It was after Riddle's overblot, when you crouched next to him on the ground as he cried and gently wiped his tears before offering the warmest hug he's ever gotten in his life, that he first felt that warm feeling in his chest.
You went on to offer to help him make the tart Ace demanded as an apology; pointing out that Ace had plenty of help making his and therefore Riddle deserved at least one person to help him.
When it came to baking the tart, Riddle had that unfamiliar, warm feeling in his chest the whole time you two were working.
You giggled when he got flour on his cheek, and when he pouted, you smudged some on your own as well so the two of you would match.
Riddle was stunned by your action, but he found himself letting out the most genuine laugh he's laughed in ages.
When Riddle mentioned the oyster sauce you gave him a strange look before shrugging and telling him to go ahead and add it. (It would he Trey, the one who told him this little 'trick', that would be tasting the consequences)
You could see Riddle trying his hardest to be better after his overblot, so you made sure to let him know you saw his efforts. Sometimes you did this with words, and other times you did it by fondly ruffling his hair.
It doesn't matter if you're all that much older than Riddle or not, at this point he was starting to unconsciously see you as a mother figure.
On the rare occasion that he didn't already have his tie tied perfectly and positioned just right, you would come up and do it for him. (there's that warm feeling again)
On test days you'd meet up with him after school to see how he did. When he did well you hugged him happily. When he did poorer than he hoped, you still hugged him: reassuring him that this wouldn't be the end of the world. "We all fall short of our goals sometimes. It's a part of life and it's how we learn. Look at your test. The ones you got wrong are marked. You can take this information and use it to do better next time. You know what you struggle with, so work on it. There will be plenty more tests for you to ace in the future, but you won't be able to do so if you allow yourself to be put down by this one. I believe in you, Riddle; and I'm proud of you whether you get 100% or not."
Riddle was stunned by your words and ended up crying in your welcoming arms for a second time.
Anytime he would slip up and get angry, you'd gently calm him down and help him find a better solution than yelling.
Anytime the Equestrian Club would have a competition of some sort, you'd be in the front row of the crowd: camera in hand. Somehow, he could always hear your cheers over the rest of the crowd.
Riddle somehow got a button torn off his uniform jacket once, and you offered to fix it for him. The next day, you showed up to Heartslabyul bright and early in the morning (with the slightest dark circles under your eyes from staying up all night making sure your stitches were perfect) Jacket in hand.
He didn't realize until later in the day when he reached his hand in his pocket that you had left a little note. "Have a good day, Riddle! Good luck on your test! :)"
Anytime Riddle would have to call his mom, and inevitably be left upset afterwards, you'd always be there for him with your arms open.
"Oh" he thought, finally piecing his feelings together. That warm feeling in his chest every time you did something for him that showed him you cared. . .that's what it's supposed to feel like to be loved by a mother. Not cold and harsh. Soft and warm.
Nobody dares utter a word when they see the usually uptight Riddle not so discreetly looking for you after class on test days: 100% score in hand. Nor do they utter a word when they see how excited he looks when he finally finds you and shows you the test. And they certainly don't say anything when you get away with ruffling his hair and giving him a soft hug.
"I'm proud of you, Riddle." This is a sentence his real mother has never once uttered to him, at least not genuinely. It's come to the point that any time he hears those words he can't help but feel inadequate. That's what his mother always made him feel when she said those words in that ingenuine tone of hers.
But when you said it?
When you said it in that oh-so-gentle tone with that oh-so-genuine smile. . .
Riddle felt love
He finally felt like someone was truly proud of him, and he was proud of himself too.
He accidentally calls you mom once, but instead of looking at him disgustedly or yelling at him as he expected; your laugh flows airily through the air like a wind chime. It's not in a condescending way, but rather one that conveys a sense of fondness. You simply ruffle his hair and smile.
May I request a headcanon on how the brave gang would do if their mother figure looks overworked in keeping things in the kingdom in order and learn reader refuses to let anyone help her?
I'm sorry this took so long! I was on a family road trip!
It's not like the bravegang don't appreciate what you do for them. They love all the help you offered them.
But they're also not wrong to be worried about your well-being.
You've cared for them so much, it's only right somebody does the same for you. There was just one problem.
You absolutely refuse help from anyone.
Need some help with those cake logs? "Nope! I got them!"
Do you want to take a break? You've been sweeping all day "It's okay, I'm almost done anyways."
Want a hand with those jelly crates? They look heavy "It's alright! I got them."
That's the song and dance everytime the bravegang want to help and all it does is make them worry.
At least until you worked so hard that it left you with an aching dough. As a result, you were bedridden for a few days.
That's when Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie and Wizard Cookie took their chance.
You didn't ask for it, but GIngerbrave did a sweep around your house, Strawberry cookie cooked your favorite soup and Wizard Cookie offered to keep you entertained with some books he brought over.
And when you tried to assure them that you're absolutely okay on your own, they didn't want to hear it.
- "You took care of us when we're hurt, so it's only right we do the same. Besides, we like helping you!" Gingerbrave says.
- "So, can you please let us help you?" Strawberry cookie sheepishly asks.
- "Gingerbrave is right, you've done so much for us. So please, let us help."
And. . . Well, how can you say no to that when they're looking at you with their cute little eyes.
Summary: In which Ciel is forced to realize someone cares for him.
Warnings: None
Thank you for the ask, heres what youve been waiting for.
Pt. 1
You open the door to Ciel's office.
He's sitting at his desk, hunched over, pen in his hand. You can tell he knows it's you from the way his shoulders relaxed.
You close the door and step closer.
"Don't"
You paused.
Not harsh. Not loud.
But immediate.
And when you look at him, he’s not even looking up from his paperwork, but his grip on the pen is tighter than usual.
You haven’t even done anything yet.
"I didn't do anything," you huff.
You step closer, removing his jacket from his shoulders, folding it, and putting it to the side.
"But you're going to" his voice was calm.
He was right... you were.
You hide your smile, your hand lifting to rest against his head.
He immediately pushes it away, an irritated sigh slipping past his lips.
“Ciel,” you feign offense, voice soft, “don’t act like that.”
You bite back a giggle as he turns to look at you.
His eyes narrow, sharp, searching.
Not just annoyed.
Watching.
For a moment, it feels like he might say something more.
Instead, he clicks his tongue and turns back to his work.
“…You’re doing it again.”
Your brows lift. “Doing what?”
“That,” he mutters, pen pressing harder into the paper. “Acting as if—”
A knock cuts him off.
The tension snaps.
“Enter.”
The door opens smoothly, and Sebastian Michaelis steps inside.
“Good afternoon, my lady.”
You brighten instantly, turning toward him. “Oh—hi, Sebastian. How are you?”
A groan sounds from the desk. The groan lingers in the air, low and annoyed.
Sebastian's gaze flickers between the two of you, sharp and knowing, though the gentle smile never wavers.
"I trust everything is in order, my lord?" he asks smoothly.
Ciel doesn't look up. "Obviously," he says in that flat tone.
For a moment, no one says anything, the silence lingering for a beat.
"My lady," Sebastian continues, turning towards you, "Would you be so kind as to assist me in the hall for a moment?"
He says it so casually, like he just asked you to grab something for him.
You blink, a little surprised at his request. "Oh! of course."
You move to step away.
"Unnecessary."
Ciel's voice cuts in, quick.
Sebastian doesn’t miss a beat. “I assure you, it won’t take long.”
“I said it’s unnecessary,” Ciel repeats, this time looking up.
His eye flicks to you for just a second, brief, but pointed.
Like he’s expecting you to listen.
You hesitate. Not because you don't want to help Sebastian... but because of the way Ciel is looking at you.
You glance between them before speaking lightly,
“It’s alright, I can go—”
“No.”
He says it too fast.
Ciel straightens slightly in his chair, his expression tightening as if he hadn’t meant for that to come out the way it did.
“…There’s no need,” he amends, quieter now. “You’re already here.”
A flicker of something passes through Sebastian’s eyes.
And you catch it.
Interest.
“Of course,” he hums. “Though I wouldn’t wish to interrupt…”
His gaze dips, ever so slightly, to where you stand closer to Ciel’s desk than usual.
“…whatever this is.”
Ciel’s jaw tightens.
“…It’s nothing.”
Sebastian’s smile deepens... barely. But you notice.
“Is that so?”
A loud crash echoes from somewhere outside.
It’s distant… but unmistakable.
Sebastian pauses. You pause. Ciel pauses.
You blink.
“…Was that...”
"Y/NNNN!" that unmistakable whine of finny cries out.
You sigh, putting your hand over your mouth.
Ciel closes his eyes, expression tightening immediately.
“…Unbelievable.”
You let out a small breath, already stepping back. “I should go check on that.”
This time, he doesn’t stop you. Not like before.
There’s a pause, like he might say something… but he doesn’t.
“…Go,” he mutters instead, dismissive. Already looking back down at his paperwork.
The garden takes longer than expected.
Between overturned soil, broken pots, and Finnian’s frantic apologies, the afternoon slips by quicker than you realize.
By the time everything is somewhat in order, the sun has already begun to set.
You step back into the manor, brushing dirt and debris from your uniform.
The halls are quieter now. When you reach his office, you knock this time.
A beat of silence.
"Enter"
You step inside, your eyes scanning the dark room for the boy. He's in the same position as before, still hunched over the desk, his eyes focused on the paper.
"You're late."
You pause slightly at that.
“I was helping with the garden.”
“…Obviously.”
His tone is flat.
You nod once, stepping inside, but you don’t move as close as before.
You don’t touch anything. Don’t reach for him. Just stand there.
Waiting.
You take an unsure step closer to him.
"Did I–"
“…If you’re quite finished with your unnecessary hovering,” Ciel says, voice cool, clipped, “you may return to your duties.”
The words land sharper than anything he’s said before.
For a moment, you don’t move.
Not because you don’t understand… but because you do.
Your fingers still slightly at your side, the instinct to reach for him fading before it can fully form.
“…Of course, my lord.”
Your voice is even. Polite.
Like it always is. Like nothing had changed.
You turn without another word, steps quiet as you make your way to the door.
No glance back.
The door clicks shut behind you with a soft finality.
You retire to your room, the room you decorated with pictures of you and Ciel. The pictures where he looks like a child and not a boy forced to be an adult.
You take a seat on your bed, the soft mattress engulfing your body.
You don't move, you sit there staring at the wall covered in pictures. Your hands in your lap, picking at the skin. A terrible habbit you got from your father.
Voices carry through the wall. Muffled, but clear enough.
“My lord.”
You don’t mean to listen.
You don’t move to stop yourself, either.
A pause.
Then, his voice.
“…What.”
You can hear the irritation in his voice, and your chest tightens just a little.
There’s a quiet shift on the other side. Then Sebastian speaks again, tone smooth as ever.
“It seems you’ve dismissed someone who was… rather attentive to your well-being.”
He lets the moment sit.
“She was being insufferable.”
The words linger in the air longer than they should.
On the other side of the wall, Sebastian Michaelis doesn’t respond right away.
He lets the silence stretch.
Lets it settle.
“…Is that so?” It’s mild. Almost idle.
A faint sound, paper shifting. The scratch of a pen that doesn’t quite continue.
“…She was distracting,” Ciel adds, more measured this time. “Hovering. Interfering with my work.”
Sebastian doesn't respond, doesn't agree, nor disagree.
Just… quiet.
And it’s that silence that does it.
Ciel’s pen stills completely. A beat passes.... then another.
“…She didn’t normally knock.”
It’s quieter now, and he's less certain of himself. As if the thought slipped out before he could stop it.
Sebastian hums, low.
“No, my lord. She did not.”
Another pause, longer this time.
“…And yet she did today.”
Ciel’s voice dips, something tightening beneath it.
His gaze flicks, brief, almost involuntary, to the door. To the space you’d been standing in not long ago. To the place you should be.
“…Tch.” A soft click of his tongue.
Irritated, but not at you... not entirely.
“…It’s quieter.”
The admission is barely there. Half-formed. Like he didn’t mean to say it out loud.
Sebastian notices anyway.
Of course he does.
“It would seem so, my lord.” That same calm tone.
Another stretch of silence.
“…She left quickly.”
There’s something off about the way he says it.
Like he expected... something else.
Sebastian’s voice lowers, just slightly. “It would appear she took your words to heart.”
His voice cuts through the quiet of your room. You hadn’t heard the door open, and you turn, a little startled.
There he is.
Ciel stands just inside the doorway, posture straight as ever, but there’s something… off.
Like he doesn’t quite belong there. Like, he didn’t think this part through.
For a moment, neither of you speak.
“You left.”
It's an observation he doesn’t know what to do with.
You tilt your head slightly, fingers brushing absently against the edge of one of the photographs on your wall.
“You told me to.”
It makes something in his expression tighten.
A brief pause.
“…You misunderstood.”
The words come out clipped, like they’ve been forced into something smaller than they were meant to be. You look at him properly now.
“I did?”
A beat.
His gaze shifts, just for a second, before settling back on you.
A small click of his tongue, annoyed, at himself.
“…I didn’t mean that you should stop.”
There it is, not an apology. Not directly.
But close enough that it lingers in the space between you.
You don’t move right away. Don’t rush to fill the silence. And for a second, he looks like he might turn and leave. Like this was already more than he intended to say.
But he stays.
So you step closer. Slow, careful.
Giving him time to pull away if he wants to, but he doesn’t.
Your hand lifts, fingers brushing lightly against his sleeve, smoothing a crease that isn’t really there.
A small, familiar gesture.
He tenses, just slightly.
Then he stills and allows it. “…You’re difficult,” he mutters under his breath.
There’s no real bite to it.
You smile, softer now. “And you’re exhausting.”
A quiet huff leaves him, not quite a laugh, but close.
Your hand lingers only a moment longer before dropping back to your side. Still, he doesn’t move away, doesn’t tell you to stop, doesn’t correct you.
“…Just this once,” he says after a moment, voice low.
The city was busy, as per usual, cars passed by either honking, blaring music, speeding, or just being full of smoke. People walked by shops, some going inside, and others just resting in the shade. Fans were blowing wind on merchants, people fanned themselves, some regretful on being out on this extremely hot summer day. Unlike you, you were among the homebodies, in your cool home, resting in the chill air that the conditioner blew gently into your home. You were in your kitchen, buzzing with happiness around your kitchen.
Cleaning, cooking, and some soft music in the background playing low enough for you to hear. You were very happy, your boyfriend, Bro, was coming by to visit you today, and he was bringing his sweet baby boy Dia!! You missed them both very much, Bro was handling a mission that was close to where you live, so he promised to make a stop with Dia, and he said he might spend the night too!! You hummed in contentment, as you gently sipped from your cup, waiting on the cake to be done that you just freshly placed in the oven. You walked briskly around the counter, placing your cup down on the counter. You walked to your patio door, unlocking the sliding door.
You stepped out and gently touched the clothes hanging up on the line. You nodded your head approvingly at feeling it completely dry. You pulled back inside and looked down. On the floor next to the open patio door sat 2 large baskets, one was white and the other was dark blue, you picked up the white one, as it was for clean clothes. You walked back out onto the patio, placing the basket between your feet, you began taking the clothes off the lines, popping them and folding them before you dropped them into the basket below.
You sighed, folding up the small shirt that Dia loves so much. It was a cute, little, light blue shirt with a bright grey dinosaur with a smiley face on it, giving a thumbs us. Next to it, it held some dark blue words in a bubble format. It reads, "An apple a day, keeps the stegosaurus away." It was cute, and you loved it. You gently folded it and dropped it into the basket. You had Dia's outfit planned out. The shirt, some khaki cargo shorts, cute little grey socks, and a pair of 2 sizes bigger sneakers that he'll grow into. You folded up his little outfit first, then you worked on Bro's. His wasn't necessarily planned out, but these are just clothes you wanted to see him wear.
A plain white T-shirt, some blue jeans and a short sleeve, button-down dark grey top. You sighed once more as you enjoyed what little wind blew through. You were lucky to have a balcony, especially whenever Bro came over with some of his guy friends. They like to sit out here and play cards, drink, and just have a grand ol'time, specifically for his annoying yet sweet friend Enjin who smokes like it's oxygen. You most definitely keep his ass out on the balcony.
You did a few more chores, getting them done now before they appear, because once here, Dia isn't going to give you any time to truly get lost into any tasks at hand, and God forbid whenever he finally goes to sleep or one of Bro's friends takes him out for a sweet outting, Bro most definitely won't leave you alone... not that you're complaining. The cake was done, sitting on the counter to cool, the main course was done, still sitting on the stove to keep warm.
You stood at your kitchen counter, nursing your drink when the sound of car doors closing sounded out. You quickly gulped down a mouthful, running over to your patio. You unlocked it and slid it open, running onto the balcony and looking over the railing. You beamed happily when you saw your little family. Bro was talking to someone through the driver's window while Dia impatiently waited for Bro to speak his goodbyes. "DIAAA!!!!!! BROOO!!!!" You shouted out happily, catching their attentions. They both looked around, searching for you.
Dia was the first to look up, his eyes widening in happiness when he saw you, and he waved happily. "HIIIII!" You shouted in glee, Bro looked down at Dia, noticing the boy was looking up and he did too, a smile crossing his face when he saw you. "HEY HUN!!!" Bro shouted as he waved up at you. A strong arm reached out of the driver's window and waved up at you, too, followed by a smiling Gris peeking up at you. "HI (Y/N!)" He greeted you as well. You chuckled as you made sure to wave back at him. "HI, GRIS!!! HOW ARE YOU!?" You yelled. He gave a thumbs up. "GOOD!!! WE GOT A NEW KID ON THE TEAM!!! HE'S SWEET!!" He informed you, it was some shocking news, as new members was actually pretty rare.
"REALLY!?!" You shouted back, and he nodded. "YUP!!! I GOTTA GO NOW!!! YA'LL HAVE FUN!!! GOOD SEEING YOU AGAIN!!!" He shouted his farewells. You waved once more. "GOOD SEEING YOU TOO, GRIS!!! AND TELL FOLLO I SAID HI!!" You shouted. He gave a thumbs up before he spoke to Bro a while longer. Dia impatiently tapped his feet as he tugged at Bro's shirt. You watched in endearment, leaning on the railing. Eventually, Gris drove off, shooting you one last wave that you returned. Both Bro and Dia walked towards your building, getting ready to make their way up to your little pocket of a home.
You stepped back inside, closing the door and locking it once more. You quickly walked over to the front door, unlocking it so that they could both just come inside. You walked back into your kitchen, opening one of your cabinets you pulled out foil. You covered the cake, partially to hide it from Dia and partially to keep it from attracting bugs and whatnot. As soon as you placed the foil back into the cabinet, the door opened, and you smiled towards it as you closed the cabinet door. Dia immediately busted in, his eyes shifting around, only stopping until they landed on you, shining in glee he ran over towards you as he did, Bro came inside.
"Babe, how many times do I have to tell you to keep the door locked until we knock on it!" Bro scolded no real bite, just mainly concern, as he closed the door and locked it. You crouched down, arms wide to receive Dia, who immediately hugged you. You hugged him back tightly, rocking you both back and forth. "HI, BABY!!! I missed you!!!" You cooed excitedly as you covered Dia's face in kisses. He winced and cringed as he began trying to detached from the hug, but you wouldn't allow him.
Bro shook his head at the scene, a smile on his face as he slowly made his way towards you both. Once he was close enough, only then did you release Dia. You kept a firm grip on him so that he didn't fall from his pulling. Once you were sure he was stable, you stood up straight, a smile on your face as you raised your arms high, ready to receive another hug. Bro chuckled as he placed his hands gently on your waist while your arms wrapped around his neck. "I missed you." He said sweetly, you chuckled as your foreheads touched and your noses nuzzled each other. "I missed you too, baby." You responded. His smile was bright before he kissed you.
You gave a happy hum as you held him tighter while his hands moved from your waist to your lower back. The kiss was cut short when an angry huff sounded out, and a small body tried squeezing in between you both. You both chuckled into the kiss before you both parted and looked down, seeing a pouting Dia forcing his body in between both of yours, his back towards you as he began pushing Bro back from you. "Hey now! That's not fair! You can get kisses but I can't?" Bro asked him teasingly. Dia looked up at him with a light glare as he shook his head. He kept pushing till Bro took three steps before he quickly turned back to you, and he hugged you once more.
Bro gave him a look of disbelief while you laughed, your hands coming to rub Dia's back and fluff his hair. "That's just not right." Bro said, putting in his complaints. "I'm going to call HR on you!! This is cruel and unusual punishment." He half-heartedly complained, Dia did nothing but pull his pacifier from his mouth and stuck his tongue out at Bro. You watched them both bicker, this was usual for you whenever they'd come and visit, and you enjoyed every minute of it. You've learned to accept that both Bro and Dia were cleaners and that every day wasn't promised to them. There was never a 100% guarantee chance that you'll ever see them again.
Every mission was a gamble on their lives, and you've learned to accept that, Bro even talked to you about it one night after you both put Dia to bed, cuddled up togeher in your own bed, clothes scattered on the floor, the cover was falling off the bed, both too hot to have it draped over your lightly sweaty bodies. Listening to his heartbeat, you both spoke gently, agreeing that any day could be their last time seeing one another. You promised that if he ever died on the lines, then you'd continue to watch over Dia over at HQ, allowing the boy to grow and become stronger. You didn't want to ever consider that being a possibility, but you knew this was your reality. You made that choice when you decided to become more than friends with Bro, and you don't regret it in the slightest.
After their traditional bickering session, you were able to calm them down and convince them to go freshen up and to settle in. They were home now, and it showed too. Dia was the first to finish with his shower. He dumped his clothes into the dark blue basket next to the patio door. You smiled sweetly as you saw him in the outfit you picked for him. It was cute. He immediately headed for the couch, jumping onto it recklessly. He vanished behind the couch, and all was quiet for a peep before the TV clicked on. You gave an approving nod as you looked off from where he was. You busied yourself with putting away clean dishes. Dia was usually attached to your hip, but you suppose he was getting older, and it was sad, but you accepted it.
Your home was sounding the most domestic it's ever sounded in these past 3 months. Cartoons in the background, dishes clinging, shower running in the back. Your boys were home, and that's all that mattered. Doing a few more chores, small things like sweeping and mopping the kitchen. You seen Dia run past the kitchen and towards the back where his room was. He wasn't gone for long before the sound of something heavy was being dragged on the floor. You looked up, seeing him moving much slower, dragging his large tote bag that you and Bro designated as his toy bag.
You focused back on the task at hand, propping the mob up against the wall. You stood outside of your kitchen, letting the floor dry. You sighed tiredly as you bent your back backward, trying to ease the pain in your spine. You looked over at Dia tiredly, watching him play with his toys, his attention solely in his little world. The TV was long forgotten as some random cartoon continued playing. "Damn baby... You getting old on me or something?" Came Bro's teasing voice, you slightly jumped, making him chuckle before he gave you a kiss on your cheek in apology.
"I'm not getting old, I'm just tired... You try mopping this damn floor, and I'd like to see you walk away without injury." You challenged, he chuckled as he raised his hands up in surrender. "You're right, I'm sorry." He said, though his teasing smile never left. You gave him a light glare before you huffed and got back to work, seeing as the floor was dry now. He, too, was wearing the clothes you left out for him earlier. He looked good. He walked into the kitchen, seeing pots and pans on the stove, taking the lids off he checked to see what it was that you cooked, and he hummed in satisfaction.
"Mmm, damn, this looks good!" He complimented as he placed the lid back down, moving to the cabinet to pull down a plate. Eating as a family wasn't necessarily a thing you all practiced in your household. If you're hungry, then eat, its as simple as that. The only time you all ate as a family was usually on special holidays, occasions, or on outings. Other than that, food was food. "Uh-uh, wash your damn hands!! Because I already know you ain't do it." Came your accusing tone. He looked back at you, stopping short of grabbing a large serving spoon. "Come on baby, I took a shower!!" He said.
You crossed your arms, and he dropped his head as he sighed in defeat, putting the plate down on the counter along with the large spoon. He said nothing as he began washing his hands. You gave an approving nod before you turned away from him and walked over to the couch. Standing behind it, you watched as Dia played with his toys, lost in his own world. "Dia, are you hungry?" You asked him. He looked over at you and nodded his head. "You are?" You asked for confirmation.
He nodded once more. You turned away, now on a mission to feed your baby. You walked into the kitchen and turned on the tap, getting ready to wash your hands. "Want me to fix him a plate?" Bro asked from behind you. You smiled. "Would you please?" You asked. He nodded, and you turned off the water. Stepping up in your tip toe, your hands pressed into his back gently to balance yourself as you have him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, honey." You simply said, but it was enough to make him smile brightly. You were hungry yourself, so you began preparing yourself a plate as well.
Once all the plates were made, you and Bro placed them on the table, setting it up with utensils, napkins, and extra condiments. Once done, you called for Dia. "Dear!! Time to eat." You called. He quickly stood up, making a beeline towards the kitchen. You watched as he immediately began washing his hands, and you gave an approving nod. "Good to know someone has good hygiene." You said in an accusing tone as you glared over at Bro. He groans as he rubs the back of his neck. Sitting at the table and eating as a family, Bro told you about their days at HQ and the missions they went on while Dia either acted them out, nodded in agreement, or just ate.
Life was perfect again. It felt balanced once more. You told them about the chocolate cake once you were all done eating, and Dia was excited. You came up with the idea of icing it all together. Icing was hard to come by, so whenever you obtained some, you always made sure to share and decorate with your boys, a form of bonding in a way. Whatever was left, you let Dia have, allowing him to finish off the rest of the frosting. Making him sit on the floor in the kitchen so that he didn't accidentally make a mess on your carpet or your couch, and a mess he did make.
You and Bro, as painful as it will be, once it was time to stand up, sat on the floor with him. Each of you with a slice of cake, Bro sat against the cabinet while you sat in his lap, Dia's Pacifier was sitting comfortably in your hand, not wanting him to get it dirty. After your sugar break on the kitchen floor, you all got up, both you and Bro sounding like old people, while Dia was already at the sink washing his hands. Coming up behind Dia, you grabbed a rag and squeezed it out, gently turning him towards you. You chuckled at his chocolate covered cheeks before you whipped off his face.
He groaned and squimed, but you still cleaned him anyway. Handing him back his pacifier, he shoved it back into his mouth before he ran back off towards the couch, flipping over the back of it excitedly. Bro sighed at the sight. "He's gonna be hyper." He said in a tired yet found voice. You nodded in agreement. Both you and Bro cleaned the kitchen together, quietly talking amongst yourselves, the sound of cartoons, toys, and Dia's excited noises could be heard.
Once the kitchen was cleaned once more, you and Bro both walked over to the couch and sat down. It didn't take long for Bro to get absorbed into the cartoon. He was watching the cartoon out of genuine curiosity as he saw some action, trying to put together what's happening. Dia was lying on the ground in a random position, his hair frizzy and coming up out of his ties, looking up at the TV upside-down from his place on the floor. And you were snuggled up to Bro on the couch, his arm around you, holding you close against him. Finally, able to truly rest now that your family was home. It never lasts long, and they may have to go on a mission in the next few hours, but for now, you're a normal family.
Honestly, I have no idea how you did this. Maybe you were looking for a job, or perhaps you stumbled upon his manor during a storm. Either way, you ended up in Alois's service.
It took a bit; he was very cautious around you. (It's been a while since he had a human servant.)
One night, you were behind on your duties and working overtime. You were just outside his door when he screamed in terror.
You ran to his side and found him breathing heavily, staring at the door as if a monster would storm in any second. But it was just you.
Used to looking after children, you acted on instinct. You sat next to him, took him in your arms, and ran your fingers through his hair. In a gentle, hushed tone, you asked, "What's wrong?"
In that moment, he didn't care if you were being fake; he just craved the feeling of being truly looked after. He didn't tell you what the nightmare was about, but from there, it all changed.
Day 1: He clung to you the whole day. (To his butler's astonishment and dismay.)
Day 4: You were to stop calling him "Your Highness." (Calling him Alois was faster anyway.)
Day 6: You lost all duties that didn't involve him.
Day 10: You moved closer to his room.
Day 15: He promoted you from your former role to his caretaker alongside Claude.
Day 30: You moved into his room.
Day 31: He started settling down, or so it seemed.
Day 90: "Mother! Help me get dressed!" It was a slip-up. He expected a big reaction, but when it didn't come, it became the norm. Other servants don't like the closeness you share but keep their mouths shut... for now...
From then on, Alois became dependent on you to an unhealthy degree.
He doesn't like you disciplining him much, but surprisingly he lets you, as long as it's not physical.
He developed a major co-sleeping issue. He can't help that your arms are so warm.
He won't admit it, but he likes when you actively baby him—when you say he's too young to handle something, when you wipe something off his cheek, and so on.
He might act a little more clumsy... not on purpose, of course... He didn't usually cry over a small cut or a scraped knee... well, he certainly changed.
You have your own kids? Great! Now he gets to have siblings again! He has to be the favorite, though.
His favorite activity is always going to be when you sit in the library with him in your lap and read him stories.
You can't heal him, but you help him get better and eventually live a happy life...
[Canon end] You were visiting your family when it happened... you only found the body... The guilt nearly killed you, but you lived through it. You never moved on. The image of the body of a boy you came to love haunts you. The most awful feeling, though, is the fact that you can't feel him. It's like someone or something locked his soul away so that you never can feel his presence again.
Hiii I did this while listening to Harvey by Alex G
SUCCESS IS THE ONLY THING I UNDERSTAND
“Timmy come on it’s not good for you to stay up till 5:00 am every night” you say standing over him
“Mh just a few more minutes m almost done” Tim muttered his words coming out sluggish. It was sad really, a kid his age should never put off his own needs. No matter what their doing.
HEAD BACK HOME TO THE PLACE I GREW UP
“You said that 20 minutes ago, come on it’s time to go to sleep.” You uttered, running your fingers through his short black hair.
“It’s just one more thing I need to do..” he stated, trying his hardest not to just close his eyes shut. He was so close to finishing the case, if you just give him one more minute to finish….
GIVE MY MEDALS TO THE ONES THAT I LOVE
“Come, I’ll walk you back to your room” you say grabbing his hands off the bat computer, Dick had called you to get Tim to go to sleep. He’s been there for hours trying to finish that case, and he wouldn’t listen to anybody elso.
And Alfred is on his vacation day, while Bruce is at a late night gala. So they had no choice but to call you, Damian’s the one that suggested calling you in the first place.
I’LL CHASE HARVEY THROUGH THE DOOR ON THE WALL
As you both started walking up to the manor. Tim started to get more and more sleepy, all that lack of sleep was finally catching up to him.
“ Tim? Come on we’re almost there..” you say, his head resting on you shoulder.
HE SAYS NEVER CATCH ME, NEVER MISS ME AT ALL
Tim has never had a mom figure, he has a father figure and that’s Bruce. He has- had his own mother but they were never close, so when you came into his life things started getting better.
Before you he was never that happy to get his report cards, it was the same thing ever two months.
DROOL CAMES DOWN FROM THE CONNER OF HIS MOUTH
A+
A+
A+
A+
A+
A+
And the every once and awhile B+ in jym. But even that was rare, but when you came? Oh he loved showing you his report card. The way you acted like all A were a big thing?
I SAY I LOVE HARVEY YOU CUT IT OUT
The way you hung the paper up on your refrigerator? The way you patted the top of his head and told him your were poud of him? Like a mom would? Not a mother because a mom asked you what snacks you wanted from the store.
I LOVE WINNING BABY I WANT IT ALL
A mom tells you all the nightmares you have aren’t real.
I WANNA PROVE THAT I GOT THE BALLS
A mom does a bunch of things for their children…..
HARVEY KEEPS ON PLAYING WITH HIS FOOD
He doesn’t understand what big boys do…………
Also I’m think ima just change my theme when I get around internet, because right now I’m just on my mom’s hotspot and it’s not enough to load Pinterest 😭
Also this is rushed, no proofread cuz we die like Jason Todd
Also lest Friday I got in a argument 😅
Reader and Damian are going to have a very weird relationship cuz on one hand she low key wants to adopt him but on the other hand hes a little asshole lmao
The Road was silent and empty, the tension between the three of you thick.
After Billy confessed that he was looking to find his brother at the end of the road, you had all remained quiet and simply kept walking.
No one brought up what Evanora said about Agatha and You, what happened to Alice or what they witnessed at the last trial.
You walked at Billy's right side and Agatha at his left; leaving him trapped between the two of you.
He said nothing more for a while, but it was because he was trying to use his powers. Well, not his magic based on but the other set he had inherited; most likely from Wanda.
Billy had the ability to read minds, at least with some partial control. Either he had to be very close emotionally with someone to easily access their thoughts and establish a connection, or try really hard.
And that's what he did, trying to focus first on Agatha and then on you. Yet the more he tried, the more blocks he found; as if his ability could not bypass your minds and find your thoughts.
With you, he was not fully surprised but with Agatha... she was magicless. He should have been able to get something out of her, but all of his attempts have been futile.
What he didn't know was the fact that both of you could sense him, and you also took notice of his little frown; a big clue that he was mentally struggling with something.
In this case, the mental barriers you both had established to keep noisy telepaths out of your heads.
"You'll get a nosebleed trying that hard to read our minds." Agatha said, deciding to address the elephant in the room. "Especially hers," she motioned for you. "She is immune to noisy telepaths and mind readers."
Billy looked at you, surprised.
You shrugged your shoulders. "It's part of my magic. It neuters and blocks anything foreign." You explained. "It would take a very strong magic individual to be able to bypass it"
"Hmmm," he exclaimed and kept walking, clearly not wanting to continue this conversation or admit out loud that he was trying to snoop around with his abilities.
"You just can ask me your questions. Aloud." Agatha said, not liking this silence that silently existed between the three of you.
Plus, she was curious to find more about this Billy. What he had in mind or wished to know, what he thought and questioned. Now that there was no stupid sigil to stop him from exposing everything.
She just had to tread this carefully.
"Okay, then, where's Rio?" Billy asked, and you smirked on amusement, at both how smart the boy was and how quicky he cornered Agatha.
Agatha cleared her throat. "Not that question."
Billy looked at you, hoping you would offer some insight into this creepy green witch with questionable motives and loyalties.
"Sorry, kiddo. Can't say anything," you replied softly as you pushed a small branch to the side and allowed the others to walk first before you followed them.
"Is Wanda Maximoff really dead?" He asked next, and you turned your head to face Agatha, curious about that as well.
"Yes." She said with confidence but quickly changed her mind. "No. Maybe."
"Did you see a body?"
Agatha got a flash of the morgue body she saw while fighting to escape Wanda's spell and be free of this stupid Agnes persona that she was forced to have for three whole years.
"Yes, I did."
"Did anybody else?"
She thought for a moment. "It's hard to say." She confessed honestly and yet received a questionable look from the boy by her side. "Hey, you want straight answers, ask a straight lady."
You scoffed in amusement and had to place your hand in front of your mouth to hide your laughter that was threatening to come out.
Once you calmed down faintly, you saw the others looking at you. "Don't look at me like that. It was funny... and accurate," you bemused. "Plus, let's admit there is not really a straight person in this coven...or any coven I have met."
Agatha nodded. "Straight people and coven do not mix."
It was Billy's turn to scoff. "Oh, please. That's just a rumour. "
You and Agatha smirked, but it was your lover who chose to comment first.
"Is it now?" She questioned rhetorically. "Then, please, do your research and find me a coven that did not have questionable romantic preferences. I will wait. "
Billy opened his mouth to argue, but he came to realize he didn't truly know any covens in real life. The covens he studied and read about was not a lot of accurate information to trust.
Before he could think of something to save himself from yet another embarassment, he too notice of something up ahead.
Everyone came to a halt and observed your next trial, this time a haunting dark eyrie castle on top of a rock. Even the clouds and the background seemed to match its aesthetic.
"This is new," Agatha commented.
"I have a bad feeling bout this," you confessed and rubbed your hands faintly, feeling your hair stand on end in warning.
"We don't really have much of a choice," Billy reminded you.
Left with nothing else to say, you continued down the path; mentally preparing yourself for what is to come.
Billy and you had yet to face your trials, which both comforted and also worried you. On one hand, if the next trial was for any of you two, it meant you could be okay even if Jen and Liia join later.
But godess help if the trial is for Lilia or Rio, for it would not end well unless they would magically appear right on time, summoned by the road.
You were not sure if that was possible, for last time you, Agatha, and the coven had not gotten separated. Instead, you have stuck together even if some of your fellow witches perished on the way.
You came to a halt in front of the gothic huge wooden double door, two heavy metallic rings with intricate designs right in the middle; an old but familiar to you way of knocking on doors before door bells were invented.
"Guess we don't knock, right?" Billy asked, looking at you and Agatha.
"We didn't the last time," you reminded him. "Or any of the last times," you continued in a mumble.
"Then why do you do now?" Agatha questioned rhetorically and pushed the heavy doors or at least tried. "They look far lighter than they are," she grunted, trying not to make a joke out of herself because she knew Billy would never let it go.
Thankfully, Jen was not present, for she would have commented already and not in a nice way.
You looked at Billy and then chose to join her, doing your best to push against the heavy doors. Eventually, your combined efforts seemed to pay off, and you managed to make a big enough gap to pass through; darkness blocked your vision for a moment before things cleared.
And once you could see again, you came face to face with your next trial.
─ Summary: you were just trying to help someone and you ended up being the obsession of a criminal organization
─ Warnings: obsession, stalking, toxic behaviors, kidnapping, slight mention of drugs and stuff related
Part two / Part three / Part four / Part five
You turned on the light in your kitchen, almost tripping over one of the stools because your eyes were still half closed, you had fallen asleep correcting the last report that the newspaper where you worked had sent you. You had noticed that you hadn't even had dinner before, so you made a quick meal before heading back to work, but before you could touch your laptop you heard a crash at the front door, as if someone had collapsed and slammed against it.
It's not that you lived in one of the worst areas of the city, but it was strange that something happened in the wee hours of the morning, you walked slowly, opening the door, or trying to, because the body of a man was blocking the entrance, a few minutes of struggle was enough for the unconscious body to fall to the other side, leaving you to open the door completely and contemplate the man.
He had one of those mullets that were fashionable among young people, several earrings, some scars on his mouth and stains of what appeared to be vomit and blood, okay, you did not want to interfere with anyone who seemed to be a drug addict, but on second thought, it was better to help the man than to have to give statements to the police as to why there was a dead body at your door.
You dragged him home and laid him on the couch, laying him on his side so he wouldn't choke on his own vomit if he ever did, though after further scanning you decided he needed a good shower. You did not feel self-conscious in doing this job, you are of an age and you have worked in many things, among them you had a position taking care of the elderly, all kinds of care being more specific, so no, you did not feel uncomfortable having to wash this man.
You changed his clothes and put his striped suit in the wash, leaving him back on the sofa, you continued with your work, reading and quickly correcting the errors you found, the night passed quite quickly and you fell asleep once you were completely done your work, sending it to the head of the newspaper.
The next morning you woke up with a gun pointed at your temple and that man's pretty eyes staring back at you, good way to start the day indeed.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Are you young people these days so ungrateful? It was you who passed out on the doorstep of my house at two in the morning."
He lowered the gun, seeming to remember some parts of his night, he sat still a little bewildered and with his head elsewhere because of the drugs taken yesterday, he looked at you in silence now noticing his change of clothes as well as the smell of his hair, it was not the smell of his usual shampoo.
"Did you…?"
"Yes, oh, don't be ashamed, it's been a long time since I stopped being interested in that kind of thing, at a certain age the only thing one looks for is economic stability and peace of mind, are you going to stay for lunch?"
He blinked contemplating your calm form, he didn't know if he was still under the pressure of narcotics, but he didn't reject your proposal, Sanzu was anything but embarrassing, however he felt like a little boy next to you being cared for by the mother he never had.
For your part, he was not the first brat you helped, you had married friends, with grown children or adolescents who did not stop getting into small problems, you acted like the aunt who drinks wine and criticizes everyone at family gatherings, for your attitude, they found it easier to access you when they had problems they didn't want your friends ─their moms─ to know about, you always had their backs unless it was something that was detrimental to their health, then you wouldn't hesitate to call your friends to give their children a lecture, even as adults.
That same attitude was the one that made Sanzu visit you more often than he would like to admit, although most of the times he left scolded for coming home drunk or drugged, you never closed the door on him, how could you? You weren't heartless enough to leave him lying in the street when he came desperately asking for help with some of his hallucinations.
Your kindness led him to an obsession towards you, you were like his little lifeboat, his conscious part about all the madness in which he was involved, he began to watch you from afar, observing your interactions with strangers and friends, it bothered him, it bothered him that you were just as kind to others as you were to him, he wanted all your attention just for him. He was also worried about you, he had seen the worst part of the rotten world in which he lived, someone with a soft heart like you could not survive against the predators of this society.
Of course, Bonten executives were not stupid, usually most of them lived in the headquarters, they had private properties where they spent a few days or weeks, but most of the time they were in that headquarter, especially Sanzu, that's why they started to noticing his absence more and more, it's not like he had to explain himself to anyone ─except if Mikey asked him to─ but his behavior was strange, didn't he arrive drugged? It seemed like a bad joke, clothes without a bloodstain? he was definitely doing something outside their radar.
Not that the others cared much, but the Haitani brothers were a bit nosy, like gossips who want to know why their partner seems happier when he comes back in the morning after a night of 'fun'. They discussed it a couple of times with the others when Sanzu wasn't around, and they all agreed that his behavior was unusual, so they began to investigate what he did in his leisure.
This led to an ordinary person like you being watched by two executives of the largest criminal organization in the country. At first they thought that you were a whore with whom he had fallen in love, but investigating more about you, they discovered that you were a lady with an established daily life, there was nothing about you that stood out and yet you seemed so interesting.
"Sanzu please, I need to finish correcting this report, I promise you that later you can have all the hugs you want."
"No."
He tightened his grip on your waist, burying his face in the crook of your neck, you were trying to do your job but Sanzu found your hugs too comforting after you once found him crying ─from being drugged─, killing people leaves obstacles in any person and as much as he loved it, certain deaths of innocent people always ended up flying over his thoughts like ghosts that tormented him from time to time.
The sound of the doorbell made you stop typing, moving the man slightly away to go to open, you were not expecting a visitor which was strange to you, Sanzu felt a chill when you opened the door, meeting the eyes of the youngest of the Haitani directly, he got up quickly without even letting you ask what those guys wanted, he pulled you back before Ran could drag you with him.
"What the fuck are you two doing here?"
"Make sure you don't have too much fun, are you so in love that you forget the meetings?"
They started a little discussion while you looked blankly, you and Rindou looked at each other in silence while the other two talked, you greeted with a brief nod, thinking they were Sanzu's coworkers.
Luckily just when the discussion was getting more heated, a 'ding' coming from the oven threw everyone off concentration, taking advantage of this you got out of the man's strong grip, walking towards the kitchen to see that the cookies you had been working on before were ready.
"There are plenty of cookies for everyone, Sanzu you can invite your friends."
"They are not my friends!"
"That's very kind of you, we'd love to meet our friend's friend."
So you ended up having lunch with the three men in an awkward silence between them, due to the tension of which you preferred not to take into account, Ran and Rindou were quite nice and understood that you were not a love interest, nor did you want it, nor did you seek it. Alarm bells of boys without a mother figure going off again, of course you caught their interest more than before, they knew your background but not your personality, and they ended up falling into that obsession towards you, as if there was something that made them gravitate towards you, was it because of your simplicity? for your kind words? They didn't know it, but they were jealous that Sanzu could snuggle up against you and they would have to keep more of their distance.
Now you had three of Bonten's executives constantly visiting your house, whether it was asking you for small favors or advice on nonsense to asking you to make them cookies or food in general, they just desperately wanted your attention, like babies crying out for their mother.
This cycle of obsession only made the others begin to suspect that they were up to something, whether it was harmful to Bonten or not, Takeomi was the first to notice, Kokonoi the same, he noticed how the brothers spent a certain amount of money, which they didn't used to do that often, followed by Kakucho, Mochizuki and lastly Mikey.
So it led you to be kidnapped by Mochi after doing enough research on you, because they didn't take much notice of it at first when the brothers first noticed. You were tied hand and foot, a blindfold was removed after consciousness returned to you, you found yourself face to face with a man with immense dark circles and eyes full of lifeless, on his right side another man with a large scar on his face, on his left side another man with a small scar on his left eye.
You felt something cold touching your temple, again you had a gun pointed at you, held by the same boy who had kidnapped you, you turned your head also noticing another man with long white hair.
"Who are you and why do you have my executives after you?"
"Executives…?" you looked at everyone carefully, connecting the dots when you saw their tattoos "Oh- so that's why they never wanted to tell me what they worked for… are you some kind of organization? Like arms smuggling, money laundering or something?"
You took the situation calmly, that your life was hanging by a thread right now was not one of your biggest concerns, you had lived a full and happy life up to now, you had no regrets, you were mature enough to understand the point at which you were, the more the years go by, the less afraid you are of the things that used to terrify you when you were young.
"GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF MY MOTHER!"
Everyone was surprised to see how Sanzu entered kicking Mochizuki so that the weapon flew out of his hands, away from you, the Haitani brothers followed closely untying you quickly while all those men had a discussion of looks, the dense silence was broken by your giggle, you were trying to control yourself as much as you could but it was impossible.
"My God, Sanzu, you just called me mom!?"
The boy's face was completely dyed in pink tones, all the attention was now focused on you while you let out a laugh at the slip that your child had, something made the hearts of others clench in pain when they heard your laugh, no matter how bad it sounded, whether it was asthmatic, uproarious, or silent laughter, it was like real music to the ears of all the executives at Bonten, including the leader. As if you had flipped a switch in the mind of their rotten minds, they now had a new interest in you, as if you had further triggered an obsession you were unaware of with the first three you met.
They began to understand why those three felt attracted to you, it was as if your mere presence was intoxicating for them, as if just listening to you or looking at you calmed their broken hearts, many alarms from boys without a mother figure, of course that was a triggering reason, all these men longed for that kind of love that they could hardly experience.
Now you had the criminal organization after you, not in a bad way, more like a bunch of men acting childishly because of your limited attention. One thing they were clear about without the need to speak, you were not going to leave their sight for a single moment from now on.
