noholdsbaird-blog

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-This program has no disk. Another stray.

-Wait! I’m not a program!

Tron Legacy (2010) by Joseph Kosinski

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henry mills aesthetic

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Rhododendrons

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he walked through the woods, pleased to see the snow was well on its way to clearing away. He’d missed the easier trek through the woods to his - or was it theirs, now he’d shown it to Paige? ( @hatterxtrick ) - little hiding place amongst the trees and he was so pleased to see the greenery returning that he decided to take a little detour. Spring seemed to be coming full force as flowers blossomed around him and he found himself wandering to any that attracted his eye. Maybe his mother would appreciate some freshly plucked wild flowers (or maybe Paige would- no, he couldn’t collect them for Paige, that was- He was going to stop that thought right there!). Besides, he kind of owed her. He knew he’d been a nightmare lately.

And maybe it would give him some inspiration.

With a new sense of determination, Harry stepped further into the wilds of the woods, eyes settling upon a delicate series of tiny white flowers he knew his mother loved. She thought they were delicate, innocent. They’d make a good base. She loved the little pink ones not far away too, but he knew he couldn’t touch those. It was poisonous, mostly to ingest, but he didn’t really want to risk it.

Maybe it was a little girly, but Harry figured no one could exactly see him and he didn’t want to bother Killian ( @pickyourpoisonflorist ), the florist. For one thing, with his paper round suspended due to the storm and weather, the teenage boy had barely any money. And it wasn’t like he had any other source of revenue: the money from Harper ( @struggling-harper-royal ) had gone to replace his phone, and the money Regina ( @regalxmills ) had given him was long spent on video games. He continued to walk, bypassing various flowers that just didn’t feel quite right for what he was looking for. Deep down, he knew these weren’t for his mother and that just made him feel foolish. There was no way his friend would want flowers from him, he should just-

He should definitely give up, he thought, when he spotted what he knew would be perfect.

Some small bushes of roses hid amongst the bracken, sunshine yellow and crisp pink peeking out at him. It would take some doing, he knew, but eventually he managed to get enough of the flowers with the bare minimum of prickling to his hands. Scratched as he was, he was still somewhat pleased, if mildly bewildered by why he was still going through with this. How was he even meant to get them to her?

Uncertain, Harry headed back towards his small gathering of trees, settling down among the roots. His fresh bouquet of flowers laid beside him in the dirt, staring up at him as he tried to work. Time passed and inspiration refused to come to Harry, even as the sun began its descent and he could feel the call of home beckoning him away. With a final glance at the flowers, he started digging through his backpack. Pulling out some string, he tied the flowers together and climbed part way up the tree, leaving them nestled in some of the lower branches. Maybe, if Paige came by, she’d find them for herself and he wouldn’t have to be so embarrassed that he’d picked flowers for her.

(Curiosity would get the better of Harry later that night, searching for the flowers he’d picked, but the meanings were lost on him, cursed as he was.)

(Gypsophila for reconnecting with lost family members, oleander for caution, yellow roses for friendship and pink roses.)

(For grace.)

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struggling-harper-royal:

While they walked, Harper listened to him in silence. She felt bad, having him carry her son all the way, and she would have taken Neal back or even asked if he was alright carrying him but… He just seemed so at ease with the infant boy in his arms. Harry was smiling at him and didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. On top of that, it was good seeing Neal happy with someone else, considering how bored and lonely he normally was - she couldn’t exactly afford the day care and mummy classes other mums went to for company - so Harper let them be.

As they made their way down the street, she listened closely to his story, feeding off all his words with the strangest feeling of familiarity as he described his family to her. But only in certain parts. Some of it meant nothing to her but every now and then words clicked in her mind and images from her dream popped into her head. Images like his father - one of the few people that Harper genuinely didn’t recognise from around town - and his grandfather, the very man she had stolen the money from. At that moment an image of Charming teaching Harry how to drive and knocking over a mail box came to her and Harper had to fight the urge to start giggling stupidly at the dream memory.

When Harry asked about her own family, Harper’s cheerful mood faded and instead the memories of her dreams just served to remind her that she didn’t actually have anyone. Not really. Except for Neal and even then, she could barely provide for him or give him so many of the things he deserved.

“Actually… It’s just me and Neal.” Harper confessed sadly. “No siblings. No parents. Nothing but a restless toddler.” It felt too awkward telling the young teenager any more. Like how cripplingly lonely she was, and how she loved people yet it seemed like she couldn’t meet with them and even when she did it never ended in more than a brief hello.

Harry didn’t mind carrying the little boy, not really. He wasn’t as heavy as Harry had thought at first, finding himself adjusting the kid as they walked whenever a part of his arm started to ache slightly or he lost feeling in his fingers. Besides, Neal was being pretty good - he wasn’t squirming too much, even if the occasional snuggle into his neck was a bit disconcerting in how familiar it felt. For the first time, Harry wondered what it would have been like to have a younger brother or sister. To have a bigger family than he did at the moment. He’d never considered himself lonely before, but he was beginning to feel like something was missing.

He just wished he knew what.

The teenager was surprised to hear it was just Harper and Neal, and he wasn’t quick enough to keep it from showing on his face. “Oh, well. That’s nice?” he asked rather than replied, hefting Neal back up onto his narrow hips to hold him comfortably again. “I mean, it must be really nice and cosy together, and he doesn’t have to share you with anyone else which is probably really cool for a little kid.” He gave Harper a soft smile, trying to make up for his surprise. She just seemed like such a people person that he’d thought she was definitely from a large family.

At the same time, it had to be hard for Harper. Being a single mother sounded like a nightmare, if you asked Harry (which was why no one did). The fact she was doing this for him… “You’re really cool, y’know,” he added awkwardly out of nowhere. He couldn’t quite bring himself to look at Harper so instead he watched Neal in his arms, another smile creeping onto his own face because Neal’s was downright infectious. “Doing all this. Being so nice. I know it’s a small town and all but not everyone’s like that and… Thanks, I guess.”

Score one for the awkward teenage boy.

You Just Have To Believe - Harry & Harper

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struggling-harper-royal:

Neal let out a little high pitched giggle and clung onto Harry’s shirt tightly like he wouldn’t be letting go even if Harry tried to put him down. Harper felt herself smiling at the sight and she resisted the urge to reach over and stroke Neal’s face, if only because a bizarre part of her wanted to do the same for Harry as well. Okay, time to get moving before any other strange thoughts jumped into her head.

“I’m positive. It’s the least that I could do. Come on. Let’s go into town.” Harper insisted, turning and waving a hand so they would walk side by side. She told herself that was so she could keep an eye on Neal - she really would be a bad mother if she let any stranger hold him out of her sight, even once who might look innocent enough. But whether or not that was accurate reason, well, that was for Harper to admit to herself at a later time.

As they started walking, Harper did her best not to think about the fact that she was spending stolen money. She was doing this so the money would go to a good cause, but that didn’t stop her for feeling guilty about it. If she knew where that man lived, if she knew a way to get it back to him without being caught, she would have but this was the second best thing she could do. If she was going to use the money for anything, it would be to help Harry get out of the trouble that she had gotten him into.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Harper asked suddenly, trying to get out of her own head. “I mean, you’re just very good with Neal. A natural touch of someone who’s used to being around younger kids.”

The giggling, a noise that usually grated on Harry’s nerves when around smaller children (the insignificant amount of time that he was), actually made the teenager smile back at the little boy. Neal just seemed so bright and friendly, it was almost infectious, and Harper was… Harry was less sure, but she seemed harmless enough. He moved and fell into step beside her as Harper started walking, his grip securing Neal to his side as they walked along the street. He felt comfortable around her, like they’d spent time together in another life, if you believed in that kind of thing.

Harry didn’t.

Harper’s question made the teenager frown. “No, it’s just me and my parents at home. They’ve always said I’m enough trouble to keep them busy,” he joked, hoping it didn’t come across too badly. “I think I have some cousins in Seattle, but we don’t get out of town and they don’t come visit.” The thought of having cousins didn’t sit quite right with Harry, but then he didn’t know much of his father’s side of the family, save that there was a dispute between his dad and his grandpa (yeah, that sounded right - there was definitely something up there), and his mother didn’t have any family to speak of. It was just them, safe and sound in this little town, and Harry suddenly felt a wave of sadness wash over him. Wasn’t… Shouldn’t there be more than that? But why would there be? They were happy.

“I think maybe I just picked it up from television? Or my friend, Paige. She babysits for the mayor and she’s invited me over before. Ms. Mills was cool with it,” he added quickly on the end, just in case Harper thought he was sneaking into the Mayor’s house without her permission. (No, the only breaking and entering he’d tried was the Sheriff’s bug. Way better, clearly.) “What about you? I mean, I think I’ve seen you around before and you’re so nice, you must have a huge family to talk with strangers so well.”

You Just Have To Believe - Harry & Harper

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hatterxtrick:

Paige almost instinctively grabs hold of Harry’s forearm just to steady herself but is sort of embarrassed at her little klutzy moment. A flush hits her cheeks in the cold air and is prevalent on her pale complexion and even her blonde hair cannot hide it as she’s pulled it back into a couple of messy knots that are visible just under the hem of her little purple beanie.

“Thanks,” she releases a haggard  and maybe even nervous laugh trying to cover it up with a smile and she’s sure by now she looks like a real dork. Hopefully he wouldn’t catch on. Although if it did… well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.

Her smile grows a little with his concern. “I am,” she takes another step, “But maybe don’t let go yet…?” The inquiry was a subtle one, but now it was out there and Paige couldn’t take it back. Nor would she want to. Already feeling the anticipation that comes with a new adventure. But a undisclosed location ideal for the creative type sounds like heaven after the days she’s had to deal with.

“Sounds great to me. I can’t tell you enough how much I needed this,” spoken with a mild groan of frustration. A quiet place to sit and photograph the nature, maybe it make it a regular thing to just sit back and unwind and just be a couple of normal teenagers. Again, she’s very grateful to have such a great friend in Harry.

Harry jolted a little at the grab, but he didn’t mind it as such. He was just glad Paige hadn’t fallen on her face, nor did he notice the flush blemishing her cheeks. It was just the cold, right? The same as his own? (So why were his cheeks so warm? He felt like a furnace.) “It’s fine, really,” he soothed, not remotely thinking of her as a dork. She was his friend, being a dork was kind of a given, but not in that way, if that made any sense.

The dark-haired boy was surprised by the request, but with burning cheeks (again?), he took her hand and kept hold of it. At the very least, it would be warmer than keeping his own to himself. Harry squeezed Paige’s hand reassuringly. “We can keep each other up,” he joked, worried that he’d take her down with him if he were to fall over, but at least she’d land somewhere a bit softer?

“What else am I here for?” he teased, tugging her along gently as the copse of trees loomed before them. Doused in snow, the area seemed still and silent, devoid of the chirping of crickets and other sounds of life the area was full of during the spring and summer. It didn’t make it a worse place to be, though; it simply made it more - and he hated to use the phrase - magical. Like they’d found their way into their own little Narnia, a brand new world-

Okay, he had to stop himself from going there. He’d been doing so well.

“I brought a blanket we can bundle up and sit on, or we can try and climb the trees and sit up there instead,” he suggested, gesturing at a few footholds he’d notched into his favourite tree a long time ago. “I don’t mind either way. We could probably even jump out of them without hurting ourselves with all this snow around,” he laughed.

Under Beechwood Trees || Paige

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hatterxtrick:

regalxmills:

“Yes, please,” she replied to Paige’s question coming from the kitchen, couldn’t help but adding, “And don’t forget to put on the gloves!” just in case. Paige was a responsible girl but Regina’s instincts were stronger than that. She had to make sure she was safe and sound under her care.

Fumbling with Robin’s seat belt, she looked up at Harry. The poor boy clearly was nervous to find himself alone with her and as much as it pained her a little, who could blame him, really? It wasn’t every day that someone, a child, found themselves at the mayor’s house for the very first time.

Regina gave him a soft smile, a reassurance that his polite concern was appreciated indeed but not necessary. “Oh, it’s fine,” she pulled the strap around Robin to close it. “She’ll be set in a second, but thank you. Just make yourself at home, Henry.”

Henry.

Regina froze on the spot, in the middle of holding out the strap, and thank God her back was turned to the boy so he couldn’t see the expression on her face shifting. Regina’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened when she realized what she just called him. What brought her to call him by that name was something she couldn’t explain. She knew his name, Harry, but Henry felt so natural and familiar rolling off her tongue like that, almost as though she’d intentionally called the wrong name.

She swallowed, taking a moment to collect her thoughts and finally closing the belt around Robin’s belly before she straightened up and looked at the boy with a sheepish smile. “Harry,” Regina quickly corrected. “I–I’m sorry, it’s been a long day.”

@hatterxtrick​ @noholdsbaird​

Harry’s words Hey, she wouldn’t ask you round if she didn’t want you here take root. He’s right. Regina didn’t have to keep inviting Paige over out of kindness or obligation. The two were close, she was sure she could trust Regina with some of her deepest problems and did so when there was nowhere to turn after the fall out and the Mayor welcomed her and comforted her.

The sentence keeps playing over in her mid as she is already grabbing the oven mitts and slipping it on over her hand allowing her to remove the dish of lasagna and the steam of the aroma and all the spices has her stomach growling all over again. Setting the dish on top the burner, Paige makes sure the over is turned off, which takes a moment to navigate the appliance.

Paige reaches for the extra oven mitt and slips that one on before lifting it off the stove top and heads straight to the dining room, her sock covered feet padding all the way. Eager to make sure that she wouldn’t delay their supper a moment longer.

Except as she enters the room, the slip of Regina calling Harry, Henry instead gives her pause. She can’t comment on it, as she’s been calling Regina, Gina all evening and it wasn’t the first time. So Paige just takes the dish to where the potholders have been placed and pretends she hasn’t heard it. A part of her can relate to often being called something other than her name. Both of them are her dear friends and the last thing she wishes is to make either one of them uncomfortable.

@noholdsbaird & @regalxmills

Henry.

That name was beginning to haunt him.

It wasn’t the first time someone in Storybrooke had called him the wrong name - even Paige’s dad hadn’t been the first person to call him that, but he didn’t entirely understand why it was so hard. They weren’t even that similar, not really, and yet he’d been called Henry more often than any other mistaken name. Even worse, it was beginning to feel familiar. He didn’t like that. He knew who he was, damn it.

(He had no idea how wrong he was.)

“It’s alright,” he replied after a few moments too long, the atmosphere feeling awkward as Paige joined them, lasagna in hand. Harry could feel the red creeping into his cheeks as he coughed, trying to save the situation. “I mean, it’s an easy mistake, right?” he asked, glancing over at Paige for backup. He wasn’t going to make the mayor uncomfortable in her own home. Realising his friend was holding what looked like a mildly heavy dish, he stepped closer and moved a chair for her so she could set the food down on the table. “Thanks again, for letting me stay for dinner. It smells amazing.” And it did, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the damage was already done.

Without any further ado, he sheepishly slunk into his chair, hoping someone, anyone, would say something to get the attention off his shoulders for once and for all. He felt like he did when he made a mistake in front of his parents - embarrassed, awaiting teasing from them. The Mayor herself wouldn’t do that, would she..?

@hatterxtrick & @regalxmills

It's a Kinda Magic || Paige, Harry & Regina

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eternity (memory of lightwaves) // final fantasy x-2 {composed by noriko matsueda}

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struggling-harper-royal:

Harper felt herself growing anxious. For whatever reason, she was desperate to help this boy. And not just because she had nearly knocked his teeth right out of his mouth. There was something else there. Like always, it was probably just her dreams mixing with real life. After all, she truly loved Henry as her grandson. Seeing Harry was bringing out the same kind of emotion and she knew she couldn’t let him go without making up for things.

“Please,” Harper said, pushing the money into his hand. “I insist. It’s the least I can do. And I don’t need the money.” She lied. That money would do a hell of a lot of good… But Harper couldn’t. Harry needed it, and Harper didn’t deserve it. If she didn’t give it to Harry then she would probably donate it to someone else.

After she had forced the money into his hand, she took a small step away from him, making it clear that she wouldn’t be taking it back. It was his money now. That was final.

Now that she had taken a small step back, Harper got a small flashback from her dream. She saw Henry holding Neal, not long after he had been born, both dressed in smart clothing for a picture. It was so clear. Harper was beginning to wonder why certain people took the role they did in her dreams. It was obvious why Fiona was the evil fairy, since she was the one keeping Harper under constant worry about losing her son, but why did Harry play such a key role? She only saw him in passing. What made her imagination assign him as her grandson?

Harper wasn’t sure, but she had an urge to get to know Harry. She wondered if he acted like Henry from her dreams. It was a crazy thought but… Maybe there was something there that Harper wasn’t seeing. Or maybe she had seen it but hadn’t noticed before.

“If you don’t want to accept the money, then why don’t we pop into town and I just buy you a phone outright?” Harper suggested lightly.

Truth be told, Harry wasn’t sure what seemed crazier to him - a woman offering him the money to buy a phone, or offering to walk with him to go and buy it anyway. He was pretty sure this was how those child abduction horror stories started that always went around the school, the ones that seemed more fairy tale than fact, and yet a small part of him knew it wasn’t the case. Harper was a nice woman who happened to have the opportunity to help him out of a bad spot and was too kind to pass that opportunity up.

Whether Harry was too nice to pass it up too was a different matter.

He hoped it didn’t speak badly of him when he nodded in acceptance, shifting the small boy in his arms again. “I mean, Neal doesn’t want to seem to let go right now, so maybe we could walk together? If you’re sure?” he asked. He could probably carry the little boy a while longer if he had to and- well, the kid was certainly making it feel like he had to. Not that Harry was really terribly upset about it. The sense of familiarity was as soothing as it was disconcerting, and Harper’s smile was soothing any discontent Harry was feeling in that moment.

She was just... so nice.

“What do you think, little guy?” he asked the small boy in his arms, as though he held the answers to the universe. The name still seemed so familiar to him, although Harry couldn’t quite place why. A sound that was on the tip of his tongue... And then it vanished again. 

Must have been his imagination.

You Just Have To Believe - Harry & Harper

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hatterxtrick:

A sheepish glance up from watching where her boots tread just to see Harry look over his shoulder. “I uh, well, yeah I was…ish. Not all of it,” just enough to get trapped in the most inconvenient place. It actually astonishes Paige that anyone besides, she and Jeff (well and now Emma and Killian were added to the list - not to mention whoever spread their bloody hand prints across the wall). She shudders from trailing off in thought when he asks why… Why?

Ugh… here goes nothing. “Emma, I mean, Sheriff Swan,” Paige quickly corrects herself. “Well, it was about…” an altercation, yes, that would seem less like she stepped through the looking glass and straight into a horror flick. She tries to best process this in a way that won’t end up triggering either to faltering to tears or crumbling from the panic threatening to seize her. “An altercation happened and I, well I didn’t know you knew where Jeff lived… anyway, I directed Emma, Sheriff Swan there. I got snowed in there unfortunately.”

To say she was traumatized by the whole thing was probably an understatement. Just when there’s a sign of hope, it’s always snatched away. But as Paige is lost in her own thoughts that she doesn’t realize her pace has picked up and almost knocks into Harry, arms stretch out to try and balance herself so she doesn’t fall like a klutz on her bottom. If he hadn’t looked back again and greeted her with a comforting grin Paige would have thought hope was a lost cause, but it’s as if he knows exactly what she needs. To let the world wash away because right now it felt like it was saying a giant fuck you to the teen and if just for a short while she’d like to forget her reality.

“That sounds perfect actually,” she stands there awkwardly staring at him. “I mean,” she rolls her shoulders and one hand reclaims the camera strap. “I’ll probably get some great shots in.”

Out in the storm. Harry was worried about his friend for a moment, before surprise replaced his concern, along with a hint of jealousy (and why the hell was he jealous of Paige spending time with the Sheriff? It didn’t make any sense, why would he even think that?). “Oh. Police business. That’s fair enough. Are you okay though?” he asked. It didn’t really matter what they were doing out there if the Sheriff had been with Paige - it was obviously important, the blonde officer seemed pretty protective if you asked Harry, just as a cop should be - but his main concern was that his friend wasn’t in trouble.

Which was just about when she was about to walk into him.

“Woah there,” he teased, reaching out an arm to try and steady Paige in the snow. “Told you it was gonna be kinda slippery. Are you okay?” he asked, not letting go until he was certain the other teenager had steadied herself. He gave her another warm smile back, as though the faint chill in the air wasn’t bothering him at all. “Oh, yeah, the photography there is probably amazing, although I usually go and do some writing up there. Maybe we can play some music and just hang out?” Forget the world had happened lately. That was what they both needed. 

“It’s not much further now, promise.”

Under Beechwood Trees || Paige

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struggling-harper-royal:

Harper hesitated, then stood back up. She brushed herself down, still blushing but she found she was calm seeing Harry holding Neal. It didn’t even cross her mind that she should worry, or question it in the slightest. Instead she was just relieved that Harry wasn’t upset or annoyed with Neal for clinging onto him like that, and thankfully Neal had stopped shrieking too, so that was an added bonus.

“He’s…- I’m Sorry,” Harper said finally. “Neal’s been acting up a lot lately. I’m not even sure why.”

She hesitated, watching him. Neal was so content in his arms, even more so than he had been when she had forcibly given him to Killian. When he looked back at his mother, he smiled slightly, wrapping his arm around Harry’s neck and giggling when the young boy bounced him. Harry seemed hesitant at first, but it was clear he was a natural with children.

Which just made Harper feel all the more guilty that she had caused this sweet young boy to break his phone. “Look. I don’t have much but…” Harper stopped short, hand reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a thick wad of money that she hadn’t even realised was there.

For a moment she was shocked. She couldn’t recall how she had gotten it - there was at least a couple hundred there - when she realised. It was from Charming. The man she had attempted to steal from. She thought she had thrown all the money in his face when she had used it as a distraction to run away but it seemed she had missed quite a few notes after all. She wasn’t sure how much she had, but then she hadn’t even been sure how much there was originally.

Guilt immediately kicked in. She had been wrong to try and take this money from him. She shouldn’t have ever considered stealing. So even while a small part of her mind was already thinking of the things she could give Neal, or how she could save it for getting their own place, a bigger part just knew that she wouldn’t do any of it. She couldn’t. It wasn’t right.

But at the same time, she couldn’t return it either. For one, she was hoping to avoid the man in case he decided to have her locked up after all, and on top of that, she wouldn’t even know how. Harper had no idea where Charming lived, or where he worked, or where he even walked. She had never seen him before that moment, and she had a feeling it was more of a fluke than a routine for him to be at their original meeting place.

So she couldn’t spend it. And she couldn’t return it. And, well, she had been the reason for Harry’s phone to break. Harper struggled a lot in life, but she still held on to a few things that she believed in, and coincidence wasn’t often one of them.

“Here.” Harper said, holding out the wad of money. “This should get you a new phone. Or maybe you could get this one fixed.”

Harry gave her a sympathetic smile and shrugged, rocking Neal gently, an instinct he wasn’t aware he had. Or some kind of muscle memory from something that had never happened. Harry was fuzzy on the details, and he wasn’t going to think about it too much. That way laid madness. Besides, he’d probably just watched too many family movies and picked it up unconsciously. “He’s a kid. My mom says I was a pain in the a- backside when I was a kid. Wanted to be held constantly.” Harry glanced at the boy in his arms ever so briefly. Was that what the kid wanted too? Who knew?

The sudden hug, arms around his neck, was a surprise and Harry knew he wasn’t hiding it well from the kid’s mom. What was more interesting, though, were her actions next. If she hadn’t been standing there, he was pretty sure he would have dropped Neal as she pulled out a thick wad of money from her pocket, contradicting her own words.The fact that she was actually offering it to him was astounding to him. Not the first woman in town to give him money - the mayor had bought his last few papers to help him buy a video game a few months back, a random act of kindness that had been odd but sweet - but still a surprise.

“I can’t take that,” he replied immediately, even as he watched it. It would. It could pay for a new phone and his parents would never have to know that he’d broken another one. He could be shouting and screaming at this woman for almost hitting him in the face with her kid, but… That just wasn’t Harry’s style. At least, not at strangers. He’d had plenty of arguments with his parents, after all.

(Was this woman really a stranger? The kid hanging on his neck felt so familiar, and so did her face.)

“I mean, I appreciate it and everything but that’s your money, Miss.” She had a small child. He wasn’t stupid; he appreciated that raising a kid was harder than it looked and, more importantly, wicked expensive. Diapers didn’t pay for themselves, after all. Harry found himself holding onto Neal a little tighter, unsure if he was trying to comfort himself for going against the greedy part of his mind, or just trying to comfort the little boy in his arms. (Or even keep him close?)

You Just Have To Believe - Harry & Harper

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struggling-harper-royal:

“You’re a sweet boy,” Harper said, finding herself smiling softly at him. “But it was our fault, and I am sorry. We should have-”

Neal suddenly moved forward, pulling away from his mother and throwing his arms around Henry’s leg, hugging him tightly. It was such a bold move from an otherwise quiet child that Harper found herself momentarily surprised into a still silence. Of course, at this point, she wasn’t sure why. It seemed like there were quite a few people in town that Neal seemed to have an random attraction to. At the very least there were a select few that he acted extremely odd around, almost like they were old friends that he had finally been reunited with.

“Oh!” Harper said, shaking herself out of her surprise and stepping forward. “I’m sorry! He’s not normally so friendly with new people,” She explained. It wasn’t a lie. For most people he did normally just cry and shy away from, it was only a few very select that he seemed to like for whatever reason. “I don’t know what has gotten into him… Neal, sweetie, let the nice boy go.”

But when Harper gently put her hands on Neal’s shoulder and tried to pull him back, he whined and lifted his head, reaching an arm up like he wanted to be held by the boy, all the while keeping one arm around his leg so Harper couldn’t quite prise him off. Harper blushed. Neal hadn’t even acted this way with Killian or any of the others he seemed to be drawn to. And because of this, Harper wasn’t quite sure what to say, or even how to handle it. Which, she knew, just made her seem like a terrible mother who couldn’t control her own son.

“Neal.” Harper said, trying to sound strict but even she could hear the flustered emotion in her voice and she reached up, grabbing his arm with both hands. “Neal, let him go.”

Suddenly Neal let out a loud half shriek-half whine and buried his face into Harry’s leg, clinging to him and reaching up at the same time. Harper felt herself burning pink in the face with a hot embarrassment. Somehow this was worse than when he kicked up a usual temper tantrum and she was very aware of the people in the distance, who were wandering passed and paused to stare at them. No doubt poor Harry was feeling extremely awkward and embarrassed, having a random child cling to him with his mother unable to force him to let go.

“Neal!” Harper said sharply. Then suddenly the boy looked back at her. His eyes so wide and pitiful, like he was asking - no, begging - his mother to let him hold onto Harry. All the frustration and anger faded and Harper felt strangely deflated. “Neal,” She said softly, “Let him go.”

One moment everything was fine. The woman was being nice, things seemed calm and no one was hurt.

The next, Harry had a small child attached to his leg. To say he was surprised was an understatement. He hadn’t known that waving hello and knowing the little boy’s name would have caused such a strong reaction, and truthfully, the teenager was at a loss as to how to deal with it. He looked up at Neal’s mother, panic evident on his expression as he watched her attempts to get the little boy to move back away. Paige would have thought it was adorable, he was sure - she liked little kids. Maybe it was a girl thing - she wasn’t a pretty pink girl, but she loved Robin so she’d probably love Neal too.

But the kid wasn’t budging.

It was the shriek that decided it for Harry, although Neal’s mom seemed more determined to make the kid go back to her arms. She seemed so upset about the entire thing, like her child was behaving strangely, and Harry felt like there was something he could actually do about it. As she spoke softly, pleading with the toddler, Harry gave her a smile. “It’s okay,” he murmured, bending down and placing his hands under the little boy’s arms. With a heft, he pulled the kid off Harry’s leg and off his own feet, planting him firmly on a hip. His arms wrapped around the little boy’s waist, one hand supporting his back so he couldn’t tip himself over in excitement or by rocking around. With a bounce and a smile, he grinned at Neal. “There we go. No more shrieking, okay? I’m already damaging my ears with my headphones.”

Harry looked back at the kid’s mother, even as it dawned on him that he was holding a freaking child and dear god he was going to break someone’s kid, save him. But his panic didn’t translate to his body, holding the kid like he’d held one in his life - he definitely hadn’t. “It’s alright, Mrs… Um.” He paused. He didn’t know her name. “I guess he just wanted a hug?” Maybe he was saying sorry, too.

You Just Have To Believe - Harry & Harper

[noholdsbaird-blog]

hatterxtrick:

regalxmills:

Regina’s gaze followed the two kids as Paige lead Harry in the kitchen, a smile spreading on her face. She was happy. It always made her happy to have Paige around, to have another person to look after other than herself and her baby, and the additional plate at the dinner table for Harry tonight was a welcomed addition.

Snuggling Robin close, she went back to the living room, rummaging inside the backpack with her baby stuff before finally fishing out Robin’s apron (a green one that had a pointed witch hat print on it—Regina didn’t recall buying it, but it was her daughter’s favorite so she couldn’t complain, right?)

“There we go, just as you like it,” she whispered after Robin’s delighted giggle, kissing her cheek.

The table was already set when she entered the dining room. Plates and silverware, Robin’s as well, were all neatly waiting for them.

Putting Robin in her high chair, Regina glanced at the kitchen. “Paige, can you make sure the oven is off?” She called, adjusting the chair’s harness and strapping it around her daughter.

She really hoped their dinner wasn’t ruined, after forgetting she had the dish baking. That would leave a bad impression on Harry.

@hatterxtrick @noholdsbaird

Paige throws a thanks Harry’s way as he collects the silverware, but pauses to meet him there hugging the plates one by one placed at each setting, “I do.” It’s a lot better than home. “Yeah, I accidentally slipped and called her that once and she was really cool about it.”

Now the almost mother/daughter like fondness was accepted and embraced by both sides. Regina always ready to mother Paige and that was fine with her. At least it was sincere and welcomed. Now it was second nature, not a day went by that she wasn’t texting Regina and slowly teaching her abbreviations and emoji language as well.

Worrying her bottom lip with Harry’s last inquiry. Probably more than expected from either one of them when her parents asked Regina to get Paige out of their hair.

“Well…” she stalls. “A lot actually.” Not sure why she’s feeling bashful about it. Was it supposed to be weird? It felt natural to her and she assumes for Regina too, then there’s Robbie who Paige treated more like the little sibling she never had. “I mean Gina doesn’t complain…” okay, she hopes Regina doesn’t mind.

Regina’s entrance with Robbie has the teen clam up. How much of that did Regina hear? Well, not exactly embarrassed by Regina hearing Paige sing her praises so much as how pathetic the teenager must look. But not wanting to focus too much on that, Regina’s request has Paige on her way to the kitchen to see the oven was still on and she turns it off, “Want me to get the dish and bring it in?” Her hand already on the bar across the over just in case.

Harry gave her a small smile. “Hey, I accidentally called a teacher ‘Mom’ once. That’s embarrassing. At least it’s her name and she doesn’t mind.” He wasn’t sure why that memory came to mind in the house of the mayor, but it was one he’d thought he’d suppressed ruthlessly. Apparently not. He thought briefly he might try to see if he could get away with it, too, but immediately thought better of it. Regina didn’t seem like a Gina, at least not from his own mouth. He wasn’t sure what he felt comfortable calling her, actually.

He listened with the same small smile on his face, although inside, he was warring with himself. Harry was feeling jealous, but he wasn’t entirely sure why or at who. Was it at the mayor for monopolising his new best friend’s time when he wanted to spend more with her, but she so often babysitted? Or was it at Paige, and if it was, why? He didn’t know the mayor that well - if anything, she scared him a little. Generally speaking, someone that high up in a town knowing a kid’s name meant he was a little shit, and he was already on the sheriff’s radar. He didn’t need to be on the mayor’s too. So what on earth did he have to be jealous about, especially when he kind of (sort of) had a pretty good relationship with his own mother.

“Hey, she wouldn’t ask you round if she didn’t want you here. She’s the mayor - she doesn’t have to be nice,” he teased, just as the older woman walked through the door again, hoping the woman hadn’t heard him. He wasn’t being intentionally rude, but it was true. She was in control of the town, why would she be unnecessarily nice to a couple of teenagers? Harry found himself suddenly alone with the mayor and the baby, Paige running off to sort out the dish, and he didn’t know what to do.

“Do you need help putting her in her seat?” he blurted nervously.

@regalxmills​ @hatterxtrick​

It's a Kinda Magic || Paige, Harry & Regina

[noholdsbaird-blog]

struggling-harper-royal:

“I’m fine!” Harper said, keeping Neal close to her side while she automatically reached down to help him back up. Without thinking twice she began brushing him down, dusting pieces of grass off of his trousers and arms, double checking to make sure nothing had been broken in an overly familiar way. “You’re the one who fell. I am so sorry.” She repeated. “I haven’t gotten that carried away with Neal in a long time and I wasn’t looking where I was going with him.”

She stopped short when she realised she was essentially ‘mothering’ him and took a small shy step back. At least all the fuss between them was enough for her to hide the slight surprise at seeing his face. She vaguely knew this boy (something Baird?) from the times she saw him walking out and about with his family like everyone else, and like almost everyone else, she recognised him vividly from her dreams. In her dreams he was her grandson, son of the Saviour, which explained why she had so quickly treated him so familiarly before, even if it was probably very inappropriate.

Then she glanced over and saw his phone in his hand. “Oh my god, I am so sorry, I’ve broken your phone…” Harper groaned, shaking her head. She couldn’t feel worse right now if she tried. “I am really so sorry um… Henry, is it?” She found herself asking. The name was from her dream but she was sure the Baird’s boys name began with a H so maybe…

Harry wasn’t entirely sure why the woman started brushing him down when he was finally back on his feet, and he felt too uncomfortable to stop her. Beyond that, it almost felt familiar, like his mother sorting him out when he was a child and he’d had a rough tumble or... no, not quite his mother. A different maternal figure, something like- perhaps his grandmother. Except both his grandmothers had died when he was young, barely able to remember them. Maybe it was something deeper than that, a subconscious memory his infant brain kept hold of?

It was dumb, that was what it was. This woman could barely be in her thirties and he was thinking she reminded him of a grandmother?!

“No, you’re okay. I’m not hurt.” Well, his ass was a bit sore now but it wasn’t anything that would really cause him any problems. No, his big problem was his cell phone. His mother was absolutely going to go off the rails at him for it and he could feel his heart sinking. So much for spending time with his friends now the majority of the snow had gone away.

(Snow. Why did that feel relevant?)

“Harry,” he corrected with a brief sigh. Everyone got his name wrong, it seemed. But he was an unknown kid in a town full of people absorbed in their own lives. Why would they get it right? “But it’s okay. Happens a lot.” He took another look at his phone as well. “I mean, you didn’t really break it. I should have been watching where I was going.” He looked down at the kid at the woman’s side, tilting his head as he gave him a small smile. He was uncomfortable around the mayor’s baby because she was so tiny, like a doll. This kid, though, was a bit older and he gave the boy a small wave.

“Hiya. Neal, right?” That was what the kid’s mom had said, wasn’t it? Harry looked back at the woman - his mom had told him her name one time, he was positive it began with a H too because he’d thought it amusing. But no, he couldn’t remember. “So long as you’re both alright.”

You Just Have To Believe - Harry & Harper

[noholdsbaird-blog]

hatterxtrick:

Paige thought her anxiety would get the best of her as she ventured outdoors since the blizzard let up. Sometimes with snow, comes claustrophobia. It is the comforting hug and a friendly face that puts her at ease. That and her vice like grip of gloved hands upon the camera strap around her neck. Harry being the one to suggest a specific direction, she trusts he knows his way.

Exploring the woods in such weather could be detrimental. Being accompanied by someone who goes to the woods surrounding Storybrooke was in her best interest to not end up human popsicle state like Killian was close to.

“Yeah, I actually was out in the storm… sorta,” she trudges through the depths of white precipitation. It reminded her of wading through the shallow end of swimming pool. “There is this mansion close to the end of town,” she tries to walk in his footsteps as he creates them. “It was bizarre,” if only making conversation was her biggest issue. She still couldn’t get those streaks of scarlet across the wall. “Meaning I need this all the more. So, where are we going exactly? You know nature better than me.”

Harry knew the way like the back of his own hand. The snow didn’t make a difference to him; the way to the spot they were looking for was muscle memory for him, an easy stroll that required little more thought than making sure his foot was in the right place and not on some patch of ice that would send him tumbling. It was for the best that Paige was keeping a hand on her camera; neither of them wanted to see that get broken after all they went through to get it back.

“Wait, you went out in this?” he asked, turning to look at his friend incredulously. But it had been a terrible storm… His mom had barely let him go near the windows out of fear that he’d somehow be sucked into it. “I’ve seen the mansion before,” he admitted. His wanderings took him all over the place. “It’s pretty close to the town border, right? You know, where that spray can line is.” He’d always wondered who had done that particular piece of vandalism because it always made him laugh. A single wall between them and the outside world that no one seemed to cross. It was funny, if you thought about it. “Why were you over there?”

The dark haired boy grinned as he turned to look at Paige again, gesturing ahead of them. “We’re heading to the beechwood trees. There’s a small copse of them a little way into the forest. They don’t grow anywhere else in the forest, it’s just that small patch,” he replied. Another thing that had always fascinated him. It was like a fairy ring or something. “If you sit in the branches, it feels kinda like the world just washes away. It’s super quiet, one of my favourite spots.”

Under Beechwood Trees || Paige