, his actions are unbelievable, and he ends up looking like a really poor Warwick Davis Leprechaun cosplayer. The only thing of note about him is that he’s a Harry who becomes the Green Goblin before his father, something that doesn’t happen very often, and that’s not enough to score this loser higher than a 2/10. Not even killing Gwen Stacy makes him any more impressive, and that’s a real shame.

Olivia Octavius

Olivia Octavius is widely beloved by just about everyone who sees the film.. myself included. This is just a really fun, clever twist on Doctor Octopus, and it’s the sort of character you really hope gets a Harley Quinn-level break into becoming an iconic character across multiple forms of media. Kathryn Hahn’s fun performance and the wonderful design and fight sequences really make Olivia a 9/10.

Tombstone

Tombstone is a villain you might actually forget is in the movie, which is a damn shame. He’s an albino black man, a badass bodyguard, and has a striking design, but he gets a single line of dialogue and is tasked with bodyguarding a man who not only has cyborgs under his employ, but who murdered Spider-Man with his bare hands. Tombstone ultimately feels really superfluous, which is a shame because around the same time Into the Spider-Verse came out he had a very memorable and well-liked appearance in the Spider-Man video game. It’s a real shame but I gotta give this version of Tombstone a 2/10.

Scorpion

Scorpion has a lot of problems of Tombstone above, but he makes up for a lot of his flaws by having a really cool and striking design. Does it really make him a great villain? No. He’s not particularly well-characterized and he’s really just there to look cool and give Olivia backup. He’s a 4/10 at best, saved from being lower only by his awesome look. Looking cool really can get you far in some cases.

Green Goblin

Out of all the really minor villains in Spider-Verse, this version of Norman might be the best. His role is tiny, only appearing during the scene where the Peter Parker of Miles’ universe gets killed, but his battle with Spider-Man is what sets the entire plot in motion. His cool and terrifying design definitely help make him stand out enough to earn at least a 6/10.

Riot & Carlton Drake

Look, there’s a reason I kept forgetting these guys. They’re not memorable in the slightest. Venom may be a fantastic work of art, but that’s because Tom Hardy kills it in his dual role as Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote. Drake is just a boring corporate villain, the kind I hate talking about and the kind I’d only ever even bother mentioning in a review like this. And Riot is just a generic Big Gray CGI Monster for the hero to have a final battle with. Neither of these two are particularly interesting, and neither deserves more than a 2/10.

That’s it, right? There can’t be any more villains, I must have covered them all. Well, not quite. There’s one more character who is most certainly an antagonist and who I really, really want to talk about. And you’re absolutely not going to believe who it is.

You ready?

Psycho Analysis: Emo Peter

“Now wait,” you may be asking, “Emo Peter? Really? How does he count as a villain?” Well, as Schafrillas pointed out in his video on Spider-Man 3, Emo Peter is actually the antagonist for much of the second act. Peter, influenced by the symbiote, becomes a raging jackass and hurts and alienates everyone around him by being a colossal douchebag, not to mention how violent he gets as Spider-Man. This is very much an extreme case of the hero’s greatest enemy being themselves, because literally, Peter’s enemy in the chunk of the movie with Emo Peter is his own overinflated ego

Motivation/Goals: I mean, at the end of the day, it’s still Peter. He still wants to do the typical Peter Parker stuff, he’s just a jackass while he does it.

Performance: It’s Tobey Maguire busting loose and getting to act like an absolute doofus. There is literally nothing about this that isn’t amazing and I’m sorry if you can’t see it.

Final Fate: Peter eventually comes to realize that maybe the symbiote making him act like an egomaniacal tool is not a good thing, and so rebels against it, ultimately leading him to the roof of a church where Eddie Brock is praying for him to die and, well, the rest is history.

Best Scene:

Best Dance Move:

Final Thoughts & Score: Emo Peter has gotten a bad reputation over the years, but Schafrillas’ video really made me rethink why. As he puts it, Emo Peter comes off not as someone cool, but as what a loser thinks a cool person would be (which makes him still a loser). It seems fairly likely that the audience isn’t supposed to be rooting for Emo Peter or finding him cool, but instead finding him insufferable, ridiculous, and funny. We’re supposed to be laughing at Peter’s egomania, at his absurd and hammy showboating, not cheering him on and desiring to emulate him.

And that ultimately makes it more satisfying when Peter overcomes his ego and decides to rid himself of the symbiote. It might seem like I’m giving Spider-Man 3 a lot of credit here, but even Sam Raimi half-assing a movie wouldn’t leave things completely devoid of underlying brilliance. Emo Peter isn’t a villain in the sense that he’s some superpowered antagonist, he’s a physical representation of the negative impacts of fame and ego on Peter. This is Peter letting go of what makes him a hero and just reveling in being an absolute jerkwad to everyone around him.

I love the memes as much as everyone else of course, but Emo Peter is also a pretty clever symbolic foe. But even though I’m giving him an 8/10, we all know the real reason why he’s scoring so high:

Ok, but that’s it now, right? No more Spider-Man villains? Well, maybe for now. But don’t forget:

There’s gonna be Carnage.

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irepookie · 5 years

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INFINITY

Summary: QUEEN AU where Rog (aka Rowan Queen) is young single dad struggling to make it into music industry.

Warnings: Fluff, Fluff, Fluff, and swearing.

Word Count: 1926

Okay so this is the closest picture I could find to Row's state in the next two chapters:

Chapter 2: PIPER

Row has a lot questions to ask himself, and he knows it's on only his own future at stake, but also The Prune's, who may be getting a name.

Of all the things Rowan Queen might have aspired to be, -a Rockstar, a Roger Taylor level drummer...- a 19 year old solo dad wasn't amongst them.

All he knew was that since he had first held that small Wrinkly being and her eyes had met his, she had stolen a part of him, and that the only way to feel completed again was being with her.

Ridiculously sappy, he knew.

"But that's what makes best parents" Callie, the nurse who had introduced them assured him one day when he confessed his thoughts out loud, while he watched her sponge bath the infant "Don't feel stupid, or embarrassed for feeling that way, Row. In fact, that's exactly how it should be. Always. And those fathers who deny it or fight that connection, end up estranged from their kids as they grow up. Take it from a daughter who hasn't seen her father in 5 years"

But, alas, there he was, living between his flat and the Hospital's newborn aisle, because he just couldn't get that one girl out his head, despite don't knowing how he had come to this.

"Well I haven't seen mine in 9"

"And that scares you, don't it?"

He gasped, and nodded slowly.

"Is better having no father figure at all than having a bad one. Just like I think your Prune is luckier having one brave dad than a coward mom"

"And two fit parents?" He asked, eyes flicking to the untouched pile of adoption papers

"Well that's the ideal situation, isn't it? But the weight always ends up relaying more on the mother, you know? The father always steps back, because society still thinks it's more acceptable for us women to raise the children because, of course, we have deeper connection with 'em for carrying them around for nine months and blah blah blah." She got the towel and handed it to him before laying the squirming 2 day old In his arms.

He carefully wrapped it around her and sat down so he wouldn't drop her, then started to stroke her soft delicate skin with the towel.

"But that's bullshit." Callie continued "That's an excuse you men came up with to sneak out from changing nappies. But I believe you guys are just as capable of taking care of children as us. And that you might be the ultimate proof of it." She gathered her hair in a ponytail, and smiled at father and daughter, as Row was now

leaning back on the rocking chair with the Prune, -as all the staff had begun to call her- laid on his bare chest.

"So forget whatever prejudices you have. This kid needs you, she doesn't know nothing about what's going on, she misses her little warm oven, the voice she was so used to hear and that she'll never hear again because that world has left her behind the first chance she got and she's very confused.

But also, She doesn't know about gender stereotypes, or that she's a girl. But she knows you're here. And her instincts tell her you're safety, and warmth, and love. Sure, I'm around a lot too, but soon you'll be discharged and everything she'll have will be you. A d then she'll grow up and will be forever grateful for everything you will have done for her"

The teen nodded, taking in all the words but remaining silent. Quiet moments like this -when she was calm and content- were quite meaningful.

"I just want the best for her. And I'm not sure I am"

"Well, from where I'm standing, you're pretty much up there. Nobody gets her to settle down as quickly as you do. That has to mean something, right? Newborns have this amazing instinct of detecting sources of love and protection. And you are hers. She trusts you: trust yourself"

Days went by, and Row found himself getting up early in order to go back to hospital. At home he was restless, as questions filled his head.

Was she better off with him?

Was he ready?

How could Callie be so much more sure about the whole thing than he was?

What if be wasn't good enough

What if mom was right?

Why did he want to become a dad in the first place?

Should he just sign those papers before it was too late and forget the whole thing?

The sixth day, he made his way to the hospital as usual, but something felt off. What it was? He couldn't put a finger on it, so he shrugged it off and entered the NICU area where she was.

"Hey, lovely one, look at you, a bit bigger each day" he cooed at his yet unnamed daughter, as he put his hand through the incubator hole to let her know his ore6 "So strong and so beautiful" he smiled brightly as her small hand closed around his finger.

"Yes, this way please" he heard a male voice and turned his eyes to see a doctor and a man and a woman who were probably in their thirties

"Oh my gosh she's so tiny!" The woman exclaimed, walking towards the glass

"Who are you?" Row asked, stepping defensively in front of her before she could reach the baby.

"You must be Rowan Queen?" The man held his hand out "We're the adopting couple..."

"What?" He basically slapped it away "No! Who told you she's in for adoption?"

"Mister, you signed the adoption papers" the Doctor said

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did. Here" the doctor looked through the pile of papers on his hands and showed him.

He snatched the file from him. That was his signature but he didn't remember signing anything. He may have doubts about being a dad, but Callie was right, the little prune and him needed each other. They belonged together And he wasn't gonna give her away. The only way was through.

"There must be a mistake. She's not up for adoption"

"Err... Yes she is" the man said

"No she's not! I should know better than you, huh?"

"We've heard about the mother. So sad. But babies need their mommys, don't they?" The woman cooed from the other side of the incubator

"You can't take her" if looks could kill, Row would have murdered her right then and there.

"Mister..."

"No! He's my daughter!"

"Sir, signing this you gave up your parental rights"

"And what the hell does that even mean?"

"Legally, she's not yours anymore"

"But I don't remember signing anything!"

"But this is your signature"

"Yes. But I... I didn't mean it"

The woman scoffed "Well you clearly did."

"Mind your fucking business!" He snapped, before turning to the doctor "Look, I really don't know how my signature is there but I need you to... I don't know, forget it, okay?"

"Forget it?"

"Yes! Whatever that stupid paper says, I'm keeping her. And I will do everything you want me to"

"Sorry. There's nothing we can do about it now. You could take this to court but... It's a lost cause"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"A 19 year old against a healthy, stable marriage?" He used the same arguments mom had

"But I'm her dad..." His voice quivered, as his baby started to cry.

"Don't worry sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy are here now" the woman said "Our Judy"

"Judy? What the fuck, you're not naming her Judy!"

"What we do with our daughter is our business, sir" the woman said "Now please, leave us alone"

"No! She's not Judy. She's my prune, I'm gonna prove to all of you fuckers wrong, because I can fucking do this if I want you. Not because I wanted to at first, or because I can't have my own kid like you; she's my own kid and she belongs with me. And I may not be a middle upper class, or drive a goddamn Mercedes, or have a huge house and a stable boring job at whatever office. And she may not have a goddamn mother, or her own room. So what? She has me. Because I'm the one who's been here for the whole bloody week worrying about her. Not you, not her mother. So fuck off and choose another kid!"

Two men who Row hadn't even seen arrive took him, as he fought and called his crying daughter "PIPER! PIPER! DADDY WILL GET YOU! I'M YOUR DAD, DON'T FORGET!"

Then he woke up with a jolt in that same hospital room, as his newborn baby awoke too beside him

He quickly sat up and leaned over to place a hand on her tummy, to check that she was real, letting out a sigh of relief when feeling her warm skin

It had been just a dream. Well, a nightmare rather than a dream. But she was there, safe next to him

"Hey, baby girl. Yes, hello darling. You had a good night? Gave trouble to the nurses?" he asked, stroking her torso "Are we hungry?" He offered his little finger,and she began to suck on it as response, which made him chuckle. "Alright, I'll call so they get us a bottle okay?"

3 minutes later, he was sitting on the green rocking chair, Baby Prune on his bare chest -because apparently skin to skin helped parents and kiddos bond or whatever- as he gave her the bottle.

He had to admit, ever since he had learned how to properly hold her, he looked forward to feeding, because he had grown to love these little moments, and by the end of them, be always felt closer and more in love with that tiny, wrinkled human being which he had helped make.

Who was a part of him somehow, and who he couldn't imagine his life without despite having only known her for 6 days.

She was so amazing. So mesmerizing. With her clear grey eyes and her peachy skin, and her adorable ears.

He just couldn't get his eyes off her.

"You're gonna come home with me in a couple days, and..." He realized he hadn't really thought about a plan. He had just moved out mom's, and the apartment was still empty. He'd have to start getting stuff. But anyway "... And we'll figure something out. I'm not gonna renounce to you. No ma'am. You've got me. And I've got you. And I'll look after you and make sure you're always happy and safe and... loved. I fucking love you so damn much and I don't even know how did this happen. I mean you're not even a week old and you've already turned my life upside down just by bloody existing. You can't even understand what I'm saying. But here I am, making all this plans and Shit... I, who never thinks ahead, who never knows his future beyond what meal he's gonna get. But I... Damn. Do you babies have like special powers or something? Do you like... Is it a defensive instinct? Like you manage to make us go nuts about you by casting a spell it whatever so we'll stay enchanted? Because this is fucking ridiculous."

She finished the bottle and he put it aside.

"Speaking about plans, we can't keep calling you Baby Prune. We're gonna have to choose a name. A pretty unique gorgeous name for a special, perfect little princess like you. So, let's see" he changed his hold on her so they were face to face. Something the nurses had called.. ? He wasn't really sure but he had got hand on it "Yes, hello" he smiled helplessly at the sight of her "Baby girl. Baby girl" he cooed absentmindedly as he analysed her features

Then he remembered his dream. He had called her Piper. He wasn't even sure if he had heard that name before but he liked it. It was original, cool, rare enough people would associate it with her but not awful, like other names he had heard.

"Piper" he whispered, tasting the word while contemplating her face. It sounded good to him. "Piper Queen" he said, a bit louder this time as her tiny hand closed around a strand of his blonde hair. "You like that? Piper?"

She just blinked, but he interpreted it as an affirmative answer

"It's settled, then. Piper. Pips for short." He smiled, and brought her back to his bare chest so he could lull her back to sleep with his rambling, which had worked the previous times.

"My Piper" he kissed her head and began to rub her back "I'm so scared honestly. I won't lie to ya, I have no idea what I'm doing but you can rely on me. I'm good at improvising so I'll figure it out. Don't worry. But you gotta take it easy, hm? If you have a bit of patience, it'll be just fine. And about this?" He reached for the papers -which were unsigned- and ripped them off "Fuck it. Just fuck it."

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

A big Hola to my dear fellow @definitely-darcy whose kind review and attention to detail has made gain confidence in this.

So, I've written this one in different bits which I've had to tie up together. Hope you guys like it.

That's about it, really. Please comment and let me know what you think (always nice and constructively).

~Pookie

#bohemian rhapsody #queen band #roger taylor #infinity fic #queen fic #queen fanfiction #queen #queen fandom #queen au #single dad! roger taylor #roger taylor daughter #roger taylor baby #ben hardy! roger taylor #irepookie #lil'prune

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illfoandillfie · 4 years

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5 Simple Rules For A Successful Fake Relationship: Picture Perfect

5 SIMPLE RULES MASTERLIST

Pairing: Ben Hardy x Reader

Summery: A whole day with Ben's family and no way to escape. How will you survive? And will any rules be left intact by the end of the night?

Warnings: SMUT (finally lmao), nothing like super kinky but it is explicit, plus the usual stuff, drinking, mention of smoking.

Words: 6284

A/N: ARE YA'LL READY FOR THIS? smut scene is marked with a *** so you can skip it if you like.

Taglist: @laedymoon @dtfrogertaylor @vee-ndetta @atomic-watermelon @kellypenac @labessieisallama @deakyclicks @jennyggggrrr @drowseoftaylor @hannafuckingsucks @i-cant-hangout-im-drumming @queenmylovely @supersonicfreddie @tenement-funstah @taron-egrotten @johndeaconshands @borhapbois @thefairyfellersmasterstroke @queenlover05

@coni-martina @hardforbenhardy @cubedtriangle @vicouscirce @arianabrashierstuff @pattieboydwannabe @maggieroseevans @theprettyandthereckless @im-an-adult-ish

A week later you were in the passenger seat of Ben’s car, your bags in the back, watching the scenery pass by. You found your eyes drawn to him more often than usual but he didn’t seem to notice. Maybe it was that he was so focused on the road and the traffic around you or maybe it was because you were playing I spy and a few glances from the person who’d spied the object were expected. I spy was a good game. Distracting enough to focus your mind on something other than wanting Ben. For the most part at least. “And we can definitely still see it?” “Yuuuuuuup,” you popped the ‘p’ and glanced over at Ben again. “And it starts with ‘M’ but isn’t ‘Mazda’ like what’s driving behind us, or Mars Bar like what I was just eating?”” “Nope,” you popped the p again and laughed, “d’you want a clue?” “Go on then, otherwise we’ll be stuck like this all day,” “We’ve been following them since we got on the motorway,” Ben’s forehead creased as he thought about your clue, “Truck doesn’t start with ‘M’,” “Clever boy. You deserve a gold star for that one,” “Bite me,” You laughed and gave in to the temptation to look at him again, noting the crease of his forehead as he thought about your clue, “Should I just tell you?” “Fine, I’m never going to get it at this rate,” “I spy with my little eye a mudflap girl. Two of them actually,” “What the fuck is a mudflap girl?” You pointed at the silhouette on the tuck’s mudflaps, “Her. The chick with the stupidly pinched in waist and big knockers.” “Is that what they’re called?” “What knockers?” “No, I’m perfectly familiar with those,” Ben laughed and you whistled teasingly, willing your mind to stop picturing what it was picturing “Shush, I meant the mudflap girls, is that what they’re called?” “Yeah. You didn’t know?” He shook his head slightly, “Never really came up.” “Sorry, would have picked something else if I’d realised,” “‘s fine. Just means I won’t hold back with the next one.” You’d been a little nervous at the prospect of driving hours with just Ben for company, still coming to grips with the fact you wanted to knock boots with him. You couldn’t even think about it in direct language, just roundabout phrases your mum used to use. But, thankfully, all your concerns had disappeared the moment you got into the car, infected by Ben’s bright smile and insistence that he’d make it fun. His definition of fun was a lot of classic driving games, hence the I Spy, plenty of road trip snacks, and a healthy dose of a specially curated driving playlist. You’d made fun of him for including I’m In Love With My Car on it but he just turned it up louder and sang it at you which only made you laugh more. It stopped any awkwardness or uncomfortable silences in their tracks. But all the laughter and playful teasing was just another reminder of how close you were and that made you think about how badly you wanted to do the dirty with him, hear him whining your name, feel his hands all over you, cuddle up with him and doze as he read to you. You shook your head as the third image sprang to the forefront of your mind. That wasn’t right. Bumping uglies was one thing but dozing was out of the question. Unless it was in a post-coital come down of course. Not that any of it mattered since you weren’t going to act on it. Joe had made it very clear that something actually happening was a bad idea. Although, looking at Ben now he didn’t seem to be that bad off. Certainly not white knuckling it as Joe had said. He was happy and bubbly and you couldn’t see a single sign of him falling apart. What did Joe know anyway? He lived so far away, how could he possibly know what was good for Ben or, for that matter, you.

Halfway there you found a place to pull up so you could stretch your legs and refresh your snacks but then it was back into the car for the second leg of the trip, winding through the traffic until it thinned out and you pulled up outside a nice white house with a tidy yard. “This is it?” you asked, the nerves back in full force. “Yeah, you good?” You just nodded your head but Ben gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, “Remember the plan, yeah? Hold hands as much as we can, look as loved up as possible, just like what we do for the cameras. What’s our story?” “Met at the audition for Edith since you’d already been cast. Hung out a lot as prep for the movie. You asked me out a couple of days before filming began and we dated secretly for a while but then, partway through filming, we were caught by paparazzi and decided to be open about it.” “Very good. What el- shit, no time for the rest of the pop quiz, the front door just opened.” “It’s okay, I’m good. We’ve been doing this for months now, it’s just more of the same.” Ben nodded and then let your hand go so he could get out of the car. You opened your door and stepped out, smoothing out your skirt, your hand cold outside of Ben’s grasp. But he fixed the problem, taking your hand again as he led you towards the front door and the person who’d come out onto the driveway. He squeezed your hand again. “Hi mum. This is Y/N,” “Well it’s about time,” his mum said, already stepping forward to hug you, forcing you to drop Ben’s hand “lovely to meet you, darling.” “Pleasure to meet you too Mrs Jones,” you smiled politely as she stepped back. “Oh, Angela, please,” her hands were still on your shoulders as she examined your appearance, “Gosh aren’t you pretty.” You managed to stutter out a thank you, suddenly feeling much more shy than you normally would have. “Oh c’mon mum, let her go.” “I’m just saying she’s beautiful, what’s wrong with that?” but her hands fell from you as she turned her attention to Ben, “I still think you’re very handsome too Ben. Need a bit of a haircut though.” He rolled his eyes but hugged her all the same. “Mikey’s already there setting up with your father and I expect you’ll be giving him a hand soon?” “Can I not have five minutes out of the car before I get piled up with chores?” Ben whined as you both followed her inside.

She led you on a brief tour of the house, pointing out where the bathrooms were and coming to an end at Ben’s old room where you’d be staying. She promised you enough time to grab your bags and freshen up before you’d be asked to help and then she headed back towards the front of the house. You peeked inside the bedroom door hoping to see what teenage Ben’s sense of style was but it had since been redecorated. “Don’t look so disappointed,” Ben laughed, “Mum had the whole house redone a few years ago and it didn’t make sense to keep my room how it was.” “Please tell me there’s photos here somewhere,” “Probably but you’re not seeing them,” “You have to tell me something, I’m your girlfriend and I need to know.” “Fuck off, you do not,” “Please?” you extended the word in a childish whine, pouting at him until he broke. “What d’you want to know then?” “What’d you have on your walls? Band posters?” Ben laughed, “Uhhh, a few sports things – my favourite teams and that. Some girls with big tits leaning all over cars…Couple of theatre posters too,” “Nerd,” “Shut up,” he laughed again, pushing against your shoulder, “Sorry about Mum by the way,” “It’s totally fine,” “I promise it’ll all be over soon,” You were taken aback as he wrapped you up in a tight hug but very happily relaxed against him. Carefully, so as not to break the moment you looked up at him only to find him looking back at you. It was the closest you’d been since the almost-kiss in the hotel. Sure, you’d been close, even hugged before, but not in this long, lingering way and even then, it was mostly just in public. A sharp knock at the door made you break apart. “Sorry to rush you but Mikey’s just called asking after you. Better get a move on,” “Who’s Mikey?” you asked, refusing to acknowledge the tension in the air. “My brother, Michael. S’pose we should crack on. You’ve got about twelve bags to pull from the car.” “Fuck off, it’s only two and one of them’s a hand bag. Plus, it’s you’re fault for not being more specific about dress code.” You hadn’t known exactly what to pack and got no clear answer when you’d asked, so you’d packed a few different outfit options, from casual jeans and a nice blouse to a slightly more fancy little black dress, the clutch you’d taken to the French restaurant packed with it in case you needed a stylish purse. “You’re such a drama queen. Just help me with them yeah?”

You would have known he was Ben’s brother even before you’d heard about him. His face was thinner and his shoulders less broad but they had the same smile, same eyes. He was lovely too, jumped down off a chair and dropped the coil of fairy lights he’d been holding so he could shake your hand and introduce himself. Then came their dad, maybe not quite as warm as their mum but just as welcoming. Both you and Ben were handed lengths of lights and sent off to find places to hang them. Inside it wasn’t necessary since the restaurant was already lit up, staff busting about making sure everything was ready for that afternoon. So Ben led you away from the big open door, into the beer garden. It was mostly paved, small shoots of grass sprouting up through the bricks, though there was also a large strip of grass at the very end of the yard. Ben’s brother and dad were on one side of the yard, securing their lights to the fence so you and Ben headed straight for the grassy end where the light of the restaurant wouldn’t quite reach. “Wait here a sec,” Ben said, handing you his coil of lights and turning back towards the paved area. You watched as he dragged on of the sturdy wooden tables over to you. At the first scrape of the wood on the brick he looked inside to see if anyone was going to go mad at him but, aside from his family members, no one noticed. When he finally got it in position, he climbed up onto the table and held out his hand for the lights. You kept lookout as he wound the wire around a tree branch and then jumped down again, handing the end of the lights to you so you could wrap it around the tree trunk and secure the battery pack out of harm’s way, as he pushed the table back into place. It wasn’t long before the yard was covered with lights extending from the doorway all the way to the fence that blocked the yard from the road. Of course, all that work meant you deserved a drink so, by the time Ben’s mum and other family members began arriving in the late afternoon, you were already halfway through your first glass. Ben gave you a running commentary of everyone who walked into the restaurant. “That’s my cousin and her daughter. And the couple behind her are my,” he thought for a moment, “Well let’s call them cousin’s too because I don’t know how seconds and removals work. The bald guy over there talking to Mum is my great uncle. And the woman who just waved is an Aunt. Whatever you do, don’t mention her son. He’s had a run in with the law and it’s a touchy subject.” “Noted. But shit, when you said family get together you really meant it,” “Yeah,” Ben laughed, “The Jones’ don’t do things by halves. ‘Specially not when there’s drinking involved.”

As the place began to fill Ben took you around to meet people. You felt a little like the ball in a pinball machine, bouncing from one person to another, introducing yourself and then moving on to someone else, almost immediately forgetting any names you’d just been told. It was almost like doing interviews again except with more movement and more alcohol. Ben kept a hold of you, either interlocking his fingers with yours or else wrapping his arm around your waist, keeping you close to his side, only letting you go to grab you another drink or light up a cigarette. At one point you had a small crowd gathered beside you, all pointing out things they’d seen in magazines or on the internet about you, all wanting to hear about how you met. Thankfully you’d become quite practiced at telling the story. “We met at the audition actually,” Ben said, “I had the part but they wanted to try me with different actresses to find someone that would work well on screen. I’d met, I don’t know, eight or nine women and then Y/N came into the room. She looked kinda nervous,” You shook your head in disagreement but Ben ignored you. “but we got a chance to say hi before we had to read the lines and we just clicked.” “Our director really liked us together so I got a call back and we did another scene,” “So they could, y’know, see us kiss, make sure the chemistry was there.” “They must have liked it because I got the part. We did a couple of weeks of all this, um, like, bonding stuff. The rest of the main cast was there too but me and Ben had a few one on one things because we were playing a couple that was already engaged so they wanted us to look really connected.” “Anyway, I wanted to ask her out after day one but I wasn’t sure if I should because we’d be working together,” “I took a little longer to see him in that light but he was so sweet and charming and fun to be around, and by the end of the week I was thinking the same thing. Only neither of us wanted to make the first move because if it wasn’t mutual then it could make the next few months of work really awkward.” “Eventually one of the other actors pointed out how into me she was so I asked her out for a coffee and it went from there.” He returned your smile and then pulled you closer into his side, dropping a kiss to the top of your head as you leaned against his chest. “Well your casting director knew what they were doing because you two are adorable together.” A few more questions followed but eventually Ben was able to extract you from the crowd with the excuse you needed more drinks. “Actually, I gotta run to the loo, I’ll bring some food back with me though, okay?” “Okay, I’m gonna grab another cocktail, you want anything?” “Beer’d be great,” “Sure thing, babe,” He smiled again as he left you but you were smiling too. There was something fun about the act. Even with everything that had happened and how mixed up and hard it had been at times, an evening like this was fun. He made you laugh and made sure you felt comfortable in what could have easily been an extremely uncomfortable situation. Plus, it meant you got to indulge the part of you that was still fantasising about being with him. You were allowed to kiss him and touch him because you were acting. There was no confusion about why, no worries about if you were crossing the line you’d put down, nothing to stop you from enjoying it. So what if occasionally your fantasies extended beyond just doing the horizontal tango? It wasn’t so bad to think about cuddling up in front of the TV with him.

Drinks in hand you headed back to where Ben had disappeared, trying to spot him in the crowd. “Y/N!,” You spun round to see who was talking, finding yourself face to face with Ben’s mum again. Angela, you reminded yourself. “Come join us over here,” she said leading you to a table where a few others sat, “You’ve met my husband Keith already, yes? And this is Doug and Katherine. This is Y/N, Ben’s girlfriend.” You took a seat and chatted with them, glancing around for Ben every so often. Eventually Doug and Katherine got up to talk to someone else and Keith went off in search of more food, leaving you and Angela alone. “Now, darling, Ben tells me you’ve got a work thing to get back home for tomorrow so you’ll be leaving a bit earlier than originally planned.” Angela said, patting your hand. “Yeah, um, it’s an audition,” you lied. It was a cover Ben had come up with so you didn’t get guilted into staying an extra day. “Well that does sound important. I’m sad we won’t have longer to get to know you though. I must admit, I saw a photo of you and Ben a while ago and I was hoping he’d bring you up because you just looked so lovely. And you obviously make him very happy, which is of course what every mother hopes for. So you have to come back soon so we can have a proper chat. Make a weekend of it or something.” You were a little taken aback, stunned to hear how much of an impact you’d had without meaning to. It made you feel a bit guilty. This was Ben’s family and you weren’t part of it, you shouldn’t be there. But you swallowed the doubts, tried to ignore how much you wanted it all to be real, and smiled back at her, “I’d love that. Just say when.” “Oh now don’t tempt me or I’ll have the date picked out before the end of the night. I don’t want to jump the gun or seem too forward but just seeing how you two are together…I hope you know you’re welcome in our family. Ben loves you a lot, I can tell.” “I know. And it’s very kind of you,” “I mean it darling. And if the next family get together was your wedding, well….but of course that’s neither here nor there.” You laughed it off but your insides were churning. “So this is where you got to,” Ben’s voice interrupted as he dropped into the seat beside you and lay his hand on your knee. You hadn’t realised your leg had been bouncing but you stopped it the moment he touched you. “I was just telling Y/N that you should come back again soon, when there’s no auditions to interrupt your stay.” “Sure, Mum,” Ben said, still touching your leg. You chatted for a bit longer until she got distracted enough for Ben to lean into your ear and softly ask, “You okay? Or do you want to get out of here?” “Please,” you whispered back. “Okay, follow me,” He took your hand and told his mum he wanted to introduce you to someone but you barely heard it, your head buzzing as you made a polite exit and let Ben lead you outside, making excuses to anyone who tried to stop you. As soon as you were clear of the venue he pulled out his phone to find a car, one hand on your lower back, rubbing soft circles over your shirt until you felt you could breathe easy again. “Better?” “Thank you. How’d you know?” He shrugged, “I just know you. I saw your leg bouncing and figured Mum had said something,” “She mentioned us getting married,” “What? Why the fuck would that have come up?” “It was just a passing comment but I….” You half shrugged, trying to find the right words. “It’s okay, c’mon, let’s go home you can tell me everything.” You nodded and let him hug you as you waited for the car.

Once you were inside Ben grabbed a couple of glasses from the kitchen and then headed into the dining room. “Thank you dad,” he mumbled as he pulled a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label out of a cupboard and turned to show you, “He’s kept a stash of this stuff in here since I was a kid. Got in trouble for stealing some a couple of times.” “Better not let him find out about this then,” you laughed, feeling more relaxed now that it was just you and Ben, a sizeable distance from the rest of the party. Ben chuckled along as he poured a little into each glass and carefully replaced the bottle, “So what happened back there?” “I don’t know,” you accepted your glass and took a sip, leaning against the corner of the table. Ben didn’t cut in, he just took his own drink and waited until you could say more. “I guess it was just harder to be around your family than I was expecting. It wasn’t the same as sitting in a restaurant on a date,” you drew the quotation marks in the air with your fingers, “That was a room full of people who care about you and they were all so lovely and welcoming and your mum said she’d been hoping you’d bring me here since she saw a photo of us and invited me back so she could get to know me and I said I’d love to because what else could I say and she seemed so happy about it and so pleased that you’re so happy and I feel so guilty about lying to them all. What if they find out? Your mum’ll be so disappointed.” “Don’t worry about lying to them, I’ve done it plenty before,” when you didn’t laugh he put his glass down beside you and took you free hand in his, “Seriously, Y/N, there’s nothing to feel guilty about. The premiere is coming up in a couple of weeks and then pretty soon after that we’ll break up and I’ll tell them it just wasn’t working, and they’ll accept it and never have to know the truth. And then we can forget this whole thing and move on.” You weren’t so sure that was what you wanted anymore, but you weren’t sure enough to say it. Instead you put your glass down as well and said, “but it must be hard for you too. Having me here and everything.” It was only when you looked at him that you realised how close you were standing. He was still holding your hand, his thumb rubbing back and forth over your fingers. “I’m a big boy, I can handle it.” You weren’t sure what compelled you to do it, the drink maybe, or just pent up sexual tension, but he was so close and he was looking at you with those eyes and before you could stop yourself you leaned in to kiss him. He seemed a bit shocked, taking half a step back, and you were sure he was going to tell you it wasn’t a good idea and then leave you standing there alone. But then his hand was on your jaw as he kissed you back, all hesitancy gone. You felt him sigh against you as if he’d been holding his breath, waiting for this to happen again, and pulled him in closer.

***

Maybe it was the months without sex, or maybe it was how often your mind had conjured similar scenes, or maybe it was just how good it felt to have him press you against the table to kiss you again, but whatever the reason it wasn’t long until you were pushing the hem of his shirt up over his stomach. He took the hint and stopped kissing you just long enough to pull it over his head, quickly finding your lips again as his fingers worked on the buttons of your shirt. He got about halfway through and then stopped, instead dropping his hands to your arse so he could lift you up and carry you up the hall towards his room. He kicked the door shut once he was through it and pressed you against it, kissing you as if to make up for lost time. It was a heady experience, being pinned to the door, your legs wrapped around him as you kissed messily. Too much and not enough all at once. You needed him closer still and clutched at his shoulders to try and make him understand. Either he really could read you well or he wanted the same thing because a moment later there was no longer a door behind you, Ben taking the few steps towards the bed and letting himself drop to the mattress. He pushed your shirt from your shoulders, no longer needing to hold you up, and ran his hands over your sides as if trying to map out he lines of your body. A whine escaped you as your need to remove layers grew and you dropped your hands to his belt, fumbling blindly with the buckle. A voice in your head told you it was a bad idea. You still weren’t certain of your feelings, weren’t sure doing this would cure you of them or if it’d just make everything messier than it already was. But the voice got quieter with every shift of your hips and every stroke of his fingers. “You’ve no idea how much I’ve thought about this,” he mumbled against your neck. All you could manage was a small whimper of agreement as he kissed you again, and traced his fingers up to the clasp of your bra. It was on the floor in seconds, his hands replacing the material, only making you want more. You arched your back into his touch, panted against his lips. He smiled, circled a nipple with his thumb, delighted in your response.

Suddenly he flipped you over so you were sitting on the bed, kissed you again and then stood up. “Ben?” you were worried he was going to put an end to things before they got too far. Thankfully he didn’t, just shucked off his pants. You almost laughed in relief as he leaned over you again, making quick work of the fastening of your skirt so it too could join the clothing on the floor. The voice in your head was gone, silenced by the pure desperate need to have him touch you more, and he was making no moves to stop it either as you shuffled further up the bed, pulling him along with you. You let out a choked off moan as he kissed a trail down your neck, tilted your head to the side so he could reach all the spots that made you gasp. But it still wasn’t enough. You were going to go crazy with need if you didn’t get something more soon, so you let your hand fall between you, rubbed your palm over the front of his boxers, felt him rock his hips against your hand, already hard. He sat back on his knees so he could slip your underwear down your legs. “Fuck,” he groaned as soon as he realised how wet you were. You grabbed his wrist and put his hand between your legs, hoping he’d take the hint. He did, trailing his fingers between your lips, over your clit. Your breath caught as he slipped a lone digit into you, slowly, easing you into it before he added a second. He watched you closely, eyes half lidded and soft, the tip of his tongue poking out from between his teeth like he was concentrating on memorizing every inch of you, inside and out. Even in that moment, when your breaths were coming shaky and uneven, and your skin was burning under his gaze, even then all you could think was how hot he looked, hair ruffled, lips kiss swollen, completely enraptured by you. He shifted his finger slightly and your eyes fluttered shut. “There, babe, fuck, right there,” you sighed. “Like that?” he asked softly, twitching his fingers against you again. You nodded though he drew a more vocal response from you a few seconds later when he added a third finger and leaned down to suck your nipple between his lips. He hummed when he heard you say his name and repeated the same motion in the same place, so you said his name again, louder, and then again and again as he kept going, hitting you exactly where you needed him. You were almost surprised by how quickly he managed to pull you over the edge. Almost. But it had been a while and he’d always promised he was good. He worked you through it before he carefully withdrew his fingers and kissed you again, stealing what little breath you had left.

And then he stopped. Sat back again. You blinked your eyes open and reached for him as he leaned over the edge of the bed, opened the draw of the beside cabinet and swore. Pulling himself back towards you he took your outstretch hand and kissed the back of it, “I don’t have any condom’s here,” he sounded apologetic. “I have some, wait,” you kissed him quickly before you stood, a little unsteady, and opened the wardrobe door, thankful Felicity had given you the handful of them and that you’d brought the bag with you. He looked like he was about to ask why but the sight of you climbing onto the bed, straddling him, with one hand on his chest to lay him down, made the question die in his throat. He let his head fall back onto the pillow as you pulled his underwear off and rolled the condom on as quick as you could manage. And then you sank down onto him, trying to take your time. “Fuck,” you whined, pausing to give you both a moment to adjust. His hand grabbed onto your waist, fingertips pressing into you, encouraging you to move. It was soft but not quite, both of you panting and groaning as you raised and lowered yourself on him, building up to a steady rhythm. His hands roamed over you, grabbing your arse the way he had done on his couch, moving over your breasts, squeezing your hips, gentle but firm pulling you to speed up each time. You needed to be closer though, so you leaned down to kiss him again, grunting at the change of position. But it interrupted your flow, made you stutter out of time, so Ben propped himself up on his elbows, and then when that wasn’t enough, sat up fully, his knees rising behind you. One hand was braced on your back to keep you steady as you circled your hips, the other cupped your cheek as his forehead leaned against yours, every uneven breath audible, able to feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest under your palm. “I love you,” he sighed, his nose bumping against yours as he searched for your lips again. You were on the verge of repeating his words back to him when he dropped his hand from your cheek, let it fall between you and brush against your clit, the confession lost in your moan. “You gonna c-cum for me?” You nodded, leaning into his neck as you did your best to keep riding him, legs shaking with the effort and your approaching release. He didn’t let up until you were crying out into his shoulder, following close behind you with his own moan.

***

You lost track of how long you sat there, leaning against each other as you came down, lost track of where you were, lost track of the reality of your relationship. Your instinct was to keep clinging to Ben, keep kissing along his jaw and nose as you pulled yourselves back together. But it was too much for him. He let go of you suddenly, as if just touching you was painful. “I’ve gotta…” he said with a half hearted nod in the direction of the doorway. “Oh. Right, yeah,” you climbed off him, trying not to react to the sudden emptiness, the sudden cool of the air outside of his embrace. Ben moved to the edge of the bed, glanced at you, ran his hand through his hair. “I wasn’t expecting that to happen,” you offered somewhat lamely, not sure how to explain everything you were feeling. “Neither. Are you okay?” “Yeah. I, um, it was really good and I-I think I kind of needed it.” This was it. There was no more running from what you were feeling. No more pretending it was platonic or just physical. You had to come clean, to yourself as much as to Ben. Ben smiled but it was a pained kind of smile, “It was good for me too. Really good. But it can’t ever happen again.” He stood up before you could say anything else, tied off the condom and put his boxers back on, making a hasty retreat. Something stirred in your memory and you had the sudden urge to tell him he couldn’t leave you because he owed you a third orgasm, but it was too late. He was gone and you were left sitting there, naked and alone, waiting for him to come back so you could explain. When enough time had passed without his return you got up, put your pyjamas on and went to the bathroom, running on autopilot as you considered everything that had just happened. Maybe Ben was right to walk away. Maybe it had been a mistake. He probably wouldn’t believe you if you told him how you really felt. You’d taken too long to work it out, been too vocal about not feeling it. And it would be poor timing to say it right after you’d slept together. He’d think you were saying what he wanted to hear so he wouldn’t be embarrassed about saying it himself. And maybe it was down to all the tension between you. You’d spent all day pretending to be the loving girlfriend after all, maybe it had influenced you a bit, made you think you felt things you didn’t actually feel. But something that good, that tender, didn’t just happen with anyone, surely. It certainly hadn’t been like that with anyone else you’d been with casually. And you’d assumed that having sex with Ben would be the solution, that you’d finish and be fixed. No more thinking about him, no more wanting to be with him. But all you really wanted was to cuddle up beside him. Fall asleep in his arms. That wasn’t something you usually wanted from one night stands. Normally you’d want to get out as fast as possible not sit in their bedroom and wait for them. And the thought of everything else that could happen if he just knew it was what you wanted – waking up beside him, making him coffee, listening to him play stupid love songs on his stupid guitar, comforting him on bad days, being his actual fucking girlfriend and not just his pretend one – all of that sounded so fucking wonderful. It couldn’t just be endorphins making you feel like that. There had to be something of substance behind it all. Afterall they’d been there for a while now, those feelings. It wasn’t like the sex had conjured them. You’d been pretending not to notice them but they’d been there for months. So the only way forward was to tell him.

When you got back to the bedroom Ben was there, curled away from you on a makeshift bed on the floor. He could have been sleeping except his shoulder’s were too rigid, holding too much tension. “Ben?” He didn’t respond, just kept feigning sleep. So you switched out the light and tiptoed to the bed, crawling under the covers. The sheets still smelt like him and it made your heart ache. What if you just said it? You sat up, turned your head in his direction. “Ben?” it came out as more of a whisper than you’d have like so you tried again, “Ben, I-I-” If you said it now would he join you? Or would he pretend he hadn’t heard? You fell silent again at that thought, not sure you could cope with it. Maybe you’d just hold off for a bit. Wait until the premiere. Give yourself time to find the exact right words to explain your apparent change of heart. He couldn’t write you off as trying to spare him some embarrassment if you said it weeks after he’d let it slip in the throws of passion. He’d have to take you seriously then. “Goodnight,” you sighed, and lay down again, though try as you might, you couldn’t sleep. You lay there in the dark, sure Ben was just as awake as you were, with only one thought in your head. You loved Ben. And you didn’t know what to do about it.

#my writing #my fics #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy smut #i am so ready to hear your thots #please yell at me about this

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inthedayswhenlandswerefew · 4 years

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Eccentricity [Chapter 6: You Know You Got Me In The Palm Of Your Hand]

Series Summary: Joe Mazzello is a nice guy with a weird family. A VERY weird family. They have a secret, and you have a choice to make. Potentially a better love story than Twilight.

Chapter Title Is A Lyric From: Mean It by Lauv.

Chapter Warnings: Language, references to sex and violence, slavery in American history.

Other Chapters (And All My Writing) Available: HERE

Tagging: @queen-turtle-boiii @bramblesforbreakfast @writerxinthedark @maggieroseevans @culturefiendtrashqueen @imnotvibingveryguccimrstark @escabell @im-an-adult-ish @someforeigntragedy @imtheinvisiblequeen @deacyblues @tensecondvacation @brianssixpence @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye @some-major-ishues @haileymorelikestupid @loveandbeloved29

Please yell at me if I forget to tag you! 💜

What The Fuck, Washington Animals Are Weird

I woke up in a bedroom drenched in a rainbow of darkness, shades of grey vacillating from charcoal to the wings of a mourning dove; indolent dawn rain pattered against the window. There were no glaring veins of sunlight spilling in through gaps in the curtains, no promise of dry invigorating heat, no whistle of vicious parched wind. Toto, we’re not in Phoenix anymore.

“Ugh,” I complained to the empty room, unraveling from a tangle of blankets patterned with cacti and pure white clouds and rust-orange suns.

I clicked off my iPhone alarm—I’d beaten it by two minutes; my circadian rhythm was finally conceding that this whole Pacific Time thing was permanent—and read my nine new texts from Joe.

3:12 a.m.: Hey it’s an emergency what’s the plural of octopus

3:13 a.m.: Rami is insisting that it is octopuses

3:14 a.m.: But it’s octopi, right? Right?? I just announced in front of everyone that it’s octopi

3:15 a.m.: Scarlett is verbally abusing me

3:18 a.m.: Oh you are probably asleep

3:21 a.m.: Update, according to the internet Rami is right and now I have to assume a new identity and move to Antarctica

3:25 a.m.: We can discuss logistics of the Antarctica relocation tomorrow

3:26 a.m.: Hope you like penguins

3:30 a.m.: Okay goodnight!! Don’t let the mythical creatures bite!!

“That man,” I murmured to myself, smiling.

I typed out: It’s definitely octopuses, you clown. Then I deleted ‘clown’ and replaced it with its Italian equivalent: pagliaccio. Text sent.

Joe responded almost instantly. I had to ask Lucy what pagliaccio meant and now she’s verbally abusing me too. Send help. See you at lunch. xx

Wait, two Xs? What did Xs mean?? Kisses???

Did Joseph Francis Mazzello, sexy undead Italian man, just send me multiple text kisses?

“You’re gonna give me an aneurism, Chicago boy,” I muttered at my phone as I slid it into the pocket of my flannel pajama pants. And then I glanced out the bedroom window into a tussle of rain and thick, caliginous fog.

Just a few feet beyond the misted glass, its leathery talons hooked around a branch of Charlie’s decades-old red alder tree, was an owl. But not just any owl. A hulking, spotlessly white owl.

“Oh, hey, you,” I whispered, leaning closer, pressing my palms against the cold window. My hands left transparent imprints in the condensation. “Hey, buddy. Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? I sure wish I was. Did something wake you up? Did your idiot vampire boyfriend disturb you with a series of ridiculous texts?”

The owl just contemplated me with unnervingly vast, slick, engrossed eyes. And there was something else, too: those eyes were blood red.

“So you’re an albino owl, huh big guy? Good for you. You know, usually albino animals don’t last all that long in the wild. Because they’re really easy for predators and prey to spot. Or they get skin cancer. So congratulations on living to become the voluptuous, tremendously creepy creature that you are today. Job well done.”

The owl stared back at me unflinchingly, blinked, then resumed staring. Rainwater gathered in swelling beads like blood drops on its ivory-colored beak and talons.

“Well,” I noted, turning away and grabbing my shower towel off the back of the desk chair. “You don’t get that in Arizona.”

Thirty minutes later, I was bounding down the stairs two at a time to meet Charlie in the kitchen. He was browsing through his daily newspaper at the table, drinking coffee and nibbling messily on burnt triangles of toast. Crumbs littered his moustache.

“You didn’t tell me that living here came with the added benefit of freaky albino animal friends.”

Charlie crinkled his forehead at me. “Huh?”

“How was bowling with the dads last night?”

“Oh, awesome!” he exclaimed, folding up his newspaper and slapping it down on the table. “We bowled against the team from Mora and it came right down to the wire, but we caught them. Dr. Lee got a strike on his very last turn. He always seems to do that...he’ll be bowling hit or miss all night and then when it really matters he manages to pull a strike out of nowhere. He’s a beast.”

“He’s a pretty remarkable guy,” I agreed, rummaging through the cabinets for Pop-Tarts.

“He mentioned that you and his son were really hitting it off,” Charlie said, grinning. “Not the ragey blond one. The spindly annoying one. What’s his name again? Josh? Jimmy?”

“Joe.” I conjured up my best poker face of lofty indifference. It crumbled like a sandcastle beneath reckless, rushing footsteps.

“Ohhhh, I saw that!” Charlie said, pointing, delighted. “Check out that smile. My gorgeous, brilliant progeny has a crush. I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t be single for long up here. Alright, I’m ready. Bring on the grandchildren.”

“Shut up,” I pleaded good-naturedly.

“Relax, I have great news. According to Gwil, that Joe kid is pretty wild about you too.”

“Oh, is that what you old guys do between bowling turns? Betray your children’s deepest confidences? Matchmake them over nachos and chili cheese dogs?” Still, my curiosity was piqued. “What else did Dr. Lee say about Joe?”

“I think the exact word he used was...” Charlie reminisced, sipping his coffee, curls of steam pouring over the rim of the mug. “Smitten.”

Supernatural Pictionary

I turned the notebook to Joe so he could see; everyone else momentarily covered their eyes or looked away. Then Lucy started the timer on her iPhone. Thirty seconds.

“Go!” Lucy announced.

“I think it’s a boat,” Rami said, hesitantly, haltingly, squinting at Joe with great concentration.

“Do you?” Joe teased.

“Yeah. But I’m also getting something about a fish.”

“Maybe I’m trying to make you think it’s a fish because it’s actually a boat,” Joe replied flippantly.

Rami muttered: “Or you want me to think it’s a boat because it’s actually a fish.”

“Interesting.”

“Now you’re mentally singing Never Gonna Give You Up just to fuck with me.”

Joe gasped, pressing a palm to his chest. “That doesn’t sound like something I would do!”

Scarlett snickered, dunking her chicken tender in honey mustard, slurping Coke through a straw clenched between crimson-painted lips. “That sounds exactly like something you would do.”

“Fifteen seconds,” Lucy warned.

“Fish or boat, boat or fish...” Rami chanted, peering fixedly at Joe.

“Make a decision,” I taunted, hugging the notebook to my chest.

“I’m going with boat,” Rami decided.

“Final answer?” Lucy asked, then stopped the timer when Rami nodded.

“Loser!” Joe cackled victoriously, leaping out of his chair, waving his L-shaped fingers in the air. Calawah University students at nearby tables glanced over with wide, startled eyes, their beloved chicken tenders briefly forgotten. “How’s it feel to not win every round of a game, huh?! Loser!”

I flipped my notebook so Rami could see the extremely unskilled pencil sketch I’d drawn there: a smiling fish. “My condolences.”

“Damn.” Rami pulled a ten-dollar bill out of his wallet and slid it across the table to Joe. Joe snatched it up, tucked it into the waistline of his jeans like a stripper collecting money in her G-string, and slung his arm around my shoulders.

“We are the champions. Bask in our glory.”

Scarlett turned on her iPhone flashlight and waved it in slow arcs over her head. “Youuuuu are the champions, my friendssssss...”

From my usual lunch table, Jessica gazed at my esteemed place among the Lees with palpable envy, resting her chin in her hands. I had worked out a schedule that seemed fairly obvious given my extensive experience as a child of divorce: lunch with Jessica et al. one day, lunch with the Lees the next. I took a bite of the Chipotle veggie bowl that Joe had insisted on ordering for me and tossed Jessica a sympathetic wave. Get Ben’s Snapchat for me! she mouthed back. I harbored serious doubts that Benjamin August Hardy, former professional assassin, born in 1893, had a Snapchat.

Joe’s words from last week rolled around in my head; I could see him all over again, nodding to the enormous painting hung in Gwil’s upstairs office, telling me about those startling, ethereal figures who had initiated Ben into life as a vampire. They call themselves the Draghi. They collect dues from covens, offer protection, keep order, protect our secrets. But they also demand loyalty. They force people they want into service. They might try to make it seem like you have a choice, but you don’t. They destroy anyone who tries to resist them. And they feed on humans.

“This is so awesome,” Lucy sighed, elated. “We could never play Pictionary before, drawing something is way too much of a mental process, Rami always figured it out right away...”

But now they had a built-in blindfold, someone who could draw without Rami getting a peek into their thoughts, a fighting chance at hiding the truth from him...for thirty seconds, at least.

“Okay Benny Boy, you’re up.” Joe darted over to Ben’s side of the table and massaged his tense, muscular shoulders as Ben grimaced. “You got this. I believe in you. Baby Swan is gonna pitch you a home run.”

“I’ll pass,” Ben said.

“You can’t!” Lucy cried. “Ben, please? Rami got Scarlett’s, and then he didn’t get Joe’s...and I know he’s going to see though me immediately. You’re our only chance to tie things up and maybe beat him!”

“Traitor,” Rami told Lucy affectionately.

“Uhh...” Ben hesitated, glimpsing longingly at the doors that led outside to the grove of bigleaf maple trees. He was fidgeting restlessly with his vape pen.

“Come on, Benny!” Joe begged. “I’ll owe you. I’ll do anything.”

Ben perked up a little bit. “You’ll do my Calc 2 homework for a month?”

Joe groaned theatrically, but nodded. He was wearing a grey U Chicago hoodie today. “Fine. Okay. But you’re gonna have to learn that shit eventually, I can’t take the MCAT for you.”

“Deal.” Ben bumped his knuckles against Joe’s.

“Batter up,” Joe heralded in his best mock-umpire voice, grinning at me expectantly, drumming the table with his palms. “Go Baby Swan, go! What will she choose? Will she continue with the nautical theme? Will she change it up, maybe switch to beloved Chicago landmarks? Baseball or food? Will she invent a variety of pizza even more despicable than pineapple?”

“Hm.” I flipped to a fresh notebook page, scratched my temple with the eraser end of the pencil, then quickly sketched a picture for Ben. “Okay, I’m ready.” I showed the drawing to Ben while everyone else covered their eyes.

Ben shook his head, scowling. “You’ll have to try again. I have no idea what that is.”

“Really?!” I checked the picture again. Okay, it definitely didn’t belong in the Louvre or anything, but it was lifelike enough to be decipherable. “You don’t recognize it? At all?”

“No,” Ben replied flatly.

From behind his shielded eyes, Rami scanned through the images in Ben’s mind. He dropped his hands onto the table. “SpongeBob?!”

“Who...?” Ben ventured.

Everyone else looked too. “Oh yeah, that’s definitely SpongeBob,” Joe said, then chuckled. “Aww, Baby Swan, you even remembered his little necktie!”

“It’s so cute!” Lucy trilled.

Ben just stared at the picture, blinking, completely lost, increasingly morose. And now there was a new guest at the table; or maybe not a new one, maybe just a quiet one, something that perched on the ledge of every conversation and field of vision just waiting to tap its claws against the wall and make its presence known: that interminable reminder of Ben’s unconventional past life, of how incomparable his vampiric upbringing was to those of the rest of the Lee kids.

“Benny Boy, you’ve never seen SpongeBob?” Joe inquired gently. “No problem. We’ll have a marathon tonight. I have the entire series on DVD. Also several Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy action figures.”

Scarlett snorted. “This is why you’ve been single since Hoover was president.”

“I wasn’t single the whole time,” Joe corrected.

“Oh, really?” Not that I’m interested, my voice suggested. I was a total liar. I was super interested. Thank the great deity that Rami and Ben couldn’t read me like a restaurant menu. Today’s specials are Being In Love With Someone Wildly Inappropriate for $15.99, and also Lamenting My Own Lack Of Sexual Experience for $11.99. Oh, and clam chowder.

“He had a couple of...what would you call them?” Scarlett combed her elegant fingers through her voluminous blonde hair. “What’s the modern vernacular? Fuck buddies? Booty calls? Netflix and chill partners?”

My stomach lurched; I nonchalantly buried my fork in a mountain of guacamole and left it there. I kept my lips turned up into a smile like a mask. Of course he’s loved other people. Duh. He’s hot and immortal. Get over it. But that didn’t calm my pounding heartbeat at all, didn’t soothe that sudden and irrational melancholy.

“Whoa whoa whoa, okay, you’re making it sound way worse than it was,” Joe protested, glancing at me nervously.

Scarlett continued: “It wasn’t serious, whatever it was. None of them would have cared about your action figure collection or obsession with a city you haven’t lived in for fifty years. It wasn’t your personality they wanted. Thank god.”

Oh this is bad, I thought helplessly. How am I ever going to be able to compete with the memory of countless gorgeous vampire girlfriends?

“Uh, ScarJo, you’re single too.” And Joe’s nickname for her was strangely apt; Scarlett could pass for Scarlett Johansson’s younger, blonder, much hotter sister. And Scarlett Johansson, in case you’re somehow unaware, is already pretty fucking hot.

Scarlett flashed a grin. “Entirely by choice.”

“And much to Mercy’s eternal and profound concern,” Lucy told me. “She stages an intervention at least twice a month. Did I overhear one last week, Scarlett?”

“Oh jesus, yeah. I was like, ‘Mom, what the hell do I need a husband for? I have my own money. I can fix household appliances. I have a vibrator. I’m good to go.’”

Joe rocked back in his chair, howling. “You did not tell Mom that!”

“I did. She was so distraught. She just kind of pinched her eyes shut and shuddered and then went out back to feed the alpacas.”

“Scarlett, babe,” Rami managed between gales of laughter. “A vibrator isn’t going to keep you company for all of eternity. It’s not a suitable substitute for a life partner.”

“You’re right. It’s even better. It’ll never abandon or disappoint me. Assuming I keep the batteries fresh, of course.”

“Oh my god,” Lucy giggled into her hands.

“She’s not wrong,” I said, shrugging, sipping my Diet Coke.

And Joe peered over at me, surprised, intrigued, slowly raising his thin dark eyebrows. I winked back. Yeah, okay, I’ve never slept with someone. But that doesn’t mean I’ve never had an orgasm.

“Ah, loud thoughts! Loud thoughts! Joe, please!” Rami moaned, pressing his balled fists to his forehead.

Ben smirked. “There’s a color I’ve never seen from you before, Joe.”

“This family is the worst!” Joe exploded.

“I like that girl,” Scarlett decided, signaling to me with glossy maroon fingernails. “She can stay.”

Joe sighed, flustered, then shook it off as he turned to me. “You coming over tonight?”

“I can’t spend every night at your house petting alpacas, mob guy.”

“Yeah?” he asked, smiling, draping his arm around the back of my chair. “Why not?”

“Well, my tonight-specific reason is that I’m visiting a friend.”

“Cool. Your friends are my friends. Can I visit too?”

“You’re aware that you’re a legit stalker, right?” But actually, Archer was dying to meet Joe: the loud Lee, the approachable Lee, the Lee who I definitely liked more than a Tinder swipe could ever convey. This could work. “Offer to buy dinner and you can come.”

“I’m a walking Visa, baby.”

Ben stood, hauled on his backpack, gathered up his trash to throw away. “I need a smoke break before Chem. See you guys later.”

“Don’t forget!” Joe called after him. “SpongeBob marathon starts at 8! I’ll bring the Milk Duds!”

And when Ben disappeared through the doors, a solemn hush descended over the table.

“Poor guy,” Lucy said softly. The other Lees nodded.

And again, I recalled what Joe had told me in Gwil’s office, what he had said when I asked how Ben came to join the Lee family. He was assigned to us, to be the liaison to our coven. And Gwil saw something in him. Potential, suffering, unrealized decency, I don’t know. But Gwil worked on him for years, trying to convince Ben to leave the Draghi when his contract was up and come live with us. To give a peaceful life a try. And to be honest, Ben never seemed interested. But something must have resonated with him, because we opened the front door on October 15th, 2016 and he was sitting on the steps of our porch with a single suitcase, puffing on that fucking vape pen and watching the storm clouds roll in off the Pacific Ocean.

But why would they just let him leave? I had asked, tracing my fingertips over the uncanny and magnificent faces in that painting. Why would they let him live?

Because they know how valuable he is. And because they think they can get him back.

“I think he’s a good person,” I said, breaking the silence. “You know. Underneath the whole being raised to be a killing machine thing.”

“Yeah,” Rami replied, frowning thoughtfully. “Just try not to spend too much time alone with him.”

Car Jacks And Sneak Attacks

“Joe, this is Archer James Foxchild, my first-ever best friend.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Joe said, shaking Archer’s oil-stained hand. “I understand you are really good at making mud pies and poking dead animals with sticks.”

Archer chuckled. “It’s true. We found a shark tooth down at La Push one time and I convinced Baby Swan here that it was from a sea monster. She had nightmares for months. Charlie called my dad over it and I got my Game Boy taken away.”

“No!” Joe gasped in horror. “Were you a Pokémon guy?”

“For sure.”

“Ruby or Sapphire?”

“Emerald.”

Joe grinned. “This dude knows what’s up.”

“And to think, my grandpa tried to tell me that you guys were freaks,” Archer replied.

“Well,” Joe conceded. “Not all of us.”

“Maybe you two should start dating,” I said. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just sit in my Honda and eat my Taco Bell cheese quesadillas and Cinnamon Twists and try not to interrupt all the sex.”

“Yes, you brought Taco Bell,” Archer sighed euphorically. “Give me five minutes, I just gotta finish rotating these tires real quick.” He jogged to the other end of the garage, knelt beside a Ford Mustang that was propped up on a jack, and starting twisting off lug nuts with a tire iron.

“You have a nice place here,” Joe observed, strolling around the small garage with his hands in the front pocket of his U Chicago hoodie, eyeing the fractures in the concrete floor and the spidering cracks in the windows. “You have any investors?”

“Are you kidding?!” Archer replied from the Mustang. “No, man, it’s just me. I rent for now, but at some point I’ll buy my own shop. Once I’ve saved up enough. A great big one with shiny new equipment and no mice squeaking behind the walls.”

“What’s your cash flow like?”

“I’m netting around three grand a month after taxes.”

“Not bad!” Joe noted admiringly.

“Yeah. It’s a hustle, but I love it.”

“Hey, I don’t know if you’d be interested—and absolutely no pressure if you’re not, really—but I do a lot of work with start-ups and I’d love to help you get into your own shop. By this Christmas, preferably. If we can work out a deal.”

“Really?!” Archer peeked incredulously over the hood of the Mustang.

“Absolutely.”

Archer beamed at me. “This guy is willing to drop serious cash to look good in front of you. You should probably marry him. No prenup though.”

I held my pinky out towards Joe, grinning. “No more sad prenups.”

He laughed and hooked my pinky with his. “Bankrupt me, bitch.”

I heard the metallic clang of a lug nut hitting the concrete floor and rolling under the Mustang. “Come back here, you bastard,” Archer muttered, then dropped to his stomach and crawled beneath the car.

“Hey, kid, be careful,” I fretted, crossing my arms across my chest and taking a step closer.

“Relax, Baby Swan, I am a professional, changing a tire for me is like feeding a fish for you, so just chill and keep fantasizing about those Cinnamon Twists—”

There was a squeal of metal as the car jack collapsed and the Mustang came crashing down. In a fraction of a second—faster than I could see him moving, faster than I could loose a scream—Joe had soared across the garage, yanked Archer out from beneath the falling Mustang, and dragged him to the center of the room.

“Oh fuck,” Archer wheezed, his dark eyes huge and fascinated and horrified. “Grandpa was right.”

I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)

We rolled up to the Lee house in my 1999 Honda Accord just as I polished off the last of my Cinnamon Twists and Archer chewed, tentatively and dazedly, on a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. The sun was beginning to set in a clouded sky that perpetually threatened rain.

He asked Joe for the fifth time from the back seat: “But wait, seriously, no one is going to eat me, right? Because I’m too young to die. I haven’t taken enough vacations yet. I can’t die without seeing Hawaii. I want to swim with the sea turtles.”

“No, none of us have ever eaten people. Well, almost none of us. Maybe stay away from Ben.”

“I would like a little more exposition,” Archer replied, blanching.

“Hey, if you stay until 8, you guys can join us for the SpongeBob marathon!”

Gwil and Mercy were waiting on the front porch, thanks to Joe’s ‘hey I accidentally exposed myself as a paranormal being and now we have a new friend, plz don’t be mad okay love you see you soon!1!!’ text.

“Welcome, sweetheart!” Mercy fussed, enfolding Archer into her arms as soon as he stepped out of the Honda. “Would you like some hummingbird cake? I just baked it this morning. And maybe some sweet tea too. And some peanut butter cookies. And banana pudding.”

“Sure,” he responded, bewildered. This lady does not seem like a bloodsucking demon, that voice said. And he was absolutely right.

“I’ll fix you up a tray,” Mercy promised, and hurried into the house.

“We’re so very happy to have you, Mr. Foxchild.” Gwil shook Archer’s hand firmly. “We don’t get many visitors around here. I’m sure you understand why.”

“My grandpa always insisted that there was something off about you guys. Especially you, Dr. Lee. Said you shouldn’t still be around.”

“Yes, I imagine that would have been disconcerting for him. He must have remembered us from the 1940s...that’s the last time we settled down in Forks. It’s not often that someone recognizes us after so long, but it happens. It was just Mercy and me and Rami and Joe back then. And look how far we’ve come.” Gwil beamed warmly, then turned to Joe. “But really, son, you’re going to have to stop telling humans about us.”

“Hold up, I was not responsible for her!” Joe exclaimed, waving at me. “Take it up with Ben!”

The garage door rumbled open and Scarlett sauntered out, wiping her filthy hands with a rag. She halted abruptly, stood there in her high-waisted vintage jeans and black crop top and bare feet with maroon-colored toenails, tilted her head and pondered Archer with an innocent sort of curiosity that I hadn’t seen from her before.

“Wait,” Archer said, gaping. “Is that...is that an Aston Martin Vantage in there?!”

“You bet,” Scarlett replied. “You want to learn how to work on it?”

“Uh, hell to the yeah!” He trotted over and they vanished into the garage together.

“Huh,” Joe muttered, watching them. “She was nice to him. Very weird.” He whirled back to me. “Anyway, come on. I promised you an education in classic rock music. And I shall deliver.”

Joe’s bedroom was a chaotic jumble of economics textbooks and Chicago Cubs paraphernalia and U Chicago apparel and action figures and comic books and classic rock posters. There was a massive Italian flag tacked to the wall above his bed. But what caught my attention immediately was a life-sized cardboard cutout of Ben lurking in the corner by a bookshelf full of cassette tapes.

“How is there any possible logical explanation for that?” I asked, pointing.

“Oh, that! That was a joke. When Ben first showed up, he pretty much lived in his room and never came out. Gwil was worried. Mercy was heartbroken. So I made a cardboard cutout of him and would bring it to family activities and do this really deep and seductive Ben voice when I pretended to have conversations with him. It gave the whole situation some levity...and I think Ben secretly liked that we missed him enough to make an artificial version to fill the void.”

“So this bitchy, brooding, blood-craving Ben I met is actually a drastic improvement?”

“Oh, Baby Swan,” Joe confided, almost sadly. “You have no idea what he was like four years ago.”

“I’m glad he has you. All of you. That he has a chance to get better.”

“I think you might be good for him too. Seeing a human as a real person instead of a walking, talking Hi-C juice box. And you care about him, don’t you? Despite everything.”

“Of course. It’s not his fault they taught him to be a monster.”

Joe just looked at me for a while, and then he cradled my face with one hand and grazed a thumb across my cheek “You’re never going to stop saying things that knock me into next week, are you?”

“Joe...” I hesitated, laying my hand over his. His skin was smooth and yielding yet strong, cool yet not unnaturally so. Refreshing. Safe. Fan-fucking-tastic. Oh noooooo. “Are we a thing?”

“Why? Do you want to be a thing?”

“Oh, uh, no, I was just wondering if we were.”

He stepped away, teasing me with a crooked smirk. “...So you don’t want to be a thing?”

“What would that entail?”

“Well...we’d be an official thing, you and me.” He shot finger guns at me, and then towards himself. “Which means you can’t be a thing with anyone else. And neither can I.”

“Ahhh, I see. So this thing is an exclusive thing.”

“Will you shut up and just admit that you’d totally be thrilled to be a thing with me?”

“Fine. Whatever. We’re a thing.”

“Nice.” He high-fived me.

“This is the most romantic moment of my life.”

“But wait, there’s more.” He went to the bookshelf, browsed through his cassette tape collection, found the one he wanted and popped it into a boombox that was probably older than I was. The frantic opening piano notes of I’d Do Anything For Love poured out.

“Meat Loaf,” I said in disbelief. “Really. This is the product of your superior taste in music. This is the culmination of over a century of musical experience. Meat Loaf.”

“The man is a genius!”

“This is all an elaborate joke about my vegetarianism, isn’t it?”

“No,” Joe mused. “But now that you mention it, I have yet another reason to force you to appreciate this song.” He took my hand in his, spun me around like a ballerina in a slow and careful circle, sang along—with extreme and dramatic enthusiasm—to the music.

“And I would do anything for love

I'd run right into hell and back

I would do anything for love

I'd never lie to you and that's a fact...”

“I don’t dance,” I cautioned him, laying a palm against his chest to catch my balance. That brisk, comforting scent of pine and snow and peppermint was everywhere. It feels like I can’t stand to be away from him. Like I’ll never get close enough. “I am terribly uncoordinated. I will step all over your feet. And I’m really not sure if I can trust you. You didn’t even know the plural form of octopus until like eighteen hours ago. You’re kind of a disaster. A, you know, uh, unexpectedly charming, unconventionally super cute, kind of bizarrely enchanting disaster.”

“Yeah,” Joe whispered, smiling, tilting up my chin, leaning in to kiss me. “I like you too.”

Cato

He came out of the oak trees like a ghost, pushing aside massive chandeliers of Spanish moss that blotted out the dusk sun, his expensive shoes sloshing in the marshy water that flooded the rice field. He was wearing a full suit, but no top hat; his hair was black and chin-length and wild around his face. And at first I thought he was a hallucination, a dream conjured by heat sickness or those first dreaded signs of malaria. He was unnervingly, uncommonly beautiful; beautiful like a hurricane, beautiful like lightning or an eclipse. But he was real. I straightened up as I watched him approach, my back aching in protest, a basket full of seedlings slung over my shoulder.

“Mr. Cato.”

His voice, clear and beckoning and twisted by an accent I’d never heard before, rang in my skull like church bells. He called me mister. This white man called me mister.

“Yes sir?” And I almost added: You want to be careful there, sir. The water moccasins like to hide among the tree roots, especially when the sun starts going down. But I had an inexplicable feeling that this man wasn’t afraid of things like snakes. Maybe the snakes should be afraid of him.

“Mr. Cato,” he said again, this time to himself, very quietly, tasting it.

I kept trying to look away, to disentangle my gaze from him like a hook out of a sturgeon’s mouth, because staring piercingly and astonished at a white man like that in the rice swamps of South Carolina in 1851 could get me beaten or the lash, could get my teeth pried right out of my jaw. But it didn’t seem to bother him. He grinned, hugely, all-knowingly, under prehistoric golden eyes like an alligator’s. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. And he was proud.

“Do you want to be free?” he asked, almost hissed, still grinning from the tree line.

What kind of question was that? Did a sandpiper want to fly? Did a coyote want dirt under its paws and flesh disappearing down its throat? But that wasn’t something you ever confessed aloud, not if you wanted your feet on the ground instead of swinging ten inches above it. But this man wasn’t a master, wasn’t an overseer. He wasn’t from the South. He didn’t carry a whip or a club to remind you of the rules of the world. He stood there tall and radiant in the shadows of the fading daylight like he was the one who wrote the rules to begin with; which meant that maybe he could change them. “Yes sir.”

“I can only take you,” the man warned. “No others. No family. No friends.”

“No trouble, sir,” I told him. “They sold my family. They hanged my friends.”

The man’s grin stretched wider under glinting eyes. His canine teeth were sharp, I realized: like a coyote’s, like a snake’s fangs. He held out his hand. “We are going to get along very well, you and I.”

I let the basket fall from my shoulder. I slogged through the mud and rows of wispy verdant rice plants to meet him in the shade of the oak trees. And there, for the first time in forever, a man with skin the color of bones looked me dead in the eye and shook my scarred hand.

“Welcome, Cato,” he whispered; and I was home.

He took my face in his cool palms, gingerly, reverently, like a lover. He touched his teeth to my throat. And every nerve ending in my body flooded with wildfire as he dragged me, screaming, into the depths of the forest.

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