#in the same way charlie would be friends with ruby

[sunflower-reaper]

anyway. "all things must die" from rwby is a very roo song i think

[fodenswhore]

🪴Spin the bottle

{In which a game of spin the bottle causes feelings to stir.}

help i wrote this when i first started watching awae in 2021. found it in my drafts on wattpad and decided to post it on here.

masterlist

Billy Andrews was insufferable. He was rude, irritating and extremely cocky. You hated him, and every little thing he did annoyed you - whether it was him tugging on your hair as you hung your hat and coat in the cloak room at school, or whether it was him simply breathing to loud. You hated him, he hated you, and that was that.

And so, when it was your turn to spin the bottle in Josie's childish game, you were utterly furious when the glass bottle landed on Billy. “No. No way. Absolutely not. I’m not doing this." You protested, shaking your head.

"Awww come on now Y/N, rules are rules." Billy smirked at you and stood up in the middle of the circle your classmates had created.

"Such stupid rules." You mumbled to no-one in particular, glancing over at Diana and Anne - both of whom gave you sympathetic looks. You stood up hesitantly and glared at the bottle on the floor.

You whipped your head to face Josie and gave her a pleading look, however she only raised her eyebrows expectingly at you. Clenching your jaw, you turned to Billy and shuffled towards him.

Once you were close enough, Billy leant in and whispered in your ear, "Come on Y/N, what are you so afraid of? It's just a kiss."

You narrowed your eyes at him and whispered back angrily, "I'm not afraid of kissing. However I am afraid of kissing you. You probably have some kind of incurable disease. I wouldn't want to catch it. It may give me your huge ego, or worse, your attitude."

Billy scowled and was about to retaliate when Josie cleared her throat and said, "Can the two of you hurry up and get on with it?”

Charlie, one of Billy’s friends, gestured to the rest of your classmates, “Yeah, we’re all waiting for you guys.”

Rolling your eyes you leant in close to Billy who cupped your cheek with his hand. You sucked in a sharp breath and glanced up to find Billy staring at you curiously, as if he was expecting you to back off and punch him in the gut. When you didn't back away, he allowed your mouths to brush ever so softly before capturing your lips with his.

As he kissed you, warmth filled you from head to toe, and butterflies erupted in your stomach. You allowed your eyes to flutter shut, and your hand instinctively travelled to the back of his neck - thus pulling him closer to you.

The kiss was soft and sweet. And because it was your first kiss, it was everything you had dreamt it would be like. You felt torn and confused, you hated Billy! However you couldn't ignore the feeling of bliss that fell upon you when your lips met his.

And then, as quickly as the kiss had started, it was over. You pressed your palms against Billy's chest and softly pushed him away. His face was flushed and his lips were swollen ever so slightly - you could only assume you looked the same.

Diana coughed quietly and you shook your head lightly as if to shake yourself from your daze. You quickly sat back down in the circle next to Ruby and began brushing invisible dust off the skirt of your dress, whilst ignoring the snickers from your friends. Billy swallowed thickly and wiped his hands on his trousers before sitting back down. He snook a glance at you quickly before moving his gaze back to the bottle.

“Okay," Josie said, clasping her hands together and allowing her eyes to travel over the faces in the room almost like a lion scouring for prey. A small smirk graced her lips as her eyes locked on the next victim of the game. “Anne's next."

[odiesdayoff]

Kinktober: Tommy Shelby

Pair: Modern!Thomas Shelby x fem!reader

Summary: Your roommate's father doesn't approve of your vape.

Warning: Age Gap/Best friend's father/Dubious Consent/Tom makes reader get high

“I found it!” You yelled from across the dorm, your head poking out from behind the bed. Still partially stuck between the bed and the wall, you held up your strawberry-flavored weed pen to show Charlie. The amount of anxiety that losing it gave you was enough to realize that you and your roommate may have gotten a bit too reliant on the drug. 

You brought the pen to your mouth, but Charlie slapped it from your hand. “Dude, my family will be here in minutes! It can’t smell like Ganja Gooch in here.”

“What? You don’t have weed up in Birmingham?” You laughed. From what you knew about his family, they weren’t the most…clean cut people in the world. Why would they be upset over something so trivial as a weed pen? In your two years of being best friends with Charlie, you’d never met his parents. Only his Aunt Ada, who was sweet.

He placed the pen on your dresser. “Shut up. When are you parents coming?”

Most of the already small dorm room was covered in boxes, trash bags, and miscellaneous crap. “At 5. You’ll probably be moved out by then.” You pocketed the pen and began folding your bedding to shove it into the box it originally came in.

His phone started to ring. “That’s my mum. Are you sure you can’t go to Mary’s dorm?” You still weren’t sure of the reason that he was so cagey about his family. He had been to your house over Spring break this year and you were still in the dark.

“I have to finish packing.” It wasn’t a lie, you had put off packing until the final day. Studying for exams and final papers took up all of your free time. That and Mario Kart.

You knew that Charlie came from a rich family, but this was a new level that you haven't seen before. His father dressed like he was from the 1920’s or something, with a full suit and peaky cap. You could smell the cigarette smoke infused into his clothes before you could see him. 

His mother (or maybe step-mother, you weren’t sure) wore an elegant dress that was both fashionable and functional. Her deep brown hair was curled and pinned back. Her eyes lit up at the sight of you. “You must be the infamous Y/n!” She pulled you into a hug and you could smell her perfume mixed with a bit of her husband’s smoke. “You’re even prettier in person than in those silly Instagram photos Charlie posts.”

“It’s really lovely to meet you, Mrs. Shelby. I can’t believe we’ve been friends for so long and have never met before.” Charlie was still holding the door open for his little sister, Ruby, and didn’t hear your diss. 

She waved you off. “Call me Lizzie, dear. This is Thomas.” She pulled the sleeve of her husband and made him face you. He barely looked at you, though you did notice the way his eyes lowered down your body.

“I still don’t see why we had to be the ones to move Charles out, Lizzie. We can pay people for that.” Lizzie rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t he understand sentimentality and actually being present in the pivotal moments of his only son’s life? He only had one more year of university left. It was strange to hear him be called Charles. It felt all too fancy for someone so…normal. I suppose his father wouldn’t say the same. 

Lizzie scoffed. “Just start moving boxes, Tom.” She turned back to you. “So, where are you from?”

You decided to ignore Thomas. “Norwich.”

Charlie handed a smaller bag to Ruby while Thomas took a storage container. He pulled out his ID and opened the front door for the three of them. “The elevator’s already broken, so it’s lucky we’re on the first floor.”

~~

Having Charlie’s side of the room empty was a surreal sight. So many memories that were made in the room were basically erased at this point.

You took the pen and opened a window, taking it in and blowing it out the window. “And here I thought you were little miss sunshine.” You began to cough and gasp for fresh air at the sudden voice. Turning around, you locked eyes not with Charlie, but with his father.

Smoke billowed from your mouth. “Mr. Shelby- I…thought you all had left.” You rasped out the words, reaching for a water bottle to try and soothe your throat. He smirked at your attempt to hide your distress.

“My wife left her purse. I see you didn’t waste a second with your…” He snatched the pen from your hand. “What is this? Can’t you get real weed here?”

“It’s easier to manage. And rechargeable.” He examined the pen, shaking his head. He brought the pen to his lips and took a hit. The smoke left his mouth in a way you’d never seen before. It was skilled, he didn’t even cough. It formed into rings that blew in your direction. 

“Can barely taste it. How much weed is actually in this?” He examines the pen, and then his glance shifts towards you. "I bet you can barely take it, yeah?"

You rolled your eyes. "I'm not that intolerant. I've been high before."

He tosses it to you. "Suck in until it blinks."

It was a bit of a surprise that he knew what a blinker even was. He seemed like the type to exclusively use one brand of cigarettes since he was a teenager. As if he'd step foot in one of the fancy dispensaries you and Charlie were used to.

You maintained eye contact as you put the tip of the pen in your mouth and began to suck the flavored smoke from it. It took only a few seconds for it to blink and you could finally exhale. It was as if your lungs had never touched oxygen before. They screamed at you to cough, but you didn't want to prove him right.

"Another." He ordered, taking a small step closer. You weren't sure if he was getting taller or if it was just a mix of weed and perspective.

The vape was already hot as you rested it on your bottom lip. You breathed in again, holding it until it blinked. The taste was much worse and the sting against your throat felt like fresh salt in an open wound.

You coughed, only once. Typically, it took you much longer to feel the instant effects of the drug, but you could feel your hands already trembling under the eye of Thomas.

He nodded, finally close enough to put his calloused hands on the soft skin of your waist. "Again."

Something about his gaze and the absolution in his voice made it impossible for you to deny what he wanted. Your shaky hand held the vape up and you sucked.

His slightly chapped lips pressed against yours once you took the pen from your mouth. All of the smoke leaving your system funneled into his. You couldn't deny the way his contact made your knees weak and thighs squeeze together.

The weed was taking effect rapidly. Your head was spinning as you tried to focus on him. His lips traveled from your lips to your cheek to your ear. "Tell me, have you and Charles ever had sex?"

The words briefly brought you out of the weed and lust-driven stupor. You shook your head. "No...we're just friends."

He laughed. "Are you gay?" You denied. "Is he gay?" Again, you denied. "How has he not ever taken the chance to bed you?"

You could barely answer. His hand trailed up your leg and under your thin dress. Nothing could hide the heat that emanated from between your legs.

His free hand took the vape from yours and pressed it against your lips. Instinctively, you took a deep breath in, letting the smoke fill your aching lungs once again. "Is it because you're a virgin? Or maybe...you have an affinity for older men?"

You nearly stopped feeling the warmth of his hand on your leg until he pressed his fingers against the now-damp fabric of your panties. It was humiliating how much he turned you on...and how much the feeling of being humiliated by him turned you on even more.

"Mr. Shelby.." You coughed out, your throat sore and stinging with each syllable. As much as you wanted to scream at him to actually touch you, it would be too much to say at once.

Thomas Shelby wasn't a mind-reader, but he could read when a woman wanted him. He slipped his fingers underneath your panties and pushed into you. Your slick cunt welcomed him in without resistance at all. "Want me to stop? Leaving you high and horny while I go back to my wife and children?"

You shook your head no, silently pleading for him to do something over then idly have his fingers knuckle-deep within you. He curled his fingers, hitting the spots that your own hand couldn't reach if you tried, and moaned into his shoulder.

"Take another and I'll keep giving you what you want." Dazed, you sucked more from the pen. It was far more than you were used to, especially in such a short amount of time. Your legs threatened to give out, for multiple reasons.

"Please..." Your fingers lightly caressed his pants. It had been a while since you had anyone touch you, let alone someone like him.

He got the idea, pulled his hand away, and quickly freed himself from the confines of his trousers. There were condoms somewhere in this room, hidden in one of the boxes so your family wouldn't see that you even thought about something as evil as sex.

There wasn't time to look. You needed him now and it was only a matter of time before Charlie and the rest of them got suspicious. You pulled your panties down to your ankles and allowed his knee to settle between your trembling legs.

His lips trailed against your ear. "I'm going to show you a real high."

[vintageshanny]

Play Something For Me - Part 7 - Over the Rainbow

Content: Ruby and Elvis enjoy a sweet and smutty Thanksgiving in 1973 that involves a leather suit with rainbow fringe. 18+

Thank you to @peaceloveelvis for inspiring me with this pic of leather rainbow fringe pants that I didn’t know existed. And eternal gratitude to my lovely friends who’ve cheered me on in writing this series! 😘 @whositmcwhatsit @ellie-24 @be-my-ally @thatbanditqueen @lookingforrainbows @from-memphis-with-love @missmaywemeetagain @powerofelvis @arrolyn1114

If you need to catch up, here’s the series page:

Play Something For Me

Wednesday, November 21st, 1973

“But mom, I wanna go with you! It’s not fair!” Ella’s chocolate-brown eyes glazed over with tears as she pleaded her case. “Oh, honey, I know. There’s nothing I can do, it’s your father’s turn for Thanksgiving this year. But Elvis was very insistent that we both come for Christmas, so you’ll get to see Graceland then.” Ruby rubbed Ella’s back as she embraced her, soothing away the tears while she tried to hold her own nerves at bay.

After the week Elvis had spent in St. Louis at Halloween, he’d had to go back to Memphis to “take care of some business,” as he put it. The times they’d spent together so far had been in a sort of cocoon of love. Now she’d be entering his home and his normal daily life, whatever that entailed. After his comment about wanting her to move in, she felt a little terrified at how the visit would go.

A car horn honked outside, and Ruby gave Ella one last reassuring squeeze. “I love you, Ella-bella,” she murmured. “I’ll tell you all about Graceland when you come home on Sunday.” “You better,” Ella said with a small smile, trying to will herself into a better mood. “And I love you too.”

With Ella safely picked up, Ruby turned her attention back to her closet so she could finish packing for the long weekend. “What exactly does one wear for Thanksgiving at Graceland?” she muttered under her breath as she surveyed what looked to her like a bunch of frumpy “mom” dresses. “I wonder if I have time to alter anything…” she continued her one-way conversation when the phone interrupted her thoughts with its shrill tone.

“Hey, sweet red Ruby,” the unmistakable timbre sent butterflies swarming through her belly. “Elvis! It’s you!” Ruby squeaked out nervously. “Course it’s me baby, ya got another man callin’ ya?” he asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice. “No, no, sorry, I’m just…nervous about tomorrow,” Ruby admitted. Elvis’ tone softened instantly. “W-w-why ya nervous honey? It’s jus’ me. You ain’t never gotta be nervous or scared ‘round me.” Ruby cleared her throat a little bit. “Yeah, I know, I just hope I fit in there with you, in your home,” she said with an anxious sigh. “Ruby honey, ya ain’t gotta worry ‘bout that. Ya already know we fit together perfectly. In every way,” he added, and Ruby could almost see his cheeky grin right through the phone line as a flush rose on her face and a strained little whimper escaped her lips. Elvis laughed and teased, “Red Ruby, wait til ya get here so I can see the look on your face when ya make those noises.” Then he added more seriously, “I can’t wait ta see ya, honey. I miss ya so much.” Ruby’s heart melted right down and warmed her entire body. “Me too, baby.”

**************************************************************************************************

Ruby landed at the airport in Memphis at 11:18 Thursday morning with all the other last-minute Thanksgiving travelers. She bit down on her lip nervously as she looked around for Charlie, who she knew Elvis was sending to pick her up. She’d met Charlie in Las Vegas and he was sweet enough, although maybe a little desperate for Elvis’ approval. She inwardly chuckled, thinking how Elvis’ entourage probably thought the same about her. Charlie was polite but quiet on the drive to Graceland, as if he sensed her nerves and didn’t want to say anything that might escalate them.

Ruby gasped a little bit as they pulled up to the famed music note gate. She’d seen pictures of the house in magazines, but it was even more beautiful in person. She somehow felt Elvis’ aura and energy the moment they started up the driveway, and the nerves and excitement intensified as they parked and headed for the door. “We’ll go in the back ‘cuz he’s probably in the den waitin’ for ya,” Charlie explained. Ruby nodded anxiously and followed.

As she walked through the door and into a room filled with interesting furniture and an actual waterfall along the wall, she only had eyes for her beautiful man, who was sitting in a high-backed chair, holding court with his loyal subjects. He was talking and laughing, and his warm energy called to her. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he jumped to his feet and swooped her up in a big hug. “Ever’one, this is my sweet red Ruby,” he declared proudly, showing her off like a shiny new car. Most of the guys she recognized from Las Vegas, but she was introduced to some girlfriends and wives, plus a couple other employees. “Imma take Ruby on a tour,” Elvis said with a little wink as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the basement steps. As they walked away, she could swear she heard someone remark, “It’s nice to see someone closer to his age.” Elvis must have heard it too because his grip tightened slightly, but he chose to ignore it for now.

“Will I get to meet Lisa?” Ruby asked as they walked down the stairs and turned right. She could see Elvis’ jaw tighten and his eyes turn stormy. “Naw, baby, Cilla is bein’ a –” Elvis caught himself and blinked slowly, trying to calm down. “Cilla won’t let her come home til Christmas,” he said, his eyes dropping sadly. Ruby wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace. “I’m sorry, Elvis,” she said softly. “I know how hard it is to be without your baby at the holidays. I guess the silver lining for us is that we have some time alone right now.” Elvis glanced up at her face quickly, his sad expression turning playful. “And what did ya have in mind for the alone time, Miss Ruby? Hmm?” he questioned teasingly.

“Well,” Ruby murmured with a deep blush, “I did notice the first stop on the tour is this big couch.” She nodded toward the long couch right behind Elvis. “And you’re here looking so sexy like this,” she added as she fully took in his outfit for the first time. Along with his usual assortment of rings and necklaces, he was wearing a brown leather jacket with long rainbow-colored fringe over a green button-down shirt. His leather pants matched the jacket, rainbow fringe and all. “Ya like it? I thought it felt like a Thanksgiving thing,” he said, his crooked grin lighting up his face. Ruby had to hold back a giggle at how cute he was to try to dress on theme for the holiday. “I love it, Elvis, there’s no one quite like you,” Ruby said, letting her hands drop and her fingers run ever so lightly over the soft bulge in his leather pants, causing a shiver to run though him. “I should hope not,” he said, smiling, resting one large hand on her shoulder, his warm fingers gently brushing the bare skin of her neck.

“You look very beautiful yourself, sweet Ruby,” Elvis said as he took her in, his eyelids seeming to grow heavy with lust. Ruby beamed, happy that she had chosen the right thing to wear - a burgundy sweater dress with a short flared skirt and a scoop neckline with a drawstring bow. Elvis’ fingers’ moved a little lower down her neck until they were tracing the neckline of her dress, running gently over her cleavage. The mixture of the warmth of his hand and the cool metal of his rings raised goosebumps on her skin. “This little dress is giving me some thoughts,” he whispered lowly as he gave the drawstring a little tug, the bow coming undone and the fabric gaping open a little bit. Elvis bent down and started pressing wet kisses to the exposed area of her chest, little moans coming from both of them. “Oh, baby, you’re makin’ me weak in the knees,” Elvis chuckled. “Let’s sit down for a minute.”

Sitting was the last thing on either of their minds though as Elvis pulled Ruby onto his lap on the couch and explored her mouth, her ear, her neck, and her chest with his tongue. He pulled the front of her dress and the cup of her lacy bra down a little more until one of her breasts was exposed. As he grazed his teeth lightly over her nipple and then sucked it into his warm mouth, flicking it with his tongue, Ruby couldn’t help but instinctually grind down onto his package that had grown so hard she wasn’t sure how it hadn’t burst right through the leather. She hoped the breathy moans from the two of them weren’t wafting up the stairs, but Elvis didn’t seem worried. “Goddamn, baby, I’ve missed ya,” he moaned out as Ruby leaned in and bit softly on his lower lip, then ran her tongue over it. She reached down between them and rubbed her hand back and forth over his bulge, the friction becoming too much for him to bear. “Oh, damn, Ruby, I-I-I love ya baby,” he said with a shudder as she suddenly felt a damp warmth beneath her hand. “I love you too, Elvis,” Ruby whispered as she laid her hand over his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat trying to return to its normal rhythm.

“EP, it’s almost turkey time!” a voice shouted down from upstairs. “Shoot, what am I gonna do ‘bout my pants?” Elvis muttered, looking down at where a sticky wet spot had soaked right through the leather. “I’ll have ta sneak up and change. Baby, can you go up and tell ever’one to wait for me in the dining room?” “Of course,” Ruby smiled as she stood up and straightened out her dress, re-tying the neckline and leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek before going back upstairs.

Twenty minutes later, everyone had gathered in the dining room for a Thanksgiving feast and Elvis appeared wearing the same jacket but with some black pants. Nancy, one of the cooks who Ruby had been briefly introduced to earlier, brought in a platter of food and looked at Elvis in surprise. “Mr. Elvis, you were so excited about your outfit! Why’d ya change your pants?” Elvis’ face turned red as he stumbled for an answer. Joe started snickering. “I think Elvis needs to know how to get something sticky out of leather. Any tips, Nancy?” Elvis gave Joe a glare that could freeze hell over, but all the guys seemed to have trouble holding back their laughter. Especially when Nancy chimed in with, “You didn’t get syrup on your pants again, did ya?”

Sitting at Elvis’ side, Ruby could feel her face burning red as she realized everyone probably could hear them in the basement. Elvis looked a bit embarrassed too, but Ruby’s presence had a way of lightening his mood. He just leaned in and whispered loudly, “Ignore these assholes Ruby.” Then he dropped his voice so only she could hear. “We’ll go up to my soundproof bedroom later and do whatever you want.” Ruby blushed again and smiled broadly at him as he winked at her. He always made her feel comfortable and protected.

After a delicious dinner, some of the guys went to the basement to play pool, but Elvis sat down and started playing gospel songs on the piano. A few others joined in singing, and Ruby leaned at the edge of the piano, watching Elvis’ passionate face as memories from long ago washed over her. As he started playing “If I Loved You,” he looked up and caught her eye with a big grin, causing her to blush and look away. She knew they were both picturing her kneeling between his legs at the piano bench fifteen years ago. Ruby could feel her pulse quicken at the thought. If only no one else was around, she’d do it all again. She thought about how soft and smooth he felt when she rolled his foreskin up and down, the inviting way his head peeked out when he was fully hard, how sensitive it was when she touched her tongue to it…her chest was starting to heave with all these fantasies racing through her mind, all while staring at this most perfect of faces. As if sensing her desire, Elvis announced they were going to turn in for the night and thanked everyone for celebrating with him. He grabbed Ruby’s hand and showed her the way to the master bedroom.

“I know what you were thinkin’ ‘bout red Ruby,” Elvis teased once they were alone. “You were thinking the same thing!” Ruby protested, swatting at his arm. Elvis smiled so big that his cute dimple flashed at her. “Maybe,” he said. “I was thinkin’ of somethin’ else though, too.” “What’s that?” Ruby asked. “I was thinkin,” Elvis said as he ran his hands down her sides and gently squeezed her waist, “that I wanna lick your pretty little kitty again. I like knowin’ I’m the first man that ever did that to ya.” “You’re the only man,” Ruby corrected as she reached up and stroked his cheek softly. “I have a few firsts with you, but I don’t think you have any with me,” she said, her voice sounding a little bit sad. Elvis looked at her in surprise. He gave her forehead a tender kiss before he spoke.

“Baby, you’re the first woman I’ve been with where I feel like ya want to spend time with me just as much as I do with you. Not spend money or get your name in the papers or any of that, but just spend time with me and and enjoy me and love me for who I am. You’re interested when I talk to ya, you’re affectionate with me all the time, ya never say ya need a break from me, you accept me completely. That’s a first for me, and probably the most important first there is.” Ruby looked up at him, her eyes misty with emotion. “Well, any woman who doesn’t see what a special person you are, even without the money and fame, must be crazy. But that’s okay, because now I get to be the lucky one.”

“You sure do, baby, and let me show ya just how lucky.” Ruby squealed with delight as Elvis tossed her on the bed so he could get to work worshipping her with his tongue.

[saturnneedsspace]

My whole world was flipped upside down the other day when I found out there was a lot of Sam haters in the spn fandom. I simply do not understand.

Yeah, sure, Sam did some messed up things. But so did every other character in the show.

He got addicted to demon blood because of Ruby and this alien feeling that was cast upon him because of John. His own father thought he was a monster, so you gotta know that's gonna do something to your self esteem and cause you to go out of your way to be accepted.

He traps himself in Hell with Lucifer to save his brother and the rest of the world, knowing how much trauma that will cause him. And when he got out, he didn't have a soul, which all the fault lies with Cas on that one. And when he got his soul back, he wasn't the same. The sheer trauma he had from being roomies with Lucifer was more than enough to drive any normal person insane, and he still endured silently for a long time, before he went so crazy he was forced to be put in a mental hospital. He physically could not sleep because Lucifer was taunting him so much. And the only way he ever got better was because Cas took all that trauma into himself.

Yeah, maybe Sam didn't look for Dean when he was in Purgatory, and instead spent his time with a woman instead, but he had no clue where Dean was. The last time he saw his brother, he stabbed Dick, and then him and Cas disappeared into thin air. There was no clues whatsoever to where he was. And all Dean ever wanted was for Sam to have a normal life, so after he presumes Dean dead, he does what he thinks his brother would have wanted for him.

He's angry at Dean for Gadreel, and rightfully so. His brother took away his choice in the matter by tricking him into saying yes. He was ready to die. He told Death to make sure he can't be resurrected. He wanted to die. And yes, obviously as a brother, you don't want your younger siblings to die. That's a given. But he took away Sam's choice in that and forced him to be possessed, which is where most of his trauma comes from. He was possessed by several, terrible people at one point, and it was literal torture for him. He watched helplessly as his own hands murdered and hurt many people, some of them being his own friends and family. And then it just gets worse when Gadreel forces him to kill Kevin later on.

Sam searches the ends of the Earth for Demon!Dean and even when he's told several times to stop going after him, he doesn't listen. He knows he was mistaken when he didn't look for Dean in Purgatory, so he fights to make up for it by searching for him now. Dean tries to kill him, tells him to go away, leave him be, and Sam doesn't. He does everything he can to cure him. And he does with the help of Cas. He never gave up, even long after Dean already did.

And Sam releasing Amara wasn't all his fault. Charlie, Cas, and (reluctanlty) Rowena agreed to help, too. They're all just as guilty as him. And as much as I hate saying that about Charlie, considering it got her killed, it's true. They all helped remove the mark. They all released Amara. It wasn't their intention, but they all wanted to save Dean from himself and from hurting others. They all knew how much it hurt him to not have control over his anger. They were all just trying to help and were prepared to face the consequences of that, no matter what they were, because it was for Dean and they all loved him. (This is excluding Rowena at this point obvi)

Sam is the only one who cares for Jack after he's born. Yes, Cas would've defended that kid with his life if he were still alive, but he wasn't. Only Sam and Dean were. And the first thing Dean does when he sees Jack is shoots him. Sam talks to him. Sam understands him. Sam was him. He relates to the kid in a way no one else probably could, and so he fights his brother about it. He fights to protect the misunderstood kid who's defined by the blood that runs through his veins, though he desperately tries to prove it's not who he is. People only say Dean and Cas were Jack's fathers. But Sam was Jack's first father, the first person to see him for who he truly was.

And then he shot God, getting himself injured in the process and ultimately helping them take Him down. He was a vital character through the series and sacrificed so much. He didn't deserve all that happened to him, and frankly, it makes me mad when people hate on him.

[godduh]

Charlie Kelly - Character Analysis as the Understimulated Self

Please read this disclaimer / introduction post first

Word Count: 713 Read Time: 3 minutes

The first to be analysed will be the Understimulated Self as seen through our friend Charlie Kelly. Kohut begins by explaining that in childhood, understimulated individuals were likely neglected by their selfobjects, which we see in Charlie’s upbringing. His mother is seen repeatedly putting her energy into other men and Charlie has no father figure to fill that hole Bonnie is leaving.

Kohut goes on to explain how throughout their lives, understimulated individuals will seek any kind of stimuli that will create a “pseudo-excitement” that wards off an internal sense of deadness. This is the main attribute that places them under the definition of ‘understimulated’. He describes how this begins in childhood and continues through into adulthood if not treated in some way, which we can see as Charlie’s tendency for huffing glue, drinking and other drugs that persists from a very early age (S06E13: A Very Sunny Christmas), through his adolescence (S01E03: Underage Drinking: A National Concern) and into adulthood (see: all 16 seasons).

Kohut also describes stimulus seeking in adulthood in the form of sexual stimulus, which is something we do see Charlie engaging in with Ruby Taft in “Charlie and Dee Find Love” (S08E04), with Dee in “The Gang Misses the Boat” (S10E06), and with Tatiana in “The Gang Hits the Slopes” (S11E03), however he doesn’t exhibit this behaviour to the same extent as the rest of the gang due to his series-long infatuation with the waitress. Specifically with Ruby Taft, we see Charlie actively using her for his own sexual pleasure & gain to make the waitress jealous with little to no regard for her feelings. While you can argue that Charlie only slept with her to emotionally manipulate the waitress, I would argue that Charlie would have only needed to sleep with her once to achieve this goal; rather, he was simultaneously exploiting Ruby for his own sexual pleasure.

Kohut also describes adult stimulus seeking in the form of gambling. While we don’t see Charlie gambling habitually like Frank does, we do see him being incredibly reckless with Frank’s money and his own when he manages to save any. In “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare” (S02E03) we watch Charlie abuse his access to Frank’s wealth for his and Mac’s personal gain, and to abuse the aforementioned stimuli by buying copious amounts of alcohol, drugs and sex workers. In “The Gang Gets Stranded in the Woods” (S06E11) we see Charlie explicitly gambling his own money and spending it irresponsibly in both the casino and at the charity event with Dennis after winning $15,000. You can also argue that Charlie saying ‘yes’ to everything in this episode is its own form of gambling through risk-taking behaviour.

The final type of stimulus seeking Kohut describes is in the form of hypersociability. While Charlie is not someone with a large collection of friends, we do see how he becomes incredibly jealous when someone he’s attached to chooses someone else over him, how he deludes himself into thinking that people who dislike him are actually his friends, and how he will do very drastic things to get people who hate him to like him; most notably the waitress.

While Charlie is seen continuously trying to gain the Waitress' affection and attention throughout the show, a notable example of Charlie’s need to be liked away from the Waitress is when Schmitty is re-initiated into the gang in “The Gang Gets a New Member” (S06E08). We see that while Charlie initially joins in with Mac and Dennis in making fun of Dee’s ambition to find her old acting teacher, as soon as Mac and Dennis kick Charlie out of the gang in favour of Schmitty, not only is he incredibly hurt, but he quickly rushes to Dee and immediately misinterprets her attempts to get rid of him as her wanting to be his best friend and work together at the school. Examples outside of the Waitress in Charlie's need to be liked are important to demonstrate how this behaviour is not just due to his infatuation, but rather a personality trait that would categorise him as Understimulated.

It is worth noting that I think all the members of the gang could easily be interpreted as Understimulated selves, however I do think Charlie fits it the best, and for the purposes of this analysis I’ll be doing one member per personality.

Find the other character analyses below:

Dennis - The Fragmenting Self Mac - The Overstimulated Self Dee - The Overburdened Self

[evita-shelby]

Incantatrice

Chapter 20

Cw: murder, suicide, ghosts and blood

A/N: friends, romans, countrymen, it has been an honor to write this fic with y'all

Special thanks to @thegreatdragonfruta @zablife @wandawiccan60 @call-sign-shark @cljordan-imperium and @minaethrym

It has been a year since Grace died in his arms. Had she lived would their marriage have survived the year, he wonders?

Would she have lived to leave him and take Charlie or would she have stuck by his side even as the Italians kill them one by one?

Tommy is pushed to call for a truce after Arthur’s death. So close to Grace’s death that their funerals take place the same day even if a year apart.

First John now Arthur. Only Finn remains and he has been packed off to Boston with Ada and Karl for their safety.

“Where will you go?” Polly asks him after she tells him of her plans to go to Australia and find Anna’s grave. Michael is hesitant to go, but keeps his knowledge of Polly’s deal with Luca a secret.

Self-preservation trumps all after all. Not that he blames them.

“Hell, finally.” Tommy is strangely at peace with it.

With Grace and Lizzie and little Charlie he had considered staying alive, but now he knows it was never the sapphire, he is the curse.

As long as he lives, everyone he loves will keep dying.

First with Grace and now with Arthur.

He might make it easier for Luca and just take his revolver into his mouth. No one but Tommy Shelby can kill Tommy Shelby.

They have lost anyways.

“I would have said there is still a chance, but I don’t think there is even if we had divine intervention.” The witch taps the card that came next in their last reading.

Two of cups, failure, loss.

The vendetta would be over, the Changrettas the winners.

But at least its over.

“If you can keep an eye on Charlie for me, I would forgive you for betraying me, Pol.”

His aunt nods sadly, and leaves to catch the last train to London.

“Do it, Thomas, we will be together again, me and you and Charlie watching us from heaven with Lizzie and little Ruby.” Grace’s voice said as if she stood behind him.

The way she adds Charlie’s name sends a shiver down his spine.

Had the Italians killed him?

“Luca doesn’t keep his promises, my love, he took my sweet boy even if he wasn’t your son.” The ghost says and he turns to see her in her modest clothes when she was a barmaid, when she pretended to be the woman he fell in love with. “Join us, while we wait for the others, Tom. Just take the gun and join us.”

And he does.

Thomas Shelby is thirty-six years old when he takes his own life.

On a two of cups he wrote: “You did not keep your word.”

And just like that, it is over.

The villain defeated, the dead avenged and England ripe for the taking.

And yet Eva’s wine tastes like blood all the same.

It never got easier for her, killing even indirectly always made her see how further and further the light is.

“Tonight we celebrate our victory, maga. Tomorrow my mother comes with the children and our new life truly begins.” Luca takes the glass and kissed her hands drenched in blood only she can see.

“You killed them all didn’t you?” He is covered in blood as well, but his have the handprints of children on his pristine white shirt.

Luca plays dirty, she should’ve known he wont let them live.

“A vendetta is a vendetta, I couldn’t take any chances, Eva.” He explains his actions so well she can almost believe his lies.“I didn’t want to, but I had to, vita mia.”

He wanted then dead, always has.

His brother and father’s death only gave him the reasons to finally do it.

“Why?” she asks as to why he’d go so far.

Polly and Michael never got on their train, Ada and the two boys never reached Benjamin Younger where he waited for them to start their life together.

Every single drop of Shelby blood had been spilled over the earth on his orders while they celebrated Tommy’s suicide.

“Because I don’t forgive those who betray me.” Luca’s hold on her wrists become manacles, manacles that won’t ever come off now.

The shadow that she saw the day they married had never left, how could it leave when it had become them.

A year ago today the shadow had begun to consume Luca and now the transformation was complete.

The man who stands before her has become the true devil of Birmingham, and she his queen.

He is not the man you think he is, she can hear Audrey’s warnings.

But I do know him, the witch reminds herself, they’d been married for six years and she knows him.

She should’ve known he wasn’t going to stop until everyone was dead. And now that Shelby was gone, he wouldn’t stop until all of England fears the Black Hand.

Sabini will learn that the hard way when he outlives his use to her husband. Poor little Aurora will die just like her parents and siblings will too.

And because she loves him, she will help him every step of the way.

“A good thing I never plan to, mi amor.” The witch let go of his hands and wrapped them around his neck.

No matter what she will never regret choosing him over all the men the world had offered her that day.

With a kiss she lets the darkness consume her as it seeps in through her mouth in a loving kiss.

Fin

[littlepeakydevil]

Love Me Where I'm Most Ruined

PART 22: This Misery We've Made

CHAPTER 4: Are You Still Mine

Warnings: Jealousy, depression, and sexual content.

Prev Chapter • Series • Part 22 • Next Chapter

Upon her return to Arrow House, Lily found that Lizzie did not have her things moved to a room down the hall. Or even kept her in the same wing of the house at all. Instead, she ordered her moved to the entire opposite side of the house. The room was dark, and Lily was pretty sure it had drafts.

Frances asked her if she would like to change rooms, but she declined. She hated to ask the staff to move all her things around again, and if this was where Lizzie wanted her to be, she supposed it would be best to abide by her wishes. It wasn’t that big of a deal anyway.   

Ruby had gotten settled in her room and was becoming well acquainted with Charlie and the staff. But she cried nearly every time Lily tried to pick her up. She was beginning to fear that the little girl hated her.

Lily had loved Ruby from the first moment Tommy laid her gently into her arms. How could she not, when she was half him? And the girl was sweet as an angel. At least when she wasn’t wailing through half the night. 

“She’s really loud,” Charlie complained, wandering into the newly fashioned nursery one night while Lily held Ruby as she cried. Rocking her back and forth and shushing her gently. 

“I know, Charlie. You can go sleep in one of the other rooms, if you’d like,” she suggested, but he just came over, peering at his sister curiously. 

“Is she always gonna be this loud?”

Lily let out a breathless laugh. “I hope not.”

He reached out to pat Ruby’s back awkwardly, sitting down on the floor beside where Shadow was laying near Lily’s feet. Petting the dog and keeping her company until the baby finally cried herself to sleep and Lily managed to maneuver her into the crib without waking her.  

“Is Lizzie my new mum?” he asked after she ushered him back into his own bed. Lily hesitated, an ache blooming in her chest at the idea of Charlie calling Lizzie ‘Mum.’ But she swallowed it down. The last thing that the children needed was to be put in the middle of this whole messy arrangement between their parents.

“If you want her to be. Or she can just be your friend. You can call her whatever you like, so long as you’re respectful towards her, yeah?”

He nodded, but his little brow creased. “It wouldn’t upset you, if I called her mum?”

Yes. “No, sweetheart.” She forced a smile. “It wouldn’t upset me. I just want you to be comfortable with her.”

“I like her. She’s always nice to me.”

A stab of jealousy, white hot, twisted in Lily’s heart, but she ignored it. All that mattered was that Charlie was happy and okay. She would not let her feelings get in the way of that. “I’m glad, Charlie. And I’m sure that your dad will be too. It’ll make it easier for him if you and her get along.”

He nodded, and she gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. 

“Get some sleep, kiddo.”

“Night, Lily.”

“Goodnight, Charlie. I love you.” She turned out the light and crept out the door, checking one last time on Ruby. Satisfied, she made the trek back to the other side of the house, Shadow trotting at her side. 

At night, she laid awake in her bed, and tried not to think about how cold the space beside her was. Or what Tommy and Lizzie were most likely doing. Loneliness coiled around her, dark and with a touch like ice. She drew the blankets tighter around herself with a shiver. 

It had been so long since she slept alone. 

She wondered if Tommy would even still want her by the time he got back.

He had a new plaything now. Lizzie was younger, taller, prettier, and unscarred. She was able to sleep through the night without waking up screaming from nightmares. Perhaps he would find that he preferred her.   

Honestly, she was shocked that it hadn’t happened yet. No one in their right mind would choose her over Lizzie. And that wasn’t even factoring in the children. Or that his family adored her. Or that they just looked right when standing next to each other. He always kept going back to Lizzie, even after she ceased her work as a prostitute. Perhaps there was some significance to that which not even Tommy was entirely aware of.

“Mrrp!” There was a soft sound, and then the ever so slight dipping of the mattress as a small body hopped up onto it. Lily rolled over, opening the blankets to the little creature pattering towards her. 

“Hey, Trouble.”

The tortoiseshell cat meowed again, curling up against her side. Lily let her fingers stroke through her soft fur, scratching her behind the ear and smiling a little when she started to purr. 

It didn’t take long for Shadow to follow Trouble in jumping up onto the bed. He laid down in the spot Tommy usually took up, settling his head on Lily’s chest with a whine. She busied the hand not petting Trouble with stroking his deep black fur. 

“Thanks, babies,” she murmured quietly. Shadow’s tail had thumped a few times against the mattress, as if he understood her.

For hours, she laid there in the dark, staring up at the canopy. Tears silently streaming down her face despite her animals’ best attempts to comfort her.      

—

Tommy slipped out of the bedroom, careful to close the door softly so as to not wake Lizzie. Sneaking barefoot into the sitting room of the spacious suite they were renting for the week, he sat down heavily on the couch, reaching for the phone.  

He had called Arrow House twice since arriving in Paris. And both times, Lily had not answered. The first time around, Frances informed him that she had to go to London unexpectedly to deal with some issue at his office there, and the second time, she was out riding with Charlie.

He was beginning to worry that she was avoiding him. 

Her demeanor at the wedding reception scared him. The expression in her eyes was so sad, and she kept looking at him as if she expected never to see him again. He felt awful for just leaving her there, internally kicking himself for not insisting that she be allowed to come along on the honeymoon. 

He would certainly be having more fun if she was here. 

He was trying to ensure that Lizzie had a good time. But as for himself, well…everything in France was tainted for him. Memories of the last time he’d been there, elbow deep in mud, the dark walls of the tunnel closing in around him, kept replaying on a loop in his head. 

At night, he closed his eyes and imagined that it was Lily who was under him. But the feel of it was all wrong. The way the hands that were on his body touched him wasn’t right, and try as he might, he couldn’t fully relax. 

He moved performatively. Letting Lizzie touch and kiss him and guide his hands where she pleased. His mind only half there until she reached her peak and he hastily pulled out, fisting his cock and always finishing on her stomach. The last thing that he wanted was another accident. Much as he loved Ruby, he was not keen on the idea of having any more children to further shackle him and Lizzie together. 

Afterwards, he would lay there on his side of the bed, thumbing at his brow, and feeling like the biggest scum on the earth. 

It felt like he was cheating on her.

Even though Lily agreed to it, even though she said it was fine, he couldn’t shake the sick feeling that he was betraying her. 

He would lay there for hours. Staring at the ceiling and hating himself. He couldn’t sleep without Lily. The weight of her in his arms, head resting against her spot on his chest, had grown to be akin to that of a child clinging to a teddy bear during the night for comfort. Without her, he found himself unable to relax enough to even consider dozing off.    

Lily was a cuddler, always clinging to him like a koala every chance she got. He couldn’t even remember a time when they’d shared a bed and she wasn’t snuggled up against him. Lizzie, however, preferred her space. The most touching between them was her hand resting on the center of his chest. He tried holding her the first few times after they had sex, but it always felt wrong, and neither of them seemed to particularly enjoy it. Lizzie always drifted away to her own side of the bed when she was ready to actually fall asleep.  

With a heaving sigh, he dialed the number for Arrow House and lifted the phone to his ear, listening to it ring. With each buzz, his paranoia grew. He had never spent so long away from her. It left his nerves on edge. 

A part of him was starting to fear that when they returned to Arrow House, it would be to find Lily gone. Her things packed up and removed, nothing but a note or a message through Frances to offer clues as to where she’d disappeared to. Departed from his life forever.

Please, love, pick up the phone. He knew that it was late, and she quite likely could already be in bed. But he just needed to hear her voice, even if only for a minute. 

What little hope he had dwindled with each buzz across the line. He was about to hang up as the last ring reverberated in his ear, when the other end picked up. 

“Hello?”

For a moment, he couldn’t say anything. Too relieved and emotional at the mere sound of her voice to form words. 

“Hi, love,” he finally managed to get out, swallowing roughly and clearing his throat. 

Quiet on the other end. “Hey, Tommy.”

“I, erm…” he shifted awkwardly, “I called earlier…”

“I know, Frances told me. I’m sorry, I was out dealing with a disaster. I didn’t want to call back in case you two were busy…”

“It’s alright.” He plucked a cigarette from his case where it was laid out on the table, swiping it across his lips before lighting it. “Do you need me to come home?” Please say yes. “If there’s a problem…” 

“No, no, I got it all sorted. Don’t worry.” He heard what sounded like papers being shuffled in the background. “How’s the honeymoon going?”

“It’s fine.” He winced at how apathetic his voice sounded.

“Are you having a good time?” He could distinctly imagine her frowning.

“Lizzie is.” He scratched at his brow, taking a long drag from his cigarette. “I’m sorry for calling you so late.”

“It’s okay. I was still up anyway.” 

“I thought maybe you would already have gone to bed.”

A pause. “I can’t really sleep right now.”

“Me neither.” He rested his elbow on his knee, leaning forward in a way that his back was likely to protest about later. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” A sigh. “Only a few more days.”

“Yes.” It felt like an eternity. “Listen, there are some travel brochures in my desk. Take a look at them. After I get back, we’ll go wherever you want. Just the two of us.”

A tiny sound that might’ve been the bitten off part of a chuckle sounded from the other end of the phone. “You can’t just take one holiday after the other, love.”

“Well, no…but after a little while. Pick somewhere out, and we can start planning.”

“Alright.” Her voice raised a little, and Tommy exhaled a relieved breath at the thought that he’d managed to somewhat raise her spirits. 

“How are the kids?”

“They’re fine. They miss you. I took Charlie out on Mystery the other day. It won’t be long before he’ll be able to ride on his own.”

He hummed, smiling at the thought. “Give them a kiss from me.”

“I will.”

“Are you working?”

“Yeah. Figured I might as well if I wasn’t going to sleep.”

“Try not to overdo it.”

“Pot meet kettle.”

He bit back a smile. An ache of longing throbbed in his chest. All he wanted was to see her face. That sparkle in her big eyes whenever she teased him. The impish twitch at the corner of her lips. He could take her into his arms. Pinch playfully at her hip and kiss the top of her head…

He was ripped unceremoniously from his little fantasy by what sounded like movement in the bedroom. His smile dropped. 

“I’ll let you get back to it, then.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too. I’ll see you soon.”

He nodded, though she could not see him. “Just a few more days.”

They bid goodbye and he hung up the phone. Lizzie’s voice called out to him from the bedroom. Tommy sighed, trying to push away the sudden zing of resentment that flooded his veins towards her. Tipping his head back, he inhaled deeply from his cigarette. Trying to cobble up enough willpower to return to his wife, despite the way his entire being longed so desperately for another. 

—

She sat at her desk, listening anxiously for the sound of Tommy and Lizzie’s car pulling up to the house. They were due home any minute, and with each tick of the clock on the mantle, the tightness in her chest seemed to cinch a little more, making it hard to breathe. She kept fiddling with her rings. 

Charlie was playing with his toys on the floor, making little engine noises and dragging his toy cars across the rug. Ruby was upstairs, taking a nap while the nanny watched over her.

“When will Dad be home?” Charlie asked, looking up at her.

“Soon, kiddo.” She offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, putting her cigarette out in the ashtray and straightening out some of the papers on her desk. 

It was not long until her ears pricked at the sound of a car approaching the house. Charlie immediately jumped to his feet, whooping with excitement and racing for the front door. Lily smiled a little to herself at his enthusiasm. The engine shut off, and she heard the sounds of car doors opening and closing, and then the hum of voices when Charlie greeted his father and step-mother in the entryway.

She would hang back for a little while. Wait until they had come inside and the children got a chance to see them first. 

Watching the second hand on the clock tick steadily around its circumference, she rubbed mindlessly at her rings. She would just wait until they were settled…

Oh, who was she kidding? She was stalling; frozen with terror over what sort of reception she was about to be in for. 

When her cigarette was almost entirely depleted, she stubbed it out in the ashtray and forced herself to her feet. Each footstep that carried her closer to the door of her office felt like it was bringing her closer to her doom, rather than the man who had been her lover for over eight years. 

She stepped into the hall, moving to close the door behind her. Heavy footfalls suddenly sounded from behind her, approaching so quickly that she barely had time to turn around before he was on her. And then his hands were cupping her face, mouth slanting over hers. Lily let out a startled little sound, leaning into him on instinct. One palm flattened on his chest over his heart, the other running up his neck to cup the back of his head. Tommy kissed her hard, purring contentedly against her mouth. His thumb stroked her cheek, one hand gripping her waist and pulling her closer. 

For a moment, the whole world fell away, and there was nothing but the soft press of his lips to hers. Head tilting a little, he deepened the kiss with a parting of his mouth and a deep stroke of his tongue against hers. Lily could not quite contain the soft moan she let out in reaction, fingers curling tighter around his lapels. Body fitting snugly to hers, Tommy sandwiched her between himself and the door she’d just pulled closed a moment ago.

When he pulled away it wasn’t to go far. He dropped his face into her neck, pressing kisses all along the column of her throat. Pausing to nuzzle at her skin and breathe her in.

“Hi,” he sighed out, lips tickling her when they moved. Lily let out a quiet, somewhat bewildered laugh, her brain still working to catch up with the rest of her after being kissed passionately enough to make her head spin. 

“Hi.”

He lifted his head, still lingering close enough that their noses brushed. His thumb stroked at her cheekbone, eyes lowered and gazing at her adoringly. When she rubbed her hand up and down the back of his neck, he made another soft purring noise from his chest and shifted closer to her.

My big, grumpy black cat, she caught herself thinking fondly. 

“How was it?” she asked, voice quiet despite it being only them in the hallway. 

His eyes swiped down her body, drinking her in with a look that made butterflies take flight inside her stomach. 

“Fine,” he said absently, fingertips playing with the collar of her white blouse. His eyes darted up to hers. “I missed you.”

She opened her mouth to respond, when commotion erupted at the other end of the hall. 

“Dad! Dad! Come see what I made while you were away!” Charlie cried out excitedly, entirely oblivious to what was going on between her and his father. He bounded up to them, latching onto Tommy’s leg and tugging. 

“Alright, alright, just a minute, Charlie, yeah?” Tommy gave him a fond ruffle to his hair. Charlie went zooming away in the direction of the stairs. Amusement flickered in Tommy’s eyes.

“He’s been doing painting in his art lessons this week,” she explained. Tommy’s lips twitched upwards, but an apologetic look crossed his face, leaning forward to touch his forehead to hers. “Go,” she urged, rubbing at his forearm. “It’s alright.” 

He kissed her again. “We’ll catch up properly later. I promise.” Based on the coy glint in his eye, she knew he was not talking about just sitting down and chatting about his trip. A throb of desire pulsed in her lower belly. 

“‘Kay.”

He kissed her and reluctantly pulled away. Just in time for Charlie to circle his way back to them, grabbing Tommy by the hand and half dragging him towards the stairs. She smiled at him when he shot an amused look at her from over his shoulder, before Charlie successfully led him out of sight. 

With a sigh, Lily leaned back against the door. Relief washed over her like a cleansing waterfall, briefly taking with it the doubt that had been plaguing her since the wedding. 

That lasted only a moment, however, until she heard the click of approaching heels. Lizzie rounded the corner, head held high with Ruby in her arms, the baby hoisted up against one hip. 

“Lizzie, hi, did have a good time–?” 

Lizzie walked right past her, face drawn into a tight expression akin to that of thunder, eyes staring straight ahead. Lily might as well have not even been there at all. 

She sighed, hands and fingers seeking out her rings to toy with, watching Lizzie stride down the hall and vanish around the corner. 

—

After Charlie took Tommy to see his paintings, Lily returned to her office to wrap up what she had been working on before he and Lizzie arrived. Hopefully that would give him and Charlie some ample time together.

Checking the clock and capping her pen, she tucked her files away into a drawer in her desk. Locking it with a key from her pocket, she took one last look around, checking to make sure that there was nothing else that needed putting away. Satisfied, she ventured out to find wherever it was that Tommy may have wandered off to. 

She didn’t need to look far. The muffled sound of voices led her to the main entryway, where Tommy and Lizzie were standing. Lizzie had her coat on, a picnic basket in the crook of one elbow and jaw set stubbornly, irritation flickering in her eyes.

“Lizzie, come on…” Tommy was saying.

“No, Tommy, this is important!”

“I’m not saying it isn’t, but I don’t see why she can’t come–”

“What’s going on?” Lily asked, approaching them. Tommy looked over at her, his expression markedly different from the one he’d greeted her with earlier. He looked tired and regretful. Almost haggard.  

“I arranged a picnic for me, Tommy, and the children,” Lizzie said, accusing eyes dragging away from Tommy to fix on Lily. 

Lily blinked at the blatant omission. “Just you four?”

Lizzie did not waver, chin angling up slightly. “The kids need some uninterrupted time with their father.”

“But you’ll be there,” Lily noted. Lizzie’s jaw clenched. 

“I already told Charlie about it. He’s excited.” Her eyes darted between them, challenging. “He’ll be disappointed if we don’t go.”

Anger spiked in Tommy’s face. “Don’t you dare try to use Charlie–”

“Tommy,” Lily half reached out to touch his arm, then thought better of it with Lizzie standing right there and already agitated. “It’s fine.”

He shot her a baffled expression. What she’s trying to do isn’t okay.

But she’s right that the children ought to have some time with their parents.

You’re Charlie’s mother. 

She gave him a sad smile. Was she? Still? Technically he had never been hers, even if she always viewed him as such. 

He’s probably sick of me after a whole week of it just being me and him. The attempt at levity didn’t really work, Tommy’s frown still staying in place. So she tried again. The kids deserve to have more time with you. And it would probably be good for both of them to see you and Lizzie together. Charlie could use some bonding time with her, and having you around might help facilitate that. “We can catch up later,” she said the last part out loud. Tommy shot her a helpless, reluctant look. “It’s okay.” Already she could hear the clatter of Charlie’s little feet running towards them, eagerly latching onto his father’s leg. She couldn't bring herself to deny them time together. If it meant that she had to be left behind, so be it. 

In a movement that she sensed was both an attempt to soothe the sting and in defiance of Lizzie, Tommy leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. 

“Won’t be long,” he murmured, quiet enough so that only she could hear. Nodding, Lily managed a weak smile. 

“Have a good time.” 

“Dad, c’mon,” Charlie took hold of his hand, and with one final sad look her way, Tommy let himself be pulled towards the doors. 

Lizzie was standing there, waiting. The nanny had come at some point with Ruby, now securely in Lizzie’s arms. Lizzie’s eyes were dark, lips pressed in a thin line while she watched them. But once Tommy joined her and they started to walk out the door and down the driveway, her expression melted into a giddy smile. Lily stood in the doorway, one hand resting on the solid wooden frame, watching the smiling family walk away from her.

After they disappeared from view, she took a step back, closed the door, and returned to her office.  

—

Tommy eyed Lizzie warily the entire walk back to the house. She kept making excuses for them to stay out longer, until the sun was sinking low in the sky. And the wide-eyed, hopeful looks she kept shooting his way made his stomach clench uncomfortably. Even as he tried to distance himself from her, focusing his attention solely on Charlie and Ruby, she kept looking at him like that.

“Dinner will be ready shortly, sir,” Frances informed him.

“Right. Thank you.” He barely got two footfalls away before Lizzie was calling for him again. 

“Tommy, will you come see Ruby’s new room?”

She has to be doing this on purpose. He looked over his shoulder at her. Lizzie’s brows were raised expectantly, Ruby already half asleep in her arms. Gaze shifting to his daughter, he sighed. 

Just for a minute, he told himself. “Alright.” He followed Lizzie up the stairs and down the hall, steps faltering and brow furrowing when she opened the door to Lily’s room to reveal that the inside had been entirely redecorated and transformed into a nursery. The big canopy bed was gone, replaced by a crib and playmat. Where the vanity had once been, now there was a chest of drawers, a rocking chair by the window where a plush loveseat once was.  

He followed Lizzie to the crib, bending his head to give his little Ruby a kiss before Lizzie laid her down for her nap. 

“Can you believe that she’ll be walking soon?” Lizzie shook her head, smiling and wiggling her fingers in front of Ruby’s face. 

“Mm,” he acknowledged, still looking around. Even the artwork on the wall was different. “This is Lily’s room.”

“I asked her to switch so Ruby would be closer to us.”

Us. Just how often did she expect him to be sleeping with her? He thought that he had made it clear before the wedding what the sleeping arrangements would look like after the honeymoon.

“And she agreed to move?”

“Of course she did.” Lizzie’s tone sharpened, but at the way his brows rose in response she softened slightly, looking back at their dozing baby. “She wants what’s best for her.”

“Yes, she does.” Don’t you dare try to use that against her.

“We should go down for dinner.” Lizzie went to the door. After one last second spent glancing around the room, Tommy followed her. Lizzie moved with brisk steps, and he allowed himself to lag behind, not particularly eager to spend any more time with her. 

A meow drew his attention, footsteps skidding to a halt when he spotted Trouble lounging on a windowsill in a patch of sunlight. She was watching him with those assessing green eyes, tail flicking back and forth casually. 

“Hey, Troubs.” He approached her slowly. “Sleeping on the job, eh? Don’t you have mice to catch?” He reached out a hand to her, and she suddenly hissed, paw swiping out towards him. He barely managed to retract his hand in time to avoid the sting of her claws. “Alright, alright,” he held up both hands, taking a step away from the irritated cat. 

You left her, Trouble’s eyes seemed to accuse.

It wasn’t unheard of for Trouble to take swats at him from time to time. She had always been deeply protective of Lily. And while he and the cat had mostly found common ground in their shared love for their little redhead, Trouble would always, without fail, be ready to bite or swat at him any time that he upset her.  

“I know,” he said in response to the cat’s silent accusation. “But I’m back now. Things will go back to the way they were.”

Trouble let out another meow. One that he was pretty sure meant, we’ll see.

—

They served salmon for dinner, along with potatoes and steamed vegetables. Tommy sat at his usual spot at the head of the table, staring at the spread of food laid out in front of him. When the serving bowls were passed his way, he spooned only the smallest of portions onto his plate. Lizzie sat at his right. Charlie on his left. 

All the other chairs were empty. 

He frowned when both Lizzie and Charlie started eating, looking at the various entryways into the dining room, expecting to see his redhead enter at any moment. 

“Frances?”

She looked up from where she’d been pouring Lizzie a glass of gin. “Yes, sir?”

“Where’s Lily?”

Frances looked between him and Lizzie nervously. “She’s working late, Mr. Shelby. She won’t be able to make it to dinner.”

He felt his brows draw in. Had something else happened that she needed to attend to? Did his absence this past week cause too much work to be put on her shoulders? 

Or was she avoiding them?

He wouldn’t blame her if she was. What did he expect? Especially after he ditched her to go play happy families with Lizzie rather than spend time with her after a whole week spent apart?

Should he go to her? Or would it be better to leave her alone until she decided she was ready to see him? He felt adrift, completely unsure of what to do. It was a feeling that was completely foreign to him when it came to Lily. 

Did she share his feelings that he had been unfaithful to her? Did she realize while he was away that she deserved far more than to be the mistress to a man who could offer her nothing but a broken, twisted heart? 

She deserved so much better than him. Even though he loved her with his entire being, it was not even close to enough. He frankly had a hard time understanding why she was still with him at all. 

“Right,” he cleared his throat roughly. “Make sure to send a tray of food to her office then, will you? I don’t want her to go hungry.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Beside him, Lizzie stabbed aggressively at her food and glared at him. 

After dinner was cleared away, Tommy stood hastily from his seat, prepared to sprint for Lily’s office if he had to. But yet again Lizzie’s honeyed words beat him to it.

“Charlie, don’t you think it would be fun if the three of us all played a game together? You have some board games stashed away in the library, don’t you?”

“Yeah!” 

Tommy slammed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth together. He wasn’t sure what frustrated him more: her constant sabotaging, or her using Charlie to accomplish it. 

“Wouldn’t that be fun, Tommy?” Lizzie asked, and he turned his head to meet her gaze. Her expression was nothing but sweet and coaxing, fluttering her eyelashes at him. 

“Please, Dad? Please?” Charlie begged. 

Tommy exhaled once, deeply. “Alright.”

Charlie cheered, and took off towards the library. 

“We should invite Lily to join us.”

“She’s busy. No need to bother her.” Lizzie stood, pushing her chair in and moving to follow Charlie. “Besides, I think it’s good for the two of us to have some more time with Charlie.”

“Lizzie.” He spoke slowly, taking great care when choosing his words. “Stop using him.”

“I’m not–”

“Yes, you are.”

Her lips pressed together, eyes lowering. She said nothing for a few seconds, then sighed. 

“You’re going to have plenty of chances to spend time with her once you go back to work. I want Charlie to see us together, Tommy. He needs to understand that we’re a family now. And why I’m the one taking care of him when you aren’t here.” She looked up at him, eyes suddenly very vulnerable. “I’m nervous about how things might go when you aren’t here. He might not listen to me.”

Tommy bristled slightly at what she was insinuating.  “He’s a good kid, Lizzie.”

“I know…”

“He likes you. He trusts you. He’s known you his whole life. Lily and I have both explained to him that he needs to respect you. And if he doesn’t, Frances can help you with him while I’m away. It may take some time for him to adjust, but he’ll get there.”  

Lizzie nodded, looking down again, suddenly seeming very insecure, and Tommy immediately felt bad. This whole arrangement, while she agreed to it, couldn’t exactly be easy for her. She would need time to get adjusted too. 

“Let’s go join him in the library. Before he bursts from excitement,” he suggested, standing and using a guiding hand to usher her towards where Charlie had run off. Lizzie glanced over at him. That hopeful, dare he say lovesick look appeared in her eyes once more. He swallowed harshly, tempering down his suspicions about what exactly she was trying to achieve. She knew what she agreed to.

Surely she could not be hoping that there was a chance he would agree to changing the entire arrangement, could she?

That would be foolish. He and Lily couldn’t have been more clear about how things were going to be if they tried.

But still, his nerves piqued, alarm bells going off in his ears. 

On the way to the library, Lizzie reached down to take hold of his hand.

Prev Chapter • Series • Part 22 • Next Chapter

[toshithemochi]

Alright so..this is my first post on tumblr, as an introduction I would like to introduce my Invincible oc, Nova.

Nova's full name is Charlie Alexander Harlow.

He is half human, half alien. His father is human and his mother is cyphorian. Cyphoria is an alien species who look human yet they are made out of cosmic elements such as fire, earth, water and wind but more enhanced.

As half human and half Cyphorian, Nova was born with a cosmical firepower but sadly since he is half human he isn't immune to his fire powers unlike Cyphorians he can't use his powers for long or can't be engulfed by them because it will damage him overtime, tho he can heal.

Now about his powers, he calls his fire "Flare", since it's origin is cosmic it is much stronger than the fire on earth, that's why it's much more dangerous to use. It's colour is ruby-purplish. It can awaken on it's own if Nova is feeling agitated or his emotions get the better of him, usually it shows when his hands start to "flare" up a bit or his hair and eyes. When he uses his power to full extent he basically becomes Human Torch.

Now about Nova's appearance, he is 5'8(178 cm), oval face with a huge scar under his left eye on the left side of his jaw, it's healing. His eyes are meadow-brown colored when his powers aren't used. His hair is mohawk-like, light brow, plus a bit curly. His body is athletic yet slightly slim.

Backstory: Till he was 3 years old his father and mother raised him together, (Charlie is his earth name but his mother wanted him to have a Cyphorian name, that's why he goes by Nova) but one day his mother had to leave earth but..never returned, Nova's father had to raise him alone from that day forward. Nova always asked his father, Samuel Richard Harlow, why his mother isn't home and when he'll come back but he never got a firm answer so he kept hoping, wishing for her mother to come home soon even as he got older(currently speaking he is 16-17). His father always tried to keep Nova's powers hidden and told Nova to do the same to not attract unwanted attention, it was and still is hard to control but Nova does his best to do so.

You may ask why his father is so secretive about his son's powers. Well, because his father knows about the GDA, the Guardians of the Globe since he works for Cecil. Of course he wants the best for Nova and knows that eventually Nova will strive to save and help heroes and civilians alike but he is afraid to lose his son cause of some random strong villain or alien(*ahem* Viltrumites *ahem*). But overtime Nova becomes a member of the Guardians and develops strong bond with each member.

His bond with each member:

Mark Grayson: his bond with Mark is..rocky, not because he dislikes Mark but because he is half-Viltrumite. But after some time his bond with Mark becomes stronger, he starts relying on him more and they even start hanging out outside of hero work, developing a strong bond with Debbie

Rex Splode: At first he finds Rex very irritating and a jerk but after a fight with him he sees through Rex and they become great friends tho sometimes he disciplines Rex and bickers with him. Nonetheless he likes Rex in a brotherly way. (Rex's death strikes him hard and he closes off for a long while, only showing vulnerability to some people)

Shrinking Rae: immediately likes her, whenever he has trouble with his powers or controlling them Rae somehow always manages to calm him, they sit down to chat sometimes whenever either feel down or stressed. (One of the few people he opens up to and let's close after Rex's death, knows how much pain she must be in so he contiunes be there for her).

Monster Girl: He is fond of her, tho it freaks him out how her curse affects her but other then that enjoys sparing with her and talking with her. Safe to say that he finds her relationship with Rudy weird but never actually brings it up, tho sometimes he isn't good at hiding how it affects him(facial expressions).

Rudy(Robot): He..well, he is on neutral terms with him, thinks of Rudy as an important member of the team, admires his intelligence. Even though this pros he agrees with Rex about it being super freaky that Rudy cloned Rex to be a younger version of him. (However it makes his blood boil when he takes Rex's name after Rex's death, shuts him out completely, only talking with him during missions)

Immortal: Respects him at first after all he has thousand years of experience, looks up to him but..after he finds out that Dupli-Kate and him are together, that respect lessens due to being Rex's friend. However he never actually lost total respect, sure, after Immortal decides to retire he starts to like him less.

This is part 1 of 2, I'll post part 2 soon

[onehellishcollection]

💌   to   write   my   muse   a   love   letter.

The Letter Reads:

"Hello, Ms. Charile.

One of my coworkers who is a sinner said that love letters can help you express yourself when you're not good with words in person. I'm hoping that's true. The first time I saw you my breath was taken away. The way you walked the way you smiled.... I was truly stunned by your mere existence. The way you're always trying to help someone is something I've always admired about you. 

I kind of suck at this.... I've never been good with words or people. I'm not even sure if I Know What Love Is. But when I look at you I feel something in my chest that I can't really explain. I think about you at night sometimes when I lay in my bed. I think about holding your hand. I think about staring into your eyes. I think I begin to understand why your father betrayed all of Heaven for your mother. I think I might have done it to if it was you. I'm not sure if you'll be creeped out by this letter or not but, I thought maybe I should at least say something to you. 

You're free to ignore this letter and pretend it doesn't exist if you don't feel same but, I had to at least say something. 

  from Jacob. @lost-shades

Love Is In The Air!

.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ . When Charlie heard that she had mail, she certainly hadn't been expecting the letter she currently held, ruby red eyes scanning the words over and over, as if reading them for the millionth time would have changed anything there. Not that she wanted the words to change, of course! She just barely could believe it.

No one spoke (or wrote) such things about her.

Sure, the blonde had people who loved and adored her, she had good friends and people she considered family. Charlie had been complimented, before, even overly so, at times. Yet, none of that was quite like this.

It was with very careful movements that she placed the letter onto her desk, still marveling at it. Charlie couldn't stop thinking about how cute the handwriting was. Maybe she was supposed to respond in the same way, to write out a letter full of heartfelt words and gratitude, but she was a bit too impatient for something like that.

The world warped in her vision as she blinked against the sting of tears, grabbing her phone off of the desk and tapping away at the screen, touching a specific person's name before bringing her phone to her ear, grinning when she heard the other person pick up.

.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ . "Jake?" She sniffled, reaching up with her free hand to quickly try and wipe her eyes dry. "Can you come to the hotel? I want to talk to you and it's nothing bad, I swear! It's just something that should be talked about face-to-face, you know?"

[pbandjesse]

It was a nice memorial day today.

I slept fine last night. I woke up a few times but when I woke up at 9 I felt pretty good. James came and laid in bed with me. They had already done laundry and gone for a bike ride. They told me the world was beautiful today. We would lay in bed for a bit longer but we would get up and went to get dressed.

I liked my outfit. It's the same new shirt I got on Friday and it is so soft. It's great.

I felt pretty good overall. James made a coffee and I had some soda and we decided to go out for breakfast. So pretty soon after that we were off and into the world.

We decided to go to Broadway Diner. And it was busy! I wasn't shocked, it's a bank holiday. James and me have an ongoing will they won't they about the right side of the restaurant. Which we have never once sat at. Every time we go to James makes a whole thing about how this is going to be the one!!! But nope, we still seated in the left side.

We had a quiet brunch. My stomach continues to hurt when I eat but I still enjoyed the morning with my husband. I would people watch and we looked at things on each other's phones. I had shared the styles of doors I would like for the house. The type of fence too. It was a good morning.

While we were out i decided I would like to stop at the craft store because I wanted to get yarn. And so we did exactly that.

The yarn was not as on sale as I was hoping. But I have an idea about creating a double layered loom knit blanket. Almost like a puff quilt.

We did have a 20% coupon though and I got 6 skeins of yarn for my project. I am very excited and I really hope that it works out the way I am imagining. It is going to be a lot work though! Nice to have something outside of my temperature blanket though.

We would get home and have a few hours to just chill. James would play some video games. I would work on knitting. We had Ruby trying to clean but she kept getting stuck. Poor Ruby. She has her good days and her bad days.

We would leave here around 1. I would do a quick little vacuum of the frog tank because the snails were going crazy. And very soon we were on the road.

It was a nice drive to DC. I worked on knitting and we listened to a podcast. There wasn't much traffic. And we would arrive in Eve's beautiful little neighborhood a little after 2.

She is moving to Trinidad at the end of the summer but she's going to do some other traveling throughout the summer. But the state department is sending the movers to come pack all of her stuff up tomorrow. Crazy! I am very excited for her. Like it's going to be a really amazing experience I am sure!!

When we got to her place her and her roommate had us up on her roof. We were the first guests but more would come. We had burgers and dogs and fruit and an amazing lemon cake. And I was just having a really good time.

I would have some great conversations. Specifically with this girl Charlie. She was so nice! We exchanged numbers and I hope we hang out some time because she was so lovely. Me and James would tell a whole story about when I was a furby influencer. And there was lots of baseball talk. It was fun.

Eventually we would join the table with everyone else. Where I had a really great time talking to one of Eve's friends who is into mushroom foraging. I got to show him my mushroom pictures and he was able to name them all!! He's much braver then me and actually eats them though!

We would be there for 5ish hours. We all tried to download an app to do palm reading. We had amazing lemon cake. We told stories. I got to talk about my arthritis stuff which was nice. It was nice to be able to talk through the whole craziness of last year and the chemo and the weirdness of that. I am finally feeling like I'm back to myself after a year.

We would leave there around 6. And after stopping in her apartment to use the bathroom and say hi to her beautiful cats, there were hugs and then goodbyes!!

It was a nice drive home. But the sky was getting darker and darker. There has been a tornado watch in DC and a severe thunderstorm warning in Baltimore. It felt like we were racing the storm home. But it would start to come down right before we parked.

But it wouldn't get bad for a little while. We were safely and securely in the house when the sky opened for real. Lightening and thunder!!

James would paint their nails. And I would just chill on the couch. Had a little dinner. And we have just been resting and having a nice evening.

But now I would like to go shower and get ready for bed. I have a long day tomorrow. Both camp and then an event. I really hope that it is an easy transition. Fingers crossed.

I hope you all sleep well tonight. I love you all. Good night!!!

[allthewriteplaces]

Magnolia in May ~ Chapter Eleven

Author's Note: It's honestly a MIRACLE that I got this released in time considering how my week has started off with me feeling really sick and a bunch of other stuff. Hopefully by next week, I'll feel better, but for now, let us indulge in some Lizzie x Jessie friendship! Chapter Warning(s): None

Word Count: 4271

Chapter Eleven

The minute I got inside, I took off my jacket, put it on the coat hook and then placed my boots next to Charlie and Ruby’s. This place was not as big as Arrow House, but somehow, it suited her. It was much like her character; quiet, friendly, and inviting. People came to her with their problems and she was always willing to offer a listening ear or words of advice when necessary. I took quite a liking to her when we first met, considering the obvious tension between her and Thomas.

“You and Tommy seem very close.”

In spite of said tension, I also thought it was funny how she still called him ‘Tommy’ and he called her ‘Lizzie’ when they were in the same room, as though they were still good friends. Maybe they didn’t get on as well at first as they did now.

“We are quite fond of one another,” I nodded.

Her eyes sparkled in the light coming from the window and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Then she leaned forward as if to whisper conspiratorially. “It is a wonder he hasn’t taken you to bed yet.”

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor the second the words came out of her mouth and I could tell that I looked like a codfish, so I forced my mouth closed and then cleared my throat, swallowing thickly and feeling my cheeks turning pink with the sudden heat. “Yes, well, it’s a little hard with the nightmares and all that.”

“He told me they were becoming less frequent.” She sounded concerned.

We made our way to a sitting-room a little ways down a corridor from the entrance of the house. I was silent for a few moments. I wanted to plan my next words carefully, because it would be easy for her to assume that she was the one at fault for the return of the nightmares. There was no need to add to the excruciating amount of guilt she was feeling over separating from him, no need to drive her already fragile emotions to the very edge. I wanted to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault, that she was the cause of the nightmares.

Knowing that the children were around was another good reason to keep my voice quiet and to filter through my words. Looking around, I made sure they were not within earshot before I continued. “They started up again several weeks ago. He said something about tunnels and shovels and feeling trapped beneath them.”

Lizzie was considerately quiet now, too and after a moment, she nodded. “He used to be what was known as a tunneler. He and several other men dug long tunnels underneath contested no-man’s-land territory to bury explosives underneath enemy trenches. The job was incredibly dangerous — they risked capture by the enemy and death from tunnels collapsing. They also fought at the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Verdun, two of the most infamously bloody conflicts of the war.”

She closed the door when we stepped over the threshold. It clicked quietly shut behind her, then she went to sit in one of the two armchairs near the fireplace and gestured for me to do the same.

“He’s never gone into complete detail about what happened,” she continued, picking up the teapot and pouring the warm, soothing liquid into two white, porcelain tea cups. The steam rose from the rim and evaporated into the warm air. “I understand that he would much rather forget that part of his life ever happened, then have to explain it all as if it were fresh in his mind.”

I pick up my cup and then take a small sip to avoid burning my tongue. “He woke up in such a dreadful state that it makes me wish there was something I could do to help him besides offering words of comfort and embracing him in ways that only temporarily eliminate the ghosts of his past.”

“Someone’s been reading a lot of Shakespeare,” she said with a tiny smile.

“I’m sorry?” I blinked several times to try and comprehend the meaning.

“No, I just meant when you said ‘eliminating the ghosts of his past,’ it sort of sounds like something he would write about.”

“Perhaps in his early years of his writing,” I laughed, “I am not as well-versed or have such an advanced vocabulary. Nor do I think I could keep speaking in riddles.”

A few minutes of silence passed, but I didn’t mind it. While some may have seen it as awkward, or felt the need to fill it with idle chatter and small talk, I took it as a spare second to think, to allow my mind to wander wherever it wanted to. I wasn’t sure where Thomas was right now, or who exactly he was going to speak with when he got to wherever it was he needed to be, but I hoped that he knew what he was getting into and I wanted him to know that I and the rest of his family would be praying for his safe return. Soon enough, Lizzie spoke again.

“Permit me for saying this, but I have noticed that he has been a different man since he met you,” she said. I looked her way, surprised by not only the break of the silence, but of the words that were spoken. “I mean this in the best possible way, of course. Ever since Grace died, and after losing his brother, he doesn’t let people get too close to him and whenever someone tries, he pushes them away. He keeps his heart locked up in a safe that no one can find the passcode to, not even me, the one person he vowed to share everything with. At the beginning of the divorce, he barely paid any attention to them aside from mealtimes and they would call me on the telephone, begging for me to come and pick them up.”

I was surprised to say the least. Thomas always appeared to be a doting father to his children. He gave them everything and anything they wanted without spoiling them. He listened to them play their instruments, he comforted them when something was bothering them, sat with them during mealtimes and played with them when he wasn’t working. He even put his work aside to attend the picnic with them that one day and it made them so happy.

It might seem to some that we were speaking of two different Thomas Shelbys, one who was present in the family and his children’s lives and one who distanced himself from the people he cared about and who cared about him.

“It’s one of the things that caused us to separate. He just wasn’t the same anymore, and when he went away, he smelled like other women. He reeked of blood and danger and Charlie even said to me, ‘you’re more my mum than he is my dad’ and it broke my heart. Not just for Charlie but for Thomas. They had an unbreakable bond, which seemed to crumble more and more until it was nothing more than dust, old memories that were left behind in the past.”

She paused again, gazing into the fireplace for a moment, collecting her emotions. One thing I admired, but was also slightly concerned about, was that too often, her main focus was taking care of everyone else and making sure their needs were met while rarely allowing herself to take care of her own or to let anyone see her own sadness, anger and pain. After all, the separation took a toll on her as well and it seemed to me like her way of dealing with her negative emotions was pretending they didn’t exist in the first place.

I wasn’t sure what to do at that moment, but I felt this strong inclination to reach out to her, to put a hand on hers and tell her that it was okay if she needed to cry, or to take a step back for a while. On the other hand, having the children with her for a couple of weeks might be just the thing to lift her spirits.

“But things changed. I was surprised that one night near the end of April when I didn’t receive a single telephone call and at first I was worried, because what if something happened to them? Now I see that it’s because of you. I should be jealous of you, furious even.”

“I assure you, Miss Stark, that you have nothing to be jealous of. Thomas and I are good friends. Nothing more.”

She added a few cubes of sugar into her tea and then gently stirred it so it wouldn’t remain in a clump. “Good friends, eh? Then why did it take you so long to say ‘goodbye’ to one another?”

My head snapped upward and she looked back at me through narrowed eyes, raising one brow sceptically. I opened my mouth to speak, in a lame attempt to explain my absence and protect my reputation, but then she started laughing.

“Look at your face, you’re as red as a tomato.”

While Lizzie tried in vain to recover herself, I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t feel like laughing in the least, and I sat there feeling awkward and embarrassed and a little bit foolish. I should have known Lizzie would find out about Thomas and I and while I did wish we had a little more time together, him and I, I am glad that we parted ways when we did, or else we would have taken a lot longer, thus raising more suspicions.

How much she knew, however, I still wasn’t sure and I wasn’t going to ask any further questions about it, dig myself a deeper hole than I was already in. At least now she was smiling, though. That was the only good thing about it, even if it was at my own expense.

“Well, to be honest with you, I would much rather see him with you than that May Carleton woman.” She looked down at her clenched fist and loosened it. “She’s practical and follows structure and routine very strictly, which I am certain you’ve noticed, but she lacks imagination and creativity. Not like you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I smiled, and took another sip of my tea.

“You should,” she said, smiling back at me, but it quickly vanished as soon as it appeared. “She is a bit too forward, however. She knows exactly how to draw Tommy in and sometimes he is too quick to fall for it. Or he was, anyway.”

“Was?”

“Like I said, he’s been different since he met you. Although, if there ever comes a time when I need to make a choice between who I think best suits him besides you, I would easily choose her over Tatiana.”

“Tatiana? May? Lizzie? Grace? How many women does Mister Shelby know exactly?”

My mouth snapped shut, realising I had just asked that question out loud rather than in my head. Lizzie leaned her head back and sighed dramatically.

“Too many to count, I’m afraid.” She added a little bit more sugar to her tea, seeing as how it wasn’t sweet enough already. “But rest assured, he will not be seeing Tatiana again. And May? Far as I know, she’s just a friend.”

“Who’s Tatiana?” I asked.

“No one you need to worry about.” She shook her head, setting her cup and saucer down, then meeting my eyes again. “She is a duchess. Rich, beautiful, a real temptress who would do just about anything to get what she wanted. I never met her or knew her personally. Not really, but I never liked her, and shockingly, neither did Tommy. She stayed over one night, and things got out of hand. That’s all he was willing to tell me about her.”

“Men are weak when it comes to women, especially those they know are trouble. And they rarely think twice about the consequences until it’s far too late. I’m not saying all men are, and forgive me if what I’m saying is too bold, but let’s just say that when you’ve been in the business for as long as I have, you get to know a bunch of different characters.”

“So I’m assuming you have a handful of scandals?” she asked, perking up.

“Oh, trust me, I have many.”

“Well, then, you must tell me about them.”

“And here I thought you weren’t one for idle gossip.”

“What are friends for if you can’t gossip with them? Besides, it’s in the past now, isn’t it? it? Surely it won’t harm them and they’re not going to hear us anyway. I, too, have met my fair share of characters whilst in my old profession.”

“Really? And what was it?” I asked, taking a sip of my tea.

“Not the sort of business you want on a resume, I’ll say that much.”

“Oh,” I said, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice.

“You seem shocked,” she said, glancing up at me.

“Not at all — I mean, you’re very pretty — That is —” I was stumbling over my words. I didn’t want to offend her by saying anything rude or by making some remark, and surely this was not an appropriate topic to discuss while having tea with a dear friend.

She laughed again, shaking her head. “I know what you mean. It wasn’t my first choice. Originally, I wanted to become a writer, print articles for the daily papers, maybe write a few stories and get them published, but no one believed in me, not even the people I called my friends. Then after losing my parents, I had to find some way to provide for myself.”

Her tone became less amused and more serious as she went on. I thought she might start weeping and instinctively, I put a hand out and placed it on top of her own.

“You needn’t talk about it anymore if you don’t want to.”

She looked relieved now and she smiled. “Thank you. It’s all in the past now, so I need not dwell on it.”

“Still, you shouldn’t have had to give up your dreams because no one believed in you. Do you still wish to write?”

“Well, I’ve started writing short stories for children. Not sure if I will ever publish them, but—”

“You should!” I said, a little too hurriedly. “I’m sure Charlie and Ruby will love them. They’ll tell their friends, their friends will tell their friends, imagine it!”

Her smile grew until it stretched all the way across her face.

“You really think I can do it?”

“I don’t think so. I know so,” I answered.

A few moments of silence went by and none of us seemed to mind it.

She stood up and collected both of our cups and saucers. “More tea?”

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I feel a bit ill.”

When she noticed the almost faraway look on my face, she placed a reassuring hand on mine, which startled me at first, but a few seconds later, I found myself appreciating the gesture. “Don’t worry. Tommy’s gotten himself into plenty of scrapes before, tricky ones, at that, but he’s always found a way to weasel his way out of them. No doubt he’ll return safe and sound.”

“I hope so,” I replied, rubbing my hand on the fabric of my dress and meeting her eyes. She gazed at me with a sympathetic expression in her eyes just as Charlie came into the room, glancing between us.

“Jessie, will you play with us?” he asked softly. I could tell he’d been waiting until we’d finished our conversation to ask the question. Something I am certain his father or Lizzie must have taught him.

“Of course I will, give me a few minutes and I’ll be right there.”

He nodded and then ran back out of the room, possibly to tell Ruby the good news. Lizzie and I both stood up at the same time and I took a deep breath.

“The kids seem to have taken quite a liking to you as well,” she observed. “Good. I can’t imagine having a governess like Mrs. Pritchard was a pleasure. They told me how much she disliked them.”

“Charlie has mentioned her a few times, yes. He told me she was horrid to them. She would literally drag them out of bed in the morning, make them dress themselves and but the thing that was when he told me all of the things she said to him and Ruby. Shaming them for who they were and where they came from.”

I could feel my hands shaking but I didn’t know why. No, actually, I knew exactly why. I was angry. I was angry for the very same reasons that I was when Thomas and I were talking not long ago, and when Django and his family once returned from the city and people had been insulting them and whispering about them when they thought no one was paying attention. What had they done to deserve such treatment? And what could someone possibly gain from degrading someone else?

“Why bother working with or having children if you don’t like them?” I whispered, sitting down again rubbing my arms nervously. Lizzie watched me from the corner of her eye and after a moment, she placed her hand on my shoulder.

“I wasn’t expecting Ruby to come so soon after Thomas and I married, and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure I was ready to become a mother, but as time passed and this baby inside me grew, the first time I held her in my arms, I knew that she was meant to be. That I would do anything for her, and for Charlie. As soon as they told me about what happened, I begged them to talk to their dad. It was the only time he’d set his work aside and listened to them.”

She paused and it looked as though tears had come into her eyes.

“Are there some things I wish I did differently? Yes. Do I wish things had turned out better for us? Of course I do. But I feel like things are in a good place right now. I mean, if things had worked out, the children never would have met you.”

Neither of us said anything for a little while, until the both of us had a chance to settle down and collect our emotions. Then Lizzie sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Did you ever wish you could be a mother? Or had you dreamed of having children of your own?” She paused. “Forgive me. You don’t have to answer that question if it’s too personal.”

“That’s the thing. I never thought about having children, I just like working with them and teaching them. I will admit, way back when I started, there was a little boy who screamed and kicked and pinched, sometimes over the smallest things. I made a vow to never have children.”

“How did you manage? Did you end up resigning?”

“Trust me, I could have, but one day, I just sat him down and he told me he felt so angry all the time. His mother had died a few weeks before I arrived, and his father sort of shut himself up in his office. He only ever paid attention to the boy if he acted up, so that’s what he did.”

Lizzie shook her head dismally and looked at me. “Poor child.”

I nodded. “I told him that it was okay to be angry and to feel sad, but also that we needed to find healthy ways of dealing with our emotions, like talking about it with someone we trust. So, then I put both the father and son in the same room and allowed them to have a private conversation, to let it all out. By the time I came back, they were both crying, but in a good way.”

“Jessie! Are you coming?” Charlie and Ruby were standing in the entryway and were waiting very patiently for the two of us to finish our conversation.

“You go on,” said Lizzie, “I have things that I need to finish up here anyway.”

“Very well, Miss Stark.”

“Titles seem too formal for a place like this. Right here, we are Jessie and Lizzie.” She took both of my hands in hers. They were warm and soft, much like herself, and they were very clean. Each nail was around the same size and they looked like they had been trimmed recently. “You know, I didn’t have any sisters growing up, but I’m sure you and I are going to get along splendidly. Oh, speaking of sisters, a few family members are going to be coming over on Wednesday morning for breakfast. I thought you would like to know in advance.”

“You mean Auntie Ada is coming?” Charlie asked.

“And Uncle Arthur?” Ruby added.

“Yes, yes,” Lizzie smiled at them. “Auntie Polly is coming, too.”

“And all of our cousins!” Ruby was grinning from ear to ear, but then she looked over at Lizzie. “Does our Daddy know?”

“Yes. Your daddy already told me before you came. We have business to discuss as well, so you can play outside with your cousins.”

“Can we have another picnic with Jessie?”

“I think it’s up to her to decide,” she said and both of the children took my hands and tilted their chins up to try and win me over with puppy dog eyes. How could I possibly say ‘no’ when they were looking at me like that?

“Pleeeeease?” They said at the same time and I pretended to sigh.

“Alright, then, another picnic it is.” I chuckled, “Oh, but if I’m not mistaken, I believe you both asked me to play with you.”

“Race you to the top,” said Charlie and he and Ruby turned on their heels and went up the stairs faster than I ever could.

“No fair, you two are faster than me,” I said, going after them. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was out of breath and Charlie was trying his best to hold back a smile as I took a minute to regain some of the oxygen I had lost coming up.

“We win this time,” he said.

“Yeah, well, you started without me, so…”

This time, Ruby was laughing with him. But she quickly turned around, opened the door and she and Charlie stepped into the playroom. It was a little bit smaller than the one back at Arrow House, but was not lacking in toys and books.

“There’s certainly a lot of interesting things to do,” I mused, sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking around at the number of board games and stuffed animals and there were even two toy rocking horses. Good thing there were two. Not that I would expect them to argue over it, but you never know.

“Jessie, you try!” said Ruby, sliding off the horse and then gesturing toward it.

“Oh, I don’t know. I think I’m too tall to fit on it now.”

“Come on,” said Charlie, “what’s the worst that can happen?”

“First of all, I don’t want to break it. Second, I’m not properly dressed.”

“Alright, then. Ruby and I will race and then you can be the judge.”

“Yeah, you can be the one who shouts ‘Ready, Steady, Go!”

“Sounds much better,” I agreed, “but we’ll need an audience.”

The three of us set to work, putting both horses in a line, making a pretend mark with one of Ruby’s hair ribbons, and then assembling an audience with the stuffed animals and toy soldiers.

“We have to have some officers there in case a bad guy comes,” Charlie insisted.

“You’re right. We all know bad things can happen anywhere.”

“That’s what Daddy says,” Ruby nodded, frowning slightly.

“Don’t worry, there won’t be any bad guys,” Charlie assured her, putting a warm hand on her shoulder, “and if there are, we’ll take care of ‘em, right?”

“Right,” she said, grinning.

“That’s it, you two, chin up. The race is about to start.”

Ruby put up a hand. “Wait, we need money, too!”

“Money?” I exclaimed.

“Yeah. Daddy says people can win lots of money at races, too.”

“What else has your daddy told you?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

They both giggled and I couldn’t help but smile at them.

“Okay, well, we don’t have any real money, so we can use marbles.”

I reached into the toy chest and pulled out the marbles.

“Let’s see, we’ve got thirty marbles. That means whoever chose the winning horse will each get a marble which is worth a thousand pounds, right?”

Charlie put a hand to his head. “How am I supposed to know? Money is tricky.”

“It is, isn’t it?” I laughed.

“No, Teddy! No betting until it starts!” Ruby sternly pointed at her bear sitting innocently in the front row of the stadium. “You have to wait until we hand you the paper before you can place your bet. That’s the rule.”

“Now, are we ready?” I asked and both competitors got onto their horses.

“Ready,” they both said.

“Alright, then, Ready….. Steady…. Go!” I made a fake sound to let them know that the race had officially started and they took off.

Taglist: @runnning-outof-time @zablife @loverhymeswith @sherbitdibdab

[gardenofbookworms]

week #40 recommendation: bee

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

 ▪︎ magical realism novel ▪︎

finn’s friend miguel has always said that the corn whispers. that it looks alive alive, not just alive like all plants. finn has never believed him. but isn’t it fair? no one’s ever believed finn, anyway.

not even when roza goes missing, after being found in finn and sean’s barn and charming the whole town. further than that, no one even seems to care—including sean, finn’s older brother who was practically head over heels for her. finn knows what he saw: a man who moved like the cornstalks. but no one who’s not on meth would describe a kidnapper like that. but then the man shows up again, finn’s beautiful, mysterious horse steps on him, petey finds the kittens under his bed, and roza is imprisoned in a castle. charlie valentine (which isn’t his real name, by the way) finally gives finn a hint, and now he’s impossibly close to getting roza back. but when everyone hangs upside down, could he really find her?

▪︎

i didn’t expect to like this book as much as i did—it was kind of a quick read, and it started off with a boy who loved a girl that was missing. not exactly my thing. but as i got into it, i found myself loving the writing style. the dialogue is amazing—real, truthful, and sometimes very comical. eventually i came to like petey and finn together as well. a teenage love…plus a horse…and bees…i enjoyed petey’s side of the story a lot, especially when she realizes something about finn. which, actually, i did suspect beforehand (i’m very proud of that). and finally, the gap itself. it did take me a while to realize “oh, this isn’t finn’s world, is it?” basically, it’s where the concept of, like, things that should be impossible are discarded and everything is under the control of one man who keeps asking the same question. enjoy!

[thenextbestidol]

Ruby could relate too much to the feeling of a mother inspiring everyone around her and inspiring you to follow her. Even as Sarina, Ai with her music inspired her to keep dreaming, despite her medical condition. But as Ruby… with Ai being her mother… it was not just admiration. It was something deeper that couldn't be put into words. But she thought that Charlie would know what was it like.

“Believe me, I understand” she answered “Mothers have a unique way to inspire you, to be like them in a way, but better. She must be so proud of you!”

She said those words from the bottom of her heart. She might not know who Charlie’s mom was, but she knew a lot about mothers. Mothers that loved and doted on you, mothers that ignored and hated you, and she had a gut feeling that Charlie’s mom was the first case. She hoped so.

“That's wonderful! As soon as there is a stage, I should be able to do a concert in no time!” she remembered her songs and choreographies perfectly. Just a little rehearsing and she would be ready in no time “In the meantime… a friend taught me about social media skills. I could help you promote your hotel! Or maybe even promote me as an idol so that more demons would be interested in coming to the concert!”

They could film things at the hotel, do a presentation about it, or she could do some funny challenges to attract the attention of the demons. They might be demons, but they still should have a sense of humor, right? She had so many ideas already! And she was excited too, it had been a while since she was passionate about something this much. But even better was Charlie's idea.

“Singing together? YES! I would love to!” Ruby hugged her friend by the neck “We could be… I don't know! Charlie and Ruby duo? Never have been good with names… but that doesn't matter! I am sure the two of us together will get a lot of people to your hotel! It will be AMAZING!!”

Her excitement was stopped suddenly when she saw Charlie’s smile disappear. And listened to her concern of Ruby looking pretty much… human.

“Right…” She broke the hug and looked at her hands. So plainly human, despite the gloves. And the dress she was wearing, the same one she had at the premiere of the movie. Dang. “I… didn't think about that.”

But she should have. Charlie seemed scared that sinners would do something to her. But Ruby was scared more about what demons would want to do if they found out her little secret. That her soul had been transferred to her actual body. She figured out not many sinners were happy to be dead, and would happily take a second chance. She had no idea how her soul got transferred, but sinners might think she had the answers or search them on their own and…

“We should find a disguise before we go to the hotel,” she said, hiding her hands behind her back “Thou I have no idea if a disguise like that exists or if someone would… sell it, I guess.”

Okay, maybe this wasn't as bad as she expected. In fact, it could be possible that Charlie would grow attached to Ruby, so if she found a way for her to go back to the outside world, she will get sad for losing another friend.

But, what mattered the most is that Ruby could go back with her family and friends.

Hell, Charlie has never visited the world of humans- it was part of the Morningstar curse to not be able to see how the world evolved, only with the right to stay at Hell to see the bad people instead.

"Yes, yes, yes! There we have our solution then! I actually got really inspired by my mom...her singing was amazing as well and it inspired many demons back in the day, you know?..." After making a pause, she let both of her hands rest over her chest. "Getting a stage all settled up shouldn't be too difficult either."

Once Ruby decided to ask about her own singing, though, the princess started grinning again- with a soft content laugh escaping her lips.

"I can totally show you something if you want, though! Would it actually be too crazy if we tried to make some kind of duo?..." And oh, another realization hit her just now, that managed to wash away her smile a little. "Also...we should reaaaally think about...finding some kind of disguise. I don't want to know what could happen if the demons found out that you aren't exactly one of them..."

[ash5monster01]

Red Lips

Pairing: Charlie Dalton x FemReader

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, smut, dirty talk, lust, friends to lovers arc.

Summary: To Charlie you’d always just been Y/N. Always there, always reliable. No use flirting with a girl that was practically one of the guys. But then you got older, and started wearing red lipstick, and Charlie realized he had one too many dirty thoughts about those lips.

word count: 2,698

Masterlist

Makeup wasn’t your favorite thing in the world. That being said you still wore it. Yet you always went for the more natural look, not painting your face like some of the girls in school. Those were also the same girls who got mad when boys asked you out instead of them. You really had no need for eccentric makeup but when you got older and landed the job of your dreams, you realized you had to step up your game a bit. So you started pairing your look with a simple red lip, bold but still not too much.

Charlie always thought of you as the girl next door. After a year of trying to flirt with you he gave up. He figured you’d just always be around, and you were. You were when you both went to the same college, and you were when you both started working at the same business firm. You were his best friend after Neil died. So were the other boys but he didn’t see them as much as he saw you. You were always there, never having to question if he needed you or not. The most reliable person in his life, and there was absolutely no need to mess that up.

That was until you walked into the employee party. For the first time in his life he saw your lips painted with a perfect cherry red. The moment you spotted him the crimson corners upturned into a grin. Flashing your white teeth behind them like red curtains opening on a stage. He swore his heart skipped a beat, the sight of you enough to turn every head in the room. He used the time it took you approaching to clear his head so he didn’t sound like a blubbering fool in front of you.

“Hey Char” you smiled at him, the nickname sitting perfectly on your ruby lips. He had never loved the shortened version of his name more. Especially since you were the only person who used it.

“Y/N, you look ravishing” he grinned back, grabbing your hand to spin you in a turn, and really take in the sight of you. The little black dress, the bright lips in contrast. He wasn’t sure he would make it through the night.

“Oh don’t be a kiss ass” you swatted his chest, shaking your head. Some of your hair fell into your face and he was quick to push it away.

“Baby, I’m not lying. Everyone here is checking you out” you rolled your eyes but smiled nonetheless. Charlie was a natural charmer, but you knew he was being serious about this.

“Come on Mr. Flirt, come buy me a drink” you told him. Normally Charlie wasn’t one to act so possessive around you, but his hand instantly found your back and led you to the bar where he would happily oblige and buy you as many drinks as you wanted.

“So, red huh?” Charlie asked after a while, you both contently sipping from your drinks. He leaned against the bar leisurely, eyeing you like a predator eyed his prey.

“You like it?” Charlie felt his chest tighten, wishing there was a way he could describe to you just how fucking much he loved it.

“More than anything” he told you, making sure you knew that from the way he was looking at you. You instantly became nervous under his stare, realizing your minor change was enough to awaken something in the most reliable person in your life. “I had the same shade in high school you know?”

“Lipstick?” Charlie nodded, sending a chuckle past your lips.

“I’d draw a lighting bolt on my chest with it, it was an Indian warrior symbol for virility. I was convinced it would drive girls crazy. I called it getting red” Charlie didn’t admit he still did it from time to time, figuring it couldn’t hurt.

“Did it ever work?” you asked, looking perfectly innocent and sweet. Charlie wouldn’t mind a bit if you were the one who got him red tonight. He wished you would smear the lipstick all over his mouth, neck, and well, you know.

“Not yet, but I have a feeling it might work for you tonight” the deep blush on your cheeks nearly matched the stain on your lips. Charlie loved that he was able to get that reaction from you.

“Someone must’ve had one too many drinks” you justified his behavior, not used too flirty Charlie. Yet Charlie stepped closer, wanting you to know how serious he was.

“This is my first one. Fact. Those red lips are driving me insane. Fact. You’re the only girl in my life. Fact. And you’re the only one I want in it. Also a fact” your breath hitched in your throat as he said this. Charlie hadn’t flirted with you since the early Welton days. You never would’ve figured he kept a crush all these years.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about” you began to shake your head but he placed a hand on your hip and you gasped like it lit you on fire.

“I’ve been attracted to you my whole life Y/N. But those red lips, that’s something I can’t ignore. Getting red never worked for me but I have a feeling if you’re the one putting lipstick on me it would” the dirty thoughts flooded your mind and without even noticing you pressed your thighs together. The idea of looking at Charlie through your eyelashes as he fell apart underneath you was too much to bare.

“Why haven’t you made a move until now?” you asked and Charlie moved the hand from your hip and to your back to pull you closer.

“I didn’t want to risk losing you. I still don’t, but if I don’t do something about this I might actually go insane” and suddenly Charlie was flush against you and the feeling of him half hard in his trousers elicited a whimper you couldn’t contain.

“You’d never lose me Char” you told him, entirely aware of the fact that it took almost no convincing from him for you to bend completely at his will.

“If that’s true, why don’t we get out of here” he told you, smile resting perfectly on his face. The idea that he was turned on just by the fact you wore red lips was enough to send you running into his arms. So when you nodded and he started guiding you towards the door you did everything in your power to guarantee your knees didn’t buckle beneath you.

You both kept quiet, anticipating what the time alone could mean for you both. You never thought changing up your makeup would be the tipping point of a long waiting game with Charlie. Now in just a few moments your entire relationship was going to change and even though that was scary, this was something you both wanted for a long time. So when both the elevator doors shut Charlie had you pushed against the wall instantaneously. His face was so close you could barely see him but the way his lips slightly brushed yours as he breathed heavily had you humming in satisfaction. You knew he was holding back, asking himself if crossing this line was worth the risk. So you made the decision for him.

Grabbing the back of his head you smashed your lips against his, taking in a breath from his air. It took him no time to react at all as his arms circled around your waist. You were shocked at first by how soft his lips were, they were one of the few things on Charlie’s body you had never touched. His hands were normally calloused and tough, but his lips were like pillows made of clouds. The feeling addicting. Then you noticed how his mouth tasted like cherries and the scotch he had just been drinking. A mix that tasted better than anything you had ever imagined. Your tongue explored every inch that you could before curling around his own. He let out a heavy grunt as you pulled back, biting his lip and pulling it with you in the process. He heaved a breath as the elevator doors opened, more guests stood outside, giving you both looks as you ushered out the doors.

“What were they looking at?” Charlie asked, hand on your back as he led you out the doors to get a cab.

“Maybe your clown makeup slick” you grabbed his face, rubbing a thumb over some of the lipstick you had smeared across his face.

“No, stop” he quickly grabbed your hand, pulling it from his face. “This lipstick is staying exactly where it is, that way everyone knows who I’m kissing and to back off”

“I should’ve started wearing red lipstick so much sooner” you said to yourself before you both climbed into a cab. Charlie’s heart nearly soared over the fact you finally admitted that you’ve wanted this as much as him. The ride to Charlie’s apartment seemed so long you thought you might lose it. By the way he was bouncing his leg you figured he felt the same way too. Once you finally got there he couldn’t pull you inside soon enough.

“I hope you brought extra because you’re going to need to reapply” Charlie told you with a dopey grin before planting a kiss on your lips. As his hands fumbled with the zipper on your dress you dug into your purse, blindly feeling for the tube of lipstick. Once Charlie realized that was what you were doing he started to kiss your neck, slowly dragging the zipper down your back.

Once you had the lipstick in your hands you popped open the cap and Charlie stepped back to watch you apply it on your lips. You took your time, watching as he removed his jacket, then his tie, and then his shirt. His eyes didn’t move from your lips once. You slowly dropped your arms, allowing the dress the fall in a heap at your feet. Charlie sucked in a quick rush of air to see your undergarments matched the red

of your lips.

“Charlie Dalton at a loss for words, I never thought I’d see the day” you smiled, approaching him with the lipstick still in your hand.

“There isn’t a word on earth that could describe how ethereal this feeling is” he whispered and you smiled as you moved to drag the lipstick along his chest. Charlie watched as you zagged the tube through his chest hair, the kind he didn’t have in high school. Once you were finished a bright red lighting bolt was left on his chest.

“You’re driving me crazy” and that was all it took for Charlie to scoop you up and rush you towards his bedroom. You kissed upon his face, neck, and shoulders as he moved you across the apartment. Leaving sticky red lips completely in your wake. Once Charlie reached the bed, he dropped you down before fumbling with the buckle on his pants. Slowly you sat up and nudged his hands away, to do it yourself.

“Fuck, Y/N” he had imagined this moment with you thousands of times before but never had he thought how perfect you would actually be. It was like everything he imagined you somehow did it better. Once his pants were in a pool at his feet he quickly stepped out and jumped on top of you in the bed.

Quickly your lips found his as his hand cupped over you breast. You whimpered softly as he kneaded at the soft flesh, and you instinctively started nudging your hips against his own at the feeling. Finally he reached around and unclasped the red fabric. The minute it left your body his lips were on your breasts, a hand occupying whichever one he wasn’t sucking.

“Oh, Char” the use of his nickname edged him on and he ventured his kisses farther down until he was met with the red fabric covering your mound. Slowly his slipped a finger under the seam, pulling it to the side and exposing your arousal to the cool air. You writhed against the mattress, waiting for him to do anything. Then suddenly his mouth was on you and you arched back into the mattress. Charlie tasted you in every possible way, realizing you were the sweetest thing on earth.

“Use your fingers, please Char” you whimpered, hands tangled in his chestnut locks as he continued to lap at your wetness. You could feel him smile against you as his finger pushed its way inside of you. You moaned loudly, which caused Charlie to movie faster and add more fingers. Once you were crumpling beneath him he pulled back, a dopey grin on his face.

“You enjoy that baby?” he asked and you nodded as he hooked his thumbs in his boxers and pulled them down his waist. You gasped as he revealed himself, tall and proud. Then you smirked as you get an idea.

“Lay down Char” you told him, tugging him onto the bed. You stood up, removing your own panties before dropping to your knees in front of him. Once Charlie realized what you were doing his head fell back on the mattress, closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. While he wasn’t looking you took him in your hand, giving a good few rubs before pressing your mouth to his tip. He hissed as you opened up and started to take him as much as you could. Where your mouth couldn’t reach you used your hands, and he slowly bucked his hips into your face. You continued to suck until he was pushing you off. Once Charlie saw the lipstick smeared all over his hard-on he fell back down onto the mattress again.

“Baby, I need to be inside of you right now” he said and you smiled as you stood up and straddled his waist. Charlie sucked air through his teeth as you grabbed him again, brushing the tip through your folds until slowly pressing yourself down into him. His hands grabbed your waist, smiling until you were fully sat.

“You look like an angel” he told you and he wished you could see how pretty you looked, completely naked, sitting on top of him. You smiled before slowly lifting yourself and dropping back down. Once you found a rhythm you both moaned together loudly, lipstick smeared all of your chin. The kisses and lighting bolt on his chest smeared as well. Yet you didn’t care because no one had ever made you feel like this before.

“I’m close” you told him, squeezing your eyes shut as he started meeting up at you with thrusts. The feeling was like heaven on earth.

“Me too baby, you feel so good” his praise turned you on, tightening around him which made him groan. The feeling encouraged his movement and suddenly he was thrusting up into you faster and harder. It took only moments to come on top of him, squeezing him for all he was worth. Charlie followed closely behind, arrogant over the fact he had made you come twice. You fell against him, red lighting bolt pressed between your sweaty skin. He kept his arms wrapped around you, neither of you moving as he sat completely stuffed inside of you.

“That was amazing” you whispered, pressing another kiss to his chest.

“That had to be the best night of my life” he told you, and you smiled as you lifted your head to look at him.

“If you’re going to react like this every time, I’m wearing red lipstick every day for the rest of my life” Charlie chuckled as he pulled you up, sliding out of you in the process, and he pressed a chaste kiss to your lips. He had never felt so much kissing someone before. He had never felt so much in general, and he was disappointed he wasted all these years.

“I intend to do this every night for the rest of our lives, red lipstick or not”

[autisticandroids]

brunch with cas

so i have been rotating this post in my mind. like wondering how one might expand it. thinking about the concept of sending cas to brunch with the girlies. and who would actually be in attendance and who would actually be team dump him. so. i am setting this brunch... let's say sometime in season twelve.

thank you to @davidfosterwallaceandgromit @spriteofmushrooms @seragamble @themauvesoul and @restlesshush for brainstorming with me.

first i'll provide a justification for who isn't here: bela talbot, ruby, billie, and linda tran are not here because they could not possibly give two shits about cas. jody mills and donna hanscum are not here because they don't know cas that well and are dean's friends first. also while donna would give funny bad advice, it would be kind of redundant. anael isn't here because i don't care about her and also she's a later season addition. claire and alex and patience are not here because they're kids. anna and balthazar are not here because while we are officially following a policy of anyone can be unkilled for this, i can't figure out how to fit them into the later seasons without massive character changes. ellen and jo are not here because meg has to be here and she murdered them so that would be awkward. eileen isn't here because i think she would just be like i've never dated anyone or had a close friend. good luck w that. which is also redundant (see charlie).

team dump him:

rowena:

rowena would absolutely be team dump him. rowena has ideas about gender which would make your hair curl and absolutely sees cas as One Of The Girls for gbf reasons. rowena's construction of gender is slightly different than dean's, but the way she approaches it, as simultaneously her highest and most sacred duty, her most obsessive neurosis, and something that she is absolutely convinced that she is not fake performing, only truly doing, is the same as dean's. so she's like darling love is weakness. you can't let a man treat you like that you have to put them in their place. to succeed in this world As A Woman you have to crush men beneath your shoe, and never show vulnerability. romantic relationships are an adversarial battle and power struggle and if you're not winning, you're losing. and the quickest way to lose is to actually "care" about your partner. i, rowena, am so normal and regular and healthy and well-adjusted, thank you very much, and also i'm not "in" "love" with sam.

(cas is like. headtilting into oblivion while she says these things because he like one does not understand that he counts as one of the girls and two simply does not understand the wonderfully baroque gender system that rowena has constructed completely in her mind and 100% buys into. and also because he's like this is not how you treat sam?)

also rowena hates dean and thinks he's a bitch but 80% of that is like. who is that dog. where did it come from. but she's also team dump him for that reason.

hannah:

so hannah like. oh btw i am going to use she/her pronouns to refer to hannah but i am also mentally picturing hannah 2.0. i think angels should get to have a fun and flirty and fascinating gender. i think hannah could pull off she/her boyfriend, as a vibe. also i'm just like un-killing hannah because that didn't have to happen. it literally didn't. and you could undo it with zero effect on the plot or change in the characters. anyway hannah truly does worry for cas' well-being and think dean is bad news. this is both for reasonable reasons of like. she's seen the negative effects dean can have on cas and she hates seeing cas messed up like that. i also think that she's just seen some of the bad things dean's done, to angels and in general, and thinks he's bad news. and she also disapproves of cas and dean's relationship for less reasonable, more heavenly puritanism-ish reasons, like, why are you still hanging around/slutting it up with humans when you are welcome back among the hosts. also why do you treat this human like your god. you're supposed to treat god like your god. your relationship with this human that you like is incomprehensible to me (because i don't find him appealing the way that you do) and i cannot empathize with it so i am going to decide that it's a dangerous outside influence and that you've been duped. bamboozled. swindled. and i need to protect you from this dangerous brainwashing.

but also hannah is like well i could fuck you SO much better than dean could. it should be Me.

team it's complicated:

meg:

first of all i want you guys to know that To Me. meg is just there. during the carver/early dabb eras. hanging around in the bunker being part of tfw. doing girlbestfriendisms with cas. not really affecting the plot at all just like, hanging out and improving the banter and making everything less depressing. like she's one of the few characters who could probably be absorbed into team free will totally seamlessly, because she's used to being in an authoritarian paramilitary cult and she doesn't mind and she'll just stick by cas no matter what, even if he's following stupid orders from dean.

anyway. yes i know. meg is a vicious rottweiller of a bestie and would definitely be team dump him. but the thing about meg is that like meg wants cas to be happy. and unfortunately due to meg's own disorders and issues that she has, her definition of making cas happy is probably. well. a little too close to cas' definition. so cas would be like "but he touched my face [pleading emoji]" and meg would just sort of be like yeah if somebody touched my face i would let him call me a baby in a trenchcoat too. keep him.

like there are times when dean will pull some shit and cas will go all apology mode and meg will be like absolutely not. dump him. Dump Him. because she doesn't really go in for the degree of dean apologism that cas does. like she thinks it's normal for someone you love to be controlling, mercurial, and withholding, because like. she's a demon. she doesn't even remember not being a demon. her entire experience of relationships is within a horrifyingly abusive and culty context. that's ordinary to her. but she personally has no love for dean. he only matters to her insofar as cas cares about him. so she doesn't buy into all the stuff about him being intrinsically good and always right. so like, she thinks it's normal that he treats cas like shit, but doesn't buy the justifications cas gives for his behavior. so as soon as the suffering dean inflicts on cas is (by her judgement, which isn't necessarily all that good) no longer worth the rewards of affection from his god cas can reap, she's like. Dump Him Now.

also meg is one of the ones cas is most likely to listen to because they spend the most time together so they're closer plus she just has a more constant influence, and also because like. she agrees with him most of the time, and so when she disagrees it carries much more weight.

mary:

i thought a long time about whether mary should be at this brunch because i think she's afraid of women and would never go to brunch. but i think she could be dragged. for cas' sake, you know?

mary cannot be team dump him, for three reasons. the first is obviously that dean is her son. the second is like. well the thing about mary is that she's not quite sure what a "wife" is (or even really what a "woman" is) but she's pretty sure that it's really really important that you be one, and do it right. and she's pretty sure that that involves sticking by your man through thick and thin. regardless of how he treats you. she's pretty sure that's part of what you have to do to get a good grade in wife (along with wearing frilly white nightgowns and producing + caring for 2.5 children). so that uh. impacts her ability to assess the health of relationships of any kind. and then the third reason is that like, she's not proud of this, but she too has also on occasion taken advantage of the fact that cas is the household emotional garbage dump (as has sam). and she's kind of aware that anything she says might make a hypocrite of her, even though if she thought about it rationally she would get that she hasn't even vaguely behaved anything like dean. like just because cas intentionally makes himself available to all the winchesters as a punching bag and family pet (because that's how he's learned dean will treat him) and she has made use of the facilities once or twice doesn't make it her fault.

but she's also going to be a lot more critical of dean because like. as much as she believes that it is one's duty to stick by a man, she's also spent time in a bad relationship and knows how much it sucks. and she also feels responsible for how cas is treated, both because she is part of the household and has to be complicit just by virtue of being present, and also because, well, dean's her son. it's her fault he's like this, even if that's only because she wasn't there to raise him. so she feels responsible. also she knows how bad things are because she is there. she is present when things happen. (this last one is also true of meg but less so because meg isn't invited to family dinners).

mary is the other one cas is most likely to listen to because she is kind of the matriarch of clan winchester. like he is sort of a member of the family that she is sort of the head of, even if that's a role she doesn't want and isn't comfortable with, and even if he's never quite sure he's welcome. also she's his mother in law.

team stand by your man:

kelly*:

the thing about kelly is that she's a republican tradwife who had to get really cool with gay people really fast once she became besties with cas. she managed it because cas is simply sooooo nonthreatening and also they can talk about boys together <3. she thinks that joyously submitting to her (very masculine) husband is the greatest honor a woman can give to god and the best way to unlock divine feminine energies. this is definitely a sublimated fetish for her. like she absolutely kinks on having a hypertraditionalist concept of gender, she is getting off on it Right Now. and cas suffers the consequences (terrible, terrible advice). her and cas like. hang out on the couch together holding hands and knitting baby blankets and talking about how good they are at accepting their (ex, in her case) boyfriends' bad behavior.

charlie:

i'm unkilling charlie because like. obviously. anyway charlie is team stand by your man for three reasons. first, obviously, the reason stated in the original post. she is simply a terrible girlfriend, and has strung along many women in ways that aren't that different from how dean behaves with cas, even if she's not controlling or closety about it. second, the Bro Code: charlie is dean's friend first, even if she likes cas, and Bros Before Hoes. @spriteofmushrooms thinks she might actually be functioning as a spy for dean at this brunch, and while i do think she's better than that, i will admit that it's not by much. the third reason is that like. well. charlie voice that doesn't sound right but i don't have enough experience with intimate relationships to dispute it. she simply doesn't really know how dating works, because she isn't really close to anyone. in fact she has almost zero close relationships of any kind. she has like. no barometer whatsoever.

*so like. @davidfosterwallaceandgromit is much funnier than me. and they argued that kelly would be team dump him. and she would like. say? that it's because dean's bad for cas, and their relationship is unhealthy, and cas deserves better, and all of that shit, all the right buzzwords and maybe even some critical thinking to back it up. but really it's just because she's uncomfortable that they're gay.