Send me a request and I'll write it! My main account: @boysenberry-starbucks-gremlin for more fics go there and search "Han writes." Pfp and header are my own!
Reminder that not all of these fics can be found on this page. Many are posted on my personal account. However all fics on this list are written by me.
Pairing: Matt Murdock / Peter Parker (Could be read as platonic or romantic but Peter is in college and over 18!)
Summary: Matt’s sick and terribly lonely. A call with Peter helps and Peter’s suggestion for the rest of Matt’s quarantine helps even more.
Note: I’m currently quarantining and I’m miserable. Not so much because I’m sick but because I really am missing my family. Much like Matt in this fic, I just really need a hug. Sorry it’s short, my brain stopped doing the thought thing.
-------------------------------------
“Hey, Matt!” The phone couldn’t have rung more than twice before Peter’s voice was echoing through the apartment.
Matt smiled for the first time in days, the aches of being sick momentarily forgotten at the sound of Peter’s energetic greeting.
“You called at the perfect time,” Peter continued before Matt could return his hello, “May’s been at work for an hour and I’m already bored out of my mind.”
“You’re with May? I thought you were dorming at MIT.” He fought back a cough as he finished his sentence in an attempt to not sound as miserable as he felt.
“I am, it’s spring break so I’m home for the week.” Matt could hear him shifting around on the other end. He remembered May telling him that Peter often hung upside down over his bed while on the phone with him or Ned and he couldn’t help but imagine him doing it now. His thought was interrupted when Peter continued. “So, if you need a friendly neighborhood Spiderman to pay a visit to Hell’s Kitchen, I’d be happy to get in on the action.”
Matt manages a laugh but is quickly cut off by a violent cough that has his chest aching. Once he’s collected himself he sighed heavily, turning over onto his side. “I’ve actually been grounded.”
“The mighty Daredevil has been taken down by a cold?” Peter teases with a laugh.
“I wish it were just a cold,” Matt mutters grumpily. “I’ve been quarantined in my apartment since Wednesday.”
Peter is silent for a long moment before huffing out a sigh. “Oh, you’re really sick.”
“Pretty miserable, yeah.” As if to prove his point, another coughing fit bubbles up in his chest and he can’t fight it.
“Can I help?” Peter’s voice was suddenly soft and filled with concern, effectively breaking Matt’s heart. “I can swing over some food.”
He shook his head with a smile. “Karen and Foggy have been taking turns leaving food outside my door. I’m being well taken care of, I promise.”
That seemed to calm Peter’s anxieties for the moment as he gave a long dramatic sigh. “I’m just wanting to be useful,” he complained.
“You are being useful,” Matt laughed. “You’re keeping me company. I haven’t talked to anyone in three days.” Truth be told, he was lonely. He wanted someone to sit with him, to describe what was happening outside the window- hell, he really just needed a hug and he’d feel better.
“That does sound pretty boring.” Peter trailed off and stayed silent for a while. Matt could practically hear the gears turning in his brain.
“Peter-”
“I could come spend the week with you!”
Matt shook his head again. “You absolutely can not,” he answered sternly. “I won’t risk you getting sick.”
“No but think about it,” Peter said quickly, “I have accelerated healing, I don’t get sick.”
He had a point, Matt knew that. Peter was one of the few people he could allow himself to be around when vulnerable and would be at the top of his list of people to spend this hell-ish week with. But- “You’re supposed to be spending the week with May, I can’t take you away from her.”
“She won’t mind,” Peter answered seriously. “Really, she won’t. I’ll pack a bag and I’ll be over in an hour.”
Before Matt could argue again, Peter had hung up. He sighed and set his phone on the bedside table with a chuckle. Matt was continuing to learn that it was impossible to tell Peter Parker “no” once his mind was set.
—---------------------------
This wasn't the first time Peter had been to Matt’s apartment. Since the younger man had started helping out around Hell’s Kitchen there had been several nights that ended in Peter crashing on Matt’s couch out of pure exhaustion. Though, often exhaustion was the excuse Peter used to make sure Matt wasn’t left alone with possible life threatening injuries. It was, however, the first time Peter had arrived with a duffle bag filled with a week’s worth of clothes and an insulated bag filled with snacks.
He used the spare key Matt had given him in case of emergencies or ‘if your roommates ever get too rowdy while you’re studying’ and called out his name as he shut the door behind him. He peeked into Matt’s room with a pitying smile. “How’re you feeling?”
Matt only grumbled in response. Peter figured if he felt as bad as he looked, he had to be pretty miserable.
Once the snacks were put away, Peter grabbed two ice cream sandwiches and made his way back to Matt’s room. He sat on the edge of his bed and nudged his shoulder. “Come on, sit up. I’ve got something for you.”
Sitting up, Peter could finally get a good look at him. His hair was past tousled and boarderlining a mess, his eyes were pink and irritated, and he was in desperate need of a shave. He looked both like he’d been asleep for days and hadn’t slept in weeks. And yet, Peter thought he looked handsome as ever. With that thought, he scooted closer to him and placed one of the ice creams in his hand.
“What’s this?” Matt asked, managing a soft smile.
“An ice cream sandwich,” he answered brightly. “Aunt May told me once that sugar helps break fevers.” He pressed the back of his fingers against Matt’s cheek. “Which you most certainly have.”
Matt laughed, bowing his head slightly. “I don’t think that that’s true.”
“It’s totally true!” Peter defended in mock offense. “Okay, maybe not. But it’s cold and will at least cool you down a little.”
They sat in a comfortable silence eating their ice cream and Matt soon slowly dropped his head onto Peter’s shoulder with a content sigh. Peter’s heart nearly melted as he wrapped his arm around him and Matt leaned into his touch.
“Thank you,” Matt whispered.
“Well, couldn’t let you be lonely, now could I?” He hugged Matt a little tighter and they both smiled knowing that their week was going to be much more enjoyable together rather than apart.
I'm almost done with the semester and am looking forward to writing some fanfiction! Send me some fluffy promps / a ship to do some one-shots once I finally have the time! 👉🏻👈🏻 I just really miss writing and am excited to finally get to again.
I will do just about any ship (including xreader fics) with the exception of illegal age gap ships but but here are the fandoms I'm confident I could write for:
Summary: The reader is understandably stressed from the amount of school work they have to do for the end of the semester. Norman just wants to help and will do anything he can to ease the reader’s anxiety.
Warnings: Age gap (legal), anxiety (Is that a warning? That’s just my life so I wouldn’t know)
Notes: This is entirely self-indulgent and also my first every x-reader fic so......do with that what you will. I tried to keep the reader relatively gn but I apologize if they come across more fem, I’m having a fem day. Anyways - enjoy! I’ve gotten very into “I Forgot My Umbrella” by @edith-hyde and figured I could be putting my maladaptive daydreaming to good use for you lovely people. So here y’all go!
--------------------------------
Three weeks until the semester ends. Three weeks with five essays, three homework assignments, seven 200 page readings, and two hours worth of meeting with professors to go over previous assignments. Add on the stress of applying for next semester’s classes - you were a bundle of anxiety.
This was the fourth date night you had asked Norman if you could stay in for. Since you two got together, it’s been consistent: movie nights on Fridays, date nights out to dinner on Saturdays. It was always the perfect way to end your school and his work week. But with how much work you had now at the end of the semester, you knew all going out would do is make you stress about the work you knew you should be doing. You’d even worked through most of the movies the last few weeks.
Norman never complained. He appreciated beyond words how much you supported his work, even when it left him working late into the night or early in the mornings before you had even woken. You always woke him with gentle kisses to his temple when he fell asleep uncomfortably at his desk and brought him coffee at the lab before heading to class on mornings he left without the chance to make any. He knew your school work was equally as important as his job, so he did everything he could to ensure you felt the same support that he did.
You tucked your pen behind your ear as Norman walked into the living room where you had papers and books scattered around on the sofa and coffee table. You smiled up at him a little guiltily as he chuckled at your organized chaos.
You liked working at Norman’s house. Which was good because you spent most of your time there anyways. The occasional distraction of your boyfriend entering the room was much preferred to the near constant distraction of your roommates' chattering. And being able to close your textbooks and crawl into Norman’s open arms was always the best way to end the night.
“How goes the paper writing?” Norman asked as he leaned down from behind the sofa to press a soft kiss to your cheek. He hummed and you reached back, running your fingers lightly through his hair.
“It’s….going, I suppose,” you sighed. “Is dinner all cleaned up?” You lean your head against the back of the sofa as he pulls away, gazing up at him slightly upside down.
He nods as he smiles down at you, his eyes roaming over your face. He could never tire of having you work there, it was the perfect domesticity he had craved with you since the moment you had met. It made him glad that you wanted it with him too.
“Would you like a cup of tea, Honey?” he asked, tucking a piece of hair away from your face. He chuckled at your excited nod and placed a kiss to the top of your head before stepping away back towards the kitchen.
When he returns with the cup of tea, made perfectly how you liked it, you take advantage of his leaning down to hand you the cup to tug lightly on his shirt and bring his lips to yours. He smiles into the kiss before pulling away with a laugh. “You’re going to make me spill your drink if you don’t let me up,” he warned half-heartedly, lips hovering just over yours.
With a soft groan, you let him go in order to save your essay from having to be rewritten and take the cup from his hands. Taking a small sip to test the temperature, you revel in the warmth of it on the sold night.
“Thank you, Love,” you whisper into the cup.
He gives a soft hum in reply, rubbing your head lovingly as he retreats back to the kitchen and you return to work. It wasn’t uncommon for Norman to spend most of his time in a different room than you when you were working. Both you and Norman had a bad habit of setting aside your work in favor of chatting with one another, so it was for the best that you were each left to your own devices when it came to important projects or papers. Though without Norman there, your anxiety often crept back. It was as if Norman warded it off.
You sighed heavily and flipped through pages of notes, trying to find the ones you required. You weren’t sure how long you were working for when you realized you had managed to talk yourself into a circle and needed to rewrite a whole section of your paper. You let out a frustrated groan as you tossed your pen onto the coffee table with a sharp thud. You leaned back, rubbing your eyes hard enough to see colors, fighting back frustrated tears. When you opened your eyes and blinked away the haze, you were met with Norman standing beside you, holding out a whisk covered in cake batter.
You chuckled lightly, through the tears that managed to fall. “Making dessert?” you question, “How’d I get such a wonderful boyfriend?” You gratefully took the whisk from his hand as he shrugged. The sweetness of the batter forced you to take a deep calming breath.
“Better?”
You nodded contently. “Much better, thank you.” He gives another hum in response as you gaze up at him, eyes filled with pure love. “You’re too good to me,” you whisper so softly you were almost convinced you had merely thought it.
He shook his head with a smile. Knowing better than to start a debate on who had the better deal in this relationship, he took the whisk back once all the contents were gone and once again returned to the other room with a promise to return in a moment.
When he returned only moments later, he plopped himself on the sofa where the papers and books hadn’t quite reached. “What can I do to help, Honey?”
You shook your head sadly, resting your chin in your palm as your elbow was propped on your knee. “I don’t know,” you answered honestly. “I’m just- I’m just so stressed about everything I have to do the next few weeks.” Your eyes brimmed with tears again and you sighed as they began to spill over. They didn’t get far, though, before Norman reached out, wiping them away with his thumb.
“Honey,” he spoke softly, “I think you need a break.”
You scoffed a little at the idea. “I can’t. Have you seen my calendar? It’s jam packed with assignments that are due.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I have seen your calendar and I know that nothing is due for another three days. So,” he pauses and reaches for the papers in your lap and moves them to the coffee table. “Let’s just relax.” He moves slowly as he marks pages and closes the books around you, knowing that if you really wanted to you would stop him. But you didn’t. He was right and you both knew it.
He took your hands as he moved to take the now free space right next to you, pulling you closer to him so you could rest your head on his shoulder. His hands immediately found their way to your hair, brushing through it as you nuzzled into his neck. You could smell his cologne even though it was much weaker than usual from being worn all day. It was a comforting scent, one that had quickly become your favorite. You could already feel the tension leaving your body and you had to sit up, knowing that if you stayed in that position you would surely fall asleep. As you pulled away, Norman rested his forehead against yours in an effort to keep you close, making you smile.
“What would you like to do during your break, Honey?”
You thought for a long moment. Long enough that Norman actually thought you had dozed off and was about to move to let you lay down and sleep. Your words startled him a little once you finally spoke. “Can you read to me?” you asked. “I have a long list of books that I haven’t gotten to read because I’ve been so busy with school. But I think my eyes are too exhausted to read for myself.”
“Of course. Go pick out a book and I’ll grab us a piece of cake, it should be done by now.”
Once you had met back at the sofa, you draped your legs over his lap, leaning your head on his shoulder as he read from a book that had been at the top of your list for a long time. His voice filled the room, pausing only to take small bites of the cake slice you held in your lap. It was perfect, just like the tea - just like Norman.
At that moment, the rest of the semester didn’t matter, the next semester didn’t matter. All that mattered was the way Norman gave voices to the different characters to make you laugh. The way that he paused his reading to playfully bicker about who got the last bite of the cake before ultimately splitting the small piece in half for each of you. The way he eventually held the book with one hand, propped against your knees so he could wrap his arm comfortably around your waist. All that mattered was him and you and how he made all the anxiety go away when he held you. He warded it off. He kept you safe. Above all, though, he made sure you knew you were loved even on your most stressed out and frustrating days.
You placed a soft kiss to his cheek, catching him off guard as he stopped mid sentence to turn and smile at you.
“Thank you,” you whispered. “I needed this.”
He smiled and placed a kiss to the tip of your nose. “Anything for you, Honey,” he whispered back before continuing his reading.
Me: "I'm three weeks away from the end of the semester. I don't have time to be writing fanfiction rn! Besides, this account has been silent for so long."
Also me: "..........okay, maybe one Norman Osborn x reader comfort fic purely to help my own anxiety! Somebody has to help @edith-hyde add to the fluffy fics for this man."
Summary: Ian has had a hard time sleeping for years but a joke gift from the man he has feelings for brings him just enough comfort to help. After a while, though, he has to admit it to someone other than himself.
Note: Wrote this little one-shot for @intricatecakes because if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to actually post it.
------------------------
Alan thought it was hilarious. It was the funniest thing in the world at the time. He knew it would earn him a scowl, perhaps a light hit to the shoulder, but it was worth it to watch Ian pull the red stuffed t-rex out of the bag.
"You really just enjoy making fun of me, don't you?" Ian scoffed as he set the bag aside with a roll of his eyes.
"What else are friends for?" Alan shrugged with a laugh. He gave the man a nudge to his shoulder with a large smile.
Ellie laughed which earned her own scowl from Ian. "Alright, open my gift, birthday boy." She handed him another small bag.
Ian rolled his eyes with a huff. "Such great friends," he spoke with a sarcastic tone but truly he meant it. The two paleontologists at the table with him knew that.
Alan would soon forget the present he had gotten his friend slightly as a joke, despite that it had sat on his desk for nearly a month leading up to his birthday. But Ian eyed the gift bag with a soft smile. There was something about who it came from that made what could have brought about a painful memory rather sweet.
That night after Ian had said goodnight to Kelly, he went through his normal nightly routine of tossing and turning. He hated this time of night where he could lay awake for hours, fighting to go to sleep with no hope of such a thing actually happening. He could go nights at a time with not a wink of sleep, he should be used to it. This had been happening for years, since the first night he slept after the incident of Jurassic Park. Sorna had only made it so much worse. Before it was just nightmares. Now he would wish for even those because at least that would mean he slept.
He had tried many different ways to fix it. After Jurassic Park, he would often wake from nightmares, needing to not be alone. Ellie helped with that. A simple phone call to her would talk him away from the fear triggered pain in his leg and calm him enough to rest for the remainder of the night, even if he couldn't fall back asleep. After Sorna, he couldn't put Ellie through the long nights he was awake for. After having her first child, he knew she needed every ounce of sleep she could get. So he started calling Alan. He knew the paleontologist worked incredibly late nights, up fascinated over his latest finds or agonizing over funding. After the third of fourth night, Ian began to believe Alan enjoyed their late night calls as much as he did. Even if for most of them they simply sat in silence.
With a tired sigh, after multiple hours of struggling to sleep, he finally sat up. He made to reach for the phone sitting on his nightstand but his hand froze. Pain filled his chest as he remembered that the other man was currently on a plane back to Montana, having only been able to go to dinner with him because he and Ellie had work to do a few towns away from him. He wouldn't be home for a few hours still.
He let his hand fall back to the bed. He racked his brain for who he could possibly call but no name besides the two paleontologists came to mind. Nobody knew him like they did. Nobody else understood.
His eyes fell on the bags the two had given him earlier that evening at dinner and Ian's face softened to a small smile. Nodding to himself, he got out of bed and pulled the red stuffed dinosaur from the bag Alan had earlier set in front of him. He examined the animal slowly, taking a moment to enjoy how soft it was. In a moment of unthinking, he brought the toy up to his face and took a deep breath, taking in the scent that he knew all too well was Alan's cologne and the dust that perpetually filled his house, carried back from the dig site every day. It was a scent of comfort.
It pained him a little when he realized what he was doing. Although he would deny it to any person who presented him with the question, he had to admit to at least himself that his feelings for Alan went well beyond friendship. If there was a possibility he could deny it to himself before, there was no chance of it now. Not as he carried the soft t-rex back to his bed and climbed back under the covers, the toy never parting from its spot nestled under his chin.
Ian couldn't help the small smile he had as he held the toy close to him and, for the first time in a very long time, managed to slip into a peaceful sleep.
Years later as Kelly lay dozing on Alan's sofa one summer night and the two men sat on Alan’s bed, Ian commented that he should go make his way to the hotel he typically stayed at while visiting the other man in Montana. But for the first time in their few month old relationship, instead of offering to help get Kelly to the car, Alan asked him to stay.
A small wave of panic washed over Ian. He had long ago made Alan aware that he was sleeping better through the night but never, even after they got together, admitted what made that change. He thought a part of him believed he wouldn't have to tell him. Maybe one night he would manage to fall asleep without clutching the stuffed animal to his chest. Then he could consider himself cured of his nightmares for good without the need of a crutch. Now, however, he was put in a position where it was impossible to avoid the fact. He couldn’t bring himself to turn down the offer he had silently been waiting for Alan to be comfortable enough to bring up. But in order to accept, he needed to either tell him or make peace with the fact that he wouldn’t be sleeping that night. He found himself not particularly fond of either option.
"Hey," Alan drew his attention back, his hand falling gently on the back of Ian's neck. He smiled softly as he felt Ian lean into his touch. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Ian sighed heavily and made his way to his suitcase in the corner of the room. "You are not by any means allowed to laugh at me for this," he told Alan sternly and he knelt and opened the bag. He took a calming breath as he pulled the stuffed dinosaur from his bag and carried it back to the bed.
Alan smiled brightly, memories of working at his desk with the animal sitting beside his papers came back after years of being forgotten. "You still have this thing?" He held out his hand for the toy and smiled softly as Ian handed it to him. "I just found it in a museum gift shop and thought it would be a funny gift."
"Yeah, well. I slept with it that night and it became a crutch of sorts," Ian admitted quietly, eyes down looking at his hands as he fiddled them in his lap. "I can't manage sleep without it. It just- it made me think of you and it helped."
"That's why you started sleeping better?" Alan gave a soft laugh.
Ian scrunched his nose a little. "Hey, I told you not to laugh." He bumped Alan’s shoulder with his own, trying to lighten his own mood.
Alan brought his gaze up to Ian's face and covered the man's slightly shaky hands with one of his own. "I'm laughing but not at you. I think it's sweet and I'm glad you found something that helps."
With a sigh of relief, Ian let his head fall to Alan's shoulder. He turned his hand over and threaded their fingers together, smiling brightly as he felt Alan give his hand a light squeeze. "Now that that's done with," Ian chuckled out, "can we go to bed?"
Alan nodded with a bright smile. He turned his head to place a soft kiss to Ian's hair and hummed, holding the t-rex out to the other man who took it happily and held it close to him. Alan could only smile fondly at the man he absolutely adored.
As Ian tucked his head under Alan's chin once they were in bed, the t-rex under his own, Alan gave another soft chuckle. "Did you name it?"
Ian sighed out a soft laugh. "Uh, yeah, I did. I named him Parker."
"Parker?" Alan pulled back a little to look at Ian, smiling as he met his eyes. His brain ran through different reasons for the name, looking for some connection Ian might have to it but nothing came to him. "Why?"
"'Park,'" Ian spoke with a large smile. "Like 'Jurassic Park.'"
Alan scoffed lightly with a smile. "You named your stuffed t-rex after the place where you were almost eaten by a real t-rex?"
Ian shrugged. "Felt appropriate."
"You're absolutely ridiculous," Alan muttered, shaking his head.
"Yeah," Ian sighed, putting his head back to Alan's chest. "It's why you love me." He smirked softly to himself as he could hear and feel Alan's heartbeat quicken at his statement. He held the paleontologist closer and gave a soft content hum.
Alan sighed into Ian's hair. "Yeah, it is," he admitted, his voice muffled, unsure if the other man could even hear him. It didn't matter. They both knew it was the truth.
I need help with fine details of my characters for my personal wip. I feel I've been writing fanfiction too long and have forgotten how to create my own charcaters.
So drop me an ask, some random generalized question about my characters. Either as a couple or just one of them. I'll answer them and it might help me figure them out better.
Summary: After playing two seasons and winning his second, Cobb is thankful for all that Survivor has brought to his life. He couldn't ask for anything better than the hand the game helped him be dealt. A loving husband, a wonderful kid, what more could a man ask for? And then Jeff calls. Now Cobb has a choice to make once again with the help of his little family.
(Note: Basically, I just finished all 40 seasons of Survivor and I'm making it everyone's problem.
It's currently midnight as I'm writing this lovely one-shot. Will more come out of it? Who knows! Mayhaps there will be something to come of this Winners at War fic but for now....here's this. Also, beta-ing? What's a beta? It's probably fine.)
--------------------------------
Survivor gave Cobb so many things. It gave him a family. A man he loved so deeply, who Cobb knew loved him equally in return. A son who was growing up far faster than either of his fathers would like, about to enter middle school the next school year. His naturally light hair was nearly perpetually dyed dark green, but he never put up a fuss at letting one of his fathers dye it for him. It gave him that which he spent the majority of his life believing he would never have - people who cared for him. Beyond that, it allowed him to open up more, be himself. Especially playing it twice, he was given the opportunity to step away from the real world and just enjoy his time out there. As it was for so many players, Survivor made him realize he was missing so much by allowing life to fog his vision.
The show remained a large part of the family of three’s life. Every Wednesday like clockwork, popcorn was made, candy was distributed, and the three of them sat on the sofa watching the show that made them a family.
“One day,” Din would chuckle as he nudged Grogu’s shoulder, “I better be seeing you get on this show.”
Grogu would laugh. “Yeah? You gonna let me take a semester off of high school to go do it a few years sooner?
“Absolutely not,” Din and Cobb would say in unison before all three would start laughing.
Both Cobb and Din loved that it wasn’t a joke to Grogu, he did genuinely want to take part in the game that brought them all together. So much so that he was willing to risk asking to take time off of school to do so, despite knowing the answer would be no. But they all knew it was better for him to wait until he was eighteen and make the decision for himself when the right time for him to go was.
It was a Wednesday afternoon and Cobb had picked Grogu up from school. The show was on it’s last few weeks of run time, so Cobb listened happily to his son explain excitedly which player he hoped would win immunity in that night’s episode and who he believed should be voted out next. He had to admit it, the boy was going to make a fine addition to the Survivor family one day. If he didn’t win, Cobb knew the person to beat him would have to be both ruthless and a genius.
“Make sure you get your homework done so you’re not doing it during the show,” Cobb called as Grogu ran up the stairs. He chuckled lightly as his son waved his hand at him in acknowledgement and made his way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
The buzzing of his phone on the kitchen table interrupted his humming, but he smiled, assuming it was Din letting him know when he’d be home. Cobb knew Wednesdays Din had grading to do after school. When he picked up his phone, however, it was not Din’s name that he was greeted with. With a raised brow, he swiped the answer bar across the screen, bringing his phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, Cowboy,” Jeff’s chipper voice met his ear. “How much fuel have you got left in that mental tank of yours?”
All Cobb would do was sigh, pouring himself a large cup of coffee. “Whatcha thinkin’?”
-------------------------------
He had no idea how long he had been sitting there, staring deeply into his half drank second cup of coffee. He had long since gotten off the phone with Jeff when Grogu came rushing down the stairs.
“Done with homework,” he called from the bottom step. “Can I get on a game with my friends?” When Cobb didn’t answer him, he tilted his head a little and took a few steps closer. “Dad?”
Cobb shook himself out of his thoughts. “Yes, sorry.”
Grogu gave a small laugh. “You good, Dad?” His smile brightened as Cobb perked up a bit. He always loved how much Cobb enjoyed being reminded that he was as much his father as Din was.
“Yes, Darlin’, I’m fine,” Cobb assured him with a soft smile. “And yes, you may play with your friends until your Papa gets home.” He watched as Grogu turned on his heel, running back up the stairs, before letting his smile fall back to a concerned frown. He took another sip of his coffee, his mind running in circles.
‘Twenty winners,’ ‘Two million dollar prize,’ ‘Winners at War.’
All the information Jeff had given him during their phone call played on repeat in his ears. He drummed his fingers against the mug, trying to convince his mind to think one thought at a time.
Did he really want to play a third season? Could he? Did he have the mental or physical energy to do so? Would Din and Grogu be alright with him going? Did he stand any chance of winning?
Winning.
Cobb knew how hard it was to win a season of Survivor. He could only imagine it would be twice, if not a thousand times, as hard to win against nineteen other winners. Nineteen other winners, most of whom have since played more seasons than him. Could he really accept that challenge?
Would he regret it if he didn’t?
Din’s voice was as chipper as Jeff’s had been. He was always happy on Wednesdays, excited to be half way through the school week and to have a special evening with his family. Cobb didn’t know what his greeting words were, not able to draw himself away from his spiraling thoughts quick enough. He did his best to perk up, an easy smile gracing his face.
“Hey there, Starshine,” Din spoke as he placed a kiss to the top of Cobb’s head. He greeted Grogu similarly as he hopped down the stairs, rushing into his father’s arms.
Cobb could feel both sets of eyes on him, making his face heat up.
“What’s wrong?” they both asked, pausing briefly to chuckle at each other before turning back to Cobb, concern back in their eyes.
Cobb sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. He looked between the two people he loved most in the universe, much as he had done when he returned home from his last season on the show. “Jeff called.”
His heart and anxiety lifted a little as both Din and Grogu smiled brightly and excitedly.
“He wants you to go again?” Grogu asked, bouncing on his toes. “You have to go again! If Jeff wants you to, you have to!”
“Slow down, Kid,” Din spoke softly, his hand falling on his son’s shoulder. He turned back to Cobb, a mixture of excitement and anxiety on his face. “ Does he want you to go again?”
Cobb nodded slowly. “For a season of all winners.” He smiled a little brighter at Grogu’s gasp. “For two million dollars.” A louder gasp, bringing a brighter smile.
The small family sat in silence for a long moment, each painfully aware of the time ticking by but no one knowing exactly what to say.
Finally Grogu took a deep breath. “I think you should go.” He looked between his fathers as they stared at him. “I think if he’s asking you back, it’s gotta be the universe telling you that you’re not done with Survivor yet. Or maybe Survivor isn’t done with you.”
Cobb looked up at Din with a soft smile but worried eyes. “What do you think, Darlin’?”
Din sighed and returned his husband’s smile. “Do you want to go?”
“I think-” he paused and chuckled, “I think Grogu has a point. Maybe Survivor isn’t done with me.”
Din nodded slowly, the concern leaving his face for pure happiness. “Then you have to go.”
Grogu chuckled as he began walking out of the kitchen. “Just don’t get hurt this time ‘round, yeah?”
Cobb and Din shared a laugh and shook their heads at their son. “He says that as if I go out there with the intention of getting injured,” Cobb grumbled.
“The Survivor Gods have never looked kindly on you,” Din pointed out, placing another kiss to Cobb’s hair.
“Not true,” Cobb said with a smirk. He took Din’s hand from his shoulder and brought it to his lips, kissing just above the wedding ring on his finger. “They brought me you.”
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
thanks for the tag, @crcgeneralwandsmith ! no actual reblag pressure y’all, thought this one was fun-but-not-too-intense.
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
No pressure tags; I just adore you💛 @nightsisterloveskenobifett @elsakenobi @amadan-kenobi @andante-del-cielo @benji-kenobi @princealderann @greeneyedgoldenchild @lunarthoughts and anyone who wants to :)
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
No pressure tags, just if you want; @fulcrum32 @nixie-deangel @boonki @holdurhuxbby @sithzuko and anyone who wants to participate! Hope you all are safe and well dear ones 💖💕
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
no pressure tags, do it if you would like to <3: @whatvflaotsurgoat @firehart9 @emilykenobi @vampirewhoree @kung-fu-turtleduck @darksber @lazerswords and anyone else who wants to do it, pls feel free to ily 💓
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
tags! @mandofury @imwritesometimes @babayaga67 @oo-hazel-oo @buttercup–bee and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it!
Thank you for the tag love! @firehart9 so sorry this is late 🖤
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
Non-Pressure: @intricatecakes @timothyolyphant @sof-gigante @hexedmaiden @stardustweare88 and anyone else who would like to join in!
coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • love at first sight or pining • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parent or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
Tagged by @hexedmaiden and forever sobbing bc I love being tagged in things like this! 🥺💕
Coffee shop or flower shop • alternate universe or fix-it • enemies to lovers or childhood friends • angst or fluff • modern au or historical au • soulmate or unrequited • fake dating or secret dating • breakup and makeup or proposals and weddings • get together or established relationship • oblivious pining or domestic fluff • hurt/comfort or crack • meet the parents or meet cute • time travel or parallel universe
Ok this one is a fanart of the fics of @curiosi-tea-writes I really love the fics she do about dincobb they are so cutes and lovely, she really wants to make me cry of joy with them :"]
Summary: Sometimes, bad days just happen. It’s unavoidable. Din has a particularly bad day and all he wants is to have Cobb in his arms. When he finally does, he never wants to let go. Cobb always knows exactly what to do to make him feel better.
---------------------------
Some days just aren't good. This was one of those days. Everything was going wrong. Not even wrong, just not right.
Cobb was gone before Din woke up, late he might add, having already taken Grogu to school. One might see this as the opportunity to have some calm and quiet before going to work but not Din. He enjoyed the time he had with his family before he had to spend hours with people he didn't generally like. It gave him the encouragement he needed to make it through the day.
Din managed to have nearly everything go wrong as he got ready for work. He nicked himself while shaving, dropped the bottle of shampoo on his foot, and even burnt his bagel. He took a deep breath as he started his car, attempting to will the universe to make his day better.
It didn't work.
He realized as he walked into the classroom that he had left his coffee on the kitchen counter. He mentally scolded himself, already wishing he had the caffeine in his system to fight the growing migraine forming from the morning. All the other teachers seemed to be against him that day. They insisted on asking him for favors during his prep period and he could never find it in himself to say no. While the children were mostly okay, there were always a few that Din wished he didn't have to deal with.
By lunchtime, all Din wanted was to go back to sleep. His head pounded and he just in general felt miserable. He poked at the leftover spaghetti in his Tupperware. His microwave had decided the day before to stop working and he had forgotten about it when he packed his lunch. He wasn’t really hungry anyways, despite only having gotten through a few bites of his burnt breakfast. He was still moving it around with his fork when the bell chimed for the students to return to class. He put the lid back on his container and slid it back into his bag with a sigh. Just a few more classes and he could go home.
The sound of the door unlocking was music to Din’s ears as he entered his house. He half-heartedly dropped this bag on the bench beside the front door with a heavy sigh. He paused for a moment, trying to listen for any hint of a sound coming from upstairs to hit his ears but nothing came. Cobb wasn’t home yet. Grogu had plans to go to Winta’s house after school so Din was once again home completely alone.
He had half the mind to reheat his coffee, but he just didn’t have the energy. He sluggishly made his way upstairs and found something more comfortable to wear. He pulled the strings of his hoodie to keep the hood as close to him as possible, pretending the warmth was the arms of his loved one around him.
Once in better clothes, he trudged back down the stairs and made his way to the living room. He took the blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around himself, the extra layer adding the perfect amount of warmth to emphasize the feeling he attempted to recreate. He laid himself out on the sofa, facing the back cushions, and let out a groan.
He let the tears that filled his eyes fall, not even bothering to wipe them away. He was too exhausted to move at all. Even the slightest shift of his body caused him pain both physically and emotionally.
Din wasn’t sure if he dozed off or not. The familiar sound of a car locking outside caused him to jump, the noise loud and painful to his head after so long in silence. The sound of the front door unlocking, however, was a more comforting one to his ears. He knew what it meant. But while his heart leapt at the knowledge that his love was finally home, his head continued to ache, a constant reminder of the day he had. He couldn’t even bring himself to call out Cobb’s name in return for his own as the other man entered the house.
Cobb’s eyes first fell on the bag by the door, knowing that Din rarely left it out. His heart began to pound with worry. He made his way to the kitchen and found the now cold thermos of coffee sitting open on the counter. He called Din’s name again, the anxiety clear in his voice, a stark contrast to the cheery greeting he had called as he first entered their home.
This time, Din managed a soft groan that sounded pathetic even to his own ears. He hated that he made Cobb worry, mentally adding it to the list of things that had gone wrong that day. His eyes filled with fresh tears as his head pounded harder, causing a small hiss of pain.
“Hey, Darlin’,” Cobb spoke softly, leaning his shoulder against the wall of the entryway. He gave a gentle hum as Din huffed out another groan. “Bad day?”
All Din could manage was a nod. Even the simplest of motions brought him pain, sharp at the base of his neck.
Cobb gave a small nod, knowing Din couldn’t see him. He made quick work of what he needed to do. He closed the blinds of the living room window, something Din had forgotten to do. He smiled as Din gave a satisfied hum to the welcomed darkness. He placed a soft kiss to the top of Din’s head before rushing upstairs. He quickly changed his clothes, much as Din had a handful of hours earlier, tugging his dark green hoodie over his head. He took a spare blanket off their bed and carried it down the stairs. After grabbing a cup of water from the kitchen and setting it on the coffee table for when Din was ready, Cobb finally wrapped the blanket around himself.
“Do you want to stay like that or you want to turn ‘round?” Cobb asked gently, his voice barely above a whisper.
Din paused for a moment before turning around slowly, pressing his back as close to the cushions as he physically could. He opened his eyes for the first time in hours and was met with the sight of Cobb smiling softly down at him. He actually managed to smile back, weak but genuine.
Cobb pulled the blanket tight around him and joined Din on the sofa, wrapping the blanket around Din with his arm as he pulled him closer. He finally felt his heartbeat return to normal as Din buried his face into Cobb's chest and sighed contently. The sofa was barely big enough for both of them but they both saw it merely as an excuse to cuddle closer.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Cobb asked gently, his voice muffled by the blue fabric of Din’s hood against his face.
Din wanted to say yes. He wanted to vent about how long the day had been and everything that had gone wrong. He wanted to tell Cobb how much he missed him and how happy he was that he was finally home. But when he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't push the words out. His head gave a sharp pain behind his eyes and he squeezed them shut, tears forming again. He sighed defeatedly and shook his head.
Cobb nodded. "Alright," he whispered, holding him tighter. He ran his hand lightly up and down Din's back. He felt Din shift to lean into his touch, shaking lightly. Cobb knew he was trying not to cry. "It's alright, I've got you, Darlin'."
After taking a deep, shaky breath, "I love you," was all Din managed to get out. His voice was scratchy from his hours of silence and crying. He knew he needed water; he was likely dehydrated at this point. But right then he couldn't be bothered to move, not when he finally had Cobb's arms around him. Not when he finally felt warm and safe.
Cobb removed his hand from Din's back and slipped it under Din's hood to thread his fingers through his hair. It was warm and damp from sweat but Cobb just smiled and continued to play with it, scraping his nails gently against Din's scalp. "I love you too, Darlin'. Get some rest, I'm here now."
Din nodded and held him closer, his hand with a tight grip on Cobb's waist under the blankets they were wrapped in. After so many hours of the day, he was finally content. He could feel the love radiating off Cobb like one could feel the warmth of the sun on a summer afternoon and it made his heart skip. Cobb always knew exactly what he needed when he was upset.
Bad days happen, they're unavoidable, Din knew that. But having some time to relax, wrapped up in blankets with the love of his life - that made even the worst of days fade away, leaving behind only the love and support he knew he would always find in Cobb.
Summary: Neither Din nor Cobb had fantastic lives before meeting each other. They changed each other's lives. Sometimes all it takes for an evening to be perfect is having the person you love dance with you to a song that describes you both perfectly.
Song Fic: "I Hear a Symphony" by Cody Fry
--------------------------
I used to hear a simple song.
That was, until you came along.
Now in its place is something new.
I hear it when I look at you.
Din first heard the song in the car on his way to pick Grogu up from preschool. He was drawn to it immediately, though he couldn’t say why. While he had the full intention of googling the lyrics when he stopped the car, it was quickly forgotten about as Grogu began his tangent about what had happened that day. The melody of the song played in his head well into the evening but the words were long lost.
The next time he heard it was after dropping Grogu off at Peli's for the evening. He was on his way back home to have a date night with Cobb but he decided to pull over. There in front of a random house two blocks away from his own, he typed in the few lyrics he was able to recall and the song popped up. Listening to it again, he realized why he was drawn to it.
He had gone through life alone for so long. Sure, he had many foster siblings to keep him company over the years, but he never had anyone he connected with. After losing his parents, he didn’t have anyone to really care about. No friends, no real family. He spent most of his life on his own, depending only on himself. That was his life - his simple song.
When he had adopted Grogu, he felt a real connection for the first time since losing his parents. He was thrilled, he finally had someone who he loved unconditionally and who loved him an equal amount, if not more, in return. But it wasn’t quite what he knew he needed. Grogu depended on him, and while he brought so much happiness and love into Din’s life, it wasn’t the same connection. He needed an equal.
But then he met Cobb. Cobb filled his life with such wonder and love that Din didn't even know was possible. He couldn’t understand how he, or Grogu, managed to live without him for so long. He was Din’s rock through life from that point on. He was the person Din knew he could always go to for anything, good or bad. He was the first person he wanted to talk to in the morning and the last person before he fell asleep. He loved him.
If Din's life was a simple song, Cobb was the one who came along and played something new. Cobb was his new song.
With simple songs I wanted more.
Perfection is so quick to bore.
You are more beautiful by far.
Our flaws are who we really are.
Din hadn’t realized he was humming until Cobb finished the melody for him. He turned around from his place at the counter, the knife in his hand stilling from chopping carrots.
“You know that song?” Din asked, his eyes wide.
Cobb laughed from the stove, mindlessly stirring the stew they were making for dinner. “Yeah, I have it on a playlist I listen to a lot. I love that song.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it out to Din. “The playlist should still be up, put the song on.”
Din took the phone from his hand, setting the knife down. He smiled softly as he saw Cobb’s latest lock screen - a simple picture of Grogu in Din’s lap as he read to him. He hadn't even known the picture had been taken. Din unlocked the phone and his smile became brighter. "Songs that make me think of him?" he questioned, looking up from the phone to see a light dusting of pink paint Cobb's cheeks and ears. “Songs related to me?”
"Yeah, well," Cobb stammered out. He cleared his throat, focusing intently on the stew. He gave a small chuckle. “When we first got together, I made a playlist for days I was missin’ you. Over the years, it’s just sort of grown and adapted.”
Din felt tears begin to sting his eyes as he stared at the back of Cobb’s head. It took him a moment to collect himself enough to finally speak again, so overwhelmed with love that he was at a loss for words. “Why this song?” He understood why he associated it with their relationship, but couldn’t see how Cobb did.
Cobb looked over his shoulder, his brows furrowed. “Because you changed my song,” he stated simply. “I had such a rough time before meetin’ you and then you showed up and just-'' he gave a light-hearted scoff, his own eyes tearing up, “you changed my life.” Cobb turned back towards the stew, pressing his lips together hard in an attempt to control his emotions.
Din looked down only for a second to press play on the song before setting the phone on the counter. The kitchen began to fill with the soothing lyrics of the song as Din took the few steps to Cobb.
I used to hear a simple song.
That was until you came along.
You took my broken melody,
And now, I hear a symphony.
Steady hands reached around under Cobb’s arms, taking the spoon from his hand. Din laid it across the top of the pot before reaching for the dial to turn down the flame below it.
“Dance with me,” he whispered as softly as he could in Cobb’s ear, trying not to laugh as Cobb shivered lightly.
“We’re in the middle of makin’ dinner,” Cobb pointed out, rolling his eyes with a smile. He made to grab the spoon again but stopped as Din took his wrist lightly.
Din tugged lightly, effectively pulling Cobb a few steps away from the stove. He turned Cobb around to face him. “Dance with me, Starshine,” he spoke a little louder as the music’s volume inclined. He brought Cobb’s hand up to his lips, placing a soft kiss to his knuckles. “Please,” he pleaded against the warmth of Cobb’s skin.
“Darlin’,” was all Cobb could sigh out before being tugged closer. He leaned into the other man’s touch as Din’s hand found its place on Cobb’s waist and his own rested lightly on the back on his neck, fingers playing gently with the ends of his hair. Despite being taller, Cobb always enjoyed this position better than his hand on Din’s waist. It gave him the perfect excuse to appreciate those soft curls his love has. Cobb adjusted their hands to interlock their fingers and brought them close enough for him to place a gentle kiss to Din’s knuckles in return, smiling softly as he did so.
They swayed together, neither really leading. Just the two of them and the music bouncing off the walls of the kitchen. The sound surrounded them like a tight, warm hug until they were the only people in the universe. Their heads rested together, bodies as close as they could be. They never wanted to part.
As the music swelled Din held Cobb’s hand a little tighter. “Thank you,” he whispered, unsure if Cobb could even hear him over the music.
“For what?” Cobb replied just as quietly, his voice cracking slightly, so lost in the moment that he could have forgotten how to speak if he let himself.
Din pulled back just enough to look at Cobb. He gave a soft smile as he watched Cobb slowly open his eyes. It reminded him of when he wakes him in the morning, adoring the look of complete and utter love that appears as their eyes lock, Din’s eyes being the first thing he sees after darkness. Din knew he was the same way. It explained them perfectly.
“For giving me a symphony.”
It clicked together for Cobb, his eyes brightening. He understood that while Din changed his life, he also changed Din’s. They rewrote each other's songs.
As the song came to a close, they closed the short gap, pressing together in one of the most loving kisses the two had shared in their years together. Sparks flew like they had the very first time. It was perfect. Just the two of them, dancing in their kitchen, and their symphony filling the air around them.
Summary: Cobb is given a chance to rewrite his history in the game. But playing a second season without Din proves to be much more difficult both physically and emotionally. A certain reward challenge proves to both hurt and help Cobb in its own way.
Content Warning: Blood / Injured!Cobb
-------------------------------------
Cobb knew playing the game a second time after three years was going to be difficult. He knew having Din with him last time was a huge encouragement. But this time he was alone. Well, he had nineteen other players, but he felt incredibly alone.
He could imagine Din and Grogu sitting on the sofa every evening. He could almost hear Din’s laughter at Grogu’s attempts to list dinosaur facts he had learned from Cobb. But he knew he was alone. Worse than that, he was alone with almost everything reminding him of Din and their original season.
When Cobb got the offer to come back for an all-star season, he told the crew he had to discuss it with his family first. His family. It still surprised him to no end that that’s what they were.
Cobb moved across two states only a year after they had returned home from the game. A year of so many miles keeping them apart when they both knew all they wanted was to be together. Din’s apartment was bigger and his job was more secure than Cobb’s so it made more sense for Cobb to move. They lived comfortably, Cobb’s photography studio still wasn’t open, but he was making progress. He had never been happier than being there with Din and his son. Their son. It had taken them all a while, but Grogu was as much Cobb’s kid as he was Din’s. They were a happy little family.
Din, of course, had supported him. “Do you want to do it?” he had asked that evening as Cobb cooked.
Cobb had been weighing the options all day. He sighed heavily and nodded. “I think I do. I hate the idea of being away from here, from you two, but I would really like a second chance at this.”
“Then you need to do it.” There was no further debate on the matter.
That day that Cobb said goodbye to his boyfriend and their son was one of the worst of Cobb’s life. He couldn’t get the image of Grogu’s worried eyes out of his mind.
“What if you get hurt again?” Grogu had mumbled out as Cobb knelt to give him a hug.
“I’m gonna try real’ hard not to,” Cobb promised.
Grogu looked up at him with tears in his eyes. “Can’t you just promise that you won’t?”
Cobb took a shaky breath and looked up at Din for some sort of support, only to be met with the same look of pain and anxiety that Grogu had.
Din placed his hand on Grogu’s shoulder and took a shaky breath of his own. “He’ll be fine.”
‘Don’t tell him that,’ Cobb thought as he narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend. ‘You don’t know that for sure.’
Most nights he laid out on the beach, staring up at the stars. It had taken him some time, but he finally loved the stars as much as Din did. Although, not for the same reason. Din loved the stars for the vastness and uncertainty of it all. The fact that there could be, and probably were, millions of life forms out there. He loved the stories behind the constellations and how they came about. Cobb loved all these things as well, but he also loved the comfort he now found in the stars. Before Din, they were just stars. Now, he knew, given what time of night it was and what time of year, where the constellations would be. His eyes could fall on his constellation of choice within seconds of laying down on the sand. They reminded him of late nights where Din explained to him everything he knew and Cobb would listen intently. He felt slightly less alone because he had the stars.
Although he didn’t have Din this time around, he wasn’t as alone as he often felt. Although they had been on different tribes despite all switch-ups and hadn’t gotten to meet up until the merge, Fennec had been brought back for the season as well. Cobb and Din had kept in touch with a few players from their season - Fennec, Boba, and Migs. He was happy knowing that he had a genuine friend on the island. Sometimes she’d sit with him on the beach, just to silently keep him company. Cobb always appreciated that. It didn’t last very long, however. After winning three individual immunities, she was seen as a threat and promptly voted out by everyone but Cobb and his one other ally.
And then Cobb was back to feeling completely alone. Only the stars were his true allies at that point.
------------------------
“Come on in, guys!” Jeff called as the ten merged members walked single file onto the beach and took a spot on the yellow mat. Jeff had that look in his eye that told any fan of the show something big was about to happen. “Before I tell you the challenge, how about I tell you what you’re playing for.” The Survivors nodded. “I’m sure you’re all hungry and missing home. So for today’s challenge, you’ll get a little taste of it. Burgers, fries, and soda on a boat. Ice cream for dessert. You’ll eat, you can shower, have a change of clothes, spend the night, return to camp in the morning.” The Survivors groaned, knowing this was a reward everybody wanted desperately. “One more catch.”
“Of course,” Cobb sighed and the player sitting next to him laughed.
Jeff gave Cobb a slight glare before smiling. “Burgers and fries are a nice taste of home. But what would be better than a loved one to share it with?”
Everyone cheered and gasped as Jeff began going down the list of Survivors. With each person called, Cobb’s heart broke a little more. He knew he couldn’t get his hopes up too high, it was the middle of the school year. It was highly unlikely that Din was able to get time off to come to the island.
“Alright, now that everyone’s here-”
“Jeff,” Omera, the one person Cobb considered an ally, spoke up. Cobb turned around to begin to explain to her that it was alright, but she continued anyways, “You forgot Cobb.”
Jeff began to give him a look of pity, much like his did a couple of seasons ago with the letters before he smiled brightly. “I’m just messing, Cowboy. Not the first time this has happened, but we have a loved one coming to visit who was actually on the show before.”
Tears formed as Jeff called out Din’s name and Cobb was off the mat faster than any of his tribemates had been when he saw his boyfriend jog around the corner. Cobb nearly knocked him over as he ran into his embrace. Din’s arms were tight around Cobb’s waist as he lifted him up slightly off of the sand.
“I missed you so much,” Cobb whispered in Din’s ear.
“I missed you too,” he whispered back, his voice muffled by Cobb’s shoulder, feeling his warm skin against his face. They broke apart and shared a soft and quick kiss, fearing that if they let it go any longer, they wouldn’t be able to stop.
“How’s Grogu?” Cobb asked quickly, so much of his focus on Din that he hardly realized his tears still streamed steadily down his face.
Din chuckled, his smile bright. He loved how much Cobb adored and worried for the boy. “He’s fine, we’re both fine.”
“Now, Din,” Jeff spoke, bringing their attention to him, “you know what it’s like to be out here, you’ve played this game. It’s incredibly taxing- I mean, you know. Cobb got sick last time he was out here. What is that like knowing he’s out here again?”
Din let out a half laugh, turning to face him. “Honestly, Jeff,” he sighed out, pulling Cobb tighter to him, “it terrifies me. I think he’s absolutely insane to be out here a second time. I’ve been going crazy sitting at home not knowing anything. But I would also never discourage him from something he really wanted to do.”
Cobb lowered his face to Din’s shoulder, his heart aching from the love and support he knew he had in Din.
Jeff smiled brightly and gave a nod. “I know I normally only ask one question. But, Din, you didn’t see Cobb’s face before you came out here.” His words were cut off by Cobb groaning half-heartedly into Din’s shirt. Jeff laughed and continued, “Cobb, you didn’t even have a letter last time you played. Did you not expect him to come?”
“I had hoped, but I didn’t assume,” Cobb answered honestly, lifting his head. “There was no guarantee Din would be able to get time off. I knew if he could, he would have come, but-”
“I actually called in a family emergency,” Din muttered. Cobb snapped his attention to Din, his jaw dropping. He didn’t know when he had stopped crying and had begun laughing.
Jeff laughed hard. “You really did?”
“There was no way I was missing this visit, Jeff,” Din stated seriously.
New tears formed in Cobb’s eyes. He pulled Din close again and reveled in the feeling of Din’s hands rubbing his back.
Jeff cleared his throat and laughed. “Alright, Cowboy, head back over-”
“Actually, Jeff,” Din interrupted. He laughed as Jeff gave him a look that seemed to only be saved for when all-stars decided to sass him. “Sorry,” he said hurriedly, “it’s just that I don’t know if we’re going to win this and it may be my only time to do it. So if it’s alright, I have something I’d like to say to Cobb.”
Jeff nodded and waved his hand for Din to continue.
Turning back to Cobb, Din laughed lightly at his confused expression. “Cobb,” he spoke softly. “You can’t predict anything out here, it’s not possible. I didn’t come into this game three years ago thinking I’d come out of it with someone as amazing as you in my life. Our story started on an island much like this, on Survivor. I felt it was only right for it to continue on Survivor. So,” Din reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red box. He kept his eyes on Cobb’s as he slowly sank down to kneel in the hot sand. He opened the box to reveal a ring; half wooden, half clear resin with a small cut of a woven weed stem inside it, one that Cobb recognised all too well. “Cobb Vanth, will you marry me?”
Cobb fell to his knees, wincing slightly at the pain, pulling Din into a crushing kiss. At this point, he didn’t care if it was going to hurt to stop. He pulled back, brushing their noses against each other. “Yes,” he whispered only loud enough for Din to hear, tears forming in his eyes. “Yes, of course I will.” He placed another small kiss on Din’s lips. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Din spoke against Cobb’s lips.
Jeff cleared his throat, bringing both men back to the reality of the game. “So, let’s get this clear,” Jeff laughed out. “You said ‘yes’ right?”
Cobb laughed pressing his cheek against Din’s head, enjoying the feeling of the softness of his hair ticking his ear. “Yes, I said ‘yes.’”
Din took the ring out of the box and reached behind him to pull Cobb’s arm off of his shoulder. He smiled brightly as he slid it onto Cobb’s finger, remembering when he watched the part of their season where Cobb slid the woven ring into the same place.
“Alright you two,” Jeff said. “Sorry to break this up, but we have a challenge to get to.”
They exchanged one last kiss before parting and they each moved away to take their places. The father of one of Cobb’s tribemates shook Din’s hand with a smile as he joined the loved ones. Cobb’s tribe patted him on the back, Omera taking Cobb’s hand to get a better look at the ring.
“Aright,” Jeff called, clapping his hands together. “Unless anyone has any other pressing questions to ask.” Everyone laughed. “Let’s get to the challenge, then.” All the players stood up a little straighter. “Today, the challenge will involve both you and your loved one. We’re going to see how good you can communicate. You will be blindfolded and your loved one is going to guide you through a maze, over and under obstacles. You’ll have to race to collect five necklaces with the help of your loved one. First person to have all the necklaces collected and be back on your mat with your loved one wins reward. Sounds simple but if you fail to communicate, it will prove extremely difficult. Let’s get started.”
--------------------------------
Cobb felt on top of the world. To him, he felt like he was back at home, recreating challenges for Grogu to take part in. Din had the louder voice between them, so that was also a plus in his books. He adored every direction Din called, utterly in love with hearing his voice. He had collected two of the necklaces and truly felt they would win the challenge.
Din tried to call out his name but it was too late. Cobb hadn’t ducked far enough down and managed to bang the side of his head on the bar he had meant to go under.
“Cowboy, are you okay?” Jeff called.
Cobb laughed and gave a thumbs up in Jeff’s general direction. He turned himself around a few times, attempting to regain his bearings when Din spotted the growing patch of dark red soaking into the yellow buff around Cobb’s eyes.
“Jeff, he’s not alright,” Din called quickly, already getting in the position to hop off of the tower he stood on as soon as Jeff gave him the go.
Jeff snapped his gaze to Cobb. “Everybody stop!” He called. “Stay where you are. Din, come down here. Medical!”
Cobb reached up and touched his temple. He couldn’t see still but he could feel the warmth and the wetness on his fingers and knew he must have hit his head much harder than he had thought. Din met Cobb down in the maze and guided Cobb to take a seat on the ground.
The medic rushed to them and lowered Cobb’s blindfold just enough to see the gash.
“What’s happening?” Cobb asked quickly. He felt fine, maybe a little sting. If it weren’t for the warmth against his face, he wouldn’t have even known he was really injured. He leaned into Din’s touch as he sat behind him, lightly rubbing his back.
The medic spoke up, “Just a bit of a gash, Cobb. You hit your head pretty hard back there. You’re fine.”
Cobb sat as still as he could, trying not to wince too harshly at the pain when his temple was touched with something cold. He still couldn’t see but he was grateful that Din was there. This would have been much scarier if he was alone with strangers.
“Can you tell us, mostly Cobb because he still can’t even see,” Jeff said softly, “what the diagnosis is? Is he okay to continue the challenge or is he done?”
The tone in his voice reminded Cobb just a little too much of when Jeff had to explain to him that he was being pulled from the game so close to the end. The wave of anxiety that washed over him made his ears ring and a tear was running down his face before he even had a chance to fight it. He reached blindly for Din’s hand, only realizing once he had it how badly his hands were shaking, Din’s tight grip attempting to steady him. “I don’t want to be evaced again,” he whispered, his voice trembling. He felt Din’s arm wrap tightly around him and he held his hand a little tighter, the one thing grounding him in the moment.
“You’re not getting evaced,” the medic explained. “It’s a pretty nasty gash, not deep, just long.” The medic traced lightly above the wound to let Cobb know exactly where it was. “It doesn’t need stitches. The blood made it seem a lot worse than it is but now that it’s mostly clean, I can say that so long as it’s kept clean and bandaged up, the worst case is you’ll have a pretty wicked scar on your temple to show off.”
Everyone gave a sigh of relief, even the players who had stopped in their tracks near them. Cobb was thankful that people understood how badly he didn’t want to leave the game again.
“So, in that case,” Jeff said, his voice a little lighter now that the weight of that question had been answered. “What about the challenge?”
The medic sighed and paused for a moment. “Well, I suppose that’s up to Cobb. I don’t see any reason why he can’t continue. I can easily patch this up and he can go about the challenge, I’d just want to patch it up better once he’s done. But Cobb, that’s unless you’re in pain or feeling lightheaded, it’s entirely up to you.”
“I’m finishing the challenge,” Cobb stated quickly. He wasn’t going to let something like this keep him from seeing Din.
“If you start to feel at all lightheaded, you let us know,” Jeff said sternly. “Really, Cowboy, we’ll stop the challenge if you do, it’s not a problem. I’d rather stop then have you push yourself too hard.” Cobb nodded. “Okay. Din, go back up to the stand. Cowboy, medic will patch you up. Let’s get back to it.”
Din squeezed his hand one last time, placing a soft kiss to Cobb’s hair before standing and making his way back to the stand. He was determined now more than ever to win this challenge.
----------------------------
“Cobb, wins reward!” Jeff called.
Cobb pulled the blood soaked buff and blind fold off from over his eyes and tossed them on the ground. He let his eyes adjust to the light as Din wrapped his arms around him tightly, kissing his cheek. As Cobb’s vision came back into focus, the first thing he saw was Din’s eyes as he smiled at him and for a moment, he was no longer in the game. For a moment it was just them in the entire universe. Cobb wondered if this is how it would feel on their wedding day. He was almost certain it would be.
The two men made their way next to Jeff as he recounted what they won. Cobb was looking forward to a night not only away from camp but with Din. He took Din’s hand and held it tightly, almost attempting to convince himself that he was real and there.
“Cowboy, I want medical to take another look at that gash and then you two can head on over to the boat.” Jeff clapped his hands together and smiled. “As for the rest of you, say bye to your loved ones and head back to camp.”
Cobb watched sadly as everyone said their goodbyes. He wished he had been given the option of taking someone. He would have taken Omera, he had already known that. But he wasn’t going to complain that it was only him and Din. He needed to just be with him.
The medics finished cleaning his injury and gave him instructions of how to handle it after he showered on the boat. Din gave them his promise that he would help with it which seemed to make them happy. With a final question about how Cobb was feeling, the newly engaged couple were sent off on a motorboat to be taken to the ship they were staying on.
--------------------------------
Cobb wiped the mirror of steam in the bathroom after his shower. He turned his head a little to get a better look at his wound. It was already on its way to healing but the pain of it had finally set in. He had been as careful as he could to not disturb it while washing his hair, even having Din lend a hand when he realized it was much harder to shampoo and rinse around a cut than he had thought. Now looking at it in the mirror without the dirt from his hair making it darker, he could see that it wasn’t deep, just a long cut running from just above his ear to his temple.
He left the bathroom after treating and wrapping his wound and smiled at the sight of Din stretched out on the bed reading a book. Cobb let his body fall a little to the side, resting his shoulder against the door frame. He had missed just observing him so much.
Din looked up from the book and smiled brightly. “How are you feeling?”
Cobb laughed little. “My head hurts but I’m excited to have a pretty awesome scar.”
“You are the only person in the world who would be excited to have a scar,” Din laughed out with a soft scoff.
Cobb took the few steps to the bed and sat next to Din’s legs. “Imagine how cool it’ll be when someone asks where I got the scar from and I get to tell them I got it on Survivor!” He sounded far too excited even to his own ears but he really didn’t care. He was incredibly happy. Happy that he wasn’t pulled from the game. Happy that he was with Din. Despite the anxiety caused from the injury, he could easily state that it was one of his favorite days to date.
Din sat up and took Cobb’s hand, lightly pulling him to lay down beside him. They settled down with Cobb’s head resting on Din’s chest, just like they would back home. Din ran his fingers softly through Cobb’s hair, careful not to touch the injury by mistake. “How’s the game been so far?”
Cobb knew it was an innocent question. It was a question that made sense to ask, especially given that Din knew the game personally. But Cobb wished he hadn’t asked. He tilted his face into Din’s shirt, trying to memorize the scent he already knew so well. He couldn’t answer. He knew the answer would be negative. He didn’t want Din to worry about him more than he knew he already was. He was too exhausted physically and mentally to stop his tears from falling. He held them back for so long at camp - through every fight with a tribemate, every frustrating day they didn't catch any fish, every injury. But now he was with Din and he knew he didn’t have to hold them back.
As soon as Din heard a sniffle and the coolness of his shirt against his chest, his heart shattered. He pulled Cobb up so they could lay next to each other. He wiped a few stray tears away from Cobb’s face with his thumbs. “What’s wrong?” Din’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
“I just-” Cobb’s voice broke. “Last game went so well and this one is just-” He closed his eyes, causing more tears to fall. He took a shaky breath. “It’s been rough,” he finally got out. “Everything out here reminds me of you and it drives me crazy. Fennec came back,” he chuckled lightly as Din perked up a little hearing their friend’s name, “so at least I had her after the merge but she got voted off three Tribals ago.” He leaned forward and rested their foreheads together. “I can’t wait to go home.”
Din pulled him closer, allowing Cobb to let his emotions out. He understood. Not even in the terms of knowing the game. He had spent most nights after Grogu fell asleep holding Cobb’s pillow. He tried to stay strong for Grogu, he was worried enough about Cobb without having to know Din was as well. So Din spent his days keeping them both busy to keep their minds off of it and at night he would let his own emotions out as quietly as he could, trying to take in the little bit of Cobb’s scent left on the pillow.
When Cobb had run out of tears to cry he took a shaky breath and pulled away just enough to wipe his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It’s just a game. I need to keep telling myself that, it’s just a game.”
Din shook his head quickly and placed a soft kiss to Cobb’s forehead. “I’m so proud of you.” When Cobb scoffed he placed his hand gently under Cobb’s chin to bring his face up towards his. “Seriously. Playing this game once is hard enough. Playing it a second time- I can’t even imagine. I am so incredibly proud of you.”
Cobb smiled brightly. He thought how strange it was to smile genuinely. He had missed it.
“Come on,” Din said with a nudge to Cobb’s arm. “Let’s go eat and get you some water. Don’t want you to get dehydrated.”
Cobb scoffed out a laugh as he got off the bed to follow Din out of the suite. “Yeah, don’t want to do that again.”
----------------------------
Dinner on the deck of the boat was perfect. They were able to watch the sunset over a nearby island and the way Din’s eyes lit up as the stars began to appear was priceless to Cobb. He was thankful that Din had played the game. He might be away from camp and unable to strategize with his alliance, but running ideas past Din made up for it. He was able to see situations from a different point of view, letting Cobb see better ways to go about them.
At dessert, they both fell silent. Cobb lowered his gaze and spun the ring around on his finger.
“Do you like it?” Din asked as he set his bowl of ice cream aside and rested his arms on the table. “I knew for a while I wanted to use the ring I made you but I didn’t know how to do it without you noticing it was gone. Then you decided to come back on the show and it gave me an opportunity I didn’t know if I’d get again.” He spoke fast, his hands fidgeting, suddenly nervous.
Cobb looked up and chuckled, loving when Din rambled. “I love it.” He reached across the table and took Din’s hand. He liked the way the ring pressed into his knuckle and Din interlocked their fingers, reminding him that it was there. ”I love you.”
“I love you too,” Din whispered, his voice threatening to break.
Cobb tilted his head a little, his eyes turning quickly from soft to worried. “What’s wrong, Darlin’?”
Din sighed heavily. He knew Cobb didn’t need him breaking down right now. He needed him to be strong. He needed to not feel guilty for leaving. “I miss you,” he decided on simply. He shook his head lightly and took his hands away from Cobb’s to bring them up to hold his face. He needed to be strong, Cobb needed him to be.
Standing from his seat, Cobb made his way around the table. He placed his hand lightly on Din’s arm, causing him to drop his hand from his face and bring his teary gaze up to Cobb. “Let’s go to bed,” Cobb whispered, tugging a little.
Neither spoke as they made their way to the bedroom. They moved around each other easily, as they would if they were back at home. It wasn’t until they were under the covers, their arms tightly around each other that the silence was finally broken.
“You really scared me today,” Din spoke, his voice barely audible.
“I was pretty scared today,” Cobb admitted. He pulled away just enough to look up at Din but the other man refused to meet his eyes. “It wasn’t your fault that I got hurt.” He knew where Din’s mind was, the same place it was three years ago. He knew Din had some overwhelming need to protect those he cared about and while Cobb appreciated his concern, he wished he didn’t have to endure the guilt anxiety he always faced when he was unable to do so.
Din sighed deeply, tears returning to his eyes, no longer trying to keep them away. He opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He just sighed again and closed his eyes.
“Darlin’,” Cobb said in what was a normal volume but in the quiet of the room sounded loud. It served its purpose in bringing Din’s gaze back to his, Cobb’s heart aching as he saw Din’s tears. He mirrored the action of wiping them as Din had done for him earlier. “It was not your fault.”
“I should have been paying more attention,” Din defended. “I should have warned you, I-”
Cobb crashed their lips together, silencing his mind more importantly than his words. Din hummed into the kiss and pulled Cobb closer. His hand out of habit found its way to Cobb’s hair, earning a hiss of pain as his fingers brushed over Cobb’s bandage, causing them to pull away. They took a moment to just stare at each other, the love evident in both their eyes. Both felt, for at least that moment, the weight of the day and the last few weeks lift off of them.
“Thank you,” Cobb sighed, nestling his head to Din’s chest.
Din pressed a kiss to Cobb’s hair. “For what?”
Cobb gave a soft laugh. “For coming out here.” He tightened his arms around Din. “I needed this.”
“Of course,” Din whispered. “I would miss it for anything, Starshine.”
Cobb smiled brightly, always adoring the rare times Din used that name for him. He always saved it for the softest and calmest moments between them.
They settled in for sleep but just laid in silence for a long time, neither really wanting to sleep. They just wanted to hold each other for as long as they could, not worrying about the game or the other players. They both thought about when Cobb had been evaced and they had found themselves in a no-so-different situation than the one they were in now. Just two people calming each other’s anxieties with a simple embrace.
Cobb eventually couldn’t tell if Din was asleep or not. His breathing was calm enough that he could have been, but Din very rarely fell asleep before him. Cobb always thought it was a habit from watching over Grogu, but he was never really certain.
“Darlin’?” he whispered as gently as he could. If Din was asleep, there was no chance it would disturb him.
“Yes, Starshine?”
He sighed happily and lifted his head a little. “What do you think about a beach wedding?”
Din hummed. “Seems appropriate. Is Grogu going to be our ring bearer?”
“I think he’d be pretty upset if he wasn’t,” Cobb laughed.
“Alright,” Din whispered with a nod. “How’s purple for our main color?”
“Purple?” Cobb asked. When Din nodded he shifted a little to look up at him better. “Why purple?”
Din smiled brightly, his eyes so full of love it made Cobb’s heart skip. “It was our merging color. We finally got to be together at the merge.”
Cobb closed the short distance and pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. He pulled away quickly, laughing as Din leaned in to follow his lips. “Purple sounds amazing, Darlin’.” He laid back down and held Din tightly. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
-----------------------------
The morning went by far too quickly for either of their liking. After a quick cup of coffee they were put on a motor boat and on their way back to camp. Din held Cobb’s hand the entire morning, not wanting to let any space pass between them, fearing they might not get the chance to reconnect.
As the camp came into sight, Cobb could see Omera waving at them from the beach. Cobb smiled and waved back, the ring catching his eye as he lifted his hand. He spun it with his thumb as he brought his hand back down and smiled brightly. At least after Din left he would still have this reminder of him. It felt the same as when Din left him the original stem ring last time.
Din walked him up to the shore and gave him a deep but short kiss. “You stop getting hurt,” he mumbled against his lips.
Cobb let out a soft laugh. “I’ll try my best. This game likes seeing me get hurt.” He wrapped his arms tightly around Din. “Tell Grogu I love him so much. I miss him.”
“He misses you too,” Din admitted. He had tried not to tell Cobb how worried the boy was for him. “We’ll both be there at the airport when you come home, okay?”
Cobb nodded and took a deep breath. “Just a little bit longer.” He smiled despite his heart breaking at the idea of having to let Din go. “And then we can start properly planning our wedding.”
With one final kiss they finally let go. Din waved once he was back on the motor boat, and then he was disappearing into the distance.
Cobb took a deep shaky breath and nodded. He turned on his heel and smiled as best he could at Omera. “So,” he spoke as steadily as he could, “what’d I miss?”
----------------------------
Nineteen days later, Cobb got off the plane, a bounce in his step that he had been missing last time he left the game. This time he wasn’t heading back to an empty apartment. This time he was headed home to family.
“Dad!”
Cobb looked down to see a blur of Grogu’s green hat as he ran to him, throwing his arms around Cobb’s legs. His eyes flicked up to Din quickly who was smiling brightly. Cobb felt the happiest of tears fill his eyes. While Cobb had long considered the boy to be his son, it was the first time Grogu had ever called him “Dad.” Cobb knelt down and pulled the boy into a tight hug, not ever wanting to let him go.
“How was the game?” Grogu asked excitedly, seemingly not realizing the impact that his single word had on both his fathers.
“Honestly?” Cobb looked between the two people he loved most in the universe. “I think I won.”
--------------------------------------------
Note: This fic was honestly very self-indulgent and nothing else. I really started this as a one-shot that I assumed nobody else would enjoy, I just wanted to put it out into the universe because I wanted to read it and knew nobody else would write it. So the fact that people have actually enjoyed this and let me have fun with it means the world to me.
I left things open so I have the opportunity to go back and make a collection out of it, maybe add some random one-shots about Cobb and Boba's alliance or Fennec and Din's. Maybe I'll even add some proper Migs/Boba stuff in there. I'm not sure yet.
Thank you all for going on this fun little journey with me! And if you're wondering, yes, Cobb did win.
