Tomholland2013: My Muse! One Day, I Hope To Be Able To Strike A Pose And Look Off Into The Middle Distance.

My little baby girl munson OC is Daisy May Munson. I know it’s country as hell but just seemed so cute! I wish I was more help but it took me my entire pregnancy to name my little girl lol. I am partial to Natalie Eden or Lili/Lilianna.

My middle name is Daisy! That’s so crazy. Honestly, there is a part of me that just wants to give the baby a first name and let people imagine/decide what her middle name will be on their own. Does that sound dumb or crazy???

Baby Holland Moodboard

as much as i would have liked to have seen old crosshair and wrecker in the epilogue, i think having it focus on just hunter and omega is so beautiful. that initial father & daughter dynamic they formed back in season 1 was truly the heart of the show, so having the very last scene centre around that specifically was such a full-circle moment 🥹🥹

Play Pretend | Eddie Munson

Summary: To escape the likes of Jason Carver, the reader has to play a little game of pretend with Eddie Munson himself.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Warning: sexual tension, swearing, some kissing, fake relationship

Type: Oneshot

Word Count: 4,647 words

It had been one hell of a day and it was only lunchtime. During first period, Jason Carver had gone to extreme lengths to pass a note across the room to Y/n L/n. It read something along the lines of ‘meet me by the lockers after class.”

In response to reading the note, Y/n turned her head to look over her shoulder. She immediately spotted were the basketball jock was seated near the back of the class. He sent her a sly smile and a wink.

Turning back in her seat, Y/n groaned to herself in slight disgust. She crumpled up the piece of paper and discarded it to the side. He had been trying to shoot his shot since the start of senior year, but he couldn’t take the hint that she wasn’t interested.

During the short time between periods, Y/n was collecting her textbooks from her locker. She closed her locker door, jumping slightly upon seeing Jason standing on the other side.

He was trying to be cool. So Jason was leaning against the lockers with his arms crossed over his chest. He opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly cut him off.

“I don’t have time to talk. I’ve got class,” Y/n claimed. The bell rang to back up her excuse. She quickly scurried away from him, blending into the massive crowd of students in the hallway.

By the time lunch rolled around, Y/n was running through the hallways of the school. She was occasionally look over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. She hurried past students in her path, apologizing to them as she ran into the lunchroom.

Desperately, Y/n’s eyes scanned the large crowd of students sitting at different tables in the cafeteria. Her eyes finally settled on one particular table on the far side of the room.

“Munson!” Y/n called out. She had cupped her hands around her mouth so it could be heard over the crowd.

While few people would have actually heard her over the commotion, Eddie surprisingly raised his head to look over the crowd. He heard his name once again. Finally, Eddie’s gaze landed on a familiar face.

“What?” Eddie mouthed from across the room.

Not wanting to draw any more attention to herself, Y/n decided that she shouldn’t yell across the room again. She glanced over her shoulder one more time. She then quickly made her way through the crowd of students in the cafeteria.

The Hellfire Club was confused by her mannerism. They all seemed to follow her figure as she made her way across the room. They ate their lunch slowly.

As Y/n approached the side of their table, Eddie scooted back in his chair to face her more. He held his hands up in defeat as if he was already trying to say he didn’t do anything.

Much to his surprise, Y/n waltzed right up to him. She placed her hand on his left shoulder and pushed him backwards so he was leaning against the back of his chair.

“Play along, Munson.” She demanded.

Without warning, Y/n lowered herself into his thigh and swung her legs to drape across his lap. She wrapped her one arm around the back of his neck. And the other hand came to rest on his chest.

“Wha—” Eddie was at a loss for words.

His hands were still held up in a defensive manner as if he was too afraid to lay his hands on her, which he absolutely was.

Now Y/n took her time to scan the room. She looked for the young boy that had been following her all day long. She knew he would show up at some point.

Finally, as if on cue, Jason Carver hurried into the entrance of the cafeteria. He took note of his surroundings, searching for one person in particular. By the look of it, it seemed like he hadn’t spotted her just yet. Perfect.

“As much as I love having you in my lap,” Eddie’s voice drew her back to reality momentarily. “What are we doing?” Eddie questioned.

At the given moment, Eddie tried to study her face and find out what this was all about. He followed her line of gaze in attempts to see who she was looking for.

Suddenly, Eddie felt her grasp his chin. She turned his head so that he was looking directly at her. She had this dark serious look in her eyes.

“Eyes on me,” Y/n whispered to him sternly.

“Yes ma’am,” Eddie nodded his head.

“Do you trust me?” Y/n questioned.

Normally, Eddie would come up with some snarky remark in retaliation just to mess with her. However, Eddie saw that she was no in a playing mood. She maintained this serious look. Her eyebrows rose as she waited for his answer.

“Y-Yeah. Of course I do,” Eddie said with a small nod of the head.

“Good,” Y/n said finally.

Out of nowhere, Y/n went to grab the lapels of his black leather jacket. She pulled him forward until his lips connected with hers.

For a brief second, Eddie’s eyes were wide open in total shock. He didn’t really know what to do or even what to think. He flailed his arms slightly at his sides as if he didn’t really know what to do with them.

With some hesitation, Eddie let himself go. His eyes fluttered shut. His body eventually began to relax in pure and total bliss. He grew more accustomed to the feeling of her soft lips against his own. He began to kiss her back.

“Did that just happened?” Dustin asked out loud. He looked at Mike who was sitting right next to him just to make sure he was seeing the same thing as him.

In response, Eddie kicked Dustin’s leg underneath the table as if to shut him up. He naturally cursed at the pain that shot through his leg. His face scrunched up while he rubbed his leg to comfort himself.

The two of them ended up losing themselves in the kiss. They didn’t seem to pay any attention to their surroundings, forgetting that they were kissing in a room full of other students. They were totally lost in each other.

Her hands snaked up the length of his chest to link around his neck. She played with his soft curls. She was able to smell the spicy from his cologne or body spray; she wasn’t sure what he used but it smelled nice.

At this point, Eddie was basically melting into her. He had never tasted something so sweet; it must have been her lipgloss. He laid his hands to rest on her hip and her thigh. His thumb rubbed small circles on her inner thigh. He tried to pull her as close as humanly possible, shifting her body more into his lap.

Just when things were starting to progress a little, by means of Eddie slipping his hand under her sweater to caress her soft skin, the sound of someone clearing their throat had filled their ears. The two of them pulled away from each other to direct their attention towards the sound.

Much to the surprise of almost everyone, Jason Carver stood on the far end of their table. His hands were placed in his hips which made him look like a father who was able to scold his rebellious teenage daughter. His face was beet red and his jaw was clenched tight.

“Oh! Jason!” Y/n was the first to speak up. “I didn’t see you there,” Y/n lied.

Looking between the two of them, Eddie secretly wondered if she had been trying to get away from the head of the basketball team. He had known for some time that the guy had been trying to ask her out for some time. It wouldn’t have surprised him if she was just trying to get away from him.

“Y/n,” Jason spoke sternly. “What are you doing with these…freaks?” He emphasized.

She ignored his question by rolling her eyes at him. She redirected the conversation by asking him a question.

“Can I help you with something, Carver?” Y/n wondered. She tilted her head to the side as if she was waiting for him to answer.

“Listen…” Jason began. When he turned his head, he realized that almost everyone in the cafeteria was looking their way. “I think I’ve made my intentions very clear,” Jason claimed.

“Is that so?” Y/n tried to egg him on.

“Yes! I’ve been asking you out since the beginning of the semester, but you keep playing hard to get.” Jason complained.

“Did you ever stop to realize that I might not be interested in you?” Y/n finally said.

“Come on, Y/n. Let’s be serious,” Jason scoffed. He started listing off some of his best qualities. “I am smart, I get good grades. I am the head of the basketball team. I’m—,” Jason was cut off.

“Narcissistic?” Y/n suggested.

“Egotistical?” Eddie added.

But Jason seemed to ignore both of their comments. He held his hands up in defeat so he could finally present his case.

“I just wanna know,” Jason said slowly. “Will you go out with me?”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,” Y/n said with a small shake of the head. “No,” she enunciated.

“Why not?” Jason almost whined.

“I could give you a million reasons,” Y/n rolled her eyes. She just then remembered her precious white lie. “Starting with: I am already in a committed relationship,” she announced.

For their sake, Eddie tried his hardest not to let his emotions show too clearly on his face. He would have most certainly rose his eyebrows in surprise if not for their current situation. This statement was a little shocking to hear because it wasn’t true.

However, Eddie found himself smiling at the statement. He just couldn’t wait to see the look on Jason’s face. Sure enough, the basketball boy was at a total loss for words. He must have been boiling with jealousy and anger. He eventually spoke up.

“With this freak?” He gestured to the man himself. “I don’t believe it,” Jason scoffed.

“I don’t know, man.” Mike interjected.

At this, Mike had turned his head to look between his friends. He remembered the whole ‘play along’ part and he decided to jump in to help them out.

“Did you see that kiss?” Mike said in a hinting manner. The others quickly caught on.

“Y-Yeah!” Dustin stumbled a bit. “Have you seen them?”

“They’re always all over each other,” Lucas chimed in.

“So in love,” Mike added. He was almost over selling it.

“Y-Yeah,” Eddie finally spoke up which caused everyone to look at him. “In fact, we’ll be celebrating our three month anniversary next week,” Eddie lied.

Just to piss off Jason even more, Eddie pulled the girl farther onto his lap. He leaned forward to that his face was hovering right next to the side of her face. He smirked evilly to himself. He went so far as to nip at her ear.

“What were we thinking, baby? A nice fancy dinner in town and then maybe we take things back to my place,” Eddie suggested.

“Eddie!” Y/n said almost surprised.

This was one of the first times that she had actually called him by his first name. She proceeded to slap his chest in a playful manner as if she were scolding him for saying such a thing. But he only smiled at her.

In that moment, Eddie pressed a small kiss on her lips. He was trying his hardest to convince everyone that they were in a relationship. And they were doing a pretty good job from how casual that second kiss looked.

They were putting up one hell of an act. While anyone could see that from their mannerism, they still played along where people couldn’t see. Such as under the table.

Eddie had his hand laying on the top of her black nylon covered thigh. His thumb rubbed small circles on the inside of her thigh, which was dangerously close to her heat. This caused her to blush profusely and forget for a second what she was thinking.

All the while, Y/n was mindlessly playing with the silver rings on his fingers. He felt a cold shiver rise up his spine upon feeling her caressing his long fingers so gently.

Both of them had grown somewhat distracted by each other’s actions. They just briefly glanced at one another through the corner of their eye. But then, Jason brought them back to reality.

“You’re sick, freak.”

“You’re one to talk,” Y/n mumbled under her breath.

“What did you just say to me?” Jason asked angrily.

This caused Eddie to tighten his hold on the girl in his lap. It could have been in a protective manner or as a warning to her to watch herself. She wasn’t sure.

All the sudden, Y/n rose to her feet in order to stand tall. She honestly didn’t care that everyone was now looking at her. She climbed onto the top of the table, which made a little ruckus.

She strode towards the every end of the table. Then she proceeded to squat down so that she was face to face with him. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I said,” she said slowly. “You, Jason Carver, are a sick freak.”

The whole cafeteria erupted in ‘oohs’ as if saying they could feel the weight of her words and how much they burned.

Silently, Eddie stood to his own feet. He kept one hand on the table, taking a defensive stance. He was scared that she was getting too far ahead of herself and he wanted to be there for her in case something went down.

“You don’t think of anyone but yourself,” Y/n sneered. “You think you’re so high and mighty, better than everyone else here.”

Upon hearing this, Jason only crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes at her comment. He saw that everyone was looking their way and listening to everything she said. It started making him nervous.

“You keep chasing after me because it pisses you off when you don’t get exactly what you want,” Y/n jabbed. “And the funny part is: you think you deserve everything the world has to offer,” Y/n chuckled.

Then Y/n raised her hand to show her fingers. She began listing off reasons why he thought he was deserving.

“Because you’re smart, because you’re the head of the basketball team, because of your status in society,” she carried on.

She leaned real close to him so that he could hear her final point. She knew she was playing with fire and speaking with venom in her voice.

“But let’s make something clear,” Y/n said. “You are nothing more than a pretentious little prick who’s got a stick so far up your own ass that you can’t take a fucking hint.”

He gritted his teeth and dug his fingers into the sleeves of his sports jacket. He was fuming at this point.

“So take the fucking hint, Carver. I’m not interested,” Y/n concluded.

Finally, Y/n rose to her feet and stood tall on the table. She looked down at him like he was lower than dirt. She spun around on the heels of her feet and walked back toward the other end of the table.

The Hellfire club members had stood up from their seats. They began to applaud her in the most dramatic way. They looked on her with such admiration in their eyes as if she was their savior.

At the end of the table, Eddie offered his hand to her like a gentlemen. She gladly took hold of it. He helped her climb off the table with the assistance of his hand.

As she began to walk away from the group, she looked over her shoulder and motioned for him to follow with the simple curl of her finger. He hurried to catch up with her, which caused him to almost stumble over his feet.

“Keep up, Munson.” She encouraged.

He trailed right behind her like a lost puppy, practically walking on the heels of her feet. He seemed mesmerized by her movements. He smiled to himself successfully.

Behind them, the other members of the club had joined them as they left the cafeteria. At one point, Y/n and Eddie had both turned around to flip the douchebag the bird. They waved their hands in the air, flipping him off in the process.

Even Dustin had turned around to flip him off. He was just mirroring Eddie who he admired so dearly and who had such an influence on him.

For the time being, Eddie and Y/n didn’t speak about the encounter in the cafeteria. They also didn’t talk about the whole ‘play pretend’ deal. It seemed like there was just this silent mutual agreement that, whenever Jason was around, they’d play pretend.

Less than a week later, Jason Carver was seeing walking around the hallways with his new girlfriend on his arm. Her name was Chrissy Cunningham. She was a pretty cheerleader.

It seemed like everyone in school knew that he was only dating her to get back at his old crush. The only person who didn’t seem to know that was Chrissy herself, which was honestly quite sad.

This was proven when Jason would be kissing Chrissy in the hallway with one eye peered open to check to see if Y/n was watching. She never was because she simply didn’t care.

It seemed like Jason was trying to tell absolutely everybody that he was so in love with Chrissy, but most people still believed he was still caught up on Y/n.

To prove himself, Jason would bring Chrissy flowers almost everyday. He’d write her love notes to put in his locker. He’s give her shoutouts at his basketball games. He was trying to go all out just so that Y/n knew about his new relationship status.

In contrast, whenever Jason was nearby, Eddie and Y/n would put on one hell of a show for him. Sometimes it consisted of Eddie putting his arm around her in the hallway. One time, Eddie had passed a note to Jason in class, asking if he’d be so kind as to hand it to Y/n. They both got a good laugh out of this, especially when the note only said “wanna smoke after school?”

There were times when Eddie and Y/n would be talking to each other before class. When Jason walked in, Y/n could see him in her peripheral vision. She would pop her lips into her mouth to contain her smile. Then she would widen her eyes a little at Eddie as if to tell him that he was here.

As if he read her mind, Eddie would lean down to capture her lips in his own. His body would be towering over her smaller figure sitting smartly at her desk.

Of course, Jason tried to play it off like it didn’t bother him. He’d simply roll his eyes and scoff at those two. He proceeded to head towards his own seat. He flopped down before casually glancing at them through the corner of his eye.

It had been a few months now. It was drawing closer to fall break. One day, Eddie was standing right beside Y/n locker. He was waiting for her to finish grabbing her school books so they could walk to their next class together. When Eddie looked up, he spotted Jason heading their way.

Although Jason hadn’t seen them yet, Eddie figured that he would soon. So despite the fact that they hadn’t physically spoken about their pact, Eddie decided to act on it since he was getting closer to them.

In that moment, Eddie went to grab onto her arms and made her turn to face him. He tried to look over her shoulder inconspicuously.

“Don’t look now. You-know-who is headed our way,” Eddie said to her without moving his lips.

He could feel her tense up in his grasp. He tried to assess the situation. He wanted to get back at him and he knew what would piss him off.

Without hesitation, Eddie lowered his hand to grasp her chin. He forced her to look up at him. He dipped his head down slightly.

“Just play along, baby girl.” He whispered.

In that exact moment, Jason had lifted his head just in time to see the two of them press their lips together in a kiss. He felt his fists clench at his sides and his face changed to the color of fire. He stormed off.

Meanwhile, Eddie had wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her as close as humanly possible. He was trying to enjoy and savor every single second spent kissing her.

There was a part of him that desperately wanted them to keep up with their ‘fake relationship.’ He would gladly keep pretending if it meant he got to be with her, even if it didn’t mean anything. He wanted her so badly.

He feared the day they would give up their game of pretend. He figured that it would only be a matter of time before they had to stop.

Now Eddie hated to admit just how hard he fell in love with her. In the beginning, he tried telling himself not to get too attached since it was only temporary and entirely fake.

But every time he saw her precious smile or he heard her pretty little laugh, he only found that he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her. He loved everything about her. He liked playing games with her, tricking everyone around them. He could list off a million things he loved and admired about her. He savored every moment spent with her.

So this time, when he kissed her, he kissed her with such desperation. It was as if he was trying to communicate how he felt towards her and how he never wanted to let her go. He silently prayed she could read his mind.

When Eddie finally pulled away, he could have sworn that he saw a twinkle in her eyes. She stared at him with her mouth slightly agape, catching her breath. He wondered if she was studying his face or searching for something.

“C—Can we talk? After school?” Y/n wondered.

Upon hearing those words, Eddie felt his heart drop in the confines of his chest. He thought the day had finally come. And the pain was nearly unbearable

“Y—Yeah. Of course,” Eddie struggled. But he nodded his head in confirmation.

The two of them agreed to meet by the picnic table in the woods. It was where Eddie did a lot of his deals. But it was a quiet, private, and secluded area where they could speak freely.

By the time Y/n had come to the picnic table, Eddie was already sitting there. He was fiddling with his hands nervously. He stared down at the old warped wood. He heard her approach him so he looked up at her.

For some unknown reason, Y/n couldn’t bring herself to sit down at the table. She instead opted for pacing back and forth. She tried to collect her words since she had rehearsed them in her head during the last couple periods of school.

The whole time, Eddie was watching her like a hawk. He had a feeling he knew what she was about to say. He had this horrible feeling in his gut and the pain in his chest had been hurting for some time. He wore a worried expression on his face.

“I—I can’t keep doing this,” Y/n began. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling her hair in slight frustration.

“I understand,” Eddie confessed with a small sigh of defeat.

“I can’t keep playing pretend,” Y/n added. She had tears streaming in the corners of her eyes. She was so afraid to come out and say it. But she had to. “Not when I’ve fallen in love with you,” Y/n confessed.

Upon hearing this, Eddie snapped his head up so he could look at her and see if he heard her correctly. He cautiously rose to his feet. His mouth had parted slightly since he couldn’t find the right words.

Slowly, Eddie made his way around the side of the table until he was standing right in front of her. He saw how nervous and anxious she looked as if she feared his answer.

“You—” Eddie began.

“Yes,” Y/n cut him off.

“You’re in love with me?” Eddie wanted confirmation. He pointed to himself just to be clear.

“I am in love with you, Eddie Munson.” Y/n confessed softly. She sent him a small nervous smile. “I have been for some time,” she added.

“How long?” Eddie truthfully wanted to know.

“I liked you since before our whole scheme. But I started falling for you the more we hung out. I—I just didn’t know how to tell you,” Y/n said truthfully.

With shaky hands, Y/n was quick to wipe away the fears falling down her cheeks. She sniffled slightly. She fiddled with her hands to contain her anxiety. She couldn’t bare to look at him.

“If you don’t feel the same way, I completely understand. I just thought you had the right to know. And if I’ve ruined our dynamic and our friendship, then I am truly sorry—,” but she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Because Eddie Munson had cupped her face in his hands and silenced her with a kiss. Their mouths were moving together in a synchronized harmony. Their lips fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces and it was the most satisfying thing.

Their hearts were beating rapidly against their chests, threatening to break through the thin barrier. They could practically feel the blood and adrenaline pumping and coursing through their veins. They felt a rush of euphoric bliss envelop their beings, making their hearts sing with pure joy. Their hearts could barely contain the million different emotions surged through their bodies; desire, hunger, love, lust.

His lips were quite course, almost chapped. He kissed her with such dominance as if he were afraid she would slip through his fingers. On the other hand, her lips were so soft and gentle. She returned the kiss with the same amount of passion. She melted into his embrace.

In the end, the two of them beings needed oxygen to survive. They had quite reluctantly pulled away from each other. They carefully leaned forward  to rest their heads together. The two panted heavily to regain their breath. They stared into each other’s eyes, feeling at a loss for words.

“I—I don’t understand,” Y/n said. She closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“I love you too,” Eddie explained. “I thought that was obvious,” Eddie chuckled softly.

“You—you do?” She had tears in her eyes.

“Yes, baby girl.” He tucked a single strand of hair behind her ear. He then choked her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. “Ever since you kissed me in the cafeteria, I knew I was a goner,” Eddie said breathlessly.

They quickly found that they were at a loss for words. Neither of them knew what to say or what to do. They could feel the smiles growing at the corners of their lips. Then they began to laugh.

Suddenly, Eddie and Y/n found themselves going in for a tight embrace. They held each other so tightly like they were afraid they’d loose each other. They stood still.

“I don’t want to pretend you’re mine anymore,” Eddie whispered to her. “I want you to be mine, all mine.”

She smiled at this. And closed her eyes to savor his words. She went to kiss his cheek.

“You have me. All of me.”

THOUGHTS?

PART TWO HERE

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

THIS IS NOT A FUCKING DRILL

Baby Munson | Part 2

Summary: With some persuasion, the new parents select a name for the baby. Then everyone gets their chance to meet her and hold her for the first time!

Warning: breastfeeding, mentions of childbirth, pure fluff

Pairing: Dad!Eddie Munson x Mom!Reader

Type: Continuation of Part One

Word Count: 3,809 words

During the late hours of the night, the occupants checked into the hospital were fast asleep. Only the doctors and nurses who worked the night shift were awake at this time. They made their rounds per usual, checking in on their select patients. 

A young nurse walked down the long stretch of the hallway before stopping at one of the private rooms to her left side. She knocked on the door a couple times, waiting for permission to enter. Once she heard this, she twisted the doorknob and entered the small hospital room.

The new parents were cuddling in the small hospital bed, laying wide awake in their spot. They cradled their newborn baby who was only a few hours old at this point. The two of them were smiling down at their precious baby, admiring all her little features.

The baby was a pink newborn. Her mess of hair on her head was now dry, but you couldn’t see it under the pink cap on her head. She was swaddled tightly in a blanket the hospital provided its newborn patients.

At this moment, the little one was wide awake. Her big brown eyes blinked slowly as she surveyed some of her surroundings to the best of her ability. She began rooting which meant her little pink tongue poked out of her mouth every so often. Her instincts were strong. She wanted milk.

“I think she’s hungry,” Eddie suggested. He had taken notice of the way his daughter slightly turned her head to face her mother’s clothed breast. He went to move the blanket more away from the baby’s mouth, brushing her chin ever so gently.

“O-Oh,” Y/n said with a hint of nervousness. “Okay. I’ll just--” she went to adjust her gown. 

“Y-Yeah. I’ll just uh...” Eddie carefully slipped over the side of the bed so he could stand to his feet. He shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly. “Give you some space,” Eddie chuckled nervously.

There was a strong sense of awkwardness in the hospital room. As Eddie shuffled backwards in his place, he came up with a good excuse to leave the room.

“Do you want a coffee?” But Eddie didn’t want for her to respond. He opened the door quickly. “I’ll get you a coffee,” Eddie replied before closing the door behind him.

“’kay,” Y/n said to the empty room. 

Slowly, Y/n readjusted the newborn in her grasp, shifting to pull down the corner of her hospital gown. Then she pulled her breast out with her hand. She went to move her nipple towards the baby’s mouth and she instinctively latched on.

The baby began to suckle softly. She drew out the long streams of creamy milk, swallowing on her own. Her rosy pink cheeks moved as she nursed from her mother. She seemed to be savoring every single drop of milk her mother had to offer her. She made little noises to showcase her contentment.

Meanwhile, Eddie was walking aimlessly through the hospital corridor. In all honesty, he was just trying to kill some time. He didn’t want to intrude on his girlfriend’s privacy and he felt the strong awkward tension in the room. His hands were shoved deep into his jacket pockets and he kicked the tile flooring beneath him. 

When Eddie lifted his head, he spotted a lady sitting at the front desk. What caught his attention was the phone resting on the top of the desk. He quickly hurried over there, asking the lady if he could use the phone to make a phone call. She said that he could. 

The first thing he did was dial in his own home phone. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall, noticing that it was around five in the morning. He felt bad because his uncle worked the night shift and had probably just gotten home an hour earlier. He wondered if his uncle was already fast asleep. 

Much to Eddie’s surprise, Uncle Wayne picked up the phone and held it to his ear. He asked who was calling and his nephew quickly said his name. He added that they had gone to the hospital.

“Is everything okay? Did Y/n have the baby?” Uncle Wayne questioned on the other side of the line.

“Y-Yeah,” Eddie smiled at the thought. He felt the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “It’s a girl! She’s...oh...she’s so beautiful,” Eddie choked on his own tears.

“How’s Y/n?” Uncle Wayne inquired.

“She’s great! She’s feeding her right now so I stepped out for a bit,” Eddie explained. “Will you come by later to see them?” Eddie wondered.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Uncle Wayne commented. He smiled through the phone call. 

By the time Eddie came back, Y/n had just finished feeding the baby and was readjusting her hospital gown. She went to reach for a spare cloth on the side table, but Eddie quickly grabbed it for her. He even went so far as to drape it over her shoulder for her, despite the fact that she was more than capable. She thanked him nonetheless.

Slowly, Eddie crawled back into bed beside his girlfriend. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her against his side. She began to burp the baby, patting her back gently enough that it didn’t hurt. 

“Have we thought of any more names for her?” Eddie wondered curiously. He smiled at the little newborn. 

“No,” Y/n released a long sigh of defeat. She remembered the long list of boy names they had gone through a few months prior. “It was so much easier when we thought it was going to be a boy,” Y/n confessed.

“What about...Diana?”

“Like the Bryan Adams’ song?” Y/n sounded slightly disappointed. She was about to dismiss the name because she disliked the idea of naming the baby after a famous song or singer. 

“No!” Eddie tried to come up with some excuse, even though she nailed his suggestion. “Like Princess Diana. You like her, don't you?” Eddie tested that.

For a brief second, Eddie could see the wheels turning in her head as she pondered the choice of name. He looked at her quizzically, but he could tell that it wouldn't be enough to convince her.

“O-Or what about after the character in that book of yours? What is it called?” Eddie snapped his fingers as he tried to remember the name of the book. “Anne of Green Cables?” Eddie teased.

“Anne of Green Gables,” Y/n corrected him with a small smile on her face.

“Right! Wasn’t there a character named Diana in that book?” Eddie wondered. He could remember all the times she talked about that book. It was one of her all time favorites. 

“Y-Yeah. Diana Barry,” Y/n nodded her head. 

“She was your favorite, wasn't she?” Eddie spoke softly. He tried to capture her gaze by tipping his head down a little further. He gestured to the newborn. “Why not name her after the character?” Eddie suggested.

“I-I guess we could go with that,” Y/n finally convinced herself. She nodded her head in confirmation. She went to look back down at the baby in her arms. 

While Y/n kept her attention on the baby, Eddie took a moment to admire his girlfriend. Despite having just endured the long painful hours of childbirth, Y/n was practically glowing! She just had a look about her. And she seemed so happy.

The pregnancy hadn’t been easy on her. With having gotten kicked out of her parents house to being slightly rejected by society, Y/n had her fair share of struggles. She didn’t smile most days since she was severely depressed. 

For the first time in a long time, Eddie saw her smile when she looked down at their precious baby. It seemed like she had completely forgotten about all the bad things that happened and all the hard times she had. She had her baby and that was all that mattered to her now. He savored the way her lips curved into the most beautiful smile. Motherhood suited her nicely.

Eventually, Baby Diana would burp up those bubbles in her tummy. She could barely keep her eyes open after that. Her dear mother had laid her back down in her grasp. Her bright brown eyes would begin to droop in a slow manner, drunk on the sweet milk. She drifted off to sleep. 

A couple hours later, the hospital allowed visitors to come into the back to see their friends or family. So Dustin, Max, Lucas, Mike, Nancy, Robin, and Steve were trying to navigate through the hospital corridors. The lady at the front desk was no help, according to Dustin. They were only slightly lost. 

Back in the hospital room, Y/n was eating the breakfast the nurse had provided her with. She honestly didn't care if it didn’t taste good, because she hadn’t eaten in so long. 

On the sidelines, Eddie was standing over the plastic bassinet that held his daughter. She was wide awake now and she had already been fed. Now Diana was just laying there, completely content with the world. She didn't make any fussy noises, just the occasional gurgle of spit. 

There was a soft knocking on the door. They figured it was just the nurse coming to check vitals or make sure everything was alright. Much to their surprise, the door opened to reveal all of their friends. Dustin walked in first. He was carrying a whole bundle of balloons and a large brown teddy bear that looked like he won it from a fair. 

“We come bearing gifts,” Dustin announced with a toothy grin on his face. Behind him, Lucas and Mike roughly slapped the balloons that got into their faces.

Without hesitation, the four kids made their way over to the container that held the baby. As if on cue, Eddie stepped away to give them space. He smiled at the way those four kids swooned at the sight of the newborn. They huddled around the plastic bassinet, peering down to look at the newborn baby with curios eyes.

Knowing that they'd eventually get their turn to look at the baby, the three teenagers went to stand beside the hospital bed to check on their friend instead.

“How are you feeling?” Nancy wondered. She placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“I’ve been better,” Y/n confessed with a weak smile on her face. She shrugged her shoulders in slight defeat, not feeling the need to mention the soreness she still felt.

“Yeah, it’s not everyday you push a five pound baby out of your vagina.” Robin added in her nervous and awkward tone of voice. She laughed nervously to cover up the stunned silence that followed.

“Eddie!” Dustin called over his shoulder. “She looks just like you!”

Upon hearing this, Eddie couldn’t contain the smile from growing on his face. He straightened his back in posture, feeling the strongest sense of pride in that. It was true; the baby did look remarkably like him. 

The four kids didn’t realize that they were mirroring every facial expression the baby was making. They were making silly faces at her. At one point, Dustin went to reach for the balloons above him. He tapped them a couple times as if trying to grab the baby’s attention. But instead, Diana only seemed to scrunch up her face and burst into a fit of tears.

“You made her cry!” Lucas exclaimed.

“I did not!” Dustin argued. 

Carefully, Eddie made his way through the small crowd of kids. He scooped the newborn up in his arms. He bounced her a few times to hush her cries, holding her close to his chest. He kept one hand under her bottom for support and the other was lingering on her back. He cradled her so that her face was tucked into his neck. 

The four kids had turned to watch him soothe the baby’s cries. Not only where they surprised that it seemed to be working but they were also surprised at how natural he looked doing it. It was like he’d done this before or he must have had some practice over the past couple hours of her being born.

“If you kids put on some hand sanitizer, you can take turns holding her.” Y/n told them. 

Upon hearing this, all four kids practically ran to the side table in order to get a quick pump of hand sanitizer. They bumped shoulders, trying to push one another out of the way. This chaotic energy only resulted in Max getting a blob of sanitizer on one of her favorite shirts, which was curtesy of Dustin pumping the handle too hard. 

After the boys rubbed the sanitizer between their hands, they hurried back towards the couch in the room. They held out their hands expectedly, patiently waiting for Eddie to place the baby in any one of their hands. Back by the bed, Max had grabbed a tissue and was trying to get the hand sanitizer out of her shirt. She looked back at the boys. 

“You’ll get your chance to hold her,” Y/n reassured her with a small smile. Max nodded her head in acceptance. 

Now Eddie leaned down to place the baby in Dustin’s arms. He made sure the baby was secure in his grasp before pulling away. He instructed him to keep his hand behind the baby’s head to support her. And since Dustin never had a younger sibling of his own, this was his first time holding a baby.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Dustin didn’t say anything about holding the baby. Usually, he would say something silly or snarky. But right now, Dustin was completely awestruck and it made him silent. He just stared down at the little newborn in his arms. 

And Eddie watched him carefully. He just wanted to make sure nothing went wrong because that little baby meant the world to him now. He seemed to smile at the way his friend reacted to holding her. It looked like Dustin was a little stiff at first, but he quickly relaxed when he realized he wasn’t going to break her just by holding her. 

“She’s beautiful,” Dustin finally said something. By his tone, everyone knew that he was probably crying but they chose not to call him out on it. They figured it might embarrass him. 

“She really is,” Eddie nodded his head in agreement. “Just like her mother,” Eddie said while looking over his shoulder at his girlfriend.

After some time, the baby was eventually passed to Lucas and then to Mike. They also took their own time savoring the feeling of holding such a small newborn. Both Lucas and Mike had younger sisters of their own so this wasn’t totally new to them. 

Then Max got to hold her. She smiled down at the precious baby in her arms. The four boys were hovering over her shoulder since they were still obsessing over the baby. She gently rocked the baby back and forth in a soothing manner. It honestly seemed to be putting the baby to sleep.

“So Harrington,” Eddie said slowly. He went to stand by him. He nudged him in the side slightly suggestively. “You gonna babysit for us?” He joked.

“Always the babysitter,” Steve said shaking his head.

“I’ll do it,” Max perked up. “I mean, I live close to you guys anyways. It wouldn’t be any trouble. And you wouldn't have to pay me! I would do it for free,” Max made her own case. 

Both Eddie and Y/n agreed that she would be the first person they would call if they ever needed a babysitter. After this, Eddie went over to take the baby back into his arms. He carried the baby to his older friends. 

Without warning, Eddie placed the baby into Robin’s arms. She had, at first, insisted that she wasn't good with kids, specifically newborns. She also mentioned that she was rather clumsy and she feared dropping the baby. But Eddie ignored all her comments and reassured her that he was right there if she needed help. 

After some time, Robin came to realize that the baby was completely harmless and entirely innocent. She quickly grew more comfortable with having the baby in her arms. She made faces at the baby, even though she was now sleeping.

Then the baby was passed to Nancy who very gladly took the baby into her arms. She had two younger siblings so she was definitely the most experienced one in the room. She cooed at the sight of the baby. She bounced her gently.

Just seeing Nancy holding a baby made Steve’s heart soar with love. He looked at her discreetly as he stood beside her. He admired how natural she looked and imagined what she’d be like as a mother herself one day. He felt a weak smile growing at the corners of his lips. 

Their friends stayed for at least another hour. For the most part, Baby Diana was sleeping soundly in her father’s arms. He sat on the couch and had two of the kids on either side of him. They really couldn’t get enough of the baby.

Once Diana woke up from her nap, she started to get fussy since it was feeing time. Both Eddie and Y/n shared a look. He awkwardly announced that they should probably get going. Naturally, the four younger kids asked why they had to leave so soon. But Steve was quick to jump in and say that they needed to get their rest. Though he figured they were just going to feed the baby and he respected their desired privacy. 

Eddie went to reassure them that they'd all be able to hold her and spend more time with her once they got back home. They all really perked up at this. They left with broad smiles on their faces.

Once all of them had said their goodbyes, they closed the door behind them. Now Eddie carried the baby over to the hospital bed. He placed the squirming baby into the new mother’s arms. She was just starting to cry since she was so hungry.

Out of instinct, Eddie took his cue to leave the room. But he stopped when she said he didn’t have to leave. He just stood there in slight surprise. She proceeded to drape a cloth over her shoulder so that it fell in front of her chest. She adjusted her gown from under the cloth, preparing to breastfeed their baby.

He felt the need to turn away to give her privacy. He didn't want to make the situation awkward for her and he didn’t want to watch her like a creep. So instead, Eddie dropped his gaze to stare down at his feet. He found himself stealing a few glances at her. He felt so much admiration for her, being able to feed and provide for their baby. He smiled sheepishly at the thought.

After an hour, there was another soft knock on the door. Eddie went to open the door and saw his uncle standing on the other side. He quickly let him into the room with a broad smile on his face. 

Now most people would bring balloons that said congratulation or little stuffed animals for the baby. But Uncle Wayne held a whole bushel of wild flowers instead. He brought them to the side table and laid them down there.

“These are for you, momma.” Uncle Wayne explained. He sent her the most soft and genuine smile. She thanked him for the gesture. She almost started crying because he had always been so kind to her.

Afterwards, Eddie gently took his uncle’s arm to lead him over to the baby. He shuffled to follow him, heading directly towards the plastic bassinet holding his great niece. He peered over the edge to see her sleeping form. 

“Huh,” Wayne said. He honestly hadn’t expected her to look this cute in person. He was rather intrigued by the little human. “She’s a tiny little thing,” Wayne commented. 

“She sure is,” Eddie nodded his head in agreement. He saw the look of curiosity in his uncle’s soft eyes. He smiled. “You wanna hold her?” Eddie wondered.

For a second, Uncle Wayne looked at his nephew with a slight hint of surprise. He even took a step backwards. He struggled to find his words, nearly shaking his head as if to say he was good. He had never held a baby before. 

Despite hearing his uncle say ‘no, that’s okay’, Eddie carefully lifted the baby into his arms. He turned to face his uncle. He instructed him to hold out his arms so he could hold and support the baby. He tried to refuse, but the baby was already in his arms now.

Almost immediately, Wayne came to realize that the baby was a lot lighter than he had expected. He made a comment on how she felt lighter than a five pound bag of sugar. Then Wayne realized that the baby didn’t react any differently from when he held her verses when his nephew held her. She wasn’t upset or fussy that he was holding her. She was completely content. 

“Oh,” Uncle Wayne exhaled. “She’s perfect.”

For the first time in a long time, Wayne felt the tears begin to gather in the corners of his eyes. He had never met such a calm and content newborn in his life. He had only experienced hearing young babies crying in grocery stores, and he was always annoyed by the sound of a crying baby. But he didn’t believe this baby would annoy him at all. 

At this point, Wayne couldn’t hide the fact that he was crying at the mere sight of the baby. He didn’t even bother wiping them away. She was such a beautiful little baby. She was gazing up at him with such wide, curious eyes. She even grabbed his finger with her tiny hand. He didn’t know that most infants naturally take hold of people’s fingers. It honestly made him feel so special; it was almost as if she was saying she liked him!

Baby Diana’s skin was so soft from the lotion that had been lathered on her an hour earlier. She smelled so wonderful, because she had that newborn baby smell. Her smile made everyone’s heart so warm. Even her cries were so innocent, desperately wanting her mother or her mother’s milk. 

She had only been alive for a couple hours and she had already met a whole crowd of people that had so much love for her. Despite anything that would come her way, whether that be the good or the bad, she would always have them. They’d always be there for her, no matter what. She’d never doubt that.

PART ONE HERE

TAGLIST:

@m-rae23 @boomhauer @falling2ashes @ietss @colbybrocksantidote @okxysage @joesphquinnswife @moonyinthestars @ajokeformur-ray @moremunson @stephanie-lkj @stxvercgersslut @embeautifulstarship @luveves-world @that-lame-ghoul9000 @queenxxkiller @alisslahey @diaa-20 @bloodsworth-creates @my-tearsricochet @dunbar-9 @katiekamt @daniscool1 @grapejuicelh @arminsskittle @scenesofobx @https-maitais @slutforrafecameron @animeangel21 @emotionaldreamer @homemadedyno​ @linkpk88 @persephone13 @steamystrangerfics​ @themoon-goddess @eddie-swhore @nulixity @lillypad910 @marvelouslyme96 @kaqua​ @munson-burner​ @ollqos @cristi-with-scissors​ @noakrootje @squirrelgirl23 @spencestyles @hazydespair​ @kaelyn-lobrutto24 @aereth @mirkwoodshewolf @lovsersclub @persephone13 @jessevans @okiegirl24 @silky-luxe 2 @claire0531 @abyss-sss @ilovedilfs32 @fab-notfat @1rekk @kik51199 @roslastyles420 @astro-cub @lovingit-2 @sunwardsss​ @sav12321 @e0509 @gingersaresmexy126 @frootvelvet​ @darlingsuna @bratckerman @eddiemunsonloml @kaelyn-lobrutto24

I cannot tell you how much I love that as soon as he gets out of prison, Crosshair wants to fuck shit up.

He's throwing hands with EVERYBODY.

Imperial troopers, regular civilians, captains, & children!

Nobody's safe!

I saw that your requests were open and I cant get the idea out of my head about a reader that worked at the crow club and Kaz just cant get them off his mind.

Then after failing to capture Alina and coming home, the crow club was under new Management and Pekka Rollins had taken interest in the reader, keeping them by his side. How would he react and/or get the reader back with the crows?

Heal His Heart | Kaz Brekker

Warning: slight violence, mentions of provocative attire, mentions of being a captive

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4.3k

Ever since the Crow Club fell under the new management of Pekka Rollins, Kaz Brekker had been working nonstop to come up with a plan in order to reclaim his rightful throne. He made his way downstairs to meet up with the others.

Now Wylan had been tasked with creating a substance that had similar symptoms of firepox, but it would only last a day or two at most. He placed one of the two boxes on a small table with Jesper carrying the other. Jesper had been in charge of finding the boxes of their old costumes in which he had forgotten to clean them since last year.

Finally, Kaz had come to approach the table. He went to open one of the boxes, finding it filled with spray glass bottles of a mysterious liquid. He directed his gaze to the young boy standing in front of him.

"It'll mimic it in every way?" Kaz needed certainty.

"Mhmm," Wylan nodded.

With that, Kaz closed the lid to the box. He nodded his head in acceptance. There was a moment of silence amongst the small group. The boss turned his head to look directly at his right hand man beside him.

"You're gonna say you can't do this without me, yeah? And that you hate it when we're angry at each other, but sometimes, brothers fight. And that when all this is over, you'll open a tab for me at the club of my choosing," Jesper was rambling.

Kaz's face remained unchanged by Jesper's words. He looked at him sternly.

"Cause when Pekka's gone, you'll take it all. That's what your were gonna say," Jesper finished. He sent a cheeky smile to the others.

"There's a cap on the tab," Kaz insisted. "But otherwise, yes. To all of that."

"Then let's go take down the king," Jesper replied.

"The plan is this: Jesper and Wylan, you're gonna hand out Komedie Brute costumes and vials of the compound to all of the Dregs," Kaz began.

"Per Haskell's gang," Jesper claimed.

"Our gang now," Kaz interjected. "By sunset, the streets will be crawling with Sankt Emerens revelers. They'll provide us with the cover we need."

Sure enough, Wylan and Jesper had succeeded later in the evening when passing out costumes and the vials to the other members. They themselves wore their own costumes for disguise.

"Hit all of Pekka's businesses: The clubs, the brothels. All to destroy Pekka's reputation," Kaz ordered. He further explained Inej's part in delivery the message to Pekka's driver.

In that moment, Nina had come to join the small group by standing beside them. She had a pint in her own hands.

"Nina and I will handle the Emerald Palace," Kaz glanced at Nina beside him. His eyes drifted over the others. "See you there," Kaz dismissed them.

Naturally, Jesper and Inej had shared a look between one another. He had forgotten a vital piece of information to the plan, but he must have had his reasons. He didn't say anything about her.

"No mourners," Jesper began.

"No funerals," the rest of them said simultaneously.

As Jesper and Inej began walking away, Wylan caught up to them to ask why they always said 'no mourners, no funerals.' Inej gave a simple explanation of wanting to keep their expectations low.

Back at the table, Kaz and Nina stood in an awkward silence. She was quick to finish her pint of beer, lowering onto the surface of the table. Kaz kept his gaze on the box in front of him.

"You've been quiet," Kaz noted. He turned his body to address her. "Ready?"

With that, Nina landed a swift punch to the left side of Kaz's face. She had honestly been wanting to do that for some time.

The Emerald Palace was located in Ketterdam's East Stave, being owned and operated by the notorious gang called the Dime Lions. The gambling hall was always bustling with pigeons, bringing in heaps and heaps of money for Pekka Rollins himself.

When Pekka had taken over the Crow Club, he oversaw the distribution of its employees. He had them all line up and he made his decision where he wanted them to work for him.

He liked the big bouncers, opting to send them to the Emerald Palace where he often spent his nights. They'd serve as good additional protection. Many of the waitresses were sent away to work in his various brothels. Others were forced to go to the clubs. Then, there was her.

She was the one who had caught his eye. She stood timidly under his gaze, refusing to make eye contact with him unlike the others. He grabbed her chin to forcefully make her look at him. This caused her to let out a small gasp of surprise.

"Now..." Pekka's deep voice growled as he finally got a chance to look over her striking features. "What's a pretty lass like you working for scum like Kaz Brekker?" Pekka wondered.

"H-He pays me well," Y/n stuttered. She tried to pull herself out of his grasp, but he quickly grabbing onto her arm to hold her in place. "I-I'm just a waitress," Y/n claimed.

"Mhmm, just a waitress." Pekka almost didn't believe her. "Nothing more?"

"N-No," she lied under her breath.

Much like Inej, Kaz had chosen to pay off her indenture at the Menagerie. In turn, Y/n worked for him as a waitress at the Crow Club. She worked the tables, listening in on other people's conversations to hear the latest news circulating around the barrel. It was just another way to hear intel.

She was a resource to him. She was often the reason why he heard about specific jobs or who was no longer a reliable investment. However, that wasn't the only reason why Kaz Brekker liked keeping her around. As she was also a healer.

They shared many late nights together. He'd sit in front of her as she healed some painful wounds inflicted onto his body. Her being a healer was another valuable resource to have at his disposal.

At first, Kaz was wary when Y/n offered to heal a nasty wound inflicted to the side of his head. It caused a dull throbbing pain directly into the side of his head. To ease the almost unbearable pain, Kaz agreed to be healed by her.

He tried to prepare himself. He closed his eyes in order to try not to think about the feeling of ones skin against his own. His past coming to haunt him once again.

But when her fingers came in contact with the side of his face, Kaz didn't flinch away in pain or in disgust. In fact, Kaz felt rather comforted and maybe it was because she was healing a rather painful wound. He almost wanted to lean into her touch as it felt so warm and so gentle.

He kept his eyes closed to relish the feeling, taking a moment to appreciate not feeling the urge to vomit at physical contact. When Y/n had finished healing him, she took a single step backwards and lowered her gaze to the floor.

"I'm sorry," Y/n said softly as she already knew that he despised contact.

Instead of scolding her or demanding that she leave his office at once, Kaz approached her with an evident limp in his step. He stood right in front of her with his hands clasped onto the top of the crow head cane.

"Thank you," was all that he said.

They didn't label themselves with anything. There was some undiscussed attraction to each other that they both knew about. Due to his reputation and for her safety, they chose not to discuss such matters ever. This left them in a short of grey area.

"No," Pekka repeated. She was drawn back to reality, facing the heartless man in front of her. "Well, I can tell that Brekker didn't see your worth. How'd you like to come work for me? I pay handsomely," Pekka bargained.

Just by looking at him, Y/n knew that if she said 'no,' he was bound to put a bullet in the side of her head. Therefore, she was left with no choice but to join his side. She went to work for him at the Emerald Palace, serving as his personal attendant.

On that particular evening, Y/n was dressed in the finest lace and silk that the barrel had to offer. Her corset made it extremely difficult to breathe in, much less move around in. She brought another drink to Pekka as per request.

"Thank you, my love." Pekka said while laying a hand on the small part of her back. She wanted to wiggle out of his grasp, but stayed where she was as to not upset him further.

One of the bouncers came into view, stating that someone was there to see the boss. With some hesitation, Pekka Rollins rose to his feet and placed his glass of alcohol down. He dismissed himself from the group.

In the main entrance, Kaz Brekker was laying on the soft red floor. It looked like he had been in a fight as his hair was in disarray and there was sweat on his brow. Behind him, Nina Zenik stood with her hands held in a certain position. She could feel his beating heart.

"No match for a heartrender, are you, Brekker?" Pekka looked most pleased. "A real boss knows how to inspire loyalty in his people. Isn't that right boys?" Pekka glanced to his men.

"That's right," the other members of the gang agreed with him.

"Good job, lass. I've got it from here," Pekka gestured to Nina. His men were quick to pull their guns on her, which brought a tone of surprise.

"Move those hands and you lose them," one of them said. They knew what kind of power she could manipulate. They needed to keep her accountable. She raised her hands in defeat.

"I'm gonna make you regret the day that you crossed me," Pekka said to Brekker. He began to take off his jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his white button up shirt.

In the background, Y/n had pushed her way through the crowd of men. Her gaze landed on the familiar figure laying on the floor. She raised her hands to her mouth in hopes of covering the gasp she left out. He lifted his head and looked directly at her.

"Get him on his feet," Pekka demanded.

"Wait!" Y/n exclaimed from the side. She took a single step forward.

Just as Kaz was hauled to his feet by two men, Y/n had also been held back by another two members. She thrashed against their tight grip on her arms, desperately seeking to be released. She couldn't stand to watch this play out.

"You told me..." Pekka redirected his attention to his personal attendant. He strode towards her slowly. "That you were just a waitress for him," Pekka said.

He knew the weight of his words. He had always wondered if there was something unspoken happened between the two. This could easily be used against Brekker.

"Nothing more," Pekka glanced back to Kaz. "That's what you said, isn't that right?"

She couldn't deny it, so she chose to say nothing instead. She hung her head low, not wanting to even look at Kaz in fear of seeing the hurt in his eyes.

And her words (though not spoken in that moment) did hurt him. They both knew that she was much more than just a waitress for him. She was more than just another one of his investments. She had done more for him than just healing his wounds. Because she had also managed to somehow heal his heart which ached from the pain of his past.

"He'll never be able to offer you anything. Nothing worthwhile at least," Pekka continued. He went to approach the young teenage boy. "He is nothing more than a lowlife who feeds off the dirt from the ground," Pekka spat in his face.

"You're wrong," Y/n said with a slight quiver in her voice. Pekka turned to her once more. "He is more of a man than you will ever be, you witless worm."

A few people left out a gasp of surprise upon hearing this. Now Pekka's blood was really boiling to the point where his face had turned beat red. It could have been from utter embarrassment or it could have been from pure anger.

Without another word, Pekka Rollins went to approach the girl he had taken under his wing. He stopped to stand right in front of her. In a flash, the back of his hand had met the side of her cheek. Her head whipped to the side from the slap and she winced from the stinging pain she felt in her cheek.

In that exact moment, Kaz wanted nothing more than to bash Pekka's head in for what he had done. But he could only watch as Pekka gripped her face with a single hand. He squeezed hard and forced her to look directly at him.

"You do well to remember who you belong to," Pekka growled.

"Go to hell."

In response, Pekka released his tight grip on her face. She could now feel the distinct taste of copper lingering in her mouth. She also did not know that there was a small cut on her cheek from where his ring had come in contact with her.

"I'll deal with you later," Pekka pointed to her threateningly. He turned back to his old rival. "Right now, I need to make an example out of this rat."

"You'll pay for this, you double-dealing witch!" Kaz finally spoke to Nina with venom in his voice.

Without warning, Pekka delivered a swift punch to Kaz's stomach. He doubled over from the searing pain, kneeling on the ground. He couched in attempts to catch his breath.

Reaching down, Pekka grabbed a fist full of Kaz's disheveled hair. He forced him to look upwards in which he could now see the line of blood trailing over his mouth.

"After I beat you, I'm gonna hand your body on a post as a reminder to anyone who forgets that I'm king of this city." Pekka claimed.

"Do your worst," Kaz challenged.

Another punch was brought down onto Kaz's face which sent him to the ground once more. He swiftly kicked his stomach many times over. Each time being more painful than the last. Kaz kept his eyes squeezed shut as if to try to manage the pain.

On the side, Y/n wanted to rush over and kneel beside him. She'd gingerly lay her fingers over his aches and pains in attempts of bringing him some sense of comfort. She needed to heal him. And she didn't know how much more he could take.

With one final blow to the side of the head, Kaz fell unconscious to the ground. His blood trailed down the length of his face, staining his skin. He blinked a couple times as he was brought back to a painful reality. He could hear the sirens now.

One of Pekka's men had come to inform him about the sirens, which initiated a quiet conversation between the two of them. He announced the return of the firepox. But all the places that had been reported to have been hit where nowhere near each other.

"There will be outbreaks at all of your establishments," Kaz said as he found the strength to stand to his feet. "And only yours," Kaz breathed heavily.

For a moment, Y/n was very confused. She furrowed her eyebrows as if trying to make sense of what he was claiming. She wondered. What are you up to, Kaz Brekker?

"The path of contagion will be clear. A ship in your harbor spread the disease to your clubs," Kaz explained.

"What did you do, boy?" Pekka wondered.

From earlier, Nina could remember the conversation she had with Kaz. How Kaz was going to pay to keep Matthias out of the fights in Hellgate. But Nina needed to do something for him first and she needed to make it look real.

"There is nothing an island nation fears more than disease," Kaz told Pekka. "The Merchant Council's going to want a proper investigation."

Meanwhile, Pekka was loading one of his handguns. He slipped another bullet into the barrel. He cocked it in his hand.

"You've got my attention," Pekka confessed. "But you're not worth the time it'll take to put a bullet in your head."

"Fifth harbor is shut down. Your businesses are tainted," Kaz continued.

Unbeknownst the the others, Jesper had slipped through the doors wearing a glorious red and golden cape. He managed to slip through the heavy crowds with the intent of listening in on the conversation.

"My businesses will be fine," Pekka raised his gun to Kaz's head. "But you?" Pekka began.

"I'd reconsider," Kaz interjected. "If you want to see your Kaelish prince again."

"What are you gonna do? You gonna blow it up again?" Pekka wanted to chuckle. "You need to learn some new tricks."

"Your other Kaelish prince," Kaz emphasized. "Fond of sweets. Blond hair."

Now Pekka had shifted from one foot to the other. He tried not to show any signs of weakness, suddenly realizing who he was talking about.

"Alby," Kaz seethed.

"I'll kill everything you love, Brekker." Pekka promised. He half expected him to look over at her in the corner. But Kaz kept his gaze locked on Pekka.

"The trick is not to love anything," Kaz claimed. Naturally, Y/n could only feel her heart plummet into the deep confines of her chest. She sniffled her tears away. Maybe she was just another waitress to him. "Your mistake was that you let someone get in. Someone you'd sacrifice everything for and it makes you weak," Kaz spat.

"Then I'll just kill you," Pekka tried.

"Do that," Kaz encouraged. "And you'll never find your son in time."

"What did you do?" Pekka looked horrified.

"I buried him. Six feet deep," Kaz spoke heavily.

"He went into that box so easily. Didn't even cry," Kaz pulled a small wooden train out of his pocket. "Until I took this from him."

"Where's my son?" Pekka demanded.

"Make smart choices. And you might just reach him before the air runs out," Kaz explained.

"You trifling piece of barrel trash," Pekka growled. "What the hell do you want?"

"I want you to remember," Kaz stated firmly. The images of his dead brother flashed through his mind.

"Remember what?" Pekka wondered.

"A con you ran on two farm boys. Orphans," Kaz explained. "A promise to replace the family that they'd lost. And then you duped them out of everything. They ended up on the streets and they both died. But one of us was reborn," Kaz finished.

Despite the description, Pekka Rollins tried racking through his mind. He recalled every single job that he tried to pull off, specifically singling in on the ones that had gone wrong. But his mind came up blank.

"Too many pigeons to remember? Let me help you. Jakob Hertzoon," Kaz spoke.

"That was a long time ago," Pekka said slowly. He hear nothing in response. "So that's what this is all about? Why you look at me with murder in those shark's eyes of yours?" He scoffed.

In the background, Jesper began to make his way to the backside of the men who were holding Y/n captive. He remembered the plan that Kaz had laid out. He brought his hands to the handles of his pearly pistols, preparing himself for the worst.

"You were just two pigeons who I just happened to have plucked. And if it hadn't been me, it would've been somebody else." Pekka insisted.

"Bad luck for Alby that it was you," Kaz spoke loudly.

Upon hearing this, Pekka seized for Kaz's collar. He slammed his body against a nearby pillar, keeping one hand firmly on his chest. He pressed the barrel of his gun into the side of his neck as if to threaten him. But Kaz only smirked at him.

"You...you tell me where to find me son!" Pekka demanded.

"It's a simple trade, Rollins. Speak my brother's name and your son lives," Kaz explained.

In utter defeat, Pekka stumbled backwards in his place. He locked his jaw in place, feeling his teeth gritting together painfully. He clenched his fists at his sides. He was seething with anger and frustration.

"How about another hint?" Kaz pushed himself off the wall. "You called your daughter Saskia. She wore red ribbons in her hair," Kaz described.

At that moment, Pekka began to mutter under his breath. He was desperately trying to remember the name off the top of his head. He raised his hand to point at him.

"Okay. T-two boys from Liji," Pekka recalled. But this wasn't exactly what he wanted.

"Yeah," Kaz confirmed.

"You had a piddling little fortune. Your brother fancied himself as a trader. Wanted to get rich quick like every other nub who steps foot in the barrel," Pekka said.

"I want you to say his name," Kaz growled.

The room had fallen silent. The older man's heart began beating faster and faster as the desperation quickly began to settle in. He couldn't stand still, shifting from one foot to the other. He mumbled a few names under his breath, but they weren't the ones he was looking for.

"Come on!"

"I don't remember his name! I just want my son. He's all I have," Pekka claimed. He took a step forward. "I'll give you whatever you want, Brekker."

Now, Kaz's gaze shifted to the one who was once and now who claimed to be 'just a waitress' for him. Those were the exact words he needed to hear to get her back. He felt a heavy weight lift off his chest.

"I'm begging you," Pekka drew him back to reality.

"Are you?" Kaz wondered curiously.

With some hesitation, Pekka Rollins had found himself lowering to the ground on his knees. He hung his head low to hide his shame. The other members of the Dime Lions glanced at one another. They didn't really know what to think of the situation.

"First, you will return what is rightfully mine," Kaz hissed.

The sound of two guns clicking could be heard in the background. When the men turned their heads to look over their shoulder, Jesper was standing there pointing his guns at them threateningly. He motioned for them to release her.

Rather roughly, Y/n was released by the two men and pushed forward in her place. She stumbled from the force, landing on the floor in a heap. She groaned to herself.

Recognizing that she was now safe, Kaz proceeded to pull two pieces of paper out of his coat pocket. He held them up for the whole crowd to see. He explained what they were.

"A confession for the murders of Tante Heleen and Constable Sem. And a quitclaim deed for Inej Ghafa," Kaz dropped the papers to the ground. He made a pen appear in his hands. "Sign both if you want to find your son alive," Kaz further explained.

On his knees, Pekka Rollins did not hesitate to take hold of the golden pen and papers. He signed his name on both of them before handing them back. He had been bested.

Slowly, Pekka rose to his feet. He hated how this whole ordeal had gone down, how he had been humiliated in front of his men, and how he had been called out for being weak. But he did everything that he had been asked to do for the sake and safety of his only son.

"Where's my son?" Pekka wondered humbly. His voice sounded tired.

"Black Veil Cemetery," Kaz answered. He spared a glance to the room full of men surrounding them. "You'll need all your men digging to find him in time," Kaz claimed.

Without a moment to spare, Pekka Rollins was the first one to leave with all of his men following behind him. The only people left were Kaz, Nina, Jesper, and Y/n. As soon as those doors closed behind the men, Kaz finally caved in.

In a split second, Kaz had rushed to be at her side. He knelt down in front of her, ignoring the aching pain he felt in his right leg. He gripped her arms tightly, shaking her a little.

"Are you alright?" Kaz demanded an answer.

"Kaz..." Y/n said breathlessly.

"Are you alright?!" Kaz said a little louder. He shook her until a few strands of hair had fallen in front of her eyes. He could see the evident tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She shook her head in response.

Now Kaz had pulled her forward into a bone crushing hug. He could feel her shoulders shaking as she sobbed into his shoulder, clinging to him so desperately. He closed his eyes to relish the feeling of her being in his arms once again. He brought his hand to the back of her hair, brushing down her hair in attempts of calming her down.

"My darling..." Kaz whispered into her ear. "You're safe now. I've got you."

For the first time, Kaz had turned his head to press his lips against her temple. He whispered her name over and over again to bring her some sense of comfort. Her eyes grew heavily and she melted in his grasp. He rocked the two of them back and forth in a soothing manner.

His arms remained around her for comfort. He even managed to carry her back to the Slat, though it pained his leg badly. He laid her down in his bed and brought a blanket to drape over her body. He stayed with her all throughout the night.

Earlier, Kaz had lied blankly to Pekka's face. Though it was a trick to not love anyone, Kaz had failed miserably at that task. Because he had fallen in love with the person who managed to heal his heart.

I was on pinterest looking for gifs of Hunter (don't question me) and the comment on this one killed me

I audibly cackled

also if someone does it just tag me.. 👀