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softranswolves · 3 years

Text

For It May Not Be My Time

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Rating: Teen

Ships: n/a

Characters: Derek Hale, Laura Hale, Lydia Martin, Stiles Stilinski, Deaton

Words: 1598

LAURA HALE APPRECIATION WEEK - DAY FOUR THEME: resurrection

When Lydia shows up at his door to tell him his name unlocked the last of the list, he doesn't react. He knows Braeden is watching him, gauging how he responds. He knows Lydia will slowly come down from her premonition and switch to fix-it mode. She came alone, not wanting him to feel subjected to the pack's stares, but he knows that Stiles knows, and the kid has never been great at keeping pertinent information quiet.

He insists that he's fine each time he's asked, Braeden deciding to let him stew in whatever he's feeling while Scott and Stiles try to get more out of him. The latter goes so far as to goad Derek, trying to taunt him into talking but that isn't something they've ever done and he doesn't plan on starting now. It's easy to push back when they ask, because he's being honest. He isn't looking forward to dying, but he's resigned to it, knowing he's made his mother proud, made his family proud. He's worked to right the wrongs Peter has done, making Hale a respectable name again. Maybe he'll get to be with them soon.

"She didn't show you the whole list, did she?" Stiles asks a few days later. The whole pack has been working overtime to protect their own and figure out who is behind the deadpool in the first place. Kira returned after staying in hospital with her mom, and Scott has taken some time away from everyone to be alone with her, leaving Stiles with nobody else to pester.

"Why does it matter, Stiles? I'm marked for death, I know that already." He's exasperated but tolerant, realizing he might actually end up missing the banter they have. His gaze doesn't leave the gun he's reassembling, a task Braeden gave him for when he needs something to fill the spare time.

"Because there's a name on it that might draw your attention, sour wolf." Stiles is serious, and while this has become the norm after his possession, it's still out of place.

"So? Who was it?" He can hear the uptick in Stiles' pulse, scents anxiety in the air, but maintains his focus. If he engages, Stiles may take it as invitation for another attempt at a heart-to-heart.

There's no response for a moment, just the sound of paper unfolding, before a crumpled sheet slides into Derek's line of sight. He looks up at Stiles, who crosses his arms and simply nods toward the paper to emphasize Derek should look at it. Obliging, he scans the sheet, landing on a name two-thirds down the list.

"That's not possible," he says, eyes stuck on the letters. He doesn't pay attention to the numbers, just that string of impossibility.

"Are you sure?" Stiles asks, voice tense but gentle.

"You saw her body, you know it's not possible."

"Also shouldn't be possible for Peter to be alive, what with his quasi-possession of Lydia a few months ago, yet here we are."

Silence blossoms between them, and Derek thanks the universe for Stiles letting him sit with the information.

"Could it be outdated? Maybe the list isn't live, maybe it was made years ago," Derek suggests. He looks up to Stiles, eyes wide in hopeful shock. The only response he gets is a shrug as Stiles considers and starts to pace, running a hand through his hair in contemplation.

"I mean, it could be. We still don't know anything about it besides where the money came from. Lydia says she can feel a tangible thread to Laura, but she never met her and couldn't say for sure what it means."

Derek nods, standing to look out the window in thought.

"Have you talked to Deaton? Maybe he knows something, being human like you."

"We were kind of waiting to see what you wanted us to do," Stiles says. "She was your sister, after all, and there's no way we're bringing it to Peter without you. Y'know, her literal murderer?" He's pushing at Derek's buttons again, but this time he doesn't mind quite as much. He just nods again before turning back to Stiles.

"We can take the Camaro," Derek says, walking toward the door after grabbing a jacket and his keys."Though we should stop to pick up Lydia."

"Why Lydia?" Stiles asks as he follows after Derek.

"She can explain to Deaton what feelings she's having about Laura. He may be able to interpret them better than you or I could."

"Makes sense." Stiles is quiet after that, not saying anything for so long that Derek thinks it may be the longest he's gone without talking.

While he may have preferred this conversation to happen between the veterinarian and himself privately, he knew Lydia and Stiles would be useful at asking questions he may not consider and keep Derek from going too far off the deep end. The last time he'd been in a room with him alone was the night he kidnapped Deaton, thinking him to be the Alpha at the time. Things may have changed but he still kept his distance.

The boys drive to the Martin house, texting Lydia to join them, and continue the last few minutes to the Vet Clinic. Lydia was unsurprised when she sat down in the car, but seems uneasy around Derek, as though his impending death prediction is making her uncomfortable. He doesn't let himself dwell on it, instead focusing on clearing up his confusion.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Deaton asks when the trio arrives, motioning to the chairs in the back to sit in. Lydia takes a seat while Stiles continues the pacing he had started at the loft, and Derek simply hands Deaton the list of names.

"See anyone on there that shouldn't be? Any impossible names jumping out?" His voice is raised despite his efforts, and he clenches his fists to ground himself.

"I do," Deaton starts, his usual tone of knowing more than the rest of the room. "What do you think?" He directs the question at Lydia.

"I think... it's not an accident that her name is there," Lydia tries. "These lists, they don't feel arbitrary, as if everyone supernatural in Beacon Hills was added. Cora isn't on there, and as far as we know she's alive." She doesn't seem to want to meet Derek's eye, but he can understand it.

"So you think she's alive." It's a statement, not a question, but Derek' bluntness cuts through the room.

"I didn't say that," Lydia says quietly. "She doesn't feel dead, but she also doesn't feel alive either. It's not the same as when you were taken by Kate, but it's similar." She stands and puts her hand on top of Derek's, a similar motion to a few weeks ago when he'd been lying on the same table they're gathered around now, only a teenaged version of himself.

"So where does that leave us?" Stiles asks. He notes the way Derek has gone tense, and decides to push once more. "Derek, what's wrong? Isn't it a good thing if your sister is still with us?"

He's leaning over the table, arms holding his weight up at the edge, and he shakes his head, smiling to himself a little.

"I was so ready to die," he breathes out. "I'm just so... tired, and when Lydia told me my name was a key for the deadpool? I was relieved. I could stop fighting, stop pretending I know what the hell I'm doing, and be with her again."

Lydia reaches her arm up to rub circles against his back, feeling his sigh beneath her hand.

"The others, I miss them everyday. But for years it was just me and Laura against the world. I don't know what I'm supposed to do if she's alive somehow."

"You keep fighting," a voice chimes in, and it's familiar, too familiar. Derek spins around to see his older sister standing there, a sad smile on her face as she plays with the pendant hanging from her neck.

"Laura? Wha- how?" Derek is frozen in place, mouth hanging open as he stumbles over his words trying to speak properly.

"I'm sorry, Derek, I'm so sorry." She rushes forward to pull him into a hug before taking a step back, holding him at arm's length. "You've grown in just these past few months, Der. Look at you." She has tears in her eyes and laughs a little.

Derek still hasn't spoken, but Laura doesn't seem to mind.

"I haven't been back too long, I promise. I just needed to get my bearing before I came back into your life, especially considering how mine ended."

"How did you come back?" Stiles cuts in, curiosity getting the better of him. Laura turns to look at him but someone else answers first.

"Peter," Lydia says. "It happened when I brought back Peter, didn't it?" Her voice is small, shaking slightly as she recalls those traumatic months, only part of which she actually remembers.

"You're the smart one, aren't you?" Laura answers. "I still don't really know how, and Deaton hasn't been able to fully explain it either. But yes, when you resurrected him, it ended up like a package deal. Whether it was some karmic twist of fate or just Hale blood keeping us bound together, I'm back. And apparently being hunted despite only the people in this room knowing I'm alive." She scoffs at this last bit, turning her attention back to Derek.

"I'm back, baby brother. What do you say we figure this out together?"

#*fics #derek hale #laura hale #i'll just tag them since they're the focus #LHAW21

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landoverthemountains · 4 years

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“Kinda Weird I guess”

Tlou 2 Jesse x Reader :)

a/n I’ve never written for Jesse before so be patient with me lmao. Also i’m really enjoying tlou2 so far! i’m about 16 hours in and it’s pretty good! Very sad but still good! Tlou is my favorite games of all time so I’m very happy that I got the second one :)

Fluff, Adult themes, some implied Smut

Female reader :)

Italics are readers thoughts

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December 13th, 2039

“It’s fucking freezing.” You whined to the woman across from you. “Yeah but we can’t waste extra power on one room.” The older woman who you’d come to know as Laura smiled to you. Laura worked with you in the sewing store of Jackson. You stitched up clothes, shoes, bags and if you had the proper materials you would occasionally get to make brand new clothing. “Maybe if you’re lucky that strong patrol man will come in here and warm you up.” She smirked directly at you. Your face immediately flared up “Laura! That’s weird! I don’t even really know him.”

Jesse was a patrol in the Jackson settlement who often came by to get his clothes patched up. He would tell you about the things he saw while he was out as you really never left Jackson. You preferred to stay inside the walls and help with the town. Playing with the kids, Taking care of the horses, Cooking, cleaning, the works ya know. It just feels safer. Those things outside. The infected. You feel safe in the walls of Jackson county. Jesse would occasionally bring you treats like books, magazines, fabrics, and sometimes new clothes. He’s a really sweet guy. You smiled at the thought of the man. So kind and selfless. He’d do anything for the people he cares about.

“Well you know He and Dina have been broken up for a while now. Maybe it’s your chance?” Laura smiled in your direction again. Your brows furrowed as you looked back down at the quilt you were making for this harsh winter. Careful to watch the needle so you don’t accidentally prick yourself “Ha please..” You muttered before hearing the door chime as another patron walked through the door. “It better not be Luke again or I’ll fucking scream.” you muttered again walking to the front of the store with laura by your side.

“Hey Y/N. Laura. You two look nice today.” Said a bruised up Jesse standing behind the counter. “Oh Jesse hun you look awful!” Laura spoke and she wasn’t wrong. His clothes were torn and he was beaten and bruised. “Just a run in with a pack of infected. No big deal.” He smiled at Laura before grimacing and clutching his side. “Well you go with Y/N dear and get patched up while I fix your clothes.” She pushed and He nodded hesitantly before following you to the back room where you kept the first aid kits. “You need to undress.” You said to him as you dug around the kit looking for supplies. “What? You gonna watch me or something?” He joked. “Yeah right. You wish.” You smiled back before seeing a practically naked Jesse sitting on the chair the only thing keeping him from being completely nude being his black boxers. Setting the first aid kit on the table you picked up his clothes and walked back to the sewing room to give the clothes to Laura before quickly returning to the back room.

“How you doing.” You softly asked as you got the needle and thread out from the kit. “Fine, Fin- Fuck!” He winced as you poured Alcohol over his wounds. “I know, I know.” You sighed as you started to stitch him up. “But the worst parts over” You smiled at him as you continued your stitching “Ha. Yeah.” He smiled back at you. You moved on to another open wound on his arm “Sooo.. Did you see anything cool today?” He looked at your hands as you stitched up his arms before responding “yeah actually I did.” You smiled “Oooh let’s hear it then.” He smiled up at you again “Okay well I saw this huge bear off in the woods. I couldn’t get too close before It ran off but it was i’d say a good 600 pounds.”

You laughed before asking “So where were you stationed today that you got to see a bear?” He moved so you could get the open wounds on his back “They put me up towards the ski lift near the abandoned mall. I told them we hadn’t swept that place yet and they still had me go in Only duos. We got fucking ambushed by infected.” He ranted as you finished stitching him up. “Who were you teamed up with this time?” You smiled taking his face in your hands to clean up his scars with your rag. “Jaime. Isn’t that funny.” He grunted while you rubbed alcohol on his face. “What?! They grouped you with Jaime again? Even after he ran out on the whole team after that hunter attack a couple weeks ago?!”

“Yep. I don’t know why we keep sending him out anymore.” He laughed. “I have no idea” you smiled as you put everything back into the first aid kit. “All done. Though you might want to lay down and give your stitches a minute before your up and about again.” sitting next to him. You sit in silence for a while before you decide to speak up.

“So I heard about you and Dina.” you layed down next to him. “Did you now?” He asked before turning his head to look at you. “Yeah.” you rolled on your side so that you two are face to face. “What about us?” He asked. “I dunno I just wanted to know if you’re okay.” you sighed. “Oh.” He said.

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Okay? Are you okay?” you pestered. He smiled “Yeah I kinda realized we weren’t great for each other.”

“Oh really. How’d you figure that out?” You retorted. “Well first off I’m pretty sure she’s got a thing for ellie.” He smiled “But also I met you.”

“What?” You asked looking back at him. “I met you. I really like you Y/N.” He smiled “I really like you too but I thought it was weird.” You cringed before you felt rough chapped lips on yours. Your eyes slowly closed as your mouth moved against his in sync hand cradling his cheeks as he pulled you on top of him. “Was that weird?” He joked. “It was kinda weird.” you joked back before capturing his lips again. The kiss that you two shared this time was a big different. More lustful that the first one.

Jesses hands slowly crept down your arms and to your waist where he worked your shirt over your head. “Wait.” You got up and walked to the door before locking it. Slowly you slid off your pants so you were just in your underwear. Crawling back on top of Jesse he undid the strap to the back of your bra before throwing it to the side and trailing hickeys down your neck. “You okay with this?” He looked up at you. Smiling you looked at him before nodding.

“Okay.”

——

The next day you woke up next to a naked Jesse and a sore abdomen. Arms wrapped around your waist and a muffled voice said “You know it’s really fucking cold back here.” Laughing you turned around before cuddling closer to him.

“I hope things will stay this way forever.”

#tlou jesse #tlou 2 x reader #tlou2 jesse #jesse x reader #tlou jesse x reader #tlou 2 jesse x reader

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builder051 · 3 years

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Cup of cheer, part III

Powers/No Powers, Bucky vs. Depression storyline. Catch up with these:

Cup of cheer (Laura B saves the day again, this time at Christmas-decorating time)-contains vomit

Cup of cheer, part II (a continuation of the above)-contains vomit

___________________________

When Steve enters the hall bathroom, Bucky’s sitting curled in the corner like a frightened child. A wounded animal. Steve isn’t sure which. He’s reminded strongly of when Bucky first came home, unable to eat or speak and barely able to move without spooking.

“Bucky?” Steve whispers as he crosses the threshold and not-quite closes the door. He knows Laura’s still out in the hallway, and her presence somehow gives him the confidence to make this move, even though he should’ve done it himself hours ago. Possibly months ago. He wonders if this is what Bucky feels when he comes to spend an hour or a day or a weekend out on the farm. Support. Relief. And now, in Steve’s case, massive amounts of guilt.

Bucky doesn’t respond. The top of his head twitches, so Stteve knows he’s heard, though his face stays buried in his knees.

“Hi,” Steve says softly, hoping he’s chosen the right non-offensive word to announce that he’s here to stay. He eases himself onto the floor a foot or so away from Bucky so the toe of his sock can rest gently against Bucky’s heel.

“Hmph,” Bucky sighs as soon as Steve initiates the contact. The sound is emotionless and hollow, so Steve can’t tell if it’s meant to be an affirmation or disinterest. Steve breathes slowly, staying as still as he can, intending to wait Bucky out until he’s ready to talk. He can feel the heat radiating off Bucky’s skin, and he wonders how he could’ve missed the fever earlier. They hadn’t been more than a foot further apart in the car or across the breakfast table before that. But perhaps it’s that last foot, the last few inches, that make all the difference.

Steve decides he can’t take even this distance anymore, and he brings his hand up and rests it on Bucky’s shoulder. “Feeling rough today?”

Steve phrases it as a question, though the damp warmth of Bucky’s shirt under his palm provides all the answer he needs.

“D-don’t touch me...” Bucky chokes out, jerking his shoulder away and leaning closer to the wall. He lifts his head an inch, and Steve gets a view of pink fever spots and tear tracks marring his otherwise ghostly white face.

“Ok. Yeah.” Steve retracts his hand, and his foot for good measure. “Of course.”

Bucky uses the hem of his shirt to mop at his eyes. “I--” he mutters. “I just--”

It’s ok, Buck.” The guilt in Steve’s chest spills down toward his stomach. Of course Bucky doesn’t want him. His behavior’s been sickening lately.

“I just--” Bucky tries again, his voice cracking with the pressure of either illness or tears. “Hold me?”

Steve blinks, momentarily unable to put the contradictory directions together. But then Bucky sinks forward, pushing himself over his knees and sideways toward Steve.

“Ok,” Steve says, quickly stretching out his legs so he has a lap for Bucky to clamber into.

Bucky moves jerkily, tremulously, but he plants himself atop Steve’s thighs and slings his arm around his neck. He buries his face in Steve’s shoulder and breathes wetly in and out, except when the rhythm is punctuated with sobs.

Steve keeps his arms by his sides as he murmurs, “Ok, it’s alright,” into Bucky’s ear.

A few seconds pass, and Bucky gulps. “Not,” he says. “Not ok.”

Of course he’s right, and Steve feels like an idiot all over again. “Buck...” It’s his turn to sigh. “Yeah. I...”

He shuts his eyes and searches for a way to express himself that isn’t too sharp or blunt or cold to be handled by one running such a high fever.

“Today was...” Steve starts. “Today was bad.” He fidgets with a loose thread at the corner of the bathroom rug.

Bucky nods into Steve’s shoulder, rocking his blisteringly hot forehead over the ridges of muscle.

“A lot of days have been bad lately, and a lot of them have probably been my fault.” Steve pauses, unsure of how self-deprecating he needs to be before he gets to the truth. He takes a breath and looks down at his hand, then cautiously brings it behind Bucky’s back and hooks a finger through one of his belt loops.

Bucky stiffens for a second, but says nothing, so Steve exhales and decides to carry on.

“I know stuff’s really hard for you right now,” he says. “Like, with your meds, and therapy. I know stuff’s just not... working.” Steve pulls his other hand into a fist. “I know that.”

Bucky nods again, and Steve feels him swallow.

“But, well, it’s hard for me, too,” Steve says. “You’re not the only one who served, the only one with nightmares...”

Bucky makes another hollow sound, and Steve thinks better of himself. He desperately tries to pull the note of accusation from his tone.

“I see you struggling,” he says, “and it, it fucks with me. It reminds me of places I don’t wanna go. Not that it’s your fault,” he adds quickly. “I just, I see you having a hard time, and I want to fix it. But I can’t. And the people whose job it is to fix it can’t. And watching that, it’s hard on me, Buck.”

Moisture prickles at the corners of Steve’s eyes, and he tries to keep his voice steady and calm.

“Ok...” Bucky says slowly into Steve’s shirt. “But... Fuck, Stevie, I’m sick.”

“I know,” Steve says. “I know you are.” Today. In general. It doesn’t matter which he’s agreeing to, for both are true. “And I need to be more sensitive to that.”

“Just...” Bucky whispers. “Don’t ignore me ‘cause it’s easier that way.”

“I never meant to do that,” Steve says. “I love you, Buck.”

“I love you,” Bucky breathes. Steve can hear strings of mucous clotting at the back of his throat.

“Tell me where you’re hurting, ok?” Steve unhooks his finger from Bucky’s belt loop and lays his hand carefully across his lower back instead. “I know your throat’s bad, and your stomach.”

Bucky nods, pressing himself harder against Steve’s chest. “’M cold.”

“You have a fever,” Steve reminds him. “I’ll get you some meds. I’ll have Laura tell me where they are. But, Buck?”

“Mm?” Bucky shifts slightly so Steve gets a view of his face. He realizes Bucky looks exhausted as well as ill.

“Tell me when you feel bad, like sad, too.”

“I thought... you didn’t want to see...”

“That’s not true, Buck,” Steve says. “I said it’s hard, not that I don’t want to. I always want you to talk to me, or Laura, or your therapist. Whoever you feel safe with. But I want to be back on your list.”

There’s a pause as Bucky seems to be processing what Steve’s said. Then suddenly his body goes stiff, and he gives a pained groan.

“Buck?” Steve quickly pulls his hand from Bucky’s back and tries to get a look at his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Just--” Bucky withdraws his arm and covers his mouth with his closed fist just in time to stifle a dry retch. “Sick.”

“Aw, Buck.” Steve steers him in the direction of the toilet, though Bucky has little to bring up. Just a mouthful of clear fluid gone bubbly with acid.

When he’s done, Bucky leans back into Steve’s arms, muttering sorries and thank yous that run together into new, mixed-up words.

“Hey, shh, it’s ok,” Steve soothes. And for the first time that day, he thinks it might be.

There’s a soft creak as the bathroom door opens and Laura steps in.

Steve glances anxiously up at her, but she simply busies herself with finding a clean paper cup, a washcloth, and a bottle of ibuprofen in the cabinet. She sets the items on the counter, then flashes Steve a small smile, and silently leaves the room.

#fanfic #fanfiction #marvel #mcu #captain america #Powers/No Powers choose-your-own-adventure #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #Winter Soldier #Laura Barton #hurt/comfort #sickfic #emeto #emetophilia #illumivomi #angst #bucky vs depression

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tw-anchor · 4 years

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23. The First Battle

Anchor

Stiles Stilinski x Original Character

Episode: 2x11; Battlefield

Word Count: 6,291

Warning(s): Mature language, canon violence, therapy, semi-dead Jackson, lacrosse championship, Stiles’ birthday

Author’s Note: After this there’s only one episode left of season 2. I hope you enjoy! Make sure to reblog and like!

Masterlink in Profiles Description!

"You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out."

There, that seemed like an appropriate thing to say. It wasn't changing the subject even though Stiles didn't like the question that Miss Morrell had asked him, and it wasn't answering it, either. It was fact, a statement that was true. Stiles knew a lot of facts.

"It's called voluntary apnea," Stiles focused on the net of his lacrosse stick, threading it tightly to make sure that it was game-ready. "It's like no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's...it's actually kind of peaceful."

"Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?"

How the hell did she get that from his answer? He was just telling her about drowning and how much the people who died suffered until they didn't. He didn't care about the fact that Matt had drowned in the river by the police station that night. There were no feelings, no attachments. Matt was dead and that was that.

Stiles exhaled out his nose. "I don't feel sorry for him."

"Can you feel sorry for the nine-year-old Matt who drowned?"

Morrell's face was blank, her voice was calm. She wasn't judgmental, she was good. Stiles had been going to sessions with her once a month since he started high school when his temper and ADHD had him struggling to adjust to the new environment. She gave good advice and helped him through things that were bothering him. Before his sessions started, he hadn't thought that talking about what he felt was going to work but she proved him wrong.

Still, that didn't mean he had to sympathize with Matt. "Just because a bunch of dumbasses dragged him into a pool when he couldn't swim doesn't really give him the right to go off killing them one by one."

Morrell nodded and went to move on but Stiles wasn't finished yet.

"And by the way, my dad told me that they found a bunch of pictures of Allison on Matt's computer," he shook his head, disgusted. "And not just of her, though. I mean, he photoshopped himself into them. Stuff like them holding hands and kissing. You know, he had built this whole fake relationship. So, yeah, maybe drowning when he was nine years old was what sent him off the rails but the dude was definitely riding the crazy train."

Morrell smiled softly. "One positive thing came out of this, though. Right?"

"Yeah," Stiles nodded, thinking about how Noah got his job as sheriff back. "Yeah, but I still feel like there's something wrong between us," he nervously fiddled with the lacrosse stick. "I don't know, it's just like tension when we talk. Same thing with Scott."

"Have you talked to him since that night?"

"No, not really," he went back to tightening the net. "I mean, he's got his own problems to deal with, though. I don't think he's talked to Allison, either, but that might be more her choice, you know? Her mom dying hit her pretty hard but I guess it brought her and her dad closer."

"What about your other friends, Jackson and Lydia?"

"Jackson..." he wouldn't consider the prick a friend but he'd answer anyway. "Jackson hasn't really been himself lately. Actually, the funny thing is, as of right now, Lydia is the one who seems the most normal."

"How's Olivia doing? Have you guys talked since the night at the station?" Morrell prodded. She was more than versed about Olivia Martin, Stiles' interest in her, and their slow and steady climb toward a relationship.

"Yeah and she seems fine, but," he shrugged. "she always seems fine. She was more concerned about me, to be honest."

"Maybe it helps her come to terms with her own feelings," Morrell theorized quietly. "You told me before that Olivia isn't one to share her feelings."

"I know, but she seemed to be better about that lately," At least with me, he added mentally.

Morrell hummed. "And what about you, Stiles? Feeling some anxiety about that championship game tomorrow night?"

Stiles spit out the small length of rope he had been chewing on, tying it back to the net. "Why would you ask me that?" he didn't miss the fact that she looked pointedly at his lacrosse stick. "Ah...uh, no, I-I never actually play. But, hey, since one of my teammates is dead and another one's missing, who knows, right?"

"You mean Isaac," Morrell realized. "One of the three runaways. You haven't heard from any of them, have you?"

Stiles quickly changed the subject. "You're still doing that no-notes thing, huh?" he pointed at her empty desk. "I still can't believe your memory's that good."

"How about we get back to you, Stiles?"

Stiles sighed heavily. "I'm fine," he lied. "Yeah, aside from the not sleeping, the jumpiness, the constant, overwhelming crushing fear that something terrible is about to happen."

"It's called hypervigilance," Wasn't that what Mad-Eye Moody talked about in Harry Potter? he tried to recall. Livvy would know about it. "the persistent feeling of being under threat."

"But it's not just a feeling, though," Stiles shook his head. He was familiar with what he felt when his anxiety went off the charts. That tight feeling in his chest, that was a panic attack. "It's like a panic attack. You know, like I can't even breathe."

"Like you're drowning?"

Stiles didn't even think about the comparison she was trying to make. "Yeah."

"So, if you're drowning and you're trying to keep your mouth closed until that very last moment, what if you choose to not open your mouth? To not let the water in?"

"You do anyway," Stiles pointed out. "It's a reflex."

"But if you hold off until that reflex kicks in, you have more time, right?"

"Not much time."

"But more time to fight your way to the surface? More time to be rescued?"

"More time to be in agonizing pain," Stiles argued, blinking rapidly. "I mean, did you forget about the part where you feel like your head's exploding?"

Morrell blinked at him. "If it's about survival, isn't a little agony worth it?"

"But what if it just gets worse?" Stiles asked, fears racing through is mind. "What if it's agony now and then...and then it's just hell later on?"

"Then think about something Winston Churchill once said," Morrell leaned forward, demanding all his attention. "If you're going through hell, keep going."

That moment in Morrell's office, that quote that somehow encompassed Stiles' whole world in seven words, would stick with him for the rest of his life.

It smelled like rotted wood, blood, and smoke in the old Hale House. It made Olivia want to vomit and it wasn't just the scent alone that made her nauseous. She hadn't stepped foot in the Hale House since the fire and even when she went looking for Lydia two months earlier, she had refused to go in.

She didn't want the memories that this house gave her. There were good memories, sure, ones where she and Cora used to play dolls, Laura would read them fairy tales, and Derek taught her how to ride a bike. But the fire loomed over those like a shadow. Her mother died in the house, trapped in the basement like the rest of the Hale family. While Peter had escaped his own death, Grace Martin was suffocating from lack of fresh oxygen.

Suffice to say, she hated being there. But for Jackson, she'd spend time there if she had to. She needed to find a way to take care of the kanima without killing Jackson since no one seemed concerned about that anymore, so if she had to spend time in the worn-down house to read a billion of moldy books, she would.

Derek stood at the other side of the table, helping her look for useful information. He was just slapping a book closed and tossing it back on the table when Erica and Boyd entered the room.

Derek stiffened and Olivia paused, looking from Derek to Erica and Boyd. The two betas had decided to leave Beacon Hills, to leave the pack. They weren't cut out for the supernatural war that raged around them, even if Derek had warned them from the start.

"You decided," Derek turned toward them. "When?"

Erica looked reluctant to tell him. "Tonight."

"Everyone's gonna be at the game," Boyd explained. "We figured it was the best time."

"It's not like we want to."

"What do you want?" Derek asked Erica, stepping toward her and Boyd.

"Since I just turned sixteen a month ago, I wouldn't mind getting my license," Erica answered him. "I can't do that if I'm dead, you know."

Olivia bowed her head, thinking about Erica's words. She understood where they were coming from; they weren't family, they didn't know what was at stake, and they had no dog in the fight. They didn't want to die because of who they were or what pack they were in. When Derek bit Victoria Argent and she had to commit suicide because of their ridiculous hunter's code, he had declared war. The Argents weren't going down without a fight, but neither were they.

Still, Olivia would be sad to see Erica and Boyd go. They were pack, plain and simple.

"Well, I told you there was a price," Derek reminded them.

"Yeah but you didn't say it would be like this," Boyd defended themselves.

"But I told you how to survive," Derek raised his voice. "You do it as a pack. And you're not a pack without an alpha."

"We know."

Olivia raised her eyebrows, surprised at Boyd's statement. "You wanna look for another pack?" she knew they could see that she was hurt by that. Hell, Derek was hurt by it. "How are you even gonna find one?"

"We think we already did," Erica told her. "We were running in the woods last night and all of a sudden we heard all this howling. It was unbelievable."

Olivia shared a look with Derek, both of them almost betrayed. Erica and Boyd trusted random howling in the woods over them? Derek was the one who bit them, the one who gave them the gift of lycanthropy. They were Olivia's friends. They were pack.

"There must have been a dozen of them, maybe more," Boyd smiled in amazement.

"Yeah or maybe only two," Derek burst their bubble. "You know what the beau geste effect is?" they shook their heads. "If they modulate their howls with a rapid shift of tone, two wolves can sound like twenty."

Erica huffed, getting frustrated. "Look, that doesn't matter, okay? There's another pack out there. There's got to be," she raised her chin. "We've made up our minds."

"We lost, Derek," Boyd stated. "It's over. We're leaving."

"No, you're running," Derek snapped, getting angry like he always did to cover up the hurt. "And once you start, you don't stop. You'll always be running."

Olivia pressed her lips together as Erica glared at them, grabbed Boyd's hand, and dragged him out of the house. Derek turned back to the table, resting his hands on the warped wood, as his pale-green eyes flickered over to Olivia.

She was distracted, her wide eyes on the spot where Boyd and Erica had previously stood. When he inhaled, he knew why; he grabbed a sharp piece of glass that was resting on the table in front of him and spun around, whipping it at the intruder.

Peter caught the glass just as the point hit the skin of his throat. "I expected a slightly warmer welcome," he stated, lowering the glass. "but point taken."

Olivia narrowed her eyes at her father. She couldn't believe that he was standing right there in front of them. It wasn't a happy kind of disbelief, either. It was the kind that made you want to pull your hair out and punch someone in the face. He wasn't supposed to be alive. He wasn't supposed to be able to hurt anyone ever again.

It had been a shock to find out that Peter had come back from the dead. Derek had told her shortly after the showdown in the police station and she went quiet, not talking for the rest of the night while he stayed in her room, keeping vigil so she wouldn't have nightmares.

Peter had gotten into Lydia's head and manipulated her. That was what all the things that Lydia had been seeing were about. It was him, playing her mind from his grave underneath the floorboard. He got her to do some weird ritual that included drugging Derek with wolfsbane and using mirrors and moonlight—and honestly, it was hard for her to comprehend. Olivia was a smart girl and she believed in science, so how did that explain Peter coming back to life from some alpha blood and light from a full moon. Granted, the existence of werewolves was hard to comprehend, too.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sharply.

Peter grinned at her. "Hello to you, too, pumpkin. It's great to see you," he gave his attention to his nephew. "Quite the situation you've got yourself in here, Derek. I mean, I'm out of commission for a month or so and suddenly there's lizard people, geriatric psychopaths, and you're cooking up werewolves out of every self-esteem-deprived adolescent in town."

His voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Derek narrowed his eyes at him. "What do you want?"

"Well, I want to help," Peter stated like it was the most obvious thing in the word. "You guys are family, my daughter and nephew. The only relatives that I have left. There's still a lot that I can teach you. Can we just talk?"

Peter finished his statement by placing a hand on Derek's shoulder. Derek stared at it in disgust while Olivia raised her eyebrows. This was going to end in a fight, she was betting on it.

"Sure," Derek agreed way too happily. "Let's talk."

He swatted away Peter's hand and pushed him, sending him flying into the stair case.

"Good talk," Olivia hummed as she stood from her seat. "I'm gonna leave before it get any worse."

She'd rather walk the mile back into town and order a ride from Lyft than stay and watch Derek and Peter fight. No, thank you.

"Liv, I brought your psycho father back from the dead," Lydia hissed at Olivia as they walked through the empty school hallways, heading toward the boys' locker room. "and you haven't said a word about it. It's been more than a week and nada."

"Because there's nothing to talk about," Olivia insisted stubbornly. "Peter's back, so what? I'll just ignore him."

"You used to visit him every week." Lydia thought she was in denial about how she felt about Peter. She knew Olivia was angry and she was justified, but you can't hate your father. Lydia had tried and she couldn't.

"That was before he murdered a bunch of people, bit me and Scott, almost killed you, and then manipulated you until you thought that you were crazy," Olivia pointed out. "That doesn't seem father material to me, Lyds."

"I mean, yeah, he's a psychopath, but—"

"But nothing," Olivia cut her off, sending her a sharp look. "I don't want to talk about him anymore."

"You know, one day you're gonna explode from all those emotions you keep bottled up inside of you."

Olivia snorted, a little amused. "When did you get your doctorate in psychology, Lydia? I think I missed the ceremony."

"Very funny," Lydia nudged her as they turned down the hallway where locker room was located. "All right, change of subject. You got Stiles a birthday present."

Olivia grimaced, looking down at the wrapped package in her hands. She had hoped Lydia wouldn't bring it up, since she was already tripping out about it, but like any older sister, she just had to tease her about it. Yes, it was Stiles' seventeenth birthday and yes, she got him a gift but it wasn't a big deal. It was a friendly gift. People gave their friends birthday gifts still, right?

"Yeah, and...?" Olivia's strategy was to just face Lydia head on.

"And you're giving it to him before the regional championships," Lydia pointed out needlessly. "You're going to sneak into the locker room to give it to him. Sounds awfully like what I would do when I was dating Jackson."

Olivia rolled her eyes as they came to a stop outside the boys' locker room. "I'm giving it to him now because I don't know if he'll be busy later."

"Mmhm..."

"And I don't give belated birthday presents," she huffed. "It's tacky."

"Yeah, sure," Lydia nodded like Olivia was making sense. "Well, you better go on, then. I'll wait by the concessions for you."

"Get me some some—"

"Air Heads, I know."

Lydia walked away and Olivia inhaled deeply before entering the locker room. Boys were in various states of undress as she walked through the aisles but she ignored them. She spotted Jackson and Danny by their lockers, and usually she would have wished them good luck, but she wanted to give Stiles his present and get out of there before she could get in trouble with Coach.

She found Stiles by his locker, pulling his maroon jersey over his gray compression shirt. "Hey."

Stiles flailed at the sound of her voice, almost tripping backward over the bench he stood in front of. He quickly found his balance and fixed his jersey before plastering a cheesy smile on his face at the sight of her.

Olivia's heart practically turned to goo.

"Hey, Livvy!" he greeted her enthusiastically. "What—what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to give you this," she held out his present, looking more confident than she felt. "Happy birthday, Stiles."

"What?" he quickly took the present from with her a grin. "I can't believe you remembered my birthday."

"Oh," she shrugged awkwardly. "um, yeah, you told me a couple weeks ago."

"Yeah, I guess I did," he ripped away the wrapping paper and gaped at what was inside. "You didn't, Olivia."

Apparently, he liked the present. She had won an auction online where she was able to score a signed mini bat from the Mets. It was Stiles' favorite baseball team and when she saw the low price for an item she knew he loved, she didn't hesitate to get it for him. She also made a joke in the card about how crazy he was for cheering for the Mets, knowing it would get a laugh out of him.

Olivia blinked in surprise when Stiles wrapped her up into a tight hug. It didn't take even a second for her to respond to his affection, burying her face into his warm neck. She couldn't help but notice that his skin was soft and he smelt really good.

"Thanks, Livvy," Stiles breathed when he let go of her. "This is—this is great."

"You're welcome," Olivia smiled at him. "So, are you nervous for the game?"

"Nah," Stiles shook his had nonchalantly. "I probably won't play, so..."

"I don't see why you wouldn't. You're good."

"Have you actually seen me play or are you trying to make me feel good about myself?"

Olivia opened her mouth to respond and paused when Stiles quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I knew it."

"You did not!" Olivia protested, playfully slapping his arm. "I do think you're good."

"Why'd you hesitate then?"

"I wasn't hesitating, I was taking a breath."

"Who takes a breath for that long? It was like you were getting ready to perform some dramatic-ass Shakespeare monologue."

"I don't even like Shakespeare."

"You got a perfect score on your essay about Othello."

"How'd you know what grade I got?"

Suddenly, there was some loud feedback as Coach readied his megaphone. Olivia and Stiles jumped apart in shock, not even realizing that they were moving closer together during their playful banter, to look over at him.

"Good morning," Coach spoke into the megaphone, dead serious. "In less than an hour, aircraft from here will be joining others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind."

What the hell? Olivia mouthed to Stiles, completely confused.

Stiles just shook his head at her.

"Mankind," Coach mused. "That word should have a new meaning for all of us today."

"Does he do this every year?" she whispered to Stiles.

He nodded. "Every year."

"Dear God."

"No kidding."

Coach continued on, "We are fighting for our right to live!"

"Yeah!" most of the team shouted.

Olivia perked up in realization. "Wait, isn't this?"

"Yeah," Stiles confirmed. "it's the speech from Independence Day. It's his favorite movie."

"But as the day the world declared in one voice, we will not go quietly into the night!"

"I mean, the speech from Braveheart would be better than this," Olivia snorted. "Couldn't he rip off Friday Night Lights or something? Glory Road? You know, anything from any sport movie?"

"I don't think he cares," Stiles chuckled.

"Today," Coach ended his dramatic speech. "we celebrate our Independence Day!"

"Yeah!" the players cheered once again, sufficiently hyped up for the game. Olivia couldn't believe that the speech actually worked.

She and Stiles stiffened at the same time as Gerard slithered in next to Coach. "Well spoken, Coach," he praised the man. "I might have chosen something with a little more historical value but there's no denying your passion."

Coach gave him an offended look but Gerard completely missed it.

"And while I haven't been here long, there's no denying my pride in having a winning team for this school," the Argent patriarch continued, looking around at the lacrosse players. "I know you'll all be brilliant tonight, even with only one co-caption leading you."

Olivia gave Stiles a questioning look but he furrowed his eyebrows, not knowing why Scott wouldn't be playing, either.

"Now, I'm your principal but I'm also a fan. So, don't think I'll be content to watch you merely beat this team," Gerard grinned creepily. "Get out there and murder them."

"You heard the man!" Coach yelled. "Asses on the field!"

Olivia shivered at the menacing look on his face as he smirked and left the locker room. "He's probably the worst person on this earth," she mumbled, turning back to Stiles. "This is going to be bad."

Stiles' expression turned worried. "You think?"

"Yeah, I do." She wished that it wouldn't but everything seemed to point in that direction. The whole day, her body had been on edge, like she was waiting for someone to get hurt. The feeling was unsettling and had looking over her shoulder wherever she went.

Argent hunters were brutal. They had proved it time after time.

"You're gonna be careful, right?" Stiles grabbed her hands, squeezing them nervously.

"You don't have to worry about me," she shook her head, squeezing him back. "There's not really anything I can do."

"You can still get hurt, though."

"I won't," Olivia assured him. "Just focus on the game, yeah? Good luck, Stiles."

Stiles smiled lightly, not liking the fact that she was brushing off his concern. "Thanks, Livvy."

"And I'll be careful, okay?" she noticed the look in his eye.

Stiles nodded in satisfaction. "Good," he let go of her hands and ran a finger across the right shoulder of the jersey she was wearing. "Nice jersey, by the way."

Olivia's cheeks flushed; she had forgotten that Lydia forced her into a mock-up of Stiles' jersey, complete with his last name and the twenty-four on each side. "Oh, um, yeah," she nodded nervously. "Good luck, Stiles."

She practically sprinted away from him and out of the locker room, cursing Lydia the whole time.

Stiles nervously bounced his leg as he thought about what Olivia had said to him earlier. Things were going to get bad. He knew that, yet he couldn't shake the feeling he had inside of him. He was nervous, scared that someone he loved would get hurt, and angry that there was even a situation like this to begin with. Most of all, he felt helpless. There wasn't anything he could do to help. He couldn't help Scott. He couldn't help Olivia or Derek. He couldn't even help himself.

It frustrated the fuck out of him because he had that determination inside of him, he just couldn't act on it. He couldn't go up against a hunter or a werewolf, let alone a kanima, and make it out of the fight. He couldn't even protect his dad from Matt, so how the hell would he be able to protect Olivia when the Argents came after her?

He couldn't just stand by and watch the action unfold while people got hurt. He had to do something.

"Is your dad coming?" Scott broke him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah," Stiles looked to the bleachers for a second, seeing his dad already settled in a row near they bottom. "he's already here."

Scott nodded. "You see Allison?"

No, he hadn't, and he didn't think they would at all. Allison had been absent since the night of the full moon when her mom had killed herself. She didn't respond to Scott at all, she was angry with Olivia for siding with Derek—though he didn't know what Allison expected Olivia to even do in that situation—and she was determined to get revenge on the Hale pack. She had dived into the deep end and Stiles was worried she couldn't swim.

"No," Stiles shook his head. "You know what's going on?"

Scott exhaled heavily. "Not yet."

"But it's going to be bad, isn't it?" Stiles knew it would but hearing it from Scott made if feel more real. "I mean, like people screaming and running for their lives, blood, killing, maiming—that kind of bad?"

It was quiet for a second as Scott looked over at him; it unnerved him. "Looks like it."

Stiles inhaled shakily, his eyes starting to sting. "Scott, the other night, seeing my dad get hit over the head by Matt while I'm just lying there and I can't even move," he sniffed and looked back at his best friend. "it just—I want to help, you know? But I can't do the things that you can't do. I can't—"

"It's okay," Scott's voice was soft as he nodded at Stiles in assurance.

And Stiles was glad that out of every other guy in their class, Scott was the one who was his best friend. Because Scott got it. He got that Stiles was afraid but willing to do anything to help. He knew that Stiles felt trapped, sitting on the sidelines while everyone else fought. He understood Stiles. And Stiles knew Scott just as well.

They were lucky to have the relationship they had. It wasn't often that kind of loyalty came around and there it was, each of them sitting next to it.

Stiles tried to make the topic lighter, even if he failed. "We're losing, dude."

Luckily, Coach was there to pep things up. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked him incredulously, having only heard the last statement of their conversation. "The game hasn't even started. Now, put on your helmet and get out there. You're in for Greenberg."

"What?" Stiles perked up, looking around for Coach's most-hated player. "What happened to Greenberg?"

"What happened to Greenberg?" Coach scoffed. "He sucks. You suck slightly less."

Stiles raised his eyebrows in shock. "I'm playing?" he pointed to himself. "On the field? With the team?"

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

"Yeah, unless you'd rather play with yourself."

"I already did that today, twice," Stiles told him absentmindedly, too shocked about the fact that he was playing to notice what he had just revealed.

Scott snickered, making him realize what he said.

"Just get the hell out there!" Coach ordered him.

Stiles squeaked nervously and gathered his lacrosse stick and helmet, running onto the field with the rest of his teammates. On the bleachers, Olivia and Lydia had just taken a seat next to Melissa and Noah, when they noticed what Stiles was doing.

"Oh, no," Noah groaned. "Why is my son running out to the field?"

Olivia perked up, finding Stiles immediately. She knew that he'd get to play today. It was a great opportunity for him to show that he was actually athletic and good at lacrosse. She wasn't lying when she said she thought he was good.

"Because he's on the team?"

"He is," Noah confirmed blankly before realizing the excitement of the situation. "He's on the team. He's on the field," he stood up, throwing his arms into the air as he cheered, "My son is on the field!"

Okay, that was adorable, Olivia mused, sharing a grin with Lydia.

The game started shortly after Stiles ran onto the field and it wasn't going well, to say the least. The first quarter went by fast, with the opposing team scoring two goals within eleven minutes. Every time the Beacon Hills players had the ball, it was a bad play or someone would foul out. When the ball went to Stiles, it always seemed to miss his net.

The next time he got the ball, he actually caught it in his net. Unfortunately, he was too busy celebrating to notice the two large defense players sprinting his way. There was an audible thwack as he was tackled to the ground.

Olivia winced while Melissa sighed. "He's probably just warming up."

She nodded in agreement but her hope was quickly dashed when the ball was tossed to Stiles yet again. He ran backwards in hopes to get it, but ended up tripping over his own feet.

Okay, maybe she hadn't seen Stiles do anything but run fast. In her defense, she thought that would translate into being good on the field.

"He's just a little nervous," Lydia tried to console Olivia and Noah, who were both cringing in on themselves. "There's plenty of time to turn it around."

As if the world was disagreeing with her, Stiles was tackled. The crowd booed loudly; Noah hid his face in his hands.

The new quarter started and when Scott went to enter the game, Coach pushed him right back onto the bench. Luckily, Isaac appeared, dressed for the game and ready to enter.

Olivia sighed in relief, glad that he hadn't gone with Erica and Boyd. She was closest to Isaac out of the three of them and she had been pretty sad when she learned that he was planning on leaving with the other two. He didn't, though. He was here to help.

Erica...Boyd...Erica...Boyd...

Olivia winced when she heard the whispers, the tingling that she had been feeling all day getting more intense in her stomach, chest, and legs. Erica and Boyd were in trouble and she didn't know if it was this so-called pack they had discovered or if the Argents got to them.

She quickly pulled out her phone and texted them both, asking if they were okay. She also messaged Derek, giving him a heads-up on what she was feeling.

Isaac entered the game for the second quarter and it was chaos. Instead of actually playing the game and trying to score, he spent the time tackling players from his own team. As more and more of his teammates went down, Olivia figured out what he was doing. He was making sure that Scott could play—there was no way that Coach would forfeit instead of putting Scott on the field.

It was smart and she was impressed. Until Jackson tackled Isaac and the team paramedics had to run onto the field. From what Olivia could see, Isaac couldn't move anything, which meant that Jackson had used the kanima venom on him.

Isaac, Isaac, Isaac...

Melissa had jumped off the bleachers to run onto the field in order to talk to Scott but she stayed put. She already knew that something was going on and she had learned from Scott earlier that Gerard was now in control of Jackson, the old bastard. This was part of the war, a battle to be won.

The rest of the quarter went by quickly and then it was halftime. The whispering of Isaac's name had gotten so intense that she had to run down to Scott as he rested, telling him and Stiles that something was happening to Isaac inside of the school.

Scott had assured her that he'd take care of it, since there wasn't really a way for her to defend Isaac on her own, and took off inside of the school. Olivia told Stiles that he was doing a great job with a horribly fake smile that he quickly saw through before going back to her seat on the bleachers.

The third quarter started and Scott was still absent. Beacon Hills were down by two points. And then, the fourth quarter started and everything changed. Players from both teams clashed together, sending the ball rolling down the field. It stopped right in front of Stiles, who stared at it like it was a foreign object for a moment.

And then he scooped it up into his net and took off down the field. None of the other players even knew he had the ball, the field between him and goal wide open and clear. Olivia jumped to her feet, cheering loudly with Lydia, as he raced to get there before the other team's defense could catch up.

Olivia was pretty sure she could hear him screeching as he looked back at his huge opponents and when he paused just in front of the goal, she yelled, "Shoot it, Stilinski!"

Stiles whipped the ball into the net, scoring his first goal in his first game.

Olivia screamed in excitement, hugging Lydia as they both jumped up and down. Next to them, Noah was going crazy with pride and Melissa was equally excited, yelling Stiles' name.

With two minutes left in the game, Stiles was on fire. He caught the ball from his teammate and sprinted down the field, twirling around the opposing team's defense like he was made for the sport. He easily scored, tying up the game. The whole crowd was on their feet, cheering him on. Olivia was so proud she felt like crying. Like, actual crying. What had love done to her.

Holy shit, she paused in realization. Love? I love Stiles Stilinski?

She didn't have time to focus on that. There was a minute left in the game and one goal to win.

Stiles didn't disappoint. He scooped up that lacrosse ball and took off, his teammates running after him and shouting in encouragement. Olivia waited anxiously and then screamed excitedly when he scored the winning goal, goosebumps erupting all over her body.

He won the game. He did it. Did she fucking call it or what?

And then the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the game, the crowd roared in excitement, and the lights around the field all went out at once.

Jackson...Jackson...Jackson...JACKSON!!!!

"Jackson?!" Olivia screamed, pressing her hands against her tingling chest.

The crowd was screaming as chaos erupted. They were running down the bleachers and heading toward the field and the parking lot. Lydia was tugging on her arm, and Melissa and Noah had taken off, seeing if they could do anything to help the situation.

Olivia was frozen. Something was wrong with Jackson, something worse than she ever felt.

"Liv, you're crying," Lydia said frantically; Olivia hadn't noticed. "What's wrong with Jackson? Is he okay? Liv!"

Everything sped up at once. Olivia grabbed Lydia's hand and jumped off the bleachers, running onto the field as the lights came back on one by one. There was already a crowd in the middle of the field, surrounding something.

"Somebody's hurt," they heard a guy say as they passed him. "Somebody's down on the field."

Olivia's stomach dropped. It was Jackson. It had to be.

She and Lydia pushed past the crowd in order to get to the middle to see what was going on. Jackson was on the ground, unconscious, with Melissa hovering over him, doing chest compressions.

"He's not breathing," she said rapidly. "No pulse."

"Oh, my God, there's blood," Lydia whimpered, her breath catching. "There's a lot of blood."

Olivia shook her head in complete shock. Jackson wasn't supposed to be dead. He was the kanima, the kanima that Gerard controlled. And now he was dead? He couldn't be dead.

He couldn't be.

"Get down here!" Melissa barked at her, in full nurse mood. "Get down her and hold his head."

Olivia scrambled to obey, dropping to her knees right by Jackson's head. She tilted his head up just as Melissa instructed her to do and tried not to shed anymore tears. Lydia was watching. Lydia was watching Jackson die and she had to be strong for her.

And then all the breath left her as the whispers started up again.

Stiles. Stiles. Stiles. Stiles.

"Where's my son?" Noah shouted from a few feet away, looking around the thinning crowd. "Where's Stiles? Where the hell is my son?"

(Gif is not mine)

#teen wolf rewrite #stiles stilinski x oc #stiles stilinksi x reader #teen wolf #stiles stilinski #stiles stilinski fanfiction #teen wolf fanfiction #stiles stilinski x original character

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nightlight9 · 4 years

Text

For the People, I Give Myself to You

Themes: Arranged Marriage; Wedding; Medieval

Rating: G

Summary: This was never what Derek wanted, never what his parents wanted for any of their children. But this is the best thing that he can do to help the kingdom, and he’s proud that he can support his people in this way. He just hopes, with every fiber of his being, that Prince Stilinski will turn out to be a decent husband.

AO3

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“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Laura tells him for the forth time since she pushed her way into his room. Derek ignores her, focusing on making sure that his cravat is straight. Smacking at his hands, Laura reaches out to smooth the fabric herself. “I’m serious, Derek. Just say the word and I’ll call the whole thing off.” Despite the quiver in her voice, Derek doesn’t believe her. It’s not that he doubts that she would fight everyone for him if he asked, because he knows his sister better than anyone and knows that she would without hesitating. But this is something that has to happen. For them, and for their people.

“I don’t mind,” he says finally. He can’t even say for sure if he’s being honest. On one hand, this was never what Derek wanted, never what his parents wanted for any of their children. On the other hand, this is the best thing that he can do to help the kingdom, and he’s proud that he can support his people in this way.

Pulling away from Laura so that he doesn’t have to see how her lips pinch together, Derek turns and examines himself in the mirror. Even with the unease making his stomach clench, Derek can admit that he looks good. The suit he’s wearing was designed and created specifically for this moment, its fabric rich and new brushing against his skin. The color, a deep emerald detailed with silver thread, makes his eyes startlingly bright. Puffing out his chest, Derek hazards a smile. These are his families colors and he will wear them with pride.

Laura catches his gaze in the mirror. “You look really good, Der,” she says finally, tucking her chin against his shoulder. Her voice is soft and tinged with a sadness that Derek understands all too well. Without her having to say it, Derek knows that Laura is thinking about their parents, about how they should be here. His own sadness mirrors hers perfectly, grief born from losing them so recently and so unexpectedly. He wishes, more than anything, that they were here. Their father, a boisterous man with a bright smile and brighter heart, would help Derek get ready. His smile would be wide and proud, and he would lighten the mood with his jokes and sincerity. Their mother would be busy making sure that everything was perfectly in place and ready for the ceremony (something that Laura should be doing now instead of staying at Derek’s side). She still would have made time to see him though, adjusting his collar and kissing his cheek gently, tears threatening to ruin her makeup.

Derek likes to think that they both would be proud of him for what he’s doing. At least, he hopes that they would be. Doing this without them is almost harder than doing it at all, which says something considering that Derek is a hopeless romantic who always dreamed of marrying for love. But this is for his family and his people. And there is nothing that Derek loves more than those two things.

Someone knocks on the door, two courteous thwacks before it’s pushed inward, breaking up the moment between the two siblings. Anders sticks his head in, looking apologetic. He had been on the council with their parents, watched Derek and Laura grow into the people they are today, and then pledged allegiance to Laura after their parents were killed. He knows, probably more than most of the council, how hard of a day this is.

“My apologies,” Anders says, stepping just inside the door so that he can bow at them respectfully. Laura tried to break him of that habit years ago, but finally gave up when every effort was met with a smile and more polite bowing. “I hate disrupting your time together, but everything is in place and the guests are waiting.”

Laura’s mouth pinches together. Unable to help it, Derek reaches out and pulls her into a tight hug, not caring if it wrinkles his suit or her gown. When he pulls back, Derek does his best to pretend he doesn’t see the tears gathered at the corner of her lashes as he turns to Anders. Standing straight with his head held high, Derek’s voice doesn’t quiver when he tells him, “Okay. I’m ready.”

Bowing again, Anders turns and leads the siblings out of the room. As soon as the doors fall shut behind them, the guards waiting there take their posts at the end of the party. Derek pays them no mind. Having grown up in the grand manor, he’s used to being tailed by guards. They are as familiar to him as the hallway they’re walking down, and in this moment Derek can’t help but be thankful for their steady presence.

“I will go into the hall first with King Stilinski at my side,” Laura says, her tone that of a queen. “I will thank everyone for gathering here for the occasion, give a small speech to mark the day, and then I will formally introduce you. Once you’ve joined me at the front of the hall, King Stilinski will call for the prince to join us. Then Master Finstock will conduct the ceremony. Afterwards I will give a closing remark, you will walk out with your husband, and everyone will adjourn to the ballroom for dinner and dancing. You need not worry about making a speech yourself; it is not expected of you to do so, even at the reception later. However, you will be called for a dance with the prince. Afterwards, you both may retire whenever you please, though it would be nice if you stayed for a little while to enjoy the party.”

Derek takes a deep breath, ignoring how shaky his exhale is. This is the right thing to do, he reminds himself. It doesn’t mater that he has never met Prince Stilinski before. This is what needs to be done.

Laura reaches out and grips his elbow, pulling him to a halt on the side of the hallway. “Remember what I said earlier,” she says, voice fierce. Her eyes glow inhuman red, a testament to how much she means this. “One word, that’s all I need.”

Inclining his head, Derek smiles. For the first time all day, the smile feels real. “I know. Really Laura, I’m okay. This is what is right, and I am honored to be able to do this for our kingdom.” Your kingdom, a voice in the back of his head reminds him. After today, he will belong to his husband’s kingdom. They will be allies, and Triskelion will always be his home, but he will be moving to Beacon Hills to stand at his husband’s side.

With a sharp nod, Laura releases him and starts walking again. “You will spend two days here before leaving for Beacon Hills, as per the standard custom, but you will stay in the rooms we’ve set up and provided for you and Prince Stilinski in the South wing. Isaac, Boyd and Erica are all going with you, so you needn’t worry about feeling cut off from the pack. I promise that the Stilinski’s understand your condition and have no concerns about allowing them to go with you. And I figured that having your best friends around would help you not to feel so alone.”

“Thank you,” Derek says, watching her from the corner of his eye. “For taking so much care with this.”

She scoffs, “It’s my job Derek,” but he can tell that she’s pleased. They reach the foyer and, straightening her posture, she nods at the guards to open the door. Inside, King Stilinski is waiting by one of the windows. He’s a proud looking man, just touched by age, and his scent is soft and welcoming. When they enter the room, he turns and smiles at them, inclining his head slightly in Laura’s direction before turning his attention to Derek.

“You must be my future son-in-law,” he says, stepping forward to take Derek’s hand. He gives it a strong shake before cupping both of his hands around it in a surprisingly caring way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Son. I’m looking forward to getting to know you, after this whole circus is over.”

Laura looks around the room, taking in the collection of guards. “King Stilinski, where is the prince?”

The king shakes his head. “Please, call me John. If we’re to be family, it’s best to get the formalities out of the way.”

Laura smiles, a real and genuine expression. John’s easy-going attitude and kind demeanor makes it easy to relax. “John,” she tires it out, smiling wider. “Where is your son?”

“He's finishing getting ready. We-.” He clears his throat, sounding sheepish suddenly. “It might sound a little silly, but in Beacon Hills we have a tradition where the bride and groom, or in this case the groom and groom, don’t see each other until after the ceremony begins. It’s mostly old superstition, but Stiles wanted to keep with the tradition.”

Derek swallows, shifting uncomfortably. He had been hoping that he would have had a few minutes before everything started to meet the man that he was to marry.

John gives him an understanding smile. “I know that that’s less than ideal, but Stiles was adamant about it.”

He sighs. “That’s alright. At least I had a chance to meet you. I’m sure Prince Stilinski and I will have plenty of time to get to know each other after the ceremony.”

John claps him on the back good naturally. “That’s the spirit.”

Anders checks the clock on the wall and clears his throat. “My apologies, your Highnesses, but it’s time. We have to get the ceremony started.”

John rubs his hands together, then drops his arms and straightens his shoulders. “Lead the way,” he inclines his head to Laura, falling into step with her as they follow Anders out of the room. Derek trails after them, trying his best to ignore the knot that’s formed in the pit of his stomach. This is it. He’s about to be married. He can do this.

When they arrive at the entrance to the great hall where the ceremony will take place, John offers Laura his arm. She delicately accepts it, tucking her hands around his elbow. Before they leave him behind, Laura turns to flash her eyes at Derek. “I will see you soon,” she promises.

Derek can feel his own eyes glow gold in response, but he keeps his mouth shut, watching as Laura inclines her head at the guards to open the doors so that they may get started. Then she’s being swept inside, taking John with her amid the applause from the crowd, and Derek is alone with Anders and the guards.

Leaning back against the wall, Derek closes his eyes and does his best to catch his breath. He wishes, more than anything, that one of his friends was here with him. Boyd would give him some good advice and remind him of his station. Erica would smack him upside the head and tell him to stop overthinking everything. And Isaac would curl against him, doing his best to comfort Derek by being close to his pack member.

Boyd had even offered to wait with him, but Derek didn’t want to make him stay behind and miss the ceremony.

“Pardon me sir,” Anders says, stepping up to Derek’s side, effectively breaking Derek from his thoughts. His familiar eyes are kind as he waits for Derek to straighten up from the wall. “If I may be so bold.” He doesn’t finish his sentence though. Instead, he waits until Derek gestures for him to continue before he moves closer and pulls Derek into a tight hug.

For a drawn out moment, Derek doesn’t know how to react. In all of his years knowing Anders, there was only one other moment where he can recall touching him, and that was when Derek’s grandmother died. Anders had been the one to find Derek, who had been hiding since he felt her connection to the pack break off. He had crawled into the back of one of the servant closets, crying to himself as he tried to come to terms with the fact that his beloved grandmother was lost forever. Instead of forcing him to come out and face what had happened, Anders had crawled into the space beside him and pulled Derek into his side, allowing the young boy to sob against his chest until his mother eventually sought him out.

Talia had thanked Anders for taking care of her son, and he had bowed and replied that he was simply doing his duty, as though taking care of a grief stricken Derek was a part of his everyday job description as her advisor. And that had been that.

Now, he hugs Derek close, arms tight across his shoulders. Exhaling, Derek relaxes against him, feeling small once more. The action brings tears to his eyes, and he holds onto Anders tighter. This man was one of his parents’ most trusted companions. He watched Derek grow up, just as they had, helping to guide him on his way when he got lost in all of the noise of royal living.

“You should be proud of yourself,” Anders says finally, pulling away from the hug. He keeps a grip on Derek’s shoulders, holding him at arms length so that he can look him in the eyes. “I have had many privileges granted over the course of my time working for your family. Watching you and your sister grow up has been one of the best though. It has been an honor, watching you become someone who is lead by kindness and cares about his people over everything else. You are smart, and wise beyond your years, and I know without a doubt that Talia and Sebastian would be so very proud of you.”

Tears sting Derek’s eyes. With a small smile, Anders reaches out and brushes a stray tear away before he releases his hold on Derek and steps back. “I know that you are worried about what will happen after all of this unfolds, but I have no doubt that you will thrive in Beacon Hills, just as you have here. You are braver than you believe Derek, never forget that. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” clearing his throat, he bows and moves back in the direction of the door, listening to Laura give her speech inside so that he can send Derek in after his introduction.

Derek is grateful that Laura will have Anders to look after her when he is gone. For all that he seems to be the picture of a respectful advisor and nothing more, it's clear that he cares about the Hale family. Derek is grateful for him. His words have strengthened the resolve that Derek has been feeling about the wedding. Even though it doesn’t make up for the fact that his parents aren’t there, Derek feels better knowing that someone who had known them so well is going to be there to watch him get married in their place.

“Your Highness,” Anders says, turning to look at him with proud, gleaming eyes. “It is time.”

Straightening his shoulders, Derek moves to the entrance of the great hall. Before he steps inside, he turns to Anders and says, “Thank you,” hoping that he understands just how much Derek means that.

Anders smiles and bows deeply. And then Derek takes a deep breath, and passes over the threshold into the hall. He can feel everyone’s eyes on him as he moves down the aisle, but he keeps his own gaze locked on where Laura stands at the front of the crowd waiting for him. When he steps up to her side, she kisses each of his cheeks gently and then moves off to the side. John takes her place beside Derek, shaking his hand and then waiting until Derek has moved to where Finstock is waiting before beginning his own introduction.

He talks about Beacon Hills and what this marriage will mean for both kingdoms, and Derek tries his best to pay attention. This is, after all, going to be his new home. But he gets distracted looking for his friends in the crowd. When he finally finds them amongst the guests, a real smile pulls his lips up. Boyd looks stoic as ever sitting tall and proud at the end of the row they’re in. He meets Derek’s gaze and gives him the slightest of nods before reaching out and taking Erica’s hand. His wife is crying into a handkerchief while simultaneously doing her best not to look like she’s crying. Ignoring what John is saying, Derek raises his eyebrows at her. Subtly she bares her teeth at him, a threat that makes Derek’s smile grow. Beside her, Isaac rolls his eyes at their display, but Derek doesn’t miss the way that he sniffles discreetly to himself.

He’s about to raise his eyebrows at Isaac too, but then a new scent captures his attention. In a room full of people, some of whom are wearing perfumes and oils, the smell of everything is almost overwhelming. But through it all, one scent stands out. Like lightening during a thunderstorm, there’s a power in the scent, an infectious energy that captures Derek’s attention. Tilting his head slightly upwards, Derek takes in the sweet smell of dark chocolate and cinnamon, spicy and warm. And then, Derek sees where it’s coming from.

The doors at the end of the hall have opened once more and Prince Stilinski is striding through, head held high as he moves down the aisle. Derek’s first thought is that he’s the one that smells really nice.

His second thought is that he’s beautiful. His hair is ashy brown in color, and while it is not as dark as Derek’s, it compliments his pale skin perfectly. He’s tall and toned, and, dressed in a deep red suit, he’s the brightest thing in the room. It’s impossible to look away from him. Perhaps the most striking thing though are his eyes, which are a bright bourbon and are so full of life that Derek feels a little drunk just looking at them.

This man is meant to be Derek’s husband? There must be some mistake. Derek doesn’t understand how he isn’t already married and why someone like him agreed to an arranged marriage.

Maybe he has a terrible personality, his brain offers, trying to make sense of the situation. Derek doesn’t have time to dwell on it though, because before he knows it Prince Stilinski is stepping up beside John, allowing his father to kiss his cheeks before taking his place in front of Derek. When he’s settled in place, he smiles at Derek. Helplessly, Derek smiles back.

“Thank you all for coming,” Finstock says, startling Derek enough to make him jump. “We’ve all gathered here today to celebrate the union of two great kingdoms, and I have the honor of joining together Prince Derek Hale of Triskelion and Prince Mieczysław Stilinski of Beacon Hills in glorious matrimony. Some of you may be wondering how it is that I’ve been selected for this important task, and to those people I say-.”

Laura clears her throat, raising her eyebrows expectantly when Finstock looks over at her. The whole thing makes Derek roll his eyes (albeit a little fondly), and Stiles has to reach up to muffle his laughter against his lips when Finstock blushes.

“Right.” He clears his throat. “Prince Derek Sebastian Hale, do you accept the hand of Prince Mieczysław Klaus Stilinski with the gods as witness? Do you promise to devote yourself and your time to him, vowing to follow him as you follow the moon?” Derek can feel his expression twitch. Laura thought that using the traditional vows of Triskelion would be a nice way to connect them to those that came before. Derek didn’t agree with her, and now, hearing the vows, he can’t help but feel a little uncomfortable. It’s not that their lycan ancestry is a secret. But this isn’t a ceremony between two werewolves. Prince Stilinski is human. He could never understand the weight of the vow.

Still, it was important to Laura that they follow tradition, and Derek had finally agreed. Besides, these were the same vows that their parents spoke at their wedding, and Derek likes knowing that this is something he can share with them.

Reaching out with shaking fingers, Derek takes Prince Stilinski’s right hand. He holds it delicately while he wraps a piece of red ribbon to symbolize their union around his wrist before letting it go again. Finstock holds out a small bowl filled with blue water blessed by the moon, and Derek dips two fingers into it before taking Prince Stilinski’s left hand. Carefully he rubs a strip of the water across the back of his hand, leaving a pale blue streak as he goes. These two actions have always been a part of the traditional wedding ceremonies in Triskelion, and Prince Stilinski takes everything in stride. He must have done his research beforehand so that he was prepared.

When he’s finished, Derek takes a shining silver ring from Finstock and gently slips it onto Prince Stilinski’s finger. “So I do swear,” he says, keeping his voice even and strong. Before he has a chance to pull his hands away, Prince Stilinski tightens his grip, squeezing gently in an almost reassuring way. When Derek looks up at him in surprise, his smile is radiant.

“Prince Mieczysław Klaus Stilinski,” Finstock booms, breaking whatever spell had Derek captivated, “Do you accept the hand of Prince Derek Sebastian Hale with the gods as witness? Do you promise to devote yourself and your time to him, vowing to remain loyal and true for as long as you shall both live? Do you vow to stand with him, sharing your elations and your woes as equals?”

These are the more familiar, more traditional vows that several of the kingdoms use. Because Prince Stilinski isn’t a werewolf, it only seemed appropriate to use these vows for him. But the rest of the ceremony is the same. With steady hands, he tries the ribbon around Derek’s wrist, his fingers lingering momentarily against his pulse point before moving to the other hand. The water is cool against Derek’s skin, a direct contrast to how hot Prince Stilinski’s fingers are. And then he’s slipping the silver ring onto Derek’s finger.

“With the gods as our witnesses, please kiss and finish this binding.” For a moment, Derek freezes. He had forgotten about the kiss. Luckily, Prince Stilinski seems more confident. Without hesitating, he steps forward into Derek’s space and reaches for his face. Cupping both hands carefully around his jaw, he closes his eyes and brings his lips down gently against Derek’s. As far as kisses go, it is soft and chaste, barely a brush of skin against skin. But still, warmth shoots down Derek’s spine, making his toes tingle with it.

The applause around them is boisterous and filled with joy. Laura steps toward them, smiling big. Only the people closest to her would notice how the smile isn’t quite genuine. “Thank you. We invite all of you to follow us to the ballroom for dinner and dancing to celebrate this occasion.”

With that she holds out her arm once more for John. They both smile as they make their way down the aisle. Derek watches them go for a moment, before he holds his own arm out for Prince Stilinski. “Shall we,” he asks. For the first time since he appeared at he great hall’s doors, the prince looks off balance. “I know a place where we can take a moment to breathe,” Derek offers. He enjoys the way that Prince Stilinski smiles at him, gratitude shining in his bright eyes.

“Then please, lead the way your Highness.”

Tucking their arms together, Derek leads them away from the stage. The applause is still overwhelming, echoing in Derek’s chest as they go. As soon as they exit the great hall, Derek takes a firmer grip on Prince Stilinski’s arm and pulls him down a small corridor leading away from the ballroom. Navigating through the manor is so easy that Derek could do it with his eyes closed if needed, and soon enough he’s tugging them into the library, shutting the doors carefully behind them.

Prince Stilinski looks around appreciatively before settling into one of the large chairs situated off to the side. Looking up at Derek, he smiles. “Hello.”

Absurdly, Derek can feel himself blush. “Hello.”

“I’m sorry that we didn’t have a chance to talk prior to the wedding.”

Shrugging gracelessly, Derek sits down across from him. “The King explained everything to my sister and I, so I understand why you wanted to wait.”

“You can just call him John, you know. The use of official titles is a little unnecessary now that we’re married, wouldn’t you agree?”

There’s something about that that has bothered Derek since he found out about the engagement. He clears his throat. “I don’t-. How do you pronounce your name?” His flush darkens. He can’t look Prince Stilinski in the eye. “I wanted to learn the correct pronunciation before the wedding, but, well, I don't even know if Finstock pronounced it right and-.” He trails off, partly because he doesn’t know how to continue his train of thought and partly because his companion has begun to laugh.

“Oh no, I’ll keep that monstrosity to myself thank you. Hearing it several times today was enough for a lifetime. Please, call me Stiles.”

Derek recalls John calling his son Stiles too, and tries the name out for himself, relieved when it’s much easier to say than his given name. “And you can call me Derek,” he says. “I don’t have a nickname or anything else, but it is a short enough name that-.”

Stiles laughs again, though it isn't a cruel sound. “Thank you, Derek.” His name in Stiles’ mouth sounds new and intimate in a way that makes Derek shiver. He wants to ask why Stiles wasn’t already married, wants to know why he picked Derek of all people. But he keeps those thoughts to himself. They have a reception to get to, after all. They shouldn’t keep the people waiting. “Come on,” he says, climbing out of his chair. “We should get to the reception before my sister sends her guards to come and find us.”

With his luck, Laura would send Erica after them. He can only imagine how that would go.

Reluctantly, Stiles gets to his feet. He seems to hesitate for a moment, the first since Derek has met him, before reaching out and carefully taking Derek’s hand. Warmth spreads from where their skin is pressed together up Derek’s arm. He’s sure that his blush has yet to fade, but at least Stiles looks a little red now too. “I know that we have a lot we need to discuss in terms of this marriage. But, maybe for tonight we can just enjoy the party?”

Derek hadn’t really thought about not enjoying the party, but now with Stiles holding his hand he wonders for the first time whether this marriage might actually work out. Deciding that he’s actually kind of looking forward to seeing where this is going to go, he adjusts their hands to thread their fingers together. Then, feeling brave for the first time all night, he brings Stiles’ hand up to his mouth and presses a gentle kiss against his knuckles.

“Let’s go enjoy our party,” he agrees, only pulling Stiles’ hand far enough away from his mouth that he can speak the words.

Stiles blinks at him, eyes wide and mouth parted. Then he grins, and it's brighter than the sun. “Lead the way.”

#sterek bingo 2020 #sterek fic #my writing #sterek arranged marriage #sterek royalty #prince derek #prince stiles #first meetings #royalty au #sbarrangedmarriage #sbwedding #sbmedieval

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penwieldingdreamer · 4 years

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My best friend, naughty lover and partner for life

Thanks so much guys for all the feedback. So glad you like this story. I hope you’ll like this part, too.

Warnings: slight angst, a bit of fluff, hormones

Words: 1532

Part 1 Part 2

Part 3

You were in your fifth month of the pregnancy now and thankfully Keanu hadn’t discovered it yet with him being away for press tour, photo calls and productions of his current movies. Grad told you it wasn’t that he wouldn’t be happy for you, the opposite actually, but with his life story there would be sadness and anger, so the mechanic and one half of ARCH told you to keep it as quiet as possible.

Just thinking about the few times he had come by the shop, it had been a miracle for him not to notice your bigger belly and the hormonal outburst you were suffering from. While the change in appearance hadn’t been such a hard task to cover up with wider shirts or flowing dresses, the mood swings were the bigger issue. One time Laura had asked you to call a client so he could get his bike from the shop, you had suddenly burst out in tears, shocking both Grad and your co-worker.

Rubbing your belly, you felt a soft flutter from your baby. The doctor had told you now would be the time that it was big enough to feel their movements, just like a butterfly sitting on your hand.

“How are you doing, Y/N?” Laura moved into the office, one big cup of coffee and one cup of tea in her hands. She put your tea down on the desk and sat there, watching you excitedly.

You smiled at your friend and leaned back in the chair. “I’m moody, I hate the cravings and the hunger but my doctor said everything is fine.”

“Yeah, I gotcha.” she grinned at you. “I was the same with Lizzy. Brandon was excited but he was so afraid of my mood swings.”

Nodding your head you send her a quick smile, but at the mention of her husband your mood turned sour again. Tommy had decided to not be part of your child’s life, he didn’t even want to be a father and you couldn’t understand why. There was nothing more beautiful than holding your child and seeing them grow up.

Before you knew it Laura had pulled you into a hug and stroked your back. You hadn’t even realized that you were crying until you reached up and brushed your fingers against the wet trail across your cheeks. The older woman cooed at you, running your fingers through your hair to calm you down a bit. Unbeknownst to you both Keanu, who had just stopped by to check if everything was fine, and Grad walked by the office.

“You girls all right?” His husky voice pulled you out of your thoughts.

Laura turned towards your boss and smiled reassuringly. “Of course. It’s just mood swings.” She started and you could see Grad’s eyes widen as her mouths ran loose. He gestured with his hand for her to quit but she wouldn’t acknowledge him. “You know, it’s the same for every mother-to-be. Hormones, the cravings”

“Laura, stop it.” you hissed at her but she would have none of it and you could see Keanu becoming uncomfortable by the minute. He cleared his throat and sent you a look you couldn’t quite read, was it annoyance or sadness? Maybe anger, frustration?

“Grad, I’ll better leave. Let me know how the meeting with the new client goes.” The dark haired actor turned to you, his lips pressed tightly together and you saw his hands clenching. “And of course, congratulations. I hope everything is going well.” With that he left the office and both, Grad and you starred at Laura. She was biting her lip and looked apologetic at the two of you.

“I’m sorry, I just get so excited when someone near me is pregnant.” With a deep sigh she looked down at her feet. You patted her hand and gave her a soft smile which she gladly returned.

Getting up from the chair you turned your other boss, who still stood in the door way with his hand on the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension of this whole act. “Grad, do you know where he might have gone? Is there a place he likes to go to think? I’d like to apologize for this right now.”

“You don’t have to apologize, really. Ke was just shocked, I guess.” he sighed and patted your shoulder, rubbing away your worries.

Shrugging, you turned back to your chair where the light cardigan your wore over the red summer dress today, laid over the back of the chair. “I don’t care, I just want to talk to him, you told me about his life and I don’t want to be on his bad side.”

“He’s probably at Westwood Village Memorial, it’s where Ava and Jenny are buried. You can’t miss it.”

Thanking the mechanic you sprinted outside, hoping to catch the next bus to Westwood. Before you reached the stop Laura came running up to you, waving her car keys at you. “Here, take my car. It’s got a navigation system ‘cause I know you still don’t know your way around LA.”

Grinning you took the keys and marched off toward her car. “Thanks Laura, I’ll give it back in one piece.”

“You better!” she called after you and went back to work.

Taking a deep breath you started the Audi, put in the direction of the cemetery and hoped against hope, that Keanu would still be there. You knew you should have talked to him like the friend he’d became over the last few weeks, but you were afraid of his reaction, hurting his feelings by parading your pregnancy around like a peacock.

»¤«

It felt like forever until you reached the cemetery. Goosebumps had broken out when you drove through the gates, feeling the atmosphere around you. His bike was at the parking lot, so he still must have been inside. Once out of the car you breathed in deeply and moved toward the memorial park. It was kind of idyllic even though this was where people buried their loved ones. The graves were marked stones in the ground and on most of them laid bouquets of flowers. As you made your way around the pathway you could see the lone figure still clad in his leather jacket sitting on a small stone bench in front of the graves you assumed where his daughter’s and girlfriend’s.

“Fucking hormones.” you whispered angrily as the tears made their way down your cheeks.

Stepping up to the bench you fought an internal battle, not sure if you should stay where you were or just sit down next to him. While you still debated with yourself Keanu had turned around, the feeling of being watched having sent a shiver down his spine. He saw you standing there with red rimmed eyes and fresh tear tracks on you skin. Without hesitation he reached out and gently grabbed onto your wrist, pulling you down to sit beside him. You let out a soft gasp when you felt his touch but the shocked expression made way to a sweet, yet unsure smile.

“I’m sorry.” you told him, biting your lip as you sat there, looking at the two graves. “I should have opened up about the pregnancy, but Grad told me about Ava and Jennifer and I didn’t want to hurt you further.”

The dark haired actor was still silent, his dark eyes trained on the names on stones. “Grad’s an idiot, you could have told me.” he finally broke the silence, turning to you. “My life has always been an up and down. My father left us when I was three, my best friend died because of an OCD and then I lost my first child and the woman I fell head over heels. Ever since I haven’t had a serious relationship ‘cause I couldn’t bear the pain of going through something like this again.”

Feeling the pain in his words you reached out and held onto his hand, stroking the skin on the back. He took a deep breath, giving you a soft smile. “I believe we have become good friends in the last three months that you have been working at ARCH.”

“Of course we are.” you gasped, your eyes widening. “I just thought you’d be angry with all that’s happened to you before.” Looking down at your hand you fiddled with a loose thread on the cardigan. Keanu reached out and laid his bigger palm on your cheek, watching you closely with his dark eyes.

“My life wasn’t ideal, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not happy. There’s the shop, the movies I’m making and my family and friends. You’re part of that now.” He pulled you into a tight hug. “And I’d really like to know that everything is okay with the two of you. I mean I’m a great uncle.”

You burst out in giggles returning the hug just as tight and yet you felt a pang in your heart when he said the word 'Uncle’. You had hoped there could be more to this relationship.

Part 4

Taglist

@meetmeinthematinee @ladyreapermc @axshadows @a-really-bi-girl @fanficsrusz @ficsnroses @toomanystoriessolittletime @fortheloveoffanfic @pinkzsugar @lunaeminxxx @momorix3 @sallyp-53 @keanureeefs @baphometwolf666 @mrspeacem1nusone

#keanu reeves x reader #keanu reeves imagine #keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves #reader #fanfiction #story

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maskeddevera · 4 years

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Thoughts on Jester’s 2nd playlist

Laura Bailey’s playlists are so great! My thoughts on her most recent playlist under the cut:

“Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows” - Lenka

Jester is aggressively optimistic and kicks butt with her spiritual weapon.

“Caution” - The Killers

Per Laura’s comment about Nicodranus, this song is all about Jester taking the leap and pushing her luck far enough with her pranks that she leaves behind everything that she knew before. It’s about leaving the nest. There’s a nod to Jester’s mama (”But you can’t shoot what she’s seen / Her momma was a dancer / And that’s all that she knew.”) Jester’s mood swings are also referenced (”she can go from zero to the Fourth of July.”)

“Shiny” - Sara Bareilles

Jester ponders her mother. They check in over messages.Marion is calm and has her patterns, but “once in a while I catch a glimpse of the truest things that she keeps hidden / Her secret heart, that’s my favorite part.” I think part of this song might be Jester thinking about how she could help her mom.

“Ur So F**kingG cOoL” - Tones and I

I LOVE this song for Jester as well as Laura’s commentary on it (”just because she seems naive or innocent, that doesn’t mean Jester doesn’t understand what’s going on around her.”) My favorite lyrics are “Ha, you’re not fooling me, you’re just a puppet on a string” and “Walk into a party, feelin’ out of place / Everyone’s too cool, everyone’s too fake / I try to start a conversation but I can’t seem to relate.” I also love the lyrics “Where have all my friends gone? I seem to have lost them on my way / And now, their spots are filled with Ken dolls / They tell me that I have got to stay.” Jester knows what is happening.

“Connect” by Elohim

Per Laura, Jester was desperate to find someone to connect with, someone who would understand her. There is a loneliness about Jester. This song is about meeting Fjord. “I’ve got a plan.” She finds him attractive (”I like your eyes” - “What do you taste like?”) but knows that she should slow it down. Something interesting about this song is that initially their relationship was “Lives intersecting / No walls protecting.” This song is about Jester and Fjord’s relationship before they retreated behind their respective walls a bit, but it’s also a time when Jester was comparing their connection to storybook ideals.

“Summer’s Gone” - Aberfeldy

Another great song for this playlist. I admit I was amused by the lyrics ”Well, we get along / Yeah we really do / And there’s nothing wrong / With what I feel for you” because sometimes people who are not fans of the Jester and Fjord relationship try to say that their relationship is problematic when it’s not. I interpret this song as: Jester continues to have strong feelings for Fjord, but she doesn’t feel that they are reciprocated (”you’ve given me nothing.”) Jester vacillates between moving on with her life and the fact that she continues to have feelings for him. Fjord needs to overtly demonstrate interest or Jester might give up on him and move on. (In my opinion, Laura is warning Travis here as well that he needs to decide whether to pursue this narrative thread or the opportunity might go away).

“Formidable” - Amy Lilley

This song might be my favorite song on this playlist. It’s so relatable. “These highs and lows are formidable, but I can take it.” Also, “And I’ve been hiding from my reflection / Always second-guessing.” It breaks my heart that Jester no longer can find the same comfort in the Traveler that she did before because she knows now he wasn’t who she thought he was. Every choice that Laura is making recently in the game about Jester struggling with now having to put on a brave face for him as well has been perfect.

“Anywhere u go” - Tove Lo

This song is so sad. But I, “I’m darker at heart / And so their smiles are playing tricks on me.” Jester continues to follow the Traveler and take his powers, but she doesn’t feel the same as she did when she first met him. I like the nod to his other followers, “Then we go out with your friends / All these new faces are a blur to me / And I try, I try / I really do, really do / Try to pretend that I get it / ‘Cause I’m hoping it will click some day.” It’s a song about nostalgia for their relationship before it became more complicated.

“Tell Me It’ll Be Alright” - Freedom Fly

Laura introduces this song as “a good cult song.” It appears to be about her close relationship with the Traveler with a creepy undertone. “Just tell me that it’ll be alright.”

“Bad Bad World” - Guster

Laura comments that Jester can make the world better. So while Jester is living through strange times in world that feels bad, she is clinging to hope for things to turn around. Relatable.

#Laura Bailey #Jester #Jester Lavorre #Critical Role: Campaign 2 #Fjorester #The Traveler #Marion Lavorre #Critical Role #music #playlist #Fjorjester #The Emerald and the Sapphire #Fjord x Jester #Jester x Fjord #Matthew Mercer #Matt Mercer #Travis Willingham

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professorspork · 4 years

Text

i know I always say this, but, last night REALLY WAS the BUSIEST OF DAYS in the Reaper War

before I get into yesterday’s gameplay, I realized I forgot to react to the fact that Jacob got Brynn pregnant, which -- again, I suppose that wraps up everything about his backstory in a nice little bow, lad of the bad dad gets to be good dad, but like... it still gives like they gave his character incredibly short shrift. so. humbug to that.

but I have bigger fish to fry (ha ha, literally, see what I did there?) because ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, AND ALL OF THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I rescued Ann Bryson, and learned that -- shocker -- she had a bad relationship with her dad. I uh may have condoned her getting a bit of a nasty nose bleed in order to track the Leviathan to Despoina, where as ever I got to read a bunch of people’s weirdly specific sad diaries. my jump into the depths was very cool and scary (does no one get the bends in the future???) and I enjoyed my The First-style body swapping conversation with the Leviathan in which I tried to prove I’m ~special and this time is ~different. on the one hand, I don’t know why I expected the origin of the Reapers to be anything other than yet another story of AI gone wrong, but this whole cinematic parallels thing is starting to edge out of “everything matches up and is of a piece” territory and into the murkier waters of “we kind of only had one idea, actually.” to reveal that the Reapers’ plan is just stray AI code to ‘preserve life’ is at once very chilling and a bit of a let down; when I think back to when I talked to Sovereign for the first time and I had my initial “GOD IS A MACHINE THAT WANTS TO KILL US” freak out, I was in fact very on board for an evil plan too broad and complex for a human mind to fathom. for it to be this feels kind of predictable and pedestrian.

that said, watching the Leviathan take down a huge-ass Reaper capital ship with its pulse signal was very satisfying.

oh no this is going to get very long, now that you’ve had this fun teaser i’m gonna put the rest under a cut

then we kicked it on over to Thessia and I highkey traumatized my girlfriend. I feel like I should have seen the reveal that the asari were more advanced because they were hoarding prothean tech coming, but I didn’t. hearing and seeing all the asari commandos helping me get wiped out was a real gut punch, but didn’t hold a candle to my frustration at the confrontation with Kai Leng. I’m not mad that the game wouldn’t let me beat him, per se (though I still think it’s ridiculous that I’ve taken down a Reaper by myself and I’m supposed to be afraid of a dude with a knife), but I am pissed that it all happened with combat cut scene magic. this game has given me difficult combat before! if, in fighting Kai Leng, I’d genuinely felt outmatched, I think I would have tolerated it better -- or if the combat had been me fighting the Harvesters and then Kai Leng sneaked around me because that’s what he does, he sneaks. but to have such a relatively easy combat sequence with him that felt very much like winning just to have it snatched away from me... maddening. WHY CAN’T I BEAT THIS ONE GUY AND HIS KNIFE? I don’t want to be all “Kai Leng is a Mary Sue” but like... he got to murder Thane and then beat me in overtime, and his entire vibe is I exist to sell action figures even though that’s not, as far as I know, any part of Mass Effect’s profit model. so it’s just frustrating. and for them to then rub salt in the wound and have him EMAIL ME to be like “lol snowflake r u triggered” was just. MY PATIENCE IS THIN, ME3. DON’T PUSH ME.

seeing Shepard have to admit to failure was a gutting scene, though, and a necessary one. and watching Liara fight with Javik was highkey satisfying, too.

so anyway, because i was BIG MAD at Cerberus I tracked them first to that one N7 communications mission--

(Sample dialogue: Helen: Why aren’t you using cover? You’re going to die! Use cover! Me, jumping out of cover and rushing Cerberus goons trying to melee them to death: BECAUSE I’M MAD)

-- and then to Sanctuary, and HOO BOY WAS THAT A LOT OR WHAT. from the second I heard Oriana’s voice I had a pretty good idea of what was going on here, but seeing in in practice was still creepy af. and like. i’m just gonna go out on a limb and say INDOCTRINATION BAD. I AM NOT A FAN. shout out to that one capitalist volus on the Citadel who was like “lol sanctuary is a scam don’t waste your money” i guess

additionally, last night was significant because I picked not one but TWO ENTIRE renegade convince options, because I saw no reason to be nice to terrorist daddy the illusive man or actual terrorist daddy Mr. Lawson. after I got through all that, Helen explained to me how difficult it apparently is to keep Miranda alive by the end of that confrontation, so I got to do some WHAT LIKE IT’S HARD? preening at how Nice Sheps Finish First sometimes.

but as usual, the real highlight is getting to know my crew better and talking with them. I finally got some prime flirting in with Liara during Leviathan. it was VERY cute when she was like “man what’s with you rescuing damsels from dig sites? if you end up teaming up with her to save the world and bring down the shadow broker i’ll be very jealous. ... and concerned” and WEIRDLY CUTER when she was like “hey the only tentacled alien who gets to mess with your brain is ME” because Liara is like 115 by now considering how slowly i’m getting through these missions and she still does not know what romance is.

[no but seriously, Liara does not know what romance is. half the time I’m still going WE’RE STILL DATING, RIGHT? every time she refuses to talk to me. and even after Thessia, when everyone was like “go talk to Liara, she needs you” and even JAVIK of all people was like “you’re dating Liara, right? it’s so obvious” our interactions did not feel particularly... romantic? it’s a tricky needle to thread, obviously, I’m not looking for sloppy makeouts right after millions of her people died, but it still reads as very odd to me. anyway.]

Javik’s story about how he once had a ship like the Normandy and a crew of friends like mine and they all ended up indoctrinated and he had to personally slit their throats went way harder than I ever expected it to. even just the IDEA of having to do that as my Shep upsets me. i’m legit enjoying getting to know Javik, even though i’m still GuessWhoJustGotYelledAt.jpg every time I leave his room. I HAD ENOUGH OF THAT FROM KREIA, JAVIK, YOU’LL NEVER PUSH ME AWAY.

I was surprised by how hard Tali took Miranda’s successful challenge of Mr. Lawson, though in hindsight it makes sense -- with the geth war still happening on top of everything else, I don’t think Tali ever did get the chance to process her anger at her dad being a war criminal and all. and her whole “emergency induction port” bit about the straw was cute as hell tbh. her friendship with Garrus over the comms continues to give me life.

(in other quarian news, I AM SAD ABOUT KAL’REEGER.)

and jeff. JEFF. after Thessia i literally ran to the bridge and said aloud “Jeff, make me feel better” as I clicked interact with him, and then he made that dig about asari dancers, and i was like NO NOT LIKE THAT. (I mean, what Shep literally said was “now’s not the time for jokes” which is ironic considering she, unlike me, still calls him JOKER) but then he was all DAD ANDERSON SAID I’M SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, I’M SORRY, I’M DOING MY BEST and like. what a fucked up little family we are. he feels guilty that I died saving him, still! apparently he asks EDI about my stress levels and they are BAD and he feels BAD! im crey. OH AND ALSO THE FACT THAT PTSD ASARI LAURA BAILEY WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS FAMILY ON TIPTREE AND I CAN NEVER TELL HIM BECAUSE THE GAME DOESN’T LET ME DO THAT???? V UPSETTING.

and then of course EDI had to TRIPLE DOWN on all these feelings i was already having by telling me about human resistance and selflessness on Earth and how she wants to turn off her self-preservation code because she’s not about that. I’M SUCH A TOASTER FUCKER HALP.

Garrus being all “well sometimes your best friend gives you a pep talk” speech was cute as hell, and I was strangely charmed when Kaidan was like YOU CAN TELL I’M EXTRA MAD BECAUSE MY VOICE HAS GOTTEN SO DEEP grumbling.

next up: shore leave, and then going after Cerberus will trigger act 3! i may one day finish mass effect after all!

#leah plays mass effect 3

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wheredidhiseyebrowsgo · 5 years

Note

Any Sterek fics with Kira/Derek friendship?

Yeah, @justtakemeforaspin! - Anastasia

The Fox and The Wolf by the_problem_with_stardust

(1/1 I 1,001 I General)

“Hold still!” Derek tried to sound gruff but ended up landing somewhere between sheepish and amused.

Kira gasped in a breath, one hand still held firmly in Derek’s grip. “Sorry, sorry, give me a minute.”

He rolled his eyes as Kira wiped away tears of laughter with the back of her free hand. Once it seemed like the giggles had subsided, Derek turned back to his task.

5 Times Derek Comes Out + 1 Time He Doesn't Have To by SourwolfSeblaine

(1/1 I 2,634 I General)

Exactly what the title says. It follows mostly canon, but a little twist to it.

Derek was only 14 when he realized that he wasn’t only attracted to girls, he also liked boys. There was this boy in his class, Lucas, and he made Derek’s stomach feel weird every time they made eye contact.

At first Derek didn’t know what it was. But then he realized it, the way girls talk about boys and boys talk about girls is exactly the same how he feels about Lucas.

Five Times Derek Failed To Tell Stiles How He Feels (+1 Time Stiles Knew Anyway) by WhoNatural

(1/1 I 3,338 I Teen)

Stiles grins, impish and proud, and scrabbles at another piece of his notebook. Derek is determined to ignore it - he really is, but Stiles’ legs are longer than they might seem and his reach includes the front leg of Derek’s chair.

He sighs, put-upon, and unfolds the note,

Wanna go steady w/ me? Y[ ] or Y[ ]

leave the lights on by ericaismeg, foxerica (ericaismeg)

(1/1 I 3,805 I General)

Kira shows up on Derek's doorstep, upset about Malia. Derek finds himself opening up to her about his crush on Stiles, which isn't really going anywhere.

All That and a Bag of Chips by tabbytabbytabby

(1/1 I 6,718 I Teen)

Derek is content with his life. He lives with his best friend Kira and gets to do something he loves for a living. Something that conveniently keeps him in the apartment and away from people most days. Then he runs out of his favorite writing chips. His trip to the store leads him to an encounter or two that are going to wind up changing his life, whether he knows it then or not.

The Secret Life of Fanboy Derek Hale by maybaby34

(6/? I 9,989 I Teen)

“He’s all over social media…you should follow him, he’s hilarious.”

Derek cleared his throat and refused to meet Kira’s eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Kira sighed. “Fine, be that way. Just don’t make fun of the rest of us when we fangirl over him tonight. If you do, trust me, I’ll be telling them about your boner over Stilinski.” Kira flounced out of the room with the cart.

Derek sat back in his seat, speechless for a moment until what Kira had said hit him.

He stormed out of the backroom and onto the sales floor. “I definitely did not have a boner!” he snapped out at Kira.

Too bad she was helping a customer when he proclaimed his lack of erection to the entire store.

Loose Threads by Mek

(1/1 I 12,013 I Teen)

It's a month after they finally put down the nogitsune when Stiles turns to Lydia and asks, "How far are you on figuring out how to resurrect Allison?" Because Stiles now knows the difference between Lydia-the-human-being and Lydia-the-goddess-he-put-on-a-pedestal, he doesn't buy the arched eyebrow and biting comment she deflects with. "Yeah, well," he replies, "if you hit a brick wall or something, I've got some ideas." It's a week later when Lydia shows up at his locker before lunch and tells him that after school he's coming over to her house. Oh, and so help her, he's going to tell her every last thought he has on how to bring Allison back, or else.

Ouch. My Heart by Marylin

(6/? I 16,529 I Mature)

Stiles is ready for college. Ready for parties, raves, no scary mystical and supernatural baddies, and hopefully lots and lots of sex. Only six more weeks until he's free of High School forever, hopefully supernatural free.

And then poof. Supernatural baddies, a crazy witch with a sick sense of humor, and one sour wolf who drives Stiles up the fucking wall.

The story of how Derek and Stiles get stupidly cursed by an equally stupid witch and are suddenly stupid bonded with each other's stupid faces.

Strains of the Heart by clotpolesonly

(1/1 I 20,667 I General)

Stiles has always worked with Scott for end-of-year projects. Only this year, Scott wants to work with his new girlfriend Allison, leaving Stiles without a partner. The only person not already partnered up is Derek Hale, first chair violin who has played for his sister Laura and only his sister Laura since joining the academy.

If he was just an asshole, Stiles could handle that. But Stiles has a vision for this project, one he's spent his whole life cultivating, and Derek? Derek just doesn't get it, and that Stiles cannot handle.

User Error by Poison_Love_Words

(10/? I 37,767 I Explicit)

Given enough coffee and a few flirty texts from Mr.Bookish, Stiles could rule the world from his basement office at Triple S. That is until the day his best friend stabs him in the back for a pretty face and the (false) promise of fame and fortune.

Based on the Prompt:Omega Stiles is the real brain behind the up and coming tech company but Scott the public “face” starts to believe his own press and falls in with his new girlfriends bigoted family. He lets them talk him into kicking Stiles out of the company. And then Stiles gets revenge by going to work for the Hales.

Plus One by Moosey

(10/10 I 44,838 I Explicit)

“Dude, I can’t show up solo to my ex-girlfriends wedding. I can’t do that,” Scott stressed, his face arranged in an expression that was almost comically anguished, like one of those weird, sad-face, tragic drama masks.

“So we find you a date,” Stiles shrugged, as though it was no big deal. Scott was adorable, in reasonably good shape, and probably the best guy Stiles had ever known, or would ever know. He wouldn’t have any real issues with getting a girl.

“Stiles, it’s in two weeks. Two weeks. How do I find a girl willing to date me, and come abroad with me to my exes wedding, in two weeks?!”

One Beacon Hills by 182daysof

(15/18 I 73,141 I Mature)

Three years four months and two days we return to Beacon Hills and somethings have changed, some of them have reached the goals they set as teens: Stiles is a Deputy, Lydia is a respected scientist and Scott became the vet he was destined to be. Some didn't: Derek lost his inheritance and started work as an EMT. Following on from Lydia's influence Malia has become a fashion designer, and Peter Hale is locked in Eichen House. But, after Lydia encourages Derek back home to Beacon Hills old hurts and feelings will be cracked free between Stiles and Derek especially when a body is found in the woods on Hale property.

I Wish He Was Mine, He's Really Divine by yodasyoyo

(24/24 I 87,706 I Teen)

Derek has been pining for Stiles Stilinski for years. He never thought he'd actually be in with a chance, but all that's about to change.

OR: Very slow build Sterek, with nerd!Derek, sort of badboy!Stiles, plenty of pining and a Kira/Derek friendship for the ages.

#teen wolf #sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #kira yukimura #derek and kira

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alittlepudge-neverhurtnobody · 4 years

Note

For "goodbye to all my darkness": 4) what's your favorite line of dialogue from the fic? 9) were there alternate versions of this fic? (What would the summary or synopsis look like if you had gone with something different?) 13) what music did you listen to while writing it? (PLAY LIST PLAY LIST) Also, not a number, what's something you cut in edits that you were sad to see go?

oooh thank you!!

4) favorite line of dialogue: the one that came to mind first was “Perhaps you should be watching your weight, Mr. Chandler” / “Nah, I’ve got you to watch it for me” from Chapter 20! it was one of the first lines I wrote when I started out!

9) were there alternate versions of this fic? idk if there were alternate versions so much as it took a LONG time to figure out what it actually wanted to be? for one thing, originally it was going to be ... short. also, the werewolf stuff was going to be a lot more lighthearted from the beginning? but the more I got into it and the more @pudgyscales beta-read it, the clearer it became that like, it felt out of character to make it too light too soon, and that Ethan was gonna need to really WORK though that shame until he earned the right to be lighthearted about it haha. I think I’ve said this before but I did think briefly about doing a modern AU à la Sarah Andersen’s comic Fangs, but I’m ultimately really glad that I stuck with the canon historical setting because it was a huge challenge for me. OH, another thing: originally each chapter was going to be titled with a song lyric (shocking!), but then my beta and I realized that if I broke out the chapters the right way, they shook out PERFECTLY!! against the major arcana of tarot, and tarot is such a big part of this fic that I knew I HAD to use that.

13) what music did you listen to while writing it? SO GLAD YOU ASKED. I have a big penny dreadful playlist i listened to while writing (loosely grouped by season, including s3 even though it’s fake and not canon at all), PLUS the official playlist I made specifically to align with the chapters of the fic. big showings by florence + the machine, radical face, and laura marling. i also listened to this victorian ambience soundscape while i was editing (and sometimes also under the other music I was listening to for the ~vibes~)!

something I cut in edits & were sad to see go: there were a couple things!! for one, Vanessa being bad at cooking was going to be a bigger thread throughout, because I wrote this exchange early on and loved it, but ultimately it didn’t fit beyond what’s there now.

“Maybe baking,” says Ethan, as tactfully as he can, when Vanessa produces a platter of blackened chicken.

She frowns. “I like a challenge, Mr. Chandler.”

“Oh, I know you do,” he says, spearing a bit of chicken on his fork and trying an experimental bite. It’s acrid, and dissolves into ash on his tongue. “But I get the feeling that this challenge doesn’t much care for you.”

and then there were also bits that I cut because they were just TOO angsty? like this fic does get serious fairly often but idk sometimes I wrote stuff that went a litlte too hard or too deep and I was like ... whoof girl you don’t need to give them a philosophical sermon in this kink fic! but I really liked this bit and was sad that by the time I was done it felt kind of redundant.

“It’s been months, Ethan,” she says, propping herself on an elbow. “Chains or no chains, you’ve never threatened me. You haven’t so much as growled at me. Is it so much to admit to yourself that you’re not a monster? Trust yourself.”

He hides his face in his pillow. “The things I’ve done, Vanessa — it’s not easy to let that go.”

“I know,” she soothes, moving closer to him and moving a hand over his shoulder reassuringly. “I understand that. But what will it take to let it go, Ethan? What will it take for you to believe that you’re as good as you are?”

When he doesn’t respond, she punches her pillow up behind her and settles upright, one hand coaxing through his hair. “They thought I was a demon for years,” she says quietly. “When you’re something the world doesn’t understand, that is the box they force you into, and after a certain amount of time, you begin to believe it. It takes a tremendous amount of work to undo that belief, but I believe that you can. If you name yourself, you take that power back.”

He turns to face her. “What would you call me, then? What am I, Vanessa?”

“I don’t know,” she admits. “But I think there is power in believing that something unknown is not necessarily something monstrous. Why am I what I am? I don’t know. It’s likely I’ll never know. But I accept myself for what I am, even when I fail to understand it. There is nothing else I can be but what I am, and so too for you.”

also originally Vanessa and Ethan went for a swim on the moors near the end, but it added NOTHING to the story so out it went. but here’s some description I was very partial to:

The creek isn’t deep enough to teach Ethan how to swim, its cool water only lapping to Vanessa’s waist, but it’s enough to keep the heat at bay. She dunks her head, slicks her hair back from her face, and does the same for Ethan when he pops up beside her, gasping and red-cheeked. She pushes off onto her back, the thin fabric of her dress clinging to her like sealskin. Ethan is prey to the same phenomenon, and she’s very much enjoying the sight of his normally blousy button-up slick against the soft curves of his body. When he hauls himself out of the water and onto the bank, she catches an eyeful of the way his shirt calls out the roundness of his shape, his navel creating a long dip of shadow across his belly.

thank you so much!! this was so fun!!

ask me about my fics!

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beautifulpaxielreads · 4 years

Text

End of the Decade Favourite Book Tag

Thank you to @storytime-reviews for tagging me in this.

1. High fantasy books that are obsession-worthy.

The Daevabad Trilogy by S A Chakraborty. The level of detail in the worldbuilding in this Muslim-inspired fantasy is just extraordinary. Bring on book 3!

2. Urban fantasy books filled with people you want as friends.

I loved Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. Great characters and great plotting. Like Six of Crows but not. I need to reread this one!

Also the Six of Crows duology because how can I not mention it. Also I was kind of obsessed with Nina and Matthias for a while.

3. Portal fantasy you fall in love with multiple times.

I mention Harry Potter later on, but it still deserves a spot here. Every time I pick up one of these books they surprise me with how good they are.

4. Novella that just makes you sigh cause it’s so lovely.

The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee. Short but very sweet and funny.

5. Historically inaccurate but laugh out loud.

I think it's actually pretty historically accurate, but I'm gonna have to go with The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. It was my favourite read of 2018.

Also special mention to A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper. The island this book was set on may have been fictional, but this book was wholly entertaining and I always like rereading the funnier bits.

6. Satire that makes you reconsider your whole world view.

I don't know if it counts as satire, but reading Scythe by Neal Shusterman really made me think about our world in a really profound way. I kind of want to reread it.

Also not a satire but Room by Emma Donoghue. It's told in such an original way.

Oh, and if you really want satire, how about The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde? I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had understood all the references to classical literature but I still found it interesting.

7. Happy, happy, happy, and sad, sad, sad.

Lovely War by Julie Berry. So thought-provoking and beautifully written.

Also I'm going to be unoriginal and say The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Who hasn't been devastated by that ending?

8. No, I’m not too old for kids’ books, what are you talking about???

My two faves in this area are written for middle grade to teens, but I can't go past Sally Gardner's The Red Necklace and Eva Ibbotson's Journey to the River Sea.

Also The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. Can't not include that one.

9. I’m also not too old for picture books either and never will be.

Angelina Ballerina by Katherine Holabird is a childhood favourite. Also anything illustrated by Juan Wijngaard and Kinuko Y. Craft, their work is just gorgeous.

10. Whoah, never expected that ending and to have that much fun!!!

I'd have to go for the Shadowfell trilogy by Juliet Marillier. The final book in the series, The Caller, was truly perfect and I was not expecting that at all.

Also The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. That ending really threw me.

And how about the ending of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton? I was confused about so many things in this book, but that ending was wasn't one of them. Such a fabulous twist - and one that actually made sense!

11. Like I’m scared, but I’m happy about it.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge was wonderfully written, but incredibly unnerving. I had to swear off reading other books by her for a while because they were quite disturbing and dark. Even now I can't quite bring myself to pick up one of her books.

12. Classically favourite.

I remember really enjoying Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. And I read it in the 2000s so it isn't really eligible for this list, but Mary Shelley's Frankenstein made quite an impression on me - it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

Honorable mention to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen which I started reading but never finished for some reason. 2020 will be the year I do this because what I did read was delightful.

13. Party in your ears.

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher. Mean Girls (duh) as Shakespeare might have written it. I originally bought this as a paperback but then I realised I would probably get more enjoyment out of it as an audiobooks, given it was written in script format. Boy, was I right!

Also I've referred to this series in the next question already, but I can't not mention the latter two books in The Illuminae Files, Gemina and Obsidio, done in audiobook format. The full cast and sound effects combined to create true awesomeness. I still have to listen to the first book, Illuminae.

14. Boom!!! Pow!!! Wham!!!

The Illuminae Files trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. So innovative and cleverly designed - and very, very well written.

15. Oh wow, this is me!!

It's got to be Harry Potter, doesn't it?! It's been such an integral part of my life - I was in the fandom for a good ten years. I queued up outside the bookshop on release days to get the last three books. I saw all the movies. It gave me my original OTP, Ron and Hermione. I would not be who I am today without those books and I still can't quite let go of this fandom in spite of its problematic aspects. These books made me.

16. I can’t stop thinking about this book.

A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood was absolutely the definition of magical. As soon as I finished it I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again.

17. A book you got from Tumblr that made it to your fave.

I wouldn't say I got this from Tumblr directly, but it's Tumblr that enhanced my appreciation and love for it - and introduced me to an incredible fandom. It's The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, of course. Can't wait for the prequel coming out in May!

18. A book you had high expectations for and then the author OVER delivered.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. Like I really enjoyed Strange the Dreamer but the second book was on another level. All the plot threads were wrapped up in a really satisfying way and Laini Taylor is an insanely beautiful writer.

I had such fun making this list, it brought back so many memories of all the books I've read over the years.

Unfortunately I also wrote it in Tumblr mobile, so it took FOREVER to do, so I really can't be bothered to tag people. If you see this post on your dash and haven't done this challenge yet (and want to), consider yourself tagged.

Hope you have a great day, and if you've made it all the way to the end of this post, congratulations on your achievement! 🤣😁

#beautifulpaxiel reads #harry potter #j k rowling #end of the decade book tag #not tagging all these authors because it would take too long #feel free to chime in with your thoughts

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tarithenurse · 5 years

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Orphan - 4

Starring: Fem!Reader and MCU characters! Contents: Spoilers for Endgame!! Cussing (as usual, take that for granted), some fluff, some angst, confusion, sadness, loss, good intentions, awkwardness, flashbacks. Feels...there are feels. A/N: So this is getting a surge. PREVIOUS CHAPTERS can be found on the masterlist. I’ve added more names to the tag list (because no one ever tells me they want in but still “like” anyways…so HA!). As per usual. Thanks for likes and reblogs and comments and tears…cheers! I mean cheers! ;)

4. Foster Care for Adults

… Reader …

You’ve had no energy to protest, but if you’d had then it’s likely nothing would’ve changed the mind of the grim mohawk-dude. Clint Barton, archer extraordinaire and known as Hawkeye, who (after squaring it with the wife) has opened his home to you and herded you onto a little dangerous-looking plane together with his family. The two older kids, Lila and Cooper, don’t say much if anything to you. Well, the little one doesn’t either, but at least he’s staring openly rather than pretending to be busy with the phones or each other.

“Mo-om?” Nathaniel’s clear voice cuts over the sound of the engine. “Is she gonna be my sisther?”

In a flash you’re back to the childhood where terms like siblings and parents were used too loosely or as a means to hurt you, keep you separate from other kids at school. Even within the foster home, there were kids who wielded those kinds of words as weapons, cutting deep reminders into your heart to make sure you never forget what you’d lost. As if that was possible.

In the same flash, the little kid should have fallen over dead from the glared his siblings send him. Turned into dust. Of course, he doesn’t notice, but looks at his mom for an answer she hardly can give.

“Listen guys.” Clint pushes a few buttons before turning the pilot entire seat to face everyone. “I know this is a…surprise. [Y/N] came back from the Blip too and she has nowhere to stay…” Nathaniel merrily begins to hum a song under his breath made up entirely of bleeps. “She’s gonna be a guest until things are sorted out, okay?”

It’s toe-cringing to listen to the Avenger give The Speech™. He means well. Facts are you’re an adult who can talk for yourself, and you don’t have as much of a choice in coming as Clint makes it sound.

Sitting on the bed of the motel, you didn’t know which hero to look at - none of them were the one you needed to get answers because Stark was dead and with him the hope of a better explanation than the documents and files on the tiny drive provided. Facts. The facts were there…but it wasn’t enough.

“How did you find out about the fu-“ Rhodes had to take a deep breath before continuing, “about the funeral?”

He already knew more about you than you liked, such as your (now delayed) university degree in Medicine and Technology where you’d been working on cutting edge ways to deliver medicine to the right place in the body with biodegradable nano-bots. Tony Stark and his old-time pal had kept track of you ever since you were born and your father decided to split…as if that somehow should compensate for the absence. Still, Rhodes and his buddies were questioning you for more information.

Glaring at the furrowed brows, you decided you already were royally fucked. “Watched the news, put two-n-two together, hacked a phone.”

“What do you want from Pepper ‘nd Morgan?” There it was – the protectiveness.

“Nothin’, I just…the Blue Group chick already asked me this!”

On and on they had gone, never relenting despite the circles you were talking in. In the end, only the talking raccoon was stubborn enough to continue (though both the coloured women had offered assistance by torture).

A shiver runs down your spine at the memory. Yeah, it’s a good thing Clint Barton decided to bring you along even if it’s just to keep an eye on you rather than help. You send Laura a shadow of a smile before unbuckling from the seat to make your way over to the pilot’s seat. The domed sky is intense, partially coloured with the drama of sunset but also much darker above the plane than you’d expected. It stretches towards the curve of the horizon, dotted with fluffy clouds. Far underneath are the rolling fields smaller than a fingernail, roads like grey thread cutting through a landscape until it finds a glowing pearl, a town where the lights are starting to shine.

“Not a bad view, huh?” The comment is so relaxed that you almost think it’s your imagination until the archer sends you a shy smile.

Maybe he’s not that bad. “Yeah…’s pretty.” There’s a silence between the two of you – less forced, somehow. “It’s umm nice of you to…y’know, let me stay. Better than a motel with a raccoon and a blue assassin.”

…

I’m gonna die! Clint Barton has landed the plane in the middle of fucking nowhere and you’ve never been further from civilization as you are now. Even in the darkness, you can feel the forest sighing, long branches creaking in the autumn wind as they try to reach you and the Bartons (who are completely unfazed by it). Give me streetlights! Anything! Flashes on phones light up the ground, granting your wish to a certain point.

At least they lead you away from the trees, and while it’s still night with no moon the darkness isn’t quite as dense out in the open. Tall grass catch on your salvaged boots and there’s a very distinct feeling of something chasing you…but nothing when you turn to look. For a second, you whish you were in Nathaniel’s place: he’s sound asleep on Laura’s arm, drool wetting her shoulder each time his head bounces from the steps she takes.

The house appears from the dark as a huge, even darker mass before the lights reach far enough to illuminate the wooden steps of the porch. Lila’s ahead, skipping up the steps and reaching the screen door where she flips a switch. Suddenly, stringed lights spread their glow and the house feels wonderfully real and safe even if it’s still dark inside.

… Clint …

The house still smells musty after years of misuse and there’s a ton of things for him to fix. The boiler works, though, and Laura and the kids have been busy cleaning the last few days while Clint took care of the leaks in the roof and the stock of firewood. Mostly, he’d walked in a daze simply to look at them, touch their hair, pull them into awkward hugs in the hopes it wouldn’t just be a dream.

I didn’t think I’d be back to live here. Clint had tried at first to be on his own, but it was wrong – an empty house full of the ghosts of his family and memories that threatened with eluding him even if the smallest item or scent brought them crashing down on him with a force that’d knock his legs away. That was why he went to stay with Nat at the Compound. She dealt by doing things, trying to clean up the mess one crime or fucked up situation at a time because there weren’t enough cops, no military strong enough. The remnants of the Avengers was needed and the two of them teamed up with others…and nothing was right anyways.

“Baby?” A soft hand curls around his elbow before stroking his triceps. Laura. “We’re here, honey, we’re with you again.”

She understands him better than anyone. The five years felt like seconds for Laura, but she understands how fucked up it was for him and how afraid he is that they’ll suddenly be gone again. Pulling her tight, Clint buries the nose in her dark hair to maybe memorize the scent, at least to have her inside and out.

“You’re the best wife I could ever want,” he mumbles.

Laura smiles against the collar of his t-shirt, making his heart flutter. “Oh, I know,” she smirks, “any other wife would’ve lost it after coming home to such a mess!”

It’s a joke and it does make him laugh…but it hurts too because now he’s added to the mess that’s their lives. “…or taken in a stranger.”

“Hm.” It’s almost a tiny scoff. “She needs a home and we have that. I just…it’s a horrible way to find out about your heritage. She must be so confused?”

… Reader …

Fed, watered, and teeth brushed? Done.

Bed, check.

Borrowed pyjama that’s only a little bit musty, check.

Settling down under the thick covers, it’s impossible not to enjoy having an entire guest room for yourself rather than the dorm at the hostel where ten other people snore and fart all night long. Tonight you’re going to sleep great, you decide as you turn off the bed side lamp. Your eyelids are heavy. It’s so dark, you can’t tell if you already have closed the eyes or not. Silence and sleep, here I come.

The wind outside the window picks up in strength, finding a gap between two boards to whistle with when the gusts hit just right. Somewhere in the house a floorboard creaks – maybe Clint is tugging his kids in? And then it might be his wife who’s using the water, making the pipes gurgle inside the wall. Whenever one sound ends another takes over, all unexpected and unfamiliar enough that they startle you awake. Burrowing deeper under the duvet, you try to cover the ears but then it’s your own heartbeat you can hear instead, thumping away with a constant rush of blood that mingles with the sighs of the wind.

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gotylocks · 4 years

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Hey here's another thing I'm annoyed by. With the new Star Wars trilogy, much was made about how big it was that it had a female protagonist. Now before I get into this, let me make clear, I love Rey. I have a real attachment to her. But! That attachment is born entirely out of head canons I've had to make for myself based on small bits from the actual movies. This is because?

The sequel trilogy, arguably, treated its female characters the worst of all Star Wars. Let's start with Rey. Does she have a driving goal that propels her through the series? Outside of getting Kylo Ren to stop cyber stalking her, I don't think so. What relationships does she develop? It looked like her and Finn were going to have a great relationship, either friendly or romantic, based on their interactions in the first movie. But then they spend all of TLJ separated, so their relationship had no development leading into ROS, where we still have no idea what their relationship is outside of Finn really liking to shout her name.

But it doesn't stop there. Her mentor characters are in her life for an incredibly short time in terms of actual screen time before they die. She has a single conversation with Maz, and I don't think she shares a single scene with Rose. Her relationship with Poe seems to be little more than coworkers.

A lot has already been said about Rose and her treatment, so I won't retread that ground. Just know, I agree with the sentiment that she was done dirty.

Leia's story, despite being a FUCKING GENERAL, is reduced to being sad mom and sad wife and sad sister and then she dies, sadly. And off screen.

Holdo is introduced and killed in the same movie, with all of her character boiling down to "hey isn't Laura Dern swell?"

Captain Phasma was an ineffectual foil that proved to be nothing more than a toy design like she was made as a villain for He-Man.

And when it comes down to it, that's what makes me so mad about episode 9. A lot of development was hinging on a follow through on any of the potential plot threads previously set up, and every single one they followed completely betrayed the characters.

What's the point of this rant? I'm tired of seeing ads for the ROS blu ray and all the fucking Palpatine talk and I'm just sad because they did EVERYBODY dirty in those movies. Those movies that I still like two of. Anyways fuck Disney bye.

#star wars #long post #text post #Rey #general organa #rose tico

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wiltedthrone-a · 4 years

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NAME : jalyssa sksksksk

NICKNAME : jo

FACECLAIM : i use(d?) laura harrier bc she’s gorgeous but now i actually have an oc to use her for so idk

PRONOUNS : she/her.

HEIGHT : 5′7″

BIRTHDAY : aug 18

AESTHETIC : vinyl records, striped shirts, mustard yellow, dark woods, paint on hands and clothes, brown boots, flannels, baseball bats, baby blue, fairy lights, polaroids, denim, worn down converse, bonfires, arcade games, bootcut jeans, city lights at night, patches, lavender, sunflowers, curly hair

LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO : sedated by hozier (playing now)

FAVOURITE MUSE (S) YOU’VE WRITTEN : lit rally all of them but as as on tumblr that’s — malia tate, jackson whittemore, veronica raeken (short lived teen wolf oc rip), magnolia (my new lil bby love her) and ofc audrey

GETTING TO KNOW THE ACCOUNT :

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE ON THIS MUSE : LISTEN OKAY SO when i watched descendants when it first came out in 2015 i was like “ok but audrey got hella snaked” and then she wasn’t even in d2? ugly. fast forward and macy and leah start writing for descendants and im like,,,i didn’t know,,,,anyone else my age,,,,liked this series asdfghjhgtfrdesfg and originally was gonna write magnolia my oc, uma and celia but i hadn’t seen d3 yet bc it was gonna make me big sad BUT IT TOOK AUDREY BEING ON SCREEN FOR A TOTAL OF SEVEN MINUTES FOR ME TO HAVE MAJOR MUSE FOR HER!!! A NEW RECORD!! like i had watched queen of mean when the video dropped and i was like “damn, baddie” but watching the movie i instantly was like,,,,,this is my baby this is my muse i need to write her because canon does her sooooooooooo fuckin dirty

for magnolia — princess and the frog is my favorite princess movie of all time, it’s very important to me and laura harrier is the perfect faceclaim ok ok. i also just,,,,really wanted to see the daughter of tiana and descendants Did Not Deliver so it was up to Me dfghgd but honestly truly i was already gonna write dr. facilier’s daughter so i thought it would be nice to have a balance

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING : umumumu honestly truly listening to my playlist for audrey which includes queen of mean and a lot of ariana grande, also looking at musing, also screaming about the royal trio at ungodly hours i love,,,,talking to people about muses ok ok

FAVOURITE TYPES OF THREADS : i,,,,,,,,,,if u don’t know now u kno i slip into angst lit rally no matter what. no matter if it hurts me, no matter if the meme prompt is about a frozen turkey, i will make it angst. but i also really like humor and banter and i need that soft content to balance it out

BIGGEST STRUGGLE IN REGARDS TO YOUR CURRENT MUSE : jesus christ okay back to canon doing her dirty. audrey is not some one dimensional shallow girl pretending to be in love with ben to get the crown. she’s not even a mean girl just because and that’s what canon likes to put her as. so my challenge is how do i ground her, make her authentic, redeemable and human (spoiler alert: by reading her diary) but still keep the aspects of her that people would recognise from canon. also baby doesn’t swear (at least in my head) and i’m,,,,such a potty mouth i wedfghds

for magnolia — she’s a new muse and an oc so i’m really just,,,trying to figure out her character and who she is. im not a huge plotter ok so things usually just come at me as i write. also bc she’s an oc i’m really insecure and like,,,afraid people won’t be interested in writing with her so i treat her like a tertiary muse but i love her sm ):

tagged by : @griimhilde (i adore u.)

tagging : @charmingjr @seadivine @hookedreign @shemisfit @memorystxrs @jaydenjafar @halfscren @chrmiing

#♡♛. 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞. ooc #♡♛. dash games

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yoonseo · 5 years

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Midnight Steter ideas (delusions) #1.1

Hi, this was removed from my page for some reason so this is actually me reposting this story. even though its the first of this little series of mine... technically.

What if stiles and derek are childhood friends?

like… they had the same classes together, were the same age, grew up together and all that?

And Derek and Laura still vanish right after the fire. Leaving behind stiles and peter

And stiles can’t understand why.

Because it hurt like he had lost family too

Because after his dad fell into his drunk depression he spent all his time at the hale house

And suddenly the people who loved him and fed him and helped him with his homework are gone

And sure, the last few months he had seen a little less of them

Because Derek had found better friends and had started to ignore him

But he still babysat cora sometimes. Peter still picked him up from the library sometimes with Laura or talia or Jonah to stop by the diner on the way home to get something to eat. And now Laura and Derek are gone, and stiles never even saw him aside from that devastating night standing outside of his father’s police cruiser hearing peters screams as he was carted away in the ambulance. Derek made eye contact with him then just left.

And he thought maybe they were going to the hospital

So stiles begged his dad to drive him over

And he sat in peters room watching him breath through all the machines. He sat and he waited and he waited and they never showed up

Until his father comes in at 4 am covered in soot with a grim expression in his face

Saying that they had left and he didn’t know where

And stiles just, squares his shoulders and tells his dad to go to home, get a shower and get some rest.

And his dad prompts him to come with him but he shakes his head face grim. As he looks at peters pain twisted scars. “I’m staying here dad… I’ll come home in the morning when Mellissa comes on shift.” And John knowing a lost fight when he sees one just swipes his hand down his tired face and nods backing out.

John doesn’t go home that night. He sleeps on the cot in the station going over everything he can. The hale were friends and he wants to know how this happened. Beside he doesn’t come home much anyway….

Neglectful dad… great cop… but he tries.

As soon as John leaves the room stiles grabs peters non burned hand. And just starts talking

Not knowing if peter can hear him. But knows peter would want the truth

“Hey peter… it’s… it’s just us now… I mean Derek and Laura are still alive, but they…” he shook his head and swallowed his grief. “They left us peter.” His grip tightened as a surge of rage welled up from beneath the hurt. “They just… they tucked tail and ran.”

And he knows it’s not fair

Being mad at them

They just lost their entier family in one night

And grief is handled in different ways

If peter were able he would have laughed at the analogy

But he couldn’t

So silence hung in the room

As stiles breathed deep and rest his head against the unmarried half of his chest

Listening to the steady thrum of peters heart

“You’ll get better… you’ll get better and I’ll be here, and you won’t be alone…. you won’t.” He whispered fiercely

He closed his eyes and hoped he wouldn’t dream of fire.

Within peter. In the dark… buried beneath the pain and the loss. His wolf howled mournfully and with rage. Latching onto the single pack thread that still glowed strong. Latched onto it with teeth and claws and held on for all he was worth. The bright gold thread pulsing with the same hurt and rage. “Friend, pack, safe, protect” his wolf felt. And settled into the darkness to heal.

Stiles is Derek’s age?… maybe?

He baby sat cora who is scots age

He sometimes babysits scott too

Since Melissa took such good care of him and his dad. That’s why he knows her

So he is 15? Now… 16?

Or is he 17… since Derek was 15 for page… but that death didn’t happen. Because that was about the time stiles mom died and so most of the hales were hovering around the stilinskis at the time. Including peter.

So Paige just moved away

Derek was still sad… but not distraught

But still fell into kate anyway

The French teacher… stiles took Spanish so he didn’t see it. Didn’t know that was why Derek had pulled away.

Anyway, stiles is… 17. Old enough to drive and have a job and shit…

Melissa jostles stiles awake around 9am telling him to go home and take a shower that he smells like fire. Stiles flinches and Melissa curses her stupid mouth. She hugs the boy. And stiles cards his long fingers gently through peters hair. Before bidding goodbye. And driving home.

Stiles doesn’t see the cruiser in the drive way

Assumes his dad stayed at the precinct again

As usual. It stopped hurting a long time ago.

And goes to unlock the door

He almost didn’t hear it

Almost in his tired state dismissed it as a noise he made or a delusion all together

But something prickles at the back of his neck tugs on his chest, made him take notice. Made him check

He strained his ears and heard it again. A noise from the tree house in the back of his yard that he and Derek and Laura (his dad and peter and talias husband Lukas) has built when they were younger.

And his heart lept, for a moment stiles though it might be Derek, maybe he had waited to say goodbye after all?

Maybe… maybe… the sudden quiet sounds of a baby crying make all his thoughts stop as he rushed around to the back of the house and scaled the tree.

There, covered in mud and soot and blood sat little Cora hale and the youngest of the hale family. Malia, daughter of peter. A scandal that had shocked the whole hale family when the mother had left her on the portch with but a short note attached. Even more surprising was when peter stepped up to take care of her.

Cora sat curled into the corner of the tree house with baby malia clutched to her chest like a life line. Wedged between a beanbag chair and the wall.

Not knowing what to say, stiles took in the wild harried frightened state of her and said the first thing that came to mind

“I bet you two are pretty hungry by now huh?”

Hitting himself for not knowing what to say was so busy berating himself that he almost didn’t catch the baby and child who had all but flung herself at stiles sobbing

Gently pulling the whimpering baby from Cora’s grasp as she in turn latched her small arms around his middle. He checked over the slightly damp disgruntled baby. In one hand and then curled the other around Cora. “Hey there dragon slayer, you’re safe now, you protected the princess in the tower and the evil has fled. You were so brave and did such a good job. None of the dragons fire touched her. How about I reward your bravery, with a nice meal and a hot bath?” Cora nodded into stiles stomach where her sobs were starting to wind down. And pulled away.

When stiles baby sat scott and Cora it was always a game they played. The tree house being the tower… though usually stiles ended up being the princess

While Cora and scott slayed imaginary dragons

Carefully stiles tucked the baby close to him and climbed out of the thankfully low to the ground tree house.

Watching carefully as Cora nimbly decended and latched herself to stiles like a lamprey. Stiles wound his free hand around her small shoulders and guided her into the house through the back door and into the kitchen.

He emmediately started heating a bottle of milk for malia and making a cup of cocoa for Cora. And as she sniffles quietly over her mug. Stiles pulled the milk off the stove to let it cool and called his dad from the phone in the kitchen.

His dad picked up on the 2nd ring. Sighing. “Hey stiles, I know I’m not home and I said I would be, but I’ve still got paperwork and.” Stiles cut his dad off mid rant. “That’s great and all but I’ve got two tiny hales sitting in my kitchen, and I need you to not freak out, or tell anyone they are here until you’ve finished your investigation, can you do that? Because if you can’t, I will take them and hide. Because something has Cora spooked and she is the bravest of literally all the hales.” At that Cora looked up both surprised and pleased. Then went back to slowly sipping her cocoa.

“Stiles… I know you, we can set them up in a safe house or something, this isn’t your responsibility. Yes they were good to you, but I won’t be around to help you take care of them.” Stiles cut him off again.

“No, they aren’t my responsibility, but they are mine. My friends. My family, mine. And I won’t abandon them just like I would never abandon you. Now don’t argue with me or I’ll make you eat green foods only for the rest of the month. I need to call Melissa so she can come over and make sure neither Cora or Malia have any lasting damage due to smoke inhalation.”

“After that, and only after we know they are physically okay, can you start your questioning. Okay? Good. I’ll make stake tonight. You can even have mashed potatoes with extra cheese like you like.” And then befor his dad could argue or respond he hung up

And dialed the hospital to talk to Mellissa

Once Melissa was in the phone he gave her the rundown requesting her to pick up some clean Cora and Malia sized clothes, which he knew she would know sizes since she also had babysat the smaller hales from time to time seeing as they were in the same class as scott and had gotten along well.

After stiles hung up. He turned to Cora. “So I know you heard all that, and know Melissa is coming over wit some clean clothes for you, but I bet you’d like to go ahead and take a bath. Get all that mud and everything off of you.” At this cora nodded quickly and made her way to the bathroom upstairs shedding her clothes like a tiny tornado. Stiles just smiled and picked them up and threw them in the bin in the kitchen before making his way upstairs to find Cora already making a bubble bath

He laughed as Cora all but flung herself into the bubble bath, busting herself with some of the toys she had left the last time stiles had babysat them over night. When Cora caught him staring she tilted her head in question. “Nothing just though you had the right idea with the bubble bath. Hope don’t mind wearing one of my tee shirts when you get out… I’ll even let you wear the lacrosse hoodie okay?” At this Cora cheered. “Thanks stiles!” And then dunked her head under the water sloshing some of it into the bathroom floor.

Stiles laughed and started pulling off malias dirty clothes and diaper. Washing her in the sink while singing the little mermaid with Cora.

After maila was in a fresh diaper and swaddled in the softest blanket. And Cora wash swimming in stiles lacrosse hoodie. Stiles had barely sat down on the couch when the doorbell rang. Instantly Cora had wedged herself behind stiles unsure of who was visiting. Only to relax completely when Melissa came barging through the door. With bags of baby stuff and things for a 6 year old little girl.

And surprisingly, or not surprisingly a small sad eyed scott and food groceries.

As soon as Cora saw scott and his puppy eyes it was wailing all over again. The two 6 year olds crying and hugging in a pile on the living room floor.

And pain lanced through stiles heart at he was once again reminded of everything they had lost, the Cora had lost. But he still had Cora and Malia and peter. So he would hold up. For them. Always. He shushed Malia before she started crying with the sad duo. And pulled blanked and pillows off the couch onto the floor for a now exhausted scott and Cora to curl up on and under. And pressed play on the remote for the vcr. Letting lilo and stitch play in the background for them while he brought Melissa into the kitchen with himself and a now sleeping malia.

They traded loads. Melissa taking Malia and a new onesie she had bought on her way over with many other essentials. And sat at the kitchen table dressing her and stile quickly rifled through the bags sorting them and putting the food away.

#Steter #older stiles #if any warnings need be added let me know #teen wolf #derek hale #cora hale #stiles stilinski #malia hale #baby malia #Sheriff Stilinski #mellisa mccall #Scott McCall #incomplete #wip

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