#maybe Bobby was holding a balloon
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#Hogwarts Legacy#Sebastian Sallow#Sebastian Sallow ai#aiArt#my my 💚#standing all tight and sturdy#like a good bloke#spotting Bobby in the masses#and Bobby spotting him#maybe Bobby was holding a balloon#in a certain shape#of a horse#we will never know#Bobby's lips are full of white stuff#from the balloon powder#because he had to blow them#are we having a dirty mind again?#my my~#Bobby may have an air kink
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This digital music thing will probably reach its endgame sometime in the next decade or so. These are very exciting times.
1337: Part 5 [Explained]
Transcript
[The two men in black bowler hats (RIAA and MPAA agents as known from the previous comic) with their katanas are attacked by Elaine Roberts with her folding knife and Richard Stallman with his own two katanas. Elaine kicks the RIAA man to the left in the back of his leg, while Stallman jumps over the MPAA man to the right, flying high over him from right to left in a flying maneuver hitting his sword while hanging parallel to the ground above the man.]
Elaine: Thanks, Stallman!
Richard Stallman: 'Tis my pleasure.
[Elaine stands to the left with her knife in one hand having folded it down again. Richard Stallman stands between the two men with bowler hats who are now lying on the floor on either side of him, each with one of Stallman's swords pointing at their throat. Stallman has both arms fully stretched towards them as he looks straight out of the panel. The left (RIAA) man lies flat on his back, his hat and katana lying behind him. The right (MPAA) man is sitting on his knee leaning as far back as he can, since the sword is almost touching the skin on his throat. He wears his hat, but the sword lies behind him, out of reach, even though he is leaning back on one hand close to it. To the far right, a rope comes down from the top of the panel, falling down on the ground so a section of it stretches even farther right in the picture. Down this rope comes a man with googles and a red cape, which is black on the inside. This is Cory Doctorow. He holds onto the rope with two hands, one over one just under his head.]
Elaine: So, wait - how did you know we were in trouble? Richard Stallman: My friend here was tracking these thugs from his balloon. Richard Stallman: He called me and I thought I'd stop by.
Cory Doctorow: -Hi! Cory Doctorow:
Cory Doctorow - It's a pleasure to meet you.
[Elaine has shifted the knife to the other hand. Richard Stallman has moved to the left of the RIAA man, so both bowler hat men are between him and Cory Doctorow. Stallman still points his sword in their direction, but they are lowered. The RIAA man closest to him has picked up his hat in one hand and reaches for his sword with the other hand. The MPAA man now lies on his back, one arm up, leaning on the other. His sword is gone. It does not seem like Doctorow could have taken it. Behind him, Doctorow has reached the ground, the rope hanging behind him. He points left.]
Elaine: Balloon? Richard Stallman: Aye. They're up there constructing something called a "Blogosphere."
Cory Doctorow: Yup! It's twenty kilometers up, just above the tag clouds.
[The scene is contracted, so to the left, Mrs. Roberts at her desk with her chair and laptop becomes visible (from the previous comic). This without the other people has moved closer. She still types as her son Little Bobby Tables enters and lifts a hand in his mother's direction. He is drawn as a child version of Cueball. Elaine has put the knife away and looks at Richard Stallman, who now stands straight looking at her with the swords crossed in front of his legs. Behind him, just right of the rope hanging down, Cory Doctorow lifts one of the agents up by the throat while looking right and talking to him. The other agent has left the panel. The one he holds has his hat but no sword.]
Little Bobby Tables: Mom, I'm hungry.
Mrs. Roberts: Hush, I'm coding. You ate yesterday.
Richard Stallman: You know, Roberts, GNU could use a good coder like you. Ever thought of joining us?
Elaine: Maybe someday. Right now I've got an industry to take down.
Elaine: Music doesn't need these assholes.
Cory Doctorow: Begone, And never darken our comment threads again!
[Zoom in on Elaine, Richard Stallman, and Cory Doctorow. She stand straight looking at Stallman, who faces towards her swords now on his back crossed. Doctorow is also facing her and holds out both arms towards her. The rope is now outside the panel, as are both bowler hat men.]
Richard Stallman: Well, you won't fix the industry with random exploits. You need to encourage sharing in the public mind.
Doctorow: Hey; With your music and coding backgrounds, you should get into building better P2P systems.
[The final panel is only a third of the length of the previous panel. The three are still in the panel, but they have moved and are also drawn somewhat smaller. Elaine still faces them right, but now Cory Doctorow is in front of Richard Stallman's swords as before. All have their arms down.]
Elaine: What? Straight-up piracy?
Cory Doctorow: Sure - have you ever considered it? You'd make a wonderful dread pirate, Roberts.
[To the right of the final panel is a two-column epilogue narrated by Cueball as seen in part 2. It is split into three paragraphs and a "signature." The caption above is centered over the two columns.] Epilogue Cueball (narrating): Elaine shared her ideas with Bram Cohen, who went on to develop BitTorrent. Mrs. Roberts spends her time developing for Ubuntu, and defacing the websites of people who make "your mom" jokes to her daughter. Elaine still stalks the net. She joins communities, contributes code or comments, and moves on. And if, late at night, you point a streaming audio player at the right IP at the right time - you can hear her rock out. ~Happy Hacking.~
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Maybe five or six for the ship prompts!
5 - write about a casual kiss between your ship
The kitchen floods with light—his body with panic. Bob winces. Briefly, stupidly, he considers trying to shove the bread behind the toaster oven and making up a lie about the butter. I was… just… taking it out so it would be soft for breakfast. No, Lin, I do this all the time. Well, you’ve never woken up while I was doing it before!
He has a good five or six inches on his wife, but the steely look in her eye makes her shape fill the doorway. Arms crossed, she pads angrily over to him on her tiny, pointy, kicky, bare feet. Some merciful facet of his brain that isn’t currently terrified registers the way her hips move under her nightgown. He tries to swallow, but all his spit has disappeared. And his mouth is full of evidence.
Bob lowers the piece of bread in his hand and attempts to form words around the chunk still in his mouth. “I’m—”
“What? Sorry?” Linda reaches him, instantly all up in his face, her voice uncharacteristically hushed to account for their sleeping kids, yet somehow still deafening. “You’re sorry I caught’cha, Bobby?” She narrows her eyes, hissing out the next part so it sounds extra venomous. “With your mistress?”
He squints back at her, finally choking down his glorious, yeasty, perfectly-buttered bite of bread. Focusing on the taste puts some fight in him.
“…You know what? I’m not sorry.” Bob tenses his whole body to keep from chuckling as he watches her mouth fall open in exaggerated shock. “Yeah, that’s right. You kicked me awake, and then I couldn’t go back to sleep thinking about the bread all alone out here. It probably thought we didn’t love it enough to eat it right away.”
Linda is leaning on him now, squashing her torso against his arm with considerable force. Is she… trying to physically intimidate him? Or maybe she thinks she can seduce him into defeat by pressing her chest against his side, drumming up some cleavage. It wouldn’t be the first time. Plenty of Lin’s wiles begin with her just kind of… putting her boobs on him.
Bob surveys her coolly. “Also,” he says, tapping a finger against the loaf on the counter, “it’s not my mistress. It’s like… my child.” His voice rasps with sudden emotion. “This bread is our fourth child.”
One corner of Linda’s mouth lifts into a lopsided smile, but she stays incredulous. “Oh, so you were on daddy duty, huh? Came to check on our little bun-fresh-out-the-oven?” Delighting herself, her smile is the real deal now. “Didja hear it rye-ing over the baby monitor?”
He rolls his eyes so hard it almost hurts, but can’t hide his amusement. “You know it’s not rye. It’s—”
“Garlic sourdough woven with rosemary-thyme whole wheat sourdough,” she chimes in, doing her best Dedicated Chef Bob impression—a deep, goofy voice that sounds nothing like him. She wraps an arm around her husband, breaching the waistband of his boxers to slide her palm against his soft, warm hip. Planting her chin on his shoulder, she stifles a yawn. “See? I listen. I’m a good flour mama.”
Bob hums, a floaty sensation ballooning in his chest as she parrots back to him the recipe he’d been mentioning all week. It’s not surprising, anymore, how Linda pays attention to the things that excite him. But it’s never stopped feeling good.
“You are,” he confirms. From the corner of his eye, he takes a second to study her. Lin’s glasses are sitting a bit crooked, probably from hastily throwing them on to catch him in the act. Her thick, wavy hair is mussed from sleep. She notices him sneaking a stare and trains her ridiculously dark brown eyes on his. Definitely not for the first time, Bob thinks about how her eye color perfectly matches just-ground espresso after it’s been tamped down tight, waiting to be brewed. Sometimes he struggles to maintain eye contact, even with someone he’s loved for fifteen years, but he holds her gaze. Waits a beat. “You’re one in glu-ten million.”
She blinks once. Twice. Then she’s snort-laughing much too loudly and giving his love handle an affectionate squeeze, making him yelp and twist toward her. “Look at youuu, bein’ all cutesy-wootsey!” Her free hand skitters up his chest and brushes over his mustache as she beams at him. “Must be the Thanksgiving Eve magic. You gonna kiss me under the wishbone tomorrow before you go full crazy-pants kitchen troll, or what?”
“Mmmaybe.” Bob smiles gently against her fingertips. “Tina will fight you for the wishbone, though. I guess I could… kiss you under some giblets? Uh, before I start the gravy.”
“Ooh, giblet kisses. Romantic,” Linda coos. Her hand slips out of his shorts and he feels her fingers patter against the underside of his butt cheek. She points her chin toward the bread, eyes bright. “Now gimme a piece!”
Grabbing the serrated knife, Bob can’t suppress a wobbly giggle. “It’s so good, Lin. Better than I thought I could get it. I think the test loaves really helped.”
Earlier in the week, he had baked each dough recipe into two smaller, individual loaves to get their proofs right. Then, cautiously happy with the results, he’d launched the main event—meticulously braiding the batches together, then reshaping them into a single round, bubbly, perfectly-marbled mass. He’d been consumed by bread stuff for days. At one point, Linda had resorted to wrestling the laptop away from him when he’d stayed up until 2 AM researching techniques to keep sourdough properly inflated. But it was worth it. The final loaf is crusty and deeply golden all along its surface, the lighter and darker dough shades contrasting beautifully. Specks of the chopped herbs mixed into its whole wheat portions are visible in the scores, which look like stalks of wheat. The bread is downright gorgeous. Every time Bob lays eyes on it, he wants to burst into tears.
“Aww, my little Bobby baker,” Linda says. She stares hungrily as the knife glides through the loaf with several satisfying crunches. “I feel kinda dirty, though.” Her nails tap against the countertop in anticipation. “You made a whole big show about nobody eating it ‘til tomorrow.”
Bob snorts. “That was just so Gene wouldn’t eat literally all of it. He’s as excited about it as I am.” He slathers Linda’s slice in the fancy farmer’s market butter he’d safeguarded to use exclusively with his bread, then presents it to her.
She reaches for it, eyes shining, but furrows her brow when he pulls it back slightly. Shifting closer, she goes for it again. Bob holds the piece out of range, eyebrows raised and wearing the faintest of smirks. Linda scrunches her nose at him, about to complain, before she tracks him looking at her lips and realization dawns. She laughs tenderly and balls a fist in his shirt, leaning up and in. He meets her halfway. The kiss is quick, but so sweet that both their eyelids flutter shut.
“Ooh, mm,” Linda exclaims. “You taste like butter.” She yanks firmly on his collar. “Give me the friggin’ bread.”
Bob offers it in earnest. Suddenly, he’s plagued with nerves.
She gingerly takes it from him, her bottom lip jutting out. “No toasting?”
He gives his head a curt shake. “Doesn’t even need it.” Why does he feel like he’s just asked her out and is desperately hanging on a response? Dumb, he thinks.
Linda sinks her teeth into the bread. Bob’s eyes feel way too big for his face as he watches her chew. Slowly, she brings a hand up to cover her mouth, then locks gazes with him. He worries he might accidentally pee a little.
Swallowing, Linda flashes him a megawatt grin. “Oh. Bob. Hon.” She touches his chest. “It’s really good.”
“Right?” Blinding triumph ricochets through him. “Thanks. I kind of can’t believe it came from me.” He picks up his own piece, raising it to his mouth, then pauses. “Is this what giving birth feels like?”
“Yeah, sure,” Linda says around her second bite. “Little more sweat and blood with a human baby, maybe. And you don’t eat it after. It’s been a while.”
Just as Bob’s lips reconnect with his slice, the unmistakable creak of a door opening slams into him. Linda freezes mid-chew.
Gene’s voice, cushioned by a heavy yawn, sidles out from down the hall. “Is that butter I smell…?”
Bob’s eyes bore into Linda’s. “How is he smelling the butter?” he asks frantically, barely above a whisper.
“He’s very talented!” she hisses back, jabbing a finger into his upper arm. “You made him! Get down, get on the floor. I’m going.”
Bob has only seconds to hide the bread and butter before Linda’s pushing him to his knees. “Oh, God. Lin—OW,” he grunts, belly hitting the linoleum. It’s not lost on him that none of this is necessary.
Linda spins on her heel and trots through the doorway, her tone sing-songy as she rushes to intercept their son. “Genie weenie beanie baby,” she calls, “you’re… dreamin’. Oooooohh, I’m the, uh… ghost of Thanksgiving future. You gotta go back to bed. Or the turkey’s gonna be dry.”
“Nooo,” Gene drawls after a sleepy moment. “You’re a mom-poster. Dad’s turkey would never be dry.”
Bob snickers to himself, huffing as he uses the counter to regain his footing. He pulls out his masterpiece and cuts a slice for Gene.
A/N: their love language is shitty puns <3
#fanfic#writing prompts#boblin#bob/linda#bob x linda#bob’s burgers#bobs burgers#bob belcher#linda belcher#otp#1500 words…. ok. alright. guess man CAN live on bread and boblin alone
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The huevitos are ready for Halloween! Description below
Digital drawing of the QMSP eggs. The first one shows them with their canon outfits, while in their second they are in costumes. In order:
Trump is wearing a cowboy hat, sheriff star and a belt with a fake gun. He is an Old West Sheriff!
Tilin is wrapped in long strips of a fabric that maybe used to be white. They’re a mummy!
Ramón is wearing a red cap with a 'M' on it. He’s dressed as Mario!
Dapper is wearing a green cap with a 'L' on it and someone drew a mustache on his shell. He's Luigi!
Juanaflippa has a white sheet over her with cut out holes for the eyes and mouth (she’s still wearing her glasses). She's a ghost!
Pomme has blue wings, a wand, and a matching hennin. She’s a fairy!
Leonarda's shell is completely hidden by a spider-man mask, and she’s still wearing her red cap. She's spider-leo!
Bobby is wearing a yellow raincoat and is holding a red balloon. He's Georgie, from the movie It!
Richarlyson's shell is painted green with stitches, and his yellow jersey is all torn up and dirty. He's a zombie!
Chayanne is wearing a white cap and collar with a blue stripe and an anchor and a red tie. He’s a sailor!
Tallulah is wearing a pointy black hat with a purple belt and buckle. She’s a witch!
#qsmp#my art#digital drawing#artists on tumblr#art#digital art#drawing#fanart#digital aritst#qsmp fanart#qsmp eggs#qsmp eggs fanart#qsmp halloween#qsmp trump#qsmp tilin#qsmp ramon#qsmp dapper#qsmp juanaflippa#qsmp pomme#qsmp leonarda#qsmp bobby#qsmp richarlyson#qsmp chayanne#qsmp tallulah
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you mentioned you were writing a proposal fic. is that still happening? i loved the preview you posted!
I am! That one’s going to be longer and I’ll probably finish and post it while the shows on break! Here’s another little scene from it for you, though…
The sticky pads holding the heart monitor sensors to his chest itch. Buck lays in bed staring balefully up at the ceiling and tapping his chest with his fingertips around the nodes, trying to relieve the feeling. Not only does it not work but he also starts to worry that maybe impacts could be jostling the sensors enough to mess with the readings, so he rolls over (gently) to grab the notepad he’s supposed to writing down the “time and severity of any sensations of discomfort or pain, or any irregular heartbeat or palpitation” in and sheepishly writes “maybe itched chest too much, 4:32 pm.” He rolls to his back again. He wishes he could google how to stop itching without actually itching, but his cell phone is in a drawer in the kitchen next to the microwave, which he is not allowed near.
“Ugh,” he says, petulantly, to no one.
Except not no one, because Christopher chooses that moment to make his way through the bedroom door, arms laden with school work. He hands the stack to Buck wordlessly, who holds it above his chest while Chris walks to the other side of the bed and crawls in to sit against the headboard. He holds his hands out and Buck gives the pile back.
“You need help with homework?” Buck asks, passing over the pencil he’d just been writing with.
“It’s math, Buck,” Chris says, making a face. “You can’t help.”
“Ok, rude.”
Chris doesn’t dignify him with a response, getting right to work. His serious little face makes Buck smile. His forehead crinkles when he concentrates, just like Eddie’s does. Buck lays there, listening to the scratch of Christopher’s pencil and watching him breathe. He wonders what his heart monitor is reading from him now. Can it hear the way Buck’s heart swells up like a balloon every time he sees this kid? Should he write that down? 4:43 pm, loved Chris Diaz. Except that is always true, at any time, an overwhelming and constant state of being. Maybe they should have put the monitor on Christopher instead, Buck’s heart outside his body.
Chris glances down at Buck occasionally as he works. His eyeline is aimed at Buck’s chest so he doesn’t think he’s aware of Buck’s study of him. The line of his mouth gets tight each time it happens, a worried little grimace. 4:55, heartbreak. Buck reaches out and wraps his fingers around Chris’s ankle.
“Hey, bud,” Buck says softly, jostling his leg a little. “I’m ok, you know that, right? This looks scary,” he gestures to the wires coming off him, “But it’s just for a longer check up than they have time for at the doctor’s.”
Chris chews on his lip for a moment before responding. “What if they find something wrong?”
Buck holds on tighter. “You and your dad are taking such good care of me already. I’m doing good, and Dr. {name} doesn’t think she’ll find anything unexpected, but if she does and I need a little extra help I know I’m in good hands.”
Chris looks all over his face, examining him in the way his father sometimes does, and then rests his hand on Buck’s chest, careful not to nudge any of the tape. “We’ll help you, Buck,” Chris says, breaking out in a mischievous smile. “We’re even learning to make mac and cheese from Bobby.”
Buck throws his head back in a laugh. “Aw, no! What will you even need me for?”
“We’ll always need you, Buck.” 4:59, emotionally obliterated by a 12 year old. “Dad burns it every time.
Buck laughs again as Chris grins and gets back to work. His hand stays on Buck’s chest, and Buck doesn’t let go of his ankle.
#wip#my writing#it’s also lightning strike recovery fic#its also buck learns the power of self respect fic#its also dispatcher buck fic eventually#proposal fic
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9-1-1 5x17 Promo: Hero Complex
youtube
Camera zooms into the centre of the Fox logo, zooming into Chimney standing in front of the TV in his apartment, facing the sofas. He’s wearing a beige polo shirt, that’s slightly unbuttoned at the top, and dark grey jeans. He tilts his head, frowning as he listens to an off-screen Hen say,”I have this” Hen sits on his couch, looking downwards. Her forearms rest on her legs and she slowly brings her hands together as she says, “crazy idea”
The camera flashes to Bobby and Athena standing in a hospital. Bobby has his suspenders over his LAFD long shirt, and is sweaty and sooty, and has his hand on Athena’s shoulder, who is wearing a leather jacket and moss green jumper. They both are looking at something off-screen with expressions of concern. The camera flashes to Claudette, lying back in a hospital gurney. She looks up at May and we hear Hen say “she was fine” as the image fades to May looking down at her with a growing fond smile.
We hear Jonah shouting “she coded in the ambulance” as Claudette is wheeled into the hospital, one firefighter walking alongside the gurney and Jonah knelt over Claudette and doing compressions. As we hear “and then she was dead,” we see Hen and Jonah standing on opposite sides of Claudette’s gurney as nursing staff place a white sheet over her.
There’s a close-up of Jonah’s face from the side, smiling, and the screen flashes multiple times over an image of a gloved hand pulling a syringe out of the side of a medical bag. Chim is sitting on the armchair next to the couch in his house, and we see over his shoulder as he looks at Hen say, “maybe Jonah had done something,” her eyebrows raised in concern.
The screen goes black, with red text that reads “Next Monday 8/7c”. We hear Hen say, “this guy's bringing people to the point of death” as we see a woman sitting upright in a gurney as Jonah bringing his arm up to waist level, holding a bottle. He smiles down at the woman as he draws from the bottle with a thin syringe.
The screen goes black, with red text that reads “Only 1 episode left”. As we hear Hen say, “then using his skills”, we see Helena, Pepa, Abuela, Eddie and Ramon standing in a circle in the middle of an outdoor parking lot, with balloons arches dotted around them. They’re dressed quite fancily, and Eddie and Helena have their hands out as they appear to be arguing. We see Ramon from the back as he clutches his chest and starts to keel over, and Eddie crouches quickly to grab him as Pepa reaches forwards with a startled expression. Hen continues saying, “to bring them back” as we zoom in on Jonah, who stands with two women behind him. He appears to be at a party, as one woman holds a drink and there is string lighting behind them, and Jonah grins.
The screen goes black, with text that reads “Until the season finale” Bobby and Athena sit right next to each other at their dining table. Bobby’s eyebrows are raised and he nods a little as he talks to an off-screen Hen, “these are huge accusations.” As he talks, Athena raises her head, eyebrows arched and lips pursed as she looks contemplative and concerned. Bobby glances to the side, suggesting that Chim is standing next to Hen. Hen is wearing a black waterproof jacket with blue sleeves, and a black top underneath. She watches as Athena stands up whilst she says, “If Jonah - ” The camera switches to Athena over Hen’s shoulder, as she continues “ - is who you think he is” Athena’s eyebrows are raised and she looks a little fearful. Chim turns to the side, pressing his lips together.
Jonah walks across screen with a smile, which gradually falls from his face, as we hear Athena say, “He won't take kindly - ” There’s a sharp metallic noise as the camera pans down quickly to show he has a syringe held by his side. As we hear Athena say,“ - to being exposed,” we see Jonah looking up with his brows furrowed and eyes full of rage, as he stands in Chim’s apartment. He slowly raises his head. We see him rush forwards. Hen is standing with her back to him, looking down at her phone, and Jonah grabs her shoulders and brings his syringed hand up towards her neck. The screen cuts to the generic 9-1-1 opening screen, with the LA background, and red text that reads “9-1-1, followed by 9-1-1 Lone Star”
#911 season 5#517#911 promo#911 5b promo#911 season 5b promo#tw syringe#tw death#tw minor character death#let me know if this needs more warnings!#video
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Hear me out: headcannons about Bobby growing old with mc🥺 (I needed some fluff T-T)
no no no no no, you can’t just come in here and do this to me!! that’s so wholesome! i think i’m gonna have to divide this in decade marks, and maybe stop at the 30 year mark? i can do a part II later. 🤔
‘10 year mark’
the ‘mckenzie’ brand has expanded to restaurants, bars and bakeries all over the uk
the bars are considered a hot spots in the big cities. pictures of young ‘paisley cuddle’ are scattered on the walls, along with the pics from the villa’s parties, to set the theme
the restaurants have bobby and his experiences with famous chefs, like jake ‘sweetcheeks’ wilson, mary berry, gordon ramsey, wolfgang puck.
the bakeries however have the pictures from the time bobby went on the bake off show and won.
there’s small town models of the bakeries/restaurants that are seen as ‘family diners’
you and bobby already have two kids, 4 years apart from each other. in my head bobby is the type to have them earlier so they can live their best life together, have fun in the kitchen or in the backyard playing ball.
he loves throwing birthday parties every year, and of course, baking the cake. to which year is a different theme. “babe, you take care of the decorations and the details i’m definitely gonna forget, and me?” he puffs his chest holding a whisk. “i’m the cake guy.”
bobby is the reason why the kids love the parties so much. he’s the type of parent that goes on the slider with the kids, jumps with them in the bounce house, starts the water balloon wars…
the parents are so thankful for him since he’s pretty much the one who keeps an eye on them at all times.
usually, he’s waking up early every day because it became a habit since his hospital times. he never really shook that habit. so he prepared breakfast, takes the dog out, while you wake the kids up to eat and rush them to school
the dad that takes two different cameras and a phone to film and take pictures during his kids’ public presentations, games, recitals and science fairs “dad, one phone is enough” “yeah, but your dad needs backup! i’m from the 90′s darling. i can’t be any different” he says, shrugging with a grin.
you guys have a small house on the outskirts of glasgow or london, depending on who won the bet you had when you got married.
you’re pregnant again. entirely unplanned and now bobby can’t stop crying,. he always wanted three kids.
‘15 year mark’
a third child came three years ago, which made you consider a much more peaceful place to buy a house. and a bigger one for that matter.
bigger bakyeard means more people and their kids playing around the lawn, as bobby and gary grill sausages, making stupid jokes about it, and you and the girls have drinks shaking your heads.
you and bobby are gary’s kids’ godparents
ibrahim can’t come, he’s to busy making mad money on brand deals. noah is calming the kids down, by reading something in the living room, while bobby shakes a cocktail for the tired parents.
gary gives you a new couple of puppies, because the dog you had has unfortunately passed away. (sorry!)
your first kid is just turning 13 and being a little pain in the ass. but they like their uncles and aunties so they will actually raise their heads from *inser new device that will replace phones*
you guys travel in your car, to spend a week in cabins, fishing, playing ball, having picnics close to the lake
bobby always throws at least one of the kids in the water, before jumping in and splashing everyone. “bet you can’t do better than that, babe…” he says to you, raising his brows suggestively. “watch me, mckenzie.”
summer time and the lake became a tradition since it was the first place you and him spent a holiday alone
the employees that attend to you in hotels refer to you as “the mckenzie’s”
in the city, you have a trustworthy babysitter that will spend the night so you and bobby can have some time alone
he surprises you with dates and flowers out of nowhere
early nights are made for you and bobby to help the kids with homework
at this point, bobby is invited to be a special guest in cooking/baking competitions in the uk
and to have a “masterclass” of hiw own, where he mostly credits you for the idea of expanding, the execution of the administrative plans and how to actually expand a business. “i only do the cooking. she’s the genius behind the money.” he laughs while crossing his legs during his online course.
‘20 year mark’
kids’ sad times. graduations are happening. the youngest is entering third grade, the other one is in uni, far from home. “did you have to choose something so far from your old man?” “dad… of course! how else would i have a ‘paisley cuddle’ phase?” they respond, laughing. “i should’ve never told you thats story! now you’re having ideas!” “relax dad. everything is gonna be fine!” the middle one is entering high school and their rebellious phase.
bobby follows through with his part of the deal when you got married, by wearing something ridiculous to embarrass your kid at their graduation. “dad, you look like a hawaiian drug dealer.” “ i know,” “oh, so it wasn’t dark when you got dressed? mom!” “what can i say, your dad doesn’t care for blacks and blues.” “yeah, right…”
professionaly, bobby has a renowned signature dish, plenty of new ideas for the future, like school and courses.
the house is the same you bought five years ago, but now, it’s mostly parents getting together for barbecues, cocktails, movies and game nights
the younger children stay in the tv room upstairs
‘25 year mark’
your second child didn’t go to uni, and decided to help out on the family business. they always felt like this was the life for them and couldn’t wait to finish school to start.
bobby wanted them to go to school to learn everything they could “but dad, you didn’t, and you know so much.” “oof, they got you there, babe.”
you have a second wedding ceremony and a second honeymoon
bobby has a few grey hairs popping through his dreads
he’s still wearing colorful shirts and girls on social media call him ‘daddy’
he’s been invited to cook for the queen (yes, she’s still alive)
you see your friends a few times more a year now.
your third child is going to uni, to follow a career path you never imagined they would, but you’re proud of them
you decided to sell the house, that’s so big now, and find a smaller one that still has an extra bedroom for when your oldest comes to stay with their partner
bobby cracks dad jokes now, and according to gary, he picked them up from him “sure, gary, ‘cause you’re the only man on the planet who tells dad jokes” “stop bickering! you’re like an old married couple.” you say, slapping their arms playfully
‘30 year mark’
your first child just had their first child
“you’re a grandpa, bobs!” gary slaps him on the back, picking up a box of cigars that they will share with noah and ibrahim.
“can’t believe i’m this old.” “if you’re old, what am i?” you ask him, folding your arms on your chest. “beautiful?” he responds with a clear guilty expression.
‘things that would happen at all times during this entire journey’
bobby would sing to the kids every night
you would read them bedtime stories, taking turns to do the voices
it’s a tradition to cook together on special occasions, no matter what happens. the three kids, you and bobby would always spend the day listening to music, talking about life, slicing, sauteeing, mixing, measuring. it’s a tradition that will never die
when your grandkids come around, they will be the the ones resposible for measuring
drawings that your kids do in school akways have extra colors on bobby’s outfits. his name also has more than three colored letters
bobby has taught your kids how to play the guitar
rainy afternoons were known as “dad’s baking afternoons”
you and bobby had a hard time to find a compromise between being friends and parents.
open conversations with your kids, about everything. they knew what to expect in the world.
bobby’s parents would visit, to spend a whole weekend and share stories of his childhood, as yours would too
family vacation always had a ‘car trip and singing along to the radio’ type of tradition as well
your oldest now takes their child for family vacation in the same spot you and bobby used to
twice a year you guys rent a place for the family to have some bonding, even after they get married (or not)
“your dad is the finest pillow fort architect in the uk”
camping in the backyard when you had to cancel a trip
you’re in charge of coaching and playing sports in the back of the house while bobby relaxes under the sunlight “i was never very athletic”. he’s the empire
*these are the ones on the top of my head. i must’ve left dozens behind :/
#litg#love island the game#love island the game season 2#litg s2#litg season 2#fusebox#fusebox games#bobby mckenzie#queue#submission#litg bobby
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Felix Natalis
...so a little self indulgence because today is my birthday and I allow myself to be selfish on my birthday…
~~~~~
You weren’t upset…
Okay maybe you were…
No, you were beyond upset, you were livid! Pissed! Some would even say down right nettled!
Today was your birthday, the day that you blessed this world with your arrival and the only people who even seemed to care were the subscription services you had set up and your dentist office.
No text messages, no phone calls, not even a social media post!
You kind of expected it, there were so many things overshadowing your big day. Now you couldn’t exactly blame some of the others, there were a lot of new released hitting so many networks today, not to mention that there was a huge ball this weekend, but your four boyfriends! How dare! Not even a letter!
You kind of couldn’t blame Noctis, the poor prince had been known to go out wearing mismatching shoes, quite frequently, unless Ignis noticed before they left the house. Gladiolus was checking everything over for the huge ball. While Ignis you expected to have a reminder, or something, but he more than likely had his hands full making sure that Noctis and Prompto weren’t going to cause a major scandal. Speaking of Prompto, he should have recalled, he was always the first to remember, and find the most obnoxious balloon possible to bring in the apartment.
But nothing! Absolutely nothing!
You huffed as you laid on the couch, it was your birthday, so you were going to pout all you wanted! Maybe...maybe you’d get yourself a cake and hog it all to yourself. A grown woman could eat an entire cake by herself, and not even Bahamut could stop you!
You went to get ready to go get your pity cake, but as you pulled your phone off the charger you noticed that you had missed a message. From Ignis! You quickly opened the message, only to be find your anger somehow doubled.
Please bring Noctis a tie, he seemed to have left it at home on the bed. I’ll send a car to grab you.
You’d bring Noctis his tie all right! But you couldn’t be held responsible for anything that might happen to it on the way! You marched into the bedroom, finding the stupid tie laying directly on the bed where the Prince had left it. Snatching the tie up you, marched downstairs, the tie clenched tightly in you fist, not caring if it wrinkled! Serves them all right!
The entire car ride to the Citadel you pouted, tempted to just chuck the tie out the window, and tell the driver to take you to the nearest bakery! You were going to down an entire wedding cake at this point!
Leaving the car, you begin the familiar walk up the stairs, on your way to Ignis’s office only to be immediately intercepted by the familiar ladies’ in waiting who assisted you when there are formal events.
“Excuse me, Ms. Y/N, there’s an important visitor today. We were just made aware, please…” One replied, ushering you to the changing room.
“Wait, no I’m only here to drop this off.” You tried to counter holding up the reason you even set foot in the palace today. Only to find the tie that you were just moments ago thinking of lighting on fire was taken from your hand.
“We shall take care of that.”
“Please, we must hurry.”
Every argument or retort that you tried to come up with was immediately countered, as you were whisked away to get dolled up for this mysterious guest, who decided they were suddenly taking over your day. You honestly wondered if these ladies should possibly take over for the King’s Guard with how efficient.
You found it strange that you weren’t high strung dolled up, there were not bobby pins, or gallons of hairspray. The dress was huge, but not the normal red carpet, where you’re to stand there and look pretty type of dress that you typically wore for these things. If anything, you were the most comfortable you have ever been all dolled up.
“Hurry.” One of the ladies called taking your hand, seeing that you were much more relaxed with them, as they have seen you close to naked on a frequent basis.
Still you were so confused when you were lead to a ballroom, wouldn’t it have made more sense to have be received in a throne room? You went to ask, only to find all the ladies had disappeared rather quickly. You turned back to the large door, straining to hear something on the other side, but was only met with silence.
The door cracked open just a the tiniest bit, then enough for you to walk through, but all you were met with was darkness. You knew from memory that you were standing at the top of a staircase high above a beautiful ballroom, but you were surprised that it could get this dark in the middle of the afternoon.
“What the…” You muttered.
Only for all the lights to flash on, streams, glitter and pop cannons went off before you, as you flinched, immediately moving to a defensive position, summoning a flash of fire before you heard the cry of:
“SURPRISE!”
Once the shock wore off you found almost everyone you knew standing around dressed rather fancy but still quite relaxed. A large tiered cake sitting in the middle of a huge buffet with quite a few of your favorite foods! The entire room was decorated for a large party for you.
You stepped forward, having broken your defensive stance whisking the fire away, “Oh my…” You saw Prompto, in a three piece suit towards the bottom of the stairs rapid firing clicking away, he more than likely got a pretty nice picture of you ready to set this place on fire, next to him were Gladiolus and Ignis dressed similarly, but where was Noctis?
You found a hand before you, only to turn and find Noctis, standing there hand offered a blush on his face.
“Happy Birthday, Y/N.” He managed to squeak out as you took his hand allowing him to lead you down the stairs.
Once you got to your other boyfriends, you couldn’t help the smile, you should have known they wouldn’t have forgotten your birthday. It wasn’t in their nature! But still they had you going.
“Happy Birthday, Y/N.” Ignis smiled, as he placed a small tiara in your hair, an on going tradition at this point for you.
“We make you worry birthday lady?” Gladiolus chuckled, handing you a bouquet of flowers.
You gave a playful pout, only to notice the large Chocobo balloons behind the cake, Prompto’s work for sure as you laughed giving a nod.
“We wanted to throw you a huge surprise party.” Prompto replied, finally lowering the camera.
You giggled, “Well I’m surprised! Thank you.”
The next few hours were filled with quite a lot of laughs, and music and cake. You tried to convince Ignis that you could eat at least two tiers by yourself, but he had stated that he didn’t want to be the one in charge of dealing with the aftermath.
By the time that you were all crowded in the car to return home for the night, you found yourself and Prompto covered in glitter. No one was sure of where it came from as Ignis was adamant about there not being any. Noctis somehow managed to get icing under his vest on his dress shirt, Gladiolus suit jacket was missing and Ignis looked perfect as always. You were in the middle of the backseat engulfing poor Prompto and Noctis as they were small enough to allow everyone to sit comfortably enough.
“I’m surprised that you guys managed to keep it a secret. Did you have stuff delivered directly to the palace?” You inquired on the way home for the evening.
“Yes, most were delivered this morning.” Ignis stated, before cutting a playful glare to Prompto in the rearview mirror. “We also made certain that no one else made mention of it.”
“Iggy took my phone.” Prompto pouted playfully, “I wanted to show you all the balloons I had to pick from.”
“Oh, Iggy…” You called, “Where’s the tie I brought.”
“In all honesty I was surprised when I saw, I figured that you would have lit it on fire or thrown it out the car window.”
“I thought about it…” You muttered playfully, getting a laugh.
“You almost lit everyone on fire.” Noctis stated, as you an embarrassed gasped.
“You saw that?”
“Got pictures.” Prompto added, showing you the picture of you crouched ready to fight, Noctis standing slightly behind you looking absolutely terrified. “Good thing Iggy, thought to have everyone below you.”
“How embarrassing would that have been. Crazy lady sets the ballroom on fire on her birthday.” You laughed.
“Well crazy lady,” Gladiolus called turning around to you, “You’ve got one minute left for your birthday, did you have a good one?”
You didn’t even have to think about it.
“The best!”
#Tis my birth#1/15#I was brought to this earth#to write mediocre stories and eat pineapple and snickerdoodles#I'm kinda out of practice but#I wanted to be selfish today#and no one would stop me#except me#ffxv drabble#ffxv fanfiction#final fantasy xv fanfiction#fanfic#noctis x reader#prompto x reader#gladiolus x reader#ignis x reader#chocobros#final fantasy drabbles
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So..
Maddie had to basically raise and care for her brother when she was pretty young (from what we can gather), she was in an abusive relationship where her husband cut her off from family and friends, then when she finally managed to leave him he came back to stalk and kidnap her and stab her boyfriend, and she had to kill him. Then she was held hostage at the call center.
Buck had a difficult childhood (I think we’re safe to assume this much), then his sister left and it was obviously a big deal to him - and when she found him again she was almost killed by her abusive ex, he almost drowned and almost lost his friend’s son in a tsunami, had his leg crushed by a fire truck, had a pulmonary embolism, lost his job and his friends, his girlfriend left him because she couldn’t deal with the job, his other ex girlfriend used him as an emotional support crutch and then abandoned him without even giving him a clean break, his psychologist used her position of trust so she could sleep with him. Oh and his best friend / guy he’s clearly in love with was almost buried alive and.. it was never addressed again.
Athena’s fiancé was killed, she was almost killed by a serial killer, and her daughter almost killed herself, then she was kidnapped and almost killed again.
Bobby’s wife and children died tragically in a fire that he blames himself for.
Chim had an abusive dad, a mom who died when he was a teenager, he was bullied, his best friend sacrificed himself on a call and Chim was there to see it all, then he had a traumatic brain injury after a near-fatal car accident and his girlfriend left him right after, oh and he was catfished and stabbed by his girlfriend’s abusive ex-husband who then kidnapped her, and then she was kidnapped again at her place of work!
Eddie’s helicopter was shot down and his friend died, his son had to have multiple operations while he was away, his parents tried to take his son away from him, then his wife left him, twice, and then died in his arms. Then he was almost buried alive.
Hen was bullied, her relationship with her ex put her child’s safety in jeopardy, and she inadvertently caused a young girl’s death, oh and she almost died in the earthquake.
And most of the issues I listed don’t even include the stuff that happens to them on a day-to-day basis. Or any of the stuff that happened to Michael, Josh, Karen, Chris, May or Harry.
Now obviously, you could do a show that actually dives into the trauma of emergency responders, but that would be a very different tone. There’s always the question of how realistic can these shows really be in 45 minutes and still give us these crazy rescue scenarios (Tsunami?? Mudslide? Plane Crash? Check) AND emotional development each episode. Realistically, the 118 wouldn’t be the ones - or at least not the only ones - called in to save people on a failed water landing / plane crash in the ocean. Their area of operation wouldn’t span from the coastline doing abseiling rescues to trying to run down a hot air balloon to bank robberies to train crashes in the middle of nowhere.
So we also can’t expect them to be completely faithful to actual trauma psychology, because that would most probably make for boring TV, but even if it didn’t, it just COULDN’T be the show we love so much. They do give it some space, like showing Christopher dealing with nightmares, acknowledging the slower pacing of Madney’s relationship because of her past experiences, Bobby’s unwillingness to forgive himself, Eddie’s anger management issues and poor coping skills in general, Buck not giving himself time to heal properly because of his need to be defined by helping people so he can feel ‘worthy’, and some characters even get to go and see a psychologist - with mixed results, that also aren’t properly followed up on, and when Eddie says he didn’t click with the psychologist that’s seemingly also the end of him dealing with his anger issues. A lot of the time, the show acknowledges mental wellbeing once, and then drops it completely - like Buck’s abandonment issues being dealt with only as a set up for Abby to come back. Lone Star does a little better with Judd’s trauma from his entire team dying in front of him, and his survivor’s guilt, and how that affects his relationship.
BUT season 3 of 911 actually laid some good ground work with Eddie Begins, with Athena unsure of whether she will get back to work, with Hen considering changing careers, and Maddie and Chim’s relationship playing out the way it did. I really hope that a lot of the events in season 4 - the baby and the anxiety that comes with that (especially if you have shitty parents), May starting work as a 9-1-1 operator, Eddie and Buck going to Texas, Buck Begins, will circle back to some of these traumatic experiences and give them more room to breathe along with the new stuff that will inevitably come up. I mean we already know there’s going to be a freaking mudslide and LAVA and wildfires, so.
Maybe one of the reasons we love fanfiction is because it gives you room to explore a facet of the characters or their lives that isn’t given much room in the canon, maybe because it doesn’t fit the tone of the show or the writers are focusing somewhere else. I think it’s also the reason why buddie is so popular while actual canon ships are less so - it’s the same in a lot of fandoms. You’ll always have more fanfiction about the stuff you don’t get to explore on screen - the other relationships you already get to see played out, so it doesn’t feel as necessary to write about. So in fanfiction, we can give the characters space to breathe and deal with everything, and we can be realistic in how a new emergency doesn’t erase the trauma of past experiences, and how LONG it would actually take to deal with some of these issues in real life. There are SO many fanfiction out there in the 9-1-1 AO3 tag that do this so well, and that have a really good handle on how these characters would or could still be affected by this stuff, whether it’s panic attacks or nightmares or unhealthy coping mechanisms or emotional hang ups like guilt and feelings of inadequacy.(I think this is the reason why I tend to not like fanfiction that puts a heavy emphasis on headcanon for more trauma like kidnappings or abuse or childood trauma. There’s already so much stuff we have seen in the show, and in the hints we get about Buck’s childhood for example, I don’t need insult added to injury so to speak. But to each their own, obviously.) And I think that’s really cool and something we should talk about and seek out and write about, because it’s a huge reason why we care about these characters so much. And we should also continue to hold the show to a standard of not erasing the trauma, and give it space even when we’re realistic about how much space it can have in the kind of show 9-1-1 is.
So I guess that’s a long way of saying I’m excited it seems that season 4 will focus a lot more in depth on character and dealing with all the stuff I listed above. And I can’t wait to see where Buck’s abandonment issues come from, or how Eddie and Buck could bond over having shitty parents.
#911#911 on fox#eddie diaz#evan buckley#maddie buckley#buckley siblings#chimney han#hen wilson#athena grant#bobby nash#911 season 4#911 season 3#911 season 2#911 season 1#9-1-1#buddie
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Oooh Maddie/Madney + passing out from pain 😈
It started 20 minutes before her shift was due to end, her stomach feeling uneasy, but quickly growing into what Maddie could only guess, and dreaded, had to be the stomach bug going around. She should have known it would eventually reach her. The bug had been spread throughout the entire firehouse, all starting with Buck who claimed he was perfectly fine to work one shift when Bobby so clearly saw straight through that lie. He could barely stand without swaying let alone running into burning buildings, so not even an hour in Bobby sent Buck home to rest up and get well.
And then Bobby came down with the bug only a few days later, and he ended up giving it to Eddie, who gave it to Hen, and of course with her being partners with Chimney he was bound to get it. Maddie spent the better part of two days nursing her boyfriend back to health. Everyone bounced back rather quickly she had to admit, but Maddie really isn’t looking forward to spending her foreseeable future hunched over the toilet just as Chimney had not even a week ago.
20 minutes is usually nothing for Maddie. She can help between 2-4 people in that time frame depending on the situation on the other end of the phone, or if it’s a slow day she’ll lean back in her chair and usually chat with Josh. Now though, each minute feels like an hour as the discomfort she feels in her stomach builds to a small pain. It’s with a sigh of relief her shift finally ends and she practically runs out of the building and gets in her car, she just needs sleep. Maybe a good night's rest would halt whatever she felt coming on.
But the minute she walks into the apartment Maddie feels just a little guilty for wanting to head straight for the bedroom when she spots two takeaway containers from her favorite Chinese restaurant. The idea of eating is almost enough to make her throw up on the spot, but she knows Chimney has barely eaten anything that wasn’t soup for the last 3 days and probably decided to order in now that he’s finally feeling great and can keep it down. Maddie doesn’t want to admit she isn’t feeling well either when Chimney comes walking down the hallway from their bedroom with a grin on his face, happy to see her. She can suck it up and spend an hour with him, she decides.
Not even 15 minutes in though Maddie finds herself not only with an upset stomach, but a headache too. It’s already been a long day for her with calls that just kept coming and coming and not allowing Maddie to take a much needed break to compose herself before moving onto another one. Listening to Chimney explain a weird call the team had today, of course through Buck’s perspective because Chimney’s first day back is tomorrow, is becoming harder and harder, until eventually the only thing Maddie can actually hear is the pounding in her head.
“Maddie, are you okay?”
“Huh?” She looked up from her still full container and knew she was caught. Chimney is looking at her with concern in his eyes. He seems to hesitate at first, but moves his hand to her forehead and Maddie leans in to the cool touch. “Oh my god Maddie you’re burning up. Are you not feeling well?”
“No.” She caves, finally dropping the plastic fork in her hand, and rubbing her temples instead to try and give her head some relief. “I think I’m getting what you had, I’ve felt it coming on about halfway through the day.”
“Why didn’t you say anything? You should be in bed right now.”
“Well I was going to, but you looked so happy when I came in I didn’t have the heart to tell you I wasn’t feeling up to dinner.”
“Maddie, you feeling better is more important than anything else. Now you go lie down and I’ll clean up out here and meet you in the bedroom.” She nodded, giving him a soft smile. By the time Chimney actually did come back she was out cold.
And Before going to bed, Maddie hoped that’s how it would stay all night. Sleep was the only thing anyone really wanted when sick. So shooting out of bed at 3 am isn't exactly ideal, especially when Maddie knew what was coming next. She threw back the covers, not bothering to reach for any lights, and headed straight for the bathroom. She reached the toilet just in time for her to expel the remaining little food she managed to keep down the day before. And if that weren’t bad enough, that small pain she experienced earlier is now way bigger, and if she weren’t already curled up on the floor vomiting into the toilet bowl she most definitely would be from the pain in her side.
Out of the corner of her eye she can see the hallway light flick on and Chimney appear in the doorway, not moving straight away just a bit dazed from sleep. But when it finally hits him he’s bending down right next to her. “Maddie?” He’s rubbing a gentle hand up and down her back, using his other one to hold her hair out of her face, and only let’s go when she’s more dry heaving then vomiting. Chimney knew this was coming because he had just gone through it, but the way Maddie is holding her right side and doubles over in pain is enough to make him worry more than he feels like he should be. “Maddie is it your stomach or your side that hurts?”
“My side, it hurts really bad.” This suddenly feels like more than a stomach bug, and that makes things feel so much worse because if it isn’t something as simple as a stomach bug than what is it? Chimney has a few guesses actually, but his brain can't really focus on anything but his girlfriend on the floor in pain, and it’s enough to make him announce he’s calling 911.
He shoots through the bedroom door and fumbles through his nightstand looking for his phone, his panicked state only rising when he doesn’t find it. He takes a moment to let out a breath of air and run his hands through his hair, the memory of leaving it on the coffee table hitting him full force. He left it there after ordering the Chinese food but forgot to bring it back to the room after Maddie announced she wasn’t feeling well.
Sure enough it’s still sitting there in the exact position he placed it in, and he picks it up and dials 911. As he’s telling his address to the dispatcher he sees Maddie exit the bathroom and slowly walk down the hallway towards him. She’s still clutching her side and is wobbling a bit, as if standing is an effort. The look on her face is enough for Chimney to let the phone crash to the floor and dash towards her.
He manages to reach Maddie a second before she faints.
————O~O~O————
Heavy.
That is the best way to describe how Maddie feels at this moment. She couldn’t move her legs or arms; any part of her body for that matter, it felt more like she is struggling against a restraint that she’s pretty sure isn’t even there. Even opening her eyes feels like too much and while the darkness is calling out to her once again, she forces herself to feel past the heavy eyelids and actually manages to open them just a little because a voice is telling her to; and she can’t quite make out who it is yet, but she knows that voice and can practically feel the urgency, worry, and relief coming off of them in one big wave.
For just a moment she sees the color white, before the blinding bright lights that hang above are forcing them back closed. A few more blinks and Maddie is finally able to keep her eyes open, and she can see Chimney standing by the right side of her bed holding her hand, which she hadn’t even felt until then.
“God, Maddie. You scared the hell out of me.” And she’s sure she did, because he looks like hell at the moment. His hair is pointed in every which direction and...is he still wearing the same pjs he had on when...well actually she realizes she doesn’t know how long it’s been or what happened to her. The last thing she can remember is being in a lot of pain on their bathroom floor and then...nothing. “What happened?”
“Well, you passed out on me that’s what happened. The ambulance came and rushed you to the hospital. It turns out that the stomach bug was actually appendicitis.” Oh, well that suddenly makes sense in the span of things. For a few weeks, every so often, her back would have these sudden sharp pains for half of a second and then disappear, and she hadn’t been eating as much as she usually does this past week. Then there was the pain in her side, a clear sign. She kind of just deduced it down to stress, but the nurse side of her should have caught on quicker.
“Just great,” she mumbles. “I think I would have preferred that stomach bug.” Chimney let’s out a small laugh, finally relaxing after almost a whole day of worrying.
“I would prefer neither happen to you. I’m just glad they caught it and you’re safe. I love you so much.” Chimney leans down and gives her a small kiss which she reciprocates, only pulling back when his phone starts to vibrate in his pocket. “Who’s that?”
“Your brother, who says he’s on his way up from the gift shop right now.”
“Oh boy, I don’t want to imagine what Buck is going to bring through that door.”
“Me either. Having to walk out of the hospital with that many balloons after my rebar accident was a nightmare.” Maddie smiles, trying her hardest not to laugh as it hurt when she did.
“Okay, he says he needs me to open the door. You ready?”
“Nope, but let him in.”
Fun Fact: I actually had Appendicitis the summer going into 9th grade. It was not fun. The symptoms I wrote for Maddie was pretty much what I experienced. A whole summer on bed rest was AGONIZING. My siblings and cousins were all going outside, swimming, playing sports...I’m not still bitter. I swear. 🙃
Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this, my first @badthingshappenbingo prompt. Thank you @maddieandchimney for suggesting it, and I hope it somewhat meets your expectations! I’ll update my bingo card with my next post, feel free to leave prompts!
#911#911 on fox#911 fox#madney#chimney han#maddie buckley#911 fanfiction#911 fanfic#hurt#stomach pain#bad things happen bingo
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Ooh would you maybe do "childhood best friends" for Willie/Luke?
One alive!AU for my darling muffin with the most chaos ship imaginable ;D Not sure if it’s what you wanted but I hope you like it anyway (also, I just realised I forgot Bobby but ah well)! <3 <3 <3
*
“Dude, will you calm down!”
Alex flicks his hair out of his face, clearly annoyed, and Luke realises only now that his legs are practically vibrating on the bench. He forces them to bounce at a slightly slower pace but he just can’t help it. He’s excited!
Ever since Willie, his childhood best friend, called him out of the blue last week and told him he’d move to L.A., he’s been ping-ponging around like a helium balloon, to Reggie’s amusement and Alex’s eternal suffering. But he’s sure that once they meet him, they’ll get it.
He hasn’t seen Willie since they were like seven but they always had the best fun and drove their parents mental. Luke secretly suspects his parents were pretty glad, actually, when his Dad getting that job in LA meant Luke would be separated from Willie. Luke absolutely hated it! He was miserable for months until he found Alex and Reggie. And he loves them, truly, they’re his band and family but still, Willie is just ... Willie! They’ll get it.
But the thing is, Alex isn’t just annoyed with Luke, and Reggie isn’t just rambling about pizza and horses because he loves them so (though he does). They’re nervous! Alex keeps switching from burying his hands in his hoodie pouch to burying them in the pockets of his pants and Reggie does the nervous fiddling thing with his hands and Luke would never say it but he’s kinda flattered that they see Willie not as a potential new friend but as a threat to their dynamic, as if he would steal Luke away from them. He guesses he has been talking about Willie a lot these last five days.
Luke finally stills his legs and grins at them. “I think you two should relax. This is gonna be awesome, boys!”
Alex flicks his hair out of his face for maybe the hundreth time since they arrived at the beach, sighing in frustration when the wind just blows it back again. “You haven’t seen the guy in a decade. What if he is really weird. Or ... really boring now?”
Luke snorts. “Weird? Yes, probably, like we’re all weird. Boring? Willie? Never!”
Reggie chews on his cuticles until Alex swats his hand away. “We just don’t want to see you get hurt. You know, if he can’t live up to all the hype.”
Luke rolls his eyes and pushes off the bench. He’s just about to turn around to tell his boys again just how awesome Willie is, when he suddenly finds himself flat on the asphalt, spitting out gravel.
“Dude! I’m so sorry!”
Luke mumbles something unintelligent while a strong arms helps him to his feet again, Alex and Reggie already rushing in.
“It’s okay, man, nothing bro--”
He finally looks at the guy who’d caused him to get unwillingly familiar with the pavement and laughs.
“Willie?!”
It really is. All grown up into a gangly teenager and also seriously hot? Luke is thrown again (though only figuratively this time) for a moment, trying to digest that, but Willie’s giggle is just like he remembers it, crinkles around his eyes and joy just radiating off him. Willie leans his board against the now unoccupied bench and unclips his helmet, shaking free surprisingly long hair that somehow really suits him. Luke is faintly aware of Alex gaping next to him and Reggie’s eyebrows rising but then he’s crushed in a tight hug, Willie exclaiming “Hotdog!” and Luke laughs at the old nickname and returns the hug. It’s weird, both of their bodies so altered, but it also feels right.
After a long moment, they break apart with more laughing and back slapping and Luke finally gets around to introducing Reggie and Alex. Reggie is all smiles and eagerness, while Alex is frowning.
“You scraped your elbow,” he says and agressively unzips his fanny pack.
Luke rolls his eyes but sits down on the bench, holding out his arm for Alex’s first aid services while he launches into an explanation on the nickname for Reggie’s benefit, with Willie gleefully providing all the details he would have liked to gloss over. It’s perfect.
It’s been ten years and there’s so much to catch each other up on but somehow it feels like they’ve never been separated, easily falling back into a friendship that’s been lying dormant for a decade, apparently just waiting for them to pick it up right where they left it. Willie also instantly clicks with Reggie, as Luke knew he would, and though Alex seems a bit reserved, Luke is sure he’ll come around. It’s probably just because Willie ran Luke over, which Luke actually finds kinda hilarious. Or because Willie is hot because Alex gets weird around hot guys.
And to be honest, the whole ‘my childhood best friend is smoking hot’ thing catches him unaware at weird moments, too, all throughout the afternoon of hanging out at the beach. Luke tells himself that it’s just because it’s so unexpected (although if he thinks about it, Willie was pretty cute as a kid but that was not something Luke spent much time noticing back then) and that once he’s used to having Willie around again, it’ll just be like with Reggie and Alex, who are objectively pretty people, too.
He just needs to calm down about it.
#I kinda ran out of steam at the end but I hope it counts as shippy#luke/willie#do they have a ship name#lullie?#wuke?#they're all terrible#anyway#my writing#jatp willie#luke patterson#jatp#jatp fanfic#phantomfloat
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Leave It To the Mistletoe for @bobbie-robron
His sister’s bathroom was freezing, and he’d forgotten his towel. He grabbed some tiny towel that Vic probably used on her hair and rubbed his head, teeth chattering. He grabbed his robe, but it was thin and fraying. As he pulled it on, he looked outside the window. Snow was swirling in almost every direction. He felt the wind through the window and shivered. He was going to catch his death in here.
The plan was to make it to the closet for a towel then his room without running into anyone. His teeth chattered as he ran for it, and of course, a door opened. Aaron’s boyfriend’s head sticking out of Aaron’s room. Robert sighed but kept on course. He pulled open the linen closet and grabbed an old beach towel.
As he turned, he saw Eli was still looking at him. “What?”
Eli jumped and stepped back a bit back into Aaron’s room.
Robert glared at him.
“I, uh… was told that you were who I needed to talk to.”
That was ominous. “Well, I’m freezing, so…”
“Oh, right, yeah…later.”
Robert turned to go into Vic’s spare room and cursed his furnace for breaking for the billionth time. The last thing he really wanted to be doing was running into Aaron’s latest boyfriend — who was sticking around for far too long. Why hadn’t they broken up yet? Robert glowered as he dried off and quickly got dressed.
Eli was hanging in the hallway.
He had a split second impulse to just punch him.
Tell him he wasn’t good enough for Aaron.
No one was.
But he just blinked at him and realized he wasn’t getting out of whatever this was…
“What?”
Eli sighed. “I um, I asked Adam, but he told me to ask you…which their best mates, right? Him and Adam?”
Robert rolled his eyes.
“Anyway…it’s just things are getting serious.”
What? No. Him?
“And so, I want to get Aaron something good for Christmas, but he's… well keeps saying he doesn’t want anything…do have ideas?"
"Why would I give you ideas?”
“Adam seemed to think you’d be the better one to ask?”
Robert rolled his eyes.
“I mean… I know you and Aaron are mates, but…uh, are you really that close.”
“Yeah, we are."
"Oh…”
Robert smirked. It bothered Eli he and Aaron were close. Good. Let it. “And sorry, I already got him the best present, so you’re flat out of luck."
"I could pay you for it?”
“Are you serious? No. And it’d make zero sense coming from you…no mate, you’re out of luck. Try a hoodie…” he brushed past him and walked downstairs.
Into an explosion of green streamers and red and green balloons. “Vic, what the hell?”
“My party is tonight.”
He sighed. “You need to fix the heater in your bathroom.”
“And just lose money again, no thanks…can you put this up?” she handed him a sprig of fake mistletoe.
“Really? Are you twelve? You going to play spin the bottle tonight too?”
“Could be fun,” she grinned. “It’s Christmas in a week, come on, please, I can’t reach….between the kitchen and the living room.”
Robert sighed and reached up, sticking it where she wanted it with a bit of tape.
“Oh, Hi, Eli.”
“Hi…Aaron said it was alright if I slept in.”
“Yeah, of course, there is coffee in the kitchen.”
Robert grabbed his things and tried not to glare at Eli.
“That is looking more and more serious, isn’t it great?” Vic said.
“Yeah, peachy…”
“You could give him a chance….”
“Why?”
“For Aaron? I think he really likes him.”
“I gotta get to work.”
“Happy trucking.”
“I don’t drive…never mind…” he walked out the door, and his phone chirped. He grabbed it as he walked to the cafe on autopilot. It was Aaron.
A: Going to be at the party.
R: Hoping to avoid it.
A: They figure out your furnace. I can look at it, you know.
R: Meeting guy there on my lunch break. Let you know.
A: Eli texted that you’re a prick.
Robert snorted and looked up to order his Americano.
R: Was I supposed to be nice?
He watched the screen, holding his breath and hoping that the answer wasn’t yes — if it was yes, then it was getting serious with him and Eli. Wasn’t it? And that made his stomach churn, and the urge to hit and throw things rush to the surface. He didn’t know what to do with it…
How do you deal with it?
He thought it was mad at first, feeling the things he felt for Aaron. He still thought it was a bit mad, but he knew now it wasn’t going away. It was getting worse. But they were… they were them, mates, they had something good and real…
He needed him.
The idea of messing with it felt terrifying.
A: Nah.
Robert blew out a relieved breath.
~~~
Aaron sipped the crappy coffee, mostly just to get some heat into him. He felt frozen from working in the yard in the snow. It was coming down too hard now, and it was pointless. He supposed he could do paperwork, but he was thinking about just taking off early. Start the weekend early, he glanced at the time. He could maybe swing by the Mill and be there when Robert met with whoever he’d called about his heater.
The only issue was Adam was giving him a look.
“What?”
Adam laughed. “Just I know someone is thinking really hard on what to get you for Christmas.”
“Just get me money like usual, mate.”
“Not me.”
Aaron stared at him.
“Can’t think of who?”
Aaron shrugged. “Who is there?”
“Plenty of people…but this is specific. You really have no idea who?” Adam laughed.
Aaron blinked. “Everyone knows what I like.”
“Actually, mate, no one knows what you like. Why do you think I give you money, and Vic bakes you things?”
“I’m not that hard to buy for…” Aaron muttered.
“Only if your Robert Sugden,” Adam laughed.
“What’s that mean?”
“Oh, come on, he’s like some Aaron savant. You always fucking love his presents.”
“Do not…” Aaron tried not to look at his watch on his wrist that Robert given him for his birthday last year. It was simple, durable, not pretentious, and almost ugly.
“Your mum is still mad about that watch…I saw you look.”
“Yeah, the one she got me would have gotten all scratched up here in a day… it’s just practical. And whatever…” Aaron frowned. “Who are you talking about?”
“Eli, mate, tall dude, bit quiet.”
“What?” Aaron frowned.
“Yeah, he asked me what you like. I sent him to Robert.”
“OH…” Aaron started laughing.
“What?”
“Eli, texted me earlier saying Robert was a prick.”
“They’re getting to know each other.”
“Whatever, what does he need to get me anything for anyway…”
“You’re dating, and Christmas is seven days.”
Aaron shrugged. “It’s not that serious.”
“He’s lasted a while, mate.”
“It's….” Aaron sighed.
“What?”
“Just tired of going out on the pull, you know, we get along alright…” he frowned.
Adam sat up. “So, it is serious?”
“Yes, no…” Aaron sighed and tried not to think about Robert.
“I’m lost.”
“I’d like to get serious, just not sure it’s Eli…”
“Who then? Like is there someone?”
Aaron cleared his throat. “You know what? I need to head out.”
“Whoa, whoa, there is mate…who?”
“It’s nothing, but seriously, I need to go…”
“To the Mill?”
Aaron felt seen and turned back.
“We all know Robert will let someone rip him off if you don't… save my bro in law.”
Aaron let out a small breath of relief and walked into the snow, and felt relieved when his car started. He frowned as tinny Christmas music filled the car but tis the season… He didn’t bother trying to find a station not playing it. And as he pulled into the Mill’s driveway, he ignored the fact he was singing along to Mariah Bloody Carey.
He hopped out, spotting Robert leaning against his front door and as a truck pulled in behind him.
“Good timing,” Robert said.
“Thought I’d make sure you don’t get ripped off.”
“I’m not stupid.”
“You are an idiot, though. He’ll overprice it…”
“Which one of you is Sugden?”
“I am, thanks for…furnace just broke down last night.”
“Let’s take a look.”
Aaron stepped in behind him and shivered as they went inside. It felt colder than the outside. He and Robert glanced at each other. “Still warmer than Vic’s loo…” they both muttered and laughed.
Aaron grinned.
Robert ushered him ahead. “Mr. Dingle here is going to be making the decisions.”
Guy looked up. “I don’t judge. My wife does the same thing…”
“Oh uh…”
“We aren't…”
Aaron glanced at Robert but looked away quickly.
It hung there in the silence, their unfinished… corrections.
The guy didn’t notice as he started to take his look at the furnace.
~~~
Aaron and Robert sat in the cafe, hot chocolate in front of them, in silence. Aaron glanced around, watching Nicola straightening up the Christmas decorations. There was more Christmas music in the background. It was just the air now, he reminded himself but grumbled a bit as he sipped his drink.
He felt Robert’s eyes on him and looked up. He shrugged in response to the silent question. It wasn’t important, not really, he grumbled about Christmas music every year — why be different. He rolled his eyes at himself as he decided it was a tradition.
“It’s just a little longer, and it’s just a month of it,” Robert laughed.
“Started in November, mate.” Aaron glared.
“This, this is a good one…” Robert said, and he started to sing along to White Christmas.
Aaron rolled his eyes and sipped at his hot chocolate.
Robert kept singing, getting a bit louder and louder.
Aaron threw his napkin at him and laughed when Robert smirked at him.
His conversation about presents with Adam popped into his mind, and he realized he hadn’t heard from the person who was making Robert’s present for him — he needed to call him. He still needed to shop for the rest of his list, his mum, Adam, and Vic — he put them together, probably some gift certificate…
His mind went to Eli.
Ugh.
“What’s with the face?”
“Eli…he uh, Adam mentioned he’s asking around for present ideas?"
Robert’s smile dropped. For a split second. But then it was back if a bit forced, and Aaron felt a yearning for it to mean something. That it probably didn't…
"Yeah, that’s when I was a prick.”
“I figured, when Adam mentioned…yeah.”
“Do you want me to give him…”
“No, no…I just don’t. I wasn’t planning on getting him anything. Like, have to now or…”
“Dump him.”
Aaron laughed. “What just to get out having to give him a pressie?”
“Sure. You’ve dumped people for less.”
Aaron laughed, but he was considering it — it felt awful. He hadn’t lied to Adam. He was tired of the dating scene. He wanted something like his mate had with Vic…
He looked at Robert.
He was fiddling with his phone. Aaron watched as he changed his wallpaper to a Christmas tree. “Dork.”
“Grinch.”
They fell back into silence.
“Isn’t this cozy.”
Aaron looked up, and Eli was standing by their table. This look on his face. Aaron stared at him.
“Just under my nose?”
“What?” Aaron shook his head.
“Oh for fucks…” Robert muttered under his breath.
Aaron glanced at him.
Robert started typing on his phone.
“Ever think to mention how close you two are?” Eli asked.
“Uh…did I have to? He’s my best mate…” Aaron felt lost.
“I thought that was Adam.”
Aaron nodded his head and shrugged. “Is there a limit?”
“He’s bi,” Eli bit out.
Aaron’s phone chirped. He looked down.
R: He was irked realizing we were close, but I didn’t think it was this…
“Aaron?” Robert’s voice held so much.
Aaron met his eyes, felt shaken by how green they were… he looked from Robert to Eli. “I’ve got this.”
Robert stood up. “I’ll be at the scrapyard,” he said.
Aaron nodded.
“Have a date,” Eli said.
“Sit down,” he snapped.
Eli huffed out a breath, but he sat down.
“What’s your problem?”
“Look, Adam is straight as they come, but Robert, he's…always flirting with you, and you two are all…”
“He’s not…” Flirting? Aaron frowned. “He’s my friend as much as Adam.”
“No,” Eli shook his head. “No, it’s different.”
Aaron rolled his eyes.
“Was watching you two through the window… this looked like a date.”
“Don’t be daft…” did it?
“I don’t like it.”
Aaron just stared at him.
“So…” Eli said.
“What?”
“If we’re serious, it has to stop.”
Aaron felt gobsmacked.
“Well?”
“Robert.”
“Okay…wait, what?” Eli said.
Aaron rolled his eyes. “You find out I have a bi friend and your first act is to behave like a jealous…I don’t know, teenager, and you actually think I’m not going to pick my closest mate over you? Grow up, Eli…"
Aaron stood up and walked out of the cafe.
"Aaron, Aaron…” Eli was behind him.
“It’s done,” Aaron said.
“But… okay, you’re right I’m overreacting, alright. It’s just…I feel like I don’t know you, and then I find out you’re super close with this fit guy…"
"So? If we were closer, would it matter?”
“I just…I knew you were mates, but I didn’t get it was close, and the flirting…”
“It’s banter…” Aaron really wanted to not read into how Eli saw them — he was jealous. Biased. “It’s banter like with Adam.”
“It’s not…he’s fit, and he apparently knows you…”
Aaron sighed.
“I’ve made this a mess…”
“It’s still over.”
“What?”
Aaron sighed. “Look. Adam told me you want to get me something, that you see us getting serious…”
“I do.”
“I don't…” Aaron shrugged.
“It’s about him?”
Aaron opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
Eli sighed. “I was… wrong-headed Aaron, but I ain’t wrong about you and him…"
Aaron frowned as he watched Eli walk away. His heartbeat was loud in his ears. Robert and he — they were… Something. Mates. Not like him and Adam, he told Robert things no one else knew. Or could guess at — Robert did. They were family, friends. Important. It was…
He felt like he would die before risking all of it.
But is it a risk?
~~~
The party was a thing when Aaron got downstairs. He’d dressed up for it, being stuck there now. He and Eli had plans to go Bar West, but that wasn’t happening, and Aaron was more than relieved. He felt like he’d dropped a weight and gotten out of something — Eli’s overreaction screaming red flags at him…
And told him not to buy a word he said about him and Robert.
Even if a piece of him might want to.
He straightened the sleeves of his black sweater and looked around for where Vic put the beer. The party wasn’t in full swing yet. He supposed a lot of people wouldn’t show for another hour. Vic was still moving around, putting on finishing touches of her chosen finger foods and decorations. Adam was following her around, trying to tell her to calm down and enjoy. Aaron laughed, thinking Robert and her more alike than anyone ever noticed.
He found the beer and picked up a bottle.
Adam was in front of him. "She’s stressing herself out.”
“She’ll relax, get some beer in her.”
“The plan,” Adam picked up two bottles. “Weren’t you not staying?”
“Plans changed.”
“Eli’s coming over…”
“We broke up.”
“What? Maate…you didn’t dump him to get out of the present thing, did ya?”
“No…” Aaron said and ignored the fact he had considered that. “Rob and I were at the cafe, and he walked in all jealous and going on about me and him…” Aaron shook his head. “He gave me an ultimatum."
"What?”
Aaron nodded.
“What? He said him or Robert?”
Aaron nodded.
Adam whistled. “He stood no chance mate…” he laughed.
“It was mad, how jealous he was… like just because we’re both into men…”
“Well, good riddance, can’t mess with someone that jealous, yeah.”
Aaron nodded.
“I mean, I can see it though…huh.”
“What?”
“You and Robert.”
“What?” Aaron forced himself to laugh.
“Yeah, huh…” Adam laughed. “I mean you’re mates, great ones… you get along. Ever considered it?”
He felt caught.
“Have ya?” Adam grinned at him. “Yeah? I mean, I think I have the fit Sugden, but…”
“Shut up…” Aaron said to stave off his panic. He couldn’t do this.
“Ads…can you come take their coats?” Vic yelled from the door.
And he was gone, and Aaron tried to remember how to breathe.
But Robert took that second to walk into the flat. Dressed in his gray jumper, and the rest of Aaron’s breath vanished. He looked down and willed Robert not to find him in the growing crowd. But he felt him, coming closer, then he smelled him, and he swallowed.
“My place is even colder if you believe it,” he said as he picked up a beer.
“Thought you weren’t coming.”
“Figured you’d need someone to talk to…” Robert smiled.
Aaron nodded and shoved his hands into his jean’s pockets.
“You alright?”
“Yeah… I mean, I was going to dump him anyway.”
“I didn’t mean that…”
“No, not the present thing on the account he was into it more than me…”
“Can’t blame him…” Robert said.
Aaron stared at him.
Robert was busying himself, trying to open the bottle.
Aaron took it and snapped off the top for him. “Butterfingers.”
“Thanks.”
“You two mingle…please…” Vic was in front of them.
“Why would we do that?” Robert asked.
“Look, my friends from the gym are all huddled, Adam and I’s friends from school are over there, and my friends from my cooking classes are there… it’s all groups and corners. And you two are intimidating people away from the alcohol…”
“We’re not…” they both muttered.
“Look at ya, with your we’re too cool for Christmas grump faces.”
“Hey, I love Christmas…” Robert denied. “This isn’t Christmas."
"We have a grab bag planned, but I need to get people mingling. MINGLE.”
“Vic…"
"Alright,” Aaron heard himself say… He needed a break from Robert. Eli and Adam all in his head and making him think about the things he kept buried. It wasn’t possible the two of them — wouldn’t it have happened by now if it were? And Robert hadn’t meant anything when he said he couldn’t blame Eli for being into him? Had he? No, he had to stop this…
He couldn’t ruin what they had.
“Alright?”
“You take the ladies from her gym…might get a number. I recognize some people from school, so…”
“Aaron…” Robert’s voice sounded odd as he walked away. He forced himself not to look back.
~~~
Get a number.
Get a number!
It repeated in his head as he talked to the women from Vic’s gym — doing his best to be charming and talking about the people he knew from Vic’s cooking classes — he’d taken a few with her. One woman was well into him, but he kept looking at her, and he couldn’t bring himself to care…
He glanced around the room for Aaron. He felt foolish for getting it into his head that maybe he should… What? Ruin their friendship? Just because Eli got jealous — the bloke was off the plot, really. It’d been based on nothing at all. It wasn’t real…
He hadn’t sensed something real between them.
They were mates. Been mates so long, Robert didn’t remember not being mates. But that’d been true once. They hadn’t gotten along at all…
Until the day they did.
He frowned.
“What did you do?” Vic’s made him blink.
“Huh?”
“Well, you made the gym crowd go get drinks at least…”
“I was talking up Jan and Brian from Cake Baking.”
Vic laughed. “This party is going to fail.”
“It’s not. Just give it some time. Not even everyone is here yet.”
“Could you lose the long face, though?”
“I’m not long-faced.”
“Are.”
“Whatever…” he looked around.
“Aaron went outside.”
“What why?”
“Air, he said.”
“Oh.”
“Oh?” Vic echoed him, and when he looked at her, she was staring at him funny.
“What?”
Vic eyed him, then she looked away and around the room. “Oh, there he is…” she looked around the room. “I have a brilliant idea.”
“I’m scared…”
She grabbed his hand. “Shut up… Aaron!”
“Vic, let go…” he shouted as she yanked him toward the kitchen. She stopped short, though, and he tripped into Aaron.
Aaron’s hands came fell onto his arms, just above his elbows, slowing his momentum.
“Thanks,” he muttered out of breath.
“Kiss,” Vic said.
The two of them looked at her.
“What?” Robert asked.
She pointed up.
He looked at the mistletoe he’d put up for her earlier. “No.”
“Do it, please,” she whispered and looked around. “I need an icebreaker.”
“You and Adam do it…” Aaron said, his hands sliding off of Robert.
Robert hated how he felt cold there.
“No, we’re married. What’s the fun in that. Now you two are two fit blokes…”
“You want to objectify your own brother.”
“In the interest of my party, yes I do…’ Vic smiled at them. "Just do it,” she snapped.
“Vic…”
“Oh, come on, you’re close, you’ve slept together on my couch, just kiss.”
Robert closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find the reason he could give that would stop this from happening. But his mind was blank. No lies, no excuses. All he felt was that he wanted to do it… And it wasn’t his idea, was it? It was just mistletoe?
It was a stupid Christmas Tradition.
It was a reason.
He could kiss Aaron, and it wouldn’t ruin anything. They wouldn’t even have to talk about it afterward — it’d probably be awful anyway, show him once and for all that he and Aaron were just mates…
“Alright…” he muttered.
“What?” Aaron said.
“It’s just some dumb tradition, right?” Robert said, and it’d sounded better in his head.
Aaron looked between them.
“Please?” Vic said.
Aaron sighed.
Vic squealed and shoved Robert into Aaron.
“Vic..” He frowned, but his hands stayed where they’d fallen on Aaron’s waist. “Um..”
Aaron shifted and looked up at the mistletoe.
“OH OH LOOK PEOPLE UNDER THE MISTLETOE,” Vic yelled.
Robert watched Aaron’s face go beet red.
He had to rescue him.
His hands flew up and landed on his face. He took a bracing breath. This would answer it all right…
He might as well enjoy it, go for broke, and kiss the hell out of Aaron. His thumbs trailed against his scruff, his eyes locked onto brilliant blue, he felt his breath catch, but it wasn’t like he’d need it…. He pressed their mouths together, and heat shot down his spine, and he stepped back, for a split second, then he dipped back down for more. Aaron tasted like chocolate and beer. His hands were on, trailing up his arms…
A trail of electric bursts before it landed on his shoulders. He felt pulled in closer, he felt the tip of Aaron’s tongue, and one of his hand fell down Aaron’s chest, it landed on his waist and he yanked him closer.
He opened his mouth, and Aaron was there, leaning up into him, hands clutching at his jumper. Their feet tangled, then tripped, swayed…
Robert’s mouth felt cold as they parted.
His heart was hammering.
Aaron’s eyes were bright and wild.
But Robert blinked and Aaron was gone.
He left Robert in a daze.
~~~
It was two days later, and Aaron still felt upended.
It figured Robert was an amazing kisser.
Toe-curling and life-changing.
Aaron swore and turned over onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He couldn’t handle this. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go? And he kept wishing he hadn’t let Robert talk him into going along with Vic’s ridiculous idea…
It’s just some dumb tradition.
It was just the excuse he needed, wasn’t it? It was a reason that they could cross a line that something had decided they’d never cross. Mistletoe in the middle of a party. It’d be quick and chaste and ridiculous. People might laugh, and catcall and Vic would get her party ice broken…
He should have known it’d backfire.
Because it was the best kiss of his life… and he’d tried to give as good as got. He’d felt hungry the second their lips touched. All his insides flipped inside out and in again. He’d wanted to climb up Robert, shove his hands under his jumper instead of clutching to the material with his fists…
When their tongues met, he thought his legs might give out.
He never kissed anyone like that before.
He’d felt on fire.
So, he’d run outside.
And away from Robert.
How could he look at him again? How had he told himself that kiss would mean nothing — because it’d meant something.
They couldn’t go back.
And Robert likely agreed.
Because Aaron knew he was being avoided right back.
He probably regretted it.
He probably wasn’t sure how to tell Aaron they could only be friends.
He’d risked everything.
He screamed into the pillow.
~~~
He was going to run out of the hot water that he’d just gotten back, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave his shower. He let the water wash over him and sighed in resignation that wasn’t going to wash away the memory of kissing Aaron…
He’d tried.
To purge it.
To tell himself they’d just done what Vic wanted.
That Aaron running away had been about him hating attention and not him…
Though he was being avoided.
Which was relieving and sad.
Because he was avoiding Aaron, and he didn’t know how to stop.
He wanted to stop.
They could bury this, right? Go back?
Could they?
Aaron had kissed him back? His hands digging into his skin a bit, they’d clutched at his sweater, up on his toes, their chests pressing together —that’d been Aaron.
It’d felt.
Amazing.
Who knew kissing could feel like fire?
He hadn’t.
Robert sighed.
He turned off the water, grabbed his fluffy towel, and enjoyed the fact he wasn’t freezing. He heard his doorbell go and sighed. He needed to be left alone — the last thing he could deal with right now was other people. But it was probably Vic…
It was time to start on Christmas dinner.
As if getting him and Andy together would ever be a good idea.
But he put on his robe, fixed his hair a bit, and walked downstairs.
“Liv?” Chas said as she walked in.
“Um…what about her?”
“What about her? She just called to ask me to stay at mine?”
“OH…” he sighed. “Yeah, I already got the tickets. If she can’t, she can hide out here.”
Chas just stared at him.
“What?”
“That’s your Christmas present to Aaron, his sister?”
“Uh, yeah…why? He misses her. Seems obvious.”
“I bought him two tickets to Ibiza.”
“Tacky. He’ll love it.”
“For the weekend after New Year’s, the dates you have her here…"
"Oh…"
Chas sighed.
"He can take her.”
“What?”
“It’s perfect, right? He can take Liv.”
“To Ibiza.”
“What? He’ll love spending time with her…she’ll love it. It’s win-win…” Robert walked into his kitchen.
Chas made a noise.
“What?”
“I was trying to top you.”
“What?”
She groaned.
“Want tea?”
“Fine…” she sat down at his kitchen.
He went about filling the kettle.
“Do you love him?”
He dropped the kettle in the sink.
“Hmm…was that an answer?”
He turned and stared at her.
“Do you?” she asked.
He felt his cheeks heat, knew his chest was too… he flashed to that kiss. But more than just being with Aaron — anywhere, anytime, no matter what they were doing…
Always the best part of his day.
He’d missed it for the past few days.
“Better do something about it before someone else scoops him up…” Chas said.
“I didn't…”
“You didn’t need to…” she said. “I heard Vic describing that kiss.”
He paled. “She’s what?”
“Oh, it’s the latest gossip,” Chas laughed and pointed at him. “Don’t be stupid, Sugden…now tea please while we iron the details or our now group gift."
He groaned.
~~~
"You live,” Vic exclaimed as she found him at the kitchen table sipping a brew.
Aaron nodded.
“You’ve been in and out before I can see ya…”
He shrugged.
“So, uh… Are you mad at me?”
“Maybe.”
“For the incident, or telling everyone about it?”
“What?”
“Okay. Both.”
He groaned and slumped in his chair.
Vic sighed and sat down. “I thought…”
“You thought what?”
“You’d get together.”
“You what?” Aaron stared at her.
“I mean…” Vic sighed. “Aaron. It’s you and Robert.”
“We’re mates.”
“Oh…” she snorted. “Look… Robert was moping without you at the party. I don’t even know why you left him to… And Adam, he’d brought up how Eli noticed that thing between you — not that Adam’s ever noticed it. But since it was brought up, Adam was wondering why you two just never…”
“I, what, Vic, make sense.”
“Oh, I’m making sense. You just don’t want me to… You and Robert, Aaron. Why aren’t you a thing?”
“Because, because….” Aaron frowned.
“See.”
“No. No, it’s not that simple.”
“Of course, it is.”
“No, no, it’s not…” Aaron frowned.
“Why?”
“I can’t lose him.”
“Hmm, I think we’re talking about the opposite of that.”
“No, no, we’re not…if it, if we try, and it doesn’t work…” Aaron shook his head. “No. I’d miss him.”
“So, go for it.”
“And then it crashes and burns?” Aaron shook his head.
“So, you’re a coward?” Vic said. “The both of you? Probably. Because the two of you are avoiding each other like you contracted the plague instead of sharing probably the most passionate kiss I’ve ever witnessed. I figured you two kiss, feel a spark, but no the two of you enacted some romance novel."
"Vic…” he blushed.
“You love him.”
“Of course I do, but…”
“You are in love with him.”
“I…” his phone rang.
“Should check it. Adam said something about a scrap delivery issue.”
He sighed and looked at his phone, half afraid it’d be Robert. It wasn’t. And the disappointment like a punch. He sighed at the number, though… and dropped his phone.
“Ezekiel’s Woodworking Studio?” Vic read the caller’s identification. “What’s that about.”
“Robert’s Christmas present isn’t it… it’s nothing really, I just saw this guy, and his art looked like it fit in with the Mill — like Robert…I commissioned a piece.”
“Commissioned a piece?” Vic shook her head. “And you, who doesn’t spend over ten quid on your own mother, want to tell me you aren’t in love with my brother?”
He shifted in his seat. It all looked different now, didn’t it?
His lips tingled.
His insides flipped.
“Aaron, please don’t do anything you’ll regret."
~~~
R: My house.
Aaron touched his mouth as he read the words and then shoved his phone into his jeans and looked around. No one was taking much notice of him. Everyone was just chattering amongst themselves. He noticed most everyone at their tables at the Woolpack had Christmas bags with them. Some even had wrapped up boxes.
It was snowing again, and he almost felt a bit cheery. But his insides twisted, pleasantly and not, as the kiss played over in his mind again… It wouldn’t let him let it go. It wouldn’t let the things Vic said go either…
But neither would his fear.
He sat down and ordered a pint from Charity.
Cain sat down next to him a few minutes later.
They grunted hello.
Aaron ordered a second pint, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he knew it was Robert. He felt in his bones. He’d made the overture, and Aaron ignored, but he wasn't…
Robert had decided to stop avoiding.
But what did that mean? Was he reaching out to go back to the status quo or?
He sighed into his pint.
"Alright, that’s enough…” Cain pulled the pint away.
Aaron scowled at him.
“What has you moping about?”
“Nothing.”
“What your mum do?”
“Nothing?”
“Scrapyard in trouble?”
“No, we’re fine.”
“It Sugden?”
He scowled.
“What he do this time?”
Aaron stared at him. “What?”
“He does something mad, you two fall out, you look like a grumpy bear until it’s fixed… just forgive him already and put the rest of our misery having to deal with you.”
“Oh, you’re a bush of roses…” Aaron shot back, then rolled his eyes.
“I’m I wrong?”
“He didn’t…” Aaron frowned. “Do we, I, we do that?”
Cain shrugged. “You aren’t roses when you and Adam fall out either, but it’s never as bad. What happened?”
Aaron felt his cheeks heat, and he felt the phantom kiss of Robert’s mouth. He touched his mouth and grabbed his pint back from Cain. “We kissed,” he muttered before drinking.
Cain stared at him a bit, made a noise, and rolled his eyes. “You were alright with it?”
“Yeah…yeah…well no…it was under the mistletoe, Vic made us, for her party.”
“So not a real kiss…”
“Wasn’t supposed to be…” Aaron sighed.
Cain shook his head.
Aaron snorted.
Cain eyed him.
Aaron twisted his pint glass around.
Cain sighed. “I’m trying here. You got work with me.”
“It was….” Aaron sighed. “Can’t get it out my head.”
“Oh.”
Aaron nodded.
“Then why are you here, moping?”
Why was that such a good question? Aaron sighed. “Fine.”
“Fine.”
“Going to his…” Aaron tossed some money on the bar. “Thanks.”
Cain nodded.
It was freezing outside. He dug out his gloves, zipped up his coat, put his gloves on, and started walking through the storm to Robert’s house. As he got closer, he couldn’t see any lights inside, and he started to feel stupid. Maybe he wasn’t even home. Maybe he’d gotten fed up with no answer from him and gone out.
But he got to the door and rang the buzzer and hugged himself against the col and waited what felt like forever. But it was probably only a minute or so when Robert appeared and yanked Aaron inside…
“You look freezing,” he muttered. “Get out of that jacket. It’s wet with snow.”
Aaron did as he was told, mostly because he was freezing. He toed off his boots too and looked around The Mill. He loved it. He’d helped Robert out a bit, pointing to things he liked. A few of them were on the walls. There was one empty spot – Robert driving himself spare trying to figure out what he wanted there.
He thoughts about the present he commissioned. His stomach churned. He hadn’t been sure about it, but something had pressed him forward. It felt like a familiar fear.
A Robert fear.
Robert appeared in front of him and held up two boxes. “Tea or hot chocolate?”
“Hot chocolate.”
A grin broke across Robert’s face. “Me too.”
“Yeah…I know…” Aaron laughed.
Robert kept looking at him.
Aaron nodded.
“So, you’re here… I thought for sure you were still avoiding me.”
“Tried too. Cain was talking my ear off…”
“Cain? Talking your ear off?”
“In his own way.”
“So, escaped by coming here?”
Aaron nodded.
“Good good,” Robert turned toward his stove. “Take a bit to make this… sit down?”
Aaron pulled out a chair in the kitchen. “Furnace is definitely fixed.”
“Yeah, thanks for helping me find that part cheaper.”
“No big deal.”
“Still….” He said from where he was now, stirring chocolate in a pot.
Aaron wondered how many times he’d watched Robert do it — make them hot chocolate, over the years, how many Christmases? How many years where the only present he ever looked forward to were the ones marked by Robert…
They were always the only surprise.
The only gift that made sense to him.
He knew the fear he was tasting. He’d felt it a long time. Let it get too strong.
“Look…” Robert muttered and turned away.
“What?”
Robert sighed and stayed focused on the pot of chocolate. “This is weird.”
Aaron let out a laugh.
“And awkward, and we’ve never been awkward…”
Aaron nodded.
Robert smiled, and he turned off the burner, grabbed the chair closest to Aaron, and sat down. “I…”
Aaron waited.
Robert’s cheeks went pink.
Aaron felt his breath catch.
“Am terrified.”
Suddenly Aaron could breathe. He felt tears in his eyes, and his head nodding up and down. “Me too…” he wiped at the corner of his eye.
Robert blew out a breath. “That’s fantastic.”
“That we’re both scared?” Aaron shook his head.
“Yeah, yeah…isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. Been using it to… keep us how we are?”
Robert nodded. “Is that what you want? Us how we are…”
“Or?”
“I’ve hated all your boyfriends.”
Aaron nodded. “I know.”
“But, I mean, not just for all the reasons they were wrong for ya…which they were…but… I hated them, Aaron. I wanted. I just didn’t think you’d want me…”
“Why wouldn’t I want you?” Aaron stared at him.
“I’m smug, I’m rude, I’m always scheming against my co-workers…”
“You’re ambitious, you never let your sister down… You never let me down."
Robert shrugged.
"I need you…” Aaron whispered. “I can’t talk to anyone else like you.”
“Same here, you know…your the most important person to me outside of myself and Vic…I don’t know what I’d be without you.”
Aaron nodded.
“But…” Robert grabbed his hand.
Aaron felt a jolt of warmth up his arm. He stared at their hands, watching his own fingers just tangled with Robert’s. He thought about a million times, he’d wanted to grab his hand…
So many chances he never took.
“I want more.”
Aaron closed his eyes.
“Do you think?”
“I don’t know…” Aaron felt the fear tearing at him. He let go of Robert’s hand and wiped his eyes. “I can't…” he stood up and went to the door.
“Aaron…” Robert followed him.
He bent down to put on his boots.
“Don’t go. It’s a blizzard out there.”
“Not going far…”
“Aaron?”
“I heard ya…” he muttered, and he dared look up into eyes he knew as well as his own, mostly green with a glint of blue that always drove him to distraction. He sighed and started trying to put on his coat.
“And?”
“I’m scared.”
“Me too.”
“I know, but…”
“Aaron.”
“It’s so much…” Aaron let out a breath. “It’s too much. I was scared alone, and now we’re scared together…”
“It’ll get less frightening.”
Aaron let out a breath. He wasn’t sure.
“Fine…alright. I’ll wait.”
Aaron stared at him. “What?”
“I’ll wait…” Robert said. “Been waiting anyway, even if I didn’t know it. Been waiting for something to crack and make us open our eyes — my eyes are open now. I’ll wait for ya… what else would I do? It’s you, Aaron. I’m terrified, but I’m sure… that kiss…I thought it would tell me I was lying to myself about us. But it was the truth instead.”
“You’re mad.”
“I know,” Robert grabbed Aaron’s coat that he was still fumbling with and zipped it up. Tugged and pulled at it until it wrapped around him correctly. Snug and warm. He watched Robert take his hand again, the one that just been tangled up with his… his hand looked small in his grip. He felt a warmth from it that radiated throughout all of him.
He let Robert put on his glove. Then the other one.
Robert grabbed a hat from his rack, yanked Aaron’s hoodie up from under his jacket, and put the hat and the hood up. “I want a text, alright.”
“Robert…” he stared at him.
“Unless you’re ready to stay?”
His heart jackhammered.
“Okay….but um, I’ll see you on Christmas at Vic’s.”
“I don’t know if…”
“I said I’ll wait, no time limit.”
Aaron blew out a breath. He stared. “I don’t deserve…”
“Yes, you do.”
“You deserve…” Aaron sighed. “You deserve more.”
Robert shook his head.
Aaron sighed and leaned forward and kissed him.
Just like that.
Robert sighed into it, and Aaron stepped back.
They blinked at each other.
Aaron swallowed. “I won’t take long.”
“I’d like that.”
Aaron nodded and darted out.
Away.
He wasn’t even sure why, just that the fear was overwhelming. Robert was the one he relied on to always catch him…
And he was waiting on it again.
The risk felt too real.
~~~
Christmas Day
He swung to look at the door hearing it open. It was a little past ten at night, but he sighed when it was Matty and his girlfriend, Amy. Though it was all part of the tradition that somehow he’d been allowed into — Aaron dragging him once years ago now. Adam and his family started, then came Vic. Just a group of them getting together after all the Christmas dinners, opening presents, drinking and watching a stupid Christmas movie on late-night cable.
It was fun.
It was nice to feel part of something.
He never really had that until coming home and finding Aaron.
He shook his head as the level of their stupidity crashed down on him.
And it might be too late.
Aaron might be too afraid of them.
But Robert wasn’t sure if he could go backward — he’d try. For Aaron, as equally terrifying as that sounded — just being friends when he wanted to be…
Everything.
The door opened again, and Aaron came in.
Robert felt his heart stop.
Aaron was holding an odd-shaped gift, which he put down with the rest, and he let Vic pour him some wine, which he only drank on holiday’s but Robert knew he liked a few — he’d made sure to buy his favorite. It was the one that was already open.
He saw Aaron take a sip, notice, and seek him out.
He nodded. He didn’t dare move. This was Aaron’s call.
How it went tonight.
Aaron walked across the room.
Robert smiled and tugged on the expensive jumper he was wearing.
“Paddy….not my mum, which was weird. Though the same thing, innit?”
“Yeah.”
“Mum said, I was to discuss her present with you…which again weird.”
Robert smirked.
“Seriously, you went in on it with my mum?”
“No. You think we could get along that long? No, just hers kind of had to fit into mine…it was competing. I fixed it, though.”
“Competing…”
Robert grinned and grabbed Aaron’s hand. “Upstairs.”
He felt Aaron’s hand twitch in his and slowed down, ready to let go, realizing he shouldn’t have — they didn’t do this, they touched arms or whatever… this wasn’t waiting, was it?
Aaron squeezed his hand.
He felt a sigh of relief at not having to let go.
“Wait…” Aaron muttered as they reached the stairs.
Robert stopped.
Aaron grabbed the big present from his pile.
“Whoa, hey, where are two going,” Adam started.
“Nope, let them,” Vic grabbed his arm.
“But we all…”
“Not this year,” Vic said.
Robert shot her quick smile and tugged Aaron behind him up the stairs. He went into Aaron’s room — his favorite in the whole house, muted colors and not that awful lime his sister chose in what he assumed was madness. He turned to face Aaron to be blocked by the present.
“It’s big.”
“I see.”
“I hope you like it because I wasn’t sure…” Aaron sighed.
“I’ll love it. But you first.”
Aaron nodded.
They sat down on the bed.
Aaron took his hand in his.
Robert swallowed.
Aaron fiddled with their hands.
“Aaron?” his throat felt dry.
“I’m still scared…”
Robert nodded.
“But just now, downstairs… seeing ya, touching ya…it feels…better.”
“Good.”
Aaron looked at him.
Robert waited.
“Present?” Aaron asked.
Robert tried not to feel disappointed. He hated himself a bit for feeling disappointed. He was here with Aaron. They were holding hands — that felt wild in a way, in an amazing way. He promised he’d wait. That meant not complaining…
“I’m sorry…”
“No, I’m, I didn’t mean to…”
Aaron took a sharp breath. “I’m just not…”
“It’s okay…presents.” Robert stood up and reluctantly let go of Aaron’s hand. Aaron’s hand falling after him. He pulled the tickets out of his pocket…
“To explain… these are the tickets your mom bought before she knew what my present is.”
“Alright…” he took them, and his eyes lit up. “Ibiza, five nights, after the New Year.”
“Tacky.”
“It’s great…” he frowned. “Robert? How does yours compete?”
He pulled out the next piece of paper. “This is Liv’s itinerary. She get’s here on December 30th.”
“You…you…” Aaron stared at him. “I haven’t seen her…since two years ago…the money…you…” he stared at him. “Sandra agreed.”
“It took some charming, but Liv misses ya too, and you don’t talk enough because you’re horrible at Facetime…”
Aaron launched off the bed, his hands on his face, and kissed him, muttering, “Shut up.”
They swayed. Robert ran his hands down Aaron’s back.
Aaron let out a noise and stepped back. “We can’t go back, can we?”
Robert smiled a bit because Aaron was still in his arms. He could feel his heat. His hands were settled on his waist. He leaned down and caught his eyes. “No.”
Aaron nodded.
Robert held his breath.
“How, um…how are you fixing it, so mum’s gift and yours…”
“Liv’s going with ya, to Ibiza.”
Aaron smiled at him, but it wasn’t as big as he expected. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Aaron?”
Aaron stared at him, his hand reaching up, and he touched his face. “You hate Ibiza…”
“It's…”
“Uh…” Aaron cleared his throat, stepped back, and picked up the large wrapped gift he had for Robert. “I’m nervous about this.”
Robert took it. It was heavier than he expected. “Aaron, what…"
"Open it.”
He pulled it open. It was clear it was wood, driftwood maybe, and he shook his head and pulled it out of the paper completely. It was painted in whites and blues that would look perfect in his living room. It was so simple it was barely even a design, but it was clearly art, made from found wood and made…
“Aaron.”
“I sorta picked out the colors and the design, nothing fancy, I was…”
“I love it.”
Aaron smiled.
“It’ll be perfect in that spot above…”
“The fireplace,” Aaron finished.
“Yeah…”
Aaron frowned and looked at the tickets on the bed.
“What?”
“Come with us…”
“What?”
“If you can…if you want…come with us.”
“To Ibiza?”
“I know you hate it and all, but…”
“Aaron?”
“I…” Aaron closed his eyes, but he held out his hand.
Robert took it.
“We can’t go back…” Aaron tugged at him. He stepped closer. “I don’t want to go back.”
“Are you…”
“You can stop waiting.”
“Aaron?”
“Yes, us, let’s just… risk it and go all in.”
“Thank God,” Robert breathed.
“But I can’t go away for five nights without you…and if you can put up with Liv…”
“Anything. Liv, Ibiza…”
Aaron laughed.
“I mean it though, Aaron. Anything.”
“Me too…” Aaron let out another breath and squeezed their hands. “It’s already not all that scary.”
“Maybe a little,” Robert whispered. “Aaron?”
“Yeah.”
Robert kissed him, then again, and tugged at the sweater. “All in?”
Aaron stared at him, his eyes wide, and he looked terrified. Robert felt it. He felt himself, but he strokes his thumb where it was already on the skin, and Aaron’s eyes went darker, and he looked at Robert. “I haven't…every time I relive that kiss, I think about you and me…”
“Yeah?” Robert smiled and kissed his neck.
Aaron made a beautiful noise and started to pull on the buttons of Robert’s dress shirt. “Yes. All in.”
Robert kissed him before he finished the sentence. He wanted to taste him again, feel the scruff of his beard and the pain of how hard Aaron gripped onto him, moved into him. He was moving backward and hit the door of Aaron’s closet, and Aaron started to kiss his jawline as he tugged down on Robert’s shirt.
He hurried it off his shoulders, trying not to move too much, wanting Aaron to keep touching him, kissing him — it felt like he waited forever. Like he just woke up a few days ago under the mistletoe when Aaron kissed him…
All his bottled up jealousy and attraction.
All the love.
He grabbed Aaron’s face, their eyes met, and he let out a breath. It was shaky, scared. They were changing so much about them right now — but it felt right. It felt ridiculous to have waited. He swallowed. “We can’t be afraid, Aaron.”
Aaron nodded, but his breath quickened. “It’s just scary…how much I feel about you…”
Robert nodded, and he grabbed Aaron’s sweater. “Why is this still on…”
“Don’t know.”
He pulled it off and dropped it to the floor.
“That’s new, you know.”
“You’re never going to wear it again,” Robert said as he kissed Aaron’s neck.
“Shit…” Aaron gripped onto him.
“Like that…” he did it again.
“Rob…” Aaron’s hands were on his belt buckle.
“Hurry up,” he muttered, and it was his turn to push Aaron.
Back and back until they landed on the bed, the springs creaking and both of them laughing, then kissing and touching, and yanking on clothes and kicking….
Robert found himself on his back, Aaron over him, staring down right into him, through his eyes to his soul. His heart pounded. “Aaron…”
“What?”
“You’re everything.”
Aaron sniffed and looked away.
Robert ran his hands up his arms.
Aaron looked back at him and nodded.
~~~
They collapsed together, tangled up, out of breath, and both of them feeling smug, and Aaron stared at Robert’s smuggest smile and thought that it was his — all his. He made it happened. He got to enjoy everything Robert was rightfully smug about. He got to made to feel like he was amazing and worthy and lit afire…
Robert’s word was right. It was everything. Robert was everything.
And his eyes blinked closed.
And opened.
To Robert’s sleeping face.
He swallowed, every second of making love — god, it had been, hadn’t it? He felt his whole body flush, with heat, from the intimacy, the passion. Every kiss, every touch, he couldn’t forget it — the talking and the laughing. The quiet. Robert begging him to be slower, take longer, there was no hurry….
There was no hurry.
He let out a shocked breath to at the…
Lessening of his fear.
But he got it now. Robert’s word was right. Everything. When you loved someone that deeply — he did love him. Love Robert. Possibly from the minute they met, and he became the person he relied on the most…
He knew it, but he hadn’t known it.
Been too afraid of that, of losing him.
He was still terrified.
Robert’s eyes opened.
Aaron smiled.
“Are you watching me sleep?”
“Little bit…”
“Huh?” Robert smiled.
Aaron tried to move closer, but there wasn’t much room.
Robert held him tighter all the same.
“Are you alright?” Robert whispered after a bit.
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?” Robert sounded hesitant.
“Yes.”
“It’s just..didn’t seem like you planned…”
“You can’t, can ya, plan this?”
Robert nodded. “Guess not, but you know…”
“I’m still afraid I might always be a bit… you mean everything.”
“I know, you too…”
“I knew…you were standing there going about Ibiza and Liv… and how you just fixed it, fixed the mix up so I’d be happier… you always do that, make things better for me…not even trying, not even meaning too…”
“Aaron…”
“No…I heard I was going to Ibiza with my sister — who I miss, and all I could think was I didn’t wanna leave ya.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…and I voiced it, and you just agreed to go someplace you hate, for me.”
Robert shrugged.
“I love ya,” Aaron whispered, and he was immediately kissed, then Robert’s face was buried into his neck. “I do.”
“You have no idea how much I love you too…”
“Bit of an idea…” Aaron whispered.
“Merry Christmas,” Robert whispered.
“It’s Boxing Day by now.”
“Fine. Happy Boxing Day,” Robert laughed.
“Sleep…” Robert whispered.
Aaron nodded, and they curled into each other, maneuvering so they were both comfortable, and then they faced each other and giggled, kissed, giggled, and kissed…
Until Aaron’s eyes slipped closed again.
And for a second time, he woke up in Robert’s arms…
He felt out of breath for a second, terrified by the love but more certain than ever, and… he carefully got out of the bed, found his phone on the floor with his pants, and snuck out of his room. He walked down to the kitchen and looked at the time —
No, he couldn’t wait.
He dialed Liv’s number.
“Aaron…” she was sleepy. “Did he tell ya,” she said anyway.
He sighed, he felt bad, but… “Look, Liv, I need you to do me a really big favor.”
“What?”
“Um…Robert and I got together last night.”
“Together?”
“We're…you know together.”
“Oh. Oh. Finally.”
Aaron couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, well…um. I don’t really want to take off in few days without him…”
“Or have your little sister around?”
He breathed a sigh of relief, she said. “Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Just like that?”
“No, but…you should be with him.”
“I’ll see you as soon as we’re back…we’ll figure something out.”
“I know. He can come too if you want.”
“Liv, thanks…”
“You sound happy.”
Aaron looked upstairs. “I am.”
“Alright, it’s only seven. I’m going back to bed…Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“What was that?” Robert’s voice made him jump. “Sorry.”
“What you sneaking up on me for?"
"I woke up. You weren’t there…” Robert stepped closer. “Were you on the phone?”
“I called Liv.”
“Why?”
“To ask her if it was alright, we went on our own.”
“Aaron…”
“Don't…” Aaron grabbed Robert’s waist. “Just don’t. I want to be with you, alone, and… yeah, she gets it. She said finally.”
Robert laughed. “Think we might get a lot of that.”
“We’ll survive.”
“I don’t know, Ibiza.”
“Shut up.”
“Make me…”
It wasn’t long before they fell back into the bed, naked again, the laughter fading to something more — something that would last as long as everything implied.
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Happy Father’s Day
Yet-to-be-inflated balloons are strewn across the dining room table, only two or three streamers are hung up so far, and a banner that reads Happy Father’s Day is still inside the plastic packaging he bought it in. All the decorations have been readily ignored and abandoned in favor of a lovingly worn and torn photo album with a cracked spine; the result of being open and closed for many years.
Sitting at the head of the table, Bobby touches the cover of the album, gently tracing the words: The Nash Family.
Although it might seem a tad bit morbid and sad to be alone on Father’s Day looking at photographs of his late family, it’s become some sort of a tradition of his ever since they’ve died.
It used to be far worse, though. He would call in sick for work if he was scheduled that day and drink his body weight in alcohol as he flipped through the pages of the photo album with white knuckles, refusing to let himself forget what he lost.
Now, it's different. He turns the pages in the photo album with only a deep ache to replace what used to be a sharp sting in his chest. Memories used to only equate to suffering for him but now Bobby looks at all the pictures with a renewed sense of love.
Overtime, Bobby has learned that memory can be a beautiful thing sometimes.
Bobby was alone in the house today as earlier in the day, Michael had taken May and Denny back to his own apartment for their own private Father’s Day celebration before the joint party that was supposed to take place here in the evening. Michael had asked if he wanted to join but Bobby had only politely declined, only half-lying about having to decorate.
In all honesty, even after all of these years, Father’s Day was still a sensitive subject for him.
Suddenly, at the sound of a doorbell chiming throughout the house, all of his melancholy thoughts are put on pause.
Setting aside the photo album on the dining table, Bobby pushes himself out of the chair and walks over to the door. He pulls open the door to find Buck standing on the other side with his hands stuff awkwardly in his front pockets.
“Hey Buck.” he greets pleasantly surprised, “What are you doing here?”
“Bobby.” he says as he darts his eyes to the ground, “I was—um, I was wondering if I could spend the day with you.”
“You do realize what day it is, right?” Bobby asks as he wouldn’t put it past Buck to forget.
He watches as Buck avoids meeting his eyes, only scruffing the toe of his shoe against the ground.
“My—my dad’s in town and I really don’t want to be around him.” he begins to explain and suddenly Buck’s surprise appearance makes much more sense, “Everyone else is busy; my sister’s with Chimney and Joy, Eddie’s with Christopher, Karen and Hen are using today as a second Mother’s Day, and Michael has Denny and May at his until Athena comes back from her shift.
“So I was hoping I could spend the day with you?” Buck asks, scratching the back of his neck.
“With me?”
The small smile that was tugging on the corner of Buck’s lips disappears with his words, in its wake is a resigned look. Nodding his head, Buck lowers his gaze to Bobby’s shoulder.
“Y’know what, it’s fine.” Buck says, “I’ll just go to the mall or something. Sorry to bother you.”
He feels something sink deep inside of him as he watches Buck turn away, heading down towards where his Jeep is parked near the sidewalk.
Desperate to right whatever wrong thing he must’ve said or did just now, Bobby blurts out, “I could use an extra hand with setting up for the party today.”
In the middle of the concrete pathway, Buck stills. As he turns around to face him, Bobby pushes open the door fully and motions with his head for Buck to make his way inside. Practically skipping, he does so immediately.
Once he’s inside, he gestures for him to make his way down to the kitchen as Bobby closes and locks up the front door.
“Thanks for letting me do this.” Buck says as he picks up a string of reflective blue streamers.
“Helping me decorate?” he teases as he begins to tear open the plastic packaging of the banner.
“You know what I mean.” Buck responds with an eye roll.
As he does, he catches sight of the tattered photo album near the edge of the table. Suppressing the urge to hide it away where no one could find it, Bobby lets Buck pick it up and search through it. He decides to concentrate on rolling out the Party City banner in his hands.
“What’s this?” Buck asks.
“It’s just a photo album from my first marriage.”
Right away, Buck closes it before setting it back right where he got it from.
“Sorry,” he says with guilt laced in his voice, “You probably don’t want to talk about that.”
“It’s okay. I’ll always miss them but, it doesn’t hurt to remember them.” he explains.
At Buck’s hesitant, almost wary look, Bobby decides that maybe it’s time this old photo album finally gets some new attention. Picking it up, Bobby searches through the pages until he finally settles on one.
“Here, this is my son Junior and this is my daughter Brook.”
The picture was the two of them awkwardly linking their arms around each other's shoulders. It was taken at Junior’s middle school graduation ceremony. With a smile, Bobby remembers how much Brook whined when her parents forced her to take a picture with her brother, complaining that Junior didn’t shower enough and smelled like he just came back from hockey practice.
From his peripheral, he sees Buck shift around until he’s looking at the photograph from over Bobby’s shoulder.
“What were they like?” Buck asks.
“Brook loved reading. Her whole bedroom was lined up with bookshelves. Y’know she won this personal essay contest once...” Bobby says, still bragging about his daughter even after how many years have passed since she’s been gone
Old habits are hard to break, huh?
“Yeah, she won five hundred dollars for it.” he explains, “She was always doing stuff like that.”
“And Junior?”
A chuckle bubbles out of Bobby.
“Oh God, Junior, he was always getting himself into trouble. But, he was a good kid, he had a good heart.” he remembers.
Kind of like someone else I know.
Pulling his gaze away from where he was looking at Junior’s face, Bobby shifts his attention to Buck. For a second, he takes in just how light his irises are and how blond his hair looks in the light.
He likes to imagine that this is what Junior would have grown up to look like.
“Junior would’ve been a lot like you.” he mumbles, more to himself than Buck.
It takes a few seconds of gears grinding and cogs turning around in his brain before Buck fully processes the depth of his words but when he does, he tilts his head to face Bobby and gives him a shy smile before taking a step backwards.
“High praise.”
“Yeah well not that high.” Bobby jokes as he closes the photo album, “The kid got himself stuck in a tree that was only four feet above the ground once. And I was the one who was dispatched to get him out of there.”
At the story, Buck starts to double over laughing, clutching at his abdomen as he forces himself to take a breath between every wheeze and snort. Soon, Bobby is following suit; Buck’s laughter is infectious even on a bittersweet day like today.
For a brief moment as he studies the way Buck throws his head back chuckling, he cannot remember if Buck always sounded like Junior while he was laughing, or if Bobby’s still-grief-ridden mind is having some sort of auditory hallucination.
“Seriously?” Buck asks as the laughter begins to wane.
“I never let him live it down.” he answers as he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye.
Placing the photo album back on the table, Bobby decides that they’ve spent enough time on the subject and judging by the clock, they should really get back to decorating if they don’t want Athena to come back home to a complete mess.
“He must’ve been a lucky kid.” Buck says, as Bobby searches through the mess to find a roll of tape or some thumbtacks.
“Hmm?”
“To have you as a dad.” he explains as he hands Bobby a cello tape dispenser, “Junior, I mean.”
If Junior was lucky, he would’ve been alive right now.
“When I wasn’t drunk and or high out of my mind, I did alright.” Bobby responds with a hint of self deprecation.
“Yeah, well, I think you’re doing a great job right now.”
Before Bobby can open his mouth and ask Buck what exactly he’s referring to, he’s cut off by the blaring sound of Buck’s cellphone ringing in his pocket. He pulls it out with a huff and practically glares at the screen lighting up in front of his face.
He waits for Buck to pick up the call but all he does is mute his cellphone and shove it back into his back pocket.
At the way he clenches his jaw, Bobby can deduce who it is with little difficulty.
“Your dad again?” he asks.
His only response is a short nod as he begins to busy himself with preparing some pieces of tape for holding up the banner; harshly ripping them off from the dispenser before attaching them to the edge of the table.
Suppressing a sigh, Bobby knows he needs to push Buck into doing the right thing, even if it isn’t what either of them want to do.
As much as Bobby wants Buck around today, not only to ward off all the bad memories associated with today’s holiday but also simply because he enjoys the man’s company, he knows he shouldn’t monopolize his time.
Buck deserves a father. Though Bobby may downright despise Phillip Buckley, the man had the honour of holding the aforementioned title and that was something he could not compete with.
Buck already has a father. He may not be a good one, but he was trying.
Even if he is 29 years too late.
“Maybe you should go meet him?” Bobby suggests, “I mean, if I got a second chance to become a father, you deserve a second chance to have one.”
Buck stops ripping off pieces of tape. His hands travel down to the edge of the table and he grips so hard at the wood that Bobby’s afraid there’ll be claw indents once he’s finished.
Within a second, however, he pushes himself off of the table and he goes to reach into his pocket.
Bobby barely has enough to take a look at what Buck’s pulled out before it’s already shoved into his hands. Tilting his head down, he sees a semi-wrinkled piece of printer paper that has been folded in half to make a card. On the front, in big and bold handwriting that he recognizes to be Buck’s, he sees the words Happy Father’s Day and a couple of messy drawings of two firefighters scattered across the page.
“I already do.” he answers, “Do you—um, do you like it?”
“I love it.” Bobby whispers.
He opens up the card to find a long and what he presumes to be a heartfelt message on the inside. At the top, it says, To the best father and at the bottom, Love, Buck.
“Also, um, some of those random hearts and flames are courtesy of Christopher, who helped me make this, by the way.”
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vitamin D
Okay bestie @julies-butterflies thank you for combining our three (3) brain cells and coming up with this prompt for me!!!!!!!!!! (you have 2.75, i have the other .25)
“the gang takes reggie to the dog park bc sometimes he just need to be allowed to run free
and for whatever reason. literally WHATEVER REASON
one of the dogs adopts bobby
it's basically luke as a dog, he's following bobby around, can't get rid of him, everyone else thinks its hilarious
see, don't ask me for ideas, because you're going to get utter nonsense like that lol”
My “i’m gonna bang something out so i can post to ao3 and test out the coding” fic turned into “i’m going to spend FAR too long on a prompt that should take me 15-20 minutes max, and go to starbucks and get a cake pop” and we can all blame Lydia for that one, too.
here it is on ao3!
(and the cake pop was chocolate btw in case anyone was wondering)
“I feel like we haven’t left the house in foreverrrr, ” Reggie complained.
From his position hanging upside-down off the couch in Bobby’s garage, he saw Alex’s sweatpants and sneakers appear in front of him. “We literally just came home from school.”
“And, we have to finish this stupid presentation for health class,” Bobby complained. “Are you actually going to contribute something? Or just make me write your name at the top so you can take all the credit?”
“You’re doing fiiiine, ” Reggie soothed him. The pressure was building uncomfortably in his head from hanging upside-down for too long, so he flipped himself around and settled back down with his head on Luke’s shoulder.
“Hey!” Luke complained. “I’m trying to write lyrics-- you made my pen slip!”
“Why are you writing song lyrics ?” Bobby asked. “I told you, you’re supposed to be looking up the benefits of Vitamin D on the human body!”
“Yeah, but that sounds boring ,” Luke complained. “I’ve got a really great idea for this song-- “
“I don’t want to hear it!” Bobby snapped. “Alex, back me up here-- we’re the only ones actually serious about passing this class!”
“No point, dude,” Alex reasoned. “They’re not going to take it seriously.”
“Ugh, you’re so lucky you took health last semester. Imagine getting stuck in a group project with these two.”
Alex laughed. “Better you than me.”
“I can’t concentrate on school!” Reggie protested. “I feel like a caged bird-- the garage walls are closing in-- I need to be free, dude!”
“Hey, y’know what’s a great way to get Vitamin D?” Luke asked. “Going outside!”
“Yes!” Reggie said eagerly. “Let’s do that!”
Alex shot Luke a look. “If you actually know something about Vitamin D, why’s Bobby sitting there doing all the work?”
“Just ‘cause I know, doesn’t mean I care , dude. And besides!” Luke stuck his pen in the middle of his notebook to save his page, and cast it aside. “Maybe if you take Reggie out, the fresh air’ll give him some awesome ideas for the project!”
Bobby groaned and snapped his health book shut. “Reg… If we go out, will you please do something for the presentation when we get back?”
“Fine,” Reggie agreed forlornly.
“Where should we go?” Alex asked.
“Oooh!” Reggie’s face lit up. “Let’s go to the park-- there’s probably lots of dogs there!”
“What do you think, Alex?” Bobby smirked. “Should we take our dog for a walk?”
Alex sighed. “We’re not gonna get anything accomplished when he’s like this, so we might as well.”
“Let’s stop at the pet store and buy treats for the dogs!” Reggie said.
“Reg, can’t you ever just… go somewhere?” Alex asked. “You get so distracted all the time-- and you shouldn’t be feeding random strangers’ dogs, anyway!”
The four of them were walking the short distance from Bobby’s house to the park, and Reggie had already suggested they make two other stops along the way-- first, to Starbucks (granted, by Bobby. He claimed that Reggie was “exhausting him” and he needed the caffeine), and second, to the music shop, so they could admire the brand new guitars that had been displayed in the window (granted, of course, by Luke).
Reggie deflated. “But think of how happy the dogs will be, dude!”
“I want no part of this,” Alex rolled his eyes. “If you want to buy treats for the strange dogs at the park, go ahead. I’m just along for the ride.”
“Why didn’t you stay at the garage then, Negative Nancy?” Reggie asked. “This is supposed to be fun!”
“I came ‘cause I feel like if I’d left you two alone with Bobby, you might not all come back.”
“That’s… fair,” Bobby allowed. “But seriously. Whatever gets our project done-- if you want to buy treats for strange dogs, go for it. But if our health assignment doesn’t get done tonight, don’t expect me to bail you out.”
“Hey!” Luke protested. “What about me? I’m in the group, too!”
“Yeah, don’t know where we’d be without you,” Bobby dismissed him. “Come on-- the pet store’s a block over.”
Once they were armed with dog treats-- Bobby had refused to let Reggie get a ball, too-- they resumed their journey to the park. When they saw it in the distance, Reggie left them behind and made a beeline for the gate.
Alex was in charge of the pet store bag. “Wait, Reg! You forgot the treats!”
“Don’t remind him,” Bobby said. “Maybe it’s for the best.”
“Psst. Alex." Luke grabbed Alex’s arm, stopping him and letting Bobby walk on ahead.
“ What? ”
“Let’s put one of the dog treats in Bobby’s back pocket,” Luke encouraged. “He’ll get so pissed when the dogs start following him around!”
“Dude, that’s-- an incredible idea, actually,” Alex grinned mischievously. “Let’s do it.”
“Maybe one’ll even bite his pants!” Luke said with glee. Alex held out the bag, and Luke took one of the treats out. He snuck up behind Bobby and plopped the treat in his pocket just as his friend turned around. “What?”
“Nothing!” Luke said quickly. “You… you had a bug on you. I was swatting it away. See, what would you do without me?” He laughed nervously.
“Okay… whatever,” Bobby rolled his eyes. “Let’s go find Reggie… can’t believe we lost him already!”
They did find Reggie, already playing fetch along with several dogs-- much to the confusion of their owners. “Reggie!” Bobby called. “Here, boy!”
Reggie jogged up to them, beaming. “This is great!” he said. “There’re so many dogs here!”
“That’s great, buddy,” Bobby said. “But let’s try not to be here too long. We have to get home and work on the--”
He was interrupted by a dog-- a huge, shaggy, white-and-gray dog that could only be described as a monstrosity mop budging his nose into the back of Bobby’s leg. “Hey!”
Luke and Alex exchanged a look of triumph behind Bobby’s back.
“Okay, seriously--” Bobby said, wiggling away from the dog. “Let’s not be here too long, okay? Down, boy! Shoo!”
He swatted the dog away gently, as if it were a fly buzzing near his sandwiches at a picnic. But the dog didn’t leave; it persisted, sniffing around Bobby eagerly. “Okay, what the heck is going on?”
“Bobby made a friend!” Luke cried, suppressing his laughter.
“Dude, this isn’t-- stop! ” he said to the dog. “This isn’t funny-- I hate dogs, man! You remember what happened to me when I was seven!”
When Bobby turned seven, one of the guys his mom was dating had a dog-- a huge, shaggy dog, much like this one, who had wreaked havoc at the boy’s birthday party. It had managed to pop several balloons, topple several chairs, and the evening had ended with Bobby’s birthday cake splattered all over the floor and walls of the Wilsons’ kitchen.
Needless to say, Bobby hadn’t been a fan of dogs since.
“Okay, this is ridiculous,” Bobby complained. “Why won’t this thing leave me alone?”
Almost an hour had gone by at the dog park; the boys had lost Reggie somewhere in the middle of the group of playing dogs. They were sure he’d be fine, anyway; he was running around, free, like a bird out of its cage. When he got tired enough, he’d find his way back to them.
What the three other boys were really focused on-- Bobby in annoyance, Alex and Luke in absolute delight-- was the big, shaggy, white-and-gray dog, who was still following Bobby around like a shadow.
“I don’t know, dude,” Alex said. “Maybe it’s hungry?”
“I don’t have dog food!” Bobby grouched. “And if it’s that hungry, why doesn’t the owner feed it?”
“Maybe it wants you to adopt it!” Luke suggested.
“”Where is its owner, anyway?” Bobby snapped. “This thing has been following me around for an hour-- isn’t anyone looking for it?”
“Doesn’t look like it, bro,” Luke turned away, trying and failing to hold back his laughter. Alex slapped him on the arm. Stop it, Luke! You’re gonna ruin it! his glare said. Luke returned said glare with a sheepish grin.
“Guys!” Reggie said, running over to them. “This is great. I feel so alive !”
“Wonderful,” Bobby said. “Can we go now? I’m so sick of being followed around by this dog-- go away!!” He shooed the dog away once again, but it didn’t matter-- the treat Luke had hidden in Bobby’s back pocket had yet to be discovered, and the dog continued to sniff around Bobby hungrily.
“Aww, you wanna leave already?” Reggie complained. “But it’s so nice out! And I promised Sasha another round of fetch-- she thinks she can run faster than me!”
“ Yes , I want to leave,” Bobby insisted. “It’s almost dinner. And we have other homework besides the health thing, you know!”
“Wow, Bobby. I didn’t know you cared that much about school.” Alex snickered as the shaggy dog once again booped into Bobby’s leg.
“Reg, if we leave now, we can go out again for ice cream after dinner!” Bobby negotiated.
“Alright, fine!” Reggie agreed reluctantly. “But you’re paying for the ice cream, Bobby!”
A while later-- far too long for Bobby’s liking-- the boys piled into the garage. Perfectly content with the pizza he’d eaten for dinner, and the promise of ice cream to come, Reggie followed Bobby through the door loyally and sat back down on the couch. Luke and Alex trailed behind, whispering to each other with grins on their faces.
“Alright, as much fun as that little outing was, we really need to work on our health project, now,” Bobby insisted. He headed over to the couch, grabbing his book once again, ready to learn more about Vitamin D.
Bobby sat down on the couch next to Reggie.
“...What the hell just crunched in my pocket?”
Luke and Alex dissolved into laughter.
#julie and the phantoms#julie & the phantoms#jatp#jatp fanfiction#jatp fanfic#luke patterson#reggie peters#alex mercer#bobby wilson#bobby jatp#bobby nolastname#i neverrrr know what to tag bobby as rip
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Whumptober 2020
No 12. I THINK I’VE BROKEN SOMETHING
Broken Down | Broken Bones | Broken Trust
Bent and Broken
“Son of a bitch!”
The ghost they were fighting had just taken Dean’s arm in its suddenly, stupidly corporeal hands and snapped it like it was breaking a twig for firewood.
Dean screamed, and he collapsed to his knees.
“Dean!”
“Sam!”
The ghost was pressing up against him, and then he felt fingers in him. God, the bitch was going to take his heart.
A bar of iron passed over her to Dean, and he caught it, even while he was blinded by pain.
He swung it at her, yelling, “Light the bitch up!”
“On it!”
She came back only once more before burning up, and she’d used that time to strangle Dean, nails digging into his jaw.
Sam rushed over to him just in time. Dean fell forward, and would’ve collapsed on the floor if not for his brother.
Stupid. He was stupid. If Dad were there he would’ve told him to suck it up, that if he was dumb enough to get hurt in the first place, then he’d have to deal with it.
Dad would’ve made Sam set, splint, and wrap it.
Dad would’ve made Dean go without pain medicine because it wasn’t his fault Dean’s sorry ass got handed to him.
Dad would’ve given Dean a drink — and maybe another, and another — as his only form of comfort.
Sam tried to help Dean up, but Dean pushed him away. Blood trickled down his neck, and down his torso from the holes in his shirt.
“Stop it, Sammy. I’m fine.”
“Dean, she broke your arm. Don’t be an idiot!”
Ah, yep, the don’t be an idiot from his college-nerd little brother. Just what Dean needed. A reminder that he didn’t have a working brain in between his ears. All that brain knew how to do was hurt, hurt, hurt.
Dean managed to get to his feet, and Sam stayed close by him. Hugging his arm to himself, Dean surveyed the mess their fight had made, and then turned to Sam. “Well, I’ll tell you one thing, she sure as hell didn’t wanna go.”
“Your—”
“My arm! I know. It’s a walk in fucking Candy Land.” He started leaving the house. “Now come on. Don’t want the cops showing up while we’re still here.”
Dean made it all the way to the driver’s side door of the Impala before he stopped, realizing something. Luckily, Sammy had just caught up to him.
He had to ask him to do this thing, but no, he couldn’t. Could he? Then he’d be a baby, and an idiot.
Thankfully Sam saved him from it, by nudging close to Dean to get him out of the way. He held his hand out for the keys to Baby.
“I’ll drive.”
~~~
Sam brought Dean to Bobby’s, which made a lot of sense since it was their homebase after Dad— that son of a bitch... After, well… Yeah.
Dean bitched and moaned for a good ten miles. Then his arm started swelling up like an overinflated balloon animal that sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to get turned into anything. Except maybe the abstract art for pain. But that wasn’t an animal.
Dean groaned with each bump of the road, and the adrenaline wore off, leaving him sick, and clammy.
Fucking fantastic.
So yeah, he bitched and moaned about going to Bobby’s in the first place, but by the time they got there, Dean was too happy to be led into his surrogate father’s living room.
Dean laid down on the couch without much thought as Sam told Bobby what had happened. He closed his eyes, just wishing for the pain to stop, to go away. Maybe if he cut off his arm that would end it.
Dumbass.
In a matter of minutes, Bobby was making Dean sit up, and Sam stripped him out of his jacket and shirt. Dean breathed quick and heavy the whole time, and screamed through gritted teeth when the sleeve of his jacket, and then his shirt, was forced down his arm. A sob might’ve left him.
Bobby gave Dean a reassuring smack on the knee, and he focused on that: Bobby was here.
Bobby wouldn’t make Sam take care of this alone.
Bobby wouldn’t leave Dean without pain medicine.
Bobby wouldn’t tell Dean he was an idiot.
Still didn’t make it true that he wasn’t.
But this was what he needed: a dad. A real dad. Not that fucked up son of a bitch John fucking Winchester. All he’d done for Sam and Dean was try to raise them right and fail just as hard as he’d tried.
Dean loved the bastard. He loved him to death. To Heaven, and Hell, and back.
Yet, even the memory of his voice left him hurting inside.
“Okay, Sam. Better hold him.”
Dean tried to get up now, realizing what was happening. Sam pushed him back down.
“God, I’m f—”
Hands had grasped Dean’s arm, and there was a snap reverberating through his body from the bones being set. Dean retched from the pain, leaning over the arm of the couch, and Sam pat him on the back.
While Bobby worked on Dean’s arm, Sam got Dean a beer. Thank fucking god.
“Sorry this happened to you, son,” Bobby said, wrapping Dean’s arm as best he could with ace bandages. It was a pathetic way to do medical care, but it was the best they had. In the morning Sammy was probably going to make Dean get his ass to a hospital.
“Yeah, well, whatever.”
“It’s just part of the job,” Bobby went on.
Dean commented, “Crappy job.”
“Can’t be all that crappy.”
“Yeah? Why not?”
Bobby clipped off the end of the ace bandage (welcome to Singer County Hospital, if you need stitches, they come in the flavor Minty Fresh), and met his gaze. And thank god Dean’s arm was already splinted, because the look on Bobby’s face wasn’t something he was eager to throw up on.
It was dark in Bobby’s living room, the sounds of night loud around them. Sam stood nearby, arms crossed, looking a little worse for wear, maybe because of seeing his brother hurt. And Bobby still knelt before Dean. He looked at both of them now, a real, genuine emotion on his face. Dean wanted to beg, No chick flick moments, but he couldn’t do that. Not to Bobby.
“It led me to you idjits.”
That was when Dean had to hide his tears.
Bobby wasn’t Dad. He was better than Dad, because only Bobby would help him when he was hurt, and only Bobby would let him know that he was wanted.
Dean’s arm didn’t hurt so much anymore. Nothing in his previous world compared to the overwhelming emotion of realizing his dad was right here.
#whumptober2020#no.12#broken down#broken bones#supernatural#fanfiction#graphic depictions of violence tw#child abuse mention tw
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Any thoughts on Annabeth and Percy as parents? Poseidon just changing his cap from Neptune's lucky cap to world's saltiest grandpa sjsjsns
World’s Saltiest Grandpa is the FUNNIEST fucking thing I’ve ever heard in my life and it’s definitely happening jskddlsjfdkls
anyway I feel like the first one would definitely be a. uh. happy surprise™
like, they haven’t been married for a full year and are still settling into their new lives and one day Grover comes over to hang with Annabeth and he senses™ something and is like ‘hey….sweetie….why don’t we go to the drugstore’ and she starts flipping out lmao
anyway once she gets 3 positive tests she starts going into Planning mode, she’s got Grover there and she’s acting all rational and she’s talking about it to Piper and Hazel in their gc and she seems very calm and happy, and they’re coming up with cute ways to tell Percy right
like they started planning out a whole sweet little reveal thing
but then Percy gets home from work and this poor fucker isn’t even all the way in the door when she just screeches from across the room “I’M PREGNANT” and he’s like “W H A T”
so they’re screaming in excitement for most of the night after that lmao
if you think this isn’ t the biggest fucking gossip on Olympus then you’ve got another thing coming
Aphrodite has swooned 12 different times since the news drooped. Hera is screaming. Hestia is about to fucking set up camp in the Jackson’s backyard. Poseidon won’t shut the fuck up about how excited he is. Zeus is quaking. Apollo is weeping and has written multiple dramatic poems about this event. Athena is torn between fuming and excitement. Artemis has shown up to every single fucking doctor’s appointment disguised as a nurse. We’re talking 24/7 coverage on Hephaestus TV, baby
Annabeth is one of those bitches that lowkey thrives being pregnant. constantly glowing. everyone in her birthing classes hates her lmao
Percy 100% gets sympathy cravings and you KNOW it
Sally broke the world record for ‘worlds longest scream’ when she found out she’s SO excited
Piper literally will not stop buying baby stuff like every single week they get more packages of toys and clothes from her
Meanwhile Hazel and Frank won’t stop knitting baby blankets and hats and Leo built a fucking magical crib that would turn into a fucking indestructible barrier if a monster ever attacked AND includes a built in holographic light that will make the room look like it’s underwater
Percy and Annabeth are constantly just talking to the bump and not even in the cutesy way like she’ll fucking be at work and be giving out instructions and then go ‘that sounds good, doesn’t it _(baby name)_?’ or ‘Linda, ____ thinks that’s a terrible idea’ while looking down at her stomach and her coworkers think it’s hilarious
or they’ll be arguing about something and Percy’ll be like ‘Yeah, well, at least ____ agrees with me!’ lmao
She wakes up one day to find Percy put headphones on her stomach and is blasting Adele on them and she’s like ‘it’s classical music to make them smarter, Percy’ and he’s like ‘yeah but SOMEONE in this house needs to not be emotionally stunted so I’m giving them a chance’ jfsksdf
100% Nico has received a desperate phone call in the middle of the night because Annabeth’s craving shit that they can’t get anywhere near them at 3 am so he had to go on a shadow travel run to get it for her lmao
Her mood swings get so insane but like remember on Parks and Rec when Ann was pissed at Chris for just being. TOO supportive? 100% percabeth antics
Annabeth is So Determined to work through her pregnancy and not go on leave and it’s driving Percy absolutely insane
Every single morning he’s just like babe please….be a sane human… lmao
when she went into labor it was. hectic
they had been trying to plan a trip to either CHB or CJ so she could deliver with like Actual Healers who won’t get freaked out if people zapped into the room and also they’d be near family right
and then the kid was like what if,,,,,,,,I came more than a month early. wouldn’t that be fun
lmao so cut to a scene of Percy speeding down the streets of their little town, both of them screaming their heads of, a fucking flock of owls tailing after their car,
there’s a heavy thunderstorm happening and Percy’s screaming ‘hey ZEUS! NOT THE FUCKING TIME ASSHOLE!!!!’ lmao
so they get to the hospital right. Poseidon and Athena beat them there and brought their mortal families with them lmao
Everyone’s a mess. Fredrick is about to faint and Helen and Paul are trying to get him to pull it together. Estelle is terrorizing Bobby and Matthew so those three are barely paying attention to the baby situation. Sally and Athena have already threatened five different medical professionals to get Annabeth some drugs. Poseidon is practically fucking vibrating
While Annabeth is getting all settled in Percy starts calling all their friends to tell them and they are SO OFFENDED that they DARE to be in another state whilst Annabeth is delivering so everyone starts fucking scrambling to get there
Nico and Hazel shadow travel themselves, Frank, Reyna and Piper over. Leo, Calypso, Grover, Chiron, Rachel and Thalia physically wrangle Apollo into driving them there in his chariot. Magnus and Alex had to blackmail Sam to fucking fly them there. everyone else had to fend for themselves. everyone is screaming
just….imagine that fucking waiting room
Artemis did in fact disguise her way onto the delivery team and Percy’s just like….please don’t shoot my wife with an arrow. it’d be awesome if you refrained from doing that,
a nurse tried to tell Thalia that the delivery room was family only and she screamed and knocked her out before running into the room lmao
Grover’s hyperventilating practically the entire time and because of the empathy link Percy’s like dude YOU are freaking ME out so that’s a whole situation
between all the chaos in the waiting room and all the yelling in the delivery room this maternity wing has literally never been so stressed out before lmao
Annabeth looses all concept of cool and is yelling at the doctor even as she’s pushing
Percy’s hand ends up fractured
Fredrick is streaming all this on his facebook live and Annabeth is cursing him out whenever the contractions pass
but overall it was a good, safe delivery! no arrows through the chest!
Poseidon, storming into the waiting room, screaming at the top of his godly lungs: IT’S A BOY
everyone in the waiting room:
I don’t feel like coming up with names right now but the middle name IS Charles and NO I am not accepting any dissenting opinions on that
everyone’s crying while they rotate in and out to see them lol
Apollo’s trying to prophecy about how Amazing the kid will be and Percy’s got riptide out and is like ‘he is LITERALLY 3 hours old’
Pry This Baby Out Of Sally Jackson’s Arms, I Dare You
after a while the people that had to get there themselves start appearing and making even more of a scene. Like Clarrise just bursts through the doors holding the biggest teddy bear she could find and says absolutely nothing but scowls at everyone who looks at her while she’s holding the baby. the Stolls are fucking climbing in through the window holding a bunch of a balloons. Hedge is making mildly obnoxious jokes. all that
but anyway once they get settled back home and everything. they are the MOST paranoid first time parents lmao
every single little noise this child makes has them on edge. they tiptoe constantly. whom needs sleep
baby doctor on speed dial. “why’d he stop eating???!!?” “…maybe he’s…full?” “…oh.”
but when they’re not busying worrying they have the Cutest Fucking Baby In The World, good for them
Annabeth suddenly realizes taking leave makes sense. her and Percy are like glued to this kid. so many pictures. so many videos.
once he gets a little older and they have to, like, have Lives again, Percy constantly brings him to the aquarium with him and it’s. CUTE.
the baby LOVES looking at all the fish and petting dolphins omg
okay I’m tired so this is getting away from me but overall I’d see them having like maybe 3 or 4 kids.
all super cute. all smart. all get up to whacky antics.
add onto this if anyone wants to lol but….iconicly cute parents percy and annabeth thank you goodnight
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