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#to explain how terrible I felt about not meeting her expectations/not being able to do what she wanted in person cause she wouldn’t fucking
concoulor · 10 months
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still upset about my friend breaking up with me & that happened almost 2 years ago now
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blossomthepinkbunny · 2 months
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Charlie as an underdeveloped character
One thing I was genuinely dissapointed by when watching Hazbin Hotel was that they never cared to dive into Charlie's Morality more.
I feel like a lot of people can agree that Charlie felt very flat/sidelined in a show she was supposed to be the main character of and I think that that's because they ran out of Character Moments for her. Her Backstory is pretty much just infodumped at the start so there's nothing you can really explore there (except for her relationship with her parents ig but they only really brought that up and resolved it in one episode). Alastor has the mystery behind him of what his goals really are, Angel Dust has his arc about standing up to his abuser, Vaggie has her dramatic backstory reveal thing and Sir pentious gets focus as the one real guest at the hotel and with his goal to be redeemed.
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Charlie really has no conflict at all, which is weird since the whole plot is that her idea is relentlessly mocked and never succeeds until the end. But she doesn't have a personal conflict. All the issues she faces come from the ignorance of the people around her who don't support her, but never from who she is. She never has to change. They try to hint at this with her being possibly invasive and not respecting boundaries in the Angel Dust and Valentino episode. But the episode doesn't focus on her and Angel as they talk it out and she realizes how she might have to change as well (from how I remember it). It focuses on Husk and Angel's relationship instead.
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I feel like the easiest route they could've taken for her character was that of a moral dilemma. Charlie believes in second chances and being able to change demons and her opposite is Adam, who doesn't think demons should be redeemed and should just be killed instead. But it's never specified if Charlie truly believes everyone deserves a second chance or if there are restrictions to that. Adam sings a song in the first episode and explaines his reasoning for why he believes demons shouldn't be saved, which is that they had their chance to be good and didn't choose it and now they can't expect another one (I guess the real reason is that he's just an asshole who doesn't care but that's because Vivzepop can't write Villains so I'll just pretend like that's his real reason).
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The problem is that Adam is presented as fully in the wrong and I just don't agree with that. I'm not saying he's right with killing random demons of course but the show never takes the time to consider that sometimes people go to hell because they are actually terrible and have done inexcusable things. Like yeah, someone who had an addicition or a mental health problem while they were alive obviously doesn't deserve eternal suffering without any chance for redeemability, but we know that those aren't the only people that go to hell (in the pilot it's literally confirmed that real life criminals like Jeffrey Dahmer are also down there).
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The show blatanly shows us characters like Valentino who are shown to do irredeemable things and be purely evil.
My question is just if Charlie would also look at someone like Valentino and say: "Yeah they deserve to be saved and get a second chance". She obviously thinks Valentino sucks, which we see in the Episode were she meets him.
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So like, what would she have done if in the second episode someone like him stood at their door and wanted to be redeemed instead of Sir Pentious. Does she draw a line? Or would she have really heard him out? Her morality with this "everybody deserves a second chance" attitude is so underexplored even though it would have been the perfect place to develop her more. If they had confronted her with an actually tough situation, where she is presented with a truly terrible person, they could've had two interesting ways to take her character.
She could've accepted the person and with that she'd have taken her role a fully 'good' saviour for the demons. Someone who is truly without judgement, or atleast believes that there is good in everyone that just has to be brought out. Which would've also given room to think about if people like that are even inherently good, if they can 'excuse' the actions of terrible people and still want to help them. This would have made her a very extreme character in her believes, but something coherent and definitive is actually something Charlie desperately needs for her characterization.
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The other way would've had her reject the person and with that she would have to face the idea that maybe Adam isn't fully wrong. In that situation she would have found herself in a similar position to the Angels in heaven, where she basically is the one deciding over what's acceptable and what isn't. This could lead to her having a moral dilemma. Is she even a good person if she's deciding what's moral and what isn't? Can she just be okay with making exceptions to her idea to protect her people? Does she even want to view EVERY demon as her family? Or does she think there are some demons that maybe deserve death?
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I'm just really dissapointed that the show takes such an interesting idea and such a difficult topic and then just does nothing with it. What we view as bad and good and which people we judge harder than others will always depend on social norms and the situation. It's a topic with no real right and wrong answer because there are so many things to consider. But this moral grey conflict that is literally one of the MAIN CONFLICTS in Hazbin Hotel is so incredibly underwritten, that it's not even funny.
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Instead of acknowledging the difficulty of the subject Hazbin does what it does best and takes the easy route with seemingly clear right and wrong sides. This is especially stupid, since morally grey characters are supposed to be the point of the show. Like there are these demons who have done bad things and who aren't perfect, but that doesn't make them bad people. Its about revealing that a person has layers (which the writing doesn't). This is also a big point in Helluva Boss, where characters like Blitzø or Stolas who mess up repeatedly, are supposed to be shown as still having interests, aspirations, and good things to them.
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The easy route which is taken constantly in both shows however makes it so that Charlie is completely in the right and anyone who criticises her is one of the evil people who try to ruin her plan, just like Adam. Who's also such a straw man for anyone who even dares to bring any objection to Charlies ideas, because everyone who does is apparently a hypocrite who just doesn't understand her and would rather side with genocide (I wonder were Vivzepop takes her inspiration from).
Charlies writing was just really dissapointing with almost never any reflection being done on her part. She doesn't have really striking moments, discussions or ideas to her in a show she's supposed to lead. That's just an issue that comes with Vivzepop never really putting as much work into her female characters, even tough they would desperately need it.
I know that only the first season is out so far, but I highly doubt thay they'll bring up a discussion like this in s2. Especially since Adam is dead now and the Angels will probably try to work more with the demons, after Sir Pentious' redemtion and the reveal of the exterminations to them. Also the Vees, Lillith and Alastor will be more of focus from what we can assume by the ending scenes.
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I just don’t like that Viv can take interesting conflicts and write them to be completely one-dimensional and boring.
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jomiddlemarch · 2 months
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(I measure time by how a body sways)
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Part II
“What’s that?” Hermione asked, with a subtle wiggle of her fingers in his general direction. His heart was still beating and he was able to let out his next breath, so she hadn’t cast a wandless curse in his direction but then, the night was young. She sounded prim, as if she were channeling McGonagall at her most Scottish schoolmarm, if you left out Minerva’s well-known appreciation for good single malt Scotch and fit young men in Quidditch gear.
“Brandy. Armagnac. From the Malfoy cellar,” he said. She gave him what could only be called a speaking look, her lips pursed. If he were not terrified and about to piss himself, he would have found it utterly adorable.
“Why?”
“Bill said you don’t like Firewhiskey,” Draco replied.
“You’d asked?”
“No, he suggested I bring something. If you agreed to meet with me,” Draco said. Bill had not implied any if, far from it, but Draco felt it was best not to have Hermione think her acceptance had been the default expectation.
“You think I’ll need a drink? To talk with you?” she said. She was less ready to take umbrage and somehow more hurt; he’d put her on the defensive, despite his best efforts. She was also tired, he could tell that from looking at her, if he hadn’t already heard it from Bill and Cosima, her assistant, who had required much placating and a box of Honeyduke’s finest filled chocolates to agree to rearrange Madam Granger’s schedule to accommodate him. “I can’t decide whether you’re suggesting I can’t cope or that I won���t want to.”
She didn’t say Or that this isn’t a professional meeting, it’s a date, an assignation. She didn’t say Or you want me tipsy, you’re heard I’m an affectionate drunk.
She most certainly did not say either of those.
He would actually have combusted or winked out of existence, he’d be busy greeting plenty of people on the other side of the Veil.
“You’re being very gracious to meet with me and I wanted you to be able to have something worth drinking, if you chose to avail yourself. I took Bill’s advice because he knows you better than I do,” Draco said. He was fudging the truth, but not terribly.
“He’s got some nerve,” Hermione said. She settled though, relaxed into her chair. 
“I believe it’s the exceedingly great confidence of a man who convinced a French half-Veela to marry him,” Draco said. “You can call it nerve if you prefer.”
She laughed then, a merry sound he’d have to remember if the evening went as horribly pear-shaped as he anticipated it would. He did not have Bill’s confidence.
“What’s it about? This,” she gestured around the private room, the curtains drawn, the table between them with the brandy bottle and two fat-bottomed glasses. “Us.”
“I want to begin by saying how deeply I appreciate you granting me this time to confer, Madam Nimue Granger—”
“There’s a bottle of very good Armagnac sitting right there. You’ve known me since I was eleven. We sat through that benighted travesty of an experts panel in Ravenna with the Dante impersonator together. Call me Hermione, Draco,” she said.
“All right, Hermione,” he said.
“Wasn’t so hard, was it?” she said lightly.
“No. I suppose not,” he said.
“But what you have to tell me is. Hard, I mean. You find it difficult, you went to Bill,” she said.
“He’s good at difficult things,” Draco said.
“He is. You’re stalling,” she said, smiling a little. “Shall I promise not to hit you again?”
He laughed, suddenly, choking on it. Her brown eyes were bright, her hair pulled back from her face with some Mugglish clip, the hollow at the base of her throat delicately shadowed. He wanted to protect her but the only threat he could see was himself.
“I trust you will restrain yourself,” he said.
“But not that I won’t feel the urge,” she said, shaking her head. “Intriguing.”
“I think you’re the only person who’ll be able to understand what happened, what caused it,” he said. “I wouldn’t have come to you otherwise—”
“What is it, Draco?”
“I can’t explain it—it was nearly a fortnight ago, I woke up, and this was, it was like this,” he said, unfastening the cuff of his sleeve, rolling it up his forearm, above his elbow. Stretching his arm across the table so it was fully exposed to her view, the new brand vivid against his fair skin. 
“Lumos maxima melissa,” she whispered, the words of the spell barely more than breath on her parted lips. The light in the room altered, had the diamond clarity of the operating theater and the gentle slip of a summer daybreak.
And then she took hold of his arm, her hand circling his wrist.
Draco kept breathing because it was required, but it became work, to move the air in and out as she touched him, her magic vital in her fingertips. Her gaze was focused on his arm and he understood suddenly how Harry had defeated Voldemort. He kept his head bowed, waiting for her to say something, do something.
She let go of his arm and left it resting on the table. Then she shrugged off her robe and shoved up with loose sleeve of her knitted jersey, extending her own arm beside his.
“About a fortnight ago, I woke up and it was like this,” she said.
“Fuck me,” he exclaimed, staring at her skin. There was the subtlest flicker…
“You’re not imagining things. The stars twinkle sometimes. Eltanin and Aldibain,” Hermione said. The two brightest stars in the constellation Draco, etched on her skin in the shape of the dragon, its mouth open, its body coiled and draped, Hevelius’s creature, one he’d pored over when he’d learned what his name meant. His name on her arm, if one knew how to read it, not his fox Patronus, not the purple hyacinth that meant I’m sorry.
“A fortnight, you said?”
“It must have been the same time your Dark Mark changed,” she replied. “I woke up with the most horrid headache. Couldn’t get a pain potion to even touch it, but it was gone by the end of the day.”
“You must have a theory to explain it,” Draco said.
“Not a terribly good one, since I was missing some critical data,” she said. “Are we supposed to drink the brandy now?”
“If you don’t need to look at anything in more depth—”
“I saw that scar on my own arm every day for the past fifteen years. The only difference is that it’s on your arm now. I can safely assume you’ve tried a number of charms and potions to remove it or divine its provenance. It’s still there and you came to me,” she said, sounding just as she had every time she gave a lecture to a scholarly audience she considered her peers. “I think we can have some brandy and then discuss everything.”
“Everything?” he repeated.
“You’ve met me. I don’t do things by halves. But we can pace ourselves,” she said.
“Why aren’t you more…” he trailed off.
“Upset? Angry? Freaked out? Hysterical?” she said as he shook his head. “I didn’t think you’d pick any of those words but they’re worth saying. I’m not more shocked because it was the first change that was an impossibility. Once that happened, all bets were off. And also, because it’s you.”
“It’s me,” he said. “You were offended when you thought I wanted to get you drunk—”
“That was offensive, that’s why,” she countered.
“Why does it being me make a difference?” he asked.
“First of all, it’s hard to believe that what you just said was the King’s English. Secondly, it makes it better. It makes it something I can be curious about, not horrified,” she said, pausing, looking at him with her head tilted to the side, inquisitive, lovely. “It’s not your Patronus, is it?”
“No. My Patronus is a fox. A very diffident and hard-to-coax fox,” he said. 
“I didn’t think your Patronus would be a dragon. Too on the nose. It would be embarrassing with your name, to be so concrete,” she said. She glanced over at the bottle, which Draco took as his cue to open it and pour out a generous measure for them both. She let the belly of the glass warm against her palm before she took a sip. “Mmm. That’s gorgeous.”
He took a swallow from his own glass before he spoke, letting the brandy take the place of the words he’d almost uttered you’re gorgeous you’re everything.
“Are you more interested in why it happened or how?” he asked. He could make an effort to pretend their conversation was solely academic, professional, impersonal—some word that was mature and appropriate, that wasn’t about him driving her away with a confession of his feelings. It didn’t matter that Bill had said she cared for him, they could still be friends. Sitting across from her, the last thing he wanted was to see that light in her sherry brown eyes go out, her face turned away from his.
“Yes,” she said and grinned.
“Did I deserve that?” he said.
“Probably not, but you’re so bloody serious. Whatever happened, it’s not the end of the world,” she said. “We’ve both lived through that. This is nothing like. We’re sitting here, drinking brandy and we have wonky brands on our arms that involve magic we don’t understand, and it’s all right. It really and truly is.”
“You’re only trying to make me feel better,” he said.
“Is it working?” she asked.
Draco considered. Her question and the shape her lips made asking it, the arch of her eyebrows over her expressive eyes, the way she sat, her hand curved around the brandy glass. He was still in one piece as was the bottle of Armagnac, the table, the door and all the panes of glass in the windows. 
“I think it must be,” he said.
“Good,” she said. She took another sip of the brandy, closed her eyes for a moment. “Did you feel anything, right before it changed?”
“I was ill the night before. Fever, chills. Tried to sleep it off,” he said.
“Fine the next day though?”
“Yes. Except that the mark wasn’t the same. I felt dizzy when I saw it, but I think it was the shock, not part of an illness or any other magical process,” he said.
“It seems unlikely that there was an infectious agent or magico-immunologic trigger, since we were nowhere near each other for a shared exposure and I can’t recall anyone around me being ill or dealing with a toxic substance,” she said.
“It’s not impossible though,” Draco said.
“No, but that doesn’t make it likely. The physical symptoms were probably associated with the magical signature alteration. The designs are quite detailed and the original enchantments were cast by a very powerful Dark wizard and witch,” she said. 
“I’m sorry,” Draco said.
“What? Why?” 
“For making you revisit Bellatrix torturing you. For making you remember what Voldemort did, what I did for him,” Draco said, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck. Wishing he dared to toss back everything left in his glass and pour himself another. A double.
“I haven’t forgotten. You’re not making it any worse. It’s better, actually, because I’d sort of come to terms with the scar on my arm and when it changed, I felt like I didn’t have control of my body. I didn’t know why your signifier had replaced her slur,” Hermione said.
“You knew it meant me?”
“Not immediately. But there’s such a thing called a library, Draco, and I’m particularly fond of spending my time there, researching, when I’ve got a puzzle to solve,” she said. “I didn’t exactly want to tell anyone, certainly not you.”
“Not ever?” Draco said.
“Not without knowing more,” she said. She fiddled with her glass, bit her lip. “I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to ask you to meet with me. If you hadn’t asked me.”
“You’re a Gryffindor’s Gryffindor. You’re brave enough for anything,” he said.
“You say it as praise. I hear a sentence,” she said. “It’s exhausting, being brave enough for anything when no one is. Not me, not Harry. Not you.”
“No one’s ever accused me of bravery,” he said.
“Maybe you don’t talk to enough people,” she said. “Or listen to them.”
“I can’t argue with that,” he said.
“Do you know if anyone else’s Dark Mark has changed recently?” she said, returning to their ostensible reason for meeting. Draco had totally given himself over to wherever she wanted to take the conversation and was focusing on pacing himself with the brandy.
“I’m not in contact with most of the others who have one,” he said, stumbling a bit over the choice of others, not wanting to say Death Eaters, not wanting that degree of their past in the room, between them. “But I haven’t heard anything and neither had Bill.”
“Just us then,” she mused, startling him with the casual ease with which she said us. 
“It would seem that way,” he replied.
“But it’s not an equal swap, is it? You have my scar, but I have your name in a rebus-esque fashion,” she said. Draco frowned. It had been quite some time since he’d been unable to understand what she was saying.
“A rebus is a Muggle puzzle,” she explained. Now she frowned, a thinking deeply frown, not an unhappy one. Draco felt obscurely pleased he knew the difference.
“Perhaps it has to do with the casters?” he offered. “Who they were or their intentions?”
“That’s an interesting angle. Not sure how we’d disambiguate it—”
“As terrible as she was, Bellatrix was not Voldemort’s peer in terms of magical power. Even before you take into account all the Dark magic he used to amplify his ability, his original reservoir was at least an order of magnitude greater than hers. Probably more like three,” Draco said.
“How do you know that?” Hermione asked.
“I’m familiar with some of what he did early on. Bellatrix did try to emulate him in all ways. She wasn’t able to sustain the majority of the spells he’d used. I found a journal she kept. She only managed about a third of them and she had more backlash from the potions than he did,” Draco said. “If he had been the one to curse you in the ballroom, at best you would have lost your arm and magic. You probably wouldn’t have survived. You would have tried to fight back, that first instant, whether you thought about it or not. Your magic would have been compelled to resist him. He would have either been amused or annoyed, but either way, he would have intensified the curse. That would have been it.”
Hermione, killed. Draco didn’t think he would have been able to make a sound then. Imagining it now, he felt the keening of his soul at the prospect, the urge to tear the very Veil itself.
“That’s…frankly, I don’t know what that is,” she said. “Daunting? An odd relief? The stuff of nightmares?”
“M’sorry,” he said, gulping down some brandy.
“It’s all right. It does make me think more about intention though. Because the Dark Mark changed after Riddle was destroyed, once it was untethered from the caster. But it didn’t kill all its bearers. It was like the spell reverted to its initial intention, without the warp Riddle put on it to make it the Dark Mark. Even so, when he branded his Death Eaters, it was supposed to be, well, I guess sort of a good thing? Joining his side. From his perspective, it was an initiation rite, a membership token. Whereas Bellatrix wanted to humiliate and hurt me,” she said.
“Yeah,” Draco said. 
“Maybe it’s not to do with the casters. Maybe it’s you,” she said.
“It’s my fault?” he said.
“I didn’t say it was your fault. You might be the inflection point. Your Dark Mark changed. Your name replaced my scar. Maybe we don’t need to overthink it. It’s about you,” she said. As if it were good news, an answer she’d been hoping to discover.
“Me,” he said. 
“Something changed in you, something that involved your magic. Something significant enough to overwrite the Dark Mark and to alter my scar, perhaps because you were there when I got it. Or because of the Black lineage,” Hermione said.
“I did something and you have to deal with the consequences. Again,” he said.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. But you say consequences like it’s a bad thing. Like I wouldn’t prefer having a beautiful constellation with twinkling stars appear on my arm instead of a disgusting slur that never stopped hurting carved into me by a mass murderer,” she replied. 
“You don’t have to try and make me feel better,” he said. She’d do that, however sincere she sounded.
“If you do, that’s great. I’m telling you how I feel. I feel better. Given the chance, I’d have chosen this,” she said.
“You felt sick when it happened,” he pointed out.
“For a day. I was in the infirmary after Dolohov cursed me for a solid three weeks, dosed to the gills with potions Snape had to brew specially and an anti-emetic to keep them down, since they all tasted vile,” she said.
“I didn’t know that,” he said. 
“What happened to you? What changed?” she asked. He sat there, silent, without a clue where to begin. She frowned, thinking, clearly impatient with him or doubting that he’d ever come up with anything helpful.
“The Dark Mark represents your greatest regret,” she said. “It used to be the cabinet, right?”
“Yes.”
“And now it’s my scar,” she said. “You regret what—witnessing me being tortured? Me being hurt? Not being able to do anything to stop it? Ever saying that word?”
“Yes. All of it. All of it, Hermione,” he said.
“You regret it more than bringing Death Eaters into Hogwarts?” she asked, her eyes steady upon him. There was a curious lack of condemnation in her expression and tone, as if she might understand.
“I do,” he said.
“Why?”
There was no universe where she didn’t ask the question, no timeline, no reality he could ever inhabit. She was Hermione Granger and she would always want to know.
“You know why,” he said. “You must—”
“I need to hear it. From you,” she said.
“I’m in love with you,” he said. “When I understood that, that’s when it changed.”
To her credit and earning his everlasting gratitude, Hermione did not toss back the rest of her brandy. In fact, she didn’t touch the glass at all. She kept looking at him. If she had been a Legilimens, she would have been inside his mind in an instant; he could not have Occluded to save her life, let alone his.
“When?”
“Hogwarts—”
“What?” she exclaimed.
“Let me explain. When we went back to Hogwarts, to talk to the students. When you told me you were sorry. When you said they’d let me go hang. After everything, you saw that in me now and said something. I’d already liked you, so much, I’d already wanted you, but that was when I knew I loved you, that I’d fallen in love with you. I’m sorry—”
“You’re sorry?” she said.
“Bloody hell, Hermione, I’m sorry for burdening you with this, my emotions, when you don’t want it and you’ll feel compelled to be gracious. Or you’ll be embarrassed, you won’t feel we can be friends any longer, because I’ve put this between us and it can’t be undone. I don’t regret loving you, I regret having to tell you, when you don’t—”
“You’re awfully sure of how I feel for someone who has not asked me. Unless you dosed the brandy with Veritaserum. If you have, I have to tell you that it’s a Class 2 offense and also that I found a prototype antidote potion recipe among Snape’s things and I finished it off, so that won’t affect me,” she said. She was less prickly than she had been a minute ago. In fact, she was smiling her little superior swot smile he’d once found insanely provoking and now adored for being a glimpse of the girl she’d once been.
“You finished it off?” he said.
“That’s the part you want to focus on?” she replied. “Not the asking me how I feel? Fine. Snape’s first draft was solid, but he didn’t account—”
“I’m scared. To ask you,” Draco said. There was his act of bravery, his Gryffindor declaration: he was a coward.
“Why?” she asked and it was clear she wasn’t taking offense or taking the piss or getting ready to smack him. Her forefinger traced the round curve of the brandy glass and she was waiting for him to answer, wanting him to explain himself. 
“Because you’re honest when it counts the most,” he said.
To his surprise, she laughed.
“Another time, I’ll let you know all the ways that statement has been disproved, but I appreciate the…aspiration of it. I’m flattered,” she said.
“I wasn’t trying to flatter you,” he replied.
“I know. I know you mean I won’t lie to you about how I feel and I won’t. Not to you. Not now and not about this,” she said. “It’s only, you should know that in another circumstance, I’d say whatever I thought I needed to. Right now, what I think I need, what you need, is for me to be direct—”
“I don’t want to lose your friendship,” he interrupted.
“You won’t,” she said. “Telling me you’re in love with me won’t make me stop being your friend. I like you, Draco.”
“All right,” he said. He sounded crestfallen even to himself, when he should have been overjoyed that he hadn’t made her walk out, curse him or throw the expensive brandy in his face. “That’s fine then, that’s more than enough—"
“I care about you,” she said. 
“As a friend,” he said. He’d moved on to sullen. She smiled, tilted her head to the side. The stars twinkled on her arm.
“As a friend. And more than a friend,” she said.
“You don’t have to say that,” he replied.
“I know I don’t. Except I do, because it’s true. And lying to you doesn’t suit my needs,” she said. “It’s a dreadful relief, that your Dark Mark changed. I was going to have to glamour Bellatrix’s curse back onto my arm around you and I can’t tell you how much that would have annoyed me, but I couldn’t let you see your name on my skin, could I?”
“Um, no?”
“It wouldn’t have taken you but a second to see what it was. To recognize your name. It would have been the most embarrassing declaration of affection I could imagine or at least I’d have tried to convince you it was just some magical excrescence.”
“Some magical excrescence?”
“See, you never would have believed it. Maybe if Luna said something like that, but me? It would have been horribly awkward and now, it’s not,” she said, finishing up rather pertly, as if she were tying a bow on a gift.
“You care about me as more than a friend,” he said, testing it out.
“That sounds quite roundabout, doesn’t it?” she said. “Shall I make it sound better?”
He nodded.
“I love you,” she said. “I’m in love with you. You are also a good friend. Better?”
He nodded again. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks pink. She’d barely touched the brandy. He shook his head and she frowned.
“No?”
“It would be better without this bloody table between us,” he said.
She laughed, turned her palm upwards and flicked her fingers slightly, murmured Mitto adte and then she was sitting in his lap; she might have tumbled off except he’d instantly wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer.
“That wasn’t an Apparition,” he said because it didn’t seem polite to simply start snogging the living daylights out of her.
“No, I found a way to do a reverse-Accio on a person,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to use it.”
“I believe you found it,” he said and then it didn’t seem polite not to start kissing her. One could say what one would about him, but he’d been raised with exquisite manners.
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inquisitor-apologist · 10 months
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Star wars: 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 ♥️
3. which character are you actually most like?
Probably Sabine Wren—I’m a punk teenager who loves to die my hair, and I have a lot of combat experience. (7 years of karate) I love painting, and I’m trying to be more active in fighting against the empire I live in (usa). Perhaps one day I will be able to blow up fascists with homemade bombs…
5. what planet would you most like to visit? 
Considering I literally named myself after it, I kind of have to go with Korriban, don’t I? Cool, ancient planet full of giant statues, evil holocrons, and malevolent ghosts, what’s not to love? Honestly tlt it’d be worth it just to see the giant statues.
7. who do you hope you never meet?
Grogu. Little dude is exactly football-sized and I don’t think I could resist the urge to drop-kick him. I would feel terrible about it afterwards, but I don’t think I would be strong enough to stop myself.
10. do you think the jedi were right or wrong?
This one’s pretty obvious if you look at my blog, and, well, imo, if you look at the movies. The Jedi are, as presented by Lucas, unequivocally the good guys. The core dichotomy of Star Wars is the Dark side and the Light, (or, in the OT, the Dark side and the Force) compassion versus selfishness, and the Jedi were the compassionate guys, the ones who used the force to better themselves and help others. Their philosophy on non attachment is heavily based on Buddhism—George Lucas actually converted to Buddhism and described himself as a Methodist-Buddhist—so I think it’s fair to say that it was intended to be a positive, healthy way to live. (Please, Star Wars fandom, I am begging you to look up what attachment means in Star Wars, it’s different than what attachment means to USAmericans) Also, the ‘no romantic relationships’ thing makes a lot of sense when you realize the Jedi are monks first and foremost, and monks that have super dangerous government jobs. I know it’s annoying for shipping, but it does make sense with the worldbuilding.
The tragedy of the prequels was that Anakin, in his selfishness and greed, betrayed the Jedi and allowed the rise of the Empire. That doesn’t work if the Jedi are the bad guys, then it’s a completely different story. So, yeah, the Jedi were absolutely right.
12. do you care who rey’s parents are?
Ok, so since this ask game was posted when the sequels were still coming out and my opinion has changed a lot since 2019, I’ll answer this two different ways: how I felt then, and how I feel now.
When the sequels were coming out: No. I was pretty young back then, and not fully into Star Wars yet, and I basically took what the movies said at face value. Oh, they abandoned her? That’s sad, guess we won’t see them. Oh, they were junk traders that sold her? That sucks, I bet Rey feels really bad about that. Oh, she’s a Palpatine? That’s cool, I wasn’t expecting that. I watched a lot of those theory videos talking about how she could totally be a Skywalker or a Kenobi or a Solo, but I never really had a strong opinion on it. My reaction to her being Palpatine’s granddaughter was mostly ‘huh, how would that work? I don’t think he had a wife?’ I get now that it was a big question that everyone wanted the answer to, but I was too young to care.
Now: Yeah, actually, and I really like the idea of her being a Palpatine. I think it was a really good idea, and had they actually planned the story around it, it would’ve worked really well. Like, if she was established as a Palpatine in tfa, it would’ve added a lot to her character. Why is she so desperate to stay on Jakku? Because she’s hiding from the First Order. It would have also explained Snoke and Kylo Ren’s interest in her—as Palpatine’s heir, they would’ve really wanted to get her on their side. I really like the idea of her being a Palpatine, but the execution was so awful, just like most of the sequels.
Thanks for the ask! These were really fun to do
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findinginga · 3 months
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I Was Not Surprised…
 ...In Fact, I Was Waiting For It To Happen
In the run up to my departure for St. Petersburg, Inga and I planned where and how we would meet.  Ingeborga who, as I previously wrote, was adamant that she and Eva would spend the week of my visit with her brother and sister-in-law.  She also insisted that she and Eva would meet me at Pulkovo Airport on the evening of my arrival.  Inga planned to either travel by train or bus from Pskov in the morning of  21 October.  She and Eva would then meet me at the airport and we could all travel together to central St. Petersburg, roughly a 20 minute automobile trip.  As part of my travel planning, I reserved a car and driver to meet us at Pulkovo.
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The day before my departure, 19 October, Inga reported that it was not likely that she would be able to meet me at the airport, as previously planned.  She explained that it was necessary to meet someone in order to sign some business-related papers.  She had planned to do this on 20 October but the woman that she was supposed to meet was not available.  Inga related that it was necessary for her to accomplish this  task before she left Pskov for the week.  
Curiously, Inga also told me that her mother, Olga, was experiencing arm pain, with which she was chronically afflicted.  Therefore she would not be able to care for Eva.  As a result, it would be necessary for Eva to travel to St. Petersburg.  This was a very curious statement as, all along, I had expected that Eva would be accompanying Inga.  It was also the source of a pretty heated argument.  In fact, Eva's presence on the trip was the primary rationale for the two of them to spend the week with Nikita, her brother.  Why was it that Inga felt the need to make an excuse at this juncture.  Perhaps Ingeborga had forgotten her previous story?  
Well, I feigned surprise and indifference over both announcements, as neither were completely unexpected.  At this point, I even wondered if Inga would be a "no show" for the entire trip.  I planned for that eventuality just as I had planned for our meeting.  Despite my getting a dirt cheap business class flight, I was flying from the US to Russia and making two stops along the travel route.  Expenses aside, the time in the air and the layovers would mean a long travel day.  The possibility of being "stood up" by Inga was real just as there was the possibility of being set-up for various criminal purposes.  I was not taking any chances on the latter so, I contacted my friends at the investigation agency to shadow me during my stay.  They also monitored the whereabouts of Denis throughout that week.  
Truth be told, I was not terribly worried about physical harm coming to me.  As I previously noted, I was not expecting anything intimate to unfold between Inga and I.  It was obvious that Inga was using Eva as a buffer and, indeed, Eva would prove to be very effective in that role being a six-year-old with a short attention span and a need to be entertained.  I suppose that this underscores the challenges with getting involved with a woman with children, especially small children.  Naturally the focus and priorities of a mother will be for the care of the child.  Children also provide for easy alibis when a mom needs to do a little deflecting.
My departure date of 20 October arrived and I traveled to New York's JFK to board my British Airways flight to London in the late afternoon.  In spite of the COVID restrictions in force at the time, I have to admit, one can easily become addicted to traveling business class between the VIP airport lounges and being pampered during the actual flight.  I arrived at London Heathrow early in the morning of 21 October with two more flights remaining in the day.  I had some time before my FinnAir flight to Helsinki and did some browsing and gift purchases while I waited.
After a pleasant flight from London to Helsinki, I had a 90 minute layover before boarding a turbo prop for the short flight from Helsinki to St. Petersburg across the Gulf of Finland.  
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I must admit, it was a bit surreal for me to set foot on Russian soil for the first time.  I grew up during the Cold War and the Soviet Union.  Soviets were considered the enemy and my mind flashed to gulags and endless expanses of snow.  As I negotiated passport control and customs, I was deposited in a fairly typical airport arrival hall as dusk descended.  My phone buzzed with a text message from my driver who advised me to meet him outside Starbucks.  Okay, that would be easy!
On to the hotel...  
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slightlymore · 2 years
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what am I now? | part 2
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-read part 1 here-
real estate agent doyoung x fem reader
genre: semi-established relationship (’what are we’ vibes), fluff, smut, bit angsty but soft, fuck buddies to lovers, domestic
warnings: + 18, explicit sex scenes [unprotected, biting, dirty talk, emotional sex, nipple play, wet dreams and sleep talking, praise, implied cum play, fingering, cockblock moments lol sorry], issues communicating bc they’re dumb but it gets resolved
words: 5.6k
hehe have this as a random treat before I release the monster that is “i want nothing on me but you part 2″
_____
When you told your grandma the location of your new apartment, you were just tending to your granddaughter duties as well as sharing the good news - definitely not expecting her to show up at your doorstep all of a sudden. 
It was a random Tuesday morning and because of your shameful job, she knew you’d be home in pajamas writing away. 
Well, that - usually. Because that morning you weren’t wearing anything and the writing you had to do was being sought out physically instead.
Your grandma tightened her eyes as soon as you opened the front door instead of saying hello. You must have looked terrible.
“Hi grandma,” you breathed out. I was working out. I was watching a horror movie. I had a panic attack- The excuses were roaming your head as to explain your dishevelled look. 
“Are you with a man?” she casually asked before you could add anything else. 
“What? Uhm wait-” you tried to talk but she just passed you by and entered the apartment after quickly leaving her shoes near the entrance. 
“Not bad at all,” she commented with a few nods, eyeing the space and passing one finger over your furniture as if checking for dust. She left her bags on the couch and quickly walked over to the kitchen for further investigation. 
“Granny, you didn’t call,” you put on a pained smile, following her around. The thought of her barging into the bedroom and finding a naked man on the bed was making you feel faint. 
“Is the gentleman coming out anytime soon? I’ve been walking around for a while now, waiting for him to be presentable.” 
You felt your whole body fold. 
She looked serious but the glint in her eyes told you she was having fun. 
“Good morning,” said a careful voice and you looked over your shoulder. 
A fully dressed Doyoung was standing near the kitchen door, face as polite as possible. But his eyes were panicked as he glanced over at you for a second. 
Granny’s face got illuminated by a big smile. “Who do we have here?” 
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Doyoung,” the man said while extending one arm and shaking Granny’s delicate hand. 
“Oh! The real estate agent,” she said. “Y/N here told me a lot about you.”
You gulped, regretting with your whole life that time you called her and told her a stupid real estate agent called Kim Doyoung didn’t manage to sell you the house of your dreams and that you hated his guts. 
Doyoung’s expression shifted into a pleased smile. Poor thing didn’t know Granny was talking about you calling him names and insulting his whole being. Well, that was before your relationship changed! you justified yourself to yourself. 
Grandma unfortunately wasn’t up to date. 
“Granny, he’s-” you started then stopped. 
My boyfriend. 
My boyfriend? 
You and Doyoung never talked about that confession scene you had with him while he was balls deep into you. 
Boyfriend and girlfriend? All of sudden?
“Her boyfriend?” Doyoung finished your sentence, a bit unsure of it himself. He said it simply yet his eyes searched for yours as if asking if he did the right thing. 
You felt your lips stretch in a smile before letting out an embarrassed giggle.
“Yeah,” you wrapped yourself with your arms.
“Well, that’s great,” Granny seemed pleased. 
Yet, when she was about to leave, hours after your fun lunch together eating her incredible dishes that you and Doyoung were too losers to be able to help cook, she pulled you towards her and whispered. 
“How long have you two known each other, sweetheart? I remember you telling me so many bad things about him."
She was in the frame of the entrance door, shoes on her feet and a smile on her face. You knew that smile. It was saying you were doing something wrong but she was too kind to show it openly. 
You thought about it. 
“Roughly a few weeks. Almost a month actually,” you replied slowly as if ashamed of it yourself. "But he's a kind man, Granny. He helped me find this apartment."
Granny looked at you above her glasses. “You know I don’t care at all if you have one night stands. Or booty calls, or whatever you call it these days. I used to sleep around all the time. You don’t have to tell me he’s your boyfriend because of that.” 
You gulped scandalized trying hard to forget that your Grandmother just told you she used to sleep around. 
“No. He’s- actually he’s…” you tried to explain that Doyoung was indeed your boyfriend and you had real feelings for him, but while saying it you realized you weren’t sure about it yourself. 
Did you have feelings or was the dick just too good? 
Did he even like you?
“I’m not stupid. You can’t have a boyfriend after a few days of meeting each other, can you?” Granny smiled as if sharing a secret and you found yourself imitating her smile even if you didn’t feel like smiling. 
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” 
“Alright. Have fun and be careful not to get pregnant.”
_____
Doyoung didn’t mean to eavesdrop but the kitchen was so close to the entrance door that he couldn’t just close off his ears, could he? 
Well, he did turn off the water while washing the dishes to be able to hear better, but he didn’t consider that eavesdropping. Just being environmentally aware. 
“He’s- actually he’s…” he heard you stuttering.
He waited to hear you say it since he saw your expression earlier. 
“Boyfriend,” he said and you looked at him scandalized. 
Wasn’t he? 
To be completely fair, you two never discussed it but Doyoung thought asking “so what are we?” a bit juvenile. Now he regretted not having asked openly. 
Making out passionately, talking every day and cuddling felt very much dating for him. Or was he the only one being weird about it? 
Your sigh travelled across the corridor after Granny left and Doyoung started to wash that pristine cup he has been washing for 10 minutes now. He looked over his shoulder and saw your polite smile. 
“Sorry about that," you said. 
“About what?”
Grandma coming over or you lying to her? Or lying to him?
You sat down on the barstool and rested your elbows on the kitchen island. 
Doyoung’s back looked great in his fluffy sweater. You hugged it many times in the past few days, wrapping your arms around his waist and inhaling his already familiar scent.
“I put you in a weird situation with my Grandma. She came over all of a sudden. It was very embarrassing.”
Doyoung gulped. 
Your grandma meeting your sneaky link could be considered embarrassing, yes.
 But he thought he was your boyfriend. That shouldn't have been embarrassing.
“It was okay. She’s great,” he reassured you. 
“Listen, Doyoung-”
The young man let the cup fall into the sink and turned around, leaning over the counter and kissing your mouth deeply. 
Listen? No. He didn’t want to listen to it. 
Were you about to break up with him? If that could be considered breaking up at all. 
Your words died in your throat and you closed your eyes a few seconds after feeling his soft lips on you. 
Then you got up, sliding your palms on his face and leaning in towards him as well.
The way you kissed him back didn’t feel like you wanted to tell him to disappear from your life, so he relaxed. 
“Okay. What is it?” he finally whispered so close to your lips that you didn’t want to open your eyes. 
You took in his pretty face, his deep eyes and plump lips, his little dimple and the beautiful scar near it. 
“I forgot,” you said.
_____
Listen, Doyoung. I think we should discuss our relationship - are we dating or not? you were about to say. 
But what if he said he had no serious intentions? Every man is ready to swear love while inside a juicy pussy. What if he didn’t want to date you as you thought you were doing? The fear of finding the truth stopped you from talking. 
Head on his shoulder and his palm on your thigh, eyes glued on the tv screen drinking in the latest drama episode, you tried to push the moment you had to confront him as far as possible. Doyoung’s fingers were drawing little circles on the softest part of your leg and you nuzzled your face into him even more. 
“Are you sleepy?” his airy voice caressed the top of your head. 
It wasn’t late but he didn’t make you sleep much the previous night. 
“A bit,” you lifted your face to be able to see him. “I don’t want to go to sleep alone though," it slipped. 
You blinked faster, worried about his reaction. 
But Doyoung smiled. He was actually right about offering to go home and let you rest alone. 
“My plants are probably all withering right now,” he explained. 
Your expression got even more serious and you sat up. “You want to go home?” 
Doyoung searched into your sudden change of expression for what your feelings were. 
“I don’t,” he gently shook his head.”I just thought that maybe you wanted me to leave.”
“I don’t!”
He nodded. “Alright.”
It’s not like you’ve been staying over because you’re doing me a favour, right?” you tried to make sure. That was the last thing you wanted.
Doyoung laughed. “You think I’m that good of a person?” 
“Yes?” 
Doyoung licked his lower lip and cupped your face. “I’m flattered you think that, but I’m here because I want to. Besides, all of my plants are fake.” 
You rolled your eyes and tried to get back to your previous position. 
“C’mere,” he said instead, suddenly lying down on the couch. 
He patted his chest and you stared at him for a moment. Just that morning you were riding him and all of that jazz, yet it didn’t feel nearly as embarrassing as cuddling while on top of him. Slowly and gently you let your body down and he welcomed you in his arms. His heart was right underneath your ear, beating at a steady pace as you rested your head on his chest. His scent, the scent you felt everywhere in your apartment, on your pillows, on your clothes, on your hair, felt like yours. 
“Can you sleep like this?” he whispered. 
Could you sleep? Hell, you felt like dreaming already. 
“Yeah,” you replied with a tiny voice. His legs moved to accommodate your body between them and then he sighed, eyes back on the tv while one of his hands lazily played with your hair.
_____
When you woke up it was pitch black. The only thing telling you that you weren’t dead were the occasional cars passing by underneath your living room windows and Doyoung’s body warmth underneath you. 
You tried to remain as still as possible as to not wake him up but the stiff position really made you want to wake him up and move together to bed. The last thing you wanted was him breaking his back on that cheap couch. 
You’ve never just slept together before. It was always after a long sex session and although your grandma probably wouldn’t have believed you, actually not many of those happened after that first one. The novelty of the intimate situation made your chest tight and lost in your confusing thoughts, you jolted when Doyoung suddenly spoke. 
He said your name with a half voice. You tried to distinguish his features but it was too dark. 
“Doyoung?” 
His breath felt steady as if still deeply sleeping but his lips were open. Then he said your name again, this time clearly. 
“Yes?” you tried again. 
He didn’t reply, and you settled with the thought of him talking in his sleep. You wondered if it was okay to wake him up while sleeping so deeply. 
“Fuck-” his deep voice then sounded clearly again. The realization of what he might be dreaming about crept on you and you felt hot all over your body. His fingers twitched on your back and his muscles had little spasms. You felt as if it wasn’t right to just stay there and listen so you called his name again. 
“Doyoung,” you shook him gently by touching his chest. “Wake up.” 
The young man moved in his sleep, little whines on his lips before opening his eyes with a small gasp. 
"You were dreaming," you whispered with a soft tone to not scare him. 
“I might be still dreaming,” he mumbled with a pasty mouth, feeling your body on top of him with his hands.
You chuckled. “That sounded like a pretty fun dream.”
Doyoung pulled you down until nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. “It felt pretty real.” 
“Let’s go to bed then. We’ll catch a cold.” His hair felt soft on your cheek. 
Doyoung shook his head. “I feel pretty warm-” his voice sounded muffled against your skin. And before you could add something, you felt his open mouth on it, gently kissing the base of your neck. You gulped at the sensation and hoped he didn’t hear the little sigh escaping your lips. 
“Are you not going to ask me what I was dreaming?” he wondered after a moment of you almost whining. 
“While calling out my name? I think I know what it was about,” you joked. 
He chuckled, letting his head back on the couch to be able to see your face. “I actually talked in my sleep?”
You looked down at his sleepy expression as the headlights of a car illuminated the room and you couldn’t help yourself from leaning and kissing his lips once. 
“Yeah.”
“You asked me to call your name in my dream,” he whispered, kissing you once back. 
“What was I doing?” you wondered. 
Doyoung exposed his teeth in a teasing smile and you traced his jaw with your index finger waiting for him to start the tale but he just grinned another time.
“If you want real me to do what dream me was doing, you have to share what was happening,” you added. 
Doyoung licked his lips once before talking. 
“So we were on a couch too, but it was different from this one. It was similar to the one I have at home. You were lying down and I was kissing your neck. The whines came quickly as I sucked your skin, knowing you didn’t mind if it got sore. As you grabbed my belt, I clasped your wrists together and I got you pinned with your arms above your head. Be a good girl and perhaps I’ll think about making you cum,I said” and the real Doyoung in front of you telling the story smiled teasingly. 
“Oh really? You said that?” 
He nodded, proudly. 
“And what did I say?” 
“I was so sexy that you couldn’t speak of course, so I asked if you could hear me. One of my hands touched your breasts and you were not wearing a bra so I was surprised.”
You laughed at the story and Doyoung watched you amused as well. 
“Then what?” you wondered.
Doyoung kept going. “You giggled and said that you hoped I’d go see you that day so you didn’t wear one on purpose. Then I did this-” he reached the hem of your t-shirt and lifted it slowly. 
Your eyelids fluttered feeling his warm palm going up your stomach. He felt one of your soft cups in his hand and your lips touched ever so slightly when he squeezed delicately, breathing in each other's air. 
“I bit your nipple, letting my tongue circle it afterwards, soothing the sudden sweet pain then biting on it again, stretching it out, sucking on it,” he whispered and you weren’t sure anymore if he was talking about his dream or what he wanted to do to you at that moment.
Your breaths started to grow deeper and his body stiffened under yours when you shifted on top of him, fully straddling his waist. 
“Then what?” you asked. Doyoung let his eyes go from your face to your chest, adding his other hand to the party.
“Move a bit to the back, would you?” he smiled and you imitated his expression. His hard cock was poking your thigh and you also wanted to sit on it. But not yet. 
“I said, then what?” you ordered, grabbing his chin gently. 
Doyoung’s tongue poked his cheek at your reply. “You were like this in my dream too. A little brat. You lifted yourself from the couch and I pushed your wrists down even more because of this attitude."
You leaned down. “Mh, really?” 
His breath was hot on your lips and so was his tongue when he took it out and slowly outlined them with his wet tip. 
“Do I have to tie you all up? Huh? I bet you’d like it”, did you tell me something like this?” you wondered. 
You opened your mouth and took out your tongue too with a little moan, trying to catch him into a kiss, but he chuckled lightly and let you feel the air instead. 
“Yeah. Bad girls don’t get to kiss though,” he murmured. "But if you really want it-” he pressed one finger on your lower lip and opened your mouth. Your thighs tightened their hold around his waist and you pulled him towards you, even more, when he finally shoved his tongue inside, kissing you deeply, grunting as he let your chest go to wrap your body with his arms instead. 
Making out like that, in the dark, just touching and tasting and hearing, drove you insane. You moaned into his mouth when his hands slid from your back to your ass, pushing you down even further. He was impatient and he dug his fingers into you, caressing you until meeting the hem of the t-shirt again. You broke the kiss and smiled at him teasingly, sitting up and discarding the fabric on the floor. Doyoung’s breathing got quick and he was just as quick to unclasp your bra, staring at your body as if drinking you all up, hands caressing it as if you were a goddess. His touch made you roll your eyes back but then you placed your palms on top of his hands, grabbing his wrists and pinning them down above his head just like he did to you in his dream. 
“I am in charge tonight,” you whispered languidly and Doyoung’s eyes twinkled in the darkness. You felt his cock twitch in his sweatpants as you moved on him, his lips unable to form anything besides soft pants. You let his wrists go, trusting that he will keep them there. He liked the position and smiled at you while you leaned down again. You chuckled softly at the way he jolted imperceptibly when you breathed into his ear, and when you took your tongue out to outline it with the tip, he actually moaned, hips bucking up into you. 
“Shh,” you kissed his neck slowly, leaving wet traces on his hot skin until meeting his shoulder, biting down on it and sucking on the skin until you were satisfied. Doyoung’s expression was priceless as you kissed his jaw, blown-out pupils and quick short breaths. 
You wanted more. 
With dancing fingertips you slid your hand under his shirt, palming his toned stomach and enjoying the way his muscles twitched. He sat up as you dragged the fabric and he let you get it off of him. But then he didn’t lay back down.
You smiled and pressed your hands on his chest, pushing him. Yet he didn’t budge, finding your ass a better fit for his hands rather than above his head. 
“I said, tonight I am-”, you tried to speak but he shut you down, pressing his mouth on yours, pulling you roughly towards himself. The shorts you were wearing were all raised up and the smack on your bare ass resonated in the whole room. You mewled at the sensation. 
“Oh yeah?” he whispered on your lips. He let his legs down, sitting comfortably on the couch and you let yourself be handled until he positioned you on his lap as he wished, your arms around his neck and mouths close. Your chest was all squished on his as he kissed your lips, then he ventured on your neck. Your eyelids fluttered at the sensation and your fingers disappeared into his soft hair. Doyoung kissed your skin and bit it and sucked on it, his low hums resonating deeply into his chest. And when he reached your hard nipples, you mewled, looking at his plump lips around them. His wet tongue swirling around them distracted you so much that you barely noticed his hand caressing your navel. Only when he reached your clothed pussy, delicately feeling its warmth, you moaned, choking on your own voice. You slid on your knees on the floor and Doyoung stared, breathless, at the way you got rid of your shorts and soaked underwear. 
"Fuck," he whispered when you stood up in from of him, his hands quick to grab you by your ass and pull you back towards him. You leaned down and palmed his cock, kissing roughly before dragging his pants down. He helped you out desperately, lifting his hips, wanting you to sit back on him again. When you did, straddling his thighs, you both breathed out, the shaky airflows becoming one. He palmed your ass and you guided his cock towards your entrance. You both silently gasped as you sat on it, slowly lowering your hips and when you reached the base you inhaled through your teeth. Doyoung peppered kisses all over your jaw and neck, letting you decide when to move. And when you started to bounce gently, hands on his shoulders and little whines coming out of your over kissed lips, he closed his eyes, throwing his head back. 
"Shit," he breathed out, gently guiding your hips. "Just like that, baby. Ah, fuck me just like that." 
You stared at his neck and collarbones through your lashes, then he opened his eyes and the eye contact made you moan. 
"That's right," he praised you, hands roaming your body as you kept going faster and faster. In the silence of the apartment, the wet sounds and your whimpers made you dizzy. Doyoung's breathy and rough voice hit you in the chest while whispering nothingness. The look of adoration in his eyes made you weaker than his touch. 
How could you ever stop seeing him?
The overwhelming feelings made you wrap your arms around his neck and hide your face into the crook of his neck. 
Doyoung did the same, hugging your waist tightly. The movement became sloppy until it almost stopped. 
"I don't want you to go," you suddenly whispered in his ear. 
Doyoung made you look at him by gently grabbing your chin. 
"I'm not going anywhere," he replied. 
"I mean, ever," your tiny voice added. 
Doyoung blinked a few times as processing, then smiled, pressing his lips on yours once before talking on top of them. "Ever."
Your chest felt tight and liberated at the same time and you were afraid you were about to burst into tears. 
"When did we start to like each other this much?" you asked with a timid smile. 
His cheeks lifted.
"When you asked me to be your boyfriend so you could get the house."
"Right, you mean when I tried to use you. Had no idea you were into that stuff," you tried to joke. 
Doyoung's eyes twinkled and his hips snapped upwards. Your eyes rolled back and you bit your lower lip. 
"I am into that stuff," he replied, taking control over the movement. 
Your foreheads touched and your moans kept getting louder just as Doyoung's thrusts got deeper and quicker. 
"Say again that I'm your sneaky link and not your boyfriend and you're not cumming."
You wanted to laugh but your brain was too foggy. 
"But you're into edging. I'd only do you a favour," he added with his husky voice. 
You nodded with a fucked up smile and Doyoung chuckled. 
"You're so wrecked and I haven't even finished with you yet."
Your unintelligibly moans just made him even rougher, fucking you like it was the last time he could. Or the first ever. 
"Fuck baby you're going to make me cum so quickly," he grunted, hips bucking up deeply and slowly. You started to bounce again, alternating moving up and down to roll your hips and Doyoung's fingers dug so deeply into your ass that you were sure it would have been sore the day after.
"I want you to cum," you whimpered against his ear, leaving wet kisses on his jaw and finally lips. 
Your name was on them like a mantra and his arms muscles were so flexed a single vein pulsed across his biceps. With the most sinful sounds and pleas, curses filling the air, he released inside of you. His hands on your waist were shaking and you decreased your movements until they almost stopped. His eyes searched for yours and then his gaze fell on your body, going down to see the way his seed slowly slid out of you. 
"I'm going to fuck this cum back into you," he rasped.
_____
You opened your eyes to a breathtaking Doyoung sleeping on his side. You watched the sun shining on his skin and luscious hair and smiled. With a timid finger, you touched the back of his veiny hand, resting on the pillow near his face. It twitched and your breathing stopped - you didn't want to wake him up. But then his eyelids fluttered and you watched his wide pupils tighten under the rays of the sun. 
"Good Morning, beautiful," he mumbled with a raspy morning voice. 
You giggled, rolling your eyes at the nickname. 
"Good Morning," you whispered back. Your fingers intertwined on the pillows and he pulled it towards himself, lazily placing a few light kisses on your knuckles. 
"Remember that I am your boyfriend?" he chuckled, getting closer and engulfing you with his body warmth. 
You smiled and answered that yes, you remembered it, right when he kissed you once.
"Good," he said, kissing you again. His hand slowly caressed your head while doing so, travelling down on your spine. Resting on your stomach, you didn't move from your position, loving the way he drew little circles on your back. 
"You want breakfast?" you murmured. 
Doyoung didn't appreciate you breaking off the kiss though and hummed, diving right in. His tongue slowly played with yours, so slowly and sensually that you felt your heartbeat move from your chest and settle between your legs. 
His hand reached your nude ass and squeezed the soft flesh once before shamelessly gliding his fingers between your cheeks. 
You jolted slightly, lifting your butt upwards and when he felt how wet you got, your whole body warmed up. 
Doyoung chuckled at your embarrassed expression. "I love it," he whispered. 
His expert fingers gently rubbed your needy clit while his tongue got back into your mouth. And when his fingers slid into your warm pussy you moaned into him, hands trying to grab something and settling on the white sheets. His hand movements were languid, teasing as if wanting to keep you on edge as long as possible. You kissed back sloppily until you couldn't concentrate anymore. Your lips brushed against each other and he watched you getting more fucked at each stroke. 
"You drive me crazy," you whimpered, face half-buried into your pillow. 
He hummed, pleased, and kissed your shoulder then moved back, taking the sheets with him as he kissed your blades. His lips felt hot on your spine, going down slowly, caressing your sides with his fingertips. You got goosebumps all over and when his hands lifted your hips you fully buried your face into the soft pillow. 
"Doyoung," you mewled, the position making you dizzy with embarrassment. 
He hummed back amused, staring at the way his slick fingers disappeared into you. 
"Pass me that pillow, will you, love?" he ordered and with weak limbs, you got rid of the pillow under your head. He gently put it under your hips and you protested with a whimper at the sudden emptiness. 
Doyoung straddled your thighs, hands pressing on your ass looking at the way your flesh looked between his fingers. 
A few curses escaped his mouth as he let his cock rest between your cheeks and you shivered. You jiggled it as if urging him to do something and he clicked his tongue. 
"Not one day goes by without you ordering me around."
His amused tone made you look back at him over your shoulder. The pure glee on his face made the apple of your cheeks hurt. 
"Let's make sure that not one day goes by without you feeling this either," his eyebrows dropped and the light in his eyes disappeared. You opened your mouth in a silent moan at the feeling of him sliding inside of you. His grunt followed by his heavy breath made you clench around him and he just started to sound even dirtier. 
"Shit," you managed to say, your body moving back and forth on the sheets at each thrust, hands grabbing at them. 
Mind blurry as if drunk you barely noticed the sound of the doorbell. 
“Don’t answer,” Doyoung leaned down to whisper into your ear, and you stared at his veiny hand pressed onto the mattress to your side. 
You bit your lower lip but the bell didn’t stop. 
“Fuck,” he rolled over. 
You turned on your back as well with a sigh but the irritating sound of the doorbell made you groan and get up. 
The first clothing item you found was Doyoung’s hoodie so you wore that and walked quickly towards the corridor.
“Who the fuck is this?” you mumbled. 
In front of you, your family smiled and wished you a happy birthday.
_____
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Doyoung whispered as to not get your family’s attention. 
They were all shouting in the living room, the number of gifts, food and drinks, making it difficult to have one spot to sit down. 
Doyoung was stacking glasses on top of each other in the kitchen and you were doing the same with the plates. 
“I forgot!” you whispered back. 
“How can you forget your own birthday?” 
“Listen, I was busy getting dicked down, okay?” 
He shook his head. “You’re unbelievable.” 
“I’m sorry you always have to be around when they come over.” 
Doyoung closed his mouth and stacked the last glass. “I thought we discussed this already,” he added after the pause. 
You sighed and rested your hands on the kitchen counter. “I’m just worried.” 
“About what?” He looked you in the eyes. “About them judging you for fucking me?”
“About you and your feelings! I was the one to ask to be a couple first, then I was the one to say all of those things last night too while you-”
“I was the one to say to your grandma I’m your boyfriend because you told her I’m your sneaky link,” he interrupted. “Also you’re vulnerable only when fucking then you change all of a sudden when we’re not.” His eyes searched yours but you looked behind his shoulder where your family was waiting. 
“You’re making all of these problems yourself in your head and it’s confusing me too,” he added.
“I just need reassurance.” 
Doyoung slid his hand on yours to grab it. “Look at me.” 
You followed his order. 
“I am falling in love with yo-”
Doyoung talked right when your mom entered the kitchen to ask if the glasses were coming. You blinked and watched Doyoung’s eyelids drop in annoyance. Then he grabbed them from the counter in a second and gave them to the woman. You stared speechlessly. 
“Please, give us a moment,” he said composedly. 
When he turned to you he sighed. “I’m so sick of getting interrupted.” 
His whisper mixed with his concerned face made you almost laugh. 
“Why?” he saw you hold in the giggle before it came out. 
“We’re bickering like this then you confessed. I thought it was funny,” you explained. 
“You’re so annoying,” he scoffed. “I’m being serious right now.”
But then let the air flow out in a sigh and laughed himself. 
“If I try to confess too, someone will come in and ask for the plates,” you said. 
“Try it out.” 
You inhaled. “I am also fall-”
The kitchen door slid open.
_____
The sun was shining over the apartment’s furniture. You stared at the way the champagne bubbles came to the surface in your glasses on the coffee table. 
“I need to get you a gift,” Doyoung murmured. Once again, you were cuddling on the couch after your relatives left, your legs resting on his thighs and his hands absentmindedly massaging random spots. 
“I don’t need anything,” you looked at the way your finger traced his collarbones. Then he turned his head and rested his chin on your knuckles. You smiled back at him. 
“Birthday cake?” you proposed. 
He furrowed his eyebrows, confused, then closed his eyes in understanding. You laughed. 
“Enough sex. Let’s do some real couple activities.”
“Creampie is a real couple activity,” you explained. He rolled his eyes and kissed your knuckles a few times. 
“You don’t want your grandma to knock on the door right before I nut.” 
“I saw you talking to her. What did you tell her?” you lifted your head from his shoulder to rest on your hand. 
He looked away then smiled. “Nothing much. Why?” 
You tightened your eyes. “You did something, didn’t you?” 
He chuckled and grabbed your face, making you pout. He kissed your lips. 
“Want to go see expensive houses we’re never going to buy then go to Ikea and have meatballs?” 
You nodded. “Sounds like the best birthday ever.”
410 notes · View notes
sleepysnk · 3 years
Text
I'M LOWKEY IN THE MOOD FOR SOME FLUFF SO I DECIDED TO MAKE THESE HEADCANONS. i hope you guys enjoy! <3
Pregnancy Headcanons
Characters: Reiner, Porco, Colt, and Zeke
Warnings: Mentions of NSFW, pregnancy, birth
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Reiner Braun:
- ohh boy, now let me just say this man has a breeding kink so you've definitely have had some pregnancy scares before. it was kind of common 😳.
- now when you started feeling sick one day, you instantly were concerned. Reiner noticed the change in your behavior as well. You seemed more tired, you barely slept, and worst of all you threw up a ton. it was a lot more than usual as well.
- Reiner didn't know what was wrong, he was scared to lose you.
- that's when it dawned on him that you two had sex weeks prior, without a condom. he was freaked out because he wasn't sure if you had forgotten. he decided to go to you about it and he explained that you should take a pregnancy test.
- you thought the idea of you being pregnant was ridiculous, but you gave in and took the test.
- when it came back positive, your whole world just stopped. you were pregnant with Reiner's baby.
- when you told him he was absolutely ecstatic. Reiner was excited to start this new chapter with you and assured you that everything was going to be okay, and he'd be by your side through everything. he was very helpful in getting what you needed.
- you found out you were about 6 weeks along at the doctor's office, and you two couldn't be happier.
- Reiner is very protective of you already. with you being pregnant, he is now 100x more protective than before. HE HAS HIS EYES ON YOU 24/7. whenever you go out, he goes with you. he was always around in case of an emergency.
- lowkey into pregnancy sex
- the symptoms were the worst, Reiner would wake up some nights to you going back and forth to the bathroom or throwing up at certain smells of foods. he was there for all of your mood swings and odd cravings 😭, he would always laugh whenever you would run to the bathroom having to pee.
- Reiner absolutely falls in love with your pregnant belly, there's just something he loves about your belly being so big. he always has his hands on your bump <3.
- both of you would argue over gender, Reiner wanted a girl and you wanted a boy. eventually you found out you were having a girl, and Reiner felt like a total bad bitch 😭.
- Reiner would have Bertholdt come check in on you often if he's at work, or he'll send you a text asking how you're feeling. he understands how some days you can have terrible morning sickness and that you need some love.
- he'll massage any part of your body that's sore.
- Karina was excited to be a grandma, she would often invite you over to ask how you were feeling. she was a huge help for you and Reiner during the whole process, she practically acted like you were her daughter.
- Reiner would so make a nursery by himself 🥺, he'd do it all within like two days and you'd be so impressed by it all. he wants everything to be ready before your little one comes home.
- when your water broke, Reiner was absolutely a total mess. Bertholdt and Annie had to calm him down, he was so scared.
- it was hard for Reiner to watch you cry in pain, he was a total mess at the doctor's office he had to walk out of the delivery room. eventually, he came back and watching you give birth was one of the most beautiful things he got to watch.
- HE WAS SO EMOTIONAL WHEN HE HELD HER 🥺🥺🥺. HOLY SHIT THIS MAN WAS A SOBBING MESS.
- god pls give this man a baby, he is such an amazing father.
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Porco Galliard:
- Porco is always one to notice odd behavior or changes in your usual routine. he's very observant and blunt, so expect him to question you a ton whenever something seems out of the ordinary for you.
- when you started feeling sick, Porco found it odd. he hadn't seen you this sick in a really long time and it kind of concerned him being honest, he was scared that you were seriously ill. he would hold your hair back everytime you threw up your food. it really worried him.
- Porco overthinks A TON, he thought you were dying or something.
- that's when Porco decided to take you to the doctor. the last straw hit when you practically almost passed out when you were working out, he basically forced your ass into going to the doctor.
- you explained your symptoms to the doctor and after a few tests, you found out you were pregnant.
- hearing those words made Porco genuinely shocked, but he was so excited and happy. he told you he'd support whatever you wanted to do and after some talking, you both decided to keep it. he assured you he wasn't going anywhere and he was going to take care of you and your baby.
- Porco definitely goes overboard with it all 😭, mans would barely let anyone even breath next to you. he is so defensive over you and the baby, he's just protective like that. he sleeps with one eye open practically.
- dealing with the symptoms were a lot to handle at first. Porco wasn't sure what would trigger you to vomit or what would piss you off. you told him not to worry about anything and that you'd be okay, of course he's a stubborn little shit and just pouts but you find it to be adorable. he laughs when you have to pee 500 times a night.
- he loves the bump, he always pokes it for some reason and laughs.
- Porco wants a girl so bad. he literally tells you how much he wants a daughter and that's what he ended up getting. he found out you were having a girl and he was absolutely ecstatic, he was so ready to meet her.
- Marcel would probably come around if Porco was out working or he wasn't able to be at home. sometimes he'd send Pieck to check up on you if you weren't responding to him quick enough. this baby is so concerned over every little thing 😭.
- Porco would carry you around everywhere if your feet were sore. he knows how sore your body is so he'll carry you around the house.
- his family was very excited for the two of you, his mom was so happy to finally have a baby coming in the family. she gave you tons of advice and she gifted you with a ton of items for the baby.
- Porco asked Marcel to help him with the nursery, he didn't have any clue where to start and your due date was approaching faster than he could even blink. it took awhile, but they ended up making a really cute and pretty nursery. Porco felt like a proud dad in that moment.
- when your water broke, hell on Earth happened.
- Porco wasn't even there when it happened, you were with Pieck and it broke. when he got the call he went absolute ape shit and ran out the door, he literally zoomed to the damn hospital.
- he became so worried about you 🥺, seeing how uncomfortable you were and how much pain you were in made him so scared. he stayed by your side as long as he could so he could somewhat make it a little less painful.
- it was really late when you finally gave birth and Porco was awake for all of it. he couldn't fall asleep without seeing you give birth. it was so beautiful to him.
- UGH HE WAS SO EMOTIONAL. you hadn't ever seen Porco cry until then and it made your heart so happy.
- he'd literally fall asleep with her in his arms <3.
- UGH I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.
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Colt Grice:
- okay this soft baby is always one to know when something feels off with you. he always has that gut feelings you know? it always bothers him until he asks you what's going on.
- you started feeling really sick and Colt being the giant baby he is, he got really scared and worried about you. he watched as you would run off to the toilet and vomit whatever you ate, he thought you had food poisoning. he noticed how exhausted you were, mans was so scared for your safety.
- like Porco, Colt is an over thinker. he legit thought you had some disease.
- one night he decided to just scoop you up and take you to the doctor. he couldn't handle watching you randomly vomit or almost pass out, he was scared one day you'd get even sicker, so he took you in.
- the doctors were concerned after hearing your symptoms, so they ran some tests. the tests revealed you were pregnant.
- Colt was shocked as shit, but he was so fucking excited and happy. he literally almost fainted from hearing the news, he wanted to have a baby with you for a pretty long time. he was open to your options though, but in the end you both agreed to keeping it.
- Colt is very reassuring, especially in this scenario. he reminds you that he will be here every step of the way and he isn't going anywhere. this is a process you'll be taking together, not just you.
- this baby will do anything he needs to do to keep you both safe. he holds your hand a little tighter when you're out and about, or he'll keep his hand on your small bump. he became protective overnight.
- he actually manages your symptoms pretty well, he'll make sure he has water ready for you after you throw up or he'll make you something to eat that'll ease your stomach. he keeps up with the weird cravings or the mood swings. Colt does a lot to make sure you're okay and comfortable.
- he is obsessed with the bump, he loves pressing kisses against it 🥺❤.
- Colt wants a boy so bad, he wants to teach the little boy everything. HE JUST LOVES THE IDEA OF A SON. after heading to your ultra sound, you told him he was getting a son and he lost it. he was so excited.
- he would probably have Falco come over and watch you 😭, yes a 12 year old. Falco keeps you entertained and he asks you about the baby a lot plus he knows what to do in case of an emergency.
- Colt would be very comforting, he understands completely how some days you can feel irritable so he tries his best to make you feel better. he'll run relaxing baths for you, kiss wherever you feel sore, etc. mans is really built to take care of you while you're pregnant.
- his family was absolutely ecstatic when they found out. Colt actually had some background knowledge about babies, his mom was pregnant with Falco after all. he kind of picked up on a few things as a kid, so expect him to know what he's doing. his mom was very supportive and helpful too.
- Colt is a damn handy man, he knows how to build a nursery. he basically told you to not worry about a damn thing and to go relax. when you came back the nursery was so pretty and adorable, you fell in love with it.
- when your water broke this man freaked the fuck out, he was in panic mode.
- Colt was freaking out at the hospital, he literally couldn't keep calm. he paced around the waiting room, Falco had to literally force this man to sit down and relax.
- seeing how much pain you were in broke his damn heart, he tried his best to calm you down and male you feel at least somewhat comfortable. he assured you this would be over soon and it'll all be worth it to see your baby.
- when you finally gave birth, he was astonished. he thought birth was such a beautiful thing and watching it made him so happy.
- he was such a sucker for this little boy, when he held him for the first time he was so overcome with emotion. he fell in love on the spot and literally kept him all to himself 😭.
- he is the perfect dad ugh.
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Zeke Jaeger:
- Zeke has a serious breeding kink so you've definitely have had some pregnancy scares in the past. nothing he isn't used to, the tests usually came back negative anyway.
- you became really sick over a course of two weeks and it was extremely out of the ordinary for Zeke. he noticed how you slept in a lot longer, your eating habits changed due to your vomiting, you had to pee a lot more than usual. the #1 thing he noticed was your period had oddly been late. he thought you were you were seriously sick.
- mans was scared okay?
- that's when it dawned on him that all your symptoms were involved with pregnancy. he realized the timeline when you both had sex and when you got pregnant lined up perfectly. Zeke decided to get you a pregnancy test, he told you he felt like it was the best option.
- you took the test nervously and it eventually came back positive.
- you told Zeke and he was shocked, he was so excited for this new chapter. he was literally on board for anything you wanted to do.
- Zeke would come to every ultrasound, he assured you that he was going to be by your side for everything. he got you anything you needed, mans would rush out the damn door to get you anything you asked for.
- he takes care of you pretty much whenever he can, if you were feeling sick he'd stay in bed with you until you were feeling ready to get up. he'll cuddle up with you all day if he has to. mans is also very protective and defensive over you, if anyone is giving you some weird side eye he'll literally protect you with his damn life lmao.
- Zeke manages with your symptoms pretty well, he hates watching you throw up. he knows how uncomfortable it can be for you and he always holds your hair back, or he'll have something prepared for you to ease your stomach. he hates the mood swings the most 😭, he also hates when you get up 500 times to piss. he makes fun of you all the time.
- don't even get me started on the bump, he loves it. sometimes he'll poke it randomly and start laughing.
- Zeke wants a girl so bad. he literally loves the idea of having a daughter, but he didn't get it. you told him after your recent ultrasound you were having a boy. he was a little disappointed, but he was still happy. he gets to teach the little man how to play baseball <3.
- Pieck comes over when Zeke isn't around to check in. he is always really worried about you, so whenever he gets that gut feeling he'll send Pieck right over to make sure you're fine and that she can tell Zeke everything is cool.
- like i said earlier, he's very comforting. he knows how to take care of you especially on your bad days.
- his family is really happy for you both, his mom helped you a ton with the whole process. Zeke is a bit older so he kind of knew a bit about babies since Eren is his step-brother. he picked up on some shit when Carla was pregnant, even then his family gave you tons of advice.
- Zeke had no clue how to make a nursery, he had to call up his god damn dad for help 😭. Grisha was absolutely in for it, and he did exactly that. the two spent hours building the nursery and it came out really well.
- into pregnancy sex.
- when your water broke, holy shit it was like hell on Earth. Zeke didn't even know it popped since you were out and about when it happened.
- he actually was pretty calm, he wasn't freaking out or running around like a mad man. he was very chill and relaxed waiting for the doctors to come and let him in the delivery room.
- seeing you screaming in pain was hard for him to hear, you were struggling and there wasn't much he could do. of course he'd hold your hand and remind you that you're going to be okay, even if you screamed at him telling him to shut the hell up 😭. Zeke was like 😀.
- when you gave birth, oh wow he was so shocked seeing how a vagina can push out a baby.
- when he held his newborn son he was so happy, he almost cried but he felt so proud. he literally was in love with his son and he couldn't be happier.
- PERFECT DAD YOU CAN'T CHANGE MY MIND.
2K notes · View notes
ijustwant2write · 3 years
Text
Fight or Flight-Anthony Bridgerton x Reader
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(GIF credit to @ladycolinbridgerton​)
Requested by anonymous: ‘Hiii,Love your writings! Could you do something Bridgerton, Anthony x reader where the reader tries to stop the duel and gets hurt? Angst/fluff?!’
Characters: Anthony Bridgerton x Reader, Daphne Bridgerton x Reader (sister-in-law), Collin Bridgerton x Reader (brother-in-law)
Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name
Warnings: Duel (guns, mention of death), injuries, angst, fluff
                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Collin and I laughed as we both carried Violet through the foyer of the home, clearly someone had too much to drink. My mother-in-law continued to deny this through her giggling.
“Of course not, you are completely sober.” Collin joked as we made it to the stairs.
“And I’m sober enough to know when you’re being impertinent.” Violet said to her son, still holding my hand.“Good night dears.”
“Good night mother.”
“Good night.”
Collin and I shared a look as she went upstairs, failing to hold in our laughter. We both doubled over as we laughed, until we heard someone call us. Turning to our left, we saw Anthony and Benedict in the doorway.
“Come here.” Anthony hissed.
“Good God. Did someone die?” Collin whined.
“What? What’s happened?” I asked, suddenly panicking. 
“Collin, get here, now.” Anthony instructed, his younger brother complying. 
I followed.“Anthony, what’s wrong? Is someone hurt? Are you in trouble?” I didn’t mean for all the questions but I loved him too much for something to happen to him.
He shoved Collin inside, stepping out and shutting the door behind him.“It doesn’t concern you darling. Just go up to bed.”
“Wait,” I grabbed onto his arm before he could get away,“Anthony, please don’t shut me out.”
“This isn’t for women’s ears. Please, do as I say.”
Anthony kissed my forehead tenderly, before he quickly ripped his arm away, looking sympathetic as he did so. The door shut, and although I was tempted to burst in there, I knew this was something out of my league. Sighing, I reluctantly walked away, slipping off my heels before slowly making my way upstairs. 
As I prepared for bed, my mind was distant. I couldn’t stop wondering what their meeting was about. Anthony looked stressed (even more than usual), and the fact that the eldest brothers were together meant this business was serious. Once my maids were finished and gone, I sat up in bed, having left some candles lit. At first I thought reading might take my mind off things, but the romantic novel only made me think of my husband more. I was tired from the ball, feet throbbing from dancing, which made me believe I could fall asleep. I wasn’t able to fool myself, unfortunately stuck awake again. Groaning in frustration, I stood, making my way to the door. I hesitated, wondering if I should really go storming downstairs when Anthony told me otherwise. No, I had to check on my love.
Opening the door, I heard someone else do the same. Poking my head out, I looked down the hall, seeing Daphne also awake. She rushed towards me, grabbing my hand without a word and dragging me out of my room.
“Woah, Daphne, woah, slow down!” I exclaimed quietly, stopping her at the top of the stairs.“Why are you rushing downstairs? What’s wrong?”
“My brother is doing something terribly stupid, and I cannot stand by doing nothing.” She said, tugging on my arm as she continued her route.
That made my heart beat even greater, terrified for what my husband could be a part of. I kept up with her, still tightly holding her hand until we burst into the room the men had their meeting in. Collin was the only one in there, looking alarmed when he saw us.
“Where have they gone?” Daphne demanded to know.
Collin sighed.“Daph-”
“Tell me where this duel takes place.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Duel?! Anthony has gone to a duel?! With who?!” I exclaimed. 
“So that I may prevent it from happening.” Daphne continued.
“Hastings has done you a grave dishonour.”
“Can someone please explain what is happening?” I stood beside them, though neither took any notice.“What does the Duke of Hastings have to do with any of this?”
“Surely you wish to see him pay?”
“Not with his life.” Daphne snapped back.
“Anthony is dueling with Hastings?! What if they kill each other?”
“It will not come to that.” Collin finally addressed me.“The Duke will remember his honour once he finds himself on the deadly end of a pistol.”
“And if he does not?” Daphne said.
“They will both do the gentlemanly thing and fire their pistols wide. Now allow them to bring this ugly business to a conclusion themselves.”
Daphne groaned as I began pacing around the room.“Do you know how many times I’ve heard that said? Myself and (Y/N)? That we should leave the men to their business and to not concern ourselves with such weighty affairs? Whose affairs, right now, are my future, my family.”
“This isn’t going to end well, you know it Collin.” I stopped walking around, crossing my arms over my chest in frustration.
“(Y/N) is right. Anthony is too angry to fire wide and Simon is too stubborn to yield. You did not see them in that garden.”
“No, I did not, and neither did anyone else. You should be happy that no one saw anything.” Collin pointed out.
So something dishonourable happened in the gardens of the party. Something that has cause my husband to want to duel an old friend. Part of me felt slightly angered towards Daphne, she had been playing with fire around the Duke, it’s all Anthony went on about for the last few weeks.
“Only someone did see.” Daphne realised.
Collin and I stared at her wide eyed.
“Cressida Cowper. Collin, you must tell me where they’ve gone.”
“I’m coming with you.” I declared. 
“Neither of you are going, Anthony will have my head-”
“Collin.” I stood in front of him, putting on the angriest face I could.“My husband may be about to lose his life and I knew nothing about it. Believe me, he will be reprimanded for that, but if you do not tell us where these stupid men are right now, it will be me having your head, not Anthony!”
After pressuring Collin to reveal where the men were, we raced to the stables, both Daphne and I still in our nightgowns, with only a cloak to cover us from the wind whipping against us as we rode. Our poor horses were not expecting this early call, using what energy they had to gallop as fast as possible. My throat was dry, heart racing and mind drowning with thoughts about what could be happening right now. Had they even started? Were the shots fired? 
We rode out of the country and into large fields. It seemed that we would never reach them in time. I kept my eye out for any signs of people or horses, praying that my husband wouldn’t be bleeding out on the ground. Why hadn’t he told me? He hadn’t even said goodbye. All I got was a simple kiss on the forehead, nothing other than that. Even if he did survive, he would have to leave this place, but was he going to leave without me?
“There they are!” Daphne shouted to us, speeding her horse ahead.
“Daphne! Wait!” I yelled after her, but she was too far away.
There were multiple bodies up ahead, and it looked like the duel had only just started, they were taking their steps already. I urged my horse to go faster, screaming Anthony’s name, but he couldn’t hear me. The men turned, ready to aim and fire. Tears started falling down my cheeks, quickly drying from the wind hitting my face. I was getting so close, but it still wasn’t enough. Daphne had somehow made it to them, but as the gunshots echoed out, she was caught in the middle of it, her horse rearing up and throwing her off.
As she landed on the ground, my horse also got spooked, rearing up as hers did, though I managed to stay on. However, it went hurtling forwards, and I couldn’t regain any control. I screamed as I tried to grab the rein again, feeling my balance slip away. One minute I was managing to stay upright on the horse, the next I had fallen off to my left, with my foot still hooked onto the stirrup. My head hit the ground harshly, and I was dragged through the dirt and grass as my horse continued to gallop. I couldn’t make out where I was, or what was right or left. Suddenly, the horse started slowing down, the dragging finally stopping. As I figured out where I was, my head still spinning, I felt someone lift my leg out of the stirrup and slowly onto the floor. 
“(Y/N), (Y/N) can you hear me?” Anthony gently held my face in his hands, kneeling beside me.
“My head...” I moaned.
“It’s alright, my dear.” an older man appeared, and I only just realised he was also kneeling beside me.“You’ve hit your head quite hard, you’ll likely have bruises along your back, and your leg will ache. But it’s nothing rest won’t fix. If you have severe headaches, you should call upon me again to give you something for it. For now, I shall forget I ever saw any of this, just as we agreed.”
“Thank you doctor.” Anthony breathed out, helping me sit up as the doctor walked away. 
I clung onto his arm, using my other hand to pull his face closer to mine. I kissed him hard, relieved that he was still alive and unharmed. He seemed to be feeling the same way as me, until I pulled away and slapped him round the face. His mouth was open in shock.
“That’s for going to a duel without telling me.” 
“(Y/N), I...what?”
“I can’t believe you thought you could just go and get shot, or shoot someone and leave me behind! What would happen to me? I couldn’t bear it if you died, or left, either way, I am furious with you!”
“Darling, I had to do it. He dishonoured Daphne, therefore, dishonouring our name.” 
I tried to stand by myself, though felt dizzy, annoyed that I had to have Anthony to help me. He kept his arms around me, and although I loved the feeling, knowing he was safe, I had a hatred for him in that moment.
“But why wouldn’t you tell me?” I looked up at him, ignoring the throbbing in my head.
“We would have to leave society, make a life as...I don’t know what but we wouldn’t be allowed here anymore.”
“So? Do you really think I regard myself so highly that I would diminish my love for you to remain in society?”
“What?”
“Anthony, I would rather leave all of this behind, and be with you wherever you go in the world. That fact that you think I would prefer to live without you hurts me.”
“(Y/N), I didn’t mean-”
I slipped out of his hold, hopefully stable now.“I don’t want to speak of this right now. I’m finished with this topic of conversation.”
Anthony knew there was no point trying to reason with me in that moment. It was also no time to argue when there were more pressing matters at hand. He huffed, only walking away from me once Collin approached, letting me loop my arm through his for support. I watched as he glared at Simon, who was in a deep discussion with Daphne. 
“We must resume before someone should find us.” he said to Simon before taking a pistol from Benedict again.
“There will be no need to resume.” Daphne spoke up. We all looked at her, wondering how she was going to stop the duel.“The Duke and I are to be married.”
                                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We had all ensured we were home before any of the staff could see us, slipping out of our dirty clothes and stuffing them under the bed. I had struggled, feeling nauseous as I rushed. But as I lay down in bed, my headache suddenly returning and my back aching, I heard the door lock. Anthony threw the key onto his desk in the room, hands on his hips as he paced. 
“Anthony.” I tried to stop him.“Anthony, please don’t do that.”
“I’m thinking (Y/N).” he mumbled.
“Then why don’t you think in your office? You’re making me dizzy. And nervous.”
“Do not speak to me like that. You do realise how this might tarnish our name?”
“They’re getting married, it will be fine Anthony.”
“It does not matter, he still dishonoured her, I saw it myself.”
“And you have not done that yourself in the past?”
That made him stop in his tracks. His head turned to me so quickly I though his neck would snap off.“They were not eligible ladies.”
“And that makes a difference? Anthony, I need to rest, please leave me.” I turned onto my side, pulling the covers higher so they almost covered my face.
He groaned, and I instantly regretted what I had said. His footsteps were loud as he made his way to the door, but I never heard it being unlocked. He sounded like he was now approaching the bed, and I found out I was right when the bed dipped in front of me me. I opened my eyes to see Anthony shuffling around, and I heard two light thumps on the floor from taking off his boots, before he lifted and covers; he shuffled in towards me, gently putting his arm under my pillow, moving as close as he could to me.
“You are right.” his voice was quieter now.“I, along with many men, have...done things in the past. Those women are, were meant for those things, but as soon as I saw you in the room, I knew I had to approach you. I remember that beautiful blue dress you were wearing, and how well you held yourself. But you were still so enticing, I found you to be so interesting, yet you only spoke with me for five minutes. You danced so elegantly, yet I still thought I could keep up with you.”
“If you are trying to make me swoon so I forget all about earlier, it isn’t working. You use the same story every time.” I said.
“Because it’s one of the best ones. I could retale about the time I saw you first promenading, the balls and social events we coincidentally went to, how I called upon your house-”
“Anthony, you may stop.” I tried not to giggle, but my smile was evident.“I am still angry at you for putting yourself in such an idiotic and dangerous situation. However, I deeply admire your love for your family, I know you would do anything for them. Just...if you ever do anything like that again, you are to inform me of your plans. I go wherever you go.”
“I promise. I was stupid to think I could do that to you. I just wanted to make sure you would still have a good life.”
“The only way I would have a good life is by being with you.”
Anthony smiled, tenderly kissing me.“You should rest darling. You’re hurt.”
“As long as you stay here with me.”
“I promise.”
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ladyofpandemonium · 2 years
Text
High-five?
Attack on Titan | Shingeki no Kyoujin Levi x reader Highschool AU—cRaCk, fluff (this was requested on my old blog!)
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Levi had stayed up on a video call with you for more than half the night, explaining and re-explaining the concepts, making you do practice questions—anything that either of you thought would prepare you for this god-damned midterm. If he was able, he would have come over and done all of that in person instead of losing time over technical issues and unstable internet connections, but with you at your aunt’s house, for the time being, Levi scrapped the option.
When all was said and done, you dared to catch up on the few hours of sleep you could manage after thanking Levi a million times; so many, in fact, that even he felt a shade overwhelmed by your gratitude. How could you not shower him with thanks and praise when he not only bothered to help you but sacrificed his already hectic sleep schedule? Not to mention Levi must have had the patience of a saint considering your mathematics was barely average while his own scores were perfect.
Now, about a week after, you were facing your results. To say that you were jittery was an understatement; it wouldn’t be hard to mistake you for a cat on a hot, tin roof. Were you this anxious because these grades would earn you an acception or rejection in university, or because you would rather die than have Levi think he wasted all those hours? To that, you had no answer.
Regardless, you attempted to stop your leg from bouncing as if it had a mind of its own as the teacher weaved through the desks, placing little cards face down on them.
Levi sat in the row behind you, your anxiety evident to him through the occasional shift of his own desk. Personally, he thought you would do well on the mid-terms, but made no attempt to calm you. It would be futile.
Your own result card came face down on your desk, the teacher pausing to glance at you for a split second before moving on. You wished you had seen her expression to gauge how terrible you were sure you did despite Levi’s excellent tutoring.
It seemed like the lesson had ended when it only began by the time you flipped your results card over, your teeth biting into your cheek making the inner flesh numb.
He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about how you did, having never agreed to tutor anyone before. Levi did not have the patience for it, at least that is what he assumed until you came along, nearly begging for him to help because he was top of the class.
Although his own results would be satisfactory—that much he was sure of—Levi flipped over the card, steel eyes cutting through each letter that represented his score: two A*s and an A. Satisfied, he allowed the edge of his lips to hint at a smirk as chatter filled the classroom, students discussing their scores with one another, some slapping their foreheads over silly mistakes.
“Oh my God; what in the name of Pythagoras have I done? Levi—”
Smack!
You had swivelled around in your seat so fast, nearly losing your balance, hand raised and expecting to meet Levi’s. While it did meet Levi, it wasn’t his hand. Instead, it was his forehead. Behold, the most ludicrous moment in your life: you had practically slapped your saviour’s forehead.
A gasp ripped from your throat only after Levi’s slender fingers wrapped around your wrist, allowing you a look at his deadpan expression. Yes, you definitely missed the way his eyes had widened for a moment and the moment he questioned what in the name of Pythagoras had you done indeed. You had missed all of that thanks to your complete and utter mortification, leaving you to stutter, try and fail at apologizing.
Invasions like these would have earned anyone else a rough shove from the boy, but Levi took the chance to glance at your result card, catching the little column of nothing below a B. That was all he could see with the other half pressed against your chest. When he met your eyes, he found you still trying to find the words to apologize. Barking out a laugh, Levi lowered your wrist, still keeping it in his hold as he leaned his head against his free palm.
“Congratulations, brat,” Levi’s palm left his cheek, laying two firm pats on your head, “you did good.”
Then, at your beaming smile, he released your wrist, “Could have done without that, though.”
Voice thinly laced with amusement, Levi folded his arms as you half laughed, half coughed. Shrugging your shoulders, you placed the results card on his desk, holding your hand up with your palm facing him, “High five?”
“Tch…” Still, Levi’s palm slapped weakly against yours, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he glanced down at your report card. Maybe he should tutor you more often; so long as you didn’t whack him on the forehead again, Levi thought he would do just that.
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extasiswings · 3 years
Note
15 + buddie
15. "Shouldn't you be with her?" On ao3 here.
When Eddie is eleven, his class gets a new student. Her name is Maria Esparza and her family is from Arizona. She has dark curls that look like they would be soft to touch and a smattering of freckles across her nose and she’s so smart—always reading and forever raising her hand in class, always with the right answers—but she never acts stuck up about it.
He thinks she’s beautiful and when he gets home from the first day of school he promptly announces that he’s in love. He doesn’t understand why his mother laughs or why Sophia rolls her eyes and calls him an idiot when he’s perfectly serious.
He’s in love, he insists, and goes on believing it for three whole weeks until he gets up the courage to give Maria a flower at recess and she looks at him like he has two heads. The rejection smarts for a couple of days, but then he’s fine. So, he figures...maybe it wasn’t love after all.
Eddie is fifteen when he finds his eyes slipping too frequently to Diego Reed in autoshop, lingering on the other boy’s long, dexterous fingers, his forearms, the sharp edge of his jaw. Eddie can’t explain it, he just knows those stolen glances make him squirm, make him flush, make him feel too warm and like his very skin is too tight.
Diego steals Eddie’s first kiss two weeks before winter break, pushes him up against the back wall of the shop where they’re hidden by a truck and licks into his mouth with a confidence that Eddie can’t imagine ever having when he himself can’t even figure out what to do with his hands. But it makes his knees weak and leaves him breathless and panting when Diego pulls away with a smirk and tells him not to say anything.
It’s not love—for one thing, Eddie knows he’s not supposed to love boys, and for another, the only time he suggests it might be anything at all, Diego gives him the same look Maria had once upon a time and walks away—but it’s nothing he’s ever felt before. The next year, Angelica Phelan asks him to go to the winter formal and he gets to second base in the science lab when they slip away from the chaperones. It’s different from kissing Diego. But it’s just as good, he enjoys it just as much, and part of him is…relieved.
He doesn’t think about that too much.
Eddie is eighteen when he’s not watching where he’s going and runs directly into his future on the sidewalk. Thankfully, the only casualty is Shannon’s coffee, and after she snaps at him for not paying attention and he offers to replace her drink—well. They close down the coffee shop, emerging, startled, from conversation only when interrupted by a mildly disgruntled employee trying to lock up. Eddie walks home in a daze, Shannon’s phone number burning a hole in his pocket, and he’s simultaneously elated and terrified because it’s never been so easy being with someone, he’s never felt so seen so quickly. He’s old enough to realize that love at first sight is bullshit, but he thinks he could fall very fast.
He’s right.
They take things slow because Eddie wants to do things right, doesn’t want to risk confusing love with the heady cocktail of teenage hormones and sex. So he knows by the time he does fall into bed with her, eight months in, that he’s in love. Really in love, thinking about the future in love, factoring her into the mix when he thinks about what the hell he’s going to do with his life in love.
And then Shannon gets pregnant. And it’s too soon, he loves her but it’s too soon, and he’s terrified all over again—
He loves her though. He loves her. And she’s pregnant so—they get married. He wants to do the right thing.
At their wedding the readings are selections from Song of Songs and Corinthians.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud....Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things...
With all due respect to St. Paul, Eddie doesn’t think he knew what the hell he was talking about. Or at least, maybe he did, but he was being pretty damn aspirational and left out a few things.
Because after the wedding…after the wedding, Eddie learns a lot more about love.
Love is beautiful, yes. But love is also…trying to do the right thing and fucking up. Love is fighting and knowing exactly what to say to cut the deepest and not always holding back. Love is forgiving, but after a point finding it difficult to forget.
Or maybe that’s not love, maybe that’s just marriage. Maybe it’s a little of both. Because love endures—sure. Love endured with Shannon even when trust was nonexistent, when their marriage was fractured, shattered pieces strewn across the floor ready to draw blood if either of them tried to pick them up.
Love isn’t enough. That’s what Eddie knows. Or maybe it is, maybe love would have been enough to fix what was broken if it hadn’t been his. Shannon’s gone, so they’ll never be able to have that conversation. He’ll never know the answer.
Love endures. Eddie kind of wishes it didn’t. It would make a lot of things a lot easier.
But…it’s fine. He’s fine. Shannon dies and he locks that piece of himself away and has no plans to ever fall in love again.
Then again, God has a funny sense of humor and never seems to resist an opportunity to be an asshole, so of course…he does. Slowly. Quietly. The threads slipping through the cracks in his walls so carefully that he doesn’t even notice until they’re twined around his heart, unspooling through his blood, through his veins with every pulse. Eddie doesn’t notice.
And then he gets shot and it’s like being hit by lightning, an electric shock of clarity down his spine, rooting him in place as he meets Buck’s eyes.
Oh.
Oh, fuck.
***
Eddie despises recovery.
He’s never been good at being still, at being useless, at being left alone with nothing but his own head. And maybe he’s not entirely alone—he has Christopher, after all, and Christopher is understandably a little clingy now that he’s home from the hospital—but Christopher sleeps and has play dates and spends time in his room and just in general isn’t in Eddie’s space every second of every day.
And then there’s Buck. Buck who offered to keep staying on the couch to take care of everything they needed when Eddie came home from the hospital. Buck who Eddie sent home to his own bed with promises to call if he needed help because having Buck so close after Eddie’s little realization was stirring him up, making everything a million times more difficult in his head. Buck’s still over frequently, but it’s less dangerous if he’s not staying overnight, if Eddie can’t wake up and be tempted to walk out to the living room and pull Buck into his bed. Not for anything sexual—he’s on too many medications and too immobilized for that even if it was remotely a good idea—but to be held. To feel wanted. To feel safe.
He knows Buck probably wouldn’t say no, wouldn’t think anything of it except that maybe he’s a little raw and fragile, which he is. Which is exactly why he can’t ask. So. Removing the temptation it is.
But. Being left alone with his own head is a terrible idea. He’s in pain because he lowered the doses of his pain meds so he would stop worrying about developing any dependency. He can’t sleep without waking up with screams trapped behind his teeth and the smell of blood and gunpowder in his nose. And he can’t stop thinking about Buck. About being in love with Buck. About wanting Buck. About whether he could ever have him or whether he’ll ever be okay enough to be in a relationship. About whether Buck could ever want him back or if he’ll ever feel safe enough to risk their friendship by even asking.
He broke up with Ana the second he was able to figure out how to do it without feeling like a complete dick. But he hasn’t told Buck that. He doesn’t know why.
And then there’s—
The key turns in the lock and Eddie starts, looking up from his place on the couch. Christopher is with his abuela for the night, and he didn’t expect—
“Hey,” Buck calls, stepping through the door. “I brought dinner.”
Eddie stares.
“What are you doing here?” He asks, before he can stop himself. “Shouldn’t you be with Taylor?”
—Taylor. Buck and Taylor. Which, Buck waited weeks to tell him about, hedging about why he wanted to know if it was okay to invite her to Eddie’s welcome home party. Which, Buck only did admit to when Eddie called one night at 2AM and Taylor answered Buck’s phone.
Eddie clears his throat, the question sounding a little too sharp and accusatory to his ears.
“I just meant,” he adds, softening, “I thought you said you had a date tonight.”
An odd look passes over Buck’s face.
“Isabel called me,” he replies. “She said you were by yourself, asked if I would check on you. We rescheduled, it’s fine.”
Eddie nods once and pulls the couch throw tighter around his shoulders with his good arm. A petty, possessive piece of him is pleased. That Buck’s there. That Buck would drop everything for him.
He’s always been wary of Taylor. Even way back when they first met and she was prowling around the station filming everyone and flirting with Buck. But now? Now he’s jealous, his stomach twisting at the very reminder that she has Buck the way Eddie wants him.
But at the same time…he hates that. Hates the jealousy, hates feeling possessive. Because what claim does he have over Buck’s affections? None. Especially not when he can’t even admit to loving him outside his head.
He hates it because he knows that more than anything, Buck deserves to be happy. And maybe Eddie could make him happy, but—
Even if Buck felt the same—and Eddie isn’t convinced of that, doesn’t have the arrogance to assume—what right does he have to say please, to say wait, to ask Buck to put his life on hold indefinitely while Eddie sorts through the tangled mess in his head in the hope that one day he’ll finally be ready? He can’t be that selfish. Especially not with Buck.
Buck deserves to be happy. Even if that’s with Taylor Kelly. Even if it means Eddie loses him.
He doesn’t get to be jealous.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Eddie replies quietly. “I’m fine.”
Buck sets the bag in his arms down on the coffee table.
“You don’t look fine,” he points out. “Actually, you look like shit. Isabel was right to call me.”
“I’m fine,” Eddie repeats. His heart pangs at the concern in Buck’s eyes. “Really, it’s okay—you should—you should—”
Go. Call Taylor back. Enjoy your date.
He wants to do the right thing. He really does. But the rest of the words refuse to leave his throat.
Buck shakes his head anyway. “I’m not going anywhere,” he insists. “So tell me what’s going on. How can I help?”
Eddie bites his lip. Drags his hand over his jaw before making a face. The messy, overgrown scruff is itchy and difficult to manage on his own, and the foreignness of it doesn’t help him feel grounded in his own body when he wakes up gasping in the middle of the night.
“It’s stupid,” he says.
“I’m sure it’s not,” Buck replies. “And I’m here, so you might as well just talk.”
I’m in love with you, Eddie thinks. And I can’t sleep. And I can’t shave. And everything hurts. And I just want to stop being afraid—
He swallows. He can’t say all of that. He can’t blow everything up that way.
So, he picks the easiest one.
“I can’t shave with my left hand and it’s driving me insane.”
Buck blinks. Then he laughs as the worry in his brow smooths out.
“That’s it?” He asks. “Well, that’s easy. I can do that. Come on.”
And that’s how Eddie winds up sitting on the bathroom counter with shaving cream all over his face while Buck wets a razor and steps between his legs.
His breath catches.
“You good?” Buck asks, his voice low. His eyes are soft and focused, and Eddie almost regrets everything because the proximity—god, the proximity. He’s been so cold since the shooting and Buck is so warm, heat spreading through Eddie’s body from every discrete point of contact. Buck tips his chin back and Eddie lets his eyes slip closed.
“Yeah,” he breathes. “I’m good.”
The razor drags along his skin. Neither of them say a word, the main sound in the room the drip of the faucet when Buck rinses the razor between passes. They’ve always been physical with each other, but this sort of thing is new. Intimate.
Eddie aches.
His eyes open a crack to watch. Buck’s lower lip is caught between his teeth, and having every ounce of that focus on him is…intoxicating.
I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you.
Buck steps in closer, Eddie’s legs spread ever so slightly wider. A spark of heat flashes through him and he inhales sharply—Buck’s startled enough that his hand slips and the razor nicks Eddie’s jaw.
“Shit,” Buck swears. The razor clatters into the sink. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
Eddie opens his eyes the rest of the way. “It’s fine,” he assures. “What, you think I’ve never cut myself shaving before? It’s still better than I would have managed myself.”
“I’m—” Buck looks stricken, his fingers reaching out to gently cradle Eddie’s jaw only for him to snatch them back almost instantly, the tip of one faintly smeared with blood. His hand trembles.
“Buck,” Eddie says quietly. Buck’s eyes are fixed on the red smear and Eddie is sent back—
Watching his blood splash across Buck’s face and not realizing at first that it was his. Being half-delirious on the way to the hospital worrying that Buck had been hurt—
All this time, Buck’s been moving forward, pushing ahead, for Christopher, for him, for everyone, and Eddie knew he wasn’t entirely okay, knew he was fucked up from the moment in the hospital when he said I think it would have been better if I was the one who got shot, but since Eddie’s been home, Buck has seemed…better.
Maybe not. Maybe he’s been struggling to pretend as much as Eddie has.
Eddie twists around to grab the towel draped over the faucet and wets it enough to wash the rest of the shaving cream off his face, feels the sting of soap and water in the cut. And then he reaches out to grab Buck’s hand, wiping the blood off of his finger.
There’s something profane about blood staining skin. And something sacred in the act of washing it clean.
Eddie wonders if anyone helped Buck wash his blood off when he was in surgery. Taylor, maybe.
But no, that doesn’t feel right.
Buck probably did it himself. Alone.
“Hey.” Eddie squeezes Buck’s fingers. When Buck doesn’t look at him, he reaches out and curls his hand around the side of Buck’s neck, tips Buck’s chin up with his thumb to force him to meet his eyes. “Hey. It’s okay. I’m okay. No harm done.”
Buck breathes out shakily. His throat works, his face passes through a million stages—finally, his hands fall to the counter on either side of Eddie’s hips and his forehead drops to Eddie’s good shoulder. Eddie lets his hand slip around to the back of Buck’s neck, his fingers combing up through the short hairs there. He turns his head and he’s close enough to kiss the side of Buck’s, but he holds off. It feels like it would be too much. Too much when Buck doesn’t know how he really feels, what he really wants. But even just this—the closeness, the touch—is good. Needed. A balm to the itch under his skin.
When Buck turns his face into Eddie’s neck and inhales, Eddie thinks maybe Buck might need this just as badly.
“I’m okay,” he repeats, closing his eyes again as his fingers comb through Buck’s hair. “We’re okay. We’re okay.”
They stay like that for a long time. Buck’s phone rings out once, but neither of them moves to answer it. Eventually, Buck lifts his head and clears his throat roughly as he steps back.
Eddie’s hand falls away from Buck’s neck. He feels the absence keenly.
“You good?” He asks. Buck nods. His eyes are red.
“Yeah,” Buck replies. He pauses. Shakes his head. “No. But—can we just—can I just finish this for now? I want to finish this.”
Eddie watches him for a moment. Wets his lips. Then finally nods and passes over the shaving cream again.
“Sure,” he says. “I trust you.”
I love you.
Maybe…maybe eventually he’ll be braver. Maybe eventually, both of them will be free at the same time and he’ll be whole and healed, or at least something closer to it than he is now. Maybe eventually…love will be enough. Maybe.
For now, he has this.
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zafirosreverie · 3 years
Text
Must be the eyes (Teacher!Agatha x Fem!Student!Reader) part 5
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(Part 1) (Part 2) (part 3) (part 4)
a/n: I’m sorry if this is a little rushed, i did what i could with my laptop freezing at all times.
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
You jumped when your phone beeped with a message. You quickly grabbed it from the bed, where you had carelessly thrown it. It was from Nick.
"Meet me in the lobby”
You frowned slightly. What could he want at this hour? Probably tease you a little more. You rolled your eyes fondly.
During the whole tour, he hadn’t been able to tease you as usual. From the moment the two of you caught up with the group, your teacher's hand was firmly positioned on your lower back and when you entered the library, she was never too far away, so any joke Nick might have made would have reached her ears. And during dinner, the teachers' table had been right behind yours, conveniently.
"I'll be there in 5" you answered quickly, before putting the phone in the pocket of your shorts and smoothing your shirt again. You tied your hair in a messy bun and grabbed your purse. You didn't want to pay attention to the way your pulse was racing, or the voice in your head telling you that you were going on a date.
Because no, you were definitely not going on a date!
"Oh, are you ready?" asked a voice from the bathroom door.
For a moment you had forgotten about the other person in the room (well, not about her, but that she was there at the time). You turned to see your teacher leaning against the doorframe, in dark pants and a three-quarter-sleeve blouse. She looked so casual, so relaxed. It was a beautiful sight.
"Umm y-yeah" you stuttered "I'll wait for you downstairs. I'm going to the lobby with Nick" you explained
"Jadu?" Agatha frowned, quickly feeling a twinge of jealousy "Mister Jadu should already be in his room" she said.
"W-well, I'm sure he'll be soon, he just wanted to tell me something. Could be important" you said nervously.
It was strange how the woman could change her attitude so quickly. A few seconds ago she had been so relaxed, as if the two of you had been living together for a long time (you blushed at the thought. You did not live together!) And now, she was the living image of a beast about to attack.
"Fine" she said after looking at you for a few more moments "I'll catch up to you there"
You nodded quickly and left the room in a hurry. As much as you wanted to, now you couldn't turn a blind eye, you knew Nick was right. Harkness was acting weird.
____________
Agatha sighed when the door closed behind you. She mentally cursed herself for scaring you like this. She shouldn't be jealous of you, she shouldn't want to control what's going on around you, and she shouldn't want to be by your side for as long as possible.
Shouldn’t. It was a word that she had been repeating many times in the last three days.
"Maybe, I shouldn't have done all of this" she murmured.
The original plan was simple: take you to Salem, see you happy, go back, keep seeing you from afar through the hallways of the school, the end. But you had managed to complicate everything from the moment you were late, making her panic.
Then you had fallen asleep on her, making her feel nervous, you had managed to be sacrificed as an offering for her, sharing a room and making her doubt her own self-control, then you had gotten into her dreams, making her do things that she really didn't want to think about right now (there was no time for another trip to the bathroom, thank you very much) and now you were simply torturing her, rubbing in her face everything you could do with that little friend of yours that you couldn't do with her, making her feel terribly jealous of something that didn't even belong to her.
And still, she couldn't help but want to be close to you. She wasn't blind, she knew exactly how you felt about her, and even though she was still struggling with morality and shit, she also wanted to see where all of this took you both.
"Well, nowhere if I don't hurry up" she murmured, taking her purse and leaving the room.
___________
"Sooooo" Nick smiled at you, making you roll your eyes for the fifth time in the last five minutes.
"It’s not a date" you said for the third time "She will only take me to the antique store because it isn’t on the itinerary"
"How strange" he said sarcastically "I don't remember hearing her invitation ... Oh wait! She didn't invite us! She will only take her favorite student, with whom she shares a room, and from whom she hasn’t taken her eyes off, to a night walk through the city, so that you can visit a store that you wanted so much to go to. Yes, totally not a date" he rolled his eyes
"Well, I can ask her to let you come with us if you want" you said, blushing
"No, no" he laughed "I'm not going to piss off the kraken"
"Nick"
"I'm serious. I mean, I don't get along with her as well as you do, princess, but I want to think that I'm not on her list of students to murder. And something tells me that being a third wheel in her, 'not a date', would make me top that list" he laughed "so no, thanks, but no thanks princess"
"You are exaggerating, you know?" you laughed
"Yes yes, you call it exaggeration, I call it knowing how to choose my battles. And believe me, we all know that making Harkness angry is a losing battle and a suicidal desire"
"You make her sound like a serial killer" you rolled your eyes
"You never know" he shrugged "talking about the queen of Rome, here she comes" he told you in a low voice, subtly pointing to someone behind you.
You turned to see the brunette walking towards you with a smile that seemed a bit forced. You couldn't help but notice the sway of her hips.
"Well, I better go" Nick whispered "don't forget to bring me something" he winked at you.
She saw him rush past the older woman, giving her a little goodnight, which she only answered with a slight nod of the head. 
You saw your best friend disappear into the elevator, before paying attention to the woman in front of you.
"Everything alright?" she asked
"Y-yes Miss Harkness" you said
"So, was it important?" she pressed
"What?" you frowned confused
"The matter why you had to meet him here" she said she "didn't you say it might be important?"
You blinked a little at that. You hadn't thought that she really cared about what you said. It was a pleasant surprise, truth be told, it made you feel special and warmed your cheeks.
"Well he just wanted to make sure i bought him something" you lied.
The woman didn’t seem convinced, but she didn't say anything more on the subject. Smiling, she offered you her arm.
"Then we better go" she said she "we must find something for Mister Jadu, right?"
You giggled at that before nodding and, against your better judgment, you entwined your arm through hers.
Agatha smiled at this, unable to help but feel butterflies in her stomach, a quite refreshing and welcome feeling after the hot wave of jealousy that had washed over her when she stepped off the elevator and saw you so close to Nicholas.
______________
You tried to ignore the blush that was spreading across your face and neck when you walked into the store. You had thought that maybe you would take a taxi or something, but the brunette had told you that the store was not far away, so there was no point in taking a taxi when you were perfectly capable of walking there.
What she hadn't told you was that she wasn't going to let go of you. Sure, you linked your arm with hers, but you thought she would let you go when you got into a taxi. You didn't expect to find yourself walking to an antique store, arms intertwined with your crush, at night.
"How romantic" you thought sarcastically. Well, you could at least tell Nick that it was definitely not a date.
Your train of thought, however, stopped the moment you took a look at the shelves. There were old books, antique dolls, lamps, clocks, paintings, chairs, statues, among other things. You felt like a little girl in a toy store.
Agatha smiled at your look of astonishment. Your lips were slightly parted, you weren’t blinking and your eyes had a special shine that the brunette had never seen. Almost like a girl looking at the presents under the tree on Christmas day.
You looked so cute that she didn't care that you let go of her arm to get deeper and deeper into the place (although she immediately missed your warmth). She followed you carefully, not wanting to miss out on any of your reactions to the artifacts in front of you.
"I had one of those when I was little" you said suddenly, pointing to a beautiful porcelain doll.
Agatha looked at it for a moment. It had white skin, with black curlers tied in a half ponytail and a large purple bow. The dress, although worn and a bit dirty, still retained a bit of its purple color and the elegance of its original design.
But it was her face that had caught your attention the most. She had flushed cheeks, red lips (albeit a bit faded), and long eyelashes. And her eyes...her eyes were two big beautiful blue orbs.
"She looks like you" you said, smiling at the woman next to you
Agatha was a bit surprised and felt a rush of nerves when you stepped closer to her so she could see the doll better. It was true, it looked a bit like her.
"I guess so" she smiled at you
"I like her" you whispered.
The woman gasped silently, looking at you intently. You weren't looking at her, but at the doll in your hands, but something inside her, maybe a selfish part of her, told her that you were talking about her. And for the sake of her heart, she would hold on to that belief, regardless of your next words:
"T-the doll" you clarified quickly, cursing you for being so clumsy "I like the doll" you said, smiling nervously at her.
"Why?" she asked "Most people find them creepy”
“I don’t know” you shrugged “Must be the eyes” you smiled.
Agatha smiled back at you, but she didn't say anything. Suddenly feeling very exposed under her gaze, you set the doll back in place, before turning awkwardly to continue staring at the other shelves.
"Aren't you going to buy her?" the brunette asked, making you look at her again
"...no" you said "She’s beautiful, but too expensive for me. I prefer to save a little for other things that we can find in the following tours. It wouldn’t be smart of me to spend all my money on the third day, right?" you joked lightly.
Agatha however, noticed the look you gave the doll before turning around. You wanted it, of that she was sure.
______________
"My grandmother had one of those" you laughed
"Well, your grandmother had good taste then" replied the brunette, holding the locket in front of you.
"I suppose there is a certain beauty in it" you admitted, taking it carefully, smiling when the woman winked at you.
"Old is beautiful, Y/N" she said
"Much" you smiled and winked at her. You both knew that you weren't exactly talking about the necklace in your hands.
In the hour and a half that you had been there, something had changed between the two of you. It had started with something subtle, probably since the moment you said you liked the doll that reminded you of your teacher, but then it was an innocent comment about how beautiful a brooch looked in her, a hand on your back encouraging you to try on a necklace, a warm breath on your neck as she approached you from behind to see books over your shoulder. And without realizing it, you had been exchanging somewhat flirtatious comments with the older woman.
Nothing serious, you told yourself, but enough to feel like your relationship had changed. As if you had become closer.
"Well, I think I have everything" you said, separating a little from her
"Are you sure?" she told you "What about the gift for Mr. Jadu?"
"Here" you smiled, showing her the quartz necklace that you had chosen for your best friend.
"Excellent" she said to you "Why don't you pay and wait for me outside?
You shrugged and watched her get lost between the shelves. You paid for your things and left the store, shaking a little. It wasn't cold, but you needed a bubbly presence by your side.
__________
The next morning, there was no sign of the older woman. You frowned at that, but you guessed that she had simply gotten up before you, she was probably already in the dining room or waking up the rest of your classmates for breakfast.
You took a moment to remember the night before and how special it had made you feel. Too bad the spell had been broken as soon as you left the store.
You had asked her what was in the box she came out with, but she hadn't answered. In fact, she hadn't spoken to you the entire way back to the hotel. It was weird, but you hadn't minded because she had re-entwined her arm with yours anyway, so you were sure she wasn't upset with you.
______________
"So how was the no date?" Nick asked, immediately after sitting down across from you
"Great, they had very interesting things" you said
"Oh come on Y/N, give me the juicy details"
"There are no 'juicy details' Nick" you rolled your eyes "as you said yourself, it was not a date. We just went to an antique store and voila"
"Liar" he said "there had to be something! She took you by the hand? She pushed you against a shelf and kissed you?"
"Nick!" you hit him on the head
"Ouch" he said "Hey, don't be so aggressive"
"Don't be such an idiot" you said "Nothing happened. Period"
"Okay" he sighed in defeat "did you at least bring me something?"
"Yes, but I don't think you deserve it" you said
"Oh, come on!" he groaned "You don't give me juicy details and you’re also going to take my gift from me? Dark magic is corrupting you, Y/L/N"
You laughed at that, almost spitting out the juice you were drinking.
"You are an idiot" you said
"But?" he smiled at you and raised an eyebrow
You rolled your eyes "But, you are MY idiot" you said. You took the quartz necklace out of your pocket and threw it at him "Here, cry baby"
"Woah" he said, catching it in midair "Awesome, a rose quartz! Thank you princess"
"Yes, yes, you're welcome" you said "now, be a good slave and bring me more fruit, will you?"
"Right away, my lady" he winked at you and stood up.
You were so busy laughing at him, you didn't notice the brunette behind you getting up and leaving the dining room quickly.
______________
Agatha felt her hands shaking as she placed the package on your bed. She wasn't sure if she should, maybe she was crossing a line, maybe she had misinterpreted the signals. But last night she had seen a side of you that she didn’t know.
In that store, you had stopped being the tender and shy student who was always nervous for the presence of her teacher, and you were transformed into a playful and flirtatious creature that had made her legs tremble.
She hadn't expected you to flirt back, but she loved it and now she wanted more.
"But this" she whispered, looking at the gift on your bed "Will it be too much?"
She was breaking the agreement that she had made with herself. It was not night, and only the nights belonged to her. Leaving you a gift in broad daylight was against the rules.
Fortunately, Agatha Harkness was a woman who made her own rules.
_________________
You opened the door to your room quickly, counting in your mind the seconds it took. You were only back for a pair of sunglasses and your wallet. You were about to leave again when you noticed the box on your bed.
"What is this?" you murmured, moving closer to it.
How did you not notice a box in the middle of your bed as soon as you entered? You didn’t know.
You took the card that was on top of the box, blushing immediately when you recognized the fine handwriting.
"You keep surprising me with your ability to love broken creatures, Miss Y/L/N, but I suppose you're right. It must be the eyes -A.H."
You opened the box and couldn't help but smile as a familiar warmth ran through you and butterflies fluttered in your stomach.
A pair of glass blue eyes stared at you as you hugged the doll and you wished you could hug the woman who looked like her too.
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
Tags: @midnight-lestrange @everythingmarvelsherlockspn @amethyst-bitch @juliejules-089 @powerfulmagicalgirl @novohyde @annie-mit-ie @shinkomiii @agentbrownierso @swanqueensupercorp @usernames-are-difficult @philippaharkness @rainbow-hedgehog @parkerprolly @amelia02 @misarwen25 @booklovinbi @bloodyfool @marvelseverything @superpearlnerd @rooskaya-yelena @danvers97 @notsosecretlyalesbian​ @thoroughly--confused​ @tomy5girls​
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mercy-burning · 3 years
Text
Hangover Duty
Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Reader’s birthday party leads to some rather endearing drunk antics. Category: Fluff Warnings: Mild language, alcohol consumption, mentions of the prison arc (is that a proper content warning? idk lol) (As always, if there’s anything I missed, please let me know what I should include in content warnings! I always want to be as mindful as I can about what I post. Thank you!) Word Count: 4.4k
MASTERLIST
NOTE: Funny story, I woke up at like 3 in the morning last night and just sat up and cranked this out in one go, unprompted. I’m not sure why inspiration struck that late (early?) but I’m rather proud of this one considering I just woke up to edit it a few hours ago 😂, I hope you like it!
***
Watching her gradually get more drunk as the night went on had to be the most amusing and incredibly endearing way to get back into the groove of things. It was nice, actually, being able to have a good time with his friends without constantly being reminded of what's happened in the past year.
Especially considering this year Spencer was determined not to miss Y/N's birthday. Last year he'd been in prison, and rather than being able to celebrate with her and their friends, rather than getting her a card or writing her a letter, she'd written him a letter that detailed in depth how she refused to celebrate until her best friend was there to celebrate with them. Of course he felt awful about the whole thing, and when JJ had dropped off the letters that week, he made her tell Y/N how sorry he was and how he wished more than anything that he could have been there.
And naturally, after dealing with Cat another time and settling his mom down, the first chance he got, he told Y/N himself.
She was in the hospital after that incident with Mr. Scratch. She was the first person he saw in the hospital, and she was fine, arguing with the doctors about leaving to help her team. But once he showed up, telling the doctors he could get her to sit down, they left, and he pulled her in for the biggest hug they'd ever shared.
And the first thing he told her was, "I'm sorry I missed your birthday."
She'd only laughed and squeezed him tighter, replying with a short, yet simple, "Shut up."
He promised to himself then that no matter what happened, he would never miss another one of her birthdays again.
Since it was the first one since all that had happened, Spencer planned something a little extra special. Weeks ahead of time, he talked to Rossi about being able to rent out a bar for the night, Y/N's favorite bar to be exact. Just for themselves. As to be expected, it took a bit of convincing, but eventually they'd been able to successfully rent out the bar for one night, and though Rossi was insistent on paying everything, Spencer wanted to offer as much as he could.
Penelope, of course, insisted on putting up decorations. She roped Luke into helping her, and though he played off like it would be torture, for one thing he was happy to help celebrate his friend's birthday in any way he could, but he also was terrible at hiding the fact that he was more than happy to help Penelope with anything she needed, whether it actually pertained to the party or not.
Everyone told her they were all just going to meet up for drinks after work that day. Y/N was more than okay with it, explaining to them how she was just happy to be able to spend her birthday with her friends no matter where they were. They told her to meet at 7pm when in reality they would all be at the bar an hour and a half early to set up and make sure everything was perfect.
When Y/N actually showed up, Spencer had never seen her so radiant. Even as she was swarmed by Garcia putting on a pink party hat for her that promptly read "Birthday Girl", her hair slightly out of place because of its placement on her head, she was the perfect example of human perfection. She greeted everyone with a huge, beautiful smile accompanied by lots of 'thank you's and 'I love you's, and when she finally got to Spencer, he tried not t hold her to him for too long.
One of the reasons Y/N loved this specific bar was because of the karaoke machine. In fact, drunken karaoke was a decent weekly occurrence with the BAU, and while they'd been no strangers to the act, it only became more frequent when Y/N joined the team. For years now they'd spent many hours singing just as many songs as anyone could think of. And even while drunk, Y/N was a natural. She slipped up on words and slurred them together once in a while, sure, but her voice was easily the most impressive of the bunch, not to mention she never failed to get anyone and everyone to join in.
All that to say Spencer made sure they would be able to use the karaoke machine before they rented out the place. He even attempted to teach himself how to work it, but try as he might, he ended up calling on JJ to help him do it.
Throughout the night they all took turns singing songs, and at one point Y/N finished a song and made a speech, standing up on the bar. (Deep down Spencer was a little nervous that she would hurt herself, or that somehow the owner of the bar would find out that she'd broken one of many rules he had about renting the place out. But that was neither here nor there when he saw the glowing smile she had on her face, looking at all her friends with the most love and admiration he'd seen anyone carry in a while.)
"I'm jussali'l tipsy at the moment, so m'sorry if I don't make any sense," Y/N slurred together, obviously very drunk. Everyone laughed and she continued, clutching the microphone in one hand and placing the other over her heart like she was going to say the Pledge of Allegiance. "I jusneed to say how much I love y'guys. Thank you for celebratin' with me and makin' my birthday real special. I'mean, you fricken rented out a whole-ass bar! That's so nice!"
As she squealed out the last sentence, Spencer couldn't help the wide smile that broke out on his face. She was just so radiant, glowing with warmth and love and happiness and everything good in the world.
She was also struggling to get off the bar. He rushed forward to help her, and she fell forward, into his arms with a giggle.
"You okay?" he asked, his concern blowing away in the wind when she looked into his eyes with another winning smile.
"No thanks t'you," she answered, promptly 'boop'-ing him on the nose before she reached over to the bar and grabbed a full shot glass. After downing the drink, she brushed passed him with a slap on the butt and another giggle, right before she loudly asked Penelope to cut her another slice of cake.
Spencer knew she wouldn't have been so bold had she been sober, but the whole situation still made him feel all warm inside, like he'd taken a shot of whiskey himself.
Luke came up to him, clapping him on the back and snapping him out of it. "This mean you and the birthday girl are finally a thing now?"
"W—what? I don't know what you mean..."
He was obviously lying, and Luke could tell. He laughed a little, nodding towards Y/N, who was currently laughing with Emily and Penelope, a bright blue smudge of frosting on her nose. "She really missed you when you were gone, man. Even put her birthday on hold until she could celebrate with you."
"Well, we've been best friends for years, and she loves her birthday. It was... A hard year. It makes sense."
"Okay, that's fair, but do you know how bad it was? No presents, no birthday wishes, nothing. She demanded we act like it was any other day. And when I brought her a cupcake, she just set it on your desk and left it there. It sat there for about a week before she finally threw it out."
Spencer looked at where she was standing, eating more cake and swaying lightly to the music that was now playing over the speakers. "Really," he mused, not even thinking about it.
Luke sighed beside him. "Look, you can... believe what you want, but we've all noticed it. You two are practically inseparable, and the way I'm seeing you look at her right now tells me everything I need to know."
Even being called out like that, Spencer couldn't make himself look away. And even if he did, he wouldn't have really known what to say. Because all that was running through his mind at the moment was how right Luke was. How much he couldn't help but feel warm and safe when he was in Y/N's presence, and how she made him feel like the only person in the world sometimes.
He wondered then if maybe in the next day or two he should tell her how he felt.
One by one each member of the team eventually left the bar to go home. Each time one of them did, Y/N gave them the biggest hug and mumbled an abundance of 'thank you's and 'I love you's, much like at the start of the night, only this time her words were slurred and higher-pitched and very much laced with alcohol.
The only three people left at the end of the night were her, Spencer, and Emily.
Y/N came up between them and wrapped both her arms around their shoulders, pulling them in for a messy group-hug. "How'r we gonna clean this place up?" she asked dramatically, looking around once they all pulled away.
"I'm going to clean this place up," Emily said, giving Spencer a knowing look. "Since it's your birthday, your best friend here is going to make sure you get home safe and sound."
He definitely didn't see that coming, but somehow he felt like he should have. Regardless, he was more than happy to take the job. Especially when Y/N jumped up and down and threw her arms around him, giving a big old, "Yaaayyyy!" into his neck. She pulled away and gripped his shirt, bouncing on her feet with a large grin. "We can take my car and we can listen t'that CD I was tellin' you about and when we get t'my house we can have a sleepover!"
"Anything you want," he told her with a smile. "Go get your stuff together and we'll go."
As she wandered around the bar to find her shoes that she'd taken off somewhere along the line, Emily nudged Spencer with a smile. "She loves you, you know."
"She's drunk," he countered.
And as if on cue, right then she held one of her shoes up in the air with a triumphant gleam in her eye. "One down!"
"Okay, well, even when she's not drunk, she still loves you."
Though his heart swelled at the thought, he changed the subject. "You don't have to clean everything up. I was going to come back tomorrow morning and do it myself anyway."
"Eh, don't worry, I'm happy to do it." Emily nodded towards Y/N, who was walking around with one shoe on and picking up the other on the floor next to the cake table. "Besides, something tells me you're gonna be a bit preoccupied with hangover duty."
I wouldn't want any other job, he thought to himself.
And even though the nearly-impossible task of getting her into the car should have stressed him out (she kept getting out of the car as Spencer walked around to the driver's side, until finally he promised her a cheeseburger if she would stay), he still wouldn't have had it any other way.
They stopped at McDonald's on the way home, like he promised, and she was practically buzzing with happiness with the food in her lap. She made him sit in the parking lot and wait until she was done eating so she wouldn't spill anything. And in the dim light of the car, parked under a streetlight and watching her eat her food while she rambled on about the most random things, Spencer didn't think he'd ever felt more content.
He tried to keep her quiet as they made their way up the steps to the third floor of her apartment building. They were going to take the elevator but Y/N insisted it would eat her alive, and he quickly agreed to take the stairs as not to make a scene and wake everyone up with her crying. Her shoes came off again on the second flight of stairs, because she kept tripping and then laughing, pretending to fall back and almost scaring him to death.
Now he was unlocking her apartment door with her shoes in his other hand as she clung to his side. As soon as the door was open, she pushed past him and called out for her cat, Murphy. It didn't take long before the white cat jumped up on the counter to meet her, and she squealed and enveloped him in a crushing hug, picking him up and spinning around to meet Spencer, who was closing the door behind him and setting her shoes on the ground.
"Say hi to Murphy! He loves when you come to visit!"
It was true. Though he never really found himself fond of cats, as soon as he visited Y/N's apartment for the first time Murphy clung to him immediately. It didn't take long for the two of them to become as well acquainted as Y/N had been to either of them. Whenever he came over, Spencer liked to think of them as a small little family.
"Hey, Murph," he said, reaching out to pet the cat's head as he wriggled a little under Y/N's strong clutch.
She dropped him after shoving her face in his fur, and wasted no time taking Spencer's hand. "C'mon, I've got some vodka in the cupboard."
As she dragged him further into the kitchen, he squeezed her hand and tried to pull her to him, away from the cupboard. "Y/N, it's almost one in the morning, you need to go to bed."
She turned to face him and whined. "But it's my birthday, you can't make me."
"Well, technically it isn't your birthday anymore since it's past midnight. So, really, I can make you. Come on."
She whined again as he dragged her along to the bedroom. Once they got inside, he sat her down on the bed and reached out to pull off her party hat, which was lopsided and almost placed on her forehead like a unicorn horn. But when he touched the string, she grabbed his hand.
"I wanna leave it on," she said softly.
"It's not safe, you could choke yourself in your sleep," Spencer countered, brushing her hand away and taking the hat off. As his fingers brushed her cheek, she sighed and closed her eyes, a few seconds before letting out a little giggle.
"That tickled," she laughed as he set the hat on her bedside table.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him, and he started to feel all warm again. "Sorry," he whispered, taking the time to memorize the way she looked right then. The curls in her hair had fallen flat, and her makeup was a little smudged, but the lazy smile on her face and the way she blinked up at him with her big, beautiful eyes would always be worth remembering. He could have stayed in that moment forever, just sitting in that comforting silence.
But alas, she was drunk, and unable to be quiet for more than ten seconds.
Y/N lightly poked him in the chest and laughed. "Hey, d'y'think Murphy ever gets tired?"
"I'm sure he does," was all Spencer said, trying to get her to lay down. She did so as she spoke, rambling on about what she thought her cat might have done when she was away at work. But she stopped talking altogether when Spencer tried to put a blanket over her.
"No," was all she said, kicking her legs up.
"You don't want a blanket?"
"No, I want you to be in the blanket with me."
He thought about it for a second before motioning for her to scoot over. "I'll lay with you for a little while, but you have to promise me you'll go to sleep, okay?"
She giggled triumphantly as he laid down beside her and draped the blanket over their legs. "I told'ya a sleepover would be fun."
Spencer reached out and lightly rubbed her arm, knowing that always got her to fall asleep. "I know you did."
But she didn't close her eyes. She was unusually quiet though, just silently staring at his face before she sharply pulled her arm away. "You're tickling me again."
"I thought you liked when I rub your arm, it helps you sleep," is all he said.
Y/N grabbed his hand and pulled it up to lay between them on the pillow, separating their faces. She placed it palm up and rolled up his sleeves so she could rub his forearm, too. Her touches weren't as light, but she giggled all the same. "Am I tickling you?"
He wanted to tell her the truth, which was that she was not tickling him, and it actually felt really nice. But because it might make her feel better, he lied, and told her, "Yes."
"Good," she laughed, moving her hand faster. Now she was just tracing his forearm with her middle finger like she might rub out a stain on the carpet, and Spencer tried to wiggle his arm away.
"Y/N..."
He didn't say it to be mean or irritated, in fact his voice was level and soothing as not to alarm her at all, but all the same she gasped and immediately pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"
"No," he reassured, moving a little closer to her. "You didn't hurt me, I'm ok—"
"Let me kiss it and make it feel better," she continued, ignoring him completely. Before he could stop her, she grabbed his arm and brought it to her mouth, pressing gentle lips to the crease of his elbow trough the fabric of his shirt, then moving the tiny kisses along up his arm until she made it to his wrist. She didn't stop there, continuing to kiss the palm of his hand and even along his fingers, right until she reached his fingertips.
He laid there, completely still and mesmerized as she flipped his arm over and worked her way down again, kissing the backside of his hand and keeping her lips pressed to his wrist for approximately four seconds. Then she flipped his arm over again and kissed the palm of his hand once more, repeating her many kisses until she got to his middle finger.
He should have seen it coming.
He was so caught up in the feeling of her lips pressed against his skin that it completely slipped his mind that she was still drunk. So when she wrapped her lips around his middle finger and sucked it into her mouth with a laugh, he pulled his arm away and sighed.
She actually cackled with laughter, slightly flailing her legs under the blanket. "Gotcha!"
"Ha-ha," Spencer deadpanned, wiping his finger on his shirt.
He wasn't really sure what to say once her laughter died down, but once he opened his mouth to suggest they try sleeping, she spoke first.
"Can I have a glass of water?"
He studied her for a moment. "You're not going to try anything funny, are you?"
She laughed, leaning forward and brushing her nose against his for the briefest of seconds before retreating and looking him in the eye. "I wouldn't dream of it."
There was no way he could say no. "Alright. I'll be back in a second."
Spencer got out of the bed and turned to leave, but she leaned forward and grabbed his hand. "Wait! I have to tell you a secret first."
If he stayed and listened to what she had to say, it was probably dangerous territory, because in the movies this was always the moment where there were drunken confessions of things you never wanted to say out loud, right? And he didn't want to do that to her, but realistically she was probably going to say something ridiculous about Murphy. Right?
Nonetheless, Spencer turned around and looked down at Y/N. "What is it?"
She pulled his hand, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. "Come closer. It's a secret."
He leaned down, but she pulled him again. "Closer!"
Finally, he made his way down to her face, turning his head so she could whisper in his ear.
But she didn't. Instead he felt her press a kiss to his cheek, emphasized with a loud smooch-ing sound when she pulled away. He looked down at her to see the biggest smile on her face.
"S'all I wanted to say. You can go now."
He smiled back at her before nodding and leaving the room, his cheek and arm practically burning from where she'd kissed them.
And when he came back with her water, she was fast asleep.
***
More than anything she just wanted the banging to stop. But once she realized it was in her head, and it was there because she'd been drinking all night, her irritability was even worse.
"Fuck," Y/N grumbled as she struggled to open her eyes. When she did open them she found Murphy curled into a ball at the foot of her bed, his white fur a stark contrast to the deep maroon color of her comforter.
The next thing she noticed was the smell of something... burning? But there wasn't any sound to be heard other than the beating of her head, so she had to wonder if maybe somewhere outside there had been some kind of fire. Or maybe she was just imagining it.
She wasn't going to investigate, but then she heard her front door open, and despite the pounding in her head, Y/N sat up straight, almost scared out of her mind. Instinctively she reached beside her, knocking over a pink party hat in the process, and grabbing the baseball bat she kept there in between her bed and the table.
As quietly as she could, Y/N crept through the bedroom until she reached the door, pressing her ear against it to hear anything more. She heard plastic bags rustling around, and though that was fairly innocent in terms of menacing sounds, it still didn't quell the feeling that punched her in the pit of her stomach. Though, to be fair, she was certain a lot of that had to do with the copious amounts of whiskey and other liquor she drank the night before.
She took a deep breath before slowly swinging the door open and taking a few quiet steps into the hallway, just before she had to turn the corner to get into the kitchen. The noise got louder as she approached, and after taking another slow, deep breath, Y/N jumped out and held her bat out in front of her.
"FBI! What Are you doing in my house?"
"Holy shit!"
Spencer was standing in her smoky kitchen, clutching his hand to his chest. "Y/N, it's just me! Put the bat down!"
It clattered to the ground as she sighed out and shook her head. "What the hell, man, you scared the shit out of me!"
"Right back at you! I was just bringing you some breakfast..."
Y/N surveyed the kitchen and found that, sure enough, there were what looked like wrapped sandwiches on the counter. "Why is it all... burn-y in here? What happened?"
Spencer looked around nervously, his hands fumbling at his sides. "I, uh... tried to make you French toast. I know it's your favorite, and I know that greasy food is supposed to help with hangovers, so I tried to make some bacon, too, but it turns out that I really suck at multi-tasking in the kitchen, and I burned it all... So, I went with gas-station breakfast, which I figured was the next best thing."
The way he spoke reminded Y/N of a little kid who got caught doing something they weren't supposed to. He was extremely apologetic, almost in a way that made her think he thought she'd yell at him.
Now she remembered just a little of what happened the night before. She remembered drinking a lot and then Spencer taking her home, but she was so tired and out of it that all the little details weren't clear. Or present at all, really. All she knew when she looked at him in her kitchen right then, was that she'd never been more happy to see anyone while hungover. Especially since that someone happened to be her best friend and brought her breakfast.
She smiled and walked over to him. "That was really sweet of you, thank you."
Spencer looked down at her and smiled. "Sorry about scaring you."
"Eh, don't be. It was a good wake-up call," she laughed. "What would I do without you?"
He reached his hand out and brushed some of the hair from her face, at which she almost melted. "I think I should be asking you that question."
Something came to her mind just then, and she wasn't sure why. But she took the risk anyway, turning her head and kissing the inside of his palm.
"W—what was that for?"
Y/N shrugged. "I don't know. Just felt right."
She didn't know how long they stood there, smiling at each other, but it felt different, like suddenly the air around them had shifted overnight into something palpably electric. And it's that energy that urged her to say something she'd been afraid to say for so long.
"Hey, I uh... I don't know if this is weird timing, and you can say no even though it was my birthday yesterday, don't feel pressured to say yes, but I—"
"Yes."
Y/N raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know what I was going to say."
"I don't care," Spencer said simply. "Whatever it is you want, it's yours."
"So, if... If I asked you to dinner tonight—"
"Yes."
Her stomach churned, but this time it had nothing to do with the hangover. The pounding in her head was more of a dull thrum now because the pounding in her heart overpowered it. And it grew even more intense when her best friend took a step closer, placing his hand to the side of her face.
"I wouldn't kiss me right now if I were you," she warned, tilting her head to the side. "Hangover breath is basically a bio-hazard, and you're going to completely rethink going out with me."
Spencer shook his head and leaned in even closer. "I don't care."
As he kissed her, she lost herself in him completely and came to the conclusion that he was the only hangover cure she would ever need.
***
PERMANENT TAGLIST: @elldell1204 @muffin-cup @calm-and-doctor @slutforthegubes
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Rating: T (for inherent neutral ending angst)
Summary: Toriel's old house feels like a mausoleum. She will gladly ignore chisp crumbs and lumpy mattresses for a place that feels more like home.  (Queen Toriel ending fic for Soriel Week 2021.)
Word Count: 5211
XXX
The bedroom was exactly how she left it. Her bed pushed up against the gray wall. A book about snails on the wooden desk. A knit sweater with the embroidered words "Mrs. Mom Lady" in the wardrobe.
Even after all this time, she could barely look at it without her soul splitting in two.
She'd known this wouldn't be easy. She hadn't seen this house in over a century. Still, she wasn't prepared for how Asgore had sealed up her old room like a tomb, a photograph of the day that everything went terribly, horribly wrong.
At least the last child was safe. They should not have had to take a life to save their own, but she doubted Asgore had given them a choice.  Her own soul felt more numb than anything.  To her, Asgore had died a century ago.
What was done, was done. And as usual, she was too late to do anything but sweep up the dust.
She backed through the doorframe, shutting the door with a quiet click. She would have to return eventually, but for now, she yearned for a place with fewer painful memories.
"Hey, Your Majesty." A voice startled her as she attempted to escape the foyer. Luckily it was a voice she would always recognize.
"Hello, old friend." She turned and smiled at the monster leaning against the stair railing.
He was smaller than she expected, with that deep voice. Not that that was a bad thing. As for him being a skeleton, that had been apparent from the abundance of bone puns.
"You know the formality is unnecessary," she told him softly.
"Is it?" He shuffled from foot to slippered foot. 
In all her time of joking with him through the door, she had never expected him to be so cute. 
"Didn't want to assume, old lady."
He winked, and she felt a weight lift from her chest. At least one monster would still treat her like a person, and not like a mythical figure returned to save them.
"Toriel," she introduced herself for the first time. He had to have heard already, but between rushing to the palace, scattering Asgore's dust, comforting their—her people… she hadn't had time to seek out her friend.
He seemed to feel comfortable walking right into her home, though. Did he ever visit Asgore when he was here? Her friend seemed like the type of monster who went wherever he felt like, and Asgore, for all his flaws, had never turned a monster away from his home.
"Sans." He held out a bony hand. "Sans the skeleton."
"Nice to meet you, Sans," she tested out the name and clasped his hand with her paw.
A loud pthbbbbbt echoed through the empty hall. Her eyes widened.
"Wow, Toriel. That's, uh, some way to make an introduction." He winked.
She squinted down at the inflatable object in his hand, the source of the farting noise. Then she pretended to ignore it.
"It certainly is. I was not aware that skeletons were capable of flatulence."
His eyelights gutted for a moment before he burst out laughing.
"Your jokes are even better in person," he said once he composed himself.
His laugh set her soul fluttering. In all their conversations through the door, he'd never laughed like that. Maybe she should have tried fart jokes sooner.
"I am always happy to tickle your funny bone." She smiled, and his face tinged blue.
"Happy to be tickled. But, uh. I guess that's not all I'm here for?"
Her breath caught in her lungs. Of course he would not visit without a reason. 
"I suppose not. Would you like to have a seat?"
"It's nothing that serious," he assured her quickly. "I just thought you'd want an update on the kid."
"You've spoken with them? They are still here?"  She tried to keep the hysteria from her voice.
How could they have taken Asgore’s soul and not returned home?  Had the Barrier proven too powerful?
"No—geez, I'm making this sound worse." He ran a bony palm down his face. "They’re definitely gone.  Papyrus tried to call them nonstop.  Besides that, you know the big stuff. The king's dead."
Her lips drew to a thin line, pulling tight across her fangs.
"I can hardly fault them for that."
"Right." He stuck his hands back in his pockets. "I gotta be honest. The way the kid looked when I last saw them… I don't think they did it."
Her brow furrowed. She was inclined to hope that the child had not chosen violence.  They had been so sweet, so eager to talk and joke with the monsters of the Ruins, so quick to hug her even after she’d fought them.  It was hard to imagine them striking down Asgore.
"But… then what do you think happened?"
Sans shrugged. "Wish I knew. I kept watch best I could, but…"
"I could not expect you to come between them and your king." As much as she wished he could have. She had hardly expected him to agree to watch over the human at all.
“Couldn’t have even if I wanted to.  These bones aren’t as sturdy as they look.  Maybe I shoulda listened to my bro and drank more milk...” He grimaced and glanced away.  “Anyway.  Like I said, I don’t know what happened.  Just.  Be careful, okay?”
“Careful?” She blinked.
“Yeah.  You never know.” His gaze flickered to a potted golden flower on the end table next to the stairs.
“Sans.  If I did not know better, that would sound like a threat.” She crouched down, so she could better meet his eyesockets. “Is there something you are trying to tell me?”
“Man. First I rip one in front of a lady, then I threaten her.  I’m makin’ a great first impression.”  He rocked back and forth on his slippers. “Look. Toriel. I don’t wanna scare you, ‘specially since today must’ve been hard. Real hard.”
His eyelights bored into her irises. She found herself needing to look away.
“It has certainly been… interesting. Moreso than any day since I last saw this place.” She suppressed a shudder.
Change. Her life had been constant for so long.  There would be no more of that, now. Hopefully that would be for the better, but only time would tell.
“Yeah. Being flung away from everything you’re used to… don’t imagine that’s a cakewalk. Don’t want you to worry about freaks hiding in the shadows on top of that.”
Somehow, she felt he made more sense when he was on the other side of a door. Knock-knock jokes had a formula. Just another normalcy she had forfeited, she supposed.
“Please, Sans. If you believe I am in danger, you may say so.”
“Fine. So.” He grinned, and she couldn’t help a snort.
“Alright, I suppose I walked into that one.” She smiled, despite his warning. “Under normal circumstances, I would say I could handle myself. But I must admit you are more updated on the state of the kingdom than I.  Do you have any information that could help?”
“...Not really?” His grin turned sheepish.  “You look like a tough lady. I bet my bones are rattling over nothing.”
“I would still humer-us you.”
He gave her a funny look. “You’re actually taking me seriously?”
“Why would I not? You are my friend.  Perhaps… my only friend, at this point,” she admitted.  It would be foolish to ignore a warning, even if it was based on gut feeling. Or, whatever skeletons had in place of a gut.
“Well.  Uh.  If someone, something, was behind the king’s… yeah. If it wasn’t the kid, whoever else it was might still be around. So.” He coughed. “Sounds stupid when I say it like that, huh.”
“It does not.  I think it is sweet that you are worried.” He wouldn’t be able to see her blush, thankfully. It had been a long time since anyone had looked out for her.
“Geez, Toriel.” He rubbed the back of his skull. “You’re gonna ruin my reputation.”
“What reputation? Are you typically a monster with a heart of bone?” she teased.
“Nah. I just don’t worry. Too much work.”  It was difficult to tell if he was joking.  “Guess I can make an exception this once, though.”
“Why, thank you, my friend.”  She had the sudden urge to reach out and squeeze his hand.  It would be more for her own comfort than his, so she did not act on it. “To be honest, your words are a relief. I do not mind the excuse to avoid this place.”
“Oh.” He sounded surprised. “You got somewhere else you’d rather be?”
She both did, and did not. How could she explain without sounding like a clinging child?
...Perhaps that was the wrong metaphor. She would have preferred her children to be a little clingier.
“‘Cause, uh, if you don’t mind a bit of mess… my door’s always open.”
She blinked at the offer. Had he felt the thoughts stirring in her soul?
She didn’t want to be alone. Not again. And she had told him the truth: there were unlikely to be any other monsters she knew still around. Perhaps Gerson; she and Asgore had always joked that he would outlive them.
That joke seemed awfully morbid now.
“Sorry. Was that too forward? Our friendship’s built off closed doors; guess we should just take 'em one at a—"
"No," she interjected too forcefully. “No. I would love to visit your home.”
Though she had never set foot there, she already suspected it would feel more like a home than this place.
“You really—? Great.” His skull tinged the faintest blue. “Just, uh, know that it’s nothing fancy.”
Toriel smiled. “‘Nothing fancy’ sounds wonderful at the moment.”
Perhaps wherever he lived would be out of the way enough that news of her return would be delayed. If she could be lucky enough to pass for an ordinary monster… well, that was likely too much to wish for. It certainly wasn’t becoming of a queen to hide from her subjects.
Stars, there was so much to get used to. So many formalities to reacquaint herself with.  She hoped such things would wait until tomorrow.
Sans returned her smile.
“In that case, I know a shortcut.”
XXX
She handled the shortcut well for a first-timer. No stumbling on the other end, no complaints of nausea or dizziness. Of course, she was a Queen. A Boss Monster. Why would a magic trick ruin her composure?
Sans wanted to laugh. All this time, he'd been joking with the Queen. She didn't seem to mind, but she could just be “humerus”ing him.
...Nah. She had every excuse to ignore him if she really wanted to. Instead she'd actually taken him up on his offer.
He almost forgot to drop her hand once their feet landed in the soft snow. Heh. Who was he kidding? It was just nice to feel her fur under his fingers. To touch her, and know that she was real.
"Oh!" Her eyes lit up, reflecting the gyftmas lights strung haphazardly around the house's columns. "I remember this place!"
"You do?" Sans's browbone furrowed.
"I saw it while travelling from the Ruins to…" she trailed off.  To stop the kid from fighting Asgore.
Sans felt stupid for not trying to stop them himself.  Not that a kid that determined would’ve listened, anyway.  Still… he’d believed in them.  Hoped that by some miracle, they’d get ‘em out of this mess.
Heh. That was too much pressure to put on a kid, even a determined one.
"Yeah." He coughed quietly. "Guess we're hard to miss. Papyrus did something to the Gyftmas lights—even when the CORE lights go out for the night, ours stay on. Never figured out how he pulled that off."
Toriel laughed before seeming to realize something.
"I will get to meet your brother!" She clasped her hands together. "I wish it had not come about for such an unhappy reason, but I am excited nonetheless."
He chuckled. Her excitement was contagious. That was something she and Papyrus had in common already.
He pushed the door open, called out for his brother—and noticed the monster sprawled out on his couch.
"Oh." Sans blinked at Undyne, who was snoring so loudly, he should've heard it from outside. Guess he'd been a little distracted. "Uh. This is awkward."
"What is it?" Toriel hung back, her head ducking through the doorframe. "Is your brother sleeping? I would not wish to wake him. You said he rarely sleeps, did you not?"
"Nah, it's not him. Forgot his pal's house burned down. Actually, I'm sure you met her. Undyne? Captain of the Royal Guard?"
"I… yes, we met." Toriel edged inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. "She looks far more peaceful now than she did this morning. From what I understand, my ex-husband was something of a father to her."
"Something like that." Sans nodded in agreement. There hadn't even been a Royal Guard until Asgore created the position for her. Sans wondered if Toriel would keep it around now that Asgore was gone.
Welp. It wouldn't hurt, what with his suspicions about Papyrus's friend "Flowery." 
(Maybe Sans should let Toriel sleep on the top floor rather than the couch anyway. No dirt for stray flowers to get into up there.)
"Should we be staring?" Toriel said with a soft chuckle.
Sans shook his thoughts away. "Sorry. Just thinking. I, uh…"
There wasn't room on the top floor. Sans's lumpy, crumb-dusted mattress was out of the question. That left only Papyrus's bed, which while rarely in use, had too much sentimental value to give to Toriel without asking. Where was Papyrus, anyway?
"Undyne!" His brother practically kicked in the door. "I have returned with nutritious—oh!"
Papyrus's sockets blinked at Toriel. Then at Sans. Then at Toriel again.
(Undyne let out another loud snore.)
"Sans?”  Papyrus dropped his groceries on the table next to the pet rock. “Why didn't you tell me we had another guest??"  
Because he was an idiot who hadn't planned past one impulsive offer. His face went a little blue.
"I guest you would figure it out," he managed to joke. 
Toriel let out a bleating laugh at that. The suddenness of it was enough to jolt Undyne awake.
"NGAHH!!" She tried to leap off the couch, but ended up rolling onto the floor. "I'm here, Asgore! I won't—oh."
Her single eye blinked up at Toriel. 
"Papyrus?" Undyne hissed through her teeth. "Why didn't you tell me the Queen was coming??"
"Because I didn't know!" Papyrus replied brightly. 
"I, uh, promise I'm usually more professional than this." Undyne summoned an energy spear and used it to push herself to her feet. The attack left a small char mark on the carpet. "I am at your service, Your Majesty."
Sans thought she looked real professional in a pair of Papyrus's MTT-brand crop top pajamas. Toriel didn't comment on that though, instead opting for a matronly smile.
"There is no need for that, Captain. I am not here on business, but as a friend."
That smile turned towards Sans, and he fought back a blush.
"Yeah. I was just gonna, uh, make some dinner. Y'know, welcome our queen back with some Snowdin hospitality."
"Dinner?" Papyrus squinted suspiciously. "You don't cook dinner. I cook dinner."
"First time for everything, right?" Sans winked to hide his embarrassment. 
Of course Papyrus wouldn't buy his excuse. But he really didn't want his brother and Undyne worrying on top of Toriel. Granted, it was Undyne's job to worry about security threats… but she'd tear up the house's foundation if she thought an enemy might be hiding anywhere in a five-mile radius. 
"Sans," Toriel chided him. "You do not owe me that."
"Wowie! You must be a great influence on him, Bald Asgore!"
Toriel blinked before bursting out laughing. Sans's grin widened. 
"Her name is Toriel, bro."
"Of course!! Where are my manners?" Papyrus bustled past him to shake Toriel's paws. "I am the Great Papyrus! It's an honor to meet you, Queen Toriel!"
"The honor is mine. Sans has told me so much about you," she said, and Papyrus blushed pink.
"You? Know the new queen?" Undyne whispered to Sans while Papyrus and Toriel got acquainted.
"You know me. I know everyone." He winked.
"She came out of nowhere."
"Yeah. My bro and I know what that's like."
Undyne huffed, but Sans didn't offer a more thorough explanation.
Papyrus's affronted shout signalled that Toriel had dropped her first pun.
"I take it back! This is the worst day of my life!!" 
Sans met Toriel's eyes, and they both laughed.
"I suppose I will have to help Sans in the kitchen as my pun-ishment," she said with a coy wink.
"Normally I would object to a guest cooking, but in this case I will make an exception!" Papyrus turned on his heel and grabbed Undyne's arm. "We will clean up the living room in the meantime! Try not to corrupt the queen any further, Sans!!"
"Wouldn't dream of it, bro."
He gave a quick wink to Toriel behind Papyrus's back, and they moved to the kitchen.
"Did I actually upset him…?" She asked once they were out of earshot.
"Nah. He's just dramatic like that. He'll drop three puns per sentence when he thinks I'm not listening."
He turned away, rummaging through the fridge for something edible they could cook.  Discreetly, he tucked his empty chisp bag behind Papyrus’s spaghetti-filled tupperware.
“Oh, good.  I would not want to make a bad first impression.”
“Pfft. You’d have to try real hard to do that, Tori.  My bro sees the best in everyone.”  He smiled and pulled a “pupperoni” pizza out of the freezer.  It wasn’t anything fancy, but at least it would be edible.
He turned around, pizza in hand, and found Toriel staring at him oddly.
“What?”  His sockets widened.  “Uh, you’re not vegetarian, are you?”
She shook her head quickly, her gaze skimming off of his like oil from water.
“Pizza sounds lovely.  It has been quite some time since I had one.”
Sans didn’t pry, but he couldn’t help wondering what her expression had meant.  Had he said something weird?
...Oh.  He’d called her Tori, hadn’t he?  He should know better than to use nicknames without asking.  Papyrus hated them.
“Please, allow me.”  She held out her paws, so she couldn’t be too upset.
He handed over the pizza, and he jumped when fire flared to life in her palms.  For a moment he thought the fire would scorch the pizza beyond recognition, but the flames were just pleasantly warm.  He’d never known a monster other than Grillby to have such careful control of fire magic.
“Heh.  I didn’t know you were so hot, Toriel.”
As soon as he said it, he clamped his jaw shut.  Geez, how stupid could he be?  Making bad jokes was one thing, but flirting with bad jokes?
The fire went out.  She looked up abruptly—er, looked away from the pizza.  He was still a good two feet shorter than her.
“Tori was fine,” she said, her voice soft.
“Uh,” he replied intelligently. 
She suppressed a giggle, and he was pretty sure his face burned hotter than her fire had.  He could stand to take notes from Alphys and throw himself in the trash.
“Or not.  Whatever is comfortable for you,” she reassured him.  “Now, should we eat dinner before it gets cold?”
Eating was hardly something he could screw up at.
“Sure,” then after a pause, he tested, “Tori.”
Forget her fire magic.  Her smile could’ve heated the pizza all on its own.
XXX
For once in a hundred years, dinner was a warm and energetic affair.  In addition to the pizza, Papyrus had tossed together a salad from his fresh groceries, and Sans had briefly stepped out to grab a few orders of wings and fries.  In the end there was plenty of food for four hungry monsters.
Papyrus apologized for the lack of seating, but Toriel didn’t mind sitting on the couch squeezed between Sans and Undyne, eating off of paper plates.  She couldn’t imagine anywhere she would have felt more comfortable.
Before long, though, the day’s fatigue caught up with her.  She supposed it was to be expected—she wouldn’t regain her social stamina all at once.  
Sans caught her eye, and he nodded towards the stairs as Undyne and Papyrus “owned” each other in an MTT-Brand fighting game.
“Sorry.  I know they can be a bit much.” Sans rubbed the back of his skull.  
“They’re lovely.  I wish I had the energy to keep up with them.”  She smiled.
He leaned against the banister, smiling down at them.  Papyrus had gotten the upper hand this time, and was punching the air with joy.
“Me too,” Sans said, still looking away.  “I was thinking.  If you want a place to rest for the night, my bed’s open.”
She blinked.  Her face seemed to catch fire.  That was rather more… forward than she was expecting.  Sure, she had enjoyed his lighthearted flirting, and much as she tried to deny it, feelings had been growing in her for a long time.  But to have him return those feelings? And so boldly? It was as unfathomable as it was unlikely.
“I can get ya some fresh sheets, and I’ll crash in the shed.  My bro set up an, uh, guest room there when the human was in town.”
Oh.  She rubbed the heat from her face while he wasn’t looking.  How foolish could she be, to think he would be implying…? Well.
“I would not force you out of your room,” she said.  “If your brother prepared a guest room, I am sure that would be adequate.”
He let out a quick laugh.  “Uh, you’re not used to my brother’s… decorating.  Seriously, I don’t mind.”
She sighed.  If he insisted, she supposed it would be rude to deny his hospitality.
“Alright.  Thank you very much, Sans.”
“Great.”  He smiled back at her, then went into his brother’s room.  She waited patiently, and only jumped a little when he suddenly reappeared from the right hand door.  Perhaps the two rooms were connected in the back by a bathroom.
“Hotel Sans, one vacancy.”  He winked while holding the door open.
She chuckled behind her hand.  “You really did not have to resort to this.”
“Heh, I wouldn’t call it much of a resort.  The bed’s not even queen sized.”  He rubbed the back of his skull.
The bed was smaller than she was used to, but it did have fresh sheets.  That was the only fresh thing about the room.  Chisp crumbs had been brushed under the dresser, and… that was a tornado.  A self-sustaining trash tornado.  Though at least there was a pine-scented air freshener suspended in it.
“Sorry, it’s… really not much.  Uh.  Probably kinda insulting, expecting the Queen to sleep—”
“It’s perfect.”
He blinked.  “Huh?” 
“I am no stranger to a few crumbs, Sans.”
She remembered days that bled into weeks that bled into months.  Months where she couldn’t bring herself to clean, could hardly bring herself to care at all.  Months that had grown fewer and farther between since she’d met a friendly voice behind a door.
“I would’ve vacuumed,” he said sheepishly, “but I suck at it.”
More embarrassingly loud laughter burst from her.  In front of Sans, though, she didn’t feel the need to curtail her joy.
“Thank you.” She poured as much sincerity as she could into her voice.  
“‘S no problem, Tori.”  A light blue tinge warmed his cheekbones.  How could he possibly look so adorable? “Bathroom’s down the hall if you wanna wash up or anything.  And Undyne’ll be on the couch, so this is probably the safest place in the Underground right now.”
Her brow furrowed.  Sure enough, there was no bathroom door inside the room—he must have used one of his “shortcuts” to move from his brother’s room to here.
“So, uh.  I’ll be in the shed—uh, guest room if you need me.”  He flashed one more tense grin before turning to leave.
“Wait.” She stepped towards him without thinking.  
He looked up, one brow ridge raised.  She found herself biting her lip, wondering if she dared ask what her soul wanted.  It was silly, really.  She’d been on her own for years, decades.
Maybe that was why she was so hesitant to lose this one taste of companionship.
“I would feel… safer, if you would stay too.”  Her face burned beneath her fur, but she projected her usual composure.
“...Welp. Can’t say no to that, huh?”
She was about to reassure him that he could say no—that she was asking as his friend, not as his queen—but the soft smile on his face told her he already knew.  
He briefly left to grab a few things, then returned with a few pillows and, for some reason, a dog bed.
“You are not going to sleep on that,” she said in disbelief.
He flopped the dog bed in the middle of the floor and started fluffing it.  “Why not?  Gotta throw a dog bed a bone, right?”
“Sans.”  
The outdoor lights dimmed, as if at her command.  Only the colored Gyftmas lights outside and one dim indoor bulb lit the room.
Her confidence waned with the light.  What had she expected him to do?  She’d asked him to stay.  Unless she wanted to…
Oh, to hell with it.  She was too old to be so shy about these things.
“If you are not opposed,” she swallowed, “we could… share this mattress.”
When he looked up, she couldn’t make out his eyelights at all.  Their glow returned slowly, like the rising of the sun from her memories.
“Heh… you sure?  You don’t even know if I snore.”
She laughed and sat on the bed, patting the space beside her.  “You do not know if I snore, either.”
“Fair enough, Tori.”
They took turns cleaning up in the bathroom—she was imposing on Sans enough without adding the smell of dirty fur to his bed.  Then she did her best to ignore the flutterings in her soul as he slipped off his hoodie and climbed up onto the mattress.  She insisted he stay under the sheets; her fur would keep her warm enough with just the light blanket on top.  
The sheets were a barrier in name only.  There was only so much space on the mattress, so no matter how he adjusted and apologized, she could still feel the curve of his spine against hers.
It felt amazing.  It felt terrifying.  It felt like a mistake.  It felt like the only thing she’d ever done right.
The one saving grace of the whole situation was that it didn’t stir memories of Asgore.  Her royal beds had been triple the size of Sans’s lumpy mattress. She and her ex-husband had rarely slept back to back, and if they had, the feeling would have much different.
“...Tori?” Sans’s voice was just above a whisper.  “You, uh, still awake?”
As if she could sleep while enduring the wonderful agony of friendly touch for the first time in a century.
“Yes,” she replied softly.  “Am I taking up too much space?”
“No, ‘course not. I was just, uh… geez.” He sounded embarrassed.
Risking their precarious balance, she rolled over to face him.  Or to face the back of his skull, at least.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“Doin’ sans-sational.” He chuckled to himself.  “Sorry.  Never got to use that one with you before.”
She would have laughed, had she not worried about shaking the whole mattress.
“It was sans-tastic,” she joked back, and he laughed again.
Then abruptly, his laughter cut off.
“Thanks, Tori,” he said in a quiet but firm voice.
“What for?” She wished she could take his hand, see his face, learn what thoughts were passing through his skull.  Instead she gave him as much space as physically possible… which still was not much.
A long, silent moment passed.  Had he fallen asleep?
“I know it’s not how you wanted,” he finally said, “but I’m glad I got to meet you.  So.  Thanks.”
Warmth spread outward from her soul to fill her whole body.  Sans could probably feel it radiating from her.
“Thank you, Sans.  If I had to return, knowing no one…”
He rolled to face her.  His eyelights were mere inches from her pupils.
“You would’ve been fine.  All you had to do was tell a few of your amazing jokes, and the whole Underground would’ve been linin’ up to be your pals.”
She suppressed a laugh.  “I hardly think that would be appropriate, under the circumstances.”
“Eh.”  He shrugged.  “Plenty of monsters in town cope with jokes.  You’d just be relating to the common folk.”
She stared into his sockets a little too intently.  At this distance, it easily made her dizzy.
“Would you be included in that demographic?” she couldn’t help asking.
“When I first met you?  For sure.” His gaze darted away.  “But it’s crazy.  Between you and the kid… I’m startin’ to think there’s more to life than good food and bad laughs.”
“Really?”  She and the child had made such an impact on him?
“I know.  Don’t tell Papyrus.  He wouldn’t believe you, anyway.” He winked.
“My lips are sealed.” She smiled.
Silence hung between them.  It should have felt awkward, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn away.  In the end it was Sans who yawned in her face and then hurriedly flipped back onto his other side.
She laughed, and clearly she was exhausted too, because she pressed a kiss to the back of his skull without thinking.
He froze.  She froze.  There was no way to play that off gracefully.  And there was no way she could fall asleep and pretend that it had not happened.
“Heh… those didn’t feel very sealed to me,” he finally rasped out.
It took her a moment to process what he meant.  Meanwhile her embarrassment only burned hotter.
“I am so sorry—”
“I’m not.” When he rolled back to face her, his face was bright blue.  “You’ll still be here when I wake up, right?”
His question was tinged with desperation.
“Of course,” she answered automatically, despite the many responsibilities that she would have to attend to in the morning.  She was the Queen once more.  If she had to, she could adjust the schedule of meetings and speeches to accommodate… this.
Whatever this was to be.
“Remind me in the morning,” he squeezed her hand, “that this is real.”
His hand quickly went limp.  She was worried for a moment, before she heard the faint snore escape his nasal cavity.
She gave him a fond smile, and allowed her own eyes to close.  She did not know if sleep would come or not.  She did not know what challenges the new day would bring, or what old challenges would continue to rear their heads.
But she did know that she was not alone.  For tonight, that was enough.
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'i promise I'll stay on my side of the bed' with lewis and arthur 'only one bed' perhaps? *w* maybe Vivi got injured or sick and lew needs to test without crushing her, and while they're reconciled they're still awkward together but end up octopus-ing within the hour
>:3ccc yess thank you [from this]
--
“I promise I’ll stay on my side of the bed.”
The tension in Lewis’s face and shoulders is reading like he’s not saying something, but Arthur can’t figure out what and it’s frustrating. He’s so used to being able to tell what Lewis is thinking - it’s not like it’s ever been hard, the guy’s not exactly good at hiding his feelings, if anyone was paying attention - but after everything that happened, Arthur just... doesn’t know anymore. He can make guesses, sometimes, but he can never be sure. He hates it. Like he needed another reminder that even though he’s back, Arthur’s still functionally lost his best friend.
Okay. Changing subjects. That’s not helping.
“Can’t you just-?” Lewis can float. He’s never had a problem doing that before, when he wanted to rest or just sit down for a while. He’s not even going to sleep, he’s just sitting and reading - but for some reason he’s insisting he does it on the only available bed. 
“Stop being greedy. It’s not like you’re using all the space. You turn into a tiny ball when you sleep anyway.” Lewis isn’t actually looking at him, glaring daggers at his book instead.
Arthur can’t find the words to say that’s not exactly true anymore, so he gives up and just rolls over, letting his head hit the pillow with a loud fwump. Fine, he thinks vindictively. If Lewis wants to get kicked so bad, let him find out why this is a bad idea the hard way.
---
Lewis is reading peacefully when he feels the bed shift.
He looks down to see Arthur, unfurled from his normal position around a pillow, legs kicking under the thin covers like he’s trying to push something away.
Ordinarily, Lewis wouldn’t be here to see this. He’d be idling on the other end of the room, or more likely, outside trying to clear his head. Ghosts can’t sleep - or at least, he can’t, and he’s tried - so he always tries to find some other way to occupy himself while the other two slept.  Reading is usually a safe bet, or watching something, or drawing, though that last one could... get away from him.
But tonight... tonight he hadn’t wanted to do that. He’d been, well, he’d been lonely. Frankly, he’d been lonely for over a year now, but it had been easier to ignore, before. He had... other things to occupy his mind with. But now he has no revenge quest and it’s just so quiet. It was just a matter of time before he didn’t want to spend the whole night alone again.
I just want to be close to you, I don’t want to be alone felt like too much to say, too fast, and two years ago he wouldn’t have had to say it at all. Arthur would have just known, without him even having to try.
But that was then. That was before. Now everything’s different, and Arthur doesn’t know and Lewis doesn’t know if he can just say it. If Arthur even wants him near.
So he just insisted and didn’t elaborate. And if Arthur could tell he wasn’t saying the whole truth, well, it didn’t matter anyway.
But now Arthur’s twitching in his sleep and this is new. He’s never really been a restless sleeper unless he was having a nightmare, and those are rare, especially when he’s with the others...
...those were rare. Now Lewis realizes that that’s probably not true anymore.
He reaches out, intending to shake him awake and then back off - but instead Arthur’s hand finds his. And then it’s tugging him closer, grip twitching like he’s trying to tighten it but sleep is getting in the way. He makes a sharp sound that’s half muffled by the pillow, almost a whimper but not quite long enough.
Lewis changes tacks. Sets the book down on the nightstand without looking, shifts over and lies down a little more fully, pulls the still-sleeping Arthur closer until he’s nestled against his side, using his arm as a pillow. He goes still pretty quickly once they’re curled up together.
That doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t, he scolds the warm feeling blooming in his chest. Arthur is definitely still angry with him and that doesn’t mean anything.
Ghosts can’t sleep. But lying here like this, it’s easy to let his mind go quiet.
---
For the first time in... he can’t even remember how long, Arthur isn’t jolted awake out of an increasingly weird and terrible dream. He blinks his eyes a few times and then lets them close again, and the first thought he has is a surprised realization that he can’t even remember what he was dreaming about.
He’s warm. He’s comfortable. He feels leaden, and his eyes burn when he tries to open them, but for once that feeling isn’t even accompanied by frustration. He could lie here forever, it feels like.
Then his brain wakes up a little more and he realizes how wrong that is.
He forces his eyes open again and pushes himself up a little on his elbow, trying to look around. Pretty quickly he realizes he’s really close to Lewis. Actually, fuck it, he’s basically on top of Lewis.
Fuck.
Apologies fight for space in his throat as he scrambles away from the warm embrace. God dammit he knew this was a bad idea, but he’d just been expecting to- fall off the bed or get kicked awake because he was being too wiggly or something, not- not-
“Arthur?” A pair of eyelights come into view, blinking at him. 
“Shit- I-” his voice still won’t cooperate.
Lewis moves back too, and that surprises Arthur enough that he stops. It’s not like he’s moving away out of anger or disgust or anything - actually, regardless of how little Arthur can read him right now, every motion is broadcasting sheepish.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have...” 
That just adds to the confusion. “What are you ap-a-apologizing for?”
Lewis looks away, fiddling with the end of one of his sleeves. “You, ah. Were having a nightmare, and I... I just thought...”
Wait, that wasn’t him? That was Lewis who brought them so close together?
Whatever. With practiced speed, he shoves all his confusion into a box so he can focus.
“Yeah, s-s-sorry, I should, uh, I should have warned you. Th-that’s why I didn’t, uh... want you to be... there. I’m not... exactly a- a qui- a quiet sleeper. Anymore.”
Lewis takes a moment to consider that. Then he glances over at the electric clock on the other side of the room. “You were pretty quiet for... three or four hours, there.”
Shit, did he really sleep for that long? No wonder he’s so tired and foggy.
...and Lewis was lying there the whole time? And didn’t wake him up?
His throat is getting tight.
He slides off the bed. He’s intending to flee the room, but he pauses.
“Why?” 
“Hm?” Lewis’s hum is fake-casual.
“I mean, you could’ve j-j-just... woken me up.” That’s not really what he’s asking. “Why did you... want to- to be here, anyway?”
“I don’t know, I...” he trails off, looking away.
Assuming he’s not going to explain, Arthur turns around again. He doesn’t get two steps before Lewis speaks.
“I missed you.”
Arthur starts to turn back around, to ask what? But Lewis is already continuing, with an air that suggests he’s been rehearsing this in his head.
“I’ve been missing you for... since...” He leaves that sentence unfinished. That’s fine; they both know what goes there anyway. “And I thought... maybe you wouldn’t mind if I... stayed close. For tonight. I’m just...” his gaze is fixed on his hands. “Making up for lost time.”
Dammit, his throat hurts and it’s getting legitimately hard to speak now. “W-well, I, uh, I don’t... don’t know if a f-f-f- a few hours is gonna put a dent in... th-that, but...”
Lewis finally looks up and meets his eyes. Almost hopeful.
Arthur walks back over and sits back down on the bed, letting himself lean against Lewis just a little. “I... I am st-still pretty tired.”
The corners of Lewis’s eyes crinkle into a smile. “Well, then... I think we can sleep for a little while longer.”
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Hi! Could I please request headcanons with the Durins, Bofur, Dwalin, Legolas, Elrond and anyone you'd like to add (or take out, sorry if that's too many characters) with a reader that tics? Like sometimes, random sounds slip out of them and they repeat them periodically for like a minute or so? Or sometimes hand movements or little gestures? I feel kinda embarassed of mine, so it would really help me. Thank you (also I read the nail polish headcanons and I loved them, you're amazing!)!
Absolutely!! And don't ever feel embarrassed! You are amazing, beautiful and perfect just the way you are!! Hope this meets up to your expectations! I'm not very familiar with tics and such, (I did a bit of research) so let me know how I did with the writing!
Tics (Thorin's Company x reader)
Thorin
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At first, our king under the mountain doesn't know what to think
Surely he didn't hear you squeak...
To be honest, he thought you were doing it to annoy him, since your first interaction, you might have gotten off on the wrong foot 😅
And it wasn't the easiest to explain to Thorin, knowing he can be a tad thick-headed sometimes
It took a while to help him comprehend and had never seen it in your light
He understands now though, and has the most patience you have ever seen
He's never been more understanding to one person, even with his stubborn and sometimes grumpy demeanor
Thorin knows you can't help it, which is why he's instantly overprotective of you
If anyone dares make one comment, he's on their case like CRAZY
"Y/N can not help it, gilthock!"
"If you improperly console with her/him/them again, you'll face the wrath of my kin."
When the company was being chased down by Beorn, your tics were triggered and the great skin-changer could hear you from inside, clawing at the door with fury
You felt terrible, not able to contain the short exclamations and noises slipping from your mouth
But Thorin sent an icy glare to anyone who tried to hush you or tell you to keep it down
He's constantly reminding you that it's not your fault, and has become like a fatherly figure to you... Or perhaps, something more 😉
Fili and Kili
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Unsurprisingly, both are also very confused little princes
Fili seems to have a bit more understanding of the seriousness of the situation, or at least maturity
(He is next in line to be king after all)
It took a while for them to adjust, since they'd never met anyone with tics before
One night, as you all sat down by the fire, the company grew a bit rowdy, which became stressful for our poor Y/N
Your tics were triggered easily by then with short yelps, and lines of curses that even made bofur blush
Ofc, you couldn't control it, but since the company had little idea of what was going on
the two brothers were quick to rush to your aid, rubbing a hand on your back as you let out a frustrated groan
"What's wrong with her, Oin?"
"I'm not sure. Is it a curse?"
"Probably dark magic!" Dori gasped
You just shook your head and managed to explain your predicament through tics that annoyed the absolute shit out of you
and embarrassed you as well >:(
After that, the princes were stuck to you like flies to honey
They would always ride their ponies by yours, offer to carry your bags, spend all day cheering you up
And more often than not, you would become less stressed and the thought of your tics would float away in the wind 😌✨
Hell, they even stood up to their own uncle after he continued to press some stressful questions about your unfortunate condition
Even if Fili and Kili are both very aware of the randomness of your outbursts, they still treat you as a normal part of the company
They'd hate for you to feel "out-of-place" as Kili put it, in their traveling party
You are so important to them both, and they'd never let you get hurt
Bofur
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Meet Mr. Comedic relief
Whenever Bofur had first met you, he giggled at your little tics
Of course, he'd never meant to make you feel bad, he just thought they were absolutely adorable
Sometimes he playfully teased you about it, and that certainly didn't make you feel better
One night, he had gotten the others in the company to join him in his seemingly harmless jesting,
You just forced out laughter, hoping to convince them that you too, thought it hilarious
But after everyone had fallen asleep by the dying fire, your quiet sobs and tics were what stirred bofur
He came over and asked what was wrong, apparent worry shining in his deep brown eyes
So, reluctantly, you explained why you had little outbursts
Bofur felt awful
"Oh...oh. Oh I'm so sorry lass/laddie/leddie! I never meant any harm!"
He wrapped his huge arms around you in a big bear hug
Bofur never wanted to make anyone feel bad about themselves, especially you (his favorite member of the company 🥺)
"It's okay Bo. It's not your fault that they happen."
It takes a while for you to convince him he's not at fault, and once you do, he's never reluctant to approach you and spark up a silly conversation 😊
He has THE BEST stories
Is very good at keeping your thoughts away from your tics and cheering you up during stressful or upsetting situations
You call him "Bofur-Bear" 🥺
And he adores you so much
He doesn't really know how to react when you have ongoing outbursts, that go on for a minute or two
So he makes really corny jokes and stupidly hilarious innuendos that extract giggles from you while your having an episode
He will never let you go 🥴👉👈
Dwalin
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(This Gif is so GOD DAMN FUNNY 💀)
Dwalin is, in some ways, like Thorin
Except 10x more grumpy 🙄
That's okay though, because we still love him 🥰
SUPER confused
At first, he was kinda rude :/
Said it was "disturbing to his duties"
tHAT HURT-
But one night, in the quiet of Rivendell, after everyone else had fallen asleep, you walked around the kingdom to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the elvish land
Dwalin had followed you, and when he called your name, you jumped in surprise, and it sparked a string of swearing
His eyes widened in shock in first, and then some incredible happened
He smiled :)
Just a tiny little grin, that was hardly noticeable under his thick mustache, but a smile nonetheless
"I didn't know ya' could use yer mouth like that."
You grumbled and turned back to the balcony, trying to rid yourself of his company
Regardless, he took heavy steps next to you, and slapped a thick hand against your back, as a friendly gesture
"Why are being so nice to me all of a sudden?" You asked incredulously
Dwalin sighed, but before he could answer, you yelled and slapped your hands against the marble railing
"I hadn't meant ta upset ya' that much."
You just shook your head, and proceeded to describe to him what was really going on
After that, Dwalin was silent, but gave a quick nod
He still needed time to really let the information seep through his thick head
You thought you had scared him off at first, but as your journey continued on, Dwalin actually grew closer than before
Whenever an enemy was nearby, he would look for you first, and place you behind h, out of harms way
Extra dinner? Dwalin made sure you were the first to get second portions, despite your humble protests
He gets teased by the rest of the company, and though he'll never openly admit it, he's grown very fond of you 🥴
He's not really the best at picking up on your social cues, like if he's being way overprotective
Though he tries his best, he also won't can't treat you like a regular person, more like someone who's physically injured
"Come on, Y/N let me carry ya'"
"Dwalin, seriously, I'm fine, I know how to walk-"
*picks you up anyways*
Overall, very sweet, just a bit excessive sometimes 😅❤
I just decided to stick with these few characters if you don't mind, since I have a lot of other requests to fill out, but I hope these are okay!! Thank you for your request, and I hope these were accurate enough 😅🥰
You're amazing, beautiful and never feel ashamed or embarrassed for something you can't control!! Stay strong!! ❤
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MC is Half Demon and Blah Blah Blah-
Time for the Group Retreat!
Part 1 Part 2 Lessons 1-5 Lessons 5-6 Lessons 10-12 Lessons 13-15 Part 3 Part 4
I’m quite hyped for this one, ladies, gents, and esteemed readers! For simplicity’s sake, since this is before M!MC and A!MC arrive, L!MC will go back to being referred to as just MC. Enjoy the Headcanons!
Since the previous Underground Tomb incident ended much less violently, Lucifer is now more worried than angry about MC’s rampant shennaniganery.
Like... his kid was poking holes in his totally foolproof “Your cow-uncle went to live on a farm in the human world” story. What if MC somehow got into the attic and got hurt?!
It didn’t help that they were still in this weird phase of their father/child relationship. On one hand, Lucifer obviously cares for his kid, and his kid likes him... but it’s also only been less than three months and we all know how emotionally constipated Lucifer is.
MC’s also getting REAL sus of all the secrets their dear old dad is keeping... doesn’t help that they STILL haven’t went up into the attic.
Anyhoo~ the announcement for the retreat was a barrel of laughs.
“I’m proposing, a group retreat!”
Everyone met Diavolo’s announcement with the exact same confused reaction. It’s like the entire assembly hall was doing the ‘Guy Blinking’ meme.
“A... group retreat?” Lucifer repeated slowly. “For what reason exactly, Lord Diavolo?”
The Crown Prince was giddy with excitement as he explained. “MC told me about their middle school overnight trip and it sounded like it would be quite fun!”
Simeon, Luke, MC, and Solomon were all seated next to each other in the ‘exchange student seats of less importance’. Luke leaned over and whispered a question to MC.
“Why are you so friendly with the crown prince?”
MC smirked and shrugged. “Lucifer had the Demon-Flu and couldn’t go meet with Lord Diavolo last week so I went for him. Lord Diavolo’s surprisingly bad at Connect Four but has really good luck in Snakes and Ladders.”
Luke’s jaw dropped in complete and utter shock and horror.
“We’re playing CandyLand and the Game of Life next time, want to come?” MC added.
“Play CandyLand... with him..?” Luke looked at Diavolo, who was still explaining his plan for the retreat, then looked back at MC. “I’ll only go to shield you from his corrupting influence.”
“Yeah... Corrupting...” MC had to hold back a laugh at the thought of Diavolo, who during MC’s visit lit up like a Christmas tree upon being called ‘Dia’ and believed that Mood Rings were the greatest human invention ever, being a corrupting influence.
“MC! Torture dungeon or no!?” MC was snapped out of their conversation by Mammon shouting at them from his seat.
“What?”
“Do ya think there’s a torture dungeon under the castle, or not?”
“I’m not sure,” MC turned to Diavolo. “Lord Diavolo, is there a torture dungeon under the Demon Lord’s Castle?”
There is in fact, no torture dungeon. Presumably...
Everyone packed up and headed out to the Demon Lord’s Castle!
The fabulous seven all broke several speed limits and traffic laws in order to be there early. Listen, they had to get there before Purgatory Hall, it was a matter of pride.
Besides, what’s the Royal guard going to do? Arrest six of the seven rulers of hell and a kid? Ha. No. Not when Diavolo controls their paychecks.
The rooming situation remained the same, Asmo, Simeon, and MC were roomed together, and MC got to watch Asmo get psychologically profiled by Simeon. It was truly a sight to behold.
MC was nice enough to assure Asmo that they really liked him and thought he was very sweet.
Asmo, not used to being complimented on his personality, almost started openly weeping.
So, the tour of the Demon Lord’s Castle began! Asmo got yelled at by his ex in the painting and the usual batch of idiots got sucked into the catacombs under the castle.
Lucifer wasn’t terribly sure how or if he should express his concern for MC being stuck in the labyrinth.
All these new fatherly feelings of worry are very very odd. He didn’t worry this much for Satan, mainly because Satan was usually the threat.
Even as a baby...
Lucifer found himself checking his DDD every few minutes to see if MC had texted or called from wherever the painting dragged them to, never mind that if they did text he’d hear the phone ding.
“Lucifer, don’t worry too much,” Diavolo patted Lucifer on the shoulder, a bright smile on his face. “Your brothers and MC will be perfectly fine! There’s nothing too dangerous in the catacombs that they wouldn’t be able to take care of.”
Resigning himself to the fact that MC was under the care of his last choices for babysitting, Lucifer put away his DDD. “I know they’ll be fine, but I’m not overly pleased with the situation.” He shot a glare at Helene in the portrait, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
“Lucifer worrying about someone, I’m truly, genuinely shocked.” Hearing Satan’s attempt at goading him, Lucifer, flawless demon that he is, resisted the urge to throw his DDD at his brother.
“Quiet, Satan.”
————
“WHY THE FUCK IS A SNAKE DOWN HERE?!”
“ITS HENRY 1.0!”
“YEAH THAT REALLY CLEARS STUFF UP, LEVI!”
MC and Levi continued their screaming match as the group ran for dear life from a giant snake.
Yeah... nothing the brothers couldn’t handle... sure, Lord Diavolo...
They made it out of the scary catacombs... don’t worry.
Lucifer did that parent-thing where he cleaned the catacomb dust off MC’s face with a napkin.
Yay! Parenting!
Failed pillow fight attempt #1 happened that evening. Because Mammon was obsessed with being the fun-uncle and saw his brothers encroaching on his place as favourite uncle.
MC doesn’t know how to break it to him that he’ll probably always be the favourite uncle and he doesn’t have to be such a dumbass to keep his spot.
Scavenger hunt went on as canon dictates.
Asmo had his diva tantrum and stormed off, but MC also wanted to win so they didn’t go after him.
Clearly expecting someone to go beg him to come back, Asmo was very annoyed when no one went after him.
“Um, helloooo? Anyone going to comfort me~?”
“Nope.”
“Well I don’t want your comfort anyway, SOLOMON.”
It was very close, L!MC insisted their loss came from sabotage. No evidence was found but just LOOK at Satan’s face.
Time for the Formal Dance~
If you’re wondering why Luke didn’t say anything when MC was suddenly poofed into their demon form, you’re assuming that Mammon wasn’t in on the “let’s prank the chihuahua” plan.
“Mammon..? Is MC behind you?”
“Nope! Why?”
MC was able to get to the other side of the ballroom with Luke none the wiser! Hell yeah, nothing like screwing with your friend!
So it’s canon that Lucifer is like, a solid 20/10, therefore MC is ADORABLE. What I’m saying is, some of the younger demons asked them to dance.
Asmo was also being MC’s hype man, which was very nice of him. Mammon also tried to give advice on how to be cool and suave. Beel was there for moral support.
“Alright kiddo, you need to be aloof and mysterious! People love aloof and mysterious, that’s why I’m so popular.”
“Don’t listen to him, MC. He flew into a wall as a kid and it killed all his brain cells. Just be proper but not snooty, sweet but not saccharine, friendly but not annoying,”
“Ask them if they want to share some of the hors d’oeuvres.” 
“Okay, first, aloof and mysterious are the last words I would ever use to describe you, Mammon. Second, Asmo I have no clue what you’re asking me to do. Third... Beel that’s the best advice I’ve received in recent memory.”
None of that mattered anyway because MC got swarmed with dance offers.
“Well,” MC smirked and held out their hand at the demon that was bold enough to ask them to dance first. “I admire the confidence.”
The demon’s smile brightened, then dropped completely when their gaze drifted behind MC. “I uh... on second thought... I’m gonna...”
MC’s potential dance partners all quickly scattered to the snack table. The half demon growled and turned around to see their father acting like he didn’t just scare away MC’s groupies.
“Father! What was that for?!” MC huffed, Lucifer rolled his eyes and grabbed MC’s wrist and began to pull them away from the dance floor.
“You’re too young to dance.”
“That’s crazy! They looked like they were my age.” MC protested, their wings fluttering in annoyance.
“Even if they looked to be your age, MC, they’re hundreds of years older.” Lucifer said calmly.
“What about that equivalent age stuff you told me about? Like how Luke is hundreds of years old but by angel/human standards he’s technically younger than me?”
“That doesn’t matter right now.” Lucifer lightly pushed MC towards the hallway that led back to their room.
“But I want to dance with someone!” MC felt their wings involuntarily fluff up.
Lucifer turned and smiled at his dear little brat, crouching slightly to get to their level. “Not on my watch.”
MC’s face was literally this: >:0
Lucifer is out here being the dad in every comedy that involves someone bringing home their partner to meet their parents.
MC was banished to their room, they spent their time angrily reading the manga they had packed.
When Levi escaped the party slightly later MC grilled him for details of what went on after they left.
“Nothing too interesting... except... um...”
“Spit it out, Levi!”
“...lrddiavlondlucferdnced”
“I can’t understand you, stop mumbling.”
“Lord Diavolo and Lucifer danced together...”
“...”
“...”
“I MISSED THAT?!”
So yes, MC’s desire to get a picture of Lucifer sleeping stems from VENGEANCE!
How DARE their father send MC up to their room and make them miss their OTP dancing together!?
So they call up their troupe of idiots and get ready to go be menaces to society.
MC also invites along Asmo because he seemed like he could use the adventure.
And because MC couldn’t plan the prank without Asmo noticing so it was better to just implicate him as well...
“Grrr...”
MC brightened and clapped their hands. “I know that growl!”
“It’s not my stomach, I packed snacks.” MC couldn’t see this, considering the room was pitch black (it must’ve been some kind of magic because demons have excellent night vision), but Beel waved a bag of chips in the air and got to eating.
“No, I’m not talking about your stomach, Beel.” MC skipped towards the source of the growling despite Mammon and Levi’s pleas for them to stop.
Ah! There he was!
“Cerberus!” MC cooed, the three headed dog stopped growling and barked happily. “Whose a good boy? Is it you?”
Cerberus let lose a bark that would probably make anyone crap their pants, but MC giggled and kept petting him. “Yeah! You’re the good boy! You like cuddles! Yes you do! Yes you do!”
A flash of light from a camera caused MC to drop their baby talk voice and stare angrily in the direction where the light came from.
“Whoever took that picture better delete it or I’m going to feed you to the dog.”
Cerberus growled in agreement. What a good boy.
“Well, as nice as this is...” Asmo huffed. “We’ve clearly been duped because this is not Lucifer and Diavolo’s room.”
“Oh well!” MC chirped and continued to pet the three headed dog. “Look at the doggy!”
“MC, you’re crazy. Dontcha ever forget that.” Mammon whimpered as Cerberus growled at him.
So yeah, they couldn’t get out of the room, so they ended up opening up the other door and falling into the catacombs like a bunch of lemmings.
Asmo charmed Henry, and they got out of the labyrinth no problem.
Yay! No consequences! Oh no- hi Lucifer.
Lucifer gave them all the mother of all lectures. Satan showed up with the rest of the gang and brought popcorn.
Belphie wasn’t there, okay? Satan needed to be a little shit for him.
Ah yes, the pillow fight... Mammon’s crusade to be the best uncle culminated in a massive pillow fight that ended with MC, Lucifer, and Diavolo standing over everyone’s unconscious bodies.
So they uh... won the pillow fight.
MC couldn’t sleep. They legitimately couldn’t. As exhausting as the pillow fight victory had been, everyone was snoring, and MC was bleary eyed and awake at one in the morning.
They eventually sat up and looked around, Asmo was passed out in a very unflattering position, Solomon was chanting god knows what in his sleep, Levi was half hanging off Simeon’s bed, Simeon and Luke were sleeping like angels (hehehehe-), Beel was in the middle of eating his pillow in his sleep, Mammon appeared to be dreaming about winning the lottery, and Satan was... suspiciously absent.
He was there a minute ago... weird.
Deciding that this wasn’t worth it and they should just go sleep somewhere else, MC got out of bed and avoided stepping on anyone as they vacated the room.
The Demon Lord’s Castle at night could rival the House of Lamentation in terms of overall creepiness. MC had gotten used to the spirits and curses that littered their home, but they had only been to the Demon Lord’s Castle once before, so they were extra careful not to accidentally touch anything. Their stomach rumbled and they frowned.
Damn, they had the midnight munchies... they needed a snack.
MC made their way to the kitchen and on there way, noticed a peculiar room through a half open door. Taking a few steps back to peek into it, they noticed... doors. A lot of doors. And ivy covered steps. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to any of the placements, and the room was... weirdly chilly.
“You can come in if you’d like, MC.”
Barbatos’ voice nearly caused MC to hit a high note that they hadn’t been able to hit since their voice began to change. They straightened out their wrinkled pyjamas and stepped inside.
The butler himself was walking down one of the flights of stairs.
“Um...” Quickly remembering their manners, MC straightened their posture and cleared their throat. “Good evening Barbatos.”
Barbatos smiled and inclined his head in turn. “Good evening to you as well, MC.”
“How did you know it was me outside? You were up there a second ago.” MC asked.
“It’s a part of my powers. I can see possible futures, and I foresaw you passing by my room and getting curious.” Barbatos explained.
“Oh,” MC said, half nodding and continuing to look around. A the sound of a door closing out of MC’s vision made them squeak and look around for the source of the noise. “What was that?!”
“It’s nothing to be worried about.” Barbatos raised his hands in a placating gesture. “These doors in my room are gateways to different timelines and some are gateways into the past of this particular timeline. That was another version of me passing by.”
“Does this... happen often?” MC knitted their eyebrows.
Barbatos hesitated before answering. “Not really. It’s quite rare. Lord Diavolo has expressly forbidden me from using my full powers freely.”
“Ah... makes sense...”
“Now, I believe you came down for snacks?”
MC blinked in surprise. “How did you- oh... the time magic...”
“Yes, the time magic. Now, would you prefer yogurt and fruit, or apples and peanut butter?”
“Yogurt and fruit please!”
I’m sure MC’s knowledge of how Barbie’s room works will totally not come into play later. I’m sure.
Solomon and MC graced the brunch table with their cooking. I think you can guess how it would have turned out if Barbatos hadn’t intervened.
Rest In Peace to Beel’s tastebuds.
Anyway, the rest of the retreat was all fun and good.
MC may or may not have slipped up and called Diavolo ‘Dia’ in front of Lucifer. It would’ve sparked a lecture if Dia’s puppy-like excitement wasn’t so damn adorable.
Lucifer’s got a heart... somewhere... it’s probably all shrivelled up and tiny, but I’m sure it’s there.
Everyone went back home, brought closer together through... pillow fights and surviving Solomon’s cooking I guess..?
Anyway, MC got home, unpacked their stuff, watched Kakegurui with Levi and Mammon, let Asmo paint their nails, made and ate dinner with Beel, continued their piano lessons with Lucifer, and received a 100% fake smile from Satan.
It was a nice day with their new family, MC curled up in their bed and prepared to go to sleep.
“Help me!”
MC lurched upwards in their bed, whipping their head from side to side, trying to find the source of the voice. Their room was completely empty, the perks of being half demon extended to being able to see in the dark. No new smells either, they were alone in the room.
Auditory hallucinations were common before falling asleep after being sleep deprived, creepy, but not too unusual.
“MC!”
Okay- that one couldn’t be ignored. It was common knowledge that the House of Lamentation was definitely haunted in some capacity, but the ghosts never really bothered the demons living inside, MC was partly convinced that some of the ghosts didn’t even notice that the demons were there. So it couldn’t have been a ghost calling their name.
“MC! I need help!”
The voice reverberated through their head, like it was trying to hit every part of their skull to make sure it was at least felt if MC couldn’t hear it. MC massaged their scalp and got out of bed.
The House of Lamentation at night truly lived up to its haunted reputation. Cold, clammy, dark, even by demon standards. No spooky old house was going to scare MC though, they walked down the hall with their head held high.
They walked closer to walls and furniture, knowing that the floor was less likely to creak in those areas. How did they know that? Mammon had told them it worked like a charm. Well, it’d work better for him if he stopped tripping over the furniture and alerting Lucifer.
MC was much more nimble and careful, stepping slowly and lightly around the hallways until they reached the door to the attic. They reached out to clasp their hand around the doorknob, then froze. It smelled like…
Oh no.
MC leapt away from the door like it was rigged to explode if they touched it and practically dove for cover into an alcove. The all too-recent smell of Lucifer’s fancy cologne and the increasing sound of someone coming down the stairs made them clamp their hand over their mouth and crouch down.
What was their father doing up there?
He had said the attic was full of old junk and there was no reason to go up there, so why exactly did he-
The door slammed open and Lucifer stomped down the hallway back towards his room, MC presumed. They were about to let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps paused. MC felt their heart drop right into their gut when they heard the footsteps coming back in their direction.
What were they going to say to him when he found them? ‘Sorry! This isn’t where the bathrooms are!’ The last thing MC wanted was to add to their father’s ever growing list of stresses. MC was totally responsible and grown-up, their father didn’t need to worry.
MC clamped their eyes shut and tried to slow their heart rate. Demons were beings of darkness and shadow, they could blend in quite easily. They took a deep breath, cleared their head, and felt the shadows of the hallway shift and cover them like a blanket.
Lucifer’s footsteps stopped, MC heard a tired sigh, then the footsteps started up again, this time in the direction of his room.
They allowed themselves a sigh of relief before relieving themselves of their hiding space and opening the door leading to the attic staircase.
If the rest of the House of Lamentation was considered clammy, cold, and foreboding, the attic staircase was that multiplied by a factor of twelve. MC felt themselves shudder involuntarily when they stepped closer to the staircase. Every primal part of their brain was telling them to turn around and walk away, but one tiny part was holding them back. They placed their foot on the first step, waiting for any kind of resistance, nothing other than the feeling of passing through invisible cobwebs.
“MC?”
Upon hearing their name, MC craned their neck to try and get a look at what could be waiting for them at the top of the stairs.
“Are you coming, or not?”
The cascade of warning sirens that began to blare in MC’s head went ignored as they continued to scale the staircase.
When they reached the final step, they were met with a long hallway, with a single door on the right side of the wall.
“H-hello?” MC tried to instill some force into their voice, but it still ended up quavering a little.
“Down here.” Someone knocked on the wall next to the door, almost causing MC to jump.
Oh. Oh no. MC stood straight in front of the door, and when they saw who was looking back at them they nearly passed out.
“Belphegor..?”
Belphegor’s eyes flashed as he gave MC a once over. His eyes narrowed when his gaze snapped to MC’s. The analytical expression melted into a lazy grin.
“That’s me,” he said softly. “Nice to finally meet you, MC.”
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