#you have four younger siblings??? OMG THAT'S SO EXCITING!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

babiexiao · 2 years

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fated to be together

pairing : fem!reader x levi ackerman

contains : DARK CONTENT AHEAD! please read with caution! modern!au, yandere!levi, feels like ooc levi too but it's meant to come across as him having a major soft spot for the reader, small age gap (in my brain levi's around 28 and reader is about 23) one sided pining (?), stalking in a way, non-con, dub-con (i'm tagging both just to be safe), panty sniffing, panty stealing, slight violence (he knocks the reader out but it's not graphic), fingering, oral (f receiving), praise, dumbification, creampie, possessive levi, he's a bit of a creep oopsies? i think that's all but please tell me if i've missed anything!

word count : 10.3k ( i can't believe i wrote this much wtf)

summary : it's a small world, because years later you find yourself becoming neighbours with levi once again, and he finds himself developing feelings for you, believing that fate had something to do with you two meeting once again.

omg okay i put my entire pussy into this fic tbh 😟fhjfkdh something about pervy levi makes me <3 AAAH i'm actually proud of this one not gonna lie. happy bday to levi 🥺 this ones for you my short bf <3 LMAOO anywayssss– this is proofread by me, but no guarantees i fixed everything so yeah, ignore any mistakes! likes / reblogs are appreciated and feedback is always welcomed <3

!! minors & ageless blogs, dni !!

Levi felt like he was going insane. Could he possibly be seeing things? No. He wasn’t that crazy… Was he? Maybe he was going blind– No, that was a stupid thought.

“Levi…? Holy shit–! I haven’t seen you in years!” The sound of a box hitting the floor makes Levi snap out of his daze, finally being able to focus on the person that was now jogging up to his frozen figure.

Oh my god… It was you. So he wasn’t seeing things, huh?

“____? H-Hey. It’s– Uh yeah, been… A while for sure.” He knows he could make more of an effort to sound excited – But the poor man was just so shocked that you were really there. Right in front of him. Face to face.

You were the younger sister of Levi’s closest friends, Hange. The two of you had grown up in neighbouring houses, seeing each other practically every day since Hange wasn’t capable of leaving Levi alone for more than five minutes. He had moved out of home after he finished university, which was a couple years ago along with your sibling and you hadn’t seen him since. Though the postcards he sent your family during the holiday seasons always made you smile, happy that he remembered you and your parents enough to do that even though he wasn’t entitled to.

“Mhm! Must be like… What? Three or four years?” You trailed off for a moment, trying to think back to the last time you saw Levi, then speaking up just as excited as before once you figured it out. “Three and a half years! How’re you? How’ve you been?”

“Yeah… Yeah I’ve uh, I’ve been good. Living, working, you know. Earning money and all that stuff.”

“Yeah? I’m really glad to hear that! This is sooo weird though–” Your hands flick towards him and then back at yourself, repeating the motion a couple of times to get your point across. “This is so weird. We’re neighbours– Again!”

“Small world, huh?”

“Oh shit– Sorry! You’re all dressed up. You… Must be going to work?”

Levi glances down at his watch and visibly holds back a sigh. He was going to be late. “I was, yeah.” He straightens himself up, pulling down the sleeves of his suit and fixing his tie (even though he really didn’t need to). “Hey, it’s actually really good to see you again. Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone, yeah kid?”

You snort at the nickname he gave you. Immediately it brings back memories from your childhood and you can’t help but smile, giving Levi a wave as he walks off towards the elevator. “I know and I won’t! I’ll see you soon.”

Levi was so thankful he was the only one in the elevator, back hitting the wall and he let out the sigh that he’d been holding back for the last five minutes, finally.

“Holy shit.” He whispers. Only now did it really occur to him that it was really you. It really was a small world, and on top of being late– No thanks to Levi’s stupid alarm clock, he needed a new one really, it had failed him too many times and he could not afford to have his perfect schedule ruined again– He had to now work for eight hours, dealing with god knows how many annoying people while the image of you smiling kept flashing behind his eyes every time he blinked.

This was going to be a long day.

While Levi headed to work, you skipped over to the box you had dropped earlier out of excitement, gasping a little when you remembered there were picture frames in it. “Oh, thank god.” You exhaled with relief once you realised nothing had been broken, mentally scolding yourself for being so hyper and just dropping it out of nowhere.

The first thing you did when you entered your new apartment was open the windows and breathe in the fresh air from the balcony. You’d finally done it, finally moved out into your dream apartment, and now you were able to live your life the way you wanted, like a proper adult.

The silence was interrupted by a rather loud rumbling sound from your tummy. Your hand gave it a little pat as if to calm it down as you glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:04am. You’d been awake for a couple hours due to the excitement of moving into your new place and all you ate earlier was a muffin from the bakery down the street, and you needed some food in your stomach to become a functioning member of society.

Seeing as there was absolutely nothing in your fridge yet, apart from two cans of coke and a bottle of water, ordering food seemed like the easiest way to make yourself happy.

You took a seat on the couch in what will become the living room once you’ve unpacked all your things, waiting for your food to arrive. You let out a soft sigh as your body finally relaxed for the first time that morning. Moving was a fucking pain honestly, and you could not wait for it to all be over and done with.

You let your thoughts wander to your neighbour, Levi Ackerman. It brought a smile to your face. Seeing him again after so many years felt almost strange but somehow very comforting at the same time. Being in a brand new town was scary to say the least, but you could be at peace knowing there was someone here that you knew, someone that you would be able to lean on if things got rough on your own.

And in a split moment, you had an idea.

Rummaging around in your backpack, you found a pen and paper, quickly scribbling down a couple of sentences and walking back out of your place to slide the folded paper under Levi’s door and hoping he’d notice it.

It was just after 8pm when Levi finally got home, slightly scowling because the traffic was unbearable. He could have been home by seven, but no.

“Dumb fuckin’ drivers.” He murmurs under his breath, pulling out his key and unlocking the door to his apartment, The crinkling of paper underneath his shoes caught his attention. Bending down, he picked it up and unfolded it, reading it aloud (a bad habit, he could never read in his brain, the words get “too jumbled together” according to him).

Whenever you’re free from work, dinner at mine? I’ve learnt how to cook now! Come by at 7pm! Don’t be late, otherwise I get hangry… Let me know :) I’m free pretty much any day!

– The “kid” (I’m not a kid anymore by the way, but I’ll still let you call me that since ilu)

Levi smiled softly as he read through the note, eyes squinting as he got to the “ilu”. He did his best, he really did. Using all his brain power he had in that moment (there wasn’t much after a shitty day at work mind you) but it was too late for him to be thinking that hard, and he was not about to decode what that meant, not today anyway. He took off his shoes with the heels of his feet and walked to the kitchen bench, pulled out a pen from his bag, popping the cap open and he jotted down a reply with the neatest handwriting he could muster.

Saturday is my next day off. I’d love to have dinner. Also, my number is below in case you need to contact me. See you around.

– Levi.

Levi slid the paper under your door like you had done before. He would have knocked, but he knew how painful and annoying moving was and assumed you must have been asleep by now.

Eventually, Saturday rolled around after a long week. A long week for Levi, at least.

He stared at himself in the mirror – Black button down with grey pants seemed okay for dinner, right? He shook his head to get his hair into place, deciding it’ll do since he didn’t want to overthink about what outfit to wear, especially after already changing three times before he picked out the one he was wearing now. He didn’t even put this much effort into going on dates, so he wasn’t particularly sure why he was trying to put in so much effort for you…

He cleared his throat before knocking on your door, adjusting and playing around with the rings on his fingers as he waited for you to open up nervously.

“Door’s open!” You yelled, too occupied with dirty hands as you tried handling the melting chocolate in your hands.

Levi let himself in, making sure the door was closed behind him properly. The smell of food immediately hit his nose, making his stomach growl and he was so glad you weren’t beside him right now, that would have been embarrassing.

“Hey! Sorry I didn’t open the door, I uh– Well… Yeah.” You motioned at the mess on the kitchen table and chocolate over your hands with a shy smile.

“”S okay, need any help?” He asks, rolling up his sleeves and going to put away the rings on his fingers, ready to help you but you shook your head.

“You’re the guest tonight. I’ll be fine. Just forgot to put the chocolate in the fridge before I started with dinner so it’s everywhere. But that’s fine! The brownies will still turn out edible.”

He nods back, a smile playing on his lips.

He exhaled quietly as he took a seat on the stools placed on the other side of the kitchen bench.

You’d finally finished mixing the batter together for the brownies, putting them in the oven before going to cut the vegetables for the main meal you’d be having and making sure to clean up the mess on the kitchen counter, remembering how Levi was always a bit of a clean freak. You needed to make a good impression after all.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of you as Levi got lost in his thoughts. You really had grown up in the three or four years Levi hadn’t seen you.

That’s something he couldn’t really wrap his head around. He’d seen you grow up almost, from a kid to a teenager and now, an adult. Seeing you in the kitchen while you cut the carrots for the soup you’d be sharing really made Levi’s brain spin.

Or maybe it was the low cut top– No. No, why was he even looking there? He blinked a couple times, attempting to think about dinner to get the thought of your chest out of his mind. He shouldn’t be looking, it felt wrong. It was wrong. Was it? It was. It had to be. He’d never thought of you like that before… You were Hange’s younger sister… He was practically your older brother in a way, why did he look at your fucking che–

“Levi? Helloooo?” The waving hand in front of his face caught him off guard, almost falling off the stool he was seated on.

“Woah, careful there. You seemed like you were deep in thought.”

“Mm, a little. Just… Just work stuff.” He ran his fingers through his hair, letting it fall back into place and looked back at you. “You were calling my name?”

“Yep! Wanted to ask yay or nay to coriander?” (Cilantro for the American’s, don't bully me ;-;)

“Yay. Obviously. I’m a man of taste.”

“So you are Mr Ackerman, so you are.” And with a nod, you tossed a couple of leafs into the soup and checked up on the rice that was cooking away.

“So, you cook now?” He asks, fingers tapping against the kitchen counter as he tries to make conversation.

“Every so often. Had to learn ‘cause I wanted to move out, you know? Takeout every night doesn’t sound very appealing to me anyway. How come?”

“Just askin’. Remember when you burnt yourself and refused to enter the kitchen for like a week?”

“You remember that–!? That’s embarrassing.”

For the first time in three years, you heard Levi laugh again. It was rare, you remembered that. The man barely smiled, even to your sibling, Hange, Levi would always scowl whenever they gave him a hug or ruffled his hair. Instead, he’d rather show his affection through other ways, little words of affirmation when you really needed them, even going as far as to bring your favourite snacks. But a laugh? You felt lucky, special, to hear that again. “How could I forget? It was hilarious.”

“Glad my childhood suffering is funny to you, Ackerman.”

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just–” He stopped, catching his breath for a moment as his hand rested on his chest. “It was cute. You were terrified of the stove like it was the Boogeyman or something. Always asking Hange to cook you nuggets.”

“I was like five–”

“You were ten, actually.”

“Okay, I was ten, but it doesn’t mean I couldn’t be afraid of the stove at ten! That burn reaaaally hurt. Scarred me.”

“At least you learnt not to try to cook by yourself when you couldn’t even reach the stove.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” You poke out your tongue at him, bursting out into laughter when Levi shook his head at your childish antics.

“Been wondering, did you move next to me because Hange mentioned it or, were you stalking me?”

“Stalking, duh.” Levi raises his eyebrows at you, almost like he was wondering if you were lying or not. He was so cute, gullible, which made pranks super fun to pull on him. “Levi– You’re as clueless as ever. It’s purely a coincidence, the rent was good and the block has a really nice view too. Hange didn’t mention you being here. Though if I’m being honest, I don’t even think they remember where your apartment is…”

Levi agrees, mentioning something about how it’s ‘not out of the ordinary for Hange to forget like that’.

It was reassuring the relationship Levi and you had as the both of you were growing up hadn’t changed very much. It was easy to fall back into the routine you two had before. Joking around as you continued to cook, poking fun at each other. The both of you spent dinner and dessert catching up on things, talking about family and personal lives happily, not a dull moment throughout the night.

“Oh, it’s getting late…” You noted, glancing at the time on your phone after Levi let out a small yawn, his nose scrunching up rather cutely. “You’ve had a long week, d’you wanna go and rest?”

“Is that okay? I feel like an old man because I’m yawning at 11:30.” He mumbles, attempting to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes.

“It’s ‘cause you are an old man.” You poke his stomach cheekily, standing up so you can walk him out.

“Barely older than you, kid.”

“Still old.” He gives you his legendary ‘tsk’ and flicks your forehead as gently as he could, smiling softly as you rub the spot with a small pout and call him a meanie.

“Thank you, for coming over for dinner and like, helping calm my nerves about this place, I guess? It’s a little scary being here alone, but the fact you’re here gives me… Warmth? It’s comforting. Your presence, it’s comforting.”

There was a silence between the both of you after what you had said. Panic surges through you and you look down at the ground, thinking you’d made him uncomfortable by being so open with your feelings and you quickly try to redeem yourself somehow.

“I-I’m sorry, that… That was so weird and uncalled for, fuck. I’m sor–”

Levi cuts you off by placing a hand on your shoulder gently. “It’s not weird, I just didn’t know what to say.” He starts, tilting your chin upwards so he can look at your face. You’re welcomed with a smile, and it feels like the worry from before suddenly melted. “I’m glad. I’m glad that you feel comforted by me. If you ever need anything, I’m a door across yeah? You’ve got my number too.”

A couple of months pass and the two of you grow closer than you were before. Sometimes you would miss Levi before he heads to work. You’d learnt he wakes up at the ridiculous time of 6am, apparently he needs to keep in shape (even though he looks incredible already) and takes advantage of the building's gym on the lower floors.

You however, were not an early morning person, choosing to roll out of bed anytime after 10am. But the more you got to know Levi, the more of an effort you made to wake up a little earlier some days. Packing him a little lunchbox with a sandwich with a homemade muffin for his break so he’s not constantly buying from the overpriced cafe shop near the museum where he works.

He finds comfort in you too. Finding it comforting how you’re still the same person he knew. Always checking up on him and making sure he eats. Making him roll his eyes over the dumbest things you think of because you have no filter. The two of you get along so well after all these years and it makes Levi’s heart swell.

But Levi has a problem.

You’re not the little kid he knew from before, even though… You are?

You’re now grown up. An adult. Someone he can harbour feelings for– Actually. Someone he is harbouring feelings for.

Every passing day, your presence alone makes him feel things. Makes his heart thump a little louder in his chest, so loud it’s almost deafening. Even something as small as a smile, makes his brain all hazy. A gentle touch to his body, whether it’s a poke to his cheek or you playfully hitting his arm makes him want to kiss you.

It’s almost pathetic. He hasn’t felt this way in so long… So many years in fact, it’s a foreign feeling, but something he isn’t opposed to.

It almost feels… Illegal. Illegal for him to be thinking about you this way. But he just can’t help it. It’s perverted. The way he keeps looking at your chest regardless of what kind of shirt you’re wearing, is perverted. They look so soft, and all Levi wants to do is grab them, hold them in his palms while you sit on his lap, maybe even slide your top down just enough to expose them, enough to sink his teeth into the flesh and mark you up as his. Wanting to fuck them, coat them in a layer of his cum after leaving red hues all over them.

When did this perverted idea manifest in his brain?

When you hugged him as a thank you for bringing your favourite burrito on his way home from work last night. It seemed innocent enough, and it was. It was so innocent, nothing more than a way to say your thanks for going out of his way to get you something. It was innocent, until Levi got hyper aware and felt your hardened nipples press against his chest over his thin dress shirt.

He finds himself lying in bed the next day. Though the sun was shining in, he did not have the mentality to get up and go do his daily workout session for the morning because he’s fucking hard. Cock strained against his boxers as Levi let out a sigh, ruffling his hair. Maybe if he ignores it…

That’s stupid. He knows it won’t just go away like that. Not when his mind is already so plagued with thoughts about you. With thoughts about your soft breasts, and how hard your nipples were.

Levi turns his head, taking a look at the barely working alarm clock and groans.

7:43am.

He needed to be at work in a little over an hour. Fuck. Levi grew more and more annoyed as he continued to lay there. Barely twenty minutes to get himself off… That was hardly enough time. He overthinks, needs to take his time, paint a clear image of what or who he’s touching himself to, he needs at least thirty minutes to be satisfied properly, but he doesn’t have that luxury. Not today, and that pisses him off more than he’d like to admit. He hates rushing.

“Ah, fuck.” Levi lets out a defeated sigh, and without wasting any more time he slides his boxers down just enough to free his length, hissing under his breath when his hand wraps around the entirety of it – He knows he needs to hurry, which is why he starts moving his hand. Steady up and down movements.

His head slumps back into his soft pillows, eyes falling shut as he tries to dream up of scenarios that’ll help him cum quicker. Surely, he’d be able to think about someone else right? Especially because jerking off to you, his best friend's younger sister, who he had never felt this way about, practically saw you grow up… That was wrong, right?

If it was so wrong, then why was he unable to think about anything else? Why was he unable to think about anyone else?

With a feeble groan, he gives up. Finally, finally letting his thoughts wander over to you. The person who had been the reason behind all this, behind his suffering this morning. It’s almost comical how Levi’s cock twitches in his hand the second he recalls how your nipples felt against his body, how you pressed yourself against him.

Were you tempting him? Is that what you wanted? To tempt Levi, to make his brain go all fuzzy, to make him think about the most obscene images of you? Were you trying to turn him into a pervert?

“Shit… So fucking pretty…” He groans, muttering to himself under his breath as images of you remain behind his eyes. Spitting into his hand before letting it wrap around his cock again tightly, Levi lets his imagination go wild once more, thinking about how your mounds would look if you took your shirt off for him. He knows they’d be beautiful, a perfect fit for his hands if he cupped them. They’d be so soft, he knows that for a fact though. He felt how soft they were, even if it was for a brief moment, he felt your tits–

“Fuck, fuck fuc– ooh.” Ribbons upon ribbons of warm cum splatter against his lower stomach and thighs, coating his hand. Levi didn’t even realise when his high caught up to him until his body went stiff, head rolling back and eyes tightly closed while his cock throbs and trembles in his grip.

It takes him a minute or two to calm down enough to open his eyes, letting out a shaky breath that he was holding in. He grimaces at the mess on his body, scolding himself for not having the brain to at least have a couple of tissues by his side. Levi sighs, taking a quick glance at the clock on his bedside table once more and almost smiling at the time.

8:02am.

Maybe, he was capable of making himself cum under thirty minutes… If he was thinking of you.

Sunday nights ended up being movie nights, a “tradition” that Hange and Levi made up in the past for themselves, but since they both had such a soft spot for you, you ended up joining them on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in your lap, seated in the middle of them.

“Okay! Popcorn is almost ready!” You shouted from the kitchen, getting out your biggest bowl from the cupboard.

“What kind is it?”

“Triple buttered, of course.”

“That’s your favourite.”

“Well, they didn’t have caramel and–” You poke your head out from the kitchen, sticking out your tongue. “My house, my rules.”

“Tsk, so defensive. Y’know you could have just easily made caramel popcorn at home, right? Since you’re a chef now.” He states, sitting down on one corner of the couch.

“Easily? Are you insane? It’s not easy to make that shit at home.” You retorted, flopping down onto the couch and placing the bowl in the middle of the both of you.

“Let me guess, you burnt it when you tried to make it?” He asks almost teasingly and takes the bowl for himself, placing it on his lap instead.

“Shut up.” Despite him trying to hold back a laugh, it still falls through his lips for a brief moment. It has you gasping dramatically, hitting his arm as he tries to save the bowl of popcorn. “You’re so mean Levi!”

“You almost knocked the popcorn out of my arms! You’re mean.”

“You deserve that whack, so–” You shrug, huffing loudly and take the remote for yourself as you open up Netflix, pretending to be mad at the male to your right. A couple of moments of silence passed and you, being curious as to if Levi would rebuttal, looked over at him.

He was already staring at you, a smile playing on his lips at how cute you were being, and the second you caught each other's eyes, laughter immediately filled your living room. This is how it had always been between the both of you for as long as you can remember.

“Okay so, what movie are we watching, old man?”

You hear Levi grumble under his breath at the ridiculous nickname you called him every so often. “Love Actually, since you haven’t seen it.”

“Love Actually– You serious, Levi?”

“As serious as always, besides it’s almost Christmas time and it is a Christmas themed movie as well. Why?”

A series of giggles and snorts come from you at his choice of movie, which Levi chooses to ignore. Instead he rolls his eyes and attempts to flick your forehead, but even that couldn’t stop you from giggling.

“O-Oh my god, that’s so cute. You’re so cute.” You coo at him, laughing subsiding. “Hange told me you have a weird little soft spot for rom-coms.” Almost immediately, his cheeks start to burn up at the compliment.

“Of course they did.” He shakes his head, letting his hair fall in his face as he tries his best to avoid eye contact with you, hoping that the dimmed lights would help hide how his cheeks are flushed pink.

You hum as you flick through the movies, finally finding the chosen movie of the night and you get comfortable on the couch. The bowl of popcorn moves from Levi’s lap to beside him, making it easier for you to grab some to eat.

Levi got so engrossed in the movie, he almost forgot about the junk food laid out on the table in front of you both. He carefully moves forward, picking up a smaller bowl filled with lollies and takes a couple to chew on before looking across at your figure. You were now on your side, almost laying down as your head rested on your hand. He’d offer some, but you looked so caught up in the movie that he didn’t want to interrupt.

He smiled to himself, knowing that you’d be a sucker for this movie. But unfortunately for him, as he tried to look away from your body he caught a peek of your breasts.

He should be a gentleman. He should look away, but he can’t. He can’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from your chest. It brings back memories of the other week and how he jerked off, cumming for you, for those tits.

Levi shifts in his seat a little, looking back at the tv, thankful he had already grabbed a pillow before and kept it on his lap (it’s a weird habit of his, always watching shows and movies while hugging a pillow to his chest or keeping it on his lap) since he was about to have a bit of a problem. He can’t. He shouldn’t. Not during movie night, not in your home. He can’t pop a boner right now. No matter how many times he repeated no in his head, it was too late. He was half hard with you mere centimetres away.

Don’t be a perv… Don’t be a fucking perv, he repeated, but even that was futile. His head turned slowly so you wouldn’t see out of your peripheral vision, and kept his eyes on your chest. They seemed… Perkier than he remembered. You must be wearing a bra. That’s unfortunate.

He would kill to see them out, hanging, nipples hard against your shirt. The top you were wearing was thin, if you didn’t have a bra on, then your nipples would definitely peek through. Fuck.

He’s gross, Levi knows that. But he just can’t help himself.

Once again, his thoughts start wandering.

What if you felt the same way as him? What if you were willing to let him touch you, to let him grope your tits? He’d be gentle, at first anyway. Keeping you seated on his lap, hands slowly gripping your thighs, trailing up to your waist, under your shirt… Under your bra if you let him… Would you let him touch your nipples? Would you shiver, or would you moan as he played with them?

A gentle grope, that’s all. He just wants to lean over and grope your pretty body so bad if you’ll let him.

He shouldn’t have let his mind be strayed like that. Now he was actually hard and he had to take care of it.

“Gonna pop off to the bathroom, yeah?” He whispers, leaning down just enough so you’ll be able to hear him.

“Mhm, just passed my room, to the left.” You whisper back, looking at him briefly to see him nod before reverting your attention back to the movie.

Levi stands up the best he can without looking awkward, rushing off in the direction of your room. He shuts the door of the bathroom behind him with a deep exhale, leaning against the counter, almost mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do in your home.

The corner of his eye catches something, and all of a sudden, Levi feels like the luckiest man on Earth.

Your panties. Laying on the floor, near the shower.

You must have forgotten about them, he thinks. Or was this just another one of your ways to drive him insane? To make him hornier than he was before? You were tempting him, that had to be it.

He shouldn’t. Levi feels gross enough having to jerk off again thinking about you, the fact he was in your home making it even worse but… But it wouldn’t hurt right? It wouldn’t hurt to pick them up off the floor and use them to aid his fantasies… Right?

Levi’s not really sure when it happens, too driven by lust, but the next thing he knows, he has his sweatpants pooled against his feet, boxers pushed down to his mid thighs while one hand pumps his cock and the other holds your dirty panties.

He bites down on his lower lip harshly, making it plumper than usual. Levi fucks his hand desperately, imagining you bent over, panties pushed to the side as his cock plows in and out of your tight cunt rigourously. He’d make you feel so good, he knows he would, you’d be addicted to his cock.

He swears your his little temptress, innocent on the outside but fucking filthy on the inside. That’s why you’ve been so adamant on showing him your tits, right? That’s why your panties were on the floor. So you could tempt him. Filthy. You’re filthy.

It’s then when Levi starts thinking about fate. The world is so wild, so crazy. So small. Out of all the apartments in the city you could have picked, you chose the one he stayed in – And to top it all off, you were right next to him. It had to be fate. The world was telling him that you two were fated for each other, fated to be with each other one way or another. It warms his heart.

It might be sick and twisted of him to think that way, but it’s true. It’s fate.

Fate brought you back to Levi, and he couldn’t be happier.

Levi groans, eyebrows furrowed as he holds up your dirty panties to his nose and inhales the scent imprinted on it deeply.

His cock twitches, balls tightening and he knows he’s close. Without much thought, he opens your panties as best he can with one hand, letting his cum paint the middle of the fabric as his orgasm rushes over him, jaw slacking open. He wraps the cum covered panties around his cock, beginning to fuck into the soiled fabric, groaning at how it makes sloppy sounds. He imagines your cunt making the same noise as he fills you full of his cum. It’s only when his cock feels too sensitive, covered in a sheen layer of cum and your panties feel heavy with how they’ve soaked the liquid up, that he stops.

He cleans himself up in the bathroom, opting to shove your panties in the pocket of his sweats since he couldn’t leave it out for you to see, otherwise you’d know what he was really doing in the bathroom and he can’t have that. Quietly, he tiptoes back into the living room and takes a seat next to you, noticing how the movie’s almost done.

“You okay?” You question, giving Levi your undivided attention. “You were gone for a while.”

“Mhm. Just felt a little sick from all that buttery popcorn you made me eat.” He says, ruffling your hair as you mumble about how he “didn’t need to eat it”.

He smiles to himself, amused by how gullible you were as he lied straight through his teeth. You probably don’t even remember your panties lying on the bathroom floor, so you would never know what he did, and Levi likes it that way.

A rustling sound from outside snapped Levi out of his thoughts, and being the kind hearted man he was, he assumed it might be a cat. It’s not out of the ordinary for stray cats to be lingering around the building, often on the search for food Levi’s noticed. Either that or they just like to climb ten stories for no reason and walk along the railings. Levi doesn’t mind though, he finds it almost comforting to take care of them indirectly, ears perking up the second there are sounds outside his apartment, almost rushing to pull out the bag of cat food that’s stashed away in his pantry.

As he moved the curtains back and went to open the door, the sight he was met with was not a stray cat – In fact, it might have been better than a stray cat. It was you hanging up your washing. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to see you put up the washing, but today Levi wasn’t able to walk away, instead he wanted to watch you.

Levi held back a chuckle, recalling back to when you’d do the same thing back when you lived with your parents, always popping into the backyard and hanging up the wet clothes when the washing machine was done. He found it almost amusing seeing you peg your clothes up, being hit with a wave of nostalgia. The wind made your hair blow in the air, hips swaying side to side while you faintly hummed along to a tune Levi didn’t recognise – You had always been in love with music, finding new songs to listen to and he’s glad you haven’t changed in that aspect.

It was cute. You were cute.

You could have just turned on your dryer, every apartment had one. It was the 21st century after all, what person didn’t prefer to go down the easy route and shove things in a machine to dry clothes? You, apparently.

Levi gets far too lost in the way your hips sway, the dress stopping at your knees but the wind aids his perverted mind, blowing your dress up just a little so he could see your thighs and boy was it making his mind crazy. Your back was thankfully turned to him, so he could lean against the glass door and continue to stare, if you did happen to turn around, he could pull his curtains in and cover himself up. Levi was thankful to himself for the change of curtains too, they were darker, not those stupid lacy ones everyone was getting nowadays. They let too much light in, and besides, he wouldn’t be able to stare at you like he was doing if he had those lace ones, now would he?

He didn’t even realise when you went back inside, too busy being a sick pervert and obsessing over you. Levi finally sees the clothes you were hanging up now that you were out of the way though. A couple of shirts, some sweats, and those pretty little panties of yours.

He’d still kept the ones from last week, not bothering to wash them properly. They were just rinsed, being kept in the drawer of his bedside table so he could help himself with them when he needed (almost every night since you had invaded every inch of his brain).

Again, fate had to be behind all this. It had to have been, Levi must have saved someone's life in his previous life or something because once again, he felt like the luckiest man alive.

You mustn't have pegged your panties up properly, because a couple seconds after Levi started looking at your clothes, it drifted in the wind and landed on Levi’s balcony.

He was quick to pick them up and go back inside, closing the door, bringing them to his nose and inhaling like a fucking sicko. It was sweet, your fabric softener was sweet, like you. The smell suited you, made the fabric nice and soft. It was pretty, so lacy and see through that he’d be able to see your cunt if you were wearing them.

Levi put them out on a chair so they could dry, mentally reminding himself to put them away in his drawer later on since they’re his now.

Christmas Eve rolled around in the blink of an eye.

Levi finally had time off work and though having food at one another's place had become a regular occurance, Levi invited you over for a Christmas dinner at his, saying it was his turn to cook you a delicious meal after all the little baked goods and breakfasts you had made for him throughout the couple months you’d move in next door.

You’d wrapped his present up in the cutest wrapping paper you could find, little teddy bears dressed in red hats and scarfs. It was glittery, something Levi couldn’t stand since it was so hard to clean off, but the look in your eyes as he took it from your hands paired with the innocent smile you gave him… Maybe, just maybe, he didn’t mind glitter. Afterall, you’d worked so hard to wrap this, so neatly too, he couldn’t let you down now.

Levi’s cooking skills had definitely gotten much better, it was like you were eating out at a five star restaurant honestly. He shushed you up when you started gushing about it, saying he was so much better than you. He just said it was his mothers recipe, he had done nothing special apart from follow it.

It was a perfect night.

“All that food is catching up to me. Where’s your bathroom by the way?”

“Down the hallway on your right.”

“Be back, yeah?” You stood up, flattening your dress and making your way to the bathroom.

On your way back, you’d realised Levi’s window in his room was open, the cool breeze making the door creak a little and to avoid any slamming of doors, you went inside and closed the window. Sure, you should have asked before entering his room, but it was just for a brief couple of seconds.

At least, that’s all it should have been. Just a couple of seconds. You were meant to just close the door.

So, why were your legs frozen at the edge of Levi’s bed?

“No…” You mumble, shocked by what you were seeing in front of you.

At least five different kinds of underwear… Your underwear. You knew they were yours, one of the red laced ones you had bought just a couple weeks before, assuming you must have misplaced them or they must have blown away in the wind since it had been stormy that week.

That’s what you assumed happened with all your missing panties…

They’d just been misplaced…

But apparently not.

They were dirty too… Covered in liquid and you didn’t even want to think about what it could be, even though you knew. You 100% knew what they were covered in, and it made your stomach sick. Your heart sank into your stomach. There was no way this was Levi’s fault…

There is no way Levi has been keeping your underwear in his home…

No fucking way…

Then all of sudden, your vision went black.

The next time your eyes open, you're seated in a chair in a room you don’t recognise, hands and feet tied up, tape placed over your mouth. You can’t even bring yourself to scream, there’s honestly no point, instead silent tears fall from the corners of your eyes.

What the hell was happening…

“O-Oh, thank god. You’re awake…” Levi stumbles into the room, fear evident in his eyes as he looks at you.

But he’s met with you shaking your head, a noise somewhere between a sob and a scream coming from you.

“Hey. Listen, I won’t– I won’t do anything alright? Just let me take the tape off. That’s all, okay? Will you let me do that?” He’s uneasy when he asks and you just stare at him through blurry vision, blinking away the tears as he continues to stand still, waiting for an answer.

You reluctantly agree, nodding back at him, knowing– No, praying that your Levi from before is still there in him. This must be a misunderstanding. Yeah… That’s all it is, a misunderstanding, is what you keep repeating to yourself in your mind.

Levi sighs in relief, crouching down once he’s close enough. The way you flinch away from him almost breaks his heart into two, but he’s gentle. He’s thoughtful. Cautious with how he pulls the tape away from your mouth, rolling it up into a ball and tossing it to the side, looking back at you. “Are you alright?”

“Do I look ‘alright’ to you?” You snap, words harsh and your tone unpleasant. Levi can’t bring himself to say anything, instead just sighing once more and resting his hands on your thighs as he stays crouched down.

“I’m sorry…” Is all he can muster up. “I didn’t mean to do all this. To hurt you… It's just– I just panicked. I’m sorry, ____. Forgive me?” It’s only then you realise that he really did knock you out, that maybe your Levi, the one you knew from before, the one that was soft, kind in his weird little way, maybe your Levi wasn’t in there anymore.

“L-Levi please… Let me go. I want to go home. Please. I won’t t-tell anyone– About this, please. Undo these ropes. Please.”

Levi could only shake his head, hands gripping your thighs tightly. “Can’t. Can’t let you go.”

“W-Why! This– This isn’t right!”

“I know!” His voice was loud, booming, echoing through your ears. He’s never once raised his voice before at you– Hell, he’s never actually raised his voice this loud, ever. Not even when Hange was annoying the living daylights out of him. You were scared, fear pumping through your veins. Eventually, your eyesight went all blurry again, tears forming and falling onto the back of Levi’s hand while you sobbed.

“Shit– Don’t… Don’t cry. Baby, please. Don’t cry, you’re alright.” He was quick to cup your face, thumb wiping away the salty droplets. “I won’t hurt you again, okay?”

“Then why won’t you undo these stupid fucking ropes, Levi?! Let me go… Please.”

“I’m sorry… I just can’t.” You can’t bring yourself to argue with him more, head starting to throb where you were hit as you sob violently, eyes shut tightly in hopes that your head would stop hurting or at least dull the pain at least. If Levi was in pain for harming you before, seeing you cry, broke his heart even further.

“Let me make it up to you… Please.”

A small period of silence before you looked up, sniffling. “H-How…?” You question, hoping it’d be something good, something that would help you forgive him.

“Just… Just relax. Gonna make you feel good, you’ll forgive me after that, yeah?” You tensed as you felt his hands inch further up your dress, breath hitching in your throat.

“L-Levi?”

“It’s okay. ‘M making it up to you.” He whispers, using his strength and bunching the dress up at your waist, leaving your bottom half exposed for him to ogle at. “Relax for me, okay? You know I’d never hurt you.”

You weren’t really sure if that was the case anymore… But it’s not like you were in any position to argue with him, seeing as you were currently restricted in one place and he was free to move around. “Levi… Not– Now how you should be making i-it up t’me…”

“Shhh. You’ll feel good.” He knows you feel scared, which is why he’s touching softly, like you’re made of glass. Like you’re fragile. In a way you are, your heart is delicate right now, you’re hurt because of him and he needs to make you feel better. His fingers play with the hem of your panties, one hand spreading your legs as far as they can go despite the ropes still on your ankles.

“Levi–!” You yelp, feeling the band of your underwear snap back into place rather harshly. He gets your mind off the sting of pain though, mouth peppering kisses to your inner thighs, not missing the way your thighs shake as he moves closer to your core, the fluffy strands of hair brushing against your skin making goosebumps appear.

“You’re so pretty, ‘n all mine.” He murmurs. You cringe at his words audibly, and Levi furrows his brows. You were his. You just didn’t realise it yet. The universe did this, fate did this. It was no coincidence you became neighbours after so long, it was fate. You were his, and he was yours. He’d get you to admit it one way or another.

Levi’s fingers toyed with your panties again, though this time he moved them aside, exposing your pussy to him for the first time. He was at loss for words, just staring at how wet you had already become and all he did was kiss your thighs. Maybe a part of you liked how useless you were, all tied up as he kneeled in between your thighs. For the first time after months and months upon imagining how your cunt looked, he’d finally seen it, and it did not disappoint. You were an angel to him. Prettiest cunt he’d ever seen, and it belonged to his favourite girl.

Ample amount of slick was seeping from your middle, almost like your cunt was drooling, and he couldn’t let it go to waste. So Levi’s tongue darted out, flattening it against your folds, slipping right in between them with a groan, and he licked up, curling the muscle slightly so he was able to catch more of your arousal on it. The tip of his tongue brushed against your clit so perfectly, it had your nails digging into your palms. It wasn’t right… This isn’t how you thought he’d apologise… But you didn’t want it to stop either.

“Hhng– L-Levi.” You spluttered, voice airy, feeling the warmth of his tongue subsiding too quickly.

“Taste even better than I thought it would.” He sneers, and without missing another beat, he dives right back in. Wet sounds echoed through the air as he ate you out, a mixture of spit from Levi and your slick coating the bottom half of his mouth. His movements were sloppy, almost rushed, like he had been starved for so long. Despite how scrambled his tongue was, it still made your brain frantic. It felt so good, you couldn’t remember the last time someone had put in this much effort to make you feel good, that’s probably why Levi’s tongue felt so heavenly between your folds.

You start to twitch above him, and Levi flicks his eyes open, noting how your mouth was open and moans poured out. You were close, that much he could tell. He doesn’t move away, letting his tongue flicker against your nub and going to suck on it to help you reach your high. If you could, your hands would be tangled in his blackened hair tightly, pushing him in even deeper.

“L-Lev– I’m gonna–” You couldn’t even warn him, not that he really wanted to be warned in the first place. Your body went limp as you came on his tongue, trembling slightly as he continued to draw the tip of his tongue up and down your clit to overstimulate you.

You whimpered, trying to move your hips away to get him to stop but his hands gripped your waist, holding you in place easily. “Quit runnin’. ‘M trying to make it up to you, baby.” Vibrations from his voice went straight to your clit as he mumbled the words out.

“‘S too much–!”

“C’mon.” He coos, pulling back to look at you. You can see the way his face is wet. He licks his lips, swallowing while maintaining eye contact. His thumb replaces his tongue, rubbing your nub in small circles to keep you stimulated and shaking. “You can take it. I know you can. You’ve always been so good to me.” He speaks, not giving you much time to say anything as two fingers prod and press against your slick hole.

He relishes in the way you give up so easily, once again falling limp before your hips start to chase his fingers with quiet whines. “More…”

“Okay, baby, okay. Relax for me.” He chuckles, dipping the tips of both digits into your slippery cunt. “S-Shit…” Levi gulps audibly. “Tight… So fuckin’ tight. How’s my cock gonna fit in here, huh?”

“D-Dunno… I– Ahh…” With a mewl, your back arches, Levi’s fingers stretching you open little by little before they fit nice and snug in your clenching walls, buried knuckle deep. It’s pitiful the way you sob for more and at the same time, for less. It feels like too much, his fingers are so much thicker than yours, and it’s been far too long since you’ve touched yourself like this. Your mind is going hazy as your eyes flutter shut once Levi withdraws his fingers. But he pushes them both back in with so much force, in the best way possible. You’re crying, this time begging for more.

His constant movements, in and out, in and out, digits reaching so deep inside you that your stomach starts to form a knot again, walls clenching. He lets you cum again, this time just stimulating your gspot, curling his fingers in just right that you fall apart. You’re so beautiful like this, he can tell you’re close to losing your mind, your eyes looking almost empty from the sheer amount of pleasure.

Levi lets you breathe, pulling out his fingers once you’ve ridden out your orgasm. You look down at him, eyes clouded.

“So good f’me.” He whispers, straightening himself up, holding his slick and cream coated fingers to your mouth. He gives your lips a little tap, only to be met with a whine from you. “Open up baby? Y’got my fingers all messy. Gotta clean up, yeah?”

And when he’s met with no response, he prys your mouth open. Other hand coming to pull your jaw open so he could push his fingers onto your tongue. “Have you gone dumb already?” He questions. You only blink at him, lips closing around his digits as you whimper, tongue cleaning up your mess. Levi smiles, giving your forehead a kiss and pulls out his fingers that are now coated in your spit.

“Levi…” You speak up, voice quiet and airy, so innocent that it makes his cock twitch. “Want… Want more.”

“More?”

“You. ‘M want you… Need you. Please?”

“What do you need? Can you use those big girl words for me or are you too dumb to think that much?” You shake your head, albeit on the verge of losing your mind, you did your best to speak up.

“Cock, need your cock. Wanna be full. Please Levi, need your cock.”

He swears under his breath, almost cumming on the spot while he hears you beg for him, for more of him. “Gonna undo these ropes, okay? You won’t run away from me, will you?”

“No! No, ‘m not gonna do that. Not gonna run away, need you. Need you, Levi. Won’t leave you.” You thrashed around in your seat a little, eyes tearing up at the mere thought of running away from the male after he made you feel so good, and he was willing to give you more too. Why would you ever run away from that?

Levi’s heart doubled in size. You needed him… You won’t leave him. That’s what he wanted, that’s what he wanted you to admit. It’s exactly what he wanted to hear from you. His eyes almost form into hearts, holding your face in his hands so delicately, pressing a gentle kiss to your nose. “Sit still for me.”

He makes quick work on the ropes around your ankles and wrists, making sure to pepper the redness in kisses, mumbling out sorry’s like his life depended on it. You sat still, just like he wanted. You were so obedient, so pliant, Levi felt so lucky in that moment.

With a brain as hazy and faded as yours, you didn’t realise when you had made it to his bedroom, back on his mattress as he held himself above your body. The corner of your eye picked up your stolen underwear, sitting where you had seen them earlier, on the corner of the bed. But this time you didn’t care that Levi had stolen them, that he had used them for his sick fantasies. You were too dumbed down and too driven by lust to care. It actually made your pussy throb this time, knowing that he was getting off to you, that he was so needy he needed to use something of yours, something so intimate and lewd as panties.

You pawed at his chest, tugging on the shirt he had on. “Levi, please fill me up. Need it.”

“I know, baby. Be patient, you’ll get what you want.” Levi’s hands trail over your body, resting on your ribcage. “Will you let me touch these pretty tits first?”

He’d been eyeing your chest for so long now, for so many months. That’s what started his obsession with you in the first place, and now he was just a couple of centimetres away from finally being able to touch them like he’s always wanted.

You don’t respond verbally, instead, pulling the straps of your dress down your shoulders. Levi takes advantage of it, tugging the middle of it down just enough to have your tits spilling out of it. No bra either. Fuck. He thinks he loves you.

At once, Levi’s mouth is sucking on one nipple, tongue brushing across it to make it hard, teeth coming to bite down on the hardened nub so harshly it draws a sob from you. He’s so into it, almost like he’s trying to get more of your tit into his mouth, moaning and groaning around the flesh while his hand gropes the other, pinching and pulling the nipple. When he finally pulls back after what feels like hours, your chest is painted in blossoming hickies. All marked up. For him.

“Off, please. These… Off.” You palm his cock over his pants. You had tried your hardest to be patient but you can’t take it anymore, you need to feel him. All of him.

Levi’s too impatient to pull them off properly, instead just undoing the buttons and tugging them down to his knees along with his boxers. His hands find your thighs, spreading them apart to look at your folds, all slick and visibly throbbing.

He lets a glob of spit fall from his lips, landing on your clit with a small slap, and he waits for it to trail down to your folds, using the head of his cock to rub it against your hole. “Can’t wait longer Levi. Now, give it to me now. Plea–” Your mouth opens in an ‘o’, eyes practically rolling back into your head as Levi finally pushes his thick cock into your aching cunt.

You fall silent, too far gone, overwhelmed with the feeling of being stretched out so much after so long. Cunt clamping around his cock so hard Levi swears your walls are cutting off circulation, and as he bottoms out, balls pressed against your ass, you get impossibly tighter. It’s almost like your cunt wants to keep him buried there.

“S-Shit… You’re… S’fucking tight– Holy shit, baby.” He groans from above you, biting his lip as he tries to pull his hips back, and he barely gets an inch of his cock out before pushing right back in and earning a sweet whimper from you. “Baby, gotta loosen up. Fuckin’ cunts too tight… Can’t– Can’t move.”

“Can’t… Too much– Cock ‘s too big, Levi I– Ahh–”

Levi grits his teeth as you tighten around him again. “You gotta.” With a sharp inhale, he brings the pad of his thumb to your clit, rubbing circles around it to help you get used to the feeling, and after a minute or so, your cunt finally releases the grip on his cock just enough to let him draw his hips back.

It doesn’t take long for Levi to start up at a rigorous pace, but he just can’t help it. You feel so good around his cock, this is all he ever wanted. “Feels s’good baby, doin’ s’ well f’me.” He mumbles, words coming out harshly, almost drowned out by how hard his hips slam against your own. Sounds of skin hitting skin fill the room, and you’re so damn wet your arousal has dripped down to the crevice of your ass, even coating Levi’s balls, making a sloppy sound every couple of seconds.

If you were dumb before, you had no brain now. His cock hit places so deep inside you, places you didn’t even know existed before, he fucked you so hard, so deep, with every thrust your tits bounced harshly. They were starting to hurt with how hard he was fucking into you, nails digging into the flesh of your waist as he hoisted your legs up, pressing them to your chest as he presses you into a mating press. You swear the tip of his cock is hitting your cervix with every thrust.

“Fuck fuck fuck–” He grunts, plowing into you, growling as your nails start to leave scratch marks down his biceps and shoulders. “G’nna make you all mine. Y’know that you belong to m-me, yeah baby? Only me. Mine. Fate made you mine.”

“Mhmm, ‘m yo– Ah! Yours! Jus’ yours… Levi, ‘m yours.” You’re wailing at this point, sobbing, covered in tears and snots running down your nose, babbling on about his cock, about how you’re his. Levi’s proud, and he leans down to press his lips to your forehead, not missing a beat with his thrusts.

It’s not even shocking to him when you cum around his cock suddenly, going silent as your body twitches and shivers underneath him. You let out a shaky sigh, overstimulation catching up to you rather quickly since Levi kept fucking you through your high. “‘S okay, stay s-still. Quit runnin’ away– Gonna cum soon baby, jus’ a little longer.” He grits out, pinning your body down with ease.

“I-Inside… Inside, Levi. Cum inside me.”

If he wasn’t so close to you right now, Levi would have missed what you said, you were so quiet, voice tiny and frail.

“Fuu–uck.” It was long and drawn out, orgasm rolling over him only a couple seconds after you uttered those words. Hips stilling, pressed right against the deepest spot inside you.

He sighs softly after his orgasm passes, letting his fingers trace your eyelids. You let them open, looking up at Levi with a dazed look, a dumb smile plastered on your face as you feel how utterly full you are now. Full of cock and cum.

“Who do you belong to, baby?” He asks, voice hushed, hand cupping your cheek. “Who owns you?”

“You, Levi, ‘m all yours now. Forever ‘n ever.”

He laughs, pressing his lips to yours for the first time that night. It’s sloppy, messy and rushed. He kisses you like it’s the last time he’ll ever feel you like this, even though it isn’t. Cause you admitted you’re his, and he was gonna keep it that way.

Levi pulls back for air, panting against your mouth, not fazed by how your hot breaths mingled with one another. “Mine, my dumb baby. All mine.”

You two were fated to be together, and Levi’s never going to let you go.

tagging : @leyyvi | @fairyfuyu <3

#levi ackerman smut #aot smut #snk smut #levi smut #attack on titan smut #levi x reader #aot x reader #snk x reader #tw stalking #tw panty sniffing #tw noncon #tw dubcon #tw dumbification #tw dark content #tw violence #tw yandere

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bookaddict24-7 · 3 years

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I said at the beginning of the year that I would share my reviews more on my blog instead of just on Instagram and Goodreads. I’ve been reading a lot so far this year, so my reviews will be delayed on here. I upped it to 10 reviews per post so I can do most of the reviews before the end of the year!

Friend me on Goodreads here to read my reviews in real-time!

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156. The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was craving a re-read of this because I never finished the series and I loved it just as much as the first time! I'm always recommending this series to fans of the I Am Number Four readers, and anyone who loves books that feature a ragtag group of teens fighting the evil corporation (plus, they have powers and travel around the world.) Such a great re-read!

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157. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland--⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

While I enjoyed this book, I think it was a little TOO hyped up for me. I'm part of a book club and everyone loved it and ya'll know how I am with expectations (if you've been reading my reviews for a while). I think I expected a higher level of WTF, but it was still entertaining for what it was! I enjoyed seeing the relationship between the sisters, despite their mother being hesitant about them seeing each other. The mystery was intriguing and definitely worthy of being a Reddit mystery (as referenced in the book.) I was left with a few questions about why they can do the things they do, and I think a lot of it is left for the reader's imagination. I think this could even have the potential for a sequel, since the world introduced and the multitude of characters and experiences could be expanded. It also gave me really strong Wayward Children vibes (especially with one of the items mentioned). I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a spoopy read with a super atmospheric setting. If you want a conclusion that will leave you wondering wtf did I just read? This one is the one for you!

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158. A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so adorable! I've been meaning to check it out for a while, so when I saw that the library had the audiobook, I immediately borrowed it. I loved reading about brujeria from the perspective of a younger character and also in a more whimsical storyline. I'm really intrigued by the siblings concept and kind of want to follow this series until the MC is 15 so we can finally learn what her specialty is! There's a scene at the end between the MC and her mom that was the cutest thing ever and reminded me of my mom and me whenever I was in trouble and I did the whole, "I love you, mami" thing. I also appreciated that the MC knew that what she was doing wasn't exactly right and her conscience was quietly warning her of the fact. If you want to read a cute story about brujeria and practice your Spanish, you should pick this up! I was so happy and excited to hear the voice actress speaking in Spanish as she read out recipe lists and other dialogues. Though I was thrown off a bit with how she pronounced azucar.

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159. Honey So Sweet Vol. 2 by Amu Meguro--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cute volume with how the two MCs are growing closer—I do think one thing was done rather quickly, but I’m also glad it was dwelled on. I can already see a love rival coming and the first hurdle this young couple will have to overcome! Can’t wait to pick up the next volume!

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160. I Cannot Reach You Vol. 1 by Mika--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SO GOOD. Omg. These two. And when the author started showing us both perspectives?? Dead. Those short bonus stories at the end? Ridiculously adorable and sweet. I just...I need the second volume. I can already tell this is going to be a slow burn that destroys me. Also that cover art and the cover art for the second volume 😍

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161. The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ah, the plot thickens! Knowing some of the things we know from this book, the next book in the series should be interesting. I feel really bad for these kids. Not only do they have a murderous jerk after them, but now the world believes a lie about them and no matter how much they explain themselves, no one believes them. It just shows an interesting perspective of how kids might view the adult world around them.

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162. The Deal by Elle Kennedy--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, it’s been six years since I read this book! I enjoyed it for the most part—there were just a few instances that either showed this book’s age, or showed how important communication would have been. I’m doing this re-read because I recently purchased the whole series and want to actually finish it (the nostalgia hit me hard in April.) Will be starting the sequel in June!

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163. Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 11 by Tomohito Oda--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This slow burn!!!! I love the cute scene at the beginning because it clearly shows that others see what’s happening, but these two are just being adorable and unaware. I always laugh when I’m reading this series because it’s either really silly, or really freaking cute.

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164. The Way of the House husband Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono & Sheldon Drzka --

This was such a fun read and so different from other mangas I’ve read! This was more a collection of events per chapter rather than one linear story. The art was alright in some scenes, but the dialogue was great and funny. Also, the househusband is lowkey kind of fine af, so that was fun—especially the opening panels.

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165. White Night by Jim Butcher--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was always told, before starting this series, that it got better as the series progressed and wow...they were right! I’m really enjoying this series and so happy I kept going past the slightly awkward first few books. I loved some of the twists and the moments between Harry and a side character I can’t mention because spoilers. I also just want these two characters to just...smooch. Ugh. Slow af burn, I tell you. Anyway, this was great and there were some pretty cool scenes where Harry just sounded like a complete badass.

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Have you read any of these titles? Would you recommend them?

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Happy reading!

#books #bookish #booklr #bookworm #bookaholic #book blog #book blogger #Features #on books #on reading #read #reading #reader #reco #review #book review #my opinions #my writing #reviews

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anon-e-miss · 4 years

Note

OMG, that was such a sad mama!Prowl... poor thing I hope at some point you write a happier follow up to that fic. I hate seeing Prowl and Smokey so sad... I also look forward to this coming week! I hope you enjoy it.

Crosscut and Road Rage were dead. As much as Prowl loathed these mechanisms with every fibre of his being, he could not celebrate their demises. He remained in the nursery, the collection of rooms that had made up his existence for fifty-six vorns. Nothing had changed here, not yet. His elder creations needed help with their school work while their younger siblings needed support and attention as they learned numbers and shapes and speech. They did not appear to notice the loss of their progenitors but then Road Rage had never visited the nursery or seen the femmeling she had sired on Prowl, and Crosscut had come maybe four times in Smokescreen’s entire life. When he had deemed it time to put another newspark in Prowl, it had been Prowl who had gone to him. Those dark-cycles were the only times Prowl had left the nursery since kindling with Smokescreen where he had been bred in Crosscut’s berth and then sent on his way.

There was no relief in the knowledge that he would never go to that berth again. Prowl adjusted Bluestreak against his chassis as his newest creation lost his latch and complained bitterly for it. His protoform was still thin and soft. Prowl had only given him emergence the previous quartex, only an orn before he had learned of Crosscut and Road Rage’s deaths. He was reading the younger sparklings, Flash, Streetstar and Strongarm a story as the elders worked on their coursework. Smokescreen was a good help with Camshaft’s math and Downshift’s reading. He had become a singularly dutiful brother and creation and Prowl felt guilt for depending on him. It would not be much longer now. When he received his youngling upgrades, Smokescreen would leave the nursery, and he would not come back. The grand door opened and Prowl’s mouth went dry. Smokescreen was still a six quartexes from his emergence-cycle. He still had six quartexes in the nursery.

Prowl recognized one of the mechs, Sideways was his brother in law. He suppressed a shiver of revulsion. Crosscut’s ownership of Prowl’s fertility would have been passed to his brother by Praxian inheritance laws. They had met before Prowl had been bought and sold, during that brief period of Prowl’s life when his path had been his to choose. Sideways had been the model for every negative stereotype one might have of an enforcers, and Prowl doubted anything had changed. Though he actually did not know. Crosscut had never shared gossip with him. His time in Crosscut’s presence had served one and only one purpose. There had hardly been any talking. The things said had not been things Prowl had wanted to hear. Just demeaning scrap that had filled Prowl with impudent hate.

Seeing Sideways exhausted Prowl. He found himself mentally cursing at the prospect of laying under this mech and bearing him creations with even more fervour that he had Crosscut. For all he had hated that mech, he had been the devil he had known. Now Prowl was in the merciless servos of fate and he did not enjoy it. This was not the life he wanted, to be passed on to the beneficiary of Crosscut’s estate, and perhaps then on to the next. Prowl had take great care to hide his receptive status from the moment he had learned of it. If he had never been shot, the medic would never have had cause to look and Prowl’s life would still be his own.

“Start packing,” Sideways said. No greeting, no exchange of sympathy. None of that was especially startling, but the order was.

“Why?” Prowl had never learned to stop asking questions. He had never learned to serenely embrace his fate. It did not matter how many times his ownership changed servos, Prowl did not believe he would ever know that kind of serenity.

“You’re being passed to the Warlord of Polihex to pay my brother’s energon debt. Pack up whatever you can transport. The caravan will here in three mega-cycles.”

“What about my creations?”

“They’re going with you,” Sideways sneered. “I sure as Pit don’t want them.”

***

This would have been the perfect opportunity to make his escape, but Prowl looked around the opulent trailer letting his optics fall on each of his creations. He had not wanted to carry even one of them, yet he could not imagine leaving them. Even though he had struggled to bond with Bluestreak as he had carried him in his forge, Prowl could not imagine pulling the newling from his line and jumping from their transport and fleeing across the dunes. The love he had for them was a cage he could not break free from. Acknowledging the reality only depressed Prowl further. He stared out at the dunes as he and his creations were carted off into the unknown.

It was a long journey, and his sparklings grew quickly tired of their confinement. Their whole lives had been the nursery, and the little high walled garden off of the patio. But this trailer was a fraction of the size of their nursery had been and they were chomping at the bit to be freed. They would not be free until they were grown, and even then the course of their lives would be written upon the reading of their sparks. That at least would have been the case in Praxus. Perhaps Polihex, a land of brigands and nomads, offered mechanisms more freedoms, or perhaps their receptive mechanisms spent their entire lives in red tents.

As the sun set and the moons rose Prowl watched as their caravan rolled up to another with carpets spread out over the sand, tents set up in a ring, and a great many fires burnings. His creations all but covered him. They had fought and they had cried but eventually they had become too tired and too bored to do anything but recharge. The trailer rolled to a stop. His sparklings stirred but remained in recharge. Prowl crained his helm to look out the window. He watched as mechanisms rose up from the carpets and spoke with the caravan’s driver. Fireflight cast interesting shadows on the faces of the mechanisms who had been disturbed from their rest.

Tent flaps were thrown open and a newcomer approached. Everyone inclined their helms to the yellow and blue mech. Prowl turned his helm as Smokescreen sat up, and then knelt on the bench to look out the window with him. When he looked back, he locked optics with the newcomer. A klik later the doors to the trailer were thrown open. The sparklings woke with a start. They clung to him as the newcomer stepped into the trailer. Prowl rumbled his engine in a low decimal level in hopes of soothing them without drawing unnecessary attention. The yellow and blue mech stared at him.

“How many o’ these bitlets were stolen from their origins?” The mech asked in thickly accented Neo Cybex.

“None,” the driver said with surprise. “The prize is the origin.”

“Ya adopted any o’ these bitlets?” The newcomer asked.

“No,” Prowl replied. Faintly surprised that he himself had been asked the question. “I carried each of my creations.”

“Six” The mech said after he counted the mechlings. Then he corrected himself. “Seven... That is... something.”

Prowl did not flinch at the mech’s tone though he bristled internally at the judgment in it. Bearing seven creations had not been his choice, and he did not appreciate being spoken down to for this lot. At Prowl’s side, Smokescreen’s doorwings twitched up and Prowl rumbled his engine again. The low octave tone still at a soothing effect on Smokescreen. Would it after he got his upgrades? Prowl did not know. It was all he could do to hope he would have the opportunity to find out.

“Lord Straxus was real excited ‘bout that,” the driver revealed. “He only e’er sired the one off his harem ‘n that wasn’t for lack of tryin’.”

“Of course,” the newcomer sneered. “Well, get up. Easier to recharge if you stretch your legs a bit.”

“This one’s run before,” the driver argue as he stretched out his arms to ensure Prowl did not get by him, not that he made any attempt. “Straxus don’t wanna lose’m to the dunes.”

“Straxus is dead,” the yellow and blue mech replied. “Jazz is Warlord now, let’em off.”

“But...”

“Are ya really gonna tell me ya think ya know better what Jazz would want?”

“No... no Punch.”

“That’s what I thought. Come on, off, the lot of ya. Let’s get some fuel in ya.”

Prowl did not know who Jazz was but he sounded infinitely better than Straxus. Though that could have been nothing but a naive hope. The nap his sparklings had taken would make it difficult to get them down again, some exercise would do them could, some fuel as well. They had not been given energon for a few joors; the driver did not like stopping so the sparklings could relieve their waste tanks so he was sparing with fuel. Smokescreen picked up Flash. The youngest of Prowl’s sparklings was too wild to be trusted. Prowl cradled Bluestreak to his chassis and extrended his servo to Camshaft. Camshaft held Downshift’s servo, and Downshift, Streetstar’s and Streetstar, Strongarm’s. Prowl watched as the mech the driver had called Punch helped Smokescreen down. Though Prowl was anxious to do it, he allowed Punch to lift each sparkling down, after he told them to stay close to Smokescreen. Their optics were all wide and owlish. They would likely have stayed close even without Prowl’s instructions.

“Watch yer step,” Punch cautioned Prowl. “Y’ll sit wit me by the fire.”

It was a command rather than a request. Prowl acquiesced because he was much too happy to be out of the trailer to argue with Punch. A new fire was lit by the carpets stretched out in front of the tent Punch had left. Before they could even reach it, a mech left a trailed filled with fuel on the carpet. There were no plates, Prowl imagined they were meant to share. Certainly it was different than anything that would have been tolerated in Praxus but Prowl was not inclined to judge the Polihexians for it. He was grateful for this small taste of freedom, to sit on a carpet in the wilderness without a single wall around them. It would only be a brief reprieve but it was more than he had had in vorns.

“Take whate’r ya like,” Punch ordered. “There’s lots to share”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Prowl said. “We have not left the trailer for more than a few kliks in many mega-cycles.”

“Y’re welcome,” Punch said. “Will ya tell me yer designations?”

“I am Prowl. My eldest is Smokescreen. These two beside me are Camshaft and Downshift. My twins are Strongarm and Streetstar. My little one is Flash and my newling is Bluestreak.”

“Ya have a strong spark to carry so many, and close together at that.”

“I suppose.”

Smokescreen served as gopher for his siblings and origin. He handed out gelled fuels and candied crystals before he took any for himself. The sparklings ate, they were hungry as they had the right to be. They took their time, distracted from their fuel to some extent by the strange sights and smells. When Smokescreen looked up at the stars and say transfixed at the sight of the constellations, Punch told him what the Polihexians called them. The younger sparklings followed Punch’s digit as he pointed up at the sky and told them stories. Bluestreak woke and immediately went for his origin’s well, Prowl bared it for him.

As his newling nursed, Prowl listened to the stories. Some of the constellations had different names in Prowl, but he had never seen them this clear. It was pleasant to sit back and listen to the stories. Though Bluestreak could not possibly see the constellations, Prowl cradled him so that he could star watch like his siblings once he had drunk his fill. Shrill cries broke their peace. Punch rose quickly and returned to his tent. The sound had Prowl’s chassis throb and his drained fuel lines fill. It was a familiar sound.

Punch returned a short time later, two newlings similar in age to Bluestreak in his arms. He seemed weary as he cradled them on his lap and tried to convince them to latch on the nozzles of bottles filled with pink fuel. In the glow of the fire they seemed ashen to Prowl, sickly and weak as they waved their servos and cried. Punch crooned at them in a dialect that Prowl did not understand. He sounded anxious to Prowl, though he could not be certain. With each passing klik they refused the bottles, and Prowl’s chassis became painful full.

“They do not like bottles?” Prowl asked, tentatively.

“Less the bottles ‘n more the machadron energon,” Punch replied. “But it’s all we got for ‘em. Their origin was dead before I found’m. Straxus didn’t get’m a medic when the evacuation went wrong. Rust took’m. Or that’s what the guards told me when I found’m.”

“I am sorry.”

“That’s why Straxus’ dead. Because he botnapped Free Wheeler ‘n let’m die. Jazz is half mad as it is, I don’t wanna tell’m I couldn’t save his bitties too.”

“Give them to me,” Prowl said, laying Bluestreak in his lap. “I have fuel enough in my well.”

“Please,” Punch replied. “No one in the camp has a drop to give’em. Mine dried up vorns ago.”

Gingerly he gave the sickly newlings to Prowl, one at a time. It took surprisingly little effort to convince the first, a red mechling to latch, though only weakly. As he suckled, energon flowed through Prowl’s nozzle and into the newling’s mouth and he suddenly suckled harder. Prowl took the second. This was had no use for him, but Prowl was patient. He rumbled his engine in that low octave purr he had learned with Smokescreen, and as the yellow newling’s temper was soothed he started to suckle, and energon flowed into his famished little frame. As they nursed, Prowl stroked their helms and crooned softly at them, and patiently endured their frantic suckling.

“Y’re a miracle from Primus,” Punch declared. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Tell me what you know of Jazz?” Prowl asked as he glanced up from the newlings. His sparklings crawled over to look at the strange newlings. The sight of their origin nursing a newling was common place for them, but the newlings had only ever been their siblings. Smokescreen took Bluestreak from Prowl’s lap so he could relax a little more and rocked his littlest brother. He looked to Punch as Prowl asked the question. His answers would affect all of them.

“He’s a good mech,” Punch replied. “I see why ya’d have a need to know. I spose ya were promised to the Warlord, ‘n not just Straxus himself.”

“I was told I was being given to the Warlord of Polihex to pay restitution for Crosscut’s misdeed. I never heard a designation mentioned. I do not know that Sideways would have bothered to know it.”

“This Crosscut was yer Conjunx.”

“We were not bonded,” Prowl replied. “Crosscut owned my fertility, that is all.”

“I don’t understand,” Punch said.

“Bondings are reserved for receptive mechanisms who accept their duty. They are afforded some freedoms, the ability to walk the streets, to visit shops and theatres. I forged my medical records, and hid that my spark is receptive for many vorns. My deception was uncovered and my fertility was bought and sold. As I needed to be compelled to do my duty, I was not afforded the dignity of bonding.”

“‘N they call us savage,” Punch hissed. “Love, ya won’t be caged here. That ain’t our way.”

“You cannot speak for Jazz.”

“Oh, I can, to a point. He’s my bitlet ‘n I know his spark as only an origin can.”

“You are his origin? You run this caravan?”

“Bein’ receptive, bein’ an origin don’t cost ya yer freedom here, Prowl. Payment or no, ya won’t be a breedin’ slave to my creation. That ain’t our way, ‘n it ain’t his way.”

#anon-e-miss writes #maccadam #tf prowl #tf punch #barbarian au #tw forced pregnancy #tw forced marriage #tw abuse #dark praxus #kid!fic #mechpreg

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xbaepsae · 4 years

Text

the ebb and flow | part four

“In the five years you’ve known him, you’ve never really stopped to notice how much he has changed. Long gone is that awkward thirteen-year-old boy.”

[demigod!jeongguk x demigod!reader]

genre: percy jackson!au, mythology!au, demigod!au, enemies to lovers!au

word count: 1.9k

rating: pg-13

warnings: the usual character tension, nothing really too crazy...besides a shirtless jk lol

a/n: omg i love this chapter so much! eeek. it’s just very exciting imo lol. hope you all enjoy :) xoxo

→ series masterlist!

the fifth summer – in which you come to a realization

“How come I’ve barely seen you these last few days?”

It’s the third day of you fulfilling out your punishment with Jeongguk, and surprisingly it hasn’t been that awful. When you both are busy cleaning, you guys rarely talk. There is just always so much to be done, it leaves little room for conversation. But this is ideal anyway; the less you have to interact with Jeongguk, the better.

Looking up from your lunch, you see Haru blinking at you. She’s the head counselor for Aphrodite’s cabin now. “Oh, hey. What’s up?”

Even though she’s technically not supposed to, she takes a seat at your table anyway and gives you a concerned look. However, on her pretty face, even concern looks beautiful. “There’s a rumor going around that your cabin got in trouble.”

You freeze. “Who did you hear that from?”

“I heard some of the younger Aphrodite girls gossiping last night,” Haru says, “and they mentioned your name and Jeongguk’s.”

“Oh,” you don’t even know what to say. Styx. If the Aphrodite cabin knew, then everyone is bound to find out sooner or later. “Yeah, it’s a long story.”

Haru cocks her head. “Well, good thing I’m a great listener.”

As one of your closest friends here, Haru knows much about the history between you and Jeongguk. When you tell her about the attempted capture the flag game and how you’re stuck cleaning stables with your enemy, you can tell she’s struggling not to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing,” she lets out a giggle. “This is all just too perfect.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, getting up to throw the rest of your meal as an offering. Walking out of the dining pavilion, Haru follows you closely behind.

“What I mean is,” she begins, looping her arm through yours, “that I can’t be the only one here who notices something.”

You have zero idea what she’s talking about. “Notice what?”

Haru suddenly forces you to stop in your tracks, angling your body towards the volleyball courts. “Notice that.”

Narrowing your gaze towards that direction, you notice there are a number of people there—especially girls. Rarely does a large crowd like that gather during this time of day; it’s the afternoon and an incredibly hot summer in Long Island this year. Your eyes move from the crowd to the players, and that’s when you see what Haru was talking about. You realize Ares’s cabin is playing against Poseidon’s, which means Jeongguk is—

“Why does he have to be so hot without a shirt on?” Haru muses, fanning herself.

From this angle, you can see the way his shorts ride dangerously low on his hips and the sweat that glistens across his skin. His hair has grown considerably long recently, and he has to continuously brush it back to reveal his eyes. As he moves to receive the ball and jumps to land a spike, you can understand why the girls are looking at him like he’s a god and not just a half-blood.

In the five years you’ve known him, you’ve never really stopped to notice how much he has changed. Long gone is that awkward thirteen-year-old boy. Obviously, training here at Camp Half-Blood makes campers leaner and more muscular, but Jeongguk looks…good—really good—which you hate to even think about.

“He looks okay,” you manage to say before you tear your eyes away from him.

Beside you, Haru huffs. “You’re so lame, y/n. Can’t even admit that Jeongguk is hot.”

“He’s annoying, that’s what he is.”

“Whatever you say,” she rolls her eyes. “I think he looks especially delicious these days.”

After you drop Haru off at Cabin Ten, you walk towards yours and proceed to finish some summer work. Well, it’s not really work per se, but more like something you just really wanted to do. Since you’re going to college in New Rome this fall and majoring in architecture, you’ve been redesigning a few buildings and even creating your own. Like most Athena children, you love creating and can’t wait to see what your future holds in the field.

You are so caught up in your work that you don’t even notice that much of the day has already passed by, and you should probably grab a quick dinner before heading to the stables. As you rush through dinner, a few of your half-siblings bring up your punishment, clearly feeling bad that you’re the one who’s taken responsibility for everything.

“As head counselor, I had to,” you explain.

“Yeah, but it’s not really fair,” one of them says. “I mean, we all wanted to give Poseidon’s cabin a run for their money.”

“They’re all so arrogant since their godly parent is one of the big three.”

“Zeus and Hades campers are the same.”

You listen as your cabin begins complaining about all the other cabins and their various faults, but their voices fade when Jeongguk passes by your table. He’s walking with Jimin and gives you a look that you can’t decipher. But before you can delve too deeply in it, Aphrodite’s table calls him over. Flashing them his signature smirk, he leaves without another glance.

“How’s it been having to work with him?” Namjoon sets his plate right in front of you, breaking your attention away from Jeongguk.

You shrug. “He’s an asshole, but it actually hasn’t been that bad. Could honestly be worse.”

“Think you’ll last the rest of your punishment?”

“I hope so,” you sip from your goblet. “Or else Chiron is going to have my ass, and not to mention Mr. D is supposed to come back next week.”

“Oh yeah,” Namjoon muses like he forgot that the god of wine runs the camp. You don’t blame him—you often forget that too. “Where is he anyway?”

Thinking back to the head counselor meeting you had a few weeks ago, you try to remember what Chiron had told you all. “I think he just had some business to take care of in Olympus. You know, twelve stuff. Meetings perhaps?”

Namjoon nods before you tell him that you have to leave. “I’ll see you guys at the campfire later.”

“Sure; see ya.”

***

You finish your portion of the stables quick—cleaning has gotten easier as the days have gone by—and wait outside the stables.

It’s not like you want to wait for Jeongguk’s slow ass, but you have the key anyway and there’s no way you trust him enough to just leave it. So, you settle for watching the last remnants of the sunset in the sky. From here, you can begin to make out the smoke from the nightly campfire. And slowly, the smell of burnt marshmallows begins to fill your lungs and thought brings a smile to your face.

For a moment, you’re so caught up in your thoughts that you don’t even realize that Jeongguk is already beside you. When you realize that he’s awfully close to you, a gasp leaves your lips. “Holy Styx, you scared me!”

You except him to respond with something snarky, but he doesn’t. Instead, he begins to walk away, and you frantically attempt to lock the gate and follow him. On the way to the campfire, you stay a few feet behind Jeongguk, and you can’t help but think about Haru’s words from earlier today.

As much as it pisses you off, Jeongguk is super attractive these days. However, although he looks good, you can’t get over his attitude that often clouds your judgement. He’s a pain in the ass, and you can’t wait for the rest of the punishment to fly by.

When you both arrive at the campfire, the singing has already begun. Well, the singing by Apollo’s cabin at least. You try to get as far away from Jeongguk as possible, finding a seat beside Min Yoongi, son of Hades. The pale boy gives you a weird look, probably wondering why you’re sitting beside him.

“What in Zeus’s name do you think you’re doing?” he asks, confirming your thoughts.

You feign innocence. “What do you mean?”

“Y/n, you never sit here.”

He is partially correct—you usually sit beside your own cabin or Haru—but you two are friends…right? You voice this thought to him, but Yoongi just rolls his eyes—clearly not enthused by you or Hoseok’s lyre playing. “Oh, don’t be like that, Yoongi. We are friends.”

“What have you been doing with Jeongguk?” he suddenly changes the subject, and everyone’s singing seems to fade into the background. “You two aren’t…sneaking around, are you?”

The suggestive look on Yoongi’s face would be hilarious any other moment—because he rarely shows any emotion—but you choke at his assumption instead. “Oh gods no. Why would I do something like that?”

“Beats me,” Yoongi shrugs. “All I know is you both look suspicious as fuck.”

“Well, you’re wrong,” you huff, “Jeongguk and I aren’t sneaking around. That’s disgusting.”

“Then what are you two doing coming to the campfire together?” If Yoongi doesn’t know about your punishment, then most people probably don’t know either. That brings you a little relief.

Although you don’t want everyone to know, you also don’t mind telling Yoongi. As a Hades kid, he mostly keeps to himself anyway. So, you answer his question and reveal that you actually got in trouble, which is why you’ve been spending extra time with the son of Poseidon.

“So, yeah, Chiron’s making us build teamwork skills,” you practically spit out.

Yoongi hums, eyes moving from you to glance at the fire. You take a moment to observe him, glancing at his dark hair and dark clothes. How does he manage to get away with not wearing the camp t-shirt? Maybe he just doesn’t care.

“Interesting,” is all he says.

“How so?”

Yoongi doesn’t answer your question; instead, he asks, “So, how’s it been building teamwork skills with Jeongguk?”

“I mean,” you begin, “it could be worse, I guess. Jeongguk and I usually fight all the time; but we really haven’t these last few days.”

“That’s some progress, yes?”

You nod. “I suppose.”

“Think you’ll hate the poor kid forever?” Turning your head to face him, you notice a weird expression in his eyes. You don’t really know what it means.

“I don’t know,” you answer truthfully. “Forever’s a long time.”

Silence passes between you after that, the both of you paying attention to Chiron’s announcements. Afterwards, more music is played, and more singing is done—some campers even get up to dance with the nymphs. Eventually, the night ends and everyone slowly begins to walk back to their cabins. You’re about to join Namjoon and the rest of Athena’s cabin when Yoongi’s voice holds you back.

“I think you should give Jeongguk a chance.”

You raise a brow at that. Is he being serious? “What?”

“He’s not as horrible as you make him seem,” Yoongi says, which causes you to roll your eyes. “I’m serious.”

“Are we talking about the same person?” You almost want to laugh. Where is this even coming from? “Because if so, you have a really different perception of Jeongguk than I do.”

“Maybe I do because I’m a child of the Big Three too, which means I empathize with him; but at the same time, you’ve only seen one side of Jeongguk—the side you want to see. The side he shows when you two are at odds.”

You think about this for a moment, but quickly shake your head. “I don’t know, Yoongi.”

“Trust me,” he says before leaving you to stand there all alone.

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jess-rewatches-prodigalson · 3 years

Text

It’s All In The Execution (S2, E1)

It happened. We got a second season. I’m living my best life...unfortunately Malcolm isn’t...

*** Content warning: brief mentions/allusions to depression, suicidal ideation, and Malcolm’s general poor mental health ****

SPOILERS AHEAD.

0:00 - OH HELL YES. I can’t believe we actually got a second season! <3 My heart is so full.

0:18 – “This ledge is taken.” …..ok so I have lots of feelings about this scene. 1) Malcolm’s lines are iconic in this scene and I love it. 2) WHY THE ACTUAL HELL WOULD JT, DANI, AND EDRISA AGREE TO LET A (LET’S BE HONEST) MAN IN A VERY BAD MENTAL STATE WITH A HISTORY OF DEPRESSION STAND ON A LEDGE FOR A CASE?!? Like seriously, Gil wouldn’t have gone with this shit. 3) As soon as I saw Malcolm on the ledge I believed he was seriously considering jumping. He showed passive suicidality most of last season and after Endicott – well I don’t blame him for being a little depressed.

0:26 – Damn. Malcolm is really manic in this scene. It’s reminiscent of the pilot episode in the sense that Malcolm really has no filter.

0:40 – Ok so Tom Payne deserves a freaking Emmy. This performance is gorgeous. Look at his facial expression when he says “It got real dark for me though. Family issues.” The look on his face completely convinces me that Malcolm is riding the struggle bus more than usual right now…..also am I the only one who thinks this ‘penthouse slasher’ is kind of unbelievable? He strikes me as too anxious and jumpy to be a serial killer.

1:18 – Is Malcolm even trying to hide the fact that he knows what happened to Endicott?!? I mean “I tried to fight it” can’t JT and Dani hear his usual ‘projecting his personal issues on the suspect shtick?’

1:30 – Did he really just scream “I am the Surgeon’s son” from a ledge?!? Dude – someone please give this boy a hug and get him to Gabrielle – like last month.

1:40 – Soooo… now Chester isn’t scared of the ledge? He looked like he was going to wet himself from fear a literal minute ago.

1:49 – OH OF COURSE CHESTER SLIT THEIR THROATS. JUST LIKE AINSLEY SLIT ENDICOTT’S. Chris Fedak really loves to inject Malcolm’s personal issues into the ‘serial killer of the week’.

2:23 – I’m sorry – the team let Malcolm on the ledge without tethering him first?!? No. No. No. I refuse to believe it. Dani, JT, and Edrisa care too much about Malcolm to let him do that.

2:28 – Why is Edrisa even on this stakeout?!? Did she fill in as the 4th team member while Gil was in the hospital?!? I love Edrisa – she’s hilarious but the fact that she’s in the field like this is absolute nonsense. Hahaha

2:32 – hahaha OMG. JT is like the big brother forced to hang out with his younger sibling and their weird friends. He’s think’s they’re all crazy but he’d also die for them.

2:42 – Yikes. Malcolm is questioning his moral code. This boy is headed for a real nasty downward mental spiral if someone doesn’t intervene quickly.

2:46 – Am I really supposed to believe that a rope tied to a radiator can hold the weight of two grown men dangling off a building?!? I mean – I’ll suspend my disbelief because I know it’s fictional entertainment but I found it really distracting.

2:48 – JT. Would. Not. Let. Go. Of. That. Rope. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT. If for no other reason than because he loves GIL too much to let Gil’s surrogate son fall to his death. I understand why this happened – tension and excitement for television in the first scene of a new season but honestly – this whole first scene is wildly unrealistic given what we know about JT, Dani, Edrisa and their respective roles on the team.

2:50 – Can we talk about JT’s facial hair for a sec? I like him with it (and without it). Part of me thinks he grew it because he’s trying to channel Gil while he’s temporarily in charge of the team.

3:08 – Honestly, the second Malcolm picked up his phone all I could think was “You moron. What if you drop that thing off the side of the building!?!?!”…then I remembered that he’s rich.

3:20 – “Please say it’s cancer.” Hahahahahaha OMG. I have a love/hate relationship for Malcolm with no filter. That’s freaking comedic gold.

3:57 – “I’m hanging in there.” Tom Payne is freaking incredible. Look at his facial expression here. Malcolm’s emotional pain is etched on that face. Ugh. I’m love.

4:02 – soooo no updated title screen. Interesting.

4:08 – Istg the writers only put Ainsley in this scene so she would be in the episode. I mean honestly – what kind of precinct lets reporters with a camera crew INSIDE?!?!

4:15 – hahaha I love JT in this scene. I love how he initially looks at Ainsley with a mixture of confusion, resignation, and fear. This is a man who does not like the camera.

4:16 – Side note: is it just me or is Ainsley acting very manic in this scene? Something about her energy reminds me of Malcolm circa 1x05 when he’s not sleeping and trying to convince everyone that he’s fine.

4:38 – hahahaha OMG. That wink.

4:48 – Even Malcolm looks surprised that Ainsley and a camera dude were let into the precinct.

5:00 – Ahhh the hand tremor. <3 Love that they’re still using that.

5:05 – also Malcolm is heartbreaking in this scene. Someone give him a hug. Look at how hard he’s trying to hide his pain, fear, and trauma. UGH.

5:33 - So we finally get to see it. The moments immediately after 1x20. Or do we? I have this crackpot theory (I posted it on my main blog, so you might’ve already seen it – “AllTimeBouvier”) that these flashbacks are only a fraction of the truth. I think Sophie walked followed Malcolm from the vet’s office to the hospital, then home. I think she hid when she heard Endicott’s voice due to fear but came out after Ainsley started screaming and stabbing. Besides – anyone else notice how the portion of these flashbacks where Malcolm is saying “Ainsley, focus on me. You didn’t do this. I did.” Only his right hand is ever in the frame. So it’s impossible to tell if he’s holding his cell (on the phone with Martin) with his left hand or if he just hung up and put the phone back in his pocket? I think that Martin either phoned Malcolm back or Martin heard Sophie’s voice and demanded to talk to her. I think Sophie disposed of the body while Malcolm took care of Ainsley like a good big brother. I think Sophie went into hiding and Martin is gaslighting Malcolm into believing that he disposed of Endicott’s body.

5:37 – Anyone else want to know what happened to the murder weapon? And Ainsley’s bloody clothes? Just me?

6:00 – hahahahaha Jessica is so extra. I love it.

6:29 – Wait. What? Why was Ainsley quarantined with Jessica? Ainsley has her own apartment. If Jessica forced Ainsley to come and live with her during quarantine – why didn’t she also force Malcolm? This doesn’t track for me.

6:40 – I love that Jessica brought Malcolm food (you can see the grocery bag behind Malcolm in one of the shots) and went so far as to actually lay out the breakfast ingredients for him. <3 I mean. It’s extra but it’s also sweet.

6:45 – Why is Jessica looking at Malcolm’s pill bottles? Is it just to avoid eye contact with Malcolm while she talks about Gil? Is she noticing that his dosage has changed (she’s extra so I’m assuming she knows exactly what meds he takes and how much of each). Is that part of the reason why she’s suspicious of Malcolm? His dosage has gone up and he’s clearly trying to hide his pain?

6:52 – I love how Malcolm interacts with Jessica in this scene. It’s so cute. They’re adorable. AND seeing Malcolm in casual clothing is always nice.

7:44 – “Oh about that.” Damn. Malcolm really can’t catch a break. Poor baby. : (

7:50 – hahaha Martin looks like a mountain man here. Completely deranged and un-groomed.

7:51 – Glad Mr.David isn’t dead or evil. I had fears.

8:35 – The tension between Dani and Malcolm seems to have lessened since 1x20. The trust seems to have been partially rebuilt. Partially. Dani is still suspicious.

8:38 – Well at least Malcolm’s still going to therapy.

8:41 – GREEN SUIT. HELL YES.

9:06 – “The ‘Drise knows.” OMG hahahaha I love this show. Look at how Malcolm looks at her hahaha.

9:17 – “I can fire these people right?” OMG. 10/10. JT REALLY SHINES IN THIS EPISODE. AND FRANK HARTS IS KILLING IT and the writers gave him so much well deserved screen time and great lines.

9:53 – Malcolm and Edrisa getting excited about murder is honestly so freaking cute.

10:34 – OMG. The way Malcolm perks up at the mention of rumours is hilarious. A learned behaviour from Jessica during his childhood?

10:45 – I’ll say it again. Chris Fedak was wasting Frank Harts in season 1. This dude is shining in this episode. I hope they keep giving him more lines and screen time than they did last season.

12:00 – I love seeing Malcolm this excited/happy but it’s pretty concerning that his passion is murder weapons.

12:04 – This scene is really interesting to me for four reasons 1) Where the eff did Dani go? I guess she’s probably on her way to see Gil? 2) Even though Malcolm is getting excited about murder he’s way less manic than he was earlier this episode. 3) I love watching JT deal with Edrisa and Malcolm’s nerdy excitement. I could watch it all day. So fun. 4) I love watching JT and Malcolm in scenes together. Period. I can honestly say that watching their friendship evolve is one of the highlights of this show for me.

12:30 – Heartbreaking. Malcolm had a few minutes where he forgot about Ainsley, Endicott, Martin, and the various traumas currently haunting him. Then he not only remembered but he saw Martin in himself. The crazy person collecting murder weapons. You can tell he feels embarrassed, ashamed, and sad. I genuinely believe that’s why JT says, “soooo weird.” with a look of sympathy and concern. JT doesn’t suspect that Malcolm has anything to do with Endicott’s murder at this point in time. Mark my words.

12:55 – Edrisa gets Bright. I will never ship them together but I really hope they get more scenes together this season. Their friendship is beautiful.

13:00 – Malcolm, baby, no. You don’t have to do this. Ugh. Poor baby. This is just going to make the night terrors worse.

13:10 – They trimmed Martin’s beard but not his hair between the first scene in this episode and now. I think they just combed his hair? Why?!? Was this a Michael Sheen request? I must know!!!

13:40 – hahaha OMG. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how incredible Michael Sheen is?!? This man can go from downright terrifying to hilarious in a split second. Incredible actor.

13:55 – Sooooo Mr. David doesn’t know about Endicott? Because he’s definitely heard Malcolm and Martin discuss some pretty sketchy stuff over the years. I’m pretty sure he heard about the Sophie stuff last season didn’t he? Why is Martin finally trying to hide something from Mr. David?

14:03 – Look at Malcolm’s face. Ugh. He looks nauseous and scared. Someone hug him. Or better yet – get him away from Martin.

14:18 – Sooooo is Jerry going to be a problem later? Martin ‘cures him’ later in this episode so will he be able to tell someone he heard Martin and Malcolm talking about Endicott’s murder? Would anyone believe him?

14:40 – GO. TO. HELL. MARTIN. You’re not feeling it?!? Haven’t you caused enough emotional damage to your son. Stop. Trying. To. Manipulate. Malcolm.

14:50 – Question 1000 about how Endicott’s body was disposed of: Where the hell did Malcolm get that yellow jumpsuit on such short notice? And….those gloves – anyone else notice that they’re practically the same as the gloves he puts on in Izzy’s sex dungeon in a few minutes? ALSO – THEY FOUND ENDICOTT’S BODY IN ESTONIA?!? LIKE ALL OF IT OR JUST PARTS OF IT? WOULDN’T IT BE SMARTER TO SCATTER HIS BODY IN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES IF IT’S ALREADY IN PIECES?!? Unless maybe Endicott’s body isn’t in pieces because we all know that Malcolm’s memory of traumatic events is fuzzy at best.

15:07 – “Don’t. Say. That. Never, say that.” - I’m really proud of Malcolm here. He’s clearly in serious emotional distress throughout this whole conversation. He’s grappling with what he believes he did, what that means about him, his moral code, and his relationship with Martin. But yet – he found the strength to basically tell Martin to eff off.

15:20 – AMAZING. Right after Martin says “Estonia?” there are a few seconds where it genuinely looks like Malcolm is going to cry. It’s moving as hell, heartbreaking, and some downright kickass acting.

15:56 – Well, that’s not going to help Malcolm’s night terrors. But we definitely have confirmation that Jerry wasn’t as engrossed in the cartoons as Martin suggested.

16:20 – I love this scene. Gil is the whole team’s surrogate father – not just Malcolm’s. Sometimes I forget that. Also – the fact that Chris Fedak waited 16 minutes to show us Gil Arroyo alive and well is a crime.

16:28 – “He wouldn’t dare.” “I know.” How cute is this? Look at Dani’s smile. Ugh. I can’t decide if they know that JT doesn’t want Gil’s job because he loves working with Gil too much or he doesn’t like how much responsibility comes with Gil’s title. Probably a combination of both.

16:35 – Sooo has Malcolm not been visiting Gil? I guess because of COVID he couldn’t but now he’s just not? I mean – Gil would be able to tell how Malcolm’s doing just by looking at him.

17:05 – I’m sorry ‘multiple surgeries’?!? I want elaboration on this.

17:09 – So I googled “British musician Izzy” and the top hit was the guitar player for Guns’n’Roses (who looks kinda like this guy). I have no idea what that means but I found it interesting.

17:30 – Holy shit. Izzy is a nutcase. I love him. hahaha

17:55 – Soooo Malcolm keeps a spray bottle of some sort of magic “show me the blood” water? Nah – the writers wrote it into the show for this scene’s convenience.

18:05 – I love this. Malcolm’s nonchalant approach to his mother and Gil’s budding relationship. He’s like a little kid who doesn’t want to get his hopes up. He’s using the mentality of “If I don’t acknowledge it, it’s not happening. Therefore, if it goes wrong – I won’t get hurt by it.” It’s really sad and I wish he didn’t run away from something that will potentially be good but I also get it.

18:06 – I also respect Malcolm a lot in this scene and am irritated by Dani. Look – they both adore Gil. They’re both protective of Gil (and in Malcolm’s case Jessica). Here’s where they’re different: Malcolm recognizes and respects that Gil and Jessica are adults who can make their own decisions. Dani doesn’t. Dani is acting like a preteen trying to break up Dad and the new step-mom she isn’t sure of. Dani and Malcolm both have their hearts in the right place but I disagree with Dani’s response to the relationship. I also understand where she’s coming from given what we know about Dani’s bio Dad.

18:39 – It’s not supposed to be funny but holy hell. Malcolm putting his head on the floor to listen is hilarious.

19:00 – I’m getting major John Watkins flashbacks. Malcolm breaks down a lot of walls where serial killers once hung out. Is that supposed to be some sort of subtle comment on Malcolm’s character?

20:33 – Damn. Malcolm’s hair is long this season.

20:55 – aannnnnd here are the murder gloves from the Endicott flashbacks.

21:30 – Something about Malcolm dancing to this music in this supremely manic state is really upsetting to me. It just makes me uncomfortable.

22:13 – I’m so worried about Malcolm right now. Holy hell. Get him to Gabrielle. NOW.

23:00 – A skil saw. Pretty much a small version of what Malcolm thinks he dismembered Endicott with. Yikes. Fedak really loves making Malcolm project his issues on murder suspects.

23:27 – Yep. Dani totally thinks Malcolm killed Endicott. She thinks he’s gone dark side and followed Martin’s footsteps. This is not going to be good for their friendship or the trust that they’re rebuilding.

23:50 – One of my favourite things about this show is that it can go from dark and creepy to family sitcom-esque drama in a second. It helps lighten the show’s tone a little. I mean honestly – most of the fans are here for the family drama as opposed to the ‘killer of the week’ storyline anyways.

24:10 – I love this. Jessica admitting to Malcolm that she and Gil have been discussing him for almost 25 years. You can see that Malcolm is 1) a little freaked out and 2) a little touched. For a moment you can see how badly he wants Gil and his Mom to have a long-lasting romantic relationship.

24:32 – OMG. Why did Jessica call Ainsley about Malcolm’s mental state before calling Malcolm? Is that standard Whitly family practice? I have questions.

24:40 – Yep. Dani is Concerned and Scared.

26:46 – Sooo we all agree that Martin was trying to electrocute Jerry to death right? I mean “You really shouldn’t have done that Jer-bear.”?!?! And he’s literally a serial killer?!

27:25 – Mr. David is having none of Martin’s bullshit – so how did Martin get away with it? What does Martin have on Mr. David?

27:50 – “A miracle.” Omg. Hahahaha. I love this show. So. Much.

28:09 – “clearing her brother’s name. Not murder.” Seriously, the parallels between this case and Malcolm’s personal issues are more obvious than usual this episode. Almost to the point where I’m annoyed that the other characters aren’t really catching on.

28:35 – “What happened, his brain break?” I love the way JT can simultaneously tease and be concerned about Malcolm. Ugh. It’s beautiful (and hysterical).

29:07 – Not again. Please stop putting JT in front of the camera. I’m getting second-hand embarrassment and anxiety on his behalf. It hurts to watch (funny too, but mostly painful).

29:19 – Look at Gil. Hahaha he’s so amused by JT’s awkwardness in front of the camera – but you can also see how proud he is. <3 I love papa!Gil.

29:33 – “Police work is patience.” Cute 1x05 callback. And can we all just take a minute to appreciate how much Gil loves Dani. Just look at his proud Dad face!! <3 Warms my cold, dead heart.

30:00 – Oh yeah, Dani is suspicious.

30:04 – I love how Gil seems to be the only person who truly understands Malcolm and all his quirks. <3 I love how much Gil loves Malcolm. <3 I just…ugh. <3 <3 <3 • 30:11 – “I’m a good big brother.” That line cut through my heart. He shouldn’t have been put in this position – choosing between his moral code and his brotherly instincts. It’s not fair and the stress of it is literally killing him.

30:17 – “Messed them up.” Them!?!? I’m sorry Dani, when did you and Gil start talking about Malcolm AND Ainsley?!? Last I checked this was a 100% Malcolm conversation. …she’s not wrong though.

30:33 – “There’s nothing we haven’t talked about.” I love what that suggests. To me – that means they when Dani has a bad break up, they talk about stupid stuff like what they’re cooking for dinner and songs that make them happy. I love that it suggests that Dani and Gil have talked about Jackie. Malcolm might be Gil’s fake-son but Dani is sooo Gil’s fake-daughter. <3 I can just see him getting all overprotective when she gets a new boyfriend even though he knows damn well that Dani is more than capable of taking care of herself – he can’t help it, Dani is his little girl. <3 <3 <3

31:00 – Ugh….ok. So this scene. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions about it. I have a bit of a mixed reaction myself tbh. On one hand, I love that they have the type of relationship where they can openly discuss this. On the other hand – it feels forced and it really rubs me the wrong way. Dani is just way out of line here. She’s totally attacking Jessica and Gil is kind of letting her? I mean I think it upsets me so much because Gil isn’t even really defending Jessica. Also, that line about Jackie thinking the Whitly’s are cursed?!? Wtf is that?!? No. No. We know that Jackie loved Malcolm like a son. Jessica has said that Jackie was kind. What is this cursed nonsense?!?!? I refuse to believe it. And the fact that Jessica heard it all breaks my heart. Like – it physically hurts me to watch this scene for all of the above reasons. But I also kind of understand why we got the scene – to further explore the Gil+Dani dynamic and to add some angst to the Jessica/Gil romance.

33:00 – Oh hell yes. I love this danger.

34:10 – Amazing how calm Malcolm is while the killer is literally going through his murder weapon collection. Like he hasn’t been this calm all episode?

35:10 – Ahhhh here’s manic!Malcolm.

35:25 – “Is it my hair?” Okay so totally hilarious, but Dani is listening to this. Can she tell that Malcolm is clearly (and weakly) deflecting the comment about him being a killer like Martin?

35:40 – Malcolm is scared. :( Someone please hug him. This is the most honest he’s been all episode. My heart is broken.

36:20 – Soooo did Malcolm just abstractly tell Dani that he’s a justice killer? Nahhhh I’m totally typing out of my ass.

37:00 – He was on the Harvard fencing team?!? Why is that adorable?

37:34 – Malcolm just cut a dude 3x. No remorse. No more fear. He’s calm. I’m terrified. Does he like hurting the killer?

37:50 – I think Dani suspects that Malcolm killed Endicott. Yep. Definitely.

38:00 – Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. This scene with JT and the cops is heart-wrenching. The fact that Dani and Malcolm come to his rescue is beautiful. The fact that JT is clearly terrified but not angry is perfect. I hate that this scene had to be made but I love how it was executed.

38:31 – Look at Malcolm’s confused, white, rich face here. He genuinely can’t believe that cops just racial profiled one of the only good people who ever accepted a serial’s killer’s son as a friend.

38:40 – I’m crying. JT’s fear (and Frank Harts’ acting) is so believable and completely haunting. I hear the subtext in this scene, “What if those cops killed JT? What would happen to his pregnant wife and unborn child?”, “How is JT going to financially support his family if he loses his job unfairly?”, “How messed up is it that a literal military veteran is terrified of fellow police officers?”.

38:44 – “You didn’t do anything wrong.” This line gives me hope. Malcolm isn’t too far gone. Malcolm still knows right from wrong and he still has a heart of gold.

38:55 – Ok. I LOVE that Gil magically shows up in this scene. BUT HOW DID HE KNOW TO COME TO THE PRECINCT?!?! LIKE WTF? Because Malcolm and JT look surprised to see Gil. Dani just looks relieved – did she call Gil?

39:10 – Gil is an absolute A+ human being. I love him. I will die for him.

39:33 – OMG. JT’s big watery puppy dog eyes have ripped my heart to shreds. <3 :(

39:45 – When I first saw this I thought Malcolm was hurt by Gil’s “and whatever Bright is”. But upon re-watching it – Malcolm looks surprised and so so touched. I’ll be honest – I don’t think Malcolm’s mental state would be so bad right now if he had had regular contact with Gil throughout COVID. Gil is Malcolm’s rock. His literal example of what a good man looks like – without him during a traumatic time Martin creeps back into Malcolm’s psyche.

40:15 – Sooo Martin is still definitely lying to Malcolm.

40:20 – Stupid little thing – there never used to be a toilet on Jerry’s side of the room. And what happened to all of Martin’s books and stuff? Did Claremont put it in storage? I mean he’s a serial killer? Jessica certainly didn’t store it for him.

40:37 – Amazing. As soon as Malcolm physically sees Gil he comes to Martin with a renewed faith in his moral code. (“I stop killers. I don’t help them.”)

41:30 – “Please don’t torture yourself for that.” Martin is right BUT that’s also why I hate him. Martin is manipulating Malcolm right now. He’s trying to convince Malcolm that he genuinely cares and loves his children. Thus destabilizing further Malcolm’s mental state.

41:36 – Also – both Tom Payne and Michael Sheen are acting their asses off here. *chef’s kiss* 10/10. I love to see it.

41:45 – Aaaannnnd there’s Martin the asshole. Completely screwing with Malcolm’s mind. Again. What a dick. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

42:00 – Look at how scared Malcolm is. I genuinely think Malcolm (whether or not he actually dismembered Endicott, I suspect he didn’t) feels good when he remembers doing it. This is BAD for Malcolm’s mental health. Yikes. : ( Poor baby.

Ok. So that’s the first episode of season 2. I really liked it. It wasn’t perfect but I’m excited for what this season might bring. Be back next week.

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theonetheycallhannah · 4 years

Text

The Treatment of Capt. Syverson-Chapter Two: Therapeutic Procedure

Pairing: Captain “Sy” Syverson x OFC (Shane Benton)

Summary: Shane and Sy share some moments during their treatment sessions…and a phone call that could set the tone for the next few weeks.

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: None, yet… ;)

Author’s Note: Sorry, I was so eager and excited to post the first chapter of this last night, I totally put some inaccurate info in my description notes. I will correct that in the original post and try to do better henceforth! Hope you enjoy Sy and Shane totally flirting some more and getting more friendly in this chapter. Feedback is appreciated! Even constructive criticism! :D

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism.

Tags: @onlyhenrys @cavillryarchive @summersong69 @titty-teetee

Let me know if you wish to be added to the list! I’m happy to do it!

Shane woke up that morning with knots in her stomach. She dropped every product she picked up in the shower, she was shaking so much. She accidentally ordered the wrong coffee on her way to work and was now drinking something much less caffeinated and far too sweet for her taste. The barista had informed her it was a grande caramel macchiato with an extra pump of vanilla and extra caramel drizzle…with only two shots of espresso…she couldn't begin to describe how wrong that drink was for her. But it was better than nothing, she told herself, not fully convincingly.

She had chosen her clothes with extra care, even though, with the dress code, her options were limited. And she had made sure to put on a bit of mascara and just a touch of perfume, even though they weren't strictly supposed to wear it…she didn't know why she was bothering.

Well, actually, she did know why. She had been checking her schedule extra diligently lately to make sure she didn't look like a hobo when Sy was coming in. He'd been coming for three weeks now, and after the initial bellyaching about Jordan not being as pretty as her…her heart!...and his feeling extra sore after his visits with him, they were on a roll and had a great chemistry together as far as their treatments went…she tried not to think about…beyond the world of therapy.

She thought back to their first session after she got back from her trip. And the conversation they had.

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

"I think the next time you can't see me, I'm just going to cancel." he had sulked as he wiggled his mass of muscle onto the mat.

"Sy, no. you need therapy. Don't be like that to Jordan. He's an excellent therapist."

"He ain't you though." he smirked, sending her heart racing with that smile that somehow managed to look both boyish and rakish under his full, dark beard. Fucking hell. He needed to stop.

"Well, we can't fault him for that, can we? Lay back, Mister." She demanded. Done with the niceties of the evaluation and onto the treatments where she was in charge. The boss.

"Yes, sir!" she laughed at his clear avoidance of calling her ma'am.

"So where'd you go last week? Vacation or stay-cation?" he asked, the term "stay-cation" sounding downright comical coming out of his country-boy mouth.

"I went to the beach. Gulf Shores."

"I thought you looked like you got some sun."

"Yeah," she pretended his noticing the detail of her awesome tan did not send her reeling. "My folks rented a condo right on the water for my siblings and I to come and stay with them. They're still there. It was tough to leave all that beauty." the beach, pretty much any beach, was her favorite place to be.

"I bet…" he looked at her, something dreamy in his eyes, but he looked away before she could process it. "I thought I had my fill of sand and sun when I was over in Iraq. But you make it sound…like paradise." he smiled softly up at her as she worked on his knee, trying to break apart some of the scar tissue from the injuries and surgeries he'd had…and focus on that, and not the warmth rising in her.

"That's the perfect way to describe any place on the Gulf of Mexico. I doubt it's anything like Iraq, since there's so much water around. It's my favorite vacation destination. Well, apart from London."

"Them British folks always seem so stuck up. Don't know if I'd get along with any of 'em."

"It felt like a second home for me. Everyone was very kind and polite, for the most part. At least it was no worse than it is here."

"Maybe it's just because you're so nice."

"Wait 'til about week eight or ten of your protocol. You won't think I'm nice then. You'll be cussing me out and ready to ring my neck."

"Promise?" he asked, a dark grin on his lips and in his eyes…she faltered for a moment, gulping.

"Cut it out, Syverson." she rolled her eyes, covering…without great effect the way he made her feel.

"Yes...ma'am." he smirked with satisfaction.

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

And now, today, she'd be treating him again, fairly early in the day, and she had to prepare herself. She'd checked the policy, and although there wasn't anything strictly against dating a patient, it was clearly a conflict of interest, and would be frowned upon by her frigid tyrant of a boss. Best to let things remain platonic for now.

Her 9:30 was a no show, so she finished up some notes and was working on some continuing education credits when messenger popped up around 10:00.

Sergeant Sexypants is here. He's quite early and he knows it…*smirk emoji* he must like you, Shane!

Heather, come on, be respectful…he was discharged at the rank of Captain! *rofl emoji* and I think you might be right about him liking me…*nervous emoji*

Oooooooooh!!! You guys are gonna *couple kissing emoji* *eggplant emoji* *okay emoji* *explosion emoji* *baby emoji*

Omg…*three facepalm emojis* I am going to go ahead and start him early since my 9:30 was a NCNS.

Don't finish him too early. Make it last. *smirk emoji*

Jeez. She closed the chat and went to grab him from the waiting area.

"Hey Sy, you ready?"

"You bet, sunshine!" he flashed her a crooked smile. He was calling her sunshine now…ad that to the list of things she'd have to pretend didn't make her swoon.

"Great. Let's start on the bike. How's the knee feeling today?"

"Oh, it's…about the same. Stiff. Lil' sore."

"Well, it's a slow process, like I told you at your eval. You've got a lot going on in there."

"I know…just…it hasn't taken me four weeks to do anything in my life." he sulked. "So…thinking about this taking…twelve or more…" he grimaced as he sat down on the bike, and adjusted it for his longer than average legs, putting his feet in the pedal stirrups.

"You may not see it, Sy, because you're so close to it, but trust me, you're making progress. I can tell you're doing your exercises at home, and you're always willing to put in the work here. You have no idea how much that sets you apart from…some of these other people." she leaned in closer and spoke the last part more quietly to him. It was true. So many of her patients were either lazy or just in it to appease their MDs into writing them scripts for pain meds. That wasn't Sy.

"You really think so?" he gave her the side eye with his baby blues, crushing her with the color like the waves of the ocean she'd just returned from.

"In fact, I know so." she placed a reassuring hand on his broad and thick shoulder. She felt the tension between them hum, like electric current.

"Now, level one, and a steady pace. You're not trying to win any medals here. I'll take those crutches."

"When ya think I can 86 'em damn things?" he griped as he handed over the assistive devices.

"Well, you see Potter again tomorrow? I'll write an update today and send it to him. If he likes what he reads, or more likely pretends to read, regarding your progress, he may discharge them. Do you feel like you can be good to the knee and treat it nice without using crutches? I don't want you to regress and re-injure yourself. That's not gonna get you into your running shoes any sooner."

"I'll be nice. Real gentle." he winked at her…he wasn't just talking about the knee. And she knew it. But again, she pretended she didn't, ignoring once more those butterflies threatening to choke her they were multiplying so fast in her belly.

"Okay, I'll put that in my note. Patient compliant with instructions to be nice." she laughed.

They talked as they biked, Shane sat on the one next to him and pedaled along with him for something to do other than be idle. She thought it made him feel better as well. Like he wasn't doing it alone. They covered the subject of her siblings, an older brother in IT and a younger sister who was an MA, and his German Shepherd, Aika, which he was allowed to bring home from Iraq after they were both honorably discharged. Music, both of them completely in agreeance about the superiority of classic rock.

"I noticed you've worn a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt a few times and meant to say something before now."

"Yeah, they're one of my favorites. But there are a few newer groups that I like a lot, too. Kings of Leon got me through some tough times, honestly."

"Oh, they're great! I love their sound. And their lyrics…poetry."

"No shit. Sorry." she shook her head and raised up her hands to indicate that he didn't need to apologize to her for swearing. She'd been known to make sailors blush when she was off the clock. "Only by the Night…that whole album is…it's just in my blood, ya know? Ya ever have an album do that?"

"I have. Whole artists catalogs, actually."

"Which artist?" he prodded.

"The Beatles. Pretty much every song. Like you said, it just, like, I dunno, it's almost deeper than the veins. It's in the marrow. My soul." she stared off out the windows ahead of them, thinking about her favorite band in the world and how magical it was to experience Sir Paul McCartney playing some of her favorites live…twice…and the timer on the bike went off, pulling her from her daydream.

She looked over at him, startled by both the noise, and the dreamy look in his eyes that was becoming all too familiar.

"Sorry." she stood, grabbing his crutches for him and handing them back to him from where she had leaned them as they rode.

"Hey, don't be sorry for…ahem…for loving what you love. We should all…hold on to the things that make us feel like that." she nodded.

"Thanks…I don't think a lot of people…understand the way I…my tendency to take things like music, movies, and shows…books…so deeply to my heart." they walked to the treatment room from the gym, taking their time, since they had it. A rare occurrence for Shane, always needing to capitalize on every spare minute. To make productivity a priority.

"I think…that…well, seeing a pretty grim side of the world like I have…seems like there's enough darkness and bullshit making everyone miserable. If we find something…or…someone…that brings us some happiness or even just makes that misery bearable…we oughta hang onto 'em real tight. Cherish it like gold." the silence in the small room was loud with that electrical hum of their tension again. He'd said all the right things, as he always seemed to, but under the absolute wrong circumstances. She just nodded.

"They teach you philosophy in Basic?" she giggled. He laughed back in response.

"Oh, no, Basic was way easier than…whatever goes on inside of us."

"Speaking of which," she segued deftly, "lay back, and let my try to get some range out of that knee before I take new measurements for this update I'm gonna write."

"Yes, ma'am!" he chuckled.

"You get some sick thrill out of calling me that, don't you?" she scowled playfully at him.

"Oh, you have no idea…ma'am." he winked at her.

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

The next day, Shane was wondering how Sy's appointment went as she ate her soup at lunch and caught up on her morning notes. She got a ping on messenger.

You have a gentleman caller…*eggplant emoji* hehe, he's on line three.

Geez…thanks Heather.

No need to ask for a name. She knew Heather meant Sy.

She picked up the phone at her desk in the treatment room.

"Hey Sy! How'd the appointment go?"

"Hey, sunshine…eh…he said I'm doin' good, but he wants me to stay on crutches another two weeks." she could hear grave disappointment in his voice. She felt for him.

"Aww, I'm sorry Sy. I know you wanted off those. And I know they're a pain. Literally and figuratively."

"Why wouldn't he want me off 'em?" he was so frustrated. He must have just left the office.

"Did you ask him that question?"

"You know doctors, Shane. Not like I would have got an answer in plain English. Figured you'd know."

"Well, I haven't seen your post-visit report, but it's my presumption that he wants to play it safe. You know he spent most of his day in the operating room with you, right? An eight hour surgery, you had. He probably doesn't want to undo all that by d/c'ing the crutches too soon."

"I was gonna be careful though, Shane!" he was worked up properly, and she could hear it over the roar of his pickup in the background.

"I know you were, Sy. I'm sure you were going to take all kinds of precautions. But what if you're walking into your kitchen, during a storm, and there's a loud clap of thunder, and Aika gets startled and busts past you? What if you're feeling good one day, and forget about it, and jog to catch up to someone holding the door open for you and miss a stick or something under foot? You can't prepare yourself for every pebble or patch of mud in your path, Sy. Accidents will happen. Some circumstances are beyond our control…we just have to do the best we can. The crutches are going to help you until we get you stronger. That's what we'll focus on until those two weeks are up."

"Why is it you can calm me down like this?" he asked, sincere and truly calmer than he had been.

"I'm just a good therapist, is all."

"Ya don't think that's really all, do ya?" the sound of his deep drawl in her ear from the receiver made her shiver. He was implying something that she just couldn't entertain. It wasn't possible for them right now. Maybe…down the road…in a few weeks…

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Sy. Come ready to work that knee."

"You didn't say no…" he was too hopeful. Damn it, he was cute when he was hopeful. She was glad she couldn't see his face light up like she knew it was doing.

"You may have noted I didn't say yes, either."

"Yet. See ya in the mornin', sunshine."

"Bye, Sy."

She put the receiver in the cradle and her face in her hands.

"Shit."

She had a feeling this particular patient was about to become much more complicated.

Up Next: Chapter Three-Therapeutic Activity

#netflix sand castle #sand castle #henry cavill #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x ofc #captain syverson #captain syverson fanfic #captain syverson x ofc

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jaeminlore · 4 years

Text

bard!taeil ^_^

commissioned by @warmau luv u thank you for giving me free reign i’m sorry i used it all on world building

words: 5k+

a/n: sorry this is a bit late ! also for any mistakes !

okay first thought when given free reign of a story is PRINCE or ROYAL bc that is where my mind is for every story i love a good castle moment

i just think they’re neat ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

but yknow i was thinking about bards and also my skyrim game and how annoying yet precious the bards are in the inn. and if that is not taeil i will eat my own foot,,,,, like omg i forgot his name i think it’s mikael?? he’s at the inn in riften!!! i beat him up to preserve the honor of some lady and now we’re best friends ^_^ anyways he’s lovable and it makes me think of taeil

i miss taeil i read a post about how precious he is and it made me feel some type of way ,,,,, my favorite taeil era was cherry bomb bc the CHOKER and the EYELINER and he just felt like the embodiment of that tiktok sparkly filter

okay now that that’s over

this story is set in a lone kingdom called intima,,,, intima is a word meaning the heart of something and it’s where the word intimacy comes from and it makes me feel warm and happy so i assume it will make the people of intima happy too !!!!! it’s an island centered around the sun — and YOU my dear reader are the eldest princess, the first before six younger siblings !!!

as the oldest, the throne is in your future, and you are set to be the reigning queen WHICH you are quite excited about this isn’t one of those aus where you hate your kingdom and your job and serving,, you LOVE your people and your culture and you genuinely can’t wait to become queen

i’m going to set the world!!!! bc world-building gives me endorphins >.>

intima is a HEAVILY floral-filled island. the clivia (or bush lily) is the capitol flower, often associated with patriotism or pride for intima as an island!!! it’s the flower people pin to their chest during coronations or royal festivals!! and the yellow/orange/coral shades are often what you and your siblings wear to represent yourselves and your island.

intima is a land of equality!!! bc i said so!! and also because the culture is purely built on gratitude and kindness ,,,,, i like to think the spirituality or “religion” in the culture is the worship of the sun and the warmth it brings,,,, a sort of serving the thing that shines a path for the hopeless!!!! there are hundreds of poems and legends and songs about the sun and who she once was and why she blesses intima with her harvests and all kinds of other things and i do have the time to get into it but i know all of you do not

intima also believes that art is hard work!!! and it’s one of the most respected jobs there are!!! like a busker or a street painter are often praised and it’s expected of islanders to tip them and stay to praise them a bit!!! and usually they’ll sell their art (if that’s what they made) afterwards!!!! and poets will read for the children and adults alike and they’ll sell their services to like,,, people who struggle to put their words down on paper and it’s all very helpful and lovely

farmers and fishermen are well respected as well!!!! ofc they bring the food in and the vendors at the marketplace sell them while the artists keep entertainment going. it’s a lovely system and often as the seasons change people will shift their jobs so a vendor will decide to create for a season or a fisherman may decide he wants to sell wares,,, it’s a system so that people can enjoy where they are as well as express they’re creativity properly

and the wealth is distributed equally so that no one goes hungry!!! everyone helps each other out to find a job that fits them!!! and not many people take advantage of the system because it’s quite shameful to refuse helping your fellow neighbor

so yes!!! kindness and helping each other out is not only expected but it is often an indicator of how respected you are as a member of society

ungrateful people get the shame cone >:(

the island is HUGE and set in a sort of jagged star shape, with villages and markets surrounding the castle itself!!! and there’s a moat surrounding the castle made from the streams that trail in from the sea ,,,, and the harbors are quite beautiful if you stand atop the castle walls you can see the ships come and go and it is just *chef’s kiss* immaculate

and the moat is so beautiful i can just imagine the ferns!! like palm brush ferns and tiger lilies and birds of paradise just lining either side of the moat,,, so pretty :( and the moat isn’t to keep people out!!! it’s actually a natural pool for the villagers when it gets too hot :)!! but otherwise the drawbridge is always down so people can come and go throughout the courtyards

similarly, the castle walls run down the island as main roads, leading to the actual castle where the main courtyard sits.

you and your siblings are very personal with your subjects, and it’s not uncommon for the princes and princesses to walk hand in hand with those of a lower class than them,,,, esp bc there isn’t really a class system in place. since wealth is evenly distributed,,,, it’s evenly distributed to the royals as well, and everyone lives comfortably. the only added expense are gifts!!! so if there’s a birthday or something more wealth might be offered to the recipients by default

the courtyards!!! are so beautiful!!! there are four in total but the one i want to focus on is the coronation courtyard!!! this is the courtyard where the coronations and celebrations are held!!!

but when there aren’t any coronations, it’s where people hang out to have picnics or sell their wares or tell stories!!!

and this is where we see taeil!!!!

every day our hero brings his life and ~sings~ a different story to whoever happens to be walking by. he’s actually hugely popular with many of intima’s people,,,, mostly because his voice is like HONEY and his smile reminds everyone of home

he has like,,,,, kind big brother who only comes home for thanksgiving but each time is more memory-filled than the last energy ,,,,, anyways

you don’t actually notice him at first!!! because usually he isn’t in the coronation courtyard.

also you’re too busy planning your OWN coronation

#queenshit and all you know the vibes

it actually isn’t until yuta points out that there is a “very tiny man singing about how beautiful you are” in the courtyard that you’re actually like,,,, okay,,,,,, interesting..?

and at first you’re like shut up yuta i’m trying to work on seating placements you know ten from iacto can’t sit beside donghyuck from stella or they’ll start a prank war during MY coronation

also there are a lot of people who write songs about you and your siblings that’s just how the vibes are !!!!!

you and your siblings are known for your beauty and kindness, so many creatives often use y’all as muses

so you just brush it off

and go back to your planning

which actually consists of you begging your advisors to make little goodie bags for everyone on the entire island (they WILL eventually agree because who doesn’t want a small bee charm necklace or some cleansing crystals)

but i digress

it’s not until you visit the courtyard to finalize the seating arrangements that you actually see the man your brother was talking about

at first you don’t even realize it’s the same person

sure, this man is short, but he is nothing like the unattractie picture you painted in your mind. not that short men are unattractive, but most men who hit on you are often uhhhh creepy and old bc intima is a beautiful place but men are still a disease

this man is, dare you say it, handsome.

like prettily handsome

his hair is a warm chestnut that falls over his eyebrows in loose curls. strands curl and bend around his ears and his eyes are lined with what seems like kohl

his lips are pursed, and he’s too far away for you to hear him, but he seems to be singing

you tear your eyes away from his coral-colored jerkin and try to focus on the seating arrangements

in the end, you leave the work to your advisors, choosing to break away and listen to the lonesome bard

and just IMAGINE for a moment taeil singing like real people do by hozier

just taeil singing any hozier song i cannot get over the thought of it >_>

those are the vibes for this story

taeil a sexy irish bog man

not really but i’ll bookmark the idea for later !!!!

okay so imagine him singing real people do or sunshine and it’s so gentle and warm coming from his mouth that you’re entranced at the very start of it,,,, you’ve heard tales of sirens luring sailors into the sea,,, and they’ve always sounded quite far fetched but now that you’re hearing taeil’s voice you’re like,,,,,, maybe it’s possible

you sidle up to another listener and ask for his name

“taeil moon”

it’s a befitting name. you run it over your tongue for a good while until it feels familiar,,, and when the song is finally over, you clap and shout a few praises, thinking your voice would get caught in the crowd

but taeil catches your gaze, and he strums a sour note on his lute. it’s a swift apology and an even swifter exit as he leaves the courtyard.

you watch him go, unsure as to why he seemed so uncomfortable knowing you were there. “is he alright?” you ask the same listener who told you taeil’s name. they answer, “he’s never left a set before. perhaps you frightened him, princess.”

you DID frighten him. moving into taeil’s point of view, the man has been declaring his infatuation with you for months now and you’ve never come to listen. he suddenly feels naked and vulnerable,,, the one person he chose to write songs about is the future queen and he could very well be executed for such unauthorized poetry

(as if executing is something intima didn’t outlaw ages ago)

so taeil is just a tiny bit dramatic, and he clings to the honest hope that you came to his show late and didn’t hear his declaration. his “all my love songs of now and forever after are for the princess y/n” that he starts every set with. he feels like a fool, so he finds himself hiding in the royal gardens, far behind the brush and hedges, where a lone forgotten fountain rusts. still water bubbles out of the spout, but there isn’t enough for the fountain to actually flow, so it just makes an incredibly awkward gurgling sound as taeil strums his lute and tries to collect his thoughts

taeil doesn’t just like you because you’re the princess. it goes so much deeper than that; he has one faint memory of his graduation out of bards college (it’s a thing in skyrim so it’s a thing in my au) and it consists of you meeting with all of the graduates and giving them each a bush lily from your own personal garden,,,,,,, you also wrote everyone a handwritten letter addressing them by name !!!!!!!!!

and it’s not much to go by at all, and taeil would feel incredibly foolish even bringing up the memory, or the fact that he keeps the card in his memeriy box,,,,, because it’s obvious that you don’t remember him from it, but he can still remember the color of your eyes up close, and he knows what it feels like to be on the receiving end of your smile,, and just the memory of your fingers grazing his when you handed him the flower and card makes his cheeks warm with childlike fondness

he’s a fool, he knows. he’s also a coward, because he ran at the very sight of you

“you ran off before i could tell you how lovely your voice is.”

taeil falls into the rusting fountain as soon as you round the hedge. he has no idea how you managed to find him, but he can’t really think much about it because he’s soon coughing and shivering from the cold and dirty water he’s just fallen into. he mourns his lute,,,,,, just floating in the shallow water ,,,,,, it’s not dead it’s just wet :/

“oh dear i’m so sorry!” you grab his hand and help him out of the fountain, wincing at the way his clothes cling to his body. (Wait. wait. taeil’s lil baby tummy.... through the sheer shirt,,,,,,, like after he takes off his jerkin to dry it out :(((( omg he’s so cute) “i just wanted to compliment you.”

“thank you, princess,” taeil manages to get out. he paints a smile on his face even though he feels like he’s never been put in a more awkward situation. “it means a lot, honestly.” he decides to avoid the topic of having a crush on you, because he thinks he has experienced plenty of embarrassing moments today, thank you very much. so he changes the topic completely. “good luck, uh, on your coronation. i’m looking forward to it.”

you lower yourself into a mock curtsy. “why thank you. save me a dance during the after party, won’t you?”

taeil nods, not trusting himself to speak, and you bid him goodbye

y’all know taeil’s face where he’s just cheesin. like :D

that’s his face for the rest of the day. and every day up until the coronation !!!!!!

and you visit him!!!! when you can !!!!!!!!

taeil has a very easygoing personality i feel like after the initial awkwardness he’d actually be the one to initiate a friendship!!! like sometimes he leaves you letters by the old fountain !!!!!! :((((

and taeil’s letters are very friendly but every once in awhile he’ll slip in song lyrics that make your heart flutter!!!! just imagine your favorite love song or folk song written out by taeil to you because he learned it and it made him think of you :(( i’m crying and i know you’re crying

one day you have a picnic!!!!!!!!! and it’s just the two of you and taeil thinks he should be nervous but he genuinely does enjoy your company,,,,, and he kinda sort of slowly starts to think of you less as a muse and more as a friend,,,,,, or even maybe a potential ,,,,,,,,, l o v e r oooohhhhhhhh,,,, omg it’s so cute tho he lays out a blanket in front of the fountain and the two of you eat sandwiches and apple juice and :(( eventually the sun makes you both a lil tired so you fall asleep side by side

and you get kind of flustered when you wake up beside taeil like oh 😳 okay 😳 now 😳

the two of you hang around each other in secret. not because it’s against the law or it would be publicized or anything like that,,,, intima is a very casual island and no one would bother the two of you too much,,,,,,,,, but taeil feels like a little secret you aren’t sure you want to share ,,, also your brothers and sisters would tease you relentlessly for giving your time to someone KNOWN for singing love songs about you

your friendship w taeil feels a bit like a bird feather on a windy day,,,,,,, like one hesitant breath could blow him away,,,,,,,, but taeil is so FUNNY and warm and gentle and COMFORTABLE that you slowly start to feel yourself fall for him.

taeil is a story-telling bard in the way that the songs he sings often tell stories of his life or the life of someone famous, installed in their hearts from the moment they were all in elementary school. like imagine him singing a tale about the greek gods or norse mythology or perhaps he goes and bit more fairytale and songs of thumbalina or sleeping beauty

he’s an amazing storyteller, so much so that when the two of you hang out, he often recites some form of verse to you, especially if it’s a legend you love dearly (SIRENS) ,,,,,, but the one thing that kind of irritates you is that he has yet to sing you one of his legendary songs that are “supposedly” for you

you’re not trying to be prideful, but this is the lovely singer everyone has told you about, and you still haven’t heard any of his original songs. or at least, his original songs dedicated to you. you’re very curious to see what you look like in taeil’s eyes, even though it might make you feel horribly vulnerable.

and taeil is like :) obviously :) i’m not going to sing love songs :) about my crush :) to my crush :)

but it’s whatever.

what i want to talk about is the coronation babey !!!!!!!!!!!

it’s very public,,, in the middle of the courtyard,,, and all the market stalls are up selling their wares to the large crowd!!!!! and kids are playing in the moat !!!!! sort of a summer festival and you’re the main event lol. like some people will gather and watch the coronation and some people will be off dancing on the other side of the courtyard but everyone is celebrating the same thing!!

and this is a high fantasy setting so there aren’t any modern things like microphones or speakers aside from a copper horn or smth ,,, but it’s all very fun and festive!!!!

merchants are selling banners of orange and gold,,, yellow roses and tiger lilies,,,,,,, flower crowns and faux scepters for the little kids!!!!!! and there’s lively music for people to dance and celebrate to,,,,,, and can you guess who is in charge of the music !!!!?! TAEIL

he’s got an entire band leading the courtyard and it’s all traditional songs for the most part of taeil is able to slip in a few love songs now and again. and ofc everyone loves them bc they know taeil and OBV it’s hard to hate taeil

but :( you aren’t really focusing on the music since it’s such a big day for you but if you were you’d know that taeil is singing his original songs :((( all the love songs about you,,,,,,,,,,

and i SWEAR i can imagine taeil singing hozier-esque songs..... omg or like mystery of love ,,,,, imagine him singing mystery of love on one side of the courtyard while you’re getting crowned queen on the other side

that image is something that can be so personal to me ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

:(((( and you’re dressed in a tan and peach maiden dress,,,, cloaked in golden silk with day lilies tucked in your hair,,,,,,,,, omg or BRAIDED into your hair,,,,,, you just look like a sun goddess okay golden by harry styles are the vibes ALRIGHT babes,,,, and there’s a speech to be made and someone made cake for the masses,,, so you get a bit caught up it everything

taeil isn’t really in the crowd for the coronation as i already stated before ,,,,, but he can kind of hear everything that’s happening and it makes him just smile to himself as he messes with his lute :((( omg if you guys haven’t heard you are gold by the national parks THATS the song taeil sings as the celebrations are dying down

and all the street lanterns are lit and people are quieting down and eating or chatting or rounding up their kids for bedtime !! omg little kids racing past and giggling, their flower crowns askew as they shout about becoming a queen one day :( that’s so cute esp to imagine taeil watching them fondling and waving at them as they pass

and there are fireflies all around!!!! lighting the pathway!!! it’s just so cute and soft and lovely think tangled at last i see the light scene OKAY except it’s not on water it’s a festival and it’s beautiful every seems to be glowing in the light

this au is partially inspired by tangled,,, or the kingdom of corona (lol) so

anyways back to you are gold

the chorus is as so: “you are gold / you are all i see / you are aurum scarce and meant for kings / and i will wait if it’s time you need / what i see in you i hope you find in me.”

and can’t you just SEE taeil singing that absentmindedly not really knowing that you’re making your way to him and then he just looks up during the final chords and he just,,,,,,, fumbles the music and his voice cracks a little (but how COULDNT it bc you’re so beautiful and angelic and taeil could easily picture the stars against your skin and in the shade of your eyes)

“h-hi,” he stutters. “you look. nice.” :D

i think taeil is pretty confident with his feelings but i also feel like he can be quite clumsy with them as well. if that makes sense. but on the other hand confessing to the now-queen of your island is a bit much and taeil isn’t really ready to be rejected on a regal level.

“thank you,” you say. AND!!! you can feel your cheeks get hot because taeil is quite handsome and you DEFINITELY heard the last few lyrics of the song and it ignited feelings inside of you that you weren’t sure you’ve felt much of before.

you kind of just want to take his hand and go spend some ~ alone time ~ with him ^_^

“you know,” you sit down beside him and wrap your cloak around yourself. “everyone has been telling me that you’re quite famous for dedicating your love songs to me. how come i haven’t heard such declarations?”

taeil’s ears turn red and he smiles down at the lute in his lap. “isn’t it a bit disrespectful to make you listen to all the songs i write for you?”

“i want to hear them!! genuinely!!”

can you just IMAGINE taeil holding eye contact and singing sunshine by hozier >:( or like ANY song by ray montangue for today we’re pretending taeil wrote all of these

hold you in my arms by ray montangue YOO :((

just taeil strumming and singing sort of under his breath because he doesn’t really want anyone else to share this lil moment with you. and he’s so sweet like i imagine after he sings he doesn’t expect any praise and he certainly doesn’t expect you to confess your love or anything like that

bc taeil is a respectful future king

LIKE JUST IMAGINE kind of grabbing his face and just giving him a lil kiss,,,,, a lil smooch,,,,, if you will

taeil is probably rlly pretty just after being kissed like his eyelashes would flutter so prettily and it would be so soft like he’d just press his forehead against yours and then omg a FOREHEAD KISS like a really gentle one

you would be so important to taeil like i think he would just be so gentle with you in every way

the relationship is a slower one,,,,,, you have queenly duties and he’s still working as a busker,,,,, getting ready to help the merchants in the winter,,,,,,,

but the two of you make time. it’s similar to before, you just set up picnics, or sometimes you watch him sing, and he’ll write you love songs and send them to you through a letter,, stamping with purple wax,,,

and taeil is always so sweet :( i think he’s more of a casual lover in the sense that he doesn’t need pda or loud declarations in order to make you feel loved flashback to him dedicating every love song to you in the middle of the square but he’d be the type to just hold your hand around the courtyard,, or he’d just send you soft smiles from the other side of the marketplace

he’s the time to buy you a basket of your favorite fruits and deliver them personally to your door

everyone in the castle just lets taeil into the chambers section at this point

the two of you will swim in the moat and play hopscotch with the village children or go shopping together or take naps beneath the afternoon sun and with taeil by your side it’s all so fond and precious and some times you’ll go days or weeks without seeing him just because of schedules but it’s never awkward when the two of you get back together

and it’s actually not until some of your very own villagers are coming up to you like hey,,,,, why haven’t you made taeil your partner yet?? he’s so precious and sweet and he would look lovely in a crown 👀👀

and uhhh who are you to argue with that lmao

so you buy taeil a ring

a pearl !!!! encased in silver <3333 i like to think that the tales he sang to you about sirens often slides to a pearl of some sorts,, so you make sure it’s the rock you place on the ring

and you take him back to that rusty old creaky old ugly old fountain :)

and you just,,,,,, ask him to marry you ,,,,,,,,,,

ofc taeil says yes, a bit frozen because the two of you have talked about marriage but only briefly,,, and he wasn’t sure you’d ever take that step so he didn’t want to pressure you

taeil ofc has always been ready,,, his soul is more open than yours if that makes sense !!! which isn’t a bad thing but he has definitely been ready for a lifetime with you for a long time now

and it’s a long-ish engagement i feel like

not that it really matters but it’s more of a betrothement !!!! so the two of you are technically already married even before the ceremony if that makes sense??? like everyone alludes to taeil as the consort and the two of you live together and receive gifts of betrothement and !!! it’s quite sweet and it’s the way they do things in intima

also you guys aren’t in a big hurry for another ceremony esp bc yuta’s coronation is coming up and you don’t want to take any of his spotlight

king!yuta hold up

but yeah taeil is a wonderful consort !! doesn’t do much yet politically bc he isn’t especially versed in politics but he’s learning!!! he’s really good at keeping a good energy in the room even if two ambassadors are fighting taeil will just be vibing like :-D and it often calms tensions

he’s just a GREAT person and a helpful ruler even tho he really doesn’t even have to be,,,, he’s just a consort,,,, but he still takes the effort to learn genuine laws and help guide the people

the people are obviously obsessed with him,,, they wouldn’t ask for another consort because he’s so kind with all of them

still sings in the courtyard as his job ,,, and the people love it just as much ^_^ esp because now all the songs are openly for you and about you and it makes people more fond of you as well

taeil creates y/n propaganda pass it on

but he works in the castle too,, and he’s a fast learner especially when it comes to settling arguements within the village or even within the court,,,, he also sets up festivals !! he’s wonderful at it !! genuinely !! taeil as an interior designer i can just see it man him designing flower arrangements and the setlist and just !! being a wonderful host

and tbh you’re very thankful because it’s nice to rule with siblings but it’s even nicer to rule with a soulmate

and taeil feels just like that — a soulmate, a missing piece of the puzzle,,,,,

and if intima is the sun , if you who rules it is the sun, then taeil is the moon,, and it’s quite obvious that the two of you were made for each other

perhaps in the future the two of you will have kids or adopt

or you guys get a puppy!!! i can see you w a puppy and taeil with a kitten and the two lil pets just follow you guys around omg

the two of you fix up the old fountain so it isn’t rusty or squeaky anymore

you guys find rocks out on the shore and create a new bed at the bottom of the fountain

and guess what!!!! you guys write little wishes on the rocks and invite everyone else to do the same with the idea that once the fountain is filled with wishes, you’ll hold a festival where you put the wishes back into the sea to be completed

omg how cute would that be like a yearly thing where the fountain would be filled with rocks and everyone gets a handful to take down to the beach and throw into the sea

it’s where lovers write their names and people confess to their crushes and anniversaries and birthdays are celebrated and it’s where artists write pictures and poets write verses and people write prayers to the sun

and it’s where you and taeil announce your first pregnancy >.<

and it’s really soft

the place between the sea and the sun is where your love lies

where your family lives

omg taeil singing lullabies to his baby :( HES be such a sweet dad

i feel like taeil already has a family just by his vibes yknow

but say it’s a daughter he’d teach her how to play the lute and he’d buy her her own

he’d let her express herself in any way and identify however she’d want and love whoever she wanted

he’d be an AMAZING father and husband and king

ANYWAYS to conclude

this was fun to write and i hope it made sense i know it’s all over the place but in conclusion taeil is sexy and deserves to be loved

#taeil au #nct au #taeil fluff #nct fluff #commissioned #destwrites

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chilling-seavey · 4 years

Text

Anything But Mine - Lucy’s Birth Story

A/N June 24th is an important day in the ABM universe...I figured we can take a little read to find out why! Hope you enjoy 🧡 + be forewarned about plenty of fluff included here 🥺

A/N2 Also this pic of Daniel omg you can’t tell me it doesn’t look like him seeing his new baby for the first time 🥺 all that emotion in his expression

T/W Idk if this counts as a trigger warning but there are detailed descriptions of labour and delivery!

W/C 8.6k words

Daniel kept himself busy after the wedding to support their little family, spending long days in the studio with his university friend, Jack. Money was tight but comfortable and with extra funds that Callum managed to get from his and Florence’s parents back in LA, they had purchased a three-bedroom apartment as soon as possible. Clementine and Penelope loved their home, playing on the balcony as much as they could in summer as they said the 56th floor made them feel like the Queens of the city. Once the end of November came around, they were often stuck inside due to the weather starting to drop, playing under the grand piano in the living room.

Florence was cleaning up from dinner when her phone rang. Daniel always called when he was leaving work.

“I can’t wait to come home.” he said right when she answered. She could hear him getting into his car in the background.

“Me too. We missed you at dinner.” Florence replied, wiping her hands on the dish cloth that was hanging over her shoulder.

“I haven’t even eaten yet.” Daniel sighed. “I’m so tired.”

“Pick up something to eat on the way home.” Florence suggested, glancing to the two young girls across the room before she added, “and I need you to pick up something from the drug store if you can.”

“Sure. What do you need?”

“A pregnancy test?”

The silence on the other end made her smile softly. She could picture his face exactly; his wide eyes and discrete smile.

He was quiet a moment before speaking, “Yeah…I can definitely grab one. Do you think-”

“We’re not jinxing it, Dani.” Florence chuckled.

“No, of course not.” Daniel smiled widely. “I’m on my way.”

Every evening when the front door opened and Daniel came in from work, the girls dropped what they were doing and ran for him, throwing their tiny arms around him. This night was no different as he bent down to greet his daughters, pressing equal amounts of kisses to their heads. Daniel glanced up at Florence who was stood in the archway, leaning against the wall. He stood up and handed her the small bag from the drugstore with a wink, leaning in to kiss her once.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

“Daddy! Can you play with us?!” Clementine asked loudly, bouncing on her toes.

“I think it’s almost bedtime, Clemmie girl, don’t you think?” Daniel brushed a hand through her messy blonde hair.

“No.” Clementine frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Tomorrow I will. I promise.” Daniel assured her. “We’ll have story time tonight in the big bed, okay?”

The girls shrieked excitedly and ran off down the hallway towards the master bedroom. Daniel took the moment of silence to hug his wife, sharing their quiet ‘I love you’s, before he was called by the girls down the hall.

After two storybooks amongst a mound of pillows and the duvet, the girls started to drift, wrapped up in his arms. Florence took Clementine to bed and Daniel took Penelope, tucking them into their beds in their own rooms. The two young adults met back in the hallway, standing with a few feet between them.

“I’m like…a few weeks late.” Florence said.

“That’s a good sign.” Daniel replied.

“Not for sure though.” Florence added.

“That’s okay. Do you want me with you?” Daniel asked her quietly.

“Of course.” Florence nodded.

They found themselves in the ensuite, staring at the unopened box of two pregnancy tests on the counter. They stood there a while, Daniel waiting for Florence to make her first move. He glanced at her.

“They won’t tell us anything if you don’t take them.” Daniel chuckled.

Florence took a deep breath and took the box with her to the bathroom. She shut the door and got to work. Daniel sat on the counter waiting for her, finishing the now cold take-out from McDonald’s he picked up on the way home. She came back out and washed her hands, leaving the two tests in the opened box between them.

“I don’t know why I’m nervous.” Florence whispered, leaning her hands on the counter.

“I thought you wanted another one?” Daniel frowned, pulling lightly at her arm so she moved to stand between his legs.

“I do. So bad. Maybe I’m nervous that it will be negative.” Florence sighed.

“So we try again.” Daniel shrugged, taking her hands in his. “And again and again and again-“

Florence rolled her eyes at him through a smile, letting him press a kiss to her lips. They fell into silence as they waited, hands together.

“I’ve never been with someone when I do this.” Florence admitted. “It’s kind of nice.”

“Isn’t it?” Daniel smiled.

“Thank you for being here.”

“You’re my wife now, remember? I gotta be here with you for everything.” Daniel said, taking her face in his hands. “No going through things by yourself anymore.”

Florence took the front of his shirt in her hands and pulled him in for a lingering kiss.

“Can we look, yet?” Daniel finally mumbled against her mouth. “I’m dying here.”

“Yeah.” Florence said, picking up the box again. She dumped both tests into her hand, hiding the screen face down. She passed one to Daniel and kept one for herself.

They both stared down at the hidden tests in their hand before looking back up to each other.

“I’m nervous!” Florence shrieked quietly, bouncing on her toes a little.

“Count to 3, okay?” Daniel smiled, reaching out his one free hand to hold hers. “1…2…3…”

They both turned the screens face up in their palms, each showing a clear pair of solid pink lines.

“Dani…” Florence breathed, squeezing his hand.

“2 lines is good, right?!” he asked quickly, looking up at her.

“So good.” Florence nodded, tears welling in her eyes.

“Oh my gosh.” Daniel whispered, hoping off the counter to wrap her in a tight hug. “We’re gonna have a baby. Together this time.”

Florence laughed lightly against his shoulder, staring at the positive pregnancy test in her hand, “I love you.”

“I love you so much.” Daniel smiled.

“But seriously, Dani.” Florence pulled back from their hug, “I’m worried. Penelope came so early. The doctors said it was from the stress I was constantly in and I don’t want that to happen again. We lucked out with her health but-“

“There’s no reason to be stressed this time.” Daniel assured her, brushing her hair back form her face, “I’m going to be with you through everything. Every doctor’s appointment and everything.”

“Don’t promise that.” Florence chuckled. “You have a job.”

“The last two times you had to do so much on your own. I want to be here for everything. We’re going to do it right this time. I promise.”

Christmas was only a few weeks away and keeping such a big secret was agonizing. They had planned the announcement for Christmas and swore themselves to secrecy. Daniel had to somehow see Jack almost every day at the studio and not say anything. Their first obstacle was telling their two girls who they knew had to be told first. Christmas Eve brought the perfect opportunity, the small family back in Vancouver with Daniel’s family for their annual Christmas visit. Still in their dresses and stockings from church, Clementine and Penelope were each handed a wrapped box as the family of four sat on the rug in front of the lit Christmas tree and warm fireplace, Daniel’s parents and siblings sitting around the couches. It was always a tradition to open one gift on Christmas Eve so this wasn’t unusual to the girls.

Clementine, who was closing in on 5 years old quickly, tore open the paper excitedly, her 18-month younger sister desperately trying to keep up. Inside the boxes were a set of pyjamas for each of them. The candy cane patterned sleeves and trim on the shirt matched the pants, Florence and Daniel both having their own matching pair in their room. The girls’ had writing on their shirts, however, the I’s of the red lettering were peppermint wheels reading ‘Big Sister’.

Clementine could read hers easily, the fact easily understood since she had been a big sister for 4 years. Penelope simply stared at hers, the 4-year-old not quite grasping full words yet.

“What does it say, Penny?” Florence asked.

“I dunno.” Penelope giggled shyly.

“Hers says ‘Big Sister’ too.” Clementine said. “That’s wrong. She’s the little sister.”

“She won’t be for long.” Daniel said through a smile.

“Oh my gosh!” Anna shrieked, clapping her hands over her mouth. “You’re pregnant?!”

Florence laughed and nodded lightly.

“No, you’re not!” Keri gaped.

“Yes, we are.” Florence giggled as Daniel pressed a kiss to her cheek, tucking his arm around her shoulders to pull her close.

The adults got up to share eager hugs and congratulations, a few happy tears being shed in the process. The young girls stared blankly at them, not quite grasping what was happening.

Christian bent down between the girls, “You guys are going to have a little brother or sister.”

“A baby?” Clementine looked up at her parents.

“Yeah, Clemmy girl, a brand-new baby!” Daniel smiled, sitting back on the rug again.

“Are you happy?” Florence asked as she joined him.

“Yeah.” Clementine shrieked suddenly, tossing the tissue paper in the air and nearly hitting Christian in the face.

“What about you, bug?” Daniel asked their soft-spoken second daughter. “You want a brother or sister?”

Penelope’s little smile brightened at his gentle acknowledgment, her rosy cheeks hiding behind her new pyjamas as everyone looked at her. She nodded gently, her soft giggle muffled by the clean fabric.

“Mommy’s having a baby, Nell!” Clementine yelled, tackling her younger sister onto the carpet.

“Clem, you’re more excited than all of us combined.” Florence laughed, grabbing the eldest by her waist and pulled her onto her lap.

“Do you want to see a picture of the baby?” Daniel asked the room.

“Yes please!” Penelope kicked her legs in the air, her red dress flying up by her head.

Daniel pulled her towards him by her ankles before taking her hands so she was on her feet. She draped her arm around his shoulder and the rest of the family gathered around behind them as he unlocked his phone to open the email from the doctor’s office. The black and white image of the little blob filled his screen.

“Wow.” Clementine breathed, leaning over to get a better look as the room awe’d gently. Penelope pulled the hem of her dress up to bite at, her wide blue eyes scanning the still image awestruck.

“Who do you think it looks like?” Daniel asked, gently pulling the dress out of her mouth.

“Me!” Clementine shouted.

“You?!” Florence laughed.

“Where is the baby?” Penelope whispered, leaning her head on Daniel’s.

“In my tummy.” Florence said.

“Why?”

“Because that’s just where babies grow.” Florence shrugged.

“How did it get there?” Penelope yawned.

“Yeah! How did it get there?” Clementine added, looking between her parents.

“Oh, Lord.” Christian laughed loudly, stepping back and headed for the kitchen, “I’m going to get a drink.”

Daniel chuckled nervously, telling his daughters, “A little magic from the wedding.”

“Do I get some too?” Clementine asked.

“Not until you get married which isn’t for years and years from now.” Daniel said.

“Many, many years.” Keri jumped in, scooping up her granddaughter. “Even more than your Mommy and Daddy waited.”

Daniel glared playfully at her, making the adults laugh.

“Why don’t we get into our pj’s and then have story time by the fire before we have to get into bed?” Florence suggested.

And that’s what they did, the four of them changing into their matching pyjamas for their last Christmas as a family of four, cuddled up on the couch with a picture book, their extended family joining with mugs of tea around the living room too. Daniel had his arm around his little family, lazily twisting a strand of Florence’s hair around his finger as she read out loud.

It was the one night a year the girls didn’t want a second book, eager to get to bed so Santa could come. The girls were tucked into bed and things in the living room were taken care of by the adults before they were off to bed themselves, cuddled up together as light snow filled the city below.

The new year came with fresh starts and busy days. Penelope needed to move into Clementine’s room since they needed room for the nursey. Florence wanted to get started early, often waking up early to work, Daniel finding her pushing an entire dresser down the hallway at 6am. He constantly had to pull her back to bed, trying to convince her to let him take care of the big things.

The girls loved to talk to the baby, pressing their sticky hands to her small belly anytime they could. They shared many stories too and Clementine often came home from Junior Kindergarten with paintings for the baby which would be put safely in a book.

Each doctor’s appointment was finished with glowing reviews, everything progressing smoothly and, as promised, Daniel was there for each and every one. It was at their 20-week ultrasound that Florence was handed the sealed envelope that contained only a folded piece of paper. For both her pregnancies, she waited until the birth to know the gender since she didn’t feel the need. This time, Daniel insisted on a gender reveal party, giving Michael and Luke Clifford the privilege of finding out first and planning the whole thing.

It was during March Break when spring was starting to poke through the melting snow and Clementine would have the whole week out of school. All their family and friends came, even Daniel’s family flew in for the week, everyone dressed in either blue or pink for which ever gender they guessed.

That morning, Daniel came into the ensuite bathroom in all white, buttoning up the final button on his collared shirt.

“Where’s your colour?” Florence asked from her spot at her dressing table, fastening her earring.

“I don’t want to wear a colour because I don’t want to make the baby feel bad if they’re not what I guessed.” Daniel shrugged, leaning down next to her. “I’m going to be happy either way.”

Florence glanced at her sky-blue dress in the mirror and pursed her lips.

“You look beautiful.” Daniel whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek, his hand falling to her swollen belly.

“Maybe I should wear white too.” Florence said.

“You don’t have to.” Daniel chuckled, moving to the sink to brush his teeth.

“I was thinking boy because I haven’t had any morning sickness this time but my other two I did.” Florence said quietly, eyeing her dress before looking back to him.

“So stay in blue.” Daniel answered through his toothbrush.

“No…I’m going white too. We have to match.” Florence tisked, getting up from her chair to find a white dress in her closet.

Her sudden stop made Daniel frown, “What’s wrong?”

“I think I felt a kick.” Florence breathed, setting a hand on her stomach. Daniel got rid of his toothbrush and joined her, setting his hand next to hers. Sure enough, a tiny flutter moved under their palms.

“We have a tiny dancer on our hands.” Daniel smiled softly.

Florence let her right-hand fall to the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair, staring at his wide eyes and parted lips, his expression full of awe.

“I love you.” Florence whispered.

“I love you too.” Daniel grinned, leaning in to kiss her.

“Are you almost ready in there? We need to get going soon!” Callum called from the hallway.

Florence quickly switched into a white dress and heels and they joined their little family in the living room. The girls were both wearing light blue overalls with pink undershirts since they both kept switching between ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ every five minutes. Callum and Aidan both went with blue.

“You’re cheating!” Clementine shouted, pointing at her parents’ white outfits.

“We can’t break the rules if we made them.” Daniel said with a wink.

Michael and Luke had everything set up in the ballroom space of the apartment building, the same place Clementine had her first birthday. Everyone was already there, helping themselves to snacks and drinks. It wasn’t long before Daniel and Florence were directed to the front of the room, Clementine and Penelope joining them beside a large black balloon held by Michael. He handed it to the two little girls, giving them the instruction to hold tightly to the string so it wouldn’t float away.

When the room was quiet, Luke passed over a safety pin to Daniel and one to Florence. On a count to three, they were to pop the balloon and the confetti inside would reveal the gender.

“I’m nervous again!” Florence giggled.

“It’s a boy and I’ll bet money on that!” Callum called from the front of their small group.

“Willing to make that a bet? $50. It’s a girl.” Christian held out his hand.

“Deal. I know my sister.” Callum shook on it. “It’s a boy.”

“Ready?” Daniel smiled to his wife.

“So ready.” Florence leaned over to kiss him, the two girls between them laughing excitedly.

“3…!” Luke started. “2…1…!”

The pop of the balloon filled the quiet room and pink confetti rain down on the family of four. The little girls shrieked excitedly, jumping up and down in their own world. Beside them, Florence was more than shocked, falling into Daniel open arms.

Despite the shouting and laughing that took over the room, it felt like it was just the two of them. She could feel a tear fall onto her shoulder and Daniel held her tighter.

“I love you so much.” He whispered, his voice wavering.

“I love you.” Florence smiled, taking his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his.

“I believe you owe me money, Mr. DiCaprio!” Christian shouted over the excitement in the room.

The remainder of the second and well into the third trimester was spent with Daniel waiting on her hand and foot. Florence didn’t like it at first, feeling badly that he was doing it all, but Daniel insisted, doing everything he could to keep her relaxed with her feet up. He took Clementine to school every morning and picked her up on his lunch break, he took charge of bath time for the girls and cleaned the apartment, and even (tried his best) to make dinner every night.

Florence really missed him throughout her last pregnancy as he was such a comfort through the end of her first, being the only thing to help her sleep in those later months. She basked in it this time, though, refusing to let him get out of bed until he was almost late for work. Not that he complained, he would have given anything to stay like that all day.

Even as summer came around and the apartment was always sweltering, Daniel had his arms around her like he would never let go. It was a vision of love and protection Florence never knew she really needed.

And one June morning, no earlier than sunrise, Florence awoke suddenly. Daniel’s arm was draped lazily over her waist with his bare chest pressed to her back, soft breaths let out against her neck. Sweat was pooling at her hairline and she gently slid his arm off of her and he shifted sleepily onto his back. Florence sat up, pushing the heavy duvet off of her to try and get some cool air. It wasn’t unusual that she was extra warm during her final few weeks as growing a full-term human wasn’t an easy task, so she merely took a second to catch her breath.

A small sharp pain made her flinch, pressing a hand underneath her swollen stomach. It was only when she started to make a move to get out of bed that she noticed the wet sheets. Her discovery was punctuated with a warm cramping spreading over her hips.

Florence looked to her right where Daniel laid, his brown hair sticking up in all directions and lips set in a small pout as he slept soundly. She gave him a small nudge, “Dani.”

He shifted tiredly to face the other way, pulling the blankets higher over him.

“Sweetheart.” Florence pulled them back before shaking his arm. “Daniel.”

He rolled over to face her, blinking open his tired eyes to try and focus on her, “You okay?” he asked groggily, reaching a hand to her arm.

“My water broke.” Florence whispered.

Daniel’s still half-asleep face took a second to register what she said before his mouth was falling open. He looked down to her lap that was still covered by the duvet.

“Ok. That’s okay.” Daniel jumped out of bed, almost tripping over his own feet as he scrambled to her bedside in only his underwear, tugging on a pair of pyjama pants in the process. “Are you hurting?”

“A little.” Florence frowned. “She’s 3 weeks early, Dani. We did everything right I don’t know why-“

“Hey.” Daniel took her face in his hands. “It’s okay. Remember the doctor said 37 weeks is fine. That we should expect early because of last time. 37 is good.”

Florence nodded.

“I’ll call the midwife?” Daniel offered.

“We need these sheets changed first.” Florence frowned.

“Of course. Do you want me to take you to the living room?”

“I can go if you take care of this?”

“Okay.” Daniel tilted her chin up to press a kiss to her lips.

“I’m sorry.” Florence mumbled as he helped her to her feet.

“Nothing you need to apologize for, darling.” Daniel smiled, “You’re having our baby today.”

Once Florence made it to the living room, she sat herself down on the couch and called the midwife. It was barely 6:45 in the morning and by Florence’s reflection of her state, the midwife said she would come by for 8, telling her to time and note any contractions or important details.

As soon as they hung up, a sharp pain shot through her side and Florence gasped, clutching onto the back of the couch. Of course, it was just when the girls woke up, rushing out of their shared room and down the hall to the master bedroom like every morning. But they found it empty, bed striped and lights on...but empty.

Clementine and Penelope stopped in their tracks, smiles fading with confusion.

“Good morning, my girls.” Daniel greeted them sweetly as he walked back into the master bedroom from starting the laundry.

Smiles back on their faces, the two girls rushed him with hugs until he scooped them both up in his arms.

“Where’s Mummy?” Penelope asked quietly, her head resting on Daniel’s bare shoulder.

“In the living room. Let’s go say good morning.” he carried his two girls across the apartment. Florence was still on the couch and he set the girls down so they could greet her. The last morning of just the four of them.

Florence was forcing a smile through her steady pain, welcoming her daughters’ innocent smiles and excited hugs and kisses.

“Uncle Callum is going to spend the day with you, does that sound nice?” Florence asked as Penelope curled up on her lap. Clementine skipped off after Daniel to help him prepare breakfast a few feet away in the kitchen, shouting her agreement to that statement with excitement.

“What about you?” Penelope whined gently.

“Dad and I have to get ready to meet your baby sister. We think she’s going to be here soon.” Florence explained.

“Today?!” Clementine shrieked from her spot on the kitchen counter.

“Maybe.” Daniel smiled, petting her hair back from her face as she dropped two frozen waffles in the toaster.

“I want to meet baby sister.” Penelope whispered.

“Me too.” Florence smiled, pressing a kiss to her head.

When breakfast was ready, Daniel called the two girls to the kitchen table, setting two plates in front of them with glasses of apple juice. Florence stayed on the couch, another small contraction washing over her. She held tightly to the couch cushion to avoid making a scene in front of the girls, eyeing the clock on the wall that read 7:23.

Daniel finished cutting up the girls’ waffles before he joined Florence in the living room. He bent down in front of her and set his hands on her stomach.

“How are you holding up, sweetheart?” he whispered, glancing up at her with worry in his light eyes.

“Alright so far.” Florence breathed, pushing a hand through his hair.

“Do you want breakfast?”

“No. I’m okay. You eat.” Florence smiled.

“I’m too excited to eat.” Daniel admitted quietly, leaning up to kiss her as he stood up again. “Callum should be here any moment now.”

“Okay.” Florence sighed, taking his hands in hers.

He leaned down to kiss her once more before heading back to the girls.

“Daddy!” Clementine shrieked through a mouthful of waffle, “We can see your boobies while we eat!”

“Then don’t look.” Daniel teased, pressing his finger in her side to make her squeal with laughter.

“Yucky!” Penelope added, sliding off her chair and ran off towards the kitchen with her plate before he could grab her. Sure enough, he scooped her right off the floor, blowing a raspberry against her shoulder. Penelope squirmed in his arms, trying to push his head away from her through her laughter.

The knock at the door had Clementine running for the foyer, Penelope wiggling enough to have Daniel put her down to join her sister.

“You two get your bags and kiss Mommy goodbye.” Daniel instructed, steering them towards their room.

He opened the door for Callum and Aidan, gesturing them inside with a tired welcome.

“Gosh, Dan, pull up your pants. Do you always walk around like this?” Aidan tisked, eyeing his friend’s bare torso and Calvin’s band that was peeking out from under his plaid pyjama pants.

“No wonder my sister got knocked up again.” Callum teased.

“Oh, Callum George, stop it!” Florence called from the living room. The young men joined her, Callum greeting her with a kiss to her head.

“Uncle Cal!” Clementine called, running over to him and threw her arms around his leg, her tiny suitcase discarded in the middle of the room. Penelope stuck with Daniel, curling one arm around his leg shyly.

“Good morning, Clem.” Callum smiled, picking up his niece and sat her on his hip.

“Mommy’s having baby sister today!” Clementine said proudly.

“I know! That’s why you’re going to have a sleepover with us!” Callum explained.

“You excited, Nell?” Aidan asked the youngest, crouching down to her level.

“Yes.” she smiled shyly, her dark messy hair falling over her eyes.

“Shall we head out then?” Callum said. “Center Island won’t wait for us!”

“Center Island?!” Clementine shrieked, her mouth falling open excitedly, looking between him and her mother.

“Yeah! So lets say goodbye and get going!” Callum bent down so she could kiss her mother goodbye.

“Behave yourself, you.” Florence chuckled, kissing her daughter’s head.

“Come here, Penny.” Florence said to her youngest who slunk away from Daniel to climb up on the couch to hug her.

“Have fun with Cal and Aidan, okay?”

Penelope nodded, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Call if you need anything or if anything happens.” Aidan said to Florence, bending down to hug her.

“I will.” Florence agreed.

They headed towards the door, Aidan taking the small pink suitcases in hand.

“Come on, bug.” Daniel said to Penelope, holding out his hand to lead her to the foyer.

“I want to stay with Mommy.” Penelope frowned.

“I’ll take good care of her for you, I promise.” Daniel said sweetly, “You get to go have fun with you sister while we do all the work. When you get back to Callum’s tonight hopefully you can see pictures of baby sister.”

“I want to see her now.” Penelope whimpered, setting her little hands on the baby bump.

“Me too, bug.” Daniel pressed a kiss to her head. “Soon though.”

“Callum and Aidan are going to make sure you have so much fun today.” Florence promised, petting back her daughter’s hair. “Maybe even buy you an ice cream.”

Penelope tried to hide her cheeky smile behind her hair.

“Come on, Nell!” Clementine shouted from the foyer.

“Kisses.” Daniel requested softly, puckering out his lips. His youngest giggled and kissed him once and offered one to Florence before sliding off the couch. She ran after her sister to get her shoes on.

With the girls out of the house, the moment the door closed, Florence let out a pained groan she had been holding in since she woke up.

“What can I get you?” Daniel asked softly, returning back to his place in front of her, running his fingers through her hair.

“Nothing.” Florence breathed, pushing herself up from the couch ungracefully. He helped her with a hand around her waist. “I’m just going to walk a bit before the midwife gets here.”

With her pacing the hallway, Daniel tidied up the master bedroom a little bit, singing quietly as he worked. His soft voice always calmed her and she let her eyes close as she took one slow step at a time down the hallway.

When the midwife arrived, she helped Daniel get the bed re-made and Florence to lay down again. She checked her out a little.

“Looks like you’re already 5cm. Seems like you’ve been in labour for a few hours now. I’m surprised it didn’t wake you.” she chuckled.

“Gosh...it hasn’t been that bad.” Florence said.

“That’s good then. Being able to get as much rest as you can is important. Contractions are steady?”

“Every 5 minutes.” Florence answered. “Short though.”

“That’s okay. Let’s see if you can sleep anymore.”

“I don’t think I can.” Florence admitted.

“Too excited?”

“Just a little.” Florence smiled.

Daniel came out of the walk-in closet in jeans and a white t-shirt with his hair brushed and face shaved. “How are we looking?” he asked.

“Halfway there.” The midwife said.

“Oh, that’s so good!” Daniel smiled.

Florence shifted in her place, whimpering slightly as another contraction came upon her. Daniel climbed next to her and took her hand in his. She leaned on his shoulder with her eyes shut tight, clinging onto his hand.

“They’re getting worse?” The midwife asked.

Florence nodded.

Daniel let his free hand press softly against her cheek and kissed her hair, resting his head on hers. He rubbed his thumb in soft circles over hers.

Florence wanted the calmest and most relaxing birth possible, opting for a home birth for optimal comfort over the unpleasant hospital. The midwife was familiar with home births and throughout the preparation had given good suggestions. Daniel purchased an entire store worth of unscented candles.

Labour was slow but definitely calm, Florence finally getting in the bathtub to try and lessen the growing pain. The bathroom was dimmed to candlelight as she rested with her eyes closed in the warm bath, Daniel sat on the floor against the counter with his guitar on his lap, playing away slowly. His soft voice filled the silent apartment, keeping his eyes on his labouring wife across from him. Her blonde hair was damp at the ends where the water reached, her fingers tightening their grip on the edge of the bathtub, the water sloshing slightly as she flinched in pain.

Daniel hated seeing her like that, small tears welling in his eyes as he kept his voice steady, plucking gently at the guitar strings.

“Dani.” Florence whispered into the air.

He was at her side in an instant, brushing her hair back from her face, his other hand resting over hers, “I’m here, sweetheart.”

Florence licked her lips slowly, her eyes still shut, “Hurts so bad.”

“I know, baby.” Daniel kissed her head. “You’re doing so well. I’m so proud of you.”

“Can I have some water?”

“Of course.” Daniel reached behind her to the half empty glass, switching hands to rest it against her lips. She took it from him, a shaking hand holding the glass as she sipped. She handed it back to him and he set it down before shifting so he was sitting on the tile floor, kissing her hand.

She fluttered her eyes open, smiling weakly at him, holding her hand against his cheek.

“I love you.” Florence sighed.

“I love you so much.” Daniel leaned in to press a kiss to her pouted lips.

“Can you help me out? I’m kind of chilly now.”

“Of course.” Daniel got up and helped her carefully stand up in the tub, taking her hands to steady her as she stepped onto the bathmat. He draped a towel around her and dried her off, helping her out of her wet bathing suit.

“Sorry, I just-“ Florence leaned forward, tightening her grip on his shoulders and let out a trembling groan.

“Good girl.” Daniel whispered, rubbing his hands over her back. “Breathe through it.”

She let out a steady exhale followed by a soft inhale. When the contraction passed, she stood back up, offering him a pout.

“Let’s get you dressed.” Daniel chuckled. He reached behind him to the counter, grabbing her a clean nursing bra, getting her in it gently. He left the towel draped around her waist, one arm taking hers and the other grabbing his guitar, helping her back to bed. The midwife gave her a second look over, timing the contractions at 2 minutes apart, lasting almost 30 seconds.

“We are moving things right along!” she said. “We’re between 7-8cm now. Doing just fine.”

“I could feel her moving down.” Florence said tiredly, offering a smile to the room.

“That’s good.” the midwife said, pressing her hands to her belly to check the baby’s position. “She’s a well behaved little one too.”

“What time is it, Dani?” Florence asked.

“Almost noon, sweetheart.” he replied, pulling a black tank-top from his dresser drawer as his t-shirt was damp from the bath water.

“Oh gosh.” Florence sighed, resting her head back against the pillow as he changed quickly before sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

“You’re doing great work, Florence.” the midwife said with an honest smile. “How are you feeling?”

“A little nauseous.” Florence admitted.

“That’s from the pain. Have some water and take nice deep breaths. We can try moving to a better position.”

The midwife helped her kneel on the floor, arms holding the side of the bed. Florence, already tired out, leaned her head against her arms on the mattress, groaning lightly with each steady breath.

Daniel sat behind her, rubbing slow circles over her lower back.

“We have a natural on our hands.” the midwife smiled at him.

“I know.” Florence chuckled breathlessly.

Daniel blushed at the form of flattery, massaging her back and her hips strongly, peppering little kisses over her shoulder.

“Ow-“ Florence scrunched her eyes closed as another contraction hit.

“You’re doing so well.” Daniel praised, his warm hands easing her pain the best he could.

“Fuck...” Florence gripped the bedsheets in her fist.

“Bad one?” Daniel asked. She nodded. “You’re so strong, baby. So amazing.”

She gasped out of her contraction, taking a second to catch her breath before speaking, “Why did we do this again?”

“We’re doing it right this time, remember?” Daniel reminded her gently, keeping his hands rubbing circles over her back. “Bringing another little girl into our life the right way. Together. Because you’re the love of my life...the strongest woman I know...the one and only person I trust to carry my child. Our third baby. Our missing piece.”

“Fuck, Daniel. You’re making me cry.” Florence chuckled through her forming tears.

“Gotta make up all the missed time somehow.” Daniel said, kissing her shoulder.

“Stop with your missed time.” Florence whispered tiredly. “We did everything in perfect time. Anything different and we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“You’re right.” Daniel sighed, draping his arms around her waist to rest on her belly. He leaned his head against her shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Florence chuckled, resting one hand over his.

Another contraction came quickly, having her resort back to her double fisted grip on the bedsheets, groaning into the mattress. Daniel kept his arms around her, swaying her hips gently as he hummed a soft tune against her skin. She had only a moment to breathe again when the contraction died down, her head resting on her arms in her small squat, breathing deeply. She let out a sob into her arms as another contraction washed over her, her body clenching painfully.

“They’re much closer now.” Daniel said aloud, putting soft pressure against her lower back and hips. He could feel the heat radiating off of her and he waved his hand by her face to try and cool her down. He didn’t see the midwife leave the room but she was soon handing him a cool, damp face cloth and he thanked her quietly before running it softly over Florence’s shoulders and neck.

“Deep breaths.” The midwife instructed, getting on the ground with them to check out the process of the baby. “Almost there.”

“Almost there.” Daniel repeated.

“I want to lay down. My legs hurt.” Florence whispered, burying her face in the crook of her arm.

“Whatever is best for you, dear.” The midwife agreed, helping Daniel get her to her feet and back onto the bed. She checked the baby’s heartrate and position again, making a few notes before taking a step back to let Florence breathe. Daniel was curled up next to her, pressing the cool cloth to her forehead and cheeks, following the breathing techniques with her. Florence’s hand was holding the front of his shirt, her eyes scrunched closed and her grip tightening as she contracted again, letting out a small cry of pain.

“Do you want me to sing to you?” Daniel asked quietly.

Florence nodded quickly, biting down on her bottom lip.

He ran his thumb over her lip to make her release it, offering his free hand for her to cling onto instead as he chose a gentle song and sang quietly into the dimly lit room. His voice seemed to echo through the empty apartment, running his thumb over hers, keeping his damp eyes focussed on her face. The curtains were drawn, closing off the bright afternoon sun and leaving the room to candlelight and the single table lamp set up on the dresser for the midwife to work. The soothing scent of lavender wafted from the candle on the right-side night table, just enough to bring a sense of serenity and calmness to the room.

With each contraction, Florence kept her breathing steady, burying her face against Daniel’s chest with her hand gripping his shirt, her other held securely in his. He kept the cool cloth blotting her forehead and neck, the icy dampness relaxing her more, his soothing voice keeping her focussed on something other than the radiating pain. Every minute exactly, she was whimpering against his chest, pulling him close. Daniel’s voice quivered seeing her in such a state but he forced himself to stay strong for her. He had never been a part of the labour process and it absolutely broke his heart to see her like that.

One strong contraction in particular had her letting out a small shriek, flinching intensely in his arms, “Daniel.”

Daniel couldn’t hold back the small sob that fell from his pouted lips, wrapping his arms around her securely and pressed kisses to her head. “I’m here, baby. I got you.”

“Go right into that, Florence.” The midwife praised softly, rubbing her hand over her back, “You’re doing so well.”

“I’m so sorry.” Daniel whispered against Florence’s ear, his quiet tears falling onto her bare shoulder.

Florence shook her head as the contraction died out. “Don’t be sorry,” she breathed heavily, shifting to look at him, holding one hand to his cheek, “God, don’t cry, Dani. It’s all going to be worth it.”

“That’s the spirit.” The midwife smiled, settling on her other side. “Now I’m just going to check baby’s heartbeat.”

She pressed the wand of a small machine to Florence’s bare stomach, the staticky rhythm filling the room. Daniel smiled softly as Florence looked up to him.

“I love you.” Florence whispered, puckering out her lips.

“I love you.” Daniel chuckled, meeting her halfway for a single sweet kiss.

He helped her through another contraction. Her eyebrows were furrowed through it, raising Daniel’s concern a little bit.

When it finished, she shifted onto her back to look towards the midwife, “Can you check me again? I think she’s ready to come out.”

The midwife paused as she checked her dilation, “Well, my dear, you are very in tune with your body. You’re at 10cm. Let’s get this baby out.”

“Now?!” Daniel gasped, looking between the two women.

“Whenever she feels the urge to push, yes!” the midwife chuckled, starting to arrange her things.

“Which will probably be in like 30 seconds.” Florence added lightly.

“Where do I sit? What do you want me to do?!” Daniel asked quickly.

“Calm down, Dani.” Florence laughed as the midwife had her sit up a bit more.

“You can sit behind her if you’d like.” The midwife suggested. “If that’s comfortable for mama of course.”

“Yeah, that works.” Florence nodded, letting Daniel slide his leg behind her. He leaned against the pillows and the headboard as she rested back against his chest. The midwife hurried to set down an extra towel under her and got her legs bent open.

“Okay, with the next contraction, you know what to do. Listen to your body.” The midwife instructed quietly.

Florence took a soft breath, letting Daniel set his hands in hers, linking their fingers together. Sure enough, at the next contraction, she felt the natural urge to push, a feeling that was always so surreal to her. She took a trembling breath before pressing her chin to her chest and pushed. It was nothing she hadn’t done before but it was still a lot, listening to the midwife’s steady count to ten before she could have a second to catch her breath.

“Another count of ten, honey.” The midwife said.

“Oh God.” Florence whimpered, shutting her eyes tightly as she pushed again.

Daniel kept his thumbs rubbing soothing circles over hers, watching her concentration and determination with wide eyes.

“That’s good.” The midwife said. “Catch your breath.”

Florence rested her head back against Daniel’s chest, her breathing shallow. Daniel started another breathing exercise, soon getting her to join.

“You two make a good team.” The midwife smiled up at them.

Florence hummed tiredly in agreement before sitting herself up a little bit more and pushing again.

“Good girl.” Daniel whispered, freeing one hand to pull her hair back from her face before falling to her hip.

“Fuck, Penelope was so much smaller than this.” Florence groaned through another push, her nose scrunched up with the effort she was putting out.

“Just means you’re delivering a healthy, full term baby now.” The midwife said softly. “Keep those pushes coming. You’re doing great.”

Florence took a breath before pushing again, groaning into it with her chin to her chest. She squeezed Daniel’s hand in her own, her right hand on his thigh to hold herself steady. He reached over to grab the paper fan from the nightstand, using his free hand to fan her with it, the cool air making her sigh thankfully.

“Doing so good, sweetheart.” Daniel whispered, peppering kisses along her neck and shoulder.

Florence groaned into the air, her eyes screwed shut, squirming in her place, “Hurts so bad.”

“Keep your legs open, honey. It will make it easier.” The midwife said, trying to keep open the labouring mother’s trembling thighs. Florence hooked her ankles over Daniel’s to ground herself, pulling his arm around her middle as she breathed out of another contraction. The next came fast and she pushed right into it, whimpering loudly.

Daniel could feel her whole body trembling and all he could do was hold her, tucking one hand under her thigh to help keep her legs open, watching over her shoulder as the midwife helped her through it.

“Her head is coming soon. We’re almost at the end!” the midwife announced, letting Florence sit back to breathe after two more counts of ten.

“Dani.” Florence panted, blinking open her tired eyes to him as her head rested lazily against his shoulder.

“You’re absolutely incredible.” Daniel whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I’m so in love with you.”

“I love you.” Florence mumbled. She breathed out deeply before another contraction washed over her. The midwife instructed her to pant light and she did, resisting the urge to simply push with all her might.

“We’re crowning now.” The midwife told them. “Nice steady push now, honey.”

Florence held her breath and tucked her chin down again, offering her a nice slow push, groaning loudly as she did.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow-” Florence cried, clinging onto Daniel’s hand. Taking a deep breath before pushing again.

“That’s it.” Daniel breathed, rubbing his thumb in soft circles over her thigh. “Good job, baby.”

After one more lengthy count to ten, the head was born. Daniel let out a little gasp at the sight of the wet light hair that was poking out between her legs.

“Strong push now, Florence.” The midwife encouraged. “She’s almost here!”

Florence leaned back against Daniel, taking both hands in her own instead of just one, tightening her legs around his, and pushed as hard as she could. Her head rested on his shoulder, her laboured breaths and whimpers against his neck, hands trembling in his as she brought their final little girl into the world. Daniel kept his eyes between her legs, watching completely uncensored as the baby was delivered into the midwife’s hands. And with Florence’s heavy sigh of relief, Daniel let out a small sob, tears spilling down his cheeks as the baby at the foot of the bed let out her first cry.

“1:56pm. June 24th. A beautiful baby girl.” The midwife announced with a wide smile, wrapping her up in a blanket and placed her on Florence’s chest. She instinctively wrapped her arms around the newborn, her own tears trickling down her cheek.

Daniel was right with her, his cheek almost pressed against hers as he stared down at the new arrival wrapped in white. Her shrill cries were nothing but the most beautiful music to his ears and he cried tears of joy along with her.

“Hi, baby.” Florence whimpered happily. “Oh, Dani, look at her.” Florence turned her head a little to look at her beautiful mess of a husband beside her.

“She’s perfect.” Daniel cried, leaning in to kiss her sweetly. “I’m so proud of you. I love you.”

“I love you.” Florence smiled, moving one hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

They stayed there a few quick minutes before it was time to deliver the placenta. It was quick and easy and Florence was honestly too wrapped up in admiring the new little girl in her arms to really notice.

The midwife took the baby to be checked out, weighing her in at 7lbs 11oz and measuring her at 20inches long. She was nothing but perfect; her health was pristine, the delivery went without fault, and soon the baby was quiet and nursing, swaddled in a soft purple blanket in Florence’s arms. Daniel sat beside them, running his fingertips ever so softly over the baby’s thin hair, watching her eat quietly.

“She’s so soft.” he breathed, pressing a gentle kiss to her head.

“I know.” Florence smiled.

“She’s ours.” Daniel sighed happily.

“She is.” Florence whispered.

The midwife came back in after her things were packed up and she was ready to go, “One last thing before I leave, we need to fill out the birth certificate so I can mail it to the government.”

“Of course.” Florence smiled, pulling her blanket that was draped over her shoulders farther over her chest for decency as if the lady who walked in didn’t just deliver her child.

“Does this little girl have a name that you’ve decided on?” she asked kindly, sitting on the end of the bed with her pen and paper.

“Lucy.” Daniel whispered, keeping his eyes on the baby, her tiny hand curling around his index finger. “Lucy Elizabeth Seavey.”

“Aren’t you the prettiest little girl in the whole world.” Daniel cooed gently to the newborn who was laid on the changing pad at the end of the bed. She cried restlessly, tiny legs kicking as he fastened her diaper, her arms curled by her face. He leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek, “Well, out of those younger than 3. I can’t go picking favourites.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Florence chuckled tiredly, tucked into their freshly made bed in a new pair of pyjamas and the uncomfortable post-birth underwear the midwife gave her.

Daniel sent her a small wink before he was tugging off his shirt and gently lifting the baby to his chest. She curled against him, her loud cries softening as her head rested on his shoulder, sucking on her tiny fist. He walked slowly around the room, tossing his shirt in the laundry basket, throwing out the dirty diaper and put away the wipes and things. His steps were cautious, holding the newborn securely with one hand until he could rest at the window, rubbing soft circles over her back as they overlooked the busting city and the setting sun.

Of course, Daniel couldn’t help but sing quietly, offering the quiet room the lyrics to the Beatles song that was the newborn’s namesake. And, like both sisters before her, Lucy was asleep in mere moments by the heavenly voice that Daniel had been blessed with.

He sat himself in bed, making sure to keep the sleeping baby safely against his chest. Florence ran a gentle hand over the thin blonde hair that the newborn donned, before moving her fingertips to Daniel’s cheek, turning him to press a soft kiss to his lips.

“You’re so good with her.” Florence whispered.

“All in the practice.” Daniel smiled, resting his hand out for her to hold. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Tired and sore. But happy.” Florence smiled softly, giving his hand a little squeeze. “So happy.”

He returned it, leaning in to press a lingering kiss to her lips. He kept his one hand over the baby’s back as she slept against his chest, making sure he stayed perfectly still so she wouldn’t fall, staring down at her with nothing but love in his eyes.

“Look at her.” Daniel breathed. “We made her and now she’s real and I’m holding her and...”

“I know.” Florence giggled quietly, curling into his side a little.

“And she’s ours.”

“All ours.”

“Our littlest princess.”

Lucy stretched her tiny arms up through a sleepy yawn as if she was trying to drape them over his shoulders. She kept her cheek against his chest, breathing slowly with him.

“She looks so much like you.” Florence breathed, running the back of her index finger over the baby’s cheek.

“She looks more like you.” Daniel said. “All this light hair.”

“Her eyes and nose are all yours.” Florence whispered, gently tracing the curve of Lucy’s tiny nose.

When Daniel didn’t answer after a moment, Florence turned her head up to look at him. He was already looking at her, a soft smile on his lips.

“Thank you for our beautiful family.” He mumbled.

Florence pulled him in for a kiss, “Thank you.”

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