Tumgik
#yet veterinarian never came up
engie-ivy · 3 months
Text
(Wolfstar Christmas Get-Together Coffeeshop AU Holiday Fluff!)
3304 words.
Sirius is the town’s most eligible bachelor, and while home for the Holidays, everyone seems eager to get him coupled up.
Euphemia wants to set him up with this sweet boy who frequents the library where she works.
Hope Lupin wants to set him up with her own son.
James wants to set him up with Lily's cute best friend.
Sirius, however, isn't interested in any of them, as he's already smitten with the adorable guy from the coffeeshop.
This Love We Got Is the Best Of All
Merry Christmas - Ed Sheeran & Elton John
“Oh my!” Hope Lupin claps her hands together. “What a handsome young man indeed!”
“I told you, didn't I?” Euphemia beams at her. “Hope, this is Sirius Black, James’ best friend, but more like my second son. Sirius, this is Hope Lupin, she has recently joined my book club and I invited her over for tea.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs Lupin,” Sirius smiles.
“Oh, please.” Hope Lupin waves her hand. “Call me Hope.”
“How was it at the shelter?” Euphemia asks Sirius.
“Very good!” Sirius’ face lights up. “Mr Snuggles’ owner came to pick him up. You should've seen how happy he was that he had found his friend back, it was lovely, and Mr Snuggles wouldn't stop purring.”
“Sirius is studying in London to become a veterinarian,” Euphemia explains to Hope. “And while he's in town for the Holidays, he's volunteering at the animal shelter.”
Hope leans her elbows on the table and rests her head on her hands. “Handsome, smart and good for animals,” she sighs. “All the girls in town must be swooning over you!”
“They are,” Euphemia chuckles. “But he has already broken all of their hearts by having no interest in girls. Though he has never brought home a nice boyfriend for Christmas either,” she adds, with a stern look at Sirius.
“You know,” Hope says, directing a meaningful smile at Sirius. “My son is about your age and still single. And knowing my boy, he'd be quite charmed by you.”
“Now, wait a minute!” Euphemia protests. “If you want to set Sirius up, you'll have to get in line, my dear Hope. There's this really sweet boy who frequents the library, and I've been dying for Sirius to meet him! If only Sirius would let me introduce them…”
“You know I'm not-” Sirius begins, but he's interrupted by Hope.
“Well, surely my own son comes with a higher recommendation than some boy from your workplace,” Hope insists.
“But I know Sirius,” Euphemia counters. “And I know his type best.”
“Hello?” Sirius waves. “Does anyone care what I think?”
“My son is everyone's type,” Hope says firmly.
“And if my match turns out to not be such a match after all, then your son is more than welcome to shoot his shot…”
“Apparently not,” Sirius sighs, hoisting his bag higher up his shoulder and walking out of the kitchen.
“So now they're both trying to set you up?”
James chuckles.
“It's not funny!” Sirius covers his face with his hands as he drops down next to James on James’ bed. “Just mum was bad enough, but now her friends as well?”
James pops himself up on his elbows and waggles his eyebrows. “That's what you get for being the town’s most eligible bachelor.”
“Middle-aged women meddling in your love life?”
“You know,” James says. “If you want to be one step ahead of the nosy ladies, there's always Lily's friend.”
Sirius groans. “Not you too, Jamie!”
“Oh, come on!” James exclaims. “He's a really chill guy and hella cute! You'd totally like him.”
“Jaaaaames, you know that I'm not… open.”
“Right,” James says, rolling onto his back. “Coffeeshop guy,” he sighs exasperatedly.
“Coffeeshop guy,” Sirius sighs dreamily.
“He's so funny and kind, James. You won't believe.”
James snorts. “What I mostly don't believe, is that you still haven't asked him out yet!”
“I'm getting there, I'm getting there,” Sirius says. “But it's not like I haven't made any progress! Did I tell you that he knows my order now?”
James rolls his eyes. “You've been coming there twice a day ever since you got back in town. If he didn't know your order by now, I'd worry about his mental capacities.”
“You should've seen the way he smiled at me yesterday when he handed me my drink” Sirius says dreamily, as if he hasn't even heard James. “He's so pretty, oh my gosh.”
“I would've loved to see that,” James says dryly. “But someone-” He pokes Sirius in his side “-made me solemnly swear that I wouldn't go near that coffeeshop.”
Sirius huffs. “You admitted that you wanted to interrogate him about ‘his intentions’!”
James shrugs. “Only my brotherly duty.” Then he grins. “Lily's friend already passed my test, by the way.”
“Good for him,” Sirius says unimpressed. “I'm sure he'll make someone very happy someday.”
“Good morning, Remus!”
Remus looks up from where he had been rearranging the pastries in the display. “Oh! Sirius! Morning! A good one. To you as well, I mean.”
“Did you survive the morning coffee rush?” Sirius asks as he approaches the counter.
“Barely,” Remus chuckles. “Good thing it's still too early for most people to order one of our more complicated Holiday Specials.” He shudders. “I'm already dreading the afternoon rush. Luckily some customers are thoughtful enough to always come when the rush is over,” he adds, smiling at Sirius.
Sirius’ stomach flutters. Sure, it's super inconvenient to always start his volunteer work at the shelter a bit late and always stay a bit longer, but that smile makes it all worth it. “Well, gotta make sure I get enough one-on-one time with my favourite barista,” Sirius replies with a wink, and he's pretty proud of his smoothness.
Remus’ cheeks colour, and that could be a good sign, though there's always the chance he's just making Remus uncomfortable.
“You charmer,” Remus mumbles, awkwardly bumping Sirius’ shoulder. “Are you looking for a discount?”
Sirius places a hand over his heart and gasps in pretend-shock. “I would never use my charm for such purposes.”
Remus has given him a free cinnamon bun once, and while Sirius is not much of a sweet tooth, he savored every bite.
“No,” Remus chuckles. “Great power and great responsibility, I suppose.”
“Can imagine rush hour is the worst around Christmas,” Sirius says, looking over the menu. “Must be rather frustrating when you have ten people waiting in line, four coffees still running, and someone goes and orders…” He narrows his eyes at the sign above Remus. “A caramel cookie dough vanilla bean syrup latte moccachino with whipped cream and hazelnut topping.” He looks back at Remus. “What even is that?”
Remus leans over the counter and smirks. “Wanna try one?”
“Remus,” Sirius says emphatically. “The day I walk in here and order something like that, please take me to the ER, because I must've slipped and hit my head on the way here.”
“Booo, you're no fun,” Remus pouts rather adorably, as he pushes himself up from the counter. “Your regular it is.”
“Thank you,” Sirius says, pleased.
“You know,” Remus says, turning around to make Sirius’ double shot cappuccino. “You really gotta step out of your comfort zone every once in a while.”
“My coffee is my comfort,” Sirius replies. “So what would even be the use of my coffee moment if I'm using it to step out of my comfort zone?”
“A little adventure, maybe?”
“It's not that I'm not adventurous, it's just that I know what I like and what I don't like.” Sirius shrugs. “I'm actually plenty adventurous in other aspects of my life.”
“Are you now?” Remus asks, turning around to bring Sirius his cup.
“Oh yeah,” Sirius says. “I love going on spontaneous road trips on my motorcycle, for instance. Did I tell you that I drive a motorcycle?”
Remus’ eyes slightly widen. “That's hot.”
Sirius arches an eyebrow.
“Erm, the coffee,” Remus says, putting the cup down in front of Sirius. “Very hot, so, erm, be careful.”
“Thanks,” Sirius says, giving Remus an amused look. “After having ordered it about twenty times already, that hadn't occurred to me yet.”
Remus immediately hands Sirius his cappuccino as he walks in that afternoon. He's got cacao powder stains on his apron, whipped cream on his cheek, cookie crumble in his hair, and a bewildered look in his eyes, making him look like a very cute mess.
Sirius arches an eyebrow. “You're not gonna try to push one of your Holiday Specials on me?”
Remus shakes his head. “I feel like I've made enough moccaccinos, frappuccinos, chococcinos, hazelnuccinos, or whatever kind of ccinos for the rest of my life. If you ordered one, I might have actually refused.”
“Well, not to worry,” Sirius says, taking a sip from his drink. “And here I thought my impeccable argumentation had convinced you.”
“Well, the motorcycle was a strong argument,” Remus says, leaning over the counter, resting his head on his hand. “Guess there's a whole other side of you outside of this coffeeshop that I do not know yet,” he murmurs, looking at Sirius intently.
Sirius tries to school his expression into something more collected than how he feels on the inside, because yet? Does that mean Remus wants to get to know him while he's not just doing his job? And god, must he be looking at him like that?
“Well, yeah,” Sirius says, surprising himself with how normal his voice comes out. “I suppose there is more to me than double shot cappuccinos.”
Remus smirks. “Who would've thought?”
“Excuse me?”
Remus jumps, only now noticing the woman standing at the counter. He quickly rushes to her. “Hi, yes, I'm sorry, how can I help you?”
Sirius finishes his coffee and slips on his jacket, staring at Remus, who's still having a conversation with the woman about the difference between a latte and a flat white. He's trying to work up enough courage.
“You!” Remus suddenly says, pointing his finger at Sirius while the woman walks away with her gingerbread latte. “You're not thinking about leaving without showing me, are you?” He turns his hand around and wiggles his finger, beckoning Sirius over. “Come on, let me see, let me see!”
Sirius rolls his eyes fondly as he walks over to Remus. “I wouldn't dare,” he says, as he whips his phone out of his pocket and opens his photos.
Remus eagerly looks at the screen. “Oh my, did Purrkins get her fur brushed? What a lovely lady!”
“She did, and she was quite the drama queen about it.” Sirius rolls his eyes. “You'd think we were trying to torture her.”
“Look how proud Bowie looks!”
“Well, he was a really good boy and found two sticks in the yard!”
“And who’s that fuzzy ball of fluff?”
“That's Myta! She was brought in today, and already made many friends.”
“And there's our dynamic duo!”
“Yes, little Adrian and his big brother Bram are still as inseparable as ever.”
“Oh! Is… Is this what I think it is?”
“It is! Siepie got adopted today!”
Remus sighs deeply as Sirius has swipes to the last photo. “God, I envy your job. I mean,” he adds quickly. “I know it's not always fun and very hard work as well.”
“I guess it is,” Sirius says. “But everytime I walk in and see those faces, it more than makes up for it.”
“That's what my friend who works in kindergarten always says,” Remus says. “But I could never quite imagine. In this case, though, I immediately believe it.”
Sirius grins. “Wanna quit this job and come volunteer in the shelter with me?”
“Too bad,” Remus says. “Getting paid is a non-negotiable for my job.”
“You'll get paid in cuteness!” Sirius insists.
“Cuteness doesn't pay college tuition, I'm afraid.” Remus chuckles. “Otherwise you'd be studying for free.”
Sirius opens and closes his mouth.
Remus turns bright red and runs a hand through his hair. “I… Erm, I mean…” He claps his hands. “Well, I better get cleaning! Considering my brain-to-mouth-filter apparently stopped working, I must be very tired. I should start closing up.”
“You know,” Sirius quickly says. “If you really want to know more about me outside of this coffeeshop, my chosen family is hosting a Christmas Eve party. Maybe you'd like to come?”
“Christmas Eve?” Remus replies. “Oh, I'm sorry. I already promised my mum that I'd go to this event with her on Christmas Eve.”
Sirius face falls. “Right. Of course. It's short notice, after all. Well, better luck next time.” Sirius turns to walk away.
“Sirius!” Remus grabs his wrist. “I really am sorry.”
Sirius looks down at Remus’ hand and then up to his face. “It's okay. It's Christmas Eve. You can't cancel on your mum, of course.”
Remus bites his lip. “Would you think me a terrible person if I kind of wish I could?”
Sirius smiles. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“That's amazing, mate!” James beams at him.
“We should not get ahead of ourselves,” Sirius warns. “I mean, he did say no.”
“But he obviously wanted to say yes!” James exclaims, grinning broadly.
“He did, didn't he?” Sirius’ face also breaks out into a grin. “I mean, he wouldn't have called me back to emphasize how sorry he was if he was just trying to blow me off.”
“Definitely not,” James assures him. “He's totally into you, just really couldn't make it. And now he knows you're interested, so nothing should be stopping him from asking you out next! Which is good, as the sooner we know if it's going to work out with coffeeshop guy, the better. Lily's friend is single now, but he won't be forever. Ow!” James rubs his arm where Sirius just punched him. “But of course I'm rooting for you!” He adds, upon seeing the glare Sirius is directing at him. “I'm just saying, it's a shame Lily's friend can't make it to the party either. It would've been good if you could've at least gotten to meet him before completely making up your mind on coffeeshop guy.”
Sirius lies back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. “I hate to break it to you, Jamie, but my mind is already completely made up on coffeeshop guy.”
James looks at Sirius and shakes his head. “You're really gone for him, aren't you?”
Sirius sighs. “I can't bloody stop thinking about him.”
“Good heavens,” James says. “You're down bad!”
“I'm glad mum's library boy couldn't make it to the party either,” Sirius says. “Now the only person I have to politely reject is Hope Lupin’s son. Though maybe he's completely mortified about his mother's meddling and isn't even into me at all,” he adds hopefully.
“Wouldn't count on it mate,” James says, lying down next to him. “A single gay guy seeing you and deciding he's not interested? That happened exactly never.”
Sirius groans, and James pats his leg sympathetically.
“I'm not even trying to boost your ego here. You know the effect you have when you walk into a room.”
Okay, so maybe Sirius does kind of know the effect he has when he walks into a room. Giggling, admiring glances, lingering looks, that sort of thing, but he had not exactly expected to have that effect on the middle-aged and elderly women of town.
At the Potters’ grand Christmas Eve party, it seems like every single one of them is stopping him. “Oh my, Sirius Black? Is that you? Look at you! My dear, you get more handsome every year! Say, is there a special someone in your life already?”
This is mostly followed by them listing all their children or grandchildren who are still single, while Sirius tries to politely get away before they whip out the photos. He's grateful that at least he hasn't run into Hope Lupin yet, shoving her son in his face. Photos are easier to get away from than an actual person, after all.
When talking to seventy-five-year-old Mrs Markell, she hadn't even been mentioning any grandchildren, and Sirius is wholly unprepared when she suddenly takes a stack of photos out of her purse, with no chance for him to get away on time. But it turns out she heard Sirius is studying to become a vet, and she just wants to show him pictures of her beloved dog, Mr Barkell. And well, Sirius is definitely here for that.
“Oh my god, what a handsome fella indeed!” Sirius is just gushing over Mr Barkell in his brand new Christmas sweater, knitted by Mrs Markell herself when he hears a familiar voice.
“Sirius?”
He looks up and immediately feels his heart speed up, because Remus in an apron is adorable, but Remus in a button-up and suit jacket? Good god. “Remus?” He manages to say. “What are you doing here? I thought you had that thing with your mum?”
Remus looks just as surprised as he does while gesturing around himself. “This is the thing with my mum.”
Sirius blinks. “Your mum took you to our Christmas Eve party?”
“Apparently,” Remus says, smiling sheepishly.
Suddenly, Euphemia’s voice can be heard. “Remus!”
“Msr Euphemia?” Remus stammers.
“You're here! Oh, how lovely.” Euphemia gives Remus a warm hug, before playfully slapping his shoulder. “And you made me think you couldn't make it, you,” she tuts.
“You know Remus?” Sirius asked, stunned.
Euphemia rolls her eyes. “Why, of course I know Remus! I've been trying to introduce you to him for ages! Ever since this adorable boy walked into my library,” she says fondly, squeezing Remus’ arm.
Before Sirius can say anything else, another voice sounds. “Oh no, you two are already talking!” Hope Lupin rushes up to them. “And I wanted to be the one to introduce you two!”
Euphemia frowns. “Why did you want to introduce Remus to Sirius?”
Hope blinks. “...Remus is my son?”
“Remus from the library is your son?” Euphemia exclaims.
The two women stare at each other for a moment, and then they burst out laughing. “Can you believe it…?” “This whole time…” “We were just trying to get Sirius together with the same person!”
Remus’ cheeks turn bright red. “Mum!”
“Remus! Mate! You're here!” Sirius probably shouldn't even be surprised anymore to see James running up to Remus and slinging an arm around him. “Lily said you already had other plans, but I'm super glad you made it after all!”
James lets go of Remus and walks up to Sirius, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward. “Have you met Sirius yet?”
“Yes,” Remus replies, looking a bit dazed. “As a matter of fact, I have.”
Sirius stares at him and opens and closes his mouth a few times before managing to produce words. “You're library boy, and Hope Lupin’s son, and Lily's friend?”
“Wait, really?” James speaks before Remus can reply. “Are you serious, Sirius? That's all the same person? All Remus?” He starts laughing and clasps Sirius on the shoulder. “I know how head over heels in love you are with your coffeeshop guy, but mate, this sort of seems like fate, doesn't it?”
Now it's Sirius’ face that turns bright red, as Remus raises his eyebrows. “James!” Sirius hisses.
James looks from Sirius, to Remus, and back again and his eyes widen. “What? Do you mean… No way!” He gasps. “Are you for real? That's insane, mate! Insane, but also kind of amazing. Wow, this best man's speech is going to write itself!”
“James!”
“So,” Sirius begins, staring up at the night sky after Remus and he have stepped outside for a moment to talk. "Apparently, everyone in my life has been trying to set me up with you.”
“Yeah,” Remus says, awkwardly scratching his head. “Sorry about that.”
“Don't be,” Sirius says, turning to him to look him in the eyes. “I must admit, I kind of like that everyone in our lives saw you, saw me, and all had the same thought: these two should be together.”
The smile Remus gives him makes Sirius feel warm even in the December cold. Remus reaches out his hand. “Including us?”
Sirius smiles back at him as he takes the offered hand. “Yeah, we beat them to it, didn't we?” He squeezes Remus’ hand softly. “Including us.”
297 notes · View notes
kookslastbutton · 6 months
Text
enamored ༓ myg (m) | one
Tumblr media
✑ Summary: Min Yoongi is nothing like what you imagined him to be when you saw him preform at the local cafe in town. Yet little by little he surprises you with his true self, until somehow you find yourself completely enamored with him.
Tumblr media
pairing: new independent artist!yoongi x veterinarian!reader
genre/AU: fluff, angst, eventual smut, strangers2acquaintance2lovers, mini-series
word count: 4,643
Warnings: Nothing too heavy but oc is around 25, mention of unhealthy past relationships, yoon is a struggling artist, talk about social insecurity, cats, the rest of the fluff stuff is for you to find out haha
now playing: cold/mess
a/n: Due to me and my fellow Yoon enthusiasts missing myg, I bring us this three-part mini-series. I'm not sure how this will go but hope you enjoy! 🥰 Lowkey has me thinking of Yoongi pre-debut days.
Tumblr media
Tonight’s the first night the local coffeehouse you and your friend, Nara, visit for weekly rant sessions is showcasing musicians of all backgrounds, statuses, and genres. And you are very much looking forward to the absolute cutie pictured in a fluffy sky-blue cardigan, a big gummy smile on, and undeniably soft, chocolate eyes.
His arms casually rest atop his guitar followed by the words ‘Agustd’ in scripted font underneath. You’ve never heard of him before but you’re convinced that he’ll play something light and uplifting given the aesthetic of his image displayed on the TV screen.
“God it’s packed like a football stadium here,” Nara interrupts your gaze on the tv from across the table. She sits with her hands folded on the wooden surface, a giant diamond sparkling on her left hand.
“You’re telling me,” you tsk. “I already came close to bumping into a middle-aged man with two lattes in his hands and a couple of college girls attempting to film a TikTok on our way in.”
It’s no exaggeration to say the cafe itself is swarming with new faces who are eager for a night of leisure while overworked baristas rush to fulfill orders. You have the innate instinct to offer them your help, though they’d likely advise it’s better for you to remain seated.
“Have you ever been to a football stadium though?” You ask more condescendingly than intended, but you find her analogy amusing since she’s never been one to pay attention to sports.
Nara rolls her eyes at your light probing. “No, but I’ve seen pictures. You know how big of a fan my Yunjun is of football. He’s gone to the United States to watch the super bowl eight times now.”
She says it proudly, but the reality is that her lovey Yunjun has not once invited her to go with him. Instead, he takes three of his closest friends and disappears to the other side of the world for two weeks. Everyone knows the super bowl only lasts one day so why the hell is he there for that long? Likely to get drunk with his buddies, that’s why.
“You know I don’t like him,” you say bluntly. “Why are you marrying him again?” Nara’s confident smile turns into a defensive scowl as she proceeds to tell you, once again, all the ways that Yunjun “completes her”.
On and on she continues for ten minutes straight until her voice slowly drowns out to the clapping and cheering of the crowd behind her. A young woman named Yuri just finished performing a few of her original songs and is thanking the audience for listening. You lightly clap along in politeness.
“Anyway, as I was saying,” Nara pipes up once the crowd falls silent again. “Yunjun is extremely thoughtful. Yesterday he messaged me to meet for lunch without me having to ask first.”
“Uh huh…” you drawl out, eyes shifting between her and the distracting movements of bodies behind her. The young woman who just performed steps off the stage while a young man steps forward to take her place.
You struggle to keep eye contact with Nara as said man lazily slumps himself on the wooden stool at the front of the room and balances his acoustic guitar on his knee. He looks like he just rolled out of bed ten minutes ago; hair tousled about, a big black sweatshirt covering half his body, and possibly the most somber facial expression on.
Is that the same guy from the promo image? Agust something?
You lean your head to the side and past Nara’s head to get a better view.
It is him but he looks so starkly different from his photo on the TV screen. His mood is much more melancholy than you imagined, like Grumpy Bear from Care Bears.
It makes you wild with curiosity.
You find yourself placing a hand under your chin, intent on listening to his every word. By now, Nara's noticed your interest in the musician so she's stopped talking and pays attention to him as well.
“Hi, I’m Agustd and I'm an independent artist,” he introduces himself in a low voice, lips pressed to the microphone. His focus is set on the audience in front of him at first but then, as if feeling your heavy stare, he flicks his eyes directly into yours. "I'm also known as Min Yoongi."
You feel your stomach flutter at the gesture which only seems to grow in intensity when he doesn't bother to remove his gaze from you.
He can't actually be looking at you, right?
"I'm starting off with a song I wrote a few years ago titled Seesaw," he continues. "I wrote it while going through, what I thought was at the time, a hopeless period of my life. Please enjoy." And with that he begins strumming on the chords of his guitar, eyes slowly closing to immerse himself in the beautiful music.
Everyone is on the edge of their seats as much as you when he leans further into the mic, lips gently parting.
"In the beginning, well, it was fun
Just going up and down itself
Before we knew, we both became sick of
meaningless waste of emotions
A repeated seesaw, seesaw game
Having come this far, I got sick of, got sick of it
A repeated seesaw, seesaw game
We’re both got tired and became sick of it..."
As Yoongi continues to preform with closed eyes and breathy voice, you take in the rawness of his lyrics. Seesaw tells about relationship that's grown draining; that the weight of staying in something so tiring should come to an end sooner rather than later.
It resonates with you deeply as you've experienced first-hand the challenges of staying in a bottomless relationship. You didn't want to acknowledge it at the time, but you put in all the effort when you and your ex were together. And though it was three years ago since your break up, the constant feeling of exhaustion and being less than haunts you every night.
The vibrations in Yoongi's voice echoing off the mic tells you he's been through similar pain. So much so that it thrums in your own chest and you realize how wrong you'd been to think he'd compose a lighthearted song.
"How crafty the heart of a person is
Though we know one will get hurt if the other is not there,
because we both don’t want to be the bad guy,
we continue to awkwardly pass the buck, umm umm
and end up becoming exhausted, ironically reaching the paralleled balance
Ay, this is not the kind of balance that I wanted..."
With every line, you notice Yoongi's delicate fingers struggling to hold down each chord. It's clear that he's thinking about whoever this song is about in this very moment. Nevertheless, he presses on with a fervent spirit until the end.
You and a handful of people are the only ones who clap when the last line of Seesaw is sung. The rest of the audience is oddly reluctant to applaud and your best guess is that they weren't expecting to hear something so profoundly reflective. The musicians before him had been far more upbeat so to speak.
"Thank you," Yoongi mutters with hesitance. He scans the mute crowd who seemingly cause the air to grow thicker by exchanging awkward glances with one another.
Without another word, Yoongi surprises everyone by standing up from his stool and walking over to the seat he was sitting in before coming on stage. He picks up a few loose papers, and his keys, and zips his guitar into its case before heading for the exit.
"Didn't he have more songs to play?" Nara turns to you with a frown on her face, puzzled at the turn of events.
"I thought so too," you reply, fingers restless as you watch him leave the cafe. "You know what...I'll be right back." You're unsure what prompts you to follow him out other than your unsettled conscience telling you that this isn't the first time he's gotten this type of response and that he deserves better.
Tumblr media
"Excuse me, Agustd? Or Yoongi?" You're sure he can hear your voice call to him as he opens the rear door of his beater car. His head whips in your direction immediately.
"Yeah?" He answers simply yet when he sees the white of your eyes, he does a double take; stunned that the only person he cared to recognize the whole night followed him out.
Typically with small gigs like this Yoongj doesn't take much note of the crowd unless they're booing him off the stage. And even then he plays it off. But somehow, your relaxed gaze soothed him, so he remembers you—he remembers the way you made him feel.
"I just wanted to say you sounded good. Better than good actually," you correct yourself, words sputtering out a little too fast. "Seesaw is amazing and you're a genius to have written it."
Your hands get clammier as you approach him. You hope this doesn't sound dumb but something in you won't let him leave without giving him at least a shred of honest encouragement.
The corner of Yoongi's mouth barely quirks up before it quickly falls back down. He sets his guitar in the back seat of his car, then shuts the door and gives you a nod. "Thanks but you don't have to say that."
He moves to the driver's door and reaches to grip the handle but out of nowhere, you stop him by placing a hand over his wrist.
"I mean it," you assure him.
Yoongi doesn't move a muscle as he glances between your hand around his wrist and your seemingly oblivious face. For three seconds you stare at each other with intense eyes, wordless as you take in each other's micro-expressions.
Through the physical contact, you can both feel the rapid beating of each other's hearts but you're unsure if it's simply nerves from an embarrassing situation or something else entirely.
"Sorry." You finally come to your senses and retract your fingers. "I just wanted to tell you that I connected with the lyrics of your song. Not everyone does and that's okay but it really is amazing Yoongi. So don't pay attention to those rude people in there okay?"
At this, Yoongi's expressions soften and a timid smile forms on his plushy lips. He runs a hand through his messy hair, smoothing down some of the loose strands sticking up.
"I appreciate you coming out to tell me this...wait what's your name?"
"__."
"__. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed my music but don't worry, I don't take it personally when people dislike my songs. It just means it wasn't for them." He shrugs carelessly but there's a hidden sorrow laced in his tone. He holds his chin high yes, but his heart is so deep in his chest.
"Hey," you start. "If I was a music manager I'd sign you on immediately. You don't happen to have that song recorded do you? Uploaded to music platforms or anything?"
"Yeah, I just put it on Spotify actually. I also have some CDs." Yoongi pauses and wets his lips. "If you're interested," he finishes with slightly averted eyes.
"Call me old fashioned but could I get one of those?"
"What?" He taken aback by your response.
"A cd. You said you have one?"
"Uh sure, yeah just a second." He walks to the trunk of his car, opens the lid, and rummages around until he pulls forward a small cardboard box. "I don't have great packaging yet but here's one." Yoongi holds out a plain white sleeve with a disk inside. "Hope you don't mind but I signed my name on it. Thought it would make it personal or something."
You take the disk from his hand and cheese at him. "Wow, I can't believe I'm getting an autographed version right off the bat. How much?"
Yoongi shakes his head. "You can have it."
"No, really how much?" Taking this man's cd without paying him a dime does not sit well with you. Regardless, Yoongi continues to insist.
"It's on me. Maybe when I get to the point where I can have concerts you'll come." He jokes but you remain serious, digging into your pocket for your wallet. You take 26000 won out ($20) and shove it in his hand. "Hey wait!" Yoongi calls after you when you quickly start backing away from him.
"No takebacks!" You holler. "I'm sorry to leave so suddenly but my friend's waiting for me inside. It was nice meeting you Yoongi and I look forward to when you become a raging success. Until then, I'll be streaming your songs on Spotify! Treat yourself to something nice alright?"
He steps forward, mouth falling open as if to say something but nothing comes out. Your face is already turned away from him as he watches you trot back to the cafe'. He rolls the cash in his hand and stuffs it in his back pocket, hoping that maybe he'll cross paths with you again.
Tumblr media
A week passes and you've not forgotten your interaction with Min Yoongi. You wish you hadn't run away like you did but it's true that Nara was waiting for you inside. Any longer and she would have sent a search party for you–she's on the extreme end.
Plus, you didn't want him giving the money back to you. It was a noble gesture to hand it over to you for free but it wasn't necessary. Yoongi is an independent artist who's working to establish himself in the music industry and you were more than willing to pay for good music.
You're currently sitting in your car, replaying the affair in your head for the umpteenth time while you wait for your pizza to be ready. You were told you'd get a text notification though it's taking longer than usual, given how much louder the growling of your stomach has gotten.
Finding new ways to distract yourself gets more challenging with each passing minute. You open the glove department of your car and pull out Yoongi's cd, admiring the beautiful signature marked in black ink on the disk.
Seesaw - Agustd 2018
It's crazy of you but you kind of miss him. Yoongi wasn't like anything you expected him to be, so deep and grounded while at the same time warm-hearted. He was incredibly handsome too. And when you touched his arm, eyes piercing into his, it was like you were being magnetically pulled to him.
Is that possible though? Sharing a magnetic force with practically a stranger?
Your contemplation is interrupted when the sound of your phone notification rings off. Finally, your order's ready. You toss the cd back into the glove box and head inside the pizza shop.
Tumblr media
"Hi, welcome to Little Slice of Heaven," the young lady at the counter greets you with a cheery smile. "How can I help you?"
"I have an order for __." You open your wallet and hand over your credit card. She takes it from you speedier than you like, ringing it up then returning it to you with a paper receipt.
"I'll go grab it for you." She swiftly turns around, nearly bumping into one of her coworkers. "Shit sorry!" The person gives a small grunt in response before mumbling an 'its fine, I got it'.
"Order for __."
You stash the receipt in your pocket, then look up to take the boxes of steaming hot pizza. "Yes, thank you so m–," You freeze at once at the familiar face in the iconic navy blue Little Slice of Heaven uniform.
"Yoongi?" He seems to be just as motionless as you when you say his name. "I didn't know..."
"I just started," he answers shortly. "It's uh, good to see you again. How have you been?"
"Oh you know, still alive. Pizza helps me." You chuckle to help break the ice. Yoongi doesn't laugh but you do catch his eyes softening the smallest bit. "What about you? How have you been?"
"Good. Music's good too." He runs a hand through his hair, a habit you're beginning to pick up from him. "I–sorry I must sound like an idiot. I didn't expect to see anyone I knew here tonight."
"You don't sound like an idiot. You said you just started working here right?"
He nods.
"Yoongi!" An older man with a navy blue visor on his head calls from one of the pizza ovens in the back. "I need you to deliver this to the lovely couple sitting at table 8. Times ticking!"
Yoongi looks at the man, then at you. He knows what he needs to do except the thought of letting you leave after getting the rare chance to see you again causes him to linger in place.
"It's okay," you try to ease him, despite also feeling conflicted to leave. "You're working. I come here often so I'll see you around." You're only able to take two steps before the same voice hollers to you.
"Wait, __. What are you doing tomorrow at 6?"
"It's Saturday so, probably watching re-runs of Friends. Why?"
For the first time, Yoongi lets out a hearty laugh and you're instantly reminded of his photo from the cafe last week; the one of him in the sky-blue cardigan with his guitar. His expression exudes the same joyful aura as if his two personas suddenly merge as one.
"I love Friends," he says. "The whole Ross and Rachel thing is driving me mad though, like why won't they–"
"Yoongi the food needs to go now!" His coworker yells at him again, wiping his sweat fro his brow. "Tell your girlfriend or whoever that is that you have work to do!"
"She's not my girlfriend!" Yoongi responds with rosy cheeks. "Sorry, I gotta get back to it. I know Friends is tough to compete with but do you think you'd have an hour to spare? We could–I could get a pizza for us to split. Already got your order down." He gives a lopsided grin as he jokes lightly.
"Okay." You break into a smile. "I wouldn't dream of passing up my comfort food." You sound calm but the back of your mind reels with uncertainty. Is he asking you out or is it the so-called "hang out", sometimes masked as a pre-date?
He reaches for the pad of paper on the counter next to him, scribbles something down, and tears it off to give it to you. "Here's my number. Feel free to text me if anything changes. No pressure though."
Once you take the paper from him, he disappears into the back of the kitchen before you can get another word out. Min Yoongi, you hum silently, timid yet takes initiative. Cute.
Tumblr media
You decide it's better to see Yoongi's proposal as a hang out rather than a date. It's not like he came out and said, "do you want to go out" or anything. So at 6 pm on the dot, you agree to meet him at Little Slice of Heaven. As promised, he brings a pizza for you to share.
He's already changed out of his work clothes by the time you arrive; sporting a white t-shirt, jeans, and a thin chain necklace. The basic look works on him.
"So I didn't get to ask you yesterday," you start, turning to Yoongi who sits on the swivel stool next to you. "How do you like it here and what made you come?"
He shrugs and places a slice of pizza on his paper plate. "Pays the bills. I was working as a waiter down on main street a few months ago. I chose to leave that place due to poor management and...I lack social skills, evidently."
"Come on, you do not." You refuse to believe it. "Anytime we've talked it's been pleasant so any naysayers probably don't even know what side's up."
Yoongi snorts in amusement. "We've only had two conversations __." He says it flatly yet it doesn't keep your cheeks from feeling flushed, warmth blooming in the pit of your belly. Your name sounds different from his lips this time.
"You're right, and both times you've shown great social skills."
"I think you're stretching it a little. As I recall I was a bit more reserved with you than usual. Must have been awkward for you."
"Not in the slightest," you deny. "There's nothing awkward about being reserved. In fact, sometimes it's better and it typically means you're a better listener than most. And if you were so awful, you wouldn't be working here right? This is food service too."
"Thanks for saying that." He glances down at his hands in his lap, unsure of how much you're saying rings true, then looks back up at you. "I don't need to talk with people as much as I do a server though. It's more like I hand them their pizza and wish them a good life."
"Well, I guess you make a point there. But trust me Yoongi, you don't lack social skills. Can I ask you something though? Weirdly off-topic."
"Shoot."
"It's about your photo from the cafe last week. It showed you in a blue cardigan with a smile on your face except when you came in to play that day..."
An unexpected grin forms on his face as he finishes your sentence. "I looked like I hated my life or something right? Or like Grumpy Bear from that kiddy cartoon, Caring Bears.
"Care Bears."
"Right, Care Bears." He chuckles lightly. "The music I tend to write shows my raw feelings and experiences. A song like Seesaw, as you've heard, is no exception, but I don't think my overall theme has to be dark as well. The image you saw shows the current version of me, the one who's liberated from those past experiences."
"That's extremely meaningful, Yoongi."
"As far as why I showed up in a giant black sweatshirt, it's because I wanted to dress comfortably. I always get a little nervous performing in front of a live audience so it helps. Especially since I'm only a new artist without a label supporting me. I was also a little sleepy from mixing beats the night before too, I won't lie."
"That makes so much sense. How long have you been making music for?"
"Since a teenager. Like thirteen."
"Seriously?" You nearly fall off your chair. Yoongi is a born genius it seems.
"Yeah. I never pursued being an independent artist until now. Resources and connections were pretty grim for me. Since becoming an adult I've made some progress. Still working to get my name out there though."
"I understand." You nod along. "Being an independent artist, you must have to do a lot to gain exposure. Have you considered uploading videos of yourself playing your songs on social media?"
"I've done some and they've been good. I'm actually trying to send my songs to a few record labels but I haven't heard back from any yet. It's been a good six months so I don't know. There's still one that I'm holding out hope for. I only sent my music to them a week ago."
"That's a shame they didn't contact you. Just means they missed out on Agustd which they will, without a doubt, be regretting later. Do you have an estimate on when the newest label will reach out to you?"
"No clue. They say it takes anywhere from a week to three months. By the way," he pauses. "I have to ask. Do you really like my music? I don't mean that rudely or anything."
"Hell yeah, I like it! You're honestly insanely talented and love it actually."
"God," Yoongi fakes an eye roll. "Don't tell me you're my first groupie."
You both share a laugh that can only be described as natural.
"Enough about me." He speaks first after your laughter settles down. "What do you do? Have any crazy hobbies?"
"I'm afraid I don't have any crazy hobbies at the moment. I work as a vet downtown and I don't have much free time unless it's to binge-watch movies on the weekend. I love my job though."
"Ah," Yoongi narrows his eyes as if coming to a drastic realization. "It's all coming together."
"What is?"
"The reason why you're so kind and stable." He gathers several napkins and hands them over to you when some of the water from your glass accidentally spills on the table. "No you have a bright energy to you, but it's not hyper. It's like you really care in a hospitable way. You work with animals which requires a lot of heart. Do you have any pets at home?"
"Yeah, I actually have two cats. Both siamese. I want to get a dog but right now I wouldn't be around to take care of it well. Cats are a little more independent." You wipe up the water with the napkins and continue. "Thanks for saying all that Yoongi. I'm not sure stable is the best way to describe me."
"Well, for what it's worth you're the most stable person I've met. I think everyone needs someone like you in their life."
"I–what kind of people are you hanging around?" You feel flustered so you do the first thing that comes to mind, nudge his shoulder playfully which he laughs at. "I'm not all that. I have faults like anyone else."
"Name one." He taps the table with a finger to make a point. "Dare you."
"I don't know, I dislike vacuuming my rug."
"Oh my god." He covers his mouth to feign shock. "Scandalous. I don't think we should eat together again after that. Wow."
"Stop it, that was a dumb one. I have stuff I swear. If this were a first date I'd be a bit appalled that you're asking me to list my faults. It isn't usually the time you try to pick each other apart."
"Actually, it sort of is to an extent. You have to observe each other right? So those so-called red flags will come up sooner than later to keep you from unnecessary pain and heartache later."
You maul on his words. "Point made. Wish I knew that three years ago," you hum. Yoongi seems to agree with you from the way he quietly nods.
"Ex-boyfriend?" he asks.
"Yup, what about you? Ex-girlfriend?"
He nods again and it puts an end to any further talk about exes or past relationships.
"By the way," Yoongi folds his arms against his chest. "I have a cat too. I got him two years ago at a shelter. He's pretty much my best friend."
The excitement on your face is impossible to conceal. Min Yoongi has a cat? You need to know everything about said cat right now.
"What's his name? Is he a long hair? You give me long-haired cat dad vibes." You're hasty— so sue you, you're a vet. Animals are sort of your wheelhouse.
"His name's Kiwi and he's an overly fed Russian Blue. He's six years old." Yoongi laughs and leans towards you with mirthful eyes. "If you want, I can introduce you to him." He cocks a brow and your shoulders perk up.
"Honest? I would actually die to see your cat."
Yoongi slides off his chair and tosses the empty pizza box in the trash. "Let's go to my place then."
"What?" You crickle the napkin in your hand and toss it on your paper plate. "Now?"
"Yeah now's as good a time as ever." He takes his keys from his jeans pocket and gestures for the door. "Don't worry, I won't make you stay for long."
Tumblr media
a/n: thanks for reading! lmk what you think 💞
Masterlist
no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton
535 notes · View notes
thenotsoholyspirit · 3 months
Text
Holding
Matt murdock x reader (angst)
Summary: "Maybe, after all, my insecurities were right"
(Note: This is my first little writing idea. I hope you like it as I'll try my best to test some more ❤️✨️. Also, a bit of a warning for some self depricating thoughts)
☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡
Another night.
Another night of longingly looking at the window.
I sigh as I look by the curtains of the living room, only being able to wonder where he could've gone. Even at night, I'm used to leaving them open to see if his coming. It's so late, I can already dicern a lighter tone of blue in the sky.
"Where are you, Matt?"
It was true that this last month have mostly been made of bickering and side comments. Me complaining about our lack of time and him of my lack of understanding.
Now, our routine is one of him disappearing at dusk only to come back the next morning without a single word. Barely having some time to grab a bite and put his lawyer suit on.
Not a kiss, not a soft touch, not a single loving word.
I still need you
Suddenly, I hear a noise by the window. I immediately recognize the sound of limping steps and a breathless voice. Matt was injured. Something that I've learned living with the devil of Hell kitchen himself is to recognize even the smallest of details. My abilities were far from the super sensed ones he had, but I've become quite good at spotting certain things.
Always so stubborn that I had to figure out myself when something was wrong .
"Dont worry," he used to say, trying to tuck me back into bed. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart."
"Don't be ridiculous, Matt," I never accepted. Not when I knew he never admitted he needed help. "Here, I'll grab some bandages"
Depending on the night, it was either a simple cut or some deeper wound. Once or twice, I even had to use some homemade anesthesia to sew some stitches. This man has made me feel all sort of fears all at once.
Yet, nothing prepared me for what I was about to feel tonight.
I go open the window only to find a half conscious Matt standing there. His costume scratched on the surface with multiple cuts all over his body. I come closer to him, only for my fingers to be stained as I touch his arm. Blood.
He was bleeding, and he looked surprised to notice me there.
"(Y/n) I-.. You're awake.."
With all my force, I help him walk him across the door until we reach the couch. He's barely able to mumble as I lay him down.
"Shs..," I carefully take off his mask. The first thing I notice are his lost eyes, guilt written all over his face, "Don't push yourself too hard"
I start to undress his torso to get a better look. I had to hold my breath. I'm barely a veterinarian, used to dealing with cats or any domestic animals, but I did know more than enough about human anatomy to notice this was pretty bad. Besides cuts that, thankfully, weren't that deep, It looked like a dard was shot across his dorsal.
"We need to call an ambulance I-"
But Matt stops me, holding my arm.
"Dont.. I-"He tries to stand up by himself, grinding his teeth from pain, "I... "
He drags himself to the other side of the room, where his phone was forgotten last night. I'm confused for a moment until I perceive another shadow perking by the window. It was a woman
I feel a pit in my stomach as I try to understand what is happening here.
"You only came here for....."
I could see the pain in his eyes. I have no words as I come closer to his side now, noticing the small traces of love bites in his neck. Even the smell of his skin felt almost foreign. His body estranged. My heart stops for a moment.
"Sweetheart is not what -"
"What's..whats her name ?"
I hear him slightly gulping, without a single word.
"What's her name, Matthew"
Even if I know he can't see me, I know he can hear my heart beating a thousand miles an hour. He tries to explain bowing his head down.
"It's not..its not what you think... Elektra she...the..Hand..I"
I can only blankly stare at him. He didn't even try to contest my accusation. I feel the first rays of sunshine raising down the window.
"All this time.. I.. tried to be understanding..to be good.."
I start to pace around the room. Not knowing exactly what to say. What think.
What am I even supposed to feel here
"All this time.. - ", I have to stare again at his neck. The mark of infidelity is so horribly noticeable that I feel like throwing up, " All these nights of worry for you to..to do this.."
The little voice in my head speaks again.
I have enough
He tries to approach me, reaching my hand the same timid way he did that time I discovered his double life. He looked so lost , almost guilty. I'd later understand how guilt was ghost in Murdock's life, but at that moment, all I was able to think was to keep him in my arms. To hold him so hard
But I can't do that now. Not tonight.
"You.. you have to go...", I feel the tears rising in my eyes.
"(Y/n) I swear I can-
"Just go!"
I raise my voice a tone as I pull my arm away. I can only think of those sleepless nights, staring at window feeling alone. Feeling abandoned. Maybe it was unfair to think that way, but I never wanted to complain.
I have been so good
I just wanted to be by his side.
Matt seems to want to say something, but he only bites his lips as he deeply breathes. He was still physically hurt after all.
"Im sorry," he can only murmur as he swiftly takes his mask back on, turning away, "Im sorry, sweetheart"
He disappears again through the balcony, alongside the other girl. I see her helping him move, wrapping her arms around him. That's when I finally understand. I'll never be a part of that world, and maybe, just maybe, my insecurities were right.
I wasn't enough for the devil of Hells kitchen.
I look up again. The sun had now completely risen, shining the beautiful blue sky of a new day. I come closer to the window, giving a long view to the city.
He won't be here tonight.
I close the curtains before turning off the living room lights.
107 notes · View notes
drafthorsemath · 3 months
Text
Tooka Dad
Crosshair x Veterinarian OC Rayla
Word Count: 6.331k
Warnings: None really – Fluff, new relationship, cuddling, bed sharing. Brief descriptions of a stray animal in need of medical attention, TLC, and spaying. Brief mentions of Crosshair’s medical trauma / tomophobia.
A/N: This came to my brain and now it’s words. I don’t know what else to say about it. No description of Rayla’s appearance outside of her being fem and using she/her pronouns.  Thank you to @staycalmandhugaclone @eclec-tech and @lightwise for the encouragement.
Tumblr media
It had been months since Crosshair had rejoined his siblings and they found themselves on Pabu. The adjustment had been difficult. It was still difficult. There were many things he wouldn’t speak about. His brothers gave him some space, not pushing too much, but making sure he knew he wasn’t alone. He, Omega, and Tech had spent time together healing physically after Mt. Tantiss, as well as healing whatever mental wounds they could. Those were taking the most time, especially for Crosshair.
He didn’t want to leave the house today, but Wrecker insisted (in his own Wrecker way) that he come to the docks and help move some cargo. Crosshair rolled his eyes but got to his feet and followed his brother down to the ocean. They spent the morning moving crates from boats on to the docks, but as the sun continued to beam down on them, Crosshair’s eyes started to ache from the light.
“I got it from here,” Wrecker said, knowing his brother’s sensitivity.  Crosshair simply nodded his thanks and headed toward some shade. Before he could sit down, he saw something small scamper away from behind one of the crates Wrecker picked up. He followed the movements and kneeled down, looking under a bench that sat under a tree.
“What is it,” Wrecker asked.
A tiny gray tooka kitten peered at them through crusty eyes. Crosshair wasn’t entirely sure how the little creature could see.
“Tooka,” Crosshair answered. Wrecker knelt down further and smiled at the scared kitten.
“A baby tooka? Aww, Crosshair we gotta take it home.”  Wrecker smiled and tried to make space so he could grab the little ball of fur, but the kitten would have none of it and scurried to hide behind the other side of the bench.
“Just wait,” the Crosshair advised. His brother sighed but nodded and got back to work. Instead of sitting on the bench, Crosshair sat on the ground next to it.  The next two hours were spent waiting for the animal to come out. He wasn’t going to force anything. Wrecker checked in after he was done with the crates.  Although the tooka hadn’t moved, he knew that if anyone had the patience to wait it out and earn its trust, it was Crosshair.  Wrecker went home, grabbed some lunch, and brought it back. He silently held out some homemade bread and fruit to his brother, sitting next to him as they silently ate. The tooka let out a little squeak and Wrecker saw just the smallest tug of a smile on his Crosshair’s face. Eventually Wrecker decided to head home and help Tech with moving some big equipment.
As the time passed, Crosshair thought of his time away from his siblings. How much doubt and fear were in his heart despite deciding to stay on the platform on Kamino. Of the ongoing pain he had each time his chip was enhanced. The absolute horror in his soul when his actions felt like they were someone else’s, but he knew his hands pulled the trigger. He had never wanted to lose control and yet the Empire had him in its grasp and his mind wasn’t fully his own. He’d been so conditioned and the chip only added another layer of complexity. He closed his eyes and sighed as he pressed his hands flat on the ground beneath him in an attempt to center himself in the here and now. He wasn’t alone anymore. Just as he had this thought, he felt some tiny fluff brush against his hand.  He opened his eyes to find the kitten sitting next to his fingertips.  He gently picked up the creature and stood. The tooka didn’t make a sound and didn’t fight as Crosshair walked back them back to Upper Pabu. He was fairly certain the lack of fight was only because the animal was fur and bones.
“Tech,” was all he said upon finding his brother working on the Marauder. Tech stood, adjusting his goggles, and raised his eyebrows.
“A tooka,” he replied, “and in a sorry state.”
Crosshair hummed in agreement. Tech knew this was his brother’s way of asking for help. He pulled out his datapad and examined the kitten in Crosshair’s hands.
“There appears to be an eye infection, parasites, and a serious lack of nutrition,” noted Tech. “I could possibly find some food for her, but I cannot immediately find appropriate medication for her ailments. Why don’t you take her to the veterinarian?”
Crosshair sighed. At least he now knew the tooka was a she and some of what was going on with her, but he wasn’t quite sure about a veterinarian. He didn’t want this little girl to be scared any more than she already was and he understood how anything medical might cause her more fear.  Then again, she looked miserable and he couldn’t let her stay that way.
“Alright,” he agreed. He didn’t even realize the island had a veterinarian.  Tech gave him the location and he headed back down the path.
It had been a long day for Rayla. One of Pabu’s residents had decided to buy a pair of orbaks to help cart goods around and she hadn’t treated anything with hooves since veterinary school. One of them was particularly stubborn, but she liked a good challenge. It was never about forcing something on an animal. It was about reading body language and helping them feel safe enough to get through any needed procedures.
She looked up as a tall man came through the door. She smiled to herself. Rayla had spent time with his brothers since they settled on Pabu and Omega was fascinated with her career choice.  They talked about him briefly, but she hadn’t met him yet.
“Hello,” she said with a soft smile. “Crosshair, right? I’m Rayla. How can I help you?”
Crosshair looked at the woman in front of him and then down at the tiny tooka. “Found her,” he said.  He didn’t seem surprised she knew his name. There were some people on the island who guessed who he was based on association.
“How about you come back to the exam room and we’ll take a look,” Rayla offered. He simply nodded and followed.  Crosshair looked around the room, almost more afraid than the tooka. There were various instruments, and he was sure there were even more in the cabinet. The veterinarian washed her hands and put on some gloves.
“How about we start with a weight,” she suggested, nodding to the scale. Crosshair put the kitten down, almost afraid to let go. She weighed much less than she should. Rayla noted her weight and then suggested a particular food for her. He nodded and moved her off the scale. He couldn’t quite keep his hands off her, trying to keep the contact while the exam was completed for fear of losing her or seeing her scared.
“She’s got an eye infection. I can give you drops for those and show you how to put them in.” He nodded.  He noticed Rayla stopped and gave the kitten a little break and spoke kindly to her before looking through her fur.
“She has fleas too.” 
His eyes got wide, but he still didn’t pull away from her.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “Fleas are species specific. Her fleas won’t harm anyone but other tookas. We can give her a flea bath now if you’d like.” Crosshair nodded and let out a little relieved breath.
He held on to her while Rayla filled a small tub with warm water. Crosshair tentatively put the small creature in the tub. While the veterinarian worked the shampoo in and rinsed, he held the kitten and helped keep her head up.  The little tooka clung to his thumb with her front legs and Rayla couldn’t help but smile.
“She’s really taken with you,” she said.
“Mm,” was all he let out, but his eyes went soft. 
“Are you planning on keeping her or would you like me to find her a hom-“
“No,” he firmly blurted out before quieting his tone again. “I’ll keep her.”
“Sounds good,” she replied, getting a towel. 
Crosshair took it upon himself to wrap her up.  Rayla showed him how to put drops in her eyes. 
“In about a week you could give her a dewormer pill.” 
He nodded and followed her out of the room.  She gathered the dewormer pill, some food for the kitten - explaining that for the time being she needed food that would be easy on her digestive system - and a lightweight slip lead. Rayla put everything in a bag and handed it to him.  Getting out a data pad for her records, she asked if the newly adopted animal had a name yet.
“Vaar’ika,” he said.
“What does it mean,” she asked curiously.
“Pip-squeak.”  Just as he said that, Vaar’ika let out tiny peep that made Rayla smile. She entered the relevant information.
“Well then,” she replied, “congratulations Vaar’ika. And congratulations Tooka Dad.”
Crosshair felt warmth flood his cheeks and ears, but it wasn’t unwelcome. He nodded at all Rayla’s directions about the dewormer and a follow up appointment. 
As he left, Rayla couldn’t help but think that she quite liked him. He may have said very few words, but he was so expressive.  He was easy for her to read and she knew she could trust a man who adopted an ailing kitten without question.
Crosshair took Vaar’ika home. Wrecker had already told Echo, Hunter, and Omega about her and Omega waited at the window to meet this new addition to the family.  Crosshair came through the door and held the little one close to his chest. She was exhausted and he could feel her little body shake from the stress of the day.
“I want to help,” Omega declared.
Crosshair didn’t say anything as he walked toward his bedroom. He simply nodded in the general direction of the hallway and Omega’s smile grew as she knew it meant she could follow him.  Crosshair put the tiny bundle on his bed and started looking for something to make a tooka bed.
“What’s wrong with her eyes,” Omega asked.
“Infection,” Crosshair answered. “Needs to be given eye drops for a few days at least.”
“I can help,” Omega answered.
“Omega,” Crosshair warned. He knew she was excited, but he wanted to approach the kitten’s treatment in a methodical way.  He looked at his sister for several moments and then nodded. “Fine, but she won’t need more drops until tomorrow.”
Crosshair shuffled through his belongings in his closet and found an old pair of blacks. He used a spare pillow to make something of a little bed with the blacks as a bedding.  He placed the new bed on the floor near his own.  Omega watched as the little tooka crawled on the bed closer to her brother.  He put her on the new bed and quietly told her he’d be back soon.  Omega followed him down the hall and grinned at her other brothers who were all at least a bit curious about their new roommate.  While Crosshair grabbed a small plate and spoon and headed back to his room, Omega helped Echo and Hunter with dinner.
Vaar’ika was hiding under his bed, but Crosshair sat down, opened a can of food, and spooned out a little on the plate.  He placed it on the floor and she came out to eat.  He smiled while watching her eat. She had an appetite and he knew that was important in her healing. He retrieved a little bowl of water for her and gave her a bit more food.  After she finished eating and drinking, she jumped up on the window and pawed at it.  Crosshair pursed his lips and then decided to take her outside. He looped the leash around her and picked her up.  His hunch was right. Almost immediately, she found a spot to relieve herself.  Maybe he had lucked out when it came to house training.
When finished, she tried climbing his leg and he picked her up. Her eyes were less messy than they were before, and he could make out the way she looked at him. He felt a little glow in his heart at the thought that this creature had chosen him and wanted to be with him.  He took her back inside, took off the leash, and placed her back on the makeshift bed. During dinner with his siblings some questions were asked, but no one asked if he would be keeping her. Based on what they saw, they knew she would stay and it would be a good change.
Once dinner was over, Crosshair made his way back to his room to give Vaar’ika another small meal. She ate it quickly and climbed on the window again. He took her out and this time she wandered around a little bit, exploring her new home.  He took her back in, holding her in the crook of his arm and heading to bed. He placed her on her own bed, but once he climbed into his own, he could see her moving in the darkness. She made her way up the side of his bed post and purred as she snuggled against his chest.  Crosshair smiled to himself and fluffed her hair before they drifted off to sleep together.
Crosshair spent the next few days helping her find her feet. They established morning and evening walk routes.  He purchased a little pink collar for her, making sure it included her name and his.  It wasn’t long before he was comfortable taking her around off-leash. She never wandered too far and for the most part, seemed to like watching this world from her perch on his shoulders.  He let Omega hold Vaar’ika when it was time to put her eyedrops in, but he never let Omega put the drops in. Finally Omega managed to wear him down and convinced him to let her try.  Crosshair held the kitten, holding her back to his chest and supporting her back end with one hand. Omega approached the tooka’s eyes with the dropper bottle, aiming for the middle of her left eye.
“Omega, no!” It came out a little louder than he meant. He leaned back to pull his little bundle away. He gave his sister a warning look.  She looked confused and a little hurt. He took a deep breath and found calm again. Until he had visited Rayla, he wouldn’t have known what to do either. It wasn’t fair to expect Omega to know without help.
“Aim for the corner of her eyes. It’s easier that way.” He offered her a smile and Omega tried again, this time leaving a couple little drops in each corner of Vaar’ika’s eyes.
“Perfect,” he said to his sister.  “Thank you.”
“Happy to help,” Omega replied.
He was supposed to give the tooka her dewormer pill, but wasn’t sure he could do it and certainly didn’t expect Omega to. He remembered Rayla’s instructions as he sat Vaar’ika on his bed and held the tiny pill between his thumb and finger.
“Simply open her mouth, pop the pill in, and hold her mouth closed until she swallows,” Rayla had said. He hadn’t thought much about it since at the time, he knew it was a future problem and he was only focused on eye drops and establishing some routines.  Now that it came to it, he looked at his little friend and couldn’t just open her mouth.  And what, he thought. Force her to swallow a pill?  It reminded him too much of the procedures he and his brothers had been forced through. He remembered thinking a warning before a necessary injection or asking him if he was ready would have helped him a great deal as a young cadet, yet he had never really been afforded that dignity.
He sighed to himself, picked up Vaar’ika and the pill, and marched to the vet clinic.  Rayla was just finishing with a client and about to go to lunch when he walked in.
“Crosshair!” She beamed at him, happy to see him with the tooka. “And Vaar’ika. How are you?”
“I can’t give her the pill,” he said directly.
“Did she not want it,” Rayla asked. Many animals had trouble taking medication and it wasn’t an uncommon concern.  “Did she spit it up?”
“No,” Crosshair said, revealing he still had the pill in its original form. “I can’t make her take it.”
Rayla sensed a great amount of empathy in him. He seemed scared to hurt this kitten, this small creature he’d already becoming so very attached to.
“She might take it if you mix it in her food. Is she still eating?”
Crosshair nodded.
“Okay,” Rayla acknowledged. “Cut the pill in quarters and put it in her dinner tonight. If she doesn’t eat it all, stop by tomorrow and we’ll see about another way.”
Crosshair nodded again.
“May I,” Rayla asked, hands out to touch the tooka.  Crosshair nodded a third time and Rayla petted the little pile of fluff.  She purred at the vet.
“I’m glad to see her eyes have cleared up,” she said. “She probably doesn’t need the drops anymore after tomorrow. Just keep the rest of the bottle should she need them in the future. She already looks so much better. She’ll need a few vaccines as soon as you feel she’s strong enough and she’ll be old enough to spay in a couple months. Unless you want more kittens.”
Crosshair froze a bit. He’d assumed that was further down the road, but not this soon.  He didn’t want her to get pregnant. He wanted to do the responsible thing for her and was sure Hunter would have a few words with him if there were kittens. Besides, he didn’t want to worry about her going through pregnancy and labor.
“Let’s schedule that now,” he said.
Rayla nodded and pulled up her schedule. He’d be back in a week for the vaccines. They decided on a day for the spaying and she gave him instructions for what to do the night before and day of as far as food and water.
“See you both in a week for vaccines,” she said as they left.
Crosshair held Vaar’ika a little closer to his chest, hugging her before letting her perch on his shoulders. He didn’t like the thought of putting her through surgery or even the vaccinations. He knew they were necessary, but he didn’t want her in pain ever. Still, he knew it was for the best. To help him relax, he took the long way home, chuckling as Vaar’ika hissed at a few moon-yos who tried reaching for her.  His thoughts also went to this veterinarian. Most people on the island were nice enough, but he didn’t let anyone close. This person was watching him at some very vulnerable moments whether she knew it or not.
That evening he cut the dewormer pill up into quarters and mixed it into the tooka food.  He placed the plate down and Vaar’ika started eating. She paused at one point, knowing there was something different, and Crosshair held his breath. She took a taste and didn’t seem to mind and finished the entire thing. He felt so much relief. That night, like every night at this point, the kitten climbed into his bed and slept cuddled up against him. When she got up to stretch her feet or if she needed to go outside, he immediately woke up at the loss of her tiny body’s warmth. Then they’d get back to bed and fall asleep together.
Crosshair started finding reasons to visit the vet clinic in the days leading up to vaccination day. The smallest question about changing her food as she grew, asking questions about exercise, and some of the more mundane things. He knew that he just wanted to see Rayla and have an excuse to get outside with Vaar’ika. Rayla didn’t mind. He always patiently waited if she was already with someone or had an appointment. She liked seeing him and the positive impact the tooka and the sniper had on each other.  She let Crosshair say as much or as little as he wanted. She asked questions but knew when to back off. She wasn’t a completely open book, but she shared parts of herself with him too. He got curious and asked how she ended up on Pabu one day after she’d shown him how to make sure the kitten’s nails didn’t get too long. She explained how she left her home world when the Empire started taking over cities on the other side of her planet. She wasn’t going to wait around to see what would happen.
“Smart,” he replied. Rayla smiled sadly. She missed her former home, but knew she was lucky to be here. The threat of sea surges was much less daunting than dealing with the Empire.
“See you next time, Crosshair.”
He let a tiny smile escape and he left.
When he showed up for the kitten’s scheduled vaccines, he was a bit of a mess. He didn’t want her to be upset or hurt, but he also didn’t want to risk her dying of something preventable.
“I’ll be quick and I’ll use the smallest needle I have,” Rayla promised. “Do you want me to take her in the back and just get it over with or do you want to be with her.”  She knew some animals did better away from their nervous person, but it was very much a case-by-case situation.
“I can’t leave her,” he replied.
Rayla nodded and instinctively put a hand on his arm.  He let out a breath. They went back in the exam room and she weighed the tooka, noticing she’d put on a good amount of weight.
“Would you like to sit and hold her instead of keeping her on the exam table,” the vet asked.
Crosshair nodded and sat down, holding Vaar’ika. A small smile pulled at his cheek and he relaxed as she looked up at him. She wasn’t scared. The little fluff ball was just happy to be with him.
“I’ll be quick. Just two little jabs. Here we go.”  Rayla moved quickly and precisely.  The kitten let out a couple of squeaks, but nothing too bad. After it was over, Rayla smiled as she heard him quietly telling Vaar’ika what a great job she did.  As he was about to leave, Rayla decided to take her chance.
“Hey, not to be too forward,” she started, suddenly feeling very nervous now that she was putting this into words.  Crosshair turned back to look at her curiously.
She continued, trying to keep any shakiness at bay.  “You’ve stopped by a lot and we’ve gotten to know each other more and I was just thinking… if you want to spend some time together after hours, let me know.” 
“Dinner,” he asked.
“I’d like that,” she replied.
“Tomorrow?”
“You know when I close.”
“I’ll be here.”
Both felt a warmth radiate over their cheeks as they said their goodbyes for the day. Crosshair carried his little bundle home while his mind ran wild with all kinds of thoughts. He didn’t want to let his nerves get to him and at the same time, he was giddy at the thought of spending more time with Rayla. He had to grin to himself. She liked his company. He hadn’t gotten very close to anyone who wasn’t a clone. There was an understanding with his brothers. He’d grown up with them. Omega was incredibly understanding of everyone, almost to the point of his annoyance. Even with the regs, there was an understanding. Learning about someone in-depth with a completely different background was a newer experience to him, but he found that Rayla embraced each bit of himself that he revealed. Even when he was having an extra grumpy and stressful day, she seemed happy to see him.
The next evening, he left Vaar’ika with Wrecker and Omega. They were more than happy to babysit the tooka.  They were having a movie night and Crosshair knew she would be doing her utmost to steal their snacks. The thought made him very happy.
He tried to pick out his nicest outfit and headed to the vet clinic.  He sat in the waiting room and listened to Rayla explain the medication dosage for someone’s pet bird. Rayla joined him a few minutes after the bird and their owner left.  She’d quickly changed out of her scrubs and into a simple dress before joining him.
“You look nice,” she said with a smile.
“So do you.”
“I thought I’d try to wear something nicer than my scrubs,” she replied.
“You’d look nice in anything,” he said as heat rose to his cheeks.
Rayla wasn’t sure what to say. She felt seen and beamed up at him.  They headed to a quiet restaurant on the other side of the island. While people all tended to know each other on Pabu, they both wanted some time just the two of them so the calmer spot seemed more ideal. They ordered and sat while watching the sun start to set.
“I’ll level with you,” Rayla said. “I’ve talked to your siblings. I feel like I know quite a bit about you, but I want to learn about you from you.”
He simply nodded. “Not much to say,” he replied.
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
Rayla asked him some questions, wanted to know a bit about sniping, and how he liked the island.  She was also interested in his enhanced skills. The scientist in her was curious, but she wanted to keep it respectful. Crosshair’s comments were short as usual, but as time went by and they ate, he shared a bit more about himself. For now, they avoided the topic of the Empire.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said before taking a sip of his drink. He was much more interested in learning about her than talking about himself.
“I think you already know a lot about me from our earlier conversations,” she answered.
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully with a bit of a smile on his face. “Have you always worked alone? You do so much.”
“I had a vet tech until I came here. Actually, I purchased a GH-7 medical droid recently and I’m trying to modify it for veterinary work.”
“Tech will be pleased to hear that,” Crosshair replied. “He loves those kinds of projects. He’ll pick your brain next time he sees you.” Crosshair was pleased too. He saw how hard she worked and felt she needed a bit of a break sometimes. Having an assistant could go a long way in helping make her job easier.
“I’m sure. If I run into trouble Tech’s the first person I’d ask for help when it comes to droids.” She took a couple more bites of food and added, “Of course it helps to have the personal touch and I’ll still be very involved. It’ll just help to have a droid to do some of the more routine and boring things, measuring out and compounding medication, answering comms, billing, ordering supplies, passing my tools during surgeries, and making sure procedures are as precise as possible.” She then told a story about a droid she knew in vet school who was reprogrammed to only want to work on massiffs. A couple of her fellow vet students thought it would be funny for the professor’s droid to randomly refuse to help with other animals during demonstrations and who tried to switch places with other droids so it could work exclusively on massiffs. He watched her with a soft smile on his face while she told this story. As she finished, she paused for a moment.
“Sorry,” she said. “Didn’t mean to go on. It was just a silly thing to watch unfold.”
“No, I liked it,” he replied. He didn’t want her to stop. “Dessert?”
She beamed and nodded. They shared a piece of cake topped with all kinds of local fruit. He let her have the last bite but hoped it wouldn’t be the last time they shared a meal.  He walked her home and once at the door bit his lip as his eyes darted a bit.
“Could we do this again,” he asked.
“What are you doing on Benduday?”
Each date felt a little more comfortable than the last. His favorite dates were whenever they would go out on a boat together just the two of them. It was incredibly peaceful and gave him the chance to be a bit more open without worrying about anyone else around them.
One evening she was supposed to meet him at the restaurant and didn’t. He’d brought flowers and wore a new shirt and definitely didn’t love the feeling of sitting at the table alone. He thought to himself that this was the first time in a long time where he was consistently seeking the presence of another instead of solitude. Before he could spiral and let too many negative thoughts enter his mind, he decided to check at the clinic. He knew there might have been an emergency that required her attention.  When he arrived, the clinic door was unlocked and he saw a light coming from an exam room.  He let himself in and sat in the waiting area.
In the exam room, Rayla explain the situation to the worried owner. Her scans indicated a foreign object blocking the stomach and she and GHost – the now modified GH-7 droid – completed surgery to remove the offending mass. She sent the patient and their person home with a course of medication to help. Not long after they left, Rayla came out to find Crosshair dozing in his chair.  She walked up to him and kissed his forehead.
“Mm.” He opened his eyes to look up at her. “Missed you.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “It was an emergency.”
“I know,” he replied, standing up and kissing her cheek. “These are for you.”
She took the flowers and kissed him again. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”  After a pause and check of the time, she added, “I’ll clean up quickly. Walk me home?”
He simply nodded. She cleaned off all the equipment and the table in the exam room, turned out the lights, and took his hand. They took their time walking together. It was a pleasant night and both were a little sad they didn’t get to have a relaxing dinner together.
“We should go out after Vaar’ika heals from her spay surgery,” Rayla suggested, knowingly adding, “I know you won’t want to leave her until she’s all healed up.”
“I just want to make sure she’ll be okay,” he answered. “But yes. I’d like that.”
She squeezed his hand and they grinned at each other.
The night before Vaar’ika’s spay, Crosshair was a mess. He barely slept. The only thing that calmed him down was the little tooka herself. She had no idea what was coming but was simply living in the moment and in this moment, she wanted to sleep on his chest. He sat in front of a holovid with his family and slowly stroked the her soft fur. They fell asleep together as usual, but the next morning, his jitters were back.
He walked her to the clinic, letting her perch on his shoulder, but carrying a crate since she would still be drowsy on the way home and Rayla insisted she needed a crate to limit movement while she healed.
“Good morning,” Rayla said as they came through the door. “Ready?”
Crosshair didn’t respond but tried to smile.
“She’s going to do great. I even have my droid GHost ready to go, unless you aren’t comfortable with him assisting me.”
Crosshair simply shook his head that he didn’t mind. “I trust you.”
Rayla took Vaar’ika and the crate as Crosshair tried to decide if he wanted to sit or pace. Her experience said that getting this over with was the best plan. Her voice softened and she tried to reassure him.
“It won’t take long. I’ll make sure she has pain management and that she’s fully anesthetized, so she doesn’t feel anything during the procedure.”
He nodded and sat down.  Rayla took the tooka to the back to prepare her for surgery. GHost weighed her and drew the appropriate levels of medication. As the tooka went to sleep and Rayla shaved her belly, Crosshair could hear the calm way she addressed his little companion.
“Looks like you’re asleep already. Oxygen levels and heart rate are normal. Let’s begin.” It wasn’t long before Crosshair heard her say, “There’s that little uterus. Tiny thing. Already out. Let’s close.”
Crosshair started shaking but breathed through it. The adrenaline that was coursing through his system all morning had finally started to wear off and it left him feeling a bit dizzy. He sat back and focused on his breathing while he heard the woman he loved talking sweetly to Vaar’ika.  Not long after, Rayla reappeared with a sleepy tooka in the crate. Without thinking about it, Crosshair embraced her as he became overwhelmed with relief.
“She did great, love. She really did. She should heal up perfectly.”  Rayla went over care instructions and ended it with “She should stay in her crate as much as possible for the first week. No climbing or jumping. I used surgical glue that has some bacta in it so she will heal faster. Try to keep that cone on her so she doesn’t lick.” Crosshair nodded. “And comm me if anything comes up.”
Vaar’ika slept most of the day. She whined a bit at dinner time and Crosshair let her outside only long enough to relieve herself and then it was back inside before she could go exploring. She seemed like her normal self but was also pretty groggy. He ate in his room so he could watch her and made sure she took her medication and ate enough. That night, he knew he was supposed to let her sleep in her crate, but the drugs from earlier had worn off enough that she knew exactly where she was and didn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed to sleep in bed with him. She cried until he relented and purred as she snuggled up against him in his comfortable bed.
The next morning was the hardest. She felt an ache at the incision site and it clearly hurt her to move compared to yesterday, despite the pain medication. He tried not to think too hard about it, feeling unsure of when to ask for help and what was normal. She’d had surgery after all, it was impossible for her to feel completely healed in less than a single day.  He laid around the house with her, cuddling her close since that seemed to help her stay more comfortable. He was grumpier with his siblings, though. He tried to keep to himself, but once Omega and Wrecker started playing and making a bit of a racket, he took Vaar’ika to the clinic. He wasn’t sure exactly why he was going. He didn’t think it was an emergency, but knew Rayla would be done with her work, barring anything urgent. He sat in the waiting room and talked gently to the little ball of tired fluff laying in his arms. He rhythmically stroked her fur, but didn’t feel her usual happy purr.
“She okay,” Rayla asked, appearing as she finished cleaning up the exam room.
“Not sure,” Crosshair replied.
“Mind if I look?”
Crosshair handed the tooka over to Rayla who carefully turned her over.
“Looks like it’s healing fine. Don’t see any sign of infection. She might just be in a bit more pain than anticipated. I can give her an extra little med patch if you want to try that.”
Crosshair nodded. As Rayla retrieved a patch and cut it down to the right size, she asked, “What else is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have a lot on your mind and you look… gruff.”
He shook his head and let out a breath.  “Just worried about her and it’s loud at home.”
“Well, you’re welcome to have some quiet time here. I have some paperwork to do, some blood tests to analyze, and then I’m headed home. You’re welcome to join me if the two of you need a change of pace.”
Crosshair’s eyes warmed and he returned her familiar smile.  He sat back down and went back to petting Vaar’ika until she fell asleep. The patch seemed to help her feel better and by extension, he felt better.  Rayla worked nearby, looking through her datapad, taking inventory, and updating her notes as she went along. The rest of the day went by without a hitch. It was a good day when there were no major emergencies. She made sure her comm was on, knowing that some days no one needed her until she left for home. She packed up and walked home with Crosshair and Vaar’ika.  As they headed down the road, she broke the silence.
“She hasn’t slept in her crate, has she?”
Crosshair grinned almost shyly. “She’s used to sleeping with me. She stays still.”
“As long as she’s still. Don’t want her hurting her incision.”
The evening was perfectly quiet. They ate a simple meal and cleaned up together while Vaar’ika napped in the armchair. Later, they found themselves in bed together for the first time. Crosshair lifted his arm and pulled Rayla to his side. She laid an arm around his waist while Vaar’ika curled up in the crook of his neck. He felt his heartbeat syncing with Rayla’s. She smiled and kissed his cheek before she closed her eyes. They soaked in each other’s warmth and fell asleep.
97 notes · View notes
supercap2319 · 2 years
Text
Welcome Home
Derek Hale x Male Reader
Summary: Y/N finds a surprise when he returns home to Beacon Hills.
A/N: Based on the up coming film.
Tumblr media
Scott was looking out the window of Derek’s loft as he stared out over the city of Beacon Hills. He never imagined that he would be back here. This place has so many memories. Good ones and bad ones. He had moved to LA, and put his leadership role on the shelf, and was now working at a veterinarian's office while dealing with the complicated realities of being a human.
That all came crashing down when he found out Allison Argent was alive. His first love was back from the dead and he was going to need backup on how to handle it. Scott sighed as he put his head on the glass, the coolness of it calming his burning forehead.
His sense of peace was short-lived as he sensed another presence in the room as his eyes glowed red as he turned sharply and latched his hand around the throat of the intruder as he slammed them against a nearby wall. He roared in their face as the intruder shifted and quickly switched their positions as Scott was now pinned to the wall as the intruder squeezed a hand around his throat as he hissed in his face, fangs out and pointy.
“Y-Y-Y/N?” Scott asked in shock and hesitation.
Y/N laughed as he put his fangs away. “You may be my older brother, but I’m still stronger than you and can kick your Alpha ass.” Y/N let his brother go as the two embraced in a hug. It felt good to hug his brother once again. He’s been gone too long, and he missed him.
They pulled back as Y/N looked at Scott. “Wow, being a normal human looks good on you.”
“Thanks. How have you been? Did you find the person who turned you?”
Y/N had been a witch before he was turned into a vampire by an unknown person and he spent a couple of years traveling trying to find who did this to him. Now he was part witch, part vampire. Oh, the fun it’s been.
“I’ve been good. Though, in all my globe trotting, I haven’t found anything yet, but I will.”
“I’m sure you will,” Scott said.
“Thanks, bro,” Y/N smiled. “So… is everyone back?”
“Not everyone. Stiles is busy being an FBI agent, so he’s not going to be here. And neither is Kira. She’s been with the Skinwalkers. Lydia, Liam, Mason, Parrish, Peter, Mr. Stilinski, Chris, Jackson, and…Malia are here though.”
At the mention of Malia’s name, Y/N’s ears perked up. Last time he checked, they were still a couple. “Are you too still…?”
Scott rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s… complicated.”
“I’m sure it is. Speaking of complicated is… Derek here?” Y/N asked. The Hale that made his heart flutter. The Hale he gave his virginity to in high school.
Scott smiled gently. “He’s out back playing catch.”
Y/N frowned. “Catch? With who?”
“Guess you’ll have to go outside and find out.”
…..
Scott was right. Derek was indeed playing catch. With who? Y/N couldn't say. He was a young boy of 15 years of age and had long dark brown hair. He was shorter than Derek. The young boy threw the ball a bit too high as it sailed into the air. Y/N used his vampire speed and caught the ball in his hands upon its descent.
“Woah, nice catch, dude,” the boy said.
Y/N looked from the young boy with brown eyes to green emerald ones. Those eyes that Y/N loved so much. The eyes that made his heart melt. Derek freaking Hale’s eyes.
“Thanks.” Y/N tossed the ball back to the young boy.
Derek looked at him, a shocked look on his handsome features. “Y/N? You’re here.”
“Wait, this is Y/N?” the young boy said.
“Yup, he’s the one, Eli.” Derek confirmed.
“So, he’s the one that you’ve been moaning about?” Eli said. “The one you probably jerk off too in the shower.”
“ELI!” Derek blushed.
“Woah, we’ll talk about that one later, but first. Derek, who’s this?” Y/N asked the werewolf.
Derek sighed. “This, Y/N, is Eli Hale. My son.”
“Your son!” Y/N was shocked.
“I know. I’m amazing,” Eli jokes.
“H-H-How could this happen? I mean, I know how this can happen, but I was just curious.” Y/N would never have thought he’d see the day when he found out Derek Hale was a father.
“Eli’s mother and I… it’s… complicated, Derek said.
“I’m sure it is. Please tell me it’s not, Kate Argent,” Y/N said.
“Oh, God, no. Eli’s mother is so much better than her.”
“You guys must be very happy together.” Y/N tried not to sound disappointed, but what should’ve he excepted? That Derek was going to wait for him forever? He moved on and so had Y/N, and he couldn’t jeopardize his family.
Derek smiled softly, which was rare for him. He could sense Y/N’s disappointment. The bitter hot jealousy and anger. “Yeah, we were. We were happy together for a long time.”
“Were?”
“We ended things on good terms. We co-parent and I get custody of Eli. Lois thought it would be best if I helped him control his powers.”
“So, Lois knows about the supernatural? How’d she take it?” Y/N asked.
“Mom punched dad in the face when he showed her his wolf eyes,” Eli chuckled.
“Sounds like quite a woman. I’m sure she had her hands full with you.” Y/N grinned as Derek rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Y/N.”
A few rounds of catching the ball between the three of them, the two werewolves and hybrid, when inside to order pizza. Eli was ahead of them as Derek stopped Y/N. “Y/N?”
“Yeah, Hale?”
“I just wanted to say that… that… that I’m really glad you’re here. I missed you.” Derek blushed slightly and Y/N thought it was adorable. “I missed you too, Sour Wolf. And this time, I promise things will be different between us.”
“This time?” Derek looked at him, shocked.
“Yup. I let you get away from me once. I’m not letting you go again.” Y/N locked their hands together as he held them up to their eyes as the afternoon sun bathed them in golden light. Before Derek could respond, Y/N brought his head close to his own as he crashed their lips together in a nostalgic kiss. The way it used to feel kissing Derek underneath the bleachers during lacrosse practice. Over the way, they would make out in his car. Shirts off as they slowly build to ecstasy. Even here. The Hale loft had some memories as well.
Derek growled as he put his hands on Y/N’s waist to bring them even closer as they continued to kiss. Moans and groans escaped both their lips until they separated, both of them panting and cheeks flushed red. Y/N’s eyes were poking out as Derek’s eyes had turned an eerie blue.
“So… is that a yes?” Y/N said.
Derek’s eyes returned to normal as he looked at Y/N with want and desire as he kissed him again. This time slower and gentle, before pulling back. “What do you think?”
Y/N smiled as he hugged the older man as they broke apart and walked back into the loft, holding hands as they did.
431 notes · View notes
sammyhasspammy · 17 days
Text
Switcheroo Au: Branch
Tumblr media
Branch was born to the previous Queen and King of the Pop Trolls. His eldest brother, John Dory, was the current ruler of the trolls, and unfortunately, soon after his coronation, their grandmother, ex-Queen Rosiepuff, got eaten by a bergen. King JD realized that they couldn't keep living like this, so he hatched a plan to escape by digging tunnels under the tree in secret. During the escape, all the brothers make it, but their parents are lost in the process. The family is torn apart by the grief of the situation. Bruce, Clay, and Floyd run away, leaving John to raise Branch himself. The prince grew up to be the most fun-loving troll of Troll Village, always planning parties and helping every troll in need, even the ones that were "unhelpable" according to other trolls, like Poppy.
He never gave up on her, even after rejecting his party invitations hundreds- no, thousands of times. During the 20th celebration of their escape, he plans to host the biggest party troll kind has ever seen despite Poppy's protests. Unfortunately, things go awry when the bergen chefs, Chad and Todd, take several of their friends back to bergen town in hopes of regaining their honor. Branch goes out to save Smidge, the veterinarian; Chenille and Satin, the twin DJs; Suki, the fashion designer; Creek, the lovable one; Guy Diamond, the businessman; Darnell, the cool one; and Biggie, the serene one. Although Poppy thinks he'll fail, she joins him anyway. On their mission, they help Gristle, the scullery maid (butler?), win over Queen Bridget of the bergens. In an unexpected twist, Biggie sells out Troll Village to Chad and Todd. Despite this, they are able to free all of Troll Village while becoming friends with the bergens. John Dory, feeling as though he was inadequate as a king, partly because he blamed himself for losing their parents 20 years ago, now crowns Branch as king now that he is old enough to rule.
Sometime later, the trolls get an invitation from the rock queen Val Thundershock who plans to take over the world. With the help of some friends, they are able to defeat Queen Val while becoming friends with her and opening up the way for the troll tribes to live in harmony once more.
A month later, a stranger interrupts Queen Bridget and Gristle's wedding. The stranger turns out to be Poppy's father who came to inform Poppy that her sister, who she thought to be dead, was actually alive but captured by the duo Veneer and Velvet. Poppy is not confident in her and her father's ability to perform a family harmony, so she asks Branch and JD if they can perform the harmony. John reveals that they're not the only family they have, and Branch finds out that he has 3 other brothers he didn't know about. They go on an adventure to find them. The first stop is Floyd who now lives among the rock trolls and is in a band with Barb (Who is Val in this au), and Riff (Who is kinda like Blaze? idk yet), with Sid Fret (who is Demo) as their manager. Next is Bruce who found love with a giant puppet lady named Brandy (his backstory stays the same cause I can't... think of anything else, but feel free to recommend ideas!). They find Clay in an old abandoned golf course as one of the co-leaders of the putt-putt trolls. He is hesitant to go and almost forces his brothers to stay, but they escape and continue on their search to find Viva, hoping that the four of them can pull it off. Unfortunately, Poppy and Peppy have a fight that leads Poppy to run off and Branch joins her. They eventually make it to Mount Rageous to find that the other brothers and Peppy were also taken hostage. They try to save them without singing but fail to. Clay eventually catches up and tries to help, but it's clear that there's only one thing that'll save their families. Branch urges Poppy to take the lead in the family harmony because he never knew his brothers, but she knew her sister. She takes the lead and they are able to escape while putting Veneer and Velvet behind bars.
Brains storm post - Poppy - Viva
More content will be posted in my #switcheroo au tag! :D Feel free to send any questions or recommendations into my ask box!
Outfit Closeups
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
29 notes · View notes
sirianasims · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media
Chapter 19
Insurrection - Part 1
Re: Application letter to Foxbury – Biology with elective in Veterinary Science
Dear Dr. Gilscarbo, PhD. It is with great pleasure that I submit my application for the distinguished degree in Biology at Foxbury University.
Tumblr media
At present, I am finishing my studies at Newcrest High, and I have already secured several scholarships. My dream is to become a veterinarian and open my very own vet clinic. I feel that this would be the best way to combine my love for animals and my need to do good.
Tumblr media
As you may be aware, my mother and father also both attended Foxbury in their youth. My mother went on to become a great astrophysicist, responsible for recently reestablishing direct contact with our neighbours on Sixam.
Tumblr media
My father became a renowned lawyer. It is my firm belief that attending Foxbury will also put me on the path to greatness.
Tumblr media
For this essay, I have chosen to illustrate how animals have made a great difference in my life. I do not believe that I would be who I am today without my beloved childhood dog, Maggie, and the other pets in my life.
Tumblr media
To understand what Maggie meant to me, let me first take you back to my early childhood. When my grandfather died, my entire family was understandably distraught, and my parents decided to adopt a young pitbull from a shelter. The dog immediately sensed that I, a toddler at the time, needed her protection, and she was always by my side.
Tumblr media
Maggie and I grew up together, and she became my trusty companion, sleeping next to my bed every night, and waiting for me when I came home from school.
Tumblr media
She was also by my side on the night that changed both my life and Sixam relations forever.
Tumblr media
I had gone to bed while my older brother was out with some friends, but I wasn’t asleep yet when I heard him come home. I also heard unfamiliar voices and my mother’s excited screams of disbelief.
Tumblr media
I climbed out of bed, and went out in the hall, where I saw my parents and my brother – with two people I didn’t yet know.
Tumblr media
Of course, my mother had told me about her adventures on Sixam, but this was their first visit back in over a decade.
Tumblr media
After a brief introduction, my father tried to put me back to bed, but I couldn’t sleep.
Tumblr media
I was scared because I knew that these people, who looked like my brother, could only have come to take him away.
Tumblr media
My father tried to explain everything to me. He and my mother had been anticipating this for years.
Tumblr media
He told me that Daniel’s biological father on Sixam was very ill and never had any other children.
Tumblr media
It was important for my brother to go to Sixam and learn whatever he could while his father still lived, so he could take over his seat on the council.
Tumblr media
As the first hybrid in a position of power at Sixam, my parents were worried for his safety, but his uncle, Tomnu, promised to keep him safe.
Tumblr media
My mother, who had recently made the first breakthroughs in wormhole technology, suggested that she could go with them, to set up matching technology on Sixam, so direct communication, and perhaps later even travel, might become possible.
Tumblr media
My father immediately asked to talk to her in private. He would not allow her to leave, and this was the first time I ever heard my parents have a serious fight.
Tumblr media
I heard their loud voices through the wall, my father arguing that my mother couldn’t leave us, that he couldn’t lose her, and my mother crying, afraid to let her oldest son go alone. Again, Maggie comforted me.
Tumblr media
I am happy that my mother decided to stay, and instead teach the Sixams as much as possible, so that they could set up the other portal on Sixam. If she had left, she might not have come back. My brother still has not.
beginning / previous / next
28 notes · View notes
thisisthinprivilege · 6 months
Text
A Long Talk About Growing Up & Living In A Larger Body (as well as a smaller body).
::Trigger warning - abuse, eating disorders and weight loss/gain ::
I grew up relatively aware of thin privilege, though I didn't have a label for it until recently. I spent the first 8 years of my life skinny, but my mother has always had a struggle with her weight and has been gaining and losing in that endless cycle since long before I was born, and has struggled with bulimia since she was in middle school in the 60's. She tried her best not to pass on any issues with food to me, but it never occurred to her that I would internalize how she thought of and spoke about her own body. Her attempts were also complicated by the fact that she tended to share too many of her struggles with me. She would talk about how my Dad's business partner didn't like her hanging around the animal hospital (my dad is a veterinarian). She told me that he said to some of the employees that "he doesn't know how Dave (my dad) stands it" in reference to my mom's weight. There was also someone at church that told my dad once that he basically got shafted when it came to his wife's looks. Thankfully, my father is a wonderful man and told the man that he thought my mom was gorgeous and to NEVER speak like that about her to him again. I loved that my Dad had said that, but I also figured out very, very young that fat meant everyone thought you were ugly and horrible and disgusting and that your life basically ended when you gained weight and started again when you lost. 
I myself started gaining weight toward the beginning of my 9th year. In all honesty,  I was mainly just hitting an early puberty, but since it was so early and my mother wasn't in a place to reassure me that what my body was doing was normal, I started to pathologize it right away - especially when I got asked by an older girl how much I weighed and when I looked to her for reassurance she just shrugged and said 'yeah, you're probably fat." That was my first experience of that awful worthless & ugly feeling I get when someone says those dreaded "you're fat" words, and when I told my mom she just said unconvincingly "no, sweetie, you're not fat." The problem is, I had already started getting told by people how much I looked like my mother, and well...if she thought her body was so disgusting, and my body was starting to look like hers, how could mine not be disgusting, too?  There are a number of other factors that played into the beginning of an 'Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified"- the sexual abuse that occurred the previous two years, my family joining a cult that took me out of school (it was a Christian homeschool-based group) and prohibited girls from being too active (while simultaneously being obsessed with girls not being too fat) and my mother going through a period of intense depression that left me largely on my own much of the time, with none of my old now-not-Christian-enough friends to keep me company...so food started to be the best distraction. Since then, I've gained weight and lost weight in the cycle most (maybe all?) of us go through, and have found that it's so much easier to be fat positive when you're thinner.  I think the most difficult thing for me is the clothes. I'm 5 feet tall, and have yet to find one SINGLE plus size clothing item that isn't inches and inches too long for me. I'm right on the edge of straight sizes and plus sizes, but I can only comfortably wear an XL height-wise, which means I can only wear clothing cut to be very loose and stretchy. When I was a size 0, 2, 4, 6, 10, 12...(you get the idea) I could go to cute used clothing boutiques and spend $100 and get an entire season's clothing items, all of which made me feel so good about myself and got endless compliments from strangers. Now, it's t-shirt and stretchy jeans land, and I'm in that invisible too-fat-to-be-pretty, too-thin-to-be-stared-at place, and though I'm intensely aware of just how much privilege I have being able to squeeze into a size 16, fly comfortably and know that chairs will always be big enough, I still walk around in constant shame. It's almost worse that I spent a number of years being actually "thin." (Although i spent that entire time obsessing about every single bite I took, asking anyone that I knew well enough if I had just eaten too much and if they thought I was gaining weight again.) Now I've gained probably 50lbs, and I don't know how to love my body. I don't know how to stand that automatic I'm-lower-in-status-than-the-thin-girls. I don't know how to stand the I-to-feel-so-great-about-myself thing, and the compliments that don't exist anymore. 
I broke my ankle 3 years ago - a really bad break from twisting my ankle while wearing stilettos - and that's when I noticed the lack of thin privilege the most. It started with when I woke up from surgery (I needed two plates and 3 huge screws to put my ankle back together because I basically just broke my foot off the bottom of my leg) and in the haze of the warm fuzzy feeling of waking up from anesthesia, the nurse with me said "Hey, sweetie, do you mind if I give you a little advice?" I was curious and absolutely clueless about what she might say so I said of course...and she said "Well, just make sure you don't gain any more weight, OK?"  I don't know if you've ever woken up from anesthesia, but you're in a very vulnerable place emotionally, so I just started to sob as soon as they wheeled me away from her (I didn't want her to see me crying). I cried big, ugly sobs all the way upstairs and when I got to my hospital room where my best friend, mother, and girlfriend were waiting for me I just cried even harder. The hospital attendants didn't know what to make of it, but my partner immediately asked me what was wrong and I told her what the lady had said (though it took a few tries because none of them could understand me at first, I was crying so hard.) My partner - who is very fat-positive - went storming downstairs and spoke (well, I think yelled-at is more accurate) the nurse, telling her that I had an eating disorder and I had been working very hard on self image, etc etc, but my self esteem has never gotten back to where it was beforehand. Following that, I had a visiting nurse tell me that it was my fault that I broke my ankle because I was too fat to wear high heels - even though I told him that the heel of my stiletto had been coming off the shoe and I got it caught in a crack in the pavement.)
Around the same time I had a roommate that was naturally very skinny, though she ate about as healthily as I did. She had the audacity to tell me that she thought it was JUST AS HARD to be too skinny as to be "too fat." I just looked at her, stunned. This, coming from the girl that bragged to me about all the times she's been asked to model, or has modeled, for people. The girl that everyone asks out, that can find clothes the second she walks into virtually any clothing store. But yeah, sure, it's totally just as difficult...even though you have no idea what it's like to be told that your serious injury is your own fault because you're too fat to wear what you were wearing. I tried to explain thin privilege to her, how everyone she sees on TV is her size, that people my size are portrayed as stupid, lazy, ugly, dirty, etc, but people her size get cast as "the beautiful ones." 
Then there's the therapist issue that someone else mentioned. They all seem so clueless about how to help me. When I tell them "I don't want to loose weight; I just want to love myself no matter what size I am" they say "OK! So how do you think you can eat healthier?" "How can we get you to move your body?" It's like, I pay you $100 a week for you to LISTEN to me. Did you not even hear my last friggen sentence? If I lose weight, I'll still be just as obsessed, I'll be unhappy all the time, worrying about whether or not I'm going to gain weight again. I don't want to be that way, so please, help!"  So...I keep going onto blogs like this and reading books about fat acceptance and try to tell myself that my worth isn't tied up in my weight and neither is my beauty, but how do you keep that up when the entire world undermines it? I can't even watch movies or TV without encountering the "well she gained weight so now she's ugly" or "she's ugly cuz she's fat" (etc etc) idea. I've spent a months at a time feeling good about myself, but it's just seemed to evaporate in the past 3 months or so, and I don't know how to get it back. I want to scream a giant "F-YOU!" at the world and wear bikinis and tank tops and shorts and feel great doing it, but I feel like I've tried everything and can't let go of my intense insecurity. I've missed a dear, lifelong friend's wedding because I felt fat. I never leave the house, and I never ever hang out with people that haven't seen me since I've gained weight. It seems to dictate my entire life, and I don't know how to get it to let go of me...or how to get myself to let go of it. So I guess I'll keep talking about it, keep reading about it and try to surround myself with supportive people and images, and be comforted by the fact that all of you are out there, and you know how it feels, and we're in this together.  <3 
37 notes · View notes
shi-daisy · 6 months
Text
Mutual Obsession
Hello everyone! Welcome back to WaveWave Week! I'm excited to be seeing everyone's awesome creations and ready to bring ya some of mine. Today we have some fluffy smut that Tumblr writing limit made me cut a lot off, but hey it was still fun to write. Hope you all like it!
WaveWave Week- Day 1- Obsession
Mutual Obsession
Shockwave didn't know how he ended up in such a situation but he wouldn't dare question it anymore.
The day was meant to be spent working in the lab, but here he was, lying on his bed as Soundwave used his tentacles to keep him pinned and writhing in pleasure.
No one had known of his obsession with the former gladiator, but he'd been craving an interaction like this for millennia.
It started as a mere curiosity of course. Soundwave was the only one to match their leader in physical prowess and he had the trust of the mech. He wasn't just strong however, Soundwave was also intelligent. Upon his return he'd heard from the others how clever Soundwave was and even saw him in action in the field. Yet, the strong and smart mech did not seem to want any more power nor recognition. He silently took note of everything that happened on the Nemesis, did his duties, and kept silent. It was fascinating to see, and soon Shockwave's fascination for the mech grew.
He thought this was just scientific research, that once he found a logical explanation for Soundwave's silence and his formidable skills he would be satisfied. But soon he found himself staring at him for much longer, enjoying the man's presence even if they were just going over files or discussing strategies.
He longed to spend time with him, to see him without the mask, to place his hands upon the body he'd studied and grown so fascinated by. Or maybe just hearing his voice would be enough. Maybe that would satiate this growing need.
Things came to a head as the purple-haired man was clearing up the lab before Soundwave arrived. Apparently, the Autobots had done a number on Lazerbeak and the poor bird needed a check-up. Despite not being a veterinarian he knew enough to check the critter and spend some time in the spymaster's company.
"Their distress is mostly mental, the wounds are surface level and shall heal in a few days, for now just keep an eye on-"
Before he could finish the sentence the bird escaped his grasp, smacked a shelf above them which caused him to get covered in a clear chemical, and flew out the door. Soundwave stopped him from chasing Lazerbeak. He probably knew just where he'd go.
Shockwave nodded and went over to the lab sink to try and wash the mess over him. He was lucky the chemical wasn't acidic. 'Just what did I get on myself?!'
He wouldn't have to wait long for the answer, as it only took a few minutes for effects to kick and his pale skin to turn red and warm to the touch, Shockwave felt a surge of heat take hold of his body and internally cursed. Hoping that Lazerbeak didn't spill the aphrodisiacs he used on the prediction lizards for breeding.
"I don't think anyone has kept such detailed information of me since the senate."
That deep rich voice nearly made him faint. He turned around to see Soundwave studying some files he found. His files, that Shockwave was supposed to be put away before he got here yet he forgot.
The spymaster still had his mask on but turned to look at him. A mischievous emoji was smirking as he put down the files.
"I…didn't think you'd ever read that."
"I'm glad I did," Soundwave said as he walked towards him.
Shockwave instinctively backed into the wall, Soundwave cornered him there, placing his hand upon his face, brushing away the purple locks that covered his eyepatch, and looking at him directly. "Do you have any idea how badly I've wanted to taste you for all these centuries?"
Had the chemicals not made him turn red he would've blushed even more after hearing that. "You've been obsessed with me as well?" Shockwave asked in his haze.
Soundwave chuckled, it was a gorgeous sound. "You've never noticed? If not for my duties I would spend my days chasing you from dusk to dawn."
He smiled feeling a little lightheaded. Soundwave picked him up and carried him to his room, adjacent to the lab. The spymaster locked the door before gently sitting him down on the bed.
"How do you feel?"
"Happy but also like I'm overheating," Shockwave admitted.
Soundwave nodded. He probably knew what was in those chemicals from the looks of it. "I shall take care of you then."
Shockwave gasped upon hearing those words. He didn't expect the spymaster to take off his mask. His hands trembled as he reached for it, and quickly removed it.
He was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. His dark blue hair fell perfectly upon his face, his eyes were deep purple and he had full lips that looked like they were made to be kissed. The only unusual thing about him was a large scar across that gorgeous face. It went diagonally from his left eye to the right side of his chin. Shockwave didn't care, that he had a scar, though he worried about how his beloved got such a mark.
"It was during my days as a gladiator. We didn't have good medical care…Is it a problem? I can put the mask back on."
"Don't you dare! You're even more beautiful than I've ever imagined."
Soundwave smiled, relieved to hear those words as he crashed his lips against Shockwave's. They fell backward on the fluffy mattress as the scientist gently yet desperately tried to undress the spymaster.
"So eager. I love that about you."
"What else?"
"I love your wicked mind. Don't know how far we would've gotten without you." Soundwave told him as he undressed him. "I love your voice, it's rich and soothing but authoritative. Makes me want to be at your mercy." He whispered in his ear as Shockwave shivered. "I love how gorgeous you are. Primus, you're an absolutely beautiful man."
Shockwave blushed intensely at those words. He never considered himself an attractive man, but if Soundwave said it, maybe he could come to believe it.
Once he was laid bare underneath the spymaster, Shockwave could feel the intensity of his gaze as he summoned the trendiest that he had used in battle. "Your notes mused of what other uses I had for these, want me to show you?"
He could only nod as he felt Soundwave's tentacles slowly wrap all over him. One was around his neck, two of them around his legs prying them open, another was waiting at his lips, eager to be let in, and the last one would prepare him before Soundwave fucked him.
The spymaster chuckled, desire overtaking his gaze, as he groaned in delight at the view before him. He marveled at the sounds that left the scientist's mouth, even if he had it full. The red eye had been shut, as Shockwave was in pure bliss, enjoying what he'd craved for so long.
Even without the aphrodisiacs, he would've been insatiable. Soundwave really knew how to make him scream. He could only grip the sheets as the movements got more erratic and the spymaster began kissing down from his neck to his chest.
"Tell me Shockwave, is this your first time?"
He gasped at that question. Shockwave didn't think it was so obvious. Soundwave smirked as he retracted his tendrils and took the scientist in his arms.
"What an honor to be your first."
Shockwave sighed. "What about you? You know what you're doing, who came before me?"
Soundwave was taken aback by the question, still, he chuckled and pulled Shockwave close. "Those were mere faceless nobles that wanted a gladiator for the thrill. You'd be the first I claim willingly. The first one I'd make love to."
Shockwave wrapped his arms around Soundwave's neck. "I'm sorry you were hurt like that. I'll make sure to heal that ache, and make you feel good."
True to his word Shockwave kissed him deeply as Soundwave entered him in one thrust. The discomfort was menial since he'd prepared him well, yet he was gentle in his movements.
He kissed Soundwave's pretty face, his neck, and his chest, and he ran his hands gently all over him not leaving an inch untouched. "This. I've wanted this for so long. You don't know how badly I've wanted you!"
Soundwave kissed him again, leaving markings on the scientist's neck. "As have I darling. From now on you're mine, now and forever."
"Yes!"
He lost count of how many times they did it, but when exhaustion took over, the sun had set down and all he could do was lay down by the side of his dear spymaster.
"Satisfied?" Soundwave asked with a flirty grin.
"Very much so. You?"
"Mmm, I'll be fine until tomorrow."
"And here I thought you were a controlled professional man."
"There's a lot you know about me darling, but a lot more that you don't. And I can't wait to show you. And to savor you as well."
Shockwave smiled. Satisfied to know that the object of his love and obsession was finally at his mercy. He looked forward to the hours of kisses and study that awaited them.
25 notes · View notes
chronicallycouchbound · 9 months
Text
What’s So Wrong With Having Heroes?
When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a doctor or a veterinarian. I wanted to help heal. And even as a small child, it felt like my calling.
Most kids dream of becoming a hero. The firefighters, the builders, the astronauts. The one’s who get medals and standing ovations. There’s many very monetarily successful movies and comics about all the superheroes we dream of. The people we want to save us. At one point, I thought I could be a hero. I wanted to be.
Being a hero wasn’t an issue for me though. People started to notice acts of kindness in me, and when they held that in high regard, I did too. I did everything I could to help others. It came naturally.
I bandaged my siblings and pets and strangers up. I gave advice like a wise old man, my aunt thanked me for helping her to leave her abusive husband when I was 8. I saved two people from drowning when I was 10. I talked friends out of suicide a dozen times. I became a street medic. I have saved dozens of lives, often under extraordinary circumstances. By definition, I fit the one for ‘hero’.
And I have so many issues with it. This isn’t a humble brag.
I genuinely think that we, as a society, put certain people on pedestals that shouldn’t be. I don’t think anyone should be. The hierarchy of heroes is inequitable and unrealistic. I think we should do the right thing because it’s the right thing, not to win an award or a badge of honor.
I see headlines all the time that are just ‘hero firefighter does their job!’. They’re paid to do this, of course they’re going to do it. As an abolitionist, I see cops hailed as heroes, usually for doing the objectively right thing, and it seems to magically erase the realities of what they do, the systemic harm they perpetuate. It’s the entirety of the ‘there’s some good cops’ narrative. And it causes great detriment to our communities because it makes it seem like the police do more good than bad.
Society particularly loves to paint white, cishet, abled, rich, educated, affluent men as heroes. The ones who can save us. Our hero.
And yet we ignore the people who are saving lives left and right, like people who use drugs who Narcan their friends. Or trans youth who stay up all night with their suicidal friends. Or the street medics who set up civilian ambulances for their under-served and neglected communities.
No one’s giving them medals.
Beyond that, people aren’t checking in on heroes. I’ve heard “you’re incredible!” and “thank you” a million times, but rarely do people genuinely check in on me after I’ve rescued someone.
And I usually need it. I’m at my worst mentally and usually physically after a rescue. It often takes months or years to process those events— they are traumatic for the rescuer too. Especially those of us without formal training or those of us who have attempted to rescue someone and lost them. We’re left to drift among all of these confusing and conflicting emotions, sometimes never understanding why.
The worst thing I hear: “I could NEVER do what you did”. It breaks me apart every time.
I don’t want to be doing this alone. I don’t want to have to save people over and over. I can’t save everyone.
I have to repeat that last one like a mantra sometimes.
I can’t save everyone. And so often, I still try to. I jump in without thinking. I throw myself into danger and worry about myself last, or, never. And it usually ends with me being seriously injured.
When I’d bandage up my siblings and pets it was after our parents hit us. I stepped in front of them as often as I could. I swallowed so much water while trying to save someone from drowning because they kept pulling me under that I puked. My 20-something-year-old boyfriend I dated when I was 16 stabbed me with the knife I had just talked him out of cutting himself with. He went on to keep caving my face in and choking me until I was blue. And of course, I’ve been seriously injured dozens of times during rescues. My body physically hurts so much afterwards, let alone the emotional toll.
I have to wonder: What would happen if I didn’t step in? Would it be so bad?
But of course, my brain always answers with a thousand of the worst case scenarios— or, just with what happened anyways. Sometimes people die no matter how much you try to fight to save them. And that has to just be what it is.
I think sometimes people live, and that just has to be what it is too.
But when we ascribe people as heroes, the message we send is that some people are heroes, some people aren’t. And I feel so strongly that this isn’t true. I believe that everyone has the capacity to help others, and so often, they do so in seemingly insignificant ways, and their deeds are not recognized.
Small acts of kindness are never small.
Life saving happens in everyday, ordinary ways. Sometimes what has saved my life has been something the other person will never remember or know. The Christmas cards from the elementary schoolers sent to the homeless shelter I lived at. The partners and friends who sat with me until I was safe on my own. My friends who held my hand as my heart beat dangerously fast, their presence being all I could feel, replacing the tightness in my chest. My cat cuddling me, purring until she snores. Strangers holding doors, strangers carrying my groceries, strangers checking on me. The dozens of items from my Amazon wishlists that have kept me alive.
I wish I could say how thankful I am to the community that’s kept me alive. How every time they’ve called me a hero, it’s because they made me possible. That they’re a hero just as much as I am.
I read ‘Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (And The Next)’ by Dean Spade recently. In it, Dean describes “leader-less and leader-full” movements. It’s exactly what we need in the world. Hero-less and hero-full communities. We don’t need a select few— we need communities and societies structured around giving care. We need it to be standard, not extraordinary.
Personal responsibility can lead to community responsibility. We could have thriving, beautiful communities where we all care for each other so fully that no one single person is a savior, because we are all uplifted equitably.
I urge everyone I know to be more like the heroes they uplift. To think about what values they hold in high regard in others and to apply them to their own actions. To be what they already are, and acknowledge it.
You’re included.
38 notes · View notes
boypeggers · 3 months
Text
rainy days
Tumblr media
pairing: bunny!armin x reader
wc: 1.7k
tags: angst but not like the “SOBBING MY HEART OUT SJSBDJSJ KMSSSS” kind. tiny fluff at the end i think idk
rainy days comfort you on your worst days but you think you’re finding new source of comfort in the hybrid you saved
warnings: mentions of blood but no graphic details
a/n: this is just something i wanted to write cause i was bored. it’s not that good but if you would like me to continue w this lmk!!
the rain outside makes me feel a little better about my day. i’ve always loved the rain, but there’s something about packing up my things to go home to the sound of the rain. it has always bought me comfort. being a hybrid veterinarian is hard work and the sound of rain has always found a way to make my day better. after a day like this one, i needed this.
today, we got one of the worst cases of hybrid abuse i’ve seen. he came to us beaten bloody so much that it made me stomach turn. after we were done working on him. i had to go to the bathroom so my coworkers wouldn’t see me cry. you would think after working in this field after a few years. k would be used to this type of stuff but it never gets easier.
a knock on the door startles me out of my daydream. it sounds panicked. i cant see throught the glass doors because the blinds are down. i have no idea who could be knocking at this time of night. i look down at my watch.
11:00 PM
i start to walk slowly around my desk to the door. As i get closer there’s three more knocks
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
then, i hear a weak plee.
“please, open the door. i need help.. please.” a weak voice calls out.
do they know someone is in here? i find myself becoming a little scared but nonetheless i take a deep breath and finally open the door. a body tumbles over to my feet from leaning against the door.
i let out a small startled gasp. their face hidden behind the large black hoodie that they’re wearing. i bend down to get a closer look & move the hood from their face. it’s a man but not just any man.
“a hybrid?” i whisper.
a bunny hybrid to be exact. bunny hybrids aren’t uncommon but i’ve never seen one so large but that’s not the problem right now. he needs help. he’s unconscious and has bruises scattered across his face. i try to shake him awake because i’m not very confident i can carry him in myself but he doesn’t budge.
“here goes nothing i guess.” i huff as i try to calculate how i’m going to carry him inside.
i decide to reach behind him and slide my arms under his. i drag him as gently as i can to the back room so that i can have a closer look at his injuries. i somehow managed to put him across the metal table in the middle of the operating room.
i start by unzipping his hoodie that he’s wearing. As i finish unzipping it, i notice blood pooling onto his white ratty shirt. o let out a small gasp. i don’t know how I didn’t notice this earlier. i start panicking slightly because i’m not sure how much blood he’s lost yet.
“calm down, y/n.” i say, as i take a few deep breaths.
i remove his shirt and start working on treating all the wounds that i can.
i sit down with a huff at my desk. i look down at my watch.
2:00 AM
i don’t even think i should even go home now. i have a hybrid who probably doesn’t even know where he is in the back and when he wakes up i need to be here. who knows when that’ll be. he lost quite a lot of blood but thankfully it wasn’t too much to the point he needed a blood transfusion. he should recover quickly especially with his hybrid genes.
i was just about to start finishing up some of the paper work i was packing up before i got that knock on my door but i hear something fall from the operating room the hybrid was in.
i stand up and starting to slowly make my way back to not startle him even more than he probably already was. Once i enter the room i see him backed away from the table into a corner holding a scalpel out toward me. i hold my arms up to my chest to show him i’m not a threat but i don’t think that helps.
“hey, it’s okay. i- i’m here to help.” i say in a shaky breath.
he doesn’t change his position. he still seems tense as i try to comfort him into putting the scalpel down. this isn’t something new, i have been in this same exact position many times before and honestly i don’t blame any of the hybrids that have done this. a lot of them have no reason to trust humans. i would honestly do the same if i’ve been through some of the things they have.
“i’m just here to help.” i repeat.
i point to my badge that i’m wearing on my scrubs. “see, i helped you. i’m a vet here.” i give a small smile. “i even patched up a few of your wounds. you knocked on the door as i was getting ready to leave but when i opened the door you were unconscious.”
i try to stare directly into to his eyes so that he can see that i’m being sincere and honest but it’s hard because his eyes are darting all over the room.
“what city are we in?” he questions softly
“we’re in boston.”
he visibly relaxes a bit and he finally lets the scalpel hit the floor. “i need to leave.” he tries to rush toward the door.
“wait, you still need a couple days to heal.” i try to reason with him. “you could even stay here for a couple days.”
“no, i need to leave now. it’s not safe for me to be here.” he pleads.
“why, we can protect you here. no one knows you’re here.” i reason. “whoever you’re running from doesn’t know you’re here.”
he scoffs and shakes his head. “i’m not running from anyone. i just can’t be here.”
“why can’t you? we can keep you safe here.” i know it’s not my place to beg him to stay especially if he doesn’t feel safe but he’s hurt.
“why would I ever feel safe here.. with humans who do things like this to me.” he looks down at his waist where the bandage lays.
that’s true. why would ever feel safe with me or any other human. he has no reason to believe the words coming from my mouth.
“you’re right. you have absolutely no reason to believe that I’ll keep you safe.” i say looking down at the ground. then, i get possibly the dumbest idea I’ve had all year.
“okay, what if you come to my house for a couple of days. absolutely no one will know.”
“why would I do that?” he questions. “i have no idea if you have any ulterior motives.”
“i swear i don’t. i just want to help you.” i look into his eyes.
“why are you doing this? why you want to help me so bad.” he says this as he brushes his hand through his hair.
i actually don’t know why i want to help him so bad. Of course i always want to help my patients and i will always want what’s best for them but this feels.. different. maybe it’s because of what I witnessed earlier today. that hybrid that came in today broke something inside of me and deep inside i felt guilty. guilty because i felt like k couldn’t help them enough. i obviously helped heal their wounds but i could never heal that trauma that will live on with them for the rest of their lives.
“i- i don’t know. i just do.” i sigh. “you can leave after a couples days. when your wounds heal.” i point to his side. the side i patched up. i notice he’s been wincing in pain and holding his side gently as we sat here talking. there’s no way he’ll be able to make it far if he decides to leave on his own.
“okay, i’ll leave with you.”
-
. after coming home last night i got the spare room in my small apartment ready for him and after that i haven’t seen him.
it’s now 1pm the next day and i took the day off of work just to see how he’ll adjust. i know hybrids can have a hard time adjusting to new places and even if he’s only going to be here a couple of days. i still want him to be as comfortable as possible.
i would be worried even more if i hadn’t been setting food outside of his door and seeing it disappear. i’m glad to know that he’s at least eating well.
i honestly don’t know what i was thinking last night. maybe it was because i was severely sleep deprived but i just felt a strong urge to help him. i couldn’t just leave him there and now i feel a big weight on my shoulders now that there’s another presence in my apartment.
-
as the day passes the suns eventually goes down and i find myself placing dinner at the door. i find myself feeling a little disappointed he didn’t come out today but i also understand. a new place can be scary and he doesn’t even know me.
after, i place the food at his door i start to walk away . his door cracks open and we make eye contact. i just give him a small smile and i continue to walking away but his voice stops me.
“is there anyway i could have more vegetables?” he questions in a small voice.
as soon as i hear the question leave his mouth i instantly feel bad and honestly quite dumb. as a hybrid veterinarian, i should’ve known he would like a mostly green diet. his human side still needs other nutrients but he would mostly crave vegetables.
“oh, of course. we can go get some out the kitchen if you want.”
he doesn’t say anything just picks up the plate i sat on the ground and makes his way towards me. as we make our way over the to the kitchen, he speaks up again.
“my name is armin by the way” he states nervously.
i take it in with a smile and i respond with my name.
13 notes · View notes
relentlessescapism · 2 years
Text
Warning: A Very Anti-Rucas/Pro-Lucaya Rant!
Hi, hello! I was bored on tiktok and went down a rabbit hole of Rucas shippers and saw a particular video that said Maya Hart was a terrible friend to Riley for how the whole triangle situation went and a lot of the comments are agreeing and hating on Maya, so naturally, I came here to rant about the whole argument and why they are WRONG (in my opinion obviously pls don't come at me I am terrified of confrontation thanks)!!! It’s going to be long so don’t proceed to read under the break if you don’t agree with the title! 
The tiktok basically said that Maya was:
trying to insert herself into Rucas and steal Lucas from Riley
acting like she was "protecting" Riley by liking Lucas
selfish and ruining her best friend's "relationship"
And they were clearly wrong, so here are my attempts to refute these claims(because I went to a debate camp twice and failed both times, effectively leading me to believe that I’d never win a debate in my life for being unable to sound coherent when met with a point I strongly disagree with):
1. She was absolutely not trying to "steal" Lucas from Riley or insert herself into their relationship. Maya never acted on her feelings for Lucas. She tried her best to hide her feelings underneath her teasing and pushing. She pushed him towards Riley CONSTANTLY. She pushed her on the subway, on their first date, in ski lodge. When has she not pushed them together? She’s never inserted herself into their “relationship” for her own personal gain, it was always for Riley’s gain. Or Lucas’s. 
Plus, Lucas wasn’t only Riley’s to be “stolen”. Even in season one, there were some moments where Lucas showed his feelings for Maya. Different feelings from the ones he had for Riley. He liked both of them for different reasons and even in Girl Meets First Date, he openly contemplates asking both of them out. 
2. She was not “protecting” Riley by liking Lucas. 
Maya and Riley never liked Lucas in the same way. 
Riley liked him because he was a perfect face with a nice backstory that would be the perfect person to crush on. He was her knight in shining armor. He wanted to be a veterinarian. The perfect hero in her story. Riley wanted a love to parallel Corpanga’s; she would meet a boy early in her school years, he’d be her first crush, they’d be inseparable ever since. They’d end up married and Lucas is a nice boy and her first crush and wants nice things and who better than the nicest girl in school to make him better? So he went with it. He’s a fantasy to her and she realizes it when they talk about fantasies in ski lodge. 
Maya liked him for his actual personality. She liked him for who he was. Lucas is her friend. He cares about his friends. He’s nice. He’s selfless. He inspires her to be herself despite her difficult past. He’s had a difficult past too and she sees it for what it is. Growth. She loves him for all his sides — even the rougher one that he might not be able to grow out of just yet.  She doesn’t care though. She sees him for who he is. An actual person who has life struggles and becomes better from them and cares about others. 
Maya was never “protecting” Riley by liking him when she didn’t even like Lucas the same way Riley did. Riley liked him for who he became after moving to NY, Maya liked him for who he used to be and who he wants to be now. 
Plus, the overall point is that Josh told Maya she was “protecting” Riley by liking him. Josh, who has seen Maya and Riley interact with Lucas maybe twice in his life and decided to tell her she didn’t actually like a boy that wasn’t him. Maya never believed whatever he was saying was true either. She used it as a cover after realizing that there was no way she could cost Riley her happiness with Lucas just because she liked Lucas, too. The people who meant the most to her(Riley, Josh, Topanga, Cory) never believed Maya could like Lucas. They made her think she wasn’t being herself and they’d never accept that she liked Lucas because that’s who she was now. So she gave up. She pretended to stop liking Lucas to preserve her friendship with Riley and Riley’s happiness and pretended it was because she was trying to “protect” Riley. Plus, she didn’t get a terrible deal out of it— the boy she’d had a fantastical crush on had finally admitted that he’d want to be with her someday and she got a little consolation prize for giving up on the boy she really liked.
3. Maya was never selfish. Ever. The only instance that shows how “selfish” she was throughout the entire show was in Girl Meets Bear when Maya just wanted a damn taco and asks Riley, “what if, just this one time I can not be the supportive friend” and Riley immediately guilt trips her into helping her find the bear. 
Especially during this triangle, she let it go on because she was vulnerable and didn’t know what to do. Liking boys, especially Lucas who likes her back, too, is new and scary and hard. She just started giving into her hopes for a better life, becoming a better person, actually trying and is struggling to navigate her role with her friends while trying to be who she wants to be. She cares where this goes so of course she’s going to take the opportunity Riley gives her —by the way— to explore a relationship with him. Riley outed her feelings when Maya never wanted her to—her feelings coming out was because of Riley, not Maya’s doing. Then at the campfire, Lucas pushed her into admitting her feelings. She didn’t want to talk about it and he pushed her because he likes her too.  
As soon as Maya realized that Riley was never going to stop liking Lucas and was going to get seriously hurt because of it, Maya let go. Maya pushed Lucas back to Riley. In Girl Meets Upstate, she tells Lucas he chose Riley. She tells him. And look at Lucas’ face after. He was going to choose Maya. 100%. She didn’t have to push Riley this time, she had to push Lucas. She had to push Lucas to Riley, who she wanted to be happy forever.  
...
If this didn’t make sense, oops. I was absolutely dumbfounded that someone would say this about Maya Hart, the cutiest girl in the world, and I wanted to quickly express how much they were wrong (once again, in mY opinion).
I know they’re all kids and Riley and Farkle didn’t really know what they were doing when they tried to steer the triangle in certain directions, but it hurt Maya beyond repair to the point where her walls went back up and she couldn’t be who she wanted to be in front of the people she cared the most about. It was heartbreaking to watch and I probably can’t be convinced that Maya was at fault during this triangle situation at all. I watched this show in my formative years and being a Maya Hart/Lucaya stan is engrained in my soul. 
194 notes · View notes
drafthorsemath · 22 days
Text
Tooka Dad (Retcon'd with Batcher)
Crosshair x Veterinarian OC Rayla
Word Count: 6.606k
Warnings: None really – Fluff, new relationship, cuddling, bed sharing. Brief descriptions of a stray animal in need of medical attention, TLC, and spaying. Brief mentions of Crosshair’s medical trauma / tomophobia.
A/N: This came to my brain and now it’s words. I don’t know what else to say about it. No description of Rayla’s appearance outside of her being fem and using she/her pronouns.  I'm reposting because I love Batcher and now she's included in the story. Season 3 Episode 5 really pushed me over the edge. Batcher loves Crosshair so much. Thank you to @eclec-tech and @lightwise for the encouragement.
Tumblr media
It had been months since Crosshair had rejoined his siblings and they found themselves on Pabu. The adjustment had been difficult. It was still difficult. There were many things he wouldn’t speak about. His brothers gave him some space, not pushing too much, but making sure he knew he wasn’t alone. He, Omega, and Tech had spent time together healing physically after all that had happened, as well as healing whatever mental wounds they could. Those were taking the most time, especially for Crosshair.
He didn’t want to leave the house today, but Wrecker insisted (in his own Wrecker way) that he come to the docks and help move some cargo. Crosshair rolled his eyes but got to his feet and followed his brother down to the ocean with Batcher trotting beside him. They spent the morning moving crates from boats on to the docks, but as the sun continued to beam down on them, Crosshair’s eyes started to ache from the light.
“I got it from here,” Wrecker said, knowing his brother’s sensitivity. Crosshair simply nodded his thanks and headed toward some shade where Batcher napped. Before he could sit down, he saw something small scamper away from behind one of the crates Wrecker picked up. He followed the movements and knelt down, looking under a bench that sat under a tree.
“What is it,” Wrecker asked.
A tiny gray tooka kitten peered at them through crusty eyes. Crosshair wasn’t entirely sure how the little creature could see.
“Tooka,” Crosshair answered. Wrecker knelt down further and smiled at the scared kitten.
“A baby tooka? Aww, Crosshair we gotta take it home.” Wrecker smiled and tried to make space so he could grab the little ball of fur, but the kitten would have none of it and scurried to hide behind the other side of the bench.
“Just wait,” the Crosshair advised. His brother sighed but nodded and got back to work. Instead of sitting on the bench, Crosshair sat on the ground next to it. The next two hours were spent waiting for the animal to come out. He wasn’t going to force anything. Wrecker checked in after he was done with the crates. Although the tooka hadn’t moved, he knew that if anyone had the patience to wait it out and earn its trust, it was Crosshair. Wrecker went home, grabbed some lunch, and brought it back. He silently held out some homemade bread and fruit to his brother and sat next to him as they silently ate with Batcher quietly snoring in the background. The tooka let out a little squeak and Wrecker saw just the smallest tug of a smile on his Crosshair’s face. Eventually Wrecker decided to head home and help Tech with moving some big equipment.
As the time passed, Crosshair thought of his time away from his siblings. How much doubt and fear were in his heart despite deciding to stay on the platform on Kamino. Of the ongoing pain he had each time his chip was enhanced. The absolute horror in his soul when his actions felt like they were someone else’s, but he knew his hands pulled the trigger. He had never wanted to lose control and yet the Empire had him in its grasp and his mind wasn’t fully his own. He’d been so conditioned and the chip only added another layer of complexity. He closed his eyes and sighed as he pressed his hands flat on the ground beneath him in an attempt to center himself in the here and now. Batcher had woken up and sat next to him. He put a hand on the hound and breathed deeply while still keeping his eyes closed. He wasn’t alone anymore. Just as he had this thought, he felt some tiny fluff brush against his hand. He opened his eyes to find the kitten sitting next to his fingertips. He gently picked up the creature and stood. The tooka didn’t make a sound and didn’t fight as Crosshair walked them back to Upper Pabu. He was fairly certain the lack of fight was only because the animal was fur and bones.
“Tech,” was all he said upon finding his brother working on the Marauder. Tech stood, adjusting his goggles, and raised his eyebrows.
“A tooka,” he replied, “and in a sorry state.”
Crosshair hummed in agreement. Tech knew this was his brother’s way of asking for help. He pulled out his datapad and examined the kitten in Crosshair’s hands.
“There appears to be an eye infection, parasites, and a serious lack of nutrition,” noted Tech. “I could possibly find some food for her, but I cannot immediately find appropriate medication for her ailments. Why don’t you take her to the veterinarian?”
Crosshair sighed. At least he now knew the tooka was a she and some of what was going on with her, but he wasn’t quite sure about a veterinarian. He didn’t want this little girl to be scared any more than she already was and he understood how anything medical might cause her more fear. Then again, she looked miserable and he couldn’t let her stay that way.
“Alright,” he agreed. He didn’t even realize the island had a veterinarian. Tech gave him the location and he headed back down the path.
It had been a long day for Rayla. One of Pabu’s residents had decided to buy a pair of orbaks to help cart goods around and she hadn’t treated anything with hooves since veterinary school. One of them was particularly stubborn, but she liked a good challenge. It was never about forcing something on an animal. It was about reading body language and helping them feel safe enough to get through any needed procedures.
She looked up as a tall man came through the door. She smiled to herself. Rayla had spent time with his brothers since they settled on Pabu and Omega was fascinated with her career choice. They talked about him briefly, but she hadn’t met him yet.
“Hello,” she said with a soft smile. “Crosshair, right? I’m Rayla. How can I help you?”
Crosshair looked at the woman in front of him and then down at the tiny tooka. “Found her,” he said. He didn’t seem surprised she knew his name. There were some people on the island who guessed who he was based on association.
“Just the tooka? Your hound alright?" Rayla asked, nodding toward Batcher.
"Yes, she just follows me." He gave Batcher a nod and she sat down and waited patiently.
"How about you come back to the exam room and we’ll take a look at this little one,” Rayla offered. He simply nodded and followed. Crosshair looked around the room, almost more afraid than the tooka. There were various instruments, and he was sure there were even more in the cabinet. The veterinarian washed her hands and put on some gloves.
“How about we start with a weight?” she suggested, nodding to the scale. Crosshair put the kitten down, almost afraid to let go. She weighed much less than she should. Rayla noted her weight and then suggested a particular food for her. He nodded and moved her off the scale. He couldn’t quite keep his hands off her, trying to keep the contact while the exam was completed for fear of losing her or seeing her scared.
“She’s got an eye infection. I can give you drops for those and show you how to put them in.” He nodded. He noticed Rayla stopped and gave the kitten a little break and spoke kindly to her before looking through her fur.
“She has fleas too.”
His eyes got wide, but he still didn’t pull away from her.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “Fleas are species specific. Her fleas won’t harm anyone but other tookas. We can give her a flea bath now if you’d like.” Crosshair nodded and let out a little relieved breath.
He held on to her while Rayla filled a small tub with warm water. Crosshair tentatively put the small creature in the tub. While the veterinarian worked the shampoo in and rinsed, he held the kitten and helped keep her head up. The little tooka clung to his thumb with her front legs and Rayla couldn’t help but smile.
“She’s really taken with you,” she said.
“Mm,” was all he let out, but his eyes went soft.
“Are you planning on keeping her or would you like me to find her a hom-“
“No,” he firmly blurted out before quieting his tone again. “I’ll keep her.”
“Sounds good,” she replied, getting a towel.
Crosshair took it upon himself to wrap her up. Rayla showed him how to put drops in her eyes.
“In about a week you could give her a dewormer pill.”
He nodded and followed her out of the room. She gathered the dewormer pill, some food for the kitten - explaining that for the time being she needed food that would be easy on her digestive system - and a lightweight slip lead. Rayla put everything in a bag and handed it to him. Getting out a data pad for her records, she asked if the newly adopted animal had a name yet.
“Vaar’ika,” he said.
“What does it mean?” she asked curiously.
“Pip-squeak.” Just as he said that, Vaar’ika let out tiny peep that made Rayla smile. She entered the relevant information.
“Well then,” she replied, “congratulations Vaar’ika. And congratulations Tooka Dad.”
Crosshair felt warmth flood his cheeks and ears, but it wasn’t unwelcome. He nodded at all Rayla’s directions about the dewormer and a follow up appointment.
As he left, Rayla couldn’t help but think that she quite liked him. He may have said very few words, but he was so expressive. He was easy for her to read and she knew she could trust a man who adopted an ailing kitten without question.
Crosshair took Vaar’ika home. Wrecker had already told Echo, Hunter, and Omega about her and Omega waited at the window to meet this new addition to the family. Crosshair came through the door with Batcher and held the little one close to his chest. She was exhausted and he could feel her little body shake from the stress of the day.
“I want to help,” Omega declared.
Crosshair didn’t say anything as he walked toward his bedroom. He simply nodded in the general direction of the hallway and Omega’s smile grew as she knew it meant she should follow him. Crosshair put the tiny bundle on his bed and started looking for something to make a tooka bed next to Batcher's bed.
“What’s wrong with her eyes?” Omega asked.
“Infection,” Crosshair answered. “Needs to be given eye drops for a few days at least.”
“I can help,” Omega answered.
“Omega,” Crosshair warned. He knew she was excited, but he wanted to approach the kitten’s treatment in a methodical way. He looked at his sister for several moments and then nodded. “Fine, but she won’t need more drops until tomorrow.”
Crosshair shuffled through his belongings in his closet and found an old pair of blacks. He used a spare pillow to make something of a little bed with the blacks as a bedding. He placed the new bed on the floor near his own. Omega watched as the little tooka crawled on the bed closer to her brother. He put her on the new bed and quietly told her he’d be back soon. Omega followed him down the hall and grinned at her other brothers who were all at least a bit curious about their new roommate. While Crosshair grabbed a small plate and spoon and headed back to his room, Omega helped Echo and Hunter with dinner.
Vaar’ika was hiding under his bed, but Crosshair sat down, opened a can of food, and spooned out a little on the plate, waving Batcher away from the tempting smell. He placed the plate of food on the floor and she came out to eat. He smiled while watching her. She had an appetite and he knew that was important in her healing. He retrieved a little bowl of water for her and gave her a bit more food. After she finished eating and drinking, she jumped up on the window and pawed at it. Crosshair pursed his lips and then decided to take her outside. He looped the leash around her and picked her up. His hunch was right. Almost immediately, she found a spot to relieve herself. Maybe he had lucked out when it came to house training.
When finished, she tried climbing his leg and he picked her up. Her eyes were less messy than they were before, and he could make out the way she looked at him. He felt a little glow in his heart at the thought that this creature had chosen him and wanted to be with him. He took her back inside, took off the leash, and placed her back on the makeshift bed. During dinner with his siblings some questions were asked, but no one asked if he would be keeping her. Based on what they saw, they knew she would stay and it would be a good change.
Once dinner was over, Crosshair made his way back to his room to give Vaar’ika another small meal. She ate it quickly and climbed on the window again. He took her out and this time she wandered around a little bit, exploring her new home. He took her back in, holding her in the crook of his arm and heading to bed. He placed her on her own bed next to Batcher, but once he climbed into his own, he could see her moving in the darkness. She made her way up the side of his bed post and purred as she snuggled against his chest. Crosshair smiled to himself and fluffed her hair. Batcher decided she would fit in the bed too and hopped up. She laid down near Crosshair's feet. Crosshair sighed, but wasn't going to say "no." It wasn't long before they drifted off to sleep together.
Crosshair spent the next few days helping his new companion find her feet. They established morning and evening walk routes. He purchased a little pink collar for her, making sure it included her name and his. It wasn’t long before he was comfortable taking her around off-leash. She never wandered too far and for the most part, seemed to like watching this world from her perch on his shoulders. He let Omega hold Vaar’ika when it was time to put her eyedrops in, but he never let Omega put the drops in. Finally Omega managed to wear him down and convinced him to let her try. Crosshair held the kitten, holding her back to his chest and supporting her back end with one hand. Omega approached the tooka’s eyes with the dropper bottle, aiming for the middle of her left eye.
“Omega, no!” It came out a little louder than he meant. He leaned back to pull his little bundle away. He gave his sister a warning look. She looked confused and a little hurt. He took a deep breath and found calm again. Until he had visited Rayla, he wouldn’t have known what to do either. It wasn’t fair to expect Omega to know without help.
“Aim for the corner of her eyes. It’s easier that way.” He offered her a smile and Omega tried again, this time leaving a couple little drops in each corner of Vaar’ika’s eyes.
“Perfect,” he said to his sister. “Thank you.”
“Happy to help,” Omega replied.
He was supposed to give the tooka her dewormer pill, but wasn’t sure he could do it and certainly didn’t expect Omega to. Batcher took her medication without question, but the tooka appeared more stubborn. He remembered Rayla’s instructions as he sat Vaar’ika on his bed and held the tiny pill between his thumb and finger.
“Simply open her mouth, pop the pill in, and hold her mouth closed until she swallows,” Rayla had said. He hadn’t thought much about it since at the time, he knew it was a future problem and he was only focused on eye drops and establishing some routines. Now that it came to it, he looked at his little friend and couldn’t just open her mouth. And what, he thought. Force her to swallow a pill? It reminded him too much of the procedures he and his brothers had been forced through. He remembered thinking a warning before a necessary injection or asking him if he was ready would have helped him a great deal as a young cadet, yet he had never really been afforded that dignity.
He sighed to himself, picked up Vaar’ika and the pill, and marched to the vet clinic. Rayla was just finishing with a client and about to go to lunch when he walked in.
“Crosshair!” She beamed at him, happy to see him with the tooka. “And Vaar’ika. How are you?”
“I can’t give her the pill,” he said directly.
“Did she not want it?” Rayla asked. Many animals had trouble taking medication and it wasn’t an uncommon concern. “Did she spit it up?”
“No,” Crosshair said, revealing he still had the pill in its original form. “I can’t make her take it.”
Rayla sensed a great amount of empathy in him. He seemed scared to hurt this kitten, this small creature he’d already becoming so very attached to.
“She might take it if you mix it in her food. Is she still eating?”
Crosshair nodded.
“Okay,” Rayla acknowledged. “Cut the pill in quarters and put it in her dinner tonight. If she doesn’t eat it all, stop by tomorrow and we’ll see about another way.”
Crosshair nodded again.
“May I?” Rayla asked, hands out to touch the tooka. Crosshair nodded a third time and Rayla petted the little pile of fluff. She purred at the vet.
“I’m glad to see her eyes have cleared up,” she said. “She probably doesn’t need the drops anymore after tomorrow. Just keep the rest of the bottle should she need them in the future. She already looks so much better. She’ll need a few vaccines as soon as you feel she’s strong enough and she’ll be old enough to spay in a couple months. Unless you want more kittens.”
Crosshair froze a bit. He’d assumed that was further down the road, but not this soon. He didn’t want her to get pregnant. He wanted to do the responsible thing for her and was sure Hunter would have a few words with him if there were kittens. Besides, he didn’t want to worry about her going through pregnancy and labor.
“Let’s schedule that now,” he said.
Rayla nodded and pulled up her schedule. He’d be back in a week for the vaccines. They decided on a day for the spaying and she gave him instructions for what to do the night before and day of as far as food and water.
“See you both in a week for vaccines,” she said as they left.
Crosshair held Vaar’ika a little closer to his chest, hugging her before letting her perch on his shoulders. He didn’t like the thought of putting her through surgery or even the vaccinations. He knew they were necessary, but he didn’t want her in pain ever. Still, he knew it was for the best. To help him relax, he took the long way home, chuckling as Vaar’ika hissed at a few moon-yos who tried reaching for her. His thoughts also went to this veterinarian. Most people on the island were nice enough, but he didn’t let anyone close. This person was watching him at some very vulnerable moments whether she knew it or not.
That evening he cut the dewormer pill up into quarters and mixed it into the tooka food. He placed the plate down and Vaar’ika started eating. She paused at one point, knowing there was something different, and Crosshair held his breath. She took a taste and didn’t seem to mind and finished the entire thing. He felt so much relief. That night, like every night at this point, the kitten climbed into his bed and cuddled against his chest while Batcher hopped onto the foot of the bed and they all slept together. When Vaar'ika got up to stretch her feet or if she needed to go outside, he immediately woke up at the loss of her tiny body’s warmth. Then they’d get back to bed and fall asleep together.
Crosshair started finding reasons to visit the vet clinic in the days leading up to vaccination day. The smallest question about changing her food as she grew, asking questions about exercise, and some of the more mundane things. Some questions about Batcher (who, apparently, had already been spayed). He knew that he just wanted to see Rayla and have an excuse to get outside with his girls. Rayla didn’t mind. He always patiently waited if she was already with someone or had an appointment. She liked seeing him and the positive impact the tooka and the sniper had on each other. She let Crosshair say as much or as little as he wanted. She asked questions but knew when to back off. She wasn’t a completely open book, but she shared parts of herself with him too. He got curious and asked how she ended up on Pabu one day after she’d shown him how to make sure the kitten’s nails didn’t get too long. She explained how she left her home world when the Empire started taking over cities on the other side of her planet. She wasn’t going to wait around to see what would happen.
“Smart,” he replied. Rayla smiled sadly. She missed her former home, but knew she was lucky to be here. The threat of sea surges was much less daunting than dealing with the Empire.
“See you next time, Crosshair.”
He let a tiny smile escape and he left.
When he showed up for the kitten’s scheduled vaccines, he was a bit of a mess. He didn’t want her to be upset or hurt, but he also didn’t want to risk her dying of something preventable.
“I’ll be quick and I’ll use the smallest needle I have,” Rayla promised. “Do you want me to take her in the back and just get it over with or do you want to be with her?” She knew some animals did better away from their nervous person, but it was very much a case-by-case situation.
“I can’t leave her,” he replied.
Rayla nodded and instinctively put a hand on his arm. He let out a breath. They went back in the exam room and she weighed the tooka, noticing she’d put on a good amount of weight.
“Would you like to sit and hold her instead of keeping her on the exam table?” the vet asked.
Crosshair nodded and sat down, holding Vaar’ika. A small smile pulled at his cheek and he relaxed as she looked up at him. She wasn’t scared. The little fluff ball was just happy to be with him.
“I’ll be quick. Just two little jabs. Here we go.” Rayla moved quickly and precisely. The kitten let out a couple of squeaks, but nothing too bad. After it was over, Rayla smiled as she heard him quietly telling Vaar’ika what a great job she did. As he was about to leave, Rayla decided to take her chance.
“Hey, not to be too forward,” she started, suddenly feeling very nervous now that she was putting this into words. Crosshair turned back to look at her curiously.
She continued, trying to keep any shakiness at bay. “You’ve stopped by a lot and we’ve gotten to know each other more and I was just thinking… if you want to spend some time together after hours, let me know.”
“Dinner?” he asked.
“I’d like that,” she replied.
“Tomorrow?”
“You know when I close.”
“I’ll be here.”
Both felt a warmth radiate over their cheeks as they said their goodbyes for the day. Crosshair carried his little bundle home while his mind ran wild with all kinds of thoughts. He didn’t want to let his nerves get to him and at the same time, he was giddy at the thought of spending more time with Rayla. He had to grin to himself. She liked his company. He hadn’t gotten very close to anyone who wasn’t a clone. There was an understanding with his brothers. He’d grown up with them. Omega was incredibly understanding of everyone, almost to the point of his annoyance, and yet he felt just as close to her as he had anyone in his life. Even with the regs, there was an understanding. Learning about someone in-depth with a completely different background was a newer experience to him, but he found that Rayla embraced each bit of himself that he revealed. Even when he was having an extra grumpy and stressful day, she seemed happy to see him.
The next evening, he left Vaar’ika and Batcher with Wrecker and Omega. They were more than happy to babysit the tooka and hound. They were having a movie night and Crosshair knew each animal would be doing her utmost to steal their snacks. The thought made him very happy.
He tried to pick out his nicest outfit and headed to the vet clinic. He sat in the waiting room and listened to Rayla explain the medication dosage for someone’s pet bird. Rayla joined him a few minutes after the bird and their owner left. She’d quickly changed out of her scrubs and into a simple dress before joining him.
“You look nice,” she said with a smile.
“So do you.”
“I thought I’d try to wear something nicer than my scrubs,” she replied.
“You’d look nice in anything,” he said as heat rose to his cheeks.
Rayla wasn’t sure what to say. She felt seen and beamed up at him. They headed to a quiet restaurant on the other side of the island. While people all tended to know each other on Pabu, they both wanted some time just the two of them so the calmer spot seemed more ideal. They ordered and sat while watching the sun start to set.
“I’ll level with you,” Rayla said. “I’ve talked to your siblings. I feel like I know quite a bit about you, but I want to learn about you from you.”
He simply nodded. “Not much to say,” he replied.
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
Rayla asked him some questions, wanted to know a bit about sniping, and how he liked the island. She was also interested in his enhanced skills. The scientist in her was curious, but she wanted to keep it respectful. Crosshair’s comments were short as usual, but as time went by and they ate, he shared a bit more about himself. For now, they avoided the topic of the Empire.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said before taking a sip of his drink. He was much more interested in learning about her than talking about himself.
“I think you already know a lot about me from our earlier conversations,” she answered.
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully with a bit of a smile on his face. “Have you always worked alone? You do so much.”
“I had a vet tech until I came here. Actually, I purchased a GH-7 medical droid recently and I’m trying to modify it for veterinary work.”
“Tech will be pleased to hear that,” Crosshair replied. “He loves those kinds of projects. He’ll pick your brain next time he sees you.” Crosshair was pleased too. He saw how hard she worked and felt she needed a bit of a break sometimes. Having an assistant could go a long way in helping make her job easier.
“I’m sure. If I run into trouble Tech’s the first person I’d ask for help when it comes to droids.” She took a couple more bites of food and added, “Of course it helps to have the personal touch and I’ll still be very involved. It’ll just help to have a droid to do some of the more routine and boring things, measuring out and compounding medication, answering comms, billing, ordering supplies, passing my tools during surgeries, and making sure procedures are as precise as possible.” She then told a story about a droid she knew in vet school who was reprogrammed to only want to work on massiffs. A couple of her fellow vet students thought it would be funny for the professor’s droid to randomly refuse to help with other animals during demonstrations and who tried to switch places with other droids so it could work exclusively on massiffs. He watched her with a soft smile on his face while she told this story. As she finished, she paused for a moment.
“Sorry,” she said. “Didn’t mean to go on. It was just a silly thing to watch unfold.”
“No, I liked it,” he replied. He didn’t want her to stop. “Dessert?”
She beamed and nodded. They shared a piece of cake topped with all kinds of local fruit. He let her have the last bite but hoped it wouldn’t be the last time they shared a meal. He walked her home and once at the door bit his lip as his eyes darted a bit.
“Could we do this again?” he asked.
“What are you doing on Benduday?”
Each date felt a little more comfortable than the last. His favorite dates were whenever they would go out on a boat together just the two of them. It was incredibly peaceful and gave him the chance to be a bit more open without worrying about anyone else around them.
One evening she was supposed to meet him at the restaurant and didn’t. He’d brought flowers and wore a new shirt and definitely didn’t love the feeling of sitting at the table alone. He thought to himself that this was the first time in a long time where he was consistently seeking the presence of another person instead of solitude or time alone with his pets. Before he could spiral and let too many negative thoughts enter his mind, he decided to check at the clinic. He knew there might have been an emergency that required her attention. When he arrived, the clinic door was unlocked and he saw a light coming from an exam room. He let himself in and sat in the waiting area.
In the exam room, Rayla explained the situation to the worried owner. Her scans indicated a foreign object blocking the stomach and she and GHost – the now modified GH-7 droid – completed surgery to remove the offending mass. She sent the patient and their person home with a course of medication to help. Not long after they left, Rayla came out to find Crosshair dozing in his chair. She walked up to him and kissed his forehead.
“Mm.” He opened his eyes to look up at her. “Missed you.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “It was an emergency.”
“I know,” he replied, standing up and kissing her cheek. “These are for you.”
She took the flowers and kissed him again. “They’re lovely. Thank you.” After a pause and check of the time, she added, “I’ll clean up quickly. Walk me home?”
He nodded and waited as she cleaned off all the equipment and the table in the exam room, turned out the lights, and took his hand. They took their time walking together. It was a pleasant night and both were a little sad they didn’t get to have a relaxing dinner together.
“We should go out after Vaar’ika heals from her spay surgery,” Rayla suggested, knowingly adding, “I know you won’t want to leave her until she’s all healed up.”
“I just want to make sure she’ll be okay,” he answered. “But yes. I’d like that.”
She squeezed his hand and they grinned at each other.
The night before Vaar’ika’s spay, Crosshair was a mess. The only thing that calmed him down was Batcher resting at his feet and the little tooka herself. She had no idea what was coming but was simply living in the moment and in this moment, she wanted to sleep on his chest. He sat in front of a holovid with his family and slowly stroked the her soft fur. They fell asleep together as usual, but the next morning, his jitters were back.
He walked her to the clinic with Batcher at his side. He let Vaar'ika perch on his shoulder, but carried a crate since she would still be drowsy on the way home and Rayla insisted she needed a crate to limit movement while she healed.
“Good morning,” Rayla said as they came through the door. “Ready?”
Crosshair didn’t respond but tried to smile.
“She’s going to do great. I even have my droid GHost ready to go, unless you aren’t comfortable with him assisting me.”
Crosshair simply shook his head that he didn’t mind. “I trust you.”
Rayla took Vaar’ika and the crate as Crosshair tried to decide if he wanted to sit or pace. Her experience said that getting this over with was the best plan. Her voice softened and she tried to reassure him.
“It won’t take long. I’ll make sure she has pain management and that she’s fully anesthetized, so she doesn’t feel anything during the procedure.”
He nodded and sat down. He was not so secretly relieved Batcher sat next to him. He rested a hand on her as Rayla took the tooka to the back to prepare her for surgery. GHost weighed her and drew the appropriate levels of medication. As the tooka went to sleep and Rayla shaved her belly, Crosshair could hear the calm way she addressed his little companion.
“Looks like you’re asleep already. Oxygen levels and heart rate are normal. Let’s begin.” It wasn’t long before Crosshair heard her say, “There’s that little uterus. Tiny thing. Already out. Let’s close.”
Crosshair started shaking but breathed through it. The adrenaline that was coursing through his system all morning had finally started to wear off and it left him feeling a bit dizzy. He sat back and focused on his breathing while he heard the woman he loved talking sweetly to Vaar’ika and felt Batcher's sense of calm. Not long after, Rayla reappeared with a sleepy tooka in the crate. Without thinking about it, Crosshair embraced her as he became overwhelmed with relief.
“She did great, love. She really did. She should heal up perfectly.” Rayla went over care instructions and ended it with “She should stay in her crate as much as possible for the first week. No climbing or jumping. I used surgical glue that has some bacta in it so she will heal faster. Try to keep that cone on her so she doesn’t lick.” Crosshair nodded. “And comm me if anything comes up.”
Vaar’ika slept most of the day. She whined a bit at dinner time and Crosshair let her outside only long enough to relieve herself and then it was back inside before she could go exploring. She seemed like her normal self but was also pretty groggy. He ate in his room so he could watch her and made sure she took her medication and ate enough. That night, he knew he was supposed to let her sleep in her crate, but the drugs from earlier had worn off enough that she knew exactly where she was and didn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed to sleep in bed with him. She cried until he relented and purred as she snuggled up against him in his comfortable bed.
The next morning was the hardest. She felt an ache at the incision site and it clearly hurt her to move compared to yesterday, despite the pain medication. He tried not to think too hard about it, feeling unsure of when to ask for help and what was normal. She’d had surgery after all, it was impossible for her to feel completely healed in less than a single day. He laid around the house with her, cuddling her close since that seemed to help her stay more comfortable. He was grumpier with his siblings, though. He tried to keep to himself, but once Omega and Wrecker started playing and making a bit of a racket, he took Vaar’ika to the clinic with Batcher following as usual. He wasn’t sure exactly why he was going. He didn’t think it was an emergency, but knew Rayla would be done with her work, barring anything urgent. He sat in the waiting room and talked gently to the little ball of tired fluff laying in his arms. He rhythmically stroked her fur, but didn’t feel her usual happy purr.
“She okay?” Rayla asked, appearing as she finished cleaning up the exam room.
“Not sure,” Crosshair replied.
“Mind if I look?”
Crosshair handed the tooka over to Rayla who carefully turned her over.
“Looks like it’s healing fine. Don’t see any sign of infection. She might just be in a bit more pain than anticipated. I can give her an extra little med patch if you want to try that.”
Crosshair nodded. As Rayla retrieved a patch and cut it down to the right size, she asked, “What else is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have a lot on your mind and you look… gruff.”
He didn't say anything at first. Batcher looked up between them, first at Rayla, then at Crosshair, then back to Rayla.
He looked at the hound, shook his head, and let out a breath. “Just worried about her and it’s loud at home.”
“Well, you’re welcome to have some quiet time here. I have some paperwork to do, some blood tests to analyze, and then I’m headed home. You’re welcome to join me if the three of you need a change of pace.”
Crosshair’s eyes warmed and he returned her familiar smile. He sat back down and went back to petting Vaar’ika until she fell asleep. The patch seemed to help her feel better and by extension, he felt better. Rayla worked nearby, looking through her datapad, taking inventory, and updating her notes as she went along. The rest of the day went by without a hitch. It was a good day when there were no major emergencies. She made sure her comm was on, knowing that some days no one needed her until she left for home. She packed up and walked home with the trio. As they headed down the road, she broke the silence.
“She hasn’t slept in her crate, has she?”
Crosshair grinned almost shyly. “She’s used to sleeping with me. She stays still.”
“As long as she’s still. Don’t want her hurting her incision.”
"Batcher will probably invite herself onto any bed or furniture," he added."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
The evening was perfectly quiet. They ate a simple meal and cleaned up together while Vaar’ika and Batcher napped in the armchair. Later, they found themselves in bed together for the first time. Crosshair lifted his arm and pulled Rayla to his side. She laid an arm around his waist while Vaar’ika curled up in the crook of his neck and Batcher slept at their feet. He felt his heartbeat syncing with Rayla’s. She smiled and kissed his cheek before she closed her eyes. They soaked in each other’s warmth and fell asleep.
49 notes · View notes
starfac3 · 6 months
Note
hii so in a post you wanted someone to talk abt their mlp headcannons, i’m getting into mlp rn so id absolutely love 2 hear them! (also just a question from a new tumblr user, can you see my asks on my page?) feel free to message them or whatever tumblr response mechanism there is! ^ω^
-not forcing, Moss ^^
AH HI MOSS !! THANK YOU FOR THE ASK :] 💖
first off , yes i can see your ask button !!! and welcome to tumblr :)
i tried to respond to this 4 times and i lost all my text and almost cried so im gonna make this much shorter than it was supposed to be (8 paragraphs) 😞 PROBABLY A RELIEF FOR MOST OF U THO LOL i have too many headcanons but here are some of my headcanons and /or “perfect world” scenarios for mlp g4 :)
i cant put all of my hcs here but im gonna put the ones i tell most ppl !!! ALSO NOT ALL OF THESE ARE IN THE SAME UNIVERSE!!! (if anybody wants more, ask me something specific .. >:3 nyeheh)
💜 - the mane six minus twilight have all been friends their whole lives, but not as a friend group until twilight came along!!
🩵 - branching off of the last one, rarity has made outfits for ALL of the ponies before !! but pinkie pie has been by far her most loyal customer because yk she throws parties like triweekly !! rarity mostly specializes in dressmaking but can also make other types of stuff . :) pinkie pie and fluttershy both seperately have taken some sewing classes from rarity cuz they alwayss loved her stuff :)
💛 - fluttershy runs/works a petshop/veterinarian clinic
💖 - at some point , pinkie pie moves out of sugarcube corner and runs her own nightclub !! (but like its not a naughty club, this is ponyville we are talking about here !! just lots of candy and soda and DANCING AND GAMES :3) and pinkie pie would be the funnest momma evr >w<
💙 - rainbow dash becomes a coach for the wonderbolts / some sort of coach :)
🧡 - applejack would grow up and continue to just run her family business and have a family of her own !! applejack would be a very caring mother but also she wouldnt take shit from anypony!! if anybody bullied her kid she’d have to try so hard not to kick anypony that bothers her and her kids
🩵 - rarity never expands her business or gets big, but she’s happy with it! her store is independent and a gem that many talk about all around the nation. :) she would be a fun mom but she would spoil the kid a lot lolz
💜 - twilight works at a school as a science/math/magic teacher, book author or a librarian! she would be a pretty average mom IN THE NICEST WAY POSSIBLE just saying she’s just your average girl!! but she has lots of knowledge to share :3 !!
🩷 - either:
-mane six all are alicornized. you cant just give the order keepers of the nation some fancy crystals and tell them to go on with their day while one friend who happened to be a rich unicorn who went to a unicorn school and got hit with a rainbow beam turns into a goddess and you have to watch her outlive you, you make them all goddesses or none of them. especially if the gifted unicorn never asked to be alicornized.
or
- twilight and cadenza rule together. cadence was done so dirty :( she was given goddess powers just to be sent to a Far Off Land and the Twilight was favored to just RULE A WHOLE NATION ALONE. insanity. also they have been friends / chosen sisters for the longest time. this scenario would not only give cadence a better storyline, but also spit in the faces of “theres already 5 alicorns” ❗️
~
there was nothing about vamp rarity because i havent expanded on her yet <//3 and also you guys have yet to see my whole cross-race breeding chart.. >:P
but thats all for now TwT sorry it still got long , i hope you or somepony enjoyed !! if anypony draw/write something off of these PLEASE tag me just cuz i NEED content with these !!!!!!! :33 plzplzplzplz and tag me in any pony art/writing/ etc :3 anybody feel free to ask for more !!! bye bye <33
17 notes · View notes
seirindono · 2 years
Note
Mermaid/sirens and monster. Please
Also I don’t come empty handed. Prepare for a dozen fic recommendations (all of which I’m in love with) and a brief description. All of these are on Ao3
Roadside attraction by popatochisp. Dinner on the road where a scertain skeleton comes to visit. An underfell Papyrus fic that’s really good.
Your Friendly-Neighborhood Witch by earthvibes. Readers a witch, chaotic and doing work with Greek gods and also came across a skeleton who, upon their meeting, punched her in the face. It was Stretch
Skull Joke by Gotcha. This fic is purely just humor. Not much plot just the lazy brothers doing stand up comedy mentioning reader every once in a while. Had me laughing a lot and is really good.
Poor Little Meow Meow by Mystique. This- THIS! I’ve never liked killer before but hood damnit this does things to me. Killer interacts with a veterinarian MC who is clueless to the danger she’s in. They have kittens. Kittens. Adorable.
The Fulfilling Ordeal of Being Known by nighttimelights . It’s a one shot smut but, ah, Horrortale sans is a girl and I’m questioning me sexuality. It’s damn good and a spin off of a harem series by the same author.
Skeleton Sisters and the Architect. Whooooooooo damn this is good. Fluffy, humorous, probably never going to be updated but for what’s there it’s so good!!
Skeletons Sisters Meet the Landlady by her as well. It’s them again, shot but finished and great.
A Sea of Hope by Aylish91. Pirates and skelly reader. Axe is a simp, they’re out at sea, everything’s great except when it’s not and readers just trying to understand what the hell her body’s about.
To pray on the hunters by periodically_annoying. Pretty good haven’t read it in a while but nice.
Stolen Souls by RubyPasha. It’s a twist on the “reader gets transported to the dating sun with the skelly bros” trope. Except she’s not supposed to be there and it’s a real slow burn. She’s kinda just living her life and trying not to die but also becoming friends and she needs hugs. Lots of hugs.
A spider in a graveyard by the same author. Readers Spider-Man’s student, her versions of the brothers and villains. She fights them, gets sucked into another universe by the machine and stuff happens. What’s nice is it’s a harem but with versions I’ve never read about. Outerfell, farmswap, Lustfell and such.
Hey anon, good timing because I found some naga fics after the post from last time. I Was Going For A Walk One Day by YinYinChan (the Swapfell one, glad I didn't make it up haha). Also, Bear Traps and Snakes by A_Gorgeous_Hobgoblin. I haven't read it yet, though.
As for the mermaid/siren goods, I'll throw in a few names but I'm very much disappointed that you didn't choose my mafia selection sob. Er, some might be spicy… Haven't read them in a while and some I wasn't subscribed to. So, um, read the tags carefully, ok?
.The Mirror Bay Depths by lieleycat, ranger reader meets big scary sea monster husband(s) -I'm… quoting the tags- and fluff ensues
.Flotsam & Jetsam by potatochisp, drabble series, I recall it's pretty cute
.The Danger that Lurks Underwater, A Series of Sinister Drabbles, Cliffside (I made a fanart of it!) by AKA_Indulgence, no summary, just go read it and enjoy the ride
.Shells and Pearls by syst3m_of_3rr0rs and Cold Currents by JacketBones Oof, I… acutally don't remember much of these? But Reader is the siren here, so it's always good for a change.
.Sleepin' with the Fishes by Catsitta, because I'm not the only one willing to mix mobtale with absolutely any other AU.
---
Now, thanks for your selection, anon hehe. They sound like fun, and I actually recognize a few titles (Poor Little Meow Meow, A spider in a graveyard, A Sea of Hope) and names, like potatochisp and... um? @aylish91 ? ∑(°∀°) *slowly connecting the dots* Wait, we were mutuals all this time...??
78 notes · View notes
sh4rkbaiited · 26 days
Text
Important : The Chase Family, Aurora Corp, Elysium, Ravager, and more....
Special thanks and credit to @dandeliicns for helping me come up with the family's background ❤️
Note: I don't have fcs for Devin and Reina Chase just yet, but they are not a white family. Devin is black, and Reina is Latina.
Tumblr media
Aurora Corporation was founded by Devin Chase and his wife, Reina, soon after they adopted their two children; Aurora and Jerome.
Devin had joined the Navy right out of high school. He hadn't known exactly what he wanted to do with his life, and he knew the military had a tuition program for college.
He saw many things while in the Navy. Things he will never be allowed to say out loud. It all weighed on him, making him anxious and paranoid, but also fueled his fascination with the ocean.
He was discharged for medical reasons, that being his mental health. It just wasn't safe for him out there. He was getting checks from the VA, which he used part of to help him figure out just what he wanted to do with this knowledge he had. He couldn't just ignore everything out there in the ocean or the creatures being poached out there.
He met a conservationist named Reina in a seaside small town he was visiting for more information and an attempt to pitch his idea to a marine based company. Reina took things to a whole other level when it came to protecting marine life and environments. Devin fell in love with her dedication first. She was exactly what he was looking for in a business partner.
It also helped that her father was allegedly part of the mob, which could never be proven, but people knew. Devin and her father struck a deal- he takes care of the man's little girl, the man makes up the difference in what they need money wise for whatever it was Devin wanted to do.
It started off as just a dream. Just an idea. They were working with marine biologists and conservationists to start up small projects, like saving coral reefs and helping shut down shark poachers. Then, they adopted two Chinese children whose parents just wanted their children to thrive. Aurora was five, and quite the handful. But, her attachment to the ocean did help Devin and Reina figure out just what they wanted to do.
So, they started up Aurora Corporation, named after their little girl, to prove just how part of their family they wanted her to be. Aurora Corporation saved endangered marine life, worked with the coast guard as much as possible, supplied different companies with the means to grow new coral for reef restoration, helped fund different aquariums to save injured marine life and release them, while educating others about the animals. They were well off before with Reina's father's help and the coral restoration they'd started doing early on, but after? Aurora Corporation became the largest marine studies company out there, with their hands in so many projects.
Elysium was built and developed when Aurora was twelve. It is the largest facility unknown to the public eye, thousands and thousands of miles away from any shoreline. They have several biomes carefully kept where food is grown, water is purified, and endangered plants thrive in a simulation of their native environment. They are occasionally harvested and replanted in their actual native environment when needed. There are many large tanks housing different marine life that connect to different viewing tanks for veterinarian checkups and tests.
One large tank houses the largest bull shark ever found at 25 feet long, named Ravager. Ravager is an old man, suspected at having been twenty years old when caught, one of the first creatures ever housed at Elysium. He is 35-38 years old now and shows no sign of dying any time soon. And the general public has no idea he exists or a bull shark can be bigger than a Great White. Experts employed swear Ravager was genetically altered and likely either let go into the wild or escaped another facility before they found him. He got his name due to his aggressive nature. Rav could not be housed in a tank with other creatures, as he'd eat them. Though he does live with several small fish that he seemed to refuse to eat and killed handlers for trying to remove from his tank.
Over the years, they've collected two tiger sharks that live in a tank together, three mako sharks, and several smaller species of sharks. They have a few dolphins as well that were rescues. They have a Beluga whale. They have several penguins, a small group of arctic foxes, some seals, sea lions, and a leopard seal, and then several fish of various sizes. Not all have ocean tanks, of course. Small and medium sized fish can be kept in more traditional tanks throughout the facility. The land living creatures have more artificial containments with a portion being water dwelling for the ones that need it, like an aquarium but on a larger scale for comfort. Each portion is carefully made for each creature with the right temperatures adjusted for their natural comfort.
Elysium is not known to the public due to how mixed it would be received. Aurora Corporation is doing great work, really, but some extremists and people who don't know what they're talking about but just like to go on with the trends of hating these types of places without doing their research on them would likely try to find the compound and take it down or spread false allegations.
Due to this, and other factors (the mob activity and what illegal activities could potentially be seen if one was high enough in rank, the paranormal creatures seen, unexplainable happenings, and more), there are intense contracts needed to be read and signed before anyone is employed at Aurora Corporation. People who have attempted to break contract have been found dead, though no connections really can be made.
For those who understand their jobs and joined the project, Elysium is their home. They rarely end up in the main land / in their home countries due to their typical lives at the facility / compound. They live there. They care for these creatures. They have created their own makeshift families there as well as real families (though people who decide to have children are sent home on leave or reassigned to less dangerous projects and places. There are no children at Elysium).
Elysium isn't Aurora Corp's only aquatic facility, but it is their largest and most dangerous. It is their most secretive location.
There are four teams that live at Elysium full time, as well as a large amount of other employees for cleaning, security, kitchen staff, and more. It's like its own island, in a way. The Stormrider crew is one of the most versatile crews there, with the most clearance so far. Their stories are the ones followed on the blog. That crew has important jobs at Elysium as well as important tasks boarding the ship known as the Stormrider to look into various different tasks, like creatures that cannot be housed at Elysium, checking out specific locations, and more.
2 notes · View notes