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countrymusiclover · 5 months

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32 - Acting like Teenagers

Part 33

Family is more than Blood

@icefrye19 @secretdreamlandmentality

Missy’s pov

A few days later it was finally Friday afternoon when I was waiting outside Mystic falls high school. My sister Alina was there with me. Swinging my legs back and forth sitting on one of the picnic tables I sighed where she finally broke the silence between us. “So why exactly are we outside the human high school waiting for somebody?”

“I’m waiting for Ethan. You can leave if you don’t want to be here.” I told her flipping my hair over my shoulders when I looked her way.

She sends me a half glare, gesturing to her growing belly. “Hey don’t be angry with me. I am very moody right now after this..”

According to our aunt Freya she was getting close to being five months pregnant. She was having to wear some of Jackson’s hoodies since she couldn’t fit into some of her clothes. Thankfully we could compel people not to judge that she was an eighteen year old pregnant girl. “Okay I’m sorry, Lina. I just wanted to feel normal for once given what we’ve been through the past few days.”

“Do you think mom is going to be okay now that her memories are back. I’ve never seen dad worry about the veins on her arms.” She pointed out to me tapping her fingers on her knees.

Shaking my head I wasn’t sure. “Mom’s been through hell and back. If anything she will be able to get through this. They are both tough as nails.”

“I suppose you��re right. We have to get our brave streak from somewhere. Now if you are wanting to do a party I’ll call Lizzie and see if she’s got any ideas.” Alina pulled up her phone texting the blonde Saltzman witch.

Shifting my attention away from her and her texting I saw the main school door get swung open and everyone started rushing outside happy the school day was over now. Scanning the crowd of people I shut my eyes trying to pinpoint his specific heartbeat. “Missy! Hey Alina, what are you guys doing here up here?” Ethan finally noticed us and he ran over smiling at us.

“We didn’t have class today and I couldn’t wait to see you.” I grinned sliding off the picnic table standing in front of him.

He nodded in understanding. “Nice. Who are you texting so much over there, Alina?”

“Our cousin Lizzie. It’s Friday night and we deserve to party tonight.” She responded by throwing her hands up in the air feeling embarrassed when he just stared at her. “I probably look ridiculous right. Pregnant girl wants to get her party on.”

My boyfriend shook his head in disagreement “it’s not lame at all. After getting cut from the football this morning I could use a good distraction.”

“You got cut this morning. I’m sorry I didn’t think that would happen.” I apologize to him remembering the day that he got injured because of Josie.

Alina’s phone vibrates when she reads the text out loud. “Ohhh yes! She said that we could have the party out at the old Lockwood mansion that was given to Mayor Donavan. That way there’s no way our parents or Uncle Ric can ruin our fun.”

“Cool. I’ll call some of my football buddies and see if they want to come hang.” Ethan points his thumb over his shoulder clearly excited.

Clasping my hands together I grinned at my boyfriend where I threw my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist mirroring the smile. “That sounds fun, E. I’ll text you the address later tonight.”

“I’ll see ya later M & M.” He walked away leaving us alone to watch him go find his other human friends. Wrapping my arms around my chest I smiled knowing that I had made the right decision to have him remember my secret.

My sister broke me from my trance. “I’m glad to see I was right about you two the day we met him. He’s a good little dork for you.”

“He’s not a dork, Lina.” I snapped at her.

She smirked. “Yes he is. He freaking reads comic books and gives you your own unique nickname. What else am I supposed to call that?”

“You still married the only guy you’ve ever known.” I taunted her with a hand on my hip.

My twin sticks her tongue out. “How long are you going to use that against me?”

“Let’s see I am a vampire now so…forever.” I tapped my finger on my chin in thought smirking when I finished my sentence.

She gently shoved me away. “You suck you know that. Just be lucky that I love you. Now we have a party to plan.” Extending my hand out to her she loops her hand with mine where I vamped us back to the mansion going to get the rest of our friends ready for tonight.

Raelyn’s pov

Sitting at the office desk in one of the mansions studies I sighed heavily running a hand over my forehead feeling completely exhausted. Even though vampires don’t need sleep I still felt tired after the past few days. Flipping through some pages of the book I was reading I heard someone come stand in the doorway. “Raelyn, you’ve been in here for who knows how long. Would you please inform me what you are so preoccupied with?”

“Not at the moment, Nik.” I didn’t lift my gaze up from the book slamming it closed shut with a snap of my fingers. “Grrrr. It shouldn’t be possible. I fixed the problem ages ago. I know it.”

My husband crossed the room leaning his palms on the wooden desk. “Raelyn, what are you rambling on about?”

“I saw my uncle Joshua and he warned me. He warned me that Rapunzel and Charming may have to merge like Jacob and I.” I answered his question by dropping another book on the desk that dealt with the blood relation of the Gemini family tree.

Klaus sat down on the edge of the desk, taking out his phone trying to gain my attention. “Hmm that’s odd. Alina just made a large charge on my credit card.”

“Yeah I heard her tell Hope about having a party at the old Lockwood house later tonight.” I replied, racking a hand through my loose hair.

Klaus sent me a half glare. “You’re telling me you knew about this and you did nothing to stop them. That doesn’t sound like you.”

“They're grown adults. I am currently trying to save our young twins even though I am certain that the blood spill I used years ago was supposed to protect any set of twins from our blood from merging. The only ones not spared were Lizzie and Josie.” Hitting my fists on the desk my sleeves had fallen down giving my husband the opportunity to see that the black veins were still there meaning I hadn't placed the Hollow's magic back into the white oak.

Klaus reached across the table snagging my wrist in his grasp. “Rae, look at me for a second.”

“Hmmm.” I made a noise lifting my gaze up to his blue orbs.

He replied to me. “I say we go out tonight. You and I. Crash our teenagers party. Take some alcohol and maybe sample some fresh blood.”

“They're kids. We can’t crash a party.” I told him, shaking my head. “Besides, we have to watch Henrik, Charming and Rapunzel.”

My husband snapped his fingers. “I already took care of that problem. Anticipating our children I asked Damon and Elena to watch them. Given that your brother and Hayley are out on a date tonight.”

“How the hell did you pull that off? Can they be compelled cause I swear they'd take vervain “ Leaning back in the desk chair I tapped my fingers on the old wood.

Klaus stands in front of me offering his hand to pull me up and out of the chair. “I agreed to pay for their kid’s school bills. But that shouldn’t be for a few years since they are only in elementary school. Now come on Raelyn.”

I changed into some ripped blue jeans, a bright red sleeved top with my hair slightly curled. I paired it with some short black boots. Klaus chose to wear his old gray and black jacket that he wore before we made our home in New Orleans. We walked in hand and hand seeing the mansion filled with teenagers dancing and bumping around drinking. “Remind me again why we came here?”

“Because we deserve a night out on the town. And because I have been morning in pain not having you at my side for days. So I’d like to take the win and spend the night with the woman I love.” Klaus turned to face me cradling my face in his freehand and squeezing our intertwined hands together.

Clicking my tongue I smiled up into his blue orbs. “Aren’t you a romantic, Mr. Hybrid. I only have one warning for you.”

“And what is that, heretic queen?” He asked, leaning down when I raised myself up on my toes.

Hitting my nose with his I giggling pulling my hand out of his. “Be prepared to accept defeat at beer pong.” I vanished into the crowd and the hybrid just chuckled as she left him standing there. For he had missed her very prescience that consumed his very being. And now he wouldn’t miss another moment.

I wasn’t sure how long we had been playing the game. But the kids we were playing with were close to passing out drunk. Raising a glass of wine to my mouth I downed almost half of it. “Alright Nikky, it’s your turn. But there’s only two cups on our side to your.. .five.”

“Don’t think you’ve won just yet.” He warned me by throwing the ball without bouncing it on the table so it landed right in the center cup.

Glaring at him I raised the cup drinking all the bourbon that we had poured into it. Lowering the cup I gagged at the same opportunity to hear cheering coming from the wine cellar in the basement. Pinpointing out our daughter's voices. “I can’t believe our parents are here.”

“Dad, probably saw the credit card charge.” Alina reported scolding her older sister. “Or somebody’s boyfriend blabbed to him.”

Landon nervously chuckles. “Hey has anybody ever done Never have I Ever and Truth or Dare?”

“That sounds like fun.” Ethan chimed in where I finally stopped listening in on their conversation.

Nik came over to me after the teenagers playing with us had left. He held the cup of bourbon in his hand and I sat down my cup feeling his freehand on my lower back. “We will mess with their fun in a few hours. I think we need far more drinks than what we have had.” He took my hand and we went in the direction of the kitchen.

Missy’s pov

We had decided to break away from the others at our school that we had invited to this party. That meant that it was me, Ethan, Alina, Jackson, Landon, Hope and finally Andrea all hanging out in the basement. It became our own little clubhouse area. “Never have I ever pulled an all-nighter.”

“Oh geez.” Ethan covered his face with his freehand while taking a drink from his red solo cup.

I turned my head at him. “When did that happen?”

“It was like an initiation into being on the football team. Conor wanted to find out who the weak team members were.” He explained simply,

Landon sat up holding out his cup to the center circle. “Never have I ever drank alcohol before I was 21.”

“Seriously Landon, that's everyone in this room.” Alina scolded him after taking a drink along with everybody else playing the game.

Jackson, who had his arm draped over Alina’s shoulder, raised his glass. “Never have I gone skinny-dipping?” My sister Alina slowly takes a sip from her cup causing me and Hope to gasp in shock.

“When did that happen and why didn’t we know about this before tonight?” Hope gasped.

She shrugged her shoulders, laying her head against her werewolf husband’s chest. “Possibly on our second date before he officially met mom and dad. And you can’t say anything but we got a little excited that night and I’m surprised he didn’t get me pregnant that night.”

“You took her virginity before you were married!” Andra nearly choked on her words.

Ethan made a look of confusion eyeing my twin and Jackson who sat across from us. It was a lot to just explain all the supernatural creatures that lived in this town. I hadn’t had time to explain the whole Mikaelson / Lane family details that he didn’t know about yet. “Wait a minute. Are you two married because you love each other or are you together because you got her pregnant?”

“Because we love each other, man.” Jackson answered the question.

The human boy in our group didn’t seem convinced. “I’m just asking because I don’t get why two teenagers are married but only one of you has had other relationships before you were married.”

“Ethan, you want to talk about odd relationships. We should talk about who is the weirdest supernatural creature in the room. I vote for Landon.” Andrea got up to her feet pointing her index finger at the curly haired boy,

Hope glared at her. “Why do you say that, Andrea? You know what, let's get back to the game. I dare you to chug hot sauce for 30 seconds.”

“No, I think it would be cool to hear that all supernatural creatures are here with me.” Ethan shrugs his shoulders, actually curious.

I raised my hand starting off the list. “I’m the only heretic besides my mother. Half witch half vampire..oh wait there’s aunt Valerie too.”

“Team were witches.” Alina raised her hand so Andrea and her high fived each other including Jackson.

Landon held up his hand. “Only phoenix.”

“Tribrid. Hybrid of three different creatures beat that!” Hope teased them by downing almost all the alcohol in her cup.

Running a hand through my hair I did my best to change the game back to what it was before we switched the subject. “Howl like a wolf to the moon, Ethan.” I eyed my boyfriend who got to his feet about to do what I suggested to him until Jackson spoke up.

“Hold on, Missy. I don’t think we’ve asked the very obvious question yet. Who here is still a virgin in all of our relationships?”

“Oh Jack.” Alina scolded him.

He chuckled, not backing down. “I dare them all to answer it since we know we both aren’t.”

“I’ll put it out there man as long as you don’t tell the guys on the Mystic High football team.” Ethan was the first to admit it, sending me a half smile as if he was worried I would out him.

Taking a long sip of my drink I wasn’t comfortable giving that out even though everyone in this room was either family or close friends. “I still am one. Sorry I didn’t tell you that yet, E.” I apologized before he placed his hand in mine.

“Fine. I ain’t slept with anyone either.” Hope blurts it out, getting to her face and heading towards the stairs to leave. “I’m getting us more alcohol.”

Landon nervously chuckles against the somewhat tense silence in the room that had been created. He leans back in the chair he was sitting in shifting his attention around. “Is anybody still open to Truth or Dare?”

“I think we should try and trick our parents. Specifically our father.” I smirked, getting a good idea in the back of my mind.

Ethan and Landon sent me a horrified look. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yeah, he's totally cool with it.” Alina responded, acting so much like our father than the rest of his kids did in the room.

Andrea throws her hands up in the air. “I’ve got an idea but we need to buy a Santa Claus hat and beard.”

“Ah I see where she’s going. Plus we’ll need to put it on him when he’s asleep.” Jackson leaned forward in his seat, interested in the plan.

Landon froze up and I could hear his heartbeat quickening up. “Wait a second, who exactly is putting the Santa hat on him while he sleeps?”

“Obviously you and Ethan.” Andrea sniped at him.

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck but he calmed down when I placed my hand in his other. “Why exactly is it just the two of us? Why not include Jackson too?”

“It’s a right of passage in this family. Jackson already faced him when he asked for Alina’s hand in marriage and he didn’t get killed over it.” I clasped my hands together turning around in a circle so both of the newbie boyfriends would understand what they were up against. “Our mother is totally okay with us dating any boy. It’s our father you have to worry about.”

“What have you got them into now?” Hope shut the door with her food coming back down the stairs carrying an unopened bottle of liquor.

Andrea finished the contents of her cup. “Simple the “Can They Survive Klaus Mikaelson Test”. If they come out of it alive then they have proven they are worthy to end up with a Mikaelson daughter.”

“Most importantly somebody better get it on recording.” I added laughing along with my sisters and cousin. The face reactions from my boyfriend and Landon were priceless.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

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ellabsprincess · 10 months

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Tell me your ghost stories

-passive aggressive anon

OKAY EVERYONE GRAB YOUR POPCORN AND SNUGGLE UP

ALSO important note i used to always consider myself a skeptic, and i don't fully know what my beliefs are on the afterlife, but these are just my experiences <3

so i've lost a few family members in my lifetime, specifically my dad and my maternal grandmother.

at my old house, before i moved a few years ago (my dad used to live at that old house), pictures would go flying and would fall of the wall randomly without any shaking of the house. i would also feel a hand on my shoulder when i was completely alone, and i would hear a distinct sigh and breathing in my ear every once in a while. my dad had a very recognizable sigh and it sounded quite a bit like him. so none of that was scary necessarily, but more comforting because i could sort of feel like it was my dad there?

OH ALSO one time my baby cousin pointed to a completely empty and blank corner of my aunt's house and said "uncle (redacting my dad's name for privacy) is here!" - this was after he passed and my baby cousin was only like a month old when my dad died

so my main experience/scary story happened at my grandparent's house. it's a three story, big house in the middle of the woods, like genuinely it's off a dirt road and in the middle of NOWHERE. so a few years after my grandmother died, i was laying in bed downstairs. now, this bedroom was relatively close to the stairs up to the main middle level of the house, where the master bedroom was, as well as the kitchen and living room. so in that bedroom, i could hear what was going on in the main level of the house generally.

so it's about 2 am and i'm woken from a dead sleep. and i'm a bit groggy but that all clears up when i hear creepy ass humming and whistling coming from the direction of the living room. it's distinctly a woman's voice, and the only other woman in the house (my mom) could be heard clearly snoring in the room next to me.

it was just me, my mom, and my grandpa in the house, and this sure as hell wasn't my grandpa making this noise so i know it's someone else in the house. i'm immediately panicking because i'm thinking someone wandering in the woods somehow stumbled into the house in the middle of the night, and is like gonna fucking kill me or something. i sit straight up and listen harder, and i hear the women walking around, continuing her humming and singing, just being very oddly loud. i hear her move away, and then i hear banging and rustling in the kitchen, which was located directly above me in that bedroom. like pots and pans hitting together, drawers being opened, and all while this woman is still humming and i think singing as well at that point. i was paralyzed, thinking someone was breaking in, and this goes on for a few more good minutes before everything just goes SILENT. i was scared as hell, like praying for my life, and then eventually i was so scared i think i half passed out/fell asleep again.

my mom and i were leaving that next morning, and as i was packing up, i looked across the hall to another bedroom that was unoccupied, and i distinctly saw a dark figure dash around the room.

ANYWAYS i fucking booked it out of there and was happy to be driving back home.

and also, we have family who are complete skeptics who have seen and experienced some weird shit in that house while staying there. hearing breathing and speaking while completely alone, and my cousin even once saw an orb-like figure.

so, my grandmother actually died in that house, right in that master bedroom, so we believe it's just her presence remaining in that house. of course, IT'S STILL FREAKY AS FUCK but it's not really a negative presence if that makes sense?

but yeah, that's my experience with my dead dead and grandmother still hanging around LMAO

#my lovelies °•. ✿ .•°#passive aggressive anon #story time

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jedi-bird · 1 year

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Got very little sleep last night and decided a nap was necessary to get through today. Didn't expect to have weird dreams about my family and remembering just how many times I was expected to accommodate everyone else but made fun every time I needed something.

One of my cousins was terrified of balloons after one popped in his face when he was two (understandable and completely legitimate). My grandma always made sure I put any toys away that even remotely resembled balloons (balls included); it was hard for me to understand at first because I was three but she patiently explained about being scared and how things looked similar and I got it enough to agree and go along with it.

I was terrified of the board game Operation. Even as an adult, everything about that game is designed to put me on edge. I hated the sounds, the hated the image, I hated the thought of taking things out of even a fake person. One of my cousins loved the game and always played it when we were at their house. So I used to go and sit with my grandma and the other adults (quietly, because I had been taught to not interrupt or bother them) and just wait until it was time to eat or leave. My aunt used to get so annoyed by this and would try to make me go back. I told her why I didn't want to and my grandma would insist I could sit with her. Until one day when my cousin said we'd play dolls and then pulled out the game. Before I could leave her room my aunt came in and set it in the doorway knowing I wouldn't step over it. My grandma found me an hour later crying all alone because I couldn't go near that game no matter what. I know they had a fight over that but don't remember it too well. After that, whenever we were at their house, my grandma made me stay with her to help her.

Different cousin destroyed a toy that my best friend had given to me at her birthday party. I never saw her again after that because she moved and then there was a major earthquake that killed people and I never could find her after. I loved that stupid little toy. It was a cake topper and she had specifically picked it out and given it to me. My cousin took it to play with at dinner and got mad at her dad about something and ripped it to pieces right then and there. I was devastated but got yelled at by that uncle to just grow up, it was only a stupid toy. That same cousin ripped up all my coloring books while staying with us once because she wanted to watch a movie and my grandma told her no.

I spent years making sure everyone else in my family was comfortable (locking my cats up in a side room when they came over because my aunt was allergic; specifically getting them their favorite drinks and foods even if it meant I had to skip lunches until my next paycheck; making sure my grandpa sent them Christmas and birthday gifts and cards and often using my own money to buy the stuff if he didn't have enough). And yet, anything that they knew would upset me that made sure to do. I guess they enjoyed my discomfort. They stole my stuff and destroyed it and tried to hurt my animals and always told my I was overreacting when I'd get upset.

I don't know why I'm remembering all of this today. I've moved on. I've gone very low contact. I'm in a better place. Maybe it's the insomnia catching up finally. Whatever it is, at least I can laugh about it now.

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veronicasanders · 2 years

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What’s something absolutely unhinged that you believed in childhood that you later learned was not in fact true? Bonus points if it's a funny lie a relative told you. Have you ever had to come up with any elaborate lie for a kid yourself?

Hello darling!!! Love this one!!! You might learn some things that make you a little scared…then again, you know me pretty well so this might not surprise you at all... 😂💖✨

I think the unhinged things I believed as a kid were mostly the product of my own unhinged mind, rather than things people told me:

For awhile (like, aged 4ish, I think? Maybe 5 a little too?), I was operating under the theory/paranoid delusion that I was the only human and everyone else was an alien or actor (basically a Truman Show scenario but more like a science experiment) and they all had ways to watch me at any given moment. So like, a powder compact or handheld mirror was actually a screen that showed what I was doing. The REALLY unhinged part was that since I was kind of a ham and an exhibitionist, this didn’t really bother me very much, and I just adjusted my behavior to kind of play to the cameras for awhile until the fantasy of it wore off and seemed less plausible. Also I was pretty sure that at least my Grandma was real so that kind of blew the lid off the whole thing.

Around the same age, like 5 or so…because of some random expressions that my family had, I made a strange leap of logic that both the word and the action of “tickling” was something my dad and his brothers made up to torture/amuse me and my cousins. I was very surprised to learn this was an Actual Thing that other people knew about and did outside our family.

This wasn't a specific belief but more of a General Sense, but I had a feeling during a lot of my childhood, especially after we moved away from my extended family, that whenever I was with just my immediate family, things weren't Real. As in, I was just like, playing the role of Daughter/Sister in some TV show, and the only things that were real were when we were around a lot of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Like any less than 10 family members felt like a very strange and foreign and made-up existence.

I should say, also, that I was usually the one TELLING the unhinged and elaborate lies rather than believing them. They often involved me trying to convince other kids my age that I was actually a robot or an alien or had powers of some kind. Usually under the context of 'pretend,' although sometimes forgot to warn the others that that’s what we were doing. When I was 6, my family moved cross-country, and I used my New Kid Clout to spin a very elaborate tale for my classmates, that I had psychic powers and could get visions of their lives by holding their hands. I would demonstrate these powers at recess, and usually they were cute and silly and kind of vague things like “You will have a pet chicken named Esmerelda” or “Your grandfather misses you, you should call him” or “pay attention to rainbows!”

Anyway, half the fun was the drama; I would take their hands and roll my eyes back and really get into the performance of the ✨vision✨ and then open my eyes and tell them what I’d “seen.” And we’d all be having a great time. But then when this one kid was gonna take her turn - and I guess (I learned years later when this all came up again) she was already scared, because she was Catholic and kind of thought I was probably a bit Satanic to have or use these powers to begin with, lmao.

So I take her hands, do my regular thing, only much shorter, and then I let go of her hands and gasp and go “Oh no!” And then look straight at her with a very serious expression and go, “You’re going to die. Soon.”

And then recess was over and this poor kid went back to her class shaking like a leaf and apparently couldn’t sleep for like 2 weeks and finally told her mother, who had to convince her 6-year-old that no, she was not going to die, and I was just playing a game and did not have psychic powers. (One of many exhausted phone calls my mother had to endure from parents being like, "Yes, V has a very active imagination, I'm so sorry. No, she doesn't remember saying that, I...Yeah, I'll talk to her. Sorry again. I'm sorry...I'm sorry." All while I blithely acted out Soap Opera storylines with my dolls.)

(Also - we stayed friends, and when she recounted her side of the story to me in high school and how much distress it had caused, of course I felt fucking TERRIBLE, because I really didn’t remember telling anyone things that weren’t silly during that game, and I also didn’t remember it as anything but a game of pretend that everyone knew was pretend. #oops)

So yeah, I try not to lie to kids as an adult because I lied enough to kids as a kid and it caused them a lot of unintentional trauma. 😂

Another time, I sarcastically told a kid in my class that the boots I was wearing were $200 when he asked how much they were. (They were actually $7 on sale at a discount place and btw the kid was way richer than me and was wearing Air Jordans that were over $100 at the time, therefore he believed me.) Anyway this led to him telling all the other boys in my grade that I was “rich,” which is hilarious since like, there were a bunch of Actually Rich kids at my school, like Parents Had Trust Funds in the $10-500 million range rich. Meanwhile my mother was literally earning minimum wage as a yard supervisor while she got her teaching credential. These kids were morons. But I didn’t know that he’d taken me seriously until I got into a fight with another boy and he called me a “rich bitch” and I was like “wait, what?” Like fine, bitch I accept, but where did you get rich from? I was wearing hand-me-down jeans and a $3 T-shirt with puff paint I’d decorated in Girl Scout day camp on that day. And a side half-ponytail. This is just not rich person behavior.

But maybe the worst Unhinged Lie, which could have been a disaster, was the time my brother and I were pretending to be abused children to cope with the indignity of having to go lamp shopping with our parents for like 6 hours, and it nearly led to us getting sent to foster care for real. Because in one of the stores, we were huddled together under an end table in the lighting store, deep in our game (I was like 9-10 and he was 4 or 5), and one of the saleswomen heard me say something to him like “Don’t worry, I’ll never let them beat you again.” And basically it’s only due to my mother staying very VERY calm (and being smart enough to send my father to the car while she spoke to them) that we didn’t end up in a police station. (There's so much more to this story but this answer is already insanely long so let's just say...it was a very fucking crazy situation and the context of when and where it happened made it a super thin ice sliding doors moment for all of us.)

I do play pretend with kids all the time, but I make sure they know that we are pretending. To clarify, these are not like, random kids off the street, they are my cousins or my cousins’ kids or my friends’ kids.

(Although today, a 7 year old that I tutor told me that he had kicked a tortoise outside his building, and I told him that he shouldn’t do that because that hurts the tortoise. When he was unmoved by that argument, I told him that also, the tortoise could tell all his tortoise friends and then what if 100 tortoises show up to fight him holding tiny little tortoise knives. He still didn’t seem too bothered but that either so I was like, “Okay, what if the tortoises join forces with a thousand tigers and then they all come after you?” He was like, “I’d call the police to shoot the tigers.” And I was like, “Good luck calling the police when a thousand tigers have you pinned to the ground and are tearing you apart. You’d be tiger food before you could even get out your phone!” But I’m pretty certain this kid knew we were speaking in fantasy because he was laughing the whole time. Also I hope he stops kicking tortoises which is how I ended. “Okay, just stop kicking tortoises. Let’s move on to page 45…”)

Also, I find that telling More Truth Than Necessary is a better technique for dealing with uncomfortable questions from kids than elaborate lies. Like if they ask something that might be difficult to explain, just like, give them a massive amount of information and I promise they'll get bored before you run out of material.

Another thing that might be relevant here. I worked for awhile as a concierge for a company that did like, educational/recreational vacations for seniors. The gimmick was that they would stay in college dorms and have very low-key classes in things like local architecture and flower arranging and yoga and also go on day trips and to see shows and shit like that. Anyway, one of the first days, I had to replace one of the people who was supposed to be a bus tour guide and I had only a very LOOSE script and they kept asking me the names of every plant we passed and I was like “look, guys, Imma level with you…I don’t really know the names of plants. But if you want, I will make up names for you.” And I’m not sure if they fully grasped that or what but they kept asking me and I kept making up names for the entire 3-hour bus tour. (I guess that’s not really unhinged but I’m keeping it anyway because it’s so dumb.)

Hope you enjoyed this Dickensian-length answer. XOXO!!!! 💖✨

#walking down the glittertrail

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erigold13261 · 2 years

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compton's daughter/sam and dogen's mother must have done something that was animal rights but went too far and got incarcerated as a result

I don't think that's a necessity, but it definitely is a possibility (also Compton could have had a son making it the father, it's not explicitly said that Compton had a daughter, at least not from what I read/remember).

From what we do know, Compton and Dogen have trouble with their blastokinesis, but Sam doesn't. We don't know if Sam had the same problem and overcame it (something Compton wasn't able to do) or if she just never had the blastokinesis problem to begin with.

In my opinion, I honestly don't think Sam ever had the problem to begin with because it would feel weird if a teenager was able to overcome something like that while both Dogen and Compton struggle with it. Like I feel Sam would have mentioned something about it and having tried to help the two if she was able to overcome that problem.

So because of this, I feel like the blastokinesis problem is a genetic problem in the Boole family that only the males get (or like, it's more common in males, like how color blindness is more common in males than females but it's not unheard of in females). And because we never hear anything about or mentioned of one of Sam and Dogen's parents also exploding heads (we actually get more information that the parents are actively trying to help Dogen, well "trying" might be pushing it because they are scaring the shit out of him with how they are going about it) then I believe either their father doesn't have the problem (if he's Compton's son) or the mother never got it genetically (if she's the dauther).

It could also be that the blastokinesis problem skips a generation. Or that it's not genetic at all (I do believe it's genetic though to some degree).

However, whether or not it is genetic, there is no proof of EVERYONE in the family having blastokinesis problems. Only Dogen and Compton. Those two could literally just be the outliers of the family and no other member in the family has this problem. I say this because the Boole family is not known for exploding heads, only specific members are known to do that. BUT! The family IS known for their Zoolingualism! So to be known for one thing and not the other, especially if the other has killed animals and humans alike, makes me think the blastokinesis problem is not as common as we might assume it is.

Could whichever gender of Compton's kid have also had a blastokinesis problem and done animal rights just as Compton did, sure! But I feel like it's more likely that they only had Zoolingualism and not the blastokinesis problem.

....

Okay, I reread your ask. You didn't mention anything about blastokinesis lol. So going back to that, I don't think either parent is incarcerated. We don't know if Sam is lying when she said she learned how to make pancakes from prison or her mom, but her going straight to "mom" and not "dad" makes it seem like her mom is still in the picture enough for her to immediately go to that one as a reflex.

Looking back, Dogen's campster description uses "family" and not "parents," but we know that Compton has been in psychoisolation for a long time and Sam seems pretty chill about Dogen's powers, so based on the campster description of the "family" yelling at Dogen when he took his hat off, it's safe to assume it's the parents (unless there are some uncles/aunts and cousins we don't know about). This would mean that the parents are active in Dogen's life and not incarcerated.

Now obviously there could be other factors at play. Such as the birth parent who is related to Compton was incarcerated and the other parent found someone else to parent the kids with, or they were incarcerated and got out at some point, or like they are under house arrest or something like that meaning they are still active in the lives of the kids but the kids have seen the inside of a prison most likely.

So like, long story short, I feel like Compton had a kid who did not have the blastokinesis problem (either male or female) but they were very scared of it developing or something. They could talk to animals but probably heard what Compton did and never went as far as he did. Then once that parent had Sam, their anxiety grew more thinking she would develop it, only to have that fear realized when Dogen was born. So no incarceration, at least I don't think it's likely.

#psychonauts #eritalks #noart #asks #erithinks #wow am i over analyzing or what?#lol

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sufandomgirl · 2 years

Text

Amphibia Fanfiction Future/Good Andrias AU Part 1

[A/N: Swearing and Mature Themes Warning for whole story!]

20 Years Later...

Terri: Did you get a hold of the Calamity Trio?

Mr. X: I found them. Not sure if they'll be able to join the mission, though.

Terri: Why in the world not?!

Mr. X: They have...other responsibilities now.

In Anne's House...

Boy: Mama, what was Amphibia like?

Anne: (feeding girl in a high chair) I've already told you so many times, August, what else do you wanna know?

August: What about Uncle Sprig and Aunt Polly? Great-Grandpa Hop-Pop?

Anne: Buddy, I don't know. I have no way of going back to Amphibia, neither do Aunties Sasha and Marcy. I'd love to see everyone again. To introduce you and Stephanie to them. I'm sure that your aunties would love to do the same with your cousins.

August: Are they dating? Aunties?

Anne: Sasha and Marcy? Oh yeah, they have been since a year and a half after Marcy divorced the twins' father.

August: I wish you could go back. I don't want you to be lonely.

Anne: I'm not, baby. I have you, Stephanie and your Aunties and cousins.

August: What about Grandma and Grandpa?

Anne: We...aren't exactly on speaking terms right now. I miss the Plantars, too. You remind me so much of your Uncle Sprig. Always raring to go for an adventure.

August: Did Daddy go on an adventure?

Anne: Um...yeah. He didn't say when he'd be back. I think he went with Gracie's dad, too.

{Anne smiled at her son. In the back of her mind, she hoped that Jax and Kevin never came back. Maybe it was wrong, but they'd dipped as soon as Anne and Sasha told them they were pregnant. Kevin had encountered her drunk two years ago without coming to see August and that's how Stephanie came to be from August's father. Jax hasn't been seen since Sasha told him that she was pregnant with Gracie. Good thing that Sasha and Marcy were together. As payback, Sasha didn't name her after his mother, like he told her that he wanted, but instead Gracie. Anne didn't know if there was a specific reason, but she loved her niece and nephews. Despite how deplorable the twins' father was. She shuddered. She couldn't even utter his name. She was glad that Marcy got away from him with the twins. Yeah, if they could tell Grime that Sasha had a kid, there's no way that he'd believe it. They'd have so much to tell their Amphibian loved ones if they ever found a way to talk to them again. Her mind wandered to if Lady Olivia, General Yunan, Melinda and Andrias ever heard about Marcy's twins. She chuckled at the thought.}

Amphibia Royal Castle...

Melinda: (purses her lips) I miss her, too, Your Majesty.

Andrias: (rolls eyes) Melinda, we're on a first name basis, you don't have to call me that. Marcy was always a special kid. I never had any kids of my own, but...nevermind.

Melinda: (smiles) She changed you.

Andrias: I know. Before, all I cared about was fulfilling my family's legacy. She helped me see that they had it wrong. We were never supposed to use the music box for evil. It's a good thing that changed my mind before I got the box back from Anne. I just wish that I could've stopped the Core in time. Watching it run her through with my sword...it made me so angry and...I thought that I'd lose her.

Melinda: You didn't. She held on long enough for you to get her into a rejuvenation tank. You saved her life.

Andrias: Not before the Core harmed her. She pulled through. She was the strong one.

Melinda: That's true. Leaving behind your family's legacy to start your own took courage. You're being strong everyday by not falling back into that.

Andrias: I almost took it as far as adopting her, you know. The whole legacy thing. I thought, if they couldn't get home, this castle could be her home.

Melinda: She saw you as a father, too, you know. She always said that if she ever went back and had kids, she'd tell them stories of her and their grandparents together. Olivia, Yunan, you and...me...

#amphibia #amphibia andrias #amphibia barrel #amphibia leif #amphibia anne #amphibia sasha #amphibia marcy

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midnightsunnyday · 3 years

Text

Holiday dinner with the family (Black MC)

Summary: MC invites the brothers to meet their family for holiday dinner. As the day progresses, shenanigans ensue.

A/N: wrote this back during the holidays and is heavily influenced off my own familial experiences, yet exaggerated for fictional purposes. Either way, I hope you enjoy.

Warnings: some curse language, mentions to sexual situations.

----------

1:00 PM

Lucifer: alright, we're here. For the record, I think this is a horrible idea.

Belphegor: you've already stated the record 30 times before getting here.

Lucifer: and just like the 90 times before getting here, let's go over the rules again, shall we?

*everyone groans*

Lucifer: say them.

Everyone except MC: no using our powers, no mentioning we're demons, no mentioning we attend RAD, no mentioning we're the literal envoys of the seven biblical sins, no mentioning our actual ages, no mentioning our real names, no mentioning the Devildom, no stealing, no maiming, no sodomy, no hypnotism, no blasphemy, no betting souls, and no eating MCs family.

Lucifer: good.

Asmodeus: I'm so excited! I can't wait to show your family how wonderful I am.

MC: just make sure that's the only thing you show them.

Asmodeus: I promise I'll be a good demon. Well, as good as a demon can be.

Satan: again, I get why we had to change our names, but do they have to be so ridiculous?

Beelzebub: I like my fake human name. It’s cool.

Satan: well, I don’t. Mine makes me sound like an old man.

Mammon: um, guys? Levi's having a panic attack.

Leviathan: *hyperventilates into a sandwich bag*

Beelzebub: Levi, I know you're nervous, but you're breathing on my sandwich.

Leviathan: I can't do this, OK? Just let me sit in the car.

MC: Levi, you'll be fine.

Leviathan: Levi will not be fine. I can see them from the window. Why does your family have so many people? No way they'll want to meet--

MC: --what did I tell you about the self-deprecation?

Leviathan: but I--

MC: --listen, remember that anime we watched together: I'm a Demon Who Fell in Love With a Human and Now I Have to Meet Their Family but Little Do They Know I Have Horrible Social Anxiety?

Satan: these titles...are oddly specific.

Leviathan: oh yeah. In the end the whole family went to Hell for the wedding and was super accepting.

MC: the point is they were nervous too, but they worked through it together just like we all are. And do you know why?

Leviathan: why?

MC: because I love you, Levi, to hell and back.

Leviathan: *blushes* Alright, I'll do it. If it's for you, I'll fight all the forces of Heaven themselves!

MC: it's dinner Levi, not Armageddon, but I love the confidence.

Lucifer: good then. Now, let's get this over with. Diavolo help us all.

----------

1:15 PM

MC: which one of you gave my parents a $2000 bottle of wine?

Mammon: $2000? I thought we agreed to give them gifts under $50?

Belphegor: that's right. Who’s the show off?

Lucifer: isn't it obvious? And please, they need to know that I'm the provider in this relationship.

Mammon: and what does that make the rest of us?

Lucifer: a pain in my ass.

----------

1:35 PM

MC: great. Now my mom won't stop bragging about "my baby's boyfriend."

Asmodeus: which one?

MC: very funny. And I'm talking about “Mr. Tall, Dark, and Bougie” himself. Though I don't recall mentioning you were my partner, Lucifer.

Lucifer: why mention the obvious, love?

Mammon: don't make me gag.

----------

2:25 PM

Satan: I don’t think your uncle cares for me much.

MC: why is that?

Satan: well, for one, he keeps referring to me as “white boy.”

MC: oh, no.

Satan: I know, right? Tell me, do I really look that pale? Granted the *whispers* Devildom doesn’t have much sun, but still. Do you think a tan would be beneficial?

MC: Satan?

Satan: yes?

MC: I love you.

----------

3:40 PM

Lucifer: one of the smaller humans asked me if they could "hold a 20."

MC: yes, I saw. In which you gave them twenty $100 bills.

Lucifer: yes, to hold. Is that not correct?

----------

3:53 PM

Mammon: MC why won't you let me near the spades table? I could be making a killing right now!

MC: because lives are at stake.

Mammon: wow that hurts, MC. Do you really think I'd hurt your family?

MC: no, I think my family would hurt you.

----------

4:13 PM

Leviathan: MC. MC. EMERGENCY. All your cousins kept asking if I had games on my phone, and I was like, "Duh, of course I do." Now they've taken my phone and won't give it back!

MC: *rises from their chair and walks off*

*the sound of screaming children is heard in the distance*

MC: there you go.

Leviathan: thanks, M…ew, why is it so sticky?

----------

5:05 PM

Asmodeus: now I know I said I’d be a “good demon,” but your aunt --

MC: --is married.

Asmodeus: oooh, so she’s a two for one deal, then?

MC: go sit in the car.

Asmodeus: but--

MC: IN THE CAR.

----------

5:48 PM

Satan: MC, I don't appreciate your family insulting my intelligence.

MC: what are you talking about?

Satan: every time a song comes on, they keep asking, "what I know about it?" It's infuriating.

MC: we really need to have a talk about colloquialisms.

----------

6:07 PM

Leviathan: I think Beel just killed MC’s dad.

Lucifer: WHAT?

MC: my dad isn’t dead, Levi, just winded.

Beelzebub: we were playing football.

Lucifer: out of all the games to play and you choose football?

Beelzebub: I said no, but they really wanted me on their team and well…I was having so much fun, that I forgot my own strength and threw the ball a bit too hard. I’m so sorry, MC.

MC: *pats his head* it’s OK Beel. Though it was hard explaining why you were capable of sending a man flying several feet through the air. On the plus side, no one wants to challenge you to anymore games.

Beelzebub: that’s...probably for the best.

----------

7:00 PM

MC: Belphie where did you go? I haven’t seen you for several hours. *sniffs his clothes* and why do you smell like that?

Belphegor: your house was way too noisy, so me and your cousins...went for a walk.

MC: for a walk, huh?

Belphegor: *shoves a handful of Doritos into his mouth* yep.

MC: …

Belphegor: …

MC: you’re high aren’t you?

Belphegor: I will neither confirm nor deny it.

----------

7:35 PM

Lucifer: are…are we praying?

MC: oh yeah, sorry. We always pray over the food before we eat. Don’t worry, it won’t take long

*three minutes pass*

Mammon: is it over yet?

Lucifer: *whispers* Beel, calm yourself.

Beelzebub: *shirt wet with drool* I’m trying!

*five minutes pass*

“And father god, we humbly ask that you protect everyone at this table from Satan and all his machinations, both physical and spiritual. May no evils prosper against them.”

Lucifer: yes, Lord.

Satan: *glares *

Lucifer: what? I was simply agreeing with said affirmation.

----------

7:42 PM

“In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

Everyone: Amen.

Beelzebub: finally. We can eat.

Belphegor: an eight minute long prayer? Even Jesus would tune out.

Satan: they rebuked me so much during that I think I felt my skin burn a little.

MC: Beel, save some for everyone else, please.

----------

7:55 PM

“I see you have a lot of men around you these days, MC.”

MC: they’re my friends.

“Funny that you have all these friends, yet not one of them is your husband.”

MC: *sips drink* I’m sure you would know a lot about having no husbands, considering you’re going through your third divorce.

Mammon: *chokes on his food *

Asmodeus: I love this family.

----------

8:05 PM

“So what did you all say you do again?”

Lucifer: Student affairs

Mammon: Entrepreneur

Leviathan: Digital media

Satan: English Literature Professor

Asmodeus: Image consultant

Beelzebub: Personal trainer

Belphegor: Mortician

MC: …

Belphegor: *smiles*

----------

8:55 PM

Belphegor: wait, we’re praying again? But we’re leaving.

Lucifer: at this point we’re so blessed we could qualify for sainthood.

Mammon: hang in there, bro.

Satan: I think I feel a few blisters forming.

----------

11:35 PM

Lucifer: well, that could have gone worse.

MC: see? Everything worked out.

Lucifer: other than a few mishaps, this evening turned out to be quite pleasant.

Asmodeus: right? I had so much fun with your family, MC.

Beelzebub: I think soul food is my favorite kind of food.

Satan: do you think we made a good impression?

MC: I’ve gotten nothing but notifications since we left. Everyone wants to know when I plan to bring back… *sighs* “my rich boyfriend and his brothers.”

Mammon: I resent that first part.

Lucifer: the part where I’m rich or the part where I’m their boyfriend?

Mammon: BOTH.

MC: you guys know you’re all my family, right? So just know you’re in this for the long haul. No backing out.

Lucifer: *smiles* as if we ever planned to.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegore #obey me x black mc

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stylesluxx · 4 years

Text

no matter what – p.lahote

[warnings: one or two swears, angst, and a flashback to bullying]

summary: in which paul couldn’t protect y/n | clearwater!reader| requested!

word count: 8,561

masterlist

Every summer you came from Washington, D.C. to Forks, Washington. You were originally born in Forks, but you, your mom, and dad relocated to D.C. when you were eight, leaving behind your family. Of course, you were distraught having to leave your cousins, Seth and Leah; you were basically their sister. Your parents had you do everything together, you even wore matching outfits, as if you were triplets despite being three years older than Seth and three years younger than Leah. It was the summer the year your Uncle Harry died that changed your life. Well, actually, it started when your mom got a new job in France.

She told you the middle of your junior year that you would have to pack up and move to Europe.

You were happy for her, of course, but you wanted to finish school before they dragged you off to somewhere new. So, you spent the rest of the school year making plans and you were hoping they wouldn't fall through.

Your grandparents were more than happy to let you live with them in Forks so everything sort of fell into place. You'd be back home, finishing up high school, and you'd get to be around most of your family.

It was hard to say goodbye to your parents but you were excited to be back in La Push. Whenever you were there, you never felt out of place. As if you were stumbling everywhere else except when you were in the small village.

You got to your grandparent's house on a Friday, 8:30 in the morning, bright and early.

"So what are your plans for the summer?" Your grandfather, Peter, asked.

You just walked through the doors of the house and were about to drag your suitcases upstairs.

"Well, I hope to find a job but when I'm not working, I'll either be here or with Leah and Seth. Ya know, the usual," You shrugged and gave them a small smile. "Can't be away from my family for too long."

"Such a sweetheart," Your grandmother, Julia, cooed. "Are you going over there today?"

"Yeah, for lunch. And then I'm all yours for dinner," You nodded and grabbed the handles of your suitcases. You started on the stairs but stopped at the first step. "You know, I'm really happy to be here. Back home."

"You're not going to miss your parents?" Your grandpa questioned.

"I'll miss them; heck, I miss them already but I love Forks. Also... you guys cook and they don't," You teased before turning and continuing upstairs.

You walked to the room you always stayed in whenever you visited: your dad's old room. All the rooms were pretty small, especially compared to the room you had in D.C. but this room made you happy. You kept most of the decorations up, not wanting to ruin the nostalgia of it all, and just filled the drawers and closet with your clothes.

Lunch came quickly and all your clothes were unpacked. Your parents were going to send the rest of your things over so that would be your task for next week.

You practically jumped down the stairs trying to get to Seth and Leah. You bid your grandparents a quick goodbye before bursting through the front door and into Leah's arms.

You squeezed her tight as she laughed and you pulled away and pulled in Seth. At first glance, you didn't realize how different they looked.

"I missed you guys so much it's crazy," You squealed, but it was muffled since your head was in Seth's shoulder. You pulled away and got a good look at them, your eyes growing wide.

They had matching tattoos which you'd admit was kind of cute, but it still took you by surprise. And Seth was no longer scrawny and five foot eight. He was at least six feet now, still lanky, and his hair was cut down super short. And Leah who was also five foot eight was now maybe five foot ten and her hair was in a short pixie cut.

"OMG, you guys cut your hair. And are these tattoos? Guys, what the fuck happened? You guys got these after the funeral?" Your happy demeanor was snatched away and replaced with concern, your arms crossed over your chest, and your eyes narrowed.

"It's a bit of a long story," Seth chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Okay, well I live here now, I have all the time in the world. Are you, like, going through a phase? Should I call for an intervention?"

"No, it's not like we're going drugs," Seth scoffed but kept a playful grin on his face.

"Y/N, let's not be so dramatic. Come on before mom starts calling," Leah shook her head before going to the car.

"Alright alright," You eased up and put your hands in the air as a sign of surrender.

You sighed and tried to wrap an arm around Seth's shoulder but once you realized he was six feet tall, it was a little bit harder to do. But to make you feel better, he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and squeezed you tight.

"You sure you're not on steroids?" You teased and looked up at him.

"Positive!" He laughed.

You got to the other Clearwater house in town and were practically bouncing in excitement.

"Hi, Aunt Sue! How are you?" You asked as you kissed her cheeks and hugged her.

"Better now that you're back in town," She replied and rubbed your back. "A little birdie told me that you're staying for the school year."

You nodded and pulled away so you could sit at the kitchen table. Seth had brought in the chair that was specifically for you when you came to visit and you thanked him.

"'Little birdie' as in Grandpa. That man can't hold water," You shook your head.

Leah came and sat next to you after she finished setting up the plates. Seth sat across from her, and once your Aunt was done placing the food at the table she sat at one end. The other end was your Uncle's spot that remained empty.

Leah squeezed your hand once she noticed you staring into space. You blinked back tears and looked at her and the soft smile that adorned her face.

"You should come to the beach tomorrow and meet our friends," Seth said, an attempt to get your mind off of things.

"Yeah, sure, that sounds good. I just bought a new bikini," You nodded and forced a smile.

You didn't realize how hard it was to be here without your uncle. And now your home felt a little empty. But maybe a beach day would help.

Around noon the next day, Leah was driving you and Seth to the beach, though it was a quick walk from where you lived.

You grabbed your beach bag and followed behind Leah to the group of people you saw huddled on the sand. You thought you'd be surrounded by boys all day until you spotted Emily, your other cousin.

"Y/N!" She gasped and pulled you into a bear hug once you got close enough.

"Hi, Em! I've been doing so much hugging lately, but I could never forget you give the best ones," You smiled and hugged her back.

"Hey!" Seth interjected.

"Seth, don't get jealous," You teased and shoved him lightly once you were released from Emily's arms.

"Never, I know I'm your favorite cousin," He smirked. "Guys, this is our cousin Y/N, the one that visits every summer. She's gonna be living here until she graduates."

Seth addressed everyone and then introduced them all to you, except for Jacob. You guys used to hang out as kids too. He'd sometimes come over with another girl from Forks and the three of you would play together.

You smiled and waved at them all, your eyes met with all of theirs but you were stuck on the last boy Seth introduced. Paul.

He had brown eyes, short black hair, and had almost the same build as Seth but was muscular. He was definitely a La Push boy and he was perfect to you.

"I can't have anything..." You heard Leah grumble from behind you, making your eyes move to look at her.

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks, embarrassed at the fact that you were staring at him. But he was staring back so maybe nobody else would think it was weird, but that was unlikely.

Seth sat on a towel and pulled out down next to him, giving you a bright smile. You always loved Seth. Your parents told you that you had to warm up to Leah, but ever since you met Seth, you were two peas in a pod. But Leah, she understood you on a level no one else did. Somehow you got lucky with the best of both worlds.

"So, what do you plan on doing once you graduate?" Emily asked and moved your bag from your lap and set it with the other bags.

"I'm taking a gap year in France!" You spoke excitedly.

You felt everyone's eyes fall on you, making your smile fall slightly. You didn't exactly enjoy being the center of attention, especially since you didn't know the group too well.

"Y/N, you never told me that," Seth spoke up.

"Uh, yes I did. You just don't listen."

"That's a bit far don't you think?" Emily asked and you just shrugged in response.

Sure it was far, but it's not like you were leaving anything behind here; you'd see everyone the next summer.

"Yeah, but I like traveling and it's only for a year. then I'll be back in the states for college. Maybe the east coast, they have a bunch of schools to choose from."

Your eyes searched for Leah's but they found Paul's instead. They were distant and cool but once he recognized you were looking at him, they softened.

You looked away quickly and found Leah's eyes, practically pleading for help.

"I'm hot," She said, not too loud so it wasn't an obvious diversion but it was loud enough that everyone heard. "Come to the water with me?"

She was looking right at you and you nodded. You stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the water.

You slipped off your flip flops and let the water hit your toes as you sighed.

"Thanks," You mumbled.

"Yeah, that's kind of what big cousins are for, saving your butt.”

You stood in the water for a while before grabbing your beach towels and laying them out. You were a bit away from the group, but Leah didn't mind.

You stripped from your shorts and tank top so you were only in your swimsuit. You laid on the towel next to Leah and tanned for maybe an hour two. You tried to learn a bit more about the group, specifically Paul but Leah had no real interest in talking to or about them, so you just let it go. But as you tanned, you watched them talk and play soccer, or talk as they scarfed down some sandwiches Emily made.

You were back in the water, now playfully splashing each other. All day you felt eyes on you that you just couldn't shake but for some reason, it was bothering you now. It reminded you of when you brought up your plans for next year and everyone kept their eyes on you, not breaking contact.

"So, is there a problem with me going away next year?" You asked Leah after getting one last splash in. "Why was everyone looking at me?"

She was silent for a moment as if she were stuck in her thoughts, having an inner dialogue with herself.

"It's just a little... complicated," She shrugged, making you roll your eyes.

"You know, you've changed a lot, Leah. I used to be able to read you like a children's book but now... I guess I'll accept that some things change and some things are need-to-know," You huffed out and started to walk back toward the sand. "I think I'm ready to head home now."

You started packing your things, not wanting to be there any longer. And you felt bad you were cutting Leah's day short, but honestly, it didn't seem like she wanted to be there anyway.

"Y/N, you're leaving?" Seth asked as you walked over to where he was stretched out.

"Yeah, I'm tired," You nodded and forced out a yawn. "It was really nice to meet you all."

From the corner of your eye, you see one boy who you remember to be Jared, nudge Paul, causing him to speak up.

"I can drive you home, I was just about to head out anyway," Paul said, looking you right in the eyes.

It was the first time he had spoken to you directly and something about it moved you to a sense of euphoria. Like, if he ever stopped talking the world around you would crash and burn. If he ever stopped looking at you the way he did, the way his eyes softened at the sight of you, you would disappear into thin air. It was a pull and connection you never felt before and you never wanted to stop feeling it.

You looked over at Leah, to get her approval but she was looking at Paul cautiously before looking over at you. She nodded and you turned back to him and nodded.

He didn't bother packing up whatever things he brought, he just stood up and motioned for you to follow him.

You waved goodbye to the others and ruffled Seth's hair as you left. You were walking to his right when you noticed his tattoo.

"Leah and Seth have that tattoo too," You blurted out.

He looked at you and down at the tattoo as if he forgot it was even there.

"Oh yeah, we all have one," He shrugged.

"What's it for? Like does it mean anything?"

"It's just for our little group."

It was a vague response, his tone was similar to Leah's. Maybe it just wasn't your business. And though you were annoyed with Leah, you weren't annoyed with Paul. You never wanted to be on the outs with him so you just accepted his answer and got in his truck.

It was weird that you were nervous since you felt connected to him but you also felt the need to impress him.

He pulled up in front of your house and you turned to smile at him.

"Thanks for bringing me home, I really appreciate it. I'll see you around?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out again soon. I was thinking of a picnic?"

He was nervous, you could tell. It was the first time he hadn't looked at you all day. He was facing you, but looking everywhere but at your face.

"Just the two of us?"

"Yeah, unless-"

"Sure, just text me a date and time and I'll be ready," You cut him off.

He nodded and let a victorious smile rest on his face as he handed you his phone.

You saved your number in his phone before handing it back and getting out of the car.

"Bye Paul," You smiled and grabbed your bag, resting it on your shoulder.

"Bye Y/N."

You shut the door and walked up to your front door, unlocking it. You turned back and waved at him before slipping inside the house and letting out a sigh of happiness.

"Was that a boy?" You heard behind you, making you jump.

"Grandma!" You gasped and held your chest.

"So who was that?" She teased.

"Just a boy."

"Right," She hummed with a raised eyebrow and turned to leave you alone.

Definitely not just a boy.

A picnic on the beach was your and Paul's first date. He picked you up, picnic basket in hand, and you guys walked through the woods and to the beach. He brought a big blanket for you both to sit on as you talked and ate the sandwiches he packed.

You played in the water, laughing vibrantly as you splashed each other. You attempted to make sandcastles but failed and decided to just walk up and down the sand.

"So," He started.

"So," You mimicked and looked at him.

"When did you move away?"

"When I was eight. If you're trying to remember me, I promise we wouldn't have been friends," You chuckled and shook your head.

He titled his head to the side and stopped walking.

"And why not?" A playful smirked rested on his face, and you stopped walking simply at the sight of it.

"There's no way I could've been separated from Seth at that point. Like no way. And if it wasn't Seth, it was Leah. And I only knew Jacob because our dads hung out. But I was just a weird, clingy kid," You shrugged.

"So, it's not just because you think you're better than me?" He teased. You scoffed and put a hand on your chest.

"Please," You scoffed and shoved his shoulder gently.

You kept walking down the beach, this time walking back toward where the blanket was. And as you were walking, Paul picked up a stick and wrote "Paul + Y/N" in the sand with a heart around it, making you giggle.

If anyone else had done that on the first date, you would've run for the hills and never looked back. But it was Paul so it was okay.

And when you started spending more and more time together, like going bowling or to a museum, no one questioned it.

The date to the museum took you completely by surprise. You mentioned once or twice to your cousins how you wanted to go visit the museums in Seattle, but you never got around to going.

You two walked around, holding hands, and admiring all the art. It was intimate and quiet, and it was really about enjoying each other's company.

"You stole our cousin!" Seth burst out as you and Paul walked into Emily's house.

You waved to everyone else who sat at the kitchen table or around the kitchen.

"Did not," Paul brushed him off and set a hand on the bottom of your back.

"Good morning to you too, Seth," You smiled.

"We just came to take a nap before lunch. So, if you all don't mind," Paul said and ushered you toward the living room.

"Why don't you guys just do that at your own houses?" Jared spoke up, contorting his face in fake disgust.

You looked at Paul and he looked at you before you both turned back to face Jared.

"Nah, I don't think so," Paul shook his head.

"If it's all the same to you, we're gonna go take our nap now," You hummed and used your thumb to suggest you'd be in the living room.

You let Paul lay down first and then you climbed on top of him and rested your head in the crook of his neck.

"What do you think we're gonna have for lunch?" You asked as your eyes began to get droopy.

"Mmm, maybe burgers."

"Doubt it."

"Okay, if I'm wrong, I'll carry you for the rest of the day."

"You were probably gonna do that anyway," You chuckled and closed your eyes.

"Yeah, that's fair."

You drifted off as he drew shapes on your back. You listened to his heartbeat and the quickness of it. Usually, you'd hold your breath so yours would match up, but yours was beating just as fast as if you had been running for miles.

"I don't smell any burgers," You mumbled as you woke up. You sat up and pecked his forehead before standing up and reaching your hand out for him to take. "Did you sleep?"

"Maybe for an hour," He shrugged and took your hand, following you into the kitchen.

You sat at the table and Paul took the seat next to you. Your hands still latched together, rested on the table in between you two.

"Do you guys have to hold hands at the table?"

You gave Jared a sly smile before moving your hands onto your lap and giggling.

"Why are you being such a downer today?" You asked Jared, your voice holding a playful tone.

"Me? A downer? Please! I'm an upper!"

"Since you're such an upper, why don't you join us on our walk after lunch?" Paul challenged eyebrow raised.

"I'd rather not third-wheel. Thanks for the invite though."

"Your loss."

"Doubt it."

—

"Okay, when does a joke become a dad joke?" You asked, looking up at who you considered to be your boyfriend.

"Uh, I don't know," He shrugged but was smiling sheepishly.

"When it becomes apparent," You giggled.

After lunch, you two left Emily's and headed into the woods. You had no idea where you were going or if there was even an intended location but you were happy to just be hanging out with your favorite person.

"That was a good one," He nodded. "Okay, um... what do you call an ant that had been shunned by his community?"

"A socially dissed ant! Come on, everyone knows that one," You laughed.

"Alright, alright. What do-"

Before he could finish, his head snapped from facing you, to now looking in front of him.

"Paul?"

He ignored you and looked ahead, his eyes scanning the area. He looked back at you, his face serious and his tone reflected that.

"Y/N, run back to Emily's and don't stop. When you get there, just wait for me to come back," He said and kissed you on the cheek before backing away from you.

"Paul, what's going on? What's wrong?" You asked, your face displaying your confusion.

"Just go," He demanded and though it wasn't harsh, you knew he meant business.

He started running ahead and just as you were about to turn around and run back to Emily's it was as if some huge wolf came and ate the boy that was right in front of you.

It was huge, five times larger than Paul, with dark silver fur. And when it turned to glance at you, you recognized its dark eyes and they were pleading for you to listen.

You quickly turned around and ran back to Emily's. It was already hard enough jumping over logs and pushing branches out the way, but with the rumbling of the ground, you were struggling. You saw seven more gigantic wolves going the same way as the dark silver wolf, which you assumed was why the ground was so shaky.

But were they going after him? If your eyes weren't deceiving you, that wolf was Paul. But for as long as you've known him, which was maybe about a month and some change, he's either with his friends or with you, no time for him to get into any trouble.

You burst through Emily's front door, clearly scaring her since she practically jumped out of her skin.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked, placing her hands on your shoulders as you panted.

What would you say? You just saw your boyfriend turn into a huge wolf and saw seven other wolves running in the woods? The thought of even saying it aloud was ridiculous. And even though Emily was very understanding, you knew this was too crazy to tell.

"No, yeah I'm okay," You nodded and plopped into a chair by the table, your hands behind your head as you tried to regulate your breathing.

But as much as you tried to calm down, you couldn't stop your leg from bouncing and you couldn't keep yourself from biting your nails. You were so worried you didn't realize that it was only you and Emily in the usually full house.

Emily tried talking to you, but you were so lost in thought that you would only him in response. You were never quite sure what she was talking about but you thought humming was a sufficient answer along with nodding or shaking your head.

You couldn't even look at her. If your eyes were on the door, waiting for any sign of Paul, they were watching the clock and watching as the time slowly went by.

When you finally spot him, he's shirtless and wearing khaki shorts (the ones he was wearing earlier was a mud brown). You jump from your seat and through the screen door, into his arms. And without missing a beat, he caught you and held you close.

"Yeah, let's just forget we exist," You heard Seth in the back but you couldn't tear your attention from your counterpart.

"You okay?" You whispered.

"Yeah, are you?"

You nodded in response and let the silence and your nerves settle. You knew he was safe since he was in your arms and you could hear his heart beating against his chest.

"What was that?" You breathed out and peeked up at him.

He looks over at Sam as if they were speaking to each other with just their eyes, before looking back at you.

"Let me drive you home," He suggested and you nodded immediately. Being with him wasn't something you had to think about.

You pull away from him and turn to Leah and Seth.

"We're still on for breakfast tomorrow?" You asked and wrapped around Paul's waist, snuggling into his side.

Leah glanced at Paul and then back at you before nodding.

"Yeah, we'll come get you."

Paul ushered you to his truck, helping you get in before getting in himself. The ride home was quiet and you watched the trees, hoping to see the silver wolf staring back at you. Hoping that you weren't crazy and that the impossible remained impossible.

"I know you have a lot of questions," Paul started as he parked the car in front of your house.

"More than a lot."

He sat silently, mulling over what he was going to say, before going into great detail about everything. From the legends you grew up listening to, to shifting, and finally to imprinting.

"And you expect me to just take this in with ease?" You questioned.

"Not at all."

"The only reason why I'm not laughing and calling you a liar is only because I saw you turn into a huge wolf right in front of me. The imprinting part I can believe with ease; that makes the most sense."

"We're soulmates," He nodded, smiling bashfully.

"More like twin flames but yeah sure," You nodded. "And you saw a... vampire today? That's what you were chasing?"

"Yeah, we don't know why they're here. They're not with the Cullens. But you don't have anything to worry about, we chased them to Canada." His eyes met yours, noticing the concern in your eyes, and reached a hand over to rest on yours. "Everything is fine. Everyone's safe."

You nodded reluctantly and sighed, pulling his hand to your mouth to kiss.

"Stay safe, please," You mumbled and held his hand to your cheek.

"Always."

"I'll text you when I get back from breakfast, you can come over."

He nodded happily, a big grin danced in his face as he leaned over to peck your lips.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye dork," You giggled as you got out the truck and walked inside.

Tomorrow came quickly and you and Seth were now seated across from Leah at a diner.

"So, what did the big, bad wolf tell you?" Leah asked while wiping the syrup off her mouth with a napkin.

"Everything," You shrugged, as you stuffed your mouth with eggs.

You slept on what Paul said, occasionally pinching yourself to make sure you weren't dreaming. There wasn't anything you could do about it, so why stress about it?

"And how do you feel?" She continued, eyeing you as if trying to read you and see through your calm demeanor.

"Fine. Normal. You don't have to hide anything from me anymore so that's good," You hummed and sipped at your water.

"I'll be back," Seth mumbled.

He stood up and walked over to the bathroom, leaving you and Leah alone.

"So, I know I've been keeping things from you, which isn't like me at all but it's just because of this whole pack thing. Only select people are supposed to know about it," Leah explained.

"Yeah, I know. Paul told me."

"Why are you acting like this isn't a big deal? Why aren't you angry or upset or sad?"

"Because I understand why you couldn't tell me. It's not your fault, Leah. What's there to be upset about?" You uttered, trying to get her to understand what you were thinking. "You're still my cousin and I still love you. That's it."

"That's it," She nodded and gave a smile that didn't show any teeth. As if she were still holding back. But it wasn't your place to force it out of her. She'd talk when she was ready.

When you got back home, your grandparents were at the store but you knew they wouldn't mind Paul being over. So, as you promised, you called him and invited him over.

You were upstairs in your room, straightening up when you heard banging on the side of the house and then saw Paul standing next to the window.

"So you... climbed up the side of the house... instead of ringing the doorbell?" You questioned, arms crossed over your chest.

"Less work for you," He shrugged and pulled you into his arms, pecking your forehead.

"So thoughtful," You giggled and pulled away so you could lay on your bed. "How was breakfast?"

"Good. I brought you some pancakes, they're downstairs."

He laid next to you on the bed and poked your cheek, making you roll your eyes in faux annoyance.

"You're going to school on the Res?" He asked.

"No, Forks High," You shook your head. "I figured, I didn't need to be around Seth all the time. Give each other some space."

"How perceptive."

"And then I'm going away once I graduate, you knew that though."

"What about me?"

"Do you want to come? Meet my parents and eat escargot?" You smiled.

His face was suddenly hard, on the brink of sadness and frustration. Your smile immediately dropped once you noticed his expression and you were ready to comfort him, your palm softly rested on his cheek.

"I can't leave the pack right now. Things need to die down before I can just up and leave," He rolled his eyes hostilely and moved your hand from his face.

You frowned and your eyebrows furrowed to match your anguish.

"Okay, well, we'll make it work," You tried to open the conversation to compromise.

"You're not even sure where you're going to college."

"P, it's not the end of the world. We'll figure it out."

It seemed the more you talked, the more upset he got but being silent and sweeping things under the rug never made anything better.

"You say that now but once we're thousands of miles apart, you're going to see it's not as easy as you're making it seem. We're not a regular couple. Long-distance is already hard but with an imprint, it's much worse. The emptiness and misery will become overwhelming-"

"Well, what do you want me to do Paul? Put my life on hold? We will figure it out. We have a whole year before I go-"

"I need to go."

He abruptly got up from the bed with a red face, slightly shaking but not too much.

"Where are you going?" You sat up, practically talking to his back since he was facing the window.

"For a run. I'll be back later, maybe."

He left your house the same way he came, not bothering to look back at you. It felt as if he were talking to an enemy if you hadn't known any better. But you knew he was just disappointed and frustrated that he couldn't pause time and replay this past summer. And you understood why he felt this way. Somethings are just so good, you never want them to change. But life isn't easy and we can't always have things go our way.

You had never been around a Paul that wasn't either in a positive headspace or worried. Worried Paul didn't shut down the way he just did. He was gentle and soft-spoken.

You sighed and fell back onto the bed, rubbing your temples.

Did that count as an argument? Because if so, that would be your first. It was usually smooth sailings but you had only known each other for a month, so of course, you tried not to step on each other's toes.

You jumped up at the sound of feet landing on the floor in front of you, thinking Paul came back. But you were met with a woman with olive skin, red eyes, and short, curly, black hair. She stood about 5'3" and had an aggressive nature about her that pulled you to your feet, triggering your fight or flight response. Her face was squared, with a flat nose, her cardinal eyes hooded.

"You were with the wolf the other day. You're his... mate," She broke the silence, speaking the last word with either mix of interest or disgust (you couldn't tell which). Her voice drew you in; it was smooth and tantalizing.

You stayed silent and didn't think to move a muscle. To move meant, you wanted to be chased in her eyes and you knew you couldn't outrun her.

She slowly took steps closer to you and continued, "You're pretty for a human."

You confirmed that her voice was full of disgust. The way she said "human" and how her top lip curled as she did so, was not a reflection of interest.

As she moved closer, you knew time was running out and maybe that's what made you speak up. You'll never know the real reason, it was a shock to both of you.

"Paul will be here any second. But if you do happen to succeed in whatever you're planning, you need to know: he's not going to stop hunting you until he has your head."

Your voice was oddly steady and full of confidence you didn't know you had. Maybe because deep down you knew it was true and you weren't just trying to keep the clock running.

She chuckled as if entertained by your words, as if she was able to look through your charade. But now she was standing a few inches away and if anything gave it away, it was your heart beating rapidly.

You heard a bowl from outside, making your eyes flicker over to the window, then back to the trespasser in your room.

You almost let out a breath of relief, but that might've meant you weren't scared anymore, and then she might not show any mercy. You didn't want to antagonize her.

"I wonder if... he'll still love you if you're one of us. Red eyes, skin as hard as a rock, and as cold as ice-"

"I promise you, he will."

"'m not too sure. I'd like to test it out though."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone and you were on the floor, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Your whole body felt like you were on fire, you laid on the hardwood of your floor, flailing around and screaming while you held on to the center of all your pain.

And while screaming out and crying for help, the tears puddling on your floor weren't from the pain, but from the memories as your life flashed before your eyes.

"Mom, he's so pretty," You mumbled in awe as you peered over into your Aunt Sue's arms and watched your little cousin look back at you. "Isn't he," She smiled at you and you nodded energetically. "But we have to head home, to give Aunt Sue and Uncle Harry some space with him." You nodded sadly but obediently and moved from your aunt's side to your mom's. You reached up and grabbed her hand, gripping it tight and leaning on her leg. You waved as you followed your mom out of the room, your eyes filling with tears. She must've heard your sniffling as you neared the elevators because she paused and looked down at you. "Hey, what's wrong Little One?" She asked as she crouched to your height. She held both of your hands and tried to look you in your eyes, but you kept your head down, trying not to let her see your tears. "He's jus' so p-perfect and I don' wanna leave h-him," You spoke between hiccups. She gave you a fond smile and let go of your hands to wipe the tears from your chubby cheeks. "We can go back for a couple of minutes but then we have to go meet your dad and Leah. They're waiting for us in the gift shop, remember?" "Okay," You nodded. "I promise I won't cry when we leave this time." "Oh baby, it's okay to cry. Sometimes we love things so much that we cry. You two might be soulmates; meant to meet and be there for each other. An irreplaceable bond. That's how I feel about you." "You love me so much you could cry?" You gasped, eyes widening at the fact that an adult you admired so much cried just like you. "Yep! I love you more than I could tell you." You hugged her as tight as you could in your little arms, so full of immeasurable happiness "Love you too, Mommy."

You couldn't imagine leaving them behind. Your parents always showed you so much love and support, you were beyond lucky to have them. But your mom was a goddess in your eyes, even if you have grown apart. Your feelings will never change. But what would they tell her once you're no longer you?

And Seth. No matter what Sam decided, he'd find a way to see you and spend time with you. You knew he'd never let you spend eternity without him. But Leah was tricky, as she always had been.

"Y/N, what are you crying about now?" She huffed as she sat down next to you on the porch. You both had come home from school, Leah was in fifth grade and you were in first. "Nothing, Leah," You mumbled and turned your body completely away from hers. "It's not 'nothing' if you're crying? What's the matter?" Her tone was more gentle this time and she put a hand on your left shoulder. You leaned into her hand subconsciously and wiped a tear that fell from your eye. "Is it those kids in your class?" She asked. You hesitantly nodded. You didn't want to hear the whole "stand up for yourself" speech again but you also didn't want to keep this to yourself anymore. "Just been picking on me because of my shoes," You muttered and looked down at your feet. These were your favorite shoes, but now they were dirty and worn out. You still wore them though since the value was still there in your eyes. You loved those pink light up shoes and couldn't bear to part from them. "I like your shoes," Leah shrugged. "Thanks." You didn't know if she actually liked them or if she was just saying that to appease you. You guys' parents always were telling her how her influence and approval meant a lot to you, even if you never showed it. She was your big cousin and you adored everything about her. And because your big cousin said she liked your shoes, you wore them again the next day. Sure, you were subjecting yourself to another day of teasing, but if Leah liked them, screw what the other kids thought. You stomped your feet and watched the colors on your shoes shine as you stood in the lunch line. "Really? The beaten-up shoes again?" You heard behind you. You say was officially ruined. Bigmouth Iara Lyons had to come in and ruin your whole mood. Her and her little snotty-nosed posse. You kept your head straight and ignored her as your mom suggested. Your dad wanted you to hit her, even if it meant him having to come and pick you up from school, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it. But Leah was Leah and wasn't afraid to step up to anyone. "I know you can hear me, Clearwater!" Iara kept going and you could feel her amber eyes burning a hole through the back of your head. "Clearly, she's ignoring you." That was Leah's voice. A voice that made you gasp and turn around. This was a confrontation you needed to see. "And you are?" Iara raised one of her fine eyebrows, a hand on her hip. "Leah Clearwater. Stop messing with my cousin." You now stood behind Leah, somewhat cowering behind her, but still able to be seen. "Or else what?" Leah pushed the girl down without hesitation, making you cover your mouth with your hand. You didn't know if you wanted to gasp or laugh, so you settled for gasping now and laughing later when you were home, replaying this scene right before bed. The other two girls with Iara looked at Leah with wide eyes and then down at their friend who was looking for them to defend her. "Or else, I'm gonna do more than push you. You're a first-grader with a mustache, worry about that instead of her shoes," Leah snarled. The whole lunchroom was looking at Iara and Leah now, wondering what their next moves would be, but you knew it was Clearwater: one point and Lyons: zero. You win. You watched the tears well up in Iara's eyes as she scrambled to her feet. She stood in front of you for a moment, not knowing whether she wanted to run or stay but chose the former. She ran out of the lunchroom, her friends reluctant to follow after her, leaving you and Leah. You saw Leah let out a sigh before turning to face you. "Now, if you make me do that again, I'm going to push you too. Got it?" "Got it," You nodded, a proud grin on your face.

That day made you proud to call Leah your cousin. But now you were at a crossroads. Would you still be allowed to hang out with her? Would she still want to be around you? Or was this the line that you never knew was drawn?

The night of your bowling date with Paul, you two were laying in your bed, holding hands. Your eyes were closed as you started drifting off, and he must've thought you were sleeping, but you perked up at the feeling of Paul kissing the top of your head. "You are the most important person in my life. I'm so happy you're here with me," He whispered into your hair. "Forever." You smiled softly and pulled him closer to you, literally wanting to be attached at the hip. It was as if you were dreaming. This affection was something some people could only dream about. But here it was in the palm of your hands. Your body was flooded with a certain happiness you had never known. A happiness that can only be obtained by being in the presence of Paul Lahote.

But would you ever feel this happiness again? Did the trespasser rob you of a happiness that only a few were lucky to experience? As your body felt like it was being torn apart, limb by limb, and tossed into a fire, every memory you relived tore your heart the same way before everything went black.

—

You ignored the migraine and the aching feeling of your body and pulled yourself into a sitting position.

The spot next to you was empty. If Paul was next to you, you would've assumed it all to be a nightmare. But you woke up alone, dazed, and confused. So where was he?

You took in your surroundings and recognized you were in your room. Nothing looked touched, but the floors were clean and your window was shut and locked.

You stood up and your vision immediately got fuzzy, but you grabbed onto your headboard to keep from falling over.

You took baby steps toward the stairs, keeping a hand on the wall so you had something to leave on. You gripped the railing tightly as you walked down the steps. You tried to be quiet, as to not disturb your grandparents but you weren't quiet enough to go under the radar of a shifter.

At the bottom of the stairs stood Seth, a comforting smile graced his face. "Where's Paul?" You asked, pausing in the middle of the stairs.

"That's the first thing you ask? Of all the questions you might have, that's the one you ask?" He chuckled and held a hand out for you, gesturing for you to keep walking.

But you didn't laugh, giggle, chuckle. You kept walking down the steps and once you reached your cousin, you placed a hand in his.

"Where's Paul?"

You turned to look into the living room where you saw the rest of the pack and your grandparents sitting, waiting for you to make your grand entrance. Seth was at the stairs, Leah was right behind him and the others sat on the couch and in chairs, eyeing you carefully but still smiling.

"He just went to use the bathroom, Sleeping Beauty," Leah answered, attempting the smoothen the tension.

Paul walked in, your eyes watching him carefully and his doing the same to you.

"Are you okay?" You asked him.

He didn't look hurt, just a little out of place, mentally. It was weird because he seemed completely fine and he would seem like that to a normal person but to you, he wasn't himself. He was standoffish, normally he would've been the first to greet you. He would've been in your room, if not in your bed, at your desk, and if not there in Seth's spot. Normal Paul, wouldn't have missed you waking up. It made you feel like something was wrong.

"Am I okay? Are you okay?" He asked, almost appalled that you asked about him.

"Am I... myself?"

"You're yourself," He nodded and glanced at your body once more, but this time he stopped at your left wrist.

You looked down at your wrist to see what he saw. And that's when you saw it. It was huge teeth marks from when the nomad bit you, still red and fresh. It wasn't actively bleeding but it couldn't have been more than two days since the incident.

"Don't we have patrol to go to or something?" Paul coughed, making you take your attention off your wrist.

You looked up him and then over at Sam who nodded. You frowned and went to inch closer to Paul, but instead decided to move backward and stand between Seth and Leah.

Paul was the first to leave and the rest of the pack stood and walked toward the door, but wishing you well as they left. Sam handed you a bouquet and told you that Emily would be over later.

You nodded and walked over to the couch, placing the flowers on your lap.

"Do you want to be alone?" Your grandpa asked, trying to see where your head was at.

"Just Seth and Leah, please," You nodded.

Your grandparents left the room and your cousins came and sat on either side of you.

"How did... how am I still normal?" You asked. You heard Seth gulp loudly, making you look over at Leah. She sighed and mumbled something about always being the bearer.

"Paul... heard you scream and came right to you. We were waiting for her to come out but he couldn't ignore your screams. He brought you over... to the Cullens," She paused and shuddered before continuing. "Carlisle sucked the venom out."

"Oh," You nodded slowly, taking everything in.

The incident wasn't anything you'd ever forget but it was coming back to you in flashes. And you remembered how you told the woman that nothing would change you and Paul's relationship.

"What's that frown for? We took care of her, Y/N," Seth asked, nudging your side.

"I was just... so confident that no matter what happened, Paul's feelings wouldn't change for me and here we are."

You smiled sadly, tucking your lips in your teeth. After shrugging, you leaned your head on Seth's shoulder and closed your eyes.

"Maybe I should've just went to France," You mumbled.

The exhaustion hit you like a ton of bricks and before you knew it, you were back to sleep.

You kind of figured you'd be back in your room when you woke up. You expected the three of you to be squished in the bed, napping as if you were, five, eight, and eleven again. But you woke up and it was Paul laying beside you, staring down at you like he was waiting for you to wake up.

"Hey," You greeted him.

"Hey."

"You okay?"

"Are you?

"Yeah."

"Then, yeah I'm okay," He responded and paused for a moment, glancing into your eyes, reading you. "There's no way I can explain how sorry I am that this happened to you-"

"It's not your fault, Paul."

"They went after you because you were with me. I couldn't even keep you safe. I'm sorry and I will forever be apologetic," He stopped again, closing his eyes and collecting his thoughts. "You might not remember but you weren't just screaming, Y/N. You were screaming my name. Not just crying out random wails, but crying out for me. I should've been there, I should've never left. Now the sight of you withering in pain and calling for me will forever be engrained in my mind. The pain you were in... it was because I left."

What he said didn't change how you felt about anything, but it made you think about how you had so much faith in him. It was news to you that you were screaming for him, specifically, but you also weren't surprised. You believed he would come and save you and he did. Because he was your Paul and he would always be there.

"No one could've known she'd have a vendetta against you and come after me, Paul. This is no one's fault, I need you to come to terms with and believe that. I feel safest in your arms, don't ever forget that, please."

Maybe it was the imprint, but he let it go, tentatively of course. But what mattered was that he let it go for right now and kissed your forehead.

You let an arm drape around his waist and he had a hand drawing shapes on your back. You sat for a while, enjoying each other's presence, after being separated for two days. And though you didn't want to pick a fight, you just had to know.

"If-if I were changed though, would you still-"

"No doubt about. You're still my Y/N, no matter what."

[AN: okay so I wanted to address two things. one, I don’t want y’all to think the soulmate thing is weird so I’ll explain. soulmates are anyone, whether romantic, familial, or platonic, that you feel an instant connection to. basically someone that was meant to be in your life, whether they stay or leave. so that’s how I saw seth and the reader. ALSO, I didn’t really go into depth about the relationship between the reader and the rest of the pack but I just didn’t feel like that was super important for me to focus on. but yeah everyone is on good terms, I just didn’t go super into depth about that. lastly, I’ll probably go through and edit this once more, I just wanted to post it finally. anyway, hope you all enjoyed !]

#stylesluxx #paul lahote #twilight #paul lahote x reader #twilight x reader #twilight imagine #wolf pack imagine #Paul Lahote angst #Paul Lahote blurb #paul lahote fluff #paul lahote imagine

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maneskinimagine · 2 years

Text

NEW YEARS DAY

Warnings: None

Request: None

MASTERLIST

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

My best friend had joined a band a few years ago, and even though I support her with my entire being, there have been times over the last few months that got a little too overwhelming.

Vic finally left to back home yesterday, after being apart for six months, due to the band going on tour.

It felt like today was the day that I could spend with Vic, and have it be something that we've both waited for, since she left.

She had asked me a few days ago to pick her up at the airport at 7am, and although it is extremely early, I agreed.

So here I am, waiting for her to finally come home. I knew I would be waiting for a while, which got me thinking about things that Vic would probably wanna do today. She definitely had to go see her family at some point, and there has to be some jet lag involved, so she could benefit majorly from a quick nap, but other then that, I can't really think about anything specific that she would wanna do.

Trying to plan out the day made me think a lot more about the plans for the near future. It was only a matter of time before She was shipped off again, to sing in some European country, or for another meet and greet, so I knew I would have to make my time with her count.

She was most likely going to go to her parents house for Christmas, which is completely fine, but I do hope that I'll be able to spend New Years with her and the guys - knowing that they're always together during that time.

Stupidly, I left my house an hour earlier then I was supposed to, I just assumed that The roads would be busy at that time, but much to my surprise, there was a very limited amount of cars on the road.

It felt like time passed by in an instant as soon as I put in my headphones, trying to pass as much time with the music blasting in my ears as I waited.

Two hands covered my eyes, making me instantly flinch, but when I heard that all too familiar voice speak, I knew I was safe.

"Guess who?" She whispers in my ear. A smile emerges on my face as I jump off my seat and wrap my arms around Vic, showing her how much I've missed her the last few months.

"You shouldn't scare me like that, it's not very nice of you." I mutter, still holding her in my arms.

"You know I love you!" She chuckles.

After a few more minutes of laughter, hugs and 'I missed you', we finally make our way back to the car.

I drop Vic off at her house and make my way back to mine, knowing that in the next few days I'll be able to see Her again, as her family and mine always spend New Years together.

---

Finally the day has come where people make fake promises to themselves, and some lucky singles get to kiss their crushes, but for me, it's a promised day that I get to spend with my best friend.

The whole day, I had been helping my mom and dad set up for their party, whether it be hanging up banners, or baking cookies for the little cousins, I was helping out.

Vic arrived a few minutes before everyone else, making sure she was there to help if we needed it, but luckily we had pretty much done everything, so Vic and I just sat on the couch and spoke about tour until guests finally arrived.

Unfortunately the first people to arrive were my aunt and uncle, as well as their two, 7 year old, girls who have always hogged Vic, as they both seem to have a special connection with her.

"Victoria!" They yell as they run in, engulfing her in a tackling hug.

"Wow, I'm their blood relative and they love you more then me!" I say dramatically, causing them both to giggle and tackle me, before moving quickly back to Vic.

"Come on Vicky, we'll go play princesses!" The youngest yells, desperately pulling Vic's hand, making her follow them outside.

"I see Victoria could make it." My aunt says as she sits next to me.

"Yeah, she got back a few days ago, unfortunately she's been stolen from me." She laughs at my words, knowing her daughters favour vic more then anyone.

"I'll sure you two will have your time together Another day." She smiles sympathetically, knowing I've missed her more then anyone could understand.

"Hopefully she won't have to rush back to work anytime soon."

"So, I assume you haven't told her yet?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Of course not, I wasn't gonna tell her I was in love with her just before she goes on a long ass tour." My aunts eyes shuffle up halfway through my sentence, but I think nothing of it, until I'm finished, and she just keeps staring.

"What are you looking at?" I turn back trying to find what was so interesting, but I'm instead faced with Victoria. My face instantly goes red, causing me to run out, and into my room out of embarrassment.

My stay in my room seemed to last forever, but finally my mom popped in, telling me to come downstairs, so we can all celebrate together, which after some arguing I agreed and made my way down.

I found a dark corner and stayed there, hoping I could stay hidden until the night was over, where I could then hibernate in my room until Victoria forgets about what I said.

"Hey." I hear from next to me, I turn and see Vic looking very smiley.

"Hey." I say awkwardly.

"Ten!" Everyone shouts.

"Did you really mean it?" She asks me, I quickly nod, knowing she would be able to tell if I was lying anyway.

"Nine!"

"You didn't have to run away like that." I knew it was a bad idea to run, but I've always been particularly good at running from my problems.

"Eight!"

"I know." I look at the ground.

"Seven!"

"You didn't even let me respond." She chuckles.

"Six!"

"I just didn't feel like being heartbroken on the last day of the year."

"Five!"

"I don't think that I could ever break your heart."

"Four!"

"Still, I didn't want to deal with it being one sided." I keep my head down.

"Three!"

"Don't you get it?"

"Two!"

"Get what?" I look at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"One!"

"Screw it." She says as she pulls me in for a kiss. Suddenly the whole world feels calm, like nothing else mattered except Victoria and I.

Suddenly it feels like I've come back to reality, as I'm surrounded by clapping and cheers.

I pull away from Victoria and look at my entire family, who is staring at us with admiration and frustration.

"Finally!" My youngest cousins scream, making me hide in Her chest as everyone laughs.

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fanfics4all · 4 years

Text

Just As Crazy

Request: Yes / No Hello Maybe you could do a Bellatrix X slytherin daughter reader who is just like her mother but is more insane.All she wants to do is to make her mother and Voldemort proud. She was the one who helped Tom open the Chamber of Secrets but nobody caught her. Then in 5th year she was the cause of Sirius death by betraying the DA when she shows up as a death eater. Tyyyyy 💕 Anon

Don’t be shy, request things! <3 Have a nice day/night

Bellatrix Lestrange x Daughter!Reader

Word count: 1248

Warnings: Sirius dying and that should be it

Y/N: Your Name

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK!

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you!

Masterlist

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

My Mother was locked up in Azkaban, so I was living with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. My cousin Draco wasn’t really a huge fan of me, but I wasn’t really a fan of him either. He was weak, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He was too emotional and wasn’t Death Eater material. However that wasn’t my decision to make. The two of us went to Hogwarts together, obviously getting placed in Slytherin. I ended up using the Malfoy name so no one knew who I really was. My Uncle was able to sneak letters into my Mother and she was delighted I was put in Slytherin. The first year was rather boring but that summer I got a job from Voldemort. I had to help the young Weasley girl open the Chamber of Secrets. My Uncle planted the book and then it was up to me to make sure the Chamber got opened. I was just the watcher to make sure Ginny wasn’t destered, but at the same time I couldn’t be caught. Lucky for me it was pretty simple, however Harry Potter ruined it and killed the basilisk!

I then had to gain Harry’s trust. It wasn’t easy to do, but I managed to do so by defending him and his disgusting friends against Draco. He hated it, but I assured him I hated it more. However it all paid off when I was invited to join their secret group in year five. Dumbledore’s Army was what they called themselves, how pathetic. Unbridge ended up catching us because of Cho Chang. Luckily they still trusted me and when Harry was going to the Ministry he asked me to join them. A small group of us made our way to London after a bit of trouble. When we made it to the Ministry we went straight to the Department of Mysteries. We walked down the hall, following Harry and he stopped just in front of a door at the end of the hall.

“This is it.” He said. We walked slowly to the door and walked in to see a dark room with shelves of orbs.

“Ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five.” Harry said and stopped in between the shelves.

“He should be here.” Harry said.

“Harry. It’s got your name on it.” Neville said looking at one of the orbs. everyone watched as Harry grabbed the orb.

“Harry.” Hermione said and looked down the hall. He pulled his gaze from the orb and looked down to see a Death Eater walking down towards us. I silently smirked and no one could see me since I was in the front. Harry moved in front of us and I quickly changed my expression to one of worry.

“Where’s Sirius?” Harry asked.

“You know, you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams…” Uncle Lucius said and removed his mask.

“And reality.” He finished.

“You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see. Now, hand me the prophecy.” He said.

“If you do anything to us, I’ll break it.” Harry said and I tried my hardest to not roll my eyes. I heard my Mother’s laugh and I suppressed my smile.

“He knows how to play. Itty, bitty, baby. Potter.” She said and shook her head at me. It wasn’t time.

“Bellatrix Lestrange.” said, stepping forward.

“Neville Longbottom, is it? How’s Mum and Dad?” Mum asked with a smirk.

“Better, now they're about to be avenged.” He replied and held up his wand. My Mother held her up and Uncle Lucius saw this could go bad quickly.

“Now, let’s everybody just calm down, shall we?” He said and they each lowered their wands.

“All we want is that prophecy.” He said.

“Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?” Harry asked and I sneered slightly.

“You dare speak his name? You filthy half blood!” My mother shouted.

“It’s alright. He’s just a curious lad, aren’t you? Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they are made. Which is lucky for you, really. Haven’t you always wondered the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord? Why he was unable to kill you when you were just an infant? Don’t you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do is give it to me. Then I can show you everything.” Uncle said, holding his hand out.

“I’ve waited fourteen years.” Harry said.

“I know.” Uncle said, looking as though he cared.

“I guess I can wait a little longer. Now! Stupefy!” Harry said. Everyone did the same and then ran. We ended up getting separated and my Mother found me. She grabbed me and pulled me along with her. Luckily no one saw.

“Where’s Y/N?” I heard Harry ask.

“They must have gotten her.” Neville said with a nervous tone. I smirked.

“Get back to the door!” Harry shouted and I heard them running.

“What do I do, Mother?” I asked.

“Just wait for the right moment.” She said and took me with her to follow them. We followed them into a new room and while the chaos was going on my Mother hid me in a doorway. I had to stay there until it was the right moment.

“Did you truly believe, or were you truly naive enough to think that children stood a chance against us?” Uncle asked and I stifled my laugh.

“I’ll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now, or watch your friends die.” He said.

“Don’t give it to him, Harry!” Neville shouted, but my Mother hushed him. I saw a white light appear and glanced around confused.

“Get away from my godson.” Sirius Black said punched my Uncle. Other white lights came and a fight started. I wanted to join, but my Mother gave me a sign to stay hidden. My Uncle was in trouble and my Mother had made it to me. I knew it was my time.

“Avada Kedavra!” I shouted and aimed it at Sirius. My Mother and I laughed as he fell back into the archway and disappeared.

“No! No!” Harry cried and I laughed harder. My Mother and I smirked at him as we ran off.

“I killed Sirius Black!” I laughed as I heard Harry running after us.

“You coming to get me?” I teased.

“Crucio!” Harry shouted and hit me. I screamed as I fell to the ground and Harry pointed his wand at me. My Mother escaped through the fireplace so I was alone. I looked at him with fake sadness.

“You’ve got to mean it, Harry. She killed him. She deserves it.” I heard the Dark Lord say and I looked up shocked and worried.

“You know the spell, Harry.” He said and he appeared behind Harry. I started laughing and smiling.

“Do it!” He said, but Harry turned around and knocked his wand from him.

“So weak.” He sneered. Dumbledore appeared and a fight started, giving me the perfect moment to escape. I made it to Malfoy Manor and my Mother greeted me with a wicked smile.

“Did I do well, Mother?” I asked with the same smirk.

“You did dear, the Dark Lord will be proud.” She said and my smile grew. The two of us gave an evil cackle and I knew the Dark Lord will rise to power once again.

Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs @schisbro87 @lover-of-books-and-teas @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches2 @genius2050 @drw0301bieber @lady-of-lies @ravenmoore14 @ravenempress101 @cillianchamp @rowanthomasknapp @in-slytherin-we-trust @accio-rogers @sambucky8

#harry potter imagine #bellatrix x daughter!reader #bellatrix lestrange #bellatrix lestrange x daughter!reader #draco x cousin!reader #draco malfoy x cousin!reader #fanfic #request #sirius black #lucius malfoy

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lupinlongbottom · 4 years

Text

Practically a Weasley pt. 3

Charlie Weasley x Reader

Summary: What could make Charlie’s life more full? He already had a wife he adored, a job he loved and a child who loved him more than the moon and stars. Lunch with his mum isn’t the first idea on his list, that’s for sure.

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings: a couple of swears? but like when isn’t there my dudes

A/N: So like, these are probably like 3 different stories in one, no clear plot. Oops that’s just my brain getting excited at the idea of their child and the Weasley dynamic so idk still cute

Part 1 ... Part 1.5 ... Part 2 ... Epilogue

“Charles Septimus Weasley!”

The name echoed through the quaint cottage, volume boasting only what could be rivaled to a howler. Charlie had been anticipating a screech like that all day, quietly enjoying a pot of tea, reading the latest issue of the Quibbler before his wife awoke.

“Yes my flower?” Charlie hummed, eyes not leaving his magazine. The latest headlining story involved a sighting of a new type of mini-dragon, one with invisible wings. They were not lizards, a fact Charlie was sure of.

“I just received an owl,” (Y/N) pointed, hopping down the oak stairs as if it were nothing. “From your brother,” she crossed her arms.

“You’re going to have to be more specific, love. Got quite a few of those,” he took a sip of tea.

“From Bill, the brother who was watching your daughter last night?”

“Oh love, I can’t remember much from last night. Maybe you can jog my memory?” His eyes peeked over the magazine, eyeing his wife up and down.

“Cheeky,” (Y/N) replied cooly, feeling a slight heat rise to her cheeks. “He said that Kayda had a wonderful time with her cousins, but when it came time to get ready for bed, she didn’t have any pajamas.”

“Oh?”

“You know what she had, though?”

“Not exactly,” he shrugged, flipping the page. “I let her pack her own overnight bag.”

“Did you double check it before you dropped her off?” (Y/N) crossed her arms, all her weight shifting to one side. “You know, considering she’s five?”

“I trust my daughter,” Charlie said, finally setting the magazine down, looking his wife in the eye. “But, to answer your question, it just might have slipped my mind.”

“Funny,” (Y/N) moved over to the table, standing directly over Charlie. “You know, last night, I was wondering why I couldn’t find that little red thing you like,” (Y/N) hummed, tapping her chin. “But Bill made it abundantly clear that Kayda had a very similar ‘night gown’ to wear.”

It took Charlie every ounce of his being to not laugh out loud. “And? You wore the black thing I like even better,” he grinned, pulling his wife onto his lap. “I’m sure Bill was mortified.”

“Charlie, I’m mortified! I don’t need your brother knowing what sorts of intimates I own!” (Y/N) allowed her head to fall into her hands. Charlie wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Flower,” another kiss. “He know’s we fuck. He babysat the evidence last night.”

“Charlie!” (Y/N) slapped his arm, trying to escape her husband’s grip. He tightened his hold. “I’m serious. We have lunch with your mum today! How am I supposed to look anyone in the eye?”

“Then don’t,” Charlie shrugged, swaying side to side, resting his head on (Y/N)’s shoulder. “Try avoiding your best mates once Bill tells ‘em after he drops Kay off,” Charlie laughed, pressing a kiss to his wife’s neck.

“No,” (Y/N) practically sighed. “Fred and George aren’t going to let me hear the end of it,” Charlie pressed another kiss to her neck, this time sucking lightly on her pulse. “Charlie, we shouldn’t…”

“Funny,” Charlie said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. “You didn’t say that last night. Got out all the candles, busted out the turntable—”

“—we have to leave for The Burrow soon,” she sighed again, leaning into Charlie’s peppering kisses. “I barely have enough time to get ready as it is!”

“Come on, love. You look even more radiant than the day I met you,” He pressed a kiss to her lips, soft and sweet. “We can be quick, considering we took our time last night,” another kiss. “Think of it as an encore presentation.”

(Y/N) laughed, finally releasing herself from her husband’s grip, headed towards the stairs. Charlie focused all too intently as she walked away. “Well?” (Y/N) stood at the end of the stairs, hand on her hip. “You coming?”

Charlie and (Y/N) arrived to their planned lunch on time. It only took a quick use of their floo and a careful once over of their appearances to make it to Molly and Arthur’s.

“Charlie! (Y/N)!” Molly exclaimed, practically rushing over to the fireplace to greet her children. With two wet smooches, (Y/N) and Charlie entered the living room. “Oh, Kayda is going to be thrilled that you’ve made it,” Molly said, rubbing Charlie’s cheek. “Sorry, sweetie. Floo powder.”

“Mum…” he hissed, swatting her hand away. “Where is everyone?” Charlie noted, taking a longer look at the living room and kitchen.

“They’re out playing quidditch, dear,” Molly answered, nodding her head to the back door. “Ginny made time in her busy schedule to be here, so Fred and George have been testing their little sister’s skills.”

“Sounds about right,” (Y/N) laughed, putting a dish on the kitchen table. “Do you have room for a cake, Molly? Charlie and I made one last night,” (Y/N) laughed. “Well, Charlie did most of it, but I added the hundreds and thousands.”

“I’m sure with the lot outside working as hard as they are, they’ll appreciate the treat, it won’t go to waste,” Molly smiled, setting the table. “I think the twins were trying to get little Kay up on a broom, might need her mum’s eye on that.”

(Y/N) groaned. “Peachy. Thanks for the heads up, Molly.”

“(Y/N), hear me out,” Charlie approached, blocking (Y/N) from opening the door to the backyard. “If they let her fall off you take Fred and I’ll take George.”

“Deal.”

The couple walked out to the makeshift quidditch pitch, hand in hand. Only two redheads could be seen flying in the sky, relief leaving their bodies with a deep exhale.

“Mummy!” A little redhead exclaimed, her chocolate brown eyes meeting (Y/N)’s. She struggled out of Ginny’s lap to run over to her mother, barreling faster than a snitch. Her little arms wrapped tightly around (Y/N)’s legs. “You’re here!”

“I am!” (Y/N) giggled, pulling her daughter up into her arms, kissing her forehead. The softness of her red bangs tickled (Y/N)’s nose.

“Daddy made it too, you know,” Charlie mumbled, fighting back a grin. He pulled his family in for a short hug, enjoying the warmth.

“Hi daddy,” Kayda said, waving to her father lightly, her hand moving in small circles.

“Glad to see you two made it safe,” Ginny laughed, walking over to her brother and his wife. “You just missed Bill.”

“He’s not staying for lunch?” (Y/N) asked. Ginny shook her head. “Amazing,” (Y/N) sighed, setting her daughter down. “He didn’t… share anything about their night last night, did they?”

“No, nothing out of the ordinary,” Ginny hummed, fingers running through her pixie cut. “But Kayda couldn’t stop talking about the dinner that Auntie Phlegm made.”

Kayda’s eyes lit up, a lightning bolt of remembrance hitting her face. “Oh! Mum! Aunt Phlegm made this yummy—”

“Kayda, her name is Aunt Fleur, not Phlegm,” (Y/N) looked at Ginny, who was wearing a proud grin, pride boasting from her chest. “What did Fleur make you?”

“Sorry mum,” Kayda sighed. “Aunt Fleur made dinner with all vegetables! She cut them really, really thin and called it rat-a-patoolie!”

“Rat-a-patoolie?” Charlie asked.

“You ate vegetables?” (Y/N) asked.

“They were really good, better than your veggies, mum!” Kayda smiled, hands on her hips. “Did you see that I dressed myself?”

“I did,” (Y/N) smiled, noting the bright purple overalls atop of a lime green jumper, not a pair of matching socks in sight. “I heard dad let you pack your clothes.”

“We heard that too,” Fred said, leaning down from his broom, now hovering over his family.

“Bill told us all about it,” George winked, hovering a few meters away from Fred, spinning upside down. “Say, Kay, how were your pajamas?”

“Red!” Kayda exclaimed, jumping lightly.

“Don’t worry, (Y/N), Uncle Billy made sure that she wore something else,” Fred cooed. “Mummy’s ‘fun clothes’ are folded neatly away.”

“You both have seven seconds to fly away,” (Y/N) said, pulling her wand out of her sleeve. “Before I do something I regret.”

“I’d listen to her, blokes,” Charlie laughed. “She nearly had my head this morning.”

“Bet she had more than your head this morning,” George smiled, high fiving Fred. The two laughed in the air, circling menacingly.

“Charlie, Ginny, take Kayda inside,” (Y/N) pushed up her sleeves. Charlie nodded and swooped his daughter right up.

“What’re you going to do from down there?” Fred chided, flying higher on his broom. “Last I checked, little (Y/N) isn’t good in the air.”

“Yeah, as long as we’re up here,” George laughed, holding his arms out. “We’re untouchable!”

(Y/N) stood for a moment. This was true, she was never good on a broom, practically cursed the second she sat upon it. It had been years since she tried again.

“Mum’s going to kill you!” Kayda shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. “You’re just scaredy-cats! Come down and fight her like boys!”

“Kayda,” (Y/N) scoffed. “I would never kill your uncles,” she smiled, patting her head. “Seriously injuring or harming them? Fair game.”

“No fair,” Fred yelled. “Using our favorite niece to taunt us?”

“Low blow, (Y/N),” George added.

“She learned that all on her own,” (Y/N) laughed. “Now, do you want to disappoint your little Kay-Kay?”

“Uncle Fred, Uncle George!” Kayda waved, grinning widely. “I wanna see your new toys!” Charlie whispered in his daughter’s ear. “Please?” she pleaded, now corrected by her father.

“Kayda…” Fred groaned, hanging upside down on his broom. “Stop looking so cute!”

“(Y/N), using children like this should be a criminal offense,” George pointed. “Punishable by an unforgivable curse!”

“Charlie?” (Y/N) turned, giving her husband a knowing look. “Time for the big guns.” Charlie nodded, leaning in to whisper to his daughter one more time.

“Uncle George and Fred?” Kayda asked, batting her brown eyes. “If you won’t come down to play with me, I’ll make Uncle Percy my favorite uncle.”

“Percy!?” The twins screamed in unison, instantly lowering their brooms and landing on the ground below.

“Go on, (Y/N),” Fred said, getting on his knees. “Take your best shot! We’ll take anything over your daughter’s threats.”

(Y/N) smiled, walking over to the twins, tapping her wand to the tip of her nose. “Rictusempra,” she mumbled, causing the twins to buckle in complete hysteria. She turned around to her husband, still holding their daughter. “Let’s go see what Molly cooked for lunch, yeah?”

“Mummy,” Kayda whimpered, pushing her plate away. “I don’t want any carrots.”

“Darling, you’ll hurt your gran’s feelings if you don’t at least try them,” (Y/N) sighed, patting her daughter’s back. The rest of the family had finished eating over 20 minutes ago, Ginny had already left, the twins were outside. (Y/N) was determined to get Kayda to eat one baby carrot, even if it killed her.

“You won’t hurt my feelings,” Molly piped up, washing the dishes. “Charlie never cared for carrots either,” she laughed.

“Molly,” (Y/N) hissed. “If she can eat Fleur’s ratatouille, she can eat at least one of your carrots.”

“Let me try,” Charlie said, sitting on the chair next to his daughter, cracking his knuckles exaggeratedly. “Kay, you remember going to go see Harriet, right?” Kayda nodded. Harriet was her favorite to visit at the sanctuary, after Charlie of course. “She didn’t used to be as big as she is now, you know why?”

“Because she grew up?” Kayda asked, looking up at her father.

“Well, yes,” Charlie smiled lightly. “But she grew because she also ate her carrots.” Charlie put his hand atop his daughters, holding it gently.

“Dragons don’t eat carrots, daddy,” Kayda laughed, swatting his hand away. “You said Harriet used to eat spinach too! She can’t eat both!”

(Y/N) laughed. “She’s right, Charlie, Harriet couldn’t possibly have eaten both carrots and spinach,” Charlie gave (Y/N) an exasperated look. She shot back a shit-eating grin.

“Tell you what,” Charlie said, picking up a spare fork. “If you eat a carrot, I’ll eat a carrot,” he held back a gulp. “Then you can go and play with Fred and George all you want, okay?”

“You’ll eat a carrot?” Kayda’s brown eyes grew to the size of saucers. She quickly shoved her fork in her mouth, the orange disappearing behind her lips. A few chews and swallow, she grinned. “Your turn, daddy!”

Charlie sat still. “You ate that fast, Kay,” he laughed nervously, tapping the fork lightly to the plate. “Did you think she’d eat it that fast?” He turned to (Y/N). She laughed.

“She’s your daughter,” (Y/N) shrugged. “Stubborn and determined as all hell.”

“As all hell!” Kayda repeated, grinning wildly.

“Kayda,” Charlie groaned. “What did we say about swearing?”

“That mummy and daddy are allowed to do it, but not me,” Kayda sighed, looking down. Her crestfallen expression quickly flipped. “Eat your carrot, dad!” she exclaimed, changing the subject.

“She’s right,” (Y/N) hummed, leaning behind Charlie, wrapping her arms around his chest, head resting on his shoulder. “You’re avoiding the carrot, dad.”

“(Y/N),” he groaned again, feeling (Y/N)’s lips press against his temple. “Carrots are gross.”

“Stop being a baby,” (Y/N) laughed, her hand guiding his to the plate, stabbing a baby carrot with the fork. “You’re setting a bad example for your daughter,” (Y/N) said, holding his hand, now forcing the carrot closer to his lips.

“What’s in it for me?” Charlie asked, turning his head away from the fork.

(Y/N) smiled, her lips meeting his for a short peck. “The satisfaction of your daughter’s dreams coming true,” another short kiss.

“Please, daddy?” Kayda pleaded, clasping her hands together. Molly grinned from the sink, enjoying the scene before her.

“You have two beautiful girls asking you to eat a carrot, Charlie. There are worse things.” Molly laughed.

Charlie took a deep breath, finally determined to fulfill his promise. With a bated breath, he put the carrot in his mouth, chewing slowly. All eyes were on him, waiting for his final swallow. “There,” Charlie groaned, slamming the fork down. “Are you all happy?”

“Yeah, I am,” Kayda said, dropping down from her chair. “Gran, can I be excused?” Molly nodded. “I’m going to go play with Uncle Fred and George!”

“You did it,” (Y/N) laughed, rubbing Charlie’s back. “You ate a carrot without vomiting,” she grabbed Kayda’s plate, finally turning it into the sink.

“And they say love is dead,” Charlie said, wiping his mouth. “I can’t believe Kayda actually ate a carrot. I was almost certain she would throw a fit.”

“You underestimate our daughter, sometimes.”

“Maybe so,” Charlie groaned. “She just holds such a power over me, (Y/N),” he shook his head. “I better go make sure Fred and George don’t use Kayda as a test subject or something.”

“A doting father never rests,” (Y/N) laughed.

“You know,” Molly said, turning from the sink. “I never thought I’d see the day where Charlie was under the complete mercy of a little girl,” she laughed, pulling her greying hair out of her bun. “Besides Ginny, of course.”

“Children change people,” (Y/N) shrugged. “Changed me a bit. Kayda gives me more than enough inspiration for new books. I reckon I could pump at least two or three more out just thinking about it.”

“Children?” Molly asked excitedly.

“What?” (Y/N) felt her cheeks heat up, realizing what she had just said. “Oh, Godric no! I reckon one’s enough. I was talking about my books, Molly.”

“You never thought of having another one?” Molly sat at the kitchen table, summoning a pot of tea. “Children are a blessing, you know.”

“Charlie and I never talked about it,” (Y/N) shrugged. “I know Kayda wants a little brother, asked for one last Christmas. But Charlie’s so busy at work, I’m practically locked in my study every hour of the day now that Kay’s at school…”

“Last I remember, you and Charlie didn’t talk about having Kayda,” Molly hummed. “Come to think of it, you didn’t exactly talk about marriage either. You’re a very spontaneous lot, the two of you,” she smiled, sipping from her mug. “I know it’s none of my business, but I would adore another grandchild.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Molly,” (Y/N) said, forcing a small smile. “It’s just, our life is just so perfect the way it is, you know? I have a husband who loves me unconditionally, an angel of a child and a career I love. I’m just afraid—”

“That a new baby is going to ruin it?” (Y/N) nodded her head. “Did I ever tell you about when I had Bill? Arthur and I had the same conversation about having Charlie.”

“You did?”

“Children bring joy, (Y/N). I’m sure you know that with Kayda. I’m sure Charlie knows, too.”

“You seem a bit biased,” (Y/N) smiled.

“I am,” Molly laughed. “I just can’t wait for more grandkids! I’m up to four now, quite the collection.”

“I’ll try talking to Charlie, see where his head is at,” (Y/N) stood up, hearing a loud crash from outside. “Didn’t Fred mention at lunch that they were working on a new dungbomb?” Molly nodded. “I didn’t realize becoming a mother meant I had to babysit my best mates and husband, too,” she sighed, enjoying the jovial laughter Molly sprung from the kitchen as (Y/N) went outside.

The scent was excruciating, swelling into (Y/N)’s senses. The culprits, (Y/N) deduced, were laughing like maniacs. The sweet bell-like sound of her daughter’s laugh was sprinkled into the mess.

“Mummy! Do you smell that?” Kayda laughed, calling from George’s lap, his arm wrapped lovingly around her. “Uncle George farted!”

“Did not!” George said, looking down at his niece. “I thought that was you!” Kayda’s laughter rang out again, shaking her head wordlessly. “Maybe it was Fred?”

“Oi! Maybe it was the dungbomb?” Fred asked, pointing to the exploded fragments a few meters away from the group.

“Can’t even go along with Kay-Kay’s joke? What kind of comedian are you?” George asked, glaring at his twin. “Honestly, I don’t even know you anymore.”

“Where’s Charlie?” (Y/N) asked, realizing that her husband wasn’t around.

“He’s out flying,” George said, thumb pointing to the pitch. “We convinced him to—”

“—blow off some steam while we had some quality time with the greatest product tester,” Fred ruffled Kayda’s bangs, eliciting a grin from the girl.

“What did you say to him, exactly?” (Y/N) asked, knowing full well that Charlie wouldn’t have just left their daughter in the hands of the twins for too long.

“Oh nothing…”

“Just maybe that his quidditch skills are dwindling every second he spends off of a broom…”

“The fact that also his little sister is dominating in the quidditch world and out-shining him as the ‘Weasley star’…”

“Alright,” (Y/N) said, holding her hand up. “I’m going to find my husband, don’t let Kayda eat anything funky, okay?” (Y/N) turned to the pitch, walking away.

“Is a ‘face pickling fudge’ considered funky?” George shouted, ignoring the finger (Y/N) was proudly flashing for him.

(Y/N) looked to the sky, watching Charlie zoom through the various hoops on either end of the field with ease, as if he had been born on a broom. The wind breezed through his hair, blowing it back. Charlie noted his audience, lowering almost instantly.

“No helmet?” (Y/N) laughed, kissing Charlie as he dismounted.

“Seekers don’t wear helmets, love,” Charlie said, combing through his hair. “Besides, you love the wind-swept look.”

“I do,” (Y/N) hummed, kissing her husband again. “For someone who claims to never fly at work, you were pulling those stunts off pretty easily,” (Y/N) noted, tracing her finger in a loop.

“I didn’t say I never fly,” Charlie said, laughing lightly. “But flying for fun and flying away from an angry dragon are two completely different things, flower.”

“Maybe,” (Y/N) agreed. “Why don’t you fly more around the house? Kayda would love to watch you.”

“You know how you are on a broom, love. The second Kay sees me fly around, she’ll want you to join. I’m just avoiding that disappointment.”

“Disappointment?”

“When Kayda figures out that her mum’s a wussy,” Charlie beamed, fully expecting the slap to the side he had received. “You know I’m right!”

“Kayda knows that I’m shit on a broom,” (Y/N) said, crossing her arms. “I know how badly you want to get her on one, but we agreed—”

“Stop talking, (Y/N),” Charlie said, hopping back onto his broom, holding his hand out. “Get on the broom.”

“Are you kidnapping me to make a point?” (Y/N) laughed, pointing an eyebrow upwards at the notion.

“Wouldn’t call it a kidnapping,” Charlie said, offering his hand again. “Don’t you want your child to know you’re not a wussy? If I can eat a carrot for our daughter, you can ride on a broom for her too.”

“I failed flying class at school—”

“I didn’t,” Charlie said, taking his wife’s hand, pulling her up onto the stick. She sat behind him, holding onto his chest tightly. “I’m the one flying this broom, yeah?”

“Charles Weasley if you do any funny tricks, I swear on my own life—”

“What? I can’t hear you!” Charlie shouted, swiftly lifting into the air, pointing to his ear. “The wind!”

“Shut your mouth, Charlie!” (Y/N) screamed, clinging to her husband tighter as the ground below became smaller and smaller. “You can hear me perfectly fine!”

Charlie stopped, floating midair, The Burrow the size of an apple below them. “Love, there’s no need to shout,” he said, turning his head slightly, a grin stretched to his face. “I’m right here.”

“I think I’m going to be sick,” (Y/N) said, burrowing her face into Charlie’s red jumper.

“Aim for one of the twins, would you? I overheard them scheming to put different prank supplies for Kayda in her bag before we leave,” he laughed. “Besides, you’re the one who gave me this jumper, I quite like it.”

“I guess it’s not so bad from up here…” (Y/N) said, taking another look at the ground.

“Of course not,” Charlie laughed, causing (Y/N)’s arms to bounce. “You’re with your favorite person, your husband, whom you trust I hope?”

“Kayda’s my favorite person,” (Y/N) said simply. “You’re up there, though."

“I could flip this broom around right now and you have the audacity to say that your daughter is your favorite person?”

“Hey, she’s our daughter. Last I checked it took the two of us to make her,” (Y/N) laughed. “I can be a bit of a narcissist and say that my favorite person is a perfect mix of my other favorite person and myself, right?”

“Perhaps,” Charlie said, flying slowly around the grounds, gently elevating and dipping every so often. “She’s pretty perfect.”

“Do you want another?” (Y/N) blurted, not even realizing what she had said.

“What?”

“Molly said something after lunch that had me thinking—”

“Yes,” Charlie said simply. “Of course I want another.”

“You better not be pulling on my leg, Charles Weasley.”

“I’m serious,” Charlie laughed. “I know my mum planted that seed in your head—obsessed with her grandchildren, that one—but understand that I’d be open to having another.”

“Open?”

“Like you said, love,” Charlie began to fly closer to The Burrow, watching Kayda jump enthusiastically below. “It takes two,” he shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, I would love nothing more than to try day and night—”

“I get the picture,” (Y/N) laughed, her face surely growing pink. “I’m not entirely sure I want another, honestly. We didn’t plan Kayda, but I’m so happy she’s in our lives…”

“So maybe we don’t plan?” Charlie shrugged, turning his head again. “Maybe we just continue our weekly routines—a little less carefully—and accept whatever is to come of it?”

“We’re quite against planning anything, aren’t we?” (Y/N) said, loosening her grip on Charlie, finally growing used to the height.

“Speaking of, we didn’t use any—”

“—this morning? No. No we did not,” (Y/N) laughed. “An oversight.” (Y/N) pressed a soft kiss to the back of Charlie’s shoulder, leaning fully onto his back. A husband who loved her, friends closer than brothers and a child who lit up her waking days? Maybe another wouldn’t hurt.

Right?

General Tag List: @maralisa124 , @leighxlover , @hey-its-me-rai , @missihart23 , @biatheintrovert , @chocolaterumble, @why-am-i-sad-and-sleepy , @steve-thotgers , @greeneyedthief

Charlie Weasley Tag List: @sungoddessra , @phantom-pheonix , @dccomicnerd-world , @marveltrash99 , @graymountaingal, @storiesbycaroline, @mytinybaguette , @garbdump , @utahjoerdis , @eldritchscreech , @fiiiinewine

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#charlie weasley x reader #charlie weasley #charlie weasley x you #harry potter x reader #harry potter #charlie weasley imagine #dragon boi #practically a weasley #uh yeah that's all folks #probably no more PaW tbh #send some asks about their lives if you wanna hear more but I don't think I'm writing more for this series #enjoy!

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lovelyirony · 4 years

Note

if you’re taking prompts uhh “the darkness encroaches (you keep it at bay)” idk for who maybe tony?

Tony, for one thing, did not like the fact he was apparently part of a long line of magic-users.

His mom had always been tight-lipped about her own family history, even after she left dad and they moved back to New York.

Tony had asked one time about her family. They had to talk about family history in one of his classes, and there was no way in hell that he wanted to talk about Howard in any capacity that was even neutral. (After all for his debate class, he was talking about how much he sucked in terms of universal weaponry policy.)

Mom had given him a sharp look from the kitchen counter, and even though she was wearing rubber gloves and her hair was pushed back by a bandana that had little Mickey Mouse print on it, she still looked terrifying.

“They’re not worth mentioning, Tony. Make something up.”

“Geez, okay. Touchy subject...”

“Not touchy. Just not worth the time.”

Tony didn’t make a comment after that, because in all honesty he and his mom have never been excellent liars to each other, and this time is no exception.

He does make up his family history. He knows his family is probably from Italy somewhere, they moved in...1923? Yeah, that sounds good. And he’s named after an uncle.

(He isn’t.)

Tony doesn’t ask his mom again because he knows that she won’t give in or break down to answer his questions, and there’s probably good reason why he doesn’t know.

Oh, there’s a reason alright.

He likes science. He likes understanding things. In his (correct) opinion, magic is just science that no one understands yet. Everything has an explanation.

Well.

He accidentally set an asshole’s Mustang on fire.

To be fair, he was an asshole. He had been talking over the professor during every single slide in the lecture presentation for his lecture, and Tony had just about yelled in frustration.

So instead as he saw the guy rev his engine for his stupid fucking car and make a whole big scene about how he had a Mustang, how fucking cool is that you absolute shit-heel of a person-

Fire.

Nothing serious, but Tony knows he did it.

He could feel how his hands twitched, how something came to him and from him. Something not normal.

Or at least if it was normal, health class never came close to covering it.

But it’s a one-time thing, he thinks. He’s not really doing anything else, so maybe it only happens when he’s really mad? That’s probably it. That has to be it.

Except the ramen that he likes at the grocery store is on the top shelf, and Rhodey wandered off to get actual food, and so he can’t reach it because he’s not a freak who is like 6′4″.

It floats.

It fucking floats.

The sweet-chili-ramen floats into his cart and Rhodey sees it, and he stares.

"Either I took an edible and it finally kicked in, or you just did something that definitely isn’t supposed to happen.”

“Maybe the latter,” Tony says faintly.

“Oh,” Rhodey says. “Do you think we have time to get that queso you wanted, or do we have to pay for the groceries and go to the car to process?”

“Queso over my mental state,” Tony responds automatically. “Let’s go.”

They eat in silence when they get to their apartment, and they don’t say anything for about ten minutes.

“So. Do you think you can fly on a broomstick?”

“What? No!” Tony exclaimed, but pausing. “Well, I’ve never tried before, so...”

“Then we have to try. For science reasons,” Rhodey says. “Where the fuck do we get a broomstick?”

So...

As it turns out, you can’t really get a traditional broomstick, so they went to the store and bought a mop.

“They have a mop, but not a broomstick?”

“To be fair, it is April.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Well,” Rhodey starts to explain, “April showers bring May flowers, but also wet boots into the hallway. Also, it’s not your holiday yet.”

“Well yeah, it’s not May yet.”

“I didn’t mean your birthday, dipshit. I meant your holiday.”

“What the fuck is my holiday?” Tony demands. “No one has a ‘celebrate Tony Stark’ day in their calendars, as far as I or my ego knows, so-”

He stops.

“Oh, you little shit.”

“I’m not little,” Rhodey brags. “I’m taller than you.”

“For now.”

“For permanence!”

“I’ll make you pay for this broomstick with the last ten dollars in your checking account.”

“Then I’ll tell Jarvis!”

“Damn your need to know my family,” Tony curses. “Fine.”

Tony can’t fucking fly on a fucking mop.

One broken arm later and a phone call to his mother later, Maria Carbonell is sitting on her son’s dormitory mattress and wondering just why the hell he lied to her about how he broke his arm.

Here was her son’s lie:

“Um. I broke my arm because dinner sucked.”

A.) There was no follow up.

B.) Her son is bad at lying as she is.

Unfortunately, she did not announce her arrival, and so she gets Tony’s roommate opening the door and screaming that the liquor is in the second cabinet from the left.

Maria raises one eyebrow.

“Did Tony at least pick out good wine?”

“Uh...you’re Tony’s mom?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t think you were coming to visit until move-out.”

“I...we had an interesting conversation. You wouldn’t happen to know why Tony actually broke his arm, would you?”

“Um...no.”

(Rhodey is also a bad liar.)

Tony gets home about ten minutes later and promptly says:

“Oh fuck.”

“Is that any way to greet your mother?” Mom asks, already sipping delicately on her glass of water.

“Um...move-out isn’t for another month.”

“I know. But you lied to your dear mother.”

“How did you know?”

“You can never hide anything from your mom, and your excuse needed work, honey,” Maria answers. “So. How did you break your arm?”

Tony sighs.

“Promise me you won’t laugh. And don’t tell Jarvis.”

“What did you....what?”

The mop.

Maria doesn’t laugh at first, at least until she sees the pictures that Rhodey took and chuckles.

“You promised me you wouldn’t laugh!”

“What were you doing? And why?” she asks, laughing. Tony rubs the back of his neck nervously.

“Um, well...funny story...”

Maria should have known that her son would have her...abilities. But she had hoped that if he had never known the family, had never known what she could do, that maybe...maybe they wouldn’t come.

“So what you’re telling me,” Tony says, nostrils flaring, “is that there’s magic?”

“Yes,” Maria says. “And what we deal with specifically is good magic.”

“Oh, so I could’ve put Glinda the Good Witch on my family tree project,” Tony says sarcastically.

Maria scowls.

“Don’t sass me, Tony. I did it for your own good.”

“I set a car on fire!”

“Well, what kind of car was it?!”

“A Mustang!”

“Then that makes sense!” Maria says. “Your father drove one, and we all know how that turned out!”

Tony blinks for a moment.

And then laughs.

Maria starts laughing too, until they’re both giggling in the apartment, and Tony tells her about the grocery store incident.

Mom tells him, essentially, that they have a job: defend from the darkness. She doesn’t say if the darkness is someone or a group or a concept. She just says that she’ll send him some of the spell-books (fucking spell-books!) over and talk about how emotions and different hand motions can affect how spells go.

“So, why never the family? I mean, you could’ve told me about them and then just not mentioned the magic portion,” Tony asks when he’s moved back into their house, and has grilled Mom on just about every single page in the book.

“Because as much as your father is a terrible person, you’re still like him in some aspects,” Maria says. “And you are stubborn and don’t let information go. You want to know how everything works, and that includes family. You would’ve been wreaking havoc since you were eight.”

“I was already wreaking havoc when I was eight,” Tony whines. “But, this also raises the question of when are we doing a family reunion?”

She stops, looking at him.

“They weren’t exactly pleased when I married a millionaire.”

“Not even when he became a billionaire and you got half his fortune?” Tony teases.

“Not even then,” she answers. “I have a...complicated relationship with magic.”

“As in, you don’t use it.”

“Correct,” she answers. “You don’t need magic in your life, and quite often, it gets you in more trouble than you anticipate.”

“Are you going to give me a ‘magic has consequences’ speech?”

Maria laughs.

“No. Magic, as far as I know, doesn’t really have consequences. The actions you do have consequences. You could blast up an entire country and as long as you don’t get caught, no consequences other than what you do to yourself.”

“Like having guilt?”

“Like having guilt. But enough about that, it’ll make you feel weird for a week if you keep thinking about it. I want you to light candles from two feet away.”

“Of course I can do that,” Tony scoffs.

“Sure you can.”

Tony also sets the curtains on fire!

Maria realizes that her son is perhaps just a tad (okay, a lot) more powerful than she was (and is).

So, she regrettably calls her mother.

Nonna Carbonell is a very imposing figure. A woman who is four-foot-eight and about seven-feet-tall in terms of personality, and dresses only in questionable 1970s-print dresses.

“Ah, so you finally come back home, Maria. And you brought your boy! Who I only see twice in the magazines!”

“You know exactly why I didn’t come back, Mama,” Maria says, rolling her eyes. “But enough about that. You need to teach Tony.”

“Antonio,” Mama says, grinning at him and pinching his cheeks. “Ah, so good to see you have the Carbonell nose, your father was ugly as a mule.”

Tony pointedly does not say that everyone else seems to think that he is the spitting image of his father, but...

His mom and Nonna do not get along, if family dinner is anything to go by. Tony’s lucky that his mom got him at least some Italian lessons so he’s not completely lost with all of his aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He sees pots and pans coming off the shelves themselves. Ladles and knifes dance out of the drawers.

His baby cousin-Geraldine, who is only two-is waving her fingers lackadaisically, and in what seems to be no effort, her bottle of juice is off of the counter.

Great. A two year old is better at magic than he is.

Nonna is a great teacher, who also happens to terrify Tony with how much she can do.

“You’re important,” she grins. “You have more power than your mother, thank God.”

“Why thank god?” Tony asks.

“You always thank God, Tonio,” Nonna says, waving the curtains shut. “Now, let’s see you get the flour off the shelf.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to get, like, a salt shaker?”

“If you spill the salt shaker we get the devil!” Nonna declares. “Flour is better.”

It is not better. It turns Nonna into a ghost, and Tony has to spend ages dusting it off his black jeans.

“Maybe pepper shaker next time,” she says weakly.

Tony does call Rhodey. He was supposed to go on a road trip to see him, and now he’s in Italy learning how to fling flour sacks across the kitchen at his idiot Uncle Theo.

“How goes your magic training you fucking nerd?”

“Literally I call you, and that’s how you greet me?”

“I told my DnD group that you moved to Italy to play on a campaign for a worldwide championship.”

“You are quite literally the worst friend ever.”

“False, because when I moved out I found your favorite Black Sabbath shirt and am saving it for when you move back. Please tell me you’re moving back so I can plan friendships accordingly.”

“I’ll be back. Who knows, I might be able to help with some lifting.”

“I still don’t trust your noodle arms, no matter how much ‘magic’ you have now.”

“Hey! They’re not noodles!”

“Says you, noodle-arm boy.”

“I’m going to curse you into a toad.”

“There’s no way you can do that,” Rhodey says, laughing. “I guarantee you that you wouldn’t be able to turn me back.”

“And then we’d have so much more space in the apartment, darling.”

“But then I wouldn’t have to pay rent! Huzzah! And I wouldn’t have to do my stupid business classes!”

Tony laughs.

“I’ve missed talking to you, Rhodey. I can’t wait until I get to come home again.”

“Me too,” he responds. Tony can practically feel his smile through the phone.

There’s yelling that Rhodey can hear, something about “come back here you American bastard and learn how to knit with magic!” and a hurried “goodbye, love you” from Tony.

Tony does get good at magic. He gets very good.

It’s terrifying to Maria, really.

Darkness has always existed, and it will always exist. Their family exists as a way to keep it balanced, and Tony...

He plays with magic as if he’s always known it, now. He can do things that not even the older family can do. He has meshed magic with mechanics, and he’s started on ideas that Maria was quite sure no one had thought of.

And then, of course, family does what family does best:

They tell you things you should’ve known about three months earlier.

With most families, the thing that they don’t tell you is something like “oh, Aunt Margaret made a terrible choice in husbands again.” Or perhaps “did you see his tattoo? Who in their right mind gets a Sonic the Hedgehog tattoo on their chest?”

With this family, it is the fact that darkness is coming within the next four years, and Tony is probably their only chance.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Maria hisses at her sister.

“Because you moved to America!” Gia hisses right back. “We can’t afford to collect call every single time we had trouble.”

“You couldn’t tell me that the darkness is approaching way sooner than we expected?! Because what, you didn’t want to pay for a phone call!”

“To be fair, Nonna made that decision,” Enzo says. “She thought we could handle it. And we can! We can!”

“Oh sure, that’s why Nonna told me that my son is your only chance,” Maria says, dry tone to her voice. “God, I need wine...”

“Everyone needs wine, it’s practically a requirement,” Gia says. “Don’t worry. Things will work themselves out.”

“But will it work out for us?” Maria asks. “I don’t want to be the modern model for the next pietà someone wants to make...”

Tony, unfortunately, is his mother’s son and has listened in on every single conversation that’s ever been had in their house. Here are three things that he has learned:

1.) Apparently, his mother used to bake the best bread, and they forgot to write and ask her for the recipe, and they also didn’t call her.

2.) He’s the last hope for everyone of existing with good things, and no one’s sure how to beat the darkness and he has no clue how to.

3.) Apparently his grandfather (named Basil, of all names) could out-drink anyone and had publicly threatened at least six government officials just because he wanted to see if he could.

You will notice that one of these facts is most likely important than the others.

Who the hell names their kid Basil?

(Just kidding.)

Tony gets back to the US, promises his mom that he won’t tell anyone, and then immediately tells Rhodey when mom goes to the grocery store.

“Wait, so...they’re trusting you?”

“I know! What a terrible idea!”

“God, I know. You can’t even clean a microwave.”

“That was one time!”

Rhodey laughs, tackling Tony in a hug.

“I know, I know. Welcome back, Tones.”

He feels safe. Protected.

He has to learn how to fucking throw knives. Mom has decided that she is going to call in a favor from Howard, and it involves dragging Tony to a most-likely-illegal-pseudo-government-set-up and training under a guy who goes by Hawkeye and a lady who goes by “Black Widow” and expects Tony to be fine with it.

Rhodey also attends, because Tony appreciates misery with company.

Plus, they can complain together as they’re getting their asses kicked.

“Do you ever think about taking a vacation?” Rhodey asks, panting as Natasha once again slams him down on the mat. “I’m sure that Florida or the Philippines would appreciate you. Tourism or the economy, or something like that.”

“You’re not getting out of your fighting lessons by bribing me with a nice vacation,” Natasha says simply. “Tony, adjust your left arm. You’ll break it when Clint comes into contact.”

“Maybe I want to break my arm!” Tony declares.

“Do you want to have to wrap your cast in plastic every single time you shower?” Clint asks. “Because that’s what’ll happen.”

“Why don’t you just spray the cast with some sort of waterproofing spray?”

“Would that even work?” Clint asks. “Because you might have just blown my mind.”

“It might work, I don’t know,” Tony says, panting.

It is eight months when Tony first brushes with darkness.

It’s the morning, which is...odd. He wouldn’t think that darkness would show up in the morning, but here he is on his morning walk trying desperately hard to fight it off and also not grab attention.

He manages to slam it down on the road and have a car run it over, and for the most part, the darkness retreats. He sends it off with a curse, and he runs all the way back to the apartment.

Rhodey frowns.

“We probably need other people, right?”

“A regular family reunion and then some.”

So as it turns out, they’re not getting a family reunion. At least, not any time soon.

Apparently, Nonna is demanding that they have to be there from October 31st through December 7th, according to Holy Days of Obligation and Holidays (specifically, Christian holidays.)

“Nonna, isn’t witchcraft considered illegal or something?” Tony asks. “Like, I thought the church didn’t like that.”

“Too bad, too late. We stay. Talk to your mama, Tonio. She will have answers.”

Maria has absolutely no answers!

“I didn’t seek out witches who live here, baby,” she says, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Why don’t you email people? Ask around?”

“You can’t just ask people if they’re a witch!” Tony cries.

“Why not?”

“Because you get people who think you’re insane, or they’re insane!”

“So?”

“...good point.”

Pepper Potts is not sure why she answers the post. It is probably something else not related to what she does. Maybe she’ll be meeting with weirdos. But when you get an ad that’s about “stopping darkness from engulfing the world in two-to-four-years: you wanna help?” you listen to that.

So she answers, and she walks in her business-casual outfit, and she meets two guys who are sitting at a shitty folding table at the park.

One of them is wearing cargo pants.

“Are you here about the darkness?” one of the boys says, blinking up at her behind gigantic glasses.

“Um. Yes?”

“Good. My name is Tony, this is Rhodey in the terrible pants. And you are?”

“Um. Pepper?”

“Oh, cool name.”

“Thanks, picked it out myself.”

Rhodey laughs.

“Good. Now, what kind of magic stuff can you do?”

“I’d hardly call it stuff.”

“Tony uses his to make us ramen while we marathon a crime show, I’m calling it stuff,” Rhodey defends.

Pepper watches around her, and satisfied with the lack of people around, lifts Rhodey out of his chair and floats him about thirty feet over.

When he jogs back over, he’s grinning.

“Very cool. What else?”

Pepper is well-versed in technique, spells, and a few tricks that Tony doesn’t know about involving manipulation of light.

“How can you do that?”

“Practice,” Pepper says. “And a late-night conspiracy theory documentary.”

“Cool,” Tony and Rhodey say at the same time.

Pepper actually doesn’t live that far away, and she goes to the same college. They see a lot more of her and become friends.

She helps them update the spell-book, get it organized online, and focus on finding out where the darkness is going to appear next.

Tony is trying very hard not to break down from stress. He’s barely twenty, ate ramen for lunch and dinner yesterday, and is not very sure that he can do this.

People keep telling him that he’s the only hope they have, and he doesn’t want to be that.

He just wants to have a regular summer and make fun of Rhodey’s questionable fashion choices.

He doesn’t even know how to defeat this. At all. And he just wants to graduate college, and get a job somewhere and annoy his mom into teaching him how to make homemade pasta.

Not...not this.

But you don’t get to choose what you have to do for others. You have to do what they need.

Rhodey, at least, understands this.

That is why he is outside of Tony’s door with a half-cold burrito of questionable origins, a smile, and no knowledge of personal boundary space.

(Not that Tony minds.)

“Hey,” he says. “So, you have to save the world and I still remember the fact that you forget to get your shit out of the microwave.”

Tony laughs at that, taking the proffered burrito and biting into it.

“You still have shitty taste in burritos. Where is this even from?”

“A badly-painted truck two blocks from here. I think I was their first customer of the day.”

“No shit,” Tony says, taking another bite of the burrito. “You want to watch a movie or play a video game?”

“Movie. Something light.”

This is how they get to watch a movie that honestly doesn’t mean anything to either of them, but it is mindless and it allows Rhodey to sneak his hand over Tony’s, and it allows Tony some sort of happiness that at least Rhodey is still by his side.

“Hey Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“You think if I managed to find an actual broomstick, you could fly it?”

“Oh, fuck you!” Tony laughs, tossing a pillow over Rhodey’s face.

“I’m serious. You managed to charm the coffeepot into being sentient, so...”

“That was a mistake, and now we’re stuck with Maggie, don’t bother her.”

But it does have him thinking.

If he can charm a coffeepot, what else could he charm?

A suit of armor.

That’s what he charms. He was originally shooting for a broomstick, but then Pepper surprised him and now he has a charmed suit of armor that stands in the hallway of his mom’s old house. (Their base of operations.)

It gives him an idea.

Why not combine the old with the new?

After all, it’s not like darkness hasn’t adapted to hundreds of years of battles. Why not throw a curveball?

“I don’t like using my major,” Rhodey whines as Tony makes him lift one of the arms for his own suit.

“Too bad,” Tony teases. “I’ll get you pizza after.”

“Promise?”

“Mostly.”

“Good enough for me.”

Pepper thinks they’re both idiots, at least until she gets her own suit and is positively thrilled when she looks like she’s a superhero from a television show.

“Yeah, yeah, we look cool.” Tony says. “Now, who’s ready to learn how to conduct magic and electricity at the same time?”

It works out better than anticipated, all things considered.

“You ruined the couch, Anthony Edward Stark-Carbonell!” Mom fumes. “The couch! Where I sit!”

“To be fair, it’s a really ugly couch,” Tony says weakly. “And it’s, um, for the betterment of...magical society?”

“Don’t you dare quote your Aunt Gia at me!” Mom goes on muttering in Italian, and it sounds suspiciously like “why did I have to have a son who blows up couches” to Tony.

The darkness comes in full-force on a Saturday night, which is really inconvenient for a lot of reasons:

1.) A Saturday? Really? It couldn’t come on, like, a Thursday?

2.) They’ve been celebrating Rhodey’s birthday and perhaps Tony has enjoyed two or three drinks and gotten a pleasant buzz out of it, all things considered.

3.) It’s midnight. Why midnight? That’s late, Pepper wanted to get to bed.

4.) Mom is going to kill them, because technically they weren’t supposed to be out on the town.

So here they are, panicking and throwing shitty restaurant chairs around in order to main some sort of ahead-of-the-game mentality.

“Do you think if we called your mom, she would help?”

“She would probably kill me first!” Tony wails.

“Before darkness can?”

“Probably!”

Maria won’t kill her son yet.

Yet.

But god she’s going to come close.

“You could’ve just asked me to buy you wine!” she says. “You could’ve had a movie in!”

“Well sorry, I didn’t think that the darkness was going to come on Rhodey’s birthday!”

“Oh when would you have thought it would come? Next Thursday? Or something more convenient for your year?”

“I mean, when I have to visit Howard over the summer, that would be beneficial.”

“I’ll make up a different excuse,” Mom hisses, deflecting a tendril of darkness from the window and wincing as it smashes a painting down from the wall.

The fight is a hard one. All good fights are. (Although the best fights are ones that are over in five minutes, give or take.)

It’s been hours, Tony is tired, and honestly he really is debating calling a break and going to get a shitty fast-food burger.

Rhodey says “no” even though his stomach is growling.

Pepper has been having fun finding new ways to animate cars, but she’s getting tired.

And then it gets all of his family that he’s made.

He can see Rhodey writhing in it, can see his mom fight it off, and watches Pepper scream.

Tony is not sure if he can do it.

But he has to. He has to beat this fucking terrible thing back because if he doesn’t, everyone else dies. And they don’t get families, they don’t know what will happen.

(And he also really wants to plan a vacation with Rhodey and Pepper next year.)

So he takes himself and all of what he knows, and launches himself directly into it.

By all accounts, he wasn’t supposed to do that. But he hasn’t been able to cut it down into a more manageable size, so he figures that maybe it’s time to try something that has never been advisable by anyone on either hemisphere of the world, or anyone who has ever been rational.

Going into darkness is a very difficult thing, because for one, you can’t see shit.

For a second thing, he can hear everything.

Darkness is not just absence of light. It can be absence of every single damned good thing on the earth, in your head, or anywhere around you. Some people have described it as hell.

Tony is alone, and he is not sure what to do.

There’s a table, and there is someone sitting there.

“So.”

The woman is stirring an olive around her martini, and she looks impeccably dressed. A fitted skirt and suit, manicured black nails, and eyeliner that looks impossibly intricate.

“You are...?”

“The person you’re supposed to destroy.”

“But you’re not exactly a person, are you?”

“Smart guy. No, I’m just the personification of what you’re fighting. You intrigue me, Tony Stark.”

“Just Tony.”

“Fine then. Tony.”

“Why do I intrigue you?”

“Most heroes are alone,” darkness says. (Does he capitalize her name? He’s not sure. “They go alone, they don’t involve people in their struggle. You have involved your family, put them in danger.”

“They would’ve been in greater danger if I had gone by myself,” Tony says. “People have a nasty habit of sticking together, you know.”

“Do they now?”

“Yeah,” Tony says. “And now, I have to make sure we stick together anyways.”

“And what do you mean by-”

He’s already lunging at her.

She wasn’t expecting him to lunge, he guessed.

She goes down, and yells.

Tony scrabbles to fight again as she sends out a blast his way, and he ducks.

“You can’t hide from me!” she yells.

“I’m not trying to!” he yells back. “I’m just trying to kill you!”

The fight goes on, and she plays dirty. Her nails tear into his armor, and he tears his fingers through her hair.

“You can’t beat me,” she howls, triumphant as she manages to pin one of his legs down, and trying to claw at his face. “Darkness always exists! You would be nothing without me!”

Tony pauses for a second.

“So what you’re saying is...as long as you exist, so does everything else?”

“Yes!”

Tony grins.

“Aw, you shouldn’t have told me that honey.”

With darkness being the beginning, everything else comes forth. Tony summons his cousins, his family, Rhodey, Pepper.

And eventually, her physical form gets smaller and smaller.

Darkness is not something that can be eradicated from your life. But you can beat the shit out of it with help. Tony learned that.

He also learned that Rhodey has a phenomenal flying kick.

They spend the following day laying on the couch or adjacent chairs and staring at the decorations that they need to replace.

They also learn that Nonna has learned how to call, and is not quite sure if she can be heard or not.

“TONIO? TONIO! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

“Nonna, quiet,” Tony groans. “I literally just saved the world yesterday, please don’t yell.”

“I HAVE FOOD FOR YOU. COME TO ITALY. NEXT WEEK?”

Tony groans.

“Sure, Nonna. I will come.”

“BRING FRIENDS. HAVE GIFTS FROM POPE FOR YOU.”

“You...when did you have time to get gifts...the pope?”

“HAVE FRIENDS. COME!”

Tony looks at Mom, Rhodey, and Pepper.

“So. When should we leave for next week?”

#HI THIS IS VERY VERY LONG #VERY VERY LONG #pepper potts #tony stark #rhodey #tony's family from italy !!! is somehow witch and catholic simply because i wanted to make it funny #maria carbonell #lovelyirony writes #tony stark is a fucking badass #yes he is a witch yes he is a badass #darkness can also be representative of uhhh anxiety or how bad things will alwyas be there #but it has to be to point out the good #just my take on that #also yeah rhodey and tony???? together but not mentioned #pepper saying she chose her name was something i meant to delve into but i didn't so #magic au

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lyssismagical · 4 years

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take a look at me now, there’s just an empty space

For @ironxprince !!! (@friendly-neighborhood-exchange)

Thank you so so much to my beta Rrobrien

Read on AO3

Taglist: @littlemissagrafina @spideygirl2003 @romeoandjulietyouwish @c-artara @shadedrose01 @likeaphoenix13 @pj-hermes-tonystark-obsessed @you-get-killed-walk-it-off @kitkatwinchester @emo-girl10 @justme--emily @hold-our-destiny @imalivebecauseirondad @spiderman-peterman @dykeragee @maryserrao

Hurt people hurt people.

Ben used to say that after fights with May. He’d get back late at night to find May in the kitchen, stress cleaning as she does, with Peter sitting on the floor by her feet, refusing to go to bed until he knew his aunt and uncle were okay. His face would fall, tears filling his cried-out eyes, and he’d sweep May into his arms, pressing kisses to his forehead and cheeks.

He wouldn’t use it as an excuse, he was better than that. But it was a reason why, a soft explanation as to why he’d gotten angry about the little things. He was hurting, that doesn’t make it okay, but May always expected it like it was an apology.

Peter didn’t realize how close he kept those four words to his chest until he lashed out at Ned one day.

There hadn’t been anything wrong in particular. A regular lunch day, years after the death of his parents, something he thought he had mostly gotten over. As much as he could, at least.

But Ned had started complaining about how overbearing his mom was being, how much his dad would pester him about his homework.

“At least you have parents.” It was meant as a joke originally. A way to lighten the mood a little bit, but it came out bitter and Ned had flinched as though Peter had shouted it.

“You have May and Ben. They love you loads, Peter.”

“They’re not my parents.”

Added to the bitterness was a hint of jealousy, of longing. He knew it was unfair to May and Ben who loved him to the moon and back, they cared for him like he was their own. But as much as they loved him, they still weren’t Mary and Richard. They weren’t his parents.

He remembered them pretty well. Better than May thought he would. She lost her parents at a pretty young age too, but she only remembers them in snippets, in photographs, not in the specific details Peter remembers his.

Mary wore lavender perfume that would hang in the house no matter how long she was away for business, though Peter suspects Richard would spray it just to make sure it didn’t fade.

Richard had an obsession with old baseball cards. He kept them in photo albums, ones Ben kept in his closet after.

When Peter was really little, they used to make sure to take alternating business trips so Peter never had to stay with May and Ben for longer than an afternoon. His aunt and uncle never minded, but Peter was a clingy kid and would get fussy if he was alone for too long.

The fight with Ned had escalated until Peter cried, which made Ned, ever the sympathetic friend, cry too. And they hugged it out.

But what Ben had said hung in Peter’s head.

Hurt people hurt people.

Peter tries harder to be the hurt person that helps people.

No matter how heavy the hurt gets, stuck in his chest with nowhere to go because burdening others is hurting them, he won’t be that person.

When Ben dies that fateful night, Peter keeps up that mantra in his head. Hurt people hurt people.

He writes off every fight with May, every night she doesn’t come home, every plead to the landlord when May doesn’t make the bills on time, as just a byproduct of her hurting. He never complains, does all his chores, and convinces Delmar to give him a job after school to help take care of the finances.

The call isn’t much of a surprise.

It’s not like Peter ever had much family.

May’s parents died when she was young, Ben’s dad was never really in the picture and his mom had been in a home for a while. There weren’t any other aunts or uncles or cousins. So they shipped him off.

It only took a surprisingly short number of weeks for him to be shifted up to the high-risk category. Everyone thought his late-night escapades superheroing was him being a rebellious kid. They started putting bars on the windows and locks on the door, but he needed to go out as Spider-Man. It was the only thing he had that tied him to his old life. He wasn’t allowed to keep anything, most things went ‘into storage’ which essentially meant that he’d never see them again.

Sneaking out at night, always ending up with cuts and bruises after his late nights, and his never-ending metabolism made it hard to find anything close to a permanent placement.

Weeks turn to months spent bouncing from home to home of people who don’t care. Who will come up with any excuse for his social worker to take him elsewhere. Who will lock him in a storage closet that barely passes as a bedroom like he’s some kind of dangerous animal.

As much as he missed May and Ben, and the safety they had provided, he understood well enough that they weren’t going to rescue him. Who he really missed, was Ned. He didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye before he disappeared nearly nine months prior. He hasn’t had access to a phone or a computer, most foster parents don’t even have the time to get him enrolled in school before they were giving him away.

The only upside is that his social worker, a younger woman who’s obviously in over her head with his case, actually seems to care about his well being. She does weekly check-ins and she always answers the calls to get him removed from homes.

He’s heard from other kids in group homes that most of them don’t care as much about them. That it ends differently for them.

He supposes he should consider himself lucky.

“They’re saying they don’t have any problems, Peter. That’s a good thing,” Elaine, his social worker, says. Her eyes are all wide and hopeful like she thinks this will be the permanent placement she’s been searching for.

He tries not to roll his eyes, shifting on the old dusty couch with a grimace. “The only reason they’re saying that is because they locked me in a room about the size of a pantry and haven’t spoken a word to me in the past week.”

Somehow this makes her light up even more. “But that means they aren’t mean to you, doesn’t it? They’re planning on enrolling you into a nearby high school and they’re financially stable enough to afford to feed you and everything. This is good!”

“It’s good that they pretend I don’t exist? That they didn’t actually feed me despite having the food? It’s good that they lock me up from six pm until six am every day?” Peter doesn’t miss Elaine’s flinch at his harsh tone. “I know how hard you’re trying, but is this really the best you guys can do?”

Elaine sighs, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “There’s a lot of kids, Peter. And not a lot of people who really want to foster a fourteen-year-old kid who’s got a spotty history at best. Unless you want to go back to a group home until I can find a better placement, this is going to have to do. They already want me to give up on your case because of how much trouble we’ve been having. My bosses want to blame you for this.”

“Right.”

Peter wonders about the kid from before, the version of him that was cheerful and gentle and innocent. The kid that would’ve never been so short and hostile with a woman who was only trying to help him.

He wonders if it’s only going to get worse. Even if this particular foster home keeps him around until he graduates, another three and a half years, he’s never going to have a family again. He’s going to be kicked out at eighteen with nothing more than the clothes on his back and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to whatever university he applies to.

Whatever happens, he’s never getting May and Ben back. He’s never going to have his family. He’s going to have to resign to living unhappily with these people who are never going to love him the way his old family did.

“Peter-”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to suck it up and deal with it. Congratulations, I’m officially off your plate until they get bored of me.”

Mrs. and Mr. Williams were dedicated to their jobs as salespeople, Peter guesses. They needed the extra money from the government, fostering a kid, to pay for their long trips worldwide for business purposes. They didn’t want kids, never did, Peter was like an insurance policy. Which meant he was left home alone pretty frequently.

It also meant that they were stressed pretty much all the time. They’d yell at both him and each other. He supposes that’s another reason why they chose to foster him, it takes a lot of the strain off their marriage if they have somebody else to shout at. So they shout, and they insult him, and they get angry over every little thing he does.

Which is fine, really. He’s been through a lot worse than shouting.

He stays quiet whenever Elaine drops by, he doesn’t speak more than a few words to his teachers or to his classmates. He figures it’s easier to stay quiet. It means nobody will yell at him for disobeying or talking back. There’s no risk of getting hurt because he said too much. It’s easier to keep his mouth closed.

And then the few words he speaks, here and there, slowly taper off until he doesn’t talk at all.

It’s easier.

Especially when there are words always on the cusp of being spoken. Words like I miss May, and it’s all my fault, and help.

If he were to complain to the faculty about what was going on behind the scenes, he’s sure he’d be taken away.

And taken away meant taken somewhere worse.

He was lucky to be living with people who didn’t hit him very often, who had the decency to enroll him in high school, who were rarely even around anyways, like Elaine said. He was lucky and he couldn’t risk messing up the placement.

If he keeps quiet, he’ll make it through high school, graduate, and get out of the system. He just has to wait it out.

Hurt people hurt people, anyways. So it’s better if he stays quiet, stays small, to prevent the risk of hurting somebody.

So he stays quiet.

Peter shoves open the front door, dropping his bag onto the floor. He’s going to be home alone all week and he’s trying to come up with some plan to make it to Midtown and back without his foster parents finding out. He just wants to see Ned again.

“I was starting to get a little bit worried about the absence of a certain spider around the city, but now that I’ve seen this, it’s really not too much of a surprise.”

Peter freezes in the hallway, hands curling into fists as he tries to prepare himself for a fight. He can’t see the owner of the voice, but he’s sure it’s bad if they know his alter ego.

And then the person rounds the corner.

Tony Stark.

The Tony Stark is in his house.

“Now, I was a little confused as to why you were swinging around Queens or Midtown or even Manhattan, when you lived so far away. And then I did a little digging on one Mister Peter Parker. Can you believe the kinds of things I found on you?” he continues. He’s dressed in an outfit more expensive than everything Peter owns, he guesses, though it’s not too hard to do that. And he’s tapping at his watch like he doesn’t even care to look at Peter.

Though he looks up at Peter’s silence.

“A lot,” Tony says. His mouth creases into a frown and he leans against the wall across from Peter. “You’ve been through quite a rough two years, hm?”

Still, Peter doesn’t open his mouth. He doesn’t want to explain to Tony fucking Stark the kind of year he suffered through. More than that though, he doesn’t want to accidentally say too much. He’s worried that the moment he started speaking, he’d never be able to stop. Instead, he simply squints his eyes up at Tony and lifts an eyebrow.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I can’t have vigilantes running around New York unsupervised. Especially not children. So I’m here to offer you a place at the Avengers Compound. Train with the team, come on missions, you know, the whole shebang.”

There’s a lot of questions Peter thinks about asking, answers that he needs, but he just watches as Tony moves from the wall into the kitchen nearby.

“You’re coming with me, kid. End of story. It’s either that or Ross takes you to the Raft, which I’m not going to let happen,” he says, barely glancing over his shoulder. “You’re really not going to talk to me?”

In response, Peter runs a hand through his hair, longer than he normally likes to keep it and choppy from his own haircuts, and heads to his room to grab his belongings.

It’s not like he has much. Over the years of moving from house to house, starting with only a duffel bag, he’s down to just a few things. Things get lost, things get taken, things get confiscated. It’s just the way it goes.

“Imagine if they’d sent someone like Barton here to deal with this,” Tony’s mumbling under his breath when Peter returns with his plastic bag. “Or worse, Barnes. I don’t think you’d be quite so willing to go with anyone less famous.”

Peter ignores him and grabs a loose sheet of paper to write his note. Not that it matters much, but I’m headed off to live elsewhere. Everything (including Elaine) will be taken care of. -Parker

“Social worker?” Tony guesses, peering over Peter’s shoulder at his scrawling chicken scratch. “If so, yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

And that’s it. It’s strangely simple, Peter supposes, but he’s gotten a little too used to being yanked around from house to house by strangers. He’s learned to keep his head down and stay quiet, because it’s never mattered what he thinks or wants, so there’s no point in voicing it.

He slips into the backseat of an overly flashy car, plastic bag clutched to his chest, and he tries his best to keep from crying.

He hugs the plastic bag to him and pretends the weight against his chest is somebody else. He pretends it’s May holding him close, or Ben tugging him into a hug, or Ned’s arm slung around him. He pretends he’s not desperate to be hugged, to be touched even fleetingly, accidentally, by anyone. He pretends that everything is fine as the house falls away behind him and his life changes again.

Tony disappears only minutes after the car is parked outside the Avengers Compound, leaving Peter in the hands of Happy.

Thankfully, Happy barely says a word to him, meaning Peter isn’t put in any awkward situations when he doesn’t reply.

Apparently, Peter gets half a floor to himself, shared with Bruce Banner though he hasn’t lived in the compound in years. After so long being given poor excuses for bedrooms, normally shared with at least a few other people, it’s shocking to have a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and office all to himself.

The space, despite being like heaven compared to the closets and basement he’s used to, makes the emptiness of it all the more apparent.

He’s living by himself.

It’s like Elaine had told him about emancipation. It might make him feel like he’s in control, it might give him a permanent home, but it takes away any possibility of a family.

He finds himself ignoring the freedom of the situation, and instead, curling up in the huge bed, tucking a pillow to his chest and wrapping himself in blankets. Finally, in the safety of a bedroom with no threats, no responsibilities, no fear, he lets himself cry.

Tony comes up to find him later that day with general rules and information. The school he’s enrolled in, when Elaine will visit, what times Peter has to meet in the gym with the team for training, what parts of the tower he’s allowed in, curfew, etc.

It’s all pretty basic.

With how often Peter’s been jerked around from home to home, rules get kind of repetitive. The only difference between the Compound and other homes is instead of bars on the window, the Compound has FRIDAY who tracks his every move.

The only positive is that Tony doesn’t seem too bothered by Peter’s silence. He talks enough for both of them.

Until he gets to the end of his speech and sits down across from Peter at the dining room table.

“I know you’re into this whole mysterious silence thing, but I’m going to need you to at least nod so I know you’ve understood. Now that you’re under my roof, you’re my responsibility. I can’t have you running around the streets of New York unsupervised and making mistakes when your actions reflect on me.”

And Peter nods, refusing to meet Tony’s eye, and keeping his arms crossed over his chest defensively. Apparently, it’s enough because Tony sighs and his shoulders relax drastically.

“Alright, well now that we’re through with that, I’m going to make dinner here for both of us. I don’t care if you retreat to your room until I leave, I’m going to make sure you’ve got food to eat tonight.”

As much as Peter does want to disappear to his bedroom and avoid the awkward attempts at a one-sided conversation or inquiries about the life Tony’s read about, he craves the closeness to another person.

The last time he felt properly close to someone was May. Every home in between had people who tried or people who didn’t, either way, it never felt the same. He was just another mouth to feed, another set of house visits and questionnaires from Elaine, another troubled kid under their roof. He was never treated like a human being, like a kid.

Yet Tony’s in the kitchen, muttering to himself about potential allergies and groceries, someone who’s let him under his roof and is cooking with him in mind. Somebody who chose him. Even if it might be for his alter-ego.

It still feels good.

It feels good to be wanted.

“Hey, kid?” Tony calls out from the kitchen where he’s ruffling through one of the pantries. “You allergic to anything I should know about?”

Peter shakes his head, mouth opening to give an explanation of how the spider-bite was the reason he’s no longer allergic to tree nuts or shellfish, but he quickly clamps his mouth shut. As much as he likes the feeling of being wanted, as much as he wants to fall into the safety of having Tony around, he can’t let his guard down. All it’ll do is hurt him.

“Good,” Tony says without realizing Peter’s near-slip. “I can make a pretty mean pasta dish.”

They fall into silence, the most comfortable silence Peter can remember having in a really long time. Tony cooks and Peter watches him, trying not to look like he cares too much, and it’s fine. Good, even.

And when Tony sits across from him again, setting plates down in front of both of them, it feels so much better than the simple, probably thoughtless gesture Tony was going for. He hasn’t had somebody make him dinner and let him eat with them in what feels like ages. Normally, a plate is left in the microwave for him and he’s watched until he’s finished so they can lock him in his bedroom for the night.

“I know you’re not going to talk to me,” Tony starts quietly, eyes narrowed in thought, “And I know this isn’t fair, none of it, but just know, I didn’t want to take you away without your permission. Ross is technically the boss and he was planning on locking all mutants and vigilantes up. I convinced him we could use you on our team instead of on the Raft.”

Peter nods and tries his best to offer a small, comforting smile in return.

He wants to reassure Tony that this is better than every house he’s lived in for over a year, that his past houses were probably closer to whatever the Raft is like than the luxuries of the Compound, even if it means following the strict schedules and conditions.

“And I don’t want you to think that just because you’ve been given this whole floor with all this freedom that you’re alone, alright? You’re always welcome up onto my floor, I’m just as lonely as you are, kid, and I’d always enjoy your company in my lab or kitchen.”

It’s a small olive branch, an optional opportunity to make this arrangement a little more personal, turn it into a friendship or something of the sort, and Peter’s whole chest warms at the idea of having somebody like that in his life.

They fall into silence while they finish eating their food and Tony clears their plates away. On his way to the elevator, he stops at the last second.

“Seven am, Happy will be waiting in the garage for you tomorrow to take you to school. And he’ll be in the parking lot at two-thirty to collect you in the afternoon. If you can’t meet your conditions for living here with the Avengers, there will be consequences, so please, just go to your classes, don’t cause trouble.”

Before Peter even has the chance to nod, the doors are sliding shut behind Tony, leaving Peter alone.

The first week living with Tony is strange, to say the least.

Peter doesn’t have the confidence to try anything outside of the schedule he’s been set, going to and from school with Happy, and staying cooped up inside his room for the rest of the afternoon and evening. And then, Tony comes down to see him in the late evening to cook them both dinner and to make one-sided small talk.

No Spider-Man, no secret trips to try to find Ned, no sneaking out or skipping class, nothing. He tries his best to be a model student and child.

At school, he keeps his head down, mouth shut, and doesn’t give anybody any reasons to pick on him.

Elaine shows up on Saturday morning, early enough that Peter’s just barely woken up when FRIDAY alerts him about the elevator arriving at his floor.

He greets his social worker with a small smile and sits down with Tony on the couch across from her, trying not to let the blush that creeps up his neck be too obvious at his old Thor pyjama pants and t-shirt with a science pun.

“The move was… unexpected to say the least, but I’m not too surprised. I didn’t think your last home would last much longer as is,” Elaine starts, looking down at her binder. “Well you’ve easily passed the house inspection and there are some things I want to go over with your lawyers, but the most important part is what the two of you think.”

Tony immediately jumps to answer. “He’s a good kid. Independent, smart, nice. I like having him around.”

“Peter?”

Unsurprisingly, Peter stays quiet. He feels frozen with his fear that if he says anything wrong, Elaine will deem this unfit and take him away, whisk him away to another group home or somewhere else with people who don’t want him.

Elaine gives him her binder, a lined sheet on the top with a pen clipped to it. “I need you to be honest, okay?”

Better here than most places. Tony’s nice. Going to school and being fed.

He knows exactly what he needs to say for her to check off the boxes. Education, food, and his approval. Simple and easy.

Tony’s leg is bouncing when he passes the binder back, though he shouldn’t have a reason to worry. If Peter said something bad, Ross would hunt him down and lock him up, that much Tony had made very clear.

“Good, good, good,” Elaine mumbles, tucking the paper away. “Well, that’s enough information for now, I think. I’ll give you more time to settle in and get comfortable together.”

Peter stays sitting while Tony escorts Elaine to the elevator and he looks relieved when he returns to find the teenager still waiting in the living room.

“Listen, kid, I know this isn’t the easiest for you. I know you’ve had a really tough year. And believe me, I’m awful at trying to talk about emotions or feelings or anything like that, but you’re one of us now. You’re part of the team and I’m technically your foster parent right now, so if you need anything, and I mean anything, you can come to me, alright? Even if you don’t want to talk out loud.”

For the first time in a very long time, Peter’s smile feels genuine.

He pushes down the urge to hug Tony, to give in to the cravings for physical affection, and ducks off to his bedroom, trying his best to hide the pleased blush on his cheeks.

His opportunity comes on a Friday afternoon when one of his classes is let out early, a few months into his arrangement with Tony. He’d spent a better part of his night scrolling through social media on his brand new Stark Phone and found out which high school Ned was attending. They’re both sophomores now, but they haven’t seen each other since middle school.

He made sure his spider suit, made of an old sweater, fingerless gloves, and sweatpants, was tucked into the bottom of his backpack.

Nobody noticed him sneaking out through the back doors, changing into his suit in a nearby alleyway, or casually swinging through the streets of Manhattan on his way to Midtown.

It’s pretty obvious that Tony will find him eventually. He has the best technology on his side. But Peter’s banking on having at least an hour before Tony finds out. It’ll give him enough time to let Ned know he’s alive at the very least.

Ned’s the same as he always was. Smiling brighter than ever and answering every question the teacher asks, chatting quietly to everybody around him.

“Holy shit,” somebody stage-whispers. Suddenly, everyone’s eyes are on him, leaning against the lockers opposite the classroom door, back in his civvies. “Is that Stark’s new project?”

Ned’s head jerks up and his eyes go comically wide as he sees his best friend in the hallway. “Peter!”

Thankfully, the teacher doesn’t even try to stop Ned from barreling out of the classroom and right into Peter’s arms.

“God, I was looking for you for months after you left school that one day and never came back! I called you and May like a million times before I saw the newspaper.”

There’s something about Ned and his overflowing optimism and kind wide-eyes that makes Peter feel safer than he has in a long time. It makes him feel safe enough to finally open his mouth.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get in touch with you,” Peter says, not even surprised by his constant apologies. His voice is hoarse and low from disuse, but it’s obvious how happy he is. “May got in an accident after work, she started working such late hours that she wasn’t as careful as she should’ve been. I got put in the foster system.”

Ned’s jaw drops and he grabs Peter’s arm, leading him down the hallway until they reach an empty bathroom to give them a little bit of privacy.

“I’m just so glad you’re okay!” Ned quickly drags Peter into another tight hug like he has to check and make sure Peter’s real. “You disappeared and I had no way of knowing where you were. Where do you live now? Is everything okay? How’d you get here?”

Smiling, Peter leans in closer, voice dropping low. “You’re never going to believe me, but I swear, it’s the truth. One, I’m Spider-Man. Two, I live with the Tony Stark. And three, I’m an Avenger.”

As soon as Ned pulls back, frowning in disbelief, Peter puts his hand on the wall to prove his stickiness. He even crawls up onto the ceiling to prove it before dropping back to the floor in front of his gaping best friend.

“Oh my god.”

“I- I’m going to get in a lot of trouble for coming here, I’m on a very strict set of rules, but do you want to come back to the Compound with me? I’ll catch you up on everything when we get there.”

Ned, practically bursting at the seams with enthusiasm, agrees heartily before pulling out his phone to call his mom and let her know where he’s going. While he does that, he texts Happy the address of Midtown High without any context. He figures there’s no way around getting in trouble for ditching school, so he may as well own up to it.

And at least this way, Ned can explain everything to Tony while Peter continues to deal with his inability to talk to adults.

By the time they slide into the backseat of the expensive car, Peter’s exhausted. The emotional toll of seeing his best friend for the first time in a year paired with the anxiety that eats away at his insides is enough to make him crave a nap.

Happy stares at Ned for a long time through the mirror, eyes narrowed and mouth set in a frown, before he finally starts driving.

“Uh, sir?” Ned squeaks, eyes wide. “Peter said he was going to get in trouble for this, but I feel like you deserve an explanation for-”

“One, I’m not the one doling out punishments, I’m just a glorified babysitter. Two, Peter said?”

Peter swallows thickly, turns his attention out the window, and tries his best not to curl even smaller in his seat.

Ned’s eyes dart over to him before focusing back on Happy. “Yes, sir. I was just-”

And then the glass slides up between the seats, effectively cutting him off.

“It’s okay,” Peter murmurs without looking at him. “He doesn’t mean any harm. You’ll have to appeal to Mister Stark, not Happy.”

Ned, forever the great friend that he is, reaches out and grabs Peter’s hand, linking them together in a small gesture of comfort.

* Tony’s waiting at the dining room table for them and he stands when they walk in. He’s obviously angry and Peter knows how this story goes. Maybe he gets sent away to another foster home, maybe he gets sent to the Raft with Ross. Either way, he’s just glad he got to see Ned.

“Mister Stark, sir?” Ned starts before Tony can. Peter admires that kind of confidence. “Before you say anything, I just want to explain.”

Tony’s eyes narrow, but he still waves a hand for Ned to continue.

“I’ve known Peter since we were seven. We went to school together.” There’s no good place to start a story like this, one that ends sad no matter where it begins. “After May’s accident, he was sent away and he had no way to contact me. I spent the better part of a year wondering where he was, what happened to him, why he wouldn’t answer my calls and texts. We were best friends for eight years, and then he disappeared. He just wanted to see me.”

It’s a simple way to put a tragedy.

“Is that true?”

Peter nods, trying his best not to look incredibly defensive but crossing his arms over his chest anyways.

“It is. And it would’ve hit the news eventually, Mister Stark. If Peter hadn’t come to me, I would’ve been trying to break in to see him.”

As kids, Ned was the least confident person Peter knew. He never stood up for himself or even tried to explain himself, he’d take every punishment he didn’t deserve, he’d keep his head down and accept whatever came to him without question.

Now, Ned stands tall and strong in front of Peter, easily defending him to their childhood hero.

Tony sighs harshly, sliding a hand over his face and finally sitting down in a chair at the dining room table. “Sit. Both of you.”

They do as told, both of them expecting a punishment of some sort for the rules they’ve broken.

“I don’t want to be the villain here,” Tony says. He’s watching Peter who’s leaning back in his chair nonchalantly, arms crossed, and eyes focused on the table like none of this matters. “I don’t want to make you feel like you’re not allowed to do anything but stay cooped up here like this is prison. I don’t want you to feel like you’re not allowed to try to get your life back. I don’t want you to feel like you have to walk on eggshells to ensure your safety.”

Peter forces himself to nod. The anxiety still thrums in his veins, stomach twisting and knotting, but the more Tony speaks to him, the more inclined Peter is to trust him.

Beside him, Ned’s shoulders slump noticeably. “So Peter’s not in trouble? He told me that he’s on a very strict set of rules and that there would be consequences if he broke them.”

“He told you that?” Tony’s eyebrows have lifted, eyes flicking between the two of them. “He said that? With words?”

“Well yeah. He said that you’re keeping him here to train Spider-Man.”

Tony’s eyebrows lift even more. “He said that. He hasn’t spoken a single word to anybody in months according to his social worker, and he tells you every secret he’s got within a couple hours?”

Underneath the table, away from Tony’s view, Ned links their hands together again. “I’m his best friend.”

It’s so simply put that Peter can’t help the smile that ghosts over his face, squeezing Ned’s hand.

Tony sighs again, running a hand through his hair. “You’re both off the hook, but please, for the love of god, text me or Happy the next time you want to do something. Don’t just run off.”

“Yes, sir,” Ned says on Peter’s behalf who can’t seem to get the smile off his face. “Oh! I don’t know if this is what Peter wants, but he’s a genius and I really think he’d be happier at my school.”

“You break the rules, plead forgiveness, and when I, out of the goodness of my heart, let you off with just a warning, you want to ask for more?”

Ned winces, eyes round and hand sweating in Peter’s, but he plows ahead. “Midtown High is a great school. I’d be there, so Peter wouldn’t have to run off anymore, and in case you weren’t aware, Peter is really smart. Like crazy smart. He’d be properly challenged at Midtown.”

With a roll of his eyes, Tony waves his hand at them. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”

They both hurry up to their feet, prepared to make a run for Peter’s room if need-be, but Tony stops them at the last second.

“Ned?” The poor kid’s eyes look like they’re seconds away from popping out in fear, but Tony smiles fondly. “You’re welcome anytime. Let me know if you two want snacks or anything.”

They both nod, grinning unashamedly, and take off for Peter’s room before they can get stopped again.

* Peter finally bites the bullet after Ned goes home.

He takes the elevator up to Tony’s floor.

It’s not like he hates Tony or anything. He’s been idolizing the hero for as long as he can remember and Tony’s been nothing but welcoming since Peter started living with him. It’s been weird, sure, but Tony seems to genuinely care about the kid under the mask.

“Kid?” Tony’s bent over one of the lab benches in his giant lab, goggles sitting lopsided on his face, and grease staining his old shirt. “Everything okay?”

Peter realizes belatedly, frozen in the doorway to the lab, that he wants to talk to Tony. He craves normalcy and he’s desperate for an adult in his life. An adult who supports him, who wants him, who will take care of him. It’s all he’s ever wanted since May died.

Tony’s still watching him, almost like Peter’s a wounded animal, hands suspended in the air like he wants to comfort him but doesn’t know how.

“Mister Stark?” His voice isn’t as hoarse as it had been after his afternoon talking to Ned, but it’s still weak and shaking, more with trepidation than anything. “Is it, um, is it okay if I hang out in here for a little bit?”

The billionaire’s whole body sags with relief, expression softening and a small smile lifting his mouth. “Of course it is, kiddo. And if your friend’s right about what a genius you are, you can even help me out with this.”

Slowly, Peter shifts into the lab and up to Tony’s side, trying not to show how badly his hands are trembling. He also tries to hide how much the small nudge of Tony’s arm against his soothes his anxieties.

Almost as much as he craves an adult who wants him, he craves affection. May and Ben used to hand out affection like it was nothing. Hugs were given at least twice a day, Ben would blow raspberries against any piece of exposed skin, May would give out kisses especially to his forehead constantly. It was normal. But he hasn’t gotten any of that in what feels like forever.

He helps Tony with his projects, hands clumsy and voice wobbly, relaxing more and more the longer they work together.

Despite how much he craves all of this, it still doesn’t feel like enough. It’s like putting a bandaid over a wound that needs twelve stitches. It’s like writing one word of an essay that needs pages filled. It doesn’t work, it barely helps, the gaping hole in Peter’s chest still feels empty and cold.

And then Tony makes a stupid pun that borders on a dad joke, and then suggests they order some pizza for dinner. Like they’re a real family.

An hour or so later, they’ve got pizza on the coffee table and Netflix on the TV, trying to find something to watch.

Peter feels happy for the first time in a long time. Ned’s back, he’s got Tony who seems to already want to be here for the long haul, he’s got a roof over his head and food on the table, he’s laughing quietly over Tony weighing the pros and cons of the movies he’s stuck between. It’s nice.

Later, when the movie finishes, he drifts towards Tony, almost subconsciously, until his head lands on Tony’s shoulder, eyes already slipping shut. Tony’s arm wraps around his shoulders and he presses a kiss to Peter’s temple.

“Can I ask you something?” Peter says, voice barely above a whisper. He keeps his eyes closed, not wanting to see the way the question will make everything change.

“Shoot.”

“Is this… Is this for real? Will I get to stay forever?”

Peter can feel Tony’s smile against his hair, and his hand squeezes Peter’s shoulder. “You’re part of the team now, kiddo. And I hate to say it, but I’ve grown particularly attached to my Spider-Kid. I’m going to talk to Elaine and see what I can do to make this official. I’ve got a new and improved Spider-Suit waiting for you. And I’ve enrolled you in Midtown starting Monday.”

“So you’re going to be like my dad?” His voice is barely there, insecure, small.

Tony swallows audibly, nerves evident in his voice. “Yeah, I suppose so, bud. Is that okay?”

“More than okay.”

Hurt people hurt people, Ben had said.

But maybe that’s not the case. Peter’s hurt, he’s always been a hurt person, but he seems to be doing a pretty good job at not hurting the people close to him. He can talk, he can feel, he can be, without worrying about the consequences, without worrying about everyone leaving him. Tony’s promised to be here and that’s enough to make Peter feel safe.

“Thank you,” he says, blinking back tears. For the first time in a long time, they’re happy tears. There’s more he wants to say, more he needs to say, but he knows Tony understands. After all, Tony’s been through a lot too. He knows more than he lets on about pain and hurting people.

“Things will get easier.” It’s said with such simplicity, such confidence, that Peter can’t help but believe it. Things are already easier, he’s no longer as scared about falling because he knows Tony will catch him when he does. As Spider-Man and as Peter Parker. Because Tony wants him and that’s all that Peter’s ever needed.

Tony’s arm is tight around Peter’s shoulders and his voice is sure as he murmurs a goodnight into Peter’s hair, and the cold, empty hole in Peter’s chest finally feels full and warm with love.

#lyss writes #friendly neighborhood exchange #peter parker #tony stark #ned leeds #spiderman #iron man #irondad #irondad and spiderson #irondad fic

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