#4 days before like ‘hello??? i kind of study full time and teach part time right now… i can’t just clear a whole day

[fingertipsmp3]

Why does nothing ever go normally for me. Why is nothing ever straightforward. Just once, when someone tells me they’re going to email me something important, can they actually ✨do it✨

[marindram]

full transcription of Marin's blog from Omega Mart!

huge thanks to @b0chelly for recording a scroll-through, which i typed this out from. (and warning for Omega Mart lore/story spoilers. second half is in reblog)

Marinknows.best

Location: Seven Monolith Village

Last Login: 12/31/2019

Profile Views: 101,275

About me: I love listening to music and glitter

Friends (0)

June 26, 2018

Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeee!

So 14 feels way different than 13. For real. I think it's because I was expecting 13 to feel different, but sometimes when you expect something it turns out the opposite ya know?

Plus, 13 is like, "I'm new to being a teenager!!"

14 is more like, "I'm becoming the person I want to be." At least that's how I want it to be. I wanted to start this blog as a record of all that.

I should ask Did you guys feel the same way when you turned 13 and 14?

But probably nobody's gonna read this because I'm just a weirdo in the weird dessert. I mean, I know my best friend Jesse is reading this (hi Jesse). Besides her, crickets.

But yeah, if you are reading this and you don't know me - I live in Seven Monolith Village, a teensy tiny town that you've only heard of if you're into aliens or homesteading. And I'm literally stuck. As in, I'm physically unable to leave. My first memories are of all the adults in my life (Charlie, my great-uncle/father-figure - Rose, my what? Roommate? Mother-figure? Pseudo-aunt? All of the above? and my mom, Cecelia. who doesn't live here) telling me that for some reason, there's something wrong with me that makes it so I can't leave a certain radius of where we live. I got older and thought that they were just exaggerating to keep me safe, but then last year I tried. And it was, let's just say not good.

Anyway. That part of my life sucks, but not everything sucks. This year is all about Marin Dram 2.0. Not new, but definitely improved.

And maybe someday, somehow somebody will read this and care about what I have to say. Somebodies, even. Until then, this is Marin Dram signing off and sending my lame contemplations into the void!

July 1, 2018

Things I Want To Do Before I Turn 20 (and some of these will never happen like are literally unable to happen but JUST LET ME DREAM

1. Kiss someone (who???)

2. Meet HTB (kiss him) (jk he would never) (plus meeting him would be enough)

3. Go to Paris

4. Go to Rome (or somewhere cooler in Italy, look up where is the best pasta???)

5. Go to Greenland (why not???)

6. Go to New York City

7. Go to LA (with a dream and my cardigan lol)

8. Go to the Grand Canyon (this isn't mine, but 9, Jesse is sitting right here and she went to the GC when we were 12 and she's like blah blah blah it's my favorite place in the world and you'll love it. I'm doing this so she'll shut up.

9. Live in a normal house with normal rooms → ideally 12 of them: living room AND TV room, kitchen, dining room, 3 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, study/library.

-plus an upstairs downstairs

-I'm willing to compromise on the number of rooms as long as there's more than ONE for TWO PEOPLE and I got my own

-plus an upstairs/downstairs

-I'm willing to compromise on the number of rooms as long as there's more than ONE for TWO PEOPLE and I get my own room with an actual door. Very into doors.

10. Go to a mall (Jesse says there's a bunch of bonkers ones in Vegas)

11. Make friends who aren't Jesse (no offense, Jesse)

12. Get Cecelia (my "mom") to teach me about business stuff so I can open my own cool coffeeshop/bookstore someday

13. Learn to drive (ask Charlie to teach me, he's obsessed with his truck) (Jesse says she can teach me because she's Little Miss Mechanic and thinks she knows everything about cars but news flash Jesse: you're you get than me)

14. Figure out my signature style- like I want people to send me pictures of things and be like "this just screamed Marin" and for that to be true

15. Liquid eyeliner??

16. I'm stopping here because I just read over all this and want to die/cry because easily 3/4 of these are literally impossible?

17. Kill me

18. Bye

19. Lololol Charlie just came in and I was complaining about this, not being able to leave and stuff, etc and he said that I should visit new places by... reading books?? And I mean I like to read. But dude. That's the dumbest thing I've ever head.

July 30, 2018

Okay so this is what I want my life to look like:

I want a pink room. Not just pink... P I N K. Cool pink wallpaper (floral? jacquard??), pink carpet, lots of pink flowers everywhere, a four-poster bed with a pink silk canopy, lots of cool pink throw pillows. Like, so pink that

people think I'm being sarcastic! Oh, and BOOKS. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and some of the shelves have, like, STUFF on them that isn't books, like gifts people gave me, or things I've collected on my JOURNEYS. You know, normal stuff that people who live on normal places and do normal things have.

If I lived in in this room, it'd be in awhite three-story house at the end of a cul-de-sac (did you know "culs-de-sac" is the plural? Not "cul-de-sacs"? crazy) and I'd wear very classic girly clothes and my hair would always do what I wanted it to. It'd be one of those towns that people call small, but it's actually a city. just one with a kinda small, cozy feeling. Somewhere that gets cold enough to wear cute jackets but not so cold I have to to like, shovel my driveway. Not a non-place with like 100 people where you can't even go outside without going crazy.

August 2nd, 2018

I guess I should explain where I live, for all my avid fans out there! (lol) (hello??)

So like... I don't live on Earth. At least, not the Earth you think of when you think of EARTH. I live in some some weird off-brand version of Earth called the Forked Earth where there are aliens and magic wells of magic energy and everything is MAGIC but like the crappy kind of magic, where the sun never fully rises and some goo called "runoff" has made everything wacky and oh yeah, my mom is responsible for that and everyone here hates her!! LOL

Also, I can't leave! Like, literally can't! Rose says I'm a "special child of Source" and that's why but that LITERALLY explains tells me nothing, in fact it just raises further questions that no one can seem to answer! AHHHHHHHHHH

Anyway, the last time I tried to leave I felt. When I try to leave I feel like I'm being pulled back by something, like you know those old cartoons where someone's on stage doing something dumb and then someone offstage pulls them away with a giant shepard's crook? It felt like that, and when I opened my eyes I was back in 7 Monolith Village. UGH.

I know this sounds crazy!!!!! But believe me when I say that I am the least crazy person here. Also, """here""" is C R A Z Y. Runoff has made everything the bad kind of psychedelic and then people here actually DRINK IT! Not only do I not DRINK THE STUFF THAT HAS MADE THE WORLD INSANE, I also do not talk to aliens (or whatever Nula are) like Rose or believe crazy conspiracy theories like Charlie, so I believe that qualifies me as the most normal person in the Forked Earth, thank you for this honor, I accept this award with humility and grace!

September 4, 2018

I had the weirdest dream last night?? I was swimming in a pool full of cereal, and when I came up for air, my mom was pouring milk on my head like she was rinsing my hair. She had her hand over my face like I was a little kid and she was shielding me from soap getting in my eyes.

Anyway I have no idea what it's supposed to mean. I went to bed hungry and I need to take a shower? Lol

October 16, 2018

I was trying to hide this entry from Jesse, but JESSE IS A NOSY PERSON. She says that blogs are for readers, and if I wanted something to be private then I should "Just write in a fucking notebook and hide it under your bed like a normal person, Marin." I'm allowed to have secrets!! Anyway, I'm making her a freaking playlist, that's why I wouldn't tell her what I was writing about. but EVEN STILL! I'm allowed to have secrets!! But I have this blog because I wanna get my feelings out, I wanna see everything in my head typed out all nice in a way that doesn't make it look insane. You know? I don't know who I'm asking.) Because, it's not like I go to a normal school or have a normal life where I'm surrounded by normal people I can talk to. No one knows about me! I'm trapped in this crazy place and This blog is my only outlet to the world outside. I KNOW that's heavy but it's true! The point is: Jesse's birthday is coming up. The central consistent thing in pretty much my whole life is sharing headphones with her and listening to music. The soundtrack to my entire existence is her. I wish I had money and could buy her the best presents of all time, but I can make her the best playlist of all time. I want it to be so good it feels like magic. I want her to think I'm magic. I had another dream the other night. I don't remember much, just glitter. I must be crafting too much. Or looking at festival makeup tutorials. Or both.

November 12, 2018

WARNING- Weird thoughts ahead, lol.

I can never tell which feelings are normal, and which are me being a giant weirdo. But for as long as I can remember, I've had this feeling like every part of my body that's possible to have a ribbon tied around it, has a ribbon tied around it. It's so weird. I can't see the other end of the ribbons - how far they go. where they're attached, nothing. And sometimes it's fine, because sometimes I can hardly feel them. I can forget about them for days at a time, weeks, months if I'm lucky. But then other times I can feel them like, pulling at me. It's freaking spooky, to have something pulling at you from somewhere you can't see. I can't tell if it's pulling me toward whatever it is? Or if it's trying to warn me? Or if I'm just insane??

Does that make sense? Does anybody else feel that way? (she asks into the void)

So idk I guess this ribbons-feeling is why I'm really careful all the time. Like I'm just a careful person. Charlie tried to give me a hard time about it, and I can't be like "I don't wanna pull back in the ribbons too hard without realizing it and wreck something!" because he'd be like "WTF Marin, do we need to get you help?" But also, more and more, I want to be the opposite of careful. I want to take a pair of comically oversized scissors and cut the ribbons into so many pieces that nobody can even tell what they are any more.

I don't know why I'm such a freak, only that I am. I don't know why I can't leave 7 Monolith, only that I can't. But there must be a reason, even if I can't see it, and I feel like it makes sense that the ribbons-feeling is part of that reason, right?

There's just a lot.

January 15, 2019

Happy new year! Lol I forgot to write on the actual first day of 2019, but OH WELL!

I got this new glitter nail polish, thanks to the monthly makeup subscription box my "mom" sends me as an outlet for her abandonment guilt. It has like, every color glitter imaginable without quite reading as "rainbow" which is fine just not really what I was in the mood for and it's vaguely halographic and shifts into all these different colors depending on the light. I'm obsessed. Anyway.

I was putting on another layer because I chipped it like 20 minutes into wearing it, and all of a sudden I had this feeling like I recognized the glitter? Like I felt this thing way deep in my gut and for a minute I couldn't breathe. It's the closest thing I've felt to how books and movies make Christmas look. Like I was home, with family, cookies and cider and all that stuff. Familiar and safe. I almost didn't recognize that feeling. And it came from the nail polish. How weird is that.

I mean, I don't want to make it sound like I've had this awful Charles Dickens childhood - Rose and Charlie are the best ever and always there for me and I love them a lot. But things never feel like...home. You know?

My mom always says this cryptic stuff about how I'm "special" and I wanna strangle her because I'm not, but you try getting my mom to stop doing anything she wants to do. Rose told me once that one day, I would "lead the charge into a new era of existence and access" because I'm "of the Source" and I was like uhhhh okay?? Charlie mostly treats me pretty normal, except when I ask him questions about our family. my mom or any Dram. He knows that I want to know more about them and he's my only real entrypoint, but apparently he's like the black sheep of that whole family. He and my mom were close way back right before I was born, but now whenever she comes to visit he barely even looks at her.

So that's to say: nobody tells me anything, ever.

January 16, 2019

Okay this is so weird. I wrote that entry yesterday about glitter and then last night I dreamed about glitter. Then I woke up with purple glitter in my bed?? Like not a lot, so at first I thought it was from my nail polish, but it was just a handful of purely purple glitter that looks nothing like my nail polish. SO WEIRD!!!!!!

February 14, 2019

Rose has an old book full of "ye olde" style fairy tales, and I flipped through it for the first time in forever today.

Not so weirdly, I've always been drawn to the story of Rapunzel.

Rapunzel couldn't leave the tower, or else she'd break her neck and die.

Same.

February 19, 2019

I was reading this article the other day in one of the teen magazines my "mom" gets me a subscription to and it was all about body positivity, which is great, but it was basically just like "wear a crop top if you wannna wear a crop top! it doesn't matter what size you are! You go, girl!" And like, sure. Yes. I am all for that. But doesn't it seem like there are some steps missing in there? Like, I can physically put on a crop top and wear it outside. But how do I convince myself that everybody isn't looking at me and making fun of me in their minds? How do I unlearn the last almost-fifteen years? How do I get actually positive about my body, not just put on a crop top and fight the urge to cry all day?

It's the same thing like when my mom sends me brochures from the CEO camp she ten when she was my age (her dad started the camp for her, which is an insane thing just by itself, but she did all the work, which is even more insane) and she's like "Marin, you lack direction for your life" and I'm like, cool mom. Yeah. I can see that. What I can't see is how to get there from here.

March 2, 2019

This is what I want my life to look like, volume 2:

The walls of my room are covered in Polaroids of me and my friends. There are lots of mirrors in all kinds of shapes. hearts and moons and stars. There's a record player and a lot of vintage records by Billie Holiday and Lena Horne and Peggy Lee and Nina Simone. And Christmas lights! Everywhere! Lots of of pink and purple Christmas lights everywhere.

If I lived in this room, I'd have so many friends and be part of so many clubs. My best friend would have a collection of vintage cameras, and every place we go to that has a photo booth, we'd get photos taken. Every time I'd look at myself in one of those mirrors, I'd feel happy at what I see and never weird or sad. (Jesse hates taking pictures, so even when I actually do normal stuff with her there's no evidence. What even is a life supposed to be without evidence? That's not an actual question you need to answer Jesse, it's just a question)

Anyway, if I lived in this kind of room, my mom would probably be like, an art history professor at a liberal arts college. That's how come everything looks so cool, because I would know stuff about art. My mom and I would love to try new recipes together. We get each other new cookbooks for every special occasion, and right now we're working out way through a Moroccan one. Moroccan Mondays.

In actuality, there's a dust storm happening outside and my eyes sting.

March 9, 2019

Here's what I'm obsessed with lately.

Can. You. EVEN???

February 3, 2020

Omg I totally forgot this blog existed!!

I lost the password and instead of just resetting it I got in one of my super stubborn moods (Taurus moon lol) and just kept putting in guesses and jokes on me, it locked me out. Anyway, that's a boring story.

But my friend Ximena is really good at hacking and stuff, so she got me back in. Yeah you read that right - I have friends. Obviously a lot has happened since my last post. Ximena moved out here a couple months ago (X's family used to live here but they moved away a while ago) and she introduced me to Lora who I sorta-not-really already knew, and Jesse and I have been hanging out with them a ton. Jesse kind of more than me. Which is fine!!

Anyway I'm 15 now? If I lived somewhere normal I'd be psyched about almost being 16, because I'd get a car and have a Sweet Sixteen and eat a huge PINK cake, but I don't!

February 16, 2020

I read this fanfic the other night that was written in the second person so everything was like "you." "you're doing this" etc you know?

So... You go to a drive-in movie with Heartthrob Boy, and he spills soda on you by accident. And you take off your shirt ( you have a tank top on, don't worry) to clean it up, bit you're still all sticky and self-conscious about being sticky and HTB like... used his tongue to get it off??? AAHHHHH I'M DISGUSTING

but also I wonder if a boy will ever touch any part of me with his tongue

March 2, 2020

Hi I don't know if you heard but I have friends :)))

March 15, 2020

I think I'm so into painting my nails and doing my hair because those are things that always fit. I don't have to worry about places not carrying about a size 8, or places that carry XLs but when you read the measurements they're actually size 8s too and it's like jesus if that's an XL what am I

My "mom" was confused why I needed new pants because mine still look new, but I showed her the thigh holes and she was like "that's a weird place for a hole, how did that happen" and I realized that when your legs are a certain size, you just don't know about thigh rub and what it does to clothes. Pants could just last for years.

No matter what, I can paint my nails with a different color nail polish on every finger, and I can always do a braid crown. And I know I'm cute as hell, etc, so this is not a Marin Needs to Learn to Love Herself thing. It's just an UGH thing

April 17, 2020

So Rose does all these Source experiments on plants and flowers and stuff. Tbh, it's just one if those things I hardly even register anymore because it's just always there. She's explained to me a million times what Source is/does/means, but the way Rose explains things sometimes is just a LOT to take in and she refers to me as a "child of Source" but I kinda figure that's like "child of God" right? What else would that mean?

But anyway, it's really annoying because dried flowers are a part of my new aesthetic and I pinned a bunch of them up on my wall but I woke up this morning to a freaking jungle of very alive flowers. I freaked out. on Rose, and she Rose said she didn't do it and I was like WELL THEN WHO DID and she said that I did??

Which like. Obviously that doesn't make sense. I asked her what she meant and She just shook her head and said " It's happening. We should have known" which is some horror movie shit that she refused to elaborate on. I love to feel safe and normal!!

Or maybe it's not a horror movie at all. But maybe it's a superhero movie? Maybe there's some kind of origin story I don't know about yet, and all of this will be worth it once I figure out my powers. I wonder what my costume will look like. Lol.

April 23, 2020

Is it possible to die from longing? I know that sounds melodramatic, but I'm also kinda serious?? Because it seems like one of those things that could fester and get infected and kill you. It's like when you fall down and bang up your knee, and you need to put a band-aid on the scrape for a while, but THEN you need to air it out - but how do you know when you're supposed to do each one of those things? And if you do either one too much, your knee gets infected. What if I smother my heart with band-aids for too long and it gets infected? This isn't about anybody. I just keep having these dreams about someone I never expected to have dreams about and they're so intense that they keep leaking into my life and I wonder if I need to do something about them.

May 2, 2020

So Jesse's gotten really into metal music, and I tried to get her to play me something since, AS PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED, that's what we've literally ALWAYS DONE with music and each other, and she kinda looked at Ximena out of the corner of her eye and said like "I don't think it's really your thing" And it was the meanest thing anybody's ever said to me.

So later I looked up Zenion, the band she was talking about, and I listened to every single fucking song they've ever recorded turned up as loud as it could go with my own headphones that are better than hers anyway, and I loved it. And I didn't love it just because she said I wouldn't. I loved it because it was loud and weird and wild and when I listened to it it made me feel like it's not crazy when so feel stuff so hard it's like my heart's gonna vibrate out of my body. And I would have told Jesse all this and we could have shared it, but I guess she thinks just because I like HTB and glitter and stuff, I don't have the capacity for anything else.

She clearly doesn't know me at all. So much for any kind of whatever, why would she ever want to kiss someone she clearly sees as like a stupid baby.

May 7, 2020

The dreams are getting weirder and they're happening more. I'm getting scared to go to sleep. Not that the dreams are always scary (they almost never are, or not scary like in a typically scary horror movie way). I mean, I've only ever been me. I don't know what other peoples' dreams are like.

The other night in one I was jumping on a trampoline, which is something I've never done in real life. I told Rose about it when I woke up, and she said "do you even know how to jump on a trampoline?" and I said "Rose, it's not like riding a bike. You don't have to learn. You just jump." and then we got into this whole thing about how some things we just know, and jumping's one of them, and how that's so weird. Sometimes I really like talking to Rose about stuff.

May 19, 2020

So, it's prom season in the real world. If I lived somewhere normal, my prom dress would be pink with lots of tulle and silk flowers at the shoulders, and it would fit perfectly and trying in dresses would be fun and not anxiety-inducing.

But since there are only like 10 teenagers currently in 7MV, were not having a homecoming. Cool.

May 27, 2020

So, mom came to visit this weekend, and I asked her about her prom. She was Typical Cecelia at first, very "Prom is a waste of time and money, Marin. It's a night when lesser people play dress-up to engage with their aspirations of grandeur." And I was like eyeroll forever and just stopped talking. BUT THEN she actually talked to me like a human being. She was like, "I actually didn't go to my prom" and when I asked her why she said that she didn't have a date, and was very self-conscious about it. I almost passed out at her admitting that she's ever been anything less than perfect.

(gonna continue this in reblog)

[the-record]

The City of Romance (Part 4)

Summary: On Spencer’s mandatory leave, he plans a trip to Paris, France where he meets an unforgettable face.

Part 4 summary: It’s Christmas!

Italics: Translation French to English. Bold: Song lyrics

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Non-BAU!Fem!Reader

A/N: Ahh yes the beloved fluff. There will be angst (as there is in any relationship) and some other things but we all know how much I love love. Like it’s sickening. 

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Check out my masterlist here!

“Spence! You ready?” 

At 6 months, Spencer asked you to move in with him. You spent a lot of time at his place already so you of course said yes. His place already kind of felt like yours so you had a natural routine down. Today was different. To most it was you average Friday. Last day of the week before the notorious and anticipated winter break. For you? For you, it was the day your class was going to meet Spencer. They had been begging you after seeing a polaroid of the two of you in your phone case. So, you asked him to come in and read to the class. 

“Yeah, one second!” You were putting on your coat and boots when Spencer came out. He was wearing the usual white button up and cardigan with dress pants and converse. The best part of that day’s outfit, was his tie. It was white with navy blue, to match the cardigan, silhouettes of dinosaurs on it. They were something your kids had an infatuation with. You giggled softly when you saw it.

“Nice tie. Boy genius is starting to seem like fitting nickname.” You winked at him before throwing his coat at him. He miraculously managed to catch it from across the room.

“Shut up. You’re literally wearing a 1950′s style Christmas dress with mistletoe in your ponytail.” You gaped at him and scoffed.

“It’s for teaching!” He raised his eyebrows. “The kids love history and I thought this would be perfect. My lesson plan has us teaching them about Christmas throughout the decades.” You took out the small plant from your hair and held it over the both of your heads. “And this... This is for you.” You leaned into him, on your tiptoes, placing a kiss on his lips before pulling away and putting the branch into your hair again. You gripped his hand in yours. “Now, come one before I am late.”

He followed your lead, walking behind you out of the apartment before heading to school on the metro. School was never kind to him, but if you were there everything would be okay. You were practically buzzing from excitement. Like his team was his family, these kids started to feel like yours. You couldn’t tell them things that you could tell adults, but they were the most understanding people in the world and you would do absolutely anything for them. When you arrived outside the school, hand in hand with Spencer, her thought you might just run all the way down and speed up time so the children got there quicker. If you could do that, you would’ve. Instead you walked with Spencer and prepped the room for teaching. You set out cards for every kid and set up the party later today. You printed and got worksheets prepared while Spencer chose what he was going to read. Finally the day was set and ready and the kids were set to arrive soon. Spencer sat in the back reading so he didn’t disturb the usual morning routine.

Kids began to line up at the door where you stood. “Good morning class! I know we are so excited about our guest and the party today but we still have lots of learning to do!” You called out, standing in front of the line. “At each of your spots is your morning work along with a coloring page for when you finish. Hang up your coats and bag and do those while we wait for all of our friends to arrive!” You walked inside the classroom with little boys and girls following you in. You sat in the front, correcting if a child ran or didn’t put away their stuff the right way. Spencer watched in awe as you interacted with every single human in the room. He watched as you helped kids with the math or reading they had been assigned.

“Ms. Y/L/N?” You looked up from the paper you were looking at to the voice you heard. It was a little girl named Charlotte. 

“Yes Charlotte?” You made eye contact with the small girl, something you had established was good for making conversations.

“Is that your prince in the back of the room?” Your face flushed as a smile made it’s way on your face. The same giggle from this morning erupted from your lips.

“Yes sweetheart. That is my prince.” You winked at Spencer from the front of the room. “Okay kiddos, today is very exciting. Last day of school before winter break and a party! However, we have lots of learning to do. That starts with fixing our calendar!” 

The day went smoothly and everything was fun and exciting for the kids. You were so grateful for Spencer being there because if it wasn’t for him, you would have never even made it to lunch time. 

“Alright, when the kids get back we have social studies, then story time, and wrap up the day with the party. You my good prince, are going to be helping Ms. Y/L/N the rest of the day.” You told him. He and you had stayed in the classroom to eat pizza the secretary had ordered for all teachers.

“Okay, I have to ask. Why am I the prince?” You smiled and covered your full mouth with your hand before telling him the story.

“The girl ran down the stairs, leaving only a glass slipper. She had to get out before the clock struck midnight.” Your phone buzzed in your jean pocket. It was Spencer. He never called you in the day and he was supposed to be on a case right now. You sat the book down making sure not to lose the page. “Sorry kiddos. Everyone stay here and chat while I take this.” You left the gabbing children to answer the call in the hallway. “Spencer? Are you ok?”

“Hey, yeah I’m okay. We got the unsub and I’m heading home early...” He trailed off. 

“What’re you not telling me?”

“It’s nothing, it’s just- I wanted to check on you. Something really big happened today and I can’t explain it but I just needed to know you were okay.” You smiled.

“I’m okay.” You peered back into your classroom. “School is almost done, I have to get back but I’ll see you when you at home, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Go teach some kids for me. I love you.”

“I love you too.” You hung up the phone and walked back in, still checking your phone.

“Ms. Y/L/N? Who is that in the picture with you on your phone?” You scrunched your eyebrows together, flipping the rectangle in your hand to look at the back. Your face relaxed when you saw the picture of you and him. Penelope had taken it when you were dancing with him to You Belong with Me in David’s backyard.

“That’s... That’s my bestfriend.” You spoke in a hushed tone.

“Is he your prince?” You let out a laugh through your nose.

“Yes. Yes, he is my prince.”

“Wow. That is adorable and now I have a favorite kid.” You smiled and looked at the time. The kids would be getting back in a minute so the both of you quickly cleaned up. You sat for a moment, nursing a Dr. Pepper while you waited for the sound of tiny feet rushing to the door. When you did you quickly stood up to open the door. The people outside the door quickly filled the room as you got ready to teach. 

“Was your guys’ lunch good?” There were yeses around the room. “Well that is absolutely magnificent.” You turned to the front of the room to start teaching. “Should we get started on social studies now?”

“Alrighty ighty, that is all we have left today. Who knows what time it is?” Every kid from every table raised their hand in excitement. “Dominic.”

“Story time!” You smiled.

“That’s right! Now i want everyone to welcome our guest!” You grabbed Spencer’s hand and pulled him to the front of the classroom. He sat down in the chair you had pulled up. “This is my very good friend Mr. Reid. And Mr. Reid does really good story time voices so I need you all to listen,” You pointed to your ears with both hands. “Watch,” Your fingers moved to point at your eyes. “And think,” You moved your hands one last time to point at your head. “About the the story!” You winked at Spencer, signaling for him to get started.

“Hey kids!” There was an abundance of hellos and heys from around the room. “My name is Mr. Reid but you can call me Spencer. Today we are reading one of my all time favorite books!” He pulled out a book from behind his back. It was one that your father gave you many many years ago. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” He opened the book and began to read. “Every Who down in Who-Ville like Christmas a lot. But the Grinch who lived just north of Who-Ville did not!” Each voice differed from the other. His Grinch voice was hearty and deep making the children giggle, while his Who voice was higher and peppy. You sat next to the children, watching in awe just as they did. You didn’t look away not for a second. You didn’t have to. They were all entranced by his magical voices. No one talked and no one dared to move. The story was too compelling.

“And the minute his heart didn’t feel quite so tight, he whizzed with his load through the bright morning light, and brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And he... He himself! The Grinch carved the roast beef.” He closed the book, soaking in the claps and whoops from the children. From you... 

“Well Spencer that was absolutely fantastic! Do you guys agree?” Claps and screams floated around the room, bouncing off the walls to his ears. “Alright settle down, settle down. I know we are all very excited about the amazing story we just heard but we must get ready for our party!” You walked to front of the room and flicked on the lights that were off. “Okie dokie. I need everyone, when I say go, to walk to their cubbies and grab their coats and bags. Then I want everyone to walk back to their seats and place their belongings on the back of their chair before walking to get in line. I want no talking until we get in line so we can hurry and get down to the gym for the party! Ça sonne bien?” “Sound good?”

“Sounds good!” They all announced loudly.

“Alrighty, go!” They all rushed to stand up but walked careful around, packing up their bags and coats. “Your voices really are fantastic Mr. Reid. I think I might need you to come and read more often.” He blushed at your words.

“Well thank you Ms. Y/L/N. If we weren’t standing in a room filled with kindergarteners right now, I would totally kiss you.” You giggled and look down at your hands trying to hide the blush rising to your cheeks. “They really adore you ya’ know.”

“Not as much as they adore you Spence. I’ve never seen them so interested in a book before.” You looked around to see the little humans were all in line staring at you in silence. “Well...” You cleared your throat. “I heard that moms and dads are setting up right now, so I want everyone to be quiet and walk down the hallway single file. Can you do that for me?” They all nodded and you started walking down with them behind you to the gym. “Everyone go in and listen to Mrs. Jenkins so she can tell you what to do! I’ll be down to take outside for dismissal in a little! Be good for Mrs. Jenkins!” They all walked in their quickly leaving you and Spencer in the hallway. You grabbed his hand and pulled him back to your classroom. “Come on, I have something I want to show you.” You and him ran down the hallway to your room where you shut the door and walked to your desk. You pulled out a box wrapped in brown wrapping paper. You held it out. “Open it.”

He took the box carefully and slowly undid it. He opened the large purple box under the wrapping to the reveal a picture frame. It had a picture of you and him. It was from one of the dinners you went to. You had asked the waitress to take a photo while he wasn’t looking. You and him were laughing about something. 

“Turn it over.” He did just that to see a note from you and the lyrics to You Belong with Me.  As he read it you saw his eyes fill with tears. He set it down gently, careful not to break it before pulling you into a sweet kiss. 

“Thank you Y/N/N. I love it, so so much.” You smiled. “I love you, so so much.”

“I love you too.” Your arms fell around your torso and his around your shoulders in a hug. He kissed your head before resting his chin on the same spot. You could stay this way for the rest of your life.

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You were woken up by the sun peeking through the blinds. You were cuddled up next to Spencer’s half clothed body. He was combing through your hair with his fingers. 

“Mmm, good morning prince.” Your voice was thick with sleep.

“Good morning princess. Merry Christmas eve.” You smiled realizing what day it was.

“Merry Christmas eve.” You pulled yourself closer to him. “When did you get back last night?”

“Very late. I didn’t wanna wake you so I just got in bed and you cuddled close to me. I figured that would do until I saw you in the morning.” You chuckled lowly on his chest.

“I’m glad you’re back. I was nervous you would miss Christmas.” He placed a kiss on your head.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world sweet girl. I wouldn’t even dream of it.” You pulled the sheets higher up to keep warm. “You excited for dinner tonight?” Your heart dropped when you remembered. You didn’t answer. Instead, you looked at your hands which were drawing shapes on Spencer’s stomach. “Baby? What’s wrong?”

“My dad. It’s my second Christmas without him. These dinner’s were his idea.” A  lone tear rolled down your cheek and onto Spencer.

“Oh baby. I’m sorry. I know this may not be what you want to hear, but it gets better. I mean I speak from experience. I know our situations are a little different, but my dad may as well be dead. We don’t have to go if you don’t want either. I can only imagine how hard this all is for you.” You shook your head.

“I have to go. It’s to honor him really. Thank you.” He nodded and pressed another kiss on your head before getting up. “Prince, what are you doing?” He grabbed your hands and pulled you up.

“I am taking my amazing, beautiful, sweet, kind, fantastic girlfriend to our kitchen to make her coffee and breakfast.” You smiled and leaned into him.

“You might have to carry me.” So he did just that. He picked you up and carried you to the kitchen, placing you on the cold counter tops. “Jesus christ!” He looked at you with concern in his eyes.

“What?”

“I’m in a shirt and my underwear. This counter is fucking freezing.” He smiled and shook his head.

“Just sit still and look pretty while I make you coffee.” You rolled your eyes and put your hands under your thighs to try and keep them off the cold slab of rock. Not much later Spencer handed you a sweet cup of coffee. You had grown to like his overly sweetened coffee and now requested it. You sipped on the mug as Spencer rubbed his hands over your legs. They inched closer and closer to the inside of your thighs. You set down the mug and took his hands in yours.

“Baby.” He whined at your actions and snuck his hands out from yours, getting back to what he was doing. “I’m gonna be late to set up if you don’t quit it.” He smiled even more.

“You better call Rossi, and don’t even think about making a noise.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I am going to kill you Spencer Reid! We are so late right now!” You ran around the bathroom putting in jewelry. 

“That’s not what you said earlier!” You reminded you.

“Well earlier I was happy and now I am stressed because we are going to be late! Are you ready?” You looked from the bathroom doorway to see him sitting on the bed, completely ready.

“Waiting on you princess.”

“Save it.” You grabbed the presents from beside your bed. “Let’s go.” 

The door opened to a very cheery Penelope. “Y/N! Oh my goodness you look absolutely gorgeous! Wow, you are just-”

“Penelope, let them in it’s cold outside.” You silently thanked JJ.

“Yes, sorry.” She opened the door to let the both of you inside. He took your coat to hang up while you went in to see your friends.

“JJ!” The girl pulled you into a hug. “I missed you.” She pulled away.

“I missed you too. I think your uncle did too.” 

“Oh shit.” Your hand quickly covered your gaping mouth. “Something... let’s just go with something came up.” You felt an arm around your waist. 

“Something most definitely came up.” You rolled your eyes.

“Hey pretty boy finally decided to show up. Y/N, how are you?” 

“Very tired and ready to go to sleep. How are you D?”

“I could say the same. However none of us will ever say no to a meal from Rossi.”

“You can say that again!” You turned to see Penelope now in the living room reaching out a glass of wine to you. You graciously accepted.

“Thanks Pen. Speaking of, where is David?” You looked around the room and didn’t see him. “And Aaron?”

“I don’t actually know. Now, come on we have been waiting on your both to start eating and I am sure the boys are getting antsy.” You held Spencer’s hand as you walked into the dining room. 

“Y/N!” You looked to see both little boys running at you. You didn’t even have a chance to know what was happening before they pummeled into you. You ended up falling backwards right onto your ass thanks to your decision to wear heels. 

“Boys!” JJ quickly came and swept them up. “Y/N I am so sorry about that. Are you ok?” She reached out a hand to help you up while Spencer gripped your arm for extra support. They both helped you up and back to your feet.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You smoothed out your dress. “I’m going to go get David and Aaron. I can only assume they are in his office talking about work.”

“Wait!” You turned to see Spencer grabbing your wrist. “I got it, go sit down.”

“Spence, I got it.”

“No, Y/N really. Let me.” He bit the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit.

“What is going on, why are you being so weird?” You folded your arms in front of your chest.

“Baby it’s nothing, just let me. Please.”

“Fine. Whatever, I’m gonna go sit then I guess.” You walked away without another word. The team could read you like a book. You were annoyed. Bothered. Upset. Confused even. 

“Pretty girl, you ok?” You didn’t even look up to talk to Derek while you sat down.

“Fine.” You took a sip of your wine. “Why is Spencer being so weird? Like why couldn’t I just go get them? I mean David is my uncle not his. What is up with him? Was it me? Did I do something wrong?” You dropped your head into your hands. “Does he really just want to get away from me for a moment? Am I just overbearing?”

“Y/N.” You looked up at Emily. “He’s fine. Just... just trust us okay?” She could see you were still concerned but you agreed.

“Yeah. yeah, okay.” You took a large swig of wine and quickly refilled the glass. 

You were awkward and cautious the rest of the night. You made sure not to be touchy, not to bring much up, not to talk to much really. You just tried to be in the background. This didn’t go unnoticed. Everyone noted how you would almost touch Spencer but pull yourself back. Or how you would open your mouth but close just as quickly as you opened it. They all noticed how closed off you became. Especially Spencer. He knew why but he wasn’t ready just yet. He had to go get the present from Rossi who had ordered it for him because he wasn’t very tech savvy. 

“Present time!” Garcia announced. They had thought about just doing secret Santa, but you and Penelope had insisted on buying everyone gifts so you all had decided to just do presents. You all passed them around. JJ and her family were the first to open. Then Penelope, Derek, Emily, Rossi, Hotch and Jack, Spencer, and finally it was your turn.

The Jareau-LaMontagne’s had gotten you a blanket and spa day kit. They knew how kids were, having one, and thought that you might need something about having to be around them for hours 5 days a week. Penelope got you stuff for teaching. Derek got you a gift card for your favorite store. Emily got a necklace you had told her about months before. David got you lots of candles and your favorite snacks. Aaron got you and Spencer some useful household things. Spencer got you a cardigan to match one of your favorites of his.

“Thank you guys, I really loved it all.” You smiled at all of your friends.

“Actually, I have one more thing for you.” You turned to look at Spencer with scrunched eyebrows. He pulled out a small black box and you thought you might throw up. “Don’t worry. It’s not what you think, I’m not proposing.” You let out a breath of relief. He opened the small box to reveal 2 rings. One was a thicker ring with the cut out of a dinosaur and the other, a dainty ring with the dinosaur cut out attached. Your eyes welled up with tears. 

“Baby...” He the smaller one out and placed it on your left ring finger.

“It’s a promise ring. A promise of my love for you.” You pulled him in for a kiss not even caring for the audience around you. When you pulled away you buried  your face in his neck and hugged him as he pulled you into his lap. “I love you sweet girl. Don’t forget it.” All of your worries floated away as he said those words. He loved you and that is all you ever needed.

[craniumhurricane]

call me, baby, if you need a friend

Cleaning up some old WIPs. This has been in my drafts since end of season 2/around season 3.

Basically 4 times Clarke calls Bellamy and 1 time that Bellamy calls Clarke.

Thank you @casleyislove and @sushigirlali for always reading things before I post them!

[ On AO3! ]

___

(i)

It's a quiet night in at the Blake apartment. Or, at least, for Bellamy it is. He's having a nice Friday night by himself after surviving a truly grueling week of finals. Octavia tried to convince him to go out and celebrate the end of the semester the "right way," but he turned her down… he's still not quite sure how he managed to do that.

His feet are currently propped up on the coffee table with a large bowl of store brand cocoa puffs in his lap. Bellamy may be an adult but damn if he isn’t going to celebrate the end of the term with sugary cereal… nevermind that he didn’t actually make time to grocery shop this week. The TV was queued and ready for the marathon of Ancient Aliens episodes he’d missed due to studying, and he was just about to press play when he hears a short but insistent buzzing sound.  

Glancing around, his eyes land on Octavia’s phone sitting on the corner of the coffee table. She must have left it in her hurry to leave since she was running late to meet up with her boyfriend.

Bellamy keeps his eyes on it for a second before deciding to ignore it, and once again his finger hovers over the play button on the remote. Then the phone lights up again, this time with a phone call; a picture of Octavia and a curly haired blonde that he recognizes, the name CLARKE THE GRIFFIN flashing across the screen. He considers ignoring it for a second time but... if she’s resorting to actually calling instead of texting again then something could be seriously wrong.

Bellamy swipes his thumb across the screen to answer and brings the phone to his ear but before he can even say anything a voice on the other side interjects immediately.

“Men are dicks,” the woman says without preamble. “No! Worse than that. They're weird tumors that grow on dicks," she pauses, seems to think about it, and then adds, "Preferably life threatening.”

Bellamy blinks a few times before he answers, “I'm sure you're right, but don't you think that's a bit harsh?”

The line is quiet. He can hear her shifting the phone, no doubt checking the screen to make sure she called the right person.

“Octavia?”

“Bellamy.”

Clarke huffs. “Where's Octavia?” she snaps. He can hear the annoyance seeping into her tone, which in turn just makes him feel his own frustrations start to rise.

He tamps it down though. “On a date,” he answers.

She deflates at that, “Oh right. One month anniversary with Lincoln.”

He hums a confirmation and then they’re silent for a few minutes. So long that it’s Bellamy’s turn to look at the phone and make sure she’s still there. “Did you need something?” he asks once he sees that the call is still, in fact, in progress.

She takes a deep breath before answering, “I ended things with Finn tonight.”

Bellamy had only met Finn Collins a handful of times; the guy was fine except for a little cocky… and he always seemed to want to show off in front of pretty girls. His hair was too long and always styled like he was some kind of frat boy that came from big money even though Bellamy's 100% sure he never so much as pledged.

And then there was that one time he flirted with Octavia.

Ok, so Bellamy didn’t like the guy. But a break up is still a shitty thing to go through which is why he says, “I’m sorry,” and finds that he means it.

“Not your fault,” Clarke says immediately, “But I was kind of looking for someone to watch me binge drink and listen to me vent.”

He understands that, having gone through the same thing when he broke up with Roma at the start of the term. If you could really call them “hooking up occasionally” the same thing as dating, but still, getting drunk with Miller had been essential in the whole moving on process.

“You want to come over here anyway?” he offers carefully, casually. He doesn’t mind Clarke. She’s younger than him, around Octavia’s age. They aren’t exactly friends, but he would consider them a little more than acquaintances. Enough that it shouldn’t be too weird for him to invite her over even without his sister present. Plus, her getting drunk here is a better alternative than her getting drunk by herself in some bar.

“You don’t mind?” she asks and he thinks he hears relief in her voice, “I was kind of already on my way over to your guy’s place... I don’t really feel like going out and I really don't feel like being depressed and alone in my dorm right now.”

“Nah,” he says and then tries a joke to brighten her spirits, “Sounds like something fun to watch. I’ll order food.”

“Chinese would be great,” and he swears he can hear a smile in her voice so he’ll count his dumb joke as a victory. “Thanks, Bellamy, see you soon.”

He's not even a little bit mad about dumping out his now soggy cereal.

*

(ii)

“So, you’ve been in school for basically forever. Is it normal for a person to experience this amount of stress?”

Bellamy’s lips twitch as he holds his phone to his ear. After Clarke crashed his Friday night in, and spilled on the whole cheating Finn debacle while they did shots, Bellamy figured he should give her his own cell phone number. As much as he hated to admit it, and honestly he never will, his sister and her boyfriend were getting serious, so who knows how much Octavia would be available for late night bitchfests about significant others, fellow students, and the human population in general. Which were just a few of the topics they discussed that night. Hanging out with Clarke ended up being kind of fun, a better night than he originally planned. She even let him watch a little of his marathon and offered her own commentary. Bellamy would do it again… which is something else he would never admit.

It's not like they suddenly talk every day, but it’s a near thing. They would send each other the occasional text when one of them sees something that the other absolutely has to know about. Mostly, he gets pictures of old dogs she sees at the park, asking if this will be him in 20 years. Bellamy responds in kind with memes about college life and rubbing it in her face that they no longer apply to him since he graduated last semester.

But sometimes she reaches out to him if there is something particularly bothering her. Such as dealing with egotistical dickwads that consider themselves professors and shutting down female students in a male dominated class.

Clarke’s probably the only person that ever calls him and can never start the conversation with a simple ‘Hello’. Actually, she’s probably the only person that actually still calls him.

“I just got a job teaching so that insult isn't going to work anymore since I literally will be in a school as part of my job,” is his first response before he turns to one of concern, “Midterms got ya down?”

“It’s just,” she gives an exasperated sigh before continuing, “I want to do something that helps people, I know I want to help people… But maybe I don't want to help people the way my mom wants me to help people...ya know?”

“You’re going to have to give me more to go on here, Princess-”

“I’m thinking about switching my major,” she says abruptly, like she’s ripping off a band aid.

He’s silent, waiting to see if she’s going to say anything else. When it becomes clear she’s waiting for him to say something he responds honestly, “If being a doctor isn’t something you want to do, then you shouldn’t do it.”

“But-”

“What your mom wants you to do shouldn’t overrule what you want to do, Clarke,” he interrupts her. Due to the increasing amount of time he’s been spending with Clarke, he’s learned that the Griffins have always had a capital “P” Plan and he knows that Clarke has a hard time knowing when she can push the boundaries of said Plan.

She’s silent again and Bellamy’s starting to think he’s going to have to prod her a second time. He’s got the beginnings of his big speech all prepared when finally she speaks up. “I’m thinking about going into Art Therapy,” She says thoughtfully, “Or maybe teaching? Helping out underprivileged kids...or hell, even underprivileged adults. Or maybe something for the community?”

His lips twitch on another smile at hearing the beginnings of a hint of passion in her voice. “Teaching can be very rewarding,” he says magnanimously.

She snorts and it turns into a full laugh, “You haven't even started yet! It could be the worst thing you’ve ever done and a total waste of your degree.”

“Your confidence in me really is touching,” he deadpans and then adds simply, “You’re an amazing artist, Clarke. I think doing something with that could be something you'd enjoy and be really really good at.”

She’s quiet when she asks, “You think I’m amazing? You’ve never told me that.” And Bellamy swears he can hear that smile in her voice again. The one he always looks forward to. The one he tries to coax out of her without realizing he’s doing it.

He feels his cheeks start to heat up and even though she can't see him, he feels the need to brush it off. “Yeah, well, I generally try to be as dickish as possible so…”

She snorts again and damn if he didn’t feel a slight flutter in his chest.

“For the record, I think you’re going to be an amazing teacher,” she says it so matter-of-factly but he’ll have to dwell on it later because she sobers and then asks softly, “So, you think I should do it?”

It’s not hard for him to build her up. She spends so much time being there for the rest of their slowly merging friend groups that she rarely takes time to see the greatness in herself. He doesn’t mind helping.

“I think you should do whatever the hell you want.”

*

(iii)

“Women are worse than men.”

Bellamy rubs the sleep from his eyes and glances at the clock; it was almost 3 in the morning. “I thought men were tumors?” he asks around a yawn.

“Yeah, well, women can be tumors too,” Clarke huffs, but she just sounds tired, “Comparing people to tumors is equal opportunity. Strides in feminism are being made, didn’t you know?”

Bellamy pushes himself into a sitting position, suddenly more alert as he picks up the trace of tears in her voice. “You ok?” he asks.

Clarke is silent at first, but he waits her out, he knows that she’ll tell him. “Lexa broke up with me,” she says quietly and then adds in confusion, “Or we broke up with each other? I’m a little unsure. We spent the whole night arguing and then suddenly she was packing up her stuff.” She pauses before taking a shaky breath, “It’s over. We’re over.”

“I’m so sorry, Clarke.”

“She was leaving anyway,” she continues, bitterly, “Some new job. She was leaving in a few weeks and didn’t even bother to tell me. I told her we could make it work long distance, I was willing to try and make it work. That’s when the arguing started. Not just about that but about-,” Clarke abruptly cuts herself off and hesitates, “about... other things. Things I didn’t even know were an issue.” She’s quiet again before she adds, “She didn’t say it but I think she was disappointed that I never suggested going with her...”

The thought makes a quick flash of irritation run through him. “She wanted you to uproot your entire life and go with her,” he summarizes as he tries to adjust the pillows on his bed by beating them, maybe a little too roughly at the thought of her doing just that, before leaning back against them.

“Which is completely crazy, I know,” she hurries to say, “but I wish we could have talked about it.”

“I am sorry, Clarke,” he says again, “I know Lexa seemed like she was it for you.”

“But maybe she wasn’t?” Clarke counters as if trying to reason with herself. “I don’t know. We were both committed to each other, but maybe this was a sign that we weren’t going to be able to make it work long term?” She pauses and Bellamy can hear the gears in her head turning as she processes a way for her to handle this, too explain it to herself. “When we were together,” she hesitates before continuing, and he can imagine her biting her lip, “I was happy... but I felt like a separate version of myself, ya know? Still me, but not completely me?”

Bellamy chews on the words he wants to say and goes with, “Sometimes the person you're with can change you; it's not always a bad thing.” He gets quiet as he adds thoughtfully, “I like to think Gina made me a better person...and she probably did,” he pauses, this time unsure if he should keep going, but Clarke hasn't said anything, so she must be waiting for him to continue, “We tried, tried really hard, to make it work, but eventually you just realize that maybe the relationship isn't going anywhere and what’s best for everyone is just to call it.”

“Wait, you and Gina broke up?” Clarke asks in surprise, “When did that happen!?”

“That's what you got from that?” He rubs a hand over his face as he thinks about it, “About two weeks ago?”

“Shit,” she says and is quiet before asking in a small voice, “Why didn't you tell me?”

“Honestly, I haven't seen a whole lot of you these last few months,” he hears what he said and corrects himself, “We haven’t seen a whole lot of you.” He’s surprised at his ability to keep the bite out of his voice; because the truth was this last year has sucked since Clarke started dating Lexa.

They met at one of Clarke's art gigs. Lexa was cool; fun when she wanted to be, but also a little hard to be around. Most of the time, she seemed to prefer doing things without any of Clarke’s friends.

“I’m sorry,” Clarke says.

“It’s fine,” he answers her and means it. “Gina and I are still good friends.”

“I wasn’t talking about you and Gina,” she says, voice soft.

He realizes what she’s actually apologizing for and he doesn’t know what to say. Because of course he forgives her, he will always forgive her.

The silence lasts too long so he clears his throat and prompts, “Want to come over and get drunk?”

Her laugh through the phone breaks the tension, “It’s like 3 o'clock in the morning.”

“My bar is always open.”

She chuckles. “I really want to hit something,” she says with a determined edge to her voice, “Then maybe get drunk.”

“How about this, we get a few more hours of sleep, wake up at a normal time, and go hit something,” he offers and then adds as if it's an afterthought, “And then get drunk, of course.”

She laughs again, “Oh, of course.” There’s that smile. “I forgot what being single with you was like.”

Bellamy sobers at the thought. It has been awhile since the two of them were single at the same time. “Always here to help, Princess.”

*

(iv)

“Why did I agree to this trip again?”

He’s packing up the essays that are scattered across his desk when she calls, 4 o’clock on the dot. Bellamy tries to suppress a laugh but he’s pretty sure she can at least hear the teasing smile in his voice.

“Just getting back to the hotel?” he asks in lieu of his own greeting.

“Yes!” she exclaims in exasperation. “And if it were up to Josephine, we probably would have walked all of damn Paris tonight,” her voice gets muffled at the end and he can only assume she’s thrown herself face first onto the nearest bed. “I cannot wait for a shower- No! A bath, definitely taking a long, hot bath.”

And now the image of Clarke Griffin in the bath, with just enough bubbles to cover up to her chest, has entered his mind. He shoves it away before anymore thoughts can accompany it.

This used to never be a problem. Sure, he’s always known that Clarke is attractive, but he has never been attracted to her. But ever since he broke up with Gina and she broke up with Lexa, Bellamy has been exceedingly aware of the fact that they have both remained single.

The last time this happened was right after Finn.

Bellamy shakes his head for good measure before responding. “You’re going to fall asleep in the tub and your roommate will find your prune-y, wrinkled body in the morning.” He cringes.  Apparently he wasn’t able to get the image of her completely out of his head.

Clarke scoffs, but he can tell that it’s in an exasperated but fond kind of way. “How is it that you manage to be a buzzkill from over 4,000 miles away?” she asks drily and then pauses before adding, “Actually, Josie would probably just leave me in there for the entire trip and never let on that something was up.”

He turns the key to lock his office behind him and heads for the staff lot. “Don’t worry, if you don’t call to check in, I’ll call the National Guard,” he teases.

“I know you would,” she says simply, like it’s a known fact.

Things have been a little weird after he became aware that they were both single. Mostly because, he’s pretty sure that Clarke has also come to realize it. When he turns to look at her, he often finds her already looking. Their innocent touches are now more frequent and linger just a bit longer.

Bellamy has come to realize that he doesn’t want to be single and the reason he doesn’t want to be single is because he wants his best friend to not be single with him.

There’s just never a right time to tell her.

“So, what did you do today?” he asks.

Despite the exhaustion and jetlag that’s surly setting in, Clarke jumps into an animated retelling of the flight and arriving at their hotel room just in time to change clothes and head back out to walk the streets of Paris to get their bearings before their tours officially start tomorrow.

“I’m a little disappointed that we’re doing the Louvre first thing tomorrow. I was hoping to be a little more alert for that.”

“Your coffee addiction hasn’t stopped just because you’re in another country,” he points out as he gets in his car.

She laughs, “Jeez, you are such an ass.”

He starts the car but doesn’t leave just yet; afraid the long distance call will drop out.

“What are you doing now?” he asks into the comfortable silence.

“Admiring the view,” she admits softly. “It really is gorgeous all lit up. Makes me want to dig out my sketchbook.”

“You have a week, Princess,” he chuckles. “Don’t screw up your jetlag even more by losing track of time in your drawings on the first night.”

She’s quiet again before confessing softer somehow, “It also makes me wish you were here.”

His heart clenches in his chest and he wills himself to sound normal. “Maybe next time,” he tries for teasing but it comes out almost wistful.

“Next time, hmmm?” Clarke hums. “You’d come to Paris with me?” And he’s sure she’s flirting with him.

“Well, maybe not for our first date,” he says, “But maybe, like, our fifth or something.”

Clarke’s quiet for a long time and he’s afraid he’s overstepped, misread the room. He’s about to take it back, play it off as a joke when she finally speaks.

“And what would a first date look like?” she asks with what he thinks is hope in her voice.

He swallows a couple of times. “Well,” he starts, “Since you’re already getting some of the best museum experiences, I’d probably settle for dinner and a movie. Something cheesy that’s playing at the dollar theater; where we’re the only ones there and can yell at the screen.”

She chuckles and his heart flutters, “We already do that, Bell. Quite frequently, actually.”

“Yeah, but if it’s a date then I’d get to kiss you at the end of it.”

“What? No making out during the movie?” she asks and he can picture how cute her face gets when she pouts.

A grin spreads across his face and he’s grateful no one can see how goofy he must look.

“We’ll have to make sure it’s a really bad movie.”

*

(+i)

Clarke rubs some moisturizer on her face before capping the tube and tossing it into her bag on the bed. After ensuring that everything she’s going to need for tomorrow is packed, she zips it up and grabs one of Bellamy’s hoodies to slip on over her clothes.

Ever since he picked her up from the airport when she got back from her trip to Paris, and she ran directly into his arms, giving the other people waiting quite a show, there always seems to be one laying around, waiting for her to find it. She assumes that he gets as much of a thrill out of her wearing them as she does.

She heads down the stairs of their townhouse, passing various pictures and artwork, and shoots Raven one more text not to forget to bring her dress to the venue tomorrow. She’s supposed to help her get ready in the morning along with her mother. In the meantime, Abby has sent a car to pick her up and take her to the hotel. Easier to get ready if she’s already there for the stylist… something else her mother insisted on paying for. No matter how many times Clarke told her she didn’t care what her hair looked like because she was marrying the love of her life.

Clarke locks up the house and greets the driver, slipping into the backseat. She intends to spend the ride lost in thought, going through the checklists that were running through her head.

Their engagement had been on the short side but she didn’t mind. They were both ready to get on with this next chapter in their lives.

Her phone is resting loosely in her hand, face down on her knee, when it starts to vibrate with an incoming call. She holds her breath for a second, praying it isn’t the florist or the caterers. But when she sees the photo of her and Bellamy from New Year’s flash on the screen, she can’t help but smile.

She taps the button and greets him with a sultry, “Hi, handsome.”

“Hey,” he says and she can tell he has a soft smile on his face, the one just for her. “You just leave the house?”

“Yep. On my way to the hotel now, so hopefully you haven’t forgotten anything because it’s too late now.”

“The most important thing is already on its way,” he responds with a teasing lilt.

Clarke can’t help the sharp laugh that escapes her lips, “Oh my god! You are such a sap!”

“I was referring to the ring, obviously, Princess.”

“Oh, obviously,” she says, mock serious.

They chuckle to themselves for a few minutes and she honestly can’t tell if the driver is rolling his eyes or thinks they’re being cute from hearing one side of the conversation.

Bellamy sobers up first only to let out a groan. “I hate whose ever idea this is,” he whines.

“Aren’t you the history professor? Shouldn’t you know where common traditions and such come from?”

He scoffs, “No, I mean I hate whichever of our friends is making us do this.”

The two of them haven’t seen each other since yesterday morning, him having been spirited off by his groomsmen while she was left to spend last night alone in their bed. And now they’re meant to go one more night without seeing each other.

To Bellamy’s point, Clarke isn’t altogether sure why this is a tradition anymore, nor why they are choosing to follow this particular one. She and Bellamy aren’t even that superstitious! And yet somehow they were talked into spending the days leading up to their wedding apart.

“Ah,” she answers him now, “That would be Raven and Miller. Although, I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with marriage traditions and has everything to do with getting back at us for making out in front of them so much.”

Bellamy scoffs again, “Well, jokes on them, because after tomorrow, I don’t ever have to stop kissing you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she says, “We’ll have to come up to eat at some point.”

The driver pulls up under the awning of the hotel and Clarke gets out and grabs her bag before he’s able to get out and grab it for her. She gives him a wave and a simple thank you before heading through the sliding doors.

“How’s your room?” she asks into the phone as she bypasses the check in desk, her mother having already checked her in and given her the key card to her room this morning when they were getting their nails done.

He heaves a deep sigh. “Lonely,” he answers as she steps into the elevator. From what Clarke knows from his texts, Miller dropped him off here last night and left him to his own devices. Apparently, the best man gets to sleep next to his husband but Bellamy wasn’t allowed to sleep next to his soon-to-be wife.

She makes a split second decision and presses a different button, jolting the elevator to stop sooner than intended. When she steps off she casually offers, “I could help with that.”

“Oh yeah?” He chuckles. “You going to describe for me what you’re wearing?”

“Hmm,” she hums as if she’s considering it. “I could do that… but I was more thinking that I could show you.”

Clarke stops in front of a door and gives it a nice rhythmic knock.

She doesn’t have to wait long before it’s opening and Bellamy is standing in front of her with his phone against his ear and a huge grin on his face.

She lowers her own phone from her ear, pressing the end button without looking.

“Hi, handsome,” she manages before he’s pulling her into his room.

[harry-styles-sunflower]

Wandering Hands Part 1

Hellooo everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely day! SO this is Part 1 of Wandering Hands. 

What it is: You and Harry become friends but you come with certain baggage that might make any other man run. 

Word count: 6.2k 

Warning: death and angst? (lmk if i forgot one!) 

Pls reblog if you like it :) Thanks in advance for the support! 

~~~

It was a long day after work and you had no one but yourself to worry about tonight. It was Friday, you were at Joe’s, the bar across your apartment. You’d come in regularly. Only about every other weekend. You were drinking your troubles away with a Manhattan. The bar wasn’t too full, it was only happy hour. You heard the bell ding behind you meaning someone walked in. Some man approached the bar as you finished your drink.

“Hello, can I get a glass of your most recommended wine?” You felt him look over at you, “and a refill on whatever she’s having” he paid Joe and sat a stool away from you.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to” you slid your glass away from you.

“No problem, I wanted to” you nodded and watched the tv. Joe served you your Manhattan and the man his wine. You knew it was a glass of his Château Cheval-Blanc because you had had it yourself once. 4 years ago.

“You know, I never understood baseball too much.”

You drank your drink and looked at him from the corner of your eye. Was he talking to you or Joe? You looked around you and you were the only one close enough to hear him and Joe was busy.

“It’s a good sport if you understand it” you shrugged.

“Care to explain it to me?” He moved to the stool next to you.

You swallowed your drink and looked at the screen. You had no interest in getting a good look at the man next to you anyway.

“English?”

“Precisely.”

“The Red Sox and Yankees played in London a few years ago.”

“Wasn’t home.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah”

“Well Um. 9 innings, 3 strikes you’re out. Guy on the circle in the middle? That’s called a mound. His position is a pitcher- “

“Isn’t that what you guys pour juice out of?”

“Yeah we use the same word for a lot of things, don’t interrupt,” he smiled at you, “he’s a pitcher. He throws to the guy across him, the catcher. Catcher signals him what kind of ball to throw in between his legs. He does it based off the batter’s weakness. There’re 4 bases. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and home. When the batter hits it, he hopes no one in the outfield catches it or it gets out of park. If they catch it while it was in the air he’s out, if they catch it after it’s hit the ground he can run as fast as he can to whatever base is available. But like in order. Oh, also if someone in the outfield catches the ball, they’re gonna throw it to one of the basemen so they can tag the batter running. But if the batter touches the base before they’re tagged then they’re safe.”

He nodded along so you knew he was listening.

“Can I ask a question now?”

You nodded and sipped your drink.

“How do you know it’s a strike?”

“Oh, my bad. See the box on the screen? If it gets in there it’s a strike. Outside the box it’s a no ball but we usually just say ball.”

He nodded and gestured to your drink, “refill?”

“Oh no, I’m good. I need water” He ordered one for you and Joe gave you a knowing look and you just shook your head at him. You two were basically friends now. He’d gotten to know you over the past 4 years. You lived across the street for 5 but you came in 4 years ago. Joe came and gave you your water and you drank it slowly and watched the game. It was Yankees v. Red Sox. The Red Sox made a homer and you shook your head.

“Yankees fan?”

“Yep. We’re in New York. Kind of against the law to be anything else.”

He laughed and sipped his wine. He hadn’t drunken much, he gave you all his attention while you spoke. “My dad was a big Yankee fan. I’ve been one since the day I was born. My mom says she pushed me out and when the doctor put me in her arms the Yankees had won the game. We used to go to a game like every year when I was a kid.”

“Are they as fun as they seem?”

“Even better. During the commercials on tv, sometimes the outfield players play catch with the people on the side or they play a video of the players talking or play a game with the crowd”

“That’s pretty cool,” he put his hand in front of you, “I’m Harry by the way”. You looked at his hand and put yours in it and shook it.

“Y/n” you looked over at him. You finally took a good look at his face. He was gorgeous you couldn’t deny it. He had strong facial features. Short stubble and green eyes. They were bright. Different than your own dark eyes. He made eye contact with you for a few seconds before you turned back to the screen and drank your water.

“If you’re from England, are you here for business or pleasure?” It was New York, people came and went. Travelled. But in your small town about 30 minutes north from the city, no one really came through here unless they knew someone.

“I uh I’ve been here for about a year but I just moved to the area recently. Got a little tired of the city life, but didn’t want to be too far. I work as an editor at Simon & Schuster.”

“Wow. That’s a good job. Hell of a commute I assume?”

“About 1 hour every morning. It’s worth it. Sleep without the sound of horns or sirens”

“True.”

He turned on his stool to face you and you faced him. Your knees were touching.

“So, what do you do?”

“Teach. I’m a teacher. 7th grade social studies. Actually, I taught the Boston Tea party today” you smirked at him and put one arm up on the bar and leaned against your hand and one hand on your knee. Some fingers accidentally touched his knee but your knees were touching. You couldn’t prevent it from happening

“Ahh” he moved a pointed finger at you. You laughed and so did he. He had dimples. Cute. “Such a petty thing if you ask me” he shrugged.

You laughed and shook your head.

“A lot of history is petty.”

“Do you like teaching?” He put himself in the same position as you, his fingers brushing yours too.

“I guess. I love my kids and filling their minds with knowledge but the standards and requirements are a pain in the ass”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard about that. Not too much freedom”

“Yeah. Like if I want to take them to a museum, I need to find a standard that validates that museum will teach them according to that standard”

“Wow. The museums here are basically free too right?”

“Yep.”

He shakes his head and sips his drink.

“It’s been like an hour and you’re still drinking your wine”

“Well Ms. Judgey, it’s a good wine. I’m savoring it.”

“It is good. I’ve had it. And I’m not judgey. I was just saying it must be warm now.”

“Eh. It’s still chill. Thanks for caring though” he grinned at you.

You rolled your eyes and finished your water.

“When did you have it?”

“Huh?”

“The wine”

“Oh, um four years ago”

“That’s precise”

“It was on an anniversary of something.”

“Wedding anniversary?” He laughed.

“Death anniversary actually.” His face stilled and he became pale.

“Shit I’m so sorry for laughing.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know.”

“Shouldn’t have assumed.”

You saw him looking at you like he wanted to know who it was but would never dare to ask. You debated telling him. You turned back towards the screen, leaving his knees cold. He felt he had lost any chance he thought he had with you. He liked talking to you.

“Joe, jack and coke please”

He nodded and brought it to you. You chugged it down. Harry put his head in his hands. He had driven you to drink. Yikes.

“It was my husband. He died.”

He lifted his head from his hands and looked over at you. You were a widow. You looked so young. He felt bad you had to go through such pain.

“I’m sorry for your loss”

“Thanks. It was 5 years ago. I’m alright”

He nodded. Too scared to say the wrong thing.

“He was in the service. Died in Iraq.”

“Oh wow…” he was surprised you were opening up to him. Perhaps it was the liquid courage.

“Came with the territory, I guess. We were together for 10 years. Married for 5. Widowed for 5 now. If you’re trying to do the math we were high school sweethearts. Started at 15. Married at 20. He died at 25. Yes, I’m 30.” You drank your leftover water.

“Erm… Wow. Well you look good” he was nervous.

You laughed lightly and said thanks.

“Guess I scared you away now didn’t I?”

“No no! Not at all I just don’t want to fuck up and say the wrong thing.”

“Harry it’s been 5 years I’m good. I’m religious, I coped well”

“Oh okay.”

“Stop being nervous!” You laughed.

“I can’t help it!” He laughed lightly.

“I’ve got a big curveball for you,” you turned to face him and you put your hands on his shoulders as he faced you.

“I see what you did there. Curveball” he tilted his head toward the tv.

“Ooh yeah. I didn’t even notice. Well are you ready?”

“I think?”

“I have a son.”

It was what he thought. Didn’t know if he fully expected it though.

“Okay. Curveball caught? Strike? What’s the big deal?”

“Wait what? You’re not thrown off?” You were shocked. His face barely twitched or showed any surprised expression.  

“No?” He shrugged. “It’s a child. I guess I kind of expected maybe something after you said you were together for 10 years.” He finished his wine.

“Fair enough.”

“So, where is he? If you’re here”

“In-laws. They take him every other weekend. Or just from Friday till Saturday.”

“You get along with them?”

You shrugged. “I think they thought I wanted him to sign up for the force. I didn’t. Obviously. It’s a death sentence. I just wanted to support my boyfriend at the time,” He nodded as you spoke, “but they love Sam and are always there for him”

“Sam huh?”

“Samuel. He’s 7”

“Good age”

“Yeah. He’s a lil sarcastic but I blame myself. I could be that way so he’s only doing what he’s learned. But he’s really smart. He’s obsessed with rocks. Been that way since he could walk”

“That’s cute I won’t lie”

“Thanks” you laughed. You liked his company. He was easy to talk to. You had found it easy to open up. He didn’t seem creepy either. Like he just wanted to get in your pants.

“Well it’s been lovely boys, but I have a little boy I have to be up for in the morning. His grandma wants to have brunch”

You stood up and so did Harry.

“Wait let me walk you to your car.”

You lived across the street but he didn’t have to know that. Joe hid his smile when you said “okay”. Harry paid Joe for both of your tabs and walked out with you. It wasn’t too late, 6 pm. You walked to your car and his was coincidentally in front of yours.

“So um. It was nice meeting you. I enjoyed your company”

You fiddled with your keys and looked up at him.

“Yeah I did too.” you said.

“Would it be too forward if I asked for your number?” he was biting the inside of his cheek, you could tell.

Guys had hit on you before. But the wounds were too fresh and Sam was too young. He’s still young but he’s smart, and he knows some days you feel lonely. As much as you convinced him that he was the only man you needed he knew the truth. You liked his company and conversations. So, you said,

“I don’t think so,” you held your hand out for his phone and he placed it in your hand. You put your number in as “y/n 🥃🍷”. Ball was in his court now.

“Cute” you both laughed.

“I’ll text you” he said

“Mhm” yeah. Sure.

“Are you gonna get in your car?”

“Oh, it’s fine you don’t have to wait” please don’t make me get in my car. I live here.  

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t wait until you at least got in to your car?”

Okay you were a little impressed. Fair enough.

“Very true actually. Well bye, Harry”

“Nuh uh. It’s see you soon. I’m serious about texting you”

“Okay” you laughed and got in your car.

He got in his and you waited for him to pull out.

 Once he was past the traffic light you got out and went up to your apartment. You called Sam’s grandma the second you got in. He picked up with an ecstatic voice.

“Hi ma!”

“Hi baby, how are you? Everything okay?”

“Yeah! We’re bowling. I’ve gotten 2 strikes!”

“Oh wow. Look at you!”

“Grandpa says dad was good at bowling”

Your heart broke just a little. It bothered you a little when they spoke about him to Sam. You knew he was their son but they didn’t know how much Sam cried sometimes wishing he got to know his dad. You only spoke about him when Sam asked about him or mentioned him.

“Yeah he was actually. When we were younger, we went on a date and he won one round and I won the other. But we were too broke to buy another round so we left it a tie” you laughed at the memory. Just 15-year-old kids.

“You were broken?”

“No sorry hon, I mean we didn’t have enough money to pay for another round”

“Ohh okay.” You forgot sometimes Sam was only seven because he was so smart sometimes.

“Yeah. Well can you put your grandma on for me hon?”

“Yeah okay. I can stay over?”

“Yeah of course. As long as you want to and don’t feel forced to okay?” You knew sometimes he didn’t want to because of how much they spoke about his dad. On those weekends you faked he had a tummy ache.

“Yeah okay. Here’s grandma” he passed the phone to your in-law. You could never say ex. Your husband wasn’t an ex.

“Hello?” Her tone was already unwelcoming.

“Hey, just wanted to confirm we’re still on for 11?”

“Yeah. I haven’t cancelled.” Translation: did I tell you we weren’t going?

“Okay. Sounds great. See you there”

“Okay” she hung up.

“Yeah okay bye. Geez” you slammed your phone on the table and rubbed your temples. She was always so rude to you. When he died, she said it was your fault he left. She apologized for that but it was still something she said. You can’t take words back. You left your phone on the table and went to shower. You just wanted to take a warm shower, relax your muscles, wear some cozy pajamas, drink some tea, and watch friends until you fell asleep. Friends never did you wrong. So that’s what you did. You remember to set your alarm for tomorrow but you also remembered you left your phone on your kitchen table. With a groan because you found the position and you knew you wouldn’t find it again, you got up and got your phone. You saw you had a text from a random number. When you unlocked your phone, the message said

H: Hey, it’s Harry.

You felt bad for making him wait but whatever.

Y/n: hey

You got back into bed, not finding the position again and kept your phone next to you. Your phone lit up about a minute or two later.

H: what’s up? Did you get home safe?

Y/n: oh yeah. Thanks. You?

H: Yeah, I did thanks. So, what’s up?

Y/n: watching friends, you?

H: Same actually. Nick@nite?

Y/n: Yup 😂

H: I’m happy they play this. Especially since Netflix took friends off.

Y/n: Same. Friends is like my bedtime story now. I watch it every night

H: favorite character?

Y/n: I think it depends the season? Like I love Ross in season 9 and I love the rest. I couldn’t pick

H: I agree.

H: Would you want to FaceTime?

You thought about it. Did you want to?

H: We don’t have to if you don’t want to. (Sorry for the spam of messages btw)

You laughed at the last bit.

Y/n: we can FaceTime :)

“Harry would like FaceTime…” you slid your finger across the screen.

“Hello”

“Hey” he smiled into the camera.      

“You look cozy” he was wearing a brown robe thing w a hood from what you could see.

“Ooh I am,” he looked up at the tv, “why are birth control commercials so odd?”

They were playing a commercial for lo loestrin fe and the cartoon bought what was supposed to be lingerie and was showing her boyfriend you assume.

“I hated that pill. It was the worst one I’ve ever tried”

“Really?”

“Yeah it made me gain weight and tons of acne”

“It sucks that all that comes with just trying to prevent pregnancy”

“Yeah. You males have it so lucky”

“Well if they came out with a male one, I’d take it”

You laughed a little too loud.

“You think you’d be able to remember?”

“I’d just take it in the morning. Like a vitamin”

You noticed the way he pronounced vitamin. It was a little different. Cute different.

“I used to take mine at night, just before bed. It was easier that way for me”

He nodded at you and the show had come back. You think that maybe that whole conversation was TMI for your first FaceTime call. The episode The One in Barbados. You both laughed at Monica’s hair.

“Kind of didn’t like the whole Joey and Rachel plot line” He said while looking at the tv screen. It was like you guys were together in the same room and his company was nice on this lonely night.

“Yeah same. It was wack” he laughed at that.

“I think I love phoebe”

“Same, Regina Phalange”

“It’s actually princess consuela bananahammock.” He said with a straight face. You cracked up at his little joke and kept watching the tv.

 A few hours later and friends was over. You and Harry were basically playing 21 questions.

“any pets?” You asked.

“Nah, I work too long” you nodded.

“Favorite flower?”

“Sunflowers or tulips”

“Interesting choices”

“Thank you” you smiled. You were now in bed laying down against your pillow, “do you live in a house?”

“Yeah. Small but yeah”

“I used to, but a year after he died, I had to sell it. I like the small space better. It’s more homelike for just us 2”

He nodded and listened. “What time is lunch with your in law?”

You liked how he didn’t say ex in laws. It was a small thing but you noticed.

“11:00”

“Oh okay”

“Yeah”

“Y/n, um. I’d like to take you out. On a proper date. But I know you’re probably really busy. So, um do you think you could let me know when you’re free? If you wanted to go out on a date with me that is”

“Yeah sure” you bit back your smile. You had never done this before. Well not after your husband. It would be your first date in 5 years. You just got a good feeling from Harry.

“Oh okay” he was a little shocked.

“If not this week, then the next. Maybe Friday”

“Yeah that’s good with me”

“Well uh, I’m gonna go to sleep Harry. It was nice meeting you today”

“Yeah it was for me too, meeting you. Goodnight. Sweet dreams”

“Yeah thank you. Goodnight” you smiled and hung up. You felt giddy and happy. You looked at your bedside table and it was a picture of you on your wedding day staring back at you. You knew he would want you to move on already. You smiled and contently fell asleep.

~~~

You woke up around 9:45 to give yourself enough time to get ready. It was nice being able to sleep in a bit. Sam was always up by 8. You remembered your conversation with Harry last night. You haven't had a conversation like that in years. You'd just recently decided that you'd be open for a relationship but you weren't on any dating apps or anything either. Going with the flow you guess. You got ready quickly and drove to the restaurant where you were meeting your boy and your in-laws. You stepped out your car and so did they. Sam looked around before running to you. You opened your arms for him and he hugged you tight.

"Ugh my baby I missed you so much last night!" you kissed his forehead.

"I missed you too ma," he kissed your cheek.

You picked him up and spun him around making you both giggle.

"y/n", your mother in law said.

"Lydia, how are you?" She held her purse in front of her as you put Sam down.

"I'm good, you?"

"Good."

Your father in law approached you. He was quieter and more reserved. The loss of his son hit him hard. The two were close. He did watch out for you a bit more than Lydia. Lydia's priority was Sam, William's priorities were you and Sam.

"Hi William, how are you?"

He gave you a hug and you guys walked into the restaurant.

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Good, thank you."

You guys got settled into a booth and you already knew what you all wanted. This wasn’t the first time.

"Sam told me his science teacher is being hard on him," Lydia spoke without looking away from you. She was looking at your clothes and makeup. Seeing if it was up to her standards.

"Yes, he told me too. I already told him what to do."

"And what was that?" Here we go. Here's the thing. Lydia was your husband's mother. When he passed, she wanted to be her grandson's mother as well.

You held in a sigh before speaking. "I told him to work hard during school but if she specifically targets him repeatedly to let me know and I'll handle it."

She nodded and stayed quiet. Thank God.

"Mami, your phone vibrated," Also, your husband was Italian. You were Hispanic so you were trying to teach Sam some of his Hispanic side as his grandparents taught him mostly his Italian side. They more so taught him stuff about the culture and food, but none of the language. They swore they knew it but you've never heard them speak it.

"Thank you for letting me know mijo, but since we're all together I'll check it later." you kissed his head.

You and your husband had done a good job. He was a perfect mix from both of you. He had brown curly hair, like you. Hazel eyes like his dad. Dark eyelashes like you. A button nose like his dad that was covered in freckles like yours. Plump lips like the both of you. The food came and you all began eating.

"We wanted to talk to you about something." you felt Sam put his hand on your knee. Uh oh. He was preparing you for something he knew you may not like.

"Okay, what is it?"

William spoke up, "Well, winter break is coming up and we wanted to take Sam away for a week."

You almost choked on your food. A week? Them? With your son? Were they insane? Okay maybe you were being a little dramatic but what?!

"Um, where?" you tried to seem open about the idea.

"Blue mountain. We would go snow tubing and other things in the snow." Lydia said.

"For a week? Snow tubing for a week? That sounds more like a weekend thing to me." you ate your eggs.

"Well we would look in the town for other things to do obviously," Lydia snickered like you had sounded ridiculous. She better not start with an attitude you thought. She was asking you for a favor not the other way around. So instead of giving her a direct answer, you said "I'll think about it." You needed to talk to Sam if this was something he wanted to do or they wanted to do.

You guys had finished eating and you all eventually said goodbye. Sam wanted to come back home instead of staying Sunday. Sometimes he just wanted extra time with you.

~~~

You were driving home from unsuccessful shoe shopping when you heard Sam's little voice come from the backseat.

"Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. Why would you say that?"

"Because grandma was kind of rude to you when you said it wasn't a week long thing." Every year he became more observant.

"Well I mean I didn't like that but I'm not mad. I don't let your grandmother ruin my mood."

"Okay"

"Do you wanna go?"

"I don’t know… I do but not for a week. That's too long away from you."

Your heart warmed a little and you nodded. "I'd feel that way too."

"Did dad like snow tubing?"

"I'm not sure bud, we never went"

"Oh."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't go. I went when I was younger with my mom and sister, we made it a girl's trip. It was a lot of fun."

"Really? What if we went just us two?"

"Hm I don’t know bud; I think your grandparents might get sad. I think I can tell them it will only have to be for a weekend and then you and I could go another time. Just us two."

"Umm okay that sounds good. I agree."

"Good." you pulled in front of your building.

"What was dad's favorite season?"

"Fall. He hated the heat, but he hated being too cold. And he'd get the worst allergies in the spring and he had this weird pet peeve for sneezing. It was kind of funny seeing him get frustrated though. He would look like he wanted to rip his nose off." You held his hand as you walked inside. He giggled at what you said. When you both got inside to your apartment you both took off your shoes and sweaters. You had a picture of your husband on a small table by your entrance. Every time you walked in Sam would say "Hi dad!" to it. He asked if he could watch some Disney XD for a bit and you said it was fine. You were going to make some dinner. You checked your phone and saw Harry had texted you. You were a little shocked he kept up with talking to you.

H: Hey, good afternoon. I hope brunch went well :)

y/n: Hey it did, I guess.

H: You guess?

y/n: Eh they want something, felt like a setup?

H: Ah. I get what you mean. Sorry it happened.

y/n: It's alright. I got my boy back so I'm happy.

H: Good. I'd love to meet him someday to be honest. He sounds adorable.

You thought about his text. How would Sam react? He's always saying for you to get a friend but what would happen when you actually did? It made you nervous to think about. You felt your phone vibrate again.

H: Uh sorry if that was too forward.

y/n: No, its fine. It was sweet.

H: Okay good.

"Ma?"

You jumped up slightly like you had been caught doing something bad.

"Who are you texting? You never text this much" he was grinning at you. He was happy?

"Um none ya beeswax"

"It is my beeswax when it's taking time away from you cooking my dinner," you gave him a warning look. Dang smart ass. Gets it from you. He mumbled a "Sorry" and sat up on the stool and leaned on your countertop.

"I made a friend that’s all okay?"

"A guy friend?" he smirked.

You turned to get a pot. "Mhm"

"What's his name?"

"Harry."

"I like that name."

"You would like any name if it meant I had a friend."

He giggled and nodded. "Does he know about me?"

"Of course he does. You think I could not talk about you?"

"Okay okay," he blushed slightly, "Is he nice?"

"Yeah he's pretty nice."

"Are you gonna go on a date?"

"Samuel! He's a friend!" you playfully yelled at him.

"Mom I'm not 5, I know you might want a little BOYfriend"

"Sam you are 7, and how do you even know what a boyfriend is." you were talking to him as you gathered all your ingredients.

"Grandma told me about boyfriends and girlfriends"

"Now what is she doing telling you about that?" you looked at him.

"Well we saw a couple at the bowling alley and they kissed and I said ew and she said it’s because they were boyfriend and girlfriend so she explained what that meant to me."

"Hm, okay." you trusted she gave him a good and appropriate definition.

"Do you have a picture of him?"

"We just met yesterday" you say as you open and close cabinets.

"Does he like baseball?"

"I actually had to explain the sport to him. He's not from here." you started cooking.

"Where's he from? Is he from where dad used to work?"

"No, way off. He's from a place called England."

"Where the Beatles are from!"

"Exactly," you smiled at him. He was a classic soul.

“That’s cool”

“Yeah his voice is different too”  

“I wanna meet him” he put his chin in his palm, “It’d be nice to be around another guy that isn’t grandpa.”

“He uh actually said he wants to meet you too but I think we should wait a bit. I think I should get to know him better before you meet him” You stir your pasta in the pot.

“Okay” he tapped your phone screen, “he texted you”

“Thanks, nosey” you took your phone and read his message. You had forgotten to respond.

Y/n: hey sorry was cooking dinner for the hungry boy and I

H: it’s alright. What’s on the menu?

Y/n: pasta. Penne ala vodka with some shrimp. Probably some garlic bread too. Lazy meal

H: lazy? sounds glorious.

You laughed as you texted.

“Oooh he’s making you laugh!” Sam giggled.

You covered your face and told him to go to his room to make sure he had done his homework. Tomorrow you were going to Chuck E Cheese so he wouldn’t have time to do it then.

Y/n: we’ll see how it tastes

H: do you like to cook?

Y/n: I do but I run out of things to cook so I get bored

H: yeah same. I like to experiment though.

You were feeling a little confident and flirtatious

Y/n: maybe you could show me sometime

H: yeah. That’d be fine with me 😊

You bit your lip unsure of what to say. It had been a while since you were back on the flirting scene. You felt your phone vibrate again.

H: are you vegetarian or anything? Gonna think of some ideas from now.

Y/n: I don’t follow any specific diet but I definitely don’t eat a lot of meat. More of a seafood person.

H: gotcha ;)

Y/n: ;)?

H: don’t like it?

Y/n: eh it’s alright 🤷🏻‍♀️

H: alright?

Y/n: mhmm

H: you’re teasing me, aren’t you?

Y/n: just a lil bit 🤏🏻

H: 😂😂

You finished up cooking dinner and called Sam. He came down quickly and mumbled a small yum.

Y/n: I’ll talk to you later. Gonna eat now.

H: okay 🥰

You served you and Sam plates and you both ate quietly as you watched some tv. You would say you were pretty lenient with Sam. He was very mature for his age and he respected you greatly. He barely gave you a hard time. You think he got that from his dad. His dad always wanted to please you any chance he got.

“Mami, can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

“How come, hon?”

“It’s comfier” you laughed at this because you would say the same thing to your parents when you were younger.

“Okay. But you know you can’t always sleep in Mami’s bed. You gotta sleep in your own some nights.”

“Yeah I know,” he smiled at you.

“Alright. Well can I trust you’ll bathe yourself good tonight? I don’t have to help you?”

“Yes ma, I’ll remember to wash myself good.”

“Okay, remember to get in between your toes and everything”

He nodded at you. You two finished your plates and you sent him off to shower. He kept the door open just in case he needed your help opening one of the bottles. You remembered the first bath you ever gave him. He was so much smaller compared to now and his dad kept complaining about how slippery he was. You were only 23 with a new job and new home but you were both so happy with your little boy. You cleaned up the kitchen and went up to bed where your little boy was already waiting. He had turned on the tv and was watching friends. You showered quickly before getting in bed with him. He cuddled up to your side and laid his head on your chest. You massaged your fingers into his damp curls until you heard him snore lightly. You fixed him onto your other pillow and fell asleep on yours.

~~~

The weekend had ended and you hadn’t heard from Harry. That was before you remembered you were the one who hadn’t answered. It was now Monday afternoon and you were picking up Sam from school. You worked at a middle school just a block away. Sam hopped into your car and told you about his day.

"Can I go to Justin's house tomorrow afterschool?"

"Is Justin's parents okay with this?"

"Yeah, we'll do our homework first too!"

"Alright, you better do it because when you get home I'm checking it all"

"Okay!"

You guys walked into your apartment and Sam went up to shower. That was the routine after school. He showers while you make a snack, after that he comes down and eats while you shower, you grade papers while he does homework, and then if he's done you let him watch some Disney channel while you make dinner. This is exactly how your evening rolls out and you decide to text Harry.

y/n: hey sorry. Busy day yesterday. You wanted me to let you know when I was free and I'm free tomorrow after 3...

You stop typing, "Sam, until when are staying at Justin's?"

"Until like 6? He said his mom was gonna cook"

"Okay," you continue typing,

y/n: Hey sorry. Busy day yesterday. You wanted me to let you know when I was free and I'm free tomorrow after 3 until like 6. I know its late notice so no worries if you're not free too.

You finish cooking, eating, and cleaning and you still hadn't heard from Harry. He was probably mad at you now. You sighed aloud and thought well it was nice while it lasted. You went over Sam's homework with him and then made sure he brushed his teeth before bed. You tucked him in and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight my love," you pushed his hair back off his forehead.

"Goodnight mami, goodnight dad" he blows a kiss toward the picture of him and his dad on his bedside table.

You walked out his room leaving his door ajar and walked down to your room. You grab your book and climb into bed. It was the book from Jane the Virgin. You related to Jane in multiple ways. As you were becoming a part of the fictitious world of the character Josephine you felt your phone vibrate.

H: Banzai, 3:30pm, Be there or be square.

You smiled at his assertiveness. It was kind of cute.

H: If that's okay with you.

y/n: Yes, that's fine lol😂😂

He could never be too serious you thought.

H: watching friends?

y/n: actually reading.

H: what are you reading?

y/n: snow falling, it’s from a show and stuff.

H: look at the publishing company

You looked and sure enough it was Simon & Schuster. Wow.

y/n: Wow lol, I never noticed.

H: I've read it, it's pretty good. More of a girly book, I think.

Y/n: I can’t imagine you reading this tbh.

H: it was a hard manuscript to get through. Kept me on my toes.

You continued texting and before you knew it, it was 2 in the morning.

y/n: wow its 2am.

H: I know. Time flew. You're so easy to talk to.

y/n: I could say the same about you.

H: I'm excited for later

y/n: so am I, free food.

H:😐😐😐

y/n: I'm joking!

H: sure you are.

y/n: I am, I'm excited too because I miss your company, its nice.

H: I don't have a company

y/n: Harry

H: okay okay, thank you. Get some rest, you've gotta be up early.

y/n: true, see you later! 😊

H: see you🥰

~~~

Part two is up now!

[seriouslyhooked]

Feels Like This (Part 9)

Emma Swan is a once lost girl who is now making good. She has made a way in the world for her and her young son, Henry, and after years of hard work, Emma is in her last stretch of schooling for the career she’s always wanted. Unexpectedly, she finds herself in a tiny nation no one’s ever heard of for her last year of study. She knows nothing about the place except that it’s beautiful, has a world-renowned child life program, and is filled with possibility. Meanwhile, Prince Killian is hardly happy with the title he received at birth. As the second in line for the crown, Killian has long tried shaking his royal duties. He built a career in the royal navy, and has stayed out of the limelight, but his ship has been called to port indefinitely at the request of his brother, the King. Fate (in her many forms) brings Emma and Killian together and the resulting fic is a cute, fluffy, trope filled romp featuring heart felt moments, a healthy dose of insta-love and an assured happily ever after. Story rated M and will have 12 parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8. Available on FF Here and AO3 Here.

A/N: Hello everyone! So I have been on a nice long break from writing over the past month or so, and please believe it was not by choice. I am still feeling a high level of burn out from school and from 2020 in general and I just couldn’t seem to sit down and write. Instead I have been trying to relax and enjoy the end of summer and this beginning of fall. Luckily, this week brought my muse back into focus, and I was able to get more of this chapter on the page that I have been building to for a long time. As I promised, the angst of this story is now behind us, but the intrigue is not exactly over. This chapter shows some still remaining pieces of the puzzle beginning to fall into place. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and I really hope you enjoy this new installment!

The dreaminess of a Montenarran morning was hard to describe to someone who had never experienced one before. The magic of this place hung in the air, dancing on the coastal breeze and glistening through that perfect Mediterranean mix of sun and spirit. The golden hues that lit up the world here were different than the paler lights Emma and Henry knew back home, and the crystal blue waters were nothing like the Long Island Sound or the harbors in New York.

Other places in this corner of the world must share similar splendor. People loved visiting Spain and Italy and Greece for a reason, and perhaps Emma was merely untraveled and so could not really compare this place to those, but in her estimation she and Henry had yet to face a less than stellar day in this beautiful country. Somehow, through a higher, stronger power, the weather always held, and the mood was always happy. People were calm but vibrant, kind and filled with purpose. It made for a delicious melody of life that pierced the soul with the same humming happiness of a favorite lullaby. This tangible energy was a constant here, and in meant that even a normal walk from one point to another was enjoyable. In short, every day here felt remarkable, and this morning was no exception.

“Do you really think everyone will like my surprise, Mom?” Henry asked, filling in the comfortable silence that hung between them on their stroll from their home to the Center. “I know you said that everyone loves to try new things, but maybe this isn’t as great an idea as I thought.”

Emma turned her gaze from the bustling street they were walking on to her son, who for the first time in a long time looked younger than his years and moderately hesitant. She tried not to chuckle in the face of Henry’s anxiousness, as that would not be kind, but she wished she could tell him just how unfounded his worries were. Henry’s intended surprise for the children at the Center today was going to be well received. In fact, Emma anticipated it would start an institute-wide revolution.

“Believe me, kid, they’re going to love it. They ask me all the time about what things are like in America; the movies, the food, the sports. They’re going to love learning about baseball, I guarantee it.”

Henry nodded, resuming a more assured nature as they continued down the street. He was so cute and determined like this, and Emma wished she could capture this moment in time and freeze it so she could remember it always. In a few years Henry would be a teenager, but for now he was still at that place in childhood where the world was filled with only hope and good and possibility.

In the interest of sharing those good vibes with others, Henry was bringing everything needed to teach the kids about America’s favorite pastime. He carried his whiffle ball bat slung over his shoulder, and a bag of plastic balls in a sack in his other hand. It felt like a miracle to have these silly simple things from home, but to get these items shipped to Montenarro had taken some finessing and plenty of help from Mr. and Mrs. H. It was no exaggeration to say that Mrs. Hubbard had moved mountains for her favorite neighbors in shipping these supplies, and when they finally arrived, they came with the most beautiful note, and a reminder from their dear landlady to soak in every moment and follow their hearts. They’d been speaking with Mr. and Mrs. H each week on Facetime, but these words still made an impact, both for Emma and her son. Now Emma was thrilled to see Henry follow his passion and lead an activity at a place she loved so surely with kids who meant so much to her,

“Do you think Cecelia will want to play?” Henry asked, singling out the child Emma had a special bond to. Henry’s own personal fondness for the little girl rang out in his voice, and the question was sincere and sweet. Over the now many times Henry had come to the center, he had grown attached to Cecelia too, and he was always bringing her into things, even if he spent most of his time with the older kids. Those actions and their bond touched Emma’s heart, and always left her with this ache in her chest like these few moments shared all together were not enough.

“I think Cecelia will do absolutely anything that you deem cool.”

“Yeah, and if we get Killian to play she’ll totally join.” Emma laughed at the undeniably accurate assumption. It was true after all, for as much as Cecelia had bonded to Emma, she’d grown just as close and comfortable with Killian too. It was so good to see how energetic and extroverted she’d become in the last three months. Little Cecelia was truly coming into her own, and growing more confident each and every day.

“Didn’t Killian tell you he would play last night?”

“Oh yeah. He promised me, and Killian never breaks a promise.”

Emma was aware of that and in the two months since they’d had their first date, she had only grown more invested in their relationship because of this tendency. It was insane that it had only been two months, given how much she felt for him, but at the same time they were so lucky to have had all this time without public interruption. For the moment, she and Killian were still keeping things private. No one in the press or outside the bubbles of their little world knew, but at the Center, and on their own time, they never lived in hiding. They saw each other nearly every day, both at work and at his or her home, and Emma had seen Killian on more one-on-one dates as well as outings and evenings with Henry. It had all been so natural that, honestly, Emma was prone to forgetting that he was a prince. To her he was just the man she loved fiercely, who made her feel like anything was possible.

I need to tell him how I really feel soon, she thought to herself as she and Henry made it to the front gate of the Institute.

This was hardly the first time she’d thought this. She had known for some time how she felt and what she wanted, but there were still a few key things that were up in the air. For one thing, her position at the Center, and thus in the country, still had a time stamp. She thought that Marco and Marie may offer her a chance to stay on in a few months, but it was by no means a definite. Also, making such a permanent change would have huge implications for her and Henry. The plan had always been to go back to New York, but if she was transparent with her feelings, Emma could admit that New York no longer felt like home. In a very short time Montennaro had taken root in her and Henry’s hearts and it felt like the place they were always supposed to be.

Then there was also the little matter of Killian’s family, who Emma was told knew of her, but whom she had never met. Even now, she didn’t know how she felt about that. On one hand she was glad that they hadn’t crossed that bridge yet, because meeting his family would no doubt be stressful and have all this weight and expectation. But on the other hand, Emma was really feeling like this was a forever kind of love, and so she had to meet them someday, right?

“Well if it isn’t my two favorite Yankees,” a voice called out from behind the gate. Emma and Henry looked to find Anna who was waiting for them with a huge smile and her hands on her hips. “See what I did there, because baseball. Wait, did I do it right? Elsa, are the Yankees baseball?”

“How should I know?” Elsa joked from across the lawn before gesturing to Emma and Henry. “Ask them.”

“It was a solid pun,” Henry agreed, “But we’re actually Mets fans.”

“Mets?” Anna asked, looking to Emma for confirmation. A soft tug from Henry told Emma to play it cool, so she kept her poker face in check. “What on earth is a Met?”

“It’s another, way worse, baseball team in New York. But don’t worry, I’m just teasing. Yankees all the way.”

“You may look like an angel, Henry, but there’s a rascal spirit in you,” Anna said with feigned huffiness. Now Elsa laughed full out, prompting smiles from the rest of them at her genuine joy.

“Anna should know about rascal spirits; she was chastised for having one by our Grand-mère for years.”

“That’s a fancy way to say grandmother right?” Henry asked eagerly. “Like in that movie with the missing Princess we saw. Anastasia, right Mom?”

Emma nodded, but she couldn’t help but notice the way both of her friends went pale at the mention of the film. Elsa mumbled something about Anastasia technically being a duchess while Anna barked out a quick mention of it being a French custom. What was with her friends and these weird moments any time someone probed about their pasts or lives beyond the Center? Emma didn’t know, but she didn’t have time to linger with the curiosity, for at that moment they made their way inside and were greeted with a swarm of kids, all of them clamoring to see Henry again. Emma laughed outright at everyone’s excitement and said hello to all of the cuties who greeted her too, but before long, her eyes were called across the room, landing on a man she’d been missing for the last 12 or so hours.

“Good morning, love,” Killian said, coming forward and taking her hand before pressing a kiss atop it. It was their little routine now, his way of saying hello when they were surrounded by the kids.

“Long time no see,” Emma said, trying to sound sarcastic but failing miserably. The wry grin that pulled at Killian’s lips made her heart race as he whispered his reply.

“Trust and believe it’s been torture for me too, Swan. But tonight I’ll have you alone once more.”

The promise in his words made her tremble slightly, and she hoped he wouldn’t catch on to how affected she was, but he definitely tracked it, smiling once more and pressing a kiss to her cheek before diving into the morning with the kids. The two of them got caught up in all of it, and having Henry there as well only added to the good times. Unfortunately, they only had about an hour of this bliss before things went off the rails.

It started with a phone call, which was hardly unusual for a placement home, but the call did draw some notice as this was a weekend. Emma wondered if this was an intake request for a new child, but when Marco and Marie departed to take the call, she threw herself back into the morning rush. About five minutes later, however, she watched as both of them emerged with Marie looking pale as a ghost, and even the unflappable Marco looking surprised.

“What do you think is going on there?” Elsa asked, and Emma shrugged, completely unsure. Things only grew stranger when Marco called Killian over to speak with him. Now Emma’s heckles were up. Was everything okay? No sooner had she thought that then Anna appeared, darting from the back hall looking flushed and flustered.

“They’re coming!” Her words were loud and automatically the other adults in the room and a few kids shushed her for the outburst.

“Who’s coming?” Emma and Elsa asked at the same time, quietly inquiring so as not to rile the children.

“Killian’s family.”

“You’re kidding,” Elsa said forcefully as Emma’s jaw dropped. When Anna shook her head, Elsa continued. “Oh my God you’re serious?”

“Heard the whole thing when Marco left the office door open. They’ve just left the castle. King Liam, and the two dowager Queens. It’s about to be a very full, and incredibly fancy, house.”

“Oh my God,” Emma said, her voice more a raw squeak than anything else. Fear began to descend, and her eyes looked at Killian across the room. She expected to see a similar sense of dread or panic, but he was… calm. As in completely and totally unphased.

“Do you think he knew?” Anna asked, obviously seeing the same sense of cool that their resident Prince was donning in this moment.

“No,” Emma said with confidence. “He actually told me last night that he wanted to introduce us all soon. He mentioned the Montecarri festival in a two weeks. He said Henry would love the palace’s party. I didn’t give him a real answer, but…”

“But you were going to say yes.”

“Yeah,” Emma agreed, exhaling a shaky breath. At that moment the conversation between Marco and Killian finished, and immediately Killian’s eyes found hers. Silently they exchanged a mountain of words, and both of them knew they had to touch base, so with a quick goodbye to her friends, Emma moved towards him, finding a quiet alcove away from the others.

“Let me guess, Anna’s somehow heard and told you everything.”

“Pretty much,” Emma said with a nod. “Are you okay?”

“Aye. I’m strangely - I don’t know - relieved? They’ve all been asking me for ages about this place, and about you, I’ve tried to tell them, but nothing compares to the real thing.”

“This will change things,” Emma said anxiously but Killian’s hand came to cup her face in a reassuring gesture she had no choice but to lean into.

“Nothing is ever going to change how I feel about you, love. I won’t lie and say my family isn’t prone to over-involvement, but they’re harmless, and I swear to you they’ll love you. Who could resist loving you, Emma?”

Her heart sped up so much at his words but all she could do was kiss him. It immediately helped ground her and made her feel better, but too over it was soon, as Killian pulled back, still holding her but putting a little distance between them. Her brow furrowed in question until she heard it.

“Hi Mom, Hi Killian.” Henry. Oh thank God Killian had heard him coming. She did not need to be scarring her kid with some hot and heavy, stress-induced PDA. Looking over to her son, Emma noticed Cecelia holding Henry’s hand tight. She looked a little bit unsure, and Emma immediately shifted her focus. Whatever was wrong she wanted to fix it. “We saw you guys head over here. Is everything okay?”

“Aye, lad. Just a bit of a plan change. You know how you asked about when you and your Mum might meet my family?” Henry nodded. This was news to Emma, but she kept quiet, intrigued to watch Henry’s reaction. “Well it turns out they’re coming here today.”

“They are?” Henry asked excitedly. “That’s so cool! I can’t wait to meet them. Maybe they’ll stick around for the baseball game!”

“Mes too?” Cecelia asked, her free hand coming to cover her mouth in a shy gesture that made the words a bit more mumbled.

“Aye, little lass, you too,” Killian said brightly. This prompted a big smile from Cecelia who ran over to Killian and threw herself into him. Instinctively he picked her up, and Emma swore she felt tears in her eyes. God so much was happening right now, but this moment felt especially important.

The next few minutes were filled with Henry’s palpable excitement, and Emma decided to hold onto that as her own apprehension grew. They returned to the main room with the others, who had all been told of their soon to be arriving guests, and the reactions of the children were mixed. They all seemed to be in awe of such an arrival, but all it took was one reminder that these were Killian’s family members, and everyone calmed down. The little boys especially went on and on about how Killian might be a prince but he was mostly their friend. He played pirates with them, and he was their pal, and they had to believe his family must be just as wonderful. Emma would never bring it up, but she watched as Killian wiped away a few stray tears at their compliments. Unknowingly, this had prompted a center-wide affirmation of how much Killian was loved and appreciated, and it was touching to say the least.

Shortly thereafter, a fleet of cars, including a palace limo, arrived and the hush that settled over everyone was instantaneous. There was rarely any quiet in this place, but in this moment the anticipation manifested into total silence. Even the tiniest babies in the home were still and through the window they all watched as Queen Meera, Queen Eleanor, and finally King Liam left the confines of the automobile and headed into the front hall. Marco and Killian were set to greet them, and Emma could see how relieved Marie was to not be part of this welcoming party. Going off of how agitated she was when Killian came the first time, Emma could only imagine the pressure of three royals at once.

“It’s going to be fine, right, Els?” Anna whispered and Emma looked back to her friends. Elsa was currently holding one of the infant babies, a lovely little joy named Ariana who had arrived a few weeks ago. Though she too was agitated, Emma could see Elsa taking comfort in the affectionate baby, and she finally turned her more grounded gaze to her sister.

“Of course it is,” Elsa confirmed. “It was a long time ago, Anna.”

“A lifetime ago,” Anna agreed with a nod. Then she noticed Emma looking at them. She appeared torn between saying more and playing it off like nothing happened, but then Elsa took her hand.

“We can trust Emma, Anna, and we do. We’ll tell her everything when they’ve gone, okay? No more secrets. Not between true friends.”

Anna and Emma nodded at Elsa’s request and then the movement of their guests into the main room called everyone’s attention. Emma had been momentarily distracted from any kind of worry, but now, seeing Killian’s family in the flesh, she was surprised. Oh they were beautiful and regal and poised to be sure, but they were also dressed in a much more approachable way than she’d expected. There were no gowns or crowns or anything like that. They’d clearly made adjustments to come here, and if she didn’t know better, she’d think all of them completely normal people.

They probably are normal, they just live a completely abnormal life, she thought to herself.

It was impossible to not compare this meeting to holiday parade, the first time Emma had seen all of them in person, but immediately it felt like an incomparable set of circumstances. The three people gathered here may be the same, but their sense of approachability was so different. At the precesion they’d been decked out in their finest ensembles, designed to look like royalty who may care for the people, but who ultimately stood apart. Today, they could have been any attractive, well dressed family. Queen Meera and Queen Eleanor especially carried themselves with genuine smiles and eagerness, looking upon the children with affection and excitement. Emma also noticed their continued glances at her and Elsa and Anna, but both women were able to tamp down any outright staring.

King Liam, however was another story. He may not look the part of reining monarch per-se, but his stance was so formal and still a bit too stiff to seem comfortable. He had dressed down for the moment, something Emma was sure he rarely did, and while there was curiosity in his gaze, she wouldn’t say he had the same soft affection for the children. If anything, the King looked intimidated, as if he’d never seen so many little people in one place before. That made Emma’s heart warm to him, but it couldn’t even begin to compare with the next moment that came.

“Hi, Killy’s family,” Cecelia said eagerly, the L’s sounding more like a w in her excitement. In an instant, she stepped away from Henry’s hand with a smile and approached Liam, Eleanor and Meera without fear. They’d all been caught in a kind of quiet moment where no introductions had yet to be made, and Cecelia, it seemed, had no patience for that. She was taking matters into her own tiny hands. “I’s found these for you.”

“Oh my dear, how precious you are,” Meera said crouching low to accept the flower. Emma saw they were all wildflowers from the back way, and she wondered how Cecelia had had the forethought to do this. Then she looked at Henry and she realized this was a joint effort. Damn, her son was as thoughtful and cute as could be.

“Thank you, little one,” Eleanor said happily as she took her flower. “So very kind of you to give us a gift.”

When Cecelia came to Liam and gave him the flower, Emma watched the large man begin to crumble, and a smile formed on his face. Just as with Killian, it was amazing what a smile did for his features. King Liam was handsome already, as Emma expected any man born into this family would be, but when smiling, he looked younger and even more engaging. It felt very much like a rare occurrence, and it brought tears to Emma’s eyes to know Cecelia had faced her own fears to help all of them feel welcome.

From there, Killian accepted a tight hug from Cecelia before introducing them all to his family. The kids, having watched the kindness given to Cecelia, were immediately more comfortable, and just as when Killian first arrived, a sea of questions broke out. But in the midst of that madness, a rather remarkable moment happened. It began with Liam looking at her, and in an instant Emma knew that he knew who she was. They exchanged a nod, an acknowledgement that they’d be better introduced later, but when Liam shifted his focus beside her, his face totally changed. Something like awe and fascination appeared across his features, and Emma looked to see what could be the cause, only to find Elsa with the same starstruck response.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Emma asked Anna and her friend nodded.

“If what you’re seeing is the King falling in love with my sister at first sight, then yeah, I think we’re all seeing that.”

“Anna,” Elsa said, flushing with embarrassment as she turned to both of them. “It’s not love at first sight.”

“I don’t know, Els, unless you guys have met before, I think Anna might have a point.”

Emma didn’t know if it was her insistence that there was some real chemistry sparking, or the insinuation that they’d met before that threw Elsa, but suddenly she was overcome with emotions and was saved by the baby, so to speak, when Ariana began fussing for some food. Never had anyone looked so grateful to escape, which just made things weirder and weirder. Emma looked back to the King and watched as he closely monitored Elsa’s movements. He appeared to be seconds away from following her when Killian grabbed his arm and redirected him to the kids. A tightness came to Liam’s features, but then he relented and joined the larger group. Henry was in the mix there, and Emma felt her heart in her throat. God, she hoped these people could accept her son. Whether or not they liked her meant less to her. The most important thing in her world was Henry.

As if he could sense her worry, Killian chose that moment to step to Henry, his arm on his shoulder as he further introduced him. Emma could hear the introduction of Henry as Emma’s son, and immediately all of Killian’s relatives looked intrigued and excited. Emma noticed that they paid him some extra attention, and when Killian looked back at her with a grin, she wondered if she should join them. Was this the right moment to do this? She couldn’t be sure. There were so many other people around. It might be a little odd, right? But in the end, it wasn’t entirely up to her.

“All right, everyone. I know we are all eager to greet our guests today, but we have many other things that must be done.”

“You mean like eating lunch?” one boy asked and everyone laughed.

“Joseph, you’ve only just had breakfast an hour ago. No I was thinking more along the lines of getting out into the sunshine and seizing the day. Seems a marvelous day for adventure, what do you all think?”

All of the children were eager for a day in the sunshine, even the older kids who sometimes lacked for enthusiasm. With barely restrained exuberance, everyone made their way outside, and in the meantime, everyone broke apart in groups to do different things. Emma was assigned to the gardens where some outdoor games had been set up, and where a group of kids were out ‘bug hunting.’ It was so funny to watch these kids trying to collect all of these different kinds of insects, especially since she herself didn’t care for bugs. That fancy had never appealed to her at any age, and there were a few kids who heartily agreed. Cecelia was one of them, and instead of engaging with the bugs, she was far more interested in talking about her latest obsession – fairies.

A fierce devotion to these magical, mythical creatures was not something Cecelia alone carried. There were half a dozen little girls who had all glommed onto imaginary games and elaborate stories about faeries over the last few weeks. It all started with a book that Emma read one rainy afternoon, an offshoot of the Peter Pan story wholly focused on the tiny magic weilders. She hadn’t thought much of it when she chose it off the library shelf, but all of the kids at story time had been spellbound, even the boys, and the older girls who had already gone through a similar phase. The interest in faeries had only grown from there. Soon the little girls were asking every adult at the Center for any information they could get on faeries, and the tidbits they’d been given were equal parts funny and adorable.

“Did you know that faeries protect the garden?” Cecelia asked Emma and Emma shook her head.

“I didn’t realize that. But it makes sense, faeries love flowers, right?”

“They do, they do! Just like me.”

“And me too!” a number of the other girls chorused.

“Miss Emma, Cook said that faeries can be mi-mi -michevus,” Evangeline, another little girl noted and Emma bit back a smile at the girl’s inability to say mischievous. Still, at her age, that was a very tall order. “What does that mean?”

“It means that while usually faeries are perfectly behaved, sometimes they cause a little trouble.”

“Like when they moved the special stone in the story and hid it from Peter?”

“Exactly. No one got hurt, but it wasn’t the nicest thing to hide the stone, was it?”

The girls all agreed with that, before a newcomer caught their eyes. Emma followed their gaze to see Queen Meera at the edge of the gardens, having taken a tour of the whole outdoor space. She was smiling at all of them, her beauty really something to behold in the midday sun. Again, Emma was struck by how young the Queen appeared when she had two grown sons, but instead of being intimidated, Emma rallied and offered a welcoming hello.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but hear you all speaking of faeries, and I was wondering, have you all found a faerie kingdom here yet?”

“A faerie kingdom?!” They all asked excitedly, and Queen Meera patiently explained a Montennaran legend that hadn’t yet been shared with the children.

“How many of you have heard about Montecarri magic?”

Some of the girls chattered that they had heard, but from the looks on their faces, Emma could tell none of them knew very much about it. Cecelia meanwhile was completely unaware, and all of them looked desperate for more information. Queen Meera sat down beside them on their blanket as she continued.

“Well as you know, Montecarris are very delicious, yes?” The children nodded. “And they’re very important to Montennaro because they only grow here. But montecarri bushes are not our only special plant. We also have trees that only grows within our borders. They’re called Montecarri Dogwoods and legend has it that Faeries build their kingdoms in them because the flowers in the trees branches never die. They bloom in spring and last all summer, and then when winter comes, they close their blossoms but stay intact, protecting the faeries from the cold and the chill.”

“How do we find one?” one girl asked.

“Oh they’re very special trees, that stand out to even the least familiar eyes. They have light gray bark that swirls with shades of cream and ridges all over, some deep and some shallow. These ridges are the doors for the faeries. The safest way for them to travel. Sometimes the trunks also have giant knots, big bulks of wood that are taut and strong, and they are filled with magic. Those knots are the foundations of the faerie kingdom.”

The little girls chattered amongst themselves. The description of the bark sounded like a few trees here, but they were desperate to know if they had a Montecarri Dogwood.

“I don’ts knows so much about trees,” Cecelia said, when none of them could come up with anything. “But I love flowers and I sees all the ones we have here. Even the ones from the trees. What does the magic flower look like?”

“Well, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen any myself. We have many at the palace, but I never stray too far from my roses, and the trees are farther in our grove of woods. But if I recall they are a mix of pink and pearl, with the slightest tint of yellow in the middle.”

“Oh!” Cecelia said excitedly, patting the Queen’s leg in an exuberant affirmation. “We has a tree like that! It’s over there, see it?” Queen Meera looked over and clasped her hands as if genuinely surprised. Emma knew though that she had seen the tree before. The older woman never would have given these little girls hope without knowing there was one nearby.

The Queen went on to explain how her mother always said faerie kingdoms should be honored and protected, and she ended up giving the little girls a mission that gave them purpose and increased their excitement. Faeries, in this legend, liked flower offerings, and now the girls were desirous to collect lots of wildflowers and leave them all around the tree’s trunk. This new adventure meant they were all still perfectly within view of the others, and Emma was impressed at the Queens’s ability to inspire them all so swiftly.

“That was a beautiful story,” Emma said.

“Indeed it was,” another voice said, and Emma realized it was Queen Eleanor. Oh good. Now she was meeting both Killian’s mother and grandmother without him. Excellent. Despite her nerves, however, Queen Eleanor, at first appearance, proved to be just as kind and welcoming as Queen Meera.

“One of the many folktales I grew up with. My mother never lacked for pretty stories. Funny how something I held so dear at their age was so long forgotten. But it’s like looking at a glimpse of the past. I was like them once, desperate to find magic and hold it in my heart.”

“Theoretically I suppose I was too, but the prehistoric age was so different you see, it’s difficult to distinguish what species of plants were abundant in those times.” Emma let out a low barking sound that would have been a laugh but was stifled at the last second. The comment was clearly comical, but too late she realized she didn’t know Queen Eleanor’s sense of humor. Maybe it was a test, and not a purposeful joke.  

“Oh Eleanor, you are so bad. What will Emma think of us?”

“From the laughter she’s bit back, I say my jest has land fairly well. Good thing too. After all these years, you’re all too used to my quips. I’m in desperate need of a new audience. Between Emma and young Henry, I finally stand a chance of receiving the comedic recognition I deserve.”

The mention of her son had Emma looking in his direction, and she was happy to see him kicking around the soccer ball with a number of his friends, as well as Killian and Liam. For the moment his baseball lesson was on the back burner, but this afternoon he’d introduce them all to the sport. In the meantime, he was thoroughly enjoying himself. His smile was evident even from here, and though she couldn’t hear his words, Emma caught the happy tone of her child as it wafted in the air across the way.

“He’s a lovely boy. My goodness the way he was with that little Cecelia this morning, it was just so sweet. But I suspect he gets that generous spirit from you, dear.”

The kind words from Queen Meera made Emma flush pink, but she accepted them, knowing that her son was a good kid and that he would one day grow into an equally good man. She had worked hard to develop and enable his best qualities, and though it was sometimes hard to see her own strengths and good traits, she knew, deep down, that they both shared a loving, hopeful heart.

“We hope you’ll forgive us, Emma, for this lack of traditional introduction. Obviously custom would dictate that we wait until Killian was ready to introduce you and Henry to us all.” Queen Eleanor’s statement was blunt and filled with understanding, if just a tiny bit of frustration. “But you see, patience has never been a particular strength of mine.”

“That is an understatement,” Queen Meera muttered conspiratorially, but Emma could see the affection between the two women.

“When you get to be my age you’ll understand. Time is not promised. It’s of the essence.”

“One thing you’ll come to learn is that my mother-in-law makes regular reference to her age, but she’s fit as a fiddle and likely to outlive every single one of us. She’s also sharp as a tack. Very rarely is there a smarter person in the room.”

“Now, now Meera. Don’t go giving away all my secrets. Let the girl discover them for herself.”

It was hard for Emma to know exactly how to respond. Here were these women, the most important women in Killian’s world, showing her kindness and a willing repartee. It was easy with them, and Emma’s nerves had been settled by their witty banter and their lightness of air. But there was an awful lot of assumption being made in their words. The belief that Emma would definitely be with them enough to learn these quirks and tendencies was loaded, and while Emma was glad that she seemingly had some early approval from Killian’s female relations, she was more than surprised at how bold they were in their estimations.

“In the end, despite the unusual nature of this visit, I believe it’s for the best. Here, we can see you in your most natural state. Correct me if I am wrong, but this seems to be a place where you are truly at peace. You love it here. I see it in the way you are with these children, in how you speak with your friends, and in how you steal glances at my grandson nearly as much as he steals glances of you.”

Ignoring the part about staring at Killian, which was more than a little embarrassing, Emma nodded. “I do feel peace here. The Center reaffirms to me that all the things I believed could be real, truly can be. There’s a way to care for children who need it most in healthy and encouraging ways that make them feel cherished and valued, no matter what life has thrown at them so far. Providing anything less is the product of bad policy and funding shortfalls. I knew that was the case, but seeing it, and feeling what kind of positive impact can be made gives me hope. And as far as I’m concerned, hope and peace really go hand in hand.”

“It’s no wonder he’s so drawn to you. You’re a beautiful woman, but that passion, that belief… yes I believe it’s exactly what Killian’s been needing in his life.”

“And how are you liking Montenarro?” Queen Meera asked, pivoting before any kind of quiet could descend in the face of Queen Eleanor’s commentary. “It’s very different than New York I know.”

Emma’s brow raised at the mention of New York. She hadn’t said where she was from, but then again these women had shown a propensity for knowing a hell of a lot prior to so much as shaking her hand. Someone had probably let it slip at some point this morning.

“This is nothing like New York. It’s really nothing like any place I have ever been before. I didn’t expect anything like this at the beginning. I was so excited about the fellowship, the place we landed was somewhat secondary, but now I couldn’t imagine a better situation, for me or for Henry. We’re both really loving it here. It’s like a long-term holiday, but somehow it’s our life.”

“Oh how wonderful,” Queen Meera said with a delighted smile. “It’s truly better than we planned.”

“Planned?” Emma echoed, not following the word choice, and the looks in the other two women’s eyes were damn near opposites. Meera immediately looked remorseful, like Henry did when he spilled something he hadn’t meant to give away. Eleanor, meanwhile, was flustered for a moment and then pivoted to a calm demeanor, giving only the barest hint of frustration away. 

“Oh Meera. Meera, Meera, Meera. What ever will we do with you?”

“Am I missing something?” Emma pressed, feeling the word ‘planned’ as if it weighed a hundred pounds and had settled on her chest. 

“I just meant you know, ehrm, how lovely it was for you to take to the country so well.” Stuttering like this from a woman as well spoken and measured as Queen regent of the country? Oh no, Queen Meera was definitely hiding something. 

Still, while Emma was wholly unconvinced, she didn’t feel like she could press too hard. Killian’s mother had definitely said the word planned, and now she was way less collected than she had been. For Emma it set off the alarm bells in her head. Meera was verging on a lie right here, but why would the Queen be so open and welcoming with her only to start being evasive and cagey?

“But that’s not what you said, is it mother?”

Killian’s voice was close, and they all turned to find him well within hearing distance. Emma hadn’t noticed his approach before, but there was no denying it now, not when he was so on edge. Instinctively she reached her hand out to him as he came to her, and he took it without hesitation, pressing a kiss to her temple as he came to her side. The action calmed Emma, and felt so natural she didn’t think twice about it until she followed Killian and looked back to the Queens. Only then did she think of how bold it was to do that in front of his mother and grandmother, but while both of them looked on at Emma and Killian with fondness for the display, they were quickly pushed to fend off a new question from Killian.

“What did you mean when you said planned?”

“I meant – well you see, it was just… um?” 

Meera was at a total loss for words and eventually she stopped trying, looking to Eleanor for some kind of aid. The older woman was quiet for a moment, weighing her options with the reined in control of a capable monarch. In the end, however, she squared her shoulders, exhaled a long breath, and steadied herself for whatever was to come. Though Emma was curious and a little anxious about whatever they were about to say, she couldn’t help appreciating the humor of the moment. Killian’s Gran was a bit of a diva, and dramatic in a way that didn’t fit with usual imaginings of royalty.

“She means that when you came home in need of a little guidance, we made sure the winds were blowing in the proper direction.”

“And how exactly did you dictate these winds, Gran? What have you two done in the name of commanding the weather?”

“Everything I’ve done, and yes, it was mostly me, so please refrain from being angry with your mother, was in the interest of securing the future of this family.”

“The future... of the family,” he replied. “What right did you have to get involved in my choices?”

“I have every right because I love you, because I want the best for you, and because I know that underneath the pain and the changes you have faced, you are still the same Killy, the same sensitive, loving boy you always have been. We faced a problem at your return. You were unanchored and unhappy. You had seen so much in war and avoided every part of our world here. You needed to come home, but more than that you needed to find something good that was just for you.”

“Yes, I needed to find it,” Killian said, his words low but determined as he squeezed Emma’s hand. She ran her thumb across his shin gently in a quiet show of support and agreement. “And I did. I found Emma. We found each other. Now you’re saying that wasn’t just fate?”

“Well of course it was fate. It was fated that I would do some research and scope out our options.”

“Gran,” Killian said, his voice strained from the bevy of emotions he was facing.

“Killian,” she replied, not in the slightest intimidated by his reaction. “I fear you may be overblowing my abilities to intervene. All I did was speak to Marco about his newest fellow during our quarterly check in. When he gave such a glowing review, I was intrigued, and then I saw Emma’s picture in the file on his desk and I thought it didn’t hurt to read some more. So when he stepped out to speak with Marie, I took it.”

“You took it?” Killian asked, shocked at Eleanor’s bit of thievery.

“Well see there’s where we reach a gray area. Technically I lifted it from the desk, but Jefferson took possession of the documents.”

“Gran?”

“All right, he smuggled them out for me.”

“Gran!”

“What? Marco was none the wiser. I had Jefferson make copies and it was replaced within the day. No one was bothered in the least.”

“I’m bothered, Gran. You shouldn’t have done that. It’s not right.”

“In this case we must agree to disagree, Killian. I believe it was right. In that moment I made a calculation based on hope. I hoped that Emma would take to you as much as you would take to her and that love may come from it. Was the means of achieving that dream unsavory? Perhaps, but I stand by it all the same.”

“But why?” Emma asked, cutting in before Killian could. “You didn’t know me at all. Why go to the trouble? Why take the risk in pushing us together?”

“Well for this, of course,” Gran said, gesturing at the two of them, who had only come closer together as Gran confessed the plot. Instinctively they’d been comforting each other, and it was so clear how in tune they were together. “Sometimes, life hands you a crossroads, a choice amongst the many. It may seem small or even questionable, but it matters. I knew in my bones this was what needed to be done, and while I regret tarnishing your trust in me, I will never regret these actions. My instincts were right. You two are a match, and our Killy has returned, better than ever.”

For a moment it was quiet, as they let the meaning of Queen Eleanor’s words settle. This was a revelation for sure, but for Emma there was no sense of maliciousness. This was the work of a dedicated grandmother, and yes, maybe it was over the top and a bit too heavy handed, but at the end of the day it was also a gift. Without her intervention, Emma and Killian never would have met each other, and that was something too painful for Emma to consider.

“Please don’t be angry with us, darling,” Meera whispered when all was revealed, and only then did Emma notice how rigid Killian still was. This had made him angry, or perhaps it had scared him. She ran her hand along his arm and he looked to her. There was so much in his eyes and she could read that his real worry was her. How did she feel about all of this? She offered him a smile, small but true, and then watched as he exhaled a breath. The stiffness of before had softened, and she knew in that moment the would-be-storm had passed.

“I understand why you did it, and if it brought me to Emma… well I can only be grateful really. But please, for the love of all that is good, let us live our own lives now, please?”

“Absolutely,” Meera said at the same time that Eleanor said “Within reason.”

Despite the lack of total agreement from Killian’s grandmother, Emma had to laugh. It was funny after all, and made all the better when Eleanor put her hands on Killian’s cheeks, looking at him with fondness and love, and sincerely promised never to manipulate a scenario of his heart again. Meera and Eleanor then offered similar promises to Emma, each of them giving her a quick squeeze and an honest apology for any discomfort on her end. She accepted it all, but was grateful for a new interruption. It was finally time for the baseball lesson, and Emma and Killian were both needed straight away.

“Are you sure you’re okay, love? I know it was a lot and I warned you before, but I never imagined…”

“Killian, it’s all good, I promise. It’s just a little meddling. And besides, it worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

“Aye, love. Better than any such plot has a right to.”

Unable to resist, Emma stole a kiss from his lips, melting into the sensation but pulling back before it could become too big a display in front of the kids. It was hard stepping back but she had to, and yet she saw a curious look from Killian that she needed to figure out. She asked him point blank what he was thinking.

“Nothing, Swan. It’s just, well did you notice my Gran’s words? She said no more scenarios of my heart again.”

“Hmm. Makes you wonder, who may still be on her list.”

Without saying it aloud Emma and Killian both knew the only logical option was Liam, and as they looked to him they found him caught up in another bought of staring at Elsa. This time though the would be love birds were closer together, actually interacting, and the electricity between them was palpable. It gave Emma a secondary thrill and she grinned, because as much as Liam was feeling Elsa, Elsa was obviously just as intrigued by Killian’s handsome brother.

“You don’t think she’s planned that too, do you?” Emma asked.

“Truth be told, I wouldn’t put anything past her. Not after all we learned today.” 

He made an excellent point, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense. Queen Eleanor must have known about Elsa if she knew about Emma, and perhaps fate may strike twice. Who knew? Maybe brothers could find lovers in the same place. Only time would tell, but by the looks of things, it wouldn’t take much for something to blossom between King Liam and her friend.

“Mom, are you ready?” Henry asked, poised and prepared for an afternoon of Baseball 101. He stood beside Killian, and the two of them looked like a father and son, part of one big happy family that had always been meant to be. In an instant Emma could see that future Queen Eleanor made mention of, and it was perfect and precious and good.

I’ve never been more ready for anything, she admitted to herself, and as she joined her favorite people in a fun-filled afternoon, Emma knew they’d turned another important corner towards the kind of happy ending she wanted most of all. Now all she had to do was tell Killian she loved him and convince him that their future should start sooner rather than later.

Post-Note: Okay so there we have it. The big reveal of Gran’s meddling has finally come, and there was an introduction to another couple I just love writing, which is Liam and Elsa. So funny how I can ship them so much even though they were never on the show together. Anyway, next chapter is actually picking up right after this one. I definitely want to include the truth about Elsa and Anna and also show a glimpse of Emma and Killian getting some alone time together. Not sure when the next chapter will be here, as 2020 is kind of kicking my ass on an energy and motivation level, BUT, I want to thank you all for reading and I’m sending you love and good vibes in these trying times. See you next time and stay safe!

[rokutouxei]

the wonder that’s keeping the starts apart

ikemen vampire: temptation through the dark theo van gogh / mc | T | [ ao3 link in bio ]

The challenge seemed pretty simple: to try to befriend the university bookshop's most sour employee, Theo van Gogh. As a literature major with a boatload of book recommendations on her back, it ought to be a simple task indeed. But as she uncovers what lies between Theo's pages, the more she finds it harder to become closer to him without having to put the feeling directly into words. What can she learn from Theo about what it means to stay—and how can she teach Theo about what it means to let go? | written for ikevamp big bang 2020!

[ masterpost for all chapters ]

CHAPTER 4 OF 22

She is… persistent.

The kind of persistent that would be inspiring if the persistence wasn’t pointed in his direction. Theo isn’t anti-social—he’s not the kind of person who would purposefully avoid conversation or hide from people, because he knows that, especially with his major, building networks is a thing. 

But she’s different, because it’s not like she’s doing it for any sort of plus or gain on her end—at least in Theo’s mind—so he doesn’t quite understand why she’s like this.

“Do you have a favorite book?”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“Why’d you decide to work at Dragon’s Hoard?”

“What’s it like being a business major?”

She asks just a handful of questions in a day, as if not to scare him off. But she makes the most out of his patience. She sits there, the book he’s lent her in her hand, a finger stuck between the pages to mark where she was last at. She gives an answer for every question she gives, as

“Me? Man, I wouldn’t be able to pick a favorite book…”

“I really like Japanese food, actually, but…”

“Hmm, I’m thinking of getting a part-time too, so…”

“It’s prettier on paper. Everything is prettier on paper in the lit department…”

Something about her persistence reminds him of Vincent, in a mirrored way that he can’t quite put into words. She and Vincent both have something thrumming in their veins that pushes them forward. It���s something he doesn’t understand, because it’s never been like that for him.

So one day, he finally asks:

“Why me?”

“What?”

Theo asks it out of nowhere, and she looks up at him curiously from between the pages of Ocean Vuong.

“What do you mean, why you?”

“It is what it is.”

“Okay, mister vague-posting,” she rolls her eyes at him, but there’s a smile on her face. “I don’t know, really. You’re interesting, I guess.”

It’s not the eloquent answer he expected out of her, but he’s a little relieved it’s not anything more complex. He doesn’t know what he would done with that sort of information. “Glad to have been entertaining, then.”

 “What do you think of yourself, a shiny thing?” she says, laughing. “You’re just more than you show yourself to be, and that’s the fun part. I just might see through you, Theo.”

“You do not.”

“I do! You’re all barbs but Vincent calls you the sweetest thing and that’s all I need to know. Maybe I can even guess your favorite color.”

“That’s irrelevant.”

“Is it yellow?”

Theo didn’t have a favorite color. And even if he did, yellow might not be that high up on the list of contenders. But in that moment, he considers it: yellow, the color of Vincent’s hair, yellow, the rye fields of their home town, yellow, the color of childhood summers and painting in the backyard, yellow, the colors on their bedroom wall.

Maybe this silly girl was right. Maybe yellow could be his favorite.

“Lucky guess, hondje,” he says, instead, watching the sun blossom, bright yellow, on her face.

--

“You’re trying to justify a friendship with a guy who called you a dog?” he asks, tucking beautifully-tinted violet hair behind his ear. “You deserve better, Toshiko-san.”

It’s late afternoon, and she’s sitting in the gazebo near the Arts Building, the small, undignified hangout spot of the school’s already tiny literary club. Her friend and senior, Dazai, sits across from her on the table with his glasses on, squinting at her in confusion.

Dazai graduated a bit back, being two years older than her, but he’s still studying under the department.  For some reason or another that she could not comprehend, he decided to take his MA in Japanese Literature here as well. One shared intensive writing workshop class with him has made them good friends.

“Called? No, present tense. He calls me a dog,” she corrects, shaking her head as she finally lifts her head up from the book she is highlighting. “I mean, he uses my name… sometimes… rarely… okay nearly never, but somehow he’s figured out calling me his puppy in Dutch is a good nickname.”

Dazai shakes his head. “Sounds like a fuckboy,” he comments, readjusting his glasses into place, as he flips his readings back to the right page. “Steer clear unless he has a huge cock, I guess?”

“Shut up, oh my god!” she exclaims, rushing over to cover his mouth with her hands. “No way, no way. He’s a business major, and I don’t want to be in a relationship with a business major of all things. Besides, there’s a better option than him in the same house. Does arts too.”

“Oh? Pray tell, who might it be?”

“His brother,” she whispers, conspiratorially, “is Vincent.”

Dazai blinks. There is a moment of silence before he can compose himself. “No way. Van Gogh? He has a brother? He’s still here?”

“Yes, him, the ‘genius of the College of Arts’, he ‘who haunts the hallways of the Fine Arts Department’, the professors’ favorite ‘artistic genius’,” she rattles off, having memorized the rumors with how many times she’s heard it. “The only reason I know he’s still here is because it would have been huge news if he actually graduated.”

“Seven years in the shitty College of Arts? He’s some sort of masochist for sure,” he comments. She poses no comment to the fact that Dazai took his undergraduate studies here, too, and now he’s also doing his masters… here, too. “But you’re telling me the guy at Dragon’s Hoard is his brother? His brother is a business major?”

“Look, I know, I was surprised too,” she says. “I was already shocked enough that he was the friendly barista at the café when you told me… but to know they’re related? They’re like ice and fire.”

“Exact opposites, huh?”

“Either way, that’s the story of how I got into some sort of mini modeling gig and into a friendship that I did not expect or want,” she says, finally finishing her story, with a wave of her hand like a conductor at the end of a piece.. “I’m trying to make the most out of it, though.”

Dazai nods, but his face is full of disbelief. “Yes, by sticking around a guy who calls you a dog in his free time.”

“No nickname will stand between me and getting people to read some good old poetry.”

“That’s not the point, Toshiko-san, but if that’s what makes you happy.”

For a moment, the two of them return to their studies. She, turning back to the book she’s highlighting and annotating for a class tomorrow. Him, going back to his readings for tonight’s class. The College of Arts’ literary club used to be open to everyone, but after dwindling membership, it became one that was limited to the Department of Literature’s students—or, rather, all of the students are immediately made part of it, and could hang out at their said sad, lonely gazebo if they want. That didn’t make it any more popular, though, so she’s made it her and her friend’s little nook for studying when she’s not in the library.

“Say, what made Vincent a legend in the College of Arts?” she suddenly asks, just as she reached the end of a page. Dazai hums, finishing a passage he’s reading before looking up.

“Isn’t it because of his style?” Dazai answers, though hesitantly. “I’m sure the painting hanging in the Dean’s room is his.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure of that too, but…” she pauses, thinking of Vincent in his studio room, planning his paintings, the corkboard, and the canvases. “Why didn’t he just…get it over with? Why hasn’t he graduated? I’m sure there’s some sort of—apprenticeship or studio that’ll take someone like him when he paints like that. Maybe they’ll give him an allowance too. And with the number of recommendations that he can get from the professors?”

With a hum, Dazai offers: “Maybe you can ask his brother.”

They make a face at each other, laugh, and get back to studying.

--

Dazai’s class starts at five in the afternoon, running up until seven p.m., and while there are days that she waits out for him at the gazebo for dinner, tonight was a special day. The Office of Student Relations has meetings on Tuesday mornings; and while they do post their announcements online the next day, the fastest way to get the news from them is to check the bulletin board outside their office at six p.m., which is when they post. Sitting on a bench right outside the office, she waits for the assistant or secretary to post what she’s waiting for and—

There he is!

“Hello,” she greets, standing up from her seat and walking toward the bulletin board. The secretary smiles and greets her back, tacking the notice to the board.

“Waiting on the requirements?”

“Sure am,” she answers, wringing her hands behind her. “Been very anxious.”

“Well, here they are. Best of luck.”

“Thank you!”

The secretary takes his leave shortly after that, returning back through the large wooden doors of the antiquated office. She left behind, stands in front of the bulletin board with her eyes closed, and takes a deep breath.

This is it. The requirements for her dreams, right in front of her.

She opens her eyes and takes out a flyer from the small pocket that the secretary had pinned onto the board. A flyer detailing the requirements for the one-year, international scholarship program of the Office of Student Relations.

A long, laundry-list of requirements, from filling in forms, requesting official paperwork like transcripts and recommendation letters, submitting portfolios, and passing a certain number of assessment interviews.

“I can’t afford to get distracted,” she says, to no one in particular, as if saying it out loud will make it real, will help it come true much easier than it actually will take. This is what he was all supposed to be—a small, pleasant motivation, a distraction for when idle, but not one that will stop her from what she originally intended to do.

This.

To go away.

But…

She tucks the flyer in between notebooks, thinking quietly to herself, But those are only books, so it can’t be that bad—can it?

[harleenfleck]

Don’t forget me (Part. 4 and finale)

Arthur Fleck/Joker x Reader fic

Summary: After your reunion with Arthur, you feel the luckiest and happiest person on earth, you will believe that things cannot be better and you are just waiting for the day when Joker comes for you and takes you with him. However, things don't go as you both planned.

Warnings: Angst, description of violence, language, little bit of fluff  

NSFW Warnings (FINALLY): Smut, unprotected sex

Words: 6.6k

Part one here <3, Part two here <3, Part three here <3

A/N: Well folks, this is the finale part of this fanfic that was born from my heart 🥺I hope you liked these series 💖 well, I wanna say some things, I looked for a lot of references about how to do sex scenes (On Tumblr with that naughty blogs it was pretty easy HAHAHA), and recently around here I saw an image of a long-haired boy carrying a girl, and just you could see the boy's back, we all went crazy with that image because the boy looked too much like our Arthur, so that image inspired me a lot to do a scene like this 🤭 I’m inspired a LOT of songs too, Inspired in “Haunted” & “Gingerbread man” by Melanie Martinez and “Sad Girl” & “Love” by Lana del Rey (Lana it’s my eternal muse ) also if you remember the previous part, Arthur mentions a lot about a necklace that he wants to give to the reader, so this is the necklace (And of course, I’m gonna buy it) and well, I hope that Tumblr no longer caused me more problems like the previous part. Well, to finish this A/N I’m sorry if I make some grammatical, spelling or writing mistakes, English is not my native language. Enjoy this final part! :3 I hope you like it and thank you for read me! <3

...

Your life had become happier those last days. There was a splendid shine in your eyes, people could see the happiness as you walked the streets of Gotham, and when you were alone in your apartment, you put some music and danced all over the room, imagine your partner of dance on your side, dancing with you.

Of course, you were so happy, because the boy you love had come back to you, and he'll do it again. It was only a matter of time before you got back in his arms, and you kissed those lips again, whether were covered in clown-paint or not.

In your work, you ate a little sweet cupcake, thinking impatiently about his return. Once again, another delivery man arrived with another bouquet of lilies. Your heart melted like frosting when you saw those flowers reach you. You took the bouquet with great affection, but your eyes noticed a small note. You took it between your fingers and read it.

"Do you think it's too early to say we'll be together soon? I don't know, but I can't wait. Wait for me soon. J"

“J?” Celeste was behind you reading the card too “Who’s J? It’s your secret admirer, Y/N?”

“Maybe” You said it with a smile. Celeste get enthusiastic again.

“Oh! Think in all boys you know who name starts with J! Jonathan, John, maybe Jack”

You giggled with Celeste's words, you don’t know any boy who his name starts with J, just only one. You wondered what her face would look like if you told her what your secret admirer's real name was. Maybe you'd give the poor woman a heart attack. “The true is you look so happy Y/N, I’m really wondering who’s gonna be that boy, have he dared to come out of anonymity?” Your chance to scare her appeared, but you had a lot of appreciation for your boss, you decided to give her a pious little lie "No, not yet, but I'm waiting for him to do it”

“Well, almost it’s a word, J… Well, back to work” Celeste entered again to the kitchen while you stay in the corner again. Before you notice him, Peter was in front of you, seeing you, his gaze was making you uncomfortable. It would be amazing if Arthur arrived at that moment and made his original plan. Suddenly, you began to daydreaming, with him coming to you, with another bouquet of flowers and the necklace that he was so enthusiastic to give you. You'll run to him to kiss him passionately, in the middle of all the sweets and desserts around.

“Ok, my little princess, you catch me”

“Huh?” Peter interrupted your daydreaming; you didn't understand what he meant “What you said?”

“You catch me Y/N, I can’t stay hide anymore. I am your secret admirer”

“What?!” Your face must look so confused you when you heard the words of Peter, but what the fuck was that idiot saying? You can’t help thought it. That was a very bad joke, and it was a joke, where the fun is?

“I’m the guy who send you all that flowers”

“Oh… I see… Peter, why you say that bullshit?” Peter stunned; it was the first time you said rudeness to him “My secret admirer… He's definitely not you, I know he's someone else. And I’ve told you many times I’m not interested in you.  Please don't do that again."

“Oh, c’mon Y/N, you really know who is he? And why he doesn’t appear? What are he waiting for? He’s afraid? If I were him, I wouldn’t hide of you, I wouldn’t be a coward like that idiot, you know what Y/N? Why you don’t forget him and come with me tonight? For a drink, what you say? I know a nice place where… “

You can’t believe what Peter said it to you. His words made you angry, how he dared to offend the man you love? How he dared even compare himself to him? He would definitely never be like Arthur, not even like Joker. Totally mad, beating the corner with your fist, made his mouth shut up. Peter looked at you little afraid, like some else replaced you, some else were in your place.

“Watch your mouth Peter, be careful with your worlds, with you talking to me”

“Y-Y/N? Princess?” He asked full of fear.

“First, stop call me princess, I’m not your princess. Second, you think you know me; you think you know what I want, but you don't know nothing about me. Nothing. And by the way, he’s not a coward, my fucking god, you haven’t seen my man to say those shit about him.  If only you saw it in person, I’m pretty sure he would terrify you”

“W-W-W-What the fuck Y/N?” More feared and confused, Peter was petrified with your words.

“I told it, and please, stop bothering me, or I’ll call my boyfriend to teach you to respect what’s not yours”

“O-O-Ok, ok, I don’t know he was already your b-boyfriend. I’m sorry Y/N, I’ll not bother you again… I’ll with Celeste I-if you need s-something”

And before you knew it, Peter ran out of your sight into the kitchen, almost running, you really intimidated him, but you were sick of him and his absurd flirtations. Your heart belonged only to one person in the world, and graciously, you hoping Peter suspect too who your "Boyfriend" was. You smiled, referring to Arthur as your boyfriend, he already was, wasn't it?

A customer walked into the store, with that smile provoked by Arthur, you raised your gaze to the customer. But the look of that client gave you a bad feeling. He looked like someone dangerous. The smile disappeared. That man was observing around the store, looking for something, you thought he was going to rob at any moment, but what he could steal besides money, cakes and cookies?

The guy set his gaze on your lilies, then his gaze turned to where you stayed. You tried to give him a kind smile and a welcome like all the customers, but this time you felt very bad. “Hello, can I help you?” you asked to him. The guy doesn’t say nothing, only seeing you with an intimidating stare. You thought in any moment he was going to pull out a gun and point it at your head. He looked you for almost a minute. Definitive he was a bad guy. Getting nervous, you only waiting the moment when he leaves the shop.

Looking at you once more, finally he leaves the place, and your back to breathe again.

“Y/N! Y/N! Are you okay?!” Celeste and Peter run to you “We looked that guy, we thought he was assaulting the place, are you okay darling?” Celeste took you for the shoulders and hugged you.

“I’m fine, thank you Celeste, I thought the same" You trembled a little, you were really scared of what had happened. You didn't want to live something similar again in your life. You even came to think if Joker could take care of the guys like that, only if they bothered you again.

“I hope that jerk won’t back again” Peter took a look out the street, but the strange guy was already gone “That guy is one of the savages who keep rotten this poor city. If he will back, I’m gonna punch his face”

“No Peter! Probably that guy had a gun, don’t you dare do something like that!” Celeste reproached to Peter. You stopped listening to them, you could only feel helpless. Could you tell Arthur what happened that day?

…

You came out of your work with mixed emotions. You wanted to have the same joy you felt in the morning, but so many things were going on in your mind at high speed. First, Peter's immaturity for not accepting the fact you were not in love with him, and then that stranger who had perhaps studied the cake shop to assault it in the next few days. Celeste, worried about you and what might happen, decided to close the bakery for a few days, hoping that, if they were planning an assault, the bakery would no longer be an option for them.

You were walking worried, watching your back, the bouquet of lilies held it tightly in your hand, you were making yourself the idea that you had to pull those flowers in case something went wrong. Before you knew it, you got to that dark street you hated having to cross to get home. Looked everywhere and cursed that the street lighting was failing, you took your bouquet and walked faster. You didn't know if it was your instinct or your paranoia, but if was the second thing, it was right. You turned back, and you realized two guys started following you. You increased the speed of your steps, the problem? They did too.

“She is, it’s the girl of the bakery, the girl with the flowers”

Your ears sensed the conversation of the guys and realized he was the same bad guy who'd gone into the bakery. No, they weren't studying the store to rob it, they were looking for you, you became their target. With pain in your heart, you dropped the bouquet of lilies and started running for your life. The men started running too, they weren't going to let go the prey so easy that night.

It didn't matter if some car could get over you or if you ended up on the other side of the city, you didn't want to be a crime victim, and to know what they wanted to do with you, all you knew was that they will do bad things and that if they caught you, maybe you'd end up in a dumpster. You ran down a lot of blocks, looking for help, but nothing that could save you, to your bad luck, the streets were empty, and the few people there were had no interest in saving the life of a girl in danger.

They caught you and took you by the arms. You yelled "Fire!" like you were once taught at school when you were in danger, but your screams were quieted when one of they hit your face. "Shut the fuck up!" he put a huge knife in your face as they dragged you into an alley. You were paralyzed for a few seconds, but you couldn't let them get away with it. You struggled again and managed to free yourself, not without first kicking one of them in the balls. Freeing you, ran again and this time you lost them. But you knew that kind of men wouldn't rest until hurt you.

You decided to cross an avenue, no matter if that was a risky thing, you just wanted to get out of there safe. The moment you ran on the asphalt, you were illuminated by the lights of a car, it what was missing, being hit by a car. You fell backwards and fortunately the car stopped before hit you. Started with the horn as you got up and ran again. “Hey! Hey!” You heard a yell of the car but you ignored it, you turned back and looked at the person inside the car getting out and it looked like it was coming for you too. Are you fucking kidding me?!, You thought when you still running for your life. In your desperation, you tried to hide in an alley, but it was a dead end.

“Wait! Hey wait!” That person finally caught you and you screamed full of terror “Y/N calm down! It’s me!” And you felt ridiculous for not recognizing that voice before. You looked into his face and all of a sudden, you felt protected. Joker was here “What happened Y/N?! Are you okay?!” You hugged him, you didn't want to be unprotected, to be helpless, you embraced him so tightly, as if he decided to leave you alone at any time, even you knew he wasn't going to do it. You cried heartbrokenly on his shoulder, while he gently stroked your hair and comforted you “Shhh, shhh, it’s okay Y/N, you’re with me, nothing gonna hurt you anymore” His voice calms your fears, feeling in home.

“Arthur…” in sobs, you said his name.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here Y/N, I’m here…”

You kept crying, but slowly the feeling was calming down. You looked his face, making sure it was him. Yes, it was him, it was Arthur, it was right there next to you. "Arthur, how... How you know it?"

"That's not important, tell me what happened, please" Passed a finger down your cheek, cleaning your wet and salty face.

“T-those were some men who wanted to hurt me. O-One of them went to the bakery today and I thought he was going to rob the place, but he was looking at me. A c-couple of streets before, I-I had been caught for they, but I can-“

“What? They hurt you Y/N?! They touch you?!”

“W-well, a little… In my face, and they threatened me with a knife… I, I..." As soon as you remembered that, you wanted to cry again. Joker took your face and noticed the blow under the eye. He hugged you back much harder, feeling guilty for not protected you before.

“Hey! I can hear the bitch in the alley!” you heard the voice of those men who wanted to hurt you in the distance, Joker only hugged you more tightly, and you noticed that his body became rigid. You heard those men's footsteps go into the alley and how they stopped instantly. They realized were already dead men, as found the girl who they wanted to injury and damaged in the arms of the Clown Prince of Crime.

“…Fuck…”

Joker looked at them frighteningly as he kept hugging you.

“Baby, listen me, I don’t want you get hurt in this, go back, protect yourself and don’t look”

“Okay…” You said in a brittle low voice, and before you do what Joker asked you to do, he took your face and planted a kiss on your forehead, all while still seeing those bad guys. While you hidden of the scene, Joker started his show.

"Good night gentlemen, it seems to me that we had seen before, you know, in previous businesses, and it seems to be that this will be a second meeting not so friendly … May I ask you two something?" The guys didn't answer, they just lowered their heads "What you planning do to my wife?"

You were trying not to listen to the conversation because any moment could become dangerous, but you couldn't help hear those words that came out of Joker's mouth, the way he referred to you, and those feelings in your stomach.

“Y-Your wife?! You have a wife?!”

“Yeah, that beautiful girl it’s mine, and you, fucking bastards, you trie-“

“We don’t know she was yours! We never see her by your side before! We wouldn’t have done anything to her if we’d know she was your wife!”

Bad decision of them of interrupting Joker, very bad idea.

"Do you think I'm an idiot to risk my lovely girl to an environment like my job? I would never put her in danger, just because of this" He took the gun out of his pockets, the guys tried to defend themselves, but they knew it was useless "For fuckers like you who think they have the right to bother her, to hit her and to try to hurt her!”

“Sorry J! We really don’t had idea-“

“No, you don’t have idea, you were really don’t had idea, bastards, and you don’t have idea of the consequences of messing with what belongs to me!”

The gunshots were heard all over the alley until his gun was unloaded. Of course, you screamed scared, you hated having to go through situations like that. A few steps you heard until Joker came to you, kneeling quickly “Y/N, are you alright?” You looked at him and you didn't say anything. You just hugged him one more time. "Let's get out of here, but first" Joker cover your eyes with his hand "I don't want you to see my mess." Very carefully, he took you out of the alley until there was no danger. You walked to where his black car was, opened the co-pilot's door for you, and as he got in his car, you were trying to think about everything that had happened. Joker got in the car.

“A-Arthur?”

“Yes Y/N?”

And then, you pounced on him, kissing him hard. He didn't expect you, but he received you anyway, surrounding you with his arms, making you come closer to him. You and he showed in that kiss how much both missed each other

“Thank you, Arthur… Thank you for save me”

“It was the least I could do for you, my love. Let’s go home Y/N”

Sitting in your place again, he turned on the car and started driving, you looked back, and you noticed there was a bouquet of lilies in the back seats. "Again our plans were ruined?" You asked him smiling. Arthur laughed a little with the personal joke between you two.

"No... That bouquet I found on the street. I saw and I realized that was one of those send you" You saw the bouquet again and I told you that some flowers were stained with mud "I knew something bad was happening, and I drove around like crazy, looking you until I found you".

"Oh... I'm so glad you found me again... Hey Arthur…”

“Yes Y/N?”

“I… I know you tell me I don’t hear about, you know, what happened with that two guys, but…”

“I’m sorry if I scared you”

“No, I’m fine Arthur I just… Why you said I’m your wife?” You asked full of curiosity and in a good way, Arthur laughed at your question.

"I must have really scared them or the threat wouldn't have worked. Besides, it's possible in my future plans I want you to be. Of course, if you want it"

You raised your eyebrows when Arthur said that "Wait, is this a marriage proposal or something?"

“Not exactly that, I just plan for the future "

“Well, keep planning” Arthur gave you a gaze full of love and confidentiality, you just smiled at his cute face. “Arthur? Where we go?”

“I told you darling, we go home”

.…

Got to the place where Arthur used to hide, or, rather, where he now lived. It was in a building that apparently looked abandoned, yet he was being watched by his men. Some wore clown masks, others similar makeup to what Joker wore. “So… This is your home”

“Yeah”

“Wow… It’s elegant”

Joker laughed with your words "Just a little" go into the place, got out of the car, and he grabbed you by back with his arm. Some clowns looked you in the distance, being surprised, never imagined seeing their boss accompanied by a woman. Both come into the building and you looked carefully. Was an elegant place, very decorated, Joker had a good taste and knew how to hide all that from Gotham's gaze. He offered you to sit down, and that's what you did. At the end of the day, you were finally by his side. But that couldn't leave you calm. A lot of things happened that day, you didn't realize the magnitude of the problem you could get into. You barely realized you could have died.

You noticed that he walked away from you, you didn't know why. Your mind was still rambling "So… Now they call you Joker”

“Yeah” Joker said as he took off his red blazer and left it on the back on a mint-colored sofa, similar to his shirt. You only saw him walk back and forth as you were still sitting in one of the dining room chairs drinking a glass of water, you needed it.

"Should I also call you that?"

“If you prefer, you can call me that, you can call me Joker, but I like more when your voice says my other name"

“Arthur?”

A little smile under the clown makeup was created “Yeah… You're the only one who can call me that way” Joker went to one of the rooms. You kept thinking again while you were done drinking. Suddenly, Joker came back with a little red box and a couple of white lilies to you"Take it, this is for you”

“For me?” You smiled at him as you took the box and the flowers, you smelled the scent of flowers, as sweet as he “What it’s?

“Open it”

Animated, you opened the little box to discover inside a white necklace with a small drop of pearl hanging from it. “Arthur… This is…?” You couldn't help smile, it was the necklace Arthur so much wanted to give you, and for which he almost got into trouble.

“Yes, finally I got it for you Y/N”

“Oh Artie, it’s so beautiful, thank you” you started laughing next to him. You missed that too, you missed sharing a laugh with him. However, seconds later, you stopped doing so, Joker noticed that.

“Y/N?”

“I’m sorry, I just… Was too much today, you know? I had a bother day in the job, and well, those idiots… I’m sorry, I’m not supposed to be sad, I should be happy” you didn't want to cry at that moment right in front of him.

“You only had a long day Y/N, take your time baby, okay?” Joker passed a hand in your hair and cheeks, you got carried away by the feeling of his touch “I’ll back. I’ll take a shower”. Those words took you by surprise and your cheeks get in red color, but you tried to hide in front of him, was that an invitation? You didn't say anything, just said yes with your head. Joker gave your cheek a slight squeeze with his fingers and went to the bathroom.

The truth is, it wasn't just everything that day had happened, it was all you've been through since Arthur and you split up for over a year. It was so strange to see Arthur there, in person, just for you. Before he wouldn't let you sleep, because you only thought of Arthur before bed, and when he let you sleep, he'd sneak into your dreams. That ghost that throwing you finally became real in front of you, and it wasn't a menace. For some strange reason, all the feelings you wanted to give Arthur were hidden in your heart and you didn't want to show them, and you don’t have an idea why your mind and heart were making that move to you.

You must have gone around that in your head because you were a little startled when the bathroom door opened, you saw Arthur again, but no more as Joker, just Arthur. Shirtless, only with his red pants, his wet hair, and some blows to his torso and one on his face. Of course, your mind focused on those blows and you were going to ask what had happened to him, maybe it was the result of his criminal life, but of course, you didn't go unnoticed seeing him shirtless. Those thoughts came back to you.

“Arthur…” You got up from your seat and go to him “What is that blow Arthur?” and without any permission, you put your hand on the blow to his chest, causing Arthur to tremble with your unexpected touch.

“That’s nothing Y/N, don’t worry”

“Oh really? And this?” with your other hand, you put it in the blow of his face “Arthur, don’t lie to me again, please”

Arthur looked at the ground, remembered the first time when he had lied to you because he didn't want to worry you, but Arthur knew that if he hid the truth from you, you were going to worry more about him "It was a work thing, it's nothing, I had problems with some guys, it got out of hand, but don't worry, that's already solved" Arthur took your hand off his face and put a kiss in your knuckles. Again, you and Arthur were so close together at the time, could both feel your breaths, you could feel Arthur's heart under your hand as fast as it was beating. Yes, you two had shared a kiss before, but that had been a kiss of thanks. You wanted to kiss him differently this time. Arthur however appeared to doubt yet of that moment. He took your two hands and kissed again "You should take a bath Y/N, you worked today, you ran a lot, too many emotions in your body, you should relax".

You nodded at him, it seemed that he too was hesitating a lot whether to take the next step with you. The truth is when Arthur saw your face, he felt guilty, that blow you had in your face was still visible, and he was ashamed he hadn't found you before you were wounded. "There are some clothes I got for you, they're in the bathroom too. We can go for your things in your apartment another day"

“Yes, I’m okay with that you said, darling. Thank you, Arthur”

You got up with the tips of your feet and kissed him on his cheek. You went into the bathroom, not without looking at Arthur one more time, which had his hand on his cheek, and blushed. Gradually, as the water-filled the bathtub, you took off your clothes, looking in the big mirror, soaked in sweat, was a very long night for you. Inside of the bathtub, a lot of things cross your mind, about you, your relationship with Arthur, and what you really want of him. Of course, you want to be with Arthur, they had to plan everything they would do together because you were sure they could never separate again.

But that night, just that night, you wanted to feel Arthur, and go back to what you two left on in that old bed.

You came out of the bathtub, dry yourself, went to the clothes he got for you and just put on white lace panties, opened the red box and put that special necklace, wrapped your body in a white towel you found, looked you in the mirror one last time and left the bathroom. Arthur was sitting, writing in his journal, and smoking a cigarette. For a moment you had a charming memory of that old Arthur who was shy, that everyone rejected, what they considered a freak, when you were his best and only friend, when you were Carnival and Night Mime. You smiled caringly at the memory. Slowly you would go to him, expect him to notice your presence, soon he felt it, and turned his gaze to you, and was speechless when he looked you were only in that white towel.

“Y/N…”

“Arthur…”

“W-what are you--"

You didn't let him continue, because, at that moment, you approached him, and slowly passed a leg over his knees, sitting on his lap. You took his face, slowly caressing his lips and finally, kiss him again, in a very burning kiss. Arthur took you by the waist, feeling you. "You know something, Arthur? All these months I hadn't stopped thinking about what we almost did in that bed, you remember?" You stop to kiss him, looked him with love, but with desire too.

"... There's no day I won't forget that, not even by mistake" He touched your shoulders, passing his fingers in your collarbone, playing with the drop of your white necklace.

“… You want to continue?”

Arthur saw you with a look you had never seen in him, a deep and dark gaze, full of lust “What you think?”

You both smiled and kissed again. Arthur was carrying you down your waist while you were holding on to him. The kiss started slowly, but soon; the desire reappeared and began to consume both as the cigarette remained in the ashtray of the table. You passed your hands behind his back, feeling his skin burning, while you stopped to kiss his lips and started to kiss his chest, Arthur He felt some tickles in the start, but it didn't take long for the feeling was pleasurable for him. You kissed his chest and went to his neck, kissing it too. Arthur, starting to go into ecstasy, stopped you gently, and kiss your lips again.

“I love you Y/N” He whispered between kisses “I love you too much, and you don’t know how I want you, how I need you”

“I love you too, Arthur, and I need you too, I need your love Art… Please, love me” With the red color in your cheeks, you separated a little from him, and with nervous but with flirtation too, you took the material of the towel, and without thinking much, you removed it, revealing your body to Arthur. Him, dumbfounded and amazed, look every centimeter of your skin, he always imagined that intimate and warm moment with you, but he never believed would happen, not even when he became Joker, but you were there, loving him the same way he wanted to love you. He looked at your body, your chest, your breasts, your abdomen, and those lace panties, hiding the most intimate part of you. Hypnotized, he wanted to kiss all you, started kissing your neck, and you couldn't help moaning, more when he came down to your breasts and began to kiss them, “Arthur… Arthur…” you were moaning his name and caressed his hair when his lips and tongue delighted with your taste. and unconsciously, you started to move on him. Without you expecting it, Arthur began to be a little rougher, sucking the skin of one of your breasts, you almost yelled, but he wanted to leave a mark on you, something that every time you looked in the mirror and saw that mark you would remember him with a smile.

“Y/N, you’re so fucking beautiful…” He kept kissing your chest “Your face, your body, you… You look like an angel… My own angel…”

He went back up to your neck, and of course, left little marks on you. He looked at you and saw how you were losing, with your eyes closed. So, he decided to kiss you by surprise. In the middle of the kiss, you felted a slight bulge in your entrance, you decided to provoke him more. You moved over him again, but this time you did it consciously, massaging his member with your pussy, knowing that turned him on. Arthur tried to suppress a moan, but he failing, put his head on your shoulder, trying to be quiet, breathing hard. You moved slowly and quickly at the same time when Arthur threw his head back, you could see his expression and smiled. And then he made that move on you. He took your jaw, forcing you to look at him, you smiled naughtily, but you didn't expect him to put a hand into your underwear. “Oh fuck!” you yelled, hugging his shoulders. His touch was gentle, rubbing his fingers in your pussy, taking you to heaven, feeling on the edge of your sanity. Arthur decided to put his fingers in you, and you started screaming louder, moving the toes of your feet on the floor. He took his hand away from you and brought his fingers to his tongue, that image excited you more than you imagined. “You taste so sweet Y/N, wanna try?” put his fingers in your mouth, and you tasted them. Desperate, Arthur began to take the elastic of your panties, wanting to remove them from you. But you took his hands away from there and put on your butt.

“Hold on to me” He whispered on your ear “You are driving me crazy”

“More?” You laughed a little and he smiled. You did what he asked you, you hugged him by his shoulders and your legs surrounded his torso. Taking you under your thighs, Arthur rose from the chair, carrying you, while you kissed him in the air. All the ecstasy of the moment made him very strong, perhaps he was stronger since his dark part of him came to light. Slowly left you on a couch, making you sit. He knelt down and you knew what his intentions were the moment he did. He went back to your panties and this time, he got them off you. Arthur caressed your crotch while you felt his fingers touched your skin, and gradually he made you opened your legs for him. He looked at you completely in love and lust, and without warning, he went straight to your entrance, kissing it. “Arthur!” you yelled his name once more. He used his tongue inside you, tasting you sweet as he pressed his thumbs tightly to your thighs, one more way to mark you, something that said you were his. You squirm on the couch while feeling his tongue and his breath, he wanted to take you to the same madness that he was in. In your delirium, you heard a strange noise, opened your eyes and tilted your head, to find that Arthur had his hand inside his unbuttoned pants, moving it frantically, an image that turned on more than you were.

Arthur left one last kiss there and was leaving kisses on your body until he reached your mouth, you took his jaw, while he continued caressing your entrance with his fingers. He wanted to prepare you, he wanted you don’t feel pain. He lowered his pants and his boxers, and you observed his member, it was hard, big and hot, being you amazed and a little scared, but having Arthur like this made you love him so badly, and before he could do something with you, you took it and you started to masturbate him so softly. Again, there was that delirious and frail face on Arthur, he never imagined that one day you would touch him that way, feel your fingers around him, your gentle touch on his member, and then, you started kissing his neck. It was his turn to moan, the girl who loves giving him pleasure, the feeling was better than he had thought, “Y/N… Y/N” you saw his chest grow rapidly, his face imploring you, biting his own lips. He wasn't going to hold it anymore. He softly took your hand from him and pulled it away, kissing it first, and slowly began to settle into the space between your legs.

“Arthur…”

“Y/N…”

Your faces were flushed, he caressed your cheek, as he slowly got closer to you. “Please Y/N, if you feel pain you have to tell me” You nodded with your head, your voice had been lost in all the sighs that you dedicated to him. Took his erection with his hand, starting to direct it to your entrance “Oh Y/N, you have no idea how I'm gonna adore you” And without waiting, he entered you. He did it softly, while you felted him inside you, moaned very loud. Arthur started to move inside of you, you felt a little pain, but that pain was disappearing, being replaced by pleasure, Arthur looked at your reddened face, how many nights had he dreamed of that, and at the same time, he observed how his member went in and out of your pussy, covering with your love. In delirious, you were tilting, falling backward on the couch. He went behind you, laying on top of you, and continued to adore you in his own way. You stroked his hair with one hand, and with the other hand you took his back, burying your fingers in his skin. He couldn't stop kissing you, he was almost glued to your lips, being addicted to your taste. He couldn't describe the sensation of feeling your soft and warm walls around him. You couldn't describe what it was like to feel Arthur inside you. You definitely love him. Arthur looked into your eyes, those green eyes had you haunted, and every time you saw his eyes you fell in love with him again. You were breathless, moaning his name. You just felt every thrust of him, how his pelvis fit so well on you, how he was so desperate to show you all his love.

“Y/N, you’re mine?” He asked in the middle of everything, forcing yourself to open your eyes and try to answer, which seemed impossible.

“Y-yes!”

“You... You will always be mine?” He said while he kept penetrating you and left kisses in your mouth, cheeks and neck.

“I-I’m yours Arthur! Only yours!” you almost cried of all the pleasant sensations that he put you through. You heard his moans, how he too suspires your name. He went back to your neck, leaving marks there too, and decided to left a few bites. You hugged him so tightly, wanted him to be closer to you, even though at that moment both were one. You were burning inside. Arthur took one of your hands and laced his fingers with yours, your and his screams were heard throughout the room, your heart was going to explode with love. The little drop on your necklace moved to the rhythm of Arthur hitting on you

“A-Arthur, Arthur! I-I’m…!” you couldn't help moan so loud his name, and when he felt your orgasm around him and your body shaking under him, he lost his mind.

“Oh Y/N! Oh!” And in a big yell, you felted his warm cum, feeling every drop fall inside you. He stayed for minutes inside you until his erection went down, and when he came out, you felt how his cum was coming out of you.

He dropped his forehead until it lightly hit with yours, breathing deeply and harder, falling in pieces. You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him closer to you, felt his heartbeat. Arthur separates from you just a moment, just only to appreciate the beautiful woman who loves, lying down from him. He closed to you to kiss your forehead, kiss your cheek and kiss your lips once more. "I love you Y / N ... I love you ..."

“Art… I love you too…” You said in a fragile voice, which worried Arthur.

“Y/N? Are you okay darling?” He asked to you because get little worried, you breath deeply too and stay with your eyes closed.

“Yes Art… I just…” You giggled and he smiles. He really loves you more when you smile.

“What happened baby?” He took a pair of wet tufts of your hair. You, opened your eyes and tried to explain yourself, but you had a little difficulty doing it, until you finally could.

“I just… I can’t feel my legs” both started to laugh. Arthur again took you for your cheeks and kiss you. He got up and knowing that your legs couldn't react, he carried you back into his arms, taking you to the bedroom and laying down on the bed, immediately he lay down next to you and hugging you. Until that moment the bites and the marks that it had left began to burn a little, but that pain did not matter to you. That night you were finally going to sleep in Arthur's arms, it didn't matter if he was now Joker, if he was a dangerous person, you waited for that moment for a long time and it was the only thing that mattered to you.

End.

[shcnley]

╰ ✧ ZOEY DEUTCH. MUSE SEVEN. BISEXUAL. ❞ say hello to the s club’s very own SHANLEY EVANS! a TWENTY-THREE year old CISFEMALE that goes by SHE/HER pronouns. i heard they were voted MOST TALKATIVE in high school, which says a lot about them because they’re very VIVACIOUS and DEPENDABLE, but watch out for their IMPULSIVE and STUBBORN side as well. i hope they’re ready to take a break from being a TEACHER and finally get this summer started! 

hiiii friendssss, i’m gigi!!! and here’s my lil french fry lovin’ bb, shanley. sooo excited to plot w/ you allllll <333 

B A S I C S

full name: shanley nicole evans gender: cisfemale pronouns: she/her sexuality: bisexual age: 23 years old birthday: january 27th 1997 birthplace: NYC currently living: chicago, il relationship status: single zodiac: aquarius sun, virgo moon, leo rising occupation: teacher ( 1st grade )

I N S P O

characters: jessica day ( new girl ), lorelai gilmore ( gilmore girls ), harper ( set it up ), summer roberts ( the o.c. ), alexis rose ( schitt’s creek ), & amy march ( little women ). music: click this sentence for playlist !!  pinterest: click this sentence for pinterest !! 

B A C K G R O U N D

kso, i’m going to be honest. shanley had an extremely normal and happy childhood. her parents met in high school, fell in love and were married after graduating college. her father ( theodore evans / think sandy cohen from the oc ) is an executive vice president of an insurance company while her mother ( clara evans / think kristina braverman from parenthood ) is a stay-at-home mom. born and raised in new york city. she has an older sister ( haddie evans / think prue halliwell from charmed ) who is three years older, she has an extremely close relationship with her. shanley is obsessed with family, tbh. she tells them just about everything. they had dinner together every night and talk about their days, have inside jokes, go on family vacations every summer ( before sclub summers ). overall, her parents are very loving and supportive, wanting only the best for their daughters. in high school, shanley was convinced she wasn’t like other girls *pUkeS*. she was very outgoing. like she literally made friends with anyone and everyone. a friendly face; probably the student who showed the new students around. it was rare to see shanley upset or rude to anyone unless she was defending someone. she had good grades (our shanny was v advanced), kind of a teacher’s pet but like still got her seat moved or sent to the hallway because she wouldn’t stop talking. i almost made her superlative most likely to say something stupid because like that’s her too. she was on the yearbook committee, played volleyball, and was a part of the student government. if she wasn’t at school or home, you would most likely find her with arlo, which whew. a story there. when it came to the sclub, she spent whatever free time she had left with them. encouraging all the trouble; shanley will do ANYTHING you tell her to and probably doesn’t think about it. don’t give her dumbass a dare because she will do it. sorry , i forgot what i was going to say; let’s change topics. NO i remembered, lets carry on. she’s always up for a good time. don’t hesitate to invite shan...even if you don invite her...she’ll invite herself SO. fast forward to college, shanley was accepted to loyola university and moved to chicago. how excite!!!!  kso she always knew she wanted to go away for school yanno be miss independent thats why they love her BUT college life wasn’t easy, not in the beginning at least. she was going through a breakup and lost herself for a while. became cold and detached; honestly after the break up her routine was to go to class then back to her dorm, study, cry and repeat. she was only friends with her roommates till finally they forced her to go out and deal with her heartbreak the “””normal””” college way aka getting stupid drunk. *tiktok vc* it izz what it izz. joined a sorority then dropped it because it was too culty for her. she got a part time job at insomnia cookies. slowly became high school shanley again. her spirits were especially lifted when she began student teaching. the kids made her so happy. they also proved to her that teaching was what she was meant to do. next thing ya know, four years are up and our girl has a degree in elementary education.  no one probably asked but her love life !!! like mentioned earlier shanley is single. she was convinced she was going to end up marrying arlo, maybe not right after high school like people assumed but eventually. they just connected on another level so when he ended things after their first year of college, shan was crushed. but if you’re curious, she's still got the hots for arlo. are we surprised tho? no? exactly. thanks for reading, pals. dsjkn okay i’ll add more. fine. so she hooks up with people and goes on dates but no one sticks. she doesn’t want them to stick either. she knows she had that like one great love and doubts she’ll ever feel it again so she just prefers to be on her own. she don’t need no man !!!!!!!! except for one...but mind ur business. so like what is shanley nicole evans up to now? well, her original plan was to move back home once she had graduated. but she was offered a teaching position in chicago and gladly accepted it. she figured since she loved living in chicago so much and it was at the school where she completed her student teaching; it all felt right for her to stay there. this was a fresh start for her. and she got it!! ya girl moved into a beautiful ( expensive ) apt near lake shore drive, started her own tiktok account where she randomly went viral and fell in love with all her students who she calls her kiddy beans!!

E X T R A !!

has 4 tattoos:       portrait of her dog, on her left calf // why? again obsessed w/ her dog       aquarius symbol,  on her right outer elbow side // zodiac hoe. Is v proud       coffee mug, on her right wrist side // her first tattoo. couldnt think of anything else.       honey bee, back of her arm above elbow // got really drunk, heard a song, thought of arlo, ended up at a shop with friends as a joke and woke up the next morning with it. 8 piercings: 3 each lobe. Industrial ( left ). tragus ( right ). sings when she talks sometimes most of the time speaks in really bad accents; new jersey being her fav is always in a dress...look at her pinterest...all she has is dresses. she likes to show off her legs ok. obsessed with animals ( if she’s not paying attention, its bc she’s thinking about her dog and/or bunnies ), coffee, and junk food. a jonas brothers stan, nick is her favorite brother. shelf is her favorite song. cries whenever she hears when you look me in the eyes ( she sang it to arlo when he took her to their concert ). has a big following on tiktok. on the teacher side. she posts her ootd and weird shit her students have said. sometimes even reenacts scenes from new girl. a reality tv show about birds she sees. its quite entertaining.  potatoes and pasta are her favorite foods. grew up making fairy gardens has a concentration face  dances for no and every reason.especially if she’s excited or beat someone in something. rambles way too much, forgets what she’s talking about mid sentence, attention span of a fruit fly. she has a hammock named bartholomew and she chills on it when she’s sad...so most of this trip. :-)))

welcome 2 the end; gimme all ur plots. i wanna plot with you all. i am down for everything and anything. 

[dreams-madeof-strawberrylemonade]

Reunion

Request: The reader and him had dated when they was 17-19 but she moved to UK for studying in royal academy of music and they "broke up". so when they are 23 they meet again at some event/party because of their careers A/N: Guess I really let myself go for it in this one lol. @pennylane-gvf​​ I hope you like it! Critiques and comments are welcome Word count: 2.9 K Warnings: drinking, steamy stuff (nothing too explicit) 

To be added to the permanent taglist, DM me or leave an ask!

Fanfiction Masterlist

You sat down at the long dinner table as you took a sip of your clear glass filled only up to a quarter of its full capacity with cognac. Your eyes wandered around the room filled with dim lighting. People started gathering around the table and in the following minutes it was almost full. You downed the rest of your drink and raised your hand to ask for a refill from the waiter.

About the same time the waiter came back with a bottle to pour in your glass, the seats across the table from you have been occupied. You didn’t pay much attention to the people who sat down, you just mumbled a polite “good evening” and told the waiter to stop pouring the drink only when the glass was filled a little bit more than half.

The woman sitting to your right extended her arm towards you, holding her glass in it. You raised yours and lightly touched glasses with smiles on your faces, as a sign of good luck. She was your manager. The person who helped you to get where you were today. Without her you wouldn’t have made it out of the underground British music scene and for sure you couldn’t have been at this beautiful party with all kinds of artists.

You drank a sip or two from the freshly poured cognac, but you decide to hold it for a moment since your stomach was burning from the alcohol and lack of food.

“Hello,” spoke the man sitting exactly across the table from you. Your head shot up and glanced at the man. Short and curly hair, bright eyes and a wide smile – that would sum him up. “Sorry to interrupt you, I just wanted to say I am a big fan of yours and your work,” he continues and reaches out to shake your hand. “I am Josh Kiszka.”

Your face brightens up at his words. You never found the words to explain the joy that filled your whole heart, soul and being when someone told you they enjoyed your work. “Pleased to meet you, Josh and thank you for your kind words. I am making the music I’d love to hear myself, because if you won’t do it, who will?” you smile.

“That is very true, I must admit. This is what set us out for the first time – the will to create something that is missing from this world and spread out the word that this place is beautiful and love isn’t to be ignored,” Josh spoke, moving his hands a lot. “Shit, sorry, I forgot. This is my band. Daniel Wagner, here to my left, and next to him is my baby brother, Sam. To my right is my baby twin, Jake.”

“Jake…” you repeat and your head shots in his direction. Hair dark brown, flowing down his shoulders, a little bit curled at the ends. He didn’t seem to quite pay attention to what was going on. On the contrary, he seemed totally spaced out, being caught in a trance-like state, staring at the amber gold liquid flowing in his glass while swirling it around. His shirt was neatly arranged, but the top three or four buttons were undone (putting it in another manner – his shirt was held together by only three buttons), slightly revealing his chest and a necklace falling down on his chest. On the middle finger of his right hand, you saw a simple black ring, no inscriptions or decorations on it.

Your eyes wandered on the man to Josh’s right side for a few moments, but you took in every single detail. The dark brown eyes, completely lost, the hair falling down, his prominent cheekbones and jawline (or maybe that was just the lighting’s fault, who knows). Your eyes widened as you realized.

“Jake!” you speak up, snapping the man out of his trance. He was now looking at you, probably doing to you the same thing you did to him a couple of moments ago. You saw his eyes wandering all over your face, then over your hands, clothing, taking in every little detail. By the look on his face you could tell he had the same realization as you did.

“Y/N,” he spoke, his voice a little bit hoarse, probably from not exchanging any words for quite a while. He cleared his throat and tilted his head sideways, as if to get a better angle of you.

“Flesh and bones,” you let out a nervous laugh and realize that you actually knew all of the boys from back in the day, when you dated Jake.

You ate dinner in silence. I mean as silent as it can get at a table with so many people. You changed a few words with your manager, and you kept it simple and professional with the boys across the table. You threw an occasional glance over to Jake, but quickly looked away every time he caught you looking. Which was really… every time you looked. It didn’t take you that much time to down the drink down your throat, leaving at first a burning sensation on its way down. You repeated the same thing one more time and then you decided it was time to stop. You didn’t want to get drunk and do something embarrassing or that you would regret.

Once you finished up with the dinner, you excused yourself and sat up to the table. You walked in the other room, which was filled with people more or less drunk, dancing to the music blaring through the speakers. You were honestly tempted to join this dancing mass, but you weren’t in the necessary mood, so you just leaned against the wall in a corner less lighted by the stroboscopic lights, changing colors every single damn second.

You saw the door to the dining room opening and you saw someone walking around aimlessly at first, but then straight to you. You knew it was him and you couldn’t run from this. This was necessary. Your breakup with Jake hurt your soul as much as it benefited your career. It still hurt, even after 4 years since it happened. You loved him truly. He was your first real boyfriend – the first one to treat you accordingly. You needed to do this. To heal your soul, ease the pain, plus Jake deserved it. He didn’t do anything wrong, he didn’t deserve to be broken up with. After all, you were the one who left Michigan, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, in the United Kingdom to study music.

“Hey,” Jake spoke hesitantly once he got next to you.

Your eyes met his and you could see all the memories from the past that you wanted so badly to forget. Your heart slightly fluttered and you felt your throat drier than ever, needing to drink something immediately.

“Hi, Jake,” you struggle to get out.

“Do you want to talk?” he asks and his fingers brushed yours and you quickly nodded. “Great, let’s go in the lobby of my hotel, we can get a drink and catch up.”

In no time you got to the hotel where Jake stayed. It was downtown, not far from the one where you were staying. The lobby was really simplistic, but sophisticated. It really gave you a nice feeling. There was a light cherry blossom scent flying in the air, making it feel even better. You and Jake chose two armchairs facing each other, in the corner of the room.

Jake ordered for the two of you some rose wine. He still remembered that it was your favorite drink.

“If somebody would’ve told me that I’d meet you at the party this evening, I’d straight up laugh about it and say they’re delusional,” you chuckle nervously as you watch the waiter pour half a glass of wine, the color of roses.

“Tell me about it,” he answered and played with the black ring on his finger. “So, please, do tell me what has been up with you since we parted ways,” he continued, his voice getting deeper at the end of the sentence.

“Well, let’s see…” you say and start browsing through the library of memories in your head. “I left Michigan, and as I said, I went to the Academy in London where I got that scholarship. While there, I got in this band – it was a music academy and I guess you can assume how many bands there were – and we played in pubs, no success, but we did what we loved. One night, I took the lead for a single song, I played guitar and vocals, and Camelia, my manager, the lady you saw with me, she saw me and she took me in and cared for me, and brought me where I am today,” you summed up the past 4 years of your life.

Jake smiled at the mentions of the guitar. He thought of the exact same thing you thought when saying it – the memory of him teaching you how to play guitar.

“And what can you tell me about yourself?” you ask, your eyes glued to the man in front of you. Man, he looked so damn good. You really liked what he did with his hair and his new style (but you could still see hints of the old one, which made it even better).

“Well, what can I say…” he pondered for a moment and finished the wine in his glass. He reached over to grab the bottle and pour himself another half a glass and poured you a little more, since you had only about two sips left. “I am in the same band as before and actually I am quite disappointed you didn’t recognize Josh, nor any of them!”

“What? Jake! He introduced himself to me and said he was my fan!” you protest and laugh, realizing it was one of Josh’s old tricks to get your attention.

“You’re saying it like you don’t know him,” Jake rolled his eyes with a smile blooming in the corner of his mouth. “And he really does enjoy your work, he has been rubbing it in my face since day one he discovered you.”

“An honor,” you laugh with a dramatic hand gesture. “But please, do continue your story.”

“Alright, so we just kept the hope, we wrote, we recorded. We really hit it off with Highway Tune. After that, things followed their natural course, really,” he shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“Congratulations!” you smiled. You were genuinely happy to have met Jake again and you were proud of him and his band.

“Thank you,” he nodded. “God, don’t you ever miss the day that have passed?” he spoke moments later, like he was caught in the world of the dreams.

“Yeah, I miss them…” you ponder. “And I miss you,” you add, even surprising yourself with your boldness. Maybe the wine (and the few glasses of cognac) gave you the strength you needed to speak out your mind that way.

Jake looked at you and blinked a couple of times. You could tell he didn’t expect that to happen.

“Oh shit, I am sorry,” you say as you notice his reaction. “I am so, so sorry, I didn’t think this through,” you add, feeling your cheeks heat up.

“No, it’s alright, really. I feel the same way, Y/N. I have missed you since day one and nothing could fill that void.” Jake said and almost as if you were commanded with a remote control from somewhere, you sat up and walked next to Jake.

Jake sat up and you felt his fingers brush against yours. He was only a little taller as you, but you always considered yourself on eye level with him, but now it felt like he was towering over you. When Jake eventually got a proper hold of your hand, he leaned in, closer to you, while snaking the other hand around your waist. You felt the tension building up between the two of you; the tension and the anticipation.

All the wait has finally been rewarded when Jake’s lips pressed against yours. Everything felt like it was still those old days. The same faint taste of cigars and mint, now only with a taste of wine, too. You let yourself melt away into the kiss and be washed over by all the memories. Your first kiss underneath the delicate moonlight, just like in the movies; your first date which was a cheap one, but come on, you were two teenagers head over heels in love with each other, so who gave a damn about the price?

Your breathing got heavier and needier. Four years you’ve missed his touch. It was like he had put a spell on you.

“Do you want to go upstairs?” Jake whispered in your ear, his breath getting heavier as well.

You nod and follow Jake who was already two steps ahead of you. In no time you were in his room. It was really spacious. You eyed the double bed.

“Jake, is there someone else?” you ask. You didn’t want this unless it was real and you were sure that you didn’t get in the middle of his possible other relationship.

“No, it’s not,” he shook his head and walked towards you with small and steady steps. You didn’t know why, but you backed up step by step until your back hit the wall.

Jake’s fingers swiftly switched on the light at the entrance in the room. It was a rather dim light, but enough to see what you were doing and where you were going. You looked over his face and you felt your knees and joints turning into jelly.

Jake didn’t hesitate to come near you. With a hand he cupped your cheek and with the other one he caressed the other cheek. A smile bloomed on his lips. He was so happy he met you again, despite all the thoughts that he had lost you forever.

“Do you want to do this?” Jake asked, his lips only millimeters away from yours. You hum an affirmative answer and the next thing you know, Jake’s hand helped you wrap your legs around his waist, while pressing messy kisses on the lobe of your ear, and slowly down the neck, until it met the fabric of your dress.

That’s when he stopped and took you to his bed. In the moment you touched the fluffy sheets with your back, Jake was already back at it.

Four years of failed relationships and meaningless kisses. You didn’t even realize until now how much you wanted it to be Jake instead of all those similar, yet unknown faces. No one in all those years managed to make you feel as good as Jake did now with only a touch of his lips.

Jake’s fingers roamed around the fabric of your dress, trying to locate the zipper, his lips not leaving yours, not even for a single moment. He was as lost in your touch and desperate as you were. He had spent too much time away from you to afford to slow down now.

You didn’t know how he managed – even back then – Jake earned control of the kiss, even though he was still busy pulling down the zipper. He was doing it painfully slow, probably only to tease you, but the one who he was teasing the most was himself.

When the zipper finally reached the end, Jake’s hands ran on the sides of your body, as if trying to remember the shape of it, alongside with every little detail. Everything happen at such slow speed that a needy moan escaped your lips, earning a groan from Jake.

A moment later, Jake was already back on kissing you, starting from the jawline, down to the collarbone, while with his hand he slowly removed the dress and kicked off his shoes. He did take his time, working on every kiss and slightly biting here and there.

You were already driven out of your mind. “Jake,” you whisper hoping that you’d get his attention.

“What?” he answers and goes right back at it.

“Please.”

“Time makes perfect,” he answered and you could feel the smirk on his lips against the sensitive skin on your neck. You only groan as an answer and push yourself into the middle of the bed.

Jake took off your high heels and joined you in no time. Jake was laying on top of you, your legs on both sides of him. The dress was gone by now, so Jake took the trail of kisses over your chest and down your tummy, stopping right underneath the bellybutton. Through your whole body flowed something electric. Your hands traveled to Jake’s hair, roaming through it and tugging at it a little bit.

“I like what you did to your hair,” you speak and gasp loudly as Jake proceeded to kiss the inner part of your thighs, squeezing them here and there.

Since the early days Jake loved teasing you with everything he could and time didn’t change that. He stopped in between your thighs and he looked at you straight in the eyes. You could see the familiar gleam of his eyes that has quickly been replaced with a darker look, a look of lust.

He returned up, sliding his hands underneath your back while keeping you occupied with needy kisses in which he told you without words how much he needs you and before you realized, your bra was unclasped and tossed aside.

“God how I missed you,” he groaned. “Please never leave again.”

Tags: @myownparadise96​, @satans-helper, @jeordinevankiszka, @littlegeekwonder​, @songbirdkisses, @pomegranatecurses, @umbriellethenightfall​, @freeeshavacadoo, @karrotkate, @mountainofthesunn

[crystalrequiem]

The Voice that Urged Orpheus

[Part 5/9(?)] [TRC]

Summary: Kurogane feels a lot of ways about things and accidentally goes shopping Tags: Kuro/Fai, Canon Universe, Post-Canon, Warnings:  suggestive thoughts (nothing graphic), paranoia, so much fluff, Is it still slow-burn if they’re already in a relationship? because that’s basically what this is.

[Part 1] … [Part 4]

*Edited 12/22/2019

Well this one’s a bit of a slower chapter but it needed to be established and bundling it with the next part just made it too long so.... what can you do. 

apologies for a very introspective chapter but we’re going places. 

The next three days pass in a haze. He drifts from moment to moment, bored and fatigued. He has zero idea what to do with himself while they drag him hither and yon to stare at magic he doesn’t understand, and the desert heat disagrees with him on a level he hadn’t expected. Worry for Fai is the only thing that distracts him from the monotony; he catches glimpses of Fai’s darker moods in the quiet spaces between stints of teaching and study and he wonders whether he shouldn’t ask Mokona to hurry their teleportation along...

Still, he can’t begrudge them this world. People treat Fai with a rare and well-deserved respect, watching anything he demonstrates with rapt attention. Scholars reach out to explain things to Syaoran and praise his aptitude for learning. His family comes back to the apartment chattering excitedly about theory and completely engaged at the end of each day, and he would never dare to take that away. He only wishes he had more to do.

Of course, he can always practice his skills. He always has something to improve, and he needs to keep in shape if he wants to keep everyone safe… Only the apartment doesn’t have that much space, and so far any attempts at using the courtyards outside have been miserable affairs. The heat doesn’t relent for as long as the sun sits in the sky, and neither do the stares.

He hoped that after the newness of Fai’s magic wore off he’d have to contend with fewer watchers, but he has no such luck. Apparently his unintentional sword demonstrations and lack of magic both single him out as an obvious outsider if not an object of outright academic befuddlement. Occasionally a researcher looks his way with an interest and intent that makes his skin crawl. So far none have actually approached him. He suspects, but can’t prove, that Fai might have threatened them off. They certainly seem to disappear whenever Fai makes his presence known.

Worry and paranoia wreak havoc on his mood, only worsened by the fatigue that settles in like the portent of a bad cold. He feels wound up and tired all the time. He tries to blame it on the heat and the boredom and on constantly waiting for something bad to happen, but he starts to wonder whether he hasn’t just managed to catch some kind of illness. Feeling like this… he doesn’t have a lot of patience for Mokona’s antics, even when the manjuu means well. And as much as he loves seeing the Kid and Fai engaged and well-respected, there’s only so much sitting around he can take. So, that morning, amidst all the chatter of the rest of the group as they get ready for yet another day of magic, he escapes to wander the market instead.

He doesn’t want to find anything in particular, but the need to learn some kind of perimeter burns like an old instinct. Besides… he needs to clear his head. Even amidst everything, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about all the questions he wants to ask Fai—not once. Is he just complicating this needlessly? In this world, anyone who so much as looks at them assumes they must be married, and it’s led to more embarrassing incidents after Caldina. They must see something that ties them together—magic or hitsuzen or whatever that might be. Maybe they’ve already made it. Maybe trying to force a more formal name on the whole thing will just ruin something really, really good.

On the other hand…

“People like me don’t deserve nice things,” The mage had told him in the dark, earnest and honest and Kurogane wants to prove him wrong so badly he can feel it like a physical pull. Normally, he’s not one for ceremony or overblown gestures of affection, but he thinks of Fai’s stupid self-derision and suddenly he wants to build the man a damn castle. He hates the fancy clothes and the meaningless traditions and Tomoyo’s brand of wedding, but he’d shoulder through all of it if for even one second he could get Fai to see how much more he deserved—how much Kurogane wants to give...

Ugh! This is idiotic. He keeps cycling through the arguments in his head as he storms through the market, barely noting the persistent stares and taking even less stock of the items for sale at their plethora of stands. He stomps down the full length of the central street before he manages to realize what he’s done and start doubling back, thoughts still driving themselves in circles. Kurogane has never been the type to linger long on any decision, so why does this one in particular present such an insurmountable challenge?! He could strangle himself for it in frustration, but well… he knows why, doesn’t he? Because it matters. Because it’s Fai.

“Oh, Hello! Fancy seeing you again.” Kurogane shakes free of his circuitous mind and finds himself blinking beneath the market shade at the pink-haired shopkeep from a few days ago, tense and ready to strike. His head aches distantly. He needs to get a grip. He can’t keep spacing out like this—what if something happens? An enemy could have—

No enemies here, he reminds himself, and tries not to think too much about the fact that his personal voice of reason has started to sound a little like a certain magician.

“Yes,” he hazards, focusing on Caldina as he sets himself back to rights. He lets his false arm relax, all too poised to pull his sword free from Fai’s charm. The area around him is entirely unfamiliar, and he realizes with embarrassment that he wandered far enough in his distraction to get lost. Caldina stands before him expectantly, but he doesn’t see her shop’s façade anywhere nearby. With the city’s tall, cramped buildings, he can’t see the academy on the skyline. He has nothing to orient himself with, but consoles himself with the realization that he can still understand the chatter around him—he can’t have strayed too far from Mokona…

“Not one for small-talk are you?” She teases with a wink, openly laughing when he only shrugs in response. “How did things go at the Academy?”

“Fine. Thanks for the directions.” Kurogane manages to stumble through an attempt at gratitude. He feels the lack of Fai or Syaoran here keenly—they know how to talk to people far better than he does.

To her credit, Caldina takes his awkward communication in stride. She simply laughs again, letting the buzz of those shopping nearby fill the stretch of silence.

“Oh, it wasn’t any trouble. I was happy to help! Don’t see foreigners too often.” The woman admits with a smile, fanning herself absently as she talks. “So, visiting the market for anything in particular? Or did the academics toss you out on your own?”

Kurogane eyes her sideways and tries to gauge her intentions. She probably means well? She helped before and he doesn’t know of any reason she might have to trick him now.

“I’m looking for sake,” he lies, giving her the same excuse he gave Fai when he wandered out this morning. The idiot had sent him out with half their money and a knowing grin. "Buy me something too, Kuro-sama?" He'd teased, eyes half-lidded, and Kurogane had to storm off to the tune of laughter before the blush on his face could show. Just another thing to try not to think about.

“Well, I can help you find that! What do you say, need a guide?”

Normally, Kurogane might have tried to turn her down, but he has nothing to do, and he's lost anyway. He hazards a nod, already apprehensive at the way she brightens. When she tucks herself into his side and loops her arm through his, he very nearly shoves her sideways. Somehow he manages to contain his reaction to a flinch and a look of disdain.

"Oh, please," she hums, laughing. "I'm not gonna try anything strange, but how else am I gonna haul you around without looking weird?"

‘Haul’ is certainly a word for it. She marches him through streets and between stalls and alleys at pace. Her constant running commentary makes focusing on their position difficult, and before he knows what’s what, he’s heard a hundred useless factoids about the market and its vendors and feels somehow even more lost than before. He keeps checking in and out of focus, making sure her words still sound like words and he hasn’t strayed too far from Mokona just yet. He doesn’t know yet what he’ll do if the spell stretches to its limit….

Luckily, he doesn’t need to find out. Caldina leads him to a nice looking stand before long, babbling about changes in tax codes and merchant drama all the while. If he weren’t so bored in this world, he would never have put up with it, but she has him as a captive audience. Besides, her knowledge comes in handy when the time comes to haggle on the pricing.

The drink she persuades the stall-keeper to let them taste is interesting, but it won’t make a list of his favorite things any time soon. None of the samples Caldina acquires are as strong as he usually drinks, but at least they warm his throat like sake should. Most of it tastes far sweeter and fruitier than he prefers… maybe that’s for the best. Fai never admits it out loud, but he thinks the mage enjoys this kind of drink more than Kurogane’s drier favorites.

He winds up grabbing two bottles of the too-sweet drink and tries to tell himself he doesn’t just do it for the chance to see Fai smile his way. 

Caldina does all the bargaining for him, so he makes sure to hand her a few coins as well when they turn away. He certainly couldn’t have saved so much on his own. He doesn’t have the energy to interact with people like that. Even without anything to do today, even with Fai’s still-active cooling charm threaded into his cloak, he still feels exhausted. Between that and the dull aching of his head, he worries that he really is in for a hell of a cold... Or maybe the constant squinting has just started to take a toll.

“Aw, you don’t need to do that!” she cheers as she palms the currency, even though she’s already stashing the tip into her own wallet. Kurogane rolls his eyes at her antics… and catches sight of a glittering stall across the way.

It’s all jewelry, he thinks. More precious metal and shining stones than he’s ever seen in a single place at once. Just looking at it makes the part of him used to providing security to the Princess uncomfortable… It really says something about this world that a stand like that can exist here with such minimal protections. Whether the value of gems is low, or people here are simply well-off, he can’t decide.  

“Ah,” Caldina follows the line of his gaze, mouth quirking in a grin he doesn’t like the look of as she processes his behavior. Kurogane tries to ignore her, watching as the vendor behind the table engages a customer in a rousing round of haggling. The desert sun sees all the stand’s wares gleaming, even beneath the market shade. Delicate detailing and elaborate engravings are lost in the lighting, so bright he can hardly tell them apart. Still… he does manage to spot the thin, white-gold bracelet inlaid with a single blue gem. The way its design flows and doubles back on itself…  He can’t help thinking of Fai and the looping designs of his old coat.

“Thinking about proposing sometime soon?” The pink-haired shopkeep leers, staring him down sideways with a terrifyingly mischievous expression.

“What?!” He nearly knocks backwards into the liquor stand in his shock. How in the worlds—

“Come on! You’re looking at the engagement sets, right? I could tell.”

“Engagement… sets?”  Caldina’s self-satisfied smirk skews toward confusion.

“Yes… you know, the kind you buy as a gift when you propose?” They stare at each other in blatant bewilderment before something dawns on her. “You folks have that where you’re from, don’t you?”

“No,” Kurogane chokes. He bites his tongue and looks away for a moment, regaining his composure. It’s bad enough that the whole damn world assumes them married when he hasn’t figured out how to ask. He thought somehow she’d learned to read his wavering intentions too. But if the jewelry simply serves as an engagement tradition here, then it’s just an odd coincidence. He tries to relax, resting a little easier knowing his thoughts aren’t magically on display for the world to see.

“Oh.” Caldina sighs with dismay, tapping one foot and sending the gentle chime of her own jewelry echoing into the market air. Her eyes glitter as mischief makes its return and Kurogane begins to worry for his continued sanity. “Well, is it a tradition you’d like to start?”

[therequiemforthelost-archive]

1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 12 for your teacher bnha s/i!!!

Why hello again mom @blackquills-wife! I really need to flesh out my teacher s/i more lol

1.) What is your s/i’s name & pronouns?

My teacher s/i’s name is Aika Imai. Her pronouns are she/her!

3.) Does your s/i have a full backstory yet? Or is it still in the works? If it’s done can we see it?

Her backstory isn’t done yet, but I do have some bare-bones basics I don’t mind sharing real quick!

She’s a U.A. alumni from the General Studies department

Was a first-year when Aizawa was a second-year

She’s the homeroom teacher for class 1-C

She didn’t think she’d land a job at U.A., she just kinda put the application in on a whim to teach the department she was a part of

She doesn’t consider her quirk to be too impressive; it’s a healing quirk. 

People wonder why she decided to be a teacher rather than a doctor. The reason is pretty simple: she just wasn’t interested in being a doctor. Her passion lies in teaching. She did help out around the infirmary a lot though when she was a student

4.) How did your s/i feel when they first met your f/o(s)? How do they feel about them now?

When she met Shouta for the first time, she was pretty damn intimidated by him, but when Hizashi-senpai was like “nah don’t worry he’s pretty cool,” she started to develop a small crush on him and was always cheering him on when some of the others in the Hero Course would try and put him down. When they met again as teachers, the feelings she pretty much forgot about come back instantly and it’s a literal struggle for her to not stutter around him for the first few months of being a teacher. Now, she can happily say she’s in love with him and happy to see him every day.

7.) Give us 3 random facts abt your s/i!

She met Hizashi before Shouta because they bumped into each other in the hallway and the poor thing ended up tripping and faceplanting (she’s a klutz)

She had hair that fell just past her elbows in high school, then grew it out as she got older

If she sees someone get hurt, she won’t hesitate to help as best she can and in her range of abilities (considering she doesn’t have a hero license) 

8.) Does your s/i have any kind of powers?

Yes! Her quirk is called Regeneration. It’s a quirk that expends her energy in order to speed up cell regeneration. She can heal herself and others, but healing herself is a much slower process than healing others. If she overuses it, she faints. Too much overuse can lead to death.

12.) Can we see a picture of your s/i?

I don’t have any formal drawings of her myself, but I do have a picrew that I’ll be using as her reference for when I do draw her!

[littlej097]

For Those in My Heart - Chapter 10 - “The Runaway”

Prompt: Roland feels left out and forgotten and decides to make a drastic decision

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Roland loved his sister. He really did…but sometimes, she was loud. Well, actually, she was always loud. Also, she took up a lot of his Mama and Papa’s time. They were always feeding Addy or comforting her as she cried or trying to get her to sleep. Before she was born, Roland used to read a book with his Mama every night before he went to sleep, but now that special moment had become a rather infrequent occasion. On more than one instance, Roland has wandered over to his sister’s nursery, book in hand, to see if his Mama was ready to read with him. 

“Will you read with me, Mama?” He had asked. 

“I promise, in just a minute, honey,” She replied. “I just have to get your sister to stop crying,” she added, not bothering to look at him. She was more focused on shushing the screaming infant in her arms. Roland frowned and sadly walked into his room. He crawled into his bed and opened up the book. He was only six, so he wasn’t the best at reading but decided to just look at the pictures. He waited and waited but soon realized that his Mama wasn’t coming. Roland could still hear his sister screaming. Frustrated, he rolled onto his side and sighed. He was awfully tired. He decided he’d just rest his eyes for a moment and his Mama would be there soon. Eventually, however, his tiredness overtook him and Roland fell asleep, the storybook still in his hands. 

Later on, in the week, Roland woke up on Saturday morning practically bouncing out of bed. Today was the day that his Papa was going to take him out to the forest with the rest of his uncles and teach him to shoot. Roland knew that his Papa was amazing with a Bowen arrow and Roland wanted to be exactly like him. Last Christmas, his Papa had bought him a smaller replica of his own bow. Roland had been so excited when he unwrapped it. He was going to be just like his Papa. After getting dressed,  Roland ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

“Papa! I have my bow! I’m ready to go.” he exclaimed. 

“Roland! Shh, I just got your sister to sleep.” Robin replied in a hushed tone.  

“Sorry Papa, but I have my bow. When can we go meet Little John and Uncle Will?” Roland asked. “You promised to teach me to shoot.” Robin’s face fell. He did make that promise. 

“I’m sorry, my boy.” Robin began. “But I have to stay and watch your sister. Mama got called into an important meeting and Henry is with Emma, so I have watch Addy.” 

“But-but you promised,” Roland said, his lip quivering. 

“We will go,” Robin told him. “It’ll just have to be later after Mama gets home. Is that alright?” Roland nodded sadly, even though it really wasn’t alright. “We can do something together at home though.” Robin offered. 

“I think I’m just going to play in my room,” Roland replied sadly before lumbering up the stairs and into his bedroom. Stupid baby. Addy always ruined everything. 

Things went on like that for a while. His Mama and Papa seemed to always be busy. If Addy wasn’t upset, Mama had to go to work. Roland also knew that Henry was getting ready to go off to college, so he was always studying for a big test that he was going to have to take, so he didn’t have time to play with him either. His Mama and Henry had also been gone a lot on weekends to see different colleges, leaving Roland once again on his own. However, today was going to be different. Today was his school concert and both Mama and Papa had promised to be there. They had both been so excited when he told them and that made Roland excited as well. He even had a solo in the show that he hadn’t told his parents about. He wanted that to be a surprise. Before the show began, Roland peeked from behind the curtain and looked into the audience. He didn’t see his Mama or Papa or Henry or even Addy. Roland felt himself get more nervous. What if they didn’t make it? What if they didn’t get to see his solo? 

“Alright everyone, let’s all get to our places so we can start the show.” The teacher announced. All the kids rushed to their places, climbing onto the bleachers. Roland took his spot on the front bleacher, directly in the middle. The lights in the auditorium turned dark and the spotlight pointed at the stage. The teacher began to conduct and Roland had no choice but to start singing, even though he still didn’t see his parents. After two songs, it came time for Roland’s solo. He walked up to the microphone that was much too tall for him. The teacher had to help him bring it down to his level. He looked out into the audience and swallowed thickly. He didn’t have anyone there to support him. The music began and Roland waited for his cue, however when it came, he tried to sing but nothing came out. His hands were shaking and he was terrified. The teacher tried to help him by giving him the words, but Roland couldn’t move. His eyes began to fill with tears and before he knew it, his little legs were carrying him backstage as fast as he could go. Still crying, Roland ran out of the building and headed home. 

“They didn’t come…” he cried to himself. “They don’t care about me.” It was at that moment that Roland realized that he wasn’t just sad and embarrassed. He was angry. Why was everyone else so much more important than him? Then, a thought popped into his mind. Maybe he shouldn’t be in this family anymore. He could run away. Roland didn’t believe that anyone would truly care anyway. He grabbed his little red and blue rolling suitcase and stuffed some clothes and toys into it. Then he grabbed his favorite stuffed monkey and clutched it in his arms. “Come on monkey, we’ll go find our own home…” Roland said sadly as he walked out the front door and started making his way to the forest. He had lived in the forest once before and he could do it again. 

At the mayor’s office, Regina was sitting at her desk, buried under a mound of paperwork that she didn’t think she’d ever get to the bottom of. Suddenly, she heard her cell phone ring and smiled when she saw Robin’s picture flash across the screen. 

“Hello?” 

“Hello, my love,” Robin said. “I was just calling to see what you wanted to do for dinner.” 

“Maybe Granny’s tonight. I’m so tired. Just the thought of cooking is making me even more exhausted.” she replied, honestly. 

“I think that can be arranged,” Robin replied with a laugh. “We’ll have to pick up Addy anyway. Granny was watching her so that I could do some work with the Merry Men.”  Suddenly, Regina heard a chime from her computer that she recognized. It happened every time a reminder popped up. She looked at the screen and gasped. It said “Roland School Concert.” Oh God, She had forgotten. Why hadn’t this reminder gone off earlier? 

“Robin! Please tell me you went to Roland’s school concert?” 

“What do you mean? Isn’t that next week?” Robin asked. 

“No! I just got a notification that it was today.” Regina replied, his voice full of panic. 

“Oh, God...How did we forget?” 

“I don’t know. But he’s probably still waiting for us at the school. All the kids were supposed to stay after to practice before the concert.” Regina told him. 

“I’ll go and get him. Goodness, he’s going to be so upset.” Robin replied. “How are we going to make this up to him?” 

“I don’t know,” Regina sighed sadly. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this horrible of a mother. He’s gonna hate us.” 

“The best that we can do is apologize and try to make it up to him,” Robin replied. “I’ll call you when we’re on our way home, okay love?” 

“Okay,” Regina replied. After hanging up the phone, Regina dropped her head into her hands. She felt truly terrible for missing Roland’s concert. With Addy needing so much of her attention and Henry going through the tedious process of applying for college, so much of her time was taken up. Roland had kind of fallen through the cracks. There were only so many hours in a day, but that didn’t excuse her from practically ignoring her middle son. Feeling sick to her stomach, Regina decided to just head home. She wasn’t going to be able to focus enough to get any more work done anyway.  She packed up her stuff and headed home. The house was quiet when she got there. Henry was still out with Violet, which was actually good because she didn’t want him to be here when they talked to Roland. She had a feeling this was not going to be an easy conversation. She sat down at the kitchen counter as she racked her mind for what to possibly say to her young son. Suddenly, her phone began to ring again. Regina immediately picked it up. “Robin, did you get him? Are you on your way home?” 

“He wasn’t there.” 

“What do you mean he wasn’t there?” Regina exclaimed. 

“They said he forgot the words during a solo and ran off. They tried to find him but he was too fast.” Robin told her. “Is he home?” 

“I don’t know,” Regina replied. “Roland! Roland! Are you home sweetie?” She yelled as she ran up the staircase. She ran to Roland’s room and opened the door. “Roland?” She looked around. He wasn’t there...and neither was his suitcase or his monkey. He didn’t go anywhere without that monkey. It had taken two weeks of convincing to get him to stop bringing it to school. 

“Robin, he’s not here! His suitcase is gone and so is his monkey,” Regina said, her eyes welling with tears. “I-I think he ran away.” 

“Oh God… I’ll be home soon. Just wait for me and we’ll go out together.” Robin replied. 

“I’m going to call Emma and Hook and the Charmings, the more people the better,” Regina replied. 

“Okay, that’s a good idea,” Robin told her. “Regina, we will find him.” 

“Okay…” She replied through a sob. “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Robin answered before hanging up the phone. After hanging up, Regina called everyone and told them that Roland was missing. Instantly, the gang told her that they’d be over in a couple of minutes to look for him. Regina was left in the little boy’s room alone once again. She looked around and smiled when she found his favorite green cloak from the Enchanted Forest lying on the ground. He didn’t use it much anymore because cloaks weren’t something many people wore in this land. However, the little boy liked to use it as a cape when he’d play superheroes, so he had kept it. Regina held it up her face and instantly, Roland’s sweet smell hit her. She had to find him if it was the last thing she did. If something happened to him, Regina didn’t know what she’d do with herself. 

She was drawn from her thoughts when she heard the front door open. “Regina?” A voice called. It was Robin. She raced down the stairs and flew into his arms. 

“We have to find him.” 

“We will,” Robin told her. “Everyone is outside. Get your coat and let’s go.” Regina nodded, pulled on her coat and followed Robin outside. They decided to break up into groups. Emma and Hook would head to the beach. Snow and Charming would look in town and Regina and Robin would head to the forest because Robin knew the forest better than anyone. 

“We only have a little time. It’s getting dark.” Robin told everyone. 

“And the weather isn’t looking too great…” Emma remarked as she looked at the dark clouds in the sky. 

“Let’s just go. Make sure to call if anyone finds him.” David said before everyone headed their separate ways.  

“The forest is so big, I don’t know how we’ll ever find him,” Regina said. 

“We have to,” Robin told her. “Isn’t there something you can do? Something magical?” Regina thought for a moment. 

“A locator potion!” She exclaimed. “It’ll lead us right to him.” It was then that she realized she was still holding Roland’s green cloak in her hands. She quickly conjured up a bit of the locater potion from her vault and poured it over the cloak, which lit up and began to float away, presumably in Roland’s direction. “Now we’ll be able to find him.” 

“And not a moment too soon,” Robin replied as he felt raindrops begin to fall and a loud crack of thunder echoed through the sky. 

Deeper in the forest, Roland was running as fast as he could. He was terrified. It had gotten darker much faster than he had expected it to and he hadn’t accounted for the rain. He realized that he didn’t have a tent like he normally did when he stayed with his Papa and his Uncles. He also didn’t have any water or food. Roland realized he had made a huge mistake. He had also never been a big fan of thunderstorms. They scared him. They were loud and the lightning was too bright. And, now he was completely soaking wet and cold. Roland started to run to try and find shelter, but he ended up tripping over a tree root. He fell to the ground, his knee taking the majority of the impact. Roland hissed at the pain as he brought his knee up to examine it. There was an angry red brush burn staring back at him. “Ow,” Roland cried, clutching his knee. He just wanted to go home. He wanted his Mama to clean off his knee and kiss it to make it feel better. He just wanted to be in own bed with fresh, dry pajamas. This had been a mistake...a big, big, mistake. Limping on his bad knee,  Roland had found his way into hollowed out old tree that had fallen. It was dirty and smelly, but at least it was dry. He shivered in his wet clothes and clutched his monkey tight to his chest. “It’s gonna be okay, monkey,” he whispered. “We’re okay.” Suddenly, another pang of thunder rang out and Roland jumped. “I want to go home,” he whimpered. “I want to go home.”

Luckily for Roland, Regina and Robin had almost found their way to him. They were racing after the cloak, completely drenched. “We have to be almost there,” Robin replied, breathlessly. Regina didn’t reply. She was too focused on following the cloak and finding Roland. 

“Roland!” They both yelled. “Roland, where are you?” Then, out of the corner of her eye, Regina caught a glimpse of a tiny red and blue suitcase that she recognized to be Roland’s. 

“Roland!” She screamed as she darted over to the fallen tree. 

“Mama?” Roland replied, peeking his head out of the tree. “Mama!” he exclaimed, realizing she was in fact truly there. He crawled out from inside the tree and ran straight into Regina’s arms. 

“Oh God, you’re okay. You’re okay.” She exclaimed, holding him close to her chest. 

“I’m so sorry,  I ran away, Mama.” Roland sobbed. 

“It’s okay,” She told him. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.” Robin was by there sides in an instant and took his son into his arms. 

“Oh my boy, you’re safe. Thank God.” Robin cried. “Please never scare us like that again.” 

“I’m sorry,” The little boy cried out once more.

“We’ll talk more when we get home,” Regina said. “Let’s just get out of this rain.” The three of them wandered out of the forest and back to the mayoral mansion. Robin made sure to call everyone else so they could stop looking and go home and get dry as well. Once inside the house, Regina took Roland upstairs and got him changed. She also bandaged his knee and kissed it, like a mother should, to make it stop hurting. When Roland was situated, Regina got herself changed and Robin did as well. Then, the three of them settled in on the couch for a long overdue talk. 

“Roland, honey, we are so sorry that we missed your concert,” Regina told him. “I don’t know what happened. We were just so busy...and we made a mistake.” 

“I was supposed to have a solo…” the little boy replied sadly. “But I got too nervous and I forgot all the words and you and Papa weren’t there, so I got scared and I ran.” 

“Oh baby, I am so sorry,” Regina said pulling him into her arms. 

“Roland, Mama and I are very sorry that that happened,” Robin told him. “We don’t know how we’ll make it up to you, but I have to know. Why did you run away?” Roland shrugged his shoulders. 

“You can tell us, honey. We won’t get mad, no matter what.” Regina told him.

“I didn’t think you guys cared about me anymore,” he said in practically a whisper. Regina felt like someone had just shot her in the heart. It killed her that Roland felt that way. She loved that little boy with all her heart. 

“Why would you think that?” Robin asked softly. 

“Because,” Roland answered. “You never have any time for me anymore. You’re always taking care of Addy or helping Henry with college. Papa, you promised to teach me to shoot a bow just like you and you didn’t. And, Mama, you used to read with me every night and now you never do.” Regina and Robin looked at one another sheepishly. Roland was right. They had been ignoring him, not on purpose, of course, but they had been ignoring him.

“Oh sweetheart, we’re so sorry that we made you feel like that,” Regina told him. “It’s just...Addy is a baby so she needs a lot of attention. And, applying for college is very stressful so we wanted to help Henry as much as we could. But that doesn’t excuse us in any way for making you feel that way. Roland, we both love you so much.” 

“You do?” the little boy asked. 

“Of course we do,” Robin told him. 

“How about we have a Roland day?” Regina suggested. “You get to choose whatever you want to do with just me and Papa.” 

“No Addy or Henry?” Roland asked. 

“No, it’ll just be the three of us. A special day just for you.” She replied. 

“I think that would be fun.” the little boy agreed. “Mama?” he asked. 

“Yes, baby,” 

“Am I still your little knight?” he asked. 

“Always and forever, my love,” Regina replied as she took the little boy into her arms and held onto him as tightly as she could, not wanting to ever let go. Tonight had been scary for sure but it was a wake-up call that they all needed. Regina and Robin would make sure no matter what that Roland felt loved and included in whatever they did...they loved that little boy too much to ever let him feel like that ever again.

[seoulscenarios]

College AU! Han Jisung

i may have gotten a little carried away with the linguistics part,,, i studied a linguistics module and poured my own damn feelings into this lmao

-Major: Linguistics with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

-Minor: Lyrical Composition,, though he kept pretty quiet about it

-Sports: none,,, he tried joining Hyunjin’s basketball team but he got cut from the team during tryouts for Naruto running across the court which was apparently against the rules

-Clubs: Jisung joined the dance club but gave up after two weeks bc Minho kept making him do all the difficult stuff lmao, is a part of the art club bc he likes to draw, esp characters, and design artwork for 3RACHAs posters/mixtape covers,,,, all the posters you see advertised around campus for the next 3RACHA gig, yeah those were designed by J.One lmao

-So,,, linguistics???

-Jisung honestly couldn’t tell you why he ended up majoring in linguistics when he first got to college bc it’s such a weird niche subject

-9 times out of 10 he ends up having to explain what the hell linguistics is to people bc they have no clue

-It’s the study of language

-So like you’re learning a language??

-No,,, I study how language is formed and used and structured

-……. So no actual language??

-NO

-Honestly Jisung is a bit sick of it tbh, like there’s only so many times he can explain what it is before he wants to explode with anger

-So whilst Jisung didn’t know why he chose linguistics at first, he soon realised that he loved learning about syntax, semantics and pragmatics behind language,,,, he just really loved it

-It also helped him when he was writing lyrics and more often than not, he ended up helping Chan and Changbin with their lyrics when they had an awkward phrase or there was no flow in the lyric

-It really did come in handy for the three of them when they were writing songs late at night and Jisung’s linguistic brain took over when he was checking lyrics

-However,,,, as much as he enjoyed linguistics he actually really despised it at the same time

-I mean,,, idk about you but linguistics is really really REALLY hard to learn and get your head around

-Like if you don’t get something, it makes learning and understanding literally everything else so difficult

-Jisung constantly had an IPA chart in his hand trying to learn the symbols for different consonants and vowels when he was trying to study

-Which,, was hardly ever bc linguistics revision made him want to CRY most of the time bc he couldn’t think of anything worse than writing out the correct pronunciation of sentences or annotate sentences with their different particle abbreviations or,,,, the actual worst which was learning the different phonological rules

-So yeah, Jisung was the literal definition of winging it when it came to his linguistic exams having crammed the night before and bouncing off the wall from 4 espresso shots he had just downed

-He wasn’t that stressed about the exam bc,,, well if everyone else finds it difficult they’ll just lower the grade boundary lmao

-Whilst Jisung seemed like a good kid during class,,,, most of the time was not

-Boy has a LOT of energy and spends most of class literally bouncing in his seat or constantly yelling to a friend across the room from him

-He was asked to leave a few times bc of class disruption and Jisung literally did the Naruto run out of class whilst everyone cheered him on bc of how distraught their teacher was at him

-They didn’t hate him, oh no, bc he was a kind hearted kid he just,,,, was a bit too much sometimes esp for a 9am linguistic class where everyone was literally dead on their feet and he was bouncing off the walls, yelling the answers out even if they were wrong

-He was a much appreciated addition to the class though bc otherwise,,, that class would be DEAD and no one would participate so they were just glad Jisung was there so they didn’t have to answer

-And you bet ur ass when he had to a presentation there were tons of anime references and bad slideshow transition bc that’s who Jisung is a person and he thought they were funny,,, tho the look on one of the examiners face made him slightly regret it but his other examiner was crying at the effects so u win some u lose some Jisung thought

-So alongside his linguistics major, he also took a TESOL path bc he learnt how to speak English so he wanted to help others learn how to

-He always tested out his methods on Jeongin bc,,, they lived together and Jisung literally locked him the living room so he could practice his teaching methods on him lmao

-Jeongin always protested and tried to run away to literally anyone’s house but Jisung just caught him in a hug,,,, and Jeongin could never refuse a hug even if it was from one of his most annoying hyungs

-Besides,,, it meant he got free English lessons without having to be taught by a stuffy professor

-Jisung was a very,, enigmatic teacher and the kind of teacher that would never make a class boring

-In fact, many of the students who signed up for English classes tried to request him despite the fact that u know,,, there were quite a few TESOL students who needed the students to teach as well

-But for the 1-1 sessions,,, Jisung was so oversubscribed that they literally had to redistribute the students so Jisung could get some damn rest,,,, I mean he tried to protest saying that it was fine but the professors were like JISUNG NO

-JISUNG YES he yelled, trying to redo his schedule so he could accommodate all the students before one of his classmates literally had to rip his planner out of his hands and another one grabbed his pen so he couldn’t write any of it down

-Poor baby,,, he just wanted to teach

-A lot of his students came out of their 1-1 classes extremely overwhelmed and had gone to his professor to ask if Jisung is always that enthusiastic and that maybe he should calm down on the coffee

-The gag? Jisung doesn’t even drink coffee unless he accidentally pulls an all nighter before an exam

-The professor just shook his head and was like,,, no that’s just Jisung

-O h

-Jisung wasn’t always the most well prepared for his classes though, preferring to have a very lax lesson plan and once he got called to the head of departments office bc apparently teaching the students English using Beyonce lyrics wasn’t appropriate no matter how much they seemed to enjoy it

-Jisung was offended bc,,, did she just insult Queen Bey just now?? He was going to argue but he didn’t want to get ANOTHER warning bc the last time he was called there was bc he showed his students The Bee Movie and one kid on the feedback form just quoted the opening monologue for his response to “what did you learn that helped improve your English skills?”

-Jisung just felt that learning English through academics wasn’t interesting and certainly wasn’t going to make anyone enjoy it or learn much from it so he liked to use a lot of songs and films and tv shows that had helped him learn English all those years ago

-He still went to Chan and Felix’s flat though just to make sure he could still understand English and that he was still able to English bc lbr here,,, English is extremely difficult

-Like even for Jisung, who lived in Malaysia in his childhood and could speak and understand English well, it’s still hard bc it’s not his native language

-Sometimes Chan had to look over his teaching notes and correct all the English on it bc Jisung had made them the night before and was clearly extremely tired bc it was a jumble of Korean and English that shouldn’t even be together and,,,, were those Zico lyrics in the corner???? JISUNG NO

-But yeah, Chan was very helpful towards Jisung bc of all the help Jisung gave to him when they wrote lyrics together so he was extremely willing to help Jisung with his English

-Heck, he even taught Jisung English once a week so Jisung would feel more comfortable speaking English with his students and his professors bc he wasn’t afraid of getting the answer wrong exactly,,, but still at the back of his mind was that lingering feeling of disappointment if he got it extremely wrong and everyone knew that it was wrong

-The English lessons chan gave to him was extremely useful and he felt even more confident when he went to teach bc he knew that Chan’s lessons would pay off

-You, however, were not a linguistics major

-You studied TESOL full time bc you really wanted to be an English teacher

-You used to volunteer at elementary schools whilst you were a high school student, giving out free English lessons to the kids

-Whilst you may not be as crazy as Jisung was when he taught English, you were still extremely charismatic and enthusiastic bc you had so much passion and love for it

-You met Jisung in a rather,,,, unusual fashion

-It was your first day of classes and you were running late bc you had a meeting with your academic advisor which should have only been a few minutes but ended up being way longer,,, you were polite enough to hear her out but honestly u just wanted to blast

-You didn’t want to miss your first TESOL class bc hello,, that was your damn major

-LUCKILY

-There was still a seat just by the door which you managed to grab before the professor could give you an evil glare for being late to class lmao

-You knew that this would be your spot for the duration of this module bc that’s just how seating arrangements worked,,, u choose one spot and suddenly it’s yours for the rest of the semester/year

-Unfortunately, you couldn’t make that class the next week bc you had doctors appointment during that particular class

-Which, fortunately, for Jisung meant there was one free space when he actually turned up to class that week

-He didn’t mean to not turn up the previous introduction class,, but honestly he kinda gathered he wouldn’t miss anything that he couldn’t find out from the information pack online or by talking to other students lmao

-So when he turned up the week and saw everyone else sat in their respective seats he sighed but spotted a spare one just by the door

-You weren’t there so, without thinking, he just went and sat in it pulling out his notes

-The third week of class comes round, and you arrive to class to see a boy sat in “your” seat and ur fuming bc hello,,,, did he not realise that the seat was already claimed by you

-You stalked up to it and placed your hands on the desk, tapping impatiently

-The boy looked up from his phone and pulled a headphone out, and you could hear a heavy beat with a melodic voice rapping over the top bleed out through the now free headphone

-“I believe you’re sat in my seat”

-The boy just looked at you confused from under his black bangs and beanie

-“But,,, I was sat here last week?”

-“And I was sat here in the first week which makes this MY seat so move it before I drop kick you outta this seat”

-The boy just laughed, before gathering his stuff and placing it on the empty seat next to you,,,, guess that person didn’t want to go to class this week

-(Plot twist: they did turn up albeit 10 minutes late and they realised,,, they lost their seat to Jisung forever and rumour has it the department had to steal a new table for the classroom)

-You just sighed, placing your bag heavily on the table whilst the other boy just sat there, tapping his fingers in time with the music

-Little did you know that this was going to be the beginning of your friendship with Jisung

-As the class started you couldn’t help but be drawn to the boy next to you as he bounced excitedly in his seat whilst your professor spouted some nonsense about how to teach the possessive case as easily as possible

-You couldn’t help but smile as Jisung yelled out nonsense answers to the questions asked by both professor and students, and you full on laughed as Jisung got into a friendly debate with the teacher and the teacher just gave up halfway through

-You caught Jisung’s eye as he sat back down in his seat once the teacher turned his attention elsewhere and he just grinned at you, seeing the smile that was playing around your mouth

-When the two of you were partnered up for a quiz that was going to happen next lesson and the class split off in order to delegate revision

-“I’m Jisung!” the boy, Jisung you now knew, burst out excitedly

-You laughed at his enthusiasm and he smiled at you, before introducing yourself

-“And I’m Y/N, pleasure to meet you Jisung”

-And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the beginning of a beautiful if slightly crazy friendship

-You see, Jisung brought out the loud, childish side in you especially during class whilst you had the ability to mellow him slightly when he got just a little too raucous when challenging a teacher or throwing out answers

-The two of you became extremely close friends, even hanging out with each other at the others flats

-You could be seen playing video games most days instead of studying or having Netflix binges when you should’ve been making lesson plans

-But it was all in good fun, considering you hadn’t failed any classes yet and you had a good social life as well

-Jisung introduced you to his friends and you were essentially one of them now

-Like, you frequently had the boys over in your flat even without Jisung being there

-You came back one day after class with Jisung in tow and found Seungmin and Hyunjin sat outside your door, pouting bc Changbin kicked them out of their apartment bc he “needed space to think for his new track and he couldn’t hear himself think over the sound of a law book being thrown at Hyunjin whilst he was playing overwatch so you NEED TO LEAVE BEFORE I DRAG YOU OUT” to which Hyunjin had replied with “can you even reach my neck?” and Changbin nearly tackled Hyunjin so Seungmin dragged him away before he would be looking for a new flatmate

-You just roll your eyes before unlocking your door and letting them in, knowing they feared the wrath of Changbin lmao

-I mean, they knew where everything was in the flat now so nothing was sacred

-But only Jisung knew where your secret stash of snacks were :’)

-True friendship

-Before you knew it, everyone but Changbin had turned up to your tiny flat for an impromptu movie night

-Chan and Woojin had brought along snacks and drinks, and a very disgruntled Jeongin who just wanted to sleep, whilst Felix and Minho brought more blankets and pillows and set up a pillow fort in front of your TV

-You watch in utter horror as popcorn ends up in every corner of the room before the film had even started bc Hyunjin was retelling his story of nearly being killed by Changbin that afternoon and they all retaliated by throwing popcorn at him

-The boys decided to watch a horror film, and you were less than thrilled

-You didn’t hate them,, you just hated the jump scares and sometimes you had to sleep with the light on just in case

-As you grabbed the drinks bottles from the kitchen, you navigated your way through the pile of boys that had accumulated on your sofa and floor placing the bottles on the floor next to the table

-Frowning, you couldn’t see any free spaces to sit on your sofa and you were slightly annoyed,,,, bc hello it’s your flat AND you sofa u didn’t care that you had guests they were your friends

-As you stood there trying to figure out where to sit, a hand wrapped itself around your wrist and you looked down to see Jisung staring up at you, gesturing to a space next to him

-Knowing there was nowhere else to sit, you begrudgingly sat next to him and Jisung smiled really widely as he felt the heat from your body next to his

-As the film progressed, you found yourself moving closer and closer to Jisung the more jump scares that occurred

-Safe to say, you whimpered quite a lot and at one point you buried you face into Jisung’s chest trying to calm down

-Jisung,,, was pretty concerned with you bc he didn’t know that you were scared of horror films so rather than laughing at you like he would do with the boys,,, he grabbed your hand and rubbed circles onto the back of it soothingly in an attempt to calm you down

-By the end of the film you were basically sat in Jisung’s lap and he had one arm wrapped around your shoulders and his other hand holding yours uwu

-You didn’t realise the film was over until you heard someone, who sounded suspiciously like Seungmin, cough and you practically leapt out of Jisung’s lap

-You didn’t see the smirks Hyunjin and Minho sent Jisung’s way bc you were too embarrassed to admit the fact you were scared and needed Jisung to protect you lmao

-Deciding the night was still young, the boys picked another film and at this point,, you were extremely tired

-The last film had worn you out emotionally and you found yourself drifting off during the second one

-As you did, you shuffled closer to Jisung bc he was warm and soft and you missed the warmth to be quite honest

-As you rested your head on his shoulder, your hand found his and entangled your fingers together before getting comfortable to watch the film

-Jisung was a blushing MESS at your actions tbh,,, like who allowed you to be so cute and play with his heart like this

-The smirks on Hyunjin and Minho’s faces only grew wider as Jisung sent them a panicked look

-You’ll thank us later was what Minho mouthed at him, before turning his attention back to the film that was playing

-Jisung could not find it in him to concentrate on the film, instead choosing to take in your features one by one

-The way your eyelashes rested perfectly on your cheekbones, how your eyebrows would furrow as you shuffled trying to get comfier and the feel on your fingers intertwined with his made his heart rate pick up and left him breathless

-I mean, Jisung had always acknowledged that you were attractive and when you ended up spending more time with him and you got closer,,,, he began to notice everything about you, and whilst sometimes he had trouble recalling what his friends told him sometimes,, he managed to always remember everything you said so clearly

-He gasped,, realising that he had maybe developed a tiny crush on you

-On the opposite side of the room you could see the victory gleaming in Minho and Hyunjin’s eyes

-U see,,, they already knew Jisung had a crush on you and they were just trying to get him to realise it so they could see the two of you happy together bc,,,, boy did they know how much you liked him as well

-Out of all Jisung’s friends, you had grown the closest to Minho and it was to him that you had vented everything about Jisung to,,,, he was just trying to figure out a way to make you realise you had a crush on him too

-Luckily,,, Minho needn’t interfere at all bc after the movie had finished both you and Jisung had fallen asleep and the rest of the boys had left to two you asleep on your apartment floor

-You woke up the next day feeling incredibly warm and extremely uncomfortable

-You rolled over only to encounter an obstacle,,,, cracking an eye open it looked familiar and you realised that your hand was entangled with someone else’s and all of a sudden the images of last night came flooding back into your head

-You clinging onto Jisung, him rubbing soothing circles onto your hand, holding his hand,,,, and then falling asleep

-What you didn’t realise through all this was that Jisung too was waking up

-It wasn’t until you were observing Jisung’s face that you realised his eyes were in fact open and he was staring at you with a soft smile on his face

-Groaning, you reached for a pillow behind you and threw it at him

-Jisung’s laugh echoed loudly in your ears before he launched a pillow at you

-Well,,, it was just a full on pillow fight after that for a good ten minutes until you had all the pillows and Jisung pleaded mercy

-“Fine, I win and you get to make breakfast instead” you conceded, hugging one of the pillows and Jisung begrudgingly agreed, trudging to the kitchen

-10 minutes later, he served you a plate of toast with different toppings and you couldn’t help but laugh bc you forgot how incompetent Jisung was in the kitchen

-As the two of you ate the toast, your eyes kept drifting to Jisung

-His messy hair was almost comical but you found it endearing somehow, and his face was kind of puffy from just having woken up but there was something so intimate about the scene that you kind of wanted to take a photo of how domestic you felt

-As you finished your slice, you took a sip of water admiring Jisung’s features when all of a sudden he made his way over to you

-He leant in and kissed the corner of your lips, before pulling away and smiling at you

-“You had something there”

-Um Y/N.exe has stopped working

-You were literally dying right now,, like wtf

-Why was he being so smooth all of a sudden

-Your brain just went into overdrive and the only logical solution you could think of was pretty damn crazy

-Your head and heart were both in agreement at the solution

-So you just stand up to meet him and grab the collar of his t-shirt and planted a kiss right on his lips

-He was,,, shocked to say the least but goddamn relieved that you reciprocated his feelings

-The two of you pulled apart and sat in silence for a few minutes,,, no one daring to break the silence

-“Soooo,,,, you wanna go on a date?”

-“Sure, let me get dressed and let’s go”

-DATING JISUNG:

-So your relationship,, is definitely not unexpected and was met with great enthusiasm from the boys bc finally,, you had stopped pining

-We didn’t pine!!!

-Look,,, listening to both of you gushing about the other to me was SICKENING and can therefore be seen as pining good day to you

-You and Jisung was very high energy and mainly bc of Jisung bc he would not ! stop! Talking! 99% of the time and u were like,,, babe I love you but pls shut up

-And he would get all pouty which could only be solved if you kissed him

-One day Minho asked you how put up with Jisung being loud for so long and you were like,,, easy! There’s a trick, an off switch of sorts. Care to find out?

-Minho,,, was intrigued but also wary bc hello,,, this is Jisung we’re talking about

-You walked over to Jisung and tapped his shoulder whilst he was talking to Hyunjin about the killing streak he got on overwatch last night you just planted a kiss on his cheek and Jisung stopped talking and giggled shyly before kissing ur cheek back

-You sauntered back to Minho with a smug look on your face whilst Minho,,,, just had a very disgusted look on his face he knew he shouldn’t have trusted you to have a simple answer to his question

-One thing you didn’t know about Jisung was the fact he was part of 3RACHA

-Like you had heard of them,,, you just weren’t big on the campus social life tbh so most things like this kinda went straight past you

-You noticed, however, now you were dating Jisung was that twice a week would disappear for a few hours then occasionally on weekends he would go missing for the entire night

-Not that you were worried that he was doing anything bad bc you trusted Jisung wasn’t THAT stupid to get arrested or something (you hadn’t ruled it out entirely as this is Jisung we’re talking about, he would get arrested for disturbing the peace or something at 3am)

-You just wondered what Jisung was doing bc you were curious

-You waited a few weeks to see if he would tell you and when he hadn’t you just straight up asked him where he went

-He was a little startled, but rather than giving you an answer he just grabbed your hand and tugged you out of the door and towards campus

-“Jisung, babe, please tell me where we’re going” you panted as he weaved through the unfamiliar corridors of a building you had never been in before

-Without warning, he opened a door and pulled you into a,,,,

-Recording studio???

-“Babe,,, what is all this?”

-“I probably told you that I did lyrical composition alongside linguistics right??”

-“Briefly, you were pretty quiet about it to be honest”

-“Well, with Chan-hyung and Changbin-hyung, we uh, write songs and perform them sometimes”

-“Really?! That’s so cool”

-“You think so?” he asked you shyly, ruffling his hair nervously

-“HELL YEAH that’s amazing, could I maybe hear some of the stuff you’ve done?”

-Jisung smiled, slipping into a chair in front of the chair looking extremely professional and began clicking on stuff and bringing up a track

-He plugged in a pair of headphones and slipped them onto your ears, pressing play

-You heard his voice intertwine with the smooth melody and you were in awe at his sheer talent, like you were so shocked that your boyfriend could sing AND rap extremely well

-Jisung sat watching the expressions on your face as the song played, smiling as he saw the different emotions flash upon yourself

-When the song ended you flung yourself at him and began kissing him all over his face whilst he laughed at the sudden affection

-You leant in to kiss him deeply and he just leaned back in the chair pulling you closer to him

-The kiss probably would’ve got more intense if Chan and Changbin hadn’t walked in just in the moment and literally screamed at the fact their friends were tainting their recording studio (it wasn’t actually theirs but the music department graciously let them use it out of hours)

-You threw yourself off Jisung and were extremely red in the face, and Jisung had the audacity to grin at his hyungs

-Changbin just threw a pillow from one of the chairs at him, glaring at him as he took a seat in the other chair whilst Chan just glanced between the two of you

-“I’ll just get going” you said awkwardly, backing towards the door when Jisung shot up and pulled you from the door so he could walk you home

-I can’t believe I have to sit in this seat,,, it’s TAINTED changbin

-It’s your own fault

-???? How ????

-Idk,,, just your bad luck

-…….

-ANYWAY

-You and Jisung were an extremely clingy couple,,, like skinship central

-Jisung absolutely loved loved LOVED it when you would wrap him in a back hug bc it made him very happy and he just loved the feeling of your arms wrapped so securely around him and your hot breath tickling the back of his neck

-Seungmin had to have his law books confiscated whenever you hung out together bc he would just keep throwing them at Jisung whenever he would kiss you or show any affection

-SEUNGMIN IT’S JUST A KISS

-IT’S AFFECTION KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME

-Cue Jisung chasing after Seungmin to try and tackle him and plant a kiss on his cheek,,,, he succeeded but at what cost

-Seungmin nearly throttling him, that was the cost

-Despite the excessive skinship, you and Jisung wouldn’t change your relationship for the world

-You were just the loud, clingy couple that hyped each other up even in the most mundane thing

-Like,, you did a presentation for one of your classes and Jisung waited outside for your class to finish and when you left the class he threw confetti at you before screaming about how much his baby did him proud

-If this was literally any other couple the whole of campus would’ve been like wtf are they crazy but when they heard Jisung scream they were just like,,, ofc

-Hey Y/N u wanna go

-Yeah

-On a date with me./ OH YOU DO./ OHH

-YOU’RE SAYING THAT LIKE I FELL FOR A CUNNING PRANK WE’RE LITERALLY DATING YOU EGG

dating college jisung is just a big meme filled mess tbh

[loki-in-hogwarts]

So confident part 2 : PeterSolo-PrincessY/n

part 1 part 3 part 4 

Peter Parker x reader

Warnings : swearing and mention of (small) injuries and blood.

A/N : It took me so long to publish it here, I first did it here, but I hope you will enjoy just as much !

Word count : 4K oops

Peter arrived at school actually tired of last night. He had woke up in his bedroom only remembering that you were all gone home very late. He entered the great hall and headed straight to his locker. There he found Ned and MJ speaking together and then displaying their biggest and fakest smile when they saw him. "Heyyyyy Pete !", greeted Ned. MJ was smiling mischievously. "What is all the whispering about ?", Peter asked suspicious. "Nothing !", they both answered at the same time. "Have you checked your Instagram ?", MJ asked with a fraudulent smile. Peter immediately took off his phone from his pocket. While he was waiting for it to turn on, he rose his head and muttered : "What have you both done ?", receiving giggles as an answer. There were in fact a lot of Instagram notifications and he saw likes and comments such as cuties ❤, my eyes are bleeding, it is too pure and even wait...are they dating ?. He sighed before opening the photo and totally freaked out seeing it. "Oh my god ! What got into our heads ? Y/n will think I'm a weirdo now, what the hell ? When did you even take that ?" The two were laughing to hard to answer. Eventually Ned said : "Last night, you were literally in each other arms and we took some pictures..." "Looots of pictures.", MJ interrupted. "...We thought it was too cute to keep it for us and decided to share with the world !" "It's pretty generous of ourselves if you want my opinion...", MJ added. Poor Peter was living a nightmare. "On my account ? How did you even find the password ?", he exclaimed exasperated. "Ooooh come on Peter ! You literally chose PeterSolo-PrincessY/n as a password ! You think I never saw you drawing little sketches of yourself and y/n as Han Solo and Leia during the lessons ?" Peter cheeks turned as red as a lobster and he jumped on Ned to close his mouth with his hands. "Can you not yell that please ? It's humiliating enough ! I have to delete this right now !", he added just as a quick MJ stole his phone from his hands. "Certainly not !" "But y/n is gonna see that !", he cried. "Exactly !", they answered in unison. "Fuck, fuck, fuck ! Give me my phone back !", he said as MJ was holding it as high as possible and Ned placed himself between her and Peter to protect it. "Language young man !", MJ said reproachfully. "Ooooh look who just liked your photo ! Y/n !", she added as she was staring at the phone. "Oh no, let me see !", he declared as he was trying to get the phone, the other two fighting back.

You were on your way to school, completely exhausted. You needed your nine hours beauty sleep to start well the day, and let just say that you didn't have them, at all. You turned on your phone and placed it in your pocket. You were peacefully entering the school, when you saw a notification on your phone. Peter identified you on a photo. You furrowed your eyebrows, not knowing what photo he could have possibly had identified you on, knowing you never took a photo together. You nearly choked when you saw it. You were sleeping, all curled up in his arms and he had his hand laced with yours. You quickly checked the comments and your heart started to beat really fast. You raced to his locker and stoped to calm down before turning the corner that was leading to Peter's locker. When you arrived, you saw MJ and Ned trying to prevent Peter from taking his phone. You blinded and then cleared your throat, causing them to stop what they were doing and smile innocently. "What is all the fuss about ?", you asked non chalantly, guessing that it was probably a stroke of MJ and Ned. "Hi y/n !", the two answered while Peter was blushing and staring at the ground as if the dust was the most interesting thing he ever saw. You were about to ask for the photo, when a deep voice coming from behind you yelled your name. "Hello y/n !" Flash was standing there, with a face full of bruises and a big smile. He took your chin to get a closer look at the bruise he made. "Oooh, that must have hurt like a bitch", he mocked. You took his wrist and turned it to hurt him. "What have I told you ?", you asked cringing. "What you gonna do now that your Spider boy isn't here to save you ?", he mumbled while you were still holding his wrist. "Didn't I..." Peter started before noticing he was about to reveal himself. "Didn't Spider-man kick off enough your ass yesterday Flash ?" "Oh come on Penis Parker, at least your girlfriend knows how to fight, leave us be.", taunted Flash.

That was enough for Peter to throw him a good punch in the face, making Flash stumble and take his chin. Everyone was staring blankly. He then lunged at him and they started to fight in the hallways. It drew the students attention that were forming a circle around them.

You were yelling at Peter to stop but he wasn't listening. He was clearly giving Flash a hard time, dodging most of his punches and and hitting him strong. Finally Peter gave him a punch that made him fall on the ground. Teachers eventually arrived, attracted by the screams. They made everyone go to there respective lessons. You kneeled to Peter who was resting his back on the lockers. "Are you alright ?", you asked, helping him to get up thanks to MJ and Ned. His nose was bleeding and he had a black eye but nothing too severe. You turned to Flash and whispered to his ear : "That must have hurt like a bitch." before going back to Peter and leading him to the nursery, leaving Flash bleeding on the floor.

After having dropped Peter at the nursery, you went to your class and you waited for 10 minutes to tell the teacher you weren't feeling well and asked him if you could go to the nursery. The teacher, upset that you were bothering his lesson just made the sign to leave the class as a confirmation. You waited no more and once in the corridors you rushed to the nursery. The nurse, who was an old unpleasant woman, recognized you and seemed suspicious. You told her that you were on your periods and that your stomach hurt a lot and asked her to stay in the next room, reserved to people in need to rest, where you know Peter would be. She rose an eyebrow but agreed and opened you the door and closed it behind you. The room was dark, there were 5 beds, next to one another. On one them you saw Peter that was sleeping. You just laid on the one next to him, not wanting to wake him up but you heard a small : "Y/n, is that you ?" You answered with a nod, even though it was too dark to distinguish it. "Yes Pete." "What are you doing here ?" "I wanted to make sure you were fine...", you began before being interrupted by the teenage boy. "Y/n are you serious ? You shouldn't worry about me !", he declared. "...and I wanted to skip M. Shwart class. What do you think ? You're not my entire world, Peter Parker !", you laughed teasing him. He groaned something and you added : "Though that was very brave and kind to stand up for me." You squeezed his hand. His smile was as large as the circumference of the earth and it seemed to you that lighted the dark room. "Who would have thought you needed a knight in armor ?", he mocked. "Who have thought Peter Parker would be such a good knight in armor ?", she imitated him. "Not to be mean or anything but I was kind of surprised when I saw that fight. Are you hiding some nice abs behind those XL hoodies, Mister Parker ?", you asked with a kinky look. Peter was thanking the Gods of above that there were no lights except the one that filtered from behind the closed stores, otherwise you would have seen the cheeks of the poor boy becoming very red. "Y-you wish you could see them !", he muttered. You both laughed at that ridiculous answer. "Peter, one day I will teach you how to properly hit on people !", you giggled. "That would be lovely y/n." You laughed again and noticed that you were on your knees at his bed. You got up and laid on your bed. You felt Peter's hand reaching out for yours and you smiled, extending your arm to give him your hand more easily.

Peter was awaken by the nurse entering the room, an our later. "Miss y/l/n ! It's time for you to go back to your lesson !" You stretched and got up. Squeezing one last time his hand, you said goodbye to the sweet boy. The nurse escorted you to the door and you greeted her with a smile. "I hope your stomachache is better, y/n", she said with a knowing smile.

You headed back to your next lesson with a sigh.

Hours later, after having eaten in company of MJ, y/n and Ned, Peter got to his lessons of the afternoon normally. The only exception of the routine was when he was in French lesson with you and the headmaster himself entered the class telling him that he will have to come to his office after the lessons tonight. Peter tried to argument that he had a test for tomorrow and that he needed some time to study and the headmaster agreed and left. He was sitting at the back and you were right in the front. You turned to look at him with a worried look and he smiled to reassure you.

At the end of the day you split up to go to your respective house. Ned and Peter walked to his apartment where May was waiting for Peter anxious. "Peter, what happened ? I received a call from your headmaster that you got into a fight ! Oh my god, your face !", she screamed noticing his bruises. "Don't worry Aunt May, it's just Flash again...", he muttered. "Yeah but this time it wasn't to defend yourself, was it Peter ?", Ned said with a knowing look. "What ?", asked Aunt May. "He stood up for y/n !" Peter glared at him and nodded. "Well if that's for y/n... I guess I will spare you the lecture ?" "What is this supposed to mean ?", Peter exclaimed a little upset. "Don't think you will escape the punishment, though !", Aunt May added, half smiling. "If I had none that to get out of trouble I should have done it for a girl, I would have invented the excuse sooner.", muttered Peter before heading to his bedroom soon followed by Ned laughing.

The guys have had studied for the test of tomorrow for an hour now when they decided to do something else. "Can you help me with my literature ?", Peter questioned Ned. "Oh shit !", the teen sweared, "I landed my book of Literature to y/n and she didn't returne it ! My essay for tomorrow is in it !" Peter immediately took his Spider-man costume from the closet. "Hum, what are you doing mate ?" Ned asked puzzled. "I'm going to y/n's house to get it !" "This is probably the worst idea you've ever had ! Well, thinking it straight the one you had last month to set free all the rats of the lab was worst..." "But Ned, I couldn't let these poor animals being killed for science ! On top of that y/n kissed my cheek for doing it..." "Whatever man...Maybe it's not the worst, let's say it is the dumbest." "Do you want your essay or not ?", Peter asked annoyed. "That would be great but..." Peter was already out, and after less than 5 minutes, he was outside your window. Fortunately it was open and he got himself in. He started to look everywhere, in your backpack, your drawers, on your desk but just couldn't find it. He sighed, his hands on his hips when he heard yelling and the door of your bedroom opening...

What an arse ! You had just got into a fight with your elder brother. He wanted to take care of both the boy that hurt you and Peter, god knows why. While you wouldn't be against the idea of Flash being punched once again, you couldn't understand why he was against Peter. Thomas was lecturing on how Peter had a bad impact on you lately. What the hell ?! You opened your door and before closing it again you yelled : "You know what Thomas ? I think you're just jealous of Pete because you think you're not my favorite boy anymore ! And you know what, that's just childish !". You slammed the door. You were speaking to yourself. "What is wrong with him ? Peter is nothing but pure and sweet kindness to me ! That's unfair ! Humpff !" You were raging when you received a text. Checking your phone you saw it was Ned. >>Ned : Hey y/n ! Remember the book I gave you...Well, there is my essay due for tomorrow and I kind of need it to finish it... 😕 You exclaimed. "Oh shit !" >>Y/n : Sending it to you right away, sorry Ned !

When he had heard you opening the door, Peter had jumped on the ceiling and stood still hoping you wouldn't see him. He had listened to you getting mad to your brother and was very curious about the discussion and remembered to ask you tomorrow at school. He saw that Ned had texted you and he understood that he had no need to be there anymore. Problem was : how was he going to leave ? Suddenly, you put on some music and started dancing and singing. Peter recognized Don't Look Down of Martin Garrix. You were adorable, and your voice actually good enough to hit the high notes of the song. When you were raising your head to sing with all your heart you saw him on the ceiling and screamed. Peter screamed too and jumping to the floor, he rushed to you to cover your mouth with his hands. "What the hell ? How long have you been standing there ? How did you got in ? What are you doing there ? Oh my god, have you seen me dancing ?" "You've got pretty good moves !...No ?", he smiled as he was imitating your snake hips move. You frowned your eyebrows with a puzzled look and he stopped. You were waiting for him to justify himself and you asked : "Well ?" "I was here to...ask you out on a date !" "A what ?!", you exclaimed, stunned. What the hell are you thinking about Peter ?! "You want to go on a date with me ? Now ?" You looked to your clothes and saw that you were wearing your Harry Potter pajamas. "I mean if you want of course ! I kinda, hum, want to know you, y-you seem like a nice girl." He wanted to slap himself. "Weeeell, why not ?", you actually agreed. "Really ?", Spider-man exclaimed surprised. You nodded and added : "I just need to change into something more...suitable." "Yeah, of course !", he answered but without leaving the room. "That's cool because I know the greatest roof in New York to watch the city, it's beauti...", he was interrupted. "Although I'm sure you're the expert in New York roofs, I need to change, Spidey..." "Oh yeah right, haha, sorry, of course you need your privacy to change, it's not like...", he was stopped by you again. "Spidey !", you exclaimed making a gesture to show him to leave. "I-I'll be right back, I just have to make a call !" You sighed with a smile as he was opening the window and getting out.

Peter took out his phone and called Ned. "What the hell are you doing ?", Ned immediately picked up. "I sent a text to y/n, she gave me a photo, where are you ?" "OK, so don't freak out but I may have asked y/n out on a date, as Spider-man, and now that I'm saying this out loud it seems like the worst idea I've ever had. What have I done Ned ? Ned ?", Peter asked again as he was getting no answer. "YOU DID WHAT ?", Ned screamed through the phone, causing Peter to take it away from his ear. "Carefully buddy, my Spider earing !" "I'm sorry man but I don't know what to think, I can't chose if you're a genius or the stupidest guy to have ever lived and I'm honestly going for the last one !" "Thanks Ned, just what I needed...", Peter sighed. "Ok, ok, so you only have to be careful to not say anything linked with Peter." "Right, that doesn't seem too hard but knowing me..." "Take a deep breath and...try to enjoy ! You're going on a date with freaking y/n !" "I don't know how's that possible but I'll do my best..." "Oh and by the way, May went out to grab some things to the store." "Yeah, just, leave the keys under the doormat, ok ?" "Hey, hey captain ! Have fun !" He hung up and Peter sighed. Before reaching for your window, he threw a web on a bouquet of flowers from a opened window.

Peter knocked at your window and you opened, let him in. "Hey there, Juliet !", he said, handing you the flowers. "Where did you find these ?" "You wouldn't want to know..." You both laugh and he stared at you. "You-you look amazing ! How did you manage to get prepared so quickly ?" "Thanks Spidey !", you simply answered taking the flowers and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He flushed under his mask and was happy to wear it. "So, should we go ?", Spider-man weirdly asked. "Let me just grab my phone and...", you stopped as you saw a text from Ned and you giggled. "What's so funny ?", Spider-man questioned. "A friend called Ned told me that a friend called Peter put as a password PeterSolo-PrincessY/n !", you exclaimed, laughing. "Son of a...", Peter muttered. Ned did it on purpose, obviously. "What did you say ?", you asked. "I-I said, hum, what a nerd !", Spider-man stuttered, stressing on the last part as if he was making fun of Peter. "Hey ! Don't you dare mock my Pete ! I may seem like a nerd but he's the sweetest boy I've ever met and he must be protected at all costs !", you scolded him. Peter was speechless for a solid minute and he then asked : "Y-you surely like the boy, don't you ?" "I'm not sure dates are made to talk about other boys... Are they ?", you answered as you approached him. If you only knew..., Peter thought. "We may go.", you declared. "Hold on tight !", Spider-man exclaimed as you grabbed him and jumped in the air.

You screamed excitedly. That was incredible, as if you were flying. You hadn't noticed how much you liked this sensation last time, but God was it good ! Spider-man threw web after web, making a visit of New York skyscrapers until he reached a roof where, you must admit, there was the greatest view of New York you've ever had. "Wow.", you simply said. "Ta da ! Told you !" He sat on the edge and you looked underneath. "Hum, is this really safe ?", you questioned, suspicious. "We can sit here if you prefer.", he said pointing a place that you considered safe. "As long as it is not at the edge of a very high building..." You stood silent for a moment, admiring the breath taking view and then asked with a grin : "Do you do this often, asking girls you don't even know their name on dates ? By the way, I'm y/n in case you would be interested in knowing." Oops ! Spider-man stuttered : No, no, no, no ! Of course not !" "Oooh so I'm privileged !", you teased him. "You could say that... Believe it or not, you're the first I had the gut to ask out..." "Really ? So I must be truly special ! And here I thought you were a womaniser !" "You're oh so wrong." "Why didn't you ask anyone out ? I mean, unless you're very ugly under that mask, you must be the boy of every girl's dream.", you joked. "Well, there is this girl..." "Aaaah, I'm all ears !", you laughed. "But she's so perfect ! She is strong, intelligent, sweet...incredibly beautiful...", he detailed as he was staring you straight. "Wow, is Spider-man in love ? Why don't you make a move ?" He laughed. "She's too bad ass to be interested in a stupid boy like me." You choked. "Excuse me ? Are you Spider-man or what ?" "Pfff, the real courage is not the one we show during fights. And let me just say that I really lack it !", he laughed bitter. "I couldn't agree more, but still this girl is either completely blind or absolutely stupid if she doesn't like you back !", you exclaimed, sure of yourself. "If only she could hear you...", Spider-man sighed.

You talked for about an hour, telling him everything. And he got it, anything you would say, he would understand and agree. You eventually looked at your watch and saw that it was already 7 pm. You gasped and got up. "I should go !" "Alright Cinderella, I wouldn't want to turn back into a pumpkin", he joked and you laugh. You were standing awkwardly in front of each other, when you took action. Taking Spidey's mask and raising it to his nose, you grabbed his face with both hands and kissed deeply. When you realized what you were doing, you walked back. "I shouldn't have done it ! Oh my god ! I shouldn't have accepted at all. Why am I so stupid ?" "Y/n...", Peter began, putting his mask on, while he was breathless and completely dead. "Don't. Please. That's best for both of us. You have your mysterious and I have... Anyway. Take me home please." Peter was about to add something, but closed his mouth and grabbed you sweetly. "This may sound odd but...hold on tight."

He left you in your room, and you said coldly : "I'm sorry to say this, I truly am, but...forget everything about tonight, it didn't happen, alright ?" He nodded sadly. As he left, you jumped on your bed and grabbed your head. "What the fuck, y/n ? What the actual fuck y/n ?" Without thinking much, you grabbed a hoodie and your keys and left. You ignored your brother that was asking where you were going. You had to tell Peter, it couldn't continue this way, he had to know, and you to settle. As you were literally running to his apartment, you remembered  what just happened with Spider-man and shook your head to make the image disappear. On the door of the flat, you knocked and nobody answered. You were looking for a key somewhere and looked under the doormat. Bingo ! You turned the key in the door and entered. There wasn't a sound and you screamed from the living room to Pete's bedroom. "Pete, I kissed Spider-man but it doesn't mean anything because..." You heart stopped as you arrived in front of the open door of Peter's room.

When he left your house, Peter was swearing and insulting himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid ! How things could have gone worse ? When the hell did he imagine that they wouldn't go wrong ? He sighed. He wanted to break a wall. He was taking the road to his home, when he saw some weird guy trying to steal a car. He jumped on him, but right at this moment, five other men he hadn't seen took him. Surprised, he couldn't fight back at first. They were punching him, and one guys even took out a knife. He managed to stab him once, in the belly when a man saw them and screamed ; "Hey !" They all escaped and Spiderman got up as quick as possible to go back home.

He arrived minutes later, wounded and bleeding in his room. His ears were clogged and he wasn't seeing straight. It was already a miracle that he had managed to find his way home. He opened the window, taking off his mask and crawled on the floor. He succeeded at standing up and when he turned around to get the first aid kit he was keeping in his cupboard is case of emergency, he saw you, putting your hand on your heart.

A/N : So, so ! How is it ? Reviews are more than welcome and part 3 is on the way ! 

Particular thanks to Tessa, who is always helping me and supporting me. She was the one that found the Peter Solo, Princess Y/n thing and, let’s admit it, it’s fabulous !

Tags : @potus-megan @farfromjustordinary @double-leo (ilysm) @mnemosymedream

[dreamingsushi]

True Beauty - Episode 4

So here we go for episode 4 of True Beauty! So many things happened in the last weeks so I couldn’t really sit down to watch k-dramas. Or any dramas at all. But I’m now back and with a very nice new device so I can watch and make these recaps in my living room, well sited on my couch. Isn’t it amazing? Well I think so.

The episode starts with Seojun riding his motorcycle and it’s a flashback of when his friend Se Yeon died. The poor boy was accused of being a bully and he wanted to seek help from Su Ho to clear his name. But obviously it didn’t work out as Se Yeon ended dying. So it seems that’s why Seo Jun blames Su Ho for it. And there we are back in the cafeteria, when Seo Jun sits to eat with Jugyeong. Which angers Su Ho. They kind of start getting in a fight, but they are stopped by a teacher. The teacher blames it all on Seo Jun even though Su Ho claims he was the one to start the fight. They end up out of trouble because Su Ho is a good student.

The female friend, the black haired girl that his friend with both Su Ho and Ju Gyeong - I can’t remember her name right now - talks all little with Su Ho about it and wonders if things went bad between him and Seo Jun because of Se Yeon. But he only answers with a glare, so she just gives him soin ointment.

The girls are all excited about a potential love triangle between Ju Gyeong, Su Ho and Seo Jun. Ju Gyeong gets surrounded and people ask her who’s she’s going to chose ans she’s like... what chosing? She says they don’t like her, they just don’t get along well. They don’t agree but her other friend dismisses them all. Then Su Ho comes back to class but before they can ask anything, Seo Jun’s friend come over to have a talk with Su Ho. They want to defend Seo Jun, but end up almost getting in trouble. They get punished by having to clean the gym. Su Ho tries to say something about the day Se Yeon died, but Seo Jun doesn’t want to hear him making excuses. Poor Su Ho. It seems he feels really bad himself about it.

Later at night, Su Ho has a flashback of Seo Jun telling him to bring Se Yeon back. So he goes to the manga store and has another flashback of baby Ju Gyeong. She was trying to make him smile. While she’s passing by, Ju Gyeong sees Su Ho and bring him a drink. She scolds him a little for getting into a fight. Once again though, she comforts him a little, he even smiles. He asks her if it’s really important for her that people don’t wee her without make up and she says of course, because maybe others look different, but she’s extremely different without make up. And he says he can’t see the difference so much. So cute <3 Then their faces are close and she sees his lip got a cut and she touches it. Then they are interrupted by the shop owner and he sends her home to study. I guess he was shook.

The next morning, Seojun asks her if she’s dating Su Ho, but she says she doesn’t.

Big sister is still hoping to see the teacher to meet her for a meal. I love the eldest sister. She’s so dorky in her own way.

Ju Gyeong is called to solve a math problem on the board, along with Su Ho and the other smart girl. She’s having much trouble, Su Ho helps a little, but then when Seo Jun laughs, he has to take Ju Gyeong’s place. Then the girls invite Ju Gyeong to join their study group. Lon haired girl tells Su Ho to join too, but he doesn’t want to. Then short haired friend wants to set her on a blind date.

Later that day, when she goes back home taking the bus, Su Ho follows her. She gives him a chocolate bar for his math contest the next day. He says he doesn’t like sweets but takes it anyways. Then he asks her about maths and stuff, she can’t answer anything. And right then she receives a message from her blind date, which seems to upset poor Su Ho. He makes her meet the guy during day time the next day, cause she was considering night time. But he tells her not to meet the guy if she doesn’t want to. She says it’s not that she doesn’t want to, more that she’s nervous meeting a guy outside of school. Wooooups. Poor Su Ho. He’s no more a guy then? But before she can say anything, the bus stops abruptly and he prevents her face from falling. Then some other guy come to sit between the two of them and then she’s happy about the movie she’s going to see with the blind date, so Su Ho gets upset and gets down of the bus.

Seo Jun’s mom is getting out of the hospital. And she goes to pay a visit to Ju Gyeong’s mom along with Seo Jun. So Ju Gyeong tries to hide her bare face with a mask, but it’s a little bit... catastrophic. She has to put on make up again once she washes off the mask so Seo Jun won’t know. When she’s about to leave, her mom invites Seo Jun to eat over at their place the next day and he snitches on her having a date. So she snitches on him riding the bike.

While she gets ready for her date, Ju Gyeong realizes she has no pretty clothes, so she goes into her sister’s wardroom, but she finds nothing until she sees a Jingdonc package with a cute dress in it. She really doesn’t look like a teenager wearing that. The guy is so greasy though, beeeh. Lol, Su Ho went to see the movie too and he’s getting mad when he sees a boy kissing a girl. But it’s not her. Seems it’s a cameo from another drama? I haven’t seen it. But the boy looks like Eun Taek from Cheese in the Trap though. Well the cameo is not from Cheese in the Trap, I know that, but just. Hahaha. Bear with me. Always. At the end of the date, she doesn’t seem to thrilled at the idea of seeing him again though. Then after she left, Su Ho sees that the guy is meeting another girl. BAD BOY. I remember that from the Webtoon now haha. I forgot about it, but now, I remember.

When she’s back home, her mom scolds her from dating and says she would rather ship her with someone like Seojun. But Ju Gyeong is like, hell no, he’s a délinquant. And then mommy goes on explaining how much he took care of his mom while she was sick. Sweet boy Seo Jun <3 He even worked to pay his tuition and his mom’s hospital’s bill.

Then later while she’s washing up for the night, she receives a text from her date saying he’s a bad guy as he already has a girlfriend. She only remembers he rejected her. Not that he was trying to two-time. Even the big sis doesn’t notice the most important part hahaha. They’re from another world, totally. The next day Seo Jun makes fun of her for getting rejected. Such a meanie. It’s so weird though, knowing how the stories unravel, I didn’t remember him being so mean xD

Of course, Su Ho made him move away. The saviour. Later that day, it seems like Seo Jun is showing the pictures he has of Ju Gyeong with a face mask, so she steals his moto keys and he goes chasing after her. When he catches up to her, Su Ho comes in, knight in shining armour. And he joins the study group. He teaches her maths, so it makes Kang Su (is that her name) wondering how come they got so close. Then they go KTV and he covers her legs with a cushion hahaha. Su Ho ma boy <3 While she goes to the bathroom, she hears someone singing pretty well. Woooo, who is that?? WHO IS IT? Hahaha! As if I don’t know hihi! It’s Seo Jun, yep yep! She doesn’t seem him though, she just notices the motorcycle. He comes out right then and since Su Ho is about to see them, she pulls him away, but then they bump into the thugs from a few episodes back. And Su Ho sees that, so he goes running after them. Of course, since he likes our Ju Gyeong. But when they trick them, Su Ho ends up being dragged into this and he gets in trouble. But then, hello jujitsu skills. But when it’s five against one, how could he win? Fortunately the cops come over.

Seo Jun takes Ju Gyeong home on his motorcycle, since the others left with her bag. Su Ho is at the comic book when she comes home with Seo Jun. So they end up fighting, once again, so she tries to send them on their way home, but her sister is going back home drunk and she drags both of them. And she ends up throwing up on Su Ho. Poor baby boy. Ju Gyeong is super embarrassed and sorry. Definitely not how they expected to end the night.

On their way back, Seo Jun asks Su Ho if he likes Ju Gyeong, so Su Ho asks him if he does, so Seo Jun is like, maybe I should. No don’t pretend to like the girl just to piss your ex-friend. Ju Gyeong is annoying, like really, especially in the drama even more than in the webtoon. But still. Oh, Su Ho left the competition for her. Of course he likes her. My baby. I’m crushing real hard on Su Ho. I was in the Webtoon, I am still in the live action. Even though Seo Jun is a little more handsome.

Next day at school, Seo Jun hands the key to his motorbike to Ju Gyeong, saying that since she says not to ride it, he won’t and that from now on, he’ll listen to her. Of course, in front of Su Ho. That’s so mean. Fight all you want with the guy, but don’t involve an innocent girl in your fights. She wants to follow him, but Su Ho grabs her wrist and tells her not to go. And it’s the end of the episode.

I love the ending song for this. I’m in the mood for dancing, I feel like chancing~ It’s so weird because I know how the story goes, but then I also don’t because I don’t remember? So far I am still enjoying this. It might not win an award for my favorite drama of all times, but it’s a good series to change my mood and forget about stuff that upsets me. I recommend it, without having too high expectations. Watch it just to see something light and relax. That’s my advice on that! And it’s enough for today, time to turn in! Goodbye! See you soon. We’re back in full lockdown with a curfew, I’m going to have plenty of time for my beloved dramas.