#… cream we’d get at the NEW ice cream parlor and talk

[welcome-to-green-hills]

When the Wachowskis go get ice cream, they sit on the curb outside and each member counts all of the assigned color of cars they can find, and whoever gets the most wins the game, much like what Carl and Russel do at the end of Up: "that might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most."

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Little Things in Life - 2

Warnings: cheating, non-consent sex (series); nothing for this chapter

This is dark!Steve and explicit. 18+ only.

Series Summary: Your suburban life begins to show cracks and your next door neighbour, Steve Rogers, seems intent on shattering what’s left.

Note: Chapter 2! So I’m in between too many things. I always appreciate your guys’ patience and reading. You know how it be; I’m a mess. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Based on this drabble

On Wednesday, you spent the morning working in your office with one eye on Kayla. You’d be relieved in the fall when she could go to school and you could focus a little better. Well, you’d see which you felt when the time came.

You had lunch in the backyard at her plastic picnic set and played on the slide. You checked the time as you went inside and a knock sounded at the door. Kayla followed you as you answered it. Steve greeted you with a cool smile.

“Sharon just went off to see her mother,” He said. “So I figured, we can sneak out now and grab the flowers.”

“Uh, yeah,” You waved him in as you turned to Kayla. “You wanna go for a car ride?”

“I want ice cream,” She clapped her hands. 

“You want ice cream?” You asked as you knelt to fix the strap on her shoes which had twisted. “Well, if you’re good in the car, we’’ll take you by the shop. How about that?”

“I hate looking at flowers,” She crossed her arms. “They bite.”

“Only if you touch the cactuses,” You chided as you stood and grabbed your car keys from the hook and the old leather purse that sat on the low bench. “You don’t mind if I drive? Her seat’s a bit of a hassle to move around.”

“Nope,” Steve kept his foot in the door as the sunlight slatted down his tall figure. “We should have a couple of hours to beat Sharon. I really think it’ll be a nice surprise for the weekend.”

“This weekend?” You wondered. “I don’t know. We’d till have to plant everything.”

“I could toss in another bottle of wine for your trouble.” He offered.

You shook your head. He’d sent you home with what was left of the Pinot on Monday and it still sat in your fridge. Beckoning to you as you laid next to an empty space. Or worse, an indifferent Logan. His work consumed him and he often spent hours poring over it or even rushed out to appease his demanding boss. Well, you had your Saturdays and those were always nice.

“It’s fine. I’m not much of a drinker.” You said. “The helmet.”

“The helmet?” He tilted his head. 

“Selfie,” You pointed your keys at him as you took Kayla’s hand. “For the extra effort.”

He shrugged as he opened the door.

“Fine,” He said. “So, you and Logan coming to the party?”

“I know I am,” You locked the door behind you. “We’ll see if Logan can keep off his phone for more than twenty minutes.” 

You led Kayla to the car and Steve stood just behind you as you helped her in and strapped her into the seat. You closed the door and turned back.

“Yeah, he’s definitely been a bit… absent,” Steve commented as he went around to the passenger side. “You know, the last time he came over to watch the game, I changed it to the Orioles and he didn’t even notice.”

“It’s work,” You climbed into the car as he mirrored you. “I can’t say I don’t do the same. I’m cutting crusts off sandwiches and plotting my next lesson.”

“Multitasking,” Steve mused as he closed the door. ��But I’m sure the sandwiches are still great.”

You turned the engine and looked at Kayla in the mirror. She kicked her feet impatiently in her seat as she hummed.

“There’s a little leapfrog toy in the glove compartment,” You said to Steve as you backed up. “You wanna get it for her… she’ll start singing soon if you don’t.”

🏠

Kayla chose some daisies for your front garden as you showed Steve the pansies. They were small and simple. You mixed in some freesias and some heather, too. Steve picked out a new set of garden tools to give to Sharon as well and a pair of cute floral gloves. 

You paused as you checked out and glanced over at your neighbour. You couldn’t recall the last time Logan had done more than grabbed a pizza on his way home. And he always forgot that you couldn’t stomach pepperoni. Oh well, you supposed it was the gesture that counted.

You carefully loaded the tray of plastic pots into your trunk as Kayla demanded her scoop. She had behaved quite well. Steve picked her up as you crossed the street and headed for the parlor at the opposite corner. You neared a cafe only a few doors away and Steve pointed to the painted moniker on the glass. 

“You know I heard that place is good. The coffee is from--” You stopped short and Steve turned to face you. “What’s up?”

You backed up and glanced at the license plate of the black Volkswagen. The same scratch on the bumper, the same numbers. You blinked and pulled out your phone. No messages. You looked to Steve.

“That’s Logan’s car but why…” Your voice trailed off and you neared the cafe window. 

You peered in and searched the tables. Your husband’s dark hair was visible just towards the corner of the shop. You recognised the woman beside him. Karina, his boss. Her ginger curls were drawn back into a large bun and she turned to giggle at Logan. You could see his hand on her thigh as she stole a bite from his muffin. Your heart stopped.

“Come on, let’s just…” You blinked at Steve and his eyes were aimed through the window as Kayla tugged at his tee and whined for ice cream. “Let’s go. I could go for some mint chip.”

Steve hesitated before he turned back, careful to keep Kayla away from the cafe as you passed it. 

“Mint chip? Boring.” He taunted after a moment. “What about you Kayla? You like cotton candy ice cream?”

“No, I want strawberry!” She chimed.

“Strawberry?” He reached for the door with his free hand and pulled it open. “Bleh! I’d rather a plain and very boring vanilla.”

“I like strawberry!” Kayla argued.

“How about black cherry?” Steve followed you inside. “You old lady.”

“I’m not old. I’m only four.” Kayla huffed. “You’re old!”

“I am,” He chuckled as he neared the counter. 

There was only one customer ahead of you as you perused the flavours. You barely read the signs for each bucket as your head was a blur of indiscernible voices and lights. You could only see Logan and his hand in Karina’s lap. Was this why he was so obsessed with work? ‘Work?’

“Mint chip?” Steve nudged you out of your trance as the aproned server looked at you over the glass. “One or two scoops?”

“Um, actually I’ll get a scoop of the butterscotch. In a cup, please.” You found it hard to speak. 

You approached the til and Steve insisted on paying. You sat against the wall and poked at your ice cream as Kayla made a mess with her cone. You did your best to keep her tidy with a napkin but she dripped enough down her shirt to drown the unicorn on its front. You reprimanded her as she refused to finish the last of the dry cone and you cleaned up the table with Steve’s help.

You crossed the street so that you didn’t pass the cafe again. You peeked over and Logan’s car was still there. You got Kayla into her seat and searched around for her tablet. You took out the headphones with bunny ears you had gotten her for her birthday.

“You wanna listen to some Wiggles?” You asked.

“Yeah,” She pulled them on and you unlocked the small tablet and put on the music player. 

You handed her it and she brought up the frog game she liked to play. You ruffled her hair before you backed out and dropped into the driver’s seat. You glanced at Kayla before you pulled out. Steve was silent beside you.

“You didn’t seem very surprised... you knew?” You asked quietly. His lack of answer was telling. “Did you do this on purpose? Did you know they would be there?”

“No, I… I didn’t know they’d be there,” He said.

“But you knew… about her?” You gripped the wheel tightly.

“He told me about someone else but… he said it was a one time thing. A slip up.” Steve admitted.

“One time,” You scoffed angrily. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I’m sorry.” He said softly.

“For what? You’re not my husband,” You steamed. “Unless, you’ve been helping him sneak around but I highly doubt you have the time for that when you have a newborn at home. Oh but if she’s older, it’s fine. You can get away with it, you can--”

You took a breath and hissed. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t--” You growled and hit the steering wheel. “It’s not your fault. I just… I’m so embarrassed. And you knew. You knew!”

“I thought of telling you, I just didn’t know how,” Steve said. “And if I had known they were going to be there, I wouldn’t-- Well, I’d still be a coward.”

“It’s really not your problem. Not your marriage.” You leaned closer to the windshield as you focused on the road. “Can we… can we plant the flowers tomorrow? I gotta get Kayla cleaned up and I have dishes in the sink…”

“Sure, sure,” He said. “That’s fine. I get it.”

“Does Sharon know?” You croaked.

“No.”

“Please, don’t tell her.” You gulped and glanced in the rear view as Kayla tapped the tablet. “I couldn’t-- I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

“Are you going to… confront him?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know,” You muttered. “I don’t know if I can. I…” You looked over at him as you stopped for the sign. “Really, don’t worry about it. Please.”

🏠

You barely said a word to Logan that night. You couldn’t find any and besides you hadn’t much of a chance as your husband was just as late as ever. And when he’d finally come to bed, you waited for him to snore before you crept out.

You snatched his phone and retreated to the hallway. You sat just outside your bedroom door as you scrolled through the messages; the pictures. How had you not suspected a thing? How had you trusted him so completely?

You told yourself that time had worn on the marriage. Your sex life was strained but it would even out again. And the communication, that just needed a good talk and you would find time for that one day. But… you were wrong. It was a shell.

Your eyes teared up as you thought of Steve. He and Sharon were so perfect. They had it all. Everything you pretended to have. And he still cared for her. He wanted to make her a garden of her own. Wanted to do something for her as she spent her days taking care of their child. All you ever got was heartburn.

You took Kayla to daycare the next morning so that you didn’t have to be there to see Logan off. You drove back slowly and found yourself on that same street. You parked and strode down to the cafe. Inside, it smelled of beans and cinnamon. You ordered a latte to go and half-dozen cookies.

Your car was filled with the scent of caramel and you pulled up to your house with dread knotted in your stomach. Could you get past this? For Kayla? You opened the car door and turned to hang your legs out. You held the box of cookies on your lap and inhaled the aroma that floated from the sweet latte. You couldn’t go inside. You couldn’t face the empty house.

“Hey,” Steve frightened you as he jogged up your drive. He wore his track shorts and a tee. He glistened from his morning run. “You okay?”

You nodded and forced yourself to stand. You elbowed the door shut and set your latte on the roof of your car as you locked it.

“Cookie?” You offered the box.

“No, no, it’s a bit… early.”

“Sharon home?” You asked. “Awake?”

“She is.” He said. “I was just on my way to relieve her. My shift starts soon.”

“Oh,” You took the latte and he eyed the logo on the cup.

“Where’s Kayla?”

“Daycare,” You answered. “I thought it would be better but… it’s just lonely.”

“Come over,” He said. “Come see Sharon and the baby.”

“No, I couldn’t--”

“She’d appreciate the company,” He urged. “The adult company. I think the baby talk is driving her crazy.”

You looked across the street and then back to your house. 

“Alright.” You relented. “Thanks.”

“And if we end up hitting the felt…” He kidded.

“Sure,” You rolled your eyes and followed him down the drive.

🏠

Sharon looked immaculate. She had a four month old baby in her arms and glowed like the Madonna. She greeted you with a warm smile as Steve pecked her cheek and then Sarah’s head. You slipped out of your shoes and followed her into the living room. As you sat on the sofa and set down your coffee and cookies, she handed you the baby and offered you breakfast.

You lied to her and told her you had already eaten. You looked down at the child; blond, blue-eyed, beautiful. Steve neared you as Sharon retreated to the kitchen and the sound of the blender came muffled from the doorway. You glanced up at Steve.

“You want her?” You offered.

“She likes you,” He sat next to you and waved away the offer. “She can’t stop looking at you.”

You looked down and the blue eyes shone up at you. You smiled and rocked Sarah as you leaned back against the cushion.

“I guess it’s a bit of a moot question now, but you ever thought of having another?” Steve asked.

“You always think about it.” You said. “But often think better of it.”

You looked over at him as the noise of the blender died. His eyes were much like those gazing up at you. Bright, intent. You felt almost shy as he watched you. You tore your attention from him and brought Sarah closer to your chest as she reached up with her small fingers. You cooed at her and touched her cheek.

“Here,” Sharon handed Steve a green smoothie and sat with her own. “You didn’t bring Kayla?”

“She’s at the daycare.” You explained. “She missed her friends.”

“She’s such a sweetheart,” Sharon said and her eyes drifted down to Sarah. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen ours so calm.”

“You will. I found it came in phases. Sometimes it’s non-stop, sometimes their angelic.” You mused. 

Your stomach clenched as you thought of Kayla when she was that small; as you wondered how it had become all so twisted. Was it the kid? Was it you? You blinked away the dampness in your eyes and turned to hand Steve the baby. He took her and you reached for your latte. The caffeine wouldn’t help your nerves but the momentary warmth would soothe you.

🏠

On Friday, Sharon had a hair appointment so Steve came over to interrupt your paperwork. You brought Kayla with you as he set Sarah up in her plastic seat on the lawn. 

He helped carry the flowers over from your garage and you set to the task of weeding and digging out spots for the new buds. You had a short time to get it done before Sharon returned.

Kayla liked Sarah. She showed her the flowers and the new doll she’d gotten from your mother. You knelt beside Steve as he took your direction and you found yourself reaching over each other, distracted only as you kept the children entertained between unpotting the plants.

There was a tension lingering. Words unsaid. You caught Steve’s glances and the pity in his tone. You dusted off your jeans and stood as you stepped back to admire your work. He watched you then and you felt like snarling at him. You could see his sympathy and it sickened you.

“Amazing,” He rose and came to stand beside you. “She’ll love it.”

“I’m sure she will,” You said. 

You bent and started to stack the empty plastic planters. You piled them all into the tray and gathered up your little set of tools. 

“Me and Kayla should go, it’s close to nap time and--”

“I’m not tired,” Kayla said. You looked at her sharply.

“Please, why don’t you come in and… have some lemonade before you go?” Steve said. “Just a little while.”

“I don’t know. Sharon will be--”

“Sharon always gets her nails done when she gets her highlights,” Steve assured you. “Besides, she’s not dumb enough to think I did all this by myself.”

“I like lemonade,” Kayla said and tugged on your belt loop. “Only pink.”

“Pink…” He bit his lip. “You know, I think I might have some.”

“Fine, I’ll go put this stuff away,” You said.

“I’ll get the kids inside.” He lifted Sarah from her chair and offered his hand to Kayla. “I think it’s good for Sarah to socialize.”

You nodded and quickly retreated across the street. You shoved everything in the shed and stopped as you went to replace the latch. Had it all been pity? Had Steve discovered Logan’s secret and decided to start bugging you out his own guilt? It felt entirely mocking. Worse, humiliating.

He shouldn’t be worrying about you. You snapped the locked close through the loop and spun the dial. He had a wife and kid. He needed to worry about them. Not you and your denial of your splintering marriage. You crossed the street and kicked the dirt off your boots before you entered. You unlaced them and found Kayla in the living room.

She sat in front of the TV as Sarah was sprawled out in a playpen. You checked on your daughter then followed the subtle noises of activity to the kitchen. You entered as Steve tore the top off a frozen lemonade mix. It was pink like he promised. 

“I could add some vodka to yours,” He offered as he squeezed it out into a pitcher. 

“Look, Steve,” You neared the other side of the island. “You don’t have to atone for what Logan is doing.”

“What?” His eye lashes flicked up as he looked at you. “You don’t think-- You know, we’re friends, right? You and me? This has nothing to do with Logan.”

“Oh no?” You challenged. “I’m not that great at pool and I hate baseball.”

“Is that all I am? A felt table and ESPN?” He asked.

“No, but, come on,” You sighed. “I don’t want to be your pity project.”

“You’re not,” He said as he added water to the pitcher. “That would be Bucky.”

You couldn’t help the snort. He returned to the island and began to whisk the mixture.

“And to be honest, it’s been a tough couple months. Pent up in here with a crying baby. I’m sure you know how it is. Talking to people who can actually answer me with more than a spit bubble is like a breath of fresh air.” 

He smirked and went to grab glasses from the cupboard. He poured each and pushed one across to you as he took the other two.

“And you already said you’d come to the party so don’t even think of backing out now,” He passed you as he went to the door. “Sharon’s looking forward to it.”

[too-attached-to-fiction]

Worm Your Way Into My Heart

Part 2 of the Found Home series

Summary:            

Logan offers to take care of the twins when their parents are out of town. Virgil isn't sure what to think.

Notes:    

Finally back on my bullshit again! Hi everyone. I know the last one didn't get too much attention but I'm so grateful for the few readers it got, and I'm excited to keep writing for this series. Most of them are just going to be one-shots in this universe because I didn't want to have an update schedule.... but I hope you enjoy reading them! I've been pushing myself to make these longer and I'm really proud of the outcome.

also: i live for Thomas talking about his two dads-

Nox

~~~    

  Logan and Virgil had heard of the Michaels long before they met them through the kids.

 Eleanor Beck and Levi Michaels were widely known at Michigan State. Virgil had once groaned to Logan that they were “almost too perfect to exist”. Levi got the main role in nearly every play the university held in the four years he attended. Eleanor often played the roles opposite Levi, though on occasion, she would be in the orchestra pit playing the piano.

 Somehow, they were the popular kids among the theater geeks. They’d been the ones that went straight to New York on trust funds, but their house was only a few blocks away from Virgil’s childhood home. The Sanders didn’t even know that the Michaels had returned until they sent an invite for dinner.

 Thomas had befriended the Michaels twins on the first day of preschool, but they never saw each other outside of school. Despite being their current kindergarten teacher, Logan wasn’t even sure who the twins’ parents were. When he called home regarding Remus’s behavior, he often only reached their voicemail or Joanne, the main housekeeper.

 “Mister Logan!” Remus and Roman ran up to him one afternoon during pick-up. Thomas was not far behind them, as always. “Our mommy and daddy want you to come over for dinner with Thomas and your wife!”

 Logan was about to correct them when Thomas spoke up, stomping his foot. “I      told     you, I have a Dad and a Papa. I don’t have a mommy.”

 “You have to have a mommy to have a baby.” Remus pointed out.

 “Well, Papa says I’m a-dop-ted.” Thomas said, flubbing the last word, and Logan fought the urge to laugh.

 “I’d need to talk to your parents if you want us over for dinner, though.” Logan said, trying to keep a straight face. “Do you have a way I can talk to them?”

 “They’re here!” Roman said. “Remus, go get them.”

 “On it!” Remus ran into the crowd of parents and quickly emerged with Levi and Eleanor in tow. “Mommy, you said you wanted to meet Thomas’s parents. This is Thomas’s dad!” He pointed at Logan, who gave them a smile.

 “Eleanor, Levi. It’s certainly been a while.” The three adults shook hands. The kids looked up at them expectantly.

 “I’m sure the kids have been keeping you on your toes.” Eleanor smiled down, ruffling Roman’s hair. “We wanted to invite you to dinner. How about Saturday night? The kids have been begging for a sleepover with Thomas lately.”

 “I’ll have to check with my husband, but that should be alright.” Logan watched Eleanor’s smile falter a little bit, but Levi continued the conversation.

 “Well, here’s my card. Call us if you can, we’d love to have you.” Levi handed over a business card. “Have a nice evening, you two.” The family of four left, and Thomas tugged on Logan’s pant leg.

 “What did I say about tugging my clothes?” Logan tsked, slinging the strap of Thomas’s backpack over his shoulder. “Ready to go home, bud?”

 “Can we get ice cream?” Thomas asked as Logan picked him up, walking back into the classroom to grab his own backpack.

 “Why don’t we wait until after dinner?” Logan compromised, and Thomas nodded, satisfied with that answer.

 ~~~

 “No fucking way.” Virgil said when Logan told him the news that night, at dinner.

 “Language.” Logan sang under his breath as Thomas giggled.

 “Papa said a bad word!” Their son said gleefully, showing the contents of his mouth as he spoke.

 “Remember what we said about talking when you’re eating?” Logan scolded, but he was looking at his husband, still waiting for a response.

 “Why would they want us over for dinner? They’re like Broadway      royalty.     Why are they here, anyways?” Virgil asked, sighing.

 “Well, they’re the parents of Roman and Remus, who are Thomas’s friends. I figure we should at least put in the effort to get to know them.” Logan spotted Thomas pushing his vegetables around his plate. “Buddy, you gotta eat your veggies.”

 “But why?” Thomas whined.

 “Because they’re gonna make you really smart and really strong. Like superpowers.” Logan said, smiling as Thomas started shoveling pieces of broccoli into his mouth. “And you always said you wanted to talk to them.”

 “Well, yeah, but what if they’re rich as-” Logan glared at Virgil, who corrected himself mid-sentence. “They’re rich meanies?” He tried, and Logan rolled his eyes.

 “Why would they be meanies? Roman and Remus are nice to me.” Thomas piped up. He was promptly ignored.

 “Isn’t Eleanor h-o-m-o-p-h-o-b-i-c?” Virgil spelled out, shooting a warning look at Logan.

 “She can’t be, she’s surrounded by people like us all the time. Plus, isn’t Levi bi?”

 “You can still be that and marry someone like      us    .” Virgil said indignantly. “What if they’re teaching their kids that kind of bias?”

 “Considering the amount of times I say “my husband” in class, I’m pretty sure their kids can think for themselves by now.” Logan smirked. “And I don’t know why they’re living here. I thought they went to New York, too.”

 “Why don’t I have a mommy?” Thomas asked after the three had lapsed into silence for a few moments.

 “You do. We just don’t know where she is.” Virgil said. “Adri… Do you remember them? They were your social worker.”

         “No?”

 “That’s okay.” Virgil smiled gently. “Adri said that they didn’t know who your mommy was. But when you’re older, and if you still want to find her then, we can look for her.”

 Logan looked at Virgil warily. They did know the truth, but a little white lie was easier than explaining the process of surrendering a baby.

 Thomas’s mother had been young, only sixteen. Adri hadn’t been able to tell them much, but they had said that the mother surrendered the baby to a police or firefighter station when he was a few days old. Thomas was taken care of by an older woman, until he was three, when the woman was diagnosed with some chronic illness that rendered her incapable of caring for him. After that, he went to Virgil and Logan.

 Logan didn’t want to upset Thomas with any of this information, but he also didn’t want Virgil to make promises he couldn’t keep. Making promises with kids was always dangerous territory, especially when their memories were so damn sharp.

 ~~~

 “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Virgil sighed as the three of them stood at the Michaels’ front door. “Why are we doing this?”

 “Because we’re good parents.” Logan reminded him as he stepped forward and rang the doorbell.

 If Virgil thought his childhood home was too big, the Michaels’ house was even bigger. Before he could say a word, the family heard shouts from inside. Remus and Roman swung the door open.

 An older woman appeared in the entrance hall, running up to them and the door. “What did I say about answering the door without checking?” She scolded.

 “Sorry, Joanne.” The twins chorused without a hint of remorse, and the woman shook her head.

 “My apologies for their manners. I’m Joanne, the housekeeper. The mister and missus are in the parlor.” The woman said, leading them inside. “I’ll close the door and get dinner ready.” She disappeared down another hall, letting the twins lead the way to the living room.

 “Come on, we’ll show you our video game room!” Remus told Thomas, jumping up and down. Thomas looked at Virgil and Logan with wide eyes.

 “Can I, Papa?”

 “Why don’t you watch a movie?” Eleanor’s voice rang out. “We’ll call when it’s time for dinner.”

 “Okay!” The twins chirped, grabbing Thomas and running off.

 “Come on, we don’t bite.” Eleanor promised, taking the couple into the parlor. “The kids will be okay on their own.”

 Virgil looked at Logan, nervousness bubbling in his stomach.

 This was going to be a long night.

 ~~~

 It wasn’t until after dinner that the anxiety in Virgil’s stomach spiked. The conversation was now about the other couple’s budding acting careers.

 “It’s so difficult juggling them now with the twins. But I suppose it was even worse when they were newborns.” Eleanor laughed lightheartedly. “Now it’s easier to let them run off and do their own thing. We bought our apartment in New York before we even thought of having kids, and it’s too small for all of us to fit. When we have our show runs or movie shoots, they stay here.”

 “With who, exactly?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow. Virgil glanced at his husband, almost seeing the gears in Logan’s head whir.

 “Well, there’s Joanne, but she leaves around 5 PM and arrives around six or seven the next morning to get them ready for school.” Eleanor shrugged.

 “We figure that the boys can entertain themselves for the evening, and they can operate the microwave and stove well enough.” Levi waved his hand, standing up and moving towards a small bar setup in the corner. “Would either of you like a drink?”

 “That’s alright, thank you.” Virgil said as Logan opened his mouth.

 “The boys could always stay at our house.” Logan blurted out, ignoring the stare Virgil was giving him. “While you’re out of town. Just so it’s not just them in the house every night.”

 Eleanor blinked slowly. “That would save us a lot. Are you sure that’s alright?”

 “We’ll let you sleep on it, but thank you for the generous offer.” Levi swept in, shooting a flawless smile at the Sanders’. “Alright, who wants to fetch the kids?”

 The trio ran in as Levi spoke, all with equal grins. “Can Thomas sleep over?”

 “Not tonight.” Levi said, the four adults watching in amusement as they pouted.

 “It’s time to go home, Thomas.” Virgil stood up. “It was nice reconnecting with you both.”

 “We’ll call once we’ve discussed everything as a family.” Logan gave them a warm smile, ushering his husband and Thomas out. “Thank you for hosting us!”

 The minute they were on the road, Virgil turned to Logan. “This whole idea is ridiculous.”

 “Obviously. They’re neglecting their kids.” Logan scoffed, keeping his eyes on the road.

 “That’s not what I- Logan, we can barely afford the mortgage and this isn’t like adopting or fostering. We’re taking care of two kids for free. It’s not your job to help everyone.” Virgil sighed. “I know you love kids, but you’re not responsible-”

 “I      am     responsible for them, Virgil. They’re being neglected and they don’t know it, otherwise they’d be worse for wear. What if something happens? And we’ve known but we didn’t do anything to help?” Logan gripped the steering wheel tightly. Virgil knew he was fighting a losing battle. He sunk into the passenger seat, leaning back.

 “You can’t save everyone, L.” Virgil sighed again, rubbing his eyes.

 “I know. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t try.”

 ~~~

 A month later, the Michaels twins moved in as semi-permanent residents. Virgil and Eleanor rearranged their emergency contacts with the school before the Michaels flew off to New York again, promising to return at Christmas.

 Logan had painted their rooms their favorite colors. Not all of their toys survived the move - some remained at the other house for when their parents were in town - but the essentials arrived with them. Namely, the twins’ plush dragons, which they had picked out when they were four on a visit to the local toy store.

 Virgil was hesitant, at first. Would they call him Mr. Sanders or Dad? How on earth was he going to explain it to them when they were older? Logan had an established relationship with them already, but Virgil was just a stranger.

 And then, he wasn’t.

 Remus started clinging to Virgil like no tomorrow, even though he and Roman still called him and Logan Mr. Sanders. (Logan had insisted they call him whatever they wanted, within reason.)

 Virgil made their lunches, kept his ears open for any nightmares or shouts, and always maintained a level head when they fought with Thomas or with each other.

 “How would you feel about more ki-” Logan started to ask one night as they got ready for bed. Virgil scoffed, laughing and shaking his head.

~~~

Taglist: @plinamiismyotp @elementalshadowwitch @idkanameatall @zaisling @sunshineandspecs @bucketsofclams

[cozywritings]

Stitches 11: I’ll Be Good

It’s Shawn’s 22nd birthday, so here's a new update on our lovebirds.

-----------

“He asked you to what!” Emily screamed, causing everyone in the ice cream parlor to look at you two. You decided to tell her about your exciting new housing plans for next year, so you could offer that she request your current dorm room, that way she had a room to herself. She was like you in the sense of preferred privacy.

You blushed as you repeated your previous statement. “He asked me to live with him. And I said, yes.” Your cheeks turning an even brighter pink at the confession. “I already told mom and dad, and they’re not too sure about it. However, I think it’s because they haven’t met Shawn yet, but we’d be splitting costs. I pay for food and the utilities and he’s got rent. Plus, we get to sleep in a queen sized bed every night and have our own kitchen and laundry room, and oh god I can’t wait honestly.”

She just looked at you, your eyes bright and cheeks flushed, a glow to your skin that wasn’t coming from the neon lights in the shop or the new highlighter you’d purchased a few days ago. “I’m so happy for you, I know this will be good for you. Both of you, and I can’t wait to see what you do with your place.”

You smiled at her, taking a bite of your edible cookie dough and dancing to the music. “Mom and dad are coming in from Austin in a few days to see the place and meet Shawn, and I’m so nervous Em. What should I do?” She pursed her lips as she thought, her hazel eyes trained on the jukebox.

“I think you should take them to lunch at Mel's in town and then down to the place to see it. Then you have 3 days to shop and they can see how Shawn is with you, that’ll be a good meeting.” You nodded, making a mental note to tell Shawn about it the plan. “Plus, if Shawn really wants to impress them, they can see what he’s like under stress, so having them there while you start to move stuff in would be ideal.” She had a very good point.

The rest of the afternoon you continued on talking about the new semester and how Emily was going to ask to move into your dorm room in a few weeks because she didn’t need to go home for the summer, considering her family lived in L.A which was only half an hour from campus. You were grateful for her help on how to have a great first meeting.

-----

You tapped your foot nervously on the sidewalk, Shawn standing next to you as you waited for your parents to meet you outside the airport. “Baby relax” He stated, rubbing your shoulders and pressing a kiss to your head “Everything’s gonna go fine, and besides, I’m the one who should be nervous and I’m as calm as ever. Take a breather honey.” He smiled, watching as you took a deep breath and relaxed.

Letting out a sigh, you leaned back against his chest, smiling as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders. “I just want them to love you as much as I do.” He squeezed you tightly before leaning down to kiss you.

“I do too love, but stressing about it isn’t going to help. Besides, I’m pretty sure that’s your mom right there, staring at us.” You looked over to where he was pointing at the doors, and in fact, your mom was standing there. She was smiling at the two of you while your dad crossed his arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

You broke out into a smile. “Mom! Dad!” You shouted, breaking out of Shawn’s hold to run towards your parents, arms outstretched for the hugs they were waiting for.

“We’ve missed you sweetheart” your dad said, rubbing your back as you pulled away. You smiled at them before remembering that Shawn was still waiting for you to return, but you hadn’t seen your parents in almost a year aside from facetime calls.

“I missed you guys too, it's so weird not seeing you guys all the time.” As you spoke, you walked them to your boyfriend, who was waiting patiently for you to have your time with your parents. “Mom, Dad, this is Shawn. My boyfriend and uh, who I’ll be living with for senior year.” You smiled, motioning to Shawn who had a hand held out. Now he looked nervous, and you laughed at the quick change of attitudes.

His hands shook at he waited for your dad to take his hand. “Hey, I’m Shawn. It’s good to finally meet you, sir.” He said as your dad shook his hand, your mom giving him a quick hug. “So uh, we thought that we’d take you to lunch at Mel’s and then to see the place we chose. Then we’d leave you two to check into your hotel and get some rest, or explore the city.” You watched as he spoke, rubbing his hands on his jeans and scratching the back of his neck.

Coming to his rescue, you grabbed his hand, placing a kiss to the swallow tattoo you loved. “So mom, I was thinking that tomorrow we could do some decor shopping! There’s this little place I found near campus that sells some cute stuff and dad can go to that golf course he’s been talking about.” Shawn mouthed a “thank you” before walking the four of you to his jeep and staring the route to the diner for lunch.

---

“So” you start, looking at your parents as you pull into the driveway of the little two bedroom house you and Shawn had just signed on. “This is it! I know it’s really small but really it’s so perfect. It’s two bedrooms with a laundry room in the garage and the kitchen and floors were just redone!” Shawn watched as you animatedly talked about the house, loving the way your eyes lit up as you spoke. “Do you wanna go see the inside?” you asked, practically bouncing with excitement in your seat.

Your mom nodded, already tearing up at the fact that you had found someone who loved you and you trusted enough to live with during the most important year of your college career. “We’d love to baby, I’m sure it’s beautiful.” Your dad agreed, mentally planning the list of things you’d need for the small yard that you had.

Walking into the house, you let out a happy sigh. The white walls and wood floor made it look bigger than it really was and the new kitchen looked beautiful with the gray cabinets and blue backsplash. “Oh honey, this is beautiful. You two did such a good job with picking this. I really love the backplash!” Your mom smiled looking around the living area.

“Actually, Shawn picked it. He had already signed on it and everything before asking me. This was all him.” Both of your parents looked at him, shocked that he’d done this himself before letting you show them the bedroom and the rest of the little place. “This is our room, I was thinking a queen bed suit so there’s more room.”

Shawn came up behind you, hands on your shoulders before adding “I was thinking more room for your vanity, honey. Or one of those clothes racks for your extra stuff.”  Your mom watched the two of you exchange ideas for the room while your dad took measurements for the furniture.

“Sir, can I talk to you outside a moment?” Shawn asked your dad, nodding towards the back porch that had an old iron table and chairs on it that your mom was already talking about repainting. He nodded, following Shawn to the backyard and closing the door.

You and your mom exchanged looks. “What do you think he’s talking to him about?” She asked, watching them carefully. They both stood with their backs to the house, and you took a moment to watch the way his shirt strained against his broad back. You haven’t seen your parents in 12 months and you were already ready for them to go to their hotel so you could have Shawn on the kitchen counter.

You shrugged, “Shawn was talking about how the landlord said we could install a sprinkler system the other day, maybe yard stuff since dad is so good at that. I have no idea why they look so serious.” you hummed, turning to look at the kitchen. “I was thinking we could go to Rodeo Dr. and do some clothes shopping later, it’s time to donate the closet and get a new one. What do you say mom?” you asked and she nodded. You two made a deal, since scholarships paid for your tuition and books, you would use the college account to shop.

Ten minutes later Shawn and your dad came back in, you and your mom had already decided that you needed to get some blackout curtains for the bedroom to help with the brightness. Shawn had the biggest smile on his face and you wanted to know why. “Hey baby, we were gonna go get some things for the yard. Do you want us to drop you two off at the strip to go shopping?”

Before you could answer, your mom was already grabbing her purse. “Oh that’s a wonderful idea, we were just talking about going shopping to update our wardrobes!” And with that you were pulled to the car, your dad having an odd look on his face.

---

Now settled into your own hotel room you’d been in for the week, since you had already moved out of the dorms and you didn't have furniture yet, you decided to ask Shawn about earlier. “Hey honey?” your voice soft, unsure of how to ask.

He let out a hum, looking up from his Pediatric Surgery and O.R. Protocol book. “What’s up babe?”

You were currently hanging the clothes you and your mom bought earlier in the day on the back of the bathroom door so the steam from the shower you were about to take would smooth any wrinkles. “What were you and dad talking about in the backyard today?”

His eyes widened, and you noticed the way he looked over to your left hand before smiling. “Just some yard stuff and some future things with the house. I think he likes me.”

That was all you got before he walked over and pressed a kiss to your shoulder, pulling the strap of your tank top down. “Baby, I’m so stressed about this move. I’m really not in the mood.” You sighed, letting out a moan when you felt him leave a trail of hot kissing along your tight shoulders. He nodded, stopping and pulling you into a hug. “Can I at least join you in your shower? Wanna wash your hair for you, rub your shoulders. Just wanna love on my girl.”

You really weren’t in the mood, but there was something about the way he said “my girl” that had you letting him strip you of your top and shorts so he could turn on the water.

Stepping in after Shawn, you saw him squeezing your shampoo into the palm of his hand. You turned around so he could wash your hair and let out a sigh at the feeling of his fingers massaging your head. “Well I don’t know about dad, but mom absolutely adores you. She would not stop talking about you while we were shopping. She’s already planning a trip for us to come home so you can meet my whole family.” You laughed and rinsed out your hair before he applied your conditioner.

“Well, your mom is an amazing woman. When you were talking to the associate at Coach, she told me she’d never seen you so happy. It made me feel really good.” As he spoke, he gently scrubbed you with your body wash, taking time to rub your shoulders. He knew walking and carrying all your stuff tensed you up. “And your dad told me if I hurt you he wouldn’t hesitate to personally castrate me.”

You laughed, “That sounds like dad. But he means no harm.” you reassured him, turning to place a kiss to his chest. “Want me to wash your hair too bub?” his eyes widened, and he nodded, dropping to his knees so you could pour the shampoo directly onto his head.

As you washed those perfect curls, he pressed kisses to your hips. Not trying to do anything other than relax you. “So, room service for dinner and Grey’s Anatomy?” he asked as you rinsed his hair for him.

“I don’t think there’s anything else I’d rather do.” he smiled, standing up and pressing his lips to yours. The kiss was wet and hot, and you let out a moan when one hand came up to cup your neck gently. “Babe, be careful. I don’t wanna start something I don’t have the energy to finish.”

He smiled against your lips, “I can finish it for you honey. Wanna make you feel good.” but you shook your head and he nodded. He placed one final kiss to your lips and pulled away. “Okay my love, I’ll go order dinner so you can shave. Shrimp Alfredo and Stella Rosa?” he asked, referring to your dinner order. You nodded, grabbing his hand and squeezing gently before he left to call the kitchen.

---

“Hey babe, should we get a leather couch or a cloth one?” You asked, getting Shawn to pull his attention away from the array of coffee tables. You were currently choosing your living room furniture and your dad insisted on new items. So here you were, an hour into your search.

“They both have pros and cons.” Your mom added, running a hand along a soft brown couch. She knew a lot about purchasing new furniture, considering one of her companies was a furniture store, your father, however, gave you his credit card and left for the golf course.

Shawn let out a groan, his brain tired from all the choices and his stomach grumbling. “Baby I don’t know. You’re gonna be the one resting the most there because over half of your classes are online. You chose whatever one you want, I’m sure I’ll love it. As long as it’s gray or black.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead before answering his phone that had began ringing. “Hey mom, what’s up?”

He talked to his mom a few minutes alone before walking back to the two of you, rubbing your back gently. “Hey honey, mom wants to FaceTime, she has some input on the furniture. Is that okay?” You nodded, motioning your mom to come over to join the two of you.

“Hey loves!” Karen smiled, waving at everyone and blowing kisses. You smiled at her, blowing  a kiss and leaning against Shawn. You hadn’t officially met Shawn’s parents in person yet, but you’d met them over FaceTime and a Skype call over spring break to thank her for the hotel room. They seemed to like you, according to what Shawn said when he got back from him trip home.

“Hey K! This is my mom, she’s helping us shop while dad is out golfing. But we could use some help deciding. And I figured a retailer’s opinion would really help.” She smiled at you, knowing you were nervous about choosing.

She went through the list of pros and cons of the couch options, adding in that there also needs to be a chair to match. “But if you’re gonna be home doing studies, I’d suggest a comfy cloth couch because you’ll get hot on a leather one. However, I also know Shawn’s habit of eating every meal on the couch.” Her eyes trained on him and you laughed, “so maybe an easy to clean option would be best.”

“Thanks mom. I think that’s what we’ll do.” Shawn handed you the phone so you could say your goodbyes, his face red at his mom’s accusation.

“Thanks again Karen.” You waved, sending her a smile and a kiss.

“It’s no problem love, and it was nice to meet you too!” She smiled at your mom and they exchanged goodbyes and cell phone numbers,and a few words before the call ended.

“She’s a lovely woman, just like her son.” Your mom whispered to you as you handed Shawn’s phone back. “I’d love to meet her for real one day.” She said, insinuating that she was already mentally preparing for a wedding.

You walked around another hour before deciding on and buying a living room set and having them deliver it to the house. You had already bought a bedroom set that morning, and now just needed kitchen things so you could sleep in the house tonight and be able to eat.

---

Walking into the house, you let in the delivery guys, instructing them where to place everything and thanking them for all their hard work. “Would you guys like some water before you go?? We’ve bought plenty.” You offered, pointing to the case of water bottles on the counter. They all took one, thanking you before heading back out to their trucks and leaving.

“So baby, this is our home for the next year.” Shawn sighed, placing the bag of bedding on the couch and wrapping his arms around your waist. Your parents had already gone back to their hotel, your mom saying something about dinner reservations.

“It’s perfect, I love it so much. I love you so much. I was gonna see if mom and dad wanted to come see after dinner, but I’d much rather just relax. Maybe christen the new house?” He let out a low moan into your hair, hugging you tighter before whispering to you,

“The faster we can get the sheets on the bed, the faster we can get underneath them.” So without another word, you raced off to the bedroom, giggling in excitement and happiness of how things were turning out for the two of you.

There was nothing better than laying in bed with Shawn’s arms around you, except doing so in your own home. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” He asked, bringing you out of your post sex daze.

You blinked a few times, rolling over and laying on top of him. “Just thinking about how much I love you, and how excited I am to make this place ours.” He smiled down at you, watching you blink slowly in thought. He knew this was a huge thing for you, and one reason he did all of this was because he had a plan in place and he wanted to make it as seamless as possible. But also he knew that you’d been having a tough time, and found this specific place so he could turn the spare room into a designing studio and your own safe space.

---

It’s been a week since you moved into the house. A week of figuring things out, learning when the other actually showers, and learning that Shawn actually eats very healthy, despite all the takeout he ordered when you lived in the dorms. Everything has been unpacked and placed in the right spot, a laundry schedule had been established, and you’d even been able to get your own makeup station set up in the empty corner of the bedroom. The spare room was currently being used to hold everything that didn’t have a place yet, but would soon be turned into your safe space. Shawn told you about his little surprise when you walked in on him talking to Cheryl and Emily about ways to decorate the room for you

Tonight was your housewarming party and you were a running mess trying to get everything ready on time. “Hey baby, do you want to go take a shower? I’ve got everything ready, and you look like you could use a few minutes to yourself.” Shawn smiled sympathetically at you, placing the final package of solo cups on the counter. “I’ve got it from here, you should relax for a while. You’re stressing too much.”

As he spoke, he walked around and handed you a glass of water and some pain killers for your head and back. “You’re the best.” You whispered, closing your eyes and swallowing the pills. “I’d love to take a shower and maybe even get in a nap before they get here.” He nodded, kissing your forehead and gently scratching your back, which earned a kiss to this collar bone and asatisfied hum from you.

“I think that’s a perfect idea. I’m gonna mow the lawn really quickly and then I’ll shower and might even join you in bed. We’ve still got-“ he stopped and looked down at his watch. “Three hours before they get here. So we’ve got plenty of time to relax.” You leaned up and pressed a kiss to his chin, humming your approval of the idea, then walked off to shower. Stripping off your top as you walked to the bedroom, you heard Shawn let out a low groan.

---

You were almost asleep when Shawn walked into the bedroom, chest exposed and sweaty. Those curls you loved were plastered to his neck and forehead. “I didn’t mean to wake you baby, I’m gonna get in the shower and then join you. Try to stay awake for me?” You nodded sleepily, debating if you should tell him you’re naked under the sheets, but decided to let him find out for himself.

“I’ll be out in a few minutes.” He mumbled before closing the door and starting the shower. To keep yourself awake, you opted for turning on the tv. When you moved in, both tv’s came with you, yours went into the living room because it was larger, and Shawn’s got placed in your room. So at least you already knew how to work it, and there wasn’t that trial period like when you get new things.

In the time it took you to pick a movie, Shawn had already showered, gotten dressed, meaning he put on some boxers, and walked back into the bedroom. “What are we watching sweetness?” His voice soft just in case you’d fallen back asleep.

“Killers, it’s an Ashton Kutcher movie where he’s a spy. I loved it when I was in high school.” You watched as he picked up the laundry and put it in the basket before walking back over to the bed and pulling back the covers.

The look on his face was absolutely priceless when he saw your bare skin. “Fuck, babe you can’t just not warn me that you’re naked.” he groaned and you shrugged, patting the mattress next to you.

“I was too lazy to get dressed after my shower. Come cuddle with me, Dr. Mendes.” He moaned at the name, loving when you called him that. Even though he hasn’t yet started his shadowing at the hospital, you had been calling him that for about a month now. He always had a good reaction to it.

“How am I supposed to say no to that?” He smirked, crawling next to you and letting you mold yourself to his body. “I set an alarm for 5:00. That gives you an hour to get ready.” He spoke into your hair, fingers dancing across your back.

Letting out a content sigh you spoke softly. You mumbled a quiet “okay” into his chest before drifting off into your well deserved nap.

---

The party has been going on for a few hours now and everything has been going amazing. Everyone loved the house, especially Brian, since he helped Shawn and encouraged him to ask you to live with him. Everything was perfect, until the last few guests arrived. In all honesty, it was a complete and honest mistake of simply not knowing, but the second you heard your front door open and looked up to see who it was, your smile and heart dropped.

At first it was just Cole, another med student that was shadowing with Shawn at the hospital, then behind him was Josh. He looked around, as if he truely didn’t know who’s house he was at, until his eyes landed on the photo of you and Shawn at Disneyland, you had all the photos printed and placed in a photo album. His eyes went wide, then even larger when they landed on you before he gave you a smirk.

“I’ll be right back Rudy, I need to go find Shawn. Um, an unwanted guest just got here.” Your voice shook like your hands. He knew where you lived now, and that scared you, even more so since his advances after Christmas break. You just knew he’d try to pull something while Shawn was at the hospital.

Noticing your panic, Rudy placed a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, you okay? Who’s here? You should sit down, you look like you’re gonna pass out.” He waved over Brian, handing you a plate of nachos to eat. “Dude, I don’t know what’s going on but someone is here and it’s causing a panic attack. Can you go get Shawn?” He asked and Brian nodded, moving quickly to go find his best friend while Rudy sat next to you and pulled you into his side for comfort.

“Hey, can you point to who it is?” His voice soft. You pointed to Josh who was staring at you, a smirk on his face at how he was affecting you. Rudy turned to look at him and almost growled, anger boiling in his chest to see his friend so upset. “Why the fuck is he here?”

Tears were now sliding down your cheeks, as you shrugged. “He came in with Cole. I don’t think he knew about Josh, because he wouldn’t do that on purpose.” You sobbed, shoulders shaking as you tried to calm down the panic attack.

“Okay, here’s Shawn. I’m gonna go talk to Cole. Just remember to breathe hun, you’re safe. Your boys got you.” Brian announced after coming back, you let out a soft chuckle when he winked at you, tossing the plate of food onto the coffee table and reaching out for Shawn.

He was already on defense mode, body rigid and jaw set. “Baby, Hey what’s wrong? Brian said you’re not doing well. Breathe for me okay, you’re alright, you’re right here with me.” He stopped to look up at Brian and Cole who’d walked up, an extremely sympathetic look on his face.

“Let’s go talk in our room okay? I wanna get her out of this crowd so she can breathe.” They all nodded, filing into your room, Rudy, Brian and Cole all looking at you with worried looks.

Sitting on your bed, you were already starting to calm down. That’s when Cole spoke up. “I’m so fucking sorry, I didn’t know you two had a bad history. I didn’t think to tell him whose house it was or even ask you guys if I could bring a friend. Oh shit I feel so terrible. He’s in my British Lit. class and I had no fucking idea. When Brian told me I wanted to puke.” He was babbling, his own panic setting in.

You reached out and grabbed his shaking hands with yours. “It’s okay, you didn’t know. But is there any way you can get him to leave?” He nodded quickly, telling you that he’d take him home immediately.

That’s when Shawn decided to butt in. “Wait. Who’s here, Cole who did you bring?” He asked, kissing the top of your head and keeping track of your pulse.

The boy bit his lip, looking at how your makeup was ruined and like he wanted to cry. “I brought Josh. I swear man, I didn’t know. You know I’d never do that to you guys.” You rubbed his arm and closed your eyes as you began you relax.

Shawn instantly tensed, his jaw tight and eyes hard. “Baby, Shawn, Hey, look I’m okay now. Cole’s gonna take him home and come back.” You looked over at Cole as a silent plea he’d come back and he nodded. “Problem solved. I promise I’m okay now. You’re here with me, I’ve got the guys too. And Em and the girls are here as well.”

But it was no use, Shawn was already walking out of the bedroom and making a beeline to the back porch where Josh was playing with the lights hanging overhead. You ran after him, but it was no use, he was on a mission. “I’d suggest you leave before this gets ugly.” Shawn seethed, pointing towards the back gate.

“What are you gonna do about it Mendes? Why don’t you go back to your pathetic girlfriend, what’s she crying about in there anyways? I’d love to see what else I can make her d-“ before he could finish, Shawn had pushed him into the table, both Josh and the glass top hitting the concrete. He was quick to get up. “Son of a bitch!” He yelled, lunging at Shawn and knocking him into the brick wall. You let out a scream, tears running down your face at the fight before you.

Rudy held you, hiding your face in his chest while Brian and Cole went in, grabbing Josh and throwing him onto the ground before securing his hands and forcing him into the car. “Hey, we’ll be back to check on everything later. Make sure they’re okay?” Rudy nodded, ushering the party goers out of the house with an apology.

The second he let go of you, you darted towards Shawn, who was leaning against the side of the house, head leaned back onto the bricks as he chest heaved. “Shawn!” You cried, falling into him and the two of you slid to the ground.

“Shhhh baby I’m okay. Just hit my head and my back scraped against the house, I’m not severely hurt, I promise. Just wanna sit here for a few minutes.” His hands came up to cradle you to his chest as you listened to his rapid heart beat. “We’re safe. I’ll call Monday morning and get a security system put in.” You let out a little chuckle, Shawn was just in a fight, he could have a concussion, and his first thought was making sure you were safe in the house.

You looked up at Rudy, who was currently sweeping up the broken glass. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll clean it up in the morning. Can you just do me a favor and bring me the first aid kit from our bathroom?” you asked, lookimg at the scrapes on Shawn’s face.

“Of course, I’ll be right back. Do you want something to drink?” you looked at Shawn who shook his head. He came back a few minures later with the kit and a couch pillow for you to place behond Shawn’s head.

“Thank you.” You whispered to them from your place on the concrete. You two had yet to get up, Shawn claiming he needed a minute and your body was drained of all energy. “Do you think you can help me get him into the bedroom, I can clean him up. But he’s too big for me to carry alone.”

He nodded, helping Shawn off the ground as the boys came back, Cole handed you some flowers and you smiled at him.  “I’m so sorry guys, if I’d known-“ Cole started but you but him off, hugging him gently.

“You didn’t know, and you did the best thing by getting him out of here and coming back to help. Thank you too.” you said, looking between Brian and Rudy, who were standing in the doorway, they’d taken Shawn to the bedrom so he could lay down. “You guys were a huge help tonight with me and Shawn. We’d like to invite you guys over for dinner tomorrow as a thank you. Please?”

There was a chorus of “of course”s before Cole added, “I’m gonna clean up the house okay? You two get taken care of and I’ll let myself out when I’m done. I promise I’ll lock the door on my way out.” You thanked them all again before making your way to the bedroom, closing the door and looking back at Shawn.

“Hey there fighter, how about a bath? I think we could both benefit from one.” your voice was soft as you spoke, walking over to sit next Shawn on your bed.

He nodded, reaching out for you. “I’d love nothing more. Just wanna hold my girl. You doing okay? Your meds are in the kitchen if you need them.”

You shook your head, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping it off his shoulders carefully. “I’m alright bubs, let me take care of you okay? I know that’s hard for you since you’re the med student here, but your back is scraped up pretty bad and I’d like to check your head.” As you spoke, you slipped out of your sundress and settled back on Shawn’s thighs.

He took a few minutes with his head on your chest, listening to your still erratic heartbeat and leaving hot kisses on your collar bones. “Okay babygirl, I’d really like that bath now, my body hurts so bad.” His lips moved against your skin and you got up, walking into the bathroom to start the bath and dump in the Epsom salts.

“I’d like to rinse you off before I get in. Please? It’ll make me feel better.” You whispered, taking a washcloth and dipping it into the tub. He nodded, toeing off his socks and settling into the tub, hissing at the water on his raw skin. “If it hurts just tell me. I’ll be gentle.” You warned, dabbing the cloth across his back and shoulders where they’d come in contact with the bricks. He let out a low whine and you wanted to cry.

There was a few minutes of silence before you leaned over and turned on a soft playlist. “You gonna join me baby?” Shawn asked, holding is hand out to you and smiling. You couldn’t say no, he looked so tired and handsome. You honestly didn’t know if you wanted to cuddle him or fuck him.

The water was still warm as you stepped in, settling into the water and leaning back against Shawn’s chest. “You scared me tonight baby.” He mumbled, his fingers trailing along your sides. “When I walked over to you with Rudy I thought you were gonna hit the floor. You weren’t breathing well and you were so pale. Then the look on your face when you came outside. Oh god, I never meant to get that violent, or violent at all. But he was just so-“ He stopped when  you turned around and straddled him.

“I scared you? Shawn I thought I was going to find you unconscious on the porch. Panic attack be damned, I’m glad you’re okay. He’s probably not gonna bother us again after all of that. Are you sure you’re okay?” You asked, eyes darting around his face and chest in fear. “I don’t mind taking you to minor emergency.”

You took a breath when Shawn places his hand on your cheek. “I’m fine, you’re okay. Can you please kiss me?” You didn’t need him to ask twice. Leaning forward you wrapped your arms carefully around his neck and kissed him. It was hot and wet and despite the situation, one of the sexiest kisses the two of you have ever shared.

He moaned against your lips, fingers digging into your hips and pulling you closer. “Baby, fuck me” he groaned, lips trailing down your neck. “Please. I need you. Wanna feel close to you.” His voice strained and you moaned, feeling him press into your neck and lick down your throat. It took you a minute, but you positioned yourself over him before sinking down on him slowly. The two of you let out a sigh, taking a second to adjust.

——

“I love you so much” Shawn whispered, your head on his chest, hair still damp. The two of you decided getting dressed after your bath was pointless, so you curled up under the sheets and let your hair drip onto the pillow.

You looked up at him, still in a post sex daze from a second round after getting into bed. “I love you too bub.” You smiled at him, your hand coming up to rest on his cheek. “You’re so pretty.” You mumbled, blinking slowly.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to your palm. “So are you. You’re also very tired. Let’s get some sleep, okay? Tomorrow we’ve gotta cook for the guys.” He reminded you and you nodded, laying your head back on his chest.

His fingers gently ran across your back, pulling you to sleep and easing your muscles. Even after a rough night, you always had Shawn. And Shawn knew he had you, and you didn’t want life to be any other way.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #301

“i was waiting for my chance to find the light”

Did you like the beach a lot more as a kid more than you do now? Why/Why not? I did. Everything was more fun as a kid. I never REALLY loved it, though, because I did and still do hate the heat and walking through sand and getting it stuck all over you. It's pretty much torture now because I have extreme difficulty walking through sand. Has there ever been a time where you just couldn't stop crying? Explain. I know I've had days many years ago when my PTSD was truly awful where I'd sob multiple times a day. What's your least favorite time of day? Why don't you like that time?Late afternoon, like around 3-4 or so. By that point I'm usually bored senseless and going downhill. Do you like your lips? Do you enjoy kissing? They're fine, ig. And I mean yeah, if I'm really into the person? Do you like any music from the American Idols? Which ones? Ngl, I don't even remember any besides Kelly Clarkson, and who the FUCK doesn't like "Breakaway." Do you like when people challenge you? If so, in what? No, I get nervous about embarrassing myself. Personally for you, is falling for someone way beyond your control? It is entirely out of my control. What's something other than a fruit that you love in milkshakes? (Ex.twix ) Mostly chocolate stuff, haha. What is your all time FAVORITE milkshake? Ever tried the Reese's Blast from Sonic? That's some A+ shit. What's the latest you've ever stayed up reading a book? No clue. When having a peanut butter & jam sandwich, what is the best kind of jam? Grape. Do you like to write poetry? Yeah, but it's been a long time since I wrote anything. I used to do it aaall the time, but now I have to be seriously motivated and dedicated to the idea. When you get mad do you cry? Absolutely. Would you ever consider modeling? No. I do think one or two model-esque photos of myself would be nice and possibly help my self-confidence, but it's not something I'm seeking out and paying for. Are you scared of crossing bridges? Not very, no. If they're kinda sketchy-looking, I might feel a tad tense, but I'm not really scared of them. Would you consider yourself clumsy? I am unfuckingbelievably clumsy. Ever bought ice cream from an ice cream truck? Yeah, sometimes Mom would let me and my sisters do that as kids when one came through our neighborhood. Have you ever had a poem or story published? No. If you had/have a kid would you ever let them get a tattoo? If they were of the appropriate age, of course. And if they were getting it done professionally and not at some party drunk with friends. They better be in a sterile environment with someone who knows what they're doing. Do you love guinea pigs? Absolutely. I had three or four as pets when I was a kid. What is the worst thing you ever did that got you grounded? Probably run away from home. Have you ever been chased by a snake? No... and this is a misconception. Snakes don't chase. They go for what they see as the safest escape route, and sometimes they identify your own chosen direction as where they wanted to head, too. Where do you wanna work? I want to be a freelance photographer. What awards have you won? A lot of "A honor roll" trophies through school, among other academic awards. I seriously don't know what happened to that intelligence. I also have dance awards and lots of childhood sports team stuff. Would you consider yourself good at taking care of kids? I don't think I am, no. I'm way too nervous and awkward around kids. I've had to babysit for my sister twice though, and Ashley told me the kids had lots of fun and had no complaints. I guess like... I can do it, I am just very, very uncomfortable taking kids under my wing. I worry about leading them in the wrong direction. How old would a guy have to be before you wouldn't date them? I don't know, it would really depend on how much I was into the person. I generally stick with the approximation of a ten year gap though being my limit, so I think maybe him being in his mid-30s would make me feel a bit too weird. Be honest, have you ever tried weed? No, but quite honestly, I'd probably try an edible. I refuse to smoke anything for my lungs' sake. I'm curious if medical marijuana would actually be beneficial for me. Has anyone ever broken up with you with a note? No, but uh... I have, lol. It's how I broke up with my "puppy-dog love" boyfriend in middle school. Literally after he asked me if I was thinking of breaking up with him, and I said no before handing him the note because I was just too scared to do it to his face. I know, that was absolutely awful. Never, ever do that to the most innocent boy ever, kids. He didn't deserve that. Do you have sensitive teeth? Kinda. What was the worst thing you ever did to get detention/suspended? I've only ever had detention once for having too many tardies to my first class of the day in high school. We'd frequently arrive to school just a few minutes late because I was fucking impossible to drag out of bed. Have you ever suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder? Yes. Do you suffer from nasal allergies? Yes. What's your favorite kind of pudding? I only really like chocolate pudding. Have you done anything really interesting lately? I guess you could consider starting a virtual partial hospitalization program "interesting." It's not the intensive version like my first was, but rather being shorter. I just really need something to get my mental health back on the tracks. What’s the latest really fun thing you’ve done? REALLY fun? Hell if I know. I don't experience "fun" a lot at all anymore... I only ever feel like, this watered down, unenthusiastic sorry excuse for it. Have you discovered any good music lately? Oh yeah, I've found lots of 3TEETH songs I'm mad into. "ULTRAnumb" by Blue Stahli is also a total bop. How about any good new television shows? No. Or perhaps some interesting books? Nothing new, no. Have you picked up a new hobby or learned a new skill? I mean, within what timespan? Nothing lately, really. Has anybody ever done your makeup for you? Yeah. Do you own any sparkly items of clothing? No. What’s the most colorful accessory you own and use? *shrug* Do you enjoy drag artists’ work? If so, name some of your favorites. Oh yes, I have wild respect for drag queens. I don't know enough of them to have a fair favorite, but I do watch Trixie Mattel on YouTube and he is a goddamn hoot. What, right now, is the best thing in your life? Um. I don't really know. Probably the fact my mother still lets my too-big-for-the-nest ass to live with her... I don't want to picture how my life would be if I didn't have her still essentially holding my hand. What’s a place you like to go to when you need to get away for a bit? I actually love car rides for this, so long as I can ride passenger and just blare my music and not talk. It's so odd, being afraid of driving but finding great freedom and comfort in just... going. Do you like apples? I love apples. Anything exciting coming up for you in the near future? I paid the deposit for my tattoo appointment, so it was officially scheduled in May!! I was expecting an open date to be kinda far with just how amazing this parlor is, so I wasn't too shocked to hear I have to wait a few months, but man I can hardly wait. When you get an account for something, what's the first username you try? Unless it's for a "professional" site, in which case I'd use my actual name, I just about without fail with use "Ozzkat," or replace the "o" with a zero if that's somehow taken. Would you be okay with a friend wanting to date one of your exes? Which ex? What kind of accent do people typically have where you're from? Southern. Does history interest you at all? Can't say it does. What's something you wish you could do-over? There are many things, man. Is your hair in layers or is it all the same length? Neither, really. The left side of my head is very short/shaved, and as the hair goes around to the right, it gets longer. There aren't "layers," though. Is there anyone who you're afraid to be in a car with, if they're driving? I wouldn't say afraid, but with my sister's road rage and serious tail-gating issue, riding with her can make me nervous. What's something you're very good at? Um, I guess creative writing. Do you like sour gummy worms? oh FUCK yeah Would you pick up a hitchhiker if they seemed harmless? No. I am way too paranoid for that shit. Would you be bothered if your boyfriend liked to bite you? Uhhh I'm going to assume you mean this in a sexual context, in which case I don't care so long as it's not in a visible spot. How often do you get the opportunity to be completely alone? The answer used to be a shitload, and seeing as I'm in my room most of the time, I still feel like that's kind of true, but since Mom's cancer diagnosis and she had to stop working, she's usually home with me. I like it that way, though. Total isolation is bad for me. Do you have a trampoline? Nah, haven't in many years. What's your favorite Pixar movie? Finding Nemo. What is the strangest thing you've been asked? Something sexual that made me extremely uncomfortable. What’s the weirdest thing about life that people just accept as normal? The fact we put so much worth into pieces of green paper. What's the most random thing you've done out of boredom? *shrug* What show did your parents not let you watch as a kid? There weren't any specific shows that we even wanted to watch that Mom forbade us to see... I mean she certainly wouldn't let my sisters and I watch something like South Park as little kids, but none of us really sought unsuitable shows out. We were all about Disney, Nick, and Animal Planet in my case. What is the most pleasurable feeling that doesn't involve anything sexual? What comes to mind first is a big hug from someone who makes you feel safe when you don't anywhere else. What was your last "oops, wrong person" moment? I'm going to assume I sent somebody a text meant for another person. I'm super careful about avoiding stuff like this because I get horribly embarrassed, so it's difficult to recall the last time I slipped up. What do you find attractive that isn't considered "normal" attraction? Having a broad imagination and drive to create. What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done drunk? N/A What's something you really enjoy, but can't have? A pet tarantula because Mom refuses to let me lmao. I'm so into them now and desperately want a Grammastola pulchra. What Wikipedia article have you recently read? I haven't read any recently. What subject should be taught at schools, but isn't? Basic adulting and financial skills. What is the worst game you've ever played? I dunno. I've played sooooo many video games throughout my life. What tragic event was coincidentally beneficial to you? My overdose because it led to an intensive partial hospitalization program that totally changed my life. What did you think was cool when you were younger that you now think isn’t? Good question... What are your favorite or most memorable lines from any movie/show? I vaguely remember the concepts of some quotes, but not well enough to recite them. None that are seriously memorable or heavy pop up in my head now. What's a good example of 'Don't knock it till you try it'? Putting peanut butter on top of waffles with syrup. It is fucking delicious. What's your go-to get pumped up song? 5FDP's cover of "Mama Said Knock You Out" is badass HYPE. What's the dumbest thing your parents have said or done? Well, through a family assessment before my current partial hospitalization could begin, I very recently learned my dad fucking did drugs before my sisters and I were born, including shit like cocaine. That was great to suddenly learn. As for my mom... probably have a kid too young? She doesn't talk very much about her eldest daughter's history with (and without) her, but I know enough to know that was a very rocky time in her life. What are some things you wish existed? Cures for countless illnesses, and I also have SUUUUUCH a yearning for some kind of technology that could copy an image in your head onto a drawing device. If only I could draw how/what I see up there... Which person shaped you the most? Jason. Or Mom. What’s the one movie you couldn’t finish? Why? Couldn't tell you; I just haven't watched enough. What's a small thing you have a big passion for? Meerkats, quite literally with "small" lmao. What change have you made recently to help the environment? I have metal straws I try to remember to bring with me if I go out to eat. What was the hardest thing you've ever had to forgive? The way Jason left. Is there anything or anyone you're angry at, that you haven't forgiven yet? I sometimes question if I truly have forgiven Jason. I lean kinda heavily towards yes, I have, I'm just bitter about it all regardless. Have you ever plotted revenge against someone? No. Have you ever done anything to get revenge against someone? I can't think of anything off the top of my head. What is the greatest longing of your heart? To feel purpose. Who was your first love? Some guy in high school who "had" to talk to me upon seeing me the first time, only to wind up wanting to hear nothing from me later on down the line. What denomination is your church (if you go)? N/A What was the first year you voted in a presidential election? This most recent election, actually. Have you ever been afraid of the world ending? I used to worry it would happen in my lifetime, but now I don't. If it ends, it ends. I ain't got much to lose nowadays. What is unfair about your life? My mental health. My financial position. I'd rather not focus on the billion shitty things going on in my life rn, so next question. Did you write love poems when you were younger? ugh Who are you jealous of and why? There's a lot of people I'm in some way envious of, honestly. Have you ever had an account of yours hacked? Yes. Thankfully nothing major happened. Have you ever been a victim of police misconduct? No.

[storiesforallfandoms]

advice ~ daniel webber

word count: 2323

request?: yes!

@kellysimagines​ “Can you make a Daniel Webber one where he is working with Daniel Radcliffe on his new movie, and I really want to meet him and Daniel takes me on set so I meet him, and he gives me advice how to become an actress and Daniel is jealous of how close we are and that I constantly visit the set but hang out more with Daniel then him and at home he is cutting me off and stuff and later he confronts me and I laugh at him and explain why I spend alot of time wit him and we make up? :)”

description: when your boyfriend introduces you to his co-star, he starts to get jealous with how much time you two are spending together, but little does he know you’re just getting some acting tips

pairing: daniel webber x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist

also, i know two daniels is gonna be super confusing so just a note: daniel webber = daniel, daniel radcliffe = dan

I squeezed Daniel’s hand as he led me onto the set of his new movie. I was nearly bouncing with excitement, like a child getting to go to the sweets store of an ice cream parlor or something.

Daniel’s most recent movie had him starring alongside Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter himself. I was a massive Harry Potter fan ever since I was young. The Philosopher’s Stone was the first movie I had ever seen and ever since then I had been hooked. Daniel knew this, and when he got casted for the role with Dan, I practically begged him to bring me to set at least once. He told me he would’ve brought me anyways, but I had a feeling it was mainly to appease my begging.

“If you squeeze my hand any harder I won’t have feeling in it anymore,” he teased, trying to wiggle his hand from my grasp.

I loosened my grip on his hand. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m just excited! I can’t believe I’m actually meeting the Daniel Radcliffe!”

Daniel chuckled and wrapped an arm around me, kissing the top of my head as he did so. “Believe it, baby. He’s in his trailer right now, he should be coming to set soon.”

As if on cue, someone called for Daniel and along came Daniel Radcliffe. I grabbed Daniel’s hand again, my eyes widening in shock and excitement. Daniel winced as I squeezed his hand a little too hard yet again. My heart was beating so fast with excitement that I was sure I was going to pass out. I really hoped I wouldn’t, that’d be the worst first impression on my childhood hero.

He smiled at the two of us and I felt so lightheaded with excitement. I had to stop myself from jumping up and down like an excited child. “Hey! You must be (Y/N). Daniel talks about you all the time.”

I looked at Daniel in surprise and he just smiled back at me. I managed to unlatch my hand from his and extend it to Dan, like a normal person does.

“Yeah, yeah that’s me. It’s so nice to meet you, too,” I said, shaking his hand.

“She’s a massive fan,” Daniel told him, earning a slight hit on his arm from me. Dan just laughed. “She’s an actress, too.”

“I wouldn't call myself an actress yet,” I shrugged. “I’m trying to become one, but the most I’ve done is some background work and I had one line in a Netflix show recently.”

Dan nodded. “Yeah, breaking into the business isn’t all that easy, which I know means nothing coming from someone who starred in a huge franchise at the age of 10.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but at that moment Daniel was whisked away to get into his wardrobe and to get hair and makeup done. Suddenly, with him no longer by my side, all the confidence I had to talk to Dan was gone as well. The words I was about to say fizzled out in my throat and I just stood there with an open mouth, like an idiot.

I clamped my mouth shut finally, but tried to rack my brain for something to say.

“So,” Dan said instead, sending relief through me, “just having trouble getting your foot in the door with roles?”

I sighed heavily and nodded. “I’ve had plenty of auditions for all sorts of roles, but they all end the same; they tell me I’m fantastic but I’m just not who they’re looking for. I’m starting to think I’m not even a good actress, they just don’t want to tell me the truth.”

“I’m sure you’re a fantastic actress. The sad reality, especially these days, is just that casting directors want more well known faces to lead their movies in order to sell more tickets and to get a better box office rating, even if well known faces aren’t the best option,” Dan said. “You should show me some of your acting, like audition videos if you have them, or you can do a scene by memory, while we wait. We have some time while Daniel gets ready.”

I felt dizzy with excitement yet again. Daniel Radcliffe was asking to see my acting?! How could I pass this up?!

The two of us sat together on some nearby chairs and I showed Dan the audition video from my last audition. I still had it on my phone to try and see what I couldn’t possibly done wrong for the casting directors to pass up on me, but every time I watched it I couldn’t see a problem. They seemed genuinely impressed with my skills, and had even told me that time around that they’d “get in touch” with my agent.

They stayed true to their word, but they got in touch to tell my agent that they had casted someone else, not me.

Dan told me he thought my acting was great, which caused me to nearly jump around like a child yet again, and assured me that he thought I would be casted in a lead role soon enough.

“Hollywood has so many known faces, casting directors need to focus on the up and coming people instead. You just have to find the right casting director who thinks that,” he told me.

I smiled brightly at him. “I appreciate that, and I appreciate you looking at my acting.”

“It was no problem! You’re insanely talented, and really nice. I can see why Daniel likes you so much.”

I smiled. Over Dan’s shoulder, I could see Daniel standing with someone while watching the two of us. I waved excitedly to him, causing Dan to look over. Daniel smiled back, but it wasn’t one of his wide, bright smiles, and he didn’t wave either. It seemed odd, but I figured maybe it was because of something being said to him with whoever he was stood with.

“Looks like Daniel’s ready to go,” Dan said. “I better get going to start the scene. I’ll talk to you after, yeah?”

“Yeah! Sounds good.”

~~~~~~

As the weeks went on, I continued to go to set with Daniel to talk with Dan. In between takes, he would give me advice on acting, and on how to really put myself out there and make myself stand out to casting directors despite not being a big named actress.

I was grateful for his help, and looked forward to the days where I could go to set with Daniel to talk to Dan. However, those days started to become few and far between as Daniel began to grow distant.

It started with slight silence at the end of every day. We’d drive home from set every night in complete silence. I’d try to ask Daniel about the day on set and how he found the movie was coming along, but his answers were always short and he never asked anything in return, so I let it go. Then, my visits to the set slowly came to an end when Daniel would get up and leave before waking me, leaving me home alone for the day, and rarely answering my calls throughout the day.

I knew he was acting off, and I wanted to bring it up, but I wasn’t sure how to. I didn’t want to seem like a prying girlfriend, but it was obvious Daniel was mad with me about something, something I wasn’t even sure of.

After yet another day where he went to set without me, Daniel came home earlier than normal. I was sat in our living room watching TV, and I got up to greet him when I heard the door open. He had the same, expressionless look on his face that he always had lately.

“Hey,” I said. “You’re home early.”

“We finished filming early,” he responded. “We might be finished this movie sooner than anyone thought. They’re thinking we could be wrapped within the next few days.”

I nodded, although wasn’t sure how to respond. I was hoping to get to go back to set to see Dan a few more times before they wrapped, but judging by Daniel’s current attitude, that probably wouldn’t be happening.

“Daniel was asking about you,” he said as he moved past me, just inches away from bumping my shoulder as he did so. He had a bitter tone to his voice

I glared after him, wondering what his problem was. “Yeah? What was he asking?”

“Where you were, and why you weren’t coming to set with me anymore. He said he missed seeing you around.”

“I was starting to wonder the same thing,” I said, following Daniel to our shared bedroom. “Is there a reason you stopped taking me to set with you? If you were asked to stop, you can tell me, I won’t be upset, but you just stopped even waking me to go to set with you anymore.”

“I bet you’re really upset that you can’t see Daniel then, huh?” His voice was like ice, but the accusing tone of his voice sent a fiery rage through me.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Really, Daniel? That’s what this is all about? The fact that I spend time on set with Dan? We’ve invited you to join us on multiple occasions, and you always turn us down!”

“I shouldn’t have to be invited to spend time with my girlfriend, (Y/N)! Not when she’s spending all of her time with another guy! How do you think it makes me feel to see you two all over each other right in front of me?”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “We sit next to each other and talk, that’s hardly being all over one another. I can’t believe you don’t trust me enough to let me have a male friend! A guy who, by the way, is also in a relationship and has been for like seven years! If you actually took us up on the offers, or if you just came over and sat with us sometime, you’d know that all that's happening is that Dan is giving me acting advice so I can finally get a role.”

Daniel turned to look at me, his face less angry and more shocked. I didn’t let him get a word in, quickly adding, “But no, you avoided me, gave me the silent treatment, and intentionally stopped bringing me to set so that I wouldn’t see him anymore, instead of talking to me about this like a normal person. I thought we had a stronger relationship than this, Daniel, but I guess I was wrong.”

I grabbed my purse from the bedroom floor and made my way to the front door. I didn’t know where I was going, but I wanted to get out of the house. I was so frustrated and angry that I couldn’t even stand to look at Daniel. How dare he accuse me of cheating on him?! He knew I loved him more than anything, that I’d never do that to him, but apparently that wasn’t enough to convince him that I was just friends with Dan.

I heard him running after me, and his hand grab my arm just before I reached for the door. I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip.

“Let me go,” I said, trying to pull my arm free again.

“Not unless you promise not to leave when I do.” I sighed and nodded. He let my arm go and I crossed my arms. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that.”

“You really shouldn’t have,” I retorted. “Daniel, you know I love you more than anything, I’d never throw that away for a guy I just met, even if he’s the star of my favourite film franchise. Do you know how much it hurts that you’re accusing me of cheating on you with Dan?”

“I know, I know,” he sighed, running his hands through his hair. “It was beyond stupid of me to think that, and even more so to just act out without asking. You were just so close with him on set, and it seemed like the only reason you ever wanted to go was to see him. I just...I felt jealous...I’m so sorry baby, please forgive me.”

I took a deep breath, allowing myself to calm down a moment before I spoke. “I can forgive you, Daniel. But you have to promise to talk to me when you’re worried about stuff like this in the future and not just give me the cold shoulder. It sucked feeling like I couldn’t talk to you about anything because you never really talked back. You just ignored me.”

Daniel nodded and wrapped his arms around me. “I promise, babe, I’ll talk to you about any concerns I have in the future. I’m so sorry.”

I hugged him back, burying my head in his chest. “I forgive you. And I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I pulled away and leaned up to kiss Daniel. He cupped my face gently and held me to him.

“Now that you’re talking to me again,” I said, breaking away from the kiss. “I’ve been trying to tell you that I had an audition last week and they cast me in a reoccurring role in a new Netflix show in development.”

“What?!” Daniel exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement. “Babe! Holy shit, that’s amazing!”

I giggled as he kissed me again. “It is. I’m very excited. They’re supposed to finish casting this week and send us our scripts shortly after. Filming starts in about two months.”

Daniel hugged me tightly. I smiled and melted into him, happy that our short, sort of fight was over.

“Let’s go celebrate,” he said. “We’ll get food, whatever you want, on me.”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” I said.

[gayforheadphonesgirl]

Falling Back Into You (Chapter 1) - Alex Morgan imagine

(A/N): Here’s a multi-chaptered SingleMom! Alex Morgan imagine nobody asked for but I’m going to give you guys anyway lmao. Alex and r are former teammates on the USWNT and haven’t seen each other in years. Shoutout to the cracl heads who are helping me name OCs.

It’s been about 10 years since (Y/N) had seen most of her US national team teammates, with her retirement and social work keeping her away.

So she had absolutely no idea that the kid who caught her eye in a soccer camp she helped with was more connected to her than she thought.

The seven-year-old girl peaked (Y/N)’s attention with her prowess on the field, but what really intrigued her was the kid’s smile that (Y/N) swore she already saw somewhere else.

The girl continued to practice after camp finished, running up and down the field with her small legs handling the ball.

Drawn to the child’s motivation, (Y/N) approached her.

“Still not tired after training with us I see” (Y/N) said, looking affectionately at the young player.

She looked up at (Y/N) and beamed. The older woman was caught off-guard with her eyes, a mix of green and blue that seem so familiar.

“Nope. I want to be the best in the world, like my momma!” The kid said, showing off some dribbling skills to the former USWNT star.

(Y/N) chuckled.

“Yeah? You’re mom was a soccer player too?” (Y/N) said, motioning for the girl to pass the ball to her.

“Yup! The absolute best!” The girl replied. The pair continued passing the ball back and forth.

“Well, I’d sure like to meet her. I want to learn and play with the absolute best in soccer” (Y/N) said, grinning at the kid.

The girl seemed keen to the idea, with her face lighting up at the mention of playing with her mother.

“That would be awesome. She’d kick your ass” The girl replied. (Y/N) giggles at the small girl using the word ass.

She was just about to reply when a new but familiar voice called from behind them.

“Mia! There you are. I’ve been waiting forever for you” The voice called.

“Mom!” Mia said, immediately leaving the ball and running towards her mother.

(Y/N) turned around to look at the pair and immediately, her breath caught in her throat.

“You should’ve been finished 30 minutes ago. Now look, you’ve forced one of your coaches to stay with you-” The mother started to say but stopped dead in her tracks when she looked up.

“(Y/N)?” She said, eyes widening.

“Alex?” (Y/N) replied.

Both women squealed in delight as Alex put Mia down to crash into a hug with (Y/N).

“Wow. It’s so good to see you” (Y/N) said, still hanging on tightly to the former Orlando star.

They pulled back and grinned at each other.

“How long has it been?” Alex said, smiling at her old friend. Mia looked curiously at the two adults in her midst.

“Too long, Alex” (Y/N) said with an elated look on her face.

“Wow, Mia. You were right when you said that your mom was the best in teh world” (Y/N) said, crouching down and ruffling the girl’s hair.

Mia giggled and playfully swatted (Y/N)’s hand.

“She said that?” Alex said, smiling down at her daughter.

“Yeah. But she definitely won’t kick my ass. As far as I can remember, I beat her during scrimmages in practice before” (Y/N) said, standing up and nudging Alex’s shoulder.

“Shut up” Alex replied with faux annoyance. Mia seemed to connect the dots and looked alternately at the two ladies.

“You played together?” Mia said, looking at her mother curiously.

“Yep. Won two World Cups together too” (Y/N) replied, grinning proudly at Alex.

The forward’s heart warmed at the flashback of memories with (Y/N) coming back to her.

“Too bad she had to retire before the 2023 Cup, then we could’ve won three together” Alex said smugly. (Y/N) scoffed.

“Well, my body wasn’t that strong. I’m a bit older than you remember” (Y/N) retorted playfully.

“Grandma” Alex said. (Y/N) gaped at her in disbelief.

“Ooooh burn” Mia said, laughing at the antics of her mom and friend. (Y/N) grinned at the kid.

“Feisty. Just like your mom I see” (Y/N) said.

Mia smiled and nodded her head. (Y/N) laughed and looked at Alex again.

“Wanna go get some ice cream? It’s on me. This kid killed it today” (Y/N) said. Mia perked up at the mention of ice cream and looked pleadingly at her mother.

Alex pretended to think about it but the smile that cracked her face moments after told Mia and (Y/N) she was gonna give in.

“Fine” Alex said. Mia squealed in delight and started running off the pitch.

“She’s quite something” (Y/N) commented, walking leisurely with Alex.

“She is” Alex replied shyly, suddenly conscious that she’s alone with (Y/N).

“Just like you” (Y/N) said, grinning at her former teammate. Alex playfully swats (Y/N) on the arm.

(Y/N) laughs and the pair continue walking in comfortable silence. Mia was already in the exit by the time the two adults caught up to her.

“You sure you have time to take us to ice cream?” Alex said, as the trio walked towards an ice cream parlor (Y/N) knew was near the field.

“Yeah, of course. No biggie” (Y/N) said, shrugging her shoulders.

They had arrived at the ice cream parlor not long after, got their fill and walked around the nearby park.

Mia headed off by herself in a playground in the park with a few other kids while Alex and (Y/N) kept an eye on her in a bench.

(Y/N) took a deep breath and finally asked Alex a question that’s been nagging at the back of her mind all day.

“So, how’s Servando?” (Y/N) said, taking a cautious spoonful of her vanilla ice cream.

Alex tensed up a bit at the mention of her ex-husband. She sighed but nevertheless turned to face (Y/N).

“You really haven’t been keeping in touch, no?” Alex said, smiling at her old friend. (Y/N) almost looked guilty.

“Sorry…” (Y/N) said, looking down at her half eaten ice cream.

“Don’t be. But…. he’s been gone for a while now. He didn’t want kids and when I suddenly had Mia, he didn’t want to stick around anymore” Alex said, shrugging her shoulders.

(Y/N) looked at her in disbelief and felt a feeling strongly reminding her of anger and hate bubble up inside.

“What? Why?” (Y/N) said, wondering how anyone would willingly choose to leave Alex and such a sweet kid like Mia.

“He just didn’t want us anymore. It’s fine though, I mean I guess I really didn’t want him anymore either” Alex said nonchalantly.

But (Y/N) was still fuming, taking angry spoonfuls of her ice cream. Alex chuckled at the sight of her friend.

“What are you laughing at? He’s a total dickwad!” (Y/N) said loudly, flailing her ice cream-occupied hands in the air.

“Dickwad” The pair heard Mia say. The adults whipped their head to look at the seven-year-old who was apparently already next to them.

“Nope. We don’t say that word” (Y/N) said, starting to panic at having accidentally taught a kid a swear ward.

Alex laughed at (Y/N)’s efforts to explain to Mia how she shouldn’t be saying that word.

“That’s…. that’s a really bad word and I’m really sorry I said that. Auntie (Y/N)’s going to be in trouble for that later. Don’t imitate it” (Y/N) rambled on.

Mia looked confused at the older woman’s rambling but simply nodded her head.

(Y/N) looked helplessly at Alex and mouthed ‘sorry’ but the latter just chuckled and waved her off.

“Your Auntie (Y/N) is a bad role model. Don’t be like her” Alex said playfully taking her daughter into her lap.

“Hey! I’m not that bad!” (Y/N) said defensively. Alex rolled her eyes and simply laughed.

The trio continued their day talking about soccer tactics, with Mia wanting to learn from her mother’s former teammate.

“Someday, I wanna be a World Cup champion like you two!” Mia said, skipping happily as they walked out of the park.

“I’m sure you’ll get to do that, baby girl. After all, it runs in the genes” (Y/N) said, ruffling her hair again.

“Where will you be going home to?” Alex said, continuing to walk with (Y/N) – Mia a few steps ahead of them.

“I have a loft a few blocks down on 26th street. Just moved in last month, actually” (Y/N) replied.

“Wow. So I’ll be definitely seeing more of you very soon?” Alex said, smiling.

“If you want to, yeah” (Y/N) replied, grinning back.

The trio came to an intersection where (Y/N)’s house was off to the left while Alex and Mia should head right.

“This is you right?” Alex said, pointing to the left. (Y/N) hummed in response.

“Yeah, but I’d like to walk you two home if you let me” (Y/N) said, shoving her hands into her pockets, moving around nervously.

Alex blushed at how cute and shy (Y/N) was being.

“We’d like that” Alex said as Mia nodded in approval. (Y/N) grinned and walked to the right with the pair.

Alex and (Y/N) continued catching up the rest of the way, with Alex finding out how (Y/N) has been spending her retirement.

“I’ve been pretty busy with social work still, we sometimes go to local communities and start a soccer club there. You know, just to get kids into the right kind of hobbies,” (Y/N) said. Alex nodded and was a bit impressed at how passionate (Y/N) was with what she was doing.

“I also have a small athleisure wear I manage. It’s not much but it pays the bills” (Y/N) said, chuckling.

“You’ve been pretty busy huh? Well, Mia is my whole life now. Although I do coach a university women’s soccer team” Alex said. (Y/N) beamed at the mention of the sport.

“Still can’t leave it, huh?” (Y/N) said, grinning. Alex nods.

“It’s the love of my life” Alex said. (Y/N) hums in approval.

They finally make it to Alex’s house after a few minutes and (Y/N) walks them up to the front door.

“Well, this is me. It’s been great seeing you” Alex said, smiling affectionately at (Y/N).

Mia had already opened the door and dashed inside to play with their pet dog Bob.

“Yeah… same here” (Y/N) said, leaning on the door frame as Alex stepped inside.

“I’ll see you soon?” Alex said, with a hopeful glint in her eyes. (Y/N) blushes a shade of pink and nods her head.

“Definitely” She replied. She almost, almost doesn’t notice the subtle lip bite Alex does before smiling back at her.

“Good. Well. Bye” Alex said, motioning to close the door. (Y/N) stood up straight and shoved her hands into her pockets again.

“Bye” She said. Once the door closed, (Y/N) released a breath she didn’t know she was holding in.

Who would’ve thought she would run into the girl she’s been in love with all these years?

To be continued

[jj-lynn21]

Roman and Princess: The Agreement Ch 3

Warnings:  fluff, angst,

ch 1 ch2 ch 4 

Roman steps out of the shower. He throws a towel around his waist before getting you a towel. Wrapping it around your body he embraces you as you shiver. He grips your chin to bring your gaze to his. “Maybe we need to turn up the heat.” He kisses your lips. “Your lips are blue babe.”

“Just a little cccold.” You say through chattering teeth. “You’re nnnot ccold?”

“Yeah, but not as cold as you obviously.” He swoops you up, carries you into the bedroom and bundles you under the sheet and blanket. “Heat up five degrees.” The heat turned up in the room with voice command.

You snuggled into the blanket. “Thank you Roman.”

Roman kisses your lips softly before getting dressed in some high end active wear. “I’ll go cook us breakfast. When you are feeling warm enough get dressed come downstairs.”

You nod that you will. When he goes to leave the room, you stretch under the comforter and sigh deeply. Roman smiles at the small sound you make before leaving the room. He gets some blood orange juice out of the refrigerator. Another gift from King Bill Edlund. He pours a glass and drinks it down, refills his glass and pours another for you.  Then he goes about making omelets with all your favorite ingredients.

You roll out of bed. Throw on under garments, shorts, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt before heading downstairs. Lying against Roman’s back wrapping your arms around him you said “Smells wonderful.”

“Its almost ready.” He folded eggs over adding more cheese. “Go sit down and drink some juice.” He leans against the counter as the cheese melts and watches you take a sip.

“Wow that’s good.” You lick your lips. “It doesn’t taste like orange juice.”

“Its not.” He dishes up the omelets and serves you. He sits. “Its something Bill only can get from his home. His family delivered it while we were at work.”

You looked at him stunned. “You trusted someone to come into our home when we weren’t here? Are you kidding me?”

“I don’t just trust anyone.” He said calmly. “But I trust him and his family. I hope you trust him. Do you like him?”

“I like his club.” You take another sip. “I saw him going up to your office yesterday.”

Roman waited for you to look at him again. When you finally do, he said, “We were working out something special for tonight.”

“Really?” You were intrigued. “What?”

He chuckles, “You will just have to wait.”

Not even a hint for me?” Your fingers reach over to walk up his thigh.

He takes your hand and kisses the pulse point on your wrist. “Good things come to those who wait, Princess.” He notices the welt from where you smacked yourself last night.

“I see, you caught yourself as much as you caught me last night.” He changes the subject since he doesn’t what to show how nervous he really is about what him and Bill will be doing for you.

“I’ll heal just like you will by this evening.” You laugh. “That V on your chest didn’t hurt you to badly, did it?”

“I told you Princess,” He grins. “You were fucking awesome. I feel I need to do something just as good for you. Full fill a big fantasy.” He finishes his breakfast in two more bites.

“Roman you full fill some of my wildest fantasies on the daily.” You kiss his forehead. “I wouldn’t ask for anything more.” You pick up his dishes to take them out to the kitchen. “You made breakfast. I’ll do the dishes.”

“Just leave them in the sink.” He comes over to pull you away from the kitchen. Let Clara do them while we go on a car ride. Its overcast but warmer outside for this time of year. We should enjoy it.”

You put your arms around him looking in his mischievous green eyes. “Oh, a drive. I guess you would be wanting a blow job on this drive?” You tease him.

“Only if the mood strikes you.” He said nonchalantly. “I thought we’d hangout with Peter and Letha. You girls can try on some lingerie for us at Victory Secret or something. Grab ice cream. You know, have a normal day. We really don’t spend a lot of time with them.”

“I like that idea.” You kiss his chin because it’s the highest you can reach without him bending down. “I should get something a little nicer on and do my makeup and hair.

Roman chuckles, “You look great no matter what but go ahead do your routine. I’ll call Peter.”

Later that day Roman and Peter chat across from each other in a booth while you and Letha freshen up in the restroom before ordering sundaes to share with your men.

“what are you so nervous about today Roman?” Peter asked.

“I’m not nervous about anything.” Roman looks away from Peter watching for your return.

“I can smell it on you.” Peter insists. “I didn’t show your cousin the movie you did with your girl, if your concerned about that. Did your Mom see it?”

Roman turns back to Peter. “I hope not. Damn it didn’t even cross my mind that if you realized it was my room in the background Olivia would. Trying new things is fun though. My girls into it. She ah…” He looks to see if you and Letha are out of the bathroom and you are not.”

Peter said, “Spill it Godfrey.”

“She wants a threesome.” Roman blurts out. “She was watching one on that channel the other night and was really into it.”

“Lucky bastard,” Peter chuckled. “So, what is making you so nervous? Can’t find a chick willing to join that you both think is hot? Damn that is some woman you got. You need to lock that down.”

“That’s not the kind of threesome she wants.” Roman looks serious. “Although I’m sure she would be cool with that also.”

“Wait, what other…oh fuck.” Peter leans back in the booth shaking his head no and then leans forward again. “Dude, I totally love you but I’m not going to join you and your girl in fantasy land…how could you even ask…”

“Shut the fuck up.” Roman yells and everyone looks. He whispers, “I’m not asking you.”

“You are obviously going to do it,” Peter whispers as you and Letha giggle coming out of the bathroom. You wave and they wave back and smile. “Who is it Roman?”

“Bill Edlund, the owner of Club Vee.” Roman kept his voice quiet.

“Oh, so you’re basically going to fuck yourself,” Peter chuckled as the girls walked over with turtle ice cream sundaes.

“What are you boys whispering about over here,” She sits by Peter and hand him a spoon.

“Sex and debauchery,” He takes a bite of ice cream.

Roman rolls his eyes and sits back putting an arm around you as you sit with the sundae to share with him.  He grabs the cherry stem from the top with his teeth and feeds you the cherry.

“That’s funny, we were talking about the same thing in the restroom,” Letha said and took a bite of ice cream.

Roman looked to you. His eyes narrow.

“What Roman?” You hold his gaze. “Girls can talk about such things to and it doesn’t even always have to pertain to you.”

“Sure, cool.” He realized you didn’t include anything the two of you did so felt better. He thought it was bad enough Peter knew more than he ever intended on telling him. If his cousin found out all Hell would break loose.

You laugh and feed him a big spoon of sundae. You smile as he closes his eyes when he tastes the sweetness and licks his lips. You take a taste yourself and he watches as you watched him.

“Should I be recording this?” Peter said snarky.

Roman looked at him, “Eat a bag of dicks.”

You glared at Peter.

“Ok, then.” Letha said. “Maybe we call it an afternoon. Its been fun. Thank You for buying the stuff I wanted Roman.”

“No, problem.” He tosses a tip on the table because he can not because its expected in an ice cream parlor. “Let’s go.”

Roman Drops them off. You are more than a little annoyed with Peter’s last comment. Although Roman felt that you were, you had to say what you were thinking.

“Am I going to have to listen to little comments about our sex life from Peter every time we see him?” You scream.

“What the fuck are you screaming at me for?” He screamed back. He pulls into the driveway.

“He’s your friend,” You get out and slam the car door shut. You storm toward the front door.

Roman catches up to you grabbing your arm, “Hey, wait.”

He unlocks the door. You go inside and start up the starts. Roman stand at the bottom of the stair

Sternly he said, “STOP, NOW! Get your ass back here to talk to me.”

You stop and turn around at the top of the stairs. A stunned look on you face. Roman points his finger at you and then straight in front of him. You walk back down the stair giving him an evil eye.

“I did not give him any kind of fucking permission to make such a command.” Roman said. “I am sincerely sorry he ever saw our beautiful sexy video. And honestly I think he is jealous as fuck.”

“Well, he can’t fucking have you,” Your voice still showing how angry you are at Peter.

Roman chuckles, “He doesn’t want me babe. He wants you. And don’t worry, I promise I will talk to him about commenting on our love life.” He runs his hands down your shoulders. Licks his lips. And his eyes focus on yours. “Can we not let this ruin our life?”

You can’t resist the way he looks at you. The way he touches you. The sincerity in his voice. Its impossible to be angry at him when he wasn’t the one you were angry at in the first place. You take a deep breath and let it out slowly, “We won’t.”

“Good,” He smiles. “We have night out to prepare for at Club Vee. As you said, you do like it there.”

You start to get giddy with excitement, “Yes, I do.”

[dreamiesdotcom]

[3:57] The first time Donghyuck tried thinking about it, he didn't move away from his chair for exactly thirty-something minutes before ultimately deciding to procrastinate it and eat comfort foods instead. That happened that day, and the next, went on for months and all he did was think about your name and drop it.

The second was forced — Mark really just couldn't stand seeing Donghyuck not bothering him, and he doesn't feel comfortable to go on a day without having to rip the boy's limbs off him that he had to take matters in his own hands. So, he takes him to a coffee shop and ends up being robbed off a few bills because the boy just ate, cried and ate more — he didn't speak about anything; in Haechan's defense, he doesn't really want to think about it, let alone try to understand it.

The third time was the worst way it had to be shoved up his brain — the sight of you in the dorm living room was nothing new, but how you chose to spend it was what bugged him. Normally, you'd be sitting properly with a book perched on your hands, crashing the dorms just so you have some people to be around with and not even conversing with anyone. Today, however, was strangely different.

"Hey, what's up sunshine?" You greet him with a smile that he returned, "Oh you know, same old, same old."

"You stayed up late last night," Mark comments, making a lecture about how he should learn to manage his time enough so he could sleep enough, and the boys laugh at your snarky remark of how Mark isn't really one to give Haechan that talk, "Still. It's a habit I can't get rid of."

Hyuck's smile falters as you and Mark share a fond look, "Still," you copy his tone, "It is a habit you should try to get rid of, as it is unhealthy and I would much rather not have to write a eulogy for you this early."

Mark chuckles and defends himself, voice quiet enough that Donghyuck can barely hear the words, but if the blooming smile on your face is anything to go by, he's saying something nice. His eyes dropped to your entwined fingers, ears focused on your hushed voices — the conversation is getting too intimate, too oddly domestic and the other is feeling very out of place. He doesn't want to be left out, so he clears his throat, "What are we up to today?"

"The others went out and some are somewhere inside this dorm, Yuta is in the kitchen and Yongie is somewhere in the other dorms," you reply, eyes drifting from Mark to him and he nods in confirmation, "Why don't you just hang out with us here? Although you'll have to excuse the noise."

"Oh, it's fine. As if I'm one to preach for silence," he says with a giggle. He plays it off cool at first, even crashing at the couch across the sofa where you are comfortably sitting, legs laid on Mark's thighs as you bother him from trying to play the guitar. The other boy just stares at you, and while to others it just look like two friends fooling around, Donghyuck didn't even need no other proof — Mark was flirting. Yeah. Despite your invitation, with the lingering touches, whiney tones and playful banters, there was obviously no space for him here.

At the end, Donghyuck tries to lie to himself and makes himself think that he's restless because you were hanging out with his best friend, and fails miserably.

The fourth came alongside tears and comforting touches when their leader decides he's had enough and confronts the youngest about the way he acted that time, a week later when they finally had the dorms to theirselves as they didn't have any schedules. "Hyuckie, you know that Mark will back off if you tell him that you like Y/N but he wouldn't know that you actually like her without actually telling him because he's Mark and he's dense!" he remembers the older's concerned look as he nags (with care, of course) at the other.

The sight of the bundle of mixed emotions sitting on the floor, once known as Donghyuck is a sight to see — his eyes are red and puffy and he's spewing out bullshit like they're facts. He's admittedly quite impressed by how hard Taeyong is listening to him, going so long without slapping him in the face. He makes sure to make a mental note of treating the leader, because if he was listening to himself ranting like that he would have slapped himself across the face, but not after telling the other male that 'It isn't that easy to go talk to her because I can't just randomly pop up from a bush and declare my love for her — but now, she's constantly hanging out with other boys, especially Mark Lee, who is definitely flirting with her but this girl is so awkward that she probably doesn't know how to differentiate flirting from friendliness 13/10 of times!'

"Hey, Y/N is not an easy person!" Taeyong tries to cheer him up, "She definitely doesn't like Mark!"

"Hyung, if she doesn't have a crush on Mark hyung before, if this continues, then she definitely would now!" Donghyuck whines, wiping snot of his face — seriously, he's just a mess, "But it's hyung we're talking about and he's tall and strong and has a great body and can rap and dance and sing and he's Mark Lee! Who doesn't have a crush on Mark Lee?!"

The conversation ends alongside their friendship when Taeyong, instead of telling Hyuck how perfect he is, goes for asking "You have a crush on Mark too?" and ends up kicking himself out of the room — unfriended. (for like, 30 minutes because he actually loves his hyung, but he loves him a little less right now)

"Hey, Hyuck!" you wave at the cafeteria of your shared company, bumping to each other two days later. He greets you with a bright smile that fades a little when he notice you look at the empty space beside him — whether it was just his insecurities or you were hoping for someone to be beside him, preferably Mark, he doesn't know but it breaks him either way, "Hey, Y/N. No, hyung is not with me."

You tilt your head in confusion, making a confused noise and he swears if he wasn't in love with you before, he most definitely is now, "Why would I search for your hyungs? I saw in the GC that they all have schedules…"

"And you thought that you'll hang out with me since they're all unavailable?" he scoffs, sounding meaner than intended but he just can't help it — Hyuck is rarely jealous, and when he is, well, let's just say we'd rather he's not.

Your face looks even lost and the boy just wishes he didn't have to see you so adorable, "No, I thought it'd be the perfect time for us to get Ice Cream together! Since Xuxi likes tagging along these days, we really couldn't keep up with our tradition. But since you look… annoyed…"

No, I'm jealous, he wants to say. He couldn't believe just how dense a person could be, and his amusement in your odd self makes him grow softer. He tries to keep himself distracted, pulling you out of the building and you two trail the familiar nearby Ice Cream Parlor and he hears you chuckle — you and the things you make him do without having much trouble, it'll be the death of him someday.

The fourth time he thought about it was that moment the two of you shared, a mess of milkshakes and cookies and ice cream, debates on Mint Chocolate and just overall forgetting everything as he watch you make a satisfied smile after each spoon and happy noises escaping your lips every now and then. Donghyuck could live like this. Donghyuck could wake up and sleep thinking about this. At the moment, it was just you and him in his little world. His jealousy of Mark long forgotten, his insecurities, feelings and his worries all being blown in the wind and he ponders for a while before he finally accepts the idea — damn, he's in love.

And the last time… the last time never came. He stared at the beautiful fireworks illuminating the dark sky, and then at the beauty at his side. He sees fascination in your eyes and he smiles, January 1st, a new beginning, but he knows no new beginnings will ever make it stop — you became a habit of his. He just knows that he's gonna spend his whole year thinking about you again, and he wouldn't exchange it for anything else even if it hurts him sometimes.

[leslea]

One Day of Summer

The Covid has done its best to force us to skip past summer. No swimming, no amusement parks, no winery concerts, no summer camp for the kids, no summer sports (wrestling, tennis), no drive-in movies, no summer reading club...

Okay, so there is still a summer reading club, but without the promise of tangible prizes and trips to the library, I can’t get the kids interested. So, it doesn’t count!

However, the good news is, we have remained healthy. We are all working, those of us who are old enough to work. We have a new student driver. Time marches on!

And today, before school starts inexplicably too soon (again), NEXT WEEK, we stole a day of summer.  We got together as a family, all six of us, and had an outing. I chose Schooner Valley Stables in Nashville, IN as the destination. We had a good experience with them a few years ago and we were looking forward to another. I figured it was a low risk environment, since you don’t come into contact with many people, and those you do are wearing masks. The kids were excited to go, so off we went!

After coaxing and prodding all my late risers out the door, we hit the road. The conversation was disgustingly peppered with comments about flatulence and belching (which I refer to as “face farting,” and for once the kids saw the logic in that). We banned the topic, so naturally it kept coming back up. We stopped for snacks in Columbus, Indiana, and then headed west toward Nashville.

When we reached Gnaw Bone, we passed a sign saying “Story, 10 miles” and pointing south, so I impulsively took it, explaining that we would grab lunch in Story and check it out, since we’d never been there. I told the kids it had a General Store, and they were sold! A few minutes later, we encountered construction traffic. 

The kids grew more and more restless as we waited for our turn to drive down the one way country back road, which adjoins Brown County State Park. It is a rural back road, the kind that winds through the hills and the trees and often disappears into gravel. The longer we sat, the more one of the boys complained that he had to go to the restroom. Inexplicably, the conversation turned once again to potty talk, before making a wild right angle into the realm of pot. The same boy who needed to go to the restroom informed us that he thought he saw a lot of marijuana plants ringing a corn field that we’d passed. As he put it, “weed.” He wanted to know how it grew out in a field like that, if it was “supposed” to grow inside under lights. Tim explained that it grows everywhere, which is why it is called a “weed,” and that people who use grow lights are hiding illegal drugs in their basements and trying to not get caught. SO. That ate up a few minutes of the traffic stop. Next piped up the baby of the group, asking if this subject was the same as “the weed for smoking,” followed quickly by my instant regret in letting the conversation go on in the first place.

Now, I know marijuana is legal in much of the country, but it isn’t here, and the last thing I need is her telling her classmates, “What did I do this summer? Oh, I went horseback riding and learned about the weed for smoking.”

On the other hand, I believe in educating my kids. If they want to know what drugs are, I will explain to them what I know, which also goes back to the RISKs of such things. And, truthfully, I don’t know a ton about drugs, per se, but...now the baby knows about as much as I do, so...sigh.

The traffic was stopped for about 20 minutes, which was just about untenable for the kids. I told them about the many times I sat still on the highway trying to get off on an exit to see a concert. I don’t know if concerts even work like that now! It was tough for them to imagine sitting 3 hours in a hot car with no air conditioning. As we waited, the radio played John Mellencamp’s “Cherry Bomb,” because of course it did.

When the road reopened, it was a scenic drive to Story, Indiana, which was sadly closed. THEY HAD A GENERAL STORE! And a restaurant. And wine. *sad face*. We contented ourselves with taking photos in the garden, and headed back to town for food. 

On the way, Tim suggested we avoid the construction and take Horseman’s Camp Road, which just happens to be the road that runs right through Brown County State Park. The hospitable lady at the gate let us cut through, which was quite nice, although I would have been fine paying admission. She told us to look for the signs that said “North Gate,” so every time we passed a sign, multiple people would say “This way,” or “North gate,” or whatever...and at the last minute, Sean would yell, “NORTH GATE!” It instantly became a meme, along with face farting.

ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY DRIVE INTO NORTH GATE!

It sounds very silly, because it was. On our way through the park, the kids expressed a desire to come back and see it for real, so I said maybe we could, post-covid. Come up and get a cabin for a week or something. We passed several scenic vistas that were just breathtaking, so naturally the kids were like, “Eh,” though they did at least turn their heads each time and look.

Next up, we sampled the fine dining Nashville is known for...McDonald’s!

Honestly, I wish we could have stopped at the Birds’s Nest Cafe, my favorite, or any of the other local cafes, but we really only had time by that point for a quick snack at the Golden Arches. After gobbling down our sustenance, we were off to Schooner Valley!

Schooner Valley was tremendous fun. The staff and volunteers really make you feel at home and the horses are just well-loved and beautiful. They’re not tired old trail horses...although by 3 pm in the hot weather, they sort of were...they still required a little guidance, especially my horse, Karma. She was a bossy lady, but she did as asked, eventually! The kids all had a great time, not just riding through gorgeous Yellowwood Forest, but also in bossing each other around about the proper form for riding. They weren’t shy about bossing me, either. You’d never know I’ve been riding for years.

We finished out our ride in a gentle rain shower that turned into a downpour as we dismounted. The rain felt cool and refreshing, as both our humans and our horses were soaked in sweat. We rode for over and hour, and my old bones and weak muscles were screaming on the way to the car. I admit, I limped a little. I’m a lot heavier right now than I want to be! All the kids and Tim were stiff, I think, except for the two youngest, who are by far the most fit. What amazing exercise that was!

We tried to roll into Nashville for a celebratory ice cream for all the kids, but it was impossible. Chocolate Moose was closed due to Covid-19 (waiting for test results, the sign on the window said!) The other ice cream parlor in town was not safe for us re: peanut/tree nut allergies...so back to McDonald’s! It’s ironic...there is nothing like going to a fun, quirky, tourist-oriented place and just end up eating McDonald’s. So wrong, but for the kids, it was so right. 

It rained while the sun shined, something that I’ve usually only seen here at the Treehouse. “Where’s the rainbow?” Sean asked.

We did a little rubbernecking, checking out the area when we saw a for sale sign on a country road. Brown County gets very rural, very fast. More so than Floyd County where we live. I shouldn’t be surprised. I have spent a lot of time in rural Indiana--REAL Indiana, not this semi-suburban rural adjacent kind of place that we adoringly hail from. Where we live, we are metro Louisville, really. REAL Indiana is country AF. It’s corn and potential pot plants and pulling over on a gravel road to ask a man in denim overalls if we’re headed the right direction, knowing he’s going to help. REAL Indiana is a paved road turning suddenly into a gravel road. A trailer next to a log cabin. An artist colony that hides away some of the best scenic views in the country, and a sweet State Park employee who lets you cut through just because the kids are hungry and she can tell you’re not lying to get free admission.

We talked all the way home, through a downpour that lasted about an hour. I almost took the back way through Seymour to avoid the rain, but it let up not long after we passed Muscatatuck. Tim and Sam were both falling asleep. The kids thanked us for the trip...I suggested maybe we could go back this fall. Two of them said yes and two said they needed to think about it. Tim reminded me about Covid. I agreed to put it off for a bit. 

The kids reminisced about Piomingo, looking forward to next summer so much. Sean suggested that instead of a trip this fall, we build our own slide at home like the one at Piomingo. He suggested we dig a tunnel and have the slide go underground, before emptying us out into the creek at the back of our property. We shall see.

To the east of the highway emerged an enormous rainbow. Seamus took a photo.

We won’t get to swim this summer. We could. We could make our way to Buffalo Trace or some other semi-local beach, but I can’t take the risk. We’re all healthy right now. I can’t risk some rando swimming up to the kids and ruining that, and I definitely do NOT want to be that mom standing at the beach screaming “SOCIAL DISTANCING! SOCIAL DISTANCING!”

So we had one day of summer. Farts and belches were the topic du jour, only intensified by the horses pooping on the trail. It wasn’t the kind of conversation I would have chosen, but it was EXACTLY the kind of day. Adventurous, spontaneous, full of laughter and fun and a bit of sweat and excitement.

We arrived home smelling of horses and happiness.

[notalotgoingonatthisinstant]

Of Hearts Breaking and Thunderstorms

Summary: A cloudy day in Malibu reflected Piper's exact feelings about what she knew she had to do. It didn't mean it hurt any less to turn this date into... a breakup.

Find it on: ffnet | AO3

It wasn’t a typical Californian day. Gray clouds covered the sky, hovering above the sea and turning it just as gray. The wind was chilly, making it feel like it was less than 65o out and forcing Piper to actually wear a hoodie. It might rain soon. The sand was lifeless.

Definitely, December wasn’t a postcard month in Malibu.

Still, Jason had bought them both ice-cream, which they now enjoyed on the beach. Well. Enjoyed was a bit of a strong word for Piper, since she felt like her head might explode at any minute from her turmoil of thoughts and doubts.

“I’ve a question for you.”

Coming from your boyfriend, that sentence was enough to set anyone into red alert mode; although, she debated, would that be such a bad thing?

“D’you remember that place I told you about?” Jason went on, animatedly. “In New Rome? With the brownies?”

“Yeah.” Her voice sounded far away. She wondered if he noticed how distracted she was.

“Well,” she caught his smile with the corner of her eyes, “one block over there’s this really nice restaurant that serves the best Italian food I’ve ever had – and we’ve been to Italy, even though we didn’t really enjoy the local cuisine. Anyway. I was thinking…”

The way his voice trailed off had Piper finally turning to look at him. She noted the slight blush on his cheeks and the way he was fiddling with his spoon, swirling the final pieces of his chocolate ice-cream. She noted how nervous he’d gotten. Then she remembered what day was approaching and cursed internally.

“It’s not, like, one of those super expensive Italian places where people wear suits and stuff, don’t worry,” he quickly explained, mistaking the meaning of her panicking face. “But it’s nice. I thought we could do something different. You know, for our anniversary.”

There it was. The word she didn’t want to hear.

It was ridiculous. She had dreamed about the time she would reach her first anniversary with Jason. She would plan something nice for them, something other than getting ice-cream from the street parlor or popcorn and a movie at her place. She would be over the moon.

She wasn’t, though. She wanted to ignore it completely. As it had gotten closer, she had dared to hope that Jason would be a stereotypical boyfriend who forgot anniversaries, but he wasn’t like that. He was… excited. He was trying to make plans.

Gods, how was she going to do this?

“Pipes?”

She turned to him sharply, noticing she had been staring at the ocean again and not answering him. Her ice-cream was finished, the empty cup next to her on the sand, so she busied her hands with the grains underneath them.

“Do you wanna do something else?” Jason offered. “It’ll be over break, so we can do whatever. If you don’t wanna go all the way to camp, we–”

“No!” Piper cut in. “That’s not…” That’s not the problem.

“It’s no trouble. I can get Tempest to take us. He’s probably hanging out close-by, with the weather like this. Or we can stay in, if you want? I could try to cook you dinner again.”

The image of Jason with an apron full of tomato sauce, holding a spoon over the stove while freaking out about water spilling from the pasta pan, nervous smiles and apologies for making a mess, filled her mind. He had been trying to cheer her up after another failed search for Leo. The meal had actually turned out alright, but he had freaked out during the preparation and refused any help. It had been adorable.

“… or something else?”

Poor thing, he looked so lost. She couldn’t do this to him.

“No! I – I just – I can’t!”

The effect of her outburst was instantaneous. What was left of Jason’s nervous smile melted away completely, as if his whole body sagged. At the same time, though, she could see him tensing up, and it physically hurt her. The sky seemed to darken.

“I’m sorry,” she buried her face in her hands and tried to put her thoughts in order so she could talk to him. She repeated, “I can’t.”

They were silent for a few moments, and then Jason said, in a careful, controlled voice she thought her would never use with her again, “Can’t what?”

“Do this to you.”

Piper heard him sigh and put his ice-cream cup down on the sand. When she finally got up the courage to look up, he was the one staring out at the ocean, eyes far away and face set. She knew that look and she didn’t like being the one to cause it.

“Before you say anything,” she started, “you didn’t do anything.”

He grimaced. “Was that the problem?”

“No.”

“Then what is?” He looked at her, those electric blue eyes piercing into her soul. You’ve been weird for weeks. Is it about Leo? Because you know you can talk to me. We’re going through this together.”

“It’s not about Leo.”

“Then what?”

Piper wanted to give him an honest answer, because he deserved at least that from her. He knew what she was doing right now. He knew where she was going with the conversation, and he was obviously hurt. She needed to make sure he understood her reasons if he was ever going to forgive for this. And she desperately needed him to forgive her.

She shrugged, lost. “What are we doing?”

With a sarcastic tilt of his head, Jason glanced down. “We were eating ice-cream and enjoying this cloudy day on the beach.”

“No, I mean…” She sighed, frustrated, and hugged her legs to her chest. “With us. What’re we doing?”

“Dating, Pipes. Because we love each other.”

“Because Hera told us we do?”

They had talked about this before and she knew where Jason stood, which is why it was no surprise that his face closed off and he turned away. “We had a deal.”

Right. The deal he’d made the night the Romans had left Camp Half-Blood and he’d sneaked them up to his cabin’s roof. He had kissed her and said that they would be rewriting their story from then on – no Mist memories, no amnesia. A fresh start.

Except they couldn’t have a fresh start.

“I wish it was that simple,” Piper said, feeling her eyes getting wetter. “I wish I could just… forget those memories of us she planted in my brain. But I can’t! I can’t just… ignore the fact that she – and my mom – just looked at us and thought we’d make a good couple, and then they just pushed us together!”

“Nobody made me be with you.”

“You can’t know that. You can’t!” she added when he gave her a look. “We can’t erase our memories of all that manipulation and start fresh. It’s a fact – from the moment we met, we’ve had preconceived ideas that we should be together. We never had an objective look on things!”

Jason closed his eyes behind his glasses and Piper’s heart squeezed hard in her rib cage.

“I never did anything I didn’t mean. If I say I love you–”

“I know that. I know you.”

“Then what, you think I don’t know what I’m feeling?”

“I don’t know myself!” she finally burst out, the backs of her eyes burning. “This last year was pretty crazy, play? And I know how hard it was for you, to miss a chunk of your life and wake up with amnesia on the other side of the country. But you’ve known your whole life that you’re a demigod. You’ve trained for this since you were a literal baby. I didn’t have the luxury of having time to get used to this.”

Jason was watching her with careful eyes. She still had so much to say and explain, but her head was a mess and her words betrayed her, especially if she met his hypnotizing gaze for too long; gods, why did she have to be so in love with him? She couldn’t stop now – finish what you started, McLean.

“One moment I was on a bus trip with my boyfriend and my best friend, the next I was falling down the Grand Canyon and there was this huge prophecy on my shoulders. My recollections of the past few months were apparently a lie. And throughout all of that, I was only sure of two things: Leo was my best friend and I liked you. That’s it. That was all I knew.

“Now the prophecy’s over, and Leo’s gone, and I just…” she shrugged, hopelessly. “I was just – I was thrown into this world and I had to readjust my image of myself. But the way it readjusted… I mean, even before we started dating for real, I was with in a way. I don’t know how to be me without being with you, and I don’t like that.”

Piper loved him, she did, and he deserved all the praise he got. But she was not – repeat, not – going to be defined as Jason Grace’s girlfriend. Maybe someday… when her head was on straight and she was sure of herself… she wouldn’t mind standing next to him. Now, though…

“I don’t know who I am either, you know,” Jason said like an off-comment, but Piper felt the bite nonetheless. “Seeing both camps and wanting to belong in both. I was raised a Roman – I wasn’t supposed to be tempted to leave some of it behind.”

“That’s different.”

He raised his eyebrows at her.

“I also have that,” Piper continued. “I’m half Greek goddess and half… what? Because, for the Cherokee, your heritage comes from your mother, so what am I, really? This whole gods business is messed up – I think all half-bloods go through at least one identity crisis. I…” she searched for the right words. “I can’t be defined by a person.”

“Did someone say something to you?” Jason turned his body a bit more to her. “Is that what triggered this? By the gods, Piper, you’re not defined by your relationship with me. Nobody in their right mind would be dumb enough to even think such a–”

“I am! I’m the dumb person!” The revelation seemed to strike Jason speechless for a moment. “It’s me, okay? I realized that I’ve been defining myself like that ever since I entered this world. Who am I if I’m not in love with you? If I’m not Leo’s best friend? If I’m not that girl who uses her powers to steal things? I don’t know the answer! And I can’t figure it out if I’m still with you!”

Even though Piper was pretty sure that Jason had picked up on where the conversation was going from the start, it apparently didn’t soften the blow. She felt it too, saying it out loud, like a cold claw closing around her heart. The clouds above closed in, nearly turning the day into night and the wind picked up. A storm was definitely on its way.

Jason blinked a couple of times and turned to the ocean. She couldn’t read his expression – he was wearing his mask of indifference he’d perfected over the years at Camp Jupiter. At last, he said, “Okay.”

“I just need some perspective.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t okay. Piper had to remind herself why she had to do this in the first place, because all she wanted to do was throw herself at him and be held in his arms while he kissed her over and over and over.

When the silence felt too suffocating, she said, “I know it’s not fair to ask, but you’re my best friend too. I don’t think I can lose you. Not after Leo.”

“Okay.”

There was no emotion in his voice and it made her want to scream at him. Actually, she wanted him to scream at her. Or something. She wanted a reaction; anything to show her how he was feeling. It was a done deal now, though – Jason had closed himself off and nothing was going to pry him open at that moment.

“I guess I’ll just…” his voice cracked and he cleared his throat, moving to grab his forgotten ice-cream cup. He kept his head down, not meeting her eyes. “I’ll give you your space, then.”

“Jason…” But he was already getting up and leaving.

Piper knew it was going to hurt, as much as she knew she had to do it. However, actually watching him physically walk away from her broke something in her chest and a sob escaped her lips. Suddenly, the weather was fitting – cloudy, windy, cold. And if thunder and lightning rumbled above and followed his retreating figure… well, she just knew she would never enjoy a thunderstorm quite the same way ever again.

[floral-hex]

No matter how much I practice in my head, I hate making phone calls.

Unless I’m calling for someone else, then magically I’m suddenly able to handle it, no issues. My insurance is changing come January and they’re not going to cover my preferred antidepressants anymore, sooo... fuck. So I called my Dr and I’ve got an appointment for Thursday to pick out a new drug that will hopefully keep me balanced and not constantly wanting to disappear into the void. I’m not looking forward to weening off of my current meds (because just missing one dose already gives me massive brain zaps) and adjusting to a new one. It’s going to be a chemically weird holiday season. Also, I had to ask the nice lady about getting a physical copy of my latest STD test and I gave her waaaay to much info (I’m hella clean, bro!) and she sounded very nonplussed about dealing with my wavering nervous word vomit. Oh well, I’m sure my phone anxiety doesn’t help with how I feel she perceived me.

Also, I haven’t slept yet. That’s a bad. My sleep schedule has been all over the place. I WAS going to go to bed early this morning, but instead I got up and drove to the grocery store for a bunch of snacks I don’t need. It was nice to get out of the house and walk around. I like this colder weather. But I’m back in bed now, under a couple layers of blankets, watching an Oneohtrix Point Never live show, and by watching I mean leaving it on in the background while I do other things. Blegh.

I’m just going to keep ranting because I have no one else to tell this all to and I really don’t think anyone even reads this far into my posts. My sister came by last Friday with her husband and adorable kids, but I only got to see them for a few minutes before I had to go pick up my little brother from school and take him to piano lessons. Like I thought, my sister didn’t know about my ex and I breaking up. She said “next time you come to Heber Springs, we should all go to Jitterbug (this cute cafe/ice cream parlor)” and I just told her that probably won’t happen for awhile because my ex and I broke up. She was shocked. I said maybe one day we’d get back together but she kind of laughed and we both agreed that wasn’t likely. Such is life. I hadn’t told her because I didn’t want to talk about it. I just.. blegh. I just feel like a failure and lonely and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. At least not with family. It’s okay. I wish I could have hung out with her longer, so maybe I will have to take the hour drive to see her soon. An hour is nothing for a cup of coffee and time with my niece and nephew. I get so sappy around kids. My dad instincts just start taking over. Hmm.. or whatever. That might have negative connotations, because... there are a lot of shitty dads out there. I’m so tired of shitty father figures. I was pretty much raised by my mom. I saw my two little brothers raised by my shitty stepdad before he ran off. Disappointing... what was I saying? Oh yeah... nieces and nephews and my little brothers... I just want to be a positive force in their lives, make them happy, watch them grow. This is stupid. Why am I typing all of this. I think I’m a bit delirious from lack of sleep.

I want... a hug. Seriously. At minimum, a hug. From someone warm. I would probably cry. Maybe not, but you get the idea. I’m a touch starved baby. It’s okay. All things in time. But, god, wouldn’t that be nice...

I think I’ll buy a bookcase this week.

[mayquita]

Pictures of Reality (8/16)

Happy Thanksgiving for all those who celebrate! I’d like to take advantage of this festivity to thank all the @captainswanbigbang mods for doing an amazing job organizing this event. I’d also like to express my gratitude to all those who have given this story a chance, thanks for your likes, comments, kudos and reblogs. It means the world to me.

Summary: Emma Swan returns to her birthplace, Storybrooke, in search of a fresh start after a life marked by abandonment and betrayal. After a year there, she finds the stability she needed and also the possibility of learning about one of her passions, photography. Killian Jones, a former British war reporter with a tragic past, establishes himself in the same town as an instructor of photography, following in the footsteps of his best friends, the Nolans. What will happen when their paths cross? Will their common passion for photography help them heal old wounds?

Rating: M (Language, mature themes, implied sex)

Warnings: Alcohol abuse, mentions of the loss of a limb in an armed conflict.

Other ships / Characters: Although, obviously, this is a cs fic, Snowing plays a major role here, mainly David. In fact, the story contains three different points of view, those of Emma, Killian and David. Also, Henry appears in the story as Regina’s adopted son but he is not Emma’s biological son.

Beta: I’d like to express my gratitude, as always, to my beta @jarienn972 I’m aware that you have had to deal with a monster of more than 100k words and English is not my mother tongue, so I value your effort even more.

Artist / art: Go visit @imagnifika’s blog and enjoy her amazing art. There is no specific art for this chapter, but the picset of the previous chapter also serves for this. In addition, the photo from Emma's Instagram account will be part of the fan art that Kate has created for an upcoming chapter.

Art for the prologue/ Art for chapter 1 / Art for chapter 2 and banner / Art for chapter 3/ Art for chapters 4-5  / Art for chapters 6-7

Special mention to @saraswans , thank you so much for your perpetual support, for believing in me when I doubted myself and for offering ideas to make this story grow.

Don’t forget to go read and enjoy the rest of the amazing csbb stories and art.

Word count: ~ 10800 (116k total in 16 chapters)

Also on (From the beginning): Ao3 / Ffnet (Current Chapter) Ao3 / Ffnet

Tumblr: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

What to expect from this chapter?  It will be the longest of the entire fic for a reason, or for a few, actually. Several talks, a new couple in the making, some confessions, a snowball fight, photos (lots of them) and we’ll see if Killian is able to fulfill his part of the deal by helping his friends. In compensation for its absence in the last three chapters, this chapter will be written only from Emma’s pov.

CHAPTER 7

My dearest Emma,

I don't know how to start this letter... but I'll do my best. I don't even know if your adoptive parents have kept the name your mother chose for you. The social worker assured us that they had accepted, but I guess we'll always have that uncertainty. Anyway, for us, you will always be our Emma.

Today is a special day, your first birthday. I would like to send you my best wishes for this first celebration, the first of many, if only in the form of this letter, with the hope that perhaps one day, these words will come to you in one way or another.

Maybe we can establish a new tradition in our lives from now on, what do you think? Maybe we can take advantage of this special day to contact you through these little missives, to express how we feel in your absence, to convey that no matter how much time passes, you will always have a place in our hearts, Emma.

It's only been a year, but we've probably missed many of your most important milestones: your first smile, your first steps, maybe your first words. I hope your parents were able to immortalize those moments in some way. And maybe one day, you can help us to remember them through those images.

I would like to talk to you a little about us now. Your mother has already turned eighteen and has finally been able to leave the house of that evil woman, the person who managed to separate us from you. Now, she is living with us and nothing and nobody will be able to separate us - ever - despite all the obstacles that get in our way.

It's hard, though, to be separated from you and have no certainty of how you are, if you are growing up happy. I truly hope so and that with our act, we have managed to offer you a future. And maybe, in a few years, we will be part of that future as well.

Until then, I can only wish you a happy and full life.

Your father who loves you and never forgets you,

David.

Emma Swan. Storybrooke - December 9, 2017

The moment Killian came through the door to the classroom the following Saturday Emma knew something was wrong. As in the last class, the first thing he did was to look for her until their eyes met and he offered her a smile, but this time, his smile not only did not reach his eyes but it seemed forced.

Emma turned her gaze to the window on her left, and let her eyes roam the streets of Storybrooke, while a strange sensation settled in the pit of her stomach.

The images of their two shared kisses, those that she herself initiated, jumped into her mind at that moment as a reminder, or rather as a warning. Their dangerous game had begun at the moment when she, in a defiant and impulsive movement, had pulled him into a searing kiss, with the capacity of shaking her up and down both metaphorically and literally.

She had fled after throwing the "a one-time-thing" statement while cursing herself for letting her feelings, or rather, her physical impulses, cloud her reason.

She could not risk everything she had gotten when she decided to stay in Storybrooke, she should not let anything or anyone get too close to her heart since that would pose a threat, a possibility that it would be broken again.

But that damned Killian had gotten under her skin in such a way that she could not think of anything other than the softness of his lips against hers, his wrecked expression, his intense gaze bored into hers. She did not even need him to be in her presence, just a simple text sent by him or the memory of some of his explanations in his melodious voice were enough to make her body betray her, humming with a craving for more.

It was as if Storybrooke had weakened all her principles, causing the walls around her heart to begin to crack, as she had succumbed again to the temptation of his lips. And although she tried to convince herself, assuring herself that it was no more than a simple physical attraction, deep down she was aware that she was totally seduced by Killian.

Their second kiss had also been caused by an impulse. She could not bear to see the suffering reflected in his face, so she had acted in an almost desperate attempt to alleviate that suffering or at least make him forget for a moment.

Even though they had seen each other again after the kiss and his behavior had been the usual, perhaps he had understood her reluctance in the wrong way, or perhaps, even though she had not yet revealed much of herself, he had come to the conclusion that she was not worth the effort, maybe…

“Emma?”

The sound of a voice brought her back to reality. She straightened in her seat as her head turned in the direction of the sound, meeting Elsa and Anna and their inquiring looks, with a hint of concern in Elsa's eyes and one of amusement in her sister's.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked quietly.

"Yeah, I got distracted." She mumbled a poor excuse, feeling a bit uncomfortable at their scrutiny.

"I bet I know the cause of your distraction." Anna said, tilting her head slightly in Killian's direction, her lips curled upward in a conspiratorial smile, as if they were sharing a secret, but to Emma, it meant that her sensation of uneasiness increased.

"Anna!" Elsa muttered under her breath, scolding her sister. Then she addressed Emma back. "Don’t listen to her. We just wanted to know if you would like to join us to practice."

"To practice..." Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as her gaze roamed around the classroom. In fact, the rest of the students had split up into teams and were beginning to manipulate their devices. Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat wondering how long she had been lost in thought.

"We’re practicing white balance." Elsa came to her rescue while giving her a soft smile.

Her sister, however, did not seem so diplomatic. "Wow, you were really distracted.” She grinned at her as she cast a sidelong glance at Killian.

Was she really that obvious? She had to find out. "What do you mean?"

Anna rolled her eyes as she deliberately ignored her sister's warning look. "Do you remember that our ice cream parlor is in front of Granny's? We were witnesses of an intimate moment between you two on Sunday."

Emma felt a flush of embarrassment burning her cheeks as she wished to merge with her seat and disappear. She recovered rapidly though. No way was she going to show any hint of vulnerability to two people she barely knew. "It was just a kiss." She muttered in a dismissive tone while shrugging her shoulders.  "And we'd better start practicing." She added in an attempt to change the subject.

Elsa nodded and grabbed her camera, but Anna did not seem to take the hint, much to her disgrace.

"Just a kiss?" She snorted, getting some heads to turn in her direction. "Are you kidding me? You two were making out." Emma opened her mouth to interrupt her, but Anna continued with her speech. "And it's not that I was stalking you, or anything like that. I was just waiting for Kristoff, but you two were giving quite the show out there." Emma's cheeks began to burn again as her desire to fade or run away increased. At least Anna was wise enough to mumble her words, but after a small pause to take a breath, she continued. "Isn’t it the coolest thing? The teacher and the student sharing a romantic moment?"

"Anna - enough! Don’t you see that you're making her feel uncomfortable?" Elsa hissed, coming to her rescue again. But Emma’s relief was short-lived. After giving one last warning glance to her sister, Elsa turned to her, her lips drawing a shy smile. "I know it's none of my business, but you two make a beautiful couple, Emma."

"Ahem, ladies, I wouldn’t like to interrupt your deep conversation, but it may be more convenient if you leave it for the end of the class. We have work to do now." This time it was Killian who came to her rescue, although his intervention did nothing to mitigate her embarrassment. In fact, it was quite the contrary, as Emma felt like a child receiving a reprimand after committing mischief.

At least his attention call got her teammates to finally leave her alone. It was almost comical to see how their contrite expressions matched as they both turned their eyes to their respective cameras. Emma cast a sidelong glance at Killian, anxious and fearful of what she might find. When their eyes met, he cocked his head slightly and arched one of his eyebrows, as if he wanted to make sure she was okay. She nodded silently, curling her lips into a small smile. To her relief, Killian returned a genuine smile, while his eyes remained locked with her own, causing a warm sensation to spread to her heart, making the previous tension and uncertainty fade away.

The rest of the class continued smoothly. Once the two sisters decided to leave behind their gossip and focus on photography, Emma found herself enjoying the practice. Both, Elsa and Anna, were pleasant company and seemed to have a genuine interest in learning. She was grateful to feel included in a group, to be part of something, contrary to what happened in the first class.

The class came to an end without Emma hardly noticing. Reluctant to leave so soon, she took her time collecting her belongings as she watched the others leave the classroom. The last ones to leave were the two sisters and Emma tensed instantly, fearing that they would try to hook her into an embarrassing conversation again. That did not happen though, since Elsa practically dragged her sister towards the exit. Before leaving, both turned and waved, while Anna pointed her head in a non-subtle gesture towards Killian. After Elsa's last gentle pull, both finally disappeared from her sight.

Killian didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave either, since he remained in his seat, his gaze focusing on some files on his desk. After taking a deep breath, Emma slung the camera bag over one shoulder and approached him.

"I'm sorry for what happened before," she commented, pointing to her seat as she looked at him from under her lashes.

When Killian looked up and met her gaze, she swallowed and licked her lips instinctively, cursing inwardly at the power he had over her. Only an intense look on his part was enough for her to get lost in his stormy blue eyes. But if he also smiled at her the way he was smiling now, she lost all ability to function properly. Bastard.

"It's okay, lass." He replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The only reason I interrupted the conversation was because you didn’t seem especially comfortable."

“Thank you… I guess.”

They remained silent for a few seconds, while Killian got up and began to gather his belongings. Emma stood there, hesitating whether to leave or wait for him, but then she caught a shadow darkening his expression, just as at the beginning of the class.

It was then that she remembered something. Killian had told her that he would talk to his friends to clear things up. Maybe that conversation hadn’t gone well? "Are you... Are you okay? You seem a little off.” Killian's face softened instantly. "Everything is fine, love. A little tired, that's all." Killian assured her in a tone that seemed convincing, but that did not quite reassure her, not when his smile did not reach his eyes. "You managed to fix things with your friends?" Emma insisted, because that was what friends were supposed to do, right? Try to comfort each other. Although she was not sure that this was the most appropriate way to bring up the subject. She needed practice in the friendship thing, a concept still so new to her.

"Aye, we did." Killian hurried to answer, his lips twisted in an attempt at a smile as he reached behind his ear to scratch. "It was a long time ago, I was just a child, that’s why they didn’t tell me, but everything is fine now."

There was more than that. Emma could tell by the way he turned his gaze away slightly as if he felt uncomfortable in some way. But she would not push, it was not her business, after all. "I’m glad to hear that." She said simply.

She did not want to leave, but she did not have any excuse to stay either. For that reason, she started walking towards the exit door. "I better go. See you on Tuesday?"

"Wait, I'm leaving, too." Killian grabbed the backpack and started walking in her direction. "In fact, I'm hungry. Do you mind accompanying me to Granny's to get a bite?" Killian dropped the invitation in a nonchalant tone, as if it had just occurred to him, but the glint in his eyes and that damn smile of his indicated something different. So, even at the risk of continuing to fall into his clutches, she accepted. "Yeah, I'm starving."

It was the moment they arrived at the diner and Ruby received them with a smirk while she arched her eyebrows meaningfully when Emma realized that this encounter was the closest thing to a date she had had in years. This time, the photography lessons had not acted as an excuse, nor was there a need to vent. Emma ignored both Ruby and those thoughts and instead dragged Killian to one of the more distant booths.

Emma had been honest with Killian when she assured him she wanted them to know each other. But the walls around her heart had been up for so long that it was difficult for her to find a crack that would allow her to open up. And this improvised meal would allow just that, a small step on the way to open, a means to share more moments with Killian. So, she left all her worries behind and focused on Killian. It was not a complicated task, honestly, especially when both shared the same passion for photography. Inevitably, the conversation ended up leading to that topic, although she did not mind in the least, especially when that meant listening completely enthralled as Killian told her some of his experiences as a war reporter. She was aware that Killian's experiences were far from the fantasy of a movie, that he had witnessed traumatic events and had had to immortalize the terror of other people. Perhaps thanks to his expressiveness or the cadence he endowed his voice with, or perhaps thanks to the content of his experiences - a mix of adventure, risk, and action, his explanations allowed her mind to travel with him to get an idea of what it would be like to live on the edge and feel the adrenaline running continuously through her veins. It was a way to add some emotion to her monotonous life, even if it was through someone else's experience.

He was in the middle of one of his stories when something seemed to catch his attention, causing him to fall into silence suddenly while his body tensed and his gaze traveled to the entrance. She turned in the same direction, looking for what could have produced that sudden change in him. What she found left her somewhat confused. Killian's friends, the Nolans, had just entered the premises and after waving their hands in greeting, they went straight to their booth, their faces adorned with warm smiles.

"Hey, guys, what a surprise to see you here!" Mary Margaret said in an enthusiastic tone, as soon as they got to where they were sat, while her smile grew wider. "Hi!" Emma responded by offering a tentative smile, not quite sure how to act, since, although she knew the couple by sight, they had never been introduced before. There was a small, awkward moment while they remained standing there, their smiles not disappearing from their faces as they glanced at Killian, who seemed lost for a second until finally, he reacted. After clearing his throat and scratching behind his ear, he made the appropriate introductions. It was evident that the tension had not disappeared from his body, but Emma did not have time to evaluate his strange behavior since, without hardly noticing, she was surrounded by Mary Margaret’s arms in an unexpected embrace. Emma was slow to react, stiffening at first, surprised by so much effusiveness for a stranger, not yet accustomed to so much physical contact. "It's a pleasure to be able to meet you properly at last, Emma." Mary Margaret did not seem to notice her stiffness, because the hug persisted a couple of seconds more as Emma patted her back tentatively. Luckily, she did not have to repeat the same action with her husband. David simply offered her his hand while giving her a gentle smile. "It's a pleasure for me too, Emma." Killian interrupted them then, "We’re in the middle of lunch. Would you like to join us?" His voice trailed off, while he directed his gaze to her, "Do you mind if...? "Sure, it's not a problem at all." Emma assured as she moved to make room for Mary Margaret. David chose to sit next to his friend.

All of them remained silent for a few seconds, only broken by Ruby, who came over to take note of their orders. Before leaving in the direction of the kitchen, Ruby gave her another meaningful look, which she deliberately ignored. She would have time for explanations later.

"How was the class today?" Mary Margaret was the first to break the ice, her gaze traveling from Emma to Killian. After listening more carefully, Emma realized something curious. Despite being American, there was a slight hint of a British accent in Mary Margaret’s voice, acquired after so many years living in London. "Killian has told us a lot about you and your talent." David added, not giving her time to answer his wife's question. A soft blush crawled up her cheeks, while Emma tossed uncomfortably in her seat. "Killian has also told me about you both. It’s good to be able to meet you at last." She was not accustomed to receiving compliments and even less to others talking among themselves to praise her. It was such a new feeling that she did not really know how to react. "And as for my supposed talent, it's not a big deal, I just push the button and sometimes I'm lucky to capture a good image." She shrugged as she glanced at Killian.

To her surprise, Killian rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips rising slightly. "Since it seems you don’t believe in an expert's word, let's see what another expert in the field has to say." Killian teased as he grabbed her camera. “May I?” She nodded as she held her breath. Of course, David would also be an expert in photography, how could she have forgotten? He was the director of the local newspaper, for God's sake. Her stomach tightened in knots of anticipation, feeling nervous about what David might think.

"We’ve practiced the white balance today.” Killian explained to his friend as he showed him the photos she had taken a while before. David frowned professionally as he studied the photos intently, causing her nerves to increase. "They could spend hours observing or taking photographs." Mary Margaret muttered to her side as she offered her a knowing smile. "But I don’t need to see your photographs to be certain of your talent. Killian has that special ability to discover hidden potentials, so if he's sure, so am I." There was something about Mary Margaret - maybe her soft voice, or her kind expression. Whatever it was, Emma felt enveloped in a sense of reliability and security. Emma smiled back in gratitude, feeling comfortable enough to trust them. "According to Killian, now I just have to learn to use that talent." "And he's right." David confirmed, still holding a professional expression, though his eyes showed a glimpse of something deeper than Emma could not identify. "There are good pictures there and that was just a practice. If you really like photography, you should continue practicing and learning. And listen to the professionals." Despite the content, his last words did not sound like a reprimand, but rather as a joke - at least she interpreted it as so by his casual tone and the wide smile that he directed at her, leaving behind his professional attitude. Still, that did not stop her cheeks from blushing again. Fortunately, Ruby arrived at that moment bringing the dishes ordered by the Nolans. When Ruby left, everyone seemed to forget about her and her damned talent, focusing instead on food. The food acted as a catalyst though, and after a brief pause, a new conversation about Storybrooke and the few places that offered food began. With the passing of the minutes, Emma felt more and more comfortable with the Nolans, and even Killian seemed more relaxed surrounded by his friends. She did not miss the effort they put into making her feel included in the conversation. The affection and familiarity they felt for Killian and he for them was evident, but the trust between them, far from making her feel excluded, caused her curiosity about these two most important people for Killian to increase. It was as if, knowing as much as possible about the Nolans brought her even closer to Killian. Maybe that's why she made an effort to improve her social skills by being open and participative.

"So, after so many years living far away, what made you return to Storybrooke?" Suddenly, Killian started coughing repeatedly. Emma narrowed her eyes in confusion, noting how his cheeks had turned a reddish color, his eyes watering. David was gently tapping his back while Mary Margaret watched him with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice, as she reached for his hand instinctively. "Aye, love." Killian managed to respond in a hoarse voice between coughs, while trying to catch his breath. "I just choked because of the bloody beer." After a few seconds, Killian seemed to recover enough though the tension had returned to his shoulders, making the suspicions that something was wrong to increase. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked again, her eyes never leaving his face. "Aye, lass, just a little tired, that's all." He assured through a weak smile that once again did not reach his eyes. "You should rest, which means that the time has come to leave." Mary Margaret gestured to David for him to get up, then she turned to Emma. "It has been a real pleasure to chat with you, Emma. I hope we can repeat it soon." Her soft expression and voice seemed to indicate a genuine interest in knowing her, which had the ability to warm her heart. David also offered a gentle smile before addressing his friend. "Go home and rest, I'll call you later." Only when they disappeared through the door did Emma realize that they had not answered her question. Something told her, however, that she would have a new opportunity soon. Suddenly, the possibility of adding two more friends to her, rather short list, did not seem bad at all.

//

Storybrooke woke up the following Saturday covered by a thick white blanket. Emma chose her favorite place in her apartment, a small bench under the window that opened in the kitchen, to contemplate the first major snowfall of the season, while holding a cup of steaming coffee in her hands, wrapped in her favorite blanket. It was kind of perfect. She could sit for hours watching the inexorable fall of the snowflakes. It was almost magical, and also calming, to see how the landscape transformed into a huge white canvas. Suddenly, the need to immortalize that magical landscape took hold of her, so Emma placed the cup on the kitchen countertop and grabbed the camera. After making the adjustments that she believed were necessary, she began to shoot. The calm did not last long, though. The moment she realized the time, she jumped as she hurried to her bedroom. She had been so absorbed in the snow that she had lost track of time. If she didn’t hurry, she would be late for the photography class. The little peace that still remained completely disappeared at the moment when she went out and discovered that her bug was covered by a thick layer of snow. She huffed in annoyance while raising her eyes to the sky. But she was not willing to let anything, not even the inclemency of the weather, make her mood worse, so, after she armed herself with a little patience and resigned to being late, she began to work to unearth her vehicle.

Twenty minutes later, Emma hurried into the classroom, trying to catch her breath, while noticing how a flush spread through her body from the exercise. "I'm sorry... the snow." She muttered an excuse, not bothering to look at Killian, walking to her seat as she began to remove her beanie and other outerwear.

"It isn't necessary for you to take off your coat, lass. In fact, you don't even need to sit down. We're leaving right now."

Emma stopped short, turning around to, this time, look at Killian, unable to hide the confusion on her face. "What?"

"Given that it's indispensable for a photographer to use the resources available or to be able to work in unfavorable circumstances, I thought we could practice taking pictures of the snow." Killian explained in that particular tone of his, with the ability to enrapture anyone who was listening to him. "In addition, we're lucky that I have found a spot in the nearby park which hasn't yet been altered. The white blanket remains intact, or at least it was ten minutes ago, so we better get going, before it's too late and someone ruins our work material."

All the others hummed in agreement, as they picked up their belongings, got up and started heading towards the exit. Emma, however, remained standing awkwardly, still recovering from the race to get to class on time.

"And remember guys, we must take special care with our devices in adverse weather conditions. We don't want our cameras to suffer any damage, do we?" Killian warned his students, earning some nods in response before everyone left the classroom, only she and him remained.

"Sorry, my car was buried by the snow." Emma made a new attempt at apology the moment they were left alone, while Killian approached her, causing the butterflies in her stomach to begin fluttering.

"It's okay, Swan, I figured it." His lips twisted upwards, drawing a frank smile, to her relief. All the weirdness of the previous Saturday seemed to have vanished from his features. Everything had gone well also in Tuesday's practice, his strange previous behavior seemed therefore to be an isolated event.

"There's another thing." He added as if he had just remembered it. "I have decided to invite the students, and you too, of course, to have a drink at Granny's this evening as compensation for my absence a few weeks ago, and also in celebration, since this is the last class of the year."

Emma realized at that moment, that the Christmas break meant they would not see each other and therefore, wouldn't continue with practices for three weeks. Her heart tightened a bit at that prospect, which did nothing to improve her dislike for this particular holiday. "You mean like a pre-Christmas party or something?" She asked, unable to prevent a hint of slight disappointment from slipping into her voice.

Clearly, he had noticed her discomfort since he did not respond immediately. Instead, he cocked his head and stared at her, as if he were studying her. "Look at it this way, it will be like an extra class since we will practice social photos." Killian offered through a half smile, his eyes never leaving her own.

He was so close that she could almost touch him. In other circumstances, or with another person, she would have been immediately intimidated by the invasion of her personal space. With Killian however, she had to repress the impulse to pull him closer to her. She was no longer sure if that need to feel him that close came from the momentary intimacy they were in, from the possibility that they were to be separated for three weeks, or simply from her undeniable attraction to him. But she had learned that lesson and had decided not to act impulsively again. Now it was up to him when he would decide to make the next move.

Fortunately, Killian had brought up their lifeline, photography, so she clung to that. She rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide how she was affected by his mere proximity. "You always have photography in mind, don't you?" She continued before he could reply. "And no, don't come with the excuse of sleep, because I'm sure you also dream of cameras and photos."

The way he chuckled caused tiny wrinkles to appear in the corners of his eyes, while his dimples deepened in a way too adorable for his own good or hers, given the matter.

"Well, lass," his tongue darted out to lick his lips once the laughter subsided. "I can assure you my dreams are plagued in most occasions by other activities even more pleasurable." His silky voice, almost purring, caused a liquid heat to travel to her very core while her mind decided to act on her own, imagining the content of those possible wild dreams.

The bastard knew the effect he was having on her. His lips drew a wide smirk while he reached out his hand, his fingers barely brushing her cheek. She held her breath, her skin tingling in anticipation, her gaze lost in the blue depth of his eyes. "Have I ever told you that I find particularly endearing the way your cheeks blush?"

His touch was as light as a feather, only a faint pressure of his fingertips touching her skin, but that was enough for a chill to run through her body, while her heart threatened to come out of her chest. A furious flush crawled down her neck to her cheeks, as Killian's touch became more intense, causing her instinctively to tilt her head so that it rested on his hand.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment, causing both to jump while Killian withdrew his hand from her face as if it was burning.

"Oh, sorry, guys." It was Elsa the one to blame for the interruption. The poor girl seemed a little embarrassed when she entered the classroom, not daring to look at them. "I... I haven't seen anything, I just forgot my beanie." She muttered as she grabbed the garment and made her way back to the exit. Before leaving though, Elsa looked at her and gave her a soft smile of, she supposed, approval.

The small interruption allowed her to regain some composure. "At least it's not the worst she's seen of us." Now it was her turn to be smirking at him. Two could play the same game. She stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans as she closed the distance between them.

She noticed his Adam's apple bobbing, while his brows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Her ice cream parlor is right in front of Granny's and she may have witnessed our little dalliance." She shrugged as she chewed on her bottom lip in a mischievous way. His gaze immediately strayed from her eyes to her lips while his pupils dilated. "And now, maybe it would be better if we leave, in case someone else comes looking for the professor." She wrapped the last word around her tongue making it sound almost indecent.

After offering him one last tempting smile, she turned around in the direction of the door. While walking, she heard a soft groan followed by a broken "bloody hell" making her grin to widen. She was playing a dangerous game, she was aware of it, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid of the flames of the game burning her, or rather, she didn't mind being consumed by the fire that she was sure Killian Jones kept inside

//

The walk to the park took only a few minutes. When they reached the spot chosen by Killian, Emma couldn't prevent a soft gasp from sliding between her lips, pleasantly surprised to observe the landscape they had before them. A long, white blanket covered the entire surface of the park while the branches of nearby trees also appeared laden with snow. Despite the cold, there was a kind of calm around them, as if time had frozen in the course of the snowfall, drawing a picture that seemed taken from a fairy tale.

She turned her head around to check the reaction of the rest of the students. They seemed equally dazed by the sight of it, all of them gazing silently with wide eyes and slightly open mouths.

It was funny, because Emma was sure that, in other circumstances, this landscape would have gone totally unnoticed by most of them, all too engaged in their daily routine to pay much attention to what was happening around them. But now that they had begun to observe the world through a lens and through Killian's eyes, an infinite number of possibilities opened up before them, allowing them to find beauty in something as dull as a town park.

"Well, guys, I see that the landscape has really left you a little impressed, that's good." Killian addressed them in that professional yet close tone that had Emma completely mesmerized. "Inspiration is the first step to getting good photographs, but remember, we're dealing with snow. The beauty of a snowy landscape is undeniable, but it can also be an added difficulty for us, the photographers."

"Because of the light." Aurora offered tentatively.

"Very good, lass." Killian gave her his most charming smile, causing the girl's cheeks to blush slightly. It was evident that most of the students had fallen under the spell of Killian since, where before there was hardly any interest, now there was a real desire to learn. "Indeed, snow is a great reflector of light, so if we want to achieve the desired effect, we must, amongst other factors, apply the correct exposure compensation."

Killian continued explaining, walking among them to make sure everyone was able to get the correct parameters before starting to take pictures.

Leroy, though, seemed to be losing patience since, a few minutes later, he snapped, "Come on - we're talking about white snow... it can't really be that hard to get a decent picture."

Killian stopped, turning to him as he tilted his head slightly and crossed his arms over his chest. His face seemed unperturbed, but she could feel his tension in the way the muscle in his jaw twitched slightly. "Go ahead - show us." He replied with an even voice while holding his hand out as if to emphasize his words.

Leroy seemed intimidated, both by the challenge that had fallen on him and by the scrutiny he was being subjected to by the others. Emma could not deny that she was enjoying the scene, since Leroy would show himself up the moment he took a photo in automatic mode.

He grabbed his camera and, after casting a defiant look at Killian, shifted his eyes to the viewer without bothering to touch the controls. He took a couple of shots and then observed the results on the screen.

"Well?" Killian asked, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

Leroy kept his eyes on the screen for a few more seconds until, finally, he rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of defeat. "The snow is gray." He admitted reluctantly.

"See? This is a clear example that we should never rely on automatic mode, not when we have so many resources at our disposal. Why should not we use them?" To his credit, Killian not only did not kick the guy when he was down, but he channeled what happened to continue teaching them. Her admiration for him grew at times.

The moment Killian gave the go-ahead, they started taking pictures. Although it might be contradictory, the action of pressing the button and immortalizing the moment was always relaxing for her. It was as if she lost track of time when her eyesight remained fixed on her camera's viewfinder. Today was not going to be an exception either since, almost without her noticing, Killian began to evaluate their results.

Emma watched as he dedicated the same time to all his students, offering smiles of encouragement as he praised them well for their effort, or for the good result obtained. She also observed how Tink, the only other single girl in the group along with Elsa and herself, lingered during her interactions with Killian, while maintaining an attitude that was perhaps too close, a wide smile and a fluttering of lashes included.

A strange sensation, which she did not dare to name, settled in the pit of her stomach while she did not miss any of their movements. That pull faded though when his eyes fell on Emma, his lips drawing that special smile, just for her.

"Excellent job, lass, as usual." He commented after contemplating her photographs. He held her gaze for a few more seconds, causing the flutter in her stomach to become more intense until finally, he cleared his throat and addressed the others. "And now, guys, I know you're looking forward to it. You can go play in the snow." Indeed, it seemed that all of them had been waiting for the words because, at that moment, they started running as if they were little children who had discovered the snow for the first time.

"And don't forget to protect your cameras!" He shouted at them in warning before they got too far away.

A laugh bubbled in the back of Emma’s throat at the surreal scene, the landscape no longer intact, but full of life now. She was about to make a comment about it to Killian when both Elsa and Anna hooked each of one of her arms. Before being dragged, literally, by the two sisters, Emma offered Killian one last look and an apologetic smile, to which he replied with a smile on his own and a nod of his head.

Emma let herself be carried away by the enthusiasm of the others, participating in group photos, making selfies and even she decided to also collaborate in the construction of a snowman whom Elsa, who loved the snow, decided to name Olaf. Even Leroy had left behind his permanent state of grumpiness and Archie, usually serious and the voice of reason, let himself loose a little by joining the others in their games.

She enjoyed more than she imagined, sharing laughs, jokes and knowing glances. She felt lighter, as if she had let part of her baggage escape, while the sense of belonging that had appeared the moment she arrived at Storybrooke became more intense.

Emma was so entertained that didn't realize at first that Killian hadn't joined their improvised snow party. It was Elsa who pointed at him, "What is he doing?" she asked, gesturing towards somewhere behind Emma's back. She turned to follow the direction of her gaze and found Killian, camera in hand, leaning slightly forward while he seemed to try to focus something.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion first and then widened in surprise when Emma realized what he was trying to do. The lens he was using, a macro if she was correct, was the one that gave her the clue.

"He's trying to make a photo of a snowflake." Emma commented almost in awe, unable to hide the pride she felt. She did not need to see the picture to know that it would be perfect.

"Wow, really?" It seemed that she was not the only one affected by Killian's talent, if the hint of admiration in Elsa's voice was indicative.

The fact that he was using his left arm and his prosthesis as if it were something natural in him warmed her heart. His initial reluctance to use the prosthesis seemed completely forgotten. She was not an expert on the subject but Emma sensed that one of the first steps to recovery after a traumatic event was adaptation and acceptance, and Killian seemed to be on the right track.

Almost without realizing it, she was holding the camera and pointing it towards him, immortalizing the way he was working. That was when Killian noticed her, looking away from the viewfinder, searching her eyes.

"Will you show me the result?" Emma asked as she approached him.

"Uh... I think it's better if we wait to see it on a larger screen, and I should also edit the image..."

Emma rolled her eyes at Killian's sudden reluctance. "Let me see if I've understood correctly. You're telling me you just made a picture of a snowflake and you're not going to let me see it. Seriously?" She rushed towards him in an attempt to grab the camera, but he was faster. Before she reached him, he raised the arm that held the device, leaving it out of her reach.

"Oh, come on!" She scoffed while pursing her lips. "I need practical examples if I want to learn how to make these kinds of photos." She did not give up, moving even closer to him, only inches away.

"Uh, maybe this was all I wanted." He leaned and whispered into her ear, his breath caressing her skin and causing a chill to run down her body. "It's freezing here, Swan. I needed a source of heat."

"You don't need to use a poor excuse for that, you know." She suggested, shooting him a provocative look from under her lashes. Indeed, it was as if the temperature had risen several degrees in the last seconds. "Could you show me the picture, please?" Her voice slipped between her lips in a soft murmur, causing the blue color to almost disappear from his eyes as his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth in an almost indecent way.

For a moment, Emma forgot where they were, but the background noise of the other students brought them back to reality. Killian cleared his throat and, without separating from her, lowered his hand. "If you ask me that way..." He grinned at her before handing her the camera. Any chance of retort died on her lips the moment her eyes fell on the picture, leaving her speechless. Emma was amazed to see the small details and the defined geometric shape that had been captured in the image. It was like contemplating a tiny gem that nature offered them. "I want to learn how to take pictures like that." She muttered under her breath, unable to look away from the screen.

"The lens does practically all the work, actually. You wanna try?" Killian offered in a soft voice.

Of course she wanted to try. But before she had time to look through the viewfinder to locate a snowflake, Killian suddenly wrapped his arms around her and turned her, standing just behind her. "What the hell?" The moment she heard the impact of a snowball against Killian's coat, she realized what was happening.

Killian turned around again, keeping her behind him. "What did I say, guys? Be careful with the cameras!" He yelled, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry, Mr. Jones, it was not my intention." Emma recognized Robin's voice in that sincere apology.

"Your aim is just awful, mate!"

"Oh, shut up, Will!" Emma stuck her head out from behind Killian to see what was happening, it seemed like they all were involved in a snowball fight. Her heart skipped a beat since that was one of the activities she longed for the most as a child when winter came. Unfortunately, there were not many children willing to play with her in those years, so she always had ended up frustrated. But that was not going to happen today, Emma thought with determination.

She left the shelter offered by Killian, standing in front of him and helping to put their respective cameras in the protective bags, placing them on a nearby bench, far enough from where the rest were playing. "Thank you for your act of gentlemanliness. Now, it’s time for a revenge. You wanna join me?"

"Actually I was protecting my camera." He admitted while scratching behind his ear. "But I am always a gentleman." He hastened to add, his lips drawing a smirk.  "Even so, I would prefer not to be included in the snowball fight. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here." The light tone in his voice and the half smirk on his face seemed to indicate that he was joking, but Emma also detected a certain truth in his eyes.

"Please, that's the worst excuse I've ever heard." Emma rolled her eyes, while bending down quickly and grabbing a handful of snow, squeezing it lightly with one hand to give it consistency. Then, without giving him time to react, she threw the snowball hitting him in the chest. "See?" She knew that she had acted correctly when he gave her a wild look while muttering, "You just started a dangerous game, Swan." This time it was she who received the impact on one shoulder. The war had begun.

And what a war! During the following minutes, they became fully involved in the game, sometimes as allies and other times as opponents, throwing snowballs, or receiving hits, running to protect themselves or to reach their target faster. Such was the intensity that they were depositing in the game that the poor Olaf, who stood in the middle of the battlefield suffered the consequences, being knocked down when Robin fell on it in an attempt to protect himself from an impact.

She did not remember having so much fun in her life, to the point that her stomach ached from laughing so much.

Killian also seemed to have the time of his life, if the perpetual smile on his lips, the brighter than ever sparkle in his eyes, and his cheeks flushed as much by the exercise as by the cold were indicative enough. If he was already very handsome, now he was irresistible. For that reason, she tried to stay away from him, since he did not trust herself.

In the end, everyone ended up exhausted, their clothes soaked and Emma was sure that the next day all her muscles would ache and she would have marks of different impacts all over her body, but it would have been worth it, without a doubt. The adrenaline rush had allowed her to release tensions and the game had made her feel even closer to the rest of the students. In fact, after the sad fate of Olaf, they decided to rebuild it, all of them working as a team while she was the person designated to take pictures of the action.

They were engaged in the task when she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to see who had dared to go for a walk despite the cold and snow. Her eyes widened in surprise when she met the Nolans right in front of her, holding hands.

"Oh, what a surprise! What are you doing here, guys?" Mary Margaret asked politely, her lips drawing a soft smile.

"Hi! Killian thought it was a good idea to go out and take pictures of the snowy landscape. Let's say we got carried away a bit by the circumstances." She commented, her smile matching hers, as she turned her head, looking for Killian.

Her smile faltered a little when she realized that Killian's previously relaxed features had now subtly darkened and his shoulders seemed tense. Emma frowned, surprised at the change in his attitude, but calmed down at once when the corners of his lips lifted up drawing a smile while he waved at them.

Maybe it was just a figment of her imagination since she was over-analyzing all his reactions, fearing the possibility that the shoe would drop at some point. Emma shook her head slightly, burying those thoughts in some hidden corner of her brain and instead focused on Mary Margaret and David.

"I can see that. You're doing an excellent job with that snowman." David chuckled softly and, after giving her a warm smile, went to greet Killian and help them in the construction.

"So, have you gone for a walk?" Emma asked Mary Margaret, genuinely interested.

"Yeah, in fact, despite the cold, the mornings after an intense snowfall are the days when I prefer to go for a walk. It's as if everything is calm, as if time had suddenly frozen. It's overwhelming and beautiful at the same time, something I missed back in London where life moves much faster than here." The longing was evident in Mary Margaret's voice and Emma could also detect a spark of sadness in her eyes. But what surprised her most, to the point of a warm sensation spreading through her body, was the fact that the two of them had the same thought about the snowy landscapes. She felt an instant connection to that woman she barely knew.

"I was thinking the same thing when Killian brought us to this place. It's like magic, really." Emma confirmed offering a smile of understanding.

They kept a light chat for a bit while Mary Margaret watched the others work and Emma took pictures. At some point, almost without realizing it, Emma looked away from the viewfinder and instead focused on Killian and all his movements. He, on the other hand, looked at her from time to time, offering her his most captivating smile every time their eyes met, causing the butterflies in her stomach to flutter hard.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma noticed how Mary Margaret's sight traveled from her to Killian, while she kept a thoughtful expression until her eyes widened suddenly, as if she had just realized something.

"Oh my god! You like Killian! And he likes you!" Mary Margaret almost screamed with excitement, causing Emma's heart to nearly stop at that very moment.

"What?" It was the only thing she managed to say before her throat went dry and a furious blush crept from her neck to her cheeks.

"Sorry, I didn't..." Mary Margaret's voice trailed off, while she seemed clearly embarrassed. "I mean... I had never seen Killian so happy, and you have that expression on your face as if..." Mary Margaret paused again, as if trying to find the right word. Emma held her breath, not entirely sure she wanted to continue listening to her. "... as if there were no one else around."

Emma looked away immediately as her cheeks burned even more and she wanted a hole to open beneath her feet and carry her away. She felt like a teenager who had been caught with her first crush. She was really that obvious? She schooled her features so as not to betray any more of her feelings.

But there was something else in Mary Margaret's words, something that on one hand warmed her heart, but on the other, caused a pull of fear to settle in her stomach. The fact that Killian's happiness could depend on her was a great responsibility, something she was not sure she could carry properly.

"We're just getting to know each other." She muttered, not daring to look at Mary Margaret.

"That's good."

They remained silent for a few seconds while she raised the camera again, using it as an excuse to keep busy.

"So, the meetings on Tuesdays are not merely academic, are they? Are they also a way to get to know each other better?" Mary Margaret asked tentatively, not willing to leave the topic of conversation just yet. Sensing her discomfort, she added. "I'm sorry, really. It's not my intention to make you feel uncomfortable, it's just that... this is what we've always wanted for him, that he can finally move on, and it seems that this time he's on his way to achieving it."

"It's okay..." Emma shrugged, as a wave of gratitude washed over her, at the way she seemed to care about Killian. Emma wondered how he had any inkling of doubt about their affection for him. "It seems that we have a lot in common and we understand each other."

When Emma looked at Mary Margaret, she found an unexpected emotion in her features and a special glow in her eyes which she could not identify, but it was as if she was looking at her with tenderness and understanding, making her feel a little overwhelmed, but at the same time also safe, offering a feeling that she could trust these people.

Emma offered her a half smile and then turned her gaze back to Killian. When their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat. She did not care if it was destiny or just coincidence, but she could not be more grateful to have crossed paths with Killian and for once, she allowed herself to dream and trust that maybe this time her heart was not going to be affected, at least not in the wrong way.

Theladyswan Sometimes, a simple snowfall can offer you much more than a white blanket covering everything. Sometimes it means flushed cheeks, bright eyes and traveling to the past, becoming a child again. Sometimes it means a snow fight or working as a team to create our new friend, Olaf. Sometimes a simple snowflake may contain more beauty than the most precious jewel. Thank you for helping me discover all this and appreciate the small details.

 //

 "I kissed him. Twice." Emma snapped, not taking the time to assess the consequences of her confession. She had arrived at Granny's early, intending to talk to Ruby. After the brief talk with Mary Margaret, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Killian and a possible relationship with him, but all this was so new to her that she found herself in need of venting with someone and the most appropriate option was her friend.

"You did what?" Ruby asked, wide eyes.

"Who did you kiss?" Another voice asked almost in unison - Graham, arriving at the most inopportune moment.

Emma bit back a groan and suppressed the urge to bury her head in her arms. This wasn't how she had thought the conversation would unfold. Graham took the stool next to her, implying that he wasn't planning to leave anytime soon. They both stared at her, one with an amused expression and the other with a slight frown.

Since she couldn't swallow back her words, she had no choice but to give an explanation, so, after letting out a long sigh of resignation, she continued speaking.

"I kissed Killian."

"That's my girl!" Ruby's face split into a giant grin as she lifted her hand for a high five. "I want all the details."

"Wait, wait, wait ... You mean the instructor?" Graham's eyebrows knitted together as he gave her an inquisitive look.

In response, Emma shrugged and wrinkled her nose. "Oh" It was all Graham said at first. Then he brought his hands to his heart, while his features twisted in an overdramatic gesture. "You wound me, Emma. What does that guy have that I don’t?" Although it was evident that he was feigning his annoyance, Emma could detect a hint of disappointment in his voice. Fortunately, she did not have to answer since Ruby came immediately to her rescue. "Oh, come on, as if you didn't have eyes for another blonde who sells ice cream." Ruby smirked at him as she arched one of her eyebrows, causing Graham's cheeks to turn pink while his eyes cast down to the floor. This was new... "You mean Elsa? Is that why you switched coffee for frozen yogurt?" Ruby chuckled as she lifted her hand for a new high five. Emma, instead, pressed her lips together, suppressing the laughter that threatened to escape. Graham looked truly mortified, as if he wanted to vanish right then, or flee away.

A pull of affection for him washed over her. It was quite adorable to see how the responsible and impassive sheriff lost his composure revealing how much that crush affected him.

"I believe we were talking about you, not me." He grunted as he pursed his lips, adding even more cuteness to the scene.

"He's right." Ruby agreed, of course. "So, two kisses and nothing else? What from now on?"

Emma shrugged, taking a deep breath. "I don't know... It's complicated." She admitted reluctantly.

"Complicated... You like him, he likes you. I don't see any complications there." The way Ruby put it made it really simple, but something else caught her attention.

"So, do you think he likes me?" She bit her lower lip, hating the vulnerability reflected in her voice.

"Oh, come on, Emma, everyone can see it." Ruby rolled her eyes and then looked at Graham for confirmation. He nodded, his lips drawing a small smile. "You just have to see the way he looks at you, honey." Ruby's features softened, as she reached out and squeezed her arm gently. "Listen, we know that you're a reserved person, and even though you don't talk much about your past, it's obvious that you’ve got a broken heart, but also, you've told us more than once that getting to Storybrooke changed your life. Now is the time to give your heart a chance to heal, don't you think?"

A warm feeling traveled directly to her heart, while she was extremely grateful for Ruby's words. She couldn't help to wonder how she had been so lucky to finally find two true friends who cared so much about her. She blinked a couple of times holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

"Speaking of the devil..." Graham whispered, his head pointing subtly towards the door. "Go get your chance, Emma." He winked at her, his lips curled into a smile of encouragement.

Emma turned her head to look for Killian. His face lit up at the moment their eyes met, his bright smile acting like a dart straight at her heart. She was so fucked up...

Before going to meet him, Emma sent a smile of gratitude to her friends, approaching Graham and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, guys, you're the best. By the way, maybe a blonde who sells ice cream will appear around here soon." The last thing she saw before getting up and going to meet Killian was how Graham's cheeks blushed again, while Ruby smirked at both of them, clearly enjoying the scene.

//

Emma couldn't deny that Killian had had a great idea in bringing everyone together to celebrate a pre-Christmas party. She decided to ignore the mixed feelings that these festivities entailed for her and instead, let herself get carried away, enjoying the company of Killian and her friends. Even Henry was there, flitting from one group to another, his smile never disappearing from his face.

The affection she had for the boy was undeniable. Her heart tightened in her chest every time she remembered that he had been the initial reason why she had decided to stay in town. She was watching as Henry showed one of his favorite storybooks to Ariel and Tink when an unexpected whispered voice into her ear made her flinch.

"I have some terrible doubts..." She hadn't even seen Anna come when she was suddenly right by her side, an expectant gaze and a wide grin on her face.

Emma didn't even have time to reply. At the moment when Anna was certain that she had gotten her attention, she launched herself with one of her interminable speeches, so Emma let out a subtle sigh as she armed herself with patience.

"I can't decide which couple is the most adorable, apart from me and Kristoff, of course... first, my sister and Graham, with those shy expressions, and those dreamy looks, and then you and the professor, all passion and unresolved sexual tension."

Emma almost choked on her drink when she heard Anna, feeling the blush creeping up her cheeks again. "We're not a couple." She mumbled weakly, cursing inwardly for letting herself get involved in these kinds of conversation.

"Neither are Graham and Elsa, not yet. But it's only a matter of time. Believe me, since I'm quite the expert here." Anna assured as she gave her a conspiratorial look.

Anna was right in something, though. Elsa and Graham made a super cute couple and it was evident that the feeling was not one-sided. And Anna and Kristoff seemed deeply in love, so she wasn't able to decide if it was a good or bad thing that Anna had compared them to those two powerful couples.

Fortunately, Anna soon found another target, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She looked for Killian, who had spent half the time at her side and the other half taking pictures of everything and everyone.

He was in his element, no doubt, involving different people and convincing them with his charm to pose for him. From time to time, he looked for her and even on occasion he took a picture of her from a distance.

"I still can't believe it." Emma winced again, hearing another voice, this time from David, right next to her. She realized that he was looking at Killian, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Just a few months ago, that scene - Killian taking photos so naturally, would have been inconceivable, and yet look at him now, as if nothing had happened." David commented, his voice revealing a mixture of relief and pride towards his friend.

"He has also used the darkroom that you prepared for him." For some reason, Emma found it important to let David know. It had been his idea, after all.

David then stared at Emma tilting his head slightly, as if he were studying her. He seemed to hesitate for a moment but then nodded subtly, as if he had convinced himself. "I'd like to express my gratitude towards you, Emma, since all this progress has been thanks to you."

What was happening today? Had everyone agreed to make her feel overwhelmed by emotions? Emma swallowed the lump formed in her throat as she shook her head. "I may have contributed at the beginning, but it was all Killian's work, actually. He was the one who saw the potential in me and decided to exploit it. But I can't be happier to have helped him, even indirectly, to regain the self-confidence he so badly needed."

David directed her that questioning look again, but to her surprise, she didn't feel intimidated, but curious to know what was going through his head. "I guess from your expression and attitude that you already know at least part of his past." Emma nodded as her lips drew a half smile. "He has been through a lot." David continued, without taking his gaze from her. "And, I hope you don't get offended, but your eyes tell me that your life hasn't been easy either, so I'm so glad that you found each other."

So do I... she thought, not daring to say it out loud. After offering him one last smile of gratitude, Emma turned her gaze back to Killian. She couldn't deny it anymore, he had crawled under her skin in such a way that he had made all her walls wobble. But this time, she wasn't afraid of her walls falling apart. Quite the contrary, she couldn't wait for the last brick to fall. Although something told her that they'd still have to work on the shield that protected Killian's heart, she could wait. She wasn't going anywhere.

//

Thanks for reading. Let me know what did you all think :)

Christmas has come to Storybrooke! After witnessing some resolutions of the new year, we will advance a little in time, until we reach the end of the course. We will also discover how Killian deals with the burden of guilt and regret. Will he be able to handle it?

[jenoramaca]

Been trying to work on a wedding fic ...

I’ve been working on a wedding fic off an on for a little while now and I haven’t yet quite come up with something I feel like really works.  Here’s one bit I have.  

HARRY POTTER ENGAGED!

This reporter has recently learned of the engagement of the Savior of the Wizarding World, Harry Potter!  As you undoubtedly recall, young Mr Potter, the star of Britain’s Aurors, left the Ministry and our shores for the United States, settling in San Francisco, California where he is employed teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at a local Wizarding school.  By all accounts, he is a popular teacher with both the students and parents.  

“I’m not surprised he turned to teaching.  He was dead serious when we were doing Dumbledore’s Army—a real professional.  We all thought sure that he was going to teach as soon as Voldemort was gone, but he went for the Aurors,” says Zacharias Smith, a former classmate of the Chosen One.  

And who is the lucky girl, you ask?  Did some American get her hooks into our boy?  Have no fear for she’s none other than his best friend’s sister, and fellow Gryffindor Ginny Weasley!  This reporter was not able to get a reaction from Mr Potter’s best friend, Ron, but I did run into Parvati Patil in Florean Fortescue’s ice cream parlor.  

“Oh, we all just knew that they were meant to be together,” she said.  “They used to spend hours snugged up together in the Gryffindor common room.”

Moments after speaking to Ms Patil, this reporter made the acquaintance of Flora Carrow, a Slytherin schoolmate of the affianced.  “Ginny Weasley?  Honestly, I think he could have done much better.  She was known as a bit of a strumpet in her school days, wasn’t she?  I know she got through an awful lot of boys.” 

Well, there you have it.  Ladies, consider all of your hearts broken because the Chosen One has made his choice.  Watch this space for more news about what will certainly be the wedding of the year, if not the century!

POTTER-WEASLEY LOVE NEST!  AND A ROCK TO GO WITH IT!

Hello again, dear readers!  Last month this reporter brought you news of Harry Potter’s engagement to Ginny Weasley and the news has certainly caught like wildfire!  Our office has been inundated by your owls and this reporter will do her best to answer all of your questions!  

First off, where are the happy couple going to live after the blessed event?  I have it on good authority that Mr Potter has put his considerable wealth to good use in purchasing a property in notoriously expensive San Francisco within sight of the the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge.  Nothing but the best for our two lovebirds!

And speaking of the best—a lot of you have been asking about one of the most important things—The Ring!  As you know, our Mr Potter is notoriously camera-shy, but lucky for us, Miss Weasley does not suffer from the same affliction!  A loyal reader was able to obtain this snap and sent it in to our office post haste!  In it you can clearly see a heart-shaped engagement ring on her finger!  This reporter estimates the size to be at least two carats.  Mr Potter certainly isn’t afraid to splash out where his fiancée is concerned!  

Who is the man Miss Weasley is with in that picture?  This reporter doesn’t know yet, but it’s safe to say that Miss Weasley prefers both brunets and blonds!

But what about the dress?  This reporter has been in contact with all of the best designers the Wizarding world has to offer and they all say that they are eagerly anticipating her owl.  This reporter was privy to several in-progress designs from Giacomo di Mare, designer of Astoria Malfoy’s (née Greengrass) wedding dress.  

“For the chosen of the Chosen One, it must be something spectacular and never-before seen that will echo through the ages!” he said.  This reporter must agree that di Mare seems to be on the right track.  If you’re reading this, Miss Weasley, he has our full endorsement!

That’s all I have space for right now, Dear Readers.  Please continue sending your owls with questions, tips and any information.  As always, we pay well!  Until next time!

***

“Well, I’m certainly glad to know that spotty Flora Carrow thinks you could have done a lot better than me,” Ginny said, throwing down the article clippings onto the coffee table in disgust.  

“Who’s she?” Harry asked, picking up the clippings Molly had sent with her latest letter.  He read the headlines, forehead creasing in dismay.  I’m going to have to set up some sort of perimeter, he thought. Can’t have long lenses peeking into our windows.

“Absolutely no one worth knowing.  Her surname should tell you all you need to know.  And I did not get through a lot of boys in school!  It was Michael and then Dean and then you!”  Ginny crossed her arms, fuming.  “That bitch.  She must still be ticked off at me because Slughorn invited me to the Slug Club before her and her creepy sister.”

Harry read over the short article, wincing at the use of “savior” and “chosen one”.  Well, that just reinforces my decision to leave all of that.  “Sorry, love.  At least we’re not over there, yeah?  It’s just going to get worse.”

Ginny looked at him and smiled, ruffling her fingers through his already untidy hair.  “I’ve never hid the fact that you are a lot of bother.”  She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.  “Would you be upset if we spent Teddy’s school holidays here?  I know we’d talked about doing a split holiday.”

“That is no problem at all.  I want to spend enough time over there to get the flat sorted and pick up Teddy.  The less time in all of that madness the better.”  Harry looked at the picture in the second clipping.  It was clearly Ginny and Ben out for a customary post-class coffee.  He had evidently said something that made her laugh and he watched as she smiled and put her hand on Ben’s arm over and over, her engagement ring flashing in the sunlight.  A note in Molly’s hand said, “Who is this?”

“Brunets and blonds, eh?” Harry asked, turning his head to kiss the top of hers.

“And the occasional redhead,” she said leaning in to kiss him.  “I don’t discriminate.”

“Maybe I should owl in a tip to Witch Weekly, then?” Harry said, grinning at her scowl.

“Only if you want to find out how comfortable this sofa is for sleeping.”  She picked up the letter from Molly and started reading, ignoring him on purpose.  “Oh dear,” she groaned after a few minutes.

Harry turned his attention away from the article clippings, wondering just how they’d figured out he’d bought property here.  I might have to have a word with my solicitors.  “What?” he asked with some trepidation.

“Mum’s gone off the reservation.  I told her small and now she’s talking about all of these associated events.  The Ministry want to have a party for us.”

“No.”

“And she’s been contacted by St Mungos—they want to have some sort of reception as well.”

“No.”

“There’s a tradition of both a pre and post-wedding breakfast for the extended families … high teas, receptions …” she said, Harry sinking lower and lower into the sofa cushions until he’d nearly slithered to the floor.  “Oh dear, she’s even asking about hen parties and stag nights!”

Harry sat straight up.  “No, I am not having your mother arrange a stag night.”

“Oh my God,” Ginny said, clearly not having heard what he’d just said.  “McGonagall has offered Hogwarts for the venue.”

“What?” Harry said, taking the offered letter.  Minerva owled me as soon as she heard about your engagement, offering the use of Hogwarts for your wedding.  I can’t think of anyplace more appropriate for the two of you to be joined in marriage.  Just think how wonderful the Great Hall always looks at Christmas time!  

He passed the letter back to Ginny, all too easily envisioning Molly with her hands clasped to her chest and a beatific smile on her face at the thought of her only daughter getting married in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  He felt a bit sick.  

“Harry, that would be amazing!” Ginny said, eyes shining.  “All decorated for Christmas, all of the floating candles—”

“Peeves flying in and out, hurling stink bombs at the guests.”

“Harry, don’t be such a wet blanket.  It’ll be wonderful!” 

Harry looked at Ginny’s excited expression and sighed.  “Fine.  But no Ministry party, one breakfast OR high tea and your mum has nothing to do with anything remotely resembling a stag night.”  He grunted as she dove at him, wrapping her arms around his midsection in a bear hug.   

“This is going to be amazing,” she said, sounding like someone who had dreamed of getting married in the Great Hall ever since she’d laid eyes on it.

[thundercracer]

“Family” Bakumomo Fic Part 7

Chapter 7 of my Bakumomo kid fic

Available on AO3~!

Katsuki was incredibly uncomfortable with the situation he found himself in. Wearing an uptight, perfectly tailored monkey suit with a tie that matched Momo’s light orange dress and trying his best not to scowl, he stood in front of Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu for the first time in his life.

He thought he was nervous to have her meet his family.

The two heads of the Yaoyorozu family stood prim and proper, looking five times as dolled up and well groomed as Katsuki felt and infinitely more comfortable doing so. Momo’s mother was beautiful, smiling warmly at him in greeting. Her father appeared stoic and protective, scrutinizing every inch of this young man that he could.

Itsuki stayed behind with “Uncle Eiji” and “Uncle Deku” for the day. His two “parents” agreed wholeheartedly that it would be a rather terrible idea for the young boy to tag along to this particular event. Especially considering the older Yaoyorozu couple knew nothing of him in the first place.

He was rather upset with them for leaving him behind but was quickly and easily soothed with promises of going out to town the following weekend for movies and ice cream.

Momo’s mother had been very confused at the sudden shift in opinion from her daughter. Going from saying “I’ll find someone” to “I’m in a relationship” was jostling to say the least. Momo defended herself by saying the relationship had been so new and she hadn’t wanted put any sort of pressure on it in its budding stages. Which was something that the older woman ate right up.

“Welcome!” Momo’s mother took her daughter into her arms and offered a slim, delicate hand to Katsuki upon releasing her. He and Momo had trained for this. He had this in the bag. Katsuki grasped her hand - respectful yet firm - and placed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand. “Oh! What a gentleman!” her mother cooed as she retrieved her hand from him. “What a pleasure to meet you!”

“The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Yaoyorozu.”

“Oh! Call me Hanae, dear!”

“That will hardly be necessary, love,” her husband interjected.

He offered an extended hand as Katsuki turned to regard him properly. He grasped it and found a surprisingly firm grip from the businessman. Guess CEO isn’t as big of a wimp as I thought he’d be…

“Good to meet you, boy.” The words were spoken in a charismatic enough of a voice that Katsuki almost didn’t catch the steel-like sharpness in Momo’s father’s eyes. “I’m Yaoyorozu Akifumi.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” he studied the man’s face. “I’m-”

“Bakugou Katsuki. Quirk being explosions. Coming from parents who own a skincare company, correct?”

Katsuki hesitated. Looks like he wasn’t the only one who had been preparing for this day. “Yes sir. That’s right.”

“Father,” Momo interjected, looking nervous. “May we carry on the conversation over tea? I find it… rather awkward simply standing about the foyer like this.”

Her mother smiled strongly, nodding her head along with her daughter. “Absolutely, my dear. Let’s go to the parlor then.”

The four of them settled into a sort of lounge sitting area as servants brought about tea and sandwiches and sweets. Momo’s mother sipped delicately and tittered excitedly while her father sat stoic, not touching any of the drink or food offered to him.

Katsuki opted not to take part in the food, copying Momo as she took what he assumed was a calming sip of her own tea. He was somewhat astonished, even after all this time, that she could make something like just drinking from a teacup look so graceful. And he remembered that this was a battlefield; she was the image of composure. They could do this.

“So, boy,” Momo’s father regarded him again, eyes narrowed. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

He figured this was something that would come up, but Katsuki hadn’t been prepared for it to be so soon! Straightening his posture more than he previously thought possible, he raised his chin in subtle defiance.

“I want to court her.”

“Clearly,” Akifumi seemed unimpressed. “I’m asking your intentions. You’re not of wealth; do you hope to achieve something by pursuing my daughter? Is it the family name? Her quirk? Your quirks aren’t very compatible, you know.”

Katsuki fought not to snap at this fucker. As much as he wanted to rage - I’m not trying to breed with your daughter, fuckface! - Momo was counting on him to keep it together. And, while he previously wouldn’t have given a shit, he needed to do this for her. She was important.

“She’s important to me, sir.”

“How so? This is the first I’ve heard of you outside of regular classmate interactions.”

“Akifumi,” Hanae placed a gentle hand on her husband’s forearm. “Maybe that’s something we should ease into. I know!” She clapped her hands, excited. “How did you two start dating? Who confessed?” Her eyes glittered. It seemed Yaoyorozu Hanae was a hopeless romantic. Katsuki could play off of that.

“Well…” Momo trailed off, looking to him. They had come up their story.

“I’ve been interested in her since first year,” Katsuki “confessed”. He scratched the back of his neck, hoping to give off the impression of a shy adolescent boy. He even gave a sheepish smile. “She’s always been so smart, you know?”

And Hanae nodded along, agreeably. “Oh certainly! Pretty too, don’t you think?”

“Well of course,” he laughed, a low rumble from his chest. “But I know she prefers to be admired for how capable is, don’t you love?”

Momo wasn’t expecting this day to be so hard to deal with. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire from all the praise - fake or not - from Katsuki. “I… certainly appreciate it, yes.”

“All I’m hearing is about how capable my daughter is,” Akifumi shifted his crossed hands from his lap to the table. “How are you to prove that you’re worthy of her?”

“Father-”

“There are plenty of suitors lined up for someone like Momo, I’m sure you’re aware. Why should we allow someone like you to be with her? Compared to the other gentlemen we have lined up, you’re… well.”

“Father, that’s so rude of you-”

“I’m in love with her.”

Momo blinked in surprise. “What?”

“I, Bakugou Katsuki, am in love with your daughter. I believe that makes me more qualified than any of my competitors on how much we would value her alone.” He grinned, some of his cockiness showing through. “Besides, while I don’t come from a super fancy family with a lot of money, I’m going to be the number one hero one day. I won’t settle for anything less. I admire Momo as both a woman and as a hero. None of these other schmucks will make her happy like I can.”

Akifumi looked contemplative while his wife was practically glowing with glee. He offered his partner a cautious glance and felt his heart skip a beat with the look of wonder he received from Momo. He… wasn’t sure how much of that was a grandiose display of acting and how much of that came from a deep part within him. He wasn’t compared to come to terms with any of that quite yet.

Fighting a strong blush, he turned back to Momo’s parents. “And if you don’t like that, then you can deal with it. I don’t like sharing, so she’s mine.”

For the first time since arriving, Momo’s father smiled. He smirked, seemingly pleased. “Alright, son. You pass.”

“Oh good!” Hanae cheered. It seemed she was just happy with the entire situation from start to finish. “Oh, Katsuki!” He jolted somewhat at being addressed so directly. “You must come to an event we’re holding later this month!”

“Mother…”

“It’ll be a good opportunity, Momo!” she chided. “The gala will be a perfect place to show off your new beau! Oh dear, I’ll have to contact all the previous suitors about this… Oh well!”

A teeny tiny fraction of Katsuki felt bad that a bunch of guys were going to be rejected by the end of the day by this new, fake relationship. But a huge part of him was thrilled that they succeeded and that Momo wouldn’t be pressured anymore to get married to some random fucker.

“Of course we’d love to attend, Hanae,” he shook his head at Momo’s displeased expression. Later. And she nodded.

“Perfect! We’ll arrange for transportation and attire, so don’t even worry about it! We’re so happy to welcome you into the family!”

Glad to know my old folks aren’t the only ones too eager for us to get married…

“Ah!” Hanae looked like she just realized something. “I would love to meet with your parents as well, Katsuki!” Ah. Yeah…

“You’re right. We’ll be sure to arrange something with them, then,” Akifumi relented, curious to see where his daughter’s new boyfriend came from. “Perhaps lunch sometime soon?”

“Certainly…” And there went Katsuki’s hopes of keeping his parents entirely out of the situation. He’d have to have a strong, firm talk with them about how fake this relationship was supposed to be. Knowing them they’d be too on board with the prospect of marrying off their son, especially after having met Momo. She was irresistible and was perfect daughter-in-law material. If Mitsuki and Hanae got anywhere near each other… Katsuki feared the outcome.

After the initial tension was cleared, the afternoon with the Yaoyorozu’s was rather peaceful. They asked questions and he answered as best he could - as properly as he could. He was rather proud of himself for not having cussed out either of them. Especially when the conversation turned towards Momo’s own hero work.

“You must agree, Mr. Bakugou,” Akifumi had been saying. “A young woman as a working hero is much too dangerous. It would be better for her to settle down in order to care for the home and children, as it were.”

Hanae nodded along. “He’s right, dear,” she turned to her daughter, as if giving the young woman some sort of sage advice. “I’m sure Katsuki would prefer you staying at home and making sure dinner is prepared for him.”

Katsuki felt his eye twitch. It felt like these two were trying to advertise some sort of servant to them, not their daughter’s hand in marriage! He huffed and tried to keep the familiar, heavy scowl from his face.

“I definitely don’t want that.”

“Huh?” Both Momo’s parents looked confused. “Whatever do you mean?”

Katsuki shook his head and let out a breath of air. “She’s a great hero. I’m not tryin’ to take that away from her. She’s worked hard as hell to achieve her goals. Momo will never have to give up on her dreams to be with me. She shouldn’t have to do that to be with anyone. Respectfully speaking,” he added, seeing their incredulous looks. “I want Momo to be happy.”

“Being a hero makes me very happy…” Momo said in a quiet voice, while giving Katsuki a warm smile that made his stomach tie itself in knots. “Thank you, Katsuki.”

The older Yaoyorozu couple exchanged a sort of heavy, meaningful glance before returning to the conversation. After several hours, the two were seen off and driven back to UA with Katsuki ripping off his neck tie the moment the door to the limousine closed shut behind them.

Itsuki had already eaten dinner by the time the two of them returned home to the dorms. It seemed that he was being kept busy, at the current moment, by board games with Midoriya, Kirishima, and a couple of the others. Tsuyu waved languidly as they entered.

“Hey, you two. How did things go?”

“Good!” Momo answered, cheerful, as Katsuki sauntered past to try and join in on the game of Monopoly going on. She - and everyone else in the room - knew that wouldn’t end very well. “Everything’s going well, but they still haven’t found Itsuki’s records.”

They hadn’t told their friends or even Itsuki about their fake dating scheme. Katsuki had been avidly against it, not wanting to deal with even more teasing than the two already got from spending so much time together as of recently. And Momo had to agree; the girls had been increasingly aggressive with their questioning on Momo’s relationship status.

The rest of them all thought that they were going to meet with some of the officials about Itsuki’s status. Which they’d been keeping up with, of course, but was a suitable excuse for the occasion. They explained the fancy attire in that they decided to meet at a restaurant instead of the usual office this time around.

Momo felt somewhat bad lying to her friends and family like this, but she felt it a necessary evil. If it could even be considered that.

Itsuki jumped up and darted towards her with a cry of, “Mama!” as the boy seemed to just notice the arrival of his caretakers. He threw himself at her, wrapping arms around her waist.

“Hello, Itsuki. Did you have a fun evening?”

“Yeah!” He grinned up at her, ear to ear. “It was so fun! Uncle Denki showed me video games and Uncle Deku brought out this fun board game! I don’t know why they call it that because I’m not bored at all!”

Momo fought back a laugh at that. “I have to agree. They’re rather fun.”

“Is it bedtime?”

“It certainly can be,” Momo suddenly felt very tired.

Itsuki nodded. “Okay. It’s late and I’m sleepy, so let’s get papa and go to bed.”

“Sounds like a plan, little man.” She received another smile at the fun little rhyme as she gathered herself to head to her room. Katsuki grumbled but followed after, bidding the others a good night.

When they got up to her room, they quickly went into their nightly rituals and got Itsuki into bed quickly. They both decided that, despite having so much tea time earlier, it would be best for them to at least partake in their nightly discussions.

“Momo…”

“Katsuki,” she interrupted, out of character. “Thank you for today. I…” she blinked in surprise at the sudden swell in emotion she felt in her chest. “I’m very grateful.”

“Nah, Ponytail,” he waved her off lightly. “It wasn’t much… your parents are possessive people, though, huh?”

She tilted her thought, rolling the thought around in her head. “Not quite possessive… but certainly old fashioned and overprotective. But I didn’t mean getting them off of my back; though I am grateful for that as well.”

He quirked a brow at her, signaling for her to elaborate.

“I… Appreciate your praise, from before. I didn’t know you thought about me that way. Forgive me if it was all part of the act-”

“I think the world of you.”

She felt her cheeks flare with a sudden heat that spread through her entire face and neck. If the coloring mirrored on Katsuki’s face was any inclination, it was fair to say he was just as embarrassed.

“Don’t go overthinking shit, alright? You’re a badass hero and you’ve become a good friend of mine. I don’t let people push around or talk shit on my friends, alright?”

Then, suddenly, the warmth left. That reminded her of another conversation they’d never gotten around to having.

“Katsuki… what did your mother mean by… not letting Itsuki bully other children?”

[beneathtreemomo]

LTT Q&A Answers!

Q: Yoru, was Fubuki your first crush? If not, who?/ Who was Yoru’s first love?

            A: “Well, I think Shirou was my first crush?" Yoru admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously while a blush rosied his cheeks. "I’d never felt like that with anyone before him, but I’m also still trying to figure out just how crushes and being in love feels like. Sometimes it feels like I don’t feel it right, even now. But I do know that I love Shirou more than anything, and that’s what matters. So… yeah, Shirou was my first crush.”

 Q: YORU, MY BOY, what movie can you watch over and over without ever getting tired of? AND what’s wrong but sounds right?

            A: He blinked, staring at the question. “Uhhhh, that’s actually a really good question and I don’t have a single clue. I tend to get tired of a lot of things if I watch or listen to them too often, so I try to keep my favorites out of the ‘Frequently Watch’ list. But if I had to guess, I’d say the movie I’d watch over and over would be The Pacifier. It’s silly and a really good story all in one, so I feel like I'll always be able to enjoy it.”

                       With the first half answered, he reread the second half of the message, “Something wrong that sounds right? I guess…" He tapped his chin in thought, letting out a hum as he tried to think of something. "Trying to please everyone as your source of happiness. It’s not that aiming for that goal is bad, per say, but there are people who you just can’t please, and if you focus only on pleasing others without focusing on yourself, you’re only going to get hurt. And at that point, unless you change how you're thinking, you may never be happy because each failure will be plaguing you.”

 Q: Since Coach Kudou is now in the story, a question for him: what’s the most epic way you’ve seen someone quit or be fired?

            A: For a few minutes, Kudou was silent, thinking about how to answer the question. When he started talking, there was a small smile on his face. "I don’t necessarily think it qualifies as “epic”, but when I worked at Sakurazaki Junior High, there was this one kid very few of us could stand. He was constantly talking back to the teachers and correcting “mistakes” that we’d make, or point out things we already knew and either dumbed down for the kids or were on the way to getting to. He actually got one of the teachers so mad she stormed into the principal’s office and started shouting at him about it. Somehow, they got the PA system started and their argument rang loud and clear through the air. Of course, it ended with her shouting "I QUIT!" and the door to his office was shut so hard it made the PA system screech."

 Q: For one of the best girls, Matoro, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve broken?

            A: Matoro laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "I once broke a family heirloom. It was this old pocket watch, and I took it with me to skating practice. When I landed on my butt after failing to do a trick, I ended up, uh, crushing it. Glass shattered, hands stopped moving, it almost sounded like the pocket watch the Mad Hatter and March Hare ruined in Alice in Wonderland by stuffing it with sugar and jam! ….. Oh yeah, I panicked and thought it’d work again if I did that, so…. That didn’t help. But we got it restored, and they fixed it up perfectly! I wasn’t allowed to touch it again until recently, though.”

 Q: Shirou, share some stupid stories and tell me when was the last time you got to tell someone “I told you so.” after a ridiculous situation?

           A: "The last time I got to tell someone 'I told you so' after something ridiculous was actually pretty recent! The Hakuren team, Yoru, and I were all hanging out at Yoru’s place and they built a little pool-like area that we can use as a skating rink, so it’s pretty big. We were all doing whatever we wanted in the snow when Matoro suggested we try having a match on the ‘ice rink’. I and a few others actually opted out of it, mostly because even though the pool is big, it’s not going to hold all twelve of us. 

          “I told them to be careful, because the ice was probably a bit thin due to the weather starting to warm up a little, and while they said they were going to be fine Yoru and I just kind of… knew that it was about to be a disaster. So before the match started we said not to fall through; at most they would have gotten damp calves but, still, there’s a reason there’s ice and snow.

         “Long story short, we were having a blast but on one collision the ice broke underneath Matoro and Kitami and they fell in. That’s the most recent silly ‘I told you so’ that’s happened!”

 Q: Watanabe, because I don't get your mind at all, what are you interested in that most people aren’t - and no, murder isn't a proper answer?

           A: Watanabe gave a charming smile, laughing a little. “I’m interested in lots of popular things! If it’s not popular, then—"

           A teammate of his popped up beside him after overhearing the conversation, crossing his arms and giving the questioner an annoyed look. Watanabe glared at the teammate. “He enjoys throwing rocks at birds. And from his track record, there are worse things I could mention.”

           Watanabe hissed, shoving the teammate away as he growled, “Would you shut up?!” He turned back to the questioner, smiling politely. “Ignore him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about! I love anything popular, I don’t think there’s really anything I like that isn’t something most people enjoy!”

 Q: Haruka, what was cool when you were young but isn’t cool now? AND what songs hit you with a wave of nostalgia every time you hear them? AND because the Angst is real, when was the last time you immediately regretted something you said?

           A: “Oh!!” She gasped, grinning and clapping her hands together, “I lived in America for a few years and I fell in love with Alf and Mr. Rogers. I thought they were so cool! But nowadays it feels like you’re lucky if someone even remembers Alf, and the generations that really seem to remember Mr. Rogers have come to a close after they stopped airing the show. I think Hyouga’s generation might be the last.”

           At the question about what songs make her nostalgic, she hummed thoughtfully and looked up at the sky. Coming up with an answer, she snapped her fingers and looked back at the questioner. “Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul McCartney. That song was probably the first one Natsume and I danced to as a couple, and then as husband and wife. It’s a special song that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and each time I listen to it, it reminds me of those days.” As she spoke a bright blush began to cover her cheeks and she looked away, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Other than that… I don’t really know. A lot of songs, I guess, but none really stick out like that one.”

           For the third question her blush only deepened, her smile slipping and being replaced with sad regret. “Oh gosh, there are plenty of things I wish I hadn’t said.” She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. “The most recent… I think it was back after Yoru got injured. We were all pretty wound up because of it, and all of us said and did things we regret. But I remember snapping at Natsume that Yoru should just “Get over it” or… something along those lines. The words weren’t near as blunt or sharp, but the intent was clear, and I regretted it immediately. It took me over a month before I could look Yoru in the eye again even after I apologized then and there. I’m really lucky it didn’t sour my relationship with either of them completely.”

 Q: And last one for Yoru! What’s the most awkward thing that happens to you on a regular basis?

           A: Yoru groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Natsume refuses to let me bathe in peace and I wish I was joking.” He sighed, glancing uneasily at the questioner. “If you want one that still makes me feel awkward, though… it’s whenever I snap at people. There’s just something in the air, you know? Like you know you screwed up but you can’t apologize or you did and it just makes things more awkward. I’ve also caught people staring at my eyes before, that happens pretty often. Can’t really say which is more awkward though. They’re all pretty high up there.”

 Q: What’s Natsume’s job?

           A: “Oh, oh! I’ve got this one!!!” Araya cheered, waving her hand enthusiastically. “Natsume’s a baker/patisserie! He owns a cute little bakery in town, near some ice cream parlors and cafés. He’s actually super popular, too! One of the town’s best, hands down. His specialty in the store is castella cakes and melonpan! Yoru told us he loves experimenting with the recipes and coming up with new flavors along with ones that already exist.” Her eyes twinkled with excitement, “But if he’s got a booth at festivals or wants to help make something for a party? Expect the best sata andagi and/or amanattō you may have ever tasted!”

 Q: Was Yoru always this fluffy?

           A: Yoru frowned, biting his lip. “Sorry, I don’t think I understand the question? Fluffy how?”

           Natsume cleared his throat, holding up a hand. “I can answer this! Just give me a second.” He ran out of the room, coming back with a rather large photo album and opening the pages to show pictures of a toddler with familiar mismatched eyes.

           He pointed to one where the boy, slightly older than in the pictures before it, was on a surfboard in the sand with an instructor to side, encouraging him. “Here’s a picture where 6-year-old Yoru is learning to surf.”

            At the sound of his name Yoru’s eyes widened, a yelp escaping him as he tried to cover the picture with his hands. “No, don’t show them that!” He cried, even as Natsume moved the book out of the way and above his head. Yoru jumped as high as he could, growling under his breath as he tried to grab the book, “You are so lucky I don’t like using hissatsus outside of matches.”

             Natsume grinned, pointing to the picture again as he leaned away from his brother, “Look at how wild his hair is! He looked like an adorable kitten, and it didn’t help that we lived right along the beach; sea air can affect your hair in many ways, you know, and for him the extra waviness added more volume and made him even more fluffy than he is now!”

             “Natsume!!”

Q: Did he (Yoru) ever have problems with heterochromia? (ie, other people making fun of him for it?)

          A: Natsume sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away from the questioner. “He did, actually. When he was little, some jerks used to call him strange or creepy and make fun of it since it was scary to them. He ended up getting really reclusive, and hid his gold eye behind his hair. It stayed like that until he was like, ten.”

 Q: What’s Yoru’s favorite color?

           A: Yoru hummed in thought, answering a moment later. “I like purples and greens, so I guess maybe a dark forest green or some sort of dark purple?”

 Q: Has he (Yoru) ever tried sports that aren’t soccer?

           A: Yoru nodded, smiling brightly. “I used to surf back in Okinawa! That’s actually how I met Tsunami, aside from being in the same class. I also do all the winter sports Hakuren has to offer, but some of them weren’t really me doing “sports” so much as just… messing around, I guess?” His eyebrows furrowed in thought, smile turning into a curious pout. “Is it still a sport if you don’t treat it as such?”

 Q: Does Yoru watch babyTV with Hyouga?

           A: Yoru shook his head “We don’t watch babyTV; honestly we mostly just watch random videos on youtube or whatever kid friendly things are on Netflix. So lots of animated movies.” Behind him, Hyouga started playing something on the tv. The Digimon theme song started playing and Yoru sighed, smile turning a little strained. “And Digimon. Lots of Digimon.”

Q: If Yoru, Watanbe, Haruka and Natsume were paladins, what lions would they command?

           A: Watanabe would operate Sincline, but if he HAD to have a lion it’d probably end up being Black, and only because none of the other lions fit him (sorry black sweetie you deserve better). Yoru would either be Green or Blue, Haruka would be Yellow, and Natsume would be Red!

 Q: Will Tsunami ever call Watanabe a wet paper shark?

           A: Tsunami’s jaw dropped. “That…. Is the best nickname EVER,” He cried, leaping to his feet and pumping a fist into the air as he grinned, “And you bet the next time I see that jerk’s face I’m calling him it!”

           Color drained from Yoru’s face at the thought, letting out a nervous laugh. “Please, don’t.”

 Q: Is Yoru ticklish (and does Shirou know/exploit this)?

           A: Shirou smirked, eyes ringed with gold. He crept over to the couch where Yoru was sitting and reading a book, ducking behind it when Yoru glanced over his shoulder. When he was sure Yoru’s attention was back on the book he sprung onto Yoru, grinning as he started to mercilessly tickle Yoru’s sides. Yoru shrieked, laughter filling the air as he tried to push Shirou away and wriggle away from his fingers. “Yep,” Shirou laughed, stopping after a few minutes to hug Yoru and nuzzle his cheek. “Definitely ticklish.”

 Q: Did Natsume and Yoru ever have a Naruto phase?

           A: Haruka giggled, hiding a smile with a hand. “One time in college, Natsume was trying to impress me and I was stressing out during a time crunch for fashion class, so he pretended to use “shadow clone jutsu” and ran around the room pretending like he was a ton of different versions of himself helping me pin down patterns or sew on details to things! Then when I was smiling he pretended to use Naruto’s coveted “sexy jutsu” and did a silly little shimmy that had me crying from laughter.”

          Natsume blushed, laughing weakly and holding up his pointer finger, “I’d just like to say my actual Naruto phase was back when I was ten. I just really didn’t want to see her so stressed.”

           Yoru snickered from beside them, rolling his eyes at Natsume’s correction. He glanced at the questioner, smiling apologetically. “I’m not a fan of Naruto, to be honest.”

 Q: How tall is everyone?

           A: I actually made a height chart once for the Yukimuras! As of FFI, Shirou is 5’0 (152cm), Yoru is 5’1 (154cm), Hyouga is 3’1 (94cm), Haruka is 5’8 (172.7cm) and Natsume is 5’10 (177.8cm) though I’ve accidentally been saying he’s over 6ft/180cm for like, three or four months now.

 Q: Is Yoru your first IE OC?

           A: Yep, he is! I created him in I think August of 2017, maybe earlier. I just felt like Shirou needed someone who understood a little, you know? Not even romantically, just… in general. And my sweet little shipper heart couldn’t help but make it gay so I did xD Originally, he was going to be from a random school Raimon stopped at before getting to Hokkaido, and even when he was in Hokkaido he was just going to be someone with a secret who insisted he come along! Things changed of course, and I’m actually really happy with the “fallen star” persona I’ve given him!

 Q: What do you think there’s not enough of in the IE fandom (Male!OC, underrated canon characters, etc.)?

           A: Well, to be frank, I wouldn’t even really notice what’s missing/not enough because I simply just don’t read a lot of IE fanfic or leave my bubble of select few content creators. I read it from my friends or writers I like if it’s topics I can stomach, of course, but other than that I just stick to my small corner and support everyone w/o having actually read their stuff xD But something that’s usually severely lacking in ALL fandoms is Male OC stuff. It’s like Nessie the Loch-ness monster sometimes! I mean, I also get WHY it’s not that popular, and I’m actually fine with Male OCs not being popular, but I’ve always noticed that there’s usually one male OC fic to at least 10 female OC fics in just about every fandom that has OC fics.

Q: How did Yoru realize his sexuality?

           A: Honestly, if he hadn’t gotten a crush on Shirou, he might not have put two and two together until he was in his 20s because he honestly would have just… kept subconsciously waiting for a switch that wouldn’t have come until he found The One.

           Before Yoru got a crush on Shirou, he figured he was gay at the very least—he didn’t like girls so he figured he liked boys but he still hadn’t… felt like it fit? Like everyone else seemed so certain about who they liked and while he didn’t care he noticed that he didn’t really get it, either. Then when the crush on Shirou hit, he assumed he was homoromantic, demisexual. But then as they get older Yoru realizes that, wow, he really doesn’t see anyone else in the same light he does Shirou? Like not even a little baby tickle of it.

            And he’s perfectly fine with Shirou touching him in certain ways but the idea of it with anyone else? Skin crawling (SIDE NOTE: You don’t have to be sex repulsed to be ace/demi. Being ace/demi involves feeling little to no sexual attraction. Quite a few on the ace spectrum just happen to be sex repulsed as well) Heck, sometimes with Shirou it’s not a comfy feeling (don’t worry whenever they do something it’s consensual) So he throws terms around in his head until he comes to the conclusion he’s demiromantic and asexual and after that he just stopped caring about labeling it.

Q: What’s Haruka’s job and how did she meet Natsume?

           A: Haruka grinned, pulling open the door to her studio. The room was filled with an organized mess of fabric rolls and mannequins of all shapes and sizes, some of which had either completed, half-finished, or barely started outfits, the tables covered in just as much mess. “I’m a fashion designer/tailor!” She chirped, closing the door as she continued to explain. “I mostly do freelance jobs like making costumes for plays and ballets, music videos, movie shoots, or parties. I also do small mending jobs that people in town need, like taking a dress in or out. But I also have my own lines of clothes that I sell online in batches with the help of my darling family as well as Yoru’s friends Araya and Matoro as models!”

                       Natsume took over for the second half, eyes bright with nostalgia and laughter. “We met in high school, became friends our first year thanks to being in the same group in the cooking club. At the time I was actually crushing on someone else and Haruka wasn’t bothering with dating, but my dad was constantly trying to prove we were dating— which, in hindsight, was hilarious. When we entered college, we started dating about halfway through our first year! It just kinda happened, y’know?”

 Q: Shirou lives in an orphanage in LTT right? Will he move in with the Yukimuras one day? :3

           A: In a way! He’s kinda already living there, but hasn’t really “moved in” because, well, Natsume and Haruka aren’t sure they have time to take the training required to become legal foster parents—even if it is inadequate. By the time high school comes to a close though, Shirou will have pretty much moved into the Yukimura household, though not officially. He’s still listed as living in the orphanage. During college, Yoru and Shirou get an apartment in town!

 Q: Watanabe, why are you a grumpy old man?

           A: Watanabe sputtered, letting out a dramatic, offended gasp. “WH—I AM NOT A GRUMPY OLD MAN.” He cried, clearing his throat and crossing his arms as he straightened his back. “I’ll have you know I’m quite distinguished and I deserve every right I have to be bitter about Yukimura’s bought—” He froze, catching sight of his teammates. He smiled, eyes flashing for a moment as he backtracked on the remark he was about to make. “I mean!!  I just tend to have anger issues, is all. Nothing major, of course!” He laughed, holding out an arm as if to make a point as his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, “And really, it isn’t fair what happened with Yuki, right?”

           One of his teammates shrugged, “I don’t know, I think it’s alright. He’s a competent manager, I’d say he earned a place on the national team.”

           Watanabe laughed, his eye twitching and smile sharp. “Yes…. Of course, you make a valid point!”

 Q: How did Natsume react to the news he was going to be a dad? Was Haruka worried? How did YORU react? XD

           A: Haruka giggled, amusement glinting in her eyes. “Natsume fainted.”

           “NO I DIDN’T!”

           She rolled her eyes, her smile wide. “It wasn’t exactly planned for us to have a kid, even though we’d both been talking about it. But the moment he woke up he had the hugest grin on his face and kissed me over and over. It was so cute! Yoru’s reaction wasn’t really amazing or anything—he got wide-eyed and super happy and with Tsunami’s help threw a super small party over it. Nothing fancy, just a little “congratulations” and some cupcakes and movies.”

            “And yeah, I was actually really worried—about being pregnant, not Natsume’s reaction, although the fainting startled me.” Haruka admitted, ignoring how Natsume shouted again that he didn’t faint. “We were both still in college at the time, and college is stressful enough without having to worry about being pregnant, too.

            “We talked about it and Natsume, the absolute sweetheart, decided he’d just quit school and become a full-time employee at the restaurant he was working at. I took a year off of school, worked via my online store a little bit leading up to the final term, and once Hyouga was ok to leave with Yoru, Miyu, and Hayato, I went back to school for a little while. Natsume’s still on the fence about whether or not he wants to go back, now that he’s got his own bakery.”