#(2/2) I’ve been filling in a lot for those that are sick. I’m back on the saddle now and doing lab prep/study again. New chapters should | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yeonsols-garden · 3 months ago

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Chapter 2

Yeonwoo despised winter.

The season was filled with nothing but negative emotions and constant discomfort when he stepped outside, an unspoken threat loomed over his head. Winter had always been his least favorite season, the coldest yet unfairly most beautiful. White snow that would fall as he looked out the window always fascinating him but were he to engage for too long would leave him bedridden and a burden.

Coincidentally the season he despised so much wasn’t primarily due to the cold. No, it was more so regarding the fact that winter was busiest for his parents and their business. Customers are most willing to buy around this time of year, the consequence of this, much to his parent’s dismay, leaving Yeonwoo alone weeks before the holiday coming up to please those very consumers.

Yeonwoo understood the reason his parents had to leave he understood it well. No matter how much he reasoned, however, no amount of thought could quell the loneliness he felt around these times. The feeling so well ingrained in him even now with his parents by his side as they walked through the market, the echo of it still crept into the parts of him Yeonwoo believed he had long discarded, familiar cold seeping into him.

His parents were lively and a source of non-stop conversation as they walked through the Christmas market, looking at and pointing out everything within sight that ever so slightly piqued their interest. The pine trees adorned with lights, each uniquely shaped and glowing many assortments of colors, were the main topic of the current conversation.

A gentle squeeze of his hand eased him out of his cloud-headed daze. Yeonwoo looked up to find Haesol’s eyes on him, expression as impassive as ever but eyes filled with that softness she always had when looking at him.

Lips turned up into a smile Yeonwoo tilted his head, “I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention. What were we talking about?”

Haesol looked at him for a while, silence stretching as he looked at her confused, unaware of his parents watching the interaction with intense interest.

“Are you cold?” Haesol raised the question as they made their way into the market a frigid gust of wind striking him across the face, leaving him momentarily stunned.

A shiver ran through him as he registered her question. So caught up in his thoughts, Yeonwoo hadn’t realized just how freezing he was, biting cold of the passing breeze nipping at and sticking to his skin, permeating through his bones. Swiftly fluttering his eyelids, Yeonwoo tried to dispel some of if not a little of the cold clinging to his face, the motion helping if not just a little to add warmth to him.

His hand already intertwined with Haesol’s Yeonwoo squeezed it as he nodded, “You know me. I’ve never been all too good with the cold… I’ve always had a disdain for winter. It’s okay though. It’s really fun walking around and looking at all the cool things here.”

“Are you sure you’re ok honey?” His mother came up to him, placing the back of her palm on his cold cheek, “You’re a lot colder than normal maybe we should head back to the hotel. We wouldn’t want you getting sick.” She cooed as she ran warm, smooth knuckles along his cold cheek.

“No.” Yeonwoo desperately shook his head, “I’m having fun and we’ll only be here for a day or two I want to spend it well. Not cooped up in the hotel the whole time.” he muttered looking at his mother in a silent attempt to convince her otherwise.

Yeonwoo’s mother looked at him long and hard for a while, brown eyes locked onto his honey-yellow ones, gaze searching for any trace of falsehood or reluctance as she held his face in her hands probing for any hint she could find. He held her gaze determined to convince her he was genuine and wanted to continue the journey with them, despite his clear discontent with the weather.

Sighing his mother patted his cheek, “Alright dear if you say so, just tell us whenever the cold starts to become too much ok?” She made her way back to his father’s side and a sigh of relief left him as he exhaled, smiling.

“You know you should be careful too dear.” His father said reaching over to grab his mother’s hand. “Just because you still look so young and beautiful doesn’t mean you don’t need to be careful too.”

“Oh, you.” His mother gushed, a bashful hand on her cheek as the gentle touches and flirtatious back and forth that typically happened between them began.

Yeonwoo couldn’t help rolling his eyes at their antics a subtle smile curving his lips. He felt a tug on his arm and turned his attention to the one whose hand was in his. Haesol’s gaze though steady had the faint tint of worry he had seen so clearly in his mother’s moments ago.

“Are you still worried Haesol? I’m fine really. The cold is just… well you know.” Yeonwoo couldn’t help the nervous chuckle that came out of him as they made their way deeper into the event, cold air beating at his cheeks and neck. He should have packed a scarf on his way, it would have done great to help with how cold he felt even though he was bundled up in a thick coat and donning two layers of pants.

Haesol hummed as she turned her head, eyes flicking from store to store.

Without warning Yeonwoo was being pulled off to whatever destination Haesol had in mind, his mother making a comment that warmed his cheeks as they followed close behind. Leading them into a store, the heat of the place knocked him back a step as his father steadied him with gentle hands placed on his shoulders. Haesol let go of his hand and began wandering around the store. His mother followed her asking questions that Haesol answered as Yeonwoo stayed back with his father amused by the sudden change in atmosphere and curious as to what she was doing.

“Well come on son you not going to stay here and just watch are you let’s go see what they’re up to.” His father urged, hands still placed on his shoulders as he started guiding him to where Haesol and his mother were further in the store. It didn’t take long to reach them, the distance between the entrance and the center of the store a mere few yards.

“Oh, this one looks nice.” His mother said as she and Haesol looked at an article of clothing Yeonwoo couldn’t quite make out given it looked quite small.

Haesol turned to face his mother, carefully wrapping a sunny yellow scarf around his mother’s neck, “But is it comfortable and warm?”

“Oh, Kang Haesol your quite the charmer aren’t you?” His mother gushed and just as Yeonwoo was about to interject she continued, “Well it is quite warm and it’s fluffy too perfect for this weather.”

Nodding Haesol grabbed another scarf off the rack, a deep purple one, “You can have that one Mother.”

“Oh my such a kind daughter-in-law. Isn’t that right honey?” His mother cooed at his father leaving Yeonwoo flushed as he watched. Daughter-in-law? He hadn’t even proposed yet why did his mother have an affinity for saying such things when she knew how embarrassed it made him?

Haesol hummed, agreeing with the comment, “I’m happy that I left a good impression mother.”

His mother gushed over how kind and caring her ‘daughter-in-law was’ while Yeonwoo stood behind the clothing rack cold, confused, and worst of all flustered. What did his mother mean daughter-in-law? Yeonwoo and Haesol had only started dating for the past 9 months and moved together recently, to get married now was… it was too soon and who’s to say Haesol would even say yes? Yeonwoo was just a writer a best-selling author, but compared to Haesol successful CEO of her modeling agency, you would have thought she was a model, Yeonwoo was no one.

Amid his bewildered state of mind, Haesol swiped the line of clothes he hid behind, a soft deep purple scarf in arms. Her eyes were locked onto him and the slight pink that dusted his cheeks. Shaking off the embarrassment, Yeonwoo forced himself to regain composure, feigning displeasure at the lighthearted antics of his parents and girlfriend. Crossing his arms and skeptical gaze fixed up at her, Yeonwoo awaited whatever it was she had to say, ready to get his own chance to take a jab at her.

Taking a step closer to him, Haesol gently wrapped the scarf around his neck, the soft material instantly soothing and melting away any discontent he had prior as the warmth spilled into his neck and shoulders, calming him. Yeonwoo sighed, arms falling at his sides with Haesol wrapping the scarf around him snug and secure.

Scarf wrapped around him just right, not too tight and not too loose Haesol spoke, “That’s better now right? Not as cold?” She asked him, genuinely seeking an answer as she brought a calloused yet soft hand to cup his cheek.

Haesol had something about her, though her expression was one of constant neutrality moments like this were ones where even if that was the case there was something. Yeonwoo didn’t know if it was the slight change in tone or perhaps it was a subtle change in expression that made Yeonwoo feel as though she was seeking praise from him. Dog ears he could faintly see drooping over her head begging to be pet, and Yeonwoo couldn’t bring himself to say no. Not when she looked at him like that.

“It’s really warm and soft.” Yeonwoo smiled, reaching up to cover the hand she had over his cheek with his own, leaning into it. “I really like this scarf it’s comfortable too. Now I’ll be able to go around with you guys comfortably Thank you Haesol.”

Haesol gazed at him for a moment, eyes alight with a faint flicker of mirth Yeonwoo couldn’t help but get lost in them. Standing there too lost in each other to understand how the passage of time functioned, Yeonwoo noticed the softening of her eyes and his reflection looking back at him as his were most likely doing the same to her.

Flashes of a camera were what broke him out of his trance, turning to none other than his mother as she snapped picture after picture.

His mother waved her hand at them, “Oh honey, don’t mind me continuing. You too are so cute. Young love it truly such a great thing to witness.”

“MOM!”

“What? Is it so wrong to commemorate such an adorable moment between my son and his future wife now?”

“Now now honey.” His father interjected, and the hope that filled Yeonwoo at that moment, “You can’t just take pictures of them like that and not take multiple angles dear.” Came crashing down and his flush increased so much that he was positive his ears were puffing out steam.

Yeonwoo groaned, Haesol patting his back as some form of consultation, he knew the teasing he would get from his friends would never die down after they got their hands on those pictures, and they would. They would get a hold of those pictures and it would be the end of him then.

“Mom. You can not at all under any circumstances show those pictures to Junhyuk.” He begged.

“What? Oh sorry dear.” She showed him her phone. “I already sent them. He’s your best friend after all I thought it would be best if he saw them first because he’s always so enthusiastic about the pictures of you I send.” Ya sure enthusiastic so he can embarrass Yeonwoo later on, him and the rest of them.

Yeonwoo would never see the end of it, would he? Headhung like a prisoner about to meet his fate at the gallows, Yeonwoo pulled out his phone to mute the group chat for the rest of the night and took Haesol’s to do the same.

After paying for their items (Haesol paid) they walked back out into the cold of the day, though the sun shone brightly it did nothing to warm him as they walked around the market. Yeonwoo had been so caught up and frozen in his thoughts that he didn’t notice just how beautiful their surroundings were.

The sun hung in the west, the sky a shade of reddish purple, preparing to rest and plunge them into darkness. A darkness that would be illuminated by the lights that he could faintly make out the colors of as they hugged the trees they would help illuminate when the time would come. Walking down the market Yeonwoo observed his surroundings, to his right gingerbread-themed mini markets and stands all lined up one after another leading towards the large Christmas tree in the middle. They walked past one row and Yeonwoo quickly realized the stands were structured in a way where they all started at the Christmas tree and spread out, forming a snowflake pattern.

As Yeonwoo looked around, eyes hungrily eating up everything he could see he didn’t realize he was leading Haesol and his parents through and into the market, excitedly pointing out the structure of one building here or how the lights wrapped around a specific tree was especially beautiful. He didn’t notice the fond look his parents gazed upon him with as they took pictures and the triumphant look in Haesol’s eyes as he held her hand throughout his endless chatter, guiding them toward anything he found remotely exciting.

After what Yeonwoo was sure was an hour of looking around he was certain that he had rambled on long enough. Looking over, Yeonwoo was proven wrong when he found his parent’s mother standing in between his father and Haesol as they looked at something, nodding their heads or pointing something out, on her phone. Curious, Yeonwoo stepped over too and walked behind them peering over his mother’s shoulder.

“This one is the best.” his mother gushed scrolling to a picture of him smiling and pointing at the lights.

Swiping at the screen his father disagreed, “No I think this one is better.” he pointed at the picture which was of him standing underneath an arch of white lights, smiling as he poked at a balloon, the white lights cascading over him. “Yeonwoo definitely looks best in this picture.”

The trio hummed seemingly in agreement before Haesol swiped through a few pictures to land on one this time of golden light showering over him as he ran from market to market looking at the things being sold, “He looks happiest in this one.” She pointed out.

Yeonwoo’s parents looked at her, their faces radiating and brimming with joy as they looked at her as though she had discovered something more precious than they had ever anticipated.

“Haesol you’re right are you a genius?” His mother shoved her phone into his father’s hands before grasping Haesol’s hands, “This picture is perfect. I’m going to frame it and put it on our shelf and whenever you come over it’ll be one of the first things anyone sees. Our beautiful son.”

“Guys.”

“It’s perfect I love it.”

“Mom.”

“I wanna hang this on my wall.”

“Dad.”

“Send it to me I need to add it to my collection.”

“Haesol???”

“Wait.” His mother paused, “You have a collection?”

Haesol nodded fishing out her phone, “Ya There’s a lot of pictures of Yeonwoo in this one right here.” she showed his parents her phone, and while they were conversing in some sort of third language about the lighting of a picture would make his hair or eyes stand out more Yeonwoo watched utterly confused and he wasn’t going to lie somewhat happy. He knew they loved him, his parents made it well known to him throughout his childhood whenever they could spend time with him, and Haesol made sure he knew she loved him with her seemingly endless well of affection specifically dedicated to him.

Yeonwoo couldn’t help the beaming smile on his face, “Guys!”

That seemed to have gotten their attention as they paused their conversation, turning to him.

“Come on let’s go over there. there’s an ice skating rink over there. I’ve never been there before.” Yeonwoo took Haesol’s hand and led her and his parents who followed after them, his mother making endless comments on how cute he was while his father pointed out little details, as they made their way to the skating rink. Yeonwoo had never been ice skating before; he was never willing to go out in the cold weather to have fun, but he could try this time.

They reached the rink and Haesol paid for the time they would be allowed to skate and for their ice skates. His parents tried to protest saying she had paid enough but just as Yeonwoo had to learn so did they when it came to Haesol and her need to pay for the people she cared for. They eventually stopped trying to fight Haesol for the ‘right to pay’ and instead stayed by his side muttering how ‘this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.’ It was honestly entertaining to watch.

With Haesol having finished with the payments, they all went to pick out the skates they would be using. Yeonwoo reached over for a simple pair.

“These ones are better.” Haesol told him leaning over his shoulder to direct his hands to a pair of shoes on the top end of the shelf, “The blades are made of high-quality steel that helps with skating longer.”

Yeonwoo looked over the pair. The silk material of the lace and sharpness of the balds, along with the material of the boot told him it was expensive. Just how much money did Haesol spend on getting these skates? Peering at her as she looked at him chin resting on his shoulder, Yeonwoo found he didn’t want to know.

Yeonwoo agreed, “OK. But pick some out for my parents too.” Yeonwoo would not be the only one fretting over how expensive a pair of skates were, it would also be him collecting his parent’s debt for embarrassing him earlier.

As he walked over to the bench, Yeonwoo passed his parents as their expressions paled at Haesol insisting they use the expensive skates. He could see them calculating just how much it all cost and how many years it would take them to pay it off, and Yeonwoo couldn’t help the tiny giggle that came out of him as they tried and failed to convince Haesol to let them use the regular skates. Even they couldn’t say no to Haesol when she pressed on saying they were family and it was the least she could do. If Yeonwoo ignored that last bit he could say his revenge was a success.

Slipping his skates on Yeonwoo finished just as Haesol and his parents finished their ‘discussion’ with his Haesol winning of course and Yeonwoo sat and watched as they relented, putting on their skates then marveling at how comfortable they were. After making sure his parents were set and on the ice, Haesol came over to him and began putting on her skates.

“You enjoyed that didn’t you?” Haesol asked as she focused on tying the laces on her first shoe.

Yeonwoo shrugged, feigning innocence, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You can be quite petty when you want to be.” Haesol pushed her hands onto her knees standing up, extending her hand out for him to take, a small smirk tugging at her lips “And to your parent no less. That’s very naughty of you Yeonwoo.”

Yeonwoo didn’t know why but the phrasing of that sentence had heat rushing to his cheek as he took her hand, “And what are you going to do about it hmm?” He cocked his head up daring her to say anything remotely obscene with this many people around them.

“Oh,” Haesol leaned down toward him, hand on his shoulder hot to the touch compared to the cold of other surroundings, and whispered to him low and husky so only he could hear, his breath catching in his throat, “Wouldn’t you like to know, I’ll have to save that for when we get back to the hotel.” Then she pulled away, Smirk on full display as she led him to the border of the ice as he desperately tried to wrap his head around what she just said.

“Do? Hotel? Huh?” Heat rushed upwards and Yeonwoo knew even his hands were a bright shade of pink as Haesol pulled him against her, whispering into his beet-red ear for him to step over onto the ice in that low tone saying, ‘Just like that Yeonwoo just hike your leg up, that’s it. Good job.’ It left Yeonwoo’s mind in a frenzy, frantically trying to grasp the situation as they made their way onto the ice.

Haesol led them onto the ice, and Yeonwoo was sure she donned that playful smirk as he looked anywhere but her, choosing to focus on his feet and balancing on the ice without her.

Breathing in, letting himself feel the air going in and out his lungs as he exhaled, Yeonwoo tried to balance without Haesol, Brows furrowed in deep concentration.

“How about focusing your weight on one side to stir than the other,” Haesol suggested, her hand that once rested at his waist slid down further.

Yeonwoo tried he really did, taking her words into account he leaned to one side moving forward along with her as she held him, her hands moving further down. However, his attempts were in vain because the moment he leaned left, Yeonwoo lost his balance and was close to falling sideways had Haesol not been there with him. Falling into her arms Yeonwoo huffed, this wasn’t as easy as it looked.

He tried again and again, Haesol giving him advice as patient as ever as she held him in her arms the whole time, though her wandering hands were an increasing distraction he was growing frustrated about, she led him around the ice-low voice reverberating through him as her words shifted from careful instruction to utterly obscene comments on things Yeonwoo couldn’t and wouldn’t elaborate.

His parents were off skating somewhere opposite their side of the rink, and from the looks of it, they seemed more than comfortable skating around hand in hand as was typical with them. Puffing out a cheek, Yeonwoo watched as other people equally as bad as him picked up skating effortlessly while he was stuck in limbo.

Yeonwoo straightened his back, bringing his toes together to stop moving any further, “Stop.”

Haesol did just that as she looked down at him ready to hear anything he had to say.

“I’m tired.” He looked up at her arms spread wide, “I wanna go rest a little before we come back” Letting out little clouds with each exhale, Yeonwoo looked at her face crimson.

Nodding Haesol led him by his arms back to the barrier where ice meets concrete and stepped off shuffling over to the bench and collapsing onto it with a long sigh.

“I blame you.”

Haesol looked at him neutral, “I’ve done nothing wrong”

“You, have done so much wrong. I’m trying to learn how to skate.” Yeonwoo laid his head back neck pressed against the bench, “And you're not helping at all with… everything you're doing.”

Haesol let out something just shy of a chuckle as she reached for and linked their fingers together as his hand lay on the bench, “Is it so wrong for me to-”

“No, do not finish that sentence. Don’t even think about finishing that sentence.” Yeonwoo snatched his hand away from hers, brows knitting as he glared at her. There she went again refusing to take accountability for not being able to keep her hands off him when the situation called for decorum.

Haesol hummed and just as she was about to speak Yeonwoo’s parents came over, confused looks on their faces.

“Son? What’s wrong?” His father asked.

Sighing Yeonwoo explained to them his failed attempts at skating leaving out Haesol’s antic in said explanation. when he was done his father offered to help him. Yeonwoo didn’t need to think about it. Standing up, Haesol helped him up and onto the ice as his father took over.

It started the same as Haesol and ended the same, in utter failure. Yeonwoo’s cheeks were crimson through the halfway point and he was close to giving up again.

“Son… have you tried sucking in your stomach to help with you’re balance,” His father said confusion evident in his tone.

Shocked that the idea had never been suggested to him Yeonwoo’s face slackened, and he did just as his father said and immediately noticed a difference. He let go of his father’s hands arms spread out to further help with his balance while sucking his stomach in and the difference was uncanny. Hobbling toward Haesol on wobbly legs, Yeonwoo exclaimed,

“So it was you're fault!”

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Plopping himself onto the bench, Yeonwoo sighed. Their time was up and everyone had to now get off the ice and allow for a new round of people to skate. His parents had got to use the bathroom just before the announcement sounded, informing them to form an orderly line to the exit and get off the ice.

This meant sadly, Yeonwoo was alone with the one person he was terribly furious with. The same person now knelt in front of him as he sat on a bench near the ice rink, one with fewer people, and was currently helping with getting his skates off. Yeonwoo for once didn’t complain as she insisted on helping him. He watched, frustration brooding, as she untied the shoelaces, taking in his little form of petty revenge. It wasn’t really revenge if she wanted to though, was it?

Leaning back on his palm, his leg raising up slightly as he did so, a small smirk on his face as Haesol looked up at him only to look back down.

As Haesol worked at the laces and began tugging off the boots, Yeonwoo’s anger stirred. Was asking her to teach him to ice skate without being… well… all attractive and purposefully trying to rile him up too much to ask? His parents were in the vicinity for goodness sake and knowing them they probably took pictures upon pictures of him fumbling all over the ice as Haesol ‘helped’ him. Her want of him couldn’t have been so bad that even a simple exchange like teaching him something was ruined by her inability to keep her thoughts pure. Yeonwoo could do it just fine why couldn’t she?

“Yeonwoo,” Haesol called after setting the skates to the side, and gently cradling his right foot to put on his shoe.

“What.”

Haesol lifted her gaze to look up at him, and Yeonwoo looked back unimpressed, “Are you still mad at me?”

He placed his finger under his chin, far off look in his eye seemingly in thought when in reality he was thinking of how to tell her ‘yes’ in the most ruthless manner he could conjure up.

“Hmmm, well if you asking if I’m still mad that you,” Yeonwoo raised his hand counting the following instances on his fingers, “whispered such naughty things to me instead of properly teaching me to skate, touched me in places that you are not allowed to in public instead of teaching me to skate, and instead of telling me the basics of skating you choose to sprinkle bits of information that I should have known only after I learned the fundamentals? Then hmm, yes.” He clapped his hands, “Any more questions Kang Haesol?”

Instead of answering him, Haesol looked back down and resumed putting on his shoes for him.

Yeonwoo couldn’t help the satisfaction that bubbled underneath him as the silence stretched on, Haesol focusing on tying the last shoelace as he watched, making sure it was obvious he was disappointed in her, flicking his foot every once in a while forcing her to redo the knot. She did so without the slightest complaint or shift in expression. Though Yeonwoo supposed the latter was a constant norm that even he sometimes couldn’t understand.

Pushing herself up Haesol tapped his leg with her foot, signaled to him she was done. Yeonwoo stood up and just as he grabbed his skates and put them back on the shelf, his phone rang.

Sliding the phone icon right and picking up the call, Yeonwoo put his phone to his ear, ready to hear what his father had to say, “Hello?”

“Hi, son.”

“Ya, Dad what’s wrong?”

“Your mom and I are going to look around the event just the two of us.”

“What! Why?”

“Well your mom ended up getting caught up in all the food and mini-games they have on this side of the market and she wants to go on the carousel, something about reliving old memories.”

Yeonwoo sighed, “So a date.”

“Exactly!” his father exclaimed, “This is good for you too son. You get to be with your girlfriend for the rest of the night. Isn’t that fun?”

Yeonwoo under normal circumstances would be ecstatic, time with Haesol though they lived in the same home was interrupted by calls for new business deals or a new round of editing that needed to take place. This time however wasn’t under normal circumstances and Yeonwoo would very much like to be as far from her as he could. Who knew she might lose her wits about her and do something to him? In public no less.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Yeonwoo agreed, “OK Dad, have fun.”

“Love you, son.”

“Love you too.”

The call dropped, and Yeonwoo was left staring at his phone, the fondness that seeped into him at his parent’s antics quickly replaced with caution as he felt something looming over his left shoulder.

“Your parent?” Haesol asked, though she clearly didn’t need to given his father’s contact was on full display for her to see.

Yeonwoo slid his phone back into its pocket, turning away from her now that he had put his skates away, “They won’t be joining us for the rest of the night. Mom wants to ride the carousel and something about reliving memories.” he shrugged.

“So I get you to myself for the rest of the night?” Had she not learned her lesson.

Baffled that that was the conclusion she had come to, Yeonwoo walked faster, “Sure.”

Thankfully Haesol would allow them to walk in silence. Silence that Yeonwoo despite his fading anger towards her, found to be quite comfortable as they watched the lights, and the people around them, now that the sun had fully set. It was certainly more beautiful too.

All day Yeonwoo had been surrounded by noise, whether it be his parents and their endless jest and ever-switching conversation or the people around them chattering and running and playing around, the energy picking up at certain intervals. Now that it was later in the day and many of the people had left, leaving now a significantly less amount of people. Yeonwoo found the quiet he was so accustomed to more precious now that he had been without it for so long.

Haesol and him walked around the market some more, their destination unknown, and tension that Yeonwoo had been persistent in keeping between them dissipating as he slowly started to grow comfortable again, letting his guard down. Yeonwoo’s shoulders eased, so captivated by how beautiful the lights were, that he didn’t notice Haesol slowly closing the distance he had set between them as they walked, his form of non-verbal reprimand as they wondered.

Making a turn on their path to an unmarked destination, Yeonwoo heard the faint rumbling of his stomach and stopped. Haesol followed immediately and Yeonwoo had just realized how close she had gotten, almost shoulder to shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” Haesol attempted to reach for his hand.

Stepping to the side, further away from her Yeonwoo smiled, “I’m hungry. Let’s go get some food.” She was paying of course.

He started walking again this time looking for a stand that not only had good food but also was fairly pricey. Just because his anger turned embarrassment had waned didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take one final petty act of revenge before burying this hatchet. A tteokbokki stand caught his eye, and Yeonwoo sped towards it enthusiastically, stooping once he reached the stand.

Waving Haesol over, fully aware of her dislike of spicy foods, Yeonwoo ordered enough for the both of them and was even offered a discount by the kind lady who ran the stand stating ‘Such a beautiful couple shouldn't have to pay so much for a simple meal', a discount Yeonwoo denied. How could he punish Haesol if they were going to get a discount on this meal? It wouldn’t make her pockets hurt. Haesol was far too rich for something like this to do any damage to her account.

That wasn’t what he was going for, however, Haesol knew Yeonwoo wasn’t one to spend money all too often, especially her money regardless of how she told him she wanted to spend on him. Yeonwoo spending money in this manner would get the message across that he wanted an apology. After thanking the kind lady, ordering some sweet fried chicken and donuts, for himself of course, and watched as the faint shift in Haesol’s expression turned from one of neutrality to concealed disgust as he walked leading the way for them to find a place to sit and eat their food.

Yeonwoo finds a table for them to seat themselves and takes the food he made her carry in her arms and places them on the table, fishing out their wooden chopsticks before sitting at the table, patting the seat next to him for Haesol to sit. Yeonwoo wanted to see her face up close when she would crumble and relent to her wrongdoings.

Hesitantly Haesol sits down next to him and Yeonwoo grasps her arm pulling her in closer, his chest pressed against her arm, he would milk this for all it was worth.

Picking up a spicy tteokbokki with wooden chopsticks and a napkin underneath to catch the drippings, Yeonwoo smiled up at his girlfriend whose face was growing green.

“Haesol?” He purred unassuming, “Won’t you eat? The kind lady said she made it with special care and I picked it out because I thought you would like it. It’s good to try something new every once in a while you know.”

Haesol remained silent, staring at the tteokbokki in between his chopsticks. Though her face betrayed but a bit of color the way her hands gripped the fabric of her pants told Yeonwoo all he needed to know.

Feigning disappointment, Yeonwoo sighed, “Well I picked out this just for you to have your fill, I mean we did stay out quite a bit so I thought the spice would warm you up a bit since it has been pretty cold, but maybe that was just me.”

Slowly pulling the tteokbokki away from her, Yeonwoo watched as her eyes flicked from his face to the tteokbokki and back again, the grip with which she grabbed the fabric of her pants with sure to cause wrinkle and Haesol did the very thing he wanted her too.

Leaning forward Haesol took the whole thing in one bite and chewed.

Yeonwoo smiled as she did so, all anger he felt prior fading away completely as the growing displeasure on her face soothed him.

“Is it good?” Yeonwoo asked placing the chopsticks into the Styrofoam container to grab her arm, “Do you like it.”

Swallowing Haesol looked at him long and hard, lips so close to a frown, “Yes, it’s good.”

Yeonwoo couldn’t help burst into a fit of giggles at the poor attempt of a lie that was and reached over into the back to grab a bottle of water bringing it towards her. Haesol reached for the bottle but he pulled it out her her reach.

“You don’t think it’s going to be that easy do you?”

Eyes locked onto his, Haesol’s back straightened, “I’m sorry”

“Sorry for what?” Yeonwoo hummed.

“I’m sorry for” she raised her hand and listed her wrongdoings, “Whispering obscene things to you while you were trying to focus on learning a new skill, touching you inappropriately when you were serious and told me not too, and not helping you with ice skating and instead letting my own desire for you run my decisions.”

“And?”

“I’m sorry for doing it in public.” She muttered.

The delivery could use better wording but Yeonwoo couldn’t stay mad at her for long. Smiling at her, a genuine smile this time, Yeonwoo handed the water bottle to Haesol who roughly uncapped the water bottle and downed the whole thing in 3 to 4 gulps. Maybe he went a bit too far with the punishments.

Sliding the sweet fried chicken to her and the donuts Yeonwoo offered one to her. Haesol didn’t waste a second to take a bit from his hand and Yeonwoo found it incredibly adorable, like a kicked puppy finally getting a treat. Why exactly was he mad at her again? He couldn’t quite remember anymore.

Yeonwoo ate his full after that, occasionally feeding Haesol a piece of his food every so often when she would look at a donut he held with particular interest. The topic of their favorite part of the event came up and while Yeonwoo’s was the lights and how pretty they were Haesol’s was shocking yet terribly typical of her Yeonwoo didn’t know why he was surprised.

“I got to take new pictures of you and added them to my album so I’m good.”

Yeonwoo didn’t even have the energy to be the least bit disappointed, all that having gone to his plans made earlier. Plus it would be a lie if he were to say he didn’t enjoy the clear affection Haesol had for him.

After they cleaned up their mess and had their full, Yeonwoo allowed Haesol to stand closer to him as they went, Haesol stopping them at a tunnel where lights of orange and gold hung from the arc creating a beautifully warm atmosphere. She led Yeonwoo in, hand on the small of his back as they entered and Yeonwoo couldn’t help but gasp. The lights were shaped in the form of stars as some swayed back and forth with their passing through. Warm glow of them so calming and soothing, Yeonwoo couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips as he ran underneath the lights. The hue reminded him of the warm sunsets of summer, towel placed on the sand shore just to watch the spectacle.

Yeonwoo overlooked Haesol as she took picture after picture of him jumping towards the lights overhead or playing with the ones that hung lower on the arc fascinated by the shapes the lights molded in. Currently enamored by a light in the form of something as unexpected as a duck Yeonwoo didn’t notice Haesol coming over to him, looking over his shoulder.

“Do you like it?”

Jumping out of his skin, Yeonwoo turned to find her eyes on him, “Ya it’s kind of cute. Reminds me of when I tried to make a snow duck and failed.”

Haesol smiled, taking hold of his cold hand that felt almost scorched by her warmer one, “Luckily I actually did help you make a good one in the end hmm?”

“Well, I guess you did something good then.” He chuckled squeezing her hand in return.

Haesol took his other hand in between her own, forcing Yeonwoo to look at her as their eyes locked, Yeonwoo couldn’t look away and her normally dark eyes, he didn’t know if it was because of the lights that hung overhead or because she was looking at him, shown with such a clear love it almost shocked him. Almost.

Haesol brought her lips to kiss the knuckles of his right hand, long and thoughtful was each kiss as she pressed them onto cold hands that warmed along with equally as warm cheeks. She spread his hands out, having finished with the outer part of his hands and moving to his palms. The kisses she pressed there longer and softer than the rest, Yeonwoo struggled to breathe as she pulled up the sleeve of his coat, those lips moved to his inner wrist.

Haesol continued and Yeonwoo was sure his hands and face would burst into flames any second, his knees growing weak as the kisses went on forever yet also not long enough. Slowly, Haesol pulled her lips away from him and Yeonwoo found he wanted her to continue.

“There” She pressed one last kiss on the back of his palm, “Now your hands are warm.”

He looked at her somewhat dumbfounded before he giggled, “Is that… your Christmas present for me?” Yeonwoo wiped a tear from his eye as his fit continued, unaware of how Haesol’s eyes widened slightly.

“Speaking of Christmas presents.” She took out a box from the pocket of her coat, “I got you something.”

Yeonwoo’s laughter ceased immediately as he slowly pulled his other hand out of hers to hold the box she gave him with both hands, heart beating intensifying in his chest and hands shaking as they held the box, anticipation building.

“I had planned to give it to you whether or not we went on this trip, but then you said you would have loved to go to a Christmas market and I thought it would have been better than what I had planned for us today instead.” She stepped closer to him.

Heart beating rapidly in his chest Yeonwoo whispered, the warmth and joy that seeped into his core overwhelming, “What- what did you have planned for us today.”

“I wanted to recreate our first date.”

Yeonwoo knew that one well as tears wheeled up in his eyes—their home date. Yeonwoo had come over for what he presumed was a normal date. Only to find that Haesol had rearranged her living room into the most comfortable living area he had laid eyes on and they stayed at her place cuddled up onto the couch-turned-bed Haesol had made, watching film after film, drama after drama until Yeonwoo was so tired he had stayed over rather place that night the warmth that he had received from her that night one he could feel in the very moment as he carefully opened the box.

Bracelets, two of them, one silver and one gold, berried in a little field of white and yellow roses, with their names engraved onto them.

Yeonwoo looked up at Haesol speechless at the tears he had tried to hold in spilled over. Haesol stepped over to him immediately, hands gently cradling and wiping the tears off his face. Yeonwoo knew what he wanted to say. He loved it. He would treasure it for as long as they were together but he couldn’t, his mouth just wouldn’t move only letting pitiful sobs escape him as Haesol held him, making sure to not touch the box.

“It’s ok you don’t have to say anything I know bo-bae, I know.”

Haesol held him until he had calmed down, sobs wracking through him as he tried to convey his joy only for non-comprehensible babble to come out. Yeonwoo held the box in one hand as his other one wiped the remnants of the rest of his tears away.

“Can I put it on you?” Haesol asked, picking up the golden bracelet with Haesol engraved on it.

Nodding Yeonwoo let out a hoarse, “Yes, please do.”

Smiling Haesol carefully pushed up the sleeve of his right arm, and carefully placed then hooked the bracelet in place, her thumb running over the engraving on it. It was a perfect fit.

Taking in a shaky breath Yeonwoo took the bracelet with his name engraved on it and lay his palm open for Haesol to place her wrist in so he could do the same. Haesol placed her hand in his and Yeonwoo with shaky hands laid the bracelet on her wrist and hooked the clasp, taking a second to admire it. His name engraved onto the bracelet just as hers was onto his. It meant he was hers and she was his.

A smile blooming on his face Yeonwoo jumped into her arms, “Thank you! I love it! I’m never taking this off ever. I love you so much.”

Wrapping her arms around him, squeezing him into her warm embrace Yeonwoo thought winter wasn’t so bad as she pressed her cheek against his hair, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Well, it’s a good thing I made sure these are water resistant.”

And Yeonwoo laughed.

Notes:

Yeonwoo’s parents in the background snapping all the pictures and taking all the videos: look at them aren’t they so cute another picture to frame and hand on our wall how nice (≧▽≦)

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cloudlessly-light · 2 years ago

Text

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you 2/3

Summary: Emily and Aaron get married, then divorce but do they find their way back to each other? Chapter title: Love is never wrong Rating: Explicit Word count: 4,5k Warnings: Smut, mentions of alcohol, mentions of death, fluff, angst

Ian Doyle comes back and he comes back with vengeance. She tries to fight it, tries to end it before the team gets involved. She shouldn’t have been surprised when it doesn’t work.

She meets him, cold from waiting on him, tense from the moment his hand touches her back. She used to shiver from excitement from his touch, now all she feels is hate. He looks at her with those blue eyes and she pictures death instead of the warm ocean and she feels bile rising in her throat.

“… here you are, all alone while Aaron sits at home with his son. Oh wait, that’s your son too, not biologically of course but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It’s how Declan used to look at you as well.” The corner of his mouth lifts as he sees the panic on her face, a grim sneer as she clutches the empty cup harder in her hand, the paper crinkling.

“Come near my team, come near my family, and I will end you.” Her finger is on the trigger, she doesn’t care if someone would take her out the moment she fired. She couldn’t let him get close to Jack, nor Aaron. They had been through too much.

“I don’t have a quarrel with them, but,” Ian leans over the table and she backs away, the same sick grin on his face. “I’m going to take Jack away like you took Declan away from me. Not today, but soon.” He stands up and she feels paralyzed as she watches him walk away. She can’t shoot him she realizes, then she would be taken out before she had time to get Jack into safety and someone else would finish Ian’s vendetta for him. So instead she sits still, watches the retrieving form of Ian until he’s gone. She sits there for minutes after, staring in the general direction of where he disappeared.

She needed to protect them. Ian needed to die and so did the men working for him. She knew it was a suicide mission, but it would be worth it. For them.

She wants to tell Aaron, knows that she has to, but she doesn’t in fear of what he would do to Ian, what he would think of her, what Ian would do to him and Jack. If he knew, he’d go after Ian without a doubt and Emily couldn’t risk that. He had beaten a man do death once and as much as he pretended that that part of him didn’t exist, she knew he hated it, hated what he was capable of if pushed hard enough.

“Emily why don’t you just tell me what’s wrong?” He pleads with her after another fight, they had been doing that a lot these last few weeks.

“Nothing is wrong.” She mutters through clenched teeth as she moves through the house with Aaron behind her.

“You’ve been distant for weeks, you snap every chance you get, just talk to me!” He wants to shake her because she refuses to let him in.

“The only thing that’s wrong is my husband not leaving me the fuck alone when I need it!” She yells back, turns so quick that he almost crashes into her. Her eyes are wide and dark, filled with something he doesn’t recognize and he sighs.

“I need you to trust me.” He says it quietly and it breaks through her anger and instead fills her with regret.

“And I need you to trust me.” She closes the distance between them and his forehead falls against hers gently as his eyes close. “I love you, but I can’t talk about this.” She’s lying to him and she hates herself for it. But it would be worth it, because the little boy asleep upstairs would be safe.

“Why?” He wants to understand, wants to trust her enough to let her have this, but there is something holding him back, something that tells him that this is too dangerous to be left out of.

“Please, please try and trust me.” She pleads and when he looks into her eyes he can see the unshed tears in them.

“Okay.”

Trusting Emily with this would become his biggest regret. He should have listened to his instincts and he would forever regret that he didn’t.

She disappears in the middle of the case and everything in him tells him that she had planned for this. He finds her gun and badge in her desk drawer, looks around the bullpen in panic as the rest of the team spring into action. She was gone and no one had no idea how to find her.

The days without her feels longer, time moving agonizingly slow as they uncover more and more of Emily’s past, a past he didn’t know. A past she hadn’t trusted him enough to share. He felt frustrated, in the mist of worrying to the point of feeling nauseous, he was frustrated that she hadn’t told him, that this had been her life before him. Logically he knew it wasn’t Emily, that Lauren Reynolds wasn’t Emily, but logic was hard to come by when he felt like the woman he had fallen in love with wasn’t truly her.

He watches the footage of his wife throwing a flash grenade into a car and he doesn’t recognize the woman on the screen, it’s terrifying, seeing her this desperate and he wonders what Doyle had threatened her with. He feels his heart stop when he sees him shoot her twice, the sweat gathering on his forehead when Doyle pulls her into a sitting position, her vest blurry but there. The dread is back as quickly as it disappeared when he sees him hoist Emily into a car and driving away.

“How long does Emily have?” Penelope asks, voice laced with concern as she keeps her eyes on him.

“Her best chance is also the most troubling, Doyle views her as his stressor, and he will take his time.” He doesn’t recognize his voice, stiff and detached, a tone he hadn’t used to speak about and to Emily in years. When JJ squeezes his shoulder he shrugs it off. He didn’t have time to be Emily’s husband, he couldn’t let himself.

Emily can feel his touch even through the pain, through the fog of going in and out. His hand is warm as he holds her and she tries looking around. Someone is standing over her, she hears sirens, a blurry figure beside her, Aaron. She tries to smile but finds that she can’t, the small movement too much.

“I’m losing her!” She hears an unfamiliar voice call and Aaron’s hand tightens around hers. And then everything is black.

The next time she opens her eyes everything is brighter, calmer somehow even with the beeping of machines. His hand is still there, just as warm and comforting as it always had been, still holding hers.

“Aaron?” Her voice is barely above a whisper, scraped raw from the intubation tube that was now removed. Her eyes find his, the comfort she’s always felt in his eyes still there.

“I’m here.” He feels the tears in his eyes at her finally waking up, she’s barely alive, but she’s there..

“I’m sorry.” She squeezes his hand as tightly as she can. “I’m so sorry I had to.” Her eyelids feel heavy, she’s too tired to do anything but squeeze his hand.

“We’ll talk about it later sweetheart, you need to rest.” He kisses her forehead and before she knows it, she’s asleep again.

When she wakes again it’s JJ who’s beside her, her worried eyes trained on the brunette.

“Hi Em.” JJ says softly, like being too loud would somehow hurt her. She tries smiling but even through the drowsiness of the medications and sedatives running through her veins, Emily can tell that something is wrong.

“Where’s Aaron?”

“He’s coming back in a little bit.” She promises as Emily’s eyes dart around the room. “He had to get some things.”

“What things?” She sees the way JJ is looking at her and it makes her feel unease. She knows JJ almost as well as Aaron and she can tell that her best friend is hiding something from her.

“He’ll explain everything, okay?” JJ carefully clasps her hand in both of hers. “You’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

It wasn’t enough, it wasn’t all that mattered but she was too exhausted to try and argue with her. Her body was still in pain, what happened in the warehouse still a blur. JJ’s eyes fill with tears.

“You’re alive. I didn’t think you would be.”

“Neither did I.” She admits.

“What do you mean you faked my death?!” She’s stronger now, almost healed enough to move around by herself and she watches Aaron as he sits beside her.

“Until we get him, I need you safe.” He tries but Emily only scoffs at him. “Emily you don’t understand…”

“You’re sending me away! What about us? What about Jack?” Her voice cracks as tears fall from her eyes.

“You can’t be here, you need to go away. It’s already decided. I’ve already told them, JJ and I decided.” He can’t look at her, his body aching from everything he wants to tell her, meanwhile she looks at him with so much hurt that he doesn’t know how to handle it. He’s so angry at her for putting them through this, for making him do this, but he also knows that she thought there was no other way.

“I’m not going.”

“You have to.”

“What does this mean for us? What if you never get him?” She’s scared of his response, feels even more terrified when he doesn’t give her any. Instead he looks at her again, dark eyes clouded with emotions and she feels like she can’t breathe. “No…”

“We’ll give it a year.” He says then and winces as the first sob rocks her body. “If we haven’t found him by then… I’ll send the papers.” His own tears feel hot on his cheeks regret already filling him.

“I don’t want to live without you.” She tries and she sees his own heartache as she crumbles.

“You should have thought about that before deciding to deal with this on your own.” He hates himself as the words leaves his mouth but he needed her angry enough at him to go. She wouldn’t leave unless she hated him.

The words felt like a slap to the face and as much as she wants to scream at him, somewhere deep down she knows that he’s right. She ran, she didn’t tell him about her past even though he had asked, and now despite everything, Ian Doyle was still out there.

She leaves only a week later, the burn on her chest still hurting, the tears still falling from her eyes as JJ sits beside her silently. Everything hurts, but nothing hurts as much as her heart.

Seven months go by without her. Seven months of Jack going through grieving another parent. Seven months of lying to his team. Seven months without seeing or touching or hearing her.

It’s seven months of agony, of anger and regret and longing and Aaron wasn’t sure if he would be able to go on living like this. Living married but apart, pretending that she was gone. He only talked to JJ about it, felt connection with her as they both grieved the loss of a friend and a lover.

Emily spent the first few months barely even getting out of bed. She slept through sunny days and drank cheap French wine during the night. She tried to forget about everything she was missing, tried to push away every thought of Aaron and Jack as she wallowed in the bad choices she had made. She would stare at herself in the mirror, scared and broken and she didn’t recognize what had become of her.

So she tires to get her life back, tries to focus on getting back to them. She trusts her team enough to know that they wouldn’t let Doyle go. She hopes every day for a phone call from Aaron to tell her to come back. But it doesn’t come. Seven months go by and she’s almost resigned herself to a life of living alone, but then Declan calls, the distress evident in his voice and she doesn’t care anymore. She had done all of this to protect Declan and Jack, she refused to have it been for nothing.

They manage to save Declan and Ian dies and it’s all over so quickly that it almost feels anticlimactic. She turns to Aaron, still holding Declan close as he meets her eyes and gives a nod.

Ian was dead but it was far from over.

He drives her to the hotel that she’s staying at later that night. He’s had trouble keeping his eyes off her since she returned, like his brain can’t fully comprehend that it’s really her. He isn’t sure that it is, this Emily different but still so similar to the woman he had fallen in love with.

“Do you want to come up?” She asks carefully. They had so much to talk about, so much to decide on but both knew that tonight wasn’t the night.

“Yes.” He smiles softly as he lets himself ignore everything he shouldn’t ignore and instead enjoy being with her. They didn’t know what would happen, but they had tonight and for now, that was more than enough. For tonight they would just be Aaron and Emily, a couple longing for each other.

Emily smiles at him, some resemblance of hope as she gets out of the car and Aaron follows her. He doesn’t touch her until they’re in the elevator, his fingers slowly brushing her hair away from her neck as he stands behind her. She shivers at his hot breath on the exposed skin, his body pressing into her back and she cranes her neck.

“Yes?” He asks, barely a whisper as his hands come around her and pulls her into his body.

“Yes.” She nods breathlessly and then his lips are on her neck, gentle kisses that make her immediately crave more. Her fingers tangle in his hair as she reaches around to pull him harder against her, his beard tickles the sensitive skin in a way that makes goosebumps erupt on her skin.

She turns in his arms and kisses him just as the doors open and they stumble into the hallway. She drags him with him toward the door, not getting enough of him. When her back collides with her door he pulls away with a breathless chuckle.

“I know you’re a little bit of an exhibitionist, but I don’t think I can fuck you in the hallway when there’s a bed literally ten feet away.”

She laughs through panting breaths as she fumbles with the keycard, his lips back on her neck distracting her as she faces away from him to get the door open. When she finally does she pulls him through it by a firm hold on his shirt. She hears the door slamming as she attacks his lips again, her hands tearing on his clothes.

He only breaks apart from her lips to pull his shirt over his head, watches as she throws her own on the floor before he kisses her again. He gets his pants off clumsily, followed by his boxers. Emily tugs her own pants and underwear down her legs and then lays facedown on the bed. She gives him a smile over shoulder as she unhooks her bra. She arches into his touch and gasps when he turns her body around effortlessly. She’s quick to wrap her arms around herself, the smile gone as she bit her lower lip. His eyes narrow when her arms cover her body, suddenly an unsure look on her face.

“Don’t hide them.” He tells her softly as he kneels on the bed beside her.

“I hate them.” She tries turning back on her stomach but his warm hand on her shoulder stop her. “Aaron, please.”

“Don’t hide them, don’t hide from me. Emily, it’s me.” He looks at her with such tenderness that she was afraid that she’d explode and she feels her resolve disappear. Slowly she lets her arms fall to the side and Aaron barely spares them a second glance. He had seen the damage done when she was in the hospital and as much as he hated the cause of them, the man that injured her, they were a part of her now.

“You’re beautiful.” He tells her before leaning down to kiss her again. He feels her relax into his kiss, into his touch as his hands stroke from her jaw, down her side and to her hip. She spreads her legs for him to lay in between them, her body soft and warm against his.

She doesn’t know how long they lay like that, kissing until they can’t breathe and hands slowly exploring skin. Then he pushes inside of her with a groan and she gasps at the stretch.

“I missed you so much.” She whispers into his neck as he starts moving, her emotions running high at the feel of him again.

“I’ve missed you every minute of every day.” He promises as his fingers intertwine with hers. She feels familiar, like something was finally right again and he groans against her lips.

Emily wraps her legs around his hips and moans when he hits deeper inside of her. Her fingers grip his as he makes her fall apart hard and quick, her body giving in to him in record time. She lets him turn them around until she’s straddling him once she’s come down enough for her limbs to work.

She kisses along his neck, down his chest, presses a kiss over his heart before planting her hands on his chest and starts to move above him. His hands move from her thighs, up her ribs and to her hips, his hands warm and secure in their touch.

He can’t keep his eyes off her as she circles her hips above him, clearly chasing her high for a second time. He sits up and kisses the noise of surprise away from her lips as her hips move harder against his.

“Come with me honey.” She whispers against his ear the term of endearment makes his heart swell.

“C-close.” He grunts as he pushes up against her, his hand gripping her hip harder. He buries his face in her neck and breathes her in, his lips and teeth nipping at the pale skin as she tenses in his arms.

Emily shudders through her release only moments before he lets go and comes with her name on his lips. They stay like that, lost in pleasure and each other until their breathing has returned to normal. When she climbs off his lap he’s quick to wrap himself around her.

“Now what?” She asks as her fingers plays with the hair on his arms.

“I don’t know.” He kisses the back of her neck. “I guess we sleep.”

“That’s not what I meant.” She turns to look at him and is faced with a sad smile.

“I know.”

She comes back to the BAU and nothing is the same. She works on her relationships within the team. Derek and Spencer are angry with her but she doesn’t blame them for that. So she puts in the work and slowly starts to mend all of her relationships and it works with everyone except Aaron.

After that first night he distanced himself, went back to treating her like she was a stranger, only this time she couldn’t get him to change his mind about her. She had broken his trust and except a single night of letting himself be with her, he refused to let her in. It made it hard for everybody, his short temper making everybody walk on eggshells around him.

“I don’t know what to do anymore.” Emily tells Dave sadly one night after Aaron had snapped at her once again.

“Just try and talk to him, don’t give up yet Bella.” The older man squeezes her shoulder and she knows that as much as he wants them to work it out, she doesn’t think they can.

It’s another month before things finally erupt between them. He had been curt, bordering on aggressive as a case ended in the worst way possible. She had tried to calm him down but it only seemed to make him angrier. The plane ride home was quiet and tense and with only nods of goodbye, the team all went home to rest for the night. Everybody except Aaron and Emily.

She followed him into his office, desperate to try and mend something that was way beyond broken.

“Please just talk to me.” She reaches for him but he moves back like her touch would burn him.

“I can’t talk to you. I don’t even know who you are.” He still can’t bring himself to forgive her, can’t even look at her for more than a few seconds. He wants to, he wants more than anything to be able to forgive and forget, but how could he after the year they’ve had?

“Just tell me how to fix this.” She pleads with him as he paces.

“You can’t fix this Emily, you can’t expect everything to just go back to how it used to be!”

“Aaron I don’t…”

“Emily I can’t do this anymore!” He throws his hands up in anger, something feeling like it’s finally snapped. “I don’t trust you so I can’t do this.”

“I did what I had to for Jack’s safety!” She defends, her own voice rising and she’s thankful that they’re alone in the office. “I couldn’t have let him get away!”

“And yet he did! And you almost died and I had to lie to everyone for months!”

“And who’s fucking idea was that Aaron?!”

“Don’t.” His tone was suddenly venomous as he stared at her. “Don’t go there Emily. I had to watch Jack grieve another mother because you chose not to tell me.”

“I couldn’t tell you…” She forced the tears away at the mention of Jack, of the hurt she had put him through.

“You could have! You decided not to because you didn’t trust me.” His fist hits the wall in frustration and she can’t remember a time ever seeing him so angry at her. “You thought that I would judge you for your relationship with Doyle, you should have known me enough to know that I would never have done that. You’re not Lauren, I don’t know that woman.” He quiets down for a moment and inhales, his body deflating as the anger subsides and all that is left is hurt. “Maybe I don’t know you either.” His eyes fall to the floor as his head hangs lower.

“Aaron…” She doesn’t know what to say, can’t believe that this is the mess she had caused. She took a few steps closer to him and he doesn’t move away. Her hand lands on his cheek and he looks back at her. “It’s me, it’s always been me. Please.” She ignores the tears that are falling freely. He’s slipping away from her and she knows that there’s nothing she can do.

“It’s too late.” His own tears wet her hand as he gives in to everything he’s feeling but still not quite believing the words that are about to fall from his lips. “I want a divorce.”

She doesn’t fight him any more after that, lets him draw up papers and hands him her rings still on her finger while using all her political training to not show how much she’s hurting. It’s so simple, a signature on a piece of paper and she was no longer Emily Prentiss Hotchner, but simply Emily Prentiss. It didn’t feel right anymore, she feels more lost than ever.

But then Clyde Easter shows up with something new, a blessing. She knew she couldn’t stay at the BAU, the rest of the team knew that as well. It was too hard for them and they didn’t deserve that. She doesn’t need to think about it, moving to London felt like the next step and as much as she didn’t want to leave DC, she couldn’t do this anymore and she knew that Aaron couldn’t either.

She tells him before anybody else and is not surprised that he looks relieved as well as sad.

“I think this is what’s best.” She tells him as they sit in Dave’s backyard, the backdrop of JJ and Will’s wedding forcing them to remember their own wedding day.

“This is a great step for you.” His voice is void of any emotion, but she had always been able to read him and he knew that she could tell that he was upset that she would be leaving. “We will all miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” She looks away from him as she tries to get a grip of her emotions but his warm hand suddenly holding hers makes her eyes snap back to him.

“I will miss you. Every day.” His eyes are so soft and genuine that she feels her resolve crumble. “Just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean I still don’t love you.” It’s the first time in months he’s talked to her like she’s more than a distant memory and she feels her heart ache.

“Aaron, please don’t.” She shakes her head as she tries to keep herself from breaking down completely. “You know that I love you, but I can’t have this conversation.” She stands up and her hand slips from his grasp. “I need to tell the others.”

He comes to her apartment the morning she’s leaving. He knocks on her door and offers her a sad smile and she forces herself to smile back.

“Can I please drive you to the airport?”

“I already called a cab.”

“Please.” He begs and she can’t deny him the simple request. She nods and he hugs her close the moment she agrees. He breathes in the smell of her as he lets himself feel her body, the comfort of Emily for what could possibly be the last time.

“I’ve really made a mess of things.” She whispers as she hugs him back just as tightly. She doesn’t let go, would be content to stand like that with him for hours.

“We both made mistakes.” He tells her and then pulls back to look at her. “It was just too much for us to fix.”

“Yeah.” She nods and takes his hand. “I’ll always love you Aaron. Please don’t think that I didn’t.”

“I know that. I’ll always loved you too. How could I not, you saved me Em. More times than one.” His hand squeezes hers before letting go and instead he grabs one of her bags. “We should get going.”

When the plane takes off, he’s still in his car hoping that they had made the right decision and wishing that they could take it all back.

#hotchniss #hotchniss fanfiction #hotchniss fanfic #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #aaron hotchner x emily prentiss #Aaron Hotch Hotchner #hotch x emily #emily prentiss #Criminal Minds

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feltpool · 1 year ago

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George

I had planned to post more about this as I built it, but dealing with a sick cat ate up a lot of my time and enthusiasm so I didn’t.

But lately I have mostly been building this behemoth:

Look at his ‘lil leggies

And feets! (They’re SO solid and heavy)

And terrible lighting his big long legs - 17 inches from floor to top, like the supermodel that he is.

(Ignore that I could no longer photograph him lying on his back because his feet are too weighty to support that - AT-AT’s just aren’t designed to lie on their backs kicking their feet. Who knew?, and that his knees are pointing in the wrong direction here because I lost track of which end was the front in the excitement of playing with the adjustable leg positioning. The white handled tool between his feet is the leg adjustment screwdriver)

Somewhere amongst the hundreds of tiny blue technic pins that hold all those outer facade plates on there are some holes where there shouldn’t be, because I have 2 more pins leftover than I should have. But unless something actually falls off I’m not about to go back through the build to find out where I managed to leave them out.

And onto the ‘body’

Some really nice, neat design work going on here to get the right shaping angle for the body without looking awkward and also being really secure.

The top floor locks down with a simple, if fiddly, bit of design which holds it in place securely without adding bulk.

Jo, Flo, and Ho get to just sit there while the build happens around them. They know better than to ask questions.

Flexible and adjustable neck added.

Not a minifigure useable tunnel unfortunately, but it supports the weight of the ‘head’ while remaining flexible and moveable, which is pretty damn impressive tbh!

Shapely butt too.

Got the engine and the outer structural shaping done. There’s a lot of detail that goes into the engine for something that you can’t access very well once the exterior technic framework fits into place.

Seems like a bit of a shame. Ah well.

There’s a ladder running between the two floors, btw. Just in case you were curious.

Now the head. Well, most of it at least (no side panels yet)

Open it up and there are the people!

It’s a tight space inside, but they can see where they’re going on their little screen.

Now it has side panels and moveable weapons.

Fearsome!

And the outer armour is complete!

Lets lift the flaps (like on a toddler book) and see what’s underneath.

Troopers on patrol. Busy guarding that one E-Web heavy repeating blaster.

And snowspeeders on their storage racks, with the engine on the top floor

Technically you can also open the flap at the other end, but all you see is trooper seating and the end of the (non-functional) tunnel through the neck.

Add on a dangly Luke Skywalker for the authentic ‘AT-AT on Hoth’ experience and this build is almost complete

It just needs its sign

Which doubles up as leg adjustment tool storage.

All I need now is a whole bunch of these:

if I ever decide I want to fill my AT-AT with the full complement of 40 troopers and fill those empty snow speeder racks on the other side

But for now I’ve settled for 3 (on a buy 2 get 1 free deal)

This is a HUGE set. 6785 pieces (about 1/5 of that is connector pins), 6kg when complete, and standing 25 inches high (if all the legs are fully straightened out) so it comes with a hefty price tag.

(Well, it does when the store haven’t knocked a couple of hundred pounds off for May 4th and you have a whole lot of store vouchers. Husband only paid £34.99 for it cash wise. Total bargain! :D )

But is it worth it?

Yes. Absolutely worth it, this is an amazingly well designed Lego set with a fantastic amount of attention to detail. I can only imagine the time and effort it must have taken to get this set so accurate to the original in visual terms while also scaling it to fit the 40 troopers it’s supposed to be able to hold as well as having space for cargo and speeders.

The legs being able to support the weight of the build while still being positionable and not losing stability must have been a design nightmare all by itself.

The only real downside is working out where I’m going to keep him now he’s built

So why George?

Blame it on a childhood spent watching Looney Tunes cartoons and the message my husband left on my wedding anniversary present.

What can I say? The name stuck. He’s George now.

#lego #at-at #george #star wars #walkers #I still prefer the at-te's design #but the at-at is a classic from my childhood

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somediyprojects · 2 years ago

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The Tapestree Project is a memory cloth/tapestry stitched and designed by Rachel Samek (née Piso). This is an ongoing project in which she documents her life in cross-stitch. She stitches memories, current events, and anything that especially interests her. She keeps an online journal to recount why she chose certain motifs. The tapestree is stitched on 45ct. ivory Graziano linen with a range cotton embroidery thread. The cloth measures about three feet wide by two feet high.

Descriptions under the cut.

pics 1 & 2— I stitched these little gold scissors this week to remember the foggy, intense few months immediately following the birth of my boys. If you knew me around that time, you know that when I was just about 7 months pregnant, I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and received an emergency C-section at 31 weeks. All three guys were incredibly tiny (Charlie was 2 lb 12 oz) and as expected, they would go on to spend long (long, long) stretches in the NICU. Also expectedly, I was a wild mess. I was spending long days at the hospital in the middle of winter, feeling powerless, and as a result, I was killing myself trying to pump enough to keep up with three infants. During those delirious nights of waking up every few hours, I would collapse in front of Hulu (probably rewatching The Handmaid's Tale) and Hulu would do what Hulu did best: repeat the exact same commercial every 20 minutes. During those first weeks, that commercial was a trailer for the upcoming horror movie "Us." The score of the two-minute trailer is so unsettling that even though I would sometimes scramble to switch it off, it was also weirdly comforting to be shocked out of my weepy, helpless state of zombiehood. This came with the price of scaring myself shitless when I had to walk back to bed at 3 AM with the slowed-down, beefed up version of "I Got 5 On It" on repeat in my head. These scissors, a symbol from the movie, represent those weird, difficult postpartum nights. Whenever I hear the first few chords from the trailer, I'm immediately back in 2019, freezing cold on our old couch, fully panicked at life.

pics 3 & 4— I added more hairwork to my tapestree! Last fall, I cross stitched a tiny design using my boys’ hair. I tried again this weekend, using my own hair to make this equally tiny bird. One of the questions I get a lot with this project is whether I get burned out working on the same thing for so long. Yes, I get sick of it, mostly due to the pressure I put on myself to include things (like current events) out of obligation. This bird was one way to bring “me” back into it. If you know anything about the Victorians, you know that they loved crafting with hair. One way was braiding a lock and placing it in a book with a poem underneath—creating an ode to a person’s essence. Since it was fashionable to be sentimental, they made similar keepsakes as jewelry and other textile art. I’ve talked in the past about how much of a nightmare it is working with hair, but if you’re interested in seeing my process, you can find a highlight on my page that covers my last attempt. I also included a picture of the back of my stitching (first time ever!) so you can see the ridiculous knot it creates.

pics 5-7— I have a new tapestree addition! It's the weird little quilt at the very bottom! I have a bin in our basement with a bunch of the boys' preemie onesies. I have plans to make a quilt with them, but since that probably won't happen for another 20 years, I wanted to add something small to my tapestree. Half of the quilt blocks are snipped from the clothes with patterns that have the strongest memories of the boys being in the hospital (the white parts are fabric, for example). The rest is filled in with solid cross stitch. It's been a crazy few weeks! I recently started working full time again (from home, fortunately!) and we're starting to plan the boys' third birthday on December 14th. I can't believe it.🤍

#cross stitch #inspo #x #self drafted

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anzu2snow · 1 year ago

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I’ve been busy for a good chunk of the day. Didn’t think I would be. My palliative care doctor called at around 10am. He didn’t like that Movantik was denied by my insurance. I think it was because it says it’s for people who don’t have cancer related pain, and I do. He decided to try the med they suggested instead. He said if that doesn’t work we’ll try for Movantik again. Sometimes insurances will approve of it after a second time, and if you tried what they suggested.

We talked about getting off of dexamethasone. I’m taking 0.75mg at the moment. On Monday, I’ll switch to 0.5mg. He said 2 weeks after that I can either stop it or try to cut the 0.5mg tablets in half for another 2 weeks. I’m thinking of doing the cutting in half thing. He said if I didn’t cut them in half the only other option would be to get it in liquid form. It apparently tastes nasty. I’m ok with trying to cut it in half. They’re scored so it should be easy. The problem is I don’t have enough to do this with. So, he ordered more.

Got a notification later that it’s at the Poulsbo pharmacy. There’s many reasons why getting it through the mail is better. A while back, I sat in their waiting room for meds, and they got upset. They read that I had cancer and worried that I was going to get sick while waiting there. They gave me the meds while I was back in the car. So, I called the Poulsbo pharmacy, had to wait 15 minutes, and they changed it to a mail order. Waited so long just for that…

After talking to Dr. Slack (around 11am), my home aide came to help me with a shower. She got soaked because apparently my shower head was gushing all over the place. (Not just from the head area.) It sprayed around the room, too. I probably need a new one. Another added thing. She put my pants on some dust at one point. Got some on it, which made me feel a little dirty afterwards. She thinks I need a wider sock aid to get them on better. My OT had mentioned that I should put duct tape over the black part. Maybe that has to do with it.

After getting dressed, she helped me with my ‘wounds’. Those wounds are where my legs meet up with the rest of my body. They bleed if I touch them, and are painful. (Feels like I was sliced up.) They have to be wiped with gauze to get dry, then there’s a special anti-fungal powder to put on it. They don’t really know if it’s fungal. They don’t really know what it is. I can’t do the gauze and powder myself. I would have to have like 3 hands to do it. I do help with it when she does it. Without my help, she wouldn’t be able to do it either.

I had accidentally made my social worker’s visit happen at the same time as my shower. I forgot that I get showers every Monday and Thursday. Too many things to keep track of. I was told that my social worker would just wait in her car until my shower stuff (plus dressing up, and the wound care) was done. She came at around 11:20am. We talked about a lot of things. In fact, she was here until around 12:40pm. Longer than I thought it’d be.

She brought up a cancer grant. She thinks it might be for $500. There’s also a cleaning service where people with cancer get 2 free house cleanings. It could be the whole house, or just the rooms where I go to the most. That would be handy. I haven’t filled out the Access bus application. Next time we might go through it together, and she could get somebody like Dr. Slack to sign off on it. She thinks I’m eligible for it. She wants me to decide on an Apple Watch. We talked about me getting one before. She wants me to have something with fall detection. I’m just unsure of which one to choose. She said they have a bereavement counselor I can talk to about my mom. I might do that, I don’t know.

She asked if the Blue Bills finally called. They did, and my parent was able to talk to them as well. They’re going to put up grip bars around my shower area, ramps on the steps (there are 2 steps coming off of the front porch, another 2 that lead to the driveway, and 4 that come from the house down to the garage), railings along the steps, tightening up the garage railing, and adding another railing over the stairs inside. Quite a few things they’ll do. We’re also getting 2 toilets that are chair height. Might get arms for them, too. A lot of this was recommended by my OT.

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anangelforsure · 1 year ago

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Good Omens 2 thoughts (long, spoilers)

First of all just generic thoughts (so tumblr hopefully doesn’t put any blatant spoilers on display.)

Oh my god. Incredible. It’s amazing just to see Crowley and aziraphale again. Their dynamic is wonderful, as an ace person they really resonate with me in the way they express affection. Gabriel without his memory is so cute it’s wild to compare that to his awfulness in season one. The three major new characters are delightful, Muriel is so sweet, Maggie and nina obviously mirror a and c which makes for some amusing moments. The mystery is intriguing, the flashbacks add a lot of depth to everything, i feel like we get to know aziraphale a lot better in this season. Obviously they more or less go together, as always, but my first impression is that I learned a lot about him.

*spoilers start here*

More specifically, we get a lot of insight into the way heaven keeps their grip on our angel. We see Crowley deciding to ‘ask some questions’ before he falls, and aziraphale clearly already knows it’s trouble. Through the flashbacks to the time of Job, we see how brutal heaven is, playing with human lives for a bet. Az hates it but is too afraid to say anything out of line. To be totally honest he struck me as kind of annoying my first time seeing season one due to his undying loyalty to heaven, but over time rewatching that and seeing season two I realize that it’s not entirely his fault, he’s indoctrinated, heaven is like a cult, threatening terrible punishment for those who dare question authority. It’s awfully awkward since he’s paired with Crowley who has been through it with both heaven and hell and rejected taking either side because he knows how they are. The continuing theme through the flashbacks of az insisting that heaven is “the good guys” despite seeing the complexity of human morality many times makes the ending all the more painful. As soon as the metatron appears and the music changes in episode six, im filled with a sense of dread. Aziraphale never fully acknowledged that heaven is wrong with their actions or stated that he isn’t on their side. Crowley has been on his own side (“our side”) for a very long time, but he ‘goes too fast’ for aziraphale. I’ve seen a lot of people shitting on az for this, but come on we’ve spent two whole seasons watching him wrestle with inner conflict as he knows heaven isn’t what they claim to be, but he truly believes things can get better because he is purely good in a tragically naive way. Good people do bad things and hurt people they love sometimes, and both of them are horrible at communicating. Az is afraid to commit to something new, falling back into familiar ways when posed with a decision, Crowley rarely shares how he feels instead opting to be mean and make jokes (up until the end of course) anyways. You know it’s going nowhere good when there’s only ten minutes left and the music isn’t happy… I was absolutely shocked at the way it went down though. I feel sick to my stomach with the music and aziraphales interrupting Crowley trying to confess.. every word from az’s mouth makes it worse as we know there’s no hope for him to see sense at this point. My heart STOPS and I can barely register what’s happening at the moment of crowley’s “we could’ve been US” I almost question if I’m dreaming, if this is somehow a joke or fanfiction. I’m simultaneously elated and horrified at what I’m watching it’s beautiful. The entire credits rolling as a and c silently hold back tears on either side of my screen.. delightful,,heartbreaking,, unexpected. Such a bold move, A terrible terrible way to end a season but also the best thing I’ve ever seen. 10/10

#gos2 spoilers #good omens spoilers

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ma5ey · 14 years ago

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G Adventures South America: Day 14 - Refugio Amazonas

// March 24th, 2011

Well, there’s a first time for everything. And, while I sit here by candlelight, surrounded by mosquito netting, writing this post about today’s journey deep into the Amazon Forest, I can safely say this is a new first for me.

About Last Night...

When I signed off last night after a HUGE and memorable day wandering the ruins of the breathtaking Machu Picchu, I should have been tucked away in bed in our cosy hostel in Cusco. Due to some recent pretty heavy rain and resultant landslides, however, we were still anxiously waiting in the tourist town of Aguas Caliantes along with hundreds of others, stranded while the train tracks somewhere between Machu Picchu and Cusco were cleared.

Julio, our G Adventures guide was a superhero by the end of the night, dealing with all of us tired, cranky and somewhat tipsy (bar hopping to fill time will do that to a person) as well as doing his best to wheel and deal our way onto any next departing train.

We eventually did get aboard a train at around 1am after some pretty crazy pushing, shoving and running to grab a seat, and after that it was all a bit of a blur as we did our best to get any amount of sleep possible.

Somewhere along the way, out in the middle of nowhere, we all disembarked and transferred to a small bus which carried us the rest of the way back to “Hostel Corihausi". Again, a super human effort from Julio getting everyone conscious and vertical long enough to get us all off the train, considering our sleep-deprived, zombified states of being.

And here’s where the fun really started for me. Considering today was our first day in the Amazon, I was all scheduled to start a course of “Doxycycline” anti-Malaria tablets last night. My tablets were in baggage storage at the hostel in Cusco so the only thing I could do was take them as soon as we returned this morning. As instructed, the first dosage was a double one (2 tablets). The instructions also call for the tablets to be taken with meals. I was soon to find out why not obeying this suggestion was a bad idea.

With our flight out of Cusco and into the Amazon but a few hours away, I took the Doxycycline tablets (on an empty stomach), organised some washing and jumped straight into bed in an attempt to grab a couple of hours of dead-to-the-world slumber before having to pack and leave again.

After having dozed off for no more than say 25 minutes, I awoke to what I can only describe as the most intense heartburn I think I’ve ever had the misfortune to endure. To all those people who have had coronary episodes that took the form of severe indigestion-like symptoms… I think I know where you’re coming from…

DOXYCYCLINE 1 – ROB 0

All I could do was throw up violently, guzzle a LOT of water and try to go back to sleep. Needless to say, by the time I was packed and heading back out to the airport with our reduced group, participating in the Amazon trip, I was no better off in the sleep department. Not a great start to the day.

Rainforest Expeditions

A short flight north-east from Cusco to the town of Puerto Maldonado and we found ourselves in the super warm and muggy surroundings of the Amazon Forest. Talk about a surreal experience. Yesterday, the cool, oxygen-starved Inca Trail through the Andes mountains, and today, the sweaty, humid Amazon Forest.

I rarely ever get sick – maybe once a year if I’m really unlucky, but when I do, it’s usually at the turn of the seasons when temperatures vary greatly from one day to another. It’s like my body freaks out and shuts down in protest. So far I feel fine (despite this mornings little episode), but considering the vast difference in atmospheres and temperatures I’m now experiencing, I’m a little nervous at how the next few days are going to go.

But I digress...

Arriving in Puerto Maldonado, we were met by our local “Rainforest Expeditions” guide, Johan. He collected us all from the baggage carousel of the airport terminal and escorted us out to the company bus waiting in the parking lot for us.

Climbing aboard, we had no sooner taken our seats when we were each presented with our own basket of rainforest snacks including salted banana chips (A-MAZING), brazil nuts and a native orange which was messy to eat, but delicious.

As we demolished our culinary gifts in a fashion that would have suggested we hadn’t eaten all day (which for some of us was the truth), Johan introduced us to the rest of his crew and explained that we were on our way to a port where we would transfer to a long boat and cruise up river to our accommodation – “Refugio Amazonas”.

Once at the port, we had the opportunity to stretch our legs, purchase snacks and drinks, visit the loo, chase around some chickens and generally stretch our legs a little before heading down to the river to board our next form of transport.

With a good 3-4 hour river journey ahead of us, all we could do after doning our life vests was grab a position on the wooden benches that lined the sides of our long boat, and try to get comfortable. Johan, meanwhile, ran through a few safety notes including providing us with reassurance that, should we end up in the drink for whatever reason, we were likely more at danger from camen alligators than from flesh-stripping piranha. Reassuring indeed. Thanks Johan.

Next, we were each handed another unique snack – this time a gourmet rice of some kind served wrapped in a large banana leaf. Yum! The meal certainly kept us quiet for the first quarter hour or so as we headed off along the muddy waters of the river, deep into the Amazon!

Over the next couple of hours we had plenty of time to sit back and observe the vastness of the country we were in as thick forest after thick forest passed us by on the river bank. The increasing feeling of isolation was broken up from time-to-time by the rare passing of other boats and by the odd roughly constructed mud hut that appeared on the banks.

An abundance of wildlife is something I’m obviously keenly interested in seeing throughout this short visit into the Amazon. And while we didn’t see all that much with our naked eyes on the river this morning, we sure as hell could hear a massive amount of critters all around us, even over the top of the boat’s motor. There’s absolutely no doubt that the forest is alive with activity and I couldn’t wait to hit land and check it all out.

A couple of hours into our river journey and we were required to dock at a small checkpoint where we registered our entry into the “Tambopata” region and received some pretty cool stamps in our passport validating our visit to this amazing part of Peru. I wasn’t aware that you were allowed to stamp your passport with anything other than official country entry and exit stamps, but I was soon assured that it was all above board, so I jumped in line and got my passport inked!

It was here at the checkpoint that we all got out first close up glimpse of some Amazon wildlife as the trees above rustled with the playful movement of a couple of monkeys of some kind. It seemed to trigger a run of good luck for us as, over the next couple of hours on the river we saw more monkeys playing in the forest canopy and also a family of capybara foraging the muddy shoreline.

My camera simply doesn’t have the telephoto power to capture such sights with amazing clarity (damn you Peruvian thieves!!), but here’s a shot I captured of the capybara.

A pretty nondescript set of old wooden stairs leading up the muddy bank from the river’s edge and into the forest was all that marked our arrival at home for the next couple of nights – "Refugio Amazonas".

Considering none of us really knew what we were in for over the next couple of days in terms of accommodation and activities etc, exiting the boat and heading along the muddy trail into the forest was pretty exciting in itself.

The unknown soon presented itself as we entered a clearing and set our eyes, for the first time, on the amazing “Rainforest Expeditions Lodge” like an oasis at the end of a lush, leafy green desert (or something), with its high pitched hardwood frame and just all-around awesomeness.

Needless to say, with available light starting to fade, cameras were quickly whipped out and everyone captured the memory of coming across this amazing construction in the middle of nowhere.

Seated in the bar area, Johan gathered us all around, introduced us to some of the lodge staff and tossed up the idea of heading out on an evening activity. We were all pretty tired after our hellishly long night last night and a long day of river travel today, so we passed on the idea, opting to push the activity to tomorrow evening.

Instead, we opted for the opportunity to settle into our amazing individual rooms, and enjoy a few cold beers set amongst our amazing new surroundings. This was followed up by a surprisingly decadent buffet dinner that left each and every one of us well and truly satisfied.

And that brings me full circle to now. In my much needed cage of mosquito netting, scribbling away by candlelight wondering what the heck it is that’s nestling and rustling away in the walls above me. To be honest I don’t really care. I feel oddly safe on the bed here and now I think it’s time to try the ol’ sleep thing, assuming the creature (whatever it is), that’s just started screaming out there to my right, gives it a rest soon.

Wish me luck!

Links & credits:

All images // Rob Masefield

Hostel Corihausi // corihuasi.com

Refugio Amazonas // rainforestexpeditions.com

#peru #outdoors #adventure #amazon #gadventures #southamerica #photography #travel #travelphotography #refugioamazonas

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messers-moony · 3 years ago

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So Perfect 2 | J.P

Paring: Young!James Potter X Fem!Lupin!Reader

Summary: James falls in love with a bookstore called, Lupin’s Library, and can’t believe what they’re going through.

Preparing for a date seemed easy enough, except when it’s with a twenty-five-year-old man that already has a child. Granted, the twenty-five-year-old man was handsome, very handsome; maybe that’s what made this so hard. Every dress that she tried on didn’t seem to fit or didn’t seem to look right.

Y/n was looking at her appearance in the mirror when a light knock was heard on her door, “Come in!”

Remus almost dropped the tea he was holding for her, “You look spiffing.”

“Spiffing?” Y/n crossed her arms with a stupid smile, “That’s all you could come up with?”

“Dashing, beautiful, gorgeous?” Remus shrugged, “I'm not good at this whole thing. ‘S why I’m into blokes, remember?”

Y/n hummed, reaching for the tea he was holding for her, “Thanks, Remmy.”

“No problem.” He replied, taking a seat on her twin bed, “So, are you excited?”

“Nervous.”

“Nervous?”

“Yeah, I mean, he’s already got a child, Rem!” Y/n said exasperated, “If this goes well, then he’ll expect me to be Harry’s stepmother, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

Remus placed two hands on his shorter sister's shoulders, “You’re going to be fine. No one is more prepared for that than you are.”

“I’m regretting this.”

“If you don’t go on this date, then I’ll never call Sirius.”

“That’s not fair!”

“It is.” Remus replied, “How about this-”

“Oh no, you only do this when you know you’ll win.” She murmured.

Remus smirked, “If you go on this date and have fun, I’ll ask Sirius out. If you don’t go on this date at all, I’ll block his number.”

“But you and Sirius are perfect for each other.” Y/n whined, “And so are you and James.” Remus countered.

Y/n pouted, and Remus smiled, “Now go have fun on this date. James is waiting outside.”

“Are you shitting me?!”

Remus laughed, “Nope!”

Y/n scrambled to grab her things, and Remus watched amusedly, “You’re the worst, Rem!” She yelled as she began to leave the bookstore.

“Love you too, sis!”

The door closed behind her, and she was releasing breaths of air. James turned to see her out of breath and a flush on her cheeks. It made him smile. She looked absolutely breathtaking too. Y/n’s hair was styled, and her dress looked dashing on her. James offered her his hand, and Y/n took it with a gentle smile.

“Sorry for making you wait.” Y/n apologized, “Rem was no help.”

James chuckled, “It’s fine.”

James opened the car door for her, and she got in. Instantly she felt out of place. Y/n hadn’t been in a car since high school and ever since then had taken public transportation or walked. She and Remus didn’t have money for a vehicle, so they made do with what they had. The seats were black leather, and the car didn’t have a spec of dirt on it.

He got into the driver's side of the car smoothly and took notice of Y/n’s awestruck expression, “I take it you like my car?”

“I’m sorry.” Her expression turned sheepish, “It’s been a minute since I’ve been in a car.”

James quirked an eyebrow, “Remus and I walk or ride buses to get by.”

“Well, I’m glad I could be with you for your first experience back.” They both laughed.

It was so easy with James. Conversation flowed like water, and the air was light like clouds. His hand went from the shift to intertwine his fingers with hers. Y/n’s face flushed, and James smiled genuinely. James couldn’t remember a time when a girl made his heart race and butterflies fill his stomach like this before.

When they arrived, Y/n was starstruck. It was fancier than she thought. Her heart pounded, and insecurity filled her body. James made his way to her side of the car and opening the door for her again. He helped her out of the car and felt her hand tremble just the slightest bit.

“You look beautiful.” James assured, “No need to be worried.”

Y/n swallowed thickly, “Hey,” James turned her face to his, “If I thought you were underdressed, I would’ve told you. You’re gorgeous, and I think you’ll be the prettiest girl in the room.”

“Thank you.”

He gave her another one of those beautiful smiles before walking up to the hostess, “Name?”

“Should be under Potter.”

The hostess smiled, “Right this way.”

James motioned for Y/n to go first, so she followed the hostess to the table. Y/n sat down, and James sat across from her as the woman set down two menus. Maybe it was a force of habit, but she couldn’t help but let her eyes travel to everything around her.

He smiled, slightly amused by her way of checking everything around her. It wasn’t the fanciest place that he could’ve taken her - there was much better - but he didn’t want to overwhelm her. It wasn’t pitying that drew him toward her, though. There was something about her that made him feel like a teenager again.

The place was made of what appeared to be a dark wooden material. The lights were a dim yellow, and the tables were polished beautifully. The booths were comfy and with red cushioning. The atmosphere was cooling and dry.

Y/n had opened her menu and began to survey it, “Pick whatever you want.”

“Are you sure?” Y/n asked, “I really don’t mind-“

“This is a date.” James reminded as he held her hands from across the table, “Let me treat you so well that you a second date.”

Y/n blushed, “You’ve already done that.”

“I have?”

“Shut up.”

James chuckled, kissing her knuckles, “Whatever you want, love.”

Half of the food on the menu Y/n hadn’t even heard of. Granted, she and Remus never really ate out much as kids. Usually, their mother - Hope - would cook them dinner as their father - Lyall - got home from work. Dinner was generally around seven-thirty or eight o’clock.

The dinner went by gracefully, with lots of banter and getting to know each other. It wasn’t until the end of the date where James had paid despite Y/n’s efforts, and they got into the car where he had asked the dreadful question. They both sat in the parking spot when James had turned to her.

“How do you feel about children?” James asked and quickly added, “I know that you’re good with them because of the reading on Saturdays but, I mean, about having children?”

Y/n wrung her hands, “I never really thought about it.”

“Why?”

“I have two jobs and a sick brother to take care of.”

Y/n replied, “Kids don’t really fit in. I’d also have to have a significant other to have children. Which I don’t have.”

James nodded, “Okay, but if you were to have a significant other.”

“I mean, I’d like to.” Y/n shrugged, “My life is just hectic right now. Bringing a child into this life wouldn’t be fair.”

Okay, so this isn’t going anywhere, James thought; I need to be blunt, “How would you feel about being Harry’s stepmother?”

She swallowed, “James….”

“I know that’s a hard thing to answer right now. Especially with us just getting started.” James added, “But if you aren’t interested, then this isn’t worth starting.”

“No, I know and understand.” Y/n said, fidgeting with her hands in her lap, “I’m sure it’s hard to find someone, you know, already having a kid and all.”

James nodded.

“I’d love to be Harry’s stepmother.” Y/n replied as James’ face lit up, “But I still have the bookstore, the bar, and Remus to take care of as well. It’ll be stressful.”

“I’m not asking you to be a stay-at-home mother.” James chuckled, “I’m just asking that at the end of the day, you come home to us.”

“And hopefully,” James smiled sheepishly, “Sirius can knock Remus off your list.”

Y/n chuckled, “Hopefully. Remus is a handful.”

“He seems nice.”

She snorted, “Until you officially meet him.”

“Well then,” James smiled, taking her hand in his as he began moving the car, “Looks like we’ll be having double dates.”

Y/n squeezed his hand as he began to drive. The car drove effortlessly over the unpaved roads. Light music played in the background. The sky was a beautiful blue littered with sparkling white specks. The moon was crescent and barely a sliver. James had gotten to a stoplight when he spoke up again.

“My house or yours?”

“Whichever.”

James smiled and turned the wheel to the left, “Okay.”

It didn’t take long to realize that they were going to his house. His neighborhood was much different than hers. Granted, she lived on top of a bookshop, but it was still different. James lived in the suburbs. The houses were breathtaking, and the streets looked clean. Asphalt roads were freshly paved, and sidewalks looked new. The homes were family-sized, but they looked ginormous compared to her and Remus’ studio apartment only suited for one.

James pulled into the driveway, and Y/n was flabbergasted. It was a two-story house, mostly white concrete, and the accents were a dark brown color. The grass was freshly cut, and the vegetation was trimmed. The backyard appeared to have a pool and a patio area, but Y/n could barely tell over the solid fence.

His keys jingled as he placed the key into the slot and the door opened with ease. Gently, he motioned her to go first. The floors were dark oak wood, seemingly similar to the dark paint on the accents of the house. Everything was so clean, exactly like the car, not a spec of dust laid on the surfaces.

A movie was playing on the television in the room on the right. The kitchen was on the left, and the sitting table was in the room beside it. James shut the door behind him, locking it. He took off his coat and shoes, placing them at the front door. He smiled.

“I take it you like the house?”

“It’s beautiful.”

James smiled, walking to the kitchen, and Y/n took off her shoes before following him. He sighed when he opened the fridge, and Y/n had taken a seat at the barstool in front of the island. James picked up an empty bottle of wine that was still residing in the fridge.

“You keep empty bottles of wine in the fridge?” Y/n questioned as James rubbed his face with his hands.

“No. Bad habit of Sirius’.”

Y/n quirked an eyebrow, “He lives here?”

“He acts as he does.” James muttered as he recycled the empty bottle, “But no, Sirius lives a couple of doors down. But I feel like he should be paying rent here.”

Y/n laughed, “Regardless, I’ve known him since elementary school, so he’s like my brother. Harry calls him uncle and everything.”

“That’s adorable.” Y/n said, “Do you have any actual siblings?”

“Nope. Jus’ me.” He answered, motioning to himself, “Sirius has a younger brother named Regulus.”

“His parents obsessed with constellations or something?”

“Supposedly.”

“Where is Harry now?”

“With Sirius.” James replied, taking out a full bottle of wine, “Told him I might get him tonight or might not.”

Y/n took the glass of wine he offered her with a smile, “Mind if I ask why the tv was left on?”

“My cat.”

“Cat?”

“Technically, not mine.” James explained, “It’s my ex-fiancées, but she left him here, so he’s mine now.”

“And your cat likes the tv?”

James nodded, “What's his name?”

“Moony.”

“Moony?”

“Yeah. Harry named him actually.”

Y/n smiled. They continued to talk, and the night kept going on by. It was well past midnight when James drove her back home to her shared apartment. The car ride was silent, primarily with music playing lightly in the background once again. He walked her to the door of the bookstore before bidding her goodnight.

Gently James pressed his lips to her forehead, “Goodnight, get some sleep.”

“You too…” Y/n muttered, blushing as she walked into the bookstore.

She hadn’t even made it up the steps when Remus began talking, “Had a good night, I presume?”

“You’re a dick, ya know?”

He smirked and closed his book with a thud, “Runs in the family.”

Y/n gasped playfully, “You ass!”

Remus chuckled as they both walked up the steps, “Seriously though, good night?”

“Yeah, really good night.”

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iguessweallcrazyithinktho · 4 years ago

Text

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒕

Hiii I don't know if you take request but can i request like a chris evans x reader like the reader and chris are married and chris is having a bad day or something so chris go out to the pub and go home drunk and its been going for 3 days and the reader and chris has a 6year old and the reader have been doing all the work and taking care of they're daughter and they're daughter miss chris bc chris is never home and just go home until 12 or 2 in the morning or if chris is home he never play with her daughter and they're daughter is sad abt it bc they're daughter though chris doesn't love her anymore and chris miss her play in school even though chris promise so that day when chris miss her daughter's play the reader confront chris abt it and chris said he doesn't care abt his daughter and he said he didn't know why he married the reader bc she's clingy but chris didn't know that they're daughter heard what chris said abt her and chris didn't know also that the reader is 6-7 weeks pregnant and the reader and chris heard they're daughter sob and that moment chris realize it all his mistakes? and apologize to them idk if this make sense and im sorry if this is so longg, thank you in advance stay safe! <3

𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒌 𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔, 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔, 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍

𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒙 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒅𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕

"What did you say?" You stood in front of Chris, your heart breaking in your chest. The both of you were in the middle of a fight and chris side something you never thought he would ever think about saying.

It all started a few weeks ago. Chris has been away, going straight to the bar right after working. He didn't come back home till 12am leaving your 6 year old wondering if she was loved by him.

Two weeks prior

You heard the front door open as you laid in bed. Sighing, you looked over at the clock seeing that it was almost one am. This was the third time this week.

You sat up as you heard Chris footsteps approaching. The door swung open revealing Chris. "Where have you been?" You questioned. Chris approached the bed, he didn't even glance at you. The smell of alcohol filled the air telling you where he was all day.

"out." Chris began to pull off his Jacket. You rolled your eyes, "out... Where? You smell like alcohol, have you been at the bar?"

Chris rolled his eyes, "y/n, get off my back. Every day I come back you question me." He threw his coat to the floor before he walked out of the room. You don't know where he was going nor did you care at this point. He was being a huge dick right now and you hope he snaps out of it.

The next morning you woke to your alarm clock. You pressed snooze, shutting off the annoying sound. You let out a stretch as you turned around. Chris wasn't on his side of the bed, the blanket were pulled back, a empty cold space was there. You sighed as you kicked the covers off your body. You weren't even going to think about Chris, all you were worried about was your daughter isabella, and getting her ready for school.

The door slightly creaked as you pushed it open. You saw isabella sleeping soundly in her bed, her princess blankets covering her so well.

You walked straight to the window, opening the curtains before shaking isabella awake. "Time to get up honey."

Isabella stirred, she peered at you before a smile creeped on her face. She's been doing that ever since she was a little peanut, smiling every time she saw you and Chris. It was so sweet and it made you very happy.

"hi mommy. She pushed the blanket back letting out a big stretch. "Good morning bug. You ready to get ready for school?"

Isabella nodded, "yeah."

"okay, then let's go."

Isabella sat at the table eating her cereal. You were preparing her lunch for her when she asked you a question. "Mommy, why is daddy never home?"

You looked up at her; you weren't sure what to say. "Umm.. he has a lot of work to do and he has to be away so yeah, that's why he's never home." Isabella nodded, "okay, I'm done with my cereal." She Hopped out of her chair and walked over to you. "Okay, I got your lunch for you, you get your backpack and let's go."

Isabella grabbed her backpack off of the couch before you both were on your way to her school.

After dropping isabella off, you were on your way. You had an doctors appointment due to feeling Nauseous and throwing up everything you ate.

You pulled into the parking lot, parking your car in an open space. You shut off the car before you got out and made your way In. It wasn't packed which was nice.

You filled out the information you needed to before you turned it back in and waited.

It was a 15 minute wait before your name was called. You walked back with the doctor who also found out you were having isabella.

"How have you been?" She asked walking into the room after you. "I've been great." She mumbled a nice before logging into her computer. "How has isabella been? She is 6 now right?"

You nodded as you smiled. "Yes, a happy, energetic 6 year old." The doctor laughed, "that's amazing. Okay I'm going to get an ultrasound because you may be pregnant from the symptoms you've told me. So I'm going to need you to lay down and lift your shirt."

You mumbled an ok doing what she said. In that moment you grew nervous.

She placed cold gel on your stomach before placing the wand on it. It took some time before she found the baby on the monitor.

"you are pregnant Mrs Evans." She said turning to you. You clasped your hands over your mouth as you eyes filled with tears. "Oh my gosh." You sniffed "I can't believe it."

Your doctor wiped the gel off and congratulated you. You thanked her. She gave you some information for a healthy pregnancy before she let you go your own way. You got in your car and shed some tears. You were extremely happy.

Later that day you picked up isabella. As you stood outside waiting for her you couldn't help but think about isabella having a little brother or sister.

"mommy!"

You snapped out of your daze as you saw isabella running towards you. "Hi honey." You said as you kneeled down to her height. She wrapped her arms around you giving you a big hug. "Did you have a good day?"

Isabella pulled away, "yeah! I going to be in a play." She pulled away and handed you the paper that was in her hand. "The wizard of oz. Honey I'm so proud of you." You stood up and took her hand led her back to the car.

"I can't wait to tell daddy." Isabella said. Your stomach did a little flip. You forgot about Chris. "Yeah, how about I call him and you tell him?"

Isabella nodded, "okay." You got her in the car before you did. You pulled your phone out a dialed chris' number. It rung a few times before Chris picked.

"hi." Chris said. He didn't smile like he used to you noticed. You ignored that, "um isabella has something to tell you." You passed the phone back to isabella.

"hi daddy!" Isabella smiled at Chris through the phone. Chris laughed, "hi bub, what do you have to tell me?"

"I got to tell you I'm going to be in a play."

Chris gasped, "that's amazing baby." Isabella laughed agreeing. "Are you going to be there?"

There was a brief silence before Chris spoke. "Yeah, of course. I promise."

Present day

Your legs bounced as you looked around the crowd room. It was the day of isabella's play. You were waiting for Chris who said he would be there. The play was about to start but he was nowhere to be seen.

"you sighed softly as you looked down at your phone. You kept texting him but there was no response. Your frustration was growing. If he misses this it would be the worse thing ever.

You sat back in your seat trying to relax. Even if he didn't come, you were there for isabella.

Chris didn't come and they play soon started. You watched as she did her acting. She was amazing, a little star in the making.

When it was over you went backstage to pick her up. "Mommy did I do a good job?" She asked you. "You did an amazing job." Isabella smiled. "Thanks... Where's day?" She asked looking around. You felt your heart sink in your chest, you didn't want to hurt her feeling but you had to tell her.

"hes not her baby. I'm sorry." Isabella eyes started to fill with tears, "why?" You pulled her into a hug. "I don't know honey but the only thing that matters is that you did an amazing job and I'm very proud of you okay?"

You pulled away and wiped her stray tear away. "Okay." You stood up, "um let's go. We going to go to a restaurant since you did so good." Isabella laughed, "yay."

You and isabella had a nice dinner, just the two of you. Even though she was very smiley, you can see the pain in her eyes. You felt guilty even though it wasn't even your fault. You were getting sick of Chris not being there, it was time to confront him.

After putting isabella to bed, you waited for him. Just like other nights he came home around 12am. As you heard the door open you walked to the foyer, your arms crossed over your chest, and a frown on your face.

Chris shut the door before turning around. When he saw you he sighed.

"are you fucking kidding me?" You said. Chris looked at you, "what?"

You scoffed, "you missed isabella's play. You promised you would be there and you fucking broke it."

"oh y/n, fuck off with your bullshit. I wish I never fucking married you. And you know what forget isabella, I don't care about her stupid play. You both have been down my throat for weeks, I wish I didn't know you two."

You breath was caught in your throat as he said those things. "What did you say?" You looked at him, your blood boiling and your heart was breaking.

Chris was about to speak again but you were interrupted by a cry. You looked up the stairs seeing isabella. She was crying, she heard everything. She ran back to her room leaving you and Chris. You could stop the tears forming in your eyes.

You turned back to Chris. "Fuck you, you're disgusting." You ran up the stairs going to get isabella. You weren't going to spend the night here, you just couldn't. You took isabella with you to a hotel leaving Chris in your house.

As hours went on and Chris sobered up his words ate at him. He sat on the kitchen floor crying to himself. "What the fuck have I just done?"

I'm going to make it two parts. I'll get to writing the next. Sorry it's kinda harsh

@chris-butt @patzammit @bval-1 @raveviolet @mrsbbarnesrogers-reading @enn-j @london-dreamer71 @harrysthiccthighss @captianamerica-is-bae @la-cey @weirdowithnobeardo @lovepeacefood @baby-i-am-fireproof @denisemarieangelina @evans713 @smyfmj @thereisa8ella @rororo06 @keiva1000 @ughitsnic @adriannajackson123 @marvelnaturalock @notyourtypicalrose @dummiesshort @onetwo3000 @hhiggs @katiew1973 @andreasworlsboring101 @skepticnovak @funfickgirl22 @hxnesthxneybee @christhickevans @melchills-j @franchesca-791 @moonlacebeam @annasworld14 @areamir

#chris evans #chris evans x reader #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans imagines #chris evans x plus size reader #chris evans imagine

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clairecrive · 3 years ago

Note

Hello beautiful person! Do you take requests which ask you to write a second chapter for your writings? If you do, may I ask a second chapter for "Rare"? And if you don't could you please let me know so I can be careful for another time when I ask a request?

I hope this is not something that disturbes or irritates you. I love your writing, it is beautiful and sometimes I read your pieces over and over again. 😁

Thanks for blessing us with your writing. Have a nice day.💕

A/n: First of all anon, thank you so very much for your sweet words! They mean the world to me <3 Also, your request could never irritate me! I love them and I love the fact that you consider me half a decent writer enough to send me your thoughts <3 I'm sorry it took me so long to get around this but I hope you like this and are still around to read it x

I've decided to pair it with a request for juicy time with Eddie. there's no actual smut but it's suggestive let's say.

Warnings: bit of angst, fluff,

Word count: 2.4K

Tags: @mollybegger-blog, @evelynshelby, @br0ck-eddie, @fandom--0verdose, @shadow-of-wonder, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @sopxhiea, @fuseburner, @for-bebbanburg, @crazyclownchick ( fill in this form to be added to my taglist)

Part 1

TOM HARDY MASTERLIST

You weren't exactly new to heartbreak. You had been a teenager after all but your experience with adult relationships had not been that good either.

You knew that you'd be over Eddie even if it may take you some time. It's true that you had only been dating for a few months but you had really grown attached to him. It was one of the things you hated about yourself: the way you got attached way too soon, way too much.

Especially, in this case, seeing as Eddie hadn't been 100% in it in the beginning you had hoped that the more time you'd spend together, he'd see that you weren't so bad and that he'd grow to care for you. At least a little bit.

Turns out you were wrong.

As much as you hated being wrong, the thing that hurt you the most was that despite your best efforts, Eddie still didn't think you were enough for him. And how could you be when the benchmark was perfect Anne?

You stood no chance. You had been a fool for even trying. And now you were experiencing the burn for your foolishness.

This had happened often enough that you had developed a routine for dealing with heartbreak:

1) crying your heart out and indulging your sadness with whatever helped (mostly comfort food and Friends)

2) enough with indulging, it was time to pick yourself up. No more overeating although you still allowed yourself to cry if you felt like it

3) "I don't need him anyway" phase where you'd make a mental list of how your life was before and after whoever you had broken up with to remind you that they weren't as important as you made them out to be

4)"put yourself out there again" phase where you started going out again with the intention of meeting new people or simply having a good time.

As of this time, you were in phase 3. You noticed that there were some of Eddie's things littering around your apartment. So, you picked up a box and collected them with the intention of returning them to him, effectively closing this chapter. As you did, you made that aforementioned list. This time, with the added reason for your break up, it was a bit easier to remind you why breaking up had been the right decision.

When your hands closed on your favourite hoodie of his though, you couldn't help the pang in your heart as a flood of memories hit you.

You and Eddie doing a Friends marathon every Friday night.

Eddie giving this hoodie when you were sick because he knew how much you liked it.

Eddie taking the hoodie off for a whole other reason almost ripping it...

No.

Shaking your head, you pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Enough of that. It was over.

It was only a week later that you finally got the time to come around Eddie's apartment. Sure, you could have called him, he could have come himself to pick them up or you could have dropped them at his job but that would have required you to call him. And recalling how that went last time you tried to reach him you decided you'd spare yourself the humiliation of him not ghosting you again.

Taking a deep breath, you straightened your shoulders and knocked on his door.

"Y/n." You were met with a dishevelled Eddie.

He looked like shit but what's new with him. He also looked very surprised to see you at his door and you also couldn't blame it for that. You would have reacted the same way if the roles were reversed.

"Hi, Eddie," you hated your treacherous voice that wobbled when you spoke. Clearing your voice, you tried again.

"Sorry to come here unannounced. I've found some of your stuff in my apartment and I thought you'd like to have them back." You explained as you handed him the box, his eyes taking it in for the first time.

"Oh," he paused as he considered your words. Was that disappointment in his voice? "Thank you, y/n. You shouldn't have." He smiled weakly as he took the box from you, your fingers touching briefly.

"It's not a problem, Eddie. I was just passing by anyway." You and Eddie actually lived far from each other. The truth is that there was no reason for you to be in this part of town if it wasn't for him. Eddie knew that but he was kind enough not to point that out.

He just nodded, accepting your words as he held the box close to his chest.

You awkwardly stared at each other for a while, you didn't know what to say but neither of you wanted to end this exchange quite yet. When you felt that you had been standing like a fool in front of your ex's door, you went to leave but Eddie beat you to it.

"So how have you been?" Your first reaction was to scoff at this attempt of small talk. Neither of you was very good at it. And truthfully, it was rich coming from someone who had not made any effort to keep in contact with you even before your breakup.

The scroll of your shoulders was the only answer Eddie got. You weren't in the mood to pretend nor did you want him to know how you were still suffering for him.

"I should ask that to you." You reverted the question to him. He really didn't look well.

"yeah, it's been a rough couple of weeks," he confessed scratching the back of his head.

"That, I don't find it hard to believe," you hummed as your eyes took him in, really took him in since you knocked at his door. You could also see behind him that his apartment was a mess.

"Yeah, don't have to worry about me though. I'm fine."

"Of course." You nodded at his dismissal, remembering harshly the situation you were in."Well, I'm going to go now. Take care." Cold but still polite you turn around, ready to put this -Eddie and this exchange- behind you.

"Y/n, wait!" he called when you were about to climb down the staircase. "Do you want to have a drink or something?" Stay for a while? he meant but didn't dare to say.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Eddie." You called over your shoulder, hand still on the railing.

"Please, I owe you an explanation." You didn't know if it was the desperate note in his voice or the fact that he really looked like shit but you turned around almost convinced.

"Don't you think it's too late for that, Eddie?"

"Maybe it won't change anything between us but you deserve to know." You knew Eddie and you knew how much he cared about transparency and honesty. This may not mean that you were going to get back together but he was right, you deserved an explanation.

"Okay," you agreed as you walked back and then into his apartment. Eddie closed the door behind him and set the box he was still holding down behind the coat hanger.

The sneak peek you had before was definitely right: Eddie's apartment was even messier than usual.

"Why does it look like a tornado hit your home?" You couldnìt help but point out. You knew Eddie wasn't that bothered by tidiness but this too much even by his standards.

"That would be my fault," a new voice answered you.

At first, you didn't register the difference in tone or accent even though you should have had because Eddieìs voice wasnìt that low or raspy. But then a black tendril entered your vision field catching your attention making you turning your head to better inspect it.

What.the.fuck??

"Eddie?" You asked perplexed, eyes fixed on this thing? even if you were addressing Eddie.

"Y/n meet Venom, Venom meet y/n." He gestured awkwardly with his hands.

"It's so nice to meet you, Eddie's always thinking about you, you know? It's a bit annoying." this time the voice didn't come from a tendril but a face. A fucking alien face with long sharp teeth and wide white eyes.

His words went straight over your head. How the fuck was this true? What were you even seeing? Did this thing come from Eddie's body??

"Fuck, I know I'm heartbroken but now I'm even seeing things?"

"Y/n," Eddie tried to get your attention. You thought you had only thought that but apparently, you had spoken the words. "You're not seeing things, this is part of the explanation I owe you."

"I think it's better if you sit," he said motioning to his couch when you did nothing but stare at Venom. Prompting by Eddie though, you sat down and listened as he spoke.

He told you everything. About Carton Drake about his project with aliens, about Venom and their rather troubled relationship. He even explained how Anne had got involved and how she and Danny had helped him.

It was definitely a lot to take in. But somehow, the thought that he could be lying to you never crossed your mind. The proof was right in front of you, wasn't it? Venom, as he had introduced himself, stood next to Eddie while he spoke. It had never spoken again and you were inwardly thankful for that. That he was giving you space to digest all of this.

"Why didn't you tell me when you came around that day, Eddie?" You asked once you thought you had wrapped your head around it.

"I didn't want you to drag you into this mess," he said with a shrug, head cast down he didn't meet your eyes.

You didn't know how you felt about all of this yet but you nodded anyway. Well, there was nothing you could do anymore, could you? He had already taken care of everything on his own and it wasn't like you had any right to worry about him anymore.

"Thank you for explaining, Eddie. I appreciate your honesty." Did this change anything for you?

"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren't enough of if Anne meant more to me than you did. That's not true but I didn't know how to tell you that without telling you what was happening." He nervously fiddled with his fingers without meeting your eyes.

You could see his point now that you knew what happened. Still, it hurt you that he decided to just keep you out of it without a word. He could have at least told you that something was going on, that he didn't or couldn't tell you anything - not right now. You would have understood and given him space. Did he really act like this to keep you safe or was it a way to dismiss you?

"I don't know if this changes things, Eddie. You still turned up to her when a major life-threatening event happened. I think this tells me everything that I need to know." You point out after a while, eyes fixed on the end of your shoes.

"She has been involved from the moment we broke up, Y/n. Hell, this was the reason we broke up in the first place." Eddie's head snapped up at your words. He looked surprised at your words like he couldn't believe that you thought Anne's involvement had been something he had actively sought out.

"That may as well be true, Eddie but still, you didn't tell me even after everything settled down. If I hadn't come around to give you your stuff I still would be none the wiser."

"I was afraid, y/n. How could I come back to you after how much I had hurt you? 'Sorry if I went m.i.a. for a while, I was infected with a parasite who knows permanently with me?' Come on, y/n, I wouldn't take me back either." Now upset, Eddie started to gesticulate frantically to prove his point. His eyes flickered between yours, he leaned toward you, his hands a touch away from yours as if he wanted to touch you but was preventing himself from doing so.

"I'm not saying I would have believed you straight away but still- aliens are way better than self-loathing you know?" You scoff at him- why was he so upset? He wasn't the one who had been beating himself up since that fight for being a worthless piece of shit, was he?

"I know I've never done a good job at showing you but I do care about you. Deeply." Almost as if he couldn't bear to not be touching you any longer, Eddie now reached for your hands. His hold on them tightening as he spoke the words.

You looked at him for a moment. Aside from that fight, your relationship with him had been good. The start wasn't promising, seeing as he was still taken by Anne but Eddie had treated you good. He was attentive and caring in his own way. Looking back to it now, you realized that the period where you started feeling him pulling back from you was the time when this whole alien thing had started.

But now you had settled this, right? So, could this mean...

"If I give you one more chance to show you," you spoke tentatively, enthralled by the twinkle in his eyes, "do you promise me to be fully transparent with me this time around?"

"What? Why would you do that?" He looked shocked but his eyes were hopeful.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it, Eddie?" You challenged him, arching an eyebrow.

"Like hell I am." He scoffed, a smile on his lips. "Nono, of course I do. I swear, y/n. You'll never feel like you don't matter to me again."

"Good." You gave him a small smile at the gobsmacked expression on his face. Oh, Eddie...

He does nothing but stares at you for a while. Like he hadn't seen you in a while and now that you were in front of him, he wanted to commit to his memory every little detail of your face.

"So," you said after a while, "do you plan to stare at me or would you like to get a head start on your promise?" you provoke him with a suggestive tone.

Eddie's mouth fell a little at that, Venom said something to him but you didn't understand him. Shaking his head, Eddie smirks at you.

"I would like nothing more." And with that, Eddie's lips are on yours making up for the lost time.

#eddie brock #eddie brock x reader #eddie brock x you #eddie brock one shot #eddie brock imagines #eddie brock imagine #eddie brock angst #eddie brock smut #venom #marvel #tom hardy x reader #tom hardy imagines #eddie brock fanfiction #eddie brock ff

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internalsealpanic · 3 years ago

Text

Sealing the Deal part 1

Summary: Always, always be nice to sea creatures but never ever accept their pelt.

A/n: A fic I’ve been meaning to write since forever. My contribution to mermay.

warning: Disgusting fluff and bad decisions

Main Masterlist

part 2

You look like you're gonna die from boredom in your little fishing boat.

Dick rolls over to where Jason was sprawled and used his momentum to push the larger seal into the water. Jason gives an undignified squawk of outrage. Dick just preens and looks smug.

You cup your hand over your mouth as you begin to laugh.

Jason glares even harder at Dick. Dick... couldn't care even less if he tried. All he can focus on is the wrinkle in the corners of your eyes. They'd been gone for so long these past few months. It felt like the first ray of sun after a long storm.

Dick claps his fins in excitement even as Jason snuffs and rolls his eyes. You clap in return but accidentally drop your fishing pole into the sea. Reaching for it, you fall into the water. Dick feels a little bad for laughing but you manage to get yourself back up into the boat safely. You sigh in defeat as your fishing pole drifts away. Dick notices for the first time that your face has grown gaunt from the last few weeks. Are you eating enough? Are you even taking care of yourself? Dick swims over to your boat as it rocks back and forth on the waves. He hops in easily and plops onto your stomach. You laugh and pet his head. It was a weak laugh so he croons at you in question.

“Sorry pup, I don’t have any food for you today. I mean I don’t even have any for me.” Despite the sweet timbre of your voice, Dick can still taste the bitter hopelessness in the statement.

He nuzzles his face into your chest. He can feel just how thin you’ve gotten. He has to do something about this.

To say Dick had been afraid of humans would be a monumental understatement. It had been around 200 years since humans had left the island and the first thing they did when they came back was hunt down selkies. Dick's parents had been two of the unlucky few who'd been hunted down.

So when Dick found himself stranded onshore because of a fin tangled in a fishing line, he thought he was a goner. And when he saw you approaching; well, he still thought he was fucked but he thought you'd at least be nicer than the adults.

Maybe if he acts cute enough you'll spare him.

Dick whimpered and he gave you the big innocent look.

You shushed him harshly. Dick flinched then you flinched and muttered apologies.

You approached him slowly. You looked around before crouching and fiddling with the line Dick had managed to get himself caught in. Carefully, you began to disentangle him. It hurt, especially when you took the hook out, but once he was free. He clapped and trilled before you shushed him again.

Dick thought that it was all over and he could just roll back into the sea until you scoop him up and swaddle him in your shirt.

After 10 minutes of your father screaming at you, he agreed to treat Dick who knew better than to snap at him. Your father was kind with gentle hands. He worked on Dick while you fed him fish. It wasn't the best fish but Dick can't complain.

After an hour or so, Dick started to wriggle and you pull him closer to your chest.

"Dad, can we keep him for a few days? He might still be sick." You plead with big eyes.

Your father glared at you then sighed. "No more than two. His wounds just need to close up, understand?"

You squealed a little. Hugging Dick tighter, you thanked your father before scampering off to find you a basin to put Dick in. You, thankfully, had the good sense to fill it with lukewarm water.

Dick lived like a king in those two days. You fed him a lot of fish much to your dad's exasperation. You kept him warm. You even read to him and sang songs to him.

Dick wanted to stay but he missed Bruce, Alfred, Damian, and maybe that new kid Jason.

On the fourth day (one of the wounds was deeper than expected), Dick was released back into the sea but he never did manage to stay away after that

Dick sets the odd little trinket down in front of Jason's sleeping form. It was something you'd caught in your net days before along with the meager amount of fish you'd managed to net. You'd busied yourself with it for days before throwing it out. Dick wasn't sure what it was; all he knew was that it was something Jason would like.

He waits semi patiently for Jason to notice it, nudging it forward a little until it touches Jason's snout and the larger seal is forced to pay attention to Dick.

"I know when I'm being bribed, Dickface." Jason says, glaring.

Dick volleys it with a wide-eyed hopeful look. He nudges the little trinket forward again. This time, instead of ignoring him, Jason rises to his full height, teeth bared. This... does not faze Dick.

"C'mon Jaaaaaaay," Dick says as if the prolonging of syllables would whittle down Jason's irritation. Jason suspects if he were less inclined to tell Dick to fuck off, it would have worked. Probably. But as it stands, Dick is responsible for ruining a very good, very rare nap for Jason and so he's on the shit list and has lost any favor privileges until further notice.

"I said no. Go away or ask Bruce."

"But Jaaaaaaay, it's just a teensy tiny favor. It won't even take an hour. Not with your skill at least."

"That kind of flattery may work on Harper and it may even work on West but I'm not an idiot about to get involved with whatever shenanigans you have planned with the human."

Dick lets out a long-suffering sigh. Jason isn't stupid enough to think that Dick has actually given up. No, the stubborn little fuck is worse than a barnacle. "You've left me no choice-"

"I have given you plenty of choices. Most of them involve minding your own goddamn business." Jason says with a little snuff.

"-I'm calling it in."

Jason narrows his eyes at Dick.

"Don't you dare. That was 5 years ago."

Dick smiles, evilly. "Unless you want the rest of the family to know about-"

"Fine! What do you want?"

Dick looks smug. Jason wants to bite his face off.

"I need you to help me catch fish."

Jason looks at him, incredulous. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Not recently. Look, I just need you to help me catch fish for the human." Dick explains like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Contrary to what Dick seems to think, Jason really isn't concerned with the one human on the island. Most of the selkies on the island have barely even interacted with you outside of staring at you.

"You're insane."

"I think we reserve that term for Bruce."

Jason raises his head from the ground. "You're not wrong."

You think you hear the light pitter-patter of raindrops. You sigh. You would be lying if you say you aren't the least bit thankful for the excuse to stay indoors today. You... don't exactly like foraging for food. You had avoided it for as long as you had food in the lighthouse. You thought it would at least last you 'til the ships came in but whatever is going on in the mainland has kept the ships from your shores. You don't mind. You never did find the sailors all that pleasant on the rare occasions that you did have to interact with them.

You like your island the way it is but... you're not exactly the most skilled at hunting... or fishing. You have no idea how your father did it. You chucked it up to the miracles of loaves and fishes. You miss him.

You curl around your pillow in a vain attempt to chase the wakefulness away but the sun in your eyes was too bright. You flutter your eyes open. The sun had the audacity to be there. Still the splushing sound continued.

You strain your ears to listen, trying to make heads or tails of it. It was a squishy sound, the sound of putty hitting stone over and over again. You scramble to the front door. In hindsight, you probably should have grabbed a weapon before running towards the strange sound.

Opening the door, you're greeted with the sight of a familiar seal caught red-handed with a fish in his mouth.

You stare at each other for a long moment before your eyes wander down to a pile of fish. A large amount of fish. Laughter rolls from your lips, musical and manic as you bury your face in your hands.

You think the seal furrows his brow at you, dropping the fish in its mouth before plopping towards you. Plop. Plop. Plop. He looks at you with big dark eyes. Your mouth twitches between curling down into a frown and a smile that spread across your face. On one hand, you are confused. On the other hand, you were gonna be able eat some meat.

A concerned croon comes from the pup and your face decides that it would rather smile at the moment. You throw your arms around him, not at all caring about the seawater getting on your nightclothes.

"Thank you." You whisper and the seal answers with a happy trill.

Dick is over the moon.

He can't even help how loud his trills get. It's ok you don't seem to mind either. He's just happy that you get to eat now.... but you don't.

Dick's a little frustrated when you don't immediately start digging in. Instead, you go back inside your home, swear, shout in delight then come back out with a basin and a jar of white powder. You then run around to fill the basin with seawater then add what Dick finds out is salt into the seawater.

Dick is... concerned.

You go back inside the house. When you come out again, you have a knife in your hand. Dick waddles back a bit. He knows you won't hurt him but it's a habit. You develop these kinds of habits around Bruce.

You settle yourself onto the ground cross-legged and grab a fish. Dick looks on with mild curiosity. You begin to dismember the fish by cutting off it's head, cutting it up in the middle then removing the bones and stomach. That kind of makes sense, Dick thinks. The bones are kind of annoying. Dick nods his head agreeably until you toss the fish into the basin.

Dick looks on in utter confusion as you repeat the process with most of the fish he's brought you.

You turn to him looking equally befuddled before your eyes soften. You look sheepish. "Sorry pup, I can't eat all of this today so I'm salting them so I can eat them the next few..." You count the fish in the basin. "... weeks."

Dick tilts his head but doesn't say anything. You really should just eat more. Dick can get you more if you need it. You just need to ask but you seem content with what you're doing.

Dick is about to rest his head on your lap when you shoot up and scuttle back inside. You return with a line and a smile. Dick watches you string the fish up like laundry. He could probably help you but he has no clue if he should. Just eat the fish damn it.

Finally after what felt like forever, you start preparing the fish and actually eat. You offer Dick some and Dick has to admit cooking the fish does taste odd but not unpleasant. It's totally different from eating it raw (the better way) but it's not horrible. Or maybe it just tastes good because you've got the biggest grin on your face while eating.

Maybe.

Probably, Dick thinks as he munches on his fish, pressed to your side.

___

You sing at the top of your voice. It's a cheerful song but Dick can't quite make out the words. He knows it's human but he's not quite familiar with it. The tune is nice though. Dick rests his head on your lap closing his eyes.

He croons happily when you being to pet him.

You stop midway through the song dissolving into a fit, of what Dick can only describe as, giggles snorts. It was a despicably adorable sound that was engineered to make Dick feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

He looks up at you with big curious black eyes. He's not complaining but he hasn't heard you laugh this much before and he may or may not want to know how to make you laugh like this again.

When you don't answer his questioning gaze, Dick nudges against your chest. Your shoulders are still shaking but you manage to stop laughing for a moment.

"Sorry pup," you say wiping a tear from your eye, "I must look crazy to you. "

A little but not as bad as Bruce, Dick thinks. Bruce thinks you humans still don't know there are selkies on the island. Dick snorts at the idea. Everyone knows that all you humans know about selkies. That's why those men keep coming here trying to trap them.

You squish his face affectionately with your hands. "My dad taught me that song and I just realized..." Your mouth turns into a curved line of held back laughter. "...It's a sea shanty about missing being between a woman's legs." The last few words come out more as giggles than proper syllables but Dick can't enjoy that because he can feel his face warm up from the thought. He hides his face in his flippers.

You squeal, absolutely delighted with his mortification. Smiling down at him, you say: "Yanno pup, sometimes I think you understand me."

Thought process-wise, no.

Dick snuggles up to you again, blowing air out of his nose to voice his ascent. You can't just say things like that but again, you just simply seem amused by his suffering when you bend down to press a kiss to the top of his head.

Dick looks up when you pull away. No! Give him more!

Dick stretches up to return the favor, having to partially climb on your lap but only managing to boop your nose with his snout. You nuzzle your nose against his and Dick makes the happiest noise in the back of his throat.

Sometimes after wandering around you had a habit of falling asleep on the shore which Dick thought was fine until he found out that you couldn't swim. Dick being the only with brains in this duo always nudges you awake when the tide starts getting too close. Dick doubts the lapping water will wake you up before sweeping you away. After all, you managed to sleep through Tim, Kon, and Bart's rock piling contest on top of you. Dick shooed them away but even after cleaning up, you didn't wake up.

Dick sees the sailors on the shore and nudges you. You... don't even blink. You hum, content to bask in the sun as you wrap your arms around Dick. Dick huffs. He likes this but he really would prefer it if you move. Dick considers slipping from your grip and grabbing a fish to slap you with like last time.

Dick cranes his head to look at the ship again. It was far too close now, too close for you to get away without being seen by the sailors.

Dick turns you back over to your back and proceeds to body slam you with all his blubber. He winces when you make a choked noise. Dick can give you apology fish later.

"Pup, what the fuck?"

You see the ship. Your eyes widen then flicker to his injured fin. Dick had injured it when he’d been swimming by the docks and got caught in one of the old traps. You’ve done your best to help it heal but you only know so much. You’re still reading up on herbs in case it happens again.

You try in vain to push him off but he's a big loveable sack of blubber and he refuses to move. “C’mon pup, you need to move. They’ll try to catch you if they see you.” You grunt but the sack of blubber refuses to move.

You and Dick stay still as the ship draws near, neither of your chests rises or fall as the ship rocks back and forth.

The ship passes and you let your head fall back with a sigh.

Dick nuzzles his snout against your face, his whiskers tickling your face. You giggle and try to push him off. It’s useless so you let him stay there.

You both decide to take a nap on the shore with Dick huffing in your face once in a while as he snores.

You curl up on the floor in front of the fire, watching the embers flicker, flash, and fade. It's the best thing you can do to calm your fraying nerves. The storm rages outside violently as if it was trying to tear the lighthouse down brick by brick. The whole building shakes with another boom of thunder. You close your eyes and burrow under the thick blanket.

In the back of your mind, your father is chuckling. The absence of a hand on your head is disconcerting. You remind yourself that it won't come, that you'll have to learn to weather the storm alone. You sigh then tighten the blanket around you.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

You blink. The fire was dying. When had you fallen asleep?

Tok, tok, tok.

Blinking, you rub the sleep from your eyes, but the haze doesn’t lift, only growing as you watch the firelight.

Tok tok tok.

You shoot up and barrel towards the door with the frantic knocking growing louder and louder as your feet pound against the stone floor.

You run into the door in your haste. The loud thud of your body against the door causes the frantic knocks to turn into muffled shouting.

Prying yourself from the door, you open it and you don't know what you expected but this wasn't it.

Standing in front of you was a man soaked like a wet rat. You blink in confusion before pulling him inside. You run to grab him a blanket. Wait. You should probably get him a towel. No, wait. You should have gotten his name first. Fuck.

You shuffle back into the room with a towel, spare clothes, and an extra blanket. You.. what can generously be called a heart attack.

For the first time, in the soft glow of the fire, you can fully admire your guest. Not see, admire because there was a lot to admire.

The light of the fire flicking over the planes of his chest, with a light dusting of chest hair, the amber glow highlighting all the muscles of his body, framing the ripples of his toned figure. Swallowing any good sense you have, you watch the rainwater turn golden as it drips down his perfectly bronzed skin. The water cuts through valleys of muscle that could have only been handcrafted by gods. Your eyes follow the flow until... Oh.

You flush furiously, your face glowing brighter than the fire. He's- He's- Oh my god, he's naked.

You reign your eyes in. Ok, you let it linger down there a bit. Not long enough for your guest to notice. You concentrate on his face which wasn't hard to do. The man pushes his raven hair out of his face letting you fully appreciate his face. In keeping with his body, his fine boned face looked like Pygmalion himself spent hours shaping it, not satisfied until he's made the perfect face. It's handsome in an adorable way. Not intimidating. It's the kind of face you'd like to pepper with kisses. You try not to focus on his lips in case of any sinful thoughts. You just met the man. The only thing you will note is that yes, his lips do look absolutely kissable and it aggravates you.

The most striking feature however are his deep blue eyes. The kind of deep that you feel like you could drown in. The kind of depth that looked too pretty to agonize over the fact that your lungs are burning. You stare, trying to carve a perfect replica of those eyes into your mind. Those eyes... that are currently staring at you... as he steps closer... at an alarming speed.

You hold the stack of fabric in front of you like a shield. Your guest stops, looking at the stack. His face goes from concern to confusion to blinding enthusiasm. He was probably freezing.

A smile spreads on his face, the cutest dimples you've ever seen forming on his cheeks, as he accepts the stack. He thanks you and your heart leaps from your chest. Whatever chill you were experiencing from the storm was completely gone. You turn away from him, rubbing the back of your neck and mumbling a halfway point between 'no problem' and 'you're welcome'. You hope it came out as 'no welcome' instead of 'your problem'.

The man snorts and you are pretty sure which one came out. To save yourself the embarrassment, you walk to the kitchen and start preparing tea. The man thankfully occupies himself by looking at the assortment of knick-knacks you've hoarded gathered over the years. It gives you ample time to breathe.

"Do you like sugar in your tea?"

The man nods enthusiastically. You can't help but smile a little.

You sit next to him in front of the fireplace as you hand him his mug. He leans his head against your shoulder. You can feel his body radiating a comforting heat.

You two sit in silence, sipping tea and watching the fire flicker. You wanna scold him for slurping his tea. You're not exactly his mother. You don't even know his name.

You turn to him, face scrunched and about to ask him for his name when he surges forward. His lips brush against your lips as he nudges his nose against yours. You fall backward in shock and the stranger falls on top of you, his eyes still glowing bright and cool against the amber light.

There's a thrill working up your spine or is it fear? You squeeze your eyes shut and throw your arms over your face.

"Please don't hurt me." You plead barely above a whisper.

You feel the body above you lower itself on top of you. He chuckles and shakes his head. "(Y/n), you're being silly."

You open your eyes. The man is laying his body on top of you keeping you pinned down and he's... pouting at you?

"I- I don't know who you are. You can take what you want but please don't hurt me."

The pout deepens into a frown.

"(Y/n), I'm not gonna hurt you. Don't you recognize me?"

You blink. You would definitely remember someone this eye-catching. "You always sing that sea shanty to me. The one about the sailor who misses his wife's..." The stranger flushes and makes a hand gesture. Your face scrunches again. The only person you've sung that to aside from your dad is...

"Pup?!"

His frown morphs back into a pout. "I'm not even that little."

You squish his face with your hands before you let your mind wander. You think back to the scars crisscrossing his limbs and chest. "How is this possible?"

He laughs, prying your hands from his face. "I'm a selkie," He says as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "My name is also Dick, not pup."

You stare up at him wide-eyed and stupefied. Dick snuggles against you like he always does. Somehow snuggling you in this form is better. He can hold you closer like this. You run your hand through his hair, fingers lacing through the tangles in his hair. He lets out an excited trill.

Dick might just be in heaven right now.

"I dunno how but you're somehow even prettier when I look at you in this form," Dick breathes contently. "I'm so lucky to have such a pretty wife."

You stiffen. Dick looks up at you and the confusion in your face wrenches a knife in his heart. He swallows. "That is what you meant with this, right?" Dick asks, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

Your mouth turns into various shapes trying to piece together a coherent response. It settles on the simplest one. "No."

Dick looks stricken like you'd taken a club to his head.

You reel back. "I just- I- I thought you were cold and you-"

Dick's heartaches. It's a dull ache. He thought this kind of thing would be sharp like having a hook pierce your heart.

His insides twist as he peels of you.

Your stomach sinks as you feel the cold fill your body once more. You don’t want him to go. The thought of being alone right now makes your stomach curdle. Your hands grip his shirt without meaning to. The look on his face hurts but the idea of him leaving felt unbearable. You know it's selfish but here you are begging him not to leave.

"Dick, I'm sorry... I didn't know... I-"

Thunder booms. You squeak and bury your face in his chest. You can't stand storms.

Dick smiles down at you softly. It's still pained but it's bearable.

He lays on his side and pulls you closer. He slots your face into his neck. You're still shivering even when he uses his body to shield you from the rest of the world.

You whisper another apology.

Dick shushes you, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

The sunlight floods into the room like it does every morning but the room is still cold. Your mind works to understand what's wrong with this picture. Your hand pads beside you. The space next to you is empty save for the blanket left behind.

You sniffle, gripping the sheet in your hand. You messed up, you think, pulling it to your face. For the first time in months, the tears come easily. You lay there all day because the tears won't stop.

"If you sigh one more time, I am going to rip your throat out." Jason growls not bothering to open his eyes. Why would he? Dick has been flat and mopey for the past two weeks and Jason is really starting to miss his hyperactivity.

Dick lets out another mopey sigh. Jason. Is. Going. To. Scream.

"Can't you be depressing in Roy's direction? Or Bruce's?"

Dick sighs even louder at the mention of Bruce and Jason, for once, is considering murder or at least maiming.

"She doesn't love me back."Dick sniffles and Jason really should have known this had something to do with you.

He turns to Dick. "I'm going to regret asking but how do you know that?" The sooner he sorts Dick out, the sooner he gets to sleep. "Did she tell you to go away and never come back?"

"Well no-"

It's Jason's turn to sigh. "You fucking moron, What did she even say?"

"She said she didn't know." Dick lowers his head to the sand and Jason wants to slap him with his tail.

Jason is now fully awake and very ready to throttle Dick. Or he's just cranky. "Are you telling me Bruce was right?! This day just keeps getting worse."

Something seems to click in Dick's brain. "Oh, crap Bruce is right." He mutters stupidly.

Jason will take whatever consolation he can get out of this. "She probably thought you were just some random pervert flashing her then." Jason snickers. It's petty and childish but so is interrupting a well-deserved nap.

"What?"

Jason lets out an exasperated huff through his snout. He twists his body to look at Dick with minimal effort to lift his head. "Let's see, you turned up naked at her door and then you called her your wife and nearly kissed her in what? The space of 15 minutes?"

"I got confused." Dick sputters.

"Geez, I thought West was bad but you're just a disaster," Jason chuckles, "Oh! And you made the brilliant decision to leave without explanation," Jason is having far too much fun rubbing salt in the wound. "She probably feels terrible”.

"Are you guilt-tripping me?"

"Is it working?"

"What-" Dick growls. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Hmmmmm, have you tried talking? Yanno the thing Bruce never does. But seriously, I can’t believe you call her your wife and then abandon her." Jason shakes his head. "And you have the audacity to call yourself the smart one."

Dick strips out of his skin and begins running towards the lighthouse... naked.

Jason debates on letting him.... he probably shouldn't.

"Dickface!" Jason calls out.

Dick doesn't stop, face crumpled in determination and his little Richard swinging wildly as he walks.

Jason is gonna die of second-hand embarrassment.

"DICKFACE!"

"What?!" Dick asks turning around his hands on his hips. Like usual, his hip tilts to the side and his foot taps as he waits expectantly for Jason to gather a mildly coherent response.

"Your little Richard..." Jason says pointing with his fin.

Dick looks down and the look of mortification on his face is satisfactory. ".... Right. Shit."

"Just steal some from her laundry."

"But she'll be pissed."

"Ok, so you would rather flash her then?"

Dick sighs and this time Jason doesn't have the urge to throttle him only because Dick is already beating his own ego into a pulp. "I hate it when you make sense."

Jason raises a brow, setting his head back down to the warm sand. "I always make sense."

Dick just cackles in response as he heads to the lighthouse.

Dick shifts his weight on the balls of his feet. He feels sick like he'd eaten one of those pickled fish you made him one time. Maybe this was a bad idea. Why did he even listen to Jason? He flips onto his hands and begins to pace. His stomach feels like it's being tossed violently by ocean currents. It feels like a shapeless lump sitting in the pit of his abdomen. Maybe you're out or maybe you never wanna see him again.

Your face had been so blown wide with shock when he had called you wife that it looked almost foreign like the suggestion had been so audacious that your face had to reconstruct itself to accommodate the shock.

Dick puts a hand to his face trying to stem the flow of thought. He was such an idiot. Why did he assume you would love him like that and why did he just leave you? Dick closes his eyes and breathes. He'll knock just once more then leave if you don't answer.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

The knocks register just above a whisper. He thinks you don't hear it.

He lets out a breath and walks away. This was stupid. He should never have come back.

Jason was right. Fuck. Dick buries his face as he walks away.

Distantly, Dick hears the squeak of rusty hinges but it's lost in the tempest of thoughts plaguing his mind, in all the little hurts from that night.

"Pup?" The sound of your voice is followed by the pounding of your feet against stand. Dick's careening to the ground before he knows it as your body collides with his.

"Pup," you sniffle into his shirt, "it is you."

Dick twist in your grip so he's facing you. Your face is buried in his shirt. He strokes your hair, wrapping an arm around you, holding you tight. "Of course, it’s me. Who else would bug you at this hour?"

Dick feels his shirt grow warm. You mumble an apology.

You look up to face Dick with half your face still buried in his shirt. You've clearly been crying based on how red and puffy your eyes are. Dick's stomach churns at the dark circles under your eyes. He feels guilt stab him in the gut. All of that combined with your generally disheveled appearance. Dick can just tell that you haven't slept well the last few days.

"Let's go inside and talk." You say, peeling yourself off of him.

Dick shakes his head, not loosening his grip on your midsection. "Let's walk around you look like you need some sun."

You flushed and put a hand to your cheek. "Do I look that bad?" You ask absently, a shy smile creeping into your features.

Dick smiles at you and pushes your hair out of your face. "Never but the weather is sunny for once and we both need some air."

"So you really didn't know that the island was filled with selkies?" Dick asks, adjusting the infernal scarf you had forced him into. He insisted that he didn't need it. He could just cuddle up to you for warmth but you were equally stubborn about him wearing a coat and the wool monstrosity strangling him.

Your face scrunches up in confusion." I- I don't even know what that is."

Dick stops.

You slow down upon realizing he wasn't by your side anymore. "You... don't know what a selkie is?" He asks, his face the definition of dumbstruck.

You shrink into your coat." My dad wasn't interested in things like that," you shrug, "I dunno much about..." Your hand twists in a circle, reaching for the right words.

Dick tilts his head. That made sense. "You thought we were all just seals?"

You nod slowly, looking like you wanna shrivel up.

Dick starts laughing and you look like you're a second away from throwing yourself into the water.

"I'm sorry," he says, flailing. He's screwing this up again. He breathes to collect himself. "I just thought it's funny that we all thought my dad was wrong about you guys not knowing."

You rub the back of your neck. "Most of us mainlanders don't really believe in magic, yanno? It's just such a foreign concept. Kind of hard to wrap my head around it."

"I get that." The smile on his face makes your gut twist. You fiddle with your hands.

"So what are selkies?"

Dick tilts his head, not exactly sure of how to word it because how do you explain something that's been obvious to you since you can remember to someone who just found out about it a few weeks ago?

"We're fae, I guess-" Your face twists in confusion.

Dick needs to backtrack. "We're fae..." This is hard. "We have this human form and we have our seal forms. We switch between them using our pelt."

Your brow knits in confusion. "Which one is your true form then?"

Dick wraps his arm around your waist and holds you closer as you walk along the cliff tops. He hums as he thinks. "Both?"

You look up at him with a weary smile. “That makes sense in a way.” You hum. Swallowing thickly, you fiddle with your hands. "So what was with the... um..." You clear your throat. "What was with the wife thing?"

Dick’s mouth dries. “Well... when we want to ask someone to be our mate... we- we kind of give them our pelt and I thought it translated to human clothes…” He stammers out dumbly.

“Oh...oh!” Your eyes widen into a look of horror. You open and close your mouth trying to form words. “Dick, I didn’t realize , that must have - I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“Please don’t apologize,” Dick says and presses his lips to the top of your head. His lips are warm and comforting. “I’ve spent so long in love with you my brain just didn’t...” Dick’s mouth twists. “It just didn’t do what it was supposed to.”

You would definitely laugh at that last part but you’re still seeing stars from the startling confession he just hit you with. You snuggle tighter into his embrace as you look over the sea. You don’t know how to respond. You really don’t and it frustrates you. It was all just a lot to take in all at once like you’d been tossed into the sea and you’re flailing and grasping at water.

But if nothing else, you’re at least glad that Dick is still talking to you.

“If you don't mind…” Dick says carefully, the look in his eyes determined. “Would it be alright if I try and pursue you properly?” Dick braces for a no. He’s not dumb enough to be hopeful twice but he needs to ask.

Inevitably, you freeze. You pull his arm closer to your chest. Swallowing, you ask: “you mean like a human courtship?”

He nods closing his eyes. “Yes, I want to court you.” He coughs clearing his throat.

You’re silent for what felt like the longest 30 seconds of Dick’s life. Dick cracks one eye to see you fiddling with your hair. “Uh Dick, there’s this one problem that might make that difficult…” Dick raises a brow. It wasn’t an outright rejection but it wasn’t an answer.

“I don't know how that works either.” You laugh nervously, burying your face in his arm.

“Good - then we don’t know if I’m doing it badly.” Dick beams with a blinding smile.

You twist to look at him, the corners of your mouth twitching. “That sounds like cheating.”

Dick snorts, “would you rather I court you the selkie way?”

“I mean it depends. What's the selkie way?”

“Fish.”

Dick startles when you let out a loud bark of laughter. “Fish? You’ve already done that so many times.” You giggle. Dick tries to wrangle his mind away from the fact that he can feel your lips through the thin fabric of the sweater.

“I thought it worked.” Dick sighs. He really did, but alas, miscommunication is a cruel mistress.

You lower your gaze trying to concentrate on the fraying needlework of his sweater. “Maybe it has.” You mumble low enough for a human not to hear. How unfortunate it is then that you’re dealing with a selkie.

Dick is beaming when you look up again. He nuzzles his face against yours. Dick is once again insanely, stupidly, incredibly happy.

__________________________________________________________________________

Because neither of you knew what you were doing, Dick's attempts to court you ranged from ridiculous (a literal mountain of fish that you ended up drying, giving away to the other seals, and selling to passing ships.) to ridiculously sweet (finding you handful of pearls). Dick nudged a little shell overflowing with pearls and looked up at you with liquid eyes. He could have gotten you pebbles and it would have been endearing.

It wasn't always gifts though.

Sometimes Dick would just sit quietly with you on the beach, snuggling against your leg as you scratched his stomach. You love the ways his squish vibrated as he purred.

When summer passed and it became unbearable to watch the stars outside, Dick sometimes spent nights in your lighthouse, wrapped up in your sheets or wrapped around you. It was nice having him around the house even if he was kind of a slob. You love him but he is a mess.

You made the mistake of introducing him to tea cakes and got him addicted to November Cakes specifically. As it turns out, your cute pest has a sweet tooth and will nuzzle you into submission just for another bite.

If you ever doubted that Dick was evil before, you now have proof.

During the winter, Dick insisted on staying in the lighthouse to keep you warm. You wanted to point out that you had a fireplace for a reason but it was so hard to turn down hugs from him.

And because you hadn't had the heart to clean out your father's room yet and Dick clearly preferred it, you let Dick sleep next to you on your cot. You felt a bit bad but Dick was just so happy with the arrangement that you didn't want to make him go away. Besides, it was nice to wake up to his sleeping face in the morning, all sleep rumpled and drooling.

__________________________________________________________________________

"Hey Jay, do you have a book on selkies?" Dick asks, caterpillaring on the rock Jason is sunbathing on.

Jason takes the opportunity to roll down the rock and knock Dick into the sea before saying: "No." It shall be put on record that there are no drama queens in the Wayne family.

Dick shakes off the seawater, big puppy eyes staring at Jason.

Jason glares at him. He can't even let Jason have a second of smugness. "Ask Selina."

No one really knows where Selina came from or why she stayed (well, they had their suspicions), but if you need something you can't find easily, your best bet was to ask her and hope she doesn't ask you to do anything ridiculously hard.

Dick hasn't had first hand experience but from what Bruce tells him, they're mostly silly things like recite poems or do a flip. He could do both those things. Well, depending on the poem. He gets tongue twisted sometimes. Hmmm, maybe he should ask if he can avoid tongue twisters so he won't bite his tongue.

Sloughing off his coat, Dick walks towards the glowing cauldron.

"Still no clothes pup? You're going to give a poor girl a heart attack." Selina tsked, reappearing from one of the other cave entrances with a handful of things Dick can't recognize.

"Oh... I- I'm still not used to it." He says sheepishly.

Selina chuckles, dumping the handful of what Dick can assume is plant debris into the cauldron while before dusting her hands off.

Dick stares at the thick vat. A bubble rises and bursts emitting what sounded like a human voice. "What is that? Should I be worried?"

"Oh no, no, this? This is just a little soup for colds."

"It screamed."

"All soups scream."

"I- anyway, I came here to ask if you have a book on selkies."

Selina tilts her head to the side. "I believe I do-"

"Great!"

"Buuuut..."

Of course, the price.

"I brought pearls and some seashells." He says hopefully.

The angle of her head does not change. Though from the gleam in her eyes, she's clearly interested.

"Tell me why you need the book."

Dick's thoughts halt. Should he tell Selina about you? His eyes dart to the boiling cauldron. "... Why do you need to know?"

Selina flourishes her hand. The book appears out of thin air."Do you want the book or not, pup?"

Dick's nerves pinch. Why does everyone call him that? "I need it to teach someone Selkie customs." He manages.

"Oh! The little lighthouse keeper!"

"You know her?"

Selina shrugs. "Do you really think I wouldn't know something going on about the islands nearby?" She pinches his cheek. "Oh little pup, I know about your little crush. You spend more time on land than you do in the sea these days. Dami's been all huffy about it."

He has.

"I've told you my reason." Dick says holding his hand out.

"Hnnnn, you have I suppose." Selina sighs.

Dick takes the book, putting it into a waterproof pouch before gingerly putting his pelt back on. He happily caterpillars out of the cave with the pouch in his mouth. He really hopes you'll like this.

You really should just fix up another cot for Dick at this point and maybe buy him a set of clothes when you go to town.

"It's too cold to sleep outside." Dick whines, flattening himself against you on the bed.

You lift your book to look at him. Dick just gives you that wide-eyed look when he wants something. You roll your eyes, letting him snuggle up to you. "Dick, it is obviously summer and you're like 40% blubber." You snort.

Dick pouts. "You're still gonna let me sleep here."

You scrunch your face up and sigh. "I can't exactly let you brace the summer cold, can I?" You say, running a hand through his hair.

"Eeeeeexactly." Dick says happily as snuggles into you tightly. He nuzzles his face into your neck wrapping his arms around your waist. You hum helplessly, curling into his embrace.

"See." Dick trills with a happy grin.

"Are you going to be smug about it all night?" You huff, throwing a blanket over the two of you.

"No," he says, "you assume I can't keep being smug 'til sunrise."

"Dork," you snicker, setting the book down. It was a book on selkie traditions that Dick had gotten you a few days ago. You devoured it the same night but you're reading it again and subtly testing things while Dick was invading your house. You hum, running your hand through his hair, fingernails lightly scraping against his scalp. Dick purrs against your chest. "There was a one eyed seal on the beach the other day. He was a grumpy fellow but kind of cute. Seals really are a sleepy lot. The big lug started snoozing on my lap after like 5 minutes."

Dick tense under your touch. He looks up at you seriously.

"That was a selkie." Dick deadpans.

You stop your rambling. "What?!"

"That grumpy one-eyed seal was a selkie." He repeats carefully.

Your breath stutters. "Are all of the seals on this island selkies? ALL OF THEM?" Dick is pretty sure your eyes are mounting an escape.

"All of them, darling." Dick nods.

"Oh." You are so screwed. "Do you guys all talk to each other?!" You shouldn't have told that seal about your little crush. You want the mattress to swallow you up.

"Yes? Should I be concerned?" Dick asks, lifting his head.

"No! No reason!" You squeal, shaking your head.

Dick pouts at you with suspicion. It occurs to you with some amusement that Dick is actually glaring. You wisely decide to sidestep the conversation.

"You guys love taking naps on people, huh?" You say, absently twining your fingers into Dick's hair. He settles his head against your chest. "That's just cus we like you." He hums.

A snort rips out of you. "You're just biased."

Dick looks up at you seriously again. "We selkies like pretty things like any fae." Dick says, wrapping his arms around you more tightly. He's being petty but Dick has always been protective of you and he isn't about to stop now. Besides... he doesn't want anyone stealing you away.

You frown at him. "Dick, there are far prettier things on this island and sweet talking won’t magically make November cakes appear." You huff, kissing the top of his head before picking up the book and using it to hide the smile shaping your lips.

You feel Dick pick himself up off of you. You peek over your book to watch Dick. He scoots closer to your face until the only thing separating you is the far too thin book in your hands.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"No." You say. You don't mean it but it's the easiest thing to conjure up when Dick is this close. Your lips prickle from imagining Dick's lips against yours.

You weren't paying attention. Dick has apparently been going on a two-minute diatribe on how pretty you are and in that two minutes, Dick has managed to scoot even closer. He gently takes the book out of your hands to make sure you're paying attention. He fails to take into account the fact that his face is in fact distracting. Your eyes zero in on his very plush and very kissable lips. If you just lean forward a fraction, you could...

Your lips feel warm and soft against Dick's, the rest of his diatribe dying in the back of his throat as his eyes flutter shut. His mind might just be melting out of his ears because the only thing he can think about is how soft you are and how perfectly your lips fit against his.

"I'm sorry." You whisper shyly. You should be sorry, Dick thinks. Who told you to pull away?

You touch your fingers to your lips. Fuck, what did you just do?

"You can do it again." Please, he almost adds.

You lick your lips. Dick perks up and leans closer. His heart is going to leap out of his chest. You lean closer. Dick can feel his heart pounding against his rib cage.

You kiss Dick on the nose and pull away, hiding your lips behind your hand as you snicker. Dick scrunches his nose and blows air out of it.

"You know perfectly well what I meant." He huffs.

You lean back into your pillow, grinning at him. "I have absolutely no clue what you're on about." You say slowly, smug.

"Let me remind you then,"A grin takes over his face. Dick leans in, pressing his lips against yours. You exchange breaths as you drink in the feeling of each other's lips. Dick caresses your sides. He feels you shiver and he smiles into your lips. "That ring any bells?"

"Not really..." You say, flickering your eyes to him. "But if you try again... it might."

"Oh sweetheart, I can keep reminding you all night." Dick chuckles, winking.

Covering your face, you attempt to hide your embarrassment. You hate how easily he flusters you. "You can't just say stuff like that." You whimper.

"Why not? I'm supposed to be courting you and that includes buttering you up," Dick says, nuzzling your cheek. You're just too cute. Dick gently pries your hands away from your face. "Don't hide your face from me, Honey."

"Oh god, you're making me regret letting you court me."

"Never."

______________________________________________________________________

Dick's eyes are struggling to remain open as he watches the fire. He burrows further into the thick comforter you'd given him. It's not quite as warm as his pelt but the fabric is puffy and it has a sweet smell that makes his head swim.

Dick angles his head slightly to watch you. You've been toiling for hours and refuse to tell Dick what it is. Your back is still hunched over with your foot bouncing on the floor. Dick lets his eyes flutter shut, listening to the sound of your shuffling tools.

You glance down at the adorable mess dozing off on your sofa. You gently move his hair out of his face. He swats at you sleepily, face scrunched even as he sleeps. You sincerely wish you had Damian's talent for art or that you had one of those cameras. You really wish you could keep a picture of Dick's sleepy face. It's the cutest thing in the world.

"Hey Dickie," you whisper.

"Hmmmmm?" He groans.

"Could you hand me your pelt?"

"Sure," he moans, blindly padding around for it. You snort as he nearly falls off the sofa. After groping nearly every surface, he finally finds the pelt. "here you-"

The fur brushes your fingertips before Dick stops. Dick shoots up, nearly clipping your nose with his forehead. He's looking at you fully awake, drool still hanging off the corner of his lips."Are you sure?!"

"Hand it over coward." You smile gently at him. You try your best to fight off the excitement bubbling in your veins.

Dick is off the couch, his own excitement barely contained as his whole body vibrates with happiness. He sits up. You hold out your hand but instead of handing you his pelt, Dick drapes it over you like a wedding veil. It's thick and warm to the touch. You let your hands brush over the silken fur. You can feel magic thrumming from it. It feels like a minute current of electricity but it doesn't flow linearly. It ebbs and flows as it pleases, pulsing beneath your fingers. You burrow yourself in it.

Something warm spills in Dick's chest as he sees you wrapped up in his pelt. Dick kisses your nose. "You have now been wifed."

You twitch your nose. "You missed."

"Nope. Don't think so. Buuuuut if you show me where you want me to kiss you..."

You roll your eyes and surge forward, pressing your lips to his. Dick smiles into it, pulling you close and savoring the sensation of your lips melding together. He makes a happy trilling noise while you laugh against his lips.

"That clear enough, Dickie?" You ask, pressing your forehead against his.

"Yeah, I think I got it, wifey."

__________________________________________________________

THANKS FOR READING

Tag list: @batarella, @anothertimdrakestan, @lucy-roo, @multifandomgirl-us, @idkmanicantenglish , @birdy-bat-writes, @boosyboo9206, @americasmarauders , @l-inkage, @arestorationofbalance , @cloudie-skay, @wunderstell @hyp-oh-critical @glorified-red @ marshmallow12435 @vvipgot7be @jadedhillon

#dick grayson x reader #dick grayson imagine #dick grayson x you #dick grayson #dorks #seals #selkie x reader #selkie au

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mrs-johansson · 2 years ago

Text

Chapter 3: Dark Phoenix I - Goddess of Fire

Part 5:

It was late at night the next day. I’ve been writing my report all day in the office, Nat brought me lunch in the middle of the day and we ate together, so I had time to relax too. Well… she forced me to. I couldn’t really use my left arm so typing was a bit difficult but JARVIS helped me out.

The mission reports from the team flew in all parts of the day. There was Quinn who brought it very early in the morning and there was Lopez who had left it to the very last minute.

“Is this the final one?” I looked up to Lopez from behind my desk. The man stood tall, hands by his sides. “Yes, ma’am,” he nodded. “Thank you, you may go.”

Looking over the mission reports, I noticed that most of them did a great job on their first report. I’m a great goddamn teacher.

Most of the information they brought back was useless to me, but SHIELD could use some of the knowledge we found. But there was one file that had my face on it.

Multiple pictures actually as I flipped a page. From afar and different angles, some are alone but there was a couple that had Natasha on it too. Furiously I looked through the photographs, feeling sick to my stomach. “JARVIS, call Natasha please,” I said and the AI did as I asked. Flipping over the pages, I saw multiple information like my whereabouts and the encounters I had. There was a description of my powers, my skills, and my past. It wrote about my time in the Red Room, the times James and I were on missions, and about our child too.

The thing that stood out the most was written in red ink. Target.

“Hey, I was just about to call,” Natasha’s voice filled up the empty room. “Are you home?” I asked and stood up from my seat, took everything that I would need, and left the room. “Yeah, just got here not long ago. You sound weird. Everything okay?” Running to the elevator, I pressed the button to call it but it seemed like an eternity, so the stairs it is. “HYDRA’s after me. Someone brought back a file that was a mission and clearly I’m the mission. They know about the red room, my pregnancy, and James, you, everything. Nat, you need to get out of the house!” I rambled, a little out of breath as I was rushing down the stairs. Kicking open the garage door I made JARVIS drive the car to the door and I quickly hopped in. “And where are you going? Y/n you need to stay at SHIELD, that’s the safest place you can go at the moment. Stay put, I’m on my way,” Natasha said over the phone, I heard jiggling on the other side, she must be closing the door. “Natalia, I’m on my way home. I’m not staying here, bringing HYDRA to SHIELD.” I sped out of the garage, turning on the empty road. “Don’t you dare leave.” Nat groaned. “Too late, I’ll be there in 2 minutes.” “You’re unbelievable.” She yelled.

The next thing I knew the car was flipped over. I hit my head against the wheel, the car was burning and any minute it could blow up. Crawling out, I spat out some blood, which was from probably a cut on my mouth. “No time to relax, huh?” I murmured and that’s when I saw a pair of boots walking closer and closer. “Y/n Stark… Get her.”

***

*Natasha’s POV*

“I want everyone on this case, to track down the root Stark took from SHIELD. If HYDRA’s the one who took her, then we have professionals. Romanoff, you need to look through her office, let’s hope she didn’t bring everything with her. Get to work everyone.” Fury said, angry but also worried facial expressions crossing his face. “Yes, sir.” Quickening my steps I made my way to Y/n’s office. Tony was already on his way to SHIELD and he was worried a lot. I know he’s trying to hide his emotions but never those that include his daughter.

And to say the least I was worried to death. All I could hear over the phone was a big explosion and when I got to Y/n’s car, she wasn’t there anymore.

Seeing her office door open, she never does that. She was in such a big hurry to get home to me.

Walking in, I noticed papers laying all around her desk, the computer still on. The dinner box that I left for her was sitting by the stash of papers. Probably still full.

I sat down in her chair and pulled myself closer to the table. And then I spotted Barnes’ face on a paper. And on the other Y/n’s. I went through her papers and I realized that’s what she was talking about on the phone.

“Ah, Romanoff, just the person I was looki-“ Tony’s harsh voice made me lift my head. “What is it?” He walked inside the room, closing the door behind him. I turned the files towards him and leaned back in Y/n’s chair. “They’ve been watching her… for months. And nobody noticed. Not even me. HYDRA has Y/n, and if the Red Room gets their hands on her, we won’t find her.” I rambled as I walked up and down the office. “Nat, please… don’t do this to yourself. We both know that Y/n isn’t the easiest person to deal with. They’ll have a hard time controlling her, you know that. I know this whole… personal string is new for you at the job, but believe me… this will drive you to the minute you find her. So, suck it up, Romanoff and let’s find my daughter. And your lover, of course, can’t forget about that part,” Tony stood up and straightened his shirt. I was a bit taken back by his big hero speech since we never really talk this much but it was nice to hear. Even though I’d never admit it to him.

***

*Y/n’s POV*

Gaining my consciousness back, all I could feel is how bad my head was hurting. I opened my eyes to see the cement floor. Then slowly lifted my head, to see glass in front of me and people sitting on the other side.

“She’s up sir,” a man said and started typing on the computer. “Very well. What are her vitals?” I could not pair the voice with a face yet, because I did not see who was speaking. “Body temperature is 104 F, pulse: 85, respiration rate: 19 and her blood pressure is 120.” The first man read it from the screen.

Then I heard slow footsteps on the metal ground. I could only move my head since I was very much tied down, and I saw this man walk into the frame of my view.

The man was of average height, had barely any hair and only half of his glasses were on his face. Hands tucked behind his back and a satisfied look crossed his face as he was looking at me through the glass.

“Welcome back Ms. Stark, how are you feeling?” The tilt in his head screamed smugness and irony. “Who are you?” I asked, my voice a bit worn. The man smiled and motioned for the others to leave the room.

“I’m Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. The head of HYDRA of course.” Goddamn, I knew it. Ugh… should have seen this coming. “And what do you want from me exactly? I’m not into this type of tying down,” I looked around, hoping for a way to escape. The glass didn’t seem to be thick enough to take a hit from me, but I suppose there was a trick to it. “Right to the point. I don’t think you know how much power you have, Ms. Stark.” I scoffed and shook my head at his words. “Oh, believe me, I know.”

He walked closer to the glass, his jaw clenched. “Your powers are far from being the highest they can be and I can help you with that.” “Thanks, but no thanks. I have my own people for that. You know, my dad always taught me not to accept anything from strangers and I’d like to keep it that way,” I gave Strucker a tight-lipped smile and he took a sharp breath in. “Maybe if you see a familiar face, you’ll reconsider my offer. Bring him in!” He called out and seconds later, the sound of a door opening made me way too curious about who could be a family face. “Your old pawl…” Heavy footsteps made me perk my ears then I saw the same man I had a very unfriendly encounter with not so long ago.

“Sergeant Barnes or should I say the Winter Soldier? I don’t know which one you used in the Red Room.” Well, that cut deep. “Hmm… I usually had to call him daddy you know… or master on specific occasions. Which one would you prefer for me to call him, sir?” I smirked at the man then looked at Barnes, taking in his view. “Barnes is fine.” A sour expression crossed Strucker’s face as he answered.

“Very well, now… we must reach the highest level of your powers before you can be of good use to me. And with your history with Barnes… you two would be the perfect match for HYDRA.” “And how do you want to do that exactly?” I sighed, already over the man’s stubbornness and genius of an idea.

Strucker started smiling and I just couldn’t understand why. “Shock her,” he said before James moved to the console close to them and pressed a button.

The next moment I let out a scream as electricity shook through me. My hands were in a tight fist as I couldn’t move my body. I lost my hearing for minutes, and my vision was blurry even longer. “Again.”

***

*Third person POV, SHIELD HQ*

“We know that Strucker is the one who took her. HYDRA has hundreds of bases, but from the files that Agent Stark and her team retrieved from the Siberia base, we found out that they must have her at a base, where the suspected Winter Soldier program was carried out.” Natasha explained to the SHIELD agents, who were carefully listening. Fury by her side with Tony and Maria on the other, right next to Clint. “All of you know how powerful HYDRA is. And with the Winter Soldier in their hands, it is a bigger bite.” she continued. “Just because she’s Stark’s daughter she doesn’t need special treatment,” a man said from the front row of agents.

Natasha lifted her gaze to the young man, who stood tall. Arms behind his back, chin almost pointing to the sky. “This is gonna be fun,” Clint mumbled as he saw the look on Natasha’s face. Maria hummed next to Barton, then all eyes locked on Agent Romanoff while she stepped down from the main console.

She carefully stepped in front of the young agent. He was taller, yes, but Natasha held the power over everyone in the room right now, even Fury. Violence crossed Nat’s mind but no. She was… outraged, but showed none of that.

“What’s your name?” She asked. “Agent Murphy, ma’am.” “How dare you speak of your superior this way?” Her voice was deep and low, only the ones next to Agent Murphy could hear what she was saying.

His face dropped on Natasha’s tone. “She’s done more work for SHIELD in less than 2 years than you for over 5 years, now tell me this…” she crossed her arms over her chest. “Why should I not beat the life out of you for taking my girlfriend’s name on your mouth?” Nat looked deep into his fearful eyes, showing no mercy. “If you try to sabotage this or any other mission one more time, I will have you removed from this country for the rest of your life, understood Agent?” “Yes, Agent Romanoff.” His shaking voice said everything. Natasha has finally earned the respect she deserves from the other agents. “Perfect. Now, let’s find the coordinates and get Y/n.”

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x female #natasha romanoff x female reader #natasha romanoff x stark!reader #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff x reader #black widow #black widow x y/n #black widow x female reader #black widow x you #black widow x reader #y/n stark #stark reader #marvel #gxg #natasha romanoff imagines #tony stark #bucky barnes #thor odinson

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