FINALLY FINISHED.

Day Nine: Virginity Loss/Sacrifice w/ Dante

A/N: inspired by @actuallysaiyan! ;) go check out her kinktober because she's killing it.

Warnings: 3.7k words, virginity loss, deity kink (I'm not sure if that's a thing but the village worships Dante like a deity), AU!Dante, arranged marriage (Dante demands a bride), p+v penetration, fem!reader

Tag list: @actuallysaiyan @loki-love @the-eternal-sunflower

The devil had arrived in the night and taken up residence in an abandoned castle rumored to have once belonged to the dark knight, Sparda. He never spoke to the people inhabiting the surrounding village, and for years they never spoke to him. They spoke of him, of course. Small populations have a knack for weaving big tales, and the strange man with a striking resemblance to Sparda proved to be their favorite subject. Was this stranger friend or foe? Nobody could ever say for sure, and those who claimed to know weren’t taken seriously. 

All of this changed when demons attacked the village in the night. Yours was the first house they pillaged. You’d tried running, but ending up trapped in a closet. As your home burned around you, prayers fell from your lips despite you never having believed in a higher power. Tears blurred your vision as smoke stung your nose. The door is ripped off the hinges, and you look up to see a devil standing above you. It was different from the ones who had attacked. The devil glowed red and wings were outstretched behind him. 

“Please,” you whimper. 

The devil changes before your eyes. In a flash of red demonic energy, a man stands before you. He kneels down to scoop you up in his arms and carries you through the flames as though he doesn’t feel them licking his skin. You instinctively curl up tighter in his arms to avoid getting burned and you squeeze your eyes shut until the cool night air hits you. 

“Thank you,” you whisper as you dare to look up at the man holding you in his arms. 

He says nothing as he carries you to the edge of the village where the rest of the inhabitants were gathered. You can’t help noticing the demon corpses scattered across the ground. He’s the one who did this, you know that. He sets you down gently and takes a moment to make sure there are no more demons lurking around before turning away. 

All of the villagers look on in awe as his broad form starts to disappear in the night. It’s you who follows. He jolts like something has shocked him when you grab his arm. 

“Wait,” you say. You gulp when he turns to look at you with those icy blue eyes. “What’s your name?” 

“What do you care?” he grumbles. 

“You saved me…us.” 

“Dante,” he answers, then pulls away from you.

You watch him disappear into the darkness. Your heart races as you wonder about the devil. 

After that night, the villagers began to revere him as a deity. He had shown such tremendous power, there was no longer doubt about his origins. It had begun as whispers as the village began to rebuild, then began the offerings. Food, clothes, even money were left on the stone stairs leading into the castle. At first it seemed that Dante didn’t take the offerings. Fruit rotted where it was set, and mischievous kids began swiping the money. 

As summer turned into fall, the nights grew cold. You wondered more and more about Dante. He never took anything, but you wanted to do something nice for him. You couldn’t stop thinking about the sadness that permeated from him. 

One foggy morning, you ventured to the castle. In your arms were a blanket and a small basket of freshly baked bread you’d gotten from the bakery. You shudder as you look up at the looming castle, but you venture forth anyway. A group of older ladies with carefully wrapped meals were making their way in front of you, and their chatter was surprisingly comforting. 

Dante could smell you before you ever made it to the front of the castle. It was that sweet, cinnamon scent that pulled him out of bed. He slid into his tattered robe before going to the window. His heart races when he sees you coming up the narrow path leading from the village to the castle. You’re even more beautiful than he remembered from the night he saved you. He watches you kneel down as though in prayer like the rest of the visitors. Then, you set the blanket down and you put the basket on top of it. You look up again, and Dante gasps as he moves from the window for fear you could see him. 

Long after you leave, the scent lingers. It drives him crazy. No matter how much he tries to return to his new goal of drinking through the entire cellar, he can’t stop thinking about you. Once the sun goes down, he carefully opens the front door and grabs the offerings you left for him. He quickly realizes your scent has permeated the blanket. This need bubbles up inside of him as he carries everything up to the bedroom. 

“Fuck,” he mutters as his skin starts to heat up. Before he knows it, he’s curled up with the blanket. His cock throbs and he purrs as buries his face against the soft blanket to take in your scent. He reaches down to palm at his cock, making himself leak from the swollen tip. He’s going crazy with lust. He jerks himself off to images of you, wishing he’d spent more time memorizing your features. The memory of you on your knees as you left him such sweet offerings sends shivers up his spine. He cries out as he cums all over the blanket you left for him. 

He waits anxiously for morning to come. The sunrise would bring you back to him. He sits by the window, watching as the villagers come and go. Part of him feels panicked when you don’t show up. He wants to see you so bad. Just a little glimpse of you. That would be more than enough for him. 

“Come on,” he mutters as he waits and waits and waits. 

It’s nearly sunset before you finally come. He perks up immediately as he notices you. You look so beautiful to him right now. His heart is racing. This time you’ve brought wine and more food. Nothing that would hold your scent. 

Your heart races when you notice that your offerings from the day before aren’t on the step anymore. You set everything down before stepping back to look up at the castle again. You see him standing in the window. He wants to recoil again, but knowing that you were looking for him makes him freeze to the spot. You flash a sweet smile before waving. This is what makes him recoil from the window. 

He wants to talk to you, but he also wants to touch you. He wants to fuck you and taste you. His heart is pounding. This isn’t something he’d ever expected to happen to him. When he came to this village, he was just looking for a quiet place to waste away. He’s lost everyone and everything he cared about. He didn’t think he’d find a reason to live. This tiny village was the last place he’d expect to find his mate. 

He feels his chest tightening as he watches you leave.

Day after day, you come to him. He catches glimpses of your beauty as you leave him offerings. Sometimes you leave things with your scent, and he always collects those offerings. He has a small collection at this point, but it’s still not enough. He needs you, and now he knows how to get you. 

He waits for the right time. There’s a small meeting in the village square just after sunrise. For the first time since the demon's attack, he leaves the castle. Halfway down the path, he devil triggers and flies the rest of the way down. All of the villagers gasp as their deity flies above them, then lands right in the middle of the crowd. As soon as he lands, everyone kneels, including you. He makes a point to stretch his wings out and his chest puffs up. 

“In exchange for my protection, I demand a bride,” he growls in a low, distorted voice. His glowing eyes fall on you, “I need her. Bring her to my castle at sundown.” 

You feel tears brimming in your eyes as you look at him. What could he possibly want from you? Before you can say anything, Dante is gone. It’s decided almost immediately that you’ll be given to the devil for the sake of the village. 

Bit by bit, you’re prepared for the night ahead. Before sundown, you’re bathed in sweet-smelling oils that make your skin silky smooth. Then, you’re given a red lingerie set to wear underneath the soft lace wedding dress. You put on a black cape over it, and then you’re escorted to the castle. You’re scared of what lies ahead of you. You’re trying not to cry when your escort knocks on the door. Before the devil opens up, they leave. 

You’re trembling as you wait for the door to open. Finally, he opens the door. You gasp at the sight of him. His broad form makes you feel even tinier than you already did. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” he whispers before reaching for your hand. Despite the callouses, he’s gentle as he guides you inside. 

You swallow hard, “Y-you are?” 

“Of course, princess.” 

Your heart flutters at his sweet nickname. The castle is cold and dark. Does he expect you to live here with him? He guides you upstairs to the bedroom, and you’re surprised at the stark difference between this room and the rest of the castle. Little did you know, Dante had spent the day carefully preparing for your arrival. 

A warm fire steadily burns in the fireplace, and there’s a nice nest of blankets and pillows laid out. There’s a bottle of wine chilling and two glasses. You’re still taking it all in when he begins removing your cape and lays it down on a nearby chair. His cock twitches when he sees that pretty dress hugging your curves. His large hands cup your waist before pulling you closer. The purr that rumbles through his throat sends shivers down your spine. He leans in closer and takes in a deep breath. Your scent fills him with need. He can’t believe you’re really here in his arms. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he mutters softly. “I can’t believe you wore this just for me.” 

“I thought you’d want it because I’m your bride.” 

“I love it,” he kisses your cheek softly. “Come here, sweetheart.” 

He wraps his arm around your waist to lead you to the nest he put together for you. He sits down in the pile of pillows, and you try to sit with a little distance between you. Dante won’t have that at all. Now that you’re here with him, he needs to have you close. He pulls you in closer. 

“I won’t hurt you,” he purrs softly before kissing your cheek again. “I am at your mercy.” 

Your heart pounds at his words. It doesn’t exactly make sense to you after the display he put on this morning. The devil who showed up in the village square bears little resemblance to the gentle man you’re with now. He keeps pulling you closer until you’re perched on his lap. He feels absolutely intoxicated just from the smell of you. 

“You’re at my mercy?” you ask. 

“Yes,” his nose drags along the curve of your jawline before he places a soft kiss on your neck. “I need you. I’ve thought about this moment, having you here with me like this, for so long.” 

“Oh, Dante,” you relax in his arms. “I knew you weren’t cruel.” 

“I could never hurt you.” 

He cups your cheek gently and pulls you in for a soft kiss. You moan softly when his tongue drags against your bottom lip. It takes you a moment to realize he wants you to open your mouth, but finally, you catch on. You part your lips and his warm tongue pushes between them. Fireworks erupt in your stomach when his tongue gently rubs against yours. This feeling growing inside of you makes you squirm on his lap in an attempt to get some friction against your clothed cunt. Dante easily picks up on your eagerness, and he takes it as a cue to lay you down. Your fingers tangle in his soft hair as the two of you keep making out. You feel yourself becoming weaker and weaker to his tender affections. 

“Let me take this off,” he says quietly as he reaches around your back to unzip the dress carefully. He almost had it pulled down your shoulders when you grab it in an attempt to stop him. 

“W-wait,” you stutter. “I can’t-” 

For the first time, Dante looks angry. He sits up on his knees, and his large hand cups your cheek to force you to look at him again. There’s a fire burning in his eyes, “Aren’t you mine?” 

“Of course,” your bottom lip trembles slightly. “I’ve just never done this before. I’m scared, Dante.” 

His face relaxes as he leans down to kiss you once more. His kiss this time is gentle. Your noses rub against each other when he pulls away. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” his cock twitches in his pants. “That’s perfect. I’ll make you feel really good, yeah?” 

“Promise?” 

“I swear,” he kisses you again and again. “This is perfect, you’re perfect. All for me.” 

His eyes are soft with affection as he gently moves your hands so he can proceed with removing your wedding dress. A soft growl rumbles through his chest when he sees the pretty red lace lingerie you wore for him. His fingers trace the delicate patterns on your mound, and he doesn’t miss the dampness towards your core. The scent makes his head spin. 

“You have to trust me, sweetheart,” he tells you. “I need to hear you say it.” 

You swallow hard around the lump in your throat, “I trust you.” 

“Good girl. So good.” 

He kisses you softly before letting his lips trail along your jawline then down to your neck. His hands carefully knead and caress your hips, your thighs, and then finally your tits. The lace bra only seems to annoy him. He grunts before working to remove it, careful not to be too aggressive with you. Despite his earlier antics in the village, he doesn’t want you to be afraid. He knows he can win you over. It is hard to keep his devilish nature at bay when you smell and feel so wonderful, but he’ll fight as hard as he can. 

“So beautiful,” he mutters against your skin. His lips trail over the soft swell of your breasts as he kneads them. Your skin feels flushed as the arousal grows. Your fight to hold back your noises fails when his warm, wet mouth circles around your perked nipple. He swirls his tongue around the pink bud before sucking on it. He traces the shape of your areola before moving to give the other nipple the same treatment. 

You’re soaked and needy by the time he slots himself between your thighs. He removes your panties slowly, letting the tips of his fingers trail along your legs before tossing them aside. Your little pussy is exposed to him, and he can think of nothing else now. He lays on his stomach between your legs, spreading them when your shyness causes you to pull your thighs together. As soon as you’re wide open for him, your hand protects your modesty. Dante growls. 

“Don’t hide from me, sweetheart. I can’t make you feel good if you keep hiding,” he coaxes your hand away. “You said you trust me, remember?” 

“You don’t think it’s ugly?” you ask shyly, reliving the insecurity you’ve held since you were in your adolescence. 

“It’s beautiful,” he assures you before leaning down to place a kiss on your mound. “So beautiful.” 

Instinct takes over. He can’t take things slow when your soaking pussy is right there. He drags his tongue between your folds and he swears he’s never tasted anything sweeter than your arousal. It’s like the sweetest wine, warming him up and making his head spin. You cry out when he sucks on your swollen clit, and it’s just music to his ears. His grip on your thighs tightens as he holds them open, and Dante devours you. He laps eagerly like he’s starved, because he is. Ever since the first moment he laid his eyes on you, he’s been craving you. His small collection of items that held your scent were nothing compared to your taste and smell taking over his senses. He hardly notices you’re going to cum until you’re tugging on his hair. That white hot pleasure rips through your very being and your back arches against the floor. His name falls from your lips more desperately than any prayer you’ve ever said kneeling in front of his castle door. Your first taste of pleasure makes you ravenous for more. 

“Please,” you whine. “Please, please more.” 

Dante pulls away from your slick and smiles at you. Your juices dripping off his chin and the wild look in his eye makes him look every bit the devil he claims to be. 

“I’ll give you more, princess. So much more,” he promises. 

He gets up on his knees and eagerly tugs his clothes off. A small gasp leaves him when he feels your soft hands on his skin for the first time, trailing down his chiseled abdomen to reach for the buckle of his belt. If he’d known that just one taste of pleasure was all it would take to make you so weak for him, he would’ve gone down on you so much sooner. All of the talk when you arrived would’ve been skipped, and he would’ve been on his knees for you as soon as you walked through the door. Now, he knows and he’ll use this to his advantage. 

“Oh!” you gasp when you open his pants and his cock springs free. It’s bigger than you’d ever expected. The swollen, red tip leaks a luminescent fluid. Dante doesn’t have the strength to slow down to explain to you that being a devil means some things about him are different. No, he decides he’ll answer all of your questions later. Now he needs you. 

He pushes you back against the pillows and guides his cock to your hole. He’s already panting by the time the tip slips inside. Your hot, wet walls are squeezing around him. He pushes in a little more. At the same time he feels resistance, you whimper pitifully and press your hands against his stomach. 

“It hurts,” you whine. 

He goes still before leaning down to kiss you soothingly, “I know, baby. I know. Just a little more, okay?” 

“Dante,” you look up at him with tears stinging your eyes, “Is it gonna hurt the whole time?” 

“No, baby. I promise,” he kisses you again and starts rubbing your clit. “You need to relax for me. Please, baby.” 

You nod weakly, “I’ll try.” 

“You gotta,” he mutters. “Be a good girl for me.” 

“I promise.” 

Dante begins shallowly thrusting his hips again. Once your whines turn to soft moans, he pushes more of his length inside. You feel so full and stretched, but this warmth spreads over you. He keeps pushing until he bottomed out. He grunts and just feeling every inch of his cock squeezed by your walls makes his nerves light up with need. He holds you tight as he picks up a frantic pace. He’s trying his best not to go too hard, but fuck it’s nearly impossible with how good you feel. 

“Fuck,” he growls and nuzzles his face against your neck. “You feel so fucking good.” 

He struggles more and more with controlling his pace, and soon he loses the fight. His hips snap desperately as he clings to you. You feel overwhelmed with emotion and this new sensation taking over. Tears roll down your cheeks. One hand cradles his head and the other rests on his hip. 

“Dante, please,” you sniffle. “Please, slow down.” 

“I can’t,” he groans. “Need you so bad.” 

He lifts his head so he can look at you. The sight of your wide, teary eyes just makes him feel even more feral. He pulls you along with him as he sits up on his knees. Before you have a chance to say anything, his hands are on your hips guiding you to bounce on his cock in time with the snapping of his hips. You don’t even realize the only thing holding you up is him. Your knees barely even touch the ground. You feel something tightening inside of you like you’re going to explode. 

“Dante, it feels funny.” 

“Let go for me,” he pleads. “You’re gonna cum, baby. Don’t be scared, just cum on my cock please.” 

Your fingers dig into his shoulder blades as fireworks erupt in your belly. You cry out his name and your juices soak him as you ride out your high. With just a few more deep thrusts, Dante is right behind you. This warmth fills you up and he’s trembling. This is more than he’d ever hoped for. You truly are a dream come true for him. 

Once you've ridden out your highs, he gently lays you back down. Your face is flushed, and your eyes are dazed when they meet his. He’s scared now that you’ll hate him. Maybe you’ll feel disgusted about being bonded to a devil. He waits for the rejection. Instead, your hands reach out for him. 

“Hold me, please,” you whine. 

His heart erupts with affection. He can’t even think of the words to say to describe how happy he is right now. He lays beside you, and pulls you in so close. Soft kisses are peppered all over your face, making you giggle. It’s the most beautiful sound. 

“I love you,” Dante says before he even comprehends the words. 

“I love you too,” you confess quietly. “I’ve loved you since the night you saved me, and it was the strangest thing.” 

“I’ll take care of you, baby,” he says quietly. “Forever.” 

“Forever,” you repeat quietly and sink into his embrace.

Mermaids/Pirates AU Supporting Cast

Before I draw more Dinluke I wanted to draw some more Mandalorian show characters in the AU, because that’s rad.

[CONTEXT]

Part 1: https://swinging-through-the-stars.tumblr.com/post/658655107641229312/dinluke-mermaidpirate-au

Part 2 ish?: https://swinging-through-the-stars.tumblr.com/post/658699369007218688/merfolk-and-pirates-are-natural-enemies-oh-oh

Cobb Vanth as a cocky marshal of a small village, who found this mermaid armor one day and decided to wear it for extra protection. Din isn’t pleased, as one would expect.

Now here’s the REAL wearer of the armor, Boba Fett. He’s been stuck in the deep ocean trenches for a while, but he survived and made his way back near surface waters.

His partner in crime, Fennec Shand, is an expertly skilled fisher on land. She’s a bounty hunter like Din and is an expert at shooting things down with her array of harpoons.

Of course, there are more mermaids than Din once thought - Bo Katan and Koska Reeves. Bo leads a group called the Nite Sharks.

(There was a third guy but these two are more prominent in the series and I don’t know his name)

And lastly is an ex-pirate ally, Ahsoka Tano. An axolotl from the ocean, she is an expert on both land and sea (she also possesses the power to be able to walk on land easily). She no longer gets involved with matters of pirates, as she has bigger things to worry about.

(There’s always a bigger fish—I’m sorry)

also a fic/AU idea ive had for a while-

AU where Nya finds out their trans(ftm) because of being Samurai X. everyone referring to them as he and they, at first he couldn't tell it was the pronouns, they thought it were gay/les because a lot of girls simping for them, but after a little experimenting they figured out they prefer being more masc/androgynous plus he/they? or whatever works. idk been in my mind for a while.

I love Tales from the Gas Station because there's a primordial being of pain and suffering who's hate was so intense it caused the earth to form around it and it's now waiting to awake and plunge every living being into an eternity of suffering and also theres a gay cowboy in the bathroom.

Unlucky Months

 Marjan Marwani x fem!reader part I

Sum: Getting into life-threatening accidents seemed like something you would be an olympic champion at, but could something good come out of it?

Word count: 2k

Part II Part III

A/n: Some things may not be accurate because I’m not a professional firefighter and I swear I put much research into like finding out when firefighter shifts end but only got their schedules (aka how Long it takes to do a task) and I’m so sorry that it took so long

You had to be the unluckiest person in the world. In a matter of two months, you had gotten into not one, not two but four accidents. Two of them being car crashes(you drove at only one of them), one of them being your apartment building catching fire and last one being you getting trapped at an underground parking lot.

And every single time, the same firefighters came to your rescue.

“Hello Miss, I am- Y/n? You again? Wow,” you heard the familiar laughter of Marjan as you waited to be rescued from the rented car that had you knew full well had a giant piece of cement on it. No way, not them again. Your face flushed, your unluckiness was embarrassing.

Keep reading

after the war ends, Obi-Wan desperately wants to quit the Council, but Mace keeps rejecting his resignations

so Obi-Wan decides to take matters into his own hands: if he can’t resign formally, he’s going to get himself kicked off

he starts by showing up to Council meetings intoxicated, and wearing increasingly outrageous (and frequently revealing) clothing

when his own efforts fail to get any reaction out of Mace, he recruits outside assistance

he sends Anakin wearing a fake beard and mustache to attend as him (which has the side benefit of convincing Anakin that he never, ever, wants anything to do with the Council)

Cody attends wearing Obi-Wan’s clothes and lightsaber, but making no other attempt to disguise himself

Quinlan breaks in during a meeting, makes out with Obi-Wan for two minutes straight, then smashes through a window to make his daring escape

Ahsoka does her best Hondo impression and shows up to kidnap Obi-Wan in the middle of a session, with Rex and the Bad Batch (in their normal, full armor) as her dastardly pirate crew

and while certain members of the Council are outraged, Obi-Wan still can’t even get Mace to consider his resignation

of course, Mace isn’t going to tell Obi-Wan that his efforts have backfired: this is the most entertainment Mace has had in YEARS, he’s wasn’t letting Obi-Wan quit before he started this, and now at least half the reason is that he wants to see what Obi-Wan’ll try next

A Long List of Ninjago Headcanons For the Heart and Soul

Kai: - Can’t stop dabbing - Always warm or hot - Hair is naturally spiked - Swears all the time - Terrified of Christmas elves and gingerbread men (kinda cannon) - Hates getting in water because it messes up his hair (why he can’t swim) - THE BEST OLDER BROTHER IMAGINABLE - Like he always held Nya as a little kid and played with her 25/8 - Smells like a mix of cinnamon and a fireplace - When he gets angry steam comes up from his head - Sucks at giving advice - Kids hate him - Best subject is history - He’s obsessed with Hamilton and recites every line at some point or another - Is actually sweet af - Doesn’t know when to stop. Ever.

Jay: - Picks up pennies on the streets during every mission - Actually owns a fidget spinner - Gets yelled at every time he pulls it out - Smells like paint - His room is always a f***king mess - is thE MOST PRECIOUS BEAN THAT’S EVER LIVED - The shortest of everyone (except Nya) - It makes him so angry - DONT EVEN DOUBT FOR A SECOND HE HAS DIMPLES - Has the loudest, most obnoxious laugh - And once he starts, he can’t stop. - Lives for cuddles - Has to cuddle someone or something to go to sleep - Is literally allergic to everything - Like in elementary school he was the kid that ruined special treats for everyone because he had so many allergies (poor bean) - CAN HOLD A GRUDGE FOR ALL OF ETERNITY - Is the one that gets sick all the time - Best subject is math (especially algebra) - Loooves kids and wants a few when he gets older

Zane: - PRECIOUS - Has a name for every cooking utensil in the kitchen and treats them like people - Tries to treat them all equally - Is literally a pianist - Can basically play any piece without looking - Smells like metal (wonder why) and laundry detergent - A DANNY TANNER - Wins laser tag every time the ninja go play it - Always uses ‘Delicate Flower’ for his name - ‘Cause he loves dem flowers - Heck, the bean loves everything - Will sometimes randomly beep - Things get a little turnt on the bounty - Always comforts everyone when they need it - Best subject is everything - Is often nicknamed Tin man, Robocop, and Iron Man

Cole: - Is actually the best dancer on the face of the planet - Does soft shoe around the bounty - Also great at singing but is too self conscious to do it for anyone - Knows and can recite parts of every broadway musical - As a kid his father put him on a major diet for dancing and never let him have sweets (thus why he is so obsessed with cake and food period) - Loves the taste of cough drops - Smells like leather and french vanilla - Everyone loved him in school - Best subject is english (aye) - Can’t stand fidget spinners (aye) and tries to get rid of Jay’s every time he sees it - Everyone’s jealous of that perfect body of his - Wants a partner that will truly understand and respect him - The go-to for advice - Has swearing contests with Kai

Lloyd: - SOOO SWEEET - Never really ate too much as a kid - Loves soft things, so he owns a lot of soft clothing - Has trouble catching up in learning - Understands other people well and therefore knows how to treat them - Hates savory foods - Has headaches ALL THE TIME :,( - Smells like cotton candy - Shy at first but warms up really quick - Feet are always cold - So he wears socks. All. The. Time. - Has a lot of ‘friends’ that are girls but is too naive to realize they are all just crushing on him - Loves taking him some naps - When he’s not napping he’s probably training

Nya: - Usually tries to stay away from the guys because they’re so obnoxious - Can’t stand swearing - So she shuns Kai all the time - Is literally done with everyone’s crap 25/8 (girl same) - Very friendly and open to everyone but has trouble truly opening up to people - Is hesitant on cuddling but will if necessary - Obsessed with lipstick - Like owns every shade imaginable - Best subject is foreign language - Is easily triggered by rude people - Like she will separate herself from everyone when she’s upset - Never really cries because she thinks it makes her look weak - But when she does she will cuddle with Jay (aww)

💜Hope you all liked these! 💜 Like or reblog if I should do more!

by rights Obi-wan should have been able to talk Anakin down, when you think about it

original post: (x)

requested by @a-smiling-travesty​

Warnings: smut, mentions of DT, the sparda boys are in heat, fem!reader

The Sons of Sparda go into heat, and this how they deal with it.

Dante 

Dante in heat is something else. He literally can not keep his hands off of you. 

Even if you do manage to get a moment not pressed into his mattress (good luck lol) he’s following you around like a lost puppy. 

He’s so needy, and he tries so hard to be loving but sometimes he loses control. 

“You smell so damn good,” he whines as he pulls you close. His cock is rock hard as he presses against your ass. His face is buried in the crook of your neck and you’re very aware of him taking in greedy breaths to inhale your scent. You’d managed to talk your way into a brief reprieve so you could get something to eat, but Dante has been hot on your trail the whole time. His large, strong hands knead and grab at you every chance he gets. 

“Dante,” you sigh as your uneaten food stares at you from the counter. “Just one minute, please. I’ll inhale this, I swear.” 

Dante whines and presses closer to you. His hands soothe up your shirt and he’s kneading at your tits before you have a chance to stop him. He ruts against your ass again, a needy growl vibrates through his chest. 

“I’ll be fast too,” he chuckles. “Then, you can eat.” 

“You’re impossible,” you groan. 

You turn around in his arms, accepting his deal. Your food still sits on the counter hours later. 

Vergil

Vergil tries to hide that he’s in heat. It’s the one weakness he’s found to being a devil. 

He tries to play off the fact that he’s constantly in the same space as you as a coincidence. Hoping you don’t notice the way he’s trying his hardest to be as close to you as he can be. 

When he finally breaks down, he goes absolutely feral. 

Vergil is buried to the hilt. His cock is already throbbing, but he’s only just managed to bully his way inside of you. A soft curse falls from his lips and you have to think over his words to make sure that you heard him correctly. 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” you ask as your fingers brush through his now ruffled hair. He purrs from the touch, but is soon embarrassed by hiw own neediness. He nuzzles his face against the curve of your neck. 

“I didn’t want you to know how weak I am,” he whispers. “I needed you so badly.” 

Your fingers soothe through his hair again before running down his back. Vergil has never been easy to love. He has such difficult accepting your kindness. Deep down he lives in constant fear that you’re only with him out of pity. His breeding cycle would be just another burden you bear because of your determination to show him that life is worth living even if every waking moment isn’t dedicated to the pursuit of strength. 

“I’m here,” you whisper between soft kisses. “We can get through this together.” 

Vergil clings to you as he begins his frantic pace. 

Nero

Nero doesn’t even truly understand why his cock is stubbornly hard no matter how much he jerks himself off. 

All he can think about is filling you up with his seed. He even feels his skin prickle like he wants to trigger when he thinks about it. 

He begrudgingly calls Dante for advice when he starts to put together that this is connected to his heritage. 

    “Just a little more, baby,” he growls as he begins thrusting again. He’s lying and you both know it. He could keep you like this all night. You’re pinned against his mattress with your legs pushed to your chest. You’d barely had time to come down from the last round. Desperate whines leave you as your walls flutter around his cock. 

    “You’re doing so good,” he mutters as he kisses you softly. “Making me feel so good.” 

Your fingers tangle in his hair and your head falls back against the pillows. A layer of sweat coats your body from the heat eminating off his skin. You can’t remember how many times he’s made you cum at this point. The only hint is the growing wet spot on the sheets, well what remains of them. 

“I love you so much,” Nero groans as he keeps driving his cock into you at a dizzying pace.

Something Real - Soldier Boy x Reader

Summary: You had offered him the chance for something the two of you could build, something real, if he gave up the suit for good.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Female Reader

Warnings: angst, character death, implied violence, implied injuries, mentions of blood, mentions of terminal illness/treatments/effects, implied sex, Soldier Boy being himself at times, language (I guess?), tears, heartbreak - I think that pretty much covers everything

Word Count: 9434

A/N: Something I started writing back on Thanksgiving. I was hurting that day, needing heat to ease the pain, and I was working on something else for SB. This just popped into my head (the idea of "warm hands") so I ran with it. Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. I picked the name Violet because it's a bit of a reference to the other SB story I'm working on. Please let me know what you think (and please don't kill me).

<-->

“I forgot how warm your hands are.”

Ben could feel his devastation threatening to overwhelm him but he quickly forced it away. He had to be strong for you; no time to be a pussy.

As if you had heard his thoughts, you gave him a sad smile, your own eyes starting to blur with unshed tears that you were trying to hold back yourself, not wanting to make this worse for him than you already knew it would be. But then it suddenly hit you that life was indeed short; what did it matter if you let your feelings surrounding your current circumstances show? You had never held back before. Why would you start now? So you let your tears flow but you did your best to turn them into happy tears so whenever he thought back to this moment, he wouldn’t see how scared or sad you really were. You were determined for him to never know the true depths of your fear or despair in this moment.

Instead, you weakly lifted your hand and placed it against his cheek, watching as he briefly closed his eyes and leaned into your touch. His green gaze settled on you once more and you could have sworn you could see a slight shimmer there but in the next moment, it was gone, so you couldn’t be entirely sure. 

Both of you were having flashes of the same memories that your words brought to mind. 

<-->

You were both in bed, naked, you laying sprawled out over him, having just made love for the second time that evening. Ben always called it fucking but you refused to use that word to describe what the two of you did. Sure, he fucked you sometimes but things were more serious between you than you just being a bedwarmer of his or some random pussy for him to stick his dick into and get off as he’d crudely put it. 

They had been ever since you’d caught him by surprise one night after too much whiskey mixed with conversation and you kissed him ever so sweetly. He’d tried to turn it into something else — because he was who he was after all — but you wouldn’t let him. Something changed between you that night and an understanding began to form. If he wanted you, then he’d have to give up everything that wouldn’t allow him to keep you. That meant the women, the drugs, the bad behavior — all of it. You weren’t trying to change him, not at all, but you knew those things weren’t really the true make-up of who he was; it was a mere reflection of the suit and persona Vought encouraged, expected, and enforced. Ben made his own choices of course, but you knew he could do better, be better. And that’s who you wanted; that’s who you loved — the man that belonged with you, not the Supe that belonged to a greedy corporation and the world. But it would have to be up to him to make that final choice. You made that perfectly clear and told him to come to you when he was ready, ready for something real.

And sure enough, despite his keeping away for a while to prove a point, he eventually ended up on your doorstep that night three years ago, dressed in modern day clothing and cleaned up in all manners of the phrase. Ben was ready. He wanted you, he wanted real and most of all, he wanted it with you. 

You’d been together ever since and while things hadn’t been perfect, they’d been perfect enough for the both of you. So here you were, laid out in bliss, listening to his strong heartbeat underneath your ear as his hands glided up and down your bare back. You closed your eyes, smiling, and murmured, “I forgot how warm your hands are.”

Instead of answering you, he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead, letting his lips linger there, as he tightened his hold on you, pulling you closer into him. He held you like that for a little while until you could feel him stirring beneath you once more and his caresses turned more insistent before he rolled you onto your back, his kisses feverish as you both started your third round of lovemaking for the night. Supe stamina and all that.

<-->

You winced as you felt another sharp kick to your stomach. “Damn,” you muttered.

Ben’s eyes were immediately on you, worried. “What?”

“Nothing,” you tried to lie but another kick had you flinching. 

He laid down the wrench he had been battling the pipes with and wiped his hands with a rag before making his way over to you. “The kid kicking you again?”

A third kick had your face screwed up in a grimace as you nodded. His jaw tightened and he urged you down onto the sofa before joining you and holding you from behind. He lifted your shirt above your belly and you both watched in fascination as there was a slight movement to it right before you hissed in pain and bit your lip to keep from crying out. Ben lowered his hands and began to rub your skin soothingly. The pain eased and like always, your baby started to settle down, something it did whenever it sensed its father’s strong presence. You assumed it was a Supe thing, since your kid would have half of those V-mutated genes, and you refused to let that worry you in the slightest. There was no guarantee your child would have superpowers like its dad though you wouldn’t be surprised if it inherited his strength if these painful kicks were anything to go by. Either way, you’d cross that superpower bridge if and when you came to it. 

You let out a breath of relief and closed your eyes, leaning your head back against Ben’s shoulder. “I seriously forgot how warm your hands are,” you whispered, enjoying how the warmth both settled your child and you at the same time.

“Don’t know how,” he murmured into your ear. “I hardly ever take them off you.”

You smiled wider at his teasing and wrapped your hands around one of his arms, humming your contentment. After a moment, you opened your eyes to find him watching you with an affectionate smirk. You lifted up and gently kissed him. “I love you.”

His smirk melted into a smile and he leaned down to kiss you one more time. “Back at you, doll.”

And almost as if your child wanted a say, to agree with the sentiments exchanged between both parents, it kicked against Ben’s hand albeit more gently this time, not causing any pain.

<-->

You grinned as you watched Ben teach your daughter, Violet, how to make a snowman. Which really meant he was making it for her. She had her father completely wrapped around her little finger. If there was anything that could bring Soldier Boy to his knees, it was his little girl. The strongest Supe in the world was at the mercy of the whims of your six year old.

You both had been surprised when the child you’d both eagerly been anticipating turned out to be a girl. You were excited — you’d always wanted a little girl. Ben — you weren’t sure how he would react. His heart had been set on a boy and while you could see a faint layer of disappointment shadowing his expression when you heard the doctor’s announcement, the moment he and your newborn daughter locked eyes, he was hers. It turned out you had nothing to worry about, on any counts.

He had promised you he would be better than his father and thus far he’d lived up to that promise. While you both had discussed extensively what type of parenting style you’d be implementing, you weren’t sure what would happen when the tough days of parenthood would hit. And while he had come a long way from his antiquated mindset (which had been beyond painful for the both of you back in the early days of you moving in together), you wanted to make sure that none of that would ever touch your child, literally and figuratively. But it turned out, you really had nothing to worry about. There were only a few instances that you had to gently remind him that it wasn’t the 1940’s anymore and each time he’d apologized, and set about making it right however he could.

Ben pleasantly surprised you in being there for all of the night time feedings, being willing to change a diaper after you’d eventually forced the issue and he found out that it wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it out to be, and taking her from you so you could sleep, shower, or get some time for yourself when he realized he wouldn’t break her. Her tiny form made him nervous and all the more careful. He held her hand when she started walking, read to her at bedtime (even though he secretly told you later there was a lot of pussy bullshit stories the world had available for kids these days), and beamed when one night she’d sleepily hugged him and whispered that Daddy was her hero after a particular conversation they’d had about a story he was reading, when she asked why the main character was going to fight the dragon. “Because he’s the hero, sweetness, and heroes fight the monsters.” You’d found him later standing at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep, an expression of sadness mixed with realization in his face. 

You’d wrapped yourself around his arm, hugging him, as you joined him in his study of your daughter. “You okay?” You whispered after a moment.

He looked unsure how to answer you so you gave him a little time to think of what he wanted to say, smiling as you noticed your daughter’s quiet breathing, her little lips curled up in the cutest pout as she dreamed — of what you had no idea but you hoped it was warm and wonderful and everything she could possibly want in her four and a half years of life.

“She said I was her hero,” Ben admitted quietly.

You turned to glance up at him and caught the furrow of his brows. 

“I’m not really a hero, though.” He pressed his lips together. “Not with the things I’ve done.”

You slipped your hand into his, intertwining your fingers, and squeezed. “Then be one.”

His eyes snapped over to you in question.

You gently framed his face with your hands, forcing him to look at you. “Ever since you decided you wanted something different from what you had before, you have made better decisions every single day. Who you were back then, Ben…that’s not who you are now. So if you want to be a hero,” You briefly glanced at your sleeping daughter. “Her hero, then be one.” 

Ben contemplated your words as you released him and his eyes drifted over the child that had somehow carved herself into his heart in a way that the fucked-up Homelander or the idea of any kid of his that possibly existed out there never had. He was already trying every single day to be better, for her, for you, for himself — and it was something he would keep doing.

“But just so you know,” you whispered to him. “No matter if you wear the suit or you’re just plain ol’ Daddy who reads her stories and threatens the monsters in her closet before she goes to bed each night, you’re already going to be her hero.” You gave him a soft smile and watched as your words played out upon his face. His lips lifted up slightly in the corners and he ran his tender glance over his little girl. It surprised you though when he then turned that smile and gaze onto you.

He marveled at just how simple you made it all sound sometimes. Not that you hadn’t acknowledged his effort or the strides he’d made in attempting to be a better father than his old man — a better man period — but he secretly admired when you gave it to him straight, no bullshit, no matter the subject. And while he wanted his daughter to always see him as the hero she called him earlier, he was grateful that you made sure to make such a distinction in your words: he didn’t have to put the suit back on to be his little girl’s hero. That’s not who she saw him as anyway. She saw him as her hero because he was her dad — and that was enough for her. 

There were times like this where he’d remember exactly why he chose to give everything up for you, why he chose you. You’d seen past the suit, past his public persona, saw all of the good and even more of the bad, and yet you still chose him first, still loved him, and still gave him the family he’d been craving even if it wasn’t how he’d imagined it for years on end. You gave him exactly what you’d promised if he chose you back: something real. And Christ did he love you for it.

Ben had never been very good at saying the three words that seemed to take no effort whatsoever to roll off your tongue every single day, even when it came to your daughter. While he might have had no issue speaking his mind back in the day, when it came to the two important things in his life, he struggled to put into words exactly how he felt about you two or to return the sentiment because it was unfathomable to him. He had never known that he could feel the love he did as a husband, a true partner, never mind as a parent. You both were his world and he wasn’t sure how he’d function without either of you in it. Hell, he wasn’t even sure how he functioned before either of you came along though a small dark part of him knew the answer to that: booze, drugs, sex, violence, and enjoying the Supe high life all combined. But right now, he was feeling that overwhelming feeling again that he hesitated to put a name to but deep down knew what it was. However, instead of just being able to say it, just once, he did the second best thing like he did every time you made him feel like this: he showed you.

He took your hand in his, squeezing, and glanced once more at Violet. Noting again that she was sleeping soundly, he then turned his attention onto you and led you from the room. Once her door was shut, he was on you, his kisses passionate and insistent yet desperate, his hands hungrily trailing your body, before he picked you up and walked you down the hall to your bedroom. 

So watching him now making the snowman your daughter wanted — old hat, scarf, pipe, and all — you were amused but also couldn’t be prouder. Ben had heard you that night and he had chosen to be the hero his little girl wanted him to be: her dad while also being a good man and someone she could be proud of. It didn’t erase his past but it was just another step in the right direction towards his future. The suit was still hidden away in a closet but he hadn’t pulled it out for which you were also immensely grateful. Vought International and The Seven had been annihilated years ago at the same time Homelander had been killed. Supes had scattered across the globe, now not being run by one single entity anymore. Some had world governments after them for crimes they had committed previously and were still committing to this day. Compound V as well as Temp V had now unfortunately hit the streets so random fresh Supes were turning up everywhere. The world certainly had its hands full when it came to the whole Supe thing. Maybe it was incredibly selfish of you but you were relieved when Ben chose to stay out of the fray and instead concentrate on living the life he’d chosen to live with you and focus on your family.

Your grin grew when your daughter excitedly hurried over to you. “Mama, mama! Did you see the snowman Daddy made?”

“I did, kiddo. He looks great.” You arched a brow over at the snowman though when you noticed something. “Well, just a tiny bit lopsided, but that’s okay. It gives him character.”

Ben huffed, appearing next to you. “I don’t make lopsided snowmen.” He then turned to Violet. “Your mother needs to have her eyes checked.”

“Hey,” you cried out indignantly. “Who are you telling to get their eyes checked, old man? Considering it’s a lop-sided snowman, I say you should get yours checked.”

Ben flashed his teeth in a grin. “My eyes are perfect, like everything else about me.” You couldn’t help your eye roll though in your estimation, he wasn’t too far off the mark. Never aging thanks to Compound V would do that to someone you guessed. You tried not to be too envious when you remembered back to the few gray hairs you’d managed to find coming from your scalp a few weeks back. 

Violet was giggling watching the two of you and you couldn’t help but join in her merriment. “Sure,” you teased. “So instead of Frosty the Snowman, we’ll call him Skewy the Off-Balance Snowman?”

Ben sent you a mock glare and you shrugged, smiling, making your daughter laugh again. He handed an old ratty coat to her. “Vi, why don’t you put on the finishing touches so your mom can stop being a critic and finally appreciate our hard work?” 

“What? I am appreciating it. I even appreciate that you have to tilt your head a bit to see it straight. Off-kilter is all the rage now, I get it. See? I’m appreciating it.”

Your daughter grinned and took the proffered coat before rushing back over to the snowman.

Hands suddenly on your hips whipped you around and Ben was on you before you could utter another word. He kissed you hard and you swore you could see stars when he finally pulled back, letting you catch your breath. He smirked down at you, muttering “Pain in the ass” good-humoredly, before you both caught movement out of the corner of your eye. You both glanced over in time to see your daughter leap gracefully into the air to toss the coat onto the tall snowman. Ben’s smile was proud and you watched in awe as she landed lithely back down on the ground. As you had wondered often enough when pregnant with her, your daughter had inherited some Supe DNA from her father after all. Something you and Ben both worked hard with her to keep tamped down when in the presence of other children and especially their parents. Your life was blissfully lowkey, normal (as normal as it could be with two Supes in the house), and safe — you and Ben both wanted to keep it that way and you both especially wanted to make sure your daughter’s life continued in that fashion as well. You didn’t want your daughter to be ashamed of her special abilities and Ben was able to teach her restraint, something he had to teach himself long before she was born. 

Ben watched as she used her strength to shift the snowman a little to the left so it would indeed be a little straighter. He rolled his eyes at your triumphant smirk but his smile never left as he cupped your face between his hands. “There. Happy?”

“More than you know,” you answered honestly. His smile faded slightly when he realized you meant more than the adjustment to his recent snow creation. You saw an all-too familiar internal struggle play out in his eyes that you had seen often enough over the years, especially lately. When he was making love to you; when he quietly watched you and your daughter working on her homework together; when he found you in the kitchen late at night when you couldn’t sleep and without speaking you’d turn on a slow song from his era and hold out an expectant hand to him; when you wrapped your arms around him from behind in a hug and snuck in underneath his arm as both of you observed Violet playing out in the yard with the dog she’d managed to convince you both to get — you knew what that struggle was and while it might have bothered another spouse that he never properly vocalized his feelings, you more than understood. How could you not after you knew how Ben had grown up, what he’d been taught? He’d made tons of strides over the years to undo all of that programming, but this…this was the hardest for him, and you knew why. So you didn’t push and instead willingly took what he gave you, knowing he was doing the best he could to show you how he felt instead.

You pushed yourself up on your toes and kissed him. “I love you, too,” you whispered, letting him know it was okay; you knew. You felt his thumb glide along your bottom lip as he studied you intently, and you could feel the heat radiating on the sides of your face. “I always forget how warm your hands are.”

He gave you a suggestive smirk. “You better not have forgotten how warm the rest of me is.”

“Might need a reminder,” you murmured, leaning into him.

His smirk widened. “Then you’ll get one.” He kissed you and before you could get too carried away, the sounds of your daughter giggling and calling “Daddy” had you both pulling apart. “Later,” he promised, pecking your lips one last time before looking over at Violet and the snowman whose apparel had changed to wearing her coat and hat instead. 

Ben gave her an indulgent smile. “What’d you do, Princess?” Violet giggled again and her father shook his head as he headed over to her. You watched as he picked her up, tickling her and making her squeal in laughter, and you smiled. Life really didn’t get much better than this.

You laughed yourself when Violet tried to tickle Ben back. 

Not by a long shot. 

<-->

You gave your husband a tired smile when he walked into the room.

“Did she get to school okay?” You asked.

He nodded and removed his coat, hanging it up on the empty hook on the wall.

“And you gave her the envelope I left on the table, right? The one that had her pictures and money for the yearbook?”

“Yeah,” he gruffed out, taking the empty seat next to you and ignoring the curious stares directed his way. Ben was huge and even though he hadn’t been recognized in years, his hulking stature still attracted inquisitive gazes every now and then.

“Good. Thank you for doing that.”

He took your free hand and frowned when you involuntarily shivered. 

Your smile was immediately apologetic. “I always forget how warm your hands are.” You gently gestured to your head where a cold cap sat. “This is freezing so with your hands, it felt like I stuck mine over a fire for a second.”

His frown intensified but he let your hand go. 

“No, no, it’s fine.” You grabbed at his fingers and intertwined them with yours once again. “I like warm.” You then tried to give him a flirtatious smile. “You know that.”

His responding smile was more of a grimace but he kept his hand in yours. “There anything you need?”

You noticed that once again, he was hardly making eye contact with you while you were receiving treatment. You hated it when he did that though you understood. He hated to see you like this, knowing there was nothing he could do to help you. Correction, nothing you would let him do that is.

You’d found a lump in your breast during a self-exam and you’d gotten it checked out right away. More examinations and tests later, it was confirmed: you had cancer. Thankfully, it was not the aggressive kind but your doctor wanted to go after the tumor just as if it was anyway. Your daughter was only in high school; of course, you agreed to whatever plan the doctor suggested. So now here you were, getting chemo after a successful removal of the tumor. 

Ben and Violet had been worried but you assured them that you would be fine, even if you didn’t know that to be true. Ben kept it together in front of your daughter, but once she had gone to bed, you could tell that even though he wouldn’t admit it, he was scared shitless. He knew what cancer meant like everyone else but he didn’t understand the mechanics of the treatments you would be receiving or the rates of survival depending on the ability to remove the tumor and keeping it from spreading versus the percentage rate of success of said surgery and treatments. He asked you question after question after question which you tried your best to answer while trying to keep from falling apart yourself. Eventually, he got frustrated and assured you he would get a hold of some Compound V. Though the government was still currently fighting the sale of the drug on the black market, they had to have some locked away for evidence or testing or they were just simply hoarding it. And if that didn’t work, he planned to track some down and get you a vial. Even if it was only Temp V. 

You were horrified at this suggestion. “Ben, no. I’m not taking that stuff!”

“Why? It’ll make you healthy! It’ll get rid of this fucking cancer! Why wouldn’t you take it?”

“I can think of several reasons. If you break in somewhere to steal it, you can get caught and thrown into some max security prison or CIA black op site that I’ll never be able to get to, never mind being able to find, where they’ll keep you locked down with that gas! Or if you get it off of the street or from the black market, you have no idea if it’s been tampered with or if they’ve laced it with anything else. Temp V is completely out of the question, from a legit source or not. Not to mention, we don’t even know if this would work. It might not heal me or it could even kill me instead. That’s why!”

“You don’t know that,” he insisted. 

“I don’t care. I’m not doing it, Ben.”

His eyes were darker than usual and he looked as if he was about to say something that you probably would both end up regretting. And sure enough, he did. “You’re fucking taking it and that’s it.”

“Excuse me?” You hissed. “This is my life we’re talking about. My life, my decision!”

“We are your life, goddammit!” He roared. Your eyes began to burn as you held back tears and he noticed the familiar sheen in them. When he spoke next, his tone was a bit quieter but no less firm. “So, it’s our decision. You’re taking it and that’s final.”

He had stormed out of the house after that and you had burst into tears. You knew he could hear you but he didn’t come back. You’d cried out all of the fear and anguish and despair you’d felt since receiving your diagnosis. 

It was only later that night when Ben crawled into bed, his arms wrapping around you and pulling you into his body, that he whispered an apology into your ear. You squeezed his forearm, letting him know you’d forgiven him. 

“If I can get a hold of some, will you please take it?” He begged.

You thought it over for a moment, weighed the risks heavily against the rewards that it could yield, and then shook your head. “No. It’s too risky. It could kill me, Ben. At least with the surgery and chemo, I have better odds.”

“What if I gave you some of my blood?” You heard his voice break near the end of his question and that shocked you. The entire time you’d known the man, he had never once cried. Not in front of you, at least. 

You slowly turned in his arms and while you didn’t see any tears, you saw the shimmer in his green eyes along with pure, unadulterated fear that you’d only seen rare glimpses of over the years: during your pregnancy; the birth; when Violet was a baby and he held her small body in his too big arms, afraid he might break her; when you’d gotten into that car accident on the way to Vi’s dance recital that left you with a few scrapes and bruises; the one time a new Supe in the making claimed to the media that he didn’t believe the death rumors and he was hunting Soldier Boy down in order to prove himself as the strongest Supe which ended up with Ben relocating your family to somewhere even more lowkey (you’d had to talk him out of going to find that damn kid and teaching him a lesson). But now, here it was, naked and laid out plain for you to see. You’d been right; he was scared shitless. 

You ran your fingers soothingly through his hair and he briefly turned to kiss your wrist. “We have two different blood types. It wouldn’t work.”

“I could find a scientist that’ll make it work. With all of these watered-down Supes running around, you can’t tell me there isn’t another Vogelbaum out there somewhere studying them. I could nab him and make him help us.”

You gave him a sad smile. “It doesn’t work like that. This isn’t something that can be fixed by some mad scientist or some miracle superhero-making drug.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Ben,” you pleaded. “Please…” 

He laid a hand against your face and stared into your eyes. “I don’t want to lose you.” You heard the breaks in his voice again. 

A tear slipped down your cheek and he gently wiped it away with his thumb. “One day, you’re going to. Whether it’s now or later, it’s inevitable.”

You could see how hard that hit him, even though you both had known this truth for some time. This wasn’t the first time he’d brought up the possibility of you taking Compound V in your relationship and it wasn’t the first time you’d refused. 

He wanted to keep you with him, always. You didn’t want to live forever and once Violet came along, you definitely didn’t want to outlive your daughter. And that was only if the drug was successful and didn’t outright kill you. Not to mention, even if it was successful, who was to say that it would work for you the same way it worked for Ben? Perhaps you could still easily be killed or you would still age. Perhaps your abilities would be completely different to his. He’d offered to get you some Temp V to preview what it would do, but after what you’d seen happen to Billy Butcher from taking that stuff, you refused.

Now, having cancer, as much as that terrified you, you still didn’t want to risk it. The doctors knew you wanted to see your daughter graduate high school. That was enough for you, for now.

You’d watched as Ben compulsively swallowed and pulled you up to meet him. He kissed you and you could feel the desperation, this time layered by a whole new level of it. He’d made love to you that night, the most tender in his touches and movements since the accident. He took his time with you and even though fear clung thickly to both of you, by the end, you felt loved and cherished and warm.

Such a contrast to how you were feeling now. You let out another involuntary shiver and Ben frowned over at you. By now, he would have picked you up and deposited you on his lap, wrapping you in his embrace to warm you up. But he couldn’t due to the goddamn machine and tubing you were connected to. So instead, he got up and laid another blanket over you, leaning in to murmur into your ear, “When we get home, I’ll warm you up.”

He pulled back with a wicked smirk and you gave him a grateful smile before he returned to his seat. You knew he only meant that he would hold you until you warmed up or until he had to pick up your daughter. You were much too tired for anything else, especially after each treatment, something you hated but it couldn’t be helped. You missed being intimate with him, you missed having the energy to do your usual flurry of picking up after your family around the house, you missed being the one to take Violet to school every morning — you missed it all. You lived your life as normally as possible but the tiredness, the lack of energy, the sickness, the effects this drug had on your system…sometimes it was beyond frustrating and that was putting it nicely. But Ben and Vi had been there through it all, ready to help and step in wherever needed. Violet did her chores like always but she also helped her dad whenever he would allow her to. And Ben…well, he had really stepped up. There were zero complaints that men shouldn’t be doing the laundry or the cooking (something that had been a leftover contention point from the early days of your relationship). He did his best to help Vi with her schoolwork if she had any questions and you were napping. He did the picking up around the house now and he took care of you when you got sick, his nose no longer scrunching up at the smell of vomit (something you had noticed when you had morning sickness and he sat with you, rubbing your back; he later explained to you just how sharp his sense of smell was). He did everything you asked him to and even things you didn’t. He had been a pillar of strength and support that you hadn’t even known you’d needed in the beginning.  

When he took your hand again, you carefully lifted his and kissed the back of it. “I love you,” you whispered, smiling as you nuzzled his warm skin.

He watched you, a familiar struggle taking place inside of him as a tell-tale shimmer started in his eyes that he didn’t want you to see. By the time you opened yours and looked over at him, the shimmer was gone and a tender smile was in place. “Back at you, dollface.” He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, staying like that a bit longer than he usually would have. You thought he was telling you what he still couldn’t put into words and he was. But he was also doing his best to warm you up. He’d felt the cold when you’d kissed his hand and rubbed your lips against it. Cold wasn’t something he felt easily so if he felt it, then he knew just how cold you really were. He hated these treatments, how sick they made you, how cold those damn caps made you (at this point, he didn’t care if you lost your hair, it wouldn’t change how he felt about you and he just wanted you warm and alive), he hated that there wasn’t anything he could to make you better — he hated it all. He meant what he’d said to you, when he got you home, he was going to strip you both down and hold you under the thickest, biggest blanket he could find in your house until it was time to pick up Vi from soccer practice. Warming you up, now that was something he could do. Which is exactly why he made sure to keep his lips connected to yours until the ice cold feeling disappeared and some color came back into them. He stared into your eyes, making you a silent promise that he would always chase the cold away and he would keep you here with him, warm, for as long as he could.

You smiled and leaned in to kiss him again, not caring in the least that you might have an audience with other patients and their family members or nurses. You loved Ben with everything you had; you didn’t care who knew it or even saw it.

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“Oh, come on!”

You could hear Ben’s chuckle from the other room and you smiled.

“You cheated!”

“No, I didn’t,” Ben insisted, sounding offended.

“Yes, you did! Dad, admit it!”

“Oh and you didn’t? Those bombs came out of nowhere, right?”

You heard your daughter groan. “It’s battle mode, Dad. You’re supposed to battle it out!”

“We did and I won.” You could practically see the triumphant smile on your husband’s face.

“Yeah, by cheating. What do you think, Rose?”

You could hear the poor girl practically stuttering out her response, trying not to offend either party. “Uh, I think it was…pretty fair…”

“What?” Violet yelled. “You call what he did fair?”

“Y-Yes?”

Ben let out another chuckle. “I knew I liked you, kid.”

You shook your head, smiling to yourself. The two most competitive members of your family had decided to play a video game while you were cooking to help pass the time. Vi had offered to help but you shooed her away since she had brought a friend home with her for the holiday. Ben had looked over at you expectantly, wondering what you would ask him to do, but you’d simply put a beer in his hand and sent him off to entertain the girls. He’d tried to hide his relief as he made his escape but you saw right through him. Thankfully, he didn’t see your own relief. You loved that Ben would do whatever you asked of him when it came to the kitchen, but sometimes he had his own way of doing things (from the time you’d been sick) and it clashed with yours. So, for a meal this large, as much as you loved him, you’d prefer for him to be out of the way. While it was a lot of work, your time to yourself in here was peaceful and you were amused at the bickering you overheard between Ben and Vi. Video games, board games, puzzles — it didn’t matter. If they were involved, there was bound to be claims of cheating by one of them or both, and massive competitive drives. You’d learned long ago to let them battle it out while you would be happy to be in 3rd place in Mario Kart or own St. Charles Place and maybe a railroad during a round of Monopoly. Most of all, though, you loved spending time with your two favorite people in the world, whether they were bickering over a game or competing against each other for a pixelated trophy on the television screen.

You heard voices start to rise slightly, Violet’s in particular. Someone else might have been nervous, especially for the young girl who was your guest, considering two Supes were locking horns, but you weren’t worried. Vi was now in college and thankfully, you’d been in remission for a couple of years. If your family had managed to survive that, you knew they’d overcome any argument over something as silly as who won a race between a plumber and a mushroom man. 

But just in case, you called out, “Guys, remember it’s just a game, please. We have a guest.” 

Sure enough, Violet lowered her voice but you could still hear her accusing her father who scoffed his denials. You rolled your eyes in amusement. 

It wasn’t long before you felt strong arms wrap around you from behind, and lips pressed against your neck. “And the victor returns,” you murmured, smiling and leaning back into him. 

“Mm-hmm,” Ben hummed against your skin. “He wants his spoils.” You felt him attempting to lift the hem of your dress and you slapped his hands away.

“Ben,” you hissed. “Not right now with our daughter and her friend in the next room.”

He didn’t let you deter him; he was determined. “Then let’s go upstairs while this bird cooks. The kids can entertain themselves for a few minutes.”

“A few minutes?” You teased. “You mean like this morning?”

Ben had sweet talked you into sneaking out to the garage after you set everything up and put the turkey in the oven. He’d had you up against the hood of your car, his hand covering your mouth as he went to town on you, both of you in a hurry because he’d heard your daughter starting to wake up on the floor above you. 

Instead of being insulted or rolling his eyes and glaring over at you, a dirty smirk settled onto his face. “Mmm, that was hot. You were hot. So hot I want to lift this dress up and do that thing with my—”

A loud throat clearing coming from the other room had you both straightening up. Right. Your daughter shared super senses with her father. Whoops. “Uh, Mom? Is dinner ready yet?”

“Uh.” You quietly cleared your throat yourself as you moved away from Ben, making him frown. “Not for another two hours or so.” You had just checked the turkey before you’d been interrupted. 

“Okay, well, Rose and I are going to go walk outside for a bit. We’ll be back.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Be careful and make sure to take your coats. It’s cold out,” you warned.

Violet laughed. “Yes, Mom.”

She must have said something too quiet for you to hear because Ben suddenly went rigid. “Listen to your mother,” he added for good measure.

Another laugh. “Sure, Dad.”

You continued prepping dinner and once you heard the front door shut, Ben was on you. “Ben,” you laughed. “I don’t have time!”

He picked you up and moved you to the one area of counter space that wasn’t covered. “Yeah, you do. There’s always time for a quickie.”

“A quickie? Another one of Ben’s infamous life rules?”

He lifted the skirt of your dress over your thighs and quickly worked your underwear down your legs. “Another one of my infamous life rules with you.” You and Ben were used to having the house to yourselves so anywhere, anytime had become a sort of routine you two had. You missed Violet tremendously but you also had time to physically reconnect with your husband.

Almost as if he heard the direction your thoughts were going in, he framed your face with his hands. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. 

You gave him a grateful smile. The truth was, while you were grateful to be in remission and for more time with your family, you had worried about the toll chemo had taken on your body as well as your sex drive. The doctor assured you that while it would take time, there was a good chance you would start to feel normal again. Ben had been understanding but you had been frustrated. However, the doctor was right; it took a while but you started to feel back to normal, libido included. 

Luckily, you hadn’t lost a lot of your hair, the cold caps having helped, and once the treatments were over, whatever was gone did indeed grow back. Unfortunately, a lot of gray hair also came with it. You’d wanted to dye it back to your original color but Ben urged you not to. “You look fucking sexy as hell with it,” he’d murmured before you watched him nibble on your ear in the bathroom mirror. You knew his preference for older women, something you knew before you’d even gotten together, walking into the bar you’d found him in and seeing him making out with a grandma one time. So you knew your aging wasn’t an issue; he’d told you often enough that he didn’t care how old you got, he only wanted you. That was why he had wanted you to take Compound V, far before your diagnosis, because he wanted to be with you forever, or as long as forever would be given your actual life span and his. But you were still struggling with all of the changes your body had gone through in the last couple of years and you’d broken down into sobs, letting your face fall into your hands. He’d held you and whispered reassurances into your ear that everything was going to be okay. 

And thankfully, he had been right. It had all turned out to be okay. You’d gotten to see Violet graduate, you’d gotten to go on campus tours with her as she decided on a college, you got to drive up with her and Ben to move her into her dorm room, you’d gotten to spend more time with your husband who loved you deeply — you’d gotten more time period.

And here you were, able to cook a full Thanksgiving dinner for your family on your own, and all three of you were thriving. Most people would be stating what they were thankful for on this day but you — the gratitude you felt overwhelmed you and it was something that couldn’t be put into words. You had a beautiful life, a wonderful life, a daughter just as beautiful and wonderful, and you were thankful for the man who had given it to you. Who had laid down his shield (and everything that came with it) and chosen to make this life with you.

You stared into his green eyes, seeing a certain amount of reverence mixed with affection watching you back. You felt his skin warm against yours, reminding you of all of the days and nights he spent trying to keep you warm during and after your treatments, and you smiled. “Your hands are so warm,” you whispered the familiar words. “I always forget how warm they are.”

And as expected, he grinned and responded with, “Not sure how, dollface. I never take them off of you.” He ran a thumb tenderly along your bottom lip. “And I never will.”

He kissed you then and you couldn’t help the tear that escaped and rolled down your cheek. The quickie ended up being not so quick. The turkey was a little drier than you liked but your family ate it all the same while Rose politely complimented you. Violet gave you a nod, smiling, missing her father unapologetically smirking over at you while shoveling forkfuls into his mouth. You gave him a look when your daughter glanced back down to her plate and he chortled before digging in again. You gazed around the table, smiling, content as could be. Gratitude. Thankful. Those were the two words that repeated themselves over and over in your head as you watched your family eat the food you’d cooked for them, even when Violet insisted that Ben had still cheated in Mario Kart, her father told her to let it go, and both agreed to a rematch right after dinner. 

This is what you’d wanted back when you gave Ben your ultimatum, but never in a million years did you think you’d actually get to have it. Thankful indeed.     

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Being awash in these memories, you failed to notice that a tear was making its way down Ben’s cheek until it fell near your hairline when he leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. You didn’t really feel anything that wasn’t pain or cold, except for him. Even his tears were warm. So warm.

“Not sure how, baby,” he answered you, smiling, his eyes wet. “I always have them on you.”

You couldn’t help but smile in return at your familiar exchange. That smile fell, though, when you heard what he said next.

“I’m gonna get him. I promise you that.”

You could see the faint edges of Soldier Boy peeking through as you saw your husband’s green eyes harden in an all-too familiar fashion. You slowly shook your head, even that tiny movement causing you pain. “I don’t want that. I want you and Vi to be safe.”

He looked as if he wanted to argue but thought better of it. Instead, his eyes softened once more and he gave you a nod. “Okay, baby.”

You and Ben had been walking through town, buying last minute Christmas presents. Ben wanted to order them online and avoid the crowds, but you wanted to take a walk, breathing in the fresh air and be imbued with the Christmas spirit that permeated the town. Ben had begrudgingly indulged you and you enjoyed yourself as you bought gifts for Violet, her fiancee, and you even managed to sneak one for Ben when you’d sent him to ask the guy manning the stand in the outdoor market for a price on an item. The woman from the stand next door had just bagged your gift when you noticed a young man walking through the market, commanding everyone’s attention. He had a suit on with a cape so it was obvious he was a Supe and he was looking for something or someone. His eyes flickered in Ben’s direction, who had his back to him, and a dangerous smile formed on his face. Within seconds, you recognized him. He was the Supe you had seen on TV a few years back, though he’d been wearing a different suit then and he wasn’t nearly as bulked up as he was now. He was the one who had been saying he would hunt Soldier Boy down to kill him. You quickly glanced back at Ben who was completely unaware, involved in the discussion he was having with the older man. You saw the Supe’s eyes begin to glow and you knew what would happen before it did. 

You dropped everything in your hands and ran as fast as you could towards Ben, yelling his name. He glanced up at you, his brows furrowed, and he tensed seeing your expression. It was mere moments that passed before you were in front of him and you felt a lava-hot feeling erupting from your insides, making you scream. 

You fell to the ground and you watched as Ben went to catch you but was forced to let you fall when he looked up to see more lasers coming his way. He moved out of the way just in time. As you lay, unable to move, hearing some of the sounds of battle all around you and people screaming and stampeding out of the market while your ears were still ringing, you prayed to whoever was listening that your husband won and that he and your daughter would be safe. 

It wasn’t until you heard something that sounded like a jet taking off into the sky and saw Ben’s boots come to a stop in front of you that you realized he had survived. You nearly cried at the sight of those worn work boots that you kept urging him to replace. He managed to roll you over though you cried out in pain as he did and he settled you onto his lap, his eyes wide as he took in your injuries. Not only could you feel how bad it was, but you could also see it on his face. It was a miracle you were somehow still alive, able to talk even, but you didn’t have long. You didn’t need to be a doctor to know that the rapidly-spreading cold wasn’t a good thing. Your hands and arms were practically numb at this point. And you thought cancer would be the one you’d have to worry about showing up.

“Make sure you take care of Vi. She’s going to need you,” you urged him.

He gave you another nod. “You know I will.”

“And don’t let that asshole find her.”

His jaw tightened and his eyes hardened again. “He won’t.” You knew what that meant but not having much energy left, you could only hope that when he thought back to this moment, he remembered what you had told him you wanted. 

It worried you a little when he picked up your hand and kissed your palm that not only could you not feel it, but your hand looked the palest you’d ever seen it, even during chemo. 

More tears rolled down your cheeks but you made sure to look up at him. You had no idea how much time you had left but you needed to tell him, you needed him to know. “Tell Vi that I love her and I’m so proud of her.” And you were. Inspired by what had happened to you years back, she became a doctor, specifically an oncologist. She was determined to find a cure and in the meantime, help people who had gotten some of the worst news of their lives. “And, Ben.. Thank you for our life together. Thank you for our daughter. Thank you for everything.”

You could see his eyes beginning to glisten once more and he compulsively swallowed. “I should be thanking you for that.”

“You made the decision to walk away. If you hadn’t…”

“It was an easy decision.”

You tried to give him a smile that probably came out more of a grimace. “No, it wasn’t. But I’m thankful you made it.”

He leaned down to press another kiss to your forehead before staring into your eyes. “I’m thankful for you.”

You tried to smile wider but instead a cough erupted out of you and you could feel something wet on your lip. Ben gently swiped his thumb across it, moving it out of your sight, and a slight panic set in when you realized you could barely feel the action. “Ben,” you croaked. “I’m so cold.” You could barely feel the pain anymore and it felt as if someone had turned on an A/C inside you at full blast and the icy air was making its way up to your head. 

Ben attempted to give you a familiar smile. “Then I’ll warm you up, doll.” You heard the breaks in his voice but when he leaned down to kiss you, you let him, taking comfort in the familiar show of affection. You breathed through your nose and you relaxed, feeling the last bit of warmth that was infused into your lips.

Ben stayed there long after you took your last breath, long after you went limp. He knew you were gone but a small irrational part of him told himself that if he just kept trying to chase the cold away for you, he might somehow succeed. But ultimately, as he knew it wouldn’t, it didn’t work. He lifted his head and stared down at you, silently willing you to open your eyes. When you didn’t, more tears fell down his bearded cheeks and a sob tore out of his throat that he had no idea was there waiting to escape. “Baby,” he choked out, shaking you as gently as he could, still mindful of your wounds. But still, nothing. Then he said the words he’d always struggled to give voice to, thinking if nothing else would bring you back, this might. “I love you,” he let out in a broken whisper against your lips. When that didn’t work either, he knew that was it and subsequently broke down, rocking you tenderly in his arms as he buried his face in your neck while his shoulders shook. For the first time ever since becoming a Supe, Soldier Boy cried and didn’t care who saw it or knew about it. He ignored the cries of people looking for their loved ones, he ignored the police cars showing up and the sirens of the fire trucks on their way, he ignored people clamoring around the site asking what happened or trying to help others — he ignored them all. All he focused on was you. You had knowingly put yourself in front of those lasers to save him. …And now you were gone.