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zedortoo · 1 year

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Pizza Autism: the novella

Pizza Tower autism and/or ADHD headcanons go go go!!!!

warning there is. So much under the cut. I go off about everyone's tism

Peppino:

-Middle aged man autism. Ohh my god this guy is so autism we're starting off strong

-Most of his stims are physical and are probably. Not the most healthy (biting, banging wrists together, hair pulling etc)

-He has arfid frfr! Despite being a chef he's very careful about what he eats, however most italian foods are safe foods for him.

-Struggle showing empathy, even if he feels it. Yall saw how he reacted to Gerome mourning John he was out of his depth 😭

Gustavo:

-gnome autism.

-poor dude can't understand sarcasm to save his life. Also really bad at comprehending deeper meanings and stuff... Honestly me too Gustavo. Me too.

-actually gets overstimulated really easily. he grew up in a place similar to the gnome forest in the tower, where the air was always somewhat humid. If there's a dehumidifier running anywhere he can practically sense it and will immediately get upset bc he is too dry 💔

-His stims are mainly vocal (i.e. "I'm going to kill you") but he also likes to bounce on the balls of his feet and rock back and forth!

Mr Stick:

-French autism

-Hes not actually a huge asshole all the time, SURE he can be blunt and come off as rude but most of the time the mean persona is a mask. His really close friends know he's just a weird dude

-(stole this idea from Olympe) He is a routine lover!! Has his entire day planned out as soon as he wakes up. If you get in the way of his routine you will be turned into an ambiguous ball of meat. He was SOOOO pissed off when he got stuck in the tower bc it's wasn't in his routine so he robbed the whole damn place out of malice

-Innapropriate reactions to sensetive situations. If he had to comfort someone it would be Joever for him.

-Represses most stims because he thinks he's embarrassing. When in private though he'll spend ages examining textures and smelling paper (I do this all the time it's so fun). Occasionally when he's tired or comfortable he'll let out a high pitched squeak that noone can believe came from that middle aged man.

-I could go on with more. I love talking about this cunt.

Pepperman:

-Capsicum autism.

-Also has inappropriate reactions to things. Has no vocal control either half of the time he doesn't realize he's yelling

-Has a habit of chewing on/wanting to taste everything. Ate several wardrobes worth of Polly pocket clothes as a kid probs. Has to physically stop himself from giving his art supplies a taste. Occasionally eats an eraser still.

-If someone reorganizes his shit they WILL be killed this dude knows exactly where everything he needs is he has his own fucked up system

-Mainly uses stim toys. Has a collection of high end custom made ones but is too afraid of wearing them out so he chews on a toy dog bone instead and it's mangled to BITS

Vigilante:

-Cheese autism.

-This dude has know idea what autism actually is. He knows he's different compared to a lot of people, but he's never had the right word for it.

-Strong sense of justice. If something is wrong he WILL set it right. He got super upset when he realized Peppino wasn't actually an outlaw and he had tried to kill an innocent dude

-HATES HATES HATES processed foods. says he can taste the chemicals.

-Doesnt really stim in public. He'll tap his boot or spin the barrel of his gun if he gets really overstimulated but he much prefers to just pet some of his farm animals until he feels better

Noise:

-Rat autism!!

-This dude constantly needs to be overstimulated he loves it. If things are too quiet he gets super upset and starts bouncing off the walls and shit

-HATES the texture of carbonated drinks but forces himself to drink them because the flavour is worth it.

-Hes has like, three masks on at all times. There's the feral showbiz fella we all know and love, then beneath that is a more controlled businessman type, and beneath THAT is another, slightly less feral rat man.

-goes semi verbal sometimes. Everything just gets tangled up in his mind and he can't spit out the words he wants. He hates it when this happens during a show.

Noisette:

-Bunny autism!!!

-classic weirdgirl type. Would totally read warrior cats and roleplay as a cat on the playground as a kid.

-Also really bad with understanding emotions. You have to tell her specifically if she's upset you or something otherwise she just will not realize.

-makes a lot of vocal stims. Mainly just little beeps and stuff (I like to think she'd make that one jerma substitute teacher noise. Does anyone know what I'm talking about) Also loves to rock back and forth!!

-Has texture issues. She personally disposed of all the Sherpa fleece in the tower.

Fake peppino:

-autism supreme.

-like fr this dude is just the embodiment of autism. it eats vaccines to get more autistic/j

-cant understand when it's making someone upset. Actually, similar to Noisette, is bad at perceiving negative emotions overall.

-mirrors a lot. I mean that's like an integral part of their character. They mainly take after Peppino but will start acting like someone if he's around them long enough.

-melts into a puddle when overstimulated. Honestly? I wish I could do that too.

-Mainly mirrors stims from friends. It freaked everyone out when they started repeating Gustavo's catchphrase.

Pizzahead:

-PIZZA AUTISM!!!

-horrible moral compass this dude will do anything she wants and genuinely won't see what's wrong with it. Case in point the whole of pizza tower

-used to mask her true silly self a lot to be considered more 'normal' but decided normal ppl were boring as hell and dropped the charade

-arfid haver!! Loves pastries and breads and stuff, basically refuses to eat anything else. Has a personal vendetta against cantaloupe and has vowed to destroy it all bc he hates it soooo much

-taps his foot as a stim!! Also likes to jump around and the like, will rapidly shake their fists if incredibly excited

Gerome:

-Rock autism

-This guy loves his own company. Sure, he'll happily be social, but drops the mask as soon as he's alone. Just likes to be alone!

-Also not big on touch. The only person who's allowed to lay a finger on him is John, if anyone else just like. pats him on the back he will freeze up.

-loves being a janitor because the job is mostly repetitive. He cleans each floor in his own order, he has it all sorted out!

-loves bath bombs and stuff. Really likes the smells and just the fizz and the way they crumble in his fingers. Sometimes he'll just throw one in the sink and watch it for ages

-makes this weird clicking noise in the back of his throat as a stim. It's a rather unsettling noise but it's really the only way he stims in public. When alone he likes to feel textures of different things

John:

-hivemind autism!

-I feel bad for this dude man imagine having your being spread out through several different pocket dimensions and all of them have different textures and shot this poor bugger must've been overstimulated for years

-very blunt. Says what he wants with no remorse. Also doesn't have any volume control so often doesn't realize he's yelling

-I imagine when he was resurrected and was no longer a hivemind he had to take a long time alone just being himself. Duuuude imagine having to mask for YEARS because you were never ever alone I would lose my fucking marbles

-opposite of his brother, he doesn't understand personal space. Will often accidentally get I'm ppls faces because he doesn't realize how close he is to them. This also makes him somewhat clumsy and he has a habit of running into things

-Mainly has facial/expression stims. Will pull a big ol' grimace if something goes wrong and grin like an idiot when happy (see: when he got revived)

#Oh god. Tagging time.#pizza tower #peppino spaghetti #gustavo pizza tower #mr stick #MR STIIIIIIICK #pepperman #the vigilante #the noise #Noisette #Fake peppino #Pizzahead #gerome pizza tower #pillar john #Autism

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manwhoregillion · 2 years

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hiii!! could I request an Eddie x reader who is Billy or Jason’s ex? Like Eddie and the reader are best friends and they get into a fight bc Eddie is jealous since reader brings up her ex (he feels like reader could never love him) which leads to him angrily confessing his feelings-

anyways, ty if you write this !!! <333

Shitty Friends and Shittier Boyfriends

Eddie Munson x Reader

Past!Jason Carver x Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: angst, drug mentions (it's just weed), Jason Carver

Pronouns: They/Them

Hope you enjoy! First time writing for Eddie so might be a bit ooc.

Set in s3 just cause I like scoops era Robin and Steve.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Eddie hated you. That’s a lie he loved you more than he thinks he has ever loved anyone but at this moment he hated you because you just couldn't seem to stop talking about your ex, Jason Carver. And if Eddie hated anything, it was Jason Carver

“I miss our movie nights, the cuddles were always so nice and then I would fall asleep in his arms, and it was just so nice and warm and-“ you rambled on, slightly affected by the blunt you and Eddie had been passing between the two of you half an hour ago.

“You always used to say that he picked the worst movies during movie night,” Eddie looked stared at you with an uninterested look. Ever since you’re break up it was always the same routine, you come over and get high together and then go on and on about how much you missed Jason and his stupid punchable face.

“Yeah but like if you think about it, he just wanted to show me stuff he was interested in and it’s kind of rude of me to judge his movie choices,” You rolled over onto your stomach and stared at Eddie from his bed.

“Didn’t he like refuse to watch any of your favourite movies because he thought they were stupid?” Eddie could tell from the look on your face that you had checked out from the conversation ages ago. It was like as soon as Jason didn't want you, you forgot all the bullshit you had to go through in favour of dreaming of his three good moments. Eddie was sick of it. You deserved so much better, and Eddie was desperate to make you realise that. He didn’t even necessarily want you to want him, he just wanted you to want what was best for you. Of course, he would love it if you wanted him, but he definitely wasn't the best. Obviously, he was better than Jason Carver, but he would be a shitty boyfriend. He was barely a good friend.

“I miss his kisses, he was such a good kisser Eds its insane,” a small smile graced your features. In normal circumstances, your smile could light up Eddie's day, but he was just too pissed off to care right now.

“Jesus H. Christ (y/n),” He muttered under his breath.

“Dude what is your problem?” You sat up, tilting you’re head like a confused puppy. There was no malice in your voice, just confusion.

“It’s nothing don’t worry about it,” Eddie sighed, pretending to be very interested in the clutter on his dresser. You could see right through him though. Eddie never understood how you could tell exactly what he was feeling all the time, he always tried to keep his emotions locked far away but you came, and all his walls came crumbling down.

“No seriously there’s something going on, you can talk to me Eds,”

“Do you ever talk about anything other than Carver?” The venom in his voice took you aback. Eddie was quick to anger but he always made sure to never direct that anger at you, leading to very few fights between the two of you and even when you fought they were quickly resolved.

The look you gave Eddie made him regret everything immediately. You both sat in silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to do next.

“Why does it matter?” You scoffed, bringing your knees to your chest.

“It fucking matters because its been a month (y/n), he was a shit boyfriend it should not take you a month to get over him,”

“Who the fuck do you think you are to say how long it should take me to get over my fucking break up? It’s not my fault you don’t get it because no one wants to date you!” You we’re speeding around his room, grabbing all your stuff whilst you two fought.

Eddie stood there in silence, desperately looking for the words that would make you stay. He wanted to yell about how much he loved you and that he could treat you so much better than Jason Carver, but the words got stuck in his throat and the words 'no one wants to date you' clouded his head. Maybe this was just your way of saying that you didn’t want to date him. Maybe this was your way of saying 'I see the way you look at me and it's stupid of you to think I could ever look at you like that'. By the time Eddie had come back to his senses you were long gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

・❉・

“Why don’t you just talk to him?” Robin asked while you, her and Steve pretended to do work in the Scoop’s Ahoy back room.

“Because then he wins Robin and I’m can’t just let him win when he’s in the wrong,” Steve and Robin rolled their eyes at your words. Both you and Eddie were being immature, and they just happened to be stuck in the middle.

“I don’t care who wins or not just admit that you’re hopelessly in love with him, so I don’t have to deal with it anymore,” Steve said, ruffling your hair before leaving to the front to deal with a customer. You groaned and laid your head in Robins lap so you could continue venting.

You jumped as Steve slammed the window open.

“Someone’s here to see you,”

“If its Eddie tell him to-“

“Nope, I am not doing this for you figure it out yourself princess,”

You sighed and fixed your hat on your head before moving to the front of the store, elbowing Steve as you walked past him.

You stared at Eddie as you stood in front of him, choosing to let him speak first. In the entire time you’d known him you had never seen him this nervous.

“Um (y/n), hi," he gave you a tight lipped smile which quickly faltered when you’re face remained emotionless.

“Eddie,” Eddie seemed to curl into himself at your tone, as if he was trying to make himself smaller. It was almost cute, but you can’t let yourself think like that. You’re supposed to be mad.

“I was um, wondering if you wanted to maybe hang out! You know like old times it’s just been a while and I kind of really miss you,” Eddie stuttered out, voice getting smaller as he continued.

“Yeah sure,”

“Yeah no that’s fine I thought you’d say no- wait what?” Eddie looked up, a small smile gracing his lips,

“I said sure, I kind of miss you too,” Eddie jumped over the counter and took you into his arms,

“EDDIE! How many times do I have to tell you not to jump over the counter!” Despite you’re complaining you put you’re arms around him, holding him in an embrace for a few moments.

Eddie let go, still holding your sides as if he’s afraid you’ll run off.

“I have to go set up! I’ll see you later!” Eddie jumped back over the counter and ran off, tripping out the door.

“See you later Eds!” you laughed out, walking back into the back room in time to hear Steve wolf whistle whilst Robin clapped and cheered.

・❉・

You stood at the door, fiddling with Eddie’s ring that sat on your thumb. The door opened and Eddie stood there in all his glory, smiling down at you.

“Hey there sweet girl,” Eddie winked, causing you to giggle as you walked inside. The trailer seemed messier than normal, but you chose not to bring it up, kicking away some clothes to sit on the couch.

“I like your shirt,” Eddie messed with the collar as an excuse to put his arm around you.

“Thanks… Jason bought it for me,” Your voice softened as you continued, praying that Eddie didn’t hear the last part.

“Fucking hell (y/n),”

“You fucking asked!” You stood up, getting ready to leave.

“Sorry I can’t deal with an everyday reminder that I’m not good enough for you, but fucking Jason Carver is!” Eddie started to walk away, expecting you to be already gone. You, however, were stuck in place.

“What do you mean you’re not good enough for me?” Everything stilled. Eddie slowly turned to make eye contact with you, as if any sudden movement would send you running. Part of Eddie hoped you did, so he could just forget this and go back to smoking until he forgot about you. When Eddie realised you weren’t going anywhere he sighed, trying to find the right words.

“I am so in love with you (y/n). I’ve been in love with you since as long as I can remember, and it hurts me to see you wasting all of you on people like Jason Carver. You deserve the world and then some, and I’m not saying that’s me. I’ve been a shitty friend lately and shitty friends make really shitty boyfriends-“

Eddie was cut off by the feeling of your lips on his. His arms quickly found their way around your waist whilst yours wrapped around his neck, curling his hair around your fingers. He pulled you impossibly closer, drowning in you before he was pulled to the surface. You stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds.

“For what it’s worth I don’t think you’d make a shitty boyfriend,” Eddie laughed, bringing his hand to your jaw.

“Well I guess there’s only one way to find out,”

#eddie munson x reader #stranger things x reader #eddie munson #stranger things #jason carver x reader #jason carver #steve harrington #robin buckley

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skeleton-mischief · 2 months

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Cash Serrif

Now what do you want? Gold? Alcohol? His time? Well, you already have it now.

*SF!Purple Papyrus seems annoyed, but he'll hear you out

- Official height is 6'3

- He/They

- Recovering drug addict

- Drinks Hot Sauce

- Adores money but is frugal

- Can swindle you out of your life savings

- Best to go to for deals and thrift shopping savings. a haggler

- One of the worst pranksters

- Can tell when others lie easily but is slick about catching them

- Smokes the most out of all the others, not recovering

- Is blind in his right socket

- Writes erotica but hides it

- a cat person

- Younger Brother of Razz

- Good friends with Coffee, Stretch, and Rus

- He will flee to avoid fighting until cornered, but he'll make sure to take you with him. It's not a matter of being a coward, but he just doesn't like using his magic for fighting

- Stingy, he keeps track of debt, but is reluctant to pay others back

- Greedy, easily bored, impulsive, intuitive, frugal, creative, open minded, lazy, genius, playful, nosy, sassy, untrusting, blunt, loyal, observant, mellow, rebellious, cynical, clever, lighthearted, sarcastic, and mischievous

- Curses frequently, even in front of authority since he doesn't care

- Loves PDA, he wants people to know who he associates with as a sort of way to mark them as untouchable

- A great Gambler, he's only lost once and it cost him

- Used to think lowly of the Swap brothers, yet eventually realized how strong their bond was. He respects Powder and admires Stretch

- Never had a bad relationship with Rus, the two never bothered to dislike each other because of their brother's tiff

- Grew to see Wine, Powder, and Carmine as role models despite hiding this fact

- Loves to stir the pot and gossip about things

- Loves to joke, but if someone doesn't laugh for a serious reason, he refuses to joke like that again

- Slacks off often, but never misses a deadline if serious

- Can be personable, kind, and sweet in small moments if he likes someone

- If he doesn't like someone he's rude, dismissive, and sarcastic while showing that malice

- He forms his own opinions on others through their actions instead of listening to others, since he would want someone to do the same for him. He doesn't have a good reputation, after all

- Adores spicy desserts, but also cheesecake

- Doesn't like to be judged but allows people to do it, he doesn't blame them after all

- Once he recovers from his addiction, he's serious about it.

- His magic smells of cedarwood, magic tastes like nectarine

- Best friends with Stretch, as he helps ground him. He helps his confidence

- Can easily get out of doing something with his smooth talk, but he ends up kissing ass if caught

- Great at funding and bills despite having gambled people their items

- He has detachment issues, but this is a facade since he actually loves and cares for others very deeply

- Hyperventilates when crying, hates to be seen so he tries to hide it

- He was always more popular than his brother since he fell into influence while his brother was part of the Royal Guard. He saw what it did to Razz, and he hates it, so he retaliates as a result

- He often caused drama to get his brothers attention

- He talks a lot of shit about others, but no one is allowed to talk shit about Razz

- He grew distant as he grew older until he and Razz blew up on each other.

- He often felt his brother was ashamed of him while underground, watching his brother value power. Because of the underground's influence, he too found himself valuing worthless things such as physical pleasures

- Actually a huge dork when in love, he has never experienced it despite his "ladies talk"

- Smokes with a Calico lighter

- Yellowed bone, it's worse than other AU's because of what he has

- His magic is green when underground, despite it originally not being so. Because of the drugs that he takes and the abuse of his mind, his magic went from an orange to a sickly green

- When his brother and him argued, Cash would get high, attempting to "dream" about the two being close again. He secretly hated not being close to his older brother

- Goes to free events just for free shit

- Now that they're above ground, he tells Razz where he goes and tries to actually work on himself

- He enjoys gaming, especially with the others. However, he actually ends up being a sore loser once he got his ass kicked in Mario Cart from Coffee

- He tends to sneak around and is able to get information on others, but he's only a threat if you cross him or his loved ones. He's not afraid to record, and is actually willing to take initiative to provoke someone to get them to talk

- His compliments can be kinda weird. Such as "that was so great that I'm spinning on porches in Ireland" "????"

-He doesn't talk about his interests often and this is a pain when trying to figure out what his hobbies are. But if you ask and show interest when he's in the middle of being excited or secretly taking part in, he'll be shy and ask you to not tell anyone. He is willing to talk about it though

- He often takes smoke breaks outside with Rus, even if he has to sneak it due to Razz's protests against it

- He butters someone up with compliments if he's caught, trying to slide away from a situation

- He would call his lover babe or baby, even if it's sparingly

Closing Notes: most of these are personal headcanons about random ways he is how he is when underground. He'd need a lot of time and patience, since he was so altered by the underground. He progressively let's his guard later on, but until then? He has a lot of work to do

#headcanon #undertale au #alternate universe #swapfell #swapfell purple #swapfell papyrus #he is such a loser #pathetic loser #i want to hug him #theyre an idiot #cutie patootie #i actually love him so much #he needs a hug #and an ass kicking

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princehrry-writings · 3 years

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Daddy?

happy Easter if you celebrate it!! I've been working on this for a couple weeks!! It's the longest one-shot I think I've ever written.

word count: 5180

please please please flood my inbox with your thoughts and comments!! i want to know what you think!!!

warnings: some swearing (i think), absent birth father, single mom, nothing too serious.

“And who might this be?” He said softly, hoping that he wouldn’t frighten her.

“Tell Harry your name baby,” Y/n brushed a stray piece of hair away from her daughter's face who shied away behind her mom’s leg.

“Stella,” the little girl mumbled, fidgeting with the jeans she hid behind. He felt his heart flutter. She was just so freakin cute.

“It’s lovely to meet you Stella, m’Harry!”

“You talk funny.” The child said, making Harry laugh and Y/n gasp, scolding her daughter for being rude while trying not to laugh at her blunt comment.

“Stella Rose, that was not a very nice thing to say!” Y/n softly reprimanded.

“Sowwy Hawwy,” He chuckled, letting her know he forgave her.

Y/n is a single mom and Harry wants to be a part of the family.

Getting pregnant was definitely not something Y/n wanted to be doing at 20 years old. She had a boyfriend and the career of her dreams but as soon as the news broke, one of those things was no longer true. Her ex skipped town faster than she could even finish telling him she was pregnant, so Y/n was left to her own devices since her family was so far away.

She was a songwriter. She had worked with all the big names in the industry from Taylor Swift to All Time Low. She was known for being able to write in any genre, that’s what set her apart and why people were clawing at the chance to work with her.

And then she got pregnant. She kept writing songs until she was eight and a half months along but due to minor complications, her doctor had ordered her to stay home. So she did. She stayed home, had the baby, and raised her all by herself. Now that baby, whose name is Stella, is four years old and is traveling the world with her mom. Y/n had gone back to work when Stella was a year old. At first, she would leave her baby with a sitter, but eventually, she got to a point where Stella was old enough to come along to writing sessions and quietly color or play with toys in a corner. She really liked going to work with her mom. She got to see a bunch of cool places and meet a lot of nice people.

And one of those people was Harry Styles. Y/n had met him a few times back when he was with One Direction, had even tried to work with the band a few times but things never lined up right. But now he was making his second studio album and only wanted the best of the best to write with him so naturally, he called Y/n. Harry knew she had a kid but he didn’t expect her to bring said kid to a writing session. Harry didn’t really mind- he loves kids, but his friends had been known to curse a lot and he didn’t want to cause any harm to the child.

He made sure to give everyone a stern talking to, even though Kid already knew to hold his tongue (his little ones had repeated some colorful words a few times). He wanted everything to go right, needed it to. Y/n was more than just another songwriter.

“Y/n! I’m so glad you could make it!” Harry smiled as she walked into the studio. She smiled back, walking into his open arms for a hug.

“Thank you so much for having me, I’m super stoked to be working with you!” She said, slightly muffled by his neck. Harry looked down behind Y/n and saw a little girl that looked exactly like the woman currently in his arms looking right back up at him. When the two pulled away Harry was quick to kneel down to her height.

“And who might this be?” He said softly, hoping that he wouldn’t frighten her.

“Tell Harry your name baby,” Y/n brushed a stray piece of hair away from her daughter's face who shied away behind her mom’s leg.

“Stella,” the little girl mumbled, fidgeting with the jeans she hid behind. He felt his heart flutter. She was just so freakin cute.

“It’s lovely to meet you Stella, m’Harry!”

“You talk funny.” The child said, making Harry laugh and Y/n gasp, scolding her daughter for being rude while trying not to laugh at her blunt comment.

“Stella Rose, that was not a very nice thing to say!” Y/n softly reprimanded.

“Sowwy Hawwy,” He chuckled, letting her know he forgave her. Although he wasn’t mad, he understood Y/n had to teach her not to say things like that even if they were funny.

When Stella had settled at a table out of the way of the adults in the room with her coloring book and a juice box, the work began. Y/n and Harry sat at a piano bench ( he hoped she couldn’t hear his pounding heart) while Kid and Mitch, along with Jeff, sat scattered around the other furniture in the studio.

“So, I have a couple of ideas that I’ve been sitting on that I think you might like. You can look through this and see if there's something that catches your eye.” Y/n said, handing Harry a notebook. She tried to ignore the tingle she felt run up her arm when their fingers brushed. He flipped around the pages, noticing random little doodles in the corners and in between lines, and the somewhat messy but readable handwriting. He thought it was cute how she connected her s’s to her t’s and k’s when she wrote.

One page, in particular, caught his attention.

Golden, Golden, Golden

As I open my eyes

Hold it, focus

So you take me back to the light

I know you were way too bright for me

I’m hopeless, broken

So you wait for me in the sky

Brown my skin just right

“Is this a verse or a chorus?” He asked, pointing it out to her. She shrugged saying she didn’t really know yet but it would probably be a verse.

“I like it a lot,” He said and she smiled, picking up her guitar and strumming it to the tune she had thought of for the words. He listened and nodded along, already getting ideas for where to go next.

“I like the golden thing. I think that could be a good hook, something like we’re so golden,” Kid spoke up, tapping his fingers along to what she was playing.

“Or you’re so golden,” Mitch suggested. Harry and Y/n’s eyes widened at the same time, both looking up at each other when they heard the line.

“You’re so golden, you’re so golden…” Y/n hummed.

“I’m out of my head, and I know what you said about hearts get broken,”

“How about I’m out of my head and I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken,”

“I like that better, yeah!” Harry smiled, nodding along to the beat.

Y/n looked over 30 minutes later to see Stella had sprawled out on the floor with her arms folded beneath her head, first finger stuck into her mouth, and she smiled, breathing out a laugh.

“She’s so precious,” Harry murmured from beside you. Your gaze found his and the smile on your face widened a little bit.

“She is, isn’t she.” She said, pride present in her eyes.

“Looks just like you as well,”

“Yeah thank god, I don’t know what I would have done if she had ended up looking like her sperm donor,” Malice dripped from the end of her phrase. Y/n couldn’t even entertain the idea of her looking like the man who helped create her. That nerve was still a little raw, not because she had any remaining feelings, but because he had abandoned not only her but the beautiful baby girl who was napping not 15 feet away from her. She figured they were better off without him, yet her heart always shattered a little when Stella asked if she had a daddy like the people she sees on tv.

“I couldn’t imagine finding out the woman I loved was pregnant and then leaving her, any real man would have stayed.” His eyes were genuine, which she appreciated. Most people would say they felt sorry for her, pity dripping from their gaze, but she didn’t need pity, didn’t need people to feel sorry for her. But what Harry said was out of pity, he just honestly couldn’t understand how anyone would abandon a child.

“Yeah well, I guess I just wasn’t the woman he loved.” She said, looking back at her baby. Stella made all of that pain from when he disappeared worth it.

Harry wanted to be able to take that pain away.

---

“Hey I know it’s late, but I have this idea and I want you to hear it,” Harry’s raspy voice chimed through the speaker of Y/n’s phone. She glanced at the time, reading 1:30 AM, and sighed.

“Ok,”

“Come open the door,” He said.

“Wait what? You’re here?”

“Yeah, come on. It’s cold out here.”

“Ugh, hold on,” The woman sighed, hanging up and tip-toeing out of her room so her footsteps wouldn’t wake the sleeping four-year-old in the next room over. Her door was open and she was a light sleeper.

The door swung open and Harry stood there with a small smile on his face, burrowing as deep into his coat as he could to shield himself from the cold air outside.

“Hi!” His cheeky smile made Y/n’s heart flutter.

This was the first of many times he would show up at her place in the middle of the night.

---

Another night of Harry coming over late with a song idea he couldn’t wait to show Y/n, although now it was more he would come over after Stella fell asleep and the two would watch movies and talk, and sometimes write songs (even though the album was done).

The pair were perched on the couch in a heated conversation about whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza (it does and that is a fact not an opinion) when the sound of little footsteps caught their attention. They both looked up from where they sat at the sound of loud crying coming down the stairs, seeing a small child with tears barreling down her face, cheeks flush an angry red, first finger stuck in her mouth, teddy bear clutched tightly to her chest.

“Baby what’s wrong?” Y/n cooed, getting up and sweeping her into her arms. She went and sat back down on the couch, cradling the baby to her chest, brushing her hair out of her face, and rocking her back and forth.

“Scawwy dweam mommy,” She hiccuped into her mom’s neck, where she hid her face. Her tiny hands clutched onto her shirt, finger stick tucked between her lips.

Harry held back a coo at the little girl, feeling himself fall further and further for the little family of two sitting before him. He hadn’t been able to take his mind off of them since that first day he met Stella. He’d always had a schoolboy crush on Y/n since they first met all those years ago but knew it was one-sided when she introduced her boyfriend one of the last times they had seen each other. As fate would have it though, they found their way back to each other. Neither of them could deny the feelings they held, but Y/n was scared to bring someone into the picture because she didn’t want Stella to get attached to someone who wouldn’t be permanent. She was lucky her ex left before he ever got the chance to meet Stella, the kid had no clue what she was missing, therefore didn’t have any pain due to her absent father.

She would be lying if she said she didn’t imagine Harry stepping into that role. But she couldn’t ask that of him. He was at a time in his career where he didn’t have time to be the father of a four year old.

But life is full of surprises.

“Hawwy.” The baby whimpered and crawled off of Y/n’s chest, into his lap and snuggled her head right into him like it was where she was meant to be all along. His heart just about burst when the little girl fisted his shirt, tucking herself into him. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, cradling her into him and rocking her back and forth like her mother had been only moments ago.

Stella calms down almost immediately, to Y/n’s surprise. It usually takes her a while to console her baby from bad dreams, but all Harry had to do was hold her, and boom, no more tears.

“You alright petal?” He cooed into her hair, soothing his hand up and down her back to keep her calm. She nodded, letting out a huge yawn and closing her eyes, falling back asleep in his arms.

Y/n was astonished. Stella had never fallen asleep on anyone but her mom or her grandmother. She’s known Harry for a few months and was acting like he’d been there her whole life.

“Wow… she loves you.” Y/n whispered, not really meaning for him to hear but he did and his smile gave her the impression that he loved her too. But Stella wasn’t the only one he felt such affections for.

“Y/n....” He starts after a moment of silence, “I know this sounds crazy because we’ve only truly known each other for a few months… but I’ve had feelings for you for years. I missed my opportunity when you got with your ex but I’m here now, and I love you, and I love Stella, and I would do anything to stay in both of your lives if you’d have me. I want to be here for you, and I want to be here for her as well.” His confession shocked the woman sitting across from him.

Y/n was quiet, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought while she took in what he was saying. Trying her best to keep her fantasies of playing house with him at bay, she spoke.

“Harry, as much as all of that sounds lovely, you’re about to start press for the album and then go on tour. You’re not gonna have time to be in a relationship, and as much as I wish I could just jump into something like that, I can’t. I have her to think about…” She gestured to the toddler sleeping on him.

“She needs consistency, her life is already hectic enough.”

“So come with me!” He spouted, and then retracted a bit realizing he could wake Stella up.

“What?”

“Come with me! You two travel around already, so come on the press tour with me and then come on the big tour with me! I know this sounds impulsive and it’s probably the craziest thing I’ve ever said in my life ever, but I’ve never been more sure of anything. I know what I want Y/n, and that’s to be a part of this family. I want to be a part of your lives!”

“Harry, I-”

“Please Y/n. Give me a chance! I won’t let you down!” The gleam in his eyes shows her that he’s serious. He really does want this. Harry just hopes that Y/n can see just how willing he is, how much it would mean to him to have (what he already affectionately considers to be) his girls with him on tour.

It’s quiet, only sounds of Stella’s even breaths and the light noise of her sucking on her finger fill the room. Eventually, Y/n gathers her thoughts, mind made up.

“We’ll try it out… see how it goes….” She said, releasing a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding on to. Harry’s smile grew tenfold at her confession, reaching over and bringing her face closer to his to kiss her lips, careful not to wake the baby in his arms.

He had never been happier, Harry decides, than he is right now.

---

“Hawwy?” Stella’s voice catches Y/n’s attention from where she sits on the plane, in between her and Harry. She turns her little head to the man sitting in the aisle seat, big round eyes staring right into his.

“What is it, lovebug?” He asks, pushing her wild baby hairs away from her eyes. Y/n did her very best not to coo at the two of them. Harry had fallen perfectly into step with the mother and daughter, like this duo had been a trio all along. She was still hesitant to think of him as a father figure for Stella though, just because if things went south somehow, she didn’t want her baby suffering a loss like that (a second time).

Stella’s little fists rubbed at her tired eyes. She let out a small ‘hmph’ and laid her head on Harry’s arm, wrapping her own little arms around his.

“Awe you my daddy?” She asked and Y/n choked on her spit, looking back over at the toddler.

“Stella, baby-”

“I would love to be your daddy lovebug, but that’s not really up to me…” He spoke and glanced up at Y/n quickly, trepidation clear in his eyes. Harry was afraid he might overstep. Sure he knew that things were still new between him and Y/n but he wanted nothing more than for Stella to think of him as her dad.

“Who’s it up to?” Y/n could tell she was about to fall asleep but was fighting it in order to get her answers. She had adjusted to a more fast pace schedule quite nicely. She slept through most plane and car rides and absolutely loved being backstage at concerts. Harry thought she looked so adorable with her big noise-canceling headphones on. They had been on the road for a few months now, and it had been 8 months since Y/n decided to give him a chance.

“It’s up to mummy, baby.” He answered, his fingers tangling into his chestnut curls in a futile attempt to keep them out of his face.

Stella’s head immediately whipped to look at her mom, who sat frozen in her seat, not knowing what to do.

“Mommy, is Hawwy my daddy?” She repeated her question. Y/n had a feeling that Stella thought Harry was her real dad, the one that her mom didn’t like to talk about. She had to make sure there was no confusion.

“Not like you're thinking he is, baby. He’s not your birth dad, he didn’t help mommy make you, but if you want him to be your daddy, then that’s ok with me.” Y/n locked eyes with the man sitting across from her with a smile on his face. She was glad that they were flying private because she really didn’t need anyone ruining this moment for them. All her fears of this not working out felt stupid now.

How could she ever think that things with Harry wouldn’t work out? He was right where he belonged.

---

“Daddy!”

“Baby!” Harry knelt down to catch the running (almost) 5 year old, picking her up and spinning her around in his arms. They were in England for two weeks on tour. One for shows, and one so that Y/n and Stella could meet Harry’s mom and sister for the first time as a part of the family. Y/n had met them before as “a friend of Harry’s” many years ago, but they had never met her as Harry’s girlfriend, and they hadn’t met Stella.

Currently, Harry was in the middle of a show and Stella had just escaped her mothers arms side stage in favor of running to her dad. Y/n still couldn’t get over saying that. Harry is Stella’s dad. She doesn’t think that will ever get old.

No one knew how serious the relationship between Y/n and Harry was. The public knew they were together (after a very vague post on instagram of the mother/daughter duo napping with the caption “my girls”). Many people thought this was a PR stunt, just because it was so unlike Harry to post something like that. But he had actually confirmed in an interview that, yes, he was in a relationship with the songwriter and it was pretty serious. That was all he chose to say, in favor of keeping his secrecy, as he so famously loves to do.

What came as a shock to the audience was what the child had called Harry. They all knew about Stella, obviously, but no one would have thought that this child would think of him as her father. A lot of people didn’t like thinking about Harry being a father.

“What are you doing out here baby?” He said into her ear, making sure he could hear her over the loud noise of the audience. Most of them loved getting glimpses into his life, so the crowd was excited to see Stella out on stage and many thought it was adorable that she already thought of him as her dad.

“Missed you.” She said into his neck. The microphone had somehow picked up their little exchange and the whole crowd sighed a collective “awe” when she said that. She was perched on his hip with her little arms wrapped around his neck, her favorite place if she had to choose one. She was pretty small for a 4-year-old, most people usually thought she was younger.

Harry chuckled and saw Y/n standing there with a smile on her face. Mitch was giggling at the exchange and kept glancing back at Sarah with a knowing look of “That’s going to be us soon,” written on his face.

“I missed you too lovebug, but I’m in the middle of a show! I gotta send you back to mumma.” He said. Stella didn’t like that though, because as soon as the words left his lips she was clinging to him like he was her life force and the tears began streaming down her face. She didn’t like having to share her daddy. She just wanted to be held by him right now, and she’d be damned if she got anything but her way.

This amused everyone, the child's insistence to be in her father's arms, so he sighed and bent to her will because how could he say no to his baby girl?

So he walked over to her mom and got her headphones, slipping them on her, and walked back to his microphone with her on his hip, ready to start the next song.

“Harry and Stella” was trending on twitter the very next morning. No one could get enough of the father-daughter duo.

---

Y/n hadn’t been this nervous since she was about to give birth to Stella. She stood with her baby in her arms as Harry opened the door to his childhood home, announcing to his mom and sister that they were there. She had to wipe her sweaty palms on her jeans more than once.

Anne rushed out from wherever she had been, greeting the three of them. Stella had met Anne via FaceTime many times so it was not news to her (or Gemma) that Harry had stepped into the role of Stella’s father. She will admit she was surprised at first but then she was reminded that Harry had been in their lives for almost a year before Stella had asked the question. It wasn’t something that was rushed into.

Anne was very excited to be meeting her grandbaby and was very excited to meet the girl that had made her a grandmother.

Stella got shy, not being used to seeing “Nana” in person. Gemma had emerged from her spot in the kitchen as well, greeting everyone.

“Hello, my loves! How was the trip?” Anne said, kissing both of them on the cheek, her hand gently caressing the child's cheek in an attempt to get her out of her shell. Once she realized that this was her Nana that was standing before her, Stella reached out for Anne, silently asking to be held by her. Anne jumped at the chance, sweeping the baby into her arms and giving her a big hug, kissing her on the forehead multiple times, not being able to quell her affection for her first grandchild.

“It was good mum, Stell slept the whole way and traffic was pretty light,” Harry said, slipping his hand into his girlfriend’s, brushing his thumb back and forth trying to help calm her anxieties. For whatever reason, Y/n was worried that Gemma and Anne wouldn’t like her because she had come into their son/brother's life with a child, but it was clear that the two ladies loved the idea of Harry being Stella’s father.

“Oh, that's lovely!” She smiled, cuddling Stella impossibly closer to her. Y/n felt most of her worries melt away seeing the woman with her baby.

She felt silly for thinking Anne would be anything but happy.

---

Anne would not put Stella down for anything. The two were attached at the hip every waking second. Y/n was actually starting to miss her baby, but she appreciated getting to spend time with Harry without having to keep an eye on their little one. Gemma was absolutely smitten with Stella as well. She was very excited to be “Auntie Gem” as Stella had quickly adapted to calling her. Stella was very happy as well. She had never been around so much family in her whole life. She’d been so used to just her and her mom, and then just them and Harry, but now she had two whole grandma’s all to herself and an auntie she gets to call her own, something she never knew she was missing, that Y/n never thought her baby would get to have.

Harry was so happy to see his baby with Anne and Gemma. They had been bumped to spot number 3 and 4 on his favorite girl list, with Stella and Y/n taking spots 1 and 2. They didn’t mind one bit.

“Daddy, can we watch a movie?” Stella jumped up onto his lap as he and Y/n sat on the couch, just talking and enjoying each other's company. Y/n smiled at the girl, tightening her grip around Harry’s shoulders, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

“Of course we can lovebug! Go get Nana and auntie Gem and we’ll all pick one out together!” He replied, petting her wild baby hairs out of her eyes just like he always did.

“Auntie Gemma said to ask you if we could watch…” She paused for a second, her little finger tapping on her chin like she couldn’t remember what she was gonna say. Suddenly, she was up and running back to the hallway she had just come from. Y/n and Harry heard little whispers before she came running back out and plopped back onto Harry’s lap, on ‘oof’ erupting from him.

“This Is Us!” She finally said. Harry’s face dropped as he looked behind them to see Gemma standing there, trying to hold back her laughter. Y/n just started cackling and Stella was giggling even though she had no idea what was going on.

“Daddy’s in that movie baby,” Y/n finally calmed down enough to say to her daughter. The little one’s eyes lit up, her hands clasped underneath her chin. This was what she did when she wanted her daddy to say yes to her because she knew he couldn’t resist how adorable she was.

“Please please please!!!!!!” She whined, leaning in to place her forehead against Harry’s. She knew exactly how to get him. He caved every single time.

“Yeah, fine. We can watch it!” He finally said and all three girls cheered. Anne came in at the noise wondering what was going on.

“What’s all this?” She asked and Stella ran up to her, pulling on her

“We watching Daddy’s movie Nana!” She said, jumping up and down with a glowing beam on her face.

“Oh, are we now? Which one?” Anne asked and Stella paused.

“Daddy, how many movies awe you in?” She came back and crawled into his lap. She still had trouble saying her r’s. Her and Harry were working on it.

“Two, lovebug. But one of them you can’t watch until you’re older. It’s too scary f’you.” He said, cuddling his baby into his chest. She put on a little pout hearing that. She didn’t like when her daddy told her no, but this was something he wasn’t gonna budge on.

“Ok,” She sighed. All the adults thought this was adorable.

So they all settled in and watched the movie. Harry had a permanent blush on his face and Stella would jump up and down every time he was on the screen.

“Nana look!! That’s you!!” Anne laughed and nodded to her granddaughter.

“Yes, it is baby!”

“Mommy, why aren’t you in this movie?” She asked and everyone giggled.

“Me and Daddy didn’t know each other very well back then, baby.” Y/n laughed. Stella didn’t really understand but she didn’t say anything else.

The last few days had worn her out and that became very obvious when Harry looked down and saw his baby asleep on his chest, her first finger stuck in her mouth just like it always was when she fell asleep.

“Love, I’m gonna go lay her down, and then I’ll be right back,” Harry whispered, cradling the sleeping girl in his arms and slowly standing up. Y/n nodded, kissing his cheek before he left.

“He’s so good with her!” Gemma cooed, her face lighting up seeing her brother with his kid. A sight she was still kind of getting used to seeing.

“He really is…” Y/n smiled, “It was pretty instant too. Anytime he’d come over and she was still awake, he’d insist on putting her to bed, reading to her, singing to her, he’d bring her toys. She’s had him wrapped around her little finger since he first laid eyes on her.”

“That’s so precious,” Anne spoke up, coming to sit next to her, wrapping Y/n in her warm embrace.

“I can’t wait until you two get married!” Y/n laughed at Gemma’s confession, snuggling into Anne.

“All he has to do is ask, I’m ready to say yes!” What none of the girls knew was that Harry was standing right outside the living room, hearing everything that was being said. His mind raced back to his suitcase where a velvet box sat tucked away between all of his clothes.

He was hesitant to bring the idea up because it had only been a year, but the saying when you know, you know he thought.

He came back into the living room, acting none the wiser, sitting on the other side of the girl he was going to marry (she just didn’t know it yet), and cuddled into her just as she had cuddled into his mom.

“Daddy,” A small voice broke through the now quiet hum of the tv.

“Lovebug, what are you doing back up?” He asked, lifting the sleepy little thing into his lap.

“Scawwy dweam, daddy.” She said and he pouted, pulling her closer into his chest and snuggling her back to sleep.

Harry was exactly where he belonged in life. With his baby girl in his arms, and his Love by his side.

1K notes · View notes

tommyspeakycap · 3 years

Text

Our girl

pairing - john stones x reader

word count - 2941

summary - john's become a fixture in yours and your daughters life, but this is his very first time doing the playground pick up.

inspired by this song

John felt entirely out of place standing at the edge of a playground jiggling his keys in his hands nervously. He can feel the eyes of awaiting parents glaring into him and he's pretty sure he's heard a tell tale iPhone camera click a few minutes ago. He opted just to ignore it rather than call it out and make a scene. He understands the surprise at seeing him standing there, but he doesn't quite get the urge to photograph him. He hasn't come here as a football player, he's come as a normal person.

He keeps his eyes peeled for a head of hair that looked similar to yours, though messier from a day of rambunctious running around, that belonged to the nearly five year old he was here to collect as soon as the bell had rung.

They walk out in a line and he spots her pretty quickly, what with having something of a bird-eye view considering his height in comparison to the young kids. It takes that little girl a bit longer to notice him as they line up, but the second she does she starts jumping on the spot and pointing him out to the nearest friends excitedly. John gives her a gleeful wave, his smile stretching as wide as it ever does with a soft laugh.

"That one yours then?"

John turns around in surprise, his heart leaping up into his chest at the unexpected voice next to him. He turns around to see the woman standing next to him now, clearly with very little regard to the whole social distancing situation he would more than happily abide by when it came to random strangers he didn't know asking him about the little girl who's attention was divided between him and her friends as their teacher gives final instructions of the day.

"Yup," John answers, popping the P at the end of his short reply. The woman next to him nods as if she agrees. "Beautiful little girl, absolute sweetheart too. Must get that from you eh?"

John furrows his brows and wants to scoff immediately, but holds himself back and instead covers what would be a laugh of second hand embarrassment. "Nah, that's all (y/n)." He says, as cooly as possible without letting any malice into his tone. Kyle would claim John can be rude, but John would argue he's not rude, just blunt in his humour and can be snappy when warranted.

"I'm not so sure," she giggles, making John feel a little bit sick. Especially when he spots another woman of similar appearance walking towards him. John is very protective, especially of you and that sweet little girl.

That little girl who looks nothing like him, at all. She isn't his biological child, so it would be some mighty force of nature for her to have his looks.

"I'm Karen," the blonde woman introduces.

Of course.

"Nice." John responds curtly, looking down at his watch briefly, attempting to end the conversation where it was. He couldn't really be bothered entertaining these woman who he knew usually shamed you for being a single mother and were now here to flirt with him while thinking he's the single father of that child. It makes not much sense to him and he doesn't care to try and work out that logic. He'd much rather collect his baby and go. "Would you-"

"John!"

A screech of his name has never been more welcome ever. His defensive nature of football playing works wonders on his reflexes, enough to be quick in crouching to collect the child barrelling towards him as fast as her little legs would carry her.

"Hey baby," He beams, setting her on his hip after she gives him a tight hug around the neck. He'd only had phone calls with the sweet little girl he adored so much for the past six weeks considering the euros and the whole coronavirus situation. He did get a brief cuddle and a kiss and a well done from you and her after the euros, but it was so busy he didn't get much really and then he ended up going on a holiday that was booked for both of you, but you couldn't make because the little one caught corona from a classmate. She was fine, just had to stay indoors for 10 days and then you got it and had to stay in another 10. True typical luck.

"It's nice to meet you John, maybe we could arrange a playdate for your little one and mine?" Karen asks, "And we could-"

"Buh-bye Karen!"

John knows he should scold the impressed looking four year old in his arms, but he has to physically stifle a snigger. "Mummy's waiting for us." She states, very matter of factly.

"Sorry." John grimaces with a shrug, but nods his head in agreement. "Gotta get going."

He turns on his heel as that little girl with his bouncing curls waves curtly with a tongue poked out that John doesn't see as he holds out his hand for a wordless tiny high five. "You saved me there." He tells her as he climbs into the driver's seat after clipping her securely into her carseat. She nods with a proud grin, "Mama said you might need saving from Karen."

That makes John chortle with laughter, his heart warmed by the sight of the toddler beaming back at him in the rear view mirror. He doesn't know exactly when it was, but at some point in his relationship with you these things had become second nature. The checking of the kid in the rear view mirror, the talking in a way little kids can understand, the managing to clip her in without catching his fingers or hers in the buckle. It was something that had been daunting and hard at first and had somehow become part of him so perfectly.

He was nervous at first but ultimately adored that sweet little girl from the moment he first met her and most importantly, she loved him right back and John hadn't looked back on his life. He felt like he had a kid of his own and he was loving every single second of it.

Before he knew it he was fitting a carseat in his Bentley spending weekends in pillow forts with you wrapped up in his arms while Poppy bounced on a sugar high from the popcorn and tangfastics. You brought so much joy and light into his life he almost couldn't fathom it. You were this amazing woman, juggling a job and a kid and doing it without help or complaint.

That was your life and he couldn't believe how you did it all by yourself, but you did. Watching you raise that little girl, doting on her and showering her with the kind of love that'll see her grow into such a perfect woman just like you, was the most beautiful and attractive thing he had ever known.

You had been so apprehensive at first and he understood it wholeheartedly, but once you had opened up and let him into not only your life, but into the life of your child, he had just completely fallen in love with you and everything you did.

It was perfect, each day feeling you let him into the fold a little more until you became a family. One that didn't start out together, but sure as hell were always meant to be together.

The way that you’re laughing by the time John gets into the house, the sound reverberating out the door tells him that your daughter had ran in ahead of him specifically in order to tell you the story of how she had to save big, strong John from flirting mothers and how good of a job she did.

“It’s not funny.” John insists the second he enters the room, dropping her school bag down by the couch. He lifts up his arm emphatically, “Look!” John points ferociously at the large sweat patches that had formed under his armpits from his time in the playground. That only serves to make you snort, unable to contain the laughter for one moment as you throw your head back against the plush pillows of the large couch. “Not. Funny.” John reiterates, leaning down over you after he chucks his shirt off into a heap somewhere. His hair tickles your forehead, eyes staring into yours with a false fiery intensity before he breaks his stance and flops down on the couch next to you, giggling away like a pair of schoolgirls.

“You knew that would happen?” He presses after a beat of silence. You nod, the remnants of a wheezy giggle escaping in time with it as you push yourself to your feet to grab him a clean shirt from the clean clothes like sitting on the table in the far corner of the living room. “Can’t believe you’d throw me to the wolves like that.” He mutters. John gets that shirt thrown at him rather than to him playfully.

“You take on 6 foot muscle men running right at you for a living, babe,” you tease, “I thought you could handle a four year old and some frisky mothers.” John rolls his eyes, pulling the shirt over his head before reaching out for your arm to pull you into his embrace.

“The four year old was better behaved than the mothers.” He notes, earning what feels like a nod and a hum from you, “You’ll find they usually are. Want to come with me to drop her off tomorrow and we can show them up?”

“Like a power family?”

“Yeah,” you grin, “Just like a power family.”

John barely slept for how excited he was. The centre back couldn’t quite put his finger on the why, but he had a feeling it was something to do with the fact that this was something you were doing as a family. John got to show off both his girls and little Poppy got to show off two parents together. There was nothing at all wrong with having a single parent and she loved you more than she could even understand at that age, but getting to have both parents with her just like the other kids even if John wasn’t her biological dad would be perfect for her. John loved being able to give her that father figure she needed.

Walking into the playground, John holds onto one of those tiny hands and you hold the other, swinging her between you until you come to a halt and get to bid her goodbye. She insists on a family cuddle that nobody protests and once all the kids are inside and it feels like all eyes are on you and John, he swoops in for a peck on your lips and then you walk out hand in hand without sparing a second look.

“I drew a picture today mummy!” Poppy announces the second you see her. You beam at her excitement as you leave the playground with your daughter bouncing in joy. “Can I see it then?” You ask, sounding equally as excited. “No.” She states firmly as her face becomes very serious very suddenly. You furrow your brows together tightly. “No?” You repeat, clipping her into her car seat.

“Need’a wait ‘till we get home.” She insists, searching for your eyes to make sure you understand her. There’s no use fighting with such a simple request for something that is hers to share anyway. “Okay baby, we’ll wait.”

She practically bursts into the house just like she had the day before, urging you to hurry up as she bounces on the balls of her feet in the living room in front of where John was now sitting to attention in front of her. “Come on mummy!” She chimes, “Gotta hurry, come on!”

She’s holding tightly onto that little pink bag as you walk in and take the seat you are directed to. She instructs you to hold John’s hand and that you do, sitting right his side as she takes out a sheet of A4 paper and holds it close to her chest.

“What did you draw, love?” The brunette asks, eyes as caring, soft and curious as they always are for her, you feel him squeeze your hand sweetly. “Miss asked us to draw stuff we love.” She begins confidently, “Look what I did.”

She plants the paper on the large ottoman sat in front of you and John, between where your daughter stood and where you were sat. “My family” the top reads in messy 4 year old handwriting.

“Tha’s you mama, and me in the middle and right there is you, see - daddy.” She points to each person as she goes, their title written above them with an arrow pointing. You want to say so much, there are so many words you’d love to say or that you know you should say but none of them seem to find you.

It wasn’t something either of you had brought up. The name game. She calls him John or Johnny and if she’s feeling extra sassy or showing off to Kyle then she’ll call him Stonsey for effect and no matter who’s around, everybody ends up laughing when she says it. She’s never called him dad or any variation, John hasn’t even really thought much about it until right then. He felt like he had been hit by a million tonnes of pure unadulterated love.

“I’m sorry if it’s too soon, I-”

John stands up and lets go of your hand, leaning across the ottoman to scoop up that little girl he loves with every single inch and ounce of his throbbing heart followed by picking up her three stick figure and a funny looking dog drawing and strides out of the living room.

You follow them apprehensively and very nervously until you spot him in the kitchen, standing in front of the fridge. His eyes gleam with pride and shine with tears as he tells her how amazing her drawing is and how honoured he is that she called him her dad. It comes as a massive relief for you, his adoring reaction. He’s perfect to you and he’s ever better to her. He’s just amazing. He tucks her in, reads her stories right by your side. He defends you when you’re there and even more when you’re not. He’s everything that the man who walked away from you both is not. The plates he stepped up to weren’t his to take care of, but he loves you and he loves her just the same. She’s his baby, his sweet little girl. The one who cheers at his matches, runs out onto the pitch after and tells him how proud she is no matter how shit he played.

She’ll paint his nails, knot his hair, wipe snot on his clothes and spill beans on his cream carpet but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care because he loves her. He doesn’t care because she’s his daughter. He’s the lucky one in his eyes. He gets to watch you with her, playing with her, tickling her, loving on her. He gets to wake up far too early to you trying to sneak off so he doesn’t get woken up and he gets to spend those hours with just the two of you before the rest of the world is awake and expecting things from him. He gets a flawed, funny, beautiful, weird, wild and wonderfully perfect family with his two girls and now he gets to be called Dad. What more could a man ever ask for?

“Thank you,” he hears you mutter quietly into his ear that night as you lay nearly asleep in bed. He turns to you, knocked out of his thoughts about how he’s going to excitedly tell the team and every single other person he knows. God his mum is going to be so excited. “What for?” He whispers back, careful not to wake the sleeping girl laying haphazardly between the two of you. “For earlier, I had no idea she’d do that.” You say sheepishly. John leans over to press a kiss to your forehead. John sighs softly.

“I should be thanking you, love.” He retorts, “I get you and you bring her into my life. You’ve completed me. This is everything.”

“Really? Do you want this? All of it?” You breathe, watching him nod. “Yeah.” He says firmly, before backtracking slightly, “More than anything else.”

You beam at him, looking at your daughter and then back at him.

“Then congratulations, Mr Stones. It’s a girl!”

He pulls you both in as close to him as he can get you, warmth and love radiating through him that nearly genuinely makes him cry. He choked back a cry, but lets a tear run down his cheek for the millionth time since she dropped the “daddy” bomb.

“She’s our girl.”

#john stones #john stones x reader #john stones imagines #john stones imagine #england national team imagine #england national team #footie fics #footballer fics #football fics

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cursed-domain · 3 years

Text

Asking the JJK men if you can dom them 😀

(or attempting to ask. or accidentally asking. with wildly varying degrees of success)

inspired by: chats about sub gojo with @nanamilvrr :))

Drabbles, total ~1k words

characters (in order of appearance): Geto, Naoya, Gojo, Sukuna, Nanami

might do a pt 2 eventually

content warnings: nsfw!! mostly implied stuff, some degradation, mention of blood w Sukuna

—

GETO

“Say please, sweetheart. You know you have to ask nicely to get what you want.”

You stare at Geto as he leans back in his seat, your confidence from a moment ago rapidly fading. “I - I asked if I could dom you. I’m not gonna say please.”

“Why not? You know how much I love spoiling you. I’ll give you whatever you want. But not if you’re rude about asking.”

You sigh, and give in. Far, far too easily. “Please. Can I -“ Your mouth snaps shut as he grabs the collar of your shirt and yanks you from where you stand, causing you to tumble right into his lap.

“Start again,” he says, grinding gently into your splayed thighs. “What do you want? I’m just dying to know.”

“I -“ you break off again as his long fingers close around your neck. “Nothing. I don’t - want anything. Happy just like this.”

“Good girl.” His hand tightens on your throat as he caresses your cheek. “That’s exactly what I thought you’d say.”

———————————————————————

NAOYA

“I’ve been really good for you this week, haven’t I?”

Naoya’s his fingers pause as they trail through your hair, his nails scraping your scalp as he tightens his hand. “You sound like you want something.”

If you just stopped to think for a second, you’d realize your plan was going to fail, that all your efforts to be on your best behavior all week were going to come to nothing. But you don’t think. You push recklessly onwards, oblivious to the growing malice in your master’s expression. “Yes… just a little special something. Like a reward.” A tinge of pink glows on your cheeks as you imagine what you’ll do if he grants your request. “I was wondering if maybe I could… be in charge, for once. Tell you what to do instead of the other way around -”

You’re quickly cut off by a violent slap across your face. “You’re really fucking stupid, aren’t you?” He tilts your head back when you don’t answer, forcing you to look at him and display the mark his hand has left on your cheek. “Aren’t you?”

Your resolve leaves you completely as you realize just how much hatred is glowing in his eyes. “Yes… I am…”

“Stupid, and greedy too. Acting all entitled just because you’ve finally started to learn your place.”

You aren’t even able to get an “I’m sorry” out of your mouth before he strikes you again.

“Dumb fucking whore. Take off everything except your skirt and get on your knees. You can take your special little reward right down your throat.”

———————————————————————

GOJO

“One day I’m gonna shut you up.”

“Hmm?” Gojo leans forward, so close that you’re practically pinned to the couch beneath the two of you. “And how are you gonna do that?” You catch your breath as he whispers against your ear. “Might be difficult. You know how much I love to talk.”

You reflect his smirk right back into his eyes, turning the corners of your mouth into the familiar smug expression. “I’ll fucking gag you,” you say as you reach down to squeeze his thigh. “And I’ll laugh when you whine around it.”

You let you hand linger as he struggles to respond. “I - could stop you. If I wanted.”

“Mhm. But you won’t.” You bring your other hand forward to work down the zipper of his jeans. “Must be tiring, acting so strong all the time. I think you’ll enjoy giving someone else a chance.”

———————————————————————

SUKUNA

Sukuna likes when his nails scratch your skin deep enough to draw blood. That’s half the reason why he keeps them so long. You don’t even need to have done anything wrong - he’ll slap you just to see your eyes widen in pain and surprise and hear the whine you can’t quite suppress. It’s at one of these times that you say the thing you’ll regret more than anything else in your life.

“Fuck.“ you blink back tears at the particularly violent strike, barely paying attention to the words coming out of your mouth. “Maybe I’ll slap you next time, show you how it feels.”

He stares at you, motionless, just long enough for you to realize what a mistake you’ve just made. You fall to your knees, ready to beg for forgiveness, knowing that you’re already too late. “Turn around.”

You shuffle to face the other direction, not surprised when the sole of his foot shoves into your back, forcing you down onto all fours.

“I will never give you the chance to treat me like I treat you.” He tugs your waistband down under your ass, being sure to dig his nails into the soft flesh of your hips. “Stupid, filthy girl. You’re lucky I’m even willing to touch you with my bare hands.”

“I’m sorry,” you whimper, already blinking back tears. “I didn’t mean it…”

“I don’t care.” He kicks his foot forward and hooks it in front of your thigh, drawing you back towards him as you attempt to inch away. “Cry as much as you want while I teach you your lesson. It sounds so much prettier than anything else that comes out of your mouth.”

———————————————————————

NANAMI

“You want to… dom me?”

You nod, suddenly feeling very sheepish. You’d blurted out the request, quickly and ineloquently, and it feels strange hearing Nanami repeat such a blunt statement. But he doesn’t seem perturbed. In fact, he looks interested, if anything.

“Hm. And why should I let you do that?”

“Wellll…” you find yourself stammering, suddenly. “I - just think it would be kinda fun.”

“I think you’re right.” You don’t even realize how intently you’re staring at the floor until Nanami tilts your face up to meet his gaze. “Have a little confidence, sweetheart. You’re going to need it, don’t you think?”

#▪️new content▪️#jujutsu kaisen #sukuna #geto suguru #gojo satoru #naoya zenin #nanami kento #jjk hcs #jjk drabbles #gojo x reader #geto x reader #sukuna x reader #naoya x reader #nanami x reader

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ruinaimagines · 2 years

Note

Yesod x a very affectionate reader!!

I have never read this much in my life up until the point I’ve started this blog and started speedrunning watching all the character story cutscenes. The wiki fears me and my knowledge. Do not take this as a complaint, I’m loving every second of it. Thank you for your request!

Also once again feel free to share any typos I might make cause I am once more late night writing.

Yesod with a Very Affectionate S/O:

Yesod is known for his stern personality and efficient work. He relies heavily on the logical side in his mind to assess the situation, coming to rational conclusions. He’s blunt, not biting back his tongue and at times being painfully honest. He’s a perfectionist and calculated with his work.

But he’s not heartless by any means, he has concerns for people and he doesn’t want others to suffer cruel fates. It’s the whole reason he’s upset that he has to work in the library, he doesn’t want to have to kill others for a job. This leaves a sense of dissatisfaction in his work.

To someone who doesn’t know him well he might be perceived as some stuck up pessimist who can never be satisfied. His brutal honesty can really be off putting to new people and easily be taken as rude, and his strict desire to stay organized can irritate those who are more relaxed.

Sure it’s a bit hard to keep up at times with the perfectionist in his mind, and you may stumble a bit and fall behind. Your effort doesn’t go unnoticed though. He values his librarians, and he’s more hard on himself and others he believes work for a selfish act.

People might think he’s a nightmare to work with when he’s actually not. If you’re committed he has respect towards you. If you struggle, he has no issue aiding you to get you back on track.

He doesn’t underestimate you, and he’s confident in his fellow librarian’s abilities. There is nothing shameful about asking for help, and he will not think of you less for doing so at all.

When he comes over to help straighten out your uniform it isn’t out of malice or anything, it’s because he’s looking out for you and wants you to be at your best. He prides himself on his floor and he wants the nuggets to be approached with high regard.

Yesod does struggle with communicating how he feels verbally and physically. While he has no issue telling others they did good work, it’s in a more proud boss type way.

He has an issue finding the right words, and an even bigger struggle when speaking them. He’s not one to express his care in long strings of compliment, but rather condensed words with a tone letting you know his intentions.

You’ll have to come to realize and accept that he’s not the best when it comes with words of affirmation, but instead has other ways of expressing his care. Quality time and acts of service are especially something you can expect to receive from this patron librarian.

However, this absolutely doesn’t mean you don’t have to be the very affectionate person you are. There may be some boundaries out of personal preference, but you have no issue respecting them.

He gets flustered very, very easily, and he tries to act like he doesn’t even though it’s so obvious. His face turns red, and he continues talking about what he was previously but he’s clearly stumbling over his words and clearing his throat.

Any compliment you give him, whether it’s just a genuine compliment or a romantic one will throw him for a loop.

He’s just so used to people referring to him only as professionally that when suddenly someone doesn’t it’s very unexpected. It isn’t a bad thing though, just something he’ll have to get used to.

Unfortunately if you like PDA you’re probably not gonna be in luck, at least not in a long time. Yesod struggles a lot with how he's perceived and presented to others, and it can be a bit difficult when this image he’s worked on creates is challenged.

He does love you a lot, and it’s something you’ll hopefully understand. It’s just personal preference and when it’s you two you have a chance to be a lot more affectionate. He loves who you are and I guarantee you two can find a good balance between both of your desires.

Now, if it’s just the two of you together you get to show your endearment in all its glory. I think some of the more physically affectionate actions he’d especially like would include arm linking, leaning into him, and side hugs.

I will say though touching his hair is out of the question. I don’t really think he’d like that getting messed with especially during the middle of a work day.

These actions specifically help destress him after a long day of work. He’s very rigid too, if you’re willing to give massages I think he’d enjoy them, but he’d also be super embarrassed asking for one so you’d have to figure it out yourself.

He thinks about what you compliment him on a lot. It just lingers in his mind constantly, and if there’s something you say you like that he does he will try to make an effort to do it more.

The floor of technological sciences has a truly beautiful view. The cool blue and purple lights illuminating and filling into the room give it an almost dreamy state, even though the clanking of the gears outside can grow to be a bit annoying.

I do believe that sorting things is also a method of relaxation for him. Not the kind where you’re rushing because there’s a sudden influx of books from battle and you need to get them put into place before you’re out on the field again, I’m talking the day is done and you’re left to work slowly.

These are often the times where you’ll be able to hang around one another after a long day and Yesod feels as though he can just take a deep breath. Whether or not you help him in filling the shelves, just your presence lets him know when to switch to a more eased state.

And after he’s finished with anything he needs to correct is when you have your opportunity. At long last he’ll be able to come over and you two can just lay together and talk.

While a lot of people see him only in his sort of ‘work’ mode there’s a lot underneath that goes unnoticed. He has his own hobbies, likes, dislikes, and even distant dreams or desires that he doesn’t necessarily think or know will come true, but still likes to think about.

He’s actually mentioned an interest in growing plants to you, which you thought was an absolutely precious idea. Considering the abundance of lights already, there would probably be no issue in finding something that could help the plant grow.

I think he’d prefer something edible, not necessarily to eat, but just because it’s interesting to watch grow. A bell pepper maybe? Only downside is the dirt. It’s not like he has an issue with it, it’s just the risk of spillages and messing up the floor of the library would be a nuisance to clean up.

This is the perfect time to bombard him with compliments though, and no matter how long you do and how much of a routine it becomes he will never fail to turn red at it. He claims he’s getting better and argues that it’s not obvious. You call him out on that absolute lie.

If ever you two are laying next to each other, across one another, or you’re leaning on him, or you have an arm wrapped around him and end up falling asleep he will stay so incredibly still.

That man becomes stone because he does not want to risk waking you.

Sadly you’re asleep and don’t see it, but there’s an uncharacteristic smile on his face when seeing you in such a state of serenity. Soon after he’ll probably drift off himself.

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wallwriterstuff · 4 years

Note

is it okay if you do one about the reader who is 13-14 going with Bella to save Edward and when Alec see's her, he realizes that she's his mate and tries talking to her and her being scared but after sometime they have a sweet bf/gf relationship? Thank you, and your writing is awesome, sorry if I bothered you

Hey hi hello, you most certainly have not bothered me at all 😊 You’re very sweet and I’m glad you enjoy my writing, I hope you like this piece just as much as the others!

Just as a wee reminder to yourself and others who wish to request anything Alec related from me, when I write for Alec, I do tend to write him as the 13-14 year old book version. The only time I age up Alec and Jane to the 16+ year old movie version is if I receive an NSFW request for them. I am still figuring out what I’m comfortable writing in terms of the level of explicitness, so while I figure out what sort of NSFW requests I will and won’t take please be patient and don’t be rude about it if you send me something I don’t think I can deliver, there’s plenty of other really incredibly writers out there I’ll happily link you to if I don’t think I can provide what you want.

For now, have this fluffy little piece.

Forever Yours:

Words: 5416 (oopsie) Warnings: There is some description of injuries later on and a lot of descriptions of fear and distress in the first half of this fic.

Alec was not one to dwell on things he didn’t find interesting. In his human life he had been pigeon-holed into farming, the manual labour something that would support his family and one of the few occupations he could actually get training for, since it meant sending him into a field and leaving him there to work alone most of the time. His village was not a welcoming place to people like him and Jane, and despite his vocation to be a blacksmith his dreams were shelved in order to provide for his mother and sister. The end result was an insatiably curious young teen desperate to break free of the tedious field work and explore what else the world had to offer him, a trait that had only been solidified by his transformation.

Currently he found himself fascinated by the readings surrounding physical Geography, the formation of the world brought to the forefront of his mind after passing through a village that had suffered an Earthquake on a mission not a month earlier, and studying such things was how he spent the majority of his evenings now. Then in the Cullen boy came, bedraggled and smelling like three week old garbage he was pleading for the end of an existence far greater than his human one could have ever been, and Alec’s mind was set whirring into motion once more.

He couldn’t begin to fathom the mind-readers motives for wanting to end his immortal life, not when it had offered Alec so much. Over the course of centuries, he had accrued wealth and knowledge, prestige, and authority that the boys in his village could only ever dream of given the circumstances they were born into. Immortality offered an eternity to pursue what interested you without the disruption of sickness, or fear of being left out of doing what you love due to injury; Alec never have to worry about being unable to train because he’d sprained his ankle after all.

No, no it was simply incomprehensible as to why the Cullen boy would throw away his immortal existence so readily, and when the reason why was finally revealed to them it only left Alec all the more baffled. A human? He wished to end his life because a human had done the same? Humans died everyday in droves, most of them tripping over their own feet and into their graves. They were weak, fragile, dim-witted enough that most actually deserved the cattle-like status his predatory nature accredited them. For Edward to willingly choose one as his mate had been foolish from the start and Alec had to wonder if this wasn’t some sort of cosmic ‘I told you so’. Surely a human couldn’t be the true mate of a vampire? Alec had never pondered over the mating bond before but as Demetri and Felix silently followed after the boy to see to it he did nothing foolish, he began to wonder about the nature of such bonds.

Aro and Caius had both turned their mates, as had Chelsea. They had all felt some form of affection for their mates as humans but had the bond solidified before or after their transformation? Were the red strings of fate he’d read about in varying fantasy novels real to some extent? Venom hardening them to form the strong bonds that allowed vampires to mate for life? He couldn’t imagine ever loving anyone to the point that Marcus had, where they became the only thing his world revolved around and left it collapsing once they were gone. Humans surely weren’t capable of loving anyone with that kind of depth, were they? Not with their flawed design.

“Dear Jane, please go and see what’s taking them so long?” Aro requested. Jane gave him a sugar sweet smile in response, kissed Alec’s cheek and floated gracefully down the steps and towards the door. Alec watched her go before returning to his thoughts, the conundrum still fresh in his mind, but Aro did not let him remain there, a drawn out sigh escaping him as he steepled his fingers to rest his chin on his hands.

“Something bothers you, Master?” he asked, tilting his head. Maybe he was having similar thoughts and they could brainstorm together. Aro stared at the doors ahead of them, his expression completely impassive. Alec was treated with the deference his gift and status demanded but out of them two of them, he knew Jane would always be the favourite, and he was okay with that. He would serve loyally as long as he lived, grateful for all the Masters’ had given him, but he did not need to be valued in the way Jane did.

“I hope Edward does nothing foolish. He would be a great asset to our little household.” Aro responded. Alec kept his face impassive, mind immediately turning now to the tactical advantage telepathy could offer. Edward’s gift was indeed powerful in its own way, to hear over great distances would compliment Demetri’s tracking ability well and override Felix’s tendency to impulsively use his brute strength without identifying priority targets first…

“Undoubtedly.” Alec agreed. Aro chuckled slightly.

“Your mind is preoccupied Alec, perhaps you ought focus it?” he suggested lightly. Alec forced back an eye roll, inclining his head to indicate he had heard him before stepping down from his place beside his throne. He retraced his sister’s footsteps, following the main hall along until he reached the secretary’s desk. Gianna glanced up, standing to greet him with the professionally polite smile she was obliged to give him, even though her heart was thundering in her chest.

“Have the others returned yet?” he questioned. Gianna shook her head.

“No Alec, they have yet to come back this way.” She answered. Alec hummed thoughtfully, engaging his senses and straining his ears to listen to the stumbling footsteps approaching. There were the usual graceful taps of his sister’s dainty steps, the tell-tale smoothness of vampires moving along stone, but the clumsy thudding that followed was definitely human in origin. What cause did they have to bring humans back into their home? That was Heidi’s job after all, and she would be returning home soon enough to slake their thirst.

“But Bella I don’t-“

“Just…not now.”

Bella? Isabella? The human mate? Now that perked his interest. Alec watched with keen eyes as the doors slid open to reveal his siter first, and a brigade of people behind her. Felix and Demetri brought up the rear as Gianna greeted Jane with the same professional courtesy she had him, the golden-eyed Cullen’s following along behind her. The two humans they had brought with them were corralled between them. One clung to Edward like a barnacle to the underside of a ship, spindly arms thrown around him despite her chattering teeth and goosebump riddled flesh. She was quite ordinary in appearance, plain even, yet the way Edward stood made it abundantly clear that this human was something extraordinary to him, something he would protect. The other was...oh how to describe her?

She captivated him almost immediately, Alec unable to take his eyes off of her approach. Was she always that pale or had the situation leeched the colour from her face? Was she always so wide-eyed or was it fear that had blown those (Y/E/C) irises wide open? She was smaller in stature than the other, yet similar enough looks wise it was clear they were siblings, one older one younger. She was perhaps his physical age with all the wide-eyed innocence that entailed, gangly limbs she hadn’t really grown into yet carrying her along with a bit of encouragement from Felix’s proximity, and the Cullen woman’s guiding hand.

“Sister, they send you out for one and you bring back three, such a clever girl.” He teased, Jane’s scent invading his nose and helping refocus his mind. Her eyes rolled, but she still embraced him as she always did with a trill of laughter to boot.

“They made it all to easy.” She responded. Alec could see the malice in his sister’s eyes and guessed that she was not appreciative of having to wait for the humans. It irked him more than it should, that the young girl had potentially unintentionally incurred his sister’s wrath, the mere notion that perhaps Jane’s thoughts of her were less than savoury something that made every protective instinct he had ever had for his sister flare and extend to this stranger.

“Edward, you seem in a markedly better mood.” He said, hoping to distract himself from the sudden, unnerving discovery.

“Marginally.” the mind-reader agreed, though his voice was blunt and cutting. Clearly Edward was not in the mood to talk.

“But Alice I still don’t know-“

“Shhh Y/N, not now.” Alice Cullen, the seer that Aro had raved about from the moment he had learned of her existence. Alec should have been interested in her, should have been evaluating her as a threat and a potential ally, but his mind had been thoroughly distracted by the small human once more. Y/N…it was a good name, a name that felt pleasant in his ears and rolled easily off of the tongue.

“But Alice-“ the urgency in her voice tore at his heart and Alec had the strange urge to comfort her. Did she truly know nothing? If she knew nothing of their kind she had broken no law and there was no reason to put her through any of this, it was unnecessary suffering.

“Is this the cause of all the trouble?” he asked, unable to keep the scepticism from his voice as he took in her unremarkable sibling. Isabella seemed to shiver under his stare (much to his amusement) though it was the younger girl whose reaction he was more interested in. Her head turned his way, (Y/C/H) hair swishing with the movement as wide (Y/C/E) eyes latched onto his own and refused to let go. The scent that was wafted up his nose was almost unbearably tantalising, the controlled burn in his throat flaring to a raging inferno that he almost choked on for a moment before he caught himself. Edward’s stare was penetrating, Alice Cullen tightening her grip on the young girl in her care in case he made a move. He swallowed back the fire but there was no hiding the way his eyes had melted to black, and the sweet tinge of fear in her already too appealing smell only made him want to give into his urges all the more.

He hadn’t realised he’d taken a step towards her until she flinched back from him, and for the first time in a long time Alec felt genuine pain. The fear on her face was obvious, the rampant thudding in her chest tangible proof that she was terrified, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it and he didn’t like that he didn’t like it because she was just human, flawed and breakable and pathetic so why oh why did it pain him so to see the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes?

“Y-your eyes…they just – your eyes just…Bella what did you get me into?” her voice wavered and something inside him just snapped. For once, Alec didn’t feel the apathy that came with taking a life seen as less valuable than his own, he didn’t take any sort of joy in watching her be afraid of his advance. He couldn’t deny it, not when the feeling was so deeply rooted and burned so fiercely, like a flower that been laid dormant beneath the Earth suddenly bursting from the soil to bloom brightly. He was protective of this human he barely knew, and it was terrifying to feel so connected to someone he had never met before.

“I mean you no harm, I give you my word.” The promise had escaped him before he had really thought it through and he was well aware he could not keep such a promise, but she didn’t care to hear it anyway, cringing even more into Alice since Bella seemed to refuse her in that moment. It only made him angrier. He was angry with himself for suddenly losing the emotional control he had gained over a long millennium of living, angry that he was making promises he couldn’t keep, and he was angry at the stares he was receiving from those he would call friend. Jane looked the most outwardly shocked before she quickly covered, but the one person he would have hoped would react positively just didn’t. Y/N was too afraid to see sense, and he supposed given the pie-crust promise he’d just made that might be a good thing, even if it hurt. He was angry to that her sister ignored her obvious need for comfort.

He let his sister take the lead as they headed back to the throne room, trying to fight through the sudden swell of confusing emotion and sensory information. His nose seemed attuned to her scent, suspiciously close to his favourite smells of lemongrass and gooseberry, his eyes magnetised to her form to the point he turned his head to glance back at her so frequently that Demetri felt the need to motion for him to keep his head turned forward. Humans radiated heat anyway but she felt scorching, a mini-sun whose tendrils reached out and left warmth lashing down his spine. His ears were full of her heartbeat. She was so thoroughly distracting he could barely take his eyes off of her after he had taken his place by Caius, the blonde man staring with such distaste at the both of them that Alec felt a strong urge to step between them and absorb the glare himself.

He could only half pay attention as the conversation unfolded around him, because Y/N wouldn’t stop looking at him like he was the devil incarnate and it bothered him immensely. He had dealt with it his whole life, a social pariah for his links to witchcraft and someone whose gift left him with few friends since they feared the authority it gave him. He had handled it then, and he handled it now, he could deal with other people looking at him like that but not her, anyone but her.

“Alec!” Jane hissed his name and Alec snapped to attention, mist unfolding from his palms so he was ready to take down any threat that came at him. Demetri snickered loudly enough it reached his ears and Alec’s glare was so deadly it drew a soft whimper from her. He almost groaned. Could he do no right by her? Y/N had started trembling a while ago but now there were full body shakes wracking her from head to foot, her teeth grinding together so loudly he worried the teeth might snap under the strain she was putting on them. Aro’s laughter clattered through his head and he turned to face him, at a loss as to what to do for once. He didn’t honestly think that he could hurt the girl if asked.

“My dear boy it would seem you are quite distracted by young Miss Swan. Oh to be young and in love once more!” he tittered. Alec froze, every muscle locking in place as the distinct feeling of distress rose through the confusion and anger and pain he’d been desperately trying to wade through. Love? He definitely did not love the girl, it was mere curiosity and nothing else, the same curiosity he applied to his studies.

“Love?” Jane’s voice was equally as harsh and Aro seemed surprised by her reaction. Alec was not. For centuries they had had only each other, the centre of a small world where they seldomly let others join them. The very notion another might be welcomed into his heart would be not just repulsive, but very troubling for her.

“Why, don’t tell me you cannot see it? Already the bond between them has set, the thread connecting them tied at both ends. Are you not happy for your twin to have found such a rare and beautiful thing?” Aro wondered. As if Aro had perhaps waved a magic wand his mind settled. His brain had tried to fight what his body already knew, his subconcious screaming the word while his rational mind raced a million miles ahead to try and outrun the answer until it could run no more, and the two collided. The aftermath of the explosion was calm, almost wonderous, for he would finally get the chance to study something he had never studied before.

“You’re my mate.” He breathed. Even he could hear the awe in his voice, though nobody but him seemed to find it wonderful. Jane hissed, both Cullen’s tensing up while Bella recoiled from her sister like she was diseased, and Y/N…Y/N just cried. Alec’s world ground to a halt, the pain his mate spilling out and into him. He descended the stairs with every intention of stopping her tears, hoping to calm her perhaps and explain exactly what it meant to be mates, but Y/N didn’t let Bella refuse her this time and sought refuge in her sister, sobbing all the while.

“Wh-what did you do! Why d-did you bring me h-here? I d-don’t want to st-stay with him!”

The words were a hard blow, they struck him in the gut and it was the closest he’d felt to nauseous in centuries.

“I have no desire to keep you here, but if you would please-“

“Leave me alone! I w-want to go home!” she cried, not so much as turning to look at him. If he hadn’t been a vampire he would probably have missed all of the muffled words she heaved into her sisters shoulder.

“You can still go home yet-“ he had paid enough attention to know Bella was not being executed at least and as his mate Y/N was exempt of that fate to, “-all I would like is a chance to talk.” Alec’s plea fell on deaf ears, his hand shrugged off of her shoulder.

“No!”

Alec straightened, wiping his face of any and all expression, he didn’t so much as give any of them a farewell before he left the room. The sudden rejection stung worse than the fire that had once burned his flesh from his bones, and the hollow that opened in his gut grew wider and wider with every moment that passed since the second he’d left her. He put down his books, spending his nights envisioning her tear-stained face and wondering what would have made her smile instead. He craved to know every like and dislike, to hear her voice when she wasn’t consumed with horror and fear, to learn more about her life and contrast it with his own. They had all tried to talk him round in the intervening months, but Alec couldn’t find the strength to drag himself out of the numbness that had enveloped him. Not until Marcus came by to see him anyway.

“What do you require of me, Master?” he asked, staring aimlessly out of the window at the Garden’s below. Marcus seated himself at the desk across the room, the one littered with books Alec hadn’t had the heart to open since the fateful day his mate had left him.

“Didyme was not immediately drawn to me either.” He rasped. Alec’s head whipped around at that, the shock on his face obvious. Marcus had been nothing but a shell in all the time he had known him, grieving a lost love so profound Alec was sure that their story must have been the greatest romance ever known. To hear Didyme had not readily accepted him was both astounding and…it gave him hope.

“She didn’t?” he hedged. Marcus glanced to him, a wisp of smile floating from his lips before his expression fell flat again.

“She was a headstrong woman, and for a while she resented Aro for what he did to her, to me. She could not revel in her new state as we did, this world was so different from the one she had known…it took time for her to adjust before she truly opened her heart to me.” His words were like a soothing balm on the raw wound her rejection had left behind.

“I might find it more encouraging if I was sure I might yet see her again.” Alec frowned slightly as Marcus pushed to his feet.

“There will be opportunity enough to visit her yet, you might yet be surprised.” He answered, floating from the room like dust on the wind. Alec stared at the door, his mind mulling over the cryptic message before the briefest hint of a smile twitched his lips upward. Hope was a beautiful thing, and it only grew in his chest as Aro deployed them to Seattle not a day later to deal with a mess created by a gaggle of newborns. When stressed, vampires did not fidget but rather became motionless and immobile, but while he sat rigid as stone in his seat for the flight over his mind became restless. Where would he find her in this city? If Marcus’s cryptic message had been for him then surely he knew he would find Y/N here? Demetri’s hand on his arm made him pause before he stepped off of the jet.

“She’s in the city Alec, if you need a guide.” His voice was low enough nobody but him would hear him. Alec fully planned to take him up on the offer once their work for the night was done, it wasn’t often the tracker was rendered unnecessary, but Alec didn’t need Demetri’s gift to know when he had found her.

Her sobbing was ingrained in his memory after all.

The rage that built in him was blinding, his body unable to move fast enough to put himself between Y/N and the newborns dragging her mangled body from the wreckage of a car they had flipped. All around him was the screaming and snarling of newborns, the metallic screech of hardened skin coming apart as they put an end to the atrocity. His mist had exploded outward, rippling in every direction and he had only just enough sense of mind to ensure it didn’t harm his coven mates as he tore apart the newborns who had dared lay a hand on his mate. Chest heaving and throat blazing, Alec felt the blood on the ground soak his trousers as he collapsed beside her. She was screaming, body contorting in awful ways as her face turned red, veins popping in her neck as it strained. Alec placed a cool hand shakily on her forehead, beyond furious with the grotesque bitemark marring her shoulder.

“What were you thinking brother! Now that we have destroyed this group we – we…oh…oh Alec…” the rage that simmered in Jane’s voice very quickly dissipated when she saw the state he was in. His head was swimming, the appealing scent of blood hanging heavy in the air while his gut twisted and fury and terror raged war in his heart. She was turning, there was no doubt about it, the venom was leaking out of the wound with her blood. She was turning and it wasn’t his venom.

“I – I can take away the pain.” He stammered. He had wanted someone to do that for him when he burned. It was the greatest act of mercy he could think of, perhaps the greatest way for him to show his love for a girl he barely knew but wanted to oh so badly.

“You will starve yourself before she completes the transformation. There is hardly enough venom in that bite Alec.” Felix pointed out. Y/N let out another tortured shriek, body twisting. He heard the broken bones in her legs crunching at the movement and said a silent prayer to thank whatever deity was watching over her that the venom was excruciating enough she wouldn’t have to feel broken bones on top of it.

“So what do I do? Leave her like this? She’s in agony!” he snapped, “She’s in agony and I can end it!”

“It is a natural thing brother.” Jane said quietly.

“But it does not have to be endured forever.” Demetri weighed in finally, “Give her some more Alec, shorten the process and if you find yourself unable to stop…well, we will stop you.” Alec could only give her an anguished stare, loathe to cause her anymore pain but knowing Demetri was right. The longer the change dragged on for the less likely it was she would survive, but if he bit her again, gave her more of his venom to override what little was already diffusing through her blood, it would shorten the process considerably. He could already feel the acidic liquid pooling in his mouth and he hoped she could see just how apologetic he was, though he didn’t think it likely given how her eyes had rolled back into her head as she convulsed with a shout.

“Stop me Jane, forget our oath this one time and do whatever it takes to stop me.” He demanded. Jane looked horrified by the very thought but Alec didn’t wait for her to consent to his plea, cradling Y/N close and closing his eyes as he bared his teeth, ready to bite into the buttersoft sinews of her throat…

“What are you thinking about so hard?” her voice was melodic in his ears, a symphony he never grew tired of. Startled from his reverie, Alec had to pause a moment to gather his thoughts and remind himself where he was. Volterra was bathed in sunshine once more and his skin refracted it beautifully against the walls of the garden, the book in his lap long since discarded as his mind began to wonder. It had been a while, since he’d recalled that fateful night.

“You’re back,” he noted with a small smile, “I was thinking about you of course, as I always do when you’re not around.” Her smile could have lit up New York city, and Alec adored it. Y/N hadn’t been happy upon waking up in Volterra, Alec by her side as he quietly explained she had been made immortal in desperate circumstances. It had taken her many months to get over the traumatic incident but since she had started to bounce back to her old self, Alec had discovered a rather beautiful, happy person he really rather liked. Since she had been forced to spend so much time with him, letting him coach her in the new way of life she had to adopt, she had taken quite a liking to him to it seemed.

“You should be proud of me, I got to the nomad before Demetri so we all got to come home sooner. You should have seen his face!” She giggled. Alec couldn’t help but smirk, smug and proud as he pulled her down to rest between his legs, back pressed flush to his chest. Her scent dragged him under, a tranquil wave settling those restless parts of him that recognised how incomplete he felt without her around. He buried his nose in her hair to take a deep lungful of the addictive smell.

“I’m always proud of you.” He promised softly.

“Have you just been reading all the time we’ve been gone?” she wondered. Alec hummed, picking up the book he had discarded and reopening to the page he was on.

“It was the one you recommended to me. I’ve just gotten to the chapter where Sephy realises Callum is one of her kidnappers.” He revealed, and without hesitation he dropped his cheek atop her hair and began to read aloud. She melted into him, her hands mindlessly reaching for the ground every now and then while Alec focused his energy on his book, the peaceful atmosphere remaining unbroken for a chapter more before she shifted. He relinquished her immediately, knowing his mate was never one to stay still for too long, only to be surprised when she turned on her knees with a ring of daisies in her hand. Alec raised an eyebrow and she grinned.

“I hereby declare you King Alec of Castle Volterra!” she announced. The daisy crown was placed daintly atop his head, only to fall and get stuck on the bridge of his nose. Too big to be a crown but too small to be a necklace. Her face fell into a pout as Alec began to laugh, very gently rearranging the daisies so they rested at an angle and were slightly weighted down by some of his brunette hair.

“I, King Alec, declare I cannot rule without you, Queen Y/N,” he proclaimed, offering her his hand. She giggled as he pushed to his feet, pulling her with him. She was forever going to be shorter than him, just a little, and he loved that. “Now, as our first royal duty, that dye you ordered came. I decree it’s time to give our guard matching uniforms!” He was bolstered by her obvious enthusiasm, crimson eyes sparkling.

“It came? The neon green one?” she asked eagerly. Alec nodded, unable to keep his laughter at bay as she bounced up and kissed him so quickly she almost broke his teeth with the speed she moved at. He didn’t get to voice his protest because she was already dragging him by the hand back towards the castle. Before he had met her, schemes like this would have made his nose turn up in distaste. How childish these endeavours were, how wasteful of their time. Y/N had changed his perspective on a great many things, and it was rather nice now and then to give into the childish ways his physical age demanded he give in to every now and then, he had gotten so good at repressing those throughout the centuries but she seemed to bring out the playful side of him. If anything had managed to convince Jane she was a good addition to their family, it was tallying how much more Alec had smiled since she came into his life to stay.

“I can pilfer the shirts, they’re far less likely to suspect I am up to any wrong doing than if they smell you in their rooms.” Alec pointed out in hushed tones. She nodded, her head tilted up as they walked close together, co-conspirators to anyone looking in.

“Okay, you steal the shirts while I mix the-“

“Mix the what, exactly?” Demetri’s voice came from behind them and with wide eyes Y/N yelled ‘Scatter!’ before the tracker had the chance to grab either of them by the collar. Alec bolted after her down the corridor, just ever so slightly lagging behind her since she still had her newborn strength and speed. She grabbed his wrist without warning and Alec felt Demetri’s hand swipe right through his head before she tugged him straight through a wall and they began to freefall into the courtyard below. Demetri was cursing up a storm inside, her gift having turned them both immaterial long enough to allow them to pass through the walls in a way he couldn’t. Collapsing in a fit of boisterous laughter the pair lingered in the sunlight, eyes bright and smiles wide. For a moment, anyone passing them by might have forgotten their glittering skin and vibrant red eyes, mistaking them for two normal teens experiencing the euphoria of puppy love.

“Did you see his face!” she gasped. Alec could only smile at her, hand reaching to tuck a lock of stray hair behind her ear so he could have an unobstructed view of her face. Her smile faded slightly, expression growing more sheepish instead.

“I was too busy looking at yours. I think I would like to spend every day I have looking at your face over his. I love you Y/N, at least, I think this is what love feels like.” His brows furrowed, the confession falling from his tongue without his permission. He wondered if perhaps it was too soon, too big a word to label the affection they held for one another, but seeing the way her face lit up told him otherwise.

“Pinky swear it, Alec. If you don’t pinky swear it’s not real.” She said, holding out her hand. Alec rolled his eyes but looped his pinky through hers, cementing his promise with all the binding legality the pinky swear had to offer.

“I swear it Y/N. I’m forever yours.”

#twilight #twilight fanfiction #alec volturi fanfiction #volturi fanfiction #alec volturi #jane volturi #felix volturi #demetri volturi x reader #alec volturi x reader #we all know he's a soft boi #deep deep down #and a bookworm

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sparkandwolf · 4 years

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Sterek + 3 (things you said too quietly)

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Stiles was always loud; vibrant, talkative and a little bit hyperactive thanks to his ADHD diagnosis. He was never one to keep his mouth shut, no matter who he was talking to or how many times friends told him to keep quiet. He had learned early that what he had to say may not be important to everyone, but it was important to someone and that was all that mattered.

He liked Lydia because she was social. She went out of her way to talk to everyone around her, profiling her classmates to see if they fit with her expectations of popularity. With the exception of Stiles, she gave everyone an equal opportunity to get on his good side and she did that with her loquacious personality.

He liked Malia because she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Some would call her blunt, rude, maybe even a bit abrasive, but Stiles never saw it that way. He envied her outlook on life where telling the truth trumped any societal norms that told her to lie. It was one of the first things that attracted him to her.

The thing Stiles liked most, apparently, was that neither of them really wanted him. That seemed to be his type, really. The women that were too beautiful, too desirable, for someone like Stiles. The women that settled and then realized their true potential.

Enter Derek Hale; Beacon Hills’ most desirable bachelor who kept himself far, far away from the spotlight but for some reason, stayed around the makeshift family Scott had created. He never thought much of Derek--

Who was he kidding? Derek would never be attracted to him so Stiles was immediately enamored. He tried his hardest to be normal around Derek and what that meant was his voice was the loudest, his comments the most sarcastic, and his game… lacking.

But Derek wasn’t like Lydia or Malia. His voice was barely audible; he spoke with his glares, his furrowed eyebrows, and his tense body language that seemed to always be directed at Stiles - not that he really minded. During those rare moments Derek did speak, Stiles had to strain his ears to hear him. He already had a hard enough time focusing on the annoying number of things happening around him, but attempting to listen to Derek became his highest priority.

He didn’t really mind it, though, when Derek would mutter something only he was paying attention to. It was usually full of sass and humor and Stiles would always laugh. He liked how it almost always caught Derek by surprise. Sometimes, it was full of self doubt and concern that Stiles thought must have been some heavy, deep-seated trust issues. Stiles was all too familiar with those.

Sometimes, Stiles wouldn’t hear him. His mind too focused on the plans being formed, the arguments being yelled, the shouts that weren’t so easily discernible through the background noise of growls and huffs. He’d look around at the pack, trying to focus on one voice, figure out what their next move was, and somehow his eyes always landed on Derek.

His lips would move and Stiles cursed himself for not being better at reading them. There were times where he would imagine it was Stiles’ name pouring from those lips, followed closely by breathless moans and beautiful confessions. He would stare at Derek, only Derek, in the chaos of it all and it would calm him more than he thought was possible.

“Stiles,” Derek’s voice would say in that deep sultry tone that drove Stiles crazy.

“Stiles.” He could practically see Derek’s lips forming his name, whispering the sweet nothings that Stiles craved to hear.

“Stiles!” Derek’s voice was clearer this time, enough to snap Stiles out of whatever stupor he was caught in, and he jumped out of his seat. He hit the ground hard and felt the bruise forming on his skin as Derek shuffled over to him.

Stiles looked around and noticed they were alone. “Where is everyone?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck and doing his best not to stare at the bulging muscles on the arms Derek had crossed in front of his chest. Derek eyed him curiously.

“They left a few minutes ago,” he said softly, eyes like stone on Stiles’. Stiles could only nod in response as he leaped to his feet and stared back at Derek. He hoped his gulp wasn’t too audible from where he stood. “While you were…” Derek waved his hands in Stiles’ general direction and Stiles thought he saw a smirk on Derek’s lips.

“Completely spaced out,” Stiles finished for him. “I didn't mean to overstay my welcome,” he said softly, biting the inside of his cheek as he finally willed himself to meet Derek’s eyes.

“You don’t.-- Ever,” Derek said slowly. Derek might not have wanted him to hear the last word that was muttered but Stiles figured he didn’t realize how closely he paid attention.

“Why do you always do that?” Stiles asked, because he always had a hard time keeping his innermost thoughts to his brain. Derek raised an eyebrow and shrugged as though that was enough to satisfy Stiles’ curiosity. Stiles rolled his eyes. “That. Why do you never talk?”

Derek huffed out a laugh. “I talk,” Derek argued. Stiles laughed right back at him.

“Sure, sure. And I’m the strongest out of the two of us,” Stiles sassed as he flexed his almost nonexistent biceps. When Derek laughed, Stiles’ stomach clenched. He had an amazing laugh. “Seriously, Derek, name one thing that wasn’t sarcastic that you’ve ever said to me,” Stiles challenged. He wasn’t expecting Derek’s face to soften or for him to take a step forward so that Stiles could feel the heat from his body.

“You’re beautiful,” was about the last thing Stiles expected to hear from Derek’s lips. It took him a moment to catch his breath as Derek gazed into his eyes as if he was waiting for Stiles to run.

“I said not sarcastic,” Stiles reiterated, believing that the words must have been a joke; some cosmic hilarity that would haunt him for years to come.

Derek blinked and shook his head. “I’m not being sarcastic,” he said softly. Stiles gaped at him, trying to find any malice or humor in his eyes, but he found none and it knocked the wind right back out of him.

“Why haven’t you said that before?” Stiles said as he wasn’t quite sure how to react.

Derek blushed and rested a gentle hand on Stiles’ face before whispering, “I’ve said it a million times, you just haven’t heard me.”

(Things you said...)

#sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #sterek fic #stiles x derek #derek x stiles #straawberrylumps #thanks for asking!!#prompts #answered #my writing

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hyrule-kingdom-updates · 3 years

Text

“Astor!” Zelda yelled at the hooded figure. She saw his head flinch.

“Listen, I want...” She paused to assess her words. “We can help each other, alright? We don’t have to be enemies in this, no matter what anyone else may say. So—”

The man suddenly dashed towards her, and Mallory attempted to hold her shard in front of her body. But the figure was too fast.

He unsheathed a brilliant, shining rapier, concealed by his cloak on his waist. He shoved her against one of the houses, and held the tip against her neck, pinning his forearm to her chest.

His hood fell down, revealing dark skin, black dreadlocks fading at the ends to a basil green, and a sea green eye, the left one covered by a leather patch.

Zelda looked him up and down, as she squirmed a bit against his arm. “You’re not Astor...”

“Not quite” The boy replied. Boy? Young man? His exact age was hard to tell. He looked older than her at least, maybe Purah’s age.

“My...apologies, I’m—” Mallory was cut off by the rapier moving closer to her neck.

“I accept your apology, Your Majesty. Mistakes happen. Would be unchivalrous to hold such little things against you. We all make mistakes and should be free to learn from them.” His studied her up and down. “But I can’t but feel concerned by the fact that the newly self made Queen wishes to side with a dangerous, dark magical seer. If you would be so kind as to drop that piece of pottery in your hand to answer a question or two, that would be wonderful.”

Zelda glared at him, but followed and dropped sharp beside her. “It’s not like that.”

She paused, expecting him to cut in with some retort. But he just looked at her, patient and waiting for her explanation. He raised his eyebrows.

“Oh! Of course. How rude of me. You’ve complied, so you’re not a threat. No need for all this.” He unpinned her from the wall, and twirled his rapier with practiced showmanship, and sheathed it once more by his waist. The scabbard was a polished silver color, laced with luminescent greens and thin blue lines. A stark contrast to his dirtied tan tunic and dark pants and boots. As his deep purple cloak fluttered with the motions of the blade, Zelda caught a glimpse several large, ovular objects stacked on his tattered leather belt. But the cloak settled back on his back before she could identify them.

The boy put an arm behind his back, and fluttered his other arm in a circle as he gestured for Zelda to continue. “Please, go on, Your Majesty. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression upon a humble subject such as I.”

Mallory was unsure of how to handle this situation. She could probably run, but she didn’t trust how abnormally fast the boy was, and he certainly was skilled with that rapier. He seemed genuinely polite, but it was still...odd, given the circumstances.

“I...don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Something we have in common!”

“But if I don’t hurt these people, other people might get hurt, or worse.”

“Ah...yes, that does seem to be a common dilemma for royalty...”

“And Astor is...He’s pretty much the last person I have who knows—” She shook her head. “And even my own allies are accusing ME of being no better than them! Me! It’s preposterous, all of this, isn’t it?!”

He tilted his head to the side and just stared at her, raising an eyebrow. He considered her words for a moment, before shrugging. “I’m afraid I cannot quite understand your circumstances, Queen Mallory.”

She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. “That’s right, nobody does. Nobody truly understands what pain I’ve been through my whole life, and now that I’ve actually started to care about myself, I’m being made the villain for it.” She rapper her fingers on her arm. “I mean, it’s really only Impa so far, but she’s the most blunt and hard headed out of everyone! Perhaps the others think little of me too! I bet they’re just waiting for the opportunity to tell me how much I suck, just waiting for my next slip up. I’m the only one in this kingdom with her head on straight and Mr. Astor—”

“I will say, in my humble opinion, killing the Prophet of Doom and his accomplices would be generally beneficial for the public. The populous that you now directly oversee, that is.”

Zelda snapped her head towards him, only to find him grinning a toothy grin with brandished confidence. She scoffed, starting to march off.

“Sorry again,” she muttered.

“Well now hold on, Your Majesty, I only wanted—”

A sudden burst of air blew into the alley way, and Zelda hugged the wall and closed her eyes. The boy beside her gripping the pommel of his blade, while blocking both of their faces by holding up the end his purple cloak, dirt and dust sweeping up past their heads.

The winds died as quick as it came. Zelda blinked away dust and moved out from behind his cloak, peering up past the alleyway.

On the roof of the house by the waterfalls was Lady Jou battling a half maliced Revali. She watched him strike an arrow of malice into her stomach, and the impact sent her crumpling towards the ground.

As Revali flew alone above the rooftop, another figure suddenly descended from the towering waterfall, an astrolabe floating in his palm. She couldn’t tell what was happening from this distance, but she watched him say something to Revali, before he flew down somewhere below.

Astor followed after him.

“Oh gods—!” She started running.

“It was pleasant talking with you, Your Majesty!” The boy behind her called out. “I wish you the best of luck! I do not envy the position of the rich and royal one bit!”

As she left, the boy hummed to himself as he continued scouring the empty houses.

“What an interesting character, she is...”

Zelda could feel the adrenaline pumping through her blood. She charged through the courtyard in front of the wooden steps, to find Hylian soldiers running about. They must have been Jou’s escort.

One of the soldiers turn and caught Zelda’s eye.

“Look!” He shouted. “It’s the princess! Grab her!”

As Mallory ran, the other soldiers suddenly became aware of her presence and started chasing after her. She dove under the arms of one guard, and sped past two others who comically ran into each other. However, their numbers continued to surround her.

She felt an sharp pain on her scalp and yelped as someone pulled her ponytail.

“I got her!” A soldier yelled, trying to wrangle her arms back. “I got the kid! Let’s—GAHHHH!”

The grip around her ponytail suddenly loosened, and Mallory toppled to her knees on the ground. She scrambled away as she spotted another soldier going to grab her. But suddenly, he was thrust through a window with a shot of malice.

Mallory snapped her head towards the attack’s source, and locked eyes with him.

Astor lowered himself to the ground.

He wasn’t looking at her, instead his eyes were narrowed with a quiet anger. He was staring somewhere beyond Zelda as he lifted his arm up.

A geyser of malice suddenly erupted beside Mallory, and she looked to find a soldier has crept beside her, sword raised as he attempted to stab at the loose flap of her blouse to pin her. His momentum would never strike the ground as he was thrown upwards by the geyser, screaming all the way, before collapsing into a pile of wooden crates.

“Princess.” Astor said, simply. “Your escorts are doing their jobs wonderfully, it seems.”

The Queen stared him, unsure whether to respond with gratitude or anger.

As the geyser behind he dwindled away, Zelda felt some specks fly onto her wrist. She held up her hand to her face as she observed it. It glistened like onyx, bits of magenta speckled in it like stars.

Mipha had described the feeling of malice to be toxically sweet, like a sugar rush that gave you an eroding stomachache. Revali has agreed with Mipha’s description, but had added on that it was less a feeling of sweet sugar, and more like a warm fire, slowly caressing your body and building in temperature until it boiled you.

But to her, the malice’s sensation...

It felt no different than what she had already been feeling.

“Don’t play with that.” Astor suddenly snapped. “You know better than to meddle with the same substance that—”

“Yes! I do know better, thank you very much!” Mallory stood on her feet. “Don’t play with malice. Says the one with the damn mobile toy!” She angrily gestured to the astrolabe floating above his palm.

The seer frowned. “This is a complex device crafted by Calamity Ganon.”

“Well tell his concept designer to make something that looks a bit more evil, rather than a play thing I could see hanging above my crib.” She tapped her foot angrily and she tried to think of where to steer the conversation.

But there was just silence as they observed each other.

Mallory sighed. “We don’t have to be—”

“I want to make something very clear, Princess.” Astor cut in. “You and I know that I am not going to kill you...”

He narrowed his eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t harm your friends. If you, or anyone else, stands in my way, I will not hesitate.”

The way he was staring at her, Zelda got the strange sensation that he was trying to convince someone else beyond her.

“I won’t pretend I’m being selfless about this. This is mostly for my sake, I will admit.” He adjusted his sleeves as his astrolabe pulsed with a new soft glow.

“But if you don’t like my methods, you’re going to have to stop me by force, Zelda. That’s the only way you’re going to stop me.”

A blur of black and blue shot above in the sky above Astor. He looked up, and started to float once more. He looked at Mallory, before heading after Revali.

“A part of me hope you do.”

Zelda clenched her hands into fists.

Idiot. Damn stupid, stubborn idiots. Everyone...

A drop of malice on her wrist fell to the grass.

#???#Assivus Hartell #hku spoilers #The life of the party and then death

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golden-deer-dear · 5 years

Text

The Weight of a Name, Claude x Byleth AU Fic, Chapter 2

Summary: One decision can change the course of nations. When King Mahtab brought home a baby from Fódlan, he gave his own son someone to stand at his side. Byleth grows up side by side with Claude, surviving the hardship of Almyra together. For each, they are the other’s only friend.

Notes: Hey, look guys! I actually worked on my NaNo project!

Edits: I took out the terms 'half-breed' that Keveh originally used to insult Claude. It was pointed out that these terms, even in a negative light were not exactly appropriate. This story will be dealing with the racism that Claude faced in his childhood, and I will be doing my best to deal with the topic sensitively, but if I ever write something that does not, then please let me know so I can fix it. I am doing my best, but I won't pretend I don't have more I need to learn/become aware of. My apologizes to anyone I offended.

Warnings for this chapter: violence against a child.

1162 Read on AO3.

The Weight of a Name 1167

Claude hated his cousin.

No, that word was not strong enough. He loathed the older boy. His legs ached as he ran, weaving in and out of the market stalls as he tried to lose the small gang chasing him. Usually such a task was no issue for him. He could dodge through the crowd without issue, putting the throng of people between him and his pursuers. Today, it seemed, he was not so lucky.

He heard the shouts behind him, alerting him that the other children were closing in. Claude feinted to the right, dodging behind a basket of figs before circling back around, hoping to end up behind his pursuers and lose them by going in the opposite direction.

His hopes were dashed when a shadow stepped in his way. Claude ran head first into the bulky body, unable to change the direction of his momentum before he realized what was happening. Keveh grabbed onto the collar of his shirt before Claude could fall backwards. Claude twisted in Keveh’s grip, trying to yank himself free, but Keveh just held on tighter, lifting Claude’s shirt so that he was forced to stand on tiptoe or be choked by the cloth.

“You can’t keep using the same tricks and think you’ll get away with it, coward,” Keveh taunted, triumph ringing in his tone.

Claude called him a rather nasty name in return, trying to twist out of his shirt so he could escape. His shirt was an acceptable sacrifice at this point.

“Now, that’s just rude. We’re going to have to teach you some manners, you pathetic little weakling.” Keveh dragged Claude along, still holding him too high for Claude to get much traction on the ground. Keveh’s goons closed in around them, cutting off both Claude’s escape and hiding him from the sight of anyone who might interfere.

Claude cursed again, a word no five year old should know, let alone say, as Keveh threw him to the ground. The marketplace had given way to an alley. Keveh was not very creative in his beatings.

Claude saw the first punch coming, and ducked low, causing Keveh’s fist to impact with the stone wall behind Claude. Keveh cursed, his face twisted with spite and fury as he looked down at his younger cousin. Keveh was only four years older than Claude, but he had already proven himself capable of enacting terrible acts in the name of justice. According to him, Claude’s entire existence was an affront to the kingdom.

Two of the other boys, from noble families who had grown much too close to Claude’s uncle in the past years for his father’s liking, boxed him in. With nowhere to go, Keveh’s next punch landed squarely across Claude’s jaw.

Claude went down hard, curling into a ball as the three boys began to kick at his face and stomach. One landed a particular vicious kick against his kidneys. Claude cried out, unable to hide the pain that raced through his body. The boys above him just laughed.

And then Claude heard something unexpected. A boy and a girl stood guard at the entrance to the alley, preventing anyone from interfering with Claude’s beating. It was all typical for this type of event. But they both cried out, one in pain, the other in surprise.

The legs stopped kicking him, letting Claude see that the boy was lying on the ground. He watched as the girl quickly joined him, another girl, maybe two or three years older than himself, standing over them. Despite her obvious young age, she looked like vengeance personified. Her face was blank as she approached the three boys that, until a moment ago, had been beating on Claude’s small frame. There was a training sword in her hand, blunted but still dangerous in the right hands. And it seemed hers were the right ones.

“This doesn’t concern you,” Keveh said, trying to keep his tone light. It didn’t work. The annoyance he felt at being interrupted was clear, and the avenging angel tilted her head, eyes narrowing at his words. She did not say anything as she took another step toward them.

The boy closest to her stepped forward, but she dodged, letting him fly past her. Keveh and the last boy started forward, but Claude grabbed onto Keveh’s ankle, sinking his teeth into his cousin’s leg. Keveh cried out and cursed, thrown off balance long enough for Claude to get to his feet again. He punched Keveh’s diaphragm, just like Nader had shown him. Keveh cursed again, Claude’s punches not yet strong enough to take down the older boy.

Keveh was on top of him, hands clawing at Claude’s neck and face. All pretense of the charming manipulator was gone, and what loomed above Claude was a monster in human form. Claude kicked and punched blindly, having no idea where his hits landed, only focusing on trying to get Keveh off of him.

Hands grasped around Claude’s throat, Keveh’s lips splitting into a grin that would haunt Claude’s nightmares for years to come. He looked demonic in that moment, as he began to choke the life out of the younger boy.

And then he simply wasn’t there. Claude scrambled back, seeing Keveh in a heap on the opposite side of the alley. The girl stood between them, her training sword still pointed in Keveh’s direction. “Leave,” she ordered. The word was so final, a tone Claude had only ever heard from his mother and father when they issued a decree, that there was no room for argument.

Keveh and his friends slowly got to their feet, picking up the boy at the entrance who was clearly unconscious. “This isn’t over,” Keveh growled, although Claude couldn’t tell if he was speaking to him or the girl protecting him.

“Get a line that makes you sound less like a villain,” Claude snapped back.

Keveh’s eyes flashed, and for a moment it looked like he might charge the woman to try and reach Claude again, but when she raised her sword a fraction higher, Keveh backed off. He gathered his friends and left to nurse his wounds, no doubt in Claude’s mind that he was already planning some sort of revenge for his humiliation.

“I would have been fine,” Claude said, looking down at his shoes. “But thank you, all the same.”

The girl turned to him and blinked, the malice disappearing from her ocean blue eyes. It was as if she was almost surprised to see Claude standing there behind her. “You would not have been,” she pointed out matter of factly.

“Do you not know who I am?” Claude demanded, both curious and hurt. “I’m the prince! I’m supposed to fight my own battles. I shouldn’t have to rely on anyone in a fight!”

The angel tilted her head to the side, and for a brief moment what looked like confusion flickered in her eyes. “Who told you that?”

“My father,” Claude answered, going back to staring at his shoes.

“Well, that’s stupid.”

Claude’s head snapped back up, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. Had she just called the king stupid? “What?” Claude responded with, which he immediately mentally kicked himself for as it made him sound rather unintelligent.

“If you’re the prince, that means your father is the king, correct?” At Claude’s nod the girl continued. “The king has an army to fight his wars. He has guards to protect him. Sure, he’s a great warrior, but he doesn’t fight every battle by himself.”

Claude had never thought about it like that before. That did make sense, but his parents had always told him that Claude would need to fight his own battles if he hoped to become strong enough to hold the throne.

“There were five of them, and only one of you,” the girl pointed out. “And all of them were bigger than you. It’s possible you could have taken out one of two of them, but there’s no way you could take on all of them.” Claude opened his mouth to defend himself, but the girl cut him off. “I’m not insulting you, I’m stating a fact.”

“But you took them all on!” Claude protested.

“Yes, but I am also older and bigger than you. I’ve had a few more years of training than you. And I assure you, I have a better trainer than any of those thugs,” she explained calmly. She sounded so much more mature than she looked, but then many noble children did given their high degree of education. Claude himself was already expected to be developing his own political skills, which included speaking eloquently. “Stay alive for a few more years, and you should be able to take them on your own.”

“I doubt I have a few years, not if the look on Keveh’s face was anything to go by.” Claude kicked at the dirt, silently cursing that he was so much smaller than his cousin. If only he was born a few years earlier, then he Keveh would be on even footing.

The girl studied him, and Claude felt as if she was unfolding his entire soul to study. It sent a shiver up his spine. “You’ll just have to find a way to survive then.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder, Claude flinching at the weight on an already forming bruise. “Come on,” she said, gentler this time, “let’s get you cleaned up.”

And without question, Claude followed. She walked through the marketplace with confidence, her eyes sweeping from side to side looking for any danger. Claude wanted to do that. He wanted to hold his head high and walk knowing that he could handle any danger that threatened him. He stood in awe of the angel that had saved him, studying her every motion, desperate to learn how she held herself without fear.

“Seems like you’re lucky Byleth found you, kid,” Nader said.

Claude hissed as his trainer dabbed at a cut on his arm with a cotton swab coated in something foul smelling. It stung, but apparently that was how one knew it was working. “I didn’t realize she was your ward.”

“Yep!” Nader said, pride in his voice as he beamed at Claude. “And as soon as I think you’re ready, you’ll train with her too.”

Claude’s eyes widened. “I’m going to have to fight her!” He was both terrified, because he had seen what Byleth could do, and eager to test himself against her so that he could one day stand side by side with her. The quicker he learned, the sooner he would be able to do to Keveh what Byleth had done today.

Nader let loose a deep belly laugh, wiping a tear from his eye before he went back to bandaging Claude’s injuries. “Someday, but only when I say you’re ready. Byleth’s not someone you want to take on too early.”

“But I can learn from her!”

“Someday,” Nader repeated. “Until then, you learn from me.”

Claude studied his instructor for a brief second before nodding his acceptance. He had a renewed determination to learn. Sure, he wanted to protect himself from Keveh and those who hated him because of who his mother was, but now he had something to fight for besides survival.

He would prove himself to Nader. And after that, he’d prove himself to Byleth. He would grow strong enough to watch her back in a fight. That was how he was going to pay her back for saving him.

“I think our little prince might have a crush,” Nader all but sang as he slid into a chair beside his sister. Naima’s face creased in worry, cutting short Nader’s laughter. “What? It’s cute.”

It’s dangerous, Naima signed. He is already hated because his mother is from Fódlan. What do you think will happen if he marries a woman from Fódlan as well?

“It’s a bit soon to be talking about marriage,” Nader countered. “It’ll probably blow over long before they come of age.”

Naima did not look convinced.

“They’re children!”

And yet you are the one who brought up the topic of crushes.

Nader threw up his hands in defeat. “Fine! I won’t mention it again!”

Naima sighed soundlessly, fingers ideally playing with the embroidery piece she had been working on before Nader interrupted her. If.... she began, her fingers spelling out her words uncertainly. If Mahtab thinks Byleth is influencing the prince, he may force you to get rid of her.

Nader’s face softened, understanding his sister’s reticence. “He wouldn’t do that.”

Naima shot him another sharp look, her face hardening as she signed, her movements board line aggressive. He would. If Byleth threatened his throne, he wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of her. It’s the entire reason she is here.

“She’s here as a protection to the throne,” Nader countered.

And that could easily change! Naima stood, throwing her embroidery to the side as she began to pace the room. I realize he is your friend, but the throne has changed him. Her motions were frantic as she paced, Nader missing a few words when she turned, but able to piece together her meaning. He has had to do terrible things to protect the throne, and Byleth was the start of all that. I fear for her everyday. If someone were to find out what Mahtab did-

Naima cut herself off, turning to face Nader. There were tears on her cheeks as she sank to her knees before her brother. Do not let him take her from me, Naima begged. Whatever happens, don’t let him take my daughter from me.

Nader took Naima’s hands in his own. They were so small within his own. Sometimes he forgot how delicate she was, and how harsh Almyra had treated her. “I won’t, Naima. No one will take Byleth from you. I swear it.”

Naima sighed heavily, her whole body relaxing. Thank you, Nader.

He only hoped it was a promise he could keep.

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

Kids are fucking hard to write guys. I can't wait for these two to grow up.

#fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #claudeth #claude x byleth #claudeleth #my fic #the weight of a name #alternate universe #childhood friends

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purelikeviolence · 4 years

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Semi-Scary Cemetery | Julie & Connor

@connorspiracy

It was early morning and Julie was taking a stroll through Strawford park. She’d encountered ghosts here, some trying to talk with her but she just lights up a cigarette and takes a shortcut through the park, ignoring the dead. She heard a voice, however and knew right away it couldn’t have been a ghost. Whoever was speaking was living. Turning to the sound, her eyes narrowed until the fog lifted and she saw a young man chatting it up with someone. A ghost. She could tell. Taking a long drag, she walked over, figuring it must be way more interesting than what she was going to do for the rest of her day. It was the ghost that caught her first. He looked equally young, she couldn’t put an age based on his clothing. She met his eyes and that seemed to unease him. “What’s going on here?” She asked, flicking the cigarette down onto the grave. “Having a picnic in the park, huh?”

Cemeteries were always, always loud. Connor tended to try and pass them as quickly as possible unless he was doing something specific there, but since he was new to town, he decided to explore. The sun hadn’t long come up, there was whispering of spirits not yet passed on filling the air around him, but one had stood out more than others, a full body apparition, standing over their own grave. That had been about three hours ago, and he and Connor were still chatting away when the stranger approached. “A picnic would be great, to be honest. I’m starving.”

The ghost, whose name Connor had come to learn as Gerald, gave a snicker. “I miss food. Whenever they bring the McRib back and I can’t eat it, it kills me all over again.”

Huh, so they could see each other. “You can see him?” Julie asked Connor just for clarification. She saw the ghost clear as day but she wondered who this guy was chatting up with spirits in a cemetery. Julie always ignored them - none of them had anything to say worth listening to. The guy looked familiar. She kept her gaze on him. “You look familiar. Who the fuck are you?” Despite the curse, there was no malice in her tone, she was just curious. Out of habit, Julie just ignored what the ghost said, barely even glancing at him. The fuck was he still doing on this plane anyway. Just go and cross over already. Waste of both their time, if she was being honest. She never bothered to help them out. Messing with regular humans was more fun than talking to a ghost most people couldn’t see.

Connor remembered having a conversation (if you could call it that) with this abrasive young woman online. She looked just like her profile picture, except in her profile picture she wasn’t defacing cemeteries. “Course I can see him. You don’t seem very guarded about the fact you can see him too.”

“Keep smoking and you might end up here soon too,” Gerald chimed in. “Then we can see each other all the time.”

Julie was about to answer the live person when that rude bitch ass ghost responded and she turned to look at him. “Please, I doubt you’ll last on this plane for more than a couple of years before someone exorcises your ass.” She said with a roll of her eyes before looking over at the other guy. “I figure since you can see him, you wouldn’t be too surprised someone else could see him too.” Although maybe it brought him some relief, that someone else out there could see ghosts? Then again most supernatural species could, so it brought to question what he was. Because she was starting to recall. “Are you the guy online? Uh… Connor’s piracy or something?”

Connor’s eyes widened and he arched a brow at Julie, letting out a snicker. “Bloody hell. You’re blunt-force trauma in a human body, aren’t you?” He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it though. Gerald feigned shocked offense, but since she’d already thrown a cigarette on one of his neighbour’s graves, he wasn’t exactly expecting her to be kind and cuddly. “Most people aren’t that honest about being able to see ghosts. Suppose White Crest is different.” He rolled his eyes a little at her getting his screen name wrong. “It’s all one word. Like conspiracy, but with an extra syllable.”

Julie shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the headstone. “Yeah, White Crest is a very different town. Not like anything else out there.” So many supernaturals were drawn to this place. Was there something here? Did something lead her here. Something outside of the mark. “Ah, okay, I get it now. Pretty clever. So do you really like conspiracies or what?” Julie grew more curious about him. Could he be the one that was sent information to? Might as well find out right now. So she could kill him and give this ghost guy a ghost friend.

Connor was a bit of a documentary maker, even if those documentaries were only on YouTube, so he found people in all their forms to be incredibly interesting. That was how he’d got through to so many ghosts over the years. It didn’t matter if Julie was a bit rude. She was still interesting. “Have you lived in a lot of places?” he asked, vaping as he continued talking. “Just a catchy name. I do conspiracy theory stuff, but mostly ghosts.” He looked up at her. “What do you do?”

“A few.” Was all Julie was willing to give. “What about you?” She wasn’t too curious but since he had asked and she answered, it was alright for her to ask too. She was curious if he was a normal human, however. Even if he could see ghosts. “I can see why you’re obsessed with them.” She deadpanned, looking over at the ghost. When you’ve seen them for a while, you get bored of it. It’s becomes more annoying than anything else. At least that’s how Julie felt but maybe he was - no, Julie didn’t know what he could be. A new vampire? Who knows. “I work with security and stuff.” Yeah, that lie wasn’t going to get old soon, was it? She needed to come up with something else.

“London,” Connor answered casually. “But I’ve visited all over. Stayed all over at some of the most haunted places.” Connor chewed the inside of his lip curiously at Julie’s choice of words. “Hm, obsessed is a pretty strong word. I just think the truth is pretty important, and people need to get their heads out of their arses and wake up to what’s around them.” He nodded, smiling a bit at her answer. “Oh yeah? That’s not surprising. You seem like someone I wouldn’t want to mess with.”

“Sounds… like an interesting way to pick your travels.” Maybe if Julie was desperate for company, she’d do that. Chances are she’d never be, however. “If you can see ghosts, why do you try and document them? Usually they do that because they can’t see them and try and document every sound and such to figure it out.” It was stupid but she supposed humans found different ways to entertain themselves. “Thanks, I guess. Despite talking to ghosts, you’re alright. Do you make it a habit, though? Talking to ghosts? Some are… more annoying than others.” She wouldn’t say dangerous because she’s a bad bitch but that’s what she was implying.

“Number one rule of being a YouTuber. Everything is content.” Okay, maybe not everything. Connor still tried to have at least a little respect for people’s trauma and privacy, but within reason. “Where did you say you’re from? Singapore?” he asked casually and shrugged in answer to her question. “I document them so other people can know the truth instead of being bloody ignorant. I can’t talk to ‘em all the time. I’d never get anything done, but… if the ghost is interesting, if I’m making something, if there’s something I can do to help… yeah.”

“Yeah, I’m from there.” Julie responded, not saying much else. What else was there to say? She left a long time ago and hadn’t been back since. Sometimes she thought about it but the thought of running into her father kept her away. She wondered if he was alive or even still in Singapore but he didn’t deserve any more thoughts of hers. “Why, have you been there?” She thought to ask, turning the conversation to him. She wondered what it must be like for him, to see ghosts and try to prove it to others in an attempt not to seem crazy? Seemed like he’d fail no matter what. “You’re not documenting now are you?” Julie hated being on cameras - it wasn’t something she needed right now. Not that she was one to show her face on the job but she’d prefer to keep her digital footprints limited.

Connor shook his head. “No, I’ve never been to Singapore. It’d be a bloody long flight. I’d love to go though. I’m sure they’ve got plenty of cool haunted places.” Every question Connor answered was like water off a duck’s back. No social situation seemed to bother him. “No, I’m not filming right now.” He looked over at Julie with a grin. “I’m not sure your swearing is very ad friendly,” he teased. “Have you been able to see ghosts all your life?”

Julie shrugged, not knowing about Singapore’s haunted history and she didn’t really care to know. She wondered what had this guy so hot for ghosts. “Yeah, pretty much, long as I can remember.” That’d been one of the first things her father had explained and she didn’t really care about them after that. They were dead people who were lonely and clingy and no one needed that in their life.

Connor still wasn’t sure what to make of this person. They seemed rude and yet awfully open at the same time. They had no trouble admitting they could see ghosts to a stranger. Even people who could see ghosts often pretended they couldn’t around Connor, just to be safe. “So are you a medium? Or something else?” he asked.

Julie looked over at him, knowing she wasn’t going to tell him shit but was curious for a second, what he knew about the supernatural outside of ghosts. Most people believed in ghosts in some form. Same as they believed in aliens. She crossed her arms. “What else would I be?” He could think she was a medium all he wanted - or something else. As long as he didn’t know what she was, Julie didn’t really mind what he thought of her.

He didn’t expect an answer. Sometimes people surprised you and were blatantly open, like him, but most supernaturals kept their identities under wraps. For good reason. Still, he was too intrigued to just let the subject drop. Connor shrugged with a slight grin. “Hmm, I dunno? Something that can see and talk to ghosts? A vampire’s off the table considering you’re out in the daylight, zombie perhaps?”

“Perhaps.” Julie said with a shrug. “What else is there that can see and talk to ghosts?” Julie personally didn’t have a clue about the abilities of some species. Her intelligence was really limited, most of it never concerned her after all. “And how do you know all about ghosts and vampires anyway?” It seemed strange for Julie, to want to share the supernatural and know about the supernatural. How could you choose what to share and what not to share? That was definitely not something she would want to do. If it was up to her, she’d keep ghosts a thing of possibility instead of something exact. She was curious why he wanted to do the opposite.

Connor tried to make himself familiar with creatures who could see ghosts, but he appreciated that she was playing it close to the chest. Smart move, even if it made things a bit more challenging for him. “I don’t know, you tell me.” His features were marked with a stupid little grin. Some would have found it charming. Julie probably didn’t. “I try and know a bit about everything supernatural. Which doesn’t mean I’ve succeeded.” He shrugged. “So if you’d like to teach me something new, by all means.”

“The fuck do I look like, an elementary teacher?” Julie asked as she spread her arms out. Why the hell would she teach anyone anything? Human, kitsune. She wasn’t here to teach. “I didn’t know vampires could see ghosts so I guess who’s the actual teacher here?” She wondered how old the guy in front of her was. She was bad with human ages. She didn’t even know what hers was as a human unless she looked at her fake identification. It was 20 something. She’s been 20 something for the longest, it felt like. “Maybe people would be more inclined to teach you about the supernatural if they didn’t think you’d shove a camera in their face and put it out for the world to see.”

“No. Do I look like an elementary student?” Connor answered, then immediately realised he didn’t want to know the answer, because she was definitely going to give him a clapback. “I think it’s because they’re dead. Or undead. Same with zombies.” Connor held his hands up, gesturing that they were empty. “Do you see a camera right now? I was just having a morning chat with my ghost friend. Now I’m having a morning chat with you.”

“I mean since you asked…” the idea of it made her snicker, he looked incredibly young but since Julie was terrible with ages, she doubted she’d get anything close to his age. “Interesting thought,” Julie hardly gave anything a thought. “So is this some kind of morning ritual? Did I interrupt?” Julie definitely wasn’t going to talk to a ghost every day. That only led to clinginess. “You should watch out for them, is all I’ll say. They’re fucking annoying as shit. On and off camera.” She pushed herself off the grave, preparing to leave.

“Yeah yeah, walked right into that one.” Connor shook his head. “Nah, I was just on my way home from a shoot. Talk to ghosts pretty often though.” He couldn’t help but grin at her words. “You reckon? Bet there’s a story behind why you think that.” But a story for another day perhaps. She was sealed up like a drum. “See you around.”

#chatzy #connorspiracy

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dxmedstudent · 4 years

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Or why is it that we can find someone annoying?

Your first ask was ‘What makes someone annoying?’, and I think it’s excellent that you’ve differentiated between the two. Because you’re right. People aren’t necessarily annoying in general, but they can be annoying to us. I’m going to broaden this to include not just people we find annoying, but also those we find intimidating, or who make us feel uncomfortable for reasons we can’t place. Because I think it all comes from the same place. When we feel uncomfortable because of someone, we’re getting a warning that there’s something we don’t like. Sometimes it’s strightforward; if they don’t follow the rules we’ve set in society. It’s easy to see why someone who trolls on the internet, shirks at work or is rude would be generally thought annoying. Some people like that are widely thought to be anoying, and that makes it easier to accept that we dislike them because, well, everyone does. It’s harder when they aren’t universally disliked. Sometimes people do something that aren’t very nice - even if it is just a little unpleasant, that might be enough for you to take against them, if that thing bothers you. But it sounds like maybe you’re thinking about someone that frustrates you, and struggling to pin down why you just don’t like them. The interesting thing is, what will personally annoy all of us will differ. For example, we’ve all known people we felt were obnoxious. But when I talked with my friends it quickly became clear that the people (and behaviours) we personally found most annoying could be different. Some were most annoyed by arrogance or pride, some by ostentatious immaturity, some by inconsideration, others by misogyny, etc. It’s not that we didn’t agree that these people were all a bit irritating, but what offended us most could differ based on our own personalities and beliefs. So if someone annoys you, you might well find that others don’t find the same thing quite as frustrating.Sometimes there’s something about a mannerism, a look, a tone, etc that we don’t like, and it might be hard to place. I’ve found voices annoying for example. I never treated them any differently, but I certainly couldn’t be close to someone whose mannerisms repelled me! A lot of people report that they just don’t like a celebrity; and that’s fine. They don’t have to like them, but they also don’t have to gleefully wait for them to be cancelled; just because we don’t like someone doesn’t have to mean they’ve done anything wrong or deserve to be torn down. I might not like Adam Sandler or most of his films (I’m sure he’s a fine actor, I just find something about him repulsive), but I’d never suggest that something bad should happen to him, or be gleeful if he’s revealed to have done something wrong. It’s fine to avoid someone if we’re talking about who you are friends with or dating; you don’t have to keep anyone around if you can’t stand them, but it’s hard if you have to work with them. We owe it, even to people we find annoying, to treat them equally and not be mean to them, even if we do dislike them. Responding to inappropriate behaviour by not being friendly (or more importantly, addressing the behaviour) is acceptable, but making someone feel bad just because we don’t personally like them, is not. You’e allowed not to have a good reason to find someone irritating, as long as you are fair and humane to them. You may not be able to help how you feel, but you can help how you act. Sometimes it might just be because people are different. Maybe they just have traits you can’t stand because you’re the opposite; they run late and you don’t. They are loud and you aren’t, they are timid and you aren’t. They are blunt where you are subtle, or you feel that they are wishy washy where you are to the point. Perhaps you feel that they are two faced or fake whilst you are honest or blunt. I’ll come back to this later, but we often judge people by how we act, and how we want to be treated. But we’re all different, so it’s no surprise that people who do things differently to us may not feel ‘right’. It might also be the case that they bring out our own insecurities; perhaps we feel they boast too much on facebook, but actually, we’re insecure about our own lives because other people’s lives look better. Perhaps it bothers us when someone is loud because we wish we had that cocky confidence and we hate that we are timid. The trick here is to try to work out what about ourselves or our own insecurities or how we process the world is causing us to react negatively, and work on that. It may also be because they don’t follow the rules we personally think people should follow for behaviour. That can be because of the things we’ve experienced before; the things that have hurt us will be different for everyone, and therefore different behaviour in others can make us feel vulnerable or angry. A friend of mine (friend A) got very protective (and bristly) when another friend (friend B) inadvertently hurt our other friends’ feelings by the things they said. That particular friend is prone to saying things without realising they can hurt people (not out of malice, as much as neurodivergency and being alittle clueless), and they do on occasion go a bit too far. It can be difficult to explain that if you’re angry or upset, so there were times friend A had to cool off before that ould be addressed, or someone else would say something. Friend A has a history of abuse, and is therefore really protective of the people they care about, as well as being sensitive to hurtful comments because of their past. And whilst they weren’t the ones being offended, seeing it happen to our mutual friends was enough to set them on the warpath. It wasn’t unjustified; it’s easy to see why they personally found this particularly frustrating and we made sure to support them. Just as much as it was easy to see friend B might genuinely not realise that they were being hurtful and need a quiet discussion about it.

Thinking, and trying to understand helps us to separate ourselves from our gut instincts and our reflexive reactions that come from our own insecurities. And when we understand where our feelings are coming from, we can make peace with them and work on them. I’m a huge believer in reflecting on the reasons behind why we think a certain way, particularly if it’s a stigmatised emotion. Anger, jealousy, insecurity, dislike, fear and other emotions we find uncomfortable are more than people being mean; they are defense mechanisms against hurt. By understanding the emotions behind what we feel, we can address them and make peace.

#Anonymous #askdx #ask dx

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dc-x-readers · 5 years

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Growing Up (Damian x Reader)

TW: There is depression, swearing and bullying in this one

It all started when you turned eight. Your father’s best friend found out he had a son, so you had to go over and meet him. And back then you were so excited at the prospect of a new best friend, so wore your favorite outfit and a giant smile.

The door to Wayne Manor opened to reveal Alfred, the kindly butler who often took care of you on days that your parents were too busy.

“Miss Y/N!” Alfred smiled warmly, and you wrapped your small arms around his legs in a tight hug. He smiled softly.

“Master Damian and Master Bruce are in the dining room. Breakfast will be ready in a few moments.” Alfred said, and you ran into the room, so excited to meet a new friend.

You weren’t expecting to stumble into an argument between Bruce and Damian. Damian was standing next to his father, his voice filled with malice, “I will not be forced to eat with some commoner.”

You were confused, was he talking about you?

Bruce didn’t notice your entrance and he looked at Damian with his cold gaze, the one he got sometimes that made you a little scared, “Damian, you will eat with us, and you will be civil.”

That’s when your father appeared behind your shoulder, he didn’t hear any of the conversation, he just smiled to his best friend, “Bruce!”

Bruce’s expression changed in a moment, going from cold anger to bright smile. He stood and hugged your father, then offered you a fist bump.

“Y/N.” Your dad said pushing you towards the scowling boy, “go introduce yourself.”

You always did what your father said, always tried to be kind to new friends, so you approached Damian with a large smile, and stuck your hand out. Damian turned his nose up at your outstretched hand, acting as if he were too good for it. Your heart dropped, but you didn’t let it show, just put your hand down next to you side.

Bruce scolded Damian angrily, and later when you were home your father told you he was proud of how you handled the situation.

Unfortunately, Bruce being your father’s best friend meant you saw Damian often, and he was always a jerk, rude and you absolutely hated him. At your tenth birthday party he became your worst enemy. Or at least that what you told everyone.

Your birthday party was in Gotham Park, and you had invited everyone in school, which meant Damian had to come.

You greeted him with a smile, “So happy you could make it.”

You had tried your best to be polite, but he just sneered at you rolling his eyes. You huffed and walked away from him to hang out with your other friends.

Ten minutes after the brief encounter you had all but forgotten Damian. You were having fun playing with all of your friends, but you wandered off to use the bathroom. It was a small public bathroom which you didn’t really like.

You were sitting in the bathroom when you heard grunts coming from outside. You probably should have gone back to the party, if you had known what would have happened you definitely would have gone back to the party. Instead you were an idiot and walked around the side of the bathroom as quietly as you could.

The grunts were louder now, and the sound of a fight raged. Your back was up against the side of bathroom as you scooted carefully towards the noises. Just as you rounded the corner Damian appeared pushing you out of his way.

You went flying backwards, falling butt first into your beautiful cake, in front of the whole party of people. Your friends all started to laugh. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Damian crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t care at all that he ruined your birthday party.

You wanted to cry, but you wouldn't give Damian the satisfaction. You leveled your gaze at him, and silently you vowed your revenge.

Later you saw Bruce pull Damian away from the party. They exchanged heated words, and there was a part of you that was satisfied that he was getting in trouble, another part which was angry that he wasn’t humiliated as you were.

Four years later your father finally let you go with him to a gala. It was a Wayne event, so you knew you would see Damian there, but you were too excited about the fancy dresses and the beautiful music to care.

You dressed in your most beautiful dress, and borrowed your mother’s necklace. You felt like a princess.

“Now Y/N” Your father said as the limo pulled up to the Wayne Manor, “I know you and Damian don’t-”

“I know, I know” You interrupted waving a hand bored, “I won’t cause trouble.”

The war between you and Damian had only gotten worse over the years. Pranking each other, and general mean spiritedness. Your father lifted an eyebrow but said nothing to you. Instead he climbed out of the limo and lead you inside.

The manor was set up beautifully when you arrived, as you knew it would. Alfred really outdid himself.

Your father guided you over to where Bruce stood, flanked by his oldest son and daughter. Dick smiled at you, and pulled you into a hug, and Barbara gave you a pat on the shoulder. You liked most of Bruce’s kids, it was just Damian you detested.

After the hellos you wandered around the manor, releasing very quickly that galas like these were boring. No one wanted to talk to a little kid like you, even though you were fourteen. No one cared.

So you slipped into the Wayne family library, it had always been your favorite room in the house. Your fingers traced the spines of the books delicately. It was peaceful and quiet in here, and just loved it.

“You shouldn’t be in here.” A voice called from the big leather couch, you rolled your eyes. Of course Damian had to be here to ruin your night.

“What are you going to do about it?” You shrugged, moving around the couch so you could see him. Damian was sprawled across the couch, wearing his tuxedo a book lay open on his stomach.

“Maybe I will tell my father.” Damian said darkly, and you knew he would, Damian is such a tattle tale.

“What will he care? He’s got a hundred guests. I am by far the least of his worries.” You shrugged, going back to the books. “Why are you in here?”

You weren’t curious really, you didn't care why he was here. It was just strange to see him in the library when he could be enjoying the party.

“Why should I tell you?” Damian sassed back.

You shrugged not really caring either way. The two of shared a small moment of silence before the door banged open, and there stood a boy about your age.

“Damian come on,” The boy smiled, “You’re missing all the fun.”

Damian shot up to leave the room but you reached the boy first wearing a wicked smile.

“Who are you?” You asked.

Damian elbowed you hard in the side and tried to pull his friend away from you. But the boy was smiling and he seemed so nice, “I’m Jon Kent. I’m one of Damian’s friends.”

You laughed, “Friend? I didn’t know Damian had any.”

“Pay her no mind Kent. Let’s go enjoy the party.” Damian scowled, pulling Jon from the room. You followed behind them amused.

The gala was still as boring as it had been when you left, but you watched as Jon looked at everything amazed. It was funny, and you couldn’t help but smile at his reactions. He was cute, with his black hair and his dimples.

“Stay away from him.” Damian hissed in your ear. You jumped, not noticing him creep up next to you.

You turned to give a disapproving glower to Damian.

And then you had a terrible thought, a thought on how to hurt Damian, just like he always hurts you.

You marched up to Jon, a smile plastered to your face, “Hey, wanna see the gardens? I think it’s the most beautiful part of Wayne Manor.”

Jon didn’t even notice that for you this was a game, you entangled your fingers leading him towards the gardens. From the corner of your eye you could see Damian watching the pair of you like a hawk, and you smirked.

You were almost to the gardens, but out of view of all the adults in the gala when you rounded on Jon. Damian had stopped short staring at the two of you, and you stared right back, because you were going to win this one. Jon opened his mouth to say something, but you placed your lips on his, shushing him in that moment.

You knew it was wrong to use Jon like this, but you didn’t care. You hated Damian Wayne and this would hurt him.

When you were sixteen did it feel like your world was falling apart. At school you were made fun of, called horrendous names. People called you a slut and a whore. You honestly couldn’t take it. It reached its peak terribleness after your best friend dumped you, said she couldn’t “associate with whore who are no better than prostitutes.”

You had cried so hard it hurt, not understanding how people could be so cruel.

You had run to Gotham Park. It was late, the sun had already dipped below the horizon and there was a chill in the air. You didn’t feel the cold just stared emptily as you sat on a swing. You honestly wanted to disappear to just fade into nothing.

You weren’t expecting anyone so when Damian sat down next to you, you jumped. You tried in vain to wipe away the tears in your eyes.

“Your family is looking for you.” Damian said softly. It was the first time you heard something so nice from this boy.

“Did they send you?” You sniffed.

“Yeah, my entire family and yours are out coming the streets of Gotham.” Damian answered.

“So what are you going to do now?” You asked turning to face him, your tear streaked face surprising him. The two of you always showed your hard edges never your broken parts, he probably wasn’t used to seeing you vulnerable.

“You’re crying.” Damian said, it was an observation, not a question. You felt so stupid to cry in front of this boy.

“No shit Damian.” You spoke angrily, wiping away the tears that just kept falling.

“Why are you crying?” He asked, all too blunt, and oh so Damian.

You bit your lip, not sure if you wanted to snap at him again or to let out your feelings. Either way felt like a terrible decision.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors.” You cried out, unable to stop yourself, “About me.”

Damian looked confused, tilting his head like a puppy. He looked so lost, guess he hadn’t.

“Do you ever wish that you could go back in time and change everything? Rewrite the past, fix what you broke?” You don’t know why you asked.

“TT.” Damian huffed, “No, that’s impossible.”

You sighed, not even knowing why you tried to relate to this boy. Your shoulders shook and the tears continued to freefall. Damian reached his hand out and put it on your shoulder. It was awkward, neither of you really knew what you were doing.

“I’m going to take you home.” Damian stated, and he lead you home. You walked numbly not aware of the path you followed. You didn’t even notice that Damian drove you in the Batmobile. You just looked straight forward.

The next day you got a text from a friend saying that the people who had been bullying you got some broken bones. They wouldn’t say what happened, but they were unbelievably nice to you after the incident.

It was when you were eighteen did the end of the story happened. Yours and Damian’s story had to come to a close, and neither of you expected it to end this way.

It was a party for your graduation, being held at Jon Kent’s house. You were having a great time, dancing and laughing.

You whispered in your friend’s ear that you were going to get a refill. Walking into the kitchen you didn’t see Damian leaning against the wall, until he spoke.

“Having fun?” Damian asked and you jumped.

“You need to stop doing that.” You grumbled, “Always scaring me.”

Damian smirked, “You didn’t answer my question.”

You turned around so that you were facing Damian. He pushed off the wall and took a step towards you.

“What if I am?” You asked teasingly.

Your relationship had gotten better in the past two years. You had a mutual respect for each other, but still traded barbed remarks. It was a nice relationship, most didn’t get it, but it worked.

“Then I will have to make sure you have a terrible time.” Damian quipped back.

He took another step towards you, you were almost nose to nose now. You tilted your head to the side.

“If I kissed you right now what would you do?” Damian barely whispered.

Your heart fluttered faster than you thought was possible. What was he asking? Why was he asking?

“Depends, why are you kissing me?” You countered, but your eyes flicked down to his lips.

“Because I like you?” Damian asked like it was a question. You smiled and leaned up on your toes to kiss him.

It was crazy how your story had started and then ended. But you wouldn’t change it for the world.

#Damian Wayne #Damain Wayne #damian wayne imagine #damian wayne x reader #DC comics #dc comic imagine #dc comics x reader #dc comics reader insert #robin #robin x reader #robin imagine #Jon Kent

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all-the-love-harold · 5 years

Text

Chapter 20 - Earth Side

Master post

Come and Talk about Harry and Poppy

November 3rd 2017 – 29 Weeks

Harry walked into his house, chucking his keys on the table beside the door and bounding upstairs to take a shower. It felt nice to finally peel his suit off after having it on all night, through an hour-long flight and in the hospital with Poppy. Once he had it off, and scattered across the bedroom floor, he climbed into the shower, without waiting for the water to heat up, and let it wash it over him dripping down his side as his mind flooded with fears. He knew that for now, Poppy and the baby were okay, but her labour could start again any minute and he couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone for that, but he also knew that thousands of people had bought tickets to his remaining shows and he didn’t want to disappoint them either. He shut the water off, not wanting to leave Poppy alone in that hospital for too long.

“Fuck” he whispered to himself, realising that he’d forgotten to take a towel from the linen cupboard in the hall. He shook his hair dry and walked out of the bathroom. “Oh god” he used his hands to cover himself as he ran into Poppy’s mum in the hallway “Hi Linda”

She grimaced at him “Hello Harry” she answered bluntly looking him up and down “Left your wife alone again I see”

His nostrils flared as he wrapped a towel around his waist “I needed a shower and some fresh clothes” he ran his fingers through his hair, in frustration “she’s fine by the way, and so’s the baby, but you’re obviously more concerned with me than you are with your daughter and your grandson”

Her jaw dropped, not expecting him to retaliate like this “Don’t turn this around on me, I’m not the one that left her for months”

“I was gone for 3 and a half weeks” he snarled “and a few days here and there not months, but at least I didn’t leave her last night when she was terrified about what was going to happen. I was there for that. Where were you?”

“She didn’t need me then, she needed you”

“And I was there”

“But you weren’t there when it started, you weren’t there when she got that email from your lawyer, you’re only there when it’s convenient for you”

“You think getting back here last night was convenient? It’s not easy to get a flight from Glasgow to London that late, I had to cut a show short, leave all my things in Scotland, inconvenience the entire crew and venue staff, it wasn’t a walk in the park, but I got there Linda, because she needed me”

“Maybe if you never left, you wouldn’t have disappointed so many people”

“Christ” he sighed “how was I supposed to know? Touring is my job, Poppy knows that, she knew that before she married me, she’s always known that, she isn’t upset that I wasn’t there when it started, all she cares about is that I’m here now- so why does it bother you so much?”

“Because she deserves someone that doesn’t have to leave her all the time!” Lind yelled “Her family lives halfway across the world, if you’re not here, and I’m not here, who does she have?”

Harry wanted to yell back, but he could tell this outburst from Poppy’s mum wasn’t coming from a place of malice or hatred, but fear for her daughter, so he calmed his tone and spoke back softly “She has a lot of people here Linda, my sister lives only a few blocks away, my mum a few hours but she’d get here as quickly as she could if Poppy needed her” he sighed “everyone at radio 1 would drop everything for her if they needed to, she’s never going to be alone, if she doesn’t have her family then she has her friends”

Linda nodded, too defeated to say anything else on the matter “How is she? Were they able to stop the labour”

“For now” he answered “but she’s on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, so they’re keeping her in there, I came home to shower and get her things, I’m going back soon- are you coming?”

“Of course, I am” she smiled “I’m sorry Harry, I shouldn’t have been so rude to you, I just want the best for her”

“So do I” he said, walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind him so that he could get dressed.

***

November 4th 2017, 29 Weeks.

Harry strolled down the street outside the hospital, on the phone to the manager of his PR team, trying to work out the best way to tell his fans that the rest of the tour will be cancelled because he can’t leave Poppy. It had taken him a long time to make the decision, it wasn’t something he took lightly, but neither were Poppy and the baby, and right now, that was his main priority.

“You think a tweet and an Instagram is too insincere?” He asked, walking into the nearest café to get Poppy a peppermint tea because the hospital didn’t have any.

“I don’t think so, they’re going to be upset obviously, but there’s nothing we can do, and you’re still doing Victoria’s secret and the ARIAs, so there will still be some chance for fan interaction at both of those events”

“Ok” he nodded “I’ll write out what I’m going to say and send it through, so you can check it over before I post it”

“Great, send Poppy our best, we’re thinking of you both”

“Thanks” Harry said hanging up the phone and stepping up to the counter to order “Hi, could I get a large peppermint tea and a black coffee please”

“Sure” the boy at the counter said, “Take away?”

“Please” Harry took his wallet out of his back pocket and paid for the drinks, stepping back from the counter so the person behind him could order.

“Harry?” a voice said from behind him and he reluctantly turned, not really in the mood for fans today

“Hi” he muttered softly

“Oh it is you, I wasn’t sure” she blushed “I thought you’d be around this area though, is Poppy ok?”

“Uhh” he sighed, not wanting to seem rude but annoyed by the invasive question “yeah, she’s doing alright”

“I got her some flowers” she handed him a bunch of yellow daffodils

“Ahhh” Harry said, happily surprised by the gesture “Thank you, she’ll love those”

“I hope you don’t think this is creepy” she added “I work in the hospital she’s in and I saw you running in the other night in your suit”

“Not at all love” he lied “I’m used to it”

She smiled “I’m glad Poppy’s doing ok, I’ve been listening to radio one a lot, hoping that someone would say something”

He nodded “We’re not really sure what’s going to happen, so we’re staying quiet for a while”

“The peppermint tea and the black coffee” the barista called, and Harry went over to the counter, taking the two cups and thanking him, the girl following him as he did so.

“Well I hope everything’s ok” she said “Give Poppy my best”

“Will do” he said walking out the door. He pulled his hood up and walked quickly back to the hospital, keeping his head down so he would be seen by fans or paps. It was very sweet of that girl to buy flowers for Poppy, and it certainly wasn’t something that he expected, but it left him feeling a little like his privacy had been invaded, and that was the one thing he hated most about being Harry Styles.

***

November 13th 2017, 30 Weeks.

Harry and Poppy’s lawyer had submitted a petition for Harry to take Poppy’s place at the court date on the grounds that she had been hospitalised, it was granted and now Harry found himself sitting in a courtroom, opposite Danny, waiting on the Judge to decide on the custody arrangements for their baby boy.

In the weeks since Danny had applied for parental responsibility, They’d both been visited by a law guardian, whose role was to speak on behalf of the baby, she inspected Poppy and Harry’s home, to see what they had done to prepare for Oli’s arrival and she’d done the same for Danny, asking them all extensive questions about parenting and caring for a newborn.

The case was unusual, most custody cases weren’t usually opened until the child was born, but in this case, where it was likely that the child would require medical decisions to be made for him from birth, the courts felt it necessary to have any parental responsibility disputes settled before the birth.

“All rise” the bailiff said from the corner of the room as he opened the door for the judge to walk in and take her seat. The knot in Harry’s stomach twisted as he stood, feeling the tension in the room rise he focused his eyes on the front of the room, avoiding eye contact with Danny.

“I understand we’re here today to settle a custody dispute for an unborn child, am I correct counsellors?”

“That is correct your honour, my client here, Mr Daniel Watts, is seeking custody of his son who he has been denied rights to thus far” Danny’s lawyer answered the judge

“Give me a moment to understand the facts of the case” the Judge said, filing through the papers in front of her “As I understand it, Mr watts has submitted to the courts, a Child Arrangements order where he has requested part time custody and parental responsibility for his child”

“Yes your honour” Danny’s lawyer said

“And Mrs Styles wishes to dispute this on the basis that Mr watts, in his current situation, is unfit to care for a newborn baby”

“My client, as the mother of the child, feels that Mr Watts will be unable to care for what may be a very sick little boy”

“And where is Mrs Styles today, Mr Tanner?”

“She has been hospitalised due complications with the pregnancy, her husband is here on her behalf, I’ve already had that cleared”

“Right, yes, I did see that somewhere” she looked at Harry over her glasses “At this stage in the pregnancy, is there any uncertainty as to who the father of the child actually is?”

“No, your honour” John replied “Both parties agree that, biologically, Mr Watts is the child’s father, but we’re not here to discuss biology”

She drew her lips into a sharp line “Clearly.” Her tone was blunt, and Harry could tell she was annoyed by the case “What are Mrs Styles objections to Mr Watts?”

“My client believes that Mr watts is unable to support the child financially, and has concerns about the effects that the instability that comes with unemployment, would have on her child”

“Your honour” Danny’s lawyer interrupted “perhaps if Mrs Styles is really concerned about instability, she would have thought twice about marrying a man that travels for a living”

“The case has nothing to do with Mr Styles, he is merely here on behalf of his wife” John said in retaliation “your honour, if you look at the home studies conducted on both my client and Mr Watts, you’ll see that Mr Watts is in no way prepared to look after a child”

“I have reviewed the home studies Mr Tanner, and in the interest of keeping this short, Mr Watts, I’d like to see you in my chambers please” She stood from her seat and turned towards the door behind her as the bailiff escorted Danny and his lawyer to her chambers.

Harry let out a deep breath as he turned to John “Is this good news?”

John shrugged shuffling through his papers “It’s hard to tell at this stage Harry” he sighed “I would hope that she’s reviewed Daniel’s home visit and wants to talk with him to see what he really wants from this because it’s pretty clear from that study that fatherhood is not for him”

“How long will this take?”

“Could be hours, could be any minute now, but we haven’t been given a recess, so we just have to wait here until they come back”

Harry looked at his watch, worried about leaving Poppy alone in the hospital for so long. He’d already been gone for hours and anything could have happened by now. With the rest of his tour cancelled, Linda had decided to go home, they were getting on each other’s nerves and with Harry home, Poppy didn’t need her there, but that meant today, she was alone again, and Harry couldn’t wait to go back, with good news.

“How’s Poppy doing?” John asked, bringing Harry out of his trance

“She’s ok, I think being stuck in that room is dampening her spirits a bit, but if I can go back with good news today that will help”

He nodded sympathetically “no more signs of labour?”

Harry shook his head, checking the time on his watch again “C-section is set for December…” The door to the judge’s chambers cracked open and a disgruntled Danny and his lawyer shuffled out and took their seats opposite Harry and John. Harry cleared his throat and straightened his suit jacket brushing his hands through his hair and resting his ringed fingers on the desk, feeling the butterflies rise in his stomach once again.

“All rise” the bailiff said, opening the door for the Judge once again.

She took her seat quickly and shuffled her papers, before speaking “After speaking with Mr Watts, I have unfortunately had to come to the conclusion, that, at this time, he is unfit to parent a child.”

Harry breathed a huge sigh of relief

“After much deliberation, it has become evident to me that it is in the best interests of the child to reside with his mother and her husband, in a family environment. So, it is with great regret, that I will not be granting Mr Watts petition today. With that said, as the biological father Mr Watts has asked that Mr Styles, is unable to adopt the child.”

John looked at Harry who shook his head in disbelief “With all due respect, your honour, if Mr Watts hasn’t been granted parental responsibility, then he is not the parent, and has no right to block the adoption”

“You said yourself Mr tanner, biologically, Mr Watts is the father”

“I also said that we weren’t here to discuss biology, it is clear that Mr Watts does not want to be a father, otherwise he would have made the necessary preparations, he wants to make Mr Styles as miserable as possible, and you’re allowing him to do that”

“If you let me finish Mr Tanner, I was going to explain my decision” she looked at him sternly

“Sorry your honour”

“At this moment in time, Mr Watts does not and will not have parental responsibility, or any contact with the child, however, if in two years’ time, Mr Watts is able to demonstrate his ability to parent appropriately, then the case will be reviewed, therefore, Mr Styles, will not be allowed to adopt the child, until that time. If, by the child’s second birthday, no applications for parental responsibility have been submitted to the courts, then the adoption will be allowed to go ahead”

***

December 22nd 2017 – 36 Weeks

Poppy hadn’t slept a wink in the last 24 hours, this date had been set for weeks now, and barring any complications, or emergencies that the doctor had to attend to, she’d be meeting her baby today and she was too excited for sleep. Harry was much the same, he’d spent the night tossing and turning on the hard hospital couch and woke with a sore back, but he chose not to complain too much considering that in a matter of hours, Poppy was going to have her stomach sliced into while she’s awake on the table.

“I hate you” she glared at Harry as he ate his full English breakfast on the table in front of her. She wasn’t allowed to eat because of the surgery but her stomach was growling, and she envied him with every fibre of her being as she watched him eat his baked beans.

“I’m sorry” he said, mouth full of food “but we get to meet Oli today, and once he’s here you can have biggest meal you’ve ever had”

“Make sure I get breakfast for dinner yeah? I want bacon”

He giggled, “You can have all the bacon in the world”

“Good” she sighed, rubbing her belly “we’re having a baby today H”

“You’re having a baby today love” he smiled “I’m just watching them slice into you”

Poppy winced “Don’t say that”

“Slice” he said emphasising the end of the word, cheeky smile spreading across his face as he ate his last mouth full of breakfast

“Stop” she nudged him playfully “I’m nervous enough”

“Sorry” he pouted “but at least you don’t have to go through proper labour”

“True” she nodded “But I think this will be bad enough”

The rest of the morning creeped by slowly, Poppy couldn’t stop checking the clock, and watching the door waiting for the nurse to come in and start getting her ready for surgery. She knew she had to wait for Dr Marshall to finish her morning appointments in her offices, but it was 11:30 and she was starting to get more and more anxious as time passed. She wasn’t hungry anymore, that feeling had passed hours ago and she was left with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she waited. Harry tried his best to keep her distracted, but by the time lunch time rolled around, there was no way she could think about anything else. Which is why, when the nurse walked in at 12:25 both Poppy and Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’re having a baby today!” she exclaimed, it was Leah, who, throughout Poppy’s stay she’d become quite close to. She always knew how to bring her spirits up and when Harry was away for those few days for the ARIAs and The Victoria Secret show, she would spend hours with Poppy in her room, keeping her company, which she was forever grateful for. “Dr Marshall is on her way now, so things will be getting underway pretty soon, I’ve been sent in to put in your IV, to keep your fluids up for the surgery”

Poppy nodded and stuck her right arm out, “Stick me Lea” she giggled as she got all her things organised

She laughed too “Well, I’m glad to see you’re happy today, most mothers that are about to have a C-section are nervous as hell”

“She gets like this when she’s nervous” Harry added, sitting on the bed next to Poppy, so she could look at him instead of at the needle she was about to put into her.

Leah wrapped the tourniquet around her upper arm and used her middle finger to find a viable vein to stick the needle into “You have junkie veins” she noted screwing her face up in concentration

“I’ve had a lot of failed blood tests in my time” Poppy said

“Well I can see why, your veins are awful, but I’ve found one” she turned and grabbed the IV kit from her tray, keeping her finger on the vein “Alright, deep breath, this is the easiest part of today”

Poppy took a breath and buried her face in Harry’s shoulder, so she didn’t have to watch it go in. she felt the sharp pain in her inner elbow and let go of her breath as she finished.

“All done” she smiled, and Poppy lifted her head, and watched her connect the bag of fluid to the tubes that were now hanging from her arm. “Ok, so Dr Marshall will be in soon to give you the rundown of procedure, and shortly after that you’ll be taken down to theatre, where you’ll meet Kevin, who will give your epidural” she pressed a few buttons on the IV Machine to stop it from beeping “Harry, I’ll see if I can find you some scrubs” she walked out of the room and left Poppy and Harry in nervous silence. Poppy kept her head on his shoulder and waited for Leah to come back.

***

“Ok, are we ready to go?” the hospital orderly asked as he unhinged the breaks on the bed. Not waiting for an answer, he began pushing the bed out of the room. Harry walked beside Poppy, until they got down to the operating floor, where he was told he would have to change into his scrubs and wait until after Poppy had the epidural to go into the operating theatre with her.

“I’ll see you soon my love” he said placing a kiss on her forehead and squeezing her hand as a sign of comfort “real soon”

A few stray tears escaped her eyes as she kissed Harry goodbye. The orderly the rolled her bed into the operating room, leaving Harry on the other side of the door. The room was bright and filled with unfamiliar faces there was nothing reassuring about the space, it was harsh and cold, and her heart raced at the thought of what was about to happen.

“Poppy” an unfamiliar doctor said to her as she lay in her bed “I’m Kevin, your anesthetist” he held his hand out for her to shake “Once the table is fully prepped, we’ll get you to move over there and I’ll give you the epi and once that’s all done and everything is set up, your husband can come in and Dr Marshall will get started with the delivery of your baby”

The rest of the time in that room alone was a blur, she had the epidural and the scrub nurses had put the plastic curtain up in front of her as they brushed antiseptic all over her belly. She was basically naked on the table, with only a light blue sheet covering her lower half for modesty. When things were just about ready to get underway, Harry walked in, dressed in salmon pink scrubs and a blue hair net that covered his curls. Poppy could only just move her head enough to see him as he made his way over to her, but she was glad he was there.

“Hi love” he said softly, sitting down on the stool right next to her face “you good?”

Poppy nodded “Yeah” she whispered, burrowing her face into his hand.

“Alright Poppy” Dr Marshall said “are we ready”

A small “yep” escaped her mouth as she felt the slight pressure of the scalpel cutting through her stomach

“Look at me love” she heard Harry say, trying to get her to focus on something else. The midwife, Julie, was standing next to him, telling him to keep her distracted, so that she didn’t watch as her stomach was sliced into. Poppy turned her head and looked straight into Harry’s eyes, as he stroked her head “You’re doing great” he smiled.

Poppy could feel a slight tugging sensation in her lower abdomen, and she could hear the doctors muttering, the words didn’t reach her ears, but the expression on Harry’s face fell, and she guessed something was wrong.

“H?” she whispered, “what’s happening?”

He looked through the clear plastic and back at Poppy “It’s alright love, they fixed it” he kept his eyes fixed on her until Dr Marshall spoke.

“Poppy, you probably want to be watching for this bit” she smiled and her and Harry both turned their heads as they watched the doctor, lift their son from inside Poppy’s belly. He screeched as he hit the cold air of the operating room and the tears were falling down Poppy’s cheeks while she watched the nurses pull down the screen in front of her so that he could rest on her chest.

“Dad” Julie said to Harry “We need you to cut the cord” she handed him a pair of sterilised surgical scissors and he stood from his seat, moving closer to where Dr Marshall held Oli, who was still screaming, so that Poppy could see what was happening.

“Just between the two clamps” Julie encouraged, and he snipped the cord, smile spreading across his face feeling like a dad for the first time. “Poppy, are you still wanting skin to skin?”

She nodded squirming a little as she tried take down her gown, forgetting that her arms were tied down to the operating table. Harry stepped in and gently lowered the front of her gown and Dr Marshall laid Oli down on her chest. His cries settled the moment he touched her skin, her arms were freed and she placed her hands over his back, peppering kisses over the top of his head as the tears streamed down her face.

“Hi baby” she whispered, and he let out a little squeak “I love you so much little man”

Harry sat back down next to Poppy and placed his hand over hers on Oli’s back, the pressure, calming him even more “hey buddy” harry cooed “welcome to the world” he placed a kiss on Poppy’s cheek “congratulations love, I’m so proud of you”

“Merry Christmas H” She smiled feeling the slight tugging of the doctors putting her back together and behind her, she could hear the nurses getting everything ready to have Oli cleaned up and weighed, but she couldn’t stop staring at him. She couldn’t quite believe that this was real, that she’d just had her first baby, who she was now holding in her arms. This was never supposed to happen to her, but here she was, baby on her chest, and best friend by her side, she couldn’t be happier.

***

Harry sat on the couch in their hospital room with Oli in his arms as Poppy slept soundly in her bed.

“Hey little man” he whispered “you don’t know this yet, but that lady in the bed over there, she’s your mum, and she’s the best woman in the world, so us boys, we’ve got to stick together yeah? Make sure she’s ok, because she’s wanted you her entire life, and we can’t let anything get in the way of that” Oli, twisted his face into what looked like a smile, but Harry knew better “You’ve just pooped haven’t you?” he chuckled “You are on fire little dude- that’s three already, you’ve not been here for more than six hours” He stood and walked Oli over to his crib so that he could change him before he started to cry and wake Poppy up. He placed him down gently, but the minute his body touched the mattress and he felt Harry’s hands disappear he let out a loud cry, which jolted Poppy awake.

“What’s going on” she mumbled

“Nothing love” Harry said softly as he pulled a nappy out of its bag “he just needs a change, go back to sleep, we’re all good here”

She blinked a few times adjusting to the harsh hospital light “I want to cuddle him” she pouted

Harry cracked a smile as he unwrapped the baby “Alright love, let me change him and then we can all have a cuddle” he grabbed the nappy and unzipped Oli’s Babygro, changing him without a hitch and attempting to wrap him again as Poppy watched on.

“You gotta pull it tight over him so he feels secure” she instructed from her bed, pain in her belly reminding her that she had a large cut there.

“Swaddling is hard” he said as Oli’s little arm escaped from the blanket

“Bring him here” she reached her arms out and Harry picked him up gently handing him to Poppy.

“Hiya” she smiled taking the baby from Harry “daddy’s not doing a very good job is he?” she cooed “Lay the blanket down H” she motioned towards the space on her bed and Harry did as he was told, putting the blanket next to her. She laid Oli down on it and he let out another cry, which calmed as she pulled the blanket tight across his chest.

“Can you pick him up again” she asked “Stitches”

“Yeah” he nodded, picking him up and gently transferring him into her arms.

“That’s better isn’t it little dude” she said, pulling the blanket away from his chin “Daddy tried, so we’ll forgive him this time”

“Heyy” Harry said, sitting down on the bed and wrapping his arm around her shoulder “How many nappies have you changed so far”

“Zero” she smiled, rubbing his knee with her free hand “Thank you” she rested her head on his chest and she both looked down at her son

“We’re like a real little family now” he said, moving his hand onto Oli’s torso “My little Styles Clan”

“Yeah” Poppy let out a small laugh “It’s a Sign of the Times H” she smiled down at her sweet little Oli, engraving this moment into her memories, as the happiest she’d ever felt.

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