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#then they’re not going to want to change their eating habits
samaspic31 · 6 months
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What if i just gave up instead of fighting to figure out how to “earn a living” out of art or even any fucking field and have habits as ethical as i can in this hellscape of a world where the only thing rewarded is ownership and cruelty. What if
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fleshdyke · 9 months
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ahdhaoegheiegsh
#sui and sh and ed warning for tags#it’s so insane to me how easy it is to fall back in. like it happens so so so quickly. it’s so scary#like. there’s just this very deep rooted fear in me that my friends don’t like me. it’s my biggest fear and i feel like it’s true for real#this time. like i’m so so so confident that they don’t like me anymore. more so than i’ve ever been before#and it’s just making it so fucking easy to fall back into old habits. you know. like i don’t particularly want to be anorexic to get thinner#at this point. i want to be anorexic so people will notice and worry and pay attention to me#like i feel so so so forgettable. and that’s just my worst fear bc that’s what i’ve been my entire life and i finally thought things were#different. like it’s such a stupid thing to get upset about but like when they don’t eat lunch with me or when they didn’t even bother to#look for me during the last assembly of the year and just went to sit on their own#or when we go to walk somewhere as a group and they leave me behind. like please pay attention to me please don’t make me feel like i’m as#forgettable as i am. please#like if i didn’t know better i’d kill myself to get them to notice me again. notice me more than just a smile and a nod in the halls#like sometimes i want to just stop talking and see how long it would take for them to notice. how long it would take for them to worry#like every time i feel like i’ve found someone that actually likes me and wants to be around me. they always end up getting tired of me#and i’m just always in a cycle of waiting for them to realize they hate me and being ripped apart when they do. and every time i feel this#sort of smugness or i told you so ness because they did eventually leave just like i said they would. and it’s an awful good feeling#it hurts so much but god i was right i was always right#and i think i’ve accepted that this is always going to be part of who i am. people are always going to hate me no matter how much i try#no matter what i change to make them stay they’re always going to leave. i just wasn’t built for forever i guess. i long for someone to stay#so so so bad but i think i’m just always going to be broken like this. i’m always going to be lonely and there’s nothing i can do about that#and i want to be hospitalized i want to almost die from something self inflicted because at this point it feels like that’s the only way i’m#ever going to get anyone to care. i don’t want to die but i want to get somewhere close to it#idk. i want to bleed out or collapse from malnutrition or be found after an attempt bc hurting is so much easier when you have a reason to#rambles#vent
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corroded-hellfire · 25 days
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Fic request idea baby: what about Eddie with a gf who used to have an ED but she's doing better now but he notices that she's starting to relapse like skipping meals and he brings it up to her and just angst to fluff
+ Hey if ur taking requests:
what about if Effie's gf randomly stops changing in front of him like she's getting into pj and she goes to the bathroom and then starts asking for the lights to be off during sex and he's super confused and asks her about it and basically angst bc she's trying to hide it but may be she had a slip during ED recovery?
+ Hi lovie a lil request! What about Eddie with a gf whose in eating disorder recovery like she used to struggle but it's been a few years since then and she's don't just fine but he notices she's starting to relapse?
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These three requests seemed to overlap just perfectly. The beautiful and talented @munson-blurbs was kind enough to write these with me so go shower her with all the love 💚
Warnings: eating disorders, body image issues, relapse struggles. Please, if you want or need to talk to somebody, I'm always here.
Words: 1.5k
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You’re fairly certain you’re living on the sun’s surface. 
Logic would say that you haven’t left Hawkins, but the temperature outside begs to differ. 
“Christ, it’s like 1,000 degrees in here,” Eddie mumbles, cracking open a cold can of Pepsi and taking a swig. He plants a kiss on your forehead, careful not to disturb your reading. 
You smile but keep your nose buried in the bridal magazine Nancy had bought for you. Page after page of wedding dresses had you swimming in a sea of white, each more beautiful—and expensive—than the last. 
Oh, well. At least it would give you an idea of what to look for at your bridal appointment in a few weeks. 
What truly caught your eye was an article tucked towards the back of the magazine. Its title boldly declares, “Shedding for the Wedding: Lose that Weight and Look Great!” 
You shouldn’t read it. It’ll only upset you, only bring back the bad thoughts and routines and restrictions that you’d fought so hard to overcome. And yet you’re drawn to it, eyes scanning each fad diet for one that might help you. 
No. Yes. No. Yes. Put the magazine down. Stop reading the diet tips and comparing yourself to the models. 
But they’re so pretty and so skinny. If Eddie saw them, he might not even want to marry you anymore. Not when he saw how beautiful women were supposed to look in wedding dresses. 
Maybe losing a few pounds wouldn’t hurt. One diet couldn’t be so bad. It would be temporary, just until the wedding. 
It was totally fine. 
“What are we thinking for dinner tonight, babe?” Eddie rifles through the pantry and pulls out two boxes of pasta. “We have bowties and rigatoni. I’m personally more of a bowtie man myself, but it’s your call.”
You shake your head. “I’m good. Just gonna have some soup.” Reaching around him, you pluck a can of Progresso off of the shelf. 
“Soup?” Eddie wrinkles his nose in confusion. “It’s hotter than Satan’s tits outside.”
You shrug, trying to play it off casually. “Period craving.”
“You’re not on your period.”
“Well, PMS.”
Something nags at you—if you have to hide your new soup diet from your husband-to-be, maybe it’s not a good idea. Maybe you should put the can away and make pasta instead. But then you remember those gorgeous models, so svelte and sculpted and perfect. 
Soup it is. 
It’s harder to ignore the problem as more symptoms of the illness start to return. The first time you’d gathered up your pajamas and taken them into the bathroom with you, Eddie just assumed you were going to take a shower. When you emerged with bone-dry hair not two minutes later, he was puzzled. But he didn’t say anything, not wanting to come across as overprotective or overbearing. Maybe there was some simple excuse and he didn’t want to make you feel like you have to answer to him about every little thing. 
Eddie can’t ignore that there’s a problem anymore when you slip back into one of your old habits that has always broken his heart. Sex was now lights off and you kept your shirt on. Eddie wanted to see every part of you, touch every part of you. He was going to be your husband and the fact that you didn’t want him to see this part of you—that he has made very clear in the past that he fucking loves—disheartens him. 
Stress begins to build up within Eddie. He feels like he’s toeing the line because he doesn’t want to sound accusatory, but he also knows something is going on with you. And he has a pretty good idea of what it is. You try to hide how you pinch at your stomach and thighs, but he sees. The way you measure your wrists with your fingers all throughout the day. He wonders if you even realize you’re doing it, or if it’s reflexive at this point. 
Though you never mention it, you always have your green journal around the kitchen. Eddie respects your privacy enough not to go through it, but reaching for the keys over your shoulder one evening he notices that you’re making a list of what you’ve eaten that day. His stomach sinks as yet another familiar pattern emerges from the days when your disorder was at its worst. Your fiancé is coming closer to his breaking point and he still doesn’t know what to do or even who to go to about this. 
The final straw though is when you turn down girls’ night with Nancy and Robin at the Cheesecake Factory. You lived for nights out with your two best friends. They knew you almost as well as Eddie did though, so he knew you wouldn’t be able to sit down at a restaurant with them and bullshit your way out of not eating a proper meal like you should. 
Eddie knows now he has to say something. Anything, really. When you walk out of your shared bedroom in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, Eddie chews on his bottom lip as he mentally prepares for the conversation he knows needs to happen. 
The moment you sit down on the couch, Eddie sits next to you. You reach for the remote but your hand doesn’t even make it to the piece of plastic before Eddie speaks.
“Can we, um, talk?”
“About what?” you ask, sitting back against the couch cushions. 
Your fiancé leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He rubs his hands together and his tongue pokes out of his pouty pink lips like it does whenever he’s concentrating on something. 
“I’m worried about you, babe,” he finally says. “You’re not yourself.” 
Eddie doesn’t miss the way you reflexively shrink in on yourself.
“I’m just stressed with wedding stuff,” you say. 
“That’s why you didn’t hang out with Nancy and Robin?” Eddie asks, raising his eyebrows. 
“Mhm.”
“And all the pinching and not eating and not wanting me to see you naked? Is that because of wedding stress, too?”
You turn away from him and pull your knees to your chest, but he moves to face you again. “Baby, I know something’s wrong. And the last time I saw you like this, it was because…”
“I told you, I’m fine,” you snap. “I’m just stressed. Maybe if you spent more time helping me plan and less time planning stupid campaigns for a game you played back in high school, you’d understand.”
The accusation is unfair, and you know it. Sure, you’ve been doing most of the planning, but he’s been there every step of the way.
Eddie winces at your harsh tone. He looks like he has a rebuttal but gives up after a moment “Fine. Let’s just go to bed.”
Guilt from your outburst wracks your body and holds sleep hostage. After tossing and turning for a little while, you hear soft cries coming from Eddie’s side of the bed. 
“Eds?” Your heart leaps into your chest. “What’s going on?” You give him a hug from behind, latching on like a koala to a tree trunk until he turns to face you. 
Even in the darkness, you can see the way his eyes shine with tears. “I know you relapsed and…and I don’t know what to do,” he manages through his sobs. “I don’t know how to help, so I just stand there like a goddamn idiot, but I can’t keep pretending like nothing’s wrong! I can’t keep pretending that you’re not hurting yourself!”
He knew. The whole time you thought you’d been protecting him from the truth, and he knew. 
You wipe at his cheeks, feeling the moisture on your palms. “I’m sorry.”
Eddie shakes his head. “‘S not your fault, I know it’s not, but…you need to get help for this. I can’t lose my girl.” He presses his lips to your forehead and lets them linger there, holding you as tightly as he can. “Please. Please.”
No. You need to lose weight. You need to look good; no, perfect in your dress. All eyes are going to be on you, and you can’t show a single flaw. 
The argument sits on your tongue, defensiveness ready to spring into action. But then you see his brokenness, his vulnerability as he unabashedly wears his heart on his sleeve. 
Skinny. Skinnier. Skinniest. 
But then—Eddie. 
Eddie, who laid his heart out for you. Who let down the walls he’d spent years building just so he could receive your love. Who felt your pain despite your best attempts to shield him from it. 
Maybe you weren’t ready to get better for yourself, but until you were, you could do it for him. 
You nod, pulling back and kissing him softly. “I will. I promise. First thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll wake you up the moment the sun rises.”
At this, you have to let out a small laugh. “The therapy clinic doesn’t open until nine.”
Eddie cradles your face in his calloused palms, leaning in to gently kiss your nose. “Then I’ll wake you up at nine.”
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bangtanflirt · 6 months
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(Un)natural Instincts (Part 8)
*Series taglist is closed.
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angst, fluff, smut
Pairings: OT7 x Fem Reader, Human CEO Reader, Human Assistant Yoongi, Wolf Hybrids Joon, Jin, Hobi, Jimin, Tae, and Kook.
Basic premise: You and your assistant end up rescuing six wolf hybrids. No part of the process is easy.
Part 1 > Part 2 > Part 3 > Part 4 > Part 5 > Part 6 > Part 7 > Part 8 > Part 9
General Warnings: Hybrid abuse and lab experimentation, hybrids as second-class citizens/owned property (Minors DNI, 18+ content)
Specific Warnings: pretty mild smut with references to past group sex (consensual), sexual aversion due to past trauma, ptsd, panic attack
____
Jimin makes his way through the maze of a house, scent-tracking locked on the youngest caretaker hybrid until he’s led right to the door. He knocks softly, waiting for Taehyung's permission. Jimin looks at the scene, first in awe at what his packmate is capable of, but following with concern immediately after.
“That looks incredible, Tae.”
Taehyung says nothing, simply locked in on what he’s creating.
“But is it alright for you to be doing this? Your knuckles, aren’t they still healing?”
The hybrid winces at the mention of his knuckles.
“They’re fine” is all he mutters under his breath. His knuckles were almost healed by now, thanks to you insisting on bandaging them up on his first day. The wolf had also started eating meals on his own again, but it was hard for others to tell if the wounds were healing when they’ve been hidden under bandages for so long—making his pack unsure if he was actually in less pain or just trying not to show it.
It was a primary concern Namjoon had, one that would have kept him from sharing this idea with Taehyung at all. Namjoon knows better than anyone how Taehyung thinks, how defensive he would get at the mention of his knuckles at that moment. The last thing the young hybrid would want is another reminder of a time he messed up—another time he couldn’t measure up to his caretaking duties the way the other two do. The Alpha had to be crafty in his earlier check-in:
“Hi Tae,” he looks down past the hybrid’s face, “oof, let me see those hands.”
Taehyung shamefully puts his hands up for his Alpha to take in,
“I told you biting your claws isn’t a good habit.”
He had taken the wolf’s hands under the guise of checking his over-bitten fingernails, grazing his knuckles with just enough pressure to make Taehyung squirm if he was actually in pain. It’s only when his pup didn’t show any sign of hurt did the Alpha propose his plan. Ever so tactfully.
And if their Alpha was in the room right now, he’d no doubt glare at Jimin, before changing the conversation. But Namjoon is out on his walk, and Jimin doesn’t know any better.
“Are you sure? Can I see under the banda—”
“I said it was fine. I know how to take care of myself hyung.” The annoyance in his tone clear as day.
Jimin shrinks, not understanding why his gesture of concern is being met with such hostility.
“I just want to make sure they’re healing properly.”
Taehyung turns around to face his packmate, eyes mirthless, “Knuckle strikes stop hurting by the sixth day, but you wouldn’t know that, would you? You’ve never been the one who gets hit. Now, if you could leave, that’d be great. I need to finish this.”
Jimin closes the door with pursed lips, unable to say much. It didn’t go unnoticed that Taehyung was slowly putting a distance between them (and Jin) ever since the orange juice fiasco, but to explicitly hear something so close to “fuck off” was jarring. Although the pack was close before the lab, it was Jimin and Taehyung who were always a little closer to each other. They were the ones getting scolded together, bickering over the dumbest things, and cuddling the closest at night—the others would say that the two had a bond more inseparable than a pack bond. But all that changed during training. Instead of both getting scolded by their Alpha for some mischievous prank gone wrong, it was now only Taehyung getting punished. And this time not with Namjoon’s stern words, but with strangers in white coats picking him apart mentally and physically, until the only thing he could do was wail against the cold floors of the time-out rooms.
Jimin would try to teach him, would spend hours helping Taehyung understand how to properly hold a kitchen knife or cradle a bundle-of-blankets as a makeshift baby. But there was no improvement, his clumsiness and boyish nature would always get in the way of training. There was only so much the two older ones could do to help, especially when their pup would get frustrated quickly and give up until the researchers came to dish out punishment. It would hurt, watching him get tortured over and over again, but at some point, the hormones shifted their priorities, making them turn a blind eye—just as everyone did with Hoseok’s food portions.
Jimin knows it’s selfish to act like him and Taehyung are still the same inseparable pair, to approach him with contrived obliviousness, but he can’t help it. It’s easier to think this way. To think they are still strong in their love for each other.
“You okay?” The voice almost causes Jimin to jump back, before seeing the source.
Yoongi, with furrowed brows as he looks into the hybrid’s glossy eyes. Jimin doesn’t even notice that he’s tearing up, hands intervening quickly to wipe them away.
“Yeah.” He doesn’t stay around for conversation, hurrying away to the hybrid room.
It’s just as Jimin’s walking away that Jungkook comes into view. He only saw the last second of the interaction, with Jimin wiping away his tears, but he gathers everything he needs to know.
“What did you say to Jimin hyung?” The tone is accusatory, causing Yoongi to put his hands up in defense.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I don’t believe you. You seem good at making people cry.”
Ouch.
Yoongi may be human and he may be your guest, but Jungkook doesn’t see why he has to keep being obedient and polite to someone his owner isn’t even on good terms with. Still, it’s the first time since after training that he’s talked to a human with such an attitude, and he himself is caught by surprise. It’s ever so slight, but still a peek into his old self—the wild Jungkook with a sharp tongue and bristling personality.
“Okay, I deserve that, but he came out of that room and started crying. I don’t know what happened.”
Jungkook eyes the door, heightening his senses and focusing. Taehyung’s sour scent emanates strong enough for the wolf to put the pieces together. It’s not the first time Taehyung and Jimin’s scents started souring around each other, but it’s a topic Jungkook doesn’t dare touch with a ten-foot pole.
“Sorry” he mumbles.
___
Jimin doesn’t get to cry into the bed like he was hoping to—because there’s already someone else crying there.
“Hyung?” It’s a soft whisper, but it prompts Hoseok to look up with puffy red eyes. He doesn’t try to hide the tears as Jimin comes closer. Jimin situates himself under the blanket, keeping a small gap between the two bodies.
“Hyung, talk to me please” it’s as much of a plea for Hoseok’s sake as it is for his own, not thinking he can handle being turned away from two of his packmates in a row.
Luckily, Hoseok doesn’t snap at him or push him away, instead staring with imploring eyes. Your words ring in his mind.
Hoseok, no more lying. Whatever’s on your mind, you have to be honest and let us help you.
Whether or not you meant it as one, it’s a command to him.
“I can’t stop thinking about the stuff they made me do at the lab. It’s like every five minutes my mind goes back there again. Before, I could just disassociate and jam it all into one part of my brain, but that’s getting harder to do ever since the collar came off. Now every time I even blink, I think about those people…how they would use me…and I feel so dirty Jimin. I try to scrub it all off in the shower, the feeling of filth, but no matter how hard I scrub, it doesn’t go away.”
Jimin doesn’t respond—doesn’t know how to respond. Instead, he opens up his arms, slightly reaching out but still not touching the older wolf, just in case he doesn’t want it. But Hoseok’s quick to roll into his packmate’s arms, pressing his head against the brunette’s chest as his hands come to hold him tight. Jimin feels his shirt getting soaked through, tears staining the light blue cotton. The two stay intertwined for a moment, with Jimin’s hands massaging through Hoseok’s hair until the crying turns into soft sniffles. It’s then when Hoseok pulls slightly away, making eye contact with Jimin, with an expression the younger wolf can’t quite read.
“You…you can fix me.”
Jimin’s face contorts in surprise, but Hoseok stands firm in his statement.
Of course. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? If anyone can help me, it’s Jimin.
Jimin, who, before all the training and experiments, had the biggest appetite for sexual intimacy. The one who would cling onto each packmate and beg to feel them every chance he got, make their good days better and bad days bearable—all with lustful words and sensual touches.
“You can make me forget them…can replace those memories. If anyone can remind me how good it feels to be touched again, it’s you.”
Jimin looks into Hoseok’s eyes, seeing more hope than he has for a while.
Is it really that simple?
Jimin thinks back to pre-lab days, when that is exactly how he would console his hyung. There’s been many days when Jimin’s eagerly used his body to dull down Hoseok’s anxious scent…is it really no different this time, even after everything?
“We can try” Jimin concludes, untangling himself from Hoseok to lock the door, not wanting any interruptions if this is to be done right.
He dips back into the bed, gently pulling his hyung to sit up, until he can comfortably sit on his lap. It’s all a little rusty to Jimin, who’s had his mind focused too much homemaking to feel sexy in a while, but he’s hoping it’ll come back to him.
“You have to stop me if it gets too much. Promise?”
Hoseok nods, but Jimin makes him say it out loud before diving in for the first kiss.
The kiss feels novel, with both of them chasing after the other’s soft lips. It’s not long before it turns hungry and deep—noses touching and soft whimpers being spilled into each others' mouths. Hoseok, surprisingly, isn’t thinking about the lab at all. He’s thinking about nothing except the man on top of him, reveling in the way Jimin’s tongue sneaks into the mix.
Jimin’s losing himself too, getting back into the groove of his old self, gently rocking his hips as he gets comfortable, fingers snaking back into his lover’s hair—almost about to kiss down before remembering the bandages. It's been over three months since he's felt love like this, and his body's been yearning for it more than his mind even knew. Each second of the kiss reminds him of his old self: the way he'd be at the center of his packmates' passion-filled endeavors, always begging for everyone's attention. They'd give in easily, spoiling him, filling him up just right as he was passed around between warm bodies. It's a feeling he doesn't know how he's lasted so long without.
Everything's good until it isn’t.
Good until Hoseok feels Jimin’s length poking through, while his own is still soft and unable to stir up. Good until the other man’s hardness triggers the faces of ten random research participants who had their hard lengths pressed against him in the same way. Instead of going away, the memories come back more vivid than ever. Suddenly he wants to vomit.
“St-stop!”
Everything stills. Jimin snaps out of his lustful gaze in a second, face scrunching up as Hoseok’s vanilla scent starts burning. The caretaker hybrid quickly hands him water from the nightstand, waiting until after a few gulps to cup his lover's face into his hands. Hoseok’s chest is heaving from panic, eyelids feeling heavy and stiff, but Jimin pulls him back into his chest.
“Breathe with me, just focus on breathing.”
He does as told, putting full attention on the steady pace in which Jimin’s chest rises and falls against his eardrums. He tries to mimic it, but the panic in his lungs turns every breath sporadic.
“I’m sorry…I thought if it was with you I could…but I couldn’t…fuck…”
“It’s okay hyung. I’ve got you. Don’t think about anything but breathing for now.”
It’s not until Hoseok’s breath truly steadies that he speaks again,
“I’m such a disappointment.”
“No, you’re not.” His voice is unwavering, planted firm with conviction as he continues, “There’s nothing wrong with needing more time to heal.”
“But what if it’s permanent? What if I can never be that way with you guys ever again?”
How can he even preserve his relationship with Jimin alone? Sex has always been the wolf’s primary love language, and his libido will surely go back to normal soon...what will happen if Hoseok can't satisfy him anymore?
What if he can never love me the same? What if none of them can?
But Jimin’s quick to shut Hoseok’s inner demons down.
“Then we’ll just have to double up on everything you are comfortable with, whether that’s hugs and kisses, or just conversations. Our love for you has never been conditional hyung. Sex or no sex, we just need you. Our Hobi.”
It’s the way Jimin says it, like he’s never been more sure of anything in his life, that make Hoseok’s chest feel a little bit lighter.
“Stay right here. I’m going to grab some of that waffle cone ice cream I saw in the fridge, and we can put something on the TV.”
“But we haven’t had dinner yet. We shouldn’t skip to dessert.”
Jimin smiles at the way his hyung pouts, not expecting him to have such a clear stance on ice cream before dinner.
“Relax hyung, just once is fine.”
___
It’s 7pm when the main door clicks open. Two and half whole hours of you and Namjoon walking around and talking about everything and anything. You feel a little guilty using him as your therapist, but find yourself unable to stop oversharing when it comes to him. He’s bulldozed the walls you put up at this point, and not even by trying that hard—more of a kindred spirits kind of thing?
You don’t know exactly what yet, but it’s insane how much he knows about you in just three days. The hours just kept passing by and neither of you wanted to end the conversation, ending up stopping by a Chinese place for take-out when realizing it was time for dinner already.
It’s Yoongi who notices the closeness the most, seeing how easily you smile at the pack Alpha. And this time it’s not the “I’m a safe person” or “You’re doing really well” kind of smile you’d flash to ease the hybrids’ nerves, but more of a smile you’d show a friend. The kind of smile he’s used to being the only recipient of. But he knows just how badly things went last time his jealousy was involved, so he focuses on serving himself some rice, hushing that little green voice in his head.
“I’ll go give this plate to Taehyung hyung” Jungkook announces, a generous heap of orange chicken and fried rice on the platter.
“He’s still not joining us?”
“Don’t worry y/n. He’s in his zone right now!” That’s all the youngest says before speeding off, hair bouncing cutely with each step.
“I really want to ask, you know?”
Namjoon laughs, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
‘Soon enough’ turns out to be an hour after dinner, when the boxy-grinned brunette makes his way to you. You can’t help how relieved you feel seeing that smiling face again. In his hands is a messily wrapped object, and you raise a questioning look at your Christmas wrapping being used in February.
“It’s the only wrapping paper I could find” he pouts cutely, nudging you to take the gift.
You try to unwrap it neatly, but the random way it’s been wrapped makes that impossible, so you end up tearing through.
On the surface, it’s nothing special, just a bunch of printer paper stapled together with the words from your ruined book rewritten on each page. But as you flip through, you see them: pencil-drawn images of you and your grandmother sprinkled throughout the “book.” Some poses you recognize from the pictures in your study, but others are completely new compositions, drawn straight from Taehyung’s mind. And it’s all so well-drawn.
“Taehyung…where did you learn how to do this?!” The awe in your voice makes the hybrid’s shoulders rise, pride evident on his features.
Namjoon, equally proud of his pup, chimes in to answer.
“Taehyung’s always had this unbelievable gift when it comes to drawing and painting. He’s basically a genius at art.”
You look up at the mention of painting, “Wait, you can paint like this too?”
The wolf nods.
“If I get you a canvas and some paints, could you make me a portrait of her for the living room?”
“Yes! I would love to!” The wolf practically squeals at the thought of getting new paints.
It’s still not your grandmother’s book, and it’ll never have the memories you two made, but there’s something so beautiful in the way he’s portrayed her—so captivating how the glint in her eyes feels alive, as if she’s telling you that she’s still with you through her gaze alone. It’s clear that Taehyung tried his absolute best to make it up to you (and thank god for that, because you don’t have it in you to be mad at him for any longer).
You bring him close into a hug, to which he jumps into, mouthing a “thank you” to his Alpha from behind your gaze.
___
Jimin and Hoseok wait patiently until you’re done with wound care and out the door, clearly having something they need to get off their chest to the pack. It’s the younger one who recounts the day’s events, giving the elder one gentle hand squeezes throughout to keep him grounded.
There’s not a wolf listening whose face doesn’t fall instantly.
Namjoon takes lead in responding, to no one’s surprise. “We all have to be careful moving forward. Only give Hoseok affection on his terms and no initiating anything sexual with him, understood?”
Everyone nods, but the wolf in question just groans, "The last thing I want is you guys having to be careful around me. I don't want to be a burden."
"Not careful around you Hobi. Careful with you. Careful with the way we love you for as long as you need. It's not a burden because you're fucking worth it, and I won't hear anything otherwise...unless you tell me you'd find it a burden if it were any of us instead."
That shuts Hoseok up quick, because if it were any of the others, he'd give every inch of his energy and love into helping them heal. He'd pour everything in his soul to give his packmate what they need and when they need it. The word 'burden' wouldn't come into his mind at all.
“C'mere pup, how about sleeping next to me tonight?”
It takes a second for Hoseok to realize Namjoon is talking to him—the nickname ‘pup’ not being typically his. Namjoon may be a couple months younger, but it feels nice to hear the name spill from his lips. Makes him think he can be small like a pup should be, and taken care of like one too. He sees why the younger ones like the name so much.
His mind feels a little calmer the second Namjoon's hands wrap around his waist, telling him how proud he is of him for opening up. Assuring him that everything will be okay.
___
It’s well into the night when Jin carefully removes each limb piled on top of him, glad he chose the bed’s edge tonight. He’s learned it’s the best spot for him, easy to slip out when the insomnia gets unbearable. He tip-toes to the living room, deciding to read another one of the random books on the bookshelf like he did last night. But this time, he’s not alone. The living room is already dimly lit, and Yoongi’s lost in a book of his own, sinking into that recliner you love. It’s too late for Jin to retreat, as the two make eye contact.
“Can’t sleep either?”
Jin nods his head, “I can—um I can go somewhere else. Don’t want to disturb you.”
“I wouldn’t mind some company, to be honest. Most people in this house aren’t big on being in my presence right now.”
“Y/n’s our owner. Whatever fight you two are in, we’re not going to be on your side.” It’s not a challenging tone like Jungkook’s, more of a matter-of-fact statement.
“She’s not your owner and you’re not pets. Whatever’s going on with me and her is between the two of us, and we’re figuring it out. So please, grab a book and sit.”
The wolf timidly reaches for a book from the shelf before settling down on the sofa, the last part of Yoongi’s sentence sounding too command-like for him to refuse. He’s still your guest, and his commands still hold weight.
The two sit like that for hours, quietly indulging in their own pieces of fiction. It's not as uncomfortable as Jin thought it would be.
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A/N: If you liked this part, let me know! I've said this before, but everyone's love and anticipation for this series is just so positively overwhelming. You guys are the best!
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More headcanons of the Nimona trio being domestic dorks
Whenever the trio gets sick of each other they’ll ask the person in the trio they’re not pissed at to handle them
It always goes something like this “Ambrosius come get your kid they won’t leave me alone-“ “No Nemesis come get your husband he’s being a stick in the mud”
Or “Bal go get your son from prison he got arrested again” “Oh so he’s my son today?” “Yes when he’s stupid enough to get caught he’s your son” 
If you're wondering why Nimona doesn't just escape its cause they find it hilarious when Bal has to come to bail them out at random points in the day
There are also times when they’re proud or happy and they’ll say things like “I’m gonna go get my daughter ice cream” “Since when is she just your daughter?” “Since right now when she helped me fix my prosthetic” 
“Hey boss where’s my Nemesis I heard he got in a fight today” “I thought he was my Nemesis” “Not when he puts three guys in the hospital he’s not” 
Bal is one of those people who sees something and says “Why would I buy that when I can just make it” AND HE DOES
Nimona has a bad habit of fucking up speakers so Bal just set up a sound system throughout the house 
If the trio weren’t such antisocial losers with three friends combined their parties would be amazing
He made Ambrosius a skincare cabinet just so he could put actual medicine in the medicine cabinet 
When Nimona moved in he asked them what their ideal room would look like 
She gave him a rough draft and he did all of it
They spend a week tearing that room apart so they could soundproof it so she could rock out without disturbing the boys
She has sick ass LED lights and she’ll change the colors depending on her mood 
Ambrosius and Bal helped her paint the walls the most obnoxious shade of neon pink And then they didn’t complain when she spray painted over said walls 
It’s worth it to see her visibly relax when she enters her room
This man has gutted and put back together and rearranged their little house so many times it’s unrecognizable 
I also feel like everyone in the trio is a crafty bitch
They all have a million little hobbies that have produced even more trinkets that fill up their whole house 
Their house is this weird combination of comfy yet chaotic and it's a minimalists nightmare 
Cleaning is also a nightmare but they wouldn't change it for anything 
Back when they were in the institute Ambrosius was a terrible cook -♾️/10 his cooking would put people in the hospital 
After the knighting ceremony was the first time he was living by himself and didn’t have access to free food so he taught himself how to cook
Honestly most people would think he would give up
I mean there are only so many times you set water on fire before you throw in the towel
But he's a stubborn brat and cooking took his mind off of everything so he stuck with it
One day Bal came home to the smell of cooking and he assumed it was Nimona 
He swears to this day he had a heart attack when he saw Ambrosius in front of the stove and Nimona comfortably sitting at the dinner table not helping at all
He promptly dragged Nimona out of there like a bomb just went off and warned him not to touch Ambrosius’ food
He told Bal “The more you call it a biohazard the more I want to eat it” 
So Bal used him like a test dummy 
When Nimona finally did try it they turned to Bal and complained that he lied 
Bal thought he was being pranked until he was forced by Nimona to try the food 
And it was good 
More than good I was fucking amazing 
He asked Ambrosius quite frankly “Who are you and what have you done with my husband” 
Ambrosius just rolled his eyes and told him to eat the food
Bal never gave up on finding out how and slowly but surely he started asking like a normal person
And Ambrosius never answered like a normal person
His answers would range from “A chef never reveals his secrets” (“that’s a magician love” “just zip it and eat your food”) to “I’m never telling you so suffer and finish this meal I lovingly cooked” (“is it still considered love if you knew I was gonna suffer?” “Yes” “…. Makes sense”)
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adhdzagreus · 3 months
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curtain call
The Mechanisms are uncharacteristically quiet as they walk off the stage. Even Jonny doesn’t know what to say as the remaining eight space pirates file into the dressing room of the venue they booked for their last ever show on Earth. 
The first one to break the silence is the Toy Soldier who sniffles, gasps tremulously, and then wails, “Is all that really going to happen? With the—the black holes and the bar fights and the octokittens and everything?” 
Jonny stifles a groan. This is exactly why he’d locked it out in the first place. What’s going to happen is what’s going to happen, and they all might as well accept it. 
To make matters worse, the Toy Soldier’s sniffling has set off some of the more sensitive Mechanisms. Ivy pats it on the shoulder with a forlorn look, eyes glassy with unshed tears, and Marius’ fragile expression suggests that if Ivy starts crying, he’ll follow suit. 
Tim has his arm around Ashes’ waist, as if worried they might disappear, and though his metal eyes betray no sadness, the firm set of his mouth worries Jonny more than anything else. 
“The odds of us changing the future now that it’s been written are over three hundred million to one,” Ivy says sadly. “It’s statistically impossible that we will live forever.” 
“B-b-but we have so many more songs left to sing!” the Toy Soldier weeps. “Tales to tell! Wars to wage!” 
“And we will,” Jonny says shortly. “None of us are instantly about to keel over, are we?” 
“N-no?” the Toy Soldier says. 
“Everyone seems in decent health to me,” Marius says quietly. He holds Ivy’s hand in both of his. 
“So don’t worry about it,” Jonny says. 
“That’s easy for you to say,” Marius says. “You’re not dying for another millennia. I could get eaten by octokittens tomorrow.” 
Jonny’s stomach twists, and he wrenches his mouth open to retort, but someone interrupts him. 
“No,” Raphaella says sharply. “You will not. We know for a fact that we each die alone. I’m not letting you out of my sight, and you’re certainly not going to check on the octokittens any time soon. I’m planning to have Ivy feed them when we arrive back at the ship.” 
“It’s not the same now that I know they eat Marius,” Ivy sniffles. 
Marius’s expression shatters. “Don’t hold it against them, Ivy! They’re just hungry! They can’t help it! Don’t be sad!” he pleads. 
Jonny feels sick as Ivy starts to cry harder, expounding on the hunting habits of felines, which only makes Marius more upset. He throws himself into a chair and starts taking his makeup off with a wet wipe, trying and failing to ignore them as Raphaella attempts to comfort them both. 
“You’re being awfully callous about all this,” Tim says, still with one arm around a stony-faced Ashes. Brian and the Toy Soldier have joined the fray, and Brian’s platitudes about everything coming to an end in time are almost as unhelpful as the Toy Soldier’s weeping and wailing. 
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jonny snaps.
“Well, you could at least pretend to be sad like the rest of us,” Tim says. “I know you’re all excited to die, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are.” 
“God damn it, Tim,” Jonny snaps, throwing the wet wipe on the floor. “You think I’m not sad?” 
“You’re not acting like it,” Tim replies. “Marius had a point. You’ve got a run-up and a death you’re looking forward to. Ashes here could go at any time.”
“Hey, babe, don’t bring me into this,” Ashes mumbles. 
“Am I wrong?” Tim says. 
“Yeah, you fucking are wrong!” Jonny shouts. “You think I want to die alone in some backwater asteroid bar centuries after the rest of you are gone? Yeah, I’m excited to die, but that doesn’t mean I want to watch the rest of you disappear first!” 
The rest of the dressing room falls quiet, and Jonny realizes belatedly that he was shouting. Worse, he feels tears in his eyes, and he scrubs at them angrily, smearing the remains of his face paint. 
“Oh,” Gunpowder Tim says. “I guess I didn’t think about that.” 
“You choose how you go out,” Jonny says. “I have to wait until it finally decides to fucking stick. You know how many times I’ve been stabbed in the heart? I could go start a barfight on an asteroid tomorrow, but I guarantee it won’t stick.”
“All the same,” Tim says quietly. “I’d prefer you didn’t risk it.” 
“And I’d prefer you wore your fucking seatbelt, but we don’t get to choose, now do we?” Jonny says. 
Tim flinches, and Ashes frowns at Jonny who takes a deep, shuddering breath. 
“I—I mean. I don’t want you to die either,” he says. “But we have to die s-sooner or later. And I don’t want to waste whatever time we have left crying about it.” 
Despite this, tears are dripping from his eyes as he speaks, flowing faster than he can scrub them away. No one says another for a long moment, but he feels the eyes of several of his crewmates on him. 
“C’mere, you mean ol’ bastard,” Ashes says. They spread the arm not curled around Tim’s waist and gesture for him to approach. 
“What?” Jonny says, standing up and shuffling closer. 
Ashes crushes him to their chest in a one-armed hug, and Jonny breaks and grabs both Ashes and Tim as best he can. Before he can recover, he feels someone else wrap their arms around him from behind, and before he can protest, he’s at the center of a tangled mass of weeping space pirates—colloquially known as a group hug. 
It’s awkward with so much metal and wood and weapons, but Jonny can’t even pretend to be annoyed by it. He’s too focused on not breaking down into sobs. He’ll be damned if he lets his crew see him cry anymore than they already have. 
“I love you all very much,” the Toy Soldier says happily. “Best space pirate crew ever.” 
Jonny rolls his eyes and sobs silently. Hopefully, buried as he is in a mass of bodies, no one will notice. 
“Well, now that that’s been dealt with,” DrumBot Brian says, “I would like to return to the Aurora. I am concerned our parking pass has expired.” 
Jonny sighs. “Fine, but you stay away from the damn airlock.”
“Your concern is touching and noted,” says the DrumBot. 
The Mechanisms disperse and hurriedly gather up their things. Jonny lovingly coils up his microphone and tucks it safely away, and the band of space pirates begin to make their way back to the Aurora and off to destinations unknown. 
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geminimoonmadness · 11 months
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𓅀PET ASTROLOGY𓅇
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Copywrites reserved ©️Gemini Moon Madness
Like humans, animals have unique natal chart placements. This post is in regards to your pets sun sign, though if you are aware of their moon sign, you may see those traits come through as well.
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Aries pets like to lead the way and be in charge, especially when on a walk! (They’re the dogs tugging on their leash) These pets will be harder to train than most and are known to not come when they’re called. Even though they have highly independent traits, they will still want to be the centre of your world. These pets may always be injuring themselves in accidents quite often and get to know the vet very well lol. They are confident & strong no matter what kind or size.
Taurus pets are extremely laid back. They love food to the point they’ll always check whatever you offer them out even if they’re not hungry or in the mood. They love to take regular naps! They appreciate affection but only when they’re in the mood. They can also be shy & don’t like be shown off to strangers. Loud noises and chaos stress them out so they need a peaceful environment.
I had a Taurus dog that was terrified of thunderstorms & lawn mowers. Even the noise of the builders 2 doors down was enough to force him out of his element.
Gemini pets can get moody. They can be passive and agreesive, have their good and bad days, sometimes they are outgoing, sometimes they’ll be reserved and distant. They are a quick learner as they are quite smart. They prefer to form a bond with more than one person rather than following the “ownership” dynamic. These pets are prone to separation anxiety/nervousness, they can be indecisive in their eating habits, love going for walks and are affectionate. They also love social environments and being spoken to.
Cancer pets are loving and may need continuous attention and reassurance. They are such sweet pets, very sensitive. They like to comfort eat & can become overweight/unhealthy easily. They make friends with other pets, as if they were a companion to them also. Moving home or visiting new and unfamiliar places can make these pets uncomfortable and a lil annoyed with you - They may not seem like themselves for a while until they settle in or get over it.
Leo pets have a pride about them, they’re warm, generous and the most loyal pets out there. They have energy to burn and will always be up for an outdoor adventure (their favourite!!) They love being heard and are known to regularly bark, even for no reason lol. This pet will enjoy to be the centre of attention wherever you take them, whether you’re at home, a friends house or the park, this pet is happy in the spotlight. Other pets may bully your Leo pet due to jealousy & feeling the need to assert dominance.
Virgo is the calm and quiet pet. They love routine and don’t like change, though these pets can handle stressful situations quite well. They like to follow you around, they will be a loyal travelling buddy as they tend to stick by your side when they are outdoors. Very intelligent and analytical which makes them easier to train than most pets. They enjoy it when you talk to them throughout the day, they may even try respond with their voice.
Libra pets are indecisive, one day they may like a treat, the next they will turn their head up at it. They will usually eat when they want to. They need structure and going with the flow won’t work for these pets. They also may suffer from a short attention span, (similar to ADD) which makes them slightly harder to train. These pets are extremely loving and need gentle discipline to feel safe & secure.
Scorpio pets are highly emotional but also strong willed. They usually get what they want and tend to stand over other pets, maybe even people! They require structure, because without it they will take advantage of everyone and everything they come in contact with. These pets would benefit from daily exercise/activity to relieve stress and built up tension (dog: walks, bird: let out of cage, cat: backyard time, toys). These pets love being groomed and in your company. They know what’s bad company and don’t forget when they’re wronged, they may make it known when they dislike someone.
Sagittarius pets love a challenge. These pets have such a happy go lucky vibe to them, they’re very outgoing and kind. They radiate positivity, maybe even with a visible smile on their face. These pets have a tendency to be picked on by other pets, so keep an eye on them. They believe you’re their one true love and will adore your affection. They are very loyal and will want to be with you at all times, this sometimes turns into separation anxiety with some Sagittarius pets. They love to have another companion in the house, they like company so the more pets the merrier for them.
Capricorn are the clean pets, they are extremely grounded and will act the way as you’d typically expect the species/breed of pet to act. Very easy to train though they do have a mind of their own. They always want to be working as they enjoy keeping busy. They love to run around! These pets don’t sleep as much as other pets do and they also suffer from anxiety in stressful situations. Capricorn pets may not like having a companion and will take their time to get used to any new pets or people.
Aquarius pets are highly intelligent and intuitive. They are unpredictable and can go from 0 to 100 real quick! They like to do what they want and when they want. They make for extremely loving and friendly pets. These pets will befriend another companion despite what it is whether you get a dog, cat or chicken. (They’re the pets you see in those cute videos where a pig and cat are besties or dog and duck, etc 🥹) Aquarius pets need their space and enjoy alone time to plot their next surprise for when you least expect it!
Pisces pets are the most sensitive out of the lot. They are very sweet and need a tranquil atmosphere to flourish as they can get stressed out easily. These pets usually get bullied by other pets for their non-aggressive nature. They are independent in the way that they do what they want without attracting attention. Pisces pets are sensitive to your emotions and may require gentle training and when they become afraid they want you to be there comforting them. They know what you want and will have YOU well trained 😉
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꧁꧂ That was fun to create, how was it to read!? Who wants to see more Pet Astrology?
ღ I appreciate all interactions & feedback ღ
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cxlemon · 11 months
Note
Heyo! Hope you’re doing well!
I just wanted to request a small fix with Che’nya and an afab reader. Smut if that’s okay, maybe they’re hiding from Riddle in the rose garden and things get frisky?
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✧ title: a party of our own ┊ ft. che'nya x reader
✧ fandom: twst┊genre: spice┊w/c: 1.3k┊format: drabble
✧ content: afab!reader, mean dom!che'nya, semi-public sex, choking by fingers, creampie, cum-eating, cunnilingus, quickie
— a/n. the hardest part of writing smut is getting turned on and procrastinating because YOU'RE FUCKING HOT AND BOTHERED. DO U KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS NOT TO GET HORNY WHILE WRITING SPICE? #WritingProblems
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The clink of the pot when it pours tea into the cup accompanies the harmonious noise of the people settled down for the unbirthday party. Students of the Heartslabyul dorm scamper to fulfill their queen’s whims and orders. Riddle may have been calmer since his overblot but that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be a strict leader. You’re not exactly surprised he hasn’t changed much of his habits since it takes time for people to grow. 
You’re not one to complain either. Free food, free party. The ambience is well-endowed as the rose maze highlights the painted roses with its green leaves and bushes. The trees decorated with the same red flower encapsulates what  the kingdom of the Queen of Hearts would be. As tyrannical as she seemed for cutting people’s heads off, she had good tastes. 
You sit alone at a table with your legs crossed, eyes observing the panicking but poised students. Bring the cup to your lips, you nearly flinch. A humming tune from a familiar voice sings in your ear. You swear you feel a pair of hands, massaging your back. The soft melody continues as the hands go from your back to your shoulders, and inevitably lower. You curse under your breath when they begin to knead and hold your chest, thumbs seemingly searching for your nipples through your clothes. 
You can only think of one plausible scenario and one culprit.
“Che’nya.” You grind your molars together as the cup shakes lightly in your hand. “What the hell are you doing?” You’re not sure but you think you heard him purr into your ear. “What am I doing?” He echoes the question as he continues to move his hands. No one can see him, not even you. But you can definitely feel him. His hands squeeze your chest and you let the cup sit on the table, gripping the edges as you try to remain composed.
“You know exactly what you’re doing.” You argue as you let out a shaky breath when a hand trails down to touch your thigh, hiking up your skirt. “Nyan? Then maybe you shouldn’t be here.” You glare at the table knowing full-well he’s having a blast with your reactions. “As the guest of honor, you ought to be taken care of. Look at you, all hot and bothered. I can help you with that, you know?” His words act as the devil on your shoulder. He’s tempting you to do as he wishes and truthfully, you blame yourself for catering to his whims. 
“Fine,” You begrudgingly agree as you stand up from your seat. Your eyes meet Riddle’s and his eyes narrow, causing you to give him a nervous smile. “I’ll be back,’ You mouth at him to which he sighs and nods. A harsh tug on your wrist forces you to follow the direction you’re being pulled in. Your feet crunch the leaves and branches on the ground as you dive further into the unfamiliar path of the rose maze. Your heart beats against your chest in both nervousness and anticipation. 
“Where are we?” Your voice sounds so meek that a smirk dances on his features. His arms wrap around your waist and he presses his body against yours. When you turn around, you can finally see the mischievous grin he’s wearing. There’s a glint of playful cruelty in his gold hues, especially when he presses a kiss on your neck. 
“Please? We’ll be quick.” You can feel him shamelessly rubbing his hard on against your lower back. The heat exuding from his body is translating to his carnal desire. “You’d be mean to deny your lover what he needs.” His tongue glides against the shell of your ear before he starts to nibble the earlobe. Before you can even answer, the knee between your legs spreads you apart and one hand starts to rub your clit against your damp panties. 
You can hear the purr in his voice as he buries his in your neck, taking in your scent and leaving kisses on every patch of skin he finds. When he pinches your clit, you let out a small mewl that makes him giggle. 
“And you expect me to keep my hands to myself? Nyan, that’s just cruel.” His fingers push aside your wet and ruined underwear before he plunges two fingers into your mouth. His digits immediately start playing with your tongue. “I presume Riddle won’t be enjoying your unlady-like behavior if he sees you like this. Keep your noises down, m’kay?” Che’nya, like the greedy little freak he is, wastes no time in sinking his cock into your wet heat. He bottoms out in one thrust and teeth sink into your flesh to muffle his pornographic moan. The metallic taste of your blood fills his mouth before he immediately starts with a rough pace. 
The feeling of your walls clamping down around his cock makes him dizzy. Pleasure runs down his spine when he pins you to the ground like an uncivilized animal, his mind running on primitive instincts when he bullies his dick  inside of you. You’re practically dripping and the slick of your cunt. makes it easier for him to thrust with reckless abandon. Though he teases you relentlessly, he can’t deny how good it feels when he uses you the way he wants to. 
“Such an honest little pussy you have. Look at how wet you are.” Che’nya gives a hard thrust and the obscene squelching noise would embarrass you if your eyes weren’t rolling to the back of your head. “You’re gripping me like a vice, kitten. Does it feel good?” You can only answer with a whine when he fucks you on all fours, fingers in your mouth to prevent you from screaming out like a whore drunk on cock. 
Your hips move against his thrust and Che’nya grins at your wanton behavior. You really look so cute when you’re losing yourself. It makes his cock twitch in delight when you moan and writhe because of how hard he's driving his hips. He whines when he feels your tongue and teeth against his fingers. He moves his hand away from your mouth to grip your waist and lewd noises immediately escape your lips. 
You can feel every vein, every ridge in every plunge of his member. His cock easily reaches the deepest parts of your cunt when he rearranges your insides. You hate how needy and desperate you get, you hate how aroused you are when it comes to the implications of your immoral and lustful actions. But you can’t help but let him get away with it. You can’t help but desire the feeling of being split open by his cock. 
“C-cumming, hng~ Che’nya, ahn!” Your toes curl as your back arches on the ground, allowing him to use you despite your release. He fucks you through your high and there’s a manic delight in his eyes when he feels your walls pulse around his cock, milking him for all he’s worth. “Good kitten.” His praise causes you to clench harder around his length.
Your lover simply smiles in satisfaction when his eyes catch the way your hole flutters to keep his seed inside. His hand fixes your panties to prevent them from dripping out while he straightens your clothes. “Keep that inside. I’ll give you more once you’re done attending the party. Go on now, Riddle must be having a mental breakdown looking for his guest of honor.” You glare at him through your red and tear-stained cheeks.
The cat only shrugs before he disappears into thin air. What you don’t know is that he follows you, floating beside your angry form as you walk back into the unbirthday party. When the event starts and you sit down alone at your table, a pair of hands spreads your legs open beneath the tablecloth. You’re greeted by mischievous golden eyes before he disappears. Your hands only clutch the hems on your skirt when he begins to fuck you with his tongue, eating out the cum he fucked inside you.
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alj0saray · 1 month
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Hello, if it's still possible i'd like to ask for the entire alphabet of the valentine event with Lilia Vanrouge please!
you guys will kill me one day LMAOOO FINE, YOU WIN cause lilia.... i cant say no to lilia--
ೃ⁀➷ TW/CW: SMUT, Bad English, 18+ (MINORS/AGELESS/BLANK BLOGS DON’T INTERACT), GN Reader, Breeding Kink, Bondage, Overstimulation, Edging, Praise Kink, Bondage, Sadism\Masochism, BDSM, Virgin Kink, let me know if I need to add more TW/Tags ♡ My blog contains dark content, be careful when interacting/following! Please if you like my work don't forget to reblog/interact with me♡ Minors, ageless, blank blogs, and silent readers will get blocked if interact with me. 
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⤠ Vyn Ritcher + Entire Alphabet ⤟ TWST Masterlist & Valentine Event ⤠ Jing Yuan + Entire Alphabet ⤟ 
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A= Aftercare (what they’re like after the act) 
Hes so sweet, so caring. After the sex he cuddles with you, gently holding you closer to his body as you come down from your high, kissing your cheek and whispering soft and kind words to your ear. 
B= Body part (favorite body part their own or their lovers) 
Oh Lilia likes his body. I would say he likes his arm due to how strong they are even though they seem so slim and delicate, but hes sure able to hold you in his arm to fuck you like he wants! On you i would say your chest/thighs. He likes sleeping on your chestt and being between your things eating you up 
C= Cum (anything that has to do with it) 
I talked about it here, to say more however i dont think Lilia cares that much where he cums, either being deep inside of you or on your body. It doesnt change much for him, he likes making a mess out of you either way 
D= Dirty secret (Pretty self explanatory) 
There is no real dirty secret with him, because he doesnt really care to keep it a secret or is he ashamed by it. Using your underwear/clothing to masturbate? Who doesnt do it, wanna some of his clothes? Some secret weird kinky shit? He will tell you about it and ask whether or not you are comfortable with it. No secret with him. 
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E= Experience (do they know what they’re doing) 
Very, very experienced. Highly. He knows what he is doing and probably, or maybe for sure, he knows more than you. Knows what he likes and doesnt, knows many kinks that he can show you and teach you about it darling 
F= Favorite position 
Ohh the real question is what positions he doesnt like. He likes the usual missionary, cowgirl, doggy, stuff like that. But also the weirder the positions, the most uncomfortable for you unless you are highly flexible the more fun he has unfortunately lol. Maybe even tries to convince you to have sex upside down 
G= Goofy (how serious are they) 
Oh he can be goofy if he wants to. It doesnt kill his vibe or ruins the sex for him at all, he knows that sometimes sex can be weird or awkward, nothing a good joke won’t get better. Lilia doesnt mind if either of you cracks a joke during it 
H= Hair (grooming habits) 
I doubt it he has any type down there, but its all well taken care of if you complain about it otherwise he lets go wild as much as possible. Especially if it is General Lilia, that little man doesnt care at all about his hair 
I= Intimacy (in the moment romantic or rough/dirty) 
Lilia likes it rough and dirty. Fast and deep. Not exactly a romantic type, dont expect him to create an atmosphere to fuck you, he would take you as you are. He takes you fast and deep, making sure you feel every thrust and will sore the next day 
J= Jack off (do they masturbate and how often) 
Yes. Twice a week, maybe thrice if he can't have you that week for some reason. Doesnt really do it that much to be honest, especially after he has you and you can have fun together! So why masturbate? 
K= Kink (kinks what they like possibly unusual) 
Breeding Kink, Bondage, Overstimulation, Edging, Praise Kink (giving), Bondage, Sadism\Masochism, BDSM, Virgin Kink 
L= Location (where they like to get it on) 
Everywhere. He doesnt care much where, as long as its with you. Being in his room, someone else room, in the schoolyard, in the school garden behind a tree or something like that. Doesnt care. Hes very into semi public sex 
M= Motivation (things that makes them tick/turn ons) 
He likes it when you are bratty and don’t do as he says, or try to act like you know better than him when you clearly don’t. Lilia also likes it when you act the opposite, all cute and innocent, like a virgin who has no idea what's doing to him. Just a little gentle, cute, eager thing who knows no better 
N= No (turnoffs or absolutely won’t do) 
There is very little to Lilia he doesnt like like for example: golden shower or anything regardless that type of body liquid. Not that hes gonna shame you if you are into it, it just not his type of thing. He tried many things in his life, so he has a very strong knowledge and what he likes or doesn't like 
O= Oral (receiving or giving and how skillful they are) 
Lilia likes both giving and receiving but hes so good to giving its so unfair and most of the time he uses it as a barging chip whatever you are good enough to receive. Hes so mean about it too, he knows how good he is with his mouth, so he will edge you until you are sobbing and crying for him to make you cum 
P= Pace (how fast they are and how long they last in bed) 
I said it before but he likes it fast and deep, making sure you feel every thrust, every vein on his cock, and making you feel sore the day after. And he can last for hours on end, without problems, being a fae comes with endless stamina so if you are still ready to go hes ready 
Q= Quickie (do they prefer fast and hard) 
Lilia loves quickies! He loves taking you because you both are so horny you cant wait till you get to a room or a more private place, simply taking you where no one can see you two unless they look very well 
R= Risk (do they like to try new things) 
There aren’t really new things for him to try out since his experience (and old age), but sure! If it is something you like he’s willing to at least give it a go, or a try. Or maybe its a new toy that he saw online and he really, really wants to try it out no matter how weird it is 
S= Stamina (how many times they can go and how long each round lasts) 
Oh I’m so sorry darling but hes a fae. He has endless stamina, so he can go easily for hours I think his max would be a day. Depending on you on a day he can go for 5 rounds, just to make sure he has enough energy for tomorrow and enough time to still play his game 
T= Toys (are they game for using sex toys on themselves or lovers) 
He loves toys, either on you or on himself. The more weirder the toys the more fun he has, especially when he uses them on you. Cause he will be so mean to you; using them when he you have been so mean and bratty instead of fucking you, making you so close to cumming but then taking the toys off you or overstimulation until your body is shaking and moving away from him 
U= Unfair (how do they tease or do they enjoy suspense themselves) 
Of course, he teases you. Every chance he can to tease you about everything he will, be it with words or with actions. Calling you names, saying how greedy and desperate you were, slapping your genitalia, or kissing right above it without giving you what you want 
V= Volume (are they loud, what sounds, and do they talk) 
Grunts most of the time, some moans from here and there but mostly grunts. When he is close to cumming he will moan more and more, but nothing ever too loud that he doesn't quite hear you. 
W= Wild card (random sincannon of any sort) 
All fae go into ruts. You won’t convince me otherwise. So does Lilia actually, and during those times Lilia has such a hard time (literally too) not just jumping on you and claiming you as his for hours on end, giving you maybe a few minutes or a few hours to fully recover before going back at it again 
X= X-ray (what’s down below in dem pants) 
I talked about it here! 
Y= Yearning (sexdrive level) 
Slightly higher than average, he often comes to you complaining about how needy he is just for you and you only. He needs you. Hes a huge pervert and even though he got calmer with age, now his shame just got away so when hes horny he will let you know 
Z= Zzzz (do they sleep after if so how quickly after) 
No, not really. He stays awake for a long time, especially during the night, so usually he helps you out washing and coming down from your high and then maybe he falls asleep, after watching you fall asleep before 
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This work belongs to @/alj0saray, do not repost, translate, copy, rewrite or share on tiktok without my permission. Reblogs are appreciated and encouraged♡ 
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hunieday · 28 days
Text
Yuki - La'Stiara Rabbit Chat translation
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Please note that I am not a professional translator and I'm only doing this to share the side materials to those who cannot access them, if you notice any mistakes please let me know nicely. Enjoy!
Yuki: Momo
Yuki: 🕺 I saw this emoji and it reminded me of your sleeping posture back when we used to live together 
Momo: !?!? lolololololol
Momo: What the hell this is so embarrassing!! 😂 was I really like this 😂 lololol 
By the way, since you’re sending me such a mischievous rabbichat, you must be free right now!!!!
Yuki: you get it?
Momo: I get it!!! 
The thought of Yuki scrolling through emojis and thinking of me makes my heart race 🥺🥺
Momo: Is it break time over at 'La’Stiara'?
Yuki: Yeah. It's boring without you
Momo: Oh, youuuu~~~ darling ‼ I'm off today, so I’m free as well!
What do you wanna talk about? Let’s take a quiz!
Momo: Is what I would say, but sorry if it sounds childish 😭
Yuki: I’d like to take a quiz
Momo: That's right! That’s the best way to play for someone as handsome as you!!! Alright, here we go!!
Momo: What do I want right now? 😎✨
Yuki: A necklace for everyday wear
Momo: Ding-ding ding-ding 🤩💫
You hit the jackpot! Yuki knows me well, you’re the most handsome...!! (*´艸`)
You shine brighter than any jewel!!
Yuki: That's right ^^
Momo: 
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Yuki: The other day you sent me a bunch of URLS for necklaces and asked which one looks good
Momo: Hey how do you remember that lololol
Momo: I thought you forgot because you said any of them would look good 🥺
Yuki: That’s because I genuinely thought any of them would look good on you. It wasn’t that I was disinterested or anything
Momo: 
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Momo: I am going to buy all of them.
Yuki: Haha
Yuki: Here's a question
Momo: Bring it on lol
Yuki: What’s the first thing I ate in yesterday’s lunch bento box?
Momo: you always come up with tough questions, yuki 😳‼ 
Momo: But you know what? I got this one in the bag! The answer is "the Broccoli with Bonito Flakes" that came as a side dish!
Yuki: Correct. You got it right
Momo: Yesterday's lunch was from your favorite restaurant! I know you always eat the broccoli first :pudding cheer:
Yuki: Boiling it to perfection makes it delicious
Yuki: You can see through everything Momo. I can't lie to you
Yuki: From sleeping habits to even food preferences, we know everything about each other don’t we
Momo: 
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Momo: I never thought I'd be so close to you to the point where I’d know everything about you!
Momo: At first I was content with listening to your music from the audience, and then I was content with helping you out and being as useful as possible
Momo: I've become quite greedy...
Momo: Juuust kidding 🥴 sorry for getting sentimental all of a sudden 🤗‼ good luck with the 'La’Stiara' shoot ‼
Yuki: I'm the greedy one
Yuki: Momo, when you told me you liked my songs, you reminded me of the joy of making music and the purpose of my life
Yuki: I want to continue making music with you forever
Momo: Yuki
Momo: Yukiiiiiiiiiiii,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Yuki: Yes?
Momo: You’re so handsome,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Yuki: I know.
Momo: Is it really my day off today? am I supposed to be normal after being bombarded with your powerful words??? I can't calm down you know???
Yuki: Momo, what are your plans for today?
Momo: Absolutely nothing!!!
Yuki: I think I’m gonna finish work early today as well
Momo: w   which means...!!???? 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Yuki: I'm inviting you to dinner.
Momo: I'm coming!!! I am SO coming!!! Is it okay if I come to your place!?
Yuki: Mhm. I'll buy delicious meat on my way home.Just like that day
Momo: I can’t
Momo: This is not good, Yuki… I might burst into tears if I see your face today
Yuki: If they’re tears of joy then I’m fine with it
Momo: How in the world can I be anything but happy!!! 
Back then, our house was so small but was so full of hope
Momo: Now we live in a big house, but we haven't changed at all
Yuki: That's right. We are sharing the music we make together with the world as idols
Yuki: Always, and forever, nothing will ever change.
Momo: Thank you, Yuki. Those words bring me so much relief, they’re like a good luck charm for me. I feel like I can do anything.
Momo: I’ll be waiting for you to finish your shoot!!
Yuki:
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TL NOTES:
Yuki says "just like that day" in reference to a re:member scene where he uses money he gets from Chiba Shizuo during their debut days to buy Momo expensive meat. Yuki cries from happiness on his way home, which is why he tells Momo he's fine with tears of joys.
My god they make me so violent /pos
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ghostfacd · 3 months
Text
★ IN BETWEEN | PARK SUNGHOON SMAU
part one: he made it clear he don’t want you
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Park Sunghoon never really understood why Lee Heeseung was so overprotective of you.
Ever since the three of you entered high school, he was acting like your dad, making it clear that you were not allowed to date Sunghoon or any of his friends for that matter.
“You took Heeseung off your spam?” Jake whispers, eyes widening. “Hey man—you know I’m bad at secrets!”
“Well just shut up!” Sunghoon clasps a hand over Jake’s mouth when Heeseung approaches behind them, eyebrows furrowed.
“What are you doing?” He asks, watching as Sunghoon quickly places his hand down.
“Nothing.” Sunghoon wipes his palm on his uniform, eyes hinting annoyance. “You know my business professor is such a bitch? Apparently he asked the counselor to switch me to a different course because I do nothing, now I’m stuck with physiology, and I don’t even know what that is!” He pulls out a cigarette, searching his pants for a lighter as he balances it between his lips.
“This stuff is garbage,” Heeseung clicks his tongue, clearly disgusted with Sunghoon’s smoking habits. He takes the cigarette from the younger boy’s mouth, who’s eyes widen in shock as he watches Lee Heeseung squish it with his shoe.
“Hey! I just bought that pack asshole.”
“You’ll thank me later.” Heeseung sighs as he looks up at the sky. “Y/N takes physiology you know, maybe she can help.”
“Y/N and I don’t even talk,” Sunghoon scoffs, frowning as he looks at the smushed cigarette on the floor. “Plus, your sister’s off limits, remember our freshman year of high school talk?”
“Yeah yeah.” Heeseung waves Sunghoon off. “She still is—but I’d think she’d be a good influence on you acadmeic wise. C’mon Hoon, you’re a sophomore in college not high school. You cant keep fooling around anymore. Is this about Kyunghu breaking up with you? You know she wasn’t good for you.”
Sunghoon purses his lips in annoyance. “It’s not about her. And trust me, I know. I’m trying, you know.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” Heeseung shrugs, and Jake eyes his two best friends, finding the intense moment too awkward for his own liking.
“Cmon guys, let’s go eat something! Lighten the mood.” Jake swings his arms around both boys’ shoulders. “How about Korean BBQ? Heard there’s a new place down the block.”
And just like that, the conversation about you between Sunghoon and Heeseung seemed to diminish into thin air
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masterlist | next
author’s note. first chapter done 😽😽 jake n hueningkai lwk my favorite characters rn LAWL they’re very silly.
synopsis. While you were busy crushing on Sunghoon throughout high school, he had always viewed you as Lee Heeseung’s annoying little sister, especially since the three of you grew up together. That all changes when you end up going to the same university together and wound up being partners in one of your courses. Although Lee Heeseung has made it clear Sunghoon wouldn’t make a good boyfriend, you can’t help but be tempted by him, especially when he was begging you to tutor him with the prettiest look on his face.
taglist ( open ! ) @deobitifull @sagsters @namdeyuoi @leep0ems @srjlvr @en-happiness @curlytxe
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headspace-hotel · 1 year
Note
I think a critical flaw in the vegan’s user’s argument was that they clearly buckled down on how capitalist exploitation and overproduction factors into milk and meat markets… and then seemed to assume that vegan diets avoid capitalist pitfalls completely.
But you’ve already posted on your blog before about how crop production under capitalism has created huge environmental issues in terms of biodiversity, depletion of topsoil, and sustainability. Meaning even a non-animal diet can (especially on the scale necessary for every human being currently in existence) still create large-scale issues if that diet demands having specific foods in abundance to avoid eating meat.
Like, I’m sympathetic to what vegans want to do, it just feels like they’re ignoring a MASSIVE number of pressing logistical and environmental issues to push that agenda. There’s several intersecting problems here, and claiming humanity as a whole is poised to chuck eating animals completely seems to be jumping the gun.
This is basically exactly what I hope to convey to people. I feel like extremely pressing issues such as topsoil loss, pesticide and herbicide use, and pollution caused by nitrogen fertilizers, not to mention the severe biodiversity impacts of monoculture, are being disregarded in favor of a very simplistic "Meat is killing the Earth" argument.
And I think the "veganism to save the earth" idea is just...distracting, as a movement. I'm glad people are motivated to do it. I don't think it's bad. But we need people to take action beyond just Buy Product. Anyone telling you that the most important action you can take is Buy Different Product does not have your best interest, or the planet's best interest, in mind.
If you're eating a plant based diet, but your only relationship with your food is Buy Product, you are still alienated from the source of your food. You still don't know, and can't respect or care for, the ecosystem or the labor that gives it to you.
My agenda is far more along the lines of "society needs to be organized so more people are directly involved in growing food that feeds their community" than anything to do with animals, but it's clear to everyone who has studied it for 2 seconds that farming needs to change hugely and it's so, so much more complicated than "farming animals is bad, farming plants is good."
Also the fact is that veganism cuts you off from sources of nutrients that have been part of virtually every human society ever, a LOT of people have disabilities, allergies or nutrient absorption issues that mean going vegan isn't possible for them, and people who try to argue with me about this simply Stop knowing how to read when this is brought up. "Some people need animal protein to live" is a reality of the world but people who don't like this straight up refuse to consider it.
I have no food allergies or sensitivities, and I still struggle to eat enough food to live. I lost thirty fucking pounds in college because of stress, the dining hall being shit, and my roommate trying to control my eating habits (long story). Thats like...well over 1/5 of my body weight. Sometimes people Cannot restrict their diet safely.
Like, sure, I 85% agree with the vegans who like to comment on my posts, but the remaining 15% of things they say is completely insane.
And some of them are so out of touch with reality that they will swear up and down that it's impossible for humans to drink milk without someone having to murder a baby animal. They seem to think farming is exclusively some kind of horror show that happens in a warehouse somewhere, and don't understand the concept that "some people live in rural areas" or "it's not uncommon in some places to just keep a few dairy goats that provide milk for your family."
And if they admit this exists, it's like "well, that's not where your dairy comes from, because the INDUSTRY—" thats. that's my point, you can get milk from a farmer who keeps a small herd that is well treated, we should start doing this actually, you can even keep your OWN goat
my ideal world involves "backyard chickens and goats are legal in suburban areas where there's space" because there's literally nothing innately unethical about keeping a couple dairy goats or healthy heritage breed chickens and you can quote me on that and you can even fight me.
That one person (the one who kept bringing up eating poop) (Lord what a sentence to have to write) eventually turned to "Well those sources are wrong because governmental organizations want you to keep eating animal products" which is already well into "conspiracy theory" territory. No thanks.
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rrenzwrld · 5 months
Text
secreto de amor II
chapter 2! chapter 1 here
thank you sm for 800 followers! i could cry🥹
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when you came back, it was late so you assumed jean was asleep and connie had left since you knew jean had work in the morning. but you were proved wrong when you saw connie on the couch.
you didn’t know if he was asleep, but the tv was still on. you tried to sneak past him so he wouldn’t notice but he had heard you so he sat up.
“were you really gonna try to sneak past me?” you paused.
“yeah. i thought you were sleep.. or gone.” he got up and started to stretch and yawn.
“nah, your brother didn’t want me driving in the dark.. or high. and plus you took his car so..” he laughed a bit.
“but don’t you know how to drive?”
“hell yeah i know how to drive. the fuck you getting smart for?” by this time, connie had made his way around the couch and was walking towards you. you didn’t know connie like that so you had to admit you were a bit worried.
“don’t cuss at me. i don’t know you.” connie raised his hands and backed away from you.
“my bad. it’s a habit.”
“to be aggressive with girls you don’t know?”
“especially if they’re pretty.” he smiled but you were trying not to, no matter how cute you thought he was.
“goodnight, connie.” you emphasized his name before heading down the hall to your room.
when you woke up later that morning, you missed jean going to work. normally you’re up when he goes just to see him off but you woke up later than usual. you head to the kitchen and you see connie.. again.
“goodmorning~ you thought i was gone, didn’t you?” he turned to you smiling like he was only doing it just to piss you off. “don’t worry, your brother knows i’m still here.”
“when are you leaving?” you hadn’t moved from your spot.
“after i eat this sandwich, why? why you tryna get rid of me so fast?” it was only because you were used to jean being the only man in the house and he was family so you felt safe. connie was not family so you didn’t feel that safe, no matter how much you knew your brother trusted him.
“like i said, i don’t know you like that.”
“why don’t you wanna get to know me? i’m not that bad.” maybe he wasn’t but you didn’t think you cared enough.
connie was eating the sandwich as slowly as he could so he wouldn’t have to leave so fast. the more you pushed him away, the more intriguing he found you to be and wanted to be around you more. and what you were wearing made the situation no better.
you had on a tank top with shorts that were a bit high only because you got hot very easily at night. but you thought he’d be gone by the time you got up so you didn’t change.
“sorry.”
“for what?” connie’s eyes couldn’t help but wander around your figure and you observed that. your hands tugged at the hem of your shorts a bit but connie started smiling and you don’t know how that makes you feel.
“i don’t know.”
“don’t tell me you one of those bitches who apologize for no reason. i hate–”
“i’m not a bitch. i don’t appreciate you calling me that.” connie laughed in your face and you were strongly offended. as much as you wanted to do something about it, your body froze and nothing happened.
“you just gonna let me talk to you like that?” you didn’t respond and ignored connie as you moved around him to get some chips from the pantry. you didn’t like to admit it but that was the golden question all your life, you really gonna let them talk to you like that? its not like you wanted to, your body and mouth refused to speak up and you got used to brushing everything off. but having a brother like jean helped you out a lot.
connie watched you disappear down the hall to your room. he felt bad for messing with you so bad but it was amusing to him and it also gave him more insight on the type of person you were without opting for the boring small talk. he hoped that you would open up one day, but he wasn't sure if that would ever happen. he knew you were capable of speaking your truth, he just hoped that you would finally have the courage to do it.
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mackenzielovee · 1 year
Text
parenthood part twenty three: forever & always, and then some
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a/n: oh boy! 12k words to (hopefully) feed your parenthood craving. i am already dying to know what you all think of this, so please don't hesitate to hop into the comments or my ask box to talk! hope you enjoy! reblogs are appreciated :)
warnings: angst warning. swearing, verbal arguments, anxiety, panic attack, crying, kissing
ambivalence masterlist , parenthood masterlist
     The Island Club hasn’t changed one bit since you were employed here and running drinks around to Rafe and his friends before you knew he even had a crush on you. As you watch the waitresses make their rounds to the same customers, serving the same food to the same tables, you chuckle to yourself at the thought of ever having to deal with that again. 
Scott sits across from you, fidgeting in his seat slightly as he holds himself back from pulling a cigarette from his pocket. You skim over him, taking in his appearance. 
His hair is freshly cut and the rosiness is back in his cheeks after having disappeared for so long. He’s eating three meals a day again, and to you, it seems his only unhealthy habit is smoking. In time, you’re sure he will move past that. 
“How’re the kids?” he asks, looking up at you. 
“They’re good,” you reply, “They’re busy bees lately. Connor is starting on a soccer team, so Rafe’s been helping him practice.”
“That’s awesome,” Scott grins, and the sight makes you smile, “Kid always has had one hell of a kick. What about Josie girl?”
You chuckle, “She’s all about dance, recently. She wants me to sign her up for a class, and I’ve been trying to get this teacher to call me back about getting her in.”
“Wow. Good for her. She’s so driven, Y/N. They both are.”
“Yeah, they’re something,” you laugh. 
He gives you a smile, but it fades fast before he asks, “And, Rafe?” 
“He’s doing really well. He’s less stressed at work, and he’s spending a lot of time with the kids.”
Scott nods, “Is he still… y’know? Pissed at me?”
You sigh and look down at your lap, unwilling to respond right away. Rafe’s feelings toward Scott have been complicated ever since he showed up to the house and scared the shit out of you and the kids, even though you’ve worked through it and have encouraged Rafe to do the same. Your loyalty to your brother runs deeper than Rafe’s does — because, as he puts it, he will always choose the safety and security of his family. Especially his children. 
“He’s not pissed, Scott,” you say carefully. 
“Right, he’s just done with me,” he laughs dryly, “Look, it’s fine, Y/N. I get it.”
You nod, and when your waiter drops your plates in front of you, you’re relieved when Scott eats his meal and has several glasses of water. 
He tells you about the new job he just started and how he’s finally, officially, cut ties with Mae after she’s yanked him around for over a year. How he��s attending regular AA meetings and actually participating in them. He’s even made a few friends in the group, and they go out to eat together after their meetings to keep themselves busy. 
By the time he pays for your lunch and walks you out to your car, you can’t help but pull him into a tight embrace. He hugs you back and gives you a wide smile, silently telling you that he really is doing better. 
“So, listen, I was kinda hoping I could see them soon,” he says, clarifying, “The kids.”
You know you should run it by Rafe first, but the look in Scott’s eye and the pride swelling in your heart at his improvement has you answering faster than you should. 
“That would be great,” you nod. 
He smiles, “Perfect. How about Wednesday afternoon? I don’t have to be at work ‘til six. Do they have sports or anything?”
You hold up a finger and check the calendar on your phone, finding nothing for yourself or either of the kids on Wednesday after they get home from school. 
“Wednesday works,” you reply, “I’ll bring them to your apartment.”
“Awesome,” he beams, then pulls you in for another hug, “Thank you so much, Y/N. I can’t wait.”
“The kids will be very excited,” you tell him, squeezing him tight. 
He laughs lightly, sounding like himself and making you relax even more. He’s finally in a better place, and you couldn’t be happier about it. 
Scott opens your car door for you and then closes it once you’re inside. He stands there and watches as you back out, then offers you a wave before you drive away. You smile the whole way home, thankful beyond belief that your brother is doing right by himself and improving his life where he needs it. 
     When you get home, Rafe is in the kitchen. You smile at the sight of him at the stove, stirring peppers around a skillet and listening to music. You can hear the kids playing in the playroom, and when Rafe notices you come in, he steps away from the food and to you. 
“Hey, baby, how was lunch?” he asks, helping you remove your jacket. 
“It was good,” you say with a smile, “Club hasn’t changed a bit.”
“Nah, I figured as much.”
He hangs up your jacket and your purse for you, then steps back over and guides his arm around your waist. You smile and set your hands on his chest, feeling his warmth. 
“How are the kids?” you ask him. 
“Josie hid Connor’s firetruck underneath the couch, and Bo got it,” he fills you in, watching your eyes pop in horror, “He was very distraught.”
“Oh, no, poor baby,” you pout, “I’ll see if I can find another one for him tomorrow.”
Rafe grins, “You’re so good to them, they don’t even know it.”
You laugh and grab ahold of his chin lightly, pulling him down to give him a kiss. He accepts it, then offers you a small apology as he momentarily breaks away to pull the skillet off the heat and to the back burner. 
When he moves back to you, assuming the same position, you swallow your nervousness of breaching the topic, and instead, slip your hands under his shirt. 
“So, listen,” you start, “Scott got a job. He’s working nights right now, and he goes after his AA meetings. He seems really, really good.”
He nods patiently, but you can tell by his eyes that he’s not receptive whatsoever to where you’re going to take this conversation. 
“That’s good,” he replies, his voice even. 
“Yeah, it is,” you say hopefully, rising up on your tiptoes, “So, anyway, he was asking if he could see the kids on Wednesday before he has to work.”
Rafe raises a brow, “And what did you tell him?”
You swallow again and press your palms into his skin, hoping your touch will lighten him up.
“Well, I… I think it’s a good idea. It would be good for him, and the kids miss him.”
Rafe’s chest deflates against your hands, and only because you know him so well can you predict what he’s going to say next. 
“Look, sweetheart, I’m thrilled that Scott is doing better. I am. I just don’t think this is the best time for that. Josie’s still adjusting to school, and Connor’s getting settled in a new classroom and he’s on a sports team. I feel like they have enough change going on right now, you know?”
You nod slowly, but look to the floor. He covers your hands with his own and takes them, bringing both of your knuckles up to his lips to kiss. You meet his eyes then, and you both take a second to analyze the other person’s expression. 
“It’s not really a change, though,” you push, keeping your voice light, “It’s just Scott.”
“Y/N, Scott scared the shit out of both of them when he showed up drunk.”
“I know, but he apologized for that,” you reply. 
Rafe drops your hands, “That doesn’t make it okay. To be honest, I’m just not comfortable with it. I need more time to work through things with him. I’m sorry, but can we please table this for now?”
You move to speak up, but bite your tongue at the very last second when one specific thought hits you. If you told Rafe you weren’t comfortable with something, he’d never fight with you on it. He would never pressure you into anything, and the thought of doing that to him makes your stomach turn. 
“Yes, of course,” you answer, “Thank you for being straight with me. We can talk about it when you’re ready.”
Rafe shifts and sets one large palm on your hip bone, where he pulls your body closer to his. 
“I’m not saying no, sweetheart. I’m just saying that I’d like to give it a little more time and make sure Scott really sticks to this change before we bring the kids back into it. That’s all.”
You nod and offer him a smile, “I understand, Rafe. I think that’s perfectly reasonable.”
“Thank you,” he says sweetly, “Now, Connor and I are making a grocery store run. Need anything?”
You step closer, “Coffee. And laundry pods for the washer. But not the blue and white ones—”
“The green and yellow ones, I know,” he teases, “I also put a stick of deodorant on the list for you, considering you went to throw it in the garbage this morning and fuckin’ banked the shot.”
“Excuse me,” you scoff, even though your heart swells at the fact that he not only noticed that, but also remembered it and put it on the list, “We need more bananas, too. You know what Josie’s like when we run out of those for her lunch.”
He laughs, “Yeah. Okay. Bananas, coffee, and laundry pods. I’ve got the rest of the list, but text me if you remember anything okay?”
“Okay,” you smile, “Thanks, handsome.”
He nods and signals for a kiss, grinning when you stand up on your tiptoes to give to him. When you pull back, he yells for Connor, knowing Josie will come running, too. 
“Oh, hey, did that lady ever call you back about Josie’s dance class?” he asks. 
“No,” you groan, “I’m hoping she will in the next few days. Otherwise, I’ll look somewhere else. I just heard that place is so good, I really wanted her to try it out.”
He shrugs, “She’ll be great anywhere. Come on, Connor! Shoes and jacket, hurry!”
He kisses you again quickly before he pulls away to get his own shoes and jacket, finishing in record time so he could steal just a few more kisses before the Sunday chores officially start. 
     Monday comes before you know it, and it brings a wave of destruction. Your meetings all get delayed, your work project is put on suspension, and Rose is driving you crazy about an upcoming event that you’re not even technically assigned to. 
Even more than that, Josie had a day. She refused to let go of you when you dropped her off at preschool, and after you managed to escape, they called you twice and Rafe once to report that she would not stop crying and demanding one of you to come get her. Being the parent at home on Mondays, Rafe picked her up, and she sat with him in his home office for the remainder of the day. 
     Tuesday morning finds you easier. You’re seated at your desk and fire up your work email after dropping both kids off at school — Josie did better today — when you realize that you never told Scott that the plans for tomorrow are off. 
You draft up a text message slowly over the next few hours, trying to sound equal parts assertive and sympathetic. At one o’clock, right before you send the text, your drafting is interrupted by a phone call. The nurse at Connor’s school tells you that he’s been running a fever and complaining of a stuffy nose and sore throat since before lunch. You sigh and agree to be right there to get him, then hit send on the text to Scott without thinking twice about it. 
     You return home with both Connor and Josie behind you. Well, Josie walks behind you while Connor lays in your arms, mumbling softly about how he feels cold despite his fever being high. Josie helps you the best she can to get Connor settled in his room, where you lay him in bed and put a light blanket over him, then get him a cup of water and take his temperature once more. It’s still high, so you give him a kiss and tell him to sleep for a bit before you come back up to check on him. 
“Is Connor okay, Mommy? Can we make him some soup?” Josie asks as the two of you slip out of his bedroom. 
You smile and pick her up, giving her a hug since you didn’t get to when you picked her up from school. 
“We should make him some soup,” you agree, “And, I’m sure you’re ready for your after-school snack, too.”
She grins mischievously, “Maybe.”
You laugh and carry her downstairs to the kitchen, where your phone sits on the counter. The screen fills with unanswered texts, so you set Josie down and grab it, scrolling through the messages. 
The first one you open is Rafe’s chain. Two from him — both exactly what you expected them to be. 
Just got a notification you checked Connor out of school? Is everything okay? 
I’ve got a meeting in half an hour but I can come home after if you need me. 
You look over at Josie, watching as she uses the handle on the bottom oven as a balance beam for ballet. Your heart squeezes, and you make a mental note to reach out to other dance studios in the area tomorrow. 
Quickly, you text Rafe back while stepping over to the pantry to get Josie a snack. 
He’s sick, but okay. Slight fever and head cold. Nothing to worry about. Good luck on your meeting, handsome. I love you. 
He returns the sentiment quickly, while also reminding you to call him if things change. Then, as you pour animal crackers into a bowl, you switch over to Scott’s text chain. 
First, you reread the text you sent to him. 
Hey, so I discussed things with Rafe, and we have decided to hold off on allowing the kids to come over. For now. We think it’s best to give you some more adjustment time, and then we can revisit the idea. I’m sorry, Scott. But, I will try to do better by sending you more pics of them. Just hang in there. Love you. 
You know it’s not perfect, but it has to do. It gets your point across, it doesn’t blame Rafe, and it’s sugar coated just enough for him. 
His reply follows your message, and the length looks drastically different. 
Y/N, I’m adjusted. I just want to see them. Didn’t you tell Rafe I’m doing better? Why is he keeping them from me?
“Mommy!” Josie calls, standing at the kitchen window, “There’s a red bird on the fence!” 
You frown at Scott’s text but lock your phone, then carry Josie’s snack over to her. You look out the window to where she’s pointing and find the cardinal that’s holding her attention so well. 
“Wow, beautiful, huh?” you ask, and she nods before you say, “Okay, come on. Let’s sit at the table and have a snack.”
She obeys and sits in her usual seat at the table, smiling widely when you follow her. You sit with her while she eats and talk to her about her day at school, listening intently even as she tells you the same story for ten entire minutes. 
You perk up when you hear the front door close. You know Rafe wouldn’t be coming into the house with his meeting coming up, and a fresh wave of worry passes through your body. 
“Y/N?”
You relax when you hear Scott’s voice, but only for a second. He knows he’s not allowed to come to the house; you had talked Rafe out of taking Scott’s key from him after his latest episode. 
Josie, like you, recognises the voice, and practically tips her chair right over as she attempts to get up. 
“Uncle Scott!” 
Her scream is loud, and she takes off from the kitchen before you can stop her. You groan internally, scrambling to already try and figure out what you’re going to say to Rafe. Despite it all, you follow Josie out of the kitchen and to the foyer, where she is currently diving into Scott’s open arms. 
“Hey, lovebug,” he grins widely, “Wasn’t sure you’d be home from school yet. I’m so happy to see you!”
She locks herself around his neck and presses kiss after kiss to his cheek, laughing when he laughs. 
“I’ve missed you,” she tells him, “Where have you been?”
He smiles sadly, then returns her kisses with his own, “I’ve been getting myself together. For you and Connor. Are you proud of me?”
“Yes,” she giggles, “Want to have an after school snack with me?”
His smile at her question tells you just how much the question means to him, and when he looks over at you for approval, you just can’t say no. Not to Scott; not to your baby brother who has struggled so much for so long, and just needs a little bit of love to keep him going. You can’t fault him for that, and no part of you is able to even consider kicking him out. Even if it’s not what you and Rafe have discussed and agreed on, you hope that when you explain, he will understand. 
You nod your head, and he turns and kisses her cheek again, like he just can’t help himself. 
“I would love to,” he agrees. 
Scott carries her into the kitchen and you follow. He sets her down and lets her run over to her chair, but he hangs back just long enough to talk to you. 
“I’m sorry, I just came over to talk about your text. I didn’t think she’d be here—”
“It’s fine,” you reply, waving him off, “Connor’s home sick from school, so I picked her up because I can’t leave him to go get her later.”
He nods, “Do you need me to bring you anything for him? Soup? Gatorade?”
“No, I have it covered,” you reply, “Go. She’s waiting so patiently for you.”
He chuckles when he sees her sitting on her knees in the chair, waving him over with an animal cracker half shoved into her mouth. Without hesitation, he rushes over and takes a seat beside her, stealing one of her animal crackers and laughing when she protests. 
You puff out your cheeks and check the time, wondering if you can squeeze in a quick call to Rafe before his meeting. When you decide you can’t, you set your phone back down. You’re here, you’re supervising, and he won’t be mad, you tell yourself. Scott can’t do anything wrong with you here, too. 
Your phone’s sharp ring draws you out of your head. When you look to see who’s calling, you gasp and practically pounce on the phone — the dance school that you’ve been trying to get Josie into. 
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mrs. Cameron?”
“Yes,” you reply. 
“Hi there. My name is Chelsea, I’m calling to see if you are still interested in signing your daughter, Josephine, up for dance class?”
“Yes,” you say enthusiastically, waving to Scott and then holding up your finger as you step into the living room, “Yes, I am. She’s really excited to start.”
“Oh, wonderful. We actually have an opening today in our three o’clock class. It’s only one spot, but if you could bring her by today, I can almost guarantee it would be hers.”
You freeze, “Today?”
“Yes ma’am. Spots here tend to go fast, but I saw your last name, and we wanted to offer you and your daughter the spot, first.”
“Oh,” you say, brain running a mile a minute as you try to figure out how to make this all work out, “Um, yes, thank you, we’d love the spot. I just have a few things to work out, but I will do my best to get her there by three o’clock. Does she need to bring anything?”
“We’ll just do a trial run for today, so we have everything she will need here. If you all are interested in continuing after today, we can give you a list of everything she will need for future classes.”
You barely even hear her words, too busy trying to figure out how you’re supposed to be in two places at once. You want Josie to be in this dance school desperately, but with Connor being so sick, you don’t know how to make it happen. 
“Thank you, I’ll try to work it out and have her there at three,” you say, trying to sound more chipper than you are, “Thank you so much for calling.”
“Yes ma’am. See you soon!”
You disconnect the call and let out a long sigh, having wanted that phone call to come at a better time than just now. You wander back into the kitchen and find Scott and Josie still giggling at the kitchen table, and when they both look over at you, you offer a smile. 
“Who was that?” Scott asks. 
You give Josie a smile, “It was the dance studio I’ve been trying to get Josie into. They have an opening for this afternoon.”
“No way!” she exclaims, “Mommy, we have to go!”
Scott can see it on your face before you can even say a word. He watches as you subconsciously glance back over your shoulder, desperate to check on Connor and not sure what to do. Under normal circumstances, you’d call Rafe — at least to just talk it out. But with him in a meeting and unavailable, you don’t have that option. 
“I can take her,” Scott volunteers, “I know you won’t leave Connor, so let me take her to dance. Just there and back, I promise.”
“Yes!” Josie screams, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, Mommy, yes!”
You shake your head, “Scott—”
“Y/N, let me help you out,” he says, “Come on. I can do it.”
“Mommy,” Josie repeats, “I want Uncle Scott to take me to dance.”
“Scott,” you whisper, “You’re not even supposed to be here.”
“And you’re drowning,” he points out, “I swear. I can totally handle it. I’ll even video the whole thing for you. Please, come on, let me prove myself to you. To Rafe.”
At the mention of your husband, your eyes find your phone. You want to call him more than anything, but you can’t. Then, you think about the agreement amongst parents when they’re raising children together. There are so many split second decisions that a parent has to make, so they trust that their partner will make the right one. Rafe trusts that you will make the right decision for your shared children, and right now, you can only see one. 
“Okay,” you sigh. Josie’s squeals interrupt you and Scott grins, grabbing her from her chair as you add, “Just there and back. No ice cream, no playground. Just to the studio and back, alright?”
“Alright,” Scott repeats back, still smiling, “We’re gonna have so much fun, right, lovebug?”
“Right!” she squeals.
“Josie, go get your shoes, okay?” you say, watching her nod feverishly, like she just can’t wait for Scott to put her down so they can go to dance. 
“Okay!” she says quickly, rushing off. 
Scott laughs as he watches her go, and when he turns back to you, his expression falls. 
“I need you to take extensive notes,” you say sternly, watching his smile grow once more. 
“You got it,” he replies. 
You allow yourself to smile, too, and he pulls you into a hug. He squeezes his thankfulness into you, and only pulls away when Josie returns with her shoes. 
     You hurry upstairs to check on Connor after putting Josie in her car seat and into Scott’s truck. As you feel Connor’s forehead, he stirs and groans, but he still feels very warm. 
“Mama?” he whispers into the air. 
“Hey, baby,” you reply, “How do you feel?”
“Not good,” he whines, “I’m cold. And I need a tissue.”
You grab the box from his nightstand and offer him one, then help him sit up. He blows his nose and hands the tissue back to you, then lays back down. 
“Go back to sleep. I’ll bring you some more medicine in a little bit, okay?” 
He nods. His lower lip juts out in the pout he always gives you when he’s sick, so you lean down and kiss his forehead before you stand. You retuck his blanket around him, then use careful steps to escape the dark room. 
Downstairs, you hurry into the kitchen and start heating up from soup for Connor, then pour out the next dose of his medicine. You make him a nice tray of everything so he can eat in bed; complete with crackers, a water bottle, and his iPad so he can watch a show while he eats. Just as you’re putting the finishing touches on it, ready to take it upstairs and check on him again, your phone buzzes on the counter. And buzzes. And buzzes. 
Scott’s contact picture lights up your screen, and you furrow your brows as you check the time. They should just be getting to the dance studio, and you wonder if someone had questions for him that he couldn’t answer. 
“Hello?” you say innocently. 
“Y/N,” he sighs, almost in relief, but his voice also holds another emotion, too, “Listen, don’t freak out.”
You freeze, “What? Why?”
The worst possible scenarios go through your brain instantly, and you begin to listen for signs of Josie in the background. Her laugh, her whine at Scott to hurry up. 
“Just let me get it all out, first,” he demands, then groans in pain, “Fuck, okay, we got into an accident. Josie is fine. Not hurt at all. I think I broke my arm, so I’m in an ambulance. They’re taking both of us to the hospital, but she’s right here, she’s good, she’s with me.”
You suddenly can’t suck in a deep breath. All you can picture is Josie in the back of an ambulance, hurt. Josie in a car accident. Josie being scared because she doesn’t understand what’s happening. 
Tears blur your vision just at the thought of her being alone, and the inhale that you try to suck in is sharp and quick. 
“Let me speak to her,” you choke out. 
Scott sighs but complies with your request, and you listen to their muffled voices before you get clarity. 
“Mommy, Uncle Scott is hurt,” she tells you, and just the sound of her voice brings relief to your body, mind, and heart. 
“Josie, baby, are you okay?” you ask her, letting the tears run without a care in the world. 
“Yes, Mommy. They let me put the siren on.”
You laugh, then cry again, “Oh, that’s awesome. Listen, Mommy’s gonna come pick you up, okay? Can you just stay with Uncle Scott for a little bit?”
Josie immediately whines, “No, he’s hurt. I have to stay with him. I told Daddy I am staying.”
A fresh wave of anxiety runs through your body. The thought hadn’t even crossed your mind yet, but apparently, it had to Josie. 
“You told Daddy?” you ask weakly, “When?”
“I called him,” she answers, “I was scared, and wanted Daddy.”
“Oh,” your eyes flutter shut, “Okay, honey. Just stay with Uncle Scott until I see you. I love you so much, Jo.”
“Love you, too, Mommy,” she says, sounding perfectly fine, perfectly normal, and all you want to do is get to her. 
She hands the phone back to Scott, and you hear him grunt again in pain before his voice comes through the speaker. 
“”Y/N, I’m sorry,” he says quietly, “It wasn’t my fault, I swear, I did everything right—”
“I’m on my way,” you cut him off, not wanting to hear any of the details right now, “Just… I love you. I’m glad you’re okay other than the arm.”
He takes a minute to answer, and you can see the exact expression on his face as he debates what’s best to do right now. 
“Thanks,” he eventually says, “I love you, too.”
“See you soon,” you mumble, then disconnect the call before either one of you can say anything else. 
The first thing you do is check your text messages. Rafe has sent nothing, said nothing. When it comes to Rafe, you know silence from him is worse than anything else. You take a deep breath and attempt to type out a text to him, but delete it before you can find the words to explain to him any part of it. 
With a long sigh, you hurry up the stairs and into Connor’s room, forgetting all about his soup and medicine. He sits up when you enter, and when he sees the expression on your face, his eyes widen. 
“What’s wrong, Mama?” he asks, coughing after he finishes his question. 
“We have to go, baby. Can you come with me, please?” 
He nods and stands from his bed, bringing his blanket along with him. You put socks on his feet and slide his shoes on, then carry him down the stairs, wrapped in his blanket. Your mind can’t stop running wild as you picture Josie in Scott’s truck, scared out of her mind. You don’t even notice the tears that fall until Connor reaches up and brushes them away with his finger. Giving him a kiss on the forehead, you strap him into his car seat and pull back to look at his face. 
“I’m so sorry, handsome,” you whisper, “I know you don’t feel well, but we have to go pick up Josie.”
“Okay, Mama,” he replies, even going so far as to offer you a small smile. 
You’re grateful for it, and you show him such. With a kiss on the cheek, you close the car door and climb into the driver’s side, all while trying not to burst into tears again. 
Your knuckles turn white as you squeeze the steering wheel, glancing up at Connor every five seconds in the rear view mirror. He’s still okay, still staring out the window, but you’re paranoid about every single car that even comes close to yours. 
The drive to the hospital finally comes to an end, and you’ve barely parked your car before you’re out of it again. Connor is once again placed on your hip, and you rush in from the parking lot. 
Once you’re inside, you hurry to the closest nurse you can find. She directs you to a desk, who directs you to another nurse, who, finally, tells you what room number to go to. Connor buries his head in your neck and starts to cough again, and the guilt piles on top of your chest. 
You finally spot the room number on the wall and rush to it, just needing to lay eyes on her. To assess her for injuries and make sure that she really is okay. When you enter, you relax instantly. Scott is laying in the bed with his arm in a sling, and Josie is seated in the middle of his chest, giggling as he pokes her stomach. They both look so happy despite their current state and what they’ve been through in the past hour. 
“Josie,” you sigh in relief, setting Connor down in the singular chair before hurrying to her and pulling her into your arms. 
“Mommy,” she cheers, “Look, Uncle Scott got a boo-boo.”
You cradle her head and rock her in your arms, then glance at Scott. He’s giving you a sad smile and a wave using his bad arm, but you shake your head at him. 
“Is it broken?” you ask him. 
“Yeah,” he replies with a shrug, “I’ll get a cool brace for it, though.”
You roll your eyes, “Scott—”
“Y/N,” he stops you, his expression suddenly serious, “The guy ran a red light. I didn’t even see him coming until— Look, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t my fault.”
“I know,” you nod, and you mean it. 
He’s your brother, and you believe him. Especially because he needs you to so desperately, given that he won’t stop trying to explain himself. 
“Good. Now, I have to use the bathroom, then I want to see what’s going on with Little Cam. You don’t look so hot, dude.”
Connor shrugs, “Been better.”
Scott chuckles and stands from the hospital bed, taking two steps over to Connor. 
“You like my sling?” he asks. 
“Yeah,” Connor smiles, “Does it hurt?”
“No, I’m tough.”
Connor laughs and so does Josie, and for a brief moment, you feel emotionally stable. You feel at peace, knowing that everyone is okay. 
Then, the door pushes open, and reality slaps you right in the face. You turn too late, and Rafe’s eyes have already assessed the room. He’s frozen for a moment, long enough for you to set Josie down, because you know she’ll want to run to him. 
Instead of waiting on that, however, Rafe crosses the room in a few strides, and you figure out just a beat too late what’s going to happen. 
With a clenched jaw and a balled fist, Rafe states at Scott right as he starts to explain what happened. 
“Yo, Rafe—” he starts, but Rafe’s fist connects with his jaw and knocks him flat on the ground. 
“Oh, my God,” you yell, grabbing Josie and holding her against you while you reach for Connor’s hand. 
Your only focus is getting them both out of the room. You know Scott can fight his own battles, and there’s nothing you can do to talk to Rafe when he’s like this. Looking like he knows this, Scott remains on the ground, leaving Rafe with nothing. He’s dead silent as he turns and faces you and the kids, looking away from you within the same second your eyes meet. 
“Josephine,” Rafe says in relief, crossing over to you and pulling her from you without a word or a look, “Hey, princess. My girl. I was so worried about you. Are you okay?” 
She nods, “Yes, Daddy. I just got scared.”
“I know you did, baby. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to comfort you. Do you have any injuries?”
Josie doesn’t respond right away, and you take it as an opportunity. 
“She’s okay. I checked her when I got here.”
Rafe’s eyes flicker to you for only a moment. It’s the first time you’ve ever seen him look at you with anything besides pure admiration and love. This time, his glance is cold, calculated, and practically unrecognizable. 
“Let me take you home,” he says to her, “I’m gonna take you home, and nobody will ever take you anywhere again.”
“Except for you?” she asks. 
“Except for me,” he replies with a nod, “Let’s take Bubby home, too, okay?”
Your heart sinks as Rafe looks down at Connor, who is gripping his blanket tightly. When Rafe offers him a hand, Connor slips out of your grasp and takes it. 
You frown, “I can take—”
“Y/N, I’m so damn pissed right now. You need to stay with your brother, since that’s clearly where you want to be.”
He doesn’t even look at you as he says it, which is what makes the tears come. He’s too busy fussing over Josie’s hair and Connor’s runny nose. Rafe grabs him a tissue, then tosses it when Connor’s done. 
You look over at Scott and find him still seated on the floor, blood running down his chin from his nose, and he’s just staring at the kids. You’re sure he thinks this could be his final time seeing them in a long time, and you feel sick over that. 
“Rafe,” you choke out, “Please, just listen—”
“No,” he snaps, “Not to you. I’m taking them home.”
Connor whimpers, but when Rafe takes his hand again, he doesn’t object as his dad starts to lead him out of the room. Nobody says a word, and before you can blink, the three of them are gone. 
“Fuck,” Scott groans from the floor, “Y/N, I’m so—”
“Don’t,” you shake your head, turning back to him and observing his state before stepping over and offering him a hand, “Let’s just get you cleaned up.”
     Scott gets released from the hospital a few hours later, and you drive him back to his apartment. Neither of you speak about anything other than the weather and your parents, because neither of you know what to say. You want to pretend like everything is fine. At least for now. 
You set him up on his couch with dinner, snacks, and a blanket, then let him know that you love him no matter what. In return, he offers you his room if you need a place to crash, and you almost burst into tears right then and there. 
      By the time you make it home, you know the kids will already be in bed. You debate taking the long way, but the fact that Connor is sick draws you back to the house so you can check on him. 
You pull your car into the garage and shut it off, then get out quickly before you can debate sitting inside for a while. You sigh and push open the door to the house, not knowing exactly what you’re walking into with Rafe.
The house is dark and silent. There’s no plate of dinner sitting on the counter for you like he usually leaves behind, and no light on in the living room to guide your path to bed. With a heavy heart, you head upstairs and peek your head into Connor’s bedroom. He’s sound asleep with a box of tissues and an empty medicine cup on his nightstand. 
Of course Rafe took care of everything. 
Quietly, you close his bedroom door and cross the hall over to Josie’s bedroom. When you peek in, you find her bed to be empty, but her stuffed animals are missing. Immediately, you know where she is. 
You hesitate at the door to your shared bedroom with Rafe for a brief moment, then push open the door and walk inside. Rafe’s bedside lamp is on, which allows you to see him lying on his side of the bed on his side, with Josie facing him. She’s tucked in his arms and sleeping soundly, but Rafe is wide awake and watching every single breath she draws. 
He never looks over at you. For a moment, you wonder if he even realizes you came into the room. When your lips part to speak, no sound comes out. You don’t know what to say or where to start.
“She could’ve been killed,” Rafe says evenly, like he’s stating a fact rather than getting emotional. His eyes don’t leave her for even a split second. 
“Rafe—” you start, but he sits up carefully. 
“Don’t wake her. I just got her to sleep.”
You silence yourself and stare at the two of them for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. After a moment, Rafe leans forward and brushes his lips over Josie’s forehead, then stands from the bed. He walks over to you, watching as you stand completely still in hopes that he’ll just take you into his arms and tell you that everything will be okay. Instead, he clenches his jaw and points to the door of the bedroom, silently telling you to walk through it. 
Rafe follows out of the room behind you and closes the door softly. You walk out to the couch and sit down, watching his movements extra carefully. He’s in sweatpants and a black tee shirt that you’ve always loved on him, but never told him so. 
You watch as he takes a deep breath, then places his hands on his hips. He doesn’t sit; he stands in front of you and keeps his eyes on anything but you. 
“Why was she with your brother?” 
His tone is harsh; like nothing you say in this moment could make sense to him. None of it will make any difference at all. 
“Um,” you shift, your voice shaky, “She— no, okay, the dance studio called and— wait—”
“Y/N,” Rafe stops you, exhaling loudly, “I just want you to explain why she was with your brother.”
You nod, “Okay. Sorry. So, I texted Scott and told him that we weren’t comfortable having the kids see him right now. He came over here to talk to me in person, thinking the kids weren’t home, and Josie saw him. So, naturally, she wouldn’t let him go, and he was just gonna have a snack with her and then leave. But, then, that dance studio called and said they had a spot for Josie this afternoon, and the spot was going to be given away if we couldn’t make it. I didn’t want to leave Connor, and Scott offered, and— Rafe, I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head, hands still proudly glued to his hips. His eyes close under the explanation, and the way his jaw is set tells you that, although it might make sense to him, he still isn’t happy or satisfied with the explanation. 
“You should have called me,” he says quietly, “I would’ve helped you work it out. I would’ve come home.”
“You were in a meeting, I didn’t want to bother you—”
“Bother me, Y/N!” he exclaims, silencing you, “Bother me. Every time. If it means I don’t get the fucking call that one of my kids has been in a car accident with someone I didn’t even want them around in the first place. How could you let her go with Scott? After we discussed it and agreed that he was off limits, you just—”
“I didn’t see any other choice,” you speak up, “I didn’t want them to give the spot away.”
“Let them give the damn spot away, then!” he cries, shaking his head, “I told you, she’d be fine dancing anywhere, but you were so dead set on this one place, and that was fine with me until you shipped her off with your brother and he almost got our daughter killed—”
“Rafe, the accident wasn’t his fault,” you say, finally having the courage to stand, “He loves her. He would never put her at risk.”
He laughs then, and it’s deep, loud, sarcastic. Your eyes hit the floor and you swallow, wanting nothing more than his touch. Despite Rafe being the one causing the ache in your chest, you know he’s the only one who can fix it. He’s the only one who can ever fix it. 
“He did put her at risk, Y/N. Many times. Every time he showed up drunk, every time he stumbled down the stairs. It’s not a fucking coincidence that this happened when she was with him.”
You draw back, shaking your head, “That’s not fair. It could’ve happened to anyone. It could’ve been me—”
“Don’t,” he says immediately, stepping closer to you, “Don’t you dare go there. It wouldn’t have. It can’t.”
“Why not, Rafe?” you question, raising a brow, angry that he wants to blame everything on Scott when you don’t feel it’s his fault, “You’d blame Scott for everything if you could. If I had decided to take Josie to dance, it would’ve been me and the kids at that intersection—-”
“No!” he shouts, silencing you once again, “Stop it. It can’t happen again, Y/N. I almost lost you once, it cannot fucking happen again.”
Your lips glue shut as you realize what this is truly about for him. He runs a hand through his hair and sucks in a deep breath, letting the silence fall between the two of you. 
You know exactly how Rafe has internalized the accident you were in the night of Midsummers with Topper and Kelce. You know, because he’s told you. How he had nightmares for ages afterward, how he still will grip the steering wheel with two hands when he drives with you in the car at night. How he thinks about it every year at Midsummers, regardless of how much time has passed. 
Now, you can’t imagine what this will do to him. His Josie, his baby girl. Getting that call was not easy on him, you’re sure, and for a moment, you understand why he’s so angry with you for putting him in that situation. 
“Rafe,” you whisper, watching the way he looks up at you with vulnerability in his eyes, “I’m so, so sorry.”
He nods, like he really just needed to hear that. You take a step closer, but before you can reach for him, he steps back. 
“I need to sleep on it all. We can regroup in the morning.”
You swallow and nod, unsure of what to do with your hands. You settle for tucking them behind your back, squirming under his gaze. 
“I’ll sleep upstairs. In case Connor needs anything,” you say. 
“Alright,” he nods, looking at you like he’s considering something. 
“Alright,” you repeat. 
He sighs, like he’s annoyed with himself, then steps forward and cups your cheeks. He stares at you for a moment before placing a kiss on your forehead forcefully, then drops you from his grip completely. 
You step forward out of habit, wanting his touch back. Instead of reaching for him, you just stare, knowing that he can tell what you want but refuses to give it to you. 
“I love you, Rafe,” you whisper to him. 
Even as angry as he is, he doesn’t miss a beat, “I love you, too.”
He nods, then turns around and leaves you like that. In the middle of the living room with his kiss still lingering on your forehead, and his words sitting in front of you, etching themselves into your heart so you never forget them. 
     When you wake in the morning, your first thought is of Connor. You don’t allow yourself to think of anything else, because it weighed on you all night, until you just couldn’t take it anymore. You cried in the guest room bed. Buried your face in a pillow and sobbed as you relived the day, your choices, and what became of them. You cry for Josie, for Rafe, for Scott. You cry because all you’d wanted to do was make the right choice for all of them, and you wound up only making the wrong ones. 
So, when you wake up with swollen under eyes and a red nose, the only thing you allow yourself to think about is Connor. 
He’s asleep when you enter his room, and when you feel his forehead, he feels the same as he had last night. You make a mental note to bring up more medicine for him, then take his temperature. 
Slipping back out of his room, you head downstairs. Your stomach twists as you hear Rafe talking to Josie in the kitchen, and the thought of facing him without knowing exactly how he feels today makes you anxious. 
As you walk in, you find Josie sitting on the counter and Rafe at the stove, where he flips a pancake in the pan. Josie giggles at something he said, and Rafe laughs back. His eyes catch on you, and for a brief moment, he smiles. Then, he drops it and looks down. 
“Hi, Mommy!” Josie cheers, “Daddy’s staying home today! He said I could, too.”
“He did, huh?” you smile at her, walking around the island to embrace her. 
“Thought I could, considering we’re not consulting each other on decisions anymore,” Rafe mutters. 
For Josie’s sake, you ignore him, but you stare at him while you do it. In no way can you tell Rafe how to feel or act, but you’re shocked at how openly petty he’s being. 
“Rafe—”
He cuts you off when he spins around with a plate in his hand, then gives Josie a wide smile. 
“Alright, princess, your breakfast is ready. Go sit at the table for me.”
He carries Josie’s plate over as you help her down from the counter, then watch her take off to her seat. Once she’s settled, Rafe comes back into the kitchen, but he doesn’t spare you a single glance. 
“How’d you sleep?” you try, stepping closer. 
“I didn’t,” he replies as he pours more pancake batter into the pan, “She did. All night.”
You swallow, “Good. So, listen, I was hoping—”
“I’m taking her to my parents’ today. We’ll swim and visit with Topper and Ellie. I figure Connor needs quiet, anyway.”
“Oh, okay,” you nod weakly, “Do you think we could talk later, though?”
“I don’t know.”
You frown and look at the floor, then glance over at the coffee pot. What’s usually filled halfway for you is now empty, and you know the pancakes he’s making on the stove are for himself. It makes your heart ache, to think that he’s so angry with you that he no longer wants to take care of you. 
“Rafe, I just… I want to fix it,” you practically beg, “Please.”
He drops the spatula on the counter before he turns to you, keeping his voice low on account of Josie. 
“This isn’t just something you can fix, Y/N. You hurt me. You prioritize your brother over our kids and you always have. Every time he stumbles in drunk, you always tell him it’s okay. It’s not. This time, you let him take our daughter and they got into an accident. She could’ve gotten really hurt. I’m not okay with that, and I never will be. Until you can get your priorities straight, I’m not interested in what you have to say.”
You step back from him and swallow the lump in your throat. Instead of just rolling over, you want to explain your thought process — have an actual conversation instead of bickering over the stove.
“He’s sick, Rafe. He’s an alcoholic. Guilting him every time he comes to us like that isn’t going to help him,” you reply, trying to stay strong despite the tears stinging your eyes, “And, how dare you accuse me of not prioritizing our family.  This is my top priority— my only priority. I made a judgment call, and I was wrong, I admit it. If I could go back and change it, I would.”
He shrugs, looking back down at the pancake, “But, you can’t.”
His left hand rests on the counter where he leans, supporting his body. You want to reach out and grab it, pull him into you and keep him close as you tell him that you’re sorry over and over again. You give in before you can help yourself, and when you cover his hand with your own, he doesn’t pull away immediately.
“Rafe, please,” you beg, but you’re not sure for what exactly. His eyes. His love. His forgiveness. 
“Don’t,” he says, pulling hand from under yours, “You really hurt me this time.”
Before you can say anything else, he plates his pancakes, then turns to face Josie. 
She grins when she sees him holding up his own plate, and he puts on his parent mask as he nears her. 
“Can we eat together, baby?” he asks enthusiastically, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was absolutely, positively, fine. 
     After Josie and Rafe leave, you bring Connor downstairs. You cuddle with him when he asks for it, you make him soup, give him more medicine, and watch Paw Patrol until he falls asleep on your lap. 
You, however, don’t nap. You stare at your phone screen, at a drafted text to Rafe as your thumb hovers over the send button. 
I hope you know that I didn’t mean to hurt you. Or Josie. I never would. The three of you are my priority. We can talk more when you’re ready, but I just want you to know that I’m thinking about what you said and I want to work this out with you more than anything. Please come home. 
You debate taking off the plea for him to come home, but you decide to leave it and press send. When you see that it went through, you put your phone down and take a deep breath, then leave your eyes glued to the screen so you can see the second he responds. 
When your phone does light up again, you pounce on it. You frown when you see Maddie’s name at the top of the new text, asking you why Rafe canceled the dinner plans that you two had with Maddie and Kelce tonight — which you’d completely forgotten about. 
You reply quickly and tell her that Connor is sick, and debate asking her if she can talk on the phone so you can get advice. However, you decide against it and fire off your excuse just as Rafe’s response comes in. 
We will pick up dinner and be there soon. How’s Connor? 
You smile, because something about this feels like progress. Silently, you look down to the sleeping boy, running your hand through his hair because you just can’t help yourself. 
He’s good. Sleeping off the fever, I hope. Thank you for getting dinner!
He won’t respond to that and you know it, but you don’t care. At least he gave you one response. 
     Connor wakes just before Josie and Rafe get home, and with a perfect temperature, he says he wants to stay downstairs for dinner. You nod and give him a hug, and when you hear the garage door open, you wave him up and into the kitchen. 
“Mommy!” Josie shouts when she enters the house, “Look, Daddy got me a princess sticker!”
She holds it up to you proudly as you hug her tight, “Oh, I love it, Jo.”
She beams and moves over to show it to Connor as Rafe walks in. He holds a pizza in his left hand and Josie’s bag in his right. You don’t miss the name on the pizza box — your favorite place, meaning he had to drive fifteen extra minutes each way to get it instead of getting the easy, shitty pizza down the street. 
“You got Lighthouse,” you say, biting your lip to hide a smile as you acknowledge his drive to the pizza place.
“Yeah, I—” he stops himself and closes his eyes, then shakes his head before repeating, “Yeah.”
You take a daring step forward, “Thank you.”
He nods once, and when you see him swallow down his impulse to reach for you, to hug you and kiss you and ask about your day, he looks over to the kids. 
“Hey, Connor. How are you feeling, buddy?”
Rafe steps past you to get to him, and the pizza you’d just been swooning over suddenly doesn’t seem as appetizing. Regardless, you get plates out and divide up slices while Rafe works behind you to get everyone drinks. He pours juice out for the kids and tells them to sit at the table, then gets a beer for himself. He doesn’t ask you what you want because he already knows, and he sets the glass of white wine at your place setting.
Dinner is quiet, but you pretend it’s only because Josie is tired from swimming all day and Connor isn’t feeling well. Everything feels off because you and Rafe didn’t work today — you told Rose that Connor was sick — and Josie didn’t go to school. It feels like it should be a weekend, but it’s not. 
You want to ask Rafe if he plans on going back to work tomorrow. If he wants to sleep next to you tonight, because you want to sleep next to him. You want to ask him everything, anything, just to get him to look at you. 
After dinner, Rafe volunteers himself to do bath and bedtime, which leaves you downstairs to clean up the small mess from the meal. As you clean, you spot a tub of ice cream in the freezer and pull it out, smiling to yourself at your little idea. 
     When Rafe comes back downstairs, he doesn’t look for you. Instead, he makes his way into your shared bedroom, already peeling off his shirt in preparation for a shower when he freezes. You’re sitting on his side of the bed with two small bowls of ice cream and that pout on your lips that you know he loves. He visibly softens at the sight, and when you hold up the bowl, his jaw ticks. 
“You’re something else,” he mutters, more to himself than to you, as he crosses the room shirtless. 
You give him a small smile as he plants himself beside you and accepts the bowl. His knee touches yours, and you feel giddy inside when he doesn’t pull himself away. 
“I’m trying, Rafe,” you whisper as he takes a bite, staring down at the bowl instead of you, “I’m trying to figure out what to do. Because I miss you. And I know I made a mistake. But I don’t want to cut my brother off in the process of working this out. He’s doing better, and I’m afraid that would trigger him into a relapse, or something.”
“I get that,” he murmurs. 
“So, let’s talk about it. All three of us. Let’s set clear boundaries and we can even make a timeline—”
“Y/N,” Rafe practically laughs, “I already did that with you. I told you that I wasn’t ready. I set my boundary, and you crossed it.”
You swallow, “I know, but I think it will help if Scott is clued in, too. That way, wires don’t get crossed, and we can all—”
“We can all what?” he scoffs, standing up, “Live happily ever after? Scott can worm his way back into our kids’ lives? I cave on a lot of shit for you, Y/N, but this is not something you can ask me to do.”
“Rafe, I’m not asking you to change how you feel,” you reply, your voice small and pleading, as if silently begging him to sit back down with you, “Please, I’m not. I’m just trying to make everyone happy.”
He shakes his head and lets his eyes close, rolling them behind his lids, “That’s the problem with you. You’re always so focused on how everyone else feels. You’re so afraid to tell Scott ‘no’ because you’re afraid you’ll be responsible for a relapse if you do. You know what, Y/N? You’re allowed to be selfish. You’re allowed to stand up for yourself and our children. Scott is a grown ass man, and his choices are his own. You baby the fuck out of him, and it needs to stop.”
You digest Rafe’s words, letting them hang in the air between the two of you. On one hand, you want to fight back. You want to tell him that Scott is your family, and you’re just trying to help. On the other hand, you see how trying to help turned into Josie being in an accident. Then, you hear Rafe’s words in your head once more. 
I cave on a lot of shit for you. 
He does, and you know it. With a deep breath, you nod your head, willing to sacrifice for him the way he always does for you — without a second thought. 
“Okay,” you whisper, watching his eyes dart to you, “Alright. I’ll take space. I’ll work on it. Whatever is best for you and the kids, I will do that.”
Rafe stares at you like that’s the last thing he expected you to say. His hands meet his hips and he assesses you from head to toe before swallowing. 
“Maybe you should sleep on that decision,” he says carefully. 
You shake your head, ignoring the stinging in your eyes. He watches you carefully as you stand up and step over to him, then place a gentle hand on his chest. You can feel his heart racing, and you want to smile at the thought of still being able to do that to him after all this time. 
“I don’t need to. You’re right, I let people walk all over me because I don’t want to disappoint anyone. But, our marriage is my priority, and our children are my priority, and I need to do better. I’m sorry, Rafe, I’m so sorry.”
His eyes close when your lips ghost over his cheek. His fists ball at his sides as he fights the urge to pull you in, to forget it all and just let his body take over. You move down and kiss along his jawline, then back up to his mouth. You let your lips hover for a moment, giving him time to object, before you lean closer. 
“Y/N,” he whispers at the very last second, “You can’t just tell me what I want to hear because we’re in a fight. You need to figure this shit out for yourself.”
“Rafe,” you sigh, but he shakes his head. 
“I need some time, too. This really rattled me, and I need to figure out how I want to proceed.”
You furrow your brows, “How you want to proceed? Like, with us?”
You fear the answer more than anything, but you need to hear it. 
“With everything,” he replies, “I just… I need sleep. So do you.”
You nod but don’t say a word, standing there and thinking about the melting ice cream that sits on your bed. 
Rafe takes a deep breath and watches as you avoid his eyes, then sighs and steps forward. You think he might reach out to touch you, grab you, kiss you, anything. Instead, he picks up his pillow from his side of the bed and steps back, offering you half a smile. 
“I’ll be on the couch,” he mumbles, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” you reply. 
He picks up the two ice cream bowls and carries them to the door, turning back and staring at the scene in front of him for a moment. You, still standing on his side of the bed, where you know you’ll sleep tonight. 
“Love you,” he whispers. 
“Love you, too.”
He nods and then closes the door behind him. Only then do you fall into his side of the bed and inhale his scent on the sheets, allowing your tears to fall right where you lay. You don’t grab a pillow, you don’t cover yourself with a blanket. You just cry until your body grows so tired that it forces you to sleep, with swollen eyes and a regretful heart. 
     You jolt awake to the sound of the doorknob to your bedroom rattling up and down a few times, which immediately has you sitting up in bed. Your first thought is that it’s Connor trying to get in because he’s sick, and your heart sinks at the thought of him having gotten worse. 
Which is why, when Rafe comes rushing into the room, your eyes grow wide. He’s shirtless and his hair is a mess, but more than that, he looks completely terrified. Your heart races as he starts over to you at a fast pace, lips parted like he’s trying to speak, but can’t. 
“Rafe, what is it?” you ask softly. 
His breaths are shallow and jagged, and when he tries to inhale, it seems like he can’t. You scoot closer to the edge of the bed, and when he rounds the mattress and gets to you, he sinks to his knees in front of you. 
“You’re okay,” he whispers in relief, beginning to check you from top to bottom with his eyes and hands, “Fuck, thank God.”
His palms grip your forearms and he flips them over to check for any sort of marking or injury, then moves down your body to your legs. He runs his hands over every square inch of your skin, and you let him. 
“Of course I’m okay,” you reply, grabbing one of his hands in yours, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
He lets out a long breath, then shakes his head, but his hands never leave you. He grips you tight, like he’s afraid you’ll disappear if he lets go for even a moment. 
“Nothing, nothing,” he rushes, “Just a bad dream, I guess. Felt real.”
You tense, “Are you having nightmares again?”
He shrugs, but when you cup his cheek with your free hand, he nods. 
“Yeah,” he admits shyly, “I, um, I know we’re in a weird place right now, but—”
“Come to bed,” you demand, tugging him in. 
He nods, as if that’s exactly what he wanted you to say. You scoot over just enough for him to crawl onto the mattress, then bury yourself in him the moment he’s laying flat. His arms wrap around you and your head presses against his heart; this time racing for a different reason. 
Just as you settle and the room falls silent, you debate what to say. If you should ask any questions or just let him be. Rafe speaks, silencing your mind. 
“Y/N,” he whispers into the darkness, “I have to tell you something.”
“Tell me,” you encourage, squeezing him slightly. 
He takes a long moment to start, but when he does, you can tell by the shakiness in his voice that he’s emotional.
“I think part of the reason I got so upset with you was because I was very aware of the fact that it could’ve been the three of you at that intersection. Even though you let Scott take her against my wishes, you still made the right choice, somehow. Because, I swear, if I had gotten a call that all of you were at the hospital, I think I would’ve had a heart attack right then and there in my office.”
“Rafe,” you whine, cuddling closer. 
He shakes his head, “Let me finish, okay, baby?”
“Okay,” you whisper. 
“I’m terrified that something will happen one day. That I won’t be there to protect you, or stop it, or fix it, and this whole thing really brought that fear out of me. I know that I seem overprotective with the kids, especially with Scott, but I just can’t stand the thought of something happening to them. To you. You’re my entire world, Y/N. I just need you to understand that.”
“I do understand that,” you answer, heart hammering in your chest, “But, we also can’t live our lives in fear of what could happen. All we can do is take precautions and make informed decisions together. I fucked up, and I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Rafe. I would never, ever do that on purpose. I love you too much to even consider it.”
He swallows roughly, “I know, sweetheart.”
You want to say more, to spill your guts and tell him every thought you’ve had for the past twenty four hours. Instead, you cuddle deeper into him and inhale his scent, then kiss his cheek. 
“You should sleep, handsome,” you whisper against his skin, “I’m right here, and I’m okay. We’ll work it out in the morning.”
He nods, then presses a kiss into your hair, “I’m in love with you.”
“I’m in love with you, too,” you reply, “That means you’re stuck with me.”
He chuckles lightly, “Good.”
You smile against him, then kiss his cheek once more before you resign to laying your head on his chest. Both of you are asleep in seconds, surrounded in the warmth and love of the other. 
     When you wake up in the morning, your hands are both tangled in Rafe’s. You feel his smooth palms in yours and you smile before you even open your eyes to find him. When you do, he’s laying across from you, already wide awake. When his eyes meet yours, his lips tip up in a smile. 
"What are you staring at?” you ask teasingly, shifting closer. 
“My wife,” he replies in that morning voice that always seems to get you, “My beautiful, infuriating wife.”
You laugh, even though it shouldn’t be funny. He smiles a real smile then, and you bask in it. Having not seen it in what feels like forever, you want to keep it there for the rest of your life. 
“Rafe,” you whisper. “I—”
“I know,” he stops you, tugging you closer, “I know you’re sorry. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“Really?” you ask hopefully. 
“Mhm,” he hums, “Can you just promise that you’ll call me the next time you don’t know what to do? No matter what?”
You nod, “I promise.”
“Thank you,” he says, then takes a breath before saying, “Now, about your brother.”
“I still want him in my life, Rafe. But, I’ll meet up with him and really discuss boundaries and everything. I’ll take the house key from him. I will do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable, but I won’t cut him out.”
He nods, “I’m not asking you to cut him out, baby. Not at all. You just need to be more firm with him. You know Scott, you give him an inch, he takes a mile.”
“I know,” you reply, dropping your shoulders at the evident quality your brother possesses, “I’ll work on being more assertive with my boundaries when it comes to him.”
“Good. You deserve to be appreciated and respected. You’re not a doormat for your brother and his issues.”
You know Rafe’s right, but you’re not ready to admit that that might just be what Scott has been doing to you. That he knows you’ll go easy on him, so he comes to you first. You haven’t wanted to see it, so you don’t. 
“So, we’re okay?” you ask, biting your lip. 
He stares at you for a moment, and you notice how his look of admiration has returned. You smile as he begins to nod, then squeeze his hand. 
“We’re okay,” he replies, “Sorry if I scared you last night.”
“You did. Do you think our fight brought it on?” 
He shrugs, “The fight. Josie being in the accident. I’m sure it will go away in the next few nights, as I calm down.”
You nod in understanding, then place a few gentle pecks onto his bare chest. 
“If there’s anything I can do, tell me,” you murmur, “You’re never alone.”
“Thank you, baby.”
As much as you want to stay and bask in his body heat, you know you should get up to check on Connor and take him more medicine. Rafe can feel you tense as you prepare to move, and his grip tightens. 
“Rafe—”
“He’s fine,” Rafe bluffs, “Don’t get up.”
“I have to.”
He laughs gruffly, then releases you. Reluctantly, you climb from the bed in your tank top and short shorts, eliciting a groan from Rafe where he lays. Without being able to contain himself, it seems, he reaches over and swats your backside as you escape from the bed, earning a jaw drop from you. 
“Sorry,” he grins mischievously. 
“Sure you are,” you mutter, “You’re lucky I love you.”
“I really am, sweetheart. I remind myself every day.”
You know he’s being his silly self, but the words bring butterflies to your stomach. You grin and turn back to look at him as you walk toward your bedroom door, taking a mental picture of him laying in bed with his shirt off and his hair messy. He’s practically begging you to come back to him, and for a moment, you strongly consider it. 
“Don’t move,” you command, “I’ll be back in ten.”
He chuckles, “Yes ma’am.”
You hurry from the room and up the stairs, already missing Rafe’s heat and the comfort of your bed with him in it. You’re already making plans for when you return to your bedroom, because although fighting with Rafe is one of the worst things in your entire world, making up is your absolute favorite.
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veala2 · 12 days
Text
ʟᴜꜰꜰʏ’ꜱ ᴀʟᴘʜᴀʙᴇᴛ.
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One Piece Fluff Alphabet: LUFFY.
CW - Luffy being Luffy and a little goofy, nothing serious or demeaning!
A/N - It’s spring break for me! I love spending time with family and friends so I might just be more inactive than I already am. Don’t worry though, Zoro’s is coming soon.
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ʟ - ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏɴᴇꜱ: ʜᴏᴡ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ?
Let’s be honest here: Luffy is a child himself. His childlike sense of wonder and massive amount of pure energy already leaving him seem much younger than he actually is.
We’ve already seen how Luffy is around children on different occasions. Whether he’s kind and gentle, loving and reassuring, or his same rambunctious self he can relate to a child pretty easily. The young emperor of the sea won’t treat a child like their some whining creature. Rather, he views everybody the same and won’t discriminate no matter who you are.
All in all, he’s fun and friendly with children! And if their his own in the near future, he’ll do everything in his power to support and protect his children.
ᴜ - ᴜɢʟʏ: ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴀᴅ ʜᴀʙɪᴛꜱ?
We all know some of Luffy’s little habits. He tends to get loud at times where it’s no good. He eats whatever he wants, whenever he wants. But, his worst habit is more like a flaw.
Luffy is a selfish person. Ever since the day he proclaimed to his brothers that he was going to be king of the pirates. He’s been taking what he wanted since the beginning of his journey. Yes, it’s safe to say Monkey D. Luffy is a selfish person. But, he’s not a selfish person for selfish reasons.
He does what he wants, but still helps other people. Kingdoms, countries, islands. It doesn’t matter who it is he will help them. Selfishly. And that’s what makes Luffy so great.
Is it a habit? Honestly, I thought this was better than saying he only takes 1 bath per week.
ꜰ - ꜰɪᴀɴᴄE: ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴍɪᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ?
How do they feel about commitment?
Luffy is a go with the flow kind of person. He doesn’t do plans all that well, and can barely keep himself from straying off to the other pay. So, having a ring on his finger that’s meant to stay there until the day he dies is not too appealing to him.
Don’t get him wrong, he loves you like crazy! He’d never even consider cheating on you. But being in a relationship, “tied down” he’d say, is something he would have to get used to.
But- in the end- he’d grow to love the simple ring that’s snug on your fingers. A symbol of the love between you two, and the adventure of life you’ll share together.
ꜰ - ꜰɪɢʜᴛ: ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴇ ᴇᴀꜱʏ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʀɢɪᴠᴇ?
Luffy is Luffy. He wouldn’t change who he was for a second, even if he was going to die. His emotions are his and he will be who he is without any hesitation.
However… Luffy tends to say and do things when he’s angry that he wouldn’t mean. Remember Water 7? That fight between him and Usopp was powerful. The emotions set free and eventually drove Usopp away.
It might take a while to forgive Luffy. But he really does care about you and regrets what he said in the moment. After he explains himself and proves that he's sorry, I think it’d be pretty to forgive him.
ʏ - ʏᴜᴄᴋ: ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ, ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴏʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ?
What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in their partner?
In general, I believe that Luffy wouldn’t like someone who’s afraid and cowardly. Maybe just cowardly, seeing as you can be afraid and still be courageous. Thinking back to multiple examples of him saying he doesn’t like people who act like scaredy cats.
In a partner, I think he wouldn’t like- or would either deter them from him in general- would be not pursuing a dream. Luffy takes pride in his dream that he’s been working towards since he was a boy. And he respects those who have a dream that they’re going for, too. So if his partner won’t follow their heart, he would simply feel disappointed and discouraged with them.
Luffy’s goals are very precious. To both him and his crew. He’s willing to sacrifice everything for your dreams, so why not follow them and achieve what you’ve always wanted?
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c0rpse-br1d3 · 8 months
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That skinny girl in your class who eats anything she wants at school, she probably just finished a long fast. When she’s at home she probably doesn’t eat anything at all or even better, she throws it up. She probably tries so hard to maintain her figure, while you on the hand can’t even reach your goal. No one is thin just because they’re simply blessed with fast metabolism. She probably doesn’t have a habit of going into the pantry and stuffing her mouth with sweets and junk at 3am. If you don’t change your disgusting habits you will never be like HER.
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